wards never live like Man and Wife; that

is, never be loving, nor never quarrel.

AGREED.

But pray, Mr. Wild, why

Bch? Why did you fuffer fuch a

Word to escape you?

LET us now take a Farewel-Kifs; and may I be hang'd if it is not the sweetest you ever gave me.

Lati

Lætitia.

BUT why, Bch? —

Methinks I

fhould be glad to know why B-ch?

Ar which Words he fprang from the Bed, d - ing her Temper heartily. She returned it again with equal Abuse, which was continued on both Sides while he was dreffing. However, they agreed to continue ftedfast in this new Refolution; and the Joy arifing on that Occafion at length difmiffed them pretty amicably from each other, though Lætitia could not help concluding with the Words, WHY B-CH?

CHA P. IX.

Obfervations on the foregoing Dialogue, together with a bafe Defign on our Hero, which must be detefted by every Lover of GREAT

? NESS.

T

HUS did this Dialogue (which tho' we have termed it matrimonial, had indeed very little Savour of the Sweets of Matrimony in it) produce at laft a Refolution more wise than strictly pious, and which, if they could have rigidly adhered to it, might have prevented fome unpleasant Moments as well to our Hero as to his Serene Confort; but their Hatred was fo very great and unaccountable, that they never could bear to fee the leaft Compofure in one another's Countenance, without attempting to ruffle it. This fet them on fo many Contrivances to plague and vex one another, that as their Proximity afforded them fuch frequent Opportunities of executing their ma

licious

licious Purposes, that they feldom paft one eafy or quiet Day together.

AND this, Reader, and no other is the Caufe of those many Inquietudes, which thou must have obferved to difturb the Repofe of fome married Couples, who mistake implacable Hatred for Indifference; for why should Corvinus, who lives in a Round of Intrigue, and feldom doth, and never willingly would, dally with his Wife, endeavour to prevent her from the Satisfaction of an Intrigue in her Turn? Why doth Camilla refufe a more agreeable Invitation abroad, only to expofe her Husband at his own Table at home? In fhort, to mention no more Inftances, whence can all the Quarrels, and Jealoufies, and Jars, proceed, in People who have no Love for each other, unless from that noble Paffion abovementioned, that Defire, according to my Lady Betty Modifh, of curing each other of a Smile?

We thought proper to give our Reader a fhort Taste of the domeftic State of our Hero, the rather to fhew him that GREAT R 4

MEN

MEN are fubject to the fame Frailties and Inconveniencies in ordinary Life, with little Men, and that Heroes are really of the fame Species with other human Creatures, notwithstanding all the Pains they themselves, cr their Flatterers take to affert the contrary; and that they differ chiefly in the Immenfity of their GREATNESS, or as the Vulgar erroneoufly call it, Villainy. Now therefore, that we may not dwell too long on low Scenes, in a History of this fublime Kind, we shall return to Actions of a higher Note, and more fuitable to our Purpofe.

WHEN the Boy Hymen had with his lighted Torch driven the Boy Cupid out of Doors; that is to fay, in common Phrase, when the Violence of Mr. Wild's Paffion (or rather Appetite) for the chafte Lætitia, began to abate, he returned to vifit his Friend Heartfree, who was now in the Liberties of the Fleet, and had appeared to the Commiffion of Bankruptcy against him, where he met with a lefs cold Reception than he himself had apprehended. Heartfree had long entertained Sufpicions of

Wild,