BEING feated in the Coach by the Side of this old Destroyer, Mrs. D began with faying, well, • Mifs, you cannot think how happy I am to have found you out.'

I AM mighty fond of doing good Works of Charity; I really believe, tho' I fay it that should not fay it, that I have provided for more young Girls, than any Woman in England; I could name you Scores that are now as fine as Dutcheffes, all of my providing for; it has been the whole Employment of my Life.'

THIS,' fays Lydia, must give you vast Pleasure; to fee the Young, Friendlefs, Innocent, and Virtuous, made happy by your Means, what exceffive Joy must this impart to your Bofom, Madam, when you behold fo many lovely Creatures indebted for all their Felicity, pouring out before you their Gra⚫titude for this Goodnefs?

YET, I am told, there are some Women in the City, 6 who make a continual Practice of betraying the Young and Beautiful, to the libidinous Defires of the most profligate of Men; how different muft the Senfation of their Hearts be from yours? an eternal Scene of • Horror!'

To be fure,' fays Ds, half believing herself difcovered, and looking, like the Devil in Milton, a-fkant upon her.

YET, continued Lydia, methinks fuch Things are impoffible; it exceeds all human Belief, that Women, grown old and approaching the Hour of leaving this World, fhould be employed in ruining the Innocent of their own Sex; it feems to me in• credible; is it not fo to you, Madam?'

To be fure,' fays D- -5, but then there are 'People in this City, Mifs, who reprefent Things in a ftrange Light; why there are thofe, Mifs, who think Ly Can undone Girl, when the fpends Two Thousand a Year, keeps her Chari· ot, and has a Settlement for Life, and all this becaufe he is kept; do you think, Mifs, fuch a Girl ' is ruin'd?'

Ar

AT thefe Words, Lydia looking ftedfaftly in the Face of Mrs. D- -s, faid, to be sure I do, Madam. Ruin'd! eternally ruin'd. Is not Infamy

• Ruin?'

BLESS me,' fays D-s, finding that Key did not found well to her Touch, how am I delighted with fuch Virtue as yours! well, I fcarce imagined there was any fuch Thing to be found in these "wicked Times; I am fure the Gentleman, your Friend, will be doubly charmed with you now; but permit me, Mifs, to tell you, he is a little odd and whimfical in his Way, but a moft extremely 'charitable Man: You must indulge him a little; don't cross him in his Humours the firft Time you 'fee him; however, I make no doubt of your behaving as you ought.' Saying this, they arrived at her House in Covent-Garden; Lydia being fhewn into a Room, D- -s defired Pardon for a Minute, and withdrew.

THIS Exit Squire Rifle attended. came out, he cried, well, Ds,

'pared her?'

As foon as she

have you pre

• damn her, I

PREPARED her,' fays Dthought her Poverty had prepared her fufficiently, but I find by her Converfation, that he is one of thofe Fools who imagine, that those who preferve 'their Virginity, are in the ready Road to Heaven, as if there was never an old Maid that was damn'd.' ZOUNDS, I must have her,' cries Rifle.

WELL,' fays D- -5, she will coft you a damn'd Toufle to get her Maidenhead, I tell you that, if you can't make her drunk; I believe you will do well to make fhort Work of it, fhe's one of your high-mettled, chafte B-s, you must ftorm, ftorm, Squire, there is no good to be done by Coaxing.' I will have her,' answered Rifle.

BY

I WISH you Joy,' fays DS, I have done my Duty, I call the Lord to witness; you cannot say, Mr. Rifle, but that I have done my Duty."

DAMN you,' fays Rifle, who fays you have

not ?'

Lydia

Lydia being thus arrived at the House of this Dame, and introduced to a genteel Apartment; Dinner was ferved, and a Gentleman entered who made one of the Company.

DURING the Time of dining, nothing paft which might difcover who this Gentleman was; the Repait was elegant, and Mils Fairchild preft to drink of many Sorts of Wine, which the refufed, excepting a Glafs or two; tho' fhe had never been prefent at any Scene of this Kind, fhe could not avoid imagining, there was fomething fingular in the Behaviour of this Woman which did not pleafe, tho' nothing directly immodeft.

AFTER Dinner was paft, the Mistress of the Houfe took an Opportunity to leave the Room, and then the Gentleman approaching nearer to Lydia, told her that it was he that had fent her that Sum of Money by the Hands of Mrs D- -s Yesterday.

HEAVEN,' fays Lydia, will reward you, Sir, for that Goodness; I will not tell you from what • Diftrefs of Mind it relieved me, because I will not give your generous Heart the Pain.'

AYE, aye,' fays Squire Rifle, Heaven may, or may not thank me, but I expect to receive fome from you before we part.'

WHATEVER is in my Power, Sir, and Virtue will allow, you may command,' anfwered Lydia.

VIRTUE is a Jeft,' fays the Squire, attempting to

put his Hands in her Bofom.

'SIR,' fays Lydia, ftarting from him, is it for this you have feduced me hither? would you ruin me, would you doom me to eternal Infamy, to gratify a brutal Appetite?

DAMN you,' says Rifle, what moralizing in a Bagnio !'

'IN a Bagnio,' fays fhe, am I enfnared? Oh, Sir,' fhe cried, falling on her Knees, and lifting up her Face covered with Tears, if there is yet one Spark

of Humanity left within your Breaft, let me retire; do not add Infamy to my Diftrefs, do not rob me of all my Heart-felt Peace, but why fhould I entreat,' the faid, ftarting up, "it is not in the Power of Force

'to

to bring me to your Defire, at leaft but with the Lofs ' of Life.'

DID ever any one hear fuch a perverse Wench : why, Zounds, take my Purse?' which he offered her, I'll fettle on you Three Hundred a Year for Life,' fays the Squire. Sir, Three Thousand shall not prevail on me; let me return to my House, I implore you, I will fend you back the Money, which you intended to be the Price of my Undoing; not a Farthing 'fhall be diminish'd.'

་

DAMN the Money, I will have You,' he faid; and then offer'd Rudeness, which she resisted, exclaiming for Affiftance. Is there no one,' fhe cried, in Atruggling, will affift me? Muft I be ruined? O God, O God, must I be doom'd to eternal In'famy? Hold off your Hands, you violating Villain, or kill me; I will not out-live my Honour; in Pity, 'kill me.'

THIS being an uncommon Sound in Places of this Nature, a young Gentleman of the Army, who was in the next Room with a Girl, and who, tho' gaily inclined, detefted Violence to the fair Sex, ran to the Door, and heard Lydia ftruggling, almoft breathless; he then demanded! who was there, when receiving no Answer, he broke open the Door, and rushing in, found the Villain, having almost over-power'd the lovely Creature.

THE Scene was to manifeft to need explaining; her difhevell'd Hair, and diforder'd Drefs, his naked Head, torn Ruffles, and every other Mark of intended Violation, fpoke the Defign, not to fay any Thing of his known Character.

་

VILLAIN,' fays the Officer, feizing him by the Collar, you are the most infamous of Men; and, by Heaven, I this Moment demand Satisfaction for the Injury you have offered this Lady;' at the fame Time kicking him: If you are a Man, return that Treatment as you ought,' fays Firebrace, which was his Name.

THIS, the Villain received with all due Patience, and withdrew, Cowardice and ill Treatment of the Fair being infeparable; the Captain then turning his

Attention

Attention to Lydia, who having perceived fhe was refcued, was now to all Appearance expired on the Carpet; the Girl alfo from the other Room ran to her. Affiftance, and by Degrees recover'd her.

MADAM,' fays Lydia, I am infinitely obliged to you, whoever you are; and to you, Sir,' weeping, who preferved me from eternal Ruin. Will you yet. defend me in this wicked Houfe? Shall I implore you to defend me from Injury?'

WITH my Life,' fays Firebrace; for tho' I make no Pretenfions to Chastity above other Men, yet fince the Time, when very young, I was fo handfomely rebuked at Shrewsbury by a Woman of Virtue, whom I impudently addrefs'd at the Inftigation of another, I have conftantly entertained a Reverence for the Virtuous of your Sex, and ever fhall, I believe; therefore, Madam, confide in me, for, by Heaven, you fhall receive no Outrage whilft you are in this Houfe; I will protect you to your Lodging, wherever it may • be.'

SHE then was aflifted by the Girl that came to her, who pitied Lydia, in fighing for herfelf; when being recovered a little, and having adjusted her Drefs, fhe was carried home in a Chair, the Captain paying the Chairman ; indeed the acquainted them with the Hiftory of her being trepan'd, before the left the House.

Mrs. Ds's Speech better than my L-d ***
Defence of the B-1 Wcb Bll.

L

in

YDIA being carried home, Captain Firebracı fent for D- s into the Room, You old B→→,' fays he, are you fo loft to all Senfe of Chastity in your Sex, that you even keep a Houfe for ravifhing the Innocent, as well as a public Stew, for those who are already undone; you deserve a worse Punish'ment than I know to contrive, and I only wish I knew how to invent and give it you.'

I SUFFE