Alicia sitting on the sofa arm

Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure)

Letter The First

Never, however, did dear youth carry in his person, more wherewith to justify the turning of a girl's head, and making her set all consequences at defiance for the sake of following a gallant.

For, besides all the perfections of manly beauty which were assembled in his form, he had an air of neatness and gentility, a certain smartness in the carriage and port of his head, that yet more distinguish'd him; his eyes were sprightly and full of meaning; his looks had in them something at once sweet and commanding. His complexion out- bloom'd the lovely-colour'd rose, whilst its inimitable tender vivid glow clearly sav'd from the reproach of wanting life, of raw and dough-like, which is commonly made to those so extremely fair as he was.

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