1732
Anon. Female Inconstancy Display'd in Three Diverting Histories, Describing the Levity of the Fair Sex. To which is added Several Diverting Tales and Merry Jokes. London: Printed for Tho. Johnson in the Strand, 1732.
-Dedication to the Six Fair Maids at St Jame's
"In a Word fair Maidens, we Salute You in the Way of the World; which, from your Characters, we have Reason to believe is agreeable to Your Taste: e'en patronize it then frankly, and never, by an affected Modesty, put on a Frown to stifle a Laugh." (p. A1r)
-Prefaced by three poems relating to Vanella. The second ends:
-"Wealth and Beauty each a Treasure,
Only while it is employ'd;
That in Use, and this in Pleasure;
Vain were both, if not enjoy'd." (p. A2v)
I. Dulcinus, King of the Lombards: Or, A New Way to people and Kingdom. A Real History.
-Dulcinus declares universal divorce in order to stimulate sex and repopulate the Lombardy --D. examines the men to find a woman for himself --all sound worse than Margaret, his wife --Margaret examines the men, byt finds plenty who look good --Story of Nagaret and Mariana --they marry --he is a courtier --but then:
-"If Nagaret had not been my Spouse, I should have stood in need of all my Virtue not to have loved him better than I ought; and he has own'd that had I not been his Wife he should have died for Love of me; but the indispensible Necessity of loving each other gave us continual temptations to hate each other." (p. 10) --she plays a trick in a mask and he pursues her for weeks --finally they have an assignation and he finds out who she really is --he is horrified and doesn't like the joke --however, at the Lombard court they are reconciled.
-II. The History of Don Garcia Count of Castile, and the Countess his Wife.
-Countess falls for a religious pilgrim --they run awaay together --the count follows them to Paris, catches them in bed together, and kills them both.