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THROUGH SWEDEN. 65
day and night. They exact from their friends and favourites a de-
gree of attention and refpect even in public, that appears extraor-
dinary to a foreigner. They would immediately difmifs a lover
that would hefitate to bow to them in public places, or even to
kifs their hands, as is the cuftom in Sweden for gentlemen to
perform, in token of refpect to ladies of rank and character. I
have often feen officers of diftinction fubmitting to thefe acts of
humiliation toward women of the loofeft condud, 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 pa-
rade the ftreets when it is dark, and expofe themfelves to any ad-
venture that may enable them to gain money. From the facility
of keeping miftrefles by a fpecies of partnerfhip, it happens that
the men in Sweden, efpecially in the capital, feel no jealoufy ;
they ‘ enjoy love,” as Helvetius expreffes it, “* but do not figh.”
The Swedes, like the Englifh, are taken up with their bufinefs
in the day time, and fpend their evenings at cards, or fometimes,
though very rarely, in the company of the ladies. A Swedith
petit maitre is an animal that holds a middle ftation between
beings of 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 whitkers reaching down the length of his
* Balladieres are dancing girls in India, whofe favours are to be purchafed
with money, but who are not on that account held as objeéts of fcorn or re-
proach, becaufe it belongs to their cafte to be thus unfortunately circumftanced.
K chin,
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