[ 238 ]
able to himself and such as might have made him happy, having a tolerable Benefice, which he lived comfortably upon.
But Avarice, and the View of enjoying seven hundred Pounds a Year, a Coach and four, with all the Addenda that a Man of Sense knew well how to Comfort himself with, prevailed with him to tye himself down to the sour Apple Tree, and he submits to the servile Drudgery, and marries her.
And here the Consequence fell hard on the Man's Side. First, she grew insufferably Covetous, and so Narrow, that, keeping her Revenue in her own Hands, she hardly allowed him Expences for his daily Subsistence: In the next Place, she was jealous of him to a kind of Madness and Distraction; and, in a word, he was forced to threaten to leave her, and turn her off again, before he could obtain any tolerable Usage.
Now what did this Lady marry for? What pretence could she possibly make for it, but this Matrimonial Whoredom that I speak of? It is hardly possible to assign any other Reason, at least, that will support it self or that any one can defend, She lived perfectly easy, had her Friends about her, the Estate was in her own hand, and she wanted no help to look after her Rents; for it's apparent, after her Marriage, she did it without him.
In short, 'tis evident the End of that scandalous Match was visible to the World; there could not be one modest Word said for it; at least, that could carry any Weight in it; and the Town have used her accordingly; for she is the Reproach of all Company, the Scorn and Scandal of her Sex, the Talk of all theTea-