Book contents
- Frontmatter
- CONTENTS
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Select Bibliography
- Note on the Texts
- Marie Jeanne Riccoboni, Letters from Juliet Lady Catesby, to her Friend Lady Henrietta Campley, trans. Frances Brooke
- LETTER I
- LETTER II
- LETTER III
- LETTER IV
- LETTER V
- LETTER VI
- LETTER VII
- LETTER VIII
- LETTER IX
- LETTER X
- LETTER XI
- LETTER XII
- LETTER XIII
- LETTER XIV
- LETTER XV
- LETTER XVI
- LETTER XVII
- LETTER XVIII
- LETTER XIX
- LETTER XX
- LETTER XXI
- LETTER XXII
- LETTER XXIII
- LETTER XXIV
- LETTER XXV
- LETTER XXVI
- LETTER XXVII
- LETTER XXVIII
- LETTER XXIX
- LETTER XXX
- LETTER XXXI
- LETTER XXXII
- LETTER XXXIII
- LETTER XXXIV
- LETTER XXXV
- LETTER XXXVI
- LETTER XXXVII
- LETTER XXXVIII
- LETTER XXXIX
- Françoise de Graffigny, The Peruvian Letters, trans. Miss R. Roberts
- PREFACE
- LETTER I
- LETTER II
- LETTER III
- LETTER IV
- LETTER V
- LETTER VI
- LETTER VII
- LETTER VIII
- LETTER IX
- LETTER X
- LETTER XI
- LETTER XII
- LETTER XIII
- LETTER XIV
- LETTER XV
- LETTER XVI
- LETTER XVII
- LETTER XVIII
- LETTER XIX
- LETTER XX
- LETTER XXI
- LETTER XXII
- LETTER XXIII
- LETTER XXIV
- LETTER XXV
- LETTER XXVI
- LETTER XXVII
- LETTER XXVIII
- LETTER XXIX
- LETTER XXX
- LETTER XXXI
- LETTER XXXII
- LETTER XXXIII
- LETTER XXXIV
- LETTER XXXV
- LETTER XXXVI
- LETTER XXXVII
- LETTER XXXVIII, and last
- Volume II
- LETTER XXXIX
- LETTER XL
- LETTER XLI
- LETTER XLII
- LETTER XLIII
- LETTER XLIV
- LETTER XLV
- LETTER XLVI
- LETTER XLVII
- LETTER XLVIII
- LETTER XLIX
- LETTER L
- LETTER LI
- LETTER LII
- LETTER LIII
- LETTER LIV
- LETTER LV
- LETTER LVI
- LETTER LVII
- LETTER LVIII
- LETTER LIX
- LETTER LX
- LETTER LXI
- LETTER LXII
- LETTER LXIII
- LETTER LXIV
- LETTER LXV
- LETTER LXVI
- LETTER LXVII
- Editorial Notes
- Textual Variants
- Silent Corrections
LETTER XXXI
- Frontmatter
- CONTENTS
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Select Bibliography
- Note on the Texts
- Marie Jeanne Riccoboni, Letters from Juliet Lady Catesby, to her Friend Lady Henrietta Campley, trans. Frances Brooke
- LETTER I
- LETTER II
- LETTER III
- LETTER IV
- LETTER V
- LETTER VI
- LETTER VII
- LETTER VIII
- LETTER IX
- LETTER X
- LETTER XI
- LETTER XII
- LETTER XIII
- LETTER XIV
- LETTER XV
- LETTER XVI
- LETTER XVII
- LETTER XVIII
- LETTER XIX
- LETTER XX
- LETTER XXI
- LETTER XXII
- LETTER XXIII
- LETTER XXIV
- LETTER XXV
- LETTER XXVI
- LETTER XXVII
- LETTER XXVIII
- LETTER XXIX
- LETTER XXX
- LETTER XXXI
- LETTER XXXII
- LETTER XXXIII
- LETTER XXXIV
- LETTER XXXV
- LETTER XXXVI
- LETTER XXXVII
- LETTER XXXVIII
- LETTER XXXIX
- Françoise de Graffigny, The Peruvian Letters, trans. Miss R. Roberts
- PREFACE
- LETTER I
- LETTER II
- LETTER III
- LETTER IV
- LETTER V
- LETTER VI
- LETTER VII
- LETTER VIII
- LETTER IX
- LETTER X
- LETTER XI
- LETTER XII
- LETTER XIII
- LETTER XIV
- LETTER XV
- LETTER XVI
- LETTER XVII
- LETTER XVIII
- LETTER XIX
- LETTER XX
- LETTER XXI
- LETTER XXII
- LETTER XXIII
- LETTER XXIV
- LETTER XXV
- LETTER XXVI
- LETTER XXVII
- LETTER XXVIII
- LETTER XXIX
- LETTER XXX
- LETTER XXXI
- LETTER XXXII
- LETTER XXXIII
- LETTER XXXIV
- LETTER XXXV
- LETTER XXXVI
- LETTER XXXVII
- LETTER XXXVIII, and last
- Volume II
- LETTER XXXIX
- LETTER XL
- LETTER XLI
- LETTER XLII
- LETTER XLIII
- LETTER XLIV
- LETTER XLV
- LETTER XLVI
- LETTER XLVII
- LETTER XLVIII
- LETTER XLIX
- LETTER L
- LETTER LI
- LETTER LII
- LETTER LIII
- LETTER LIV
- LETTER LV
- LETTER LVI
- LETTER LVII
- LETTER LVIII
- LETTER LIX
- LETTER LX
- LETTER LXI
- LETTER LXII
- LETTER LXIII
- LETTER LXIV
- LETTER LXV
- LETTER LXVI
- LETTER LXVII
- Editorial Notes
- Textual Variants
- Silent Corrections
Summary
It is not all surprising, my dear Aza, that inconsistency is a consequence of the airy character of the French; but yet I cannot help being astonished, that as they certainly do not want for penetration, they should not themselves perceive the ridiculous contradictions which foreigners remark in them at the first sight.
Among a great number which strike me every day, I cannot help mentioning one, which I think much dishonours their understanding, I mean their manner of thinking with regard to our sex. They respect, and yet despise them, my dear Aza, at the same time.
The first law of their politeness or virtue, (for I think the whole of their virtue consists in politeness) is the deference they pay to women. A man of the first rank shows the utmost complaisance to a woman in the lowest state of life, and would blush, and think it an everlasting reproach to him, if he offered her any personal insult. And yet a man of the lowest credit, may deceive and betray a woman of credit, and blast her reputation, without fear of punishment.
If I was not well assured that you would yourself soon see these things, I should hardly dare to tell them you, as the contrast is so great, to the simplicity of our souls, that you cannot easily conceive them. Led by the hand of Nature, our genius goes no farther: By her we are taught, that the strength and courage of one sex, is designed for the support and defence of the other, and our laws are conformable to this discovery. Here, instead of looking with compassion on the weakness of women, those of the common sort, tied down to labour, have no relief, either from the laws or their husbands: While those of a more elevated rank, often become the prey either of the seduction or malice of the other sex; and have no resource from such perfidy, but a mere outside respect, which is continually followed by the most cutting satire.
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- Translations and ContinuationsRiccoboni and Brooke, Graffigny and Roberts, pp. 124 - 125Publisher: Pickering & ChattoFirst published in: 2014