“What was looked upon as the beau-monde, then lived much more in public than now, and men and women of fashion displayed their weaknesses to the world in public places of amusement and resort with little shame or delicacy. The women often rivalled the men in libertinism and even emulated them sometimes in their riotous manners.”[64] In 1770 an Act was passed declaring-- “That all women of whatever age, rank, profession, or degree, whether virgins, maids or widows, that shall from and after such Act, impose upon, seduce, or betray into matrimony, any of his Majesty’s male subjects by the scents, paints, cosmetic washes, artificial teeth, false hair, Spanish wool, iron stays, hoops, high-heeled shoes, etc., shall incur the penalty of the law now in force against witchcraft and like misdemeanours, and that the marriage upon conviction shall stand null and void.” Public morals were at a low ebb if we may trust the observation of that experienced traveller, M. Grosley, who says that the women of the town were bolder and more numerous in London than in Paris or Rome. They thronged the footpaths at night, and even in broad daylight accosted passers by, more particularly those whom they perceived to be foreigners. Archenholz, who visited London some years after Grosley, says:-- “On compte cinquante mille prostituées à Londres, sans les maîtresses en titre. Leurs usages et leur conduite déterminent les différentes classes où il faut les ranger. La plus vile de toutes habite dans les lieux publics sous la direction d’une matrone qui les loge et les habille. Ces habits même pour les filles communs, sont de soie, suivant l’usage que le luxe a généralement introduit en Angleterre.... Dans la seule paroisse de Marybonne, qui est la plus grande et la plus peuplée de l’Angleterre, on en comptoit, il y a quelques années, treize mille, dont dix-sept cents occupoient des maisons entières à elles seules.” One of the causes of the number of these _filles de joie_ was, probably, the constant immigration from the provinces of young friendless girls eager to taste the delights of London. When their means were exhausted it was impossible for them to return or obtain employment without credentials, and they entered upon the only career that seemed open to them. Another Frenchman comments on the openly lax morality which disgraced English family life-- “There’s yet a much greater fault which the English women have reason to complain of, and that is that most of the husbands keep mistresses. Some have carried them home and made them eat at the same table with their wives, and yet no mischief happened.... They have been seen even in company with the wives, and if there is any distinction, ’tis that they are handsomer for the most part, better dressed and less starch’d.”[65]