or at least so cautious of such young Flesh that he is never out of her Sight 'T is true she keeps a Coach but she can never go abroad in it without his Luggage to load it If she pretends to go to Church he is in earnest with her there and whatever Powers she prays to he resolves she shall never be upon her Knees without him If she pretends a Visit to any Relation of what Degree or Sex soever 't is a downright Affront to his Years and Person to be left behind her so that she must either carry him along with her where-ever she goes Or plainly tell him she is either ashamed of him or has Designs upon him which is neither consistent with her Honour nor the great Game she has to Play for the Hope of a Rich Widowhood will not permit her to put any Slights upon him lest it might endanger his Death-Bed good Graces and a kind last Will and Testament In fine it was a full Month which Lovers call an Age before she could have one half Hour with her dear Strephon and that very difficultly obtained What use was made of the short Minutes the Reader may guess But more particularly they laid this Plot together that her Spark being of a perfect Beau shape fair Complexion'd and as yet wholly Beardless he should Dress himself in Womens Apparel and by passing for a dear Country she-Cozen of hers to whose admission it should be her Business to pave his way he should be received into her House and by Living under her Roof have all the private Hours of stoln Delight that their own Hearts could Wish This Design so well laid was decreed for speedy Execution the Lady equiping him with a fair Yellow-lined Purse a small Token of her brighter Golden Favours in store to furnish him with all the Feminine Accoutrements requisite c. Accordingly about Six Days after by which time the young Spark had not only rig'd himself Capapee for a Virago but also practised some necessary Graces in his Looking glass more cleverly to carry on the Masue and likewise his kind Phillis had rapt up her believing Spouse into wonderful expectations of a visiting Cozen of hers shortly look'd for in Town With this preparation the bonny Lass makes her Entry into our Alderman's Roof with all the welcome Reception imaginable Her-Lodging Apartment is immediately very Respectfully and no less Prudently provided being a large Room on the same Floor only a Stair-head between that and her new City Cozen 's the Alderman's Bed-chamber By this Domestick freedom how many riotous Joys were tasted though no set Feasts of Love but only so many running Banquets a snap and away may easily be imagined However as our Phillis's whole Extasies were all bounded in her Strephons Embraces it was a little shackle upon her Delights to think that she could no ways furnish out more plentiful Revels viz. A whole Nights Regale in those darling Arms. However the two Lovers contriv'd a very pretty Stratagem to gain that Enjoyment For which purpose one Evening by a small slight of Hand she conveyed a small quantity of Jallop into the Alderman's Supper-broth which Operating as soon as ever he came to Bed the poor Man was forced to rise several Times in the Night which unseemly mischance made him so ashamed as well as surprized at the suddenness of the Indisposition that with a kind of a Blush to have so tender and Nice a Stomach as his young Brides offended by so unsavory a Society as his at present is he desired her to make bold with her Cozens Bed for that Night whilst his Servants sat up with him and some learned Assistance was called from abroad to take care of him The poor young Lady with a great deal of Tenderness for him and passionate concern at this sudden Irruption was very hardly prest to desert him in this Condition till his absolute Commands compelled her to withdraw and accordingly she trips over to her expecting Strephon where we 'll leave her to as little Sleep as her sick Man she left behind her the operations of warm Love on this side affording as little time for Rest here as the Jallop does there 'T is true she has the Misfortune now and then to hear some unmusical Gruntings and Grumblings from the tother side of the Stair-head a very melancholy Discord to her tender Ears had not some sweeter Harmony in her Strephons Embraces a little softened those ungrateful sounds together with the private Titillation of so successful an Intrigue All Matters thus go on rarely This ravishing Night on the young Lovers side has eased a great many hideous Sighs and Longings now all amply satisfied by this favourable occasion In short not a shadow of Suspicion disturbs their mutual Joys Nay not only the old Gentleman's but likewise another younger and more penetrating Rival's Eyes are deluded by this Female Masque of the happy Strephon. For I had forgot to tell my Reader that our Phillis's Charms had captivated our Merchant's elder Prentice a young Spark within Three Months out of his Time and by Birth a Gentleman a very accomplisht Youth who to tell the Truth from the first Day of his Masters Marriage had not only entertained an extraordinary Veneration for his fair young Mistress but likewise naturally imagining that such dry Bones as her old Husband could not be over-extraordinary satisfactory to such young Veins had one Day assumed the confidence to Breathe a few passionate Sighs to her and to throw himself a perfect Adorer at her Feet 'T is true the Fair Offended gave him but a cold Answer and perhaps repremanded him very severely for so bold an Attempt against so much Virtue and Honour as could not but be highly profaned by such insolent Language However this Repulse had not wholly dasht him but that he both continued his Devoirs and perhaps not wholly despaired of a more smiling Beam that might one Day shine a little warmer upon him not at all doubting but as louring an Ascendent as her rigid Virtue yet held that still she was Flesh and Blood and that the present fond Hony-moon of her cold Fifty Eight would not last always As prying a Hawks Eye as this more dangerous Critick might have upon her yet still as I said before neither our young Strephon's Behaviour or Deportment had any thing that in the least look'd like Masculine so very artfully was the fair Imposture carried on One Afternoon a little time after it fell out that the young Lady was called to a City Matrons an eminent Neighbours Labour And as this particular occasion gave her the freedom of going abroad unhaunted by her troublesome Persecutor she whispered her dear Strephon in the Ear that as in all likelyhood she should return pretty late in the Night when the good Man would be asleep so in Compliment to him she was resolved at her return to slip to Bed to her dear Cozen upon pretence that at
Teemer the Mother of this young Templar for so I may venture to call him in less than another Year brought forth another Branch of the same fair Fruit-full Stock a young Daughter At her uprising from this last Labour it happened that she was invited by her Father down to Salisbury to accompany a marry'd Sister of hers that at that time was just upon lying In of her first Child being Married to a Gentleman of considerable Fortunes there Though she could not well refuse such an Invitation from so near and dear a Relation yet it was with some Regret that she must be separated from her much dearer Peregrine for at least 6 or 8 Weeks for she could not well propose to return much sooner Before her departure she took her leave of her dear Peregrine at his Temple-chamber and could not forbear a stream of Tears on so melancholy an Account even in the very warmest Arms of Love However it gave them an occasion of renewing their former Vows of eternal Fidelity it being mutually engaged between 'em that this Parting shall be only a continued mourning time of Widowhood till Love shall restore them to each others Arms. The fair Vrania was no sooner set forwards for Salisbury but our City Knight had an unexpected Guest his eldest Daughter bred up at a rich Aunts at Norwich that came up to London This young fair One was Mistress of a more than common Portion of Beauty an extraordinary sweat Creature about the Age of Seventeen And though her coming to Town unsent for was a little surprize to the Father yet such a Darling of his Heart could never be Unwelcome The true Cause of her coming was indeed the common Cause of the Young and Fair viz. Love These lovely Eyes had Charm'd the Heart of a young Country Gentleman of some hundreds a Year though possibly at a Smithfield Bargain not altogether full weighty enough in the Worldly Ballance answerable to what her Father was able or indeed design'd to give her These fair Eyes had not only darted Flames into this young Gentlemans Heart but as generously receiv'd some little Sparks of the same Wild-fire into her own for here was Love for Love between 'em the young Lady having contracted a very passionate Esteem for him And to tell Truth she had in a manner stoln up to Town her Lover being likewise come up with her on purpose to watch the opportunity under the Smiles of a tender Father of introducing him as her profest humble Servant and smoothing all the way possible to a happy nuptial Knot between ' em As this young Daughter arrived in the absence of her young Mohter-in-law whom yet she had not seen it happen'd at that time that Peregrine came to Visit the worshipful Knight her Father For though his dear Vrania the fair Charmer that drew him to the House was gone however in Prudence or rather Cunning he continued his constant Visits there it being supposed inded by the whole Family that the Friendship of the Knight not the Love of the Lady was the foundation of the Acquaintance and which a Cessation of his customary Civility might have render'd a matter of Wonder if not worse Suspicion I dare not say what capricious Planet reign'd that the unfortunate Peregrine discover'd some extraordinary Attractions both in the Person Air Wit and whole Conversation of the sweet Angeline for so we 'll name her not only to a common Admiration but to a little yet nearer Touch For he not only saw such Charms in her Eyes but felt 'em too And what contributed to his dayly growing Pain who should the Knight choose out to usher her to the Park the Plays the Musick-meetings and indeed the whole Entertainments of the Town but Sir Peregrine The young Lady had had her whole Nursery in the Country and therefore must be treated with all the Diversions of London and handed round only by Sir Peregrine so intire a Confidence he reposed in a Man of his Honour and consequently trusts his best Jewel in his Hands This daily and almost hourly Post of Honour to attend the fair Angeline in a little time put him upon a very tormenting Rack he found himself gone almost before he felt himself going now not only stagger'd but Faln Not but so lost had been otherwise a Pleasure and Delight But now his Bed of Roses the Charms of the fair Angeline has too many pricking Thorns when Ingratitude and Infidelity stare him in the Face and the remembrance of the wrong'd Vrania strikes both a shame and terrour to his Soul His Resentments of this last Barbarity had gon a great way towards the recalling his wander'd Reason and repairing th Breaches these fair Eyes had made through his Truth Vows and Honour But another more spightful Mischief started up which was That at this time he had some honourable Relations come to Town who dayly and hourly teized and tired him with the Invitations of Marriage urging that great Argument the Preservation of his very Name for without Heirs his whole Estate and Honour devolved into another Name and Family a Collateral half Blood the next Relation to both of ' em Nay some of the bolder of his Friends prest him so far as to tell him plainly They much feared he play'd the private Libertine and his refusals of such Virtuous Counsel must proceed from some secret darling Vice the cherishing of which would end in his double Ruin both here and hereafter In short betwixt Preaching and Advising Intreaties and Perswasions he was at last so worried of all sides that what with the irresistible Charms of his new Conqueror he began to listen to the Enchantment He consider'd too with himself the distance and hazard and uncertain Lottery of all his Hopes of Marrying Vrania the Disparity of his Own and her Husbands Years being no true Ensurance of Life his Youth and the others Age being in the Hands of an inscrutable Power Besides whatever gawdy Visions of Innocence the flatteries of Love might fancy in the Unlicensed Embraces of his Vrania 't was much to be feared when weighed in a higher Ballance that Flattery would be found too light for whatever Severity of Providence it appear'd to have that deluded Sweetness betray'd into such a fatal Wedlock yet such was the Decree of Providence and the great Dispenser was Absolute And therefore in the Divine as well Humane Canons of Marriage Quod fieri non debet factum valet and Marriage whether a Fetter or a Bracelet is still a Bond and consequently his happiest Embraces were all but so many Criminal Violations of Honour These and a hundred Reflections being made his new Conquerour carried the Cause and in short he very boldly makes honourable Love to the fair Angeline The young Lady was strangely startled at such an humble Servant and how cold soever were her Denials like Wind to Fire they only enflam'd him the more and considering here must be Expedition in the Case before
I should say For his Brother 's newly Dead and we hope we snall see him in England to take possession of Before he could finish his short Speech the Lady fell down Dead in a Swoon into her Womans Arms letting drop the Letter from her Hand The poor Maid very much concern'd at her Ladies Indisposition and more at the fatal cause of it immediately call'd a Coach into which with some help she got her poor Mistress and having secured the Letter she bid the Coach-man drive softly to the next Fields as prudently thinking it the best Policy not to drive home immediately but first a little to recompose her sad Ladies surprizing Afflictions and recover her lost Senses so much the more cautiously to manage this fatal Accident to the prevention of raising any jealous ill Blood at home For the Knight was utterly a Stranger to the whole History of this darling Rival As the Coach drove through Moor-feilds for they set out from the Change the Lady by the Care of her Maid was brought a little to her Senses again And the Coach-man being order'd to drive very slowly she turned her drowned Eyes to the Reading of her Peregrine's Letter the Subject possibly the tenderest that the most transported Passion cou'd write He began first in a few mourning Turtle murmurs to tell her That above a whole Month had past in which he had not received one Line from his Divine Vrania But that he cou'd impute only to some unhappy Accident not to any Coldness or Forgetfulness for his Soul was too full of the darling Virtues of his dear Vrania to apprehend even but a shadow of a Change in such unshaken Constancy Faith Honour Love and every Charm of Heaven all joyn'd in his Vrania But now to reward his long long Sighs and Tears he told her he had newly received a Letter with an Account of his Brothers Death by which the whole Estate and Honour of his Family devolv'd upon him and that he was immediately following his Letter which was only sent with the Olave-branch before him That he was posting with all the Wings of Love to the Arms of his Vrania for now he doubted not but he should be able to melt down her obdurate Father into Justice and Mercy In short he run on with so many hundred Transports and Extasies upon the prospect of his approaching Felicity in the Embraces of his Vrania as if he had seen no less than the Clouds opening and the Angels descending and all the whole Joys of Heaven pouring down upon his Head Oh do but think what an Epistle was here written and what Eyes were here to read it 'T is true she read it out and I dare not say either with a more than Womans strength or courage she out-liv'd the reading it For though the poor Fidelia her Maid made a hard shift to prevent her relapse into her former swooning Fit however 't was only to suffer the Torments of a more lingering Death For nothing was so killing as this Language from her dear Peregrine and nothing so miferable as the wretched and hardfated Vrania that lives beyond the reading it It is impossible to express the Flood the Torrent nay the Deluge of Tears that followed this fatal Discovery of the inevitable Miseries Despair and Ruin that now lay before her But not to hold my Reader too long in this melancholy Relation Fidelia at length prevail'd that they should drive home and 't was agreed between 'em that whatever indisposition attended her unhappy Mistress for this shock was enough to stagger a stronger Heart that the Cause of her Affliction should be concealed with all the Caution and Care imaginable Accordingly she returned home where she gave her self up to all the most violent Transports of Grief that a breaking Heart could utter The poor Knight at home was infinitely surpriz'd at the red Eyes of his dear Lady but Fidelia had a nimble excuse to salve all by telling him that 't was an Indisposition of her Mistress's that had attended her from her very Youth The good Man immediately posted away a Messenger for a Physitian but Fidelia stop'd him desiring and Vrania join'd in her request that no Doctor might be sent for but Fidelias Brother at that time a young Practitioner in Physick living not far off The kind Husband who was all Obedience to the Commands of his dear young Lady could not deny her any thing and therefore the young Esculapius being sent for Fidelia very cunningly managed the Matter that the Doctor gave in his Report of his Ladies Distemper as the Maids not the Mistress's Pulse beat nay the whole Recipes of her Cure were all of her own prescription For the young Doctor very readily as tutor'd by his Sister declared that the Nature of her Disease required Silence and Rest that it was absolutely necessary she should lie alone till her Recovery The poor Man tho' with much Regret submitted to the Sentence of being excluded from his dear Spouse's Arms for some few widow'd Nights However imposing a Confidence in her young Doctor 's Skill and Judgment he prayed for his success in the restoration of her Health and so resign'd her to the care of Heaven and into the hands of Art This Project was very useful in the poor Lady's Circumstances for lying alone with Fidelia in a Pallate-Bed by her 't was not only some ease to her Sorrows that she could intirely give her self up to her Sighs for her Peregrine but likewise she had rid her self of the ungrateful Embraces of a Tyrant and an Usurper for as such she look'd upon the present possessor of her Bed as only mounted thither by Cheats Plots Forgery Treason and Delusion In all her apprehensions of Shame and Confusion at the return of her Peregrine for see him she is resolv'd though she die at his Feet she has this only dawn of hopes of one kind beam of Pity and Pardon from him when in all the Miseries her barbarous Father has heap'd upon her her very Choice of a Husband and the Reasons of that choice should convince him that she had Truth even in her Falshood For since an irresistible Power had compell'd her into the Bonds of Matrimony she had chosen a Shackle not a Bracelet by a Match of that inequality of Age to her Youth and Charms as might sufficiently testifie that 't is true the Right even of her dead Peregrine might be supplanted by Constraint and Force but never alienated by Delight Desire and Inclination The Father as you may imagine was strangely mortify'd at the News of his Daughter's Ilness but more at the unhappy cause of it and almost trembles to approach the fair Ruins he was now sensible himself had only made 'T is true the poor Lady received him with all the filial Duty and Respect far beyond the common Forgiveness of such Unpardonable Injuries 'T is true she Charged her whole Destruction and she much fears her Death upon his unnatural