I took a liking to the girl. One day, when there was no body in the house but her and me, I took occafion to extol her beauty and voice, expreffed my regard for her in an affectionate moving manner; and hinted, I could not be happy, unless I met with a return of affection. I then took her in my arms, and kiffed her. The girl blufhed; and modeftly afked me, what I meant by ufing fuch freedoms with her? I told her, I loved her dearly; and that I would do any thing to procure her esteem. "I fuppofe, Sir," anfwered the, very briskly, "you can have no thoughts of marrying a poor girl; but you would fain rob me of my honour, and fatisfy your pleasure on me. If his, Sir, is your view, you will be disappointed. I value my honour and reputation, and will never prostitute my chastity to the prettiest fellow in Britain, though he were to give me ten thousand pounds for the favour. I own I am as susceptible of paffions as others, and have natural defires in common with my fex; but I look upon myself as too good and noble to admit any man to my embraces; and will never, for a momentary pleasure, which may be fucceeded with the moft direful confequences, ftrip myfelf of the distinguishing glory and ornament of my sex. Befides, how can I do fo great a wickedness, and fin against God? I beg of you then not to tempt an innocent and unfpotted virgin, or use any means to rob me of the only jewel I have. Sure, though I were to comply with your lewd defires, (nay kifs me not), could a little tranfitory pleasure atone for the lots of hơnour, the ruin of my foul, and the disgrace and mifery which fuch an adventure would entail on me? No; Sir, I hope I fhall be enabled to referve myfelf for fome worthy man, whom Providence fhall be pleafed to appoint for my husband; and if I have any charms, he shall enjoy hem pure

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and unstained." I ufed many arguments with this handfome maid; but could not prevail. I was forced to reverence her virtue; and could not but blush at my own impudence and wickedness, in attempting to feduce the lovely creature. gave her a couple of guineas, telling her to perfift in her good refolutions, and I fhould never tempt her more. After this I behaved very complaifantly to her, but made no more attacks on her chastity. Some time after fhe was honoura, bly married, and proved to be an excellent virtuous wife.

I have met with rebuffs from several other young women, whofe modesty and virtue ftruck me with reverence and admiration, not without wifhing in my heart that all the fex were endued with the like fortitude and chastity. One faid, "My chastity is all my portion; and I will not give it up for all the gold and filver you have fhewed, or are mafter of: no; I'll die, rather than part with my precious treasure." Another faid, "I abhor the name of a whore; I would rather beg my bread, than be branded with the name or trade of a prostitute." A third faid, "I am a great enough finner already, though I do not add the pollution of my body to the catalogue of my crimes. I know, that no fornicator fhall inherit the kingdom of God; and therefore I will not defile myself with impure embraces, let the best man tempt me."

A pretty damfel faid, "Fie upon you, Sir; would you render a poor young woman miferable, by robbing her of her only glory, for a pleasure that lafts not a minute? Can the fatisfaction of your brutal luft countervail my lofs and difgrace? Should pregnancy fucceed the guilty congrefs, perhaps I, to hide my fhame, might be tempted to embrue my hands in the blood of the

fruit of my womb, and fo come to an untimely end. No, Sir; though I would defire to be a wife and a mother, I will never be a whore to the best man in the kingdom, nor, for the pleasure of a moment, run the risk of an eternity of pain.” A handfome girl faid to me very gravely, "Pray, Sir, what evidence of levity or lewdnefs have I given you, that emboldens you to make fuch feandalous proposals to me? I thought I had always behaved with the referve and modefty becoming my fex, fo that no fon of vice could imagine I would be eafily enfnared with fair words and hypocritical profeffions of love. I will be yet more referved, and fly the face of men, the deceivers and ruiners of the weak fex, until (if it please God) I am taken into the protection of a man of fenfe and honour, who will be my affectionate guardian through life,"

A charming girl once faid, "Your money perifh with its infamous owner. I would rather die an old maid, amidst poverty and beggary, than confent to your vile inclinations. I prefer peace of mind, and an unfullied reputation, to all imaginary pleasures, or the gilded rubbish of the earth. If heaven appoints me an agreeable partner for life, he fhall inherit my treafure, and I will referve my jewels for him. Away then, begone; I hate the fight of a debauchee." A jolly buxom wench, being furprised half naked, and warmly attacked, with an offer of a confiderable prefent, notwithstanding her difadvantageous fi tuation, very gravely replied, Perhaps, Sir, my undefirable attitude, in which no woman of modefty would chufe to be feen by a man; my rolling black eyes, my rofy cheeks, my coral lips, and heaving breasts, upon which you have paffed fuch encomiums, have tempted you to this abominable propofal. My appearance and features are

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just as God made them, without being decorated by foreign embellishments ; and if I have any tempting charms, any alluring beauties, I cannot help it. I am confcious of innocence and integrity of heart. Carnal pleasures are very mean and infignificant in my view. I will never purchase ruin and difgrace by indulging merely fenfual pleasures, Nor will I defile a body given me by heaven, and to whom it fhall be confecrated as a temple, till corruption fhall wafte its fading beauty, and it fall a prey to putrefaction, while the foul fhall wing its way to celeftial blifs. Begone then, and let me never fee your face more."

An amiable lady, with whom I had spent an hour in amorous talk, at laft perceiving my drift, faid very briskly, "I have been too long a coquette. I have gone too great lengths with men; but my. chastity I still retain, and ever will. I muft efteem it the more, and reckon it the more precious, that fuch a miscreant as you would pluck the lovely flower, which I hope will ere long perfume the nuptial bed. You will find abundance of women ready to comply with any thing. I am none of those; therefore get you out of my prefence." This lady was married a few days after, and proved a most excellent happy wife, the darling of a moft agreeable hufband.

A handfome married lady, in the bloom of youth, who had lived fome weeks feparate from her husband, and who, one told me, would receive an accomplished youth, was affectionately careffed by me one evening; when the very ingenuoufly replied, “I came into my husband's arms a pure virgin, and have tafted the fweets of the nuptial bed, and long for nothing more than a reconciliation with the man I love. His curfed jealoufy and fevere treatment of his virtuous wife drove her away, very reluctantly, to languish in frigidity.

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But I am bold to appeal to heaven, that I never wronged him, however uncharitable the world. may be in paffing cenfures upon me, as you are not the firft that has attacked me. I will never wrong my own foul, or abufe the property of another man, whom I still love, notwithstanding his bafe and cruel ufage of me. I hope he will foon relent, and call a loving wife to his fociety." He did fo foon afterwards, upon convincing evidence of her unfpotted honour, which he frankly confeffed he had expofed to formidable temptations.

I have been often deceived with regard to reports. I have vifited feveral ladies, both married and unmarried, whom famme had reported to be lovers of mankind; but on whom, after lavishing a world of compliments, and addreffing in the moft moving manner, I could make no impreffion; but was, on the contrary, obliged to troop off with difgrace. Others, whom I had been taught to confider as fifters of Lucretia, and impregnable to the affaults of love, I found to capitulate at the firft attack, and invite me to their embraces ére I could finish my propofals; and fome would spurn at a few guineas offered as the price of their favours. The behaviour of one of thefe ladies, who had a moft amiable husband and fine children, was fo very extraordinary, that I would relate it, if it would not fhock modeft ears; and therefore 'Í must condemn it to perpetual oblivion, wishing her, if fhe is yet alive, that repentance that is not to be repented of.

On this head I muft further obferve, that the far greater number of handfome girls were very eafily and cheaply feduced. I purchafed women at all prices, whofe impudence I detefted. And forry am I to fay it, that many reputable and fober families have fervant-maids, who purchafe their finery by no better methods than thofe of prostitution

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