The Works of Henry Fielding, vol. 12Fielding, Henry
General
The Works of Henry Fielding, vol. 12
Fielding, Henry
English literature -- 18th century
The audacious Anedes, who is extremely amorous in his inclinations,
never likes a woman but his eyes ask her the question, without
considering the confusion he often occasions to the object; he ogles
and languishes at every pretty woman in the room. As there is no law
of morality which he would not break to satisfy his desires, so is
there no form of civility which he doth not violate to communicate
them. When he gets possession of a woman's hand, which those of
stricter decency never give him but with reluctance, he considers
himself as its master. Indeed, there is scarce a familiarity which he
will abstain from on the slightest acquaintance, and in the most
public place. Seraphina herself can make no impression on the rough
temper of Agroicus; neither her quality nor her beauty can exact the
least complacence from him; and he would let her lovely limbs ach
rather than offer her his chair: while the gentle Lyperus tumbles over
benches and overthrows tea-tables to take up a fan or a glove; he
forces you, as a good parent doth his child, for your own good; he is
absolute master of a lady's will, nor will allow her the election of
standing or sitting in his company. In short, the impertinent civility
of Lyperus is as troublesome, though perhaps not so offensive, as the
brutish rudeness of Agroicus.
Thus we have hinted at most of the common enormities committed in
public assemblies to our equals; for it would be tedious and difficult
to enumerate all: nor is it needful; since from this sketch we may
trace all others, most of which, I believe, will be found to branch
out from some of the particulars here specified.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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