A wag of the
day published a new list of promotions headed as follows,--
Lady B------n to be Lady A------r P-t,--by exchange--Lady P-t
to be Duchess of A------e,--by promotion--Lady Charlotte W--y
to be Lady P-t, vice Lady P-t, promoted.
~172~~
To see thee, cruel Lady J-,{20}
Regret the golden Ball.
Tis useless now:--"the fox and grapes"
Remember, and avoid the apes
Which wait an old maid's fall.
Gay lady H-----e's twinkling star{21}
20 It is not long since that, inspired by love or ambition,
a wealthy commoner sought the promise of the fair hand of
Lady J-, nor was the consent of her noble father (influenced
by certain weighty reasons*) wanting to complete the
anticipated happiness of the suitor.--All the preliminary
forms were arranged,--jointure and pin money liberally
fixed,--some legal objections as to a covenant of forfeiture
overcame, a suitable establishment provided. The happy day
was fixed, when--"mark inconstant fickle woman"--the evening
previous to completion (to the surprise of all the town),
she changed her mind; she had reconsidered the subject!--The
man was wealthy, and attractive in person; but then--
insupportable objection--he was a mere plebeian, a common
esquire, and his name was odious,--Lady J- B-1,--she could
never endure it: the degrading thought produced a fainting
fit,--the recovery a positive refusal,--the circumstance a
week's amusement to the fashionable world.
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