is, that four of the five are professed Followers of the Mode.  They would face me down, that all Women of good Sense ever were, and ever will be, Latitudinarians in Wedlock; and always did, and will, give and take what they profanely term Conjugal Liberty of Conscience.

The two first of them, a Captain and a Merchant, to strengthen their Argument, pretend to repeat after a Couple, a Brace of Ladies of Quality and Wit, That Venus was always kind to Mars; and what Soul that has the least spark of Generosity, can deny a Man of Bravery any thing?  And how pitiful a Trader that, whom no Woman but his own Wife will have Correspondence and Dealings with?  Thus these; whilst the third, the Country Squire, confessed, That indeed he was surprized into good Breeding, and entered into the Knowledge of the World unawares.  That dining tother Day at a Gentleman’s House, the Person who entertained was obliged to leave him with his Wife and Nieces; where they spoke with so much Contempt of an absent Gentleman for being slow at a Hint, that he had resolved never to be drowsy, unmannerly, or stupid for the future at a Friends House; and on a hunting Morning, not to pursue the Game either with the Husband abroad, or with the Wife at home.

The next that came was a Tradesman, [no [1]] less full of the Age than the former; for he had the Gallantry to tell me, that at a late Junket which he was invited to, the Motion being made, and the Question being put, twas by Maid, Wife and Widow resolved nemine contradicente, That a young sprightly Journeyman is absolutely necessary in their Way of Business:  To which they had the Assent and Concurrence of the Husbands present.  I dropped him a Curtsy, and gave him to understand that was his Audience of Leave.

I am reckoned pretty, and have had very many Advances besides these; but have been very averse to hear any of them, from my Observation on these above-mentioned, till I hoped some Good from the Character of my present Admirer, a Clergyman.  But I find even amongst them there are indirect Practices in relation to Love, and our Treaty is at present a little in Suspence, till some Circumstances are cleared.  There is a Charge against him among the Women, and the Case is this:  It is alledged, That a certain endowed Female would have appropriated her self to and consolidated her self with a Church, which my Divine now enjoys; (or, which is the same thing, did prostitute her self to her Friends doing this for her):  That my Ecclesiastick, to obtain the one, did engage himself to take off the other that lay on Hand; but that on his Success in the Spiritual, he again renounced the Carnal.

I put this closely to him, and taxed him with Disingenuity.  He to clear himself made the subsequent Defence, and that in the most solemn Manner possible:  That he was applied to and instigated to accept of a Benefice:  That a conditional Offer thereof was indeed made him at first,