this he answered, that our happiness did not depend on the opinion of the world; for do what we will, we cannot please everybody; that it was more reasonable for me to imagine, I should be happy with a man that loved me, even to doating, and whom I had also engaged by a tie of gratitude, than with one whom I married with a view of interest. That a great many rich people were strangers to that ease and content, which they had reason to envy in many much beneath them in fortune. That for his part, he should slight the censure of the world, were he the master, and I the servant, and, consulting only his own happiness, look upon what he possessed, no further valuable than as it would prove the sincerity of his love, by making me mistress of it all. He then threw himself on his knees, and grasping mine in a sort of ecstasy, he continued; Believe me, my dear mistress, I have no view of interest; I love you for yourself, not for your money; of which I will never pretend to be other than a just steward, would you consent to make me the happiest man alive. I bid him get up, and as it was late, leave me to go to bed, and I would consider on what he had said. He answered, That I could not expect he could obey such cruel orders without some consideration. Suffer me to take one kiss, that I may flatter myself I have recovered your favour, and you shall see me all obedience. Well, well, said I, anything to get rid of you. On this, he snatched me in his arms, kissed and embraced me with an ardour that almost took away my senses, as well as my breath, and left my room: he had put me into such an agitation, and I fetched my breath so short and thick, that when I had a little recovered myself, I trembled at the risk I had run, and attributed my not being again surprised, rather to his respect, which prevented the attempt, than to any power I should have had to resist him. This reflection made me resolve not to admit him any more into my chamber till he had a right to do what he pleased, and it would

be my duty not to resist him. To be short, he continued his solicitations, and my friend who had put him upon them, pretended to plead on his behalf; I seemed to yield to the strength of her reasons, and we were married in a week after the first declaration. I expected to be censured by all my acquaintance for having married my servant; but I was agreeably disappointed, and they, on the contrary, complimented me upon the prudence of my choice. Richard proved a tender, careful, and obliging husband; and as he promised, left me as much mistress of my effects, as I was when single. Whatever I did was well done, and he never seemed so well pleased, as when he had an opportunity to please me. He neither altered his dress, nor his manner of life; while he was servant he was always tight and clean, which, by the vails he got, besides his wages, he might very well be. When he was master, he bought neither more suits, nor finer cloth; his change of fortune, made no change in his temper or behaviour; he was altogether as fearful of giving me the least cause of complaint; was humble to our customers, and, if possible, more active and vigilant in our business. He never forgot himself; and if sometimes gentlemen made him sit down with them, he paid them the same deference, and did not saucily, like too many publicans, imagine their condescension set him upon a foot with them, and gave him a license to talk and behave impertinently. He was remarkable for his sobriety, which, with his modesty, good sense, and entertaining wit, endeared him to the best company that frequented the house. In a word, he had good sense, which he made a proper use of, and never would drown. We lived happily four years without any intervening misfortune; in which time, I brought him two fine boys, and was big of my third child, when the fickle goddess, weary of lavishing on me her favours, turned her back upon me, and resolved to make me sensible that she deserved the epithet of variable.

Alderman Forest, in James-street, furnished us with beer, and my husband went one day thither to pay him 50%.; but, to my great surprise, and contrary to custom, he did not return all that day: this gave me some uneasiness, which increased when it was grown entirely dark; but when the night advanced, and I heard no news of him, I concluded he must of necessity be murdered, for the sake of the money he had carried out, and grew quite outrageous. I despatched people every way to find him, but all their endeavours were to no manner of purpose; they heard, indeed, that he had been at the alderman's, and he owned the receipt of the money, but could give no account of him; other than that a gentleman was in his company when he paid the 50%., and that they went away together. I now concluded, (though, as it proved, very unjustly,) that the person mentioned to have been with him, had, upon some private pique, murdered him, and conveyed away his body.

My grief for his loss, for all search proved vain, was equal to the tender affection I bore him, and made me unfit to look after my house; the care of which I trusted to a nominal friend, who I found took care of her own interest to the prejudice of mine; for, instead of gaining while she had the management of my affairs, I ran out money. Time having somewhat mollified my grief, and a twelvemonth having elapsed since my husband had disappeared, I bought mourning for myself and children, and took upon me the care of the business.

After having given my dear Richard over for dead, I was surprised by the receipt of a letter from him, which was as follows:

DEAR CRISTIAN,

This is the twelfth letter I have sent you without any answer to my former, which would both surprise and very much grieve me, did I not flatter myself that

your silence proceeds from the miscarriage of my letters. It is from this opinion that I repeat the account of my sudden and unpremeditated departure, and the reason of my having enlisted for a soldier. It was my misfortune, when I went out to pay the alderman the 50%, to meet ensign Cm, who having formerly been my schoolfellow, would accompany me to the alderman's house, from whence we went, at his request, and took a hearty bottle at the tavern, where he paid the reckoning; having got a little too much wine in my head, I was easily persuaded to go on board a vessel that carried recruits, and take a bowl of punch, which I did in the captain's cabin, where being pretty much intoxicated, I was not sensible of what was doing upon deck. In the interim, the wind sprang up fair, the captain set sail with what recruits were on board, and we had so quick a passage, that we reached Helvoet Sluys before I had recovered from the effects of liquor. It is impossible for me to paint the despair I was in, finding myself thus divided from my dear wife and children, landed on a strange shore, without money or friends to support me. I raved, tore my hair, and curst my drunken folly, which had brought upon me this terrible misfortune, which I thought in vain to remedy by getting a ship to carry me back, but there was none to be found. The ensign, who possibly did not intend me this injury, did all he could to comfort me, and advised me to make a virtue of necessity, and take on in some regiment. My being destitute and unknown, compelled me to follow his advice, though with the greatest reluctance, and I now am, though much against my inclination, a private sentinel in lord Oy's regiment of foot, where I fear I must pass the remainder of a wretched life, under the deepest affliction for my being deprived of the comfort I enjoyed while blessed with you and my dear babies: if Providence, in his mercy, does not relieve me; the hopes of which, and of once embracing those alone who

engross my tenderest affection, you, my dearest Christian, and my poor children, make me endeavour to support my misfortune, and preserve a life, which, without you, would be too miserable to be worth the care of your

Unfortunate, but ever loving husband,
RICHARD WELSH.

This letter renewed my grief, and gave new fountains to my eyes. I had bewailed him dead, and now I lamented him living, looking upon his unfortunate situation worse than death, as he was deprived of all means of returning to me; for I despaired of his officers parting with him. When I had read the letter, I was at first stupified; I stood without motion, and my trouble being too great to allow of tears, I gave a sudden shriek and fell down, without the least signs of life remaining in me. When, by the care and charity of my friends and neighbours who came to my assistance, I was brought to my senses and speech, I burst into a flood of tears; but when I was asked the occasion of this sudden grief, I, for some time, answered nothing, but, My dear Richard, O must I never see thee more! O my dear, dear husband! once the comfort of my life, now the source of my misfortunes, I can never support the loss. In a word, I was in such agonies, and fainted so often, that they who were about me almost despaired of my life, or if I survived this new affliction, of which I was not capable to give them an account, that it would be the loss of my senses. Some of my friends would watch with me that night, and had it not been for their care, I had certainly put an end to that life which I thought insupportable. In the getting me to bed, my letter dropped, and their curiosity having taught them the cause of my distracting trouble, they endeavoured to comfort me with the hopes of recovering my husband; but to no purpose, I was inconsolable, and closed not my eyes all that