and pay their rents: by which means one third part of my whole income is spent on his eftate, and a-bove another third by his tolls and markets; and my poor tenants are fo funk and impoverished, that inftead of maintaining me fuitably to my quality, they can hardly find me cloaths to keep me warm, or provide the common neceffaries of life for themselves.

Matters being in this posture between me and my lover; I received intelligence, that he had been for fome time making very preffing overtures of marriage to my rival, until there happened fome mifunderstandings between them. She gave him ill words, and threatened to break off all commerce with him. He, on the other fide, having either acquired courage by his triumphs over me, or fuppofing her as tame a fool as I, thought at first to carry it with a high hand; but hearing at the fame time, that he had thoughts of making some private propofals to join with me against him, and doubting, with very good reafon, that I would readily accept them, he feemed very much difconcerted. This I thought was a proper occafion to fhew fome great example of generofity and love; and fo, without further confideration, I fent him word, that hearing there was like to be a quarrel between him and my rival, notwithstanding all that had paffed, and with out binding him to any conditions in my own favour, I would ftand by him, against her and all the world, while I had a penny in purfe, or a petticoat to pawn. This meffage was fubfcribed by all my chief tenants; and proved fo powerful that my rival immediately grew more tractable upon it. The refult of which was, that there is now a treaty of marriage concluded between them; the weddingcloaths are bought, and nothing remaineth but to perform the ceremony, which is put off for fome

Treaty of Union.

days,

days, because they defign it to be a public wedding, And, to reward my love, conftancy, and generofity, he hath bestowed on me the office of being fempftrefs to his grooms and footmen, which I am forced to accept or ftarve. Yet, in the midst of this my fituation, I cannot but have fome pity for this deluded man, to caft himself away on an infamous creature; who, whatever fhe pretendeth, I can prove, would at this very minute rather be a whore to a certain great man, that shall be nameless, if fhe might have her will. For my part, I think, and fo doth all the country too, that the man is poffeffed; at leaft none of us are able to imagine what he can poffibly fee in her, unless she hath bewitched him, or given him fome powder.

I am fure I never fought this alliance; and you can bear me witnefs, that I might have had other matches; nay, if I were lightly difpofed, I could ftill perhaps have offers, that fome, who held their heads higher, would be glad to accept. But alas! I never had any fuch wicked thought; all I now defire is, only to enjoy a little quiet, to be free from the perfecutions of this unreasonable man, and that he will let me manage my own little fortune to the beft advantage; for which I will undertake to pay him a confiderable penfion every year, much more confiderable than what he now gets by his oppreffions; for he must needs find himself a lofer at last, when he hath drained me and my tenants fo dry, that we shall not have a penny for him or ourselves. There is one impofition of his I had almoft forgot, which I think infufferable, and will appeal to you or any reasonable perfon, whether it be fo or not. I told you before, that, by an old compact, we agreed to have the fame fteward; at which time I confented likewise to regulate my family and estate by the fame method with him, which he then fhewed me written down in form, and I approved of. Now, the turn he thinks fit to give this compact of

ours

ours is very extraordinary; for he pretends, that whatever orders he fhall think fit to prescribe for the future in his family, he may, if he will, compel mine to obferve them, without afking my ad vice, or hearing my reafons. So that I muft not make a leafe without his confent, or give any directions for the well governing of my family, but what he countermands whenever he pleaseth. This leaveth me at fuch confufion and uncertainty, that my fervants know not when to obey me, and my tenants, although many of them be very well inclined, feem quite at a lofs.

But I am too tedious upon this melancholy fubject; which, however, I hope, you will forgive, fince the happinefs of my whole life dependeth up on it. I defire you will think a while, and give your beft advice what meafures I fhall take with prudence, juftice, courage, and honour, to protect my liberty and fortune against the hardships and feve rities I lie under from that unkind, inconstant man.

Have received your Ladyfhip's letter, and carefully confidered every part of it; and fhall give you my opinion how you ought to proceed for your own fecurity. But, first, I muft beg leave to tell your Ladyfhip, that you were guilty of an unpardonable weaknefs t'other day, in making that offer to your lover, of ftanding by him in any quarrel he might have with your rival. You know very

well, that fhe began to apprehend he had defigns of ufing her as he had done yoù; and common prudence might have directed you, rather to have

entered

entered into fome measures with her for joining against him, until he might, at least, be brought to fome reasonable terms: but your invincible hatred to that lady hath carried your refentments fo high, as to be the caufe of your ruin. Yet if you please to confider, this averfion of yours began a good while before he became your rival, and was taken up by you and your family in a fort of compliment to your lover, who formerly had a great abhorrence for her. It is true, fince that time you have fuffered very much by her incroachments upon your eftate, but she never pretended to govern or direct you and now you have drawn a new enemy upon yourfelf; for I think you may count upon all the ill offices fhe can poffibly do you by her credit with her husband; whereas, if inftead of openly declaring against her, without any provocation, you had fat ftill a while, and laid nothing, that gentleman would have leffened his feverity to you out of perfect fear. This weakness of yours you call generofity; but I doubt there was more in the matter. In fhort, Madam, I have good reasons to think you were betrayed to it by the pernicious counfels of fome about you: for, to my certain knowledge, feveral of your tenants and fervants, to whom you have been very kind, are as arrant rafcals as any in the country. I cannot but observe what a mighty difference there is in one particular between your Ladyfhip and your rival. Having yielded up your perfon, you thought nothing else worth defending and therefore you will not now infift upon these very conditions for which you yielded at firft. But your Ladyfhip cannot be ignorant, that fome years. fince your rival did the fame thing, and upon no conditions at all; nay, this gentleman kept her as a miss, and yet made her pay for her very diet and lodging. But, it being at a time when he had no fteward, and his family out of order, fhe ftole away, and hath now got the trick very well known among

the

the women of the town, to grant a man the favour over night, and the next day have the impudence to deny it to his face. But it is too late to reproach you with any former overfights, which cannot now be rectified. I know the matters of fact, as you relate them, are true and fairly reprefented. My advice therefore is this: Get your tenants together as foon as you conveniently can, and make them agree to the following refolutions.

Firft, That your family and tenants have no dependence upon the faid gentleman, further than by the old agreement, which obligeth you to have the fame fteward, and to regulate your household by fuch methods as you fhall both agree to.

Secondly, That you will not carry your goods to the market of his town, unless you please, nor be hindered from carrying them any where else.

Thirdly, That the fervants you pay wages to, fhall live at home, or forfeit their places.

Fourthly, That whatever lease you make to a tenant, it shall not be in his power to break it.

If he will agree to thefe articles, I advise you to contribute as largely as you can to all charges of parish and county.

I can affure you, feveral of that gentleman's ableft tenants and fervants are against his fevere ufage of you, and would be glad of an occafion to convince the rest of their error, if you will not be wanting to yourself.

If the gentleman refuses thefe juft and reasonable offers, pray let me know it, and perhaps I may think of fomething elfe that will be more effectual.

I am,

MADAM,

Your Ladyship's, &c.

2

A Con