Thursday, July 21, 2011

Fordyce's Sermons to Young Women, Sermon III, Page 77

"Yes those more accomplished ensnarers are sufficiently aware that there is no allurement equal to that of maiden virtue and therefore having lost the reality they study to retain the appearance.  In this instance no doubt as in numberless others the operations of Nature may be counteracted by violence and her most speaking features silenced by dissimulation.   But ah! how much more easy pleasant noble and happy to be virtuous than only to seem so!"

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4 comments:

  1. VineryJuly 21, 2011 at 12:22 AM

    Is he saying that artful young women dress and apply make up to appear virtuous? Whaaa? Clearly he didn’t know any real young women.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 21, 2011 at 7:05 AM

    That's what I'm thinking! And oh my goodness, I loved Tom Hollander as Mr. Collins. Makes me wanna go watch P&P all over again. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Retro BlogJuly 22, 2011 at 11:42 PM

    ...gasping weakly, "...pp page 77? My smelling salts!"

    ReplyDelete
  4. PatriciaJuly 23, 2011 at 1:31 AM

    I would have to agree. Much easier to be virtuos, than to have to work to appear so. Thank you Reverend.

    ReplyDelete

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