I found myself thinking that I had always heretofore assumed that the tendency of eighteenth-century ladies to swoon was due to tight stays; now I rather thought it might be due to the idiocy of eighteenth-century men.
The narrator reflects on their previous assumptions regarding the behavior of women in the eighteenth century, particularly the tendency of ladies to faint. Initially, they believed that this phenomenon was a result of the restrictive fashion of the time, specifically tight corsets. This perspective challenges the notion that the cause was solely external.
Upon further consideration, the narrator now suspects that the underlying issue may actually stem from the behavior and attitudes of men during that period. This shift in thinking suggests a deeper examination of gender dynamics and social norms in the eighteenth century, prompting the narrator to question previously held beliefs.
