Foreign Visitors in England; and What They Have Thought of Us Being Some Notes on Their Books and Their Opinions During the Last Three Centuries

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ... I CHAPTER XV. 'The greatest beauties in the world.' UR travellers are universally gallant. They are mostly surprised to see 1ks&4i so much liberty allowed to womenkind. The saying is often repeated that England is 'the paradise of women, and the purgatory of horses, ' because the females are almost like masters, and the horses are worked harder than in any other country. Even the captious Perlin relents over the ladies, and declares that Englishwomen are ' the greatest beauties in the world, and as fair as alabaster... they are also cheerful and courteous, and of a good address.' Rathgeb, diarist of the Duke Frederick of VVirtemberg, is less carried away by their dazzling qualities of mind and person, than concerned with the extreme amount of liberty they enjoy, 'which they know well how to make use of, for they go dressed out in exceedingly fine clothes, and give all their attention to their cuffs and stuffs, to such a degree indeed that many a one does not hesitate to wear velvet in the streets, which is common with them, whilst at home they have not a piece of dry bread.' The Dutch historian, Van Meteren, who lived here many years during the sixteenth century, thus discourses in much the same vein: 'Wives in England are entirely in the power of their husbands, their lives only excepted. But although the women there are entirely in the power of their husbands except for their lives, yet they are not kept so strictly as they are in Paris and elsewhere. Nor are they shut up, but they have the free management of the housekeeping after the fashion of those of the Netherlands.... They go to market to buy what they like best to eat. They are well-dressed, fond of taking it easy, and commonly leave the care of household matters and..