Letter from Emma Young to Harriot Trenchard, “Sunday morning”

The Fair Felicia is blest with many real advantages and many more imaginary ones, and especialy with that which makes a Person easy Gay and happy, which is a Sense of Selfworthiness nymphidia Scars above the Clouds and Moves in a Sphere of her own to which She also attracts her Matchless he Echoe Sighs and pines, and talks and Laughs and Sings with the wonderfull narcissus in the morning and Coquets it with Stars and Garters in the evening molly place is divided betwixt the puzzling Science of musick and a Certain phenix of the he kind this age has produc’d who is better acquainted with foreign Nations then with old England, and our merry associate the whale is, as She Says busy in her own way nursing the sick, So all are employd in a Sociable manner but poor I, whom the monarch might now Justly Call odd indeed, when Seperated from my fellow Creatures

as for the nymphs at the haymarket I am informd They have been Twice at the opera, four or five times at the old play house, twice at the new onee at the italian theatre to See Madm violantes Rope dancing, and also to See the Sleight of hand, they have likewise been in the Mall, hide park for the air, and to Greys inn walks, Lincolns inn Gardens, the Temple, the Royal exchange, and Westminster abbey, St Pauls, the Lions and bedlam were to be their next entertainments. Ms Siby Says, Mr Pope has dignified them, from St Jude with the appellation of wandring Stars, and Says they divide their time equally betwixt Churches and playhouses, from other hands. I am informd that they had the Pleasure to See a Sudden insurrection of perspectives Levelld at them and to observe the Common whisper of who are they fly round the assembly and that their pretensions to Such a query are Good for they have a thousand airs and Graces entirely new and unpractis’d in the Country, having acquired Such a knack of humouring and Managing their beautys now’ and varying their charms to So many Shapes of Loveliness That one wd Swear they had been in the drawing room every night this Season instead of playing whisk in Keyford parlour.

[…] Playing at thimble and button together I am told The nymphs are enterd into the Mode of being partizans for Faustina or Cuzzoni, Belinda is a moderate admirer of the Matchless he, She is Charmd with Cuzzonis voice for its Softness and owns it to be Sweeter then faustinas, but the Execution, Manner, Good Judgment and bewitching face of the Latter has Gaind belinda to her party and raisd disputes even betwixt her and Sibella who never disputed before is it not Comical to observe how Soon pretty female Coxcombs Get into the Town airs, to hear these Girls who Scarce ever were out of the Confines of their own walls, before, now talk of voices, pipe, Manner and Execution as fast as if they belongd to the academy of Musick. you’l Say my Moral Reflections proceed from Such a kind of Spleen as you used to have in yr Days of early youth, when you receive’d Letters from Town: indeed this might have been the Case, for I am not So Stupid but I can relish those things, but having fixd my mind entirely upon one Set of acquaintance and They always being present to my view. this defends me from Love of the Town or indeed of any thing in the world that does not Some way relate to them, now two of these are in Town, but you who have more of my affection than both of ym together are in the Country at that Dear place where without Flattery I have past the pleasantest hours of my Life.