there, who belike wanted a tite sum of 80l. to set up withal (a small Portion of hers formerly left her by a Grandfather, and now at use.) This Drawer forsooth was a Rival, but not an over-formidable one. For truly our Inn-keepers Daughter had so often been tickled with the Addresses of Quality, that (Foh!) her Fathers Drawer was scarce worthy to hold up her Train. A Gentleman, or nothing for her. Nay, if she has not the happiness to strike in for a Lease for Life at Bed and Board with some honourable Person, rather than dye in ignorance, keep a stale Maiden-head, and so lead Apes, she has long since resolved not to stand out at a lower game, and en'e admit a Tenant at Will to an Inmate of Fashion and Quality; and was grosly suspected she had tried the Constitution of her Body, under a load of Honour long before her present year of twenty five. But true or false, that's a small Blot, in her Scutchion.

Our Don John is absolutely captivated, and plies her home with all the Rhetorick that Love can afford. Our man Tom in the meanwhile but very modestly, is whispering amongst his Mates, the lower Tire of the Family, the Servants, what a Worthy Gentleman his Master is, being a Rich Norfolk Gentleman (a pretty large stride from Bathe) of 500 a year. This Narrative passes pretty well amongst the shallower pates, the Chamberlain, the Tapster, the Hostler, and the rest of the inferior Domesticks; but our hardfaith'd young Mistress of the house, whither bit before, or naturally not over-credulous, does as good as declare, That her Principles are to look before she leaps. Our Norfolk Suitor finds his Addresses very acceptable, but still with a reserve, Provided he be the Man he appears. He plainly sees, that the Girl, upon good Grounds is very pliable, but she's a little past the years of being dandled and kist out of her Reason: He or any man else (any Tooth good Barber) with Honour and Estate may go far with her; but Demonstration is the only Argument that must carry her Cause. As many years as she has lived (or at least past for) a Maid, she is not so hard set, but she can tarry till Substantial Testimony (as far off as Norfolk lies) can make out the Lands and Tenements, before she consents to an Inclosure. Our Spark therefore put to his last Trumps, finds this last a craggier and more difficult Enterprize than any he had ever yet encountred; however, thinking it a very great scandal to his Wit, to lie down before her, and shamefully for want of Ammunition, be forced to raise the Siege, he sets all his Brains at work for one last Mine to blow her up; or if that take not, he is resolved to quit the Field. In a day or two after, he begins to be Melancholly and indisposed; during this fit, he is very cold in his Love, and applies him to Religious Books, talks much of very odd Dreams he has had, till at last he takes his Bed. Physitians are sent for, whether they found any real indications of sickness or no, or acquiesced to his own Declaration of the Pains he felt, no Medicinal Application was wanting. His Distemper increasing, he desires a Man of Law to be sent for, accordingly a Scrivener of the Town is called, who draws up his Will, in which he gives away about Three Thousand pounds in several Legacies, leaving his Nephew his full and sole Executor. The Will is sealed up, and delivered to his Man Tom; and all the cognizance taken of his Mistress, is only 10l. to buy her Mourning. Next a Man of God is sent for, and all the necessary preparations for a Man of another World are made. His Conscience setled, and his Viaticum for his long Journey most devoutly furnisht. But it pleases Fate, or the Sick man rather, in some few days after, to give some small symptoms of amendment, and to shorten the matter, in Eight or Ten days time he is pretty well recovered, and the next talk is of fancying his own Native Norfolk Air for perfecting his Health; all this while the young Damsel, who, tho not call'd to the Will-making, knew all the Contents of it, and finding from all hands, the great uprightness and devotion of her humble Servant, could not fancy that so much Religion and Piety could be an Impostor, and therefore she doubted not in the least, but the Estate in Norfolk was unquestionable; and tho indeed her Prudence would still incline her to a full inquiry and satisfactory account, yet 'tis now too late, her cooling Admirer talks of speeding to London; and tho he professes he will leave his heart behind with her, She is afraid that new Faces and better Fortunes will soon shake her hold there, and therefore taking her Pillow upon the business, she resolves not to slip so favourable an opportunity, but to lay hold of the forelock, and take a good offer whilst she may have it: For with all her natural Pride, she considers her self but the Lees of a Tap; and 'tis not every Rich Gudgeon will bite at a Bait so blown, and so stale.

Her departing Lover still pressing for his Journey, the good-natur'd Girl watches the next amorous sally of her Gallant, and takes him at his word, and without asking advice, thinks her own wit sufficient, and in two days time enters into for better, for worse. The Town-Bells soon rung All Joy; and the best Hogshead in Daddy's Cellar run Claret. His Honourable Guest and Son-in-Law was the little Idol of all the Virgins of the Town, and the envied preferment of sweet Mrs. Betty had fill'd all Tongues; and scarce a Prayer offered up for a Husband, but Mrs. Betty's felicity was made the Pattern of their Devotion.

But now, as the Devil would have it, our dignified Bride is for having her Dear Spouse, by all means, doing her and her Father the honour of staying out the whole Bathe Season (now coming on) amongst 'em, and nothing can divert her from that resolution. This is a very unwelcome proposal; for the multitude of Faces from all quarters of the Kingdom, may not only be very dangerous to his circumstances, but likewise his Norfolk Abilities, long before that time, may be examin'd too narrowly; and therefore not being able to make any harsh refusal of his fair Brides request, lest it should look like design, and to marry a young Girl, and be ashamed of her parentage, would appear so unkind, that he has no Artifice to wean her from Bathe, and drill her out of Town, but by pretending a small relapse of his Indisposition, which he acted so well, that he denied himself the very pleasures of Love, and fell off even from Family-Duties. This Curtain-failure began to moderate her passion for staying at Bathe, for her tame Bedfellow still preaching up the virtues of his own Native Norfolk Air, his poor defeated Bride could not but have a womanly longing for so necessary a Restorative, and thereupon for so important a Medicine to her feeble Yokemate, she consented to go along with him.

All her fine Cloaths were Boxed up, together with several Bed and Table-Linnen, &c. (for she had pretty good Moveables, all the Legacies of Deceased Aunts and Grannies, and other good Kin) and all sent by her Man Tom to the Carriers, and two days after places took in the flying Coach for their speeding to London.

But one main thing was almost forgotten. She had call'd in her Portion, which for a Guinies Gratification the Scrivener had ready at an Hours warning, having at that time some other peoples Money by him undisposed, and hers being out upon Mortgage, the Owners were very well pleas'd to make an Exchange upon the same security. This Money was not to be trusted by the Waggon, but to be carryed up with her in the Coach box, for which her Man Tom beg'd her acceptance of a little Gilt leather'd Trunk that happen'd to be just small enough to go into the Coach-box. The Day of setting out being the Morrow, her thoughtful Spouse had nicely consider'd that the Coach would be in London half a day before the Carrier, which for some Reasons you'll find in the sequel was not altogether for his convenience, and therefore he made a shift to put off the