herehowmuchtheyplacethemselvesbelowthecommon
stationofawife，which，ifImaybeallowednottobepartial，
islowenoughalready；Isay，theyplacethemselvesbelowtheir
commonstation，andpreparetheirownmortifications，bytheir
submittingsotobeinsultedbythemenbeforehand，whichI
confessIseenonecessityof。
Thisrelationmayserve，therefore，tolettheladiesseethat
theadvantageisnotsomuchontheothersideasthemen
thinkitis；andthoughitmaybetruethatthemenhavebuttoo
muchchoiceamongus，andthatsomewomenmaybefound
whowilldishonourthemselves，becheap，andeasytocome
at，andwillscarcewaittobeasked，yetiftheywillhavewomen，
asImaysay，worthhaving，theymayfindthemasuncomeatable
aseverandthatthosethatareotherwiseareasortofpeople
thathavesuchdeficiencies，whenhad，asratherrecommend
theladiesthataredifficultthanencouragethementogoon
withtheireasycourtship，andexpectwivesequallyvaluable
thatwillcomeatfirstcall。
Nothingismorecertainthanthattheladiesalwaysgainofthe
menbykeepingtheirground，andlettingtheirpretended
loversseetheycanresentbeingslighted，andthattheyarenot
afraidofsayingNo。
They，Iobserve，insultusmightilywith
tellingusofthenumberofwomen；thatthewars，andthesea，
andtrade，andotherincidentshavecarriedthemensomuch
away，thatthereisnoproportionbetweenthenumbersofthe
sexes，andthereforethewomenhavethedisadvantage；butI
amfarfromgrantingthatthenumberofwomenissogreat，
orthenumberofmensosmall；butiftheywillhavemetell
thetruth，thedisadvantageofthewomenisaterriblescandal
uponthemen，anditlieshere，andhereonly；namely，thatthe
ageissowicked，andthesexsodebauched，that，inshort，the
numberofsuchmenasanhonestwomanoughttomeddle
withissmallindeed，anditisbuthereandtherethatamanis
tobefoundwhoisfitforawomantoventureupon。
Buttheconsequenceevenofthattooamountstonomore
thanthis，thatwomenoughttobethemorenice；forhowdo
weknowthejustcharacterofthemanthatmakestheoffer？
Tosaythatthewomanshouldbethemoreeasyonthis
occasion，istosayweshouldbetheforwardertoventure
becauseofthegreatnessofthedanger，which，inmywayof
reasoning，isveryabsurd。
Onthecontrary，thewomenhavetenthousandtimesthemore
reasontobewaryandbackward，byhowmuchthehazardof
beingbetrayedisthegreater；andwouldtheladiesconsider
this，andactthewarypart，theywoulddiscovereverycheat
thatoffered；for，inshort，thelivesofveryfewmennowadays
willbearacharacter；andiftheladiesdobutmakealittle
inquiry，theywillsoonbeabletodistinguishthemenand
deliverthemselves。
Asforwomenthatdonotthinktheyown
safetyworththeirthough，that，impatientoftheirperfectstate，
resolve，astheycallit，totakethefirstgoodChristianthat
comes，thatrunintomatrimonyasahorserushesintothebattle，
Icansaynothingtothembutthis，thattheyareasortofladies
thataretobeprayedforamongtherestofdistemperedpeople，
andtometheylooklikepeoplethatventuretheirwholeestates
inalotterywherethereisahundredthousandblankstooneprize。
Nomanofcommon-sensewillvalueawomanthelessfornot
givingupherselfatthefirstattack，orforacceptinghisproposal
withoutinquiringintohispersonorcharacter；onthecontrary，
hemustthinkhertheweakestofallcreaturesintheworld，as
therateofmennowgoes。
Inshort，hemusthaveavery
contemptibleopinionofhercapacities，nay，everyofher
understanding，that，havingbutonecaseofherlife，shallcall
thatlifeawayatonce，andmakematrimony，likedeath，bea
leapinthedark。
Iwouldfainhavetheconductofmysexalittleregulatedin
thisparticular，whichisthethinginwhich，ofallthepartsof
life，Ithinkatthistimewesuffermostin；’tisnothingbutlack
ofcourage，thefearofnotbeingmarriedatall，andofthat
frightfulstateoflifecalledanoldmaid，ofwhichIhavea
storytotellbyitself。
This，Isay，isthewoman’ssnare；but
wouldtheladiesoncebutgetabovethatfearandmanage
rightly，theywouldmorecertainlyavoiditbystandingtheir
ground，inacasesoabsolutelynecessarytotheirfelicity，that
byexposingthemselvesastheydo；andiftheydidnotmarry
sosoonastheymaydootherwise，theywouldmakethemselves
amendsbymarryingsafer。
Sheisalwaysmarriedtoosoonwho
getsabadhusband，andsheisnevermarriedtoolatewhogets
agoodone；inaword，thereisnowoman，deformityorlost
reputationexcepted，butifshemanageswell，maybemarried
safelyonetimeorother；butifsheprecipitatesherself，itisten
thousandtoonebutsheisundone。
ButIcomenowtomyowncase，inwhichtherewasatthis
timenolittlenicety。
ThecircumstancesIwasinmadethe
offerofagoodhusbandthemostnecessarythingintheworld
tome，butIfoundsoonthattobemadecheapandeasywas
nottheway。
Itsoonbegantobefoundthatthewidowhad
nofortune，andtosaythiswastosayallthatwasillofme，
forIbegantobedroppedinallthediscoursesofmatrimony。
Beingwell-bred，handsome，witty，modest，andagreeable；all
whichIhadallowedtomycharacter——whetherjustlyornois
notthepurpose——Isay，allthesewouldnotdowithoutthe
dross，whichwaynowbecomemorevaluablethanvirtueitself。
Inshort，thewidow，theysaid，hadnomoney。
Iresolved，therefore，astothestateofmypresentcircumstances，
thatitwasabsolutelynecessarytochangemystation，andmake
anewappearanceinsomeotherplacewhereIwasnotknown，
andeventopassbyanothernameifIfoundoccasion。
Icommunicatedmythoughtstomyintimatefriend，thecaptain’s
lady，whomIhadsofaithfullyservedinhercasewiththe
captain，andwhowasasreadytoservemeinthesamekind
asIcoulddesire。
Imadenoscrupletolaymycircumstances
opentoher；mystockwasbutlow，forIhadmadebutabout
atthecloseofmylastaffair，andIhadwastedsomeof
that；however，Ihadabout#460left，agreatmanyveryrich
clothes，agoldwatch，andsomejewels，thoughofno
extraordinaryvalue，andabout#30or#40leftinlinennot
disposedof。
Mydearandfaithfulfriend，thecaptain’swife，wassosensible
oftheserviceIhaddoneherintheaffairabove，thatshewas
notonlyasteadyfriendtome，but，knowingmycircumstances，
shefrequentlymademepresentsasmoneycameintoher
hands，suchasfullyamountedtoamaintenance，sothatIspent
noneofmyown；andatlastshemadethisunhappyproposal
tome，viz。thataswehadobserved，asabove，howthemen
madenoscrupletosetthemselvesoutaspersonsmeritinga
womanoffortune，whentheyhadreallynofortuneoftheir
own，itwasbutjusttodealwiththemintheirownwayand，
ifitwaspossible，todeceivethedeceiver。
Thecaptain’slady，inshort，putthisprojectintomyhead，and
toldmeifIwouldberuledbyherIshouldcertainlygeta
husbandoffortune，withoutleavinghimanyroomtoreproach
mewithwantofmyown。
Itoldher，asIhadreasontodo，
thatIwouldgiveupmyselfwhollytoherdirections，andthat
Iwouldhaveneithertonguetospeaknorfeettostepinthat
affairbutassheshoulddirectme，dependingthatshewould
extricatemeoutofeverydifficultyshebroughtmeinto，
whichshesaidshewouldanswerfor。
Thefirststepsheputmeuponwastocallhercousin，andto
toarelation’shouseofhersinthecountry，whereshedirected
me，andwhereshebroughtherhusbandtovisitme；andcalling
mecousin，sheworkedmatterssoabout，thatherhusband
andshetogetherinvitedmemostpassionatelytocometotown
andbewiththem，fortheynowliveinaquitedifferentplace
fromwheretheywerebefore。
Inthenextplace，shetellsher
husbandthatIhadatleast#1500fortune，andthataftersome
ofmyrelationsIwasliketohaveagreatdealmore。
Itwasenoughtotellherhusbandthis；thereneedednothing
onmyside。
Iwasbuttositstillandwaittheevent，forit
presentlywentallovertheneighbourhoodthattheyoung
widowatCaptain——’swasafortune，thatshehadatleast
andperhapsagreatdealmore，andthatthecaptain
saidso；andifthecaptainwasaskedatanytimeaboutme，
hemadenoscrupletoaffirmit，thoughheknewnotoneword
ofthematter，other
thanthathiswifehadtoldhimso；andin
thishethoughtnoharm，forhereallybelievedittobeso，
becausehehaditfromhiswife:
soslenderafoundationwill
thosefellowsbuildupon，iftheydobutthinkthereisafortune
inthegame。
Withthereputationofthisfortune，Ipresently
foundmyselfblessedwithadmirersenough，andthatIhadmy
choiceofmen，asscarceastheysaidtheywere，which，bythe
way，confirmswhatIwassayingbefore。
Thisbeingmycase，
I，whohadasubtlegametoplay，hadnothingnowtodobut
tosingleoutfromthemalltheproperestmanthatmightbe
formypurpose；thatistosay，themanwhowasmostlikely
todependuponthehearsayofafortune，andnotinquiretoo
farintotheparticulars；andunlessIdidthisIdidnothing，for
mycasewouldnotbearmuchinquiry。
Ipickedoutmymanwithoutmuchdifficulty，bythejudgment
Imadeofhiswayofcourtingme。
Ihadlethimrunonwith
hisprotestationsandoathsthathelovedmeabovealltheworld；
thatifIwouldmakehimhappy，thatwasenough；allwhichI
knewwasuponsupposition，nay，itwasuponafullsatisfaction，
thatIwasveryrich，thoughInevertoldhimawordofitmyself。
Thiswasmyman；butIwastotryhimtothebottom，and
indeedinthatconsistedmysafety；forifhebaulked，IknewI
wasundone，assurelyashewasundoneifhetookme；and
ifIdidnotmakesomescrupleabouthisfortune，itwasthe
waytoleadhimtoraisesomeaboutmine；andfirst，therefore，
Ipretendedonalloccasionstodoubthissincerity，andtold
him，perhapsheonlycourtedmeformyfortune。
Hestopped
mymouthinthatpartwiththethunderofhisprotestations，
asabove，
butstillIpretendedtodoubt。
