"Women of quality are so civil, you can hardly distinguish love from good breeding"

In this quote, William Wycherley is highlighting the fine-tuned and polite nature of ladies of high social standing. He recommends that these women are so well-mannered and well-bred that it is hard to separate in between their expressions of love and their general behavior. This could be translated as a commentary on the social expectations put on females of quality to always maintain a made up and dignified disposition, even in matters of the heart. It likewise speaks to the idea that love and good breeding are closely linked in the upper echelons of society, where marital relationship and social status are frequently linked. In general, Wycherley's quote shows the complex and frequently limiting expectations placed on ladies of quality in his time.