Part 26

These lines so powerfully wrought upon her, that she could not forbear to tell me, that she was much obliged to me for what I had writ. You cannot Madam, said I, cancel your obligation, till you have made some recompence: with that, said she smilingly, What will content you? The continuance of your favour Madam, is the utmost ambition of my desires. You have it Sir; neither can I deny any deserving man a thing so inconsiderable. By your favour Madam, love I mean. I never was so uncharitable, said she, to be out of love with any. I was glad to hear her reply so merrily: for a fort which so capitulateth, is half surrendered. Since I had broke the ice, I was resolved to prosecute my design; wherefore in plain English I told her, that I loved her from the first interview, so ardently, that my constancy should prove the reality of my affection: she desired me to leave that to the test of time; that should she believe me suddenly before she had made tryal, she should not only loose the good estimation she had gained by the prudent and discreet management of her affairs, every one accusing her for too much credulity, but thereby it may be involve her self in a Labyrinth of all manner of troubles. Tryal, said I, you shall have: and knowing the manner of courting a widow, a tryal I gave her, knowing that Parleys operate little on a widow, and there is nothing sooner gains a conquest then a storm or a resolute assault. This action made her so firmly mine, that I durst not speak of leaving; which when I did at any time, her Soul was ready to leave its ancient habitation to attend on me. Some two months we spent in all manner of self-pleasing delights, till at last I begun to be tyred with her too frequent invitations; the more I endeavoured to satisfie her, the further I was from it. Not only by her, but by others, this experiment I found, that the oftner I treated them, the more eagerly and earnestly they desired it. Being now incapacitated to hold out in this manner longer, I thought it high time to be gone, but not without sufficient recompence for my service. She daily sollicited me to marry her, which I promised her from time to time, waiting an opportunity when I might become master of her treasure. One day in a frollick, and the more to encourage me to make a speedy consummation of our loves by marriage, she shewed me all her writings which concerned her estate (by which I found her to be so wealthy a fortune, that I often times curst my unhappy stars, that they had thus debar’d me from the complement of so great a bliss.) After this, she shews me a trunk wherein was contained her cash: then taking me about the neck with such fervency of affection, that I thought she would have strangled me, & with the repetition of kisses, she smiling, askt me, whether these things satisfied me or not. I told her they did, but they were not to stand in competition with her most affected self: with that she gave me the keys of that trunk wherein her money was, and in retaliation, I vowed to marry her in four days. In the mean time I studied how I might be gone, but could not contrive a way, she not induring me to be out of her sight. In fine, I feigned some indisposition of body, and that I would ride two or three miles for the benefit of the fresh air, and return: with much willingness she consented. Just as I was about to take horse (having furnished my self with as much mony as I could well carry without discovery) she wept bitterly (as having I think a prophetick Spirit.) I ask’d her the cause of her discontent: all bathed in tears, she answered me with a deep sigh, I shall never see you more: Hard-hearted man: can you thus leave a woman that loves you thus dearly, nay, that dotes on you? I made many protestations to the contrary; which were not believed. Seeing that I could not prevail on her belief, I bad her farewell, setting spurs to my horse, and was out of sight in an instant. I could not but condemn my self extreamly for this inhumane action: but considering that there is no slavery greater then that of the smock, I soothed my self up in mine own unworthiness; passing by a little Ale-house, I called in, and over a pot of Ale I composed these ensuing lines, which I sent to her by a messenger I procured in the house, directed thus:

_Deliver these to the fair hands of _Mrs. Pulcheria Tickleman_, at her dwelling-house, near _Redding_._

The Contents were these, or to this purpose.

Madam, _A Poetess you are, and Prophet too, Thus to divine I’m gone from you Eternally. ’Tis true: D’ye think that I can eat, Though ne’re so choice, always one sort of meat? No faith; I’d rather wear a Porters frock, Then to be shrowded in one womans smock. You say you are with child; Pish, don’t complain, ’Tis but the product of your fruitful brain: Y’are only big with fancy, which may prove A witty Brat, like _Pallas_ sprung from _Jove_. And have you then conceiv’d? How can I chuse But write _Encomiums_ on my fertile Muse? Mind not the Father, nor his Brat, for it Will like the Father live (no doubt) by wit: Let _Pegasus_ be Godfather, the crew Of the nine Muses, Gossips; so adieu._

I desired no answer, therefore stayed not till the return of the messenger, but rid that night to _Maidenhead_.

CHAP. LV.

_He comes up to _London_, sends to a particular friend whom he could confide in, to come to him, and requests him to compound with his Creditors, which he did in a short time; and in a short time after, he attempts the robbing of an house, but is taken and clapt up in _Newgate_: The miseries of an imprisoned estate, with the manner of his escape out of that Prison._