that he could not expect a handsome young Wife with a great Fortune, readily acceps of this, who wanted no Accomplishments to render her a Bride worthy of a better Husband, or at least one more suitable:  The young Gentlewoman, was not half so fond of the match as her Parents, who perswaded her to it; and as an Encouragement told her that her old Husband could not live long and when he dy’d, she wou’d have the Advantage of a good Estate to get her a better Husband; and tho she had but few Suitors now, for want of a Portion answerable to her Birth and Beauty, yet when the Case was so alter’d, she cou’d not be long without very advantagious offers:  These Reasons prevail’d with the young Gentlewoman to accept of the Old Cuff for a Husband; and they were married accordingly.

But as I have already said, the Old Gentleman had more Desire than Ability; and the young Lady was fain to accept of his good Wishes instead of that due Benevolence which she had reason to expect from a Husband; the want of which made her too soon repent of what she found was now too late to help.

There unhappily happen’d to be not far from their House an Old Bawd that had been us’d to lend her Charitable Assistance to distressed Ladies in such Cases; who having observ’d the late Languishing of the young Lady, rightly judged it proceeded from the Disappointment she met with from her Old Husband; this Embolden’d the old Bawd to take a convenient time to make her a Visit; and by such subtile Discourses as she us’d she soon found out the true Cause of the young Gentlewoman’s Discontent; upon which the Bawd discourses her in this manner: 

Madam

I hope you will excuse the Boldness I take to speak to you, which nothing cou’d have extorted from me, but the Compassion I have for you, to see so much Blooming Youth and Beauty cast away upon one that knows not how to make use of it; I am sensible that one of your Years and Gaity, can’t meet with a greater Affliction than to be thus under a Notion of being Married, depriv’d of the true ends of Marriage:  ’Tis like being married without a Husband, to be married to such a Husband as can do nothing.  You know Madam, we are commanded to increase and multiply:  But let the Soyl be fruitful as it will, there’s no encrease can be expected where no Seed is sown.  This, Madam, makes me bold to tell you, that you are wanting to your self, and to the end of your Creation, if you don’t find out ways to supply that defect and disability, which through Extremity of Age your Husband labours under.  I am acquainted, with a Gentleman, brisk, young and airy, One that’s in the Flower of his Youth; That I am surely would gladly sacrifice himself and all he has to serve a Lady in your Circumstances; and I have that compassion for your Suffering that I would gladly lend my helping hand to bring so good a work as that about, that you might reap that Satisfaction which your Youth and Beauty calls for, and which your Husband is too impotent to give you.