Remarkable and entertaining history of a reclaimed lady of pleasure

THE
REMARKABLE and ENTERTAINING
HISTORY
OF A
Reclaimed Lady of Pleaſure
AND THE
GRATEFUL RETURN ſhe made her
GENEROUS BENEFACTOR.

Stirling, Printed in the Year 1803.

The Reclaimed Lady of Pleaſure.

A Gentleman in the heat of ſummer, walking alone in the fields. contemplating with himſelf being extremely thirſty, ſtept into the firſt houſe that offered itſelf, and called for a cup of beer, ſeating himſelf in the firſt room next to the ſtreet. He had not ſat long. before two or three young wenches came ſkittiſhly in and out of the room; and ſeeing him a man of faſhion, they thought to make a booty of him, for it proved a common bawdy houſe. The youngeſt and handſomeſt of them intreated him not to be ſeen below, where every porter and common fellow come to drink, but to take a more convenient and retired room. The gentleman, ſuſpected the place yet being willing to ſee ſome faſhions took the gentle proffer and went up ſtairs; where they two being alone and a bed in the room, beer being brought up; ſhe began to offer him more than common courteſy being ſo far from modeſty, that ſhe almoſt proſtituted herſelf to him, which he apprehended, aſked her in plain terms. if theſe were not mere provocations to incite him to loſt, which ſhe as plainly confeſſed. To which he replied that he was willing to accept of her kind proffer only for modeſty's ſake he deſired her to ſhow him into a dark room. She led him thro' ſeveral rooms, but ſtill he told her that none of theſe were dark enough ; inſomuch that at laſt ſhe began to diſlike him, becauſe in all that time, he had not made her one friendly proffer. At length ſhe brought him into a cloſe narrow roon with nothing but a loop hole for light, and told him, Sir, Unleſs you propoſe to go into the coal-hole this is the darkeſt place in the houſe. How doth this pleaſe yow? To which he anſwered. Thou ſtrumpet, canſt thou bring me to a place into which the eye of heaven cannot pierce and ſee me, canſt thou perſuade me to act ſo deteſtable a crime and hated by all good men: for cannot the eye of heaven behold us here in our wickedneſs? Or ſays he art thou ſo irreligious to think religion but a dream or fable? yet he bid her conſider her ſtate in this life and what her beſt could be, a whore, the name odious the profeſſion abominable. and that ſhe was a ſink of ſin and diſeaſes ; that ſhe was a continual vaſſal to every conſtable and beadle. never certain of her lodging but in Bridewell. To conclude, he gave her ſuch a lecture that from an inpudent ſtrump he brought her to be a repenting convert; and ſhe appeared to him in her former ſimple and innocent life, and proteſted with tears that courſe of life was hateful to her, and had ſhe any friend or kinſman, that could propoſe her any meanſ to relinquiſh that trade, which in her ſoul the deteſted, ſhe would become a new woman, for from that hour, ſhe vowed chaſtity all her life-time. Upon enquiry of her birth and name, he found he had been acquainted with her father who had now been ſome time dead; but for his ſake, and her apparent tears, and ſeeming penitence, he told her if it lay in him, he would otherwiſe diſpoſe of her according to het wiſhes: and withal charged her, that if he ſent unto her within two days ſome money, and acquainted her where to come that ſhe ſhould attire herſelf as modeſtly as poſſibly ſhe could, and inſtantly repair unto him at his firſt ſending ; and this being agreed betwixt them, for that time they parted.
The gentleman, wondrous careful of his undertaking becauſe ſhe was his new creature, came to a kinſwoman of his afar off, and told her there was a civil maid, a kinſwoman of his lately come from the country, who wanted ſervice, whom if ſhe pleaſed to entertain it might prove a great good to her, and no leſs a courteſy to him. This motion being accepted, ſhe was ſent for according to appointinent, and entertained. Her modeſt behaviour, and fair carriage, won her in a ſhort time the opinion of her maſter and a great affection from her miſtreſs; who falling ſick even to death ſo much doated on her new ſervant that ſhe ſent for her huſband, and deſired him that if he thought of marriage after her deceaſe, to make that woman his wife, and mother to her children. The gentlewoman ſoon after dies, he is left a widow and the charge of the whole houſe left to this new convert with the bringin up of his children ; which ſhe executed with fidelity, that he caſting a more curious eye upon her youth and beauty ; and witha! remembring his wife's laſt words, he contracted himſelf unto her, and they ſoon after married. But before any of theſe laſt paſſages happened, I muſt remember to you, that inſtantly upon the pteferment of this young woman, the gentleman who brought her this fortune, adventured all his means upon a voyage that miſcarried, for the ſhip wherein he failed, was taken by the Spaniards, and he almoſt a twelvemonth kept a priſoner at Cadiz. But at length being ranſomed, he came for this country, but ſo poorly and dejected, that he was aſhamed to ſhew himſelf to any of his friends : but walked up and down by owl light having ſcarce a homely rag to cover him from nakedneſs, or hide him from ſhame.
It happened that juſt upon his return, the old man died too, and let her poſefſed of eight hundred a year during the minority of her children ; bet the third thereafter, and withal, ſo. great and good opinion had he of her, that he made her full executrix. Now juſt as ſhe was following the hearſe to the church, having divers ſuitors while her huſband's body was ſcarce cold! this gentleman by chance coming by like a picture of the prodigal, ſhe caſting her eye aſide had eſpied him, and preſently apprehended him to be the man he was and whiſpering a ſervant in the ear, þid him fall into diſcourſe with him, to enquire his name and lodging and ſo proceed to the funeral; but in any caſe to ſpeak nothing as from her. The ſervant fell off from the train and did as he was commanded and brought her true word how all things ſtood. The next morning by her appointment) came a gentleman very early to his lodging, ſhe having taught him his leſſon before hand who deſired to ſpeak with him, and firſt aſked his name, which tho' unwillingly he cold him ː the other proceeded, that if he was the man he pretended to be, he had heard of his birth and noble qualities and withal of his misforunes at ſea, and not willing that any gentleman ſhould groan under ſo great a burden, told him there was an hundred pounds and bade him furniſh himſelf with apparel, and other neceſſaries, and ſo was ready

to take his leave. The others extaſy with ſo great a courteſy from a ſtranger. deſired to know the reaſon he had to be ſo charitable, what hope had of future ſatisfaction, or at leaft to reſolve him what ſecurity he demanded? The other anſwered, that for the firſt, his courteſy was grounded upon his worth : his ſatisfaction was in a acknowledgement ; and his ſecurity in that he knew he was honeſt; and told him three days after, he would call upon him, when he would he habited like himſelf to entreat his farther acquaintance, and ſo preſently left him. He was troubled in his mind above wonder, to receive ſuch a bounty from a man unknown, when all his kindred and familiar friends were aſhamed of his acquaintance yet to the benefit of the former occaſion, he ſuited himſelf according to his former, not preſent fortunes. When the gentleman came according to his promiſe, he ſeemed extremely glad to ſee his preſent alteration and withal intreated him to walk abroad with him to dinner, he willingly aſſented, not once demanding whether. In the mean time, the late widow had provided a great feaſt, to which ſhe had invited all her ſuiters, this gentleman whom ſhe had employed being one of the chief. The meat was upon the table. the gueſts ready to ſit down ; now the laſt that came were the two neww friends. In came the widow to bid them all welcome. This new made up gentleman ignorant of whatſoever happened, demanded of his friend ; if it was not ſuch a woman? Who briefly told him all; how ſhe came a ſtranger to the houſe, and what a fortune by her demeanour, ſhe had in ſhort-time purchaſed ;

that ſhe was now a widow and had ſuch and ſuch means left, all or moſt of theſe gentlemen (and himſelf among the reſt were ſuitors. and that their hope was this day ſhe would make choice of a huſband : Whatever he thought, he ſaid nothing for the preſent. The widow's turn was to place every man according to his degree, or at leaſt to her own fancy; this new gentlemen was neglected, and the chairs being furniſhed, left ſtanding by the window, ſhe only took place at the table's end leaving her huſband's chair empty; when ſuddenly ſtarting up methinks ſays ſhe ſome one in this room might well be ſpared for we have more gueſts than ſtools. The gentleman at theſe words bit his lip and was intreated to ſit down by his friends : but ſays the widow. is this a ſuitor too ? No queſtion one that either borrowed his clothes or engaged all his credit for this one new ſuit in hopes to gain the widow; but women are now a-days grown more wiſe ; by whoſe acquaintance came he hither ? Mine, answered his friend : Then ſays ſhe perhaps he wants a dinner, and hath no money to pay for his ordinary. Will he may ſit down among the reſt; ſome of you there make ſome ſmall elbow room. Theſe words made him with himſelf again a priſoner in Limbo or any where but where he was ; this was ſport to the reſt, but torture to him who much blamed her ingratiude ; yet arming himſelf with patience, he ſat down ſilent with an ill ſtomach eating as little as he ſpoke, all were merry at the table, ſome of them were making him their mirth, the rather to pleaſe her. A health went round to the widow's next huſband. All but him pledged ged it gladly, he forcedly,. At length riſing from her chair, methinks, ſays ſhe, we are all merry only that gentleman at the lower end of the table is melancholy, but I know the cauſe, it is perhaps becauſe he is placed ſo low: but it that be his diſeaſe. I have got for it a preſent remedy : when walking to him where he ſat, ſhe deſired him to remove for ſhe had another place for him. He intreated her not to torment him any farther, refuſed to riſe, but ſhe wouldnt. enforce him. the reſt likewiſe perſauded, as wondering what farther ſport ſhe would make him. Well ſaid he I am yours to day, but will be my own ever hereafter, and ſo being drawn by her to the upper end of the room, like a bear to the ſtake, where her huſband's chair ſtood empty: now ſirs ſays ſhe, with a more ſerious countenance than before, my new husband, ſit there in my old huſband's chair and bid take your gueſts welcome; ſtill he fretted, and they laughed as before, then ſhe craved pardon for ſo abuſing his patience only proteſted that this meeting was purely for his ſake, and to make them wittneſſes of their Preſent contract ; for if he refuſed her to wife ſhe vowed never to wed another huſband acknowledging that all her fortune next to divine providence came by his goodneſs, omitting the former circumſtanceſ and that ſhe knew no better way to expreſ her gratitude, than to confer them on him by whom they firſt came. They were contracted, the ſuitors wintneſſes, and after married.
Thus ends as famous and entertaining a hiſ- tory as ever was publiſhed in ſo ſmall a volume.
FINIS.