keeper, and to govern my fervants; for how fhould I 'know how to rule a family? And while fhe had what

money fhe pleafed, which was but reasonable for 'the trouble fhe was at for my good, I was not to 'be fo cenforious as to diflike familiarity and kind'nefs between near relations. I was too great a 'coward to contend, but not so ignorant a child to 'be thus impofed upon. I refented his contempt as I ought to do, and as most poor paffive blinded wives do, till it pleafed heaven to take away my tyrant, who left me free poffeffion of my own land, and a large jointure. My youth and money brought me many lovers, and feveral endeavoured to establish an interest in my heart while my huf'band was in his last sickness; the honourable Ed'ward Waitfort was one of the first who addrefled to me, advised to it by a cousin of his that was my intimate friend, and knew to a penny what I was worth. Mr. Waitfort is a very agreeable man, and every body would like him as well as he does • himself, if they did not plainly fee that his efteent and love is all taken up, and by such an object, as it is impoffible to get the better of; I mean himfelf. He made no doubt of marrying me within four or five months, and began to proceed with fuch an affured eafy air, that piqued my pride not • to banish him; quite contrary, but out of pure malice, I heard his first declaration with fo much innocent furprife, and blufhed fo prettily, I perceived it touched his very heart, and he thought me the • beft-natured filly poor thing on earth. When a • man has fuch a notion of a woman, he loves her better than he thinks he does. I was overjoyed to be thus revenged on him, for deligning on my 'fortune; and finding it was in my power to make • his heart ache, I refolved to complete my conquefts, and entertained feveral other pretenders. The first impreffion of my undefigning innocence

G 3

was

was fo ftrong in his head, he attributed all my followers to the inevitable force of my charms; and from feveral blufhes and fide-glances, concluded himself the favourite; and when I used him like a dog for my diverfion, he thought it was all prudence and fear, and pitied the violence I did my own inclinations to comply with my friends, when • I married Sir Nicholas Fribble of fixty years of age. You know, Sir, the cafe of Mrs. Medlar, I hope you would not have had me cry out my eyes for fuch a husband. I fhed tears enough for my wi• dowhood a week after my marriage, and when he was put in his grave, reckoning he had been two years dead, and myfelf a widow of that ftanding, • married three weeks afterwards John Sturdy, Efq; his next heir. I had indeed fome thoughts of tak→ ing Mr. Waitfort, but I found he could ftay, and befides he thought it indecent to afk me to marry again, till my year was out; fo privately refolving him for my fourth, I took Mr. Sturdy for the pre⚫ fent. Would you believe it, Sir, Mr. Sturdy was juft five and twenty, about fix feet high, and the ftouteft fox-hunter in the country, and I believe I • wished ten thousand times for my old Fribble again; he was following his dogs all the day, and all the night keeping them up at table with him and his companions; however, I think myfelf obliged to them for leading him a chace in which he broke his neck. Mr. Waitfort began his addreffes • anew, and I verily believe I had married him now, but there was a young officer in the guards that • had debauched two or three of my acquaintance, and I could not forbear being a little vain of his courtship. Mr. Waitfort heard of it, and read me fuch an infolent lecture upon the conduct of women, I married the officer that very day, out of pure fpite to him. Half an hour after I was • married I received a penitential letter from the •honour

honourable Mr. Edward Waitfort, in which he begged pardon for his paffion, as proceeding from the violence of his love: I triumphed when I read it, and could not help, out of the pride of my heart, fhewing it to my new spouse; and we " were very merry together upon it. Alas! My mirth lafted a fhort time; my young husband was < very much in debt when I married him, and his first action afterwards was to fet up a gilt chariot ‹ and fix in fine trappings before and behind. I had married fo haftily I had not the prudence to referve my eftate in my own hand: my ready money was loft in two nights at the Groom-port" ers; and my diamond necklace, which was ftole I did not know how, I met in the ftreet upon Jenny Wheedle's neck. My plate vanished piece by piece, and I had been reduced to downright · pewter, if my officer had not been deliciously killed in a duel, by a young fellow that had cheated • him of five hundred pounds, and afterwards, at his own request, fatisfied him and me too, by • running him through the body. Mr. Waitfort was ftill in love, and told me fo again; and to prevent • all fears of ill usage, he defired me to referve · every thing in my own hands: but now my acquaintance began to wifh me joy of his conftancy, my charms were declining, and I could not refift the delight I took in fhewing the young flirts a'bout town, it was yet in my power to give pain to

a man of fenfe: this, and fome private hopes he • would hang himself, and what a glory would it be ⚫ for me, and how I should be envied, made me ac⚫cept of being third wife to my Lord Friday. I "propofed from my rank and his eftate, to live in all the joys of pride, but how was I mistaken? He was neither extravagant, nor ill-natured, nor de⚫ bauched. I fuffered, however, more with him. than with all my others. He was fplenetic. I · was forced to fit whole days hearkening to his ⚫ imaginary

<es.

imaginary ails; it was impoffible to tell what would please him; what he liked when the fun 'fhined, made him fick when it rained; he had no diftemper, but lived in conftant fear of them all: my good genius dictated to me to bring him acquainted with Doctor Gruel; from that day he was always contented, because he had names for all his complaints; the good Doctor furnished him • with reafons for all his pains, and prescriptions for " every fancy that troubled him; in hot weather he lived upon juleps, and let blood to prevent fevers; when it grew cloudy he generally apprehended a confumption; to fhorten the hiftory of this wretched part of my life, he ruined a good conftitution by endeavouring to mend it, and took feveral medicines, which ended in taking the grand remedy, which cured both him and me of all our uneafineffAfter his death I did not expect to hear any more of Mr. Waitfort, I knew he had renounced me to all his friends, and been very witty upon my choice, which he affected to talk of with great indifferency; I gave over thinking of him, being told that he was engaged with a pretty woman and a great fortune: it vexed me a little, but not enough to make me neglect the advice of my coufin Wishwell, that came to fee me the day my Lord went into the country with Ruffel; fhe told me experimentally, nothing put an unfaithful lov⚫er and a dear husband so soon out of one's head, s a new one; and at the fame time, proposed to me a kiniman of hers: you understand enough of the world (faid fhe) to know money is the most valuable confideration; he is very rich, and I am fure cannot live long, he has a cough that must 'carry him off foon. I knew afterwards he had given the self-fame character of me to him; but however I was so much persuaded by her, I hasten⚫ed on the match for fear he fhould die before the time came; he had the fame fears, and was fo

• preffing,

preffing, I married him in a fortnight, refolving to keep it private a fortnight longer. During this fortnight Mr. Waitfort came to make me a vifit; he told me he had waited on me fooner, but had that refpect for me, he would not interrupt me in the first day of my affliction for my dead Lord ; that as foon as he heard I was at liberty to make another choice, he had broke off a match very ad. vantageous for his fortune juft upon the point of conclufion, and was forty times more in love with me than ever. I never received more pleasure in " my life than from this declaration, but I compofed my face to a grave air, and faid, the news of his engagement had touched me to the heart, that in rafh jealous fit, I had married a man I could ne' ver have thought upon if I had not loft all hopes ' of him. Good-natured Mr. Waitfort had like to

a

have dropt down dead at hearing of this, but wen 'from me with fuch an air as plainly fhewed me he laid all the blame upon himself, and hated those friends that had advised him to the fatal applica• tion; he seemed as much touched by my misfor'tune as his own, for he had not the least doubt I was ftill paffionately in love with him. The truth of the story is, my new hufband gave me reason to repent I had not ftaid for him; he had married me for my money, and I foon found he loved money to diftraction; there was nothing he would not do to get it, nothing he would not suffer to preferve it; the smallest expence kept him awake whole nights, and when he paid a bill it was with as many fighs, • and after as many delays, as a man that endures the loss of a limb. I heard nothing but reproofs for extravagancy, whatever I did. I faw very well that he would have starved me, but for lofing my jointures; and he fuffered agonies between the grief of feeing me have so good a stomach, and the fear that, if he made me faft, it might prejudice my • health. I did not doubt he would have broke my ⚫ heart