網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

more dreadful! Let all young Women, who make a Jeft of Vows, and fport with Things facred, and are inclinable to follow her Example, reflect upon this, and confider how they would like to fhare in her Fate; which is an evident Proof, that a Breach of the Third Commandment is not overlooked by Heaven.

But the young Gentlewoman herself, as she was not the only Tranfgreffor in this Cafe, was not the only Perfon who fuffered for fo doing; her Mother, who was at least equally criminal, if not yet more, in exerting her maternal Authority, and compelling her Daughter thus to violate the folemn Vows, whereby fhe had engaged herself to another Man in the Face of Heaven, making herself thereby an Acceffary to, and Partner in her Offence, as fhe partook in her Guilt, partook also in her Pu

nishment.

Nay, the Hand of Heaven feems to have fallen with rather more Weight upon her than her Daughter; who, having a longer Time allowed her for Repentance, and being an Eye-witnefs to what befel her Mother, and hearing her Confeffions and Declarations, may charitably be fuppofed, if not hardened to the lait Degree, to have been awakened to a Sense of her Guilt, and by a fincere Acknowledgment thereof, to have endeavoured to obtain Pardon.

Be that however as it will, within less than two Months after her Daughter's Nuptials, the Mother was taken with a fudden Delirium, ran away in that Condition above a Mile from the Place of her Habitation faid many Things to the Advantage of the reverend Clergyman, who, if Vows are of any Force, was the only Husband her Daughter could lawfully have during his Life; made an ample Confeffion of having done him Wrong; would

G 6

nct

not suffer any one to speak ill of him; defired to fee him, and have him fent for, declaring that otherwife the woold nor go to Bed; though, for what Reasons were best known to themselves, fome about her would not permit it.

In fhort, fo far did her Diftraction proceed, that Nurles were fent for from Oxford, who bound her in her Bed the very Day they came, with which a Phyfician who was fant for next Moment, found Fault, and immediately ordered her to be reftored to her Liberty, though too late for her Relief, for She died foon after, and, as the Father of her Sonin law fwore, raving mad. What could be more deplorable! Or what a more manifeft Proof, that the Lord will not hold them guiltlefs, who either take his Name in vain themselves, or encourage others fo to do!

One Remark, however, we cannot help making upon the later Part of this Story; namely, that all the Evidence given of the Mother's Lunacy, amounts to no more than this, that he ran from her own Habitation, fpoke much in Praife of the Clergyman to whom her Daughter was contracted, owned fhe had injured him, could not be eafy till The had feen him, and being denied that Satiffaction, died raving mad.

Now, we think it appears plainly from the very Face of this Account, that all thefe Actions of the Mother, falfly ascribed to her being disordered in her Senfes, were rather evident Tokens that the had juft then recovered them; and that, being brought by her Il nefs to a ferious Way of Thinking, that inward Witnefs of her Guilt, which the carried about with her, would not fuffer her to reft, till he had made all the Atonement in her Power, by juftifying the injured Gentleman, publickly acknowledging her own Wickedness, and openly

openly asking his Pardon, which certainly was the only Reafon could induce her to defire a Sight of him.

But, if this was a ftrong Inducement to the Mo ther to defire it, no doubt it was alfo a Reason equally strong, for thofe about her, who, as it appear, were in the Intereft of the new Son-in law, not to comply therewith; fince fuch a Confeffion of Guilt would have reflected an equal Odium on themselves, as not only having been privy thereto, but having carneftly follicited, and urged her on to it; and confequently, being alfo Partners and Accomplices therein. It would have become them, however, better to have joined with the poor Woman in the Acknowledgment of her Of fence, and endeavour to make her Peace with the injured Perfon, fince we are affured this is to be done, if poffible, before we can expect a Pardon from Heaven.

These two Inftances, because well known to be authentic by Hundreds now living, infomuch that, were it not in regard to their respective Fa. milies, we could fubjoin their Names thereto, we thought proper to chufe out from many others; as being most likely, on that account, to make a pro. per Impreffion upon our Readers. We fhall now proceed to add two others, altogether as fingular and remarkable, of equal Perfidy and Violation of Vows, in two Perfons of no mean Rank, of the other Sex, both also within our own Memory, and well known to many People of Distinction yet -alive.

The firft fhall be of a Gentleman, of an ancient" Family, and ample Fortune, afterwards, if not even then, a Member of Parliament, nay, Knight of the Shire for a certai County, who having jong made honourable Addreffes to a beautiful young Lady,

alfo

alfo of Diftinction (though not perhaps an equal Match for him, according to the modern and polite Cuftom of Smithfield Bargains) at laft proceeded fo far in his Vows and Oaths never to have any one but her, and in urging her to haften the Confummation of his Happines, that the very Day was appointed, and a great Quantity of new Linnen, fuitable to the Occafion, provided by her, and ali marked with his Name; fo fecure did this unhappy young Lady think herself, and fo much did the confide in his Honour! But, alas! how wretchedly and how bately was this poor believing Maiden deceived! Without any Caufe given on her fide, without any Reafon affigned, or any Apology made, for fo much Perfidy and Bafenefs on his fide; at the very Time when the expected her pretended Admirer to be flying to her Arms on the Wings of Love, he leaves her to languifh under a cruel Uncertainty and Sufpence, a Prey to a thoufand Fears, and comes away to Town, not deigning to give her any other Information, either that his Mind was changed, or why it was fo, than what she could gather from common Report, namely, the Smallnefs of her Fortune.

What can we think of a Man, who, in cold Blood, and without any Provocation, could be guilty of fo much Cruelty, and act fo ungenerous and base a Part? He had not been deceived as to her Circumstances; no Endeavours had been used to put any Cheat upon him in that respect; no, he knew at the very first what would be advanced with her, and therefore could not plead any Impofition, or difhonourable Practices, in his own fuftification; but out of meer Caprice, and Infolence, to fhew he thought himself above being accountable to any one for any of his Actions, and to please his Vanity in making himfeif a Town-talk, he thought proper thus to deceive and fool a young Lady, no way his Inferior but in point of Wealth.

But

But did the vain Man confider, though no one upon Earth, through a great Defect in our Laws, which have affigned no Punishment for fuch Perfidy, unless it can be proved by Witneffes, the Parties entered into a folemn Contract, that his Oaths and Vows were registered in Heaven, and there -was one there would one Day make him fenfible, he was accountable to him for the Breach thereof, if not in this Life, yet in another? Or, did he think, elate with Arrogance as he then was, that the Time was coming, when he should be fo far infatuated, and reduced by his own Folly, to fuch Diftrefs and Wretchedness, that he fhould make himself ten times more a Town-talk, and ten times more ridiculous, than he had endeavoured to render the young Lady? Or did he know that, whereas, in this evil Day, fhe was pitied by all, and condemned by none, he should be so far from meeting with Compaffion from any one, that he Thould be univerfally laughed at and despised, and fink into the loweft Degree of Ignominy and Contempt ?

No, he was far from imagining fo fad a Reverse could befal him; yet fo it was: Many Years after his having been guilty of this ungenerous and unmanly Act, when very probably it had long been banished from his Memory, having by his extravagant Courses, reduced himself to great Straits and Inconveniences, from which he knew not how to extricate himself, in a Fit of Paffion and Defpair, not knowing how to humble himself fuitably to his prefent Circumftances, he refolved to rid himself of a Life whereof he grew weary, by laying violent Hands upon himself.

Having thus concluded within his own Mind, and not doubting but he had fufficient Courage to go through with his Defign, fo little was he acquainted with himself, he wrote three Letters's

one

« 上一頁繼續 »