The worst of Bath was the number of its plain women. He did not mean to say there were not pretty women, but the number of the plain was out of all proportion. He had frequently observed, as he walked, that one handsome face would be followed by thirty, or five-and-thirty frights; and once, as he had stood in a shop on Bond street, he had counted eighty-seven women go by, without there being a tolerable face among them. ... But still, there certainly were a dreadful multitude of ugly women in Bath; and as for the men! they were infinitely worse. Such scarecrows as the streets were full of!

Summary

In this quote, the author highlights the prevalence of unattractive individuals, particularly women, in the city of Bath. They acknowledge that there are certainly pretty women present, but the overwhelming majority are plain or even ugly. The author gives an example of counting eighty-seven women who all lacked a tolerable face. Furthermore, the quote alludes to the men being even worse in appearance, describing them as scarecrows. Overall, the quote emphasizes the abundance of unappealing individuals in Bath, hinting at the disappointment or lack of beauty one may encounter in the city.

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