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It is not easy to describe the anguish of his Soul at the disappointment: He had fixed his Love with a firm and riveted Force as a wise Man would and ought, long before he married her, nay, perhaps before he courted her; he had chosen her from the beautiful, the wealthy, the virtuous, and the good-humoured, among whom his Circumstances being good, he had room to choose.
As he loved before Marriage, he resolved to love her afterwards, because he was sure he should; and thus he resolved to make her happy, and make himself happy, in having her. But how is he disappointed when be finds a Traitor in his Bosom, a Fury in his Bed, a Serpent in his Arms, that neither loves, values or regards him? That, after a few Years, or perhaps Days, forgets all her Matrimonial Vows, the strongest Ties of the solemnest Oath; thinks of nothing but Pleasure and Folly, despises the Entreaties of her Husband, and at last himself, as a Husband; and, it may be, closes all with running away from him, or with ruining him, breaking both his Heart and his Fortunes together.
These are some of the Disasters where the Love is on one Side without the other. What must then be the Consequences where it is of neither Side? How miserable, how distracted a Family does it make! And in what wretched Doings does it frequently End? To marry without Affection! It seems to be like two Bulls chained together, that being tied so close as that they cannot gore and kill one another, yet are always striving to do it, wishing to do it; and, if they break the Bonds, never fail to bring it to pass.
I
