’I am a tall, broad-shoulder’d, impudent, black Fellow, and, as I thought, every way qualified for a rich Widow:  But, after having tried my Fortune for above three Years together, I have not been able to get one single Relict in the Mind.  My first Attacks were generally successful, but always broke off as soon as they came to the Word Settlement.  Though I have not improved my Fortune this way, I have my Experience, and have learnt several Secrets which may be of use to those unhappy Gentlemen, who are commonly distinguished by the Name of Widow-hunters, and who do not know that this Tribe of Women are, generally speaking, as much upon the Catch as themselves.  I shall here communicate to you the Mysteries of a certain Female Cabal of this Order, who call themselves the Widow-Club.  This Club consists of nine experienced Dames, who take their Places once a Week round a large oval Table.

I. Mrs. President is a Person who has disposed of six Husbands, and is now determined to take a seventh; being of Opinion that there is as much Vertue in the Touch of a seventh Husband as of a seventh Son.  Her Comrades are as follow.

II.  Mrs. Snapp, who has four Jointures, by four different Bed-fellows, of four different Shires.  She is at present upon the Point of Marriage with a Middlesex Man, and is said to have an Ambition of extending her Possessions through all the Counties in England on this Side the Trent.

III.  Mrs. Medlar, who after two Husbands and a Gallant, is now wedded to an old Gentleman of Sixty.  Upon her making her Report to the Club after a Weeks Cohabitation, she is still allowed to sit as a Widow, and accordingly takes her Place at the Board.

  IV.  The Widow Quick, married within a Fortnight after the Death of
  her last Husband.  Her Weeds have served her thrice, and are still as
  good as new.

  V. Lady Catherine Swallow.  She was a Widow at Eighteen, and has
  since buried a second Husband and two Coachmen.

VI.  The Lady Waddle.  She was married in the 15th Year of her Age to Sir Simon Waddle, Knight, aged Threescore and Twelve, by whom she had Twinns nine Months after his Decease.  In the 55th Year of her Age she was married to James Spindle, Esq.; a Youth of One and Twenty, who did not out-live the Honey-Moon.

VII. Deborah Conquest.  The Case of this Lady is something particular.  She is the Relict of Sir Sampson Conquest, some time Justice of the Quorum.  Sir Sampson was seven Foot high, and two Foot in Breadth from the Tip of one Shoulder to the other.  He had married three Wives, who all of them died in Child-bed.  This terrified the whole Sex, who none of them durst venture on Sir Sampson.  At length Mrs. Deborah undertook him, and gave so good an Account