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made à full ftand, and I recovered power to fay, "The consternation I am in you will not, I hope, believe helpless, innocent maid-befides that, the place"faw me in as great confufion as himself, which, attributing to the fame causes, he had the audacioufnefs to throw himself at my feet, talk of the ftillness of the evening, and then ran into deifications of my perfon, pure flames, conftant love, eternal raptures, and a thousand other phrafes drawn from the images we have of heaven, which all men ufe for the service of hell, when run over with uncommon vehemence. After which he feized me in his arms: his defign was too evident. In my utmost distress, I fell upon my knees- "My Lord, pity me, on my knees-on my knees in the cause of virtue, as you were lately in that of wickednefs. Can you think of destroying the labour of a whole life, the purpose of a long education, for the base service of a fudden appetite to throw one that loves you, that doats on you, out of the company and the road of all that is virtuous and praiseworthy? Have I taken in all the instructions of piety, religion, and reason, for no other end but to be the facrifice of luft, and abandoned to fcorn? Affume yourself, my lord, and do not attempt to vitiate a temple facred to innocence, honour, and religion. If I have injured you, stab this bosom and let me die, but not be ruined, by the hand I love." The ardency of my paffion made me incapable of uttering more; and I faw my lover astonished and reformed by my behaviour, when rushed in Sempronia. "Ha! faithlefs bafe man, could you then steal out of town, and lurk like a robber about my house for fuch brutish purposes !"

My lord was by this time recovered, and fell into a violent laughter at the turn which Sempronia defigned to give her villainy. He bowed to me with the utmost respect. "Mrs. Diftaff," faid he, "be careful hereafter of your company," and fo retired. The fiend Sempronia congratulated my

deliverance with a flood of tears.

This nobleman has fince frequently made his addreffes to me with honour, but I have as often refused them; as well knowing that familiarity and marriage will make him, on fome ill-natured occafion, call all I faid in the arbour a theatrical

action. Besides that, I glory in contemning a man who had thoughts to my dishonour. If this method were the imitation of the whole fex, innocence would be the only drefs of beauty; and all affectation by any other arts to please the eyes of men, would be banished to the stews for ever. The conqueft of paffion gives ten times more happiness than we can reap from the gratification of it; and fhe that has got over fuch a one as mine, will stand among beaux and pretty fellows with as much fafety as in a fummer's day among grasshoppers and butterflies.

P.S. I have ten millions of things more against men, if I ever get the pen again.

CHAPTER XXI.

JENNY DISTAFF CONTINUED CHARACTERS AT EPSOM.

ANY affairs calling my brother into the country, the care of our intelligence with the town is left to me for fome time, therefore you must expect the advices you meet with in this paper, to be fuch as more immediately and naturally fall under the confideration of our fex. History, therefore, written by a woman, you will easily imagine to confift of love in all its forms, both in the abuse of, and obedience to that paffion. As to the faculty of writing itself, it will not, it is hoped, be demanded, that style and ornament shall be so much confulted as truth and fimplicity; which latter qualities we may more justly pretend to beyond the other fex. While, therefore, the administration of our affairs is in my hands, you fhall from time to time have an exact account of all falfe lovers, and their fhallow pretences for breaking off; of all termagant wives who make wedlock a yoke; of men who affect the entertainments and manners fuitable only to our fex, and women who pretend to the conduct of such affairs as are only within the province of men. It is neceffary further to advertise the reader, that the ufual places of refort being utterly out of my province or obfervation, I shall be obliged frequently to change the dates of places, as occurrences come into my way. The following letter I lately received from Epfom. "Epfom, June 28.

"It is now almost three weeks fince what you writ about happened in this place. The quarrel between my friends did

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