Claws, Tail, or Horns, the indifputable Characteriflics

of Satan.

BEING arrived at his Lodgings, the Watchman was rewarded by his Lord fhip's Servant, with Injunction of Silence, and my Lord retiring to Bed forely lamented the difaftrous Gallantries of the Night, being much induced to it by the Lofs of a fine Gold Watch, a Hundred Guineas in a green Silk Purfe, an embroidered Suit of Cloaths, and more than all these, the Railleries he should be open to if the Affair was difcovered at his Return to London.

O Shannon having flept, and being quite refreshed the next Morning, was forry he interrupted his Lordfhip in his Amours; the Devil burn me,' fays he, Peggy, but another Night would have done for me, ' and you might have told me all this.'

Peggy faid nothing could have happened more luckily for her, I am now much better rewarded than ' otherwise I should have been; it was one of these Right Honourable Lords which firft feduced me to Ruin, by a long Putfuit and even Promife of Marriage; fince which Time, I deteft my Life and thofe who were inftrumental to my Undoing; all then is 'fair on my Side, and I have conftantly declared open ⚫ War on the whole deftructive Sex.'

THE Captain, however, tho' his Name had never been mentioned, was afraid that his Lordship knew him in the Dark, and that his Interest might prevent him from rifing in his Profeffion; he therefore making no more Difficulty of having been a W-re's Bed-fellow, than at dining at an Ordinary, and believing every one was of the fame Difpofition, was determined. to go to the Wells, and publickly ask Pardon of his Lordship.

He therefore dreft himself the next Evening, and repaired to the Long-room, with Intention to make a public Acknowledgment for his Rudeness to my Lord, and afk his Pardon.

Now, it must be remembered, that the Vifcount and this Captain, tho' they had ftronger Reafons to know one another than ocular Proof, yet they did not

recollect

recollect each other's Figure at all, and this feems to contradict the old Saying, of Seeing is Believing, but Feeling is the Truth; for moft furely they had been in Contact with each other, and yet did not know one another.

THE Captain, however, was in this Cafe the Seeker; being come with that Intent, he foon enquired which was the Viscount Flimfy, when being fhewn, he found his Lordship furrounded by a Group of Gentlemen and Ladies, his Lady and Mr. Sweetwood being of a Party at Cards at a Table adjoining.

CAPTAIN O Shannon, therefore, thinking the more public this Acknowledgment was made, the more honourable for the Viscount, and concluding every one knew the whole Affair because he did, approaching his Lordship, asked him if he was the Lord Flimfy.

His Lordship answered in the Affirmative, that he

was.

WELL, then,' fays the Captain, upon my Shalvafhon, I am Captain O Shannon, who, not knowing you was in Bed with Peggy laft Night, fell fo damn'd hard upon you, my Dear, for which I am extremely forry.'

SIR,' fays my Lord, you are mistaken, it was

not me.'

ARRAH, the Devil burn me, and she told me it · was, and there is a brown Suit of Cloaths embroidered with Silver, and a laced Hat, and a Gold Watch, and a Hundred Guineas, which you left ⚫ behind when you ran away all naked in your Shirt; ◄ and faith fhe is after being a Bunter, to abuse a Noble Lord, when it is not you at all.'

THIS Defcription of my Lord's Cloaths, confirmed the Truth of its being his Lordship to every one of the Company; upon which, my Lord withdrew; O Shannon defiring he would stay to hear his Acknowledgments, for, the Devil burn me, you cannot tell how forry I am for difturbing you." The Captain could not prevail with all his Oratory and Entreaty, on his Lordship to tarry, he therefore told the whole Affair to the Company, protefting, that he did not

know

3

know that his Lordfhip was in the Red, for, faith,' fays he, no Man alive will fooner fight till he's dead for his Country than myfhelf, but I never difpute about no Whore with any Nobleman at all; and I am ready to afk hie Pardon.'

THIS Story Mr. Sweetwood heard, looking on Lady Flimfy, who feemed not to liften to it, with a Face which expreft the utmost Abhorrence for the Viscount, and greatest Compaffion for her Ladyship; detefted Villain, fays he; every Eye being turned upon her, who was the finest Woman at the Wells, every Heart pitying her Situation, her eafy unaffuming Behaviour, and fweet Difpofition, had made her the Favourite of all the Company, Men and Women.

THIS is as it fhould be, fays fhe, Mr. Sweetwood ; my History will prove one Inftance of the Utility of this new Law against Clandestine Marriage, and the Happiness and Advantage Wards draw from it, in being thus doom'd to the pernicious Defigns and Intrigues of their Guardians.

His Lordship, notwithstanding, appeared the next Day as alert as ever; he knew that the Story would be in every Perfon's Mouth; but, he knew also, that no one would take the Liberty of speaking of it to him; he felt no inward Compunction for what he had done, knew the Privilege of Nobility, and was convinced the World had long fince neglected to revere Virtue, and pay Refpect to Title; he, therefore, gave himself no Pain about the Opinion of any one prefent, there being no one, who from an Equality, could take the Liberty to rally him on this Occafion; in confequence of this, the whole Company was my Lord's very humble Servants when he was prefent, and his Cenfors and Satirifts behind his Back, afferting, he ought to be deferted by all Men, for thus treating his lovely Lady, and then preffing to compliment him the Moment he appeared; as to Lady Flimfy, he had not the leaft painful Idea of what the thought of him, and was now more ready to feparate than he had ever been to unite with her, not much liking to fee that Woman, whofe Behaviour and Efteem from

the

the World, he fometimes confidered as a Satire on himself.

HER Ladyship never upbraided him with a fingle Word on this Account; fhe only determined that for the future she would always abftain from his Bed.

CHA P. LI.

His

Peggy's Generosity in her Prefent to my Lord. Lordship's Honour, and Intent on Lydia; together with the pious Affiftance of G

W

B

and

R, a Prefbyterian and Quaker; with a Small Specimen of the Sentiments of the laft Gentleman.

WE are apprehenfive that many young Gentle

men and others, who have been confcientiously employed in debauching Virgins, might not be thoroughly fatisfied with what Mifs Peggy has faid in Vindication of herfelf; being therefore ftrictly determined to adhere to Truth in this whole Hiftory, and not condemn Characters in the Lump, or exalt others beyond Measure, as is too common; we shall affure our Readers that Mifs Peggy was not of the abandoned Kind, who never think of Returns for Favours; fhe had been very grateful to the Viscount, and in Retaliation bequeathed his Lordship a Prefent which frequently lafts longer than a Suit of Cloaths, or a Hundred Guineas, and has remained with the Poffeffors, after many a Gold-watch has quitted them.

INDEED, my Lord, who had fecretly condemned her of being an ungrateful Jade, began to perceive that he had not been fo extremely blameable on that Score, as he first imagined; having difcovered fome Symptoms of a Prefent which was likely to remain fome Time, in that very Place where the Gold-watch was accuftomed to be placed, before Mifs Peggy had taken Poffeffion of it.

NOTWITHSTANDING this, and that he had confulted an Adept on this Subject, who had told him, he muft again become one of the Virorum mercuri

alium of- no not of Horace, he was determined to use every Art to debauch Lydia Fairchild; this not being able to perpetrate by all his Powers, of Bribes and other Applications, he was refolved to obtain by a Method which he thought could not fail of Succefs; his favourite Servant, whom he had employed, was become enamoured of Lydia, and therefore detefted his Mafter's Purfuit; this his Lordship perceiving refolved to proceed by himself.

Now, the Viscount, as has been already faid, having been indulged all his Life in every Thing poffible, had but one Way of confidering Objects; which was, whether the Poffeffion of them would be agreeable to himself; that being conceived, he never confidered what was to be the Confequence of it to other People.

FOR this Reason, tho' he was fure of contaminating the lovely Body of Lydia Fairchild with the most loathfome Difeafe, and blaft her Character with univerfal Infamy; yet thefe two Objections weighed nothing in his Opinion.

NAY, fuch was his Difpofition, he would have slept with his Lady, on purpose to have given her the Dif→ temper, that the Proof, from which Side the Infection began, might be dubious in fome Minds, and that the Fame and Beauty of that lovely Creature might be blasted, whom he beheld the Darling of all the World that gazed upon her.

Lydia, then, being more impregnable than Gibraltar, an Iland of Virtue not touching the Continent of Vice by the leaft Particle, and in the Hands of thofe Difpofitions, which, ftrong as old English Howould never give her up, the Earl intended to ftarve her into Compliance.

nour,

HE, therefore, one Day, when the Viscountefs and Lydia were walked to the Pump-room, for fhe was fuffered to accompany her frequently thither, fecretly went into her Chamber, and took away her Diamond Ear-rings and Necklace.

THESE being found wanting, Lady Flimfy afked Lydia if fhe had feen them? Lydia replied, your Ladyfhip locked them in the Drawer the Morning

⚫ you