Mrs. Mary relates how that she, being got with Child at the Boarding-school, is renounced by her Parents, but provided for her by her Aunt, where she lay in of a Daughter: after which she is courted in way of marriage by a Gentleman, who hearing of her mischance, instead of marriage onely abuses her; and being ingaged in a quarrel about her, leaves her to shift for her self, &c.

In the discourse that I shall make to you concerning those accidents or misfortunes that have befallen me, I shall neither be reserved nor tedious, but plain and short; for I have no reason to disguise any of my actions to two such persons, who are so generally well acquainted with the general affairs of the World, and who have such a particular knowledge of me: Though, said she to me, I must needs confess I received very much pleasure in the first imbraces I had with you; when, though I supposed my self in bed with one of my own Sex, yet I found the contrary, and then tasted the pleasures of a Male bedfellow: though, said I, the sweets of that converse were delightful at present; yet I have through that onely occasion suffered many crosses, and been accompanied with much affliction and trouble, which soon overtook me.

I was very young, not being above sixteen years of age when I first lay with you; and so innocent I was at that age, that I did not imagine that I should have found so sudden an alteration in my body, as was thereby occasioned; neither did I conceive what would be the effects thereof, till some of my other companions, who had lain with you before me, were discovered to be sick, and the occasion of their distemper being enquired into, it was found they were with Child, and then I did guess my self to be in the same condition.

I suppose you are not ignorant of what you had done, and therefore took your flight; but though you contrived your escape cunningly enough by putting on mens apparel, yet it was observed, and you were followed so narrowly, that we supposed you had been taken, but it proved otherwise. Yes, replied I, when I made my escape, I made for London, and being habited in a suit of Clothes of my Mistresses sons, I was fearful of being discovered and known by them, and therefore meeting with a young man of my acquaintance: I remember, I perswaded him to exchange Clothes with me, and so I escaped; but I would gladly know how he came off. Truely, replied Mrs. Mary, that story was somewhat strange, for the Constable who seized him, had orders not to make much noise in the matter, but only to secure him at present in his own house, which he having done, came to our Boarding-School, and acquainted our Mistress that he had secured the party; this being known, my Mistress sent her son whose Clothes were stollen to the place; where in stead of finding our maid Jane (for by that name, I remember you went, when you lived with us) he saw a strange young man in his Clothes, though he was told before you had his Clothes on, which he yet saw before him, yet he knew you well enough, not to be so mistaken: for the party that was in that habit was nothing like you; he therefore thought that all that had been reported to him was false, till he had made a further enquiry of the young man your friend, who was first asked, where he had those Clothes: he not knowing any reason he should deny any thing of the truth, freely and fully acknowledged that he had them in exchange of his own, of a young man his friend; and being asked many other questions, As whether he knew you? and knew you to be a man? and where this exchange was made? He fully resolved his Examiners of all questions, and proved the exchange of Clothes by the people of the house where the exchange was made.

My Mistresses son being returned with this answer to his Mother, it caused great wonder in all who were not privy to your disguize, but there being about seven or eight of us, who were knowing of that secret, and were known to lie with you, we were all privately examined, and some of us having been sick for some time before, and now strictly examined of the cause, and whether we knew any thing of your disguize, and whether you were man or woman; we could not hide or deny our knowledge thereof. Upon this discovery, our Mistress (though she was termed a very discreet person) was so outragious, that we thought she would have lost the ordinary use of her Sences; and several revenges she propounded to take of you, not thinking you were escaped her power: but when she understood that you were gone, she caused all privy search and enquiry to be made after you, but to no purpose. The young man, your friend, who had been secured, was discharged, as being found wholly innocent of the crime; and neither was he deprived of his Clothes, but had them freely given to him, and a good sum of money promised him if he could find and secure you: but though much endeavour was used to find you, yet I could never hear any thing of you, till this late encounter.

But to proceed in my story, our Mistress upon second thoughts resolved to keep this business private for some longer time, to see how many of those seven or eight with whom you had lain, would prove with child; and it was not long before she found that five of the number were pregnant, whereof I was one. How she ordered the matter with the rest, I know not; but for my own part, my father being made acquainted with my misfortune, wholly refused to take any care or notice of me; neither have I ever since seen his face; for though I suppose he loved me well enough; yet I had a Mother-in-law, who might perswade him to slight me, and made use of this occasion to throw me off: but though I was thus cast off by my father, yet I had an Aunt, who was sister to my own mother, who came and visited me; and finding that what was pass’d could not be help’d, took me home with her to her house, where after the usual time of Womens breeding and bearing children, I was delivered of a Daughter, which was soon after its birth sent further into the Country to be nursed: and I suppose it was carried thus privately, in hopes to soulder up the crack that might be in my reputation, which though it did for the present, yet it soon after brake out again.

For a young Gentleman who lived in the next Town to that where my Aunt dwelt, having seen me, fell deeply in love with me, and often waited on me at my Aunts, and took many opportunites of meeting me abroad. Though I liked and loved him well enough, and could have been pleased to have entertained his love with liking at the first offer of it, yet I was commanded by my Aunt to stand off, and be coy in my entertaining of him, lest, as she said, he might by my freeness suspect me of lightness: for the matter had been so privately carried in my lying in, that it was not known to him, nor any, but some few in the House; and to all others I passed as a Virgin. I taking this advice of my Aunt, gave him but indifferent entertainment; so that he who was passionately in love with me, devised all ways he could to woe, please and win me; and to that end he not only presented me with many Gifts, as marks of his affection, but also (according to custom) and that so largely, that she promised him all her assistance, and gave him notice of all opportunities whereby he might wait on me, and please me. All things were now brought to a very good pass, and my Aunt had so prudently managed this affair, that my Father was content to part from a considerable sum of money for my advancement; which was to the full satisfaction of the Gentleman who courted me.

There wanted nothing now to conclude this affair but the accomplishment of a few days, in which all Writings were to be sealed, and the Wedding to be consummated; when all was undone, and in that I undone, by the treachery and perfidiousness of this my servant-maid. For she having received Gifts of the young Gentleman, and I having angred her in a trivial matter, she to be revenged on me, did acquaint my Suitor with my condition, and that I should not die of my first child, for he should be a father the first day of Marriage. Although at her first declaring this matter to him, he could not give credit thereto, yet she affirmed the same with so many, and so earnest asseverations, that he was confirmed in that belief, and therefore enjoyning her to secresie and assistance, and to that end presenting her with somewhat that was considerable, he left her; and now being resolved to deceive me as I intended him; he ordered his affairs accordingly, and to that end he caused some delay to be used in the Writings.

We being now, as I thought, as good as man and Wife, I entertained him with much freedom, and he courted me with less observance, coming now closer to me in his salutes and embraces: I was so pleased with him in all his actions, that I became wholly at his Devotion, and therefore without the consent and knowledge of my Aunt, we went together out of the Town to a merry-making of several of his Acquaintance, where we stay’d somewhat late, and he having caused me to drink to a good height, made a halt by the way, and we went into an Inn of his Acquaintance, he pretending somewhat was amiss in one of his Horses shoes: here we having privacy, he attempted to be more free with me then ever, and prevailed so far with me, that he had the examining of my Plackett, with more freedom then modesty would allow of; but though he would have proceeded further, yet I refused it; he seeing this desisted, and we again remounted our Horses, and he conducted me safely to my Aunts: but although it was very late, yet she sat up, and expected me; and expressed her self very angry with him for keeping me out so unseasonably; he did not well rellish her words, but reply’d somewhat tartly to her again; which encreased her anger, and raised it to some passion, and so in anger they at that time parted, he riding home to his own house. I was likewise sufficiently school’d by my Aunt; but I excused all with soft answers, and pleading obedience, which I thought I was bound to pay him, being our Marriage was so soon to be celebrated.

My Lover was resolved to make use of that days experience of my easiness, and my Aunts anger, which he was well enough pleased should continue, and therefore forbore coming to visit me; but he sent a messenger to my Maid (who had betray’d me) to give him a meeting: she obeyed his summons, and there, and then was my ruine contrived; for it was agreed between them two, that she should perswade me to be ruled by him in every thing, without acquainting my Aunt any more with my proceedings; and a Letter was written, wherein he expressed a continuance of his love, and desires of mine; and for a proof thereof, he desired me to provide my self to meet him at a place appointed; which I did, and there we concluded to go for London together, where he promised to marry me without any more delays. I believing him in every thing (being perswaded thereto by my treacherous servant) took onely some few necessaries with me, and so went to him. And thus leaving all, went with him to London, where when we were arrived, he went to some lodgings which he had provided, as he said, for himself and wife. I was at first contented with the discourse and name of wife; but when bed-time came, I was not fully satisfied to go to bed with him; which though I at first opposed, yet in the end, after many protestations of his next days performance of marriage, I consented to, and thereby agreed to my undoing; for the next day, instead of marriage, he went out in the morning, leaving me onely with the Landlady of the house, and returned not in two days; and then he pretended he had been in great vexation, for that the morning he left me, he being going to speak with a Priest to marry us, he was met with by a person, to whom he was a little indebted, who basely trappan’d and arrested him, and he was forced to be in the custody of Bayliffs ever since, till he had perswaded a friend to lend him some monies, which together with what he had of his own, he said he had paid to his debtor, and so was discharged. And now, said he to me, I have sent home for some more monies, which I know will be brought me in two days time, and then I shall put an end to this business of our marriage.

Although I seemed discontented with what he told me, and did begin to believe that he would abuse me; yet I knew it was to no purpose to be very angry, and onely caused him to give me fresh protestations of the honesty of his intentions, and that as soon as ever his money was come, he would fulfil all my desires.

Thus was I forced to be contented with what he said, and to comply with him in all his desires: for we lay together; but I kept within doors very privately, refusing to be seen by any body, till such time as our Wedding should be over.

But though two or three days and a week was now past since he pretended he had sent into the Country for money, yet there came no returns; at which I was very much discontented, he also seeming dissatisfyed. I then told him, that I had brought a small sum of money with me, which I supposed would be sufficient to pay the charges of that occasion. He asked me how much I had, I told him about 10l. I remember he was somewhat blanck, and at a nonpluss at this proposition: but he soon recovering himself, told me that he expected 100l. to be brought him, and that would be little enough to defray all the charge he intended to be at; for he proposed to lay it all out in Clothes for me and himself, that we might appear the more splendidly, not only to some friends in London, whom he proposed to visit soon after marriage, but also in the Country whither he intended in short time to return to demand my portion, and settle all things according to the agreement of our friends: and as for the small sum of 10l. he told me I would have occasion to lay it out in trivial things on that occasion.

Thus was I put off at this time; and indeed so often afterwards, that I in plain terms told him that I supposed he intended to abuse me, he being resolved to stand the brunt of all my exclamations at this time, did not endeavour, as formerly to pacifie me, but rather provoked me to say more, and be more angry with him, which I was, and reproached him with the abuse he had done me. He having heard the utmost of what I could say, in short told me, that he was the abused party; for should he marry me, as he intended, he should have a greater charge to maintain then I had told him of, for he had understood that I was Mother of a Childe; and so the abuse that I would put on him was double: I was so surprised with what he said, that I was more dead then alive, and could not for a long time speak to him? and when I attempted it, I knew not what to say for my self, for he directly told me, that he was acquainted with every particular of that my misfortune: and thus having said, he left me.

Many and sad were the thoughts I entertained in my minde, and I perceived my self to be miserable: for to return to my Aunt, I knew it would be to no purpose, I having thus abused her in my last leaving her. Therefore I concluded it was my best course at present to comply with the desires of my first Lover, not knowing whom to flee to for refuge; wherefore at his return home, I began to him in tears to lament my sad condition, begging his pardon for what was past, cleerly confessing the truth of all my former misfortune, and that I would for the future be very obedient and constant to him in all things: he gave me the hearing of what I said, and told me all should be well; but I could never finde him after that inclinable to marry me, onely putting me off with one pretence or other; and having a full enjoyment of me already, cared for no more: and now to content and please him, I must not only entertain several of his friends at home at our lodging, but also wait on him abroad; and instead of Wife, I passed for his Cozen.

Amongst other persons that came to visit him, there was a Gentleman of good quality, who being of his intimate Acquaintance, was frequent at our Lodgings: he taking his opportunity to find me alone, made a tender of his love and service to me, and offered me his assistance in every thing I should command him. I finding that he understood somewhat of my condition already, and believing it would be to no purpose to conceal any thing from him, did make him an exact and true narrative of my misfortunes: he was much troubled at the recital of things so strange, but did comfort me the best he could, promising me his best assistance in putting his friend on to perform his promisie of Marriage: for, said he, I know little reason he hath to deny or refuse it. For your first misfortune at the Boarding-School, was so subtil a business, that you cannot well be blamed for it.

This Gentleman accordingly did endeavour to possess my hoped for Husband with that opinion, and to perswade him to marry me, but all in vain; for he had now all the sweets he could expect from me, having lain with me now for above a moneth together, and in that time I endeavoured with all the artifice I could, to give him all possible content: but he was now cloy’d; and therefore told his friend, that for his Mistress he intended to keep me, but never to have me for a Wife. I was neer distracted when this answer was told me; but the Gentleman did again comfort me, promising that he hoped in short time to put all things to rights again. I seeing it was to no purpose to be angry, resolved to bear all things with patience, and seem to be frolick, which was to a good height; and this Gentleman seeing me in so merry a humor, was desirous to put in for a share in the pleasure of my enjoyments, and to that end now courted me indeed: he had been so civil to me in these late transactions, that I could not handsomely refuse him any thing; but however, I for some time held out against all his loving importunities; but he having an absolute freedome in our lodging, so waited his opportunity, that he won me to his embraces, and had a full possession of me. Thus was I enjoyed by two men; but my last lover was very cautious in keeping this his enjoyment from the knowledge of his friend, and we took opportunities in his absence to renew our pleasures. But at length we grew so bold in these practices, that my first Lover discovered us, and watching his opportunity by hiding himself in the Chamber, he took us in the manner. He discovering himself, used many outragious speeches to me and my Companion, as, that he abused him, in perswading and urging him to marry with one who was his prostitute: the other flew out into high expressions; and being valorous enough, they drew their weapons, and before I could get any to interpose and hinder their fight, my new Lover was wounded, and that, so desperately, that he fell; the other seeing that, and supposing him killed, fled, and so left me: and my wounded friend being visited by Chirurgeons, recovered a little, but desired to be removed to his own Lodgings, lest he might be prejudiced by the various reports that would run upon this occasion; I was likewise willing to have it so, as thinking it most convenient.

Thus was I left alone, and I, who lately had two Lovers and Servants, was now left without any; for my old Friend came no more after me, and my new Servant who was wounded, was forced for his health-sake to be carried into the Country.

Now did I find my self truly distressed, for I wholly retired my self, not seeing any man, and was only accompanied by my Landlady, and another antient woman who frequented her house. In vain did I expect the return of either of my Lovers, and almost all my Moneys was gone, in Diet, and for payment of Lodging. My Landlady proposed several ways and courses for me to take, as to send to my first friend who brought me thither, which I did, but could not hear of him; she would have had me send to my Aunt, but I wholly refused so to do, being resolved to bear with any necessities, rather then again to apply my self to her.

The other old woman, who, I told you, frequented our house, did then put in some words to the Discourse, and my Landlady leaving us together, she told me, that if I would be ruled by her, she would so order matters, that I should want for nothing, and live the most pleasantest life in the World. I who was now miserable enough, was well enough pleased to hear of pleasure, and bid her say on: She thereupon told me, that it was great pity that so delicate a beauty as mine should be closeted up, and that I should spend that time in tears and lamentations, which might not only be a pleasure to my self, but many others who would love me with a great deal of passion; and whereas hitherto I had only been reserved to serve the pleasures of one man, or two at the most, and for that I had only reap’d sorrow and trouble, that I might command many, who would, not only please and serve me, but I should command their purses by having money enough at my own dispose. Many words to this purpose she uttered, and many Arguments she used. Though at the first I did not understand what she aimed at, yet by several Questions, which she answered me, I found she would have me prostitute my body for my pleasure, and to gain a livelyhood; and in fine, should get my living with the hands I sat on.

Though I had tasted man, as first with you, and afterwards had two at a time, my two late Lovers, and by that was induced to desire more of the same pleasures, yet I was extreamly unwilling to prostitute my body to every fellow that should bring money in his hand; and this I supposed I must do, if once I undertook that course. Thus I reasoned with this old woman, but she told me, No, I should not do so, for I should only have my choice of what, and whom I liked, and few of such would be profitable enough to maintain me in a splendid Garb; and to this she gave me so many reasons; that I consenting to leave my Lodgings, went with her to the place where she conducted me.