paffion is a delire o f public notice and diilinction. There is not
an individual for whom they feel, in their heart, fuch ilrong and
violent fentiments o f friendihip, tendernefs, and love, as are
found in thofe who live in warmer climates.
The lame conftitution which produces diilance and referve in
one clals o f women, is the caufe o f exceffive licentioufnefs in the
inferior orders. T h e prodigality o f their kindnefs is in proportion
to the eoldnefs o f their temperament. T he y feem to think they
can never give enough, becaule they feel little even in bellowing
the greatell favours. There are not in Stockholm, as in other
places, any women o f the tow n : inltead o f thefe— individuals'
have miftrelfes, who maintain a rank in fociety much above their
condition in life. They are pretty much in the ilyle o f lome
dillinguilhed individuals o f that defcription in England. T hey
require to be courted in a formal manner; nor are their good
graces, fuch as they are, to be obtained by any one without loms
previous introduction; a cullom which 1 am far- from, diicom-
mending, but which, on the contrary, I. think is entitled to fome
credit, even though they are not contented with one lover at a
time. Perhaps they might be fo fatisfied, and even inclined to
exchange their condition with the more uniform liate of. concur
bines, if they could meet with admirers fufficiently affluent and
generous to. enable them-to confine their acquaintance to one perr
Ion. But the honorary premium, ufually given them is very fmall,
and they mull have at leall leven or eight lovers,toiupport the
ilyle o f drefs they afpire to, which is the only, objeil o f their care
day.
day and night. They exail from their friends and favourites a degree
o f attention and refp'eCl even in public, that appears extraordinary
to a foreigner. The y would immediately difmifs a lover
that would hefitate to bow to them in public places, or even to
kifs their hands, as is the cullom in Sweden for gentlemen to
perform, in token o f refpect to ladies o f rank and charafter. I
have often feen officers o f diitin&ion fubmitting to thefe ads o f
humiliation toward women o f the loofell conduit, and fcarcely
worthy to belong to the Balladiere cafte :* for the fame ladies,
who are thus courted by their feveral lovers, and require fo
much ceremony and attention in day-light, will fometimes parade
the ilreets when it is; dark, and expofe themfelves to any adventure
that may enable them to gain money. From the facility
o f keeping miilreffes by a fpecies o f partnerffiip, it happens that
the men in Sweden, efpecially in the capital, feel no jea lou fy ,
they “ enjoy love,” as Helvetius exprefles it, “ but do not figh.
T h e Swedes, like the Englilh, are taken up with their bufmefs
in the day time, and fpend their evenings' at cards, or fometimes,
though very rarely, in the company o f the ladies. A Swediffi
petit maUre is an animal that holds a middle llation between
beings o f that kind in Germany and thofe in France. He is a
fool, as in all countries. He fpends the whole day in changing his
clothes, wears large whiikers reaching down the length o f his
* Balladieres are dancing girls in India, whole favours are to be purchafed
with money, but who are not on that account held as objefls of fcorn or reproach,
becaufe it belongs to their cafte to be thus unfortunately circumftanced.
V o l . I. K chin’