with pains, but ftill in dread of worse usage on his return; I crawled down stairs, to a small door in a back place, which opened to a private way out of the house. This was known only to myself, as it was a paffage my father had made, (in cafe of thieves, or any villains,) from a little unfrequented cellar, by a narrow afcending arch, to a thicket in the corner of a fhrubby field, at a small distance from the house. To a labyrinth made in this small grove I made what haste I could, and had not been long there, before I perceived through the trees my inhuman husband; and as he came near me, heard him fay, fhe fhall tell me where my money is, (for all he has is mine;) and worship our lady and the hoft, or I will burn promotes infidelity, and ftrives to render the word of God of none effect. She deftroys the credibility of the gospel. Could that religion come down from heaven, which claims a right not only to perfecute fingle perfons, but to devote whole nations to deftruction by the blackest treachery, and most inhuman maffacres ;-and which teaches fuch abfurdities as tranfubftantiation, males, purgatory, penances, indulgences, and attrition:Abfurdities that diffipate the poor Romans of those guilty fears, which natural confcience might otherwife keep alive in men. Such things (without mentioning the adoration of the cross and other images, and the increafing multitude of imaginary mediators), intirely deftroy the credibility of any fyftem with which they are connected. God cannot be the author of a scheme which weakens and corrupts the law of nature. No popery then for you. her her flesh off her bones, and make her feel as many torments here, as the heretics are tortured with in everlasting pain. The fight of the monfter made me tremble to fo violent a degree, that I was scarcely able to proceed to the cottage of a poor woman, my sure friend, about two miles from the place I was hid in; but I did my beft to creep through cross ways, and after many difficulties, and fuffering much by going over ditches, I got to my refting-place. The old woman, my nurse, fcreeched at the fight of me, as I was fadly torn, and all over gore. Such a spectacle to be fure has feldom been feen. But by peace and proper things, I got well again in two months, and removed to this lone house, which my father had built in this fpot for his occafional retirement. Here I have been for two years paft, and am as happy as I defire to be: Nay vaftly fo, as I am now free and delivered from a monfter, whofe avarice and cruelty made me a spectacle to angels and men: Becaufe, Sir, I would not reduce myself to the ftate of a beggar, to fatisfy his infatiable love of money: nor worship his dead-woman, and bit of bread; his rabble of faints, images, relicks, and that fovereign cheat, the Pope; becaufe I would not give up all I had, and become an idolater, as far more defpicable and finful than the antient Pagans; as the Romish ritual and devotions, are more fupid and abo minable minable than the Heathen religion; for disobedience in these respects, pains and penalties without ceafing were my appointment, and I was for fome months as miferable as the damned. Such, Sir, was my fatal marriage, which I thought would be a stock of fuch felicities, that time only by many years could reduce to an evanescent state, and deprive me of: As Venus was at the bridal with her whole retinue; the ardent amorous boy, the fifter-graces in their loofe attire; Aglavia, Thalia, and Euphrofine, bright, blooming, and gay; and was attended by Youth, that wayward thing without her; was conducted by Mercury, the god of eloquence, and by Pitbo, the goddess of persuasion; as all feemed pleasurable and inchanting, my young imagination formed golden fcenes, and painted a happiness quite glorious and fecure. But how precarious and perishing is what we mortals call felicity! Love and his mother disappeared very foon, as I have related; and to them fucceeded impetuous paffion, intenfe, raging, terrible, with all the furies in the train. The mafked hero I had married was a Phalaris, a mifer, a papift; a wretch who had no tafte for love, no conception of virtue, no fense of charms; but to gold and popery would facrifice every thing that is fair and laudable. Le Diable a quatre he fhined in as a player, and was the Devil himself in flesh and blood. A remark on this lady. Where is the rest of your gold, you bitch? with uplifted arm, was the thundering cry in my ears. You shall be a catholic, damn you, or I'll pinch off the flesh from your bones. Here the beautiful Leonora had done, and I wondered very greatly at her rela tion: Nor was her action in fpeaking it, and the fpirit with which she talked, less furprifing. With admiration I beheld her, and was not a little pleased, that I had found in my neighbourhood fo extraordinary a person, and fovery fine an original. This lady had fome reafon to abhor the word catholic, and might well be angry with popery, tho' fhe carried her refentment a little too far; but had the Reader feen her attitude, her energies, and the faces the made, when she mentioned the corruptions of popery, or the word husband; fure I am, it would be thought much more striking than Garrick in Richard, or Shuter in his exbibition of Old Philpot. I was greatly delighted with her, and as fhe was very agreeble in every thing, I generally went every fecond day to vifit her, while I continued in Richmondshire; but this was not long. I journeyed from thence to pay my refpects to Dr. Stanvil and his lady, whom I have mentioned before. And what happened there, I fhall relate in the next Section: Only stop a few minutes my good Reader, to perufe the tranflation tranflation of the tenth Satire of Juvenal; which is placed here by way of entertainment, as I faid in another place, and to make good my affertion, that we know not what we would be at in our fancies and our fears. The Tenth Satire of Juvenal. SURVEY mankind, mufter the herd Brings fure repentance at long-run. *The defign of this fine Satire is to fhew, that endowments and blessings of the mind, as wisdom, virtue, juftice, and integrity of life, are the only things worth praying for. Kk 2 The |