ments took still fafter hold of her Heart. At first, The vifited me at School, and afterwards wrote to me; but, in a fhort Time, both her Visits and her Letters were withheld, and no other Notice was taken of me than to remit Money for my Support.

When I came home, at the Vacation, I found myfelf coldly received, with an Obfervation, "That this Girl will prefently be a Woman.' I was, after the usual Stay, fent to School again, and overheard my Mother fay, as I was a going, Well, now I fhall recover."

In fix Months more I came again, and, with the ufual childish Alaerity, was running to my Mother's Embrace, when fhe ftopped me with Exclamations: at the Suddennefs and Enormity of my Growth, having, the faid, never feen any Body fhoot up fo much at my Age. She was fure no other Girls fpread at that Rate, and fhe hated to have Children look like Women before their Time. I was dif concerted, and retired without hearing any Thing more than, "Nay if you are angry, Madam Steeple, you may walk off...

-: When once the Forms of Civility are violated, there remains little Hope of returning to Kindness or Decency. My Mamma made this Appearance of Refentment a Reafon for continuing her Malig nity, and poor Mifs Maypole, for that was my Appellation, was never mentioned or spoken to, but with some Expreffion of Anger, or Dislike.

She had yet the Pleasure of dreffing me like a Child, and I know not when I fhould have been

thought

thought fit to change my Habit, had I not been refcued by a Maiden Sif of my Father, who could not bear to fee Women in hanging Sleeves, and presented me with Brocade for a Gown, for which I fhould have thought myfelf under great Obligation, had fhe not accompanied her Favour with fome Hints, that my Mamma might now. confider her Age, and give me her Ear-Rings, which she had shewn long enough in public Places.

I now left the School and came to live with my Mamma, who confidered me as an Ufurper, that had feized the Rights of a Woman without a just Claim, and was pufhing her down the Precipice of Age, that I might reign without a Superiour. While I am thus beheld with Jealoufy and Sufpicion, you will readily believe that it is difficult to pleafe. Every Word and Look is an Offence, I never speak, but I pretend to fome Qualities and Excellencies, which it is criminal to poffefs; if I am gay the thinks it Time enough to coquette; if I am grave fhe hates a Prude in Bibs; if I venture into Company, I am in hafte for a Hufband; if I retire to my Chamber, fuch matron-like Ladies are Lovers of Contemplation. I am on one Pretence or other generally excluded from her Affemblies, nor am I ever fuffered to vifit at the fame Place with my Mamma. Every one wonders why the does not bring Mifs more into the World, and when she comes home in Vapours I am certain that fhe has heard either of my Beauty, or my Wit, and

expect

expect nothing for the enfuing Week, but Taunts, Menaces, Contradiction, and Reproaches.

Thus I live in a State of continual Perfecution, only because I was born ten Years too foon, and cannot stop the Courfe of Nature, or of Time, but am unhappily a Woman before my Mother can willingly cease to be a Girl. I believe you would contribute to the Happinefs of many Families, if, by any Arguments or Perfuafions, you could make Mothers ashamed of rivalling their Children; if you could fhew them, that though they may refufe to grow wife, they muft inevitably grow old, and that the proper Solaces of Age are not Mufick and Compliments, but Wisdom and Devotion; that those who are fo unwilling to quit the World, will foon be driven from it, and that it is therefore their Intereft to retire while there yet remain a few Hours for nobler Employments.

PARTHENIA.

The VILLAIN. A True Hiftory.

S we have many more Male than Female

A Writers, it is not to be wondered at, that

the Vices and Foibles of the Women are most maficiously fatyrized; it fhall be my Province fometimes to give my Sex their Revenge, by laying open the Villainy of thefe our Mafters, thefe Lords of the Creation. In their Tranfactions with each other

they

they are obliged to keep up an Appearance of Probity, but in regard to us, every Stratagem, every Deceit is put in Practice to corrupt the Innocent, and to betray the Unwary. But why it should be a lefs Crime to deceive an unexperienced Girl, whofe Age and Situation render it impoffible fhe should know the World, than it would be to direct a blind Man to the Brink of a Precipice, I am at a lofs to imagine, yet Cuftom, that Tyrant Cuftom, has taught us this, and many more Abfurdities.: The following Fact, feems to me to fhew as much Baseness on one fide, and artlefs Innocence on the other, as any thing I have heard.

Mrs. Jenny **** having lately loft her Father, that the might not be a Burden to her Mother, who had for her own Support but a fmall Annuity, determined to apply to a Relation in London, for her Affiftance in getting her a genteel Service: In order to this, he took a Place in a Stage Coach; the other Paffengers were an elderly Gentlewoman and her Son a Lad of about fifteen, and three Gentlemen. The early Hour of fetting out, and their being entire Strangers to each other, kept them almoft filent for the firft ten Miles: By this Time the young Spark grew exceeding fick, and the indulgent Mother infifted on being fet down at the firft Town they came to, faying, her Child's Health was dearer to her, than all the London's in the World. They were now near the Town where the Coach ufually puts up that the Company might Breakfast. They no fooner arrived, than the young

Man

Man and his Mother retired to a Chamber, leaving our Country Woman to pursue her Journey, without any of her own Sex to accompany her. The first Day was paft without any more than the common Civility of bearing her Expences, which was equally divided between the three Men; only now and then a Smile of Approbation, accompanied with a Sigh, feemed as it were to escape from the genteeleft and beft drefs'd of them, whenever the by Chance caft her Eyes on his. At Supper, he fhewed the utmoft Affiduity to please her, infifted .on her being lodged in the beft Room in the House, and, in fhort, fpared neither Pains nor Expence to render himself agreeable. Thus they went on for the first three Days; but, on the fourth,, which was to be the laft of their being together, he appeared difconcerted and uneafy. At Noon, he intreated her to permit him to walk with her in the Garden of the Inn, where they dined, for a few Minutes: There he made the warmeft Profeffions of Love, mixed with the moft folemn Appeals to Heaven, that he had no other Views than thofe which were for her Honour and Intereft; he told her, he muft unavoidably be unhappy if she refuted to let him know where he might fee her again. To all this the replied, that Providence had placed her in fuch a Situation, that it was impoffible fhe fhould grant his Requeft, fince he did not know where The fhould be fixed; as her Bufinefs in Town was only to get a Service. A Service! he returned with fome Emotion; No, no, that muft never be

the