Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M--y W---y M---e : written during her travels in Europe, Asia and Africa ... Which contain ... accounts of the policy and manners of the Turks / [Mary Wortley Montagu].

Mary Wortley Montagu

Date:: 1790

Credit: Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M--y W---y M---e : written during her travels in Europe, Asia and Africa ... Which contain ... accounts of the policy and manners of the Turks / [Mary Wortley Montagu]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$|;lu3 has flrait flecves, that reach to their fingers-cnds, and it laps all round them, not unlike a riding-hood. In win- ter, ’tis of cloth; and in fummer, of plain Huff or fllk. \ ou may guels then, how etfedtuaJly this difguifes them, fo that tl^erc is no dillinguilhing the great lady from her flave. ’Tis impoflihle for the moh jealous hiifband to know his wife, when he meets her; and no man dare touch or follow a woman in tlje flreet. This perpetual mafquerade gives them entire liberty of following their inclinations, without dangei of difeo. very. Hie moll ufual method of intrigue, is, to lend an appointment to the lover to meet the lady at a Jew’s Ihop, which are as iictoricully convenient as our Indian-houfes; and ) et, even thofe who don’t make ufe of them, do not fcruple to go to buy pennyworths, and tumble over rich goods, which are chiefly to be found amongft that ibit of people. The great ladies feldom let tl.eir gallants know who they are ; and ’tis fo difficult to find it out, that they can vciy feldcm guefs at Iier name, whom they have cor- refponded with for above half a year trgeiher. You may ealily imagine the number of faithful wives very fmall in a country where tlicy have nothing to fear from a lover’s indifcrelion, fince vve fee fo many have the courage to ex- ]xife themfelves to that in this world, and all the threat- ened piimlhment of the next, which is never preached to the 1 urkifli damfelp. Neither have they much to appre- hend from the refentment of their hufbands; thofe ladies that are rich, having all their money in their own liands. Upon the whole, I look upon the Tuikifh women, as th.c only free people in the empire ; the very divan pays re- f}>edt to tliem 5 and the grand fignior hinifclf, when a bafla is executed, never violates the privileges of the harar,:^ (or wemens apartment) which remains unfearched and entire to the u idow. They are queens of their Haves, whom the hulband has no permiliion fo much as to lock upon, except it be an old woman or two that his ladv chufes. ’l is true, thew law j-venuiis them four v ives; brt there is no inflance of a man of quality that makes ufe of tlus liberty, or-of a woman of rank that would fufler I- iU$