“And I,” said another menette, “had no such object to fix my imagination; I wore invariably a modest dress, my veil always drawn over my eyes, and sleeves to my very hands: I rose early in the morning to go to church, and was constantly seen at all devotional exercises; for me there was neither parties, assemblies, nor feasts: I did not attach myself to my confessor, although often at his grate. In the mean time, I had some good friends, who went about preaching my virtue far and wide, and principally to those rich men whom they knew not to be fond of gallantry, and yet exceedingly fearful of what generally happens to men of their years after marriage. Your affair is finished, say they to the marrying men; I have discovered a girl of superlative virtue, who knows not a single man in the world, and who is so unsophisticated with respect to love matters, that she does not even know the name of masculine garments; always engaged in her domestic duties; without luxury, without vanity, rich withal, and beloved of her father. ‘This is a girl that will exactly suit me,’ said an opulent citizen with sixty years and the gout; ‘I shall have a nurse for the remainder of my life; I will make her fine presents, and after my death she shall have the enjoyment of my estate.’ In fine, they consulted me with regard to this man; I demanded time to determine; something unlucky might happen to my virtue; I asked light from above; heaven appeared favourable to this union. See me then espoused; I play the innocent, the ingenuous: my husband, deceived, felicitates himself in my simplicity: all this time I secretly received the attentions of a handsome young man; the more I saw him, the stronger appeared my conjugal attachment. Behold my history, and discreet devotion.” I saw still other menettes of different characters, who exposed the motives of their hypocrisy, and confessed that they had no other religion. These are liars, for truly religious souls shun ostentation: true devotion is so considerate, that those who possess it endeavour to conceal it, to avoid being elevated in the opinion of the world. Christian humility flies the eulogies of men: their praise seems a dangerous enemy, which, in flattering, withdraws the heart from the right way; it refuses the recompense due to merit, and contents itself with affording that good example, which the honour of virtue and religion demand; all which, Jupiter, in a homily to the fanatics, set forth at large. The following is the decree that was then read and published before this great audience, in presence of the demons and the damned. DECREE OF LUCIFER. “LUCIFER, to the legions of demons and damned people of hell, unhappiness, despair, eternal pains. In order to the due execution of justice and vengeance entrusted to our hands, _we will_, _ordain_, and _command_, under the severest penalties: