Moll Flanders - Daniel Defoe

That as my sister-in-law at Colchester had said, beauty, wit, manners, sense, good humour, good behaviours, education, virtue, piety, or any other qualification, whether of body or mind, had no power to recommend; that money only made a women agreeable; that men choose mistresses indeed by the gust of their affection, and it was requisite for a whore to be handsome, well shaped, have a good mien and a graceful behaviour, but that for a wife, no deformity would shock the fancy, no ill qualities the judgement; the money was the thing; the portion was neither crooked or monstrous, but the money was always agreeable, whatever the wife was.

 

MOLL FLANDERS - DANIEL DEFOE - BANTAM CLASSIC - 1989