Rooms, in and about London, and Westminster; and many other Places. And we fhall alfo from our own Journal, in our next Chapter, present you with an exact Portrait of a PuppetLady Townly. And, who may indeed vie with Mr. Cibber's English-Lady Townly, or any other in that most infamous Trade of Gaming. And for the Benefit of all their good Sifters, who, by fuch Forgetfullness, may thus abandon their Reputation and Reafon, I will here burnifh their Memories with that becoming Proof of a fenfible Recovery, of the laft mention'd Lady, to her much, injured Husband; who, by only taking a Minute's Trouble to reflect, (just in Time) happen'd to fave her Bacon. This was her former Creed: Which the confeffes.

"Our Hands were join'd! but still my Heart i was wedded to its Folly, my only Joy was "Power, Society, Profufenefs, and to lead in "Pleafure! The Hufband's right to rule, I "thought a vulgar Law, which only the de"formed or meanly fpirited obey'd! I know no "Director, but my Paffion; no Mafter, but "my Will!"

After the Recovery of the above Lady, from her long Lethargic-Dream of Vice (by this fenfible Speech of the Poet's) it appears pretty plain, that all fuch unwarrantable Proceedings are only a downright Infenfibility of what they

are

about; and confequently Madness: Therefore if they should be as Lunatics treated, it is perhaps the lightest Punishment they can reafonably be supposed to deserve.

CHAP. II.

The Hiftory of a Puppet Lady-Townly; and of the Method which her abused Hufband made Ufe of, to cure her of the dang❜rous Lover of Gaming.

NE Ramacano, a Gentleman of a very extraordinary Estate, fell in Love with Menena, a fair young Lady of an ancient good Family, and as great a Fortune, as PuppetIfland could perhaps boast of: And, after a fmall Time, marry'd her. She was naturally of an easy, gay Difpofition; which greatly inclined her to affect the fashionable Pleasures of the Times. The Knight (for fo he was) her Husband, grew every Day more fond of her than other; by which Increase of Passion, and being withal a naturally good temper'd, gencrous-fpirited Man, as he waxt more indulgent, fhe grew ftill more careless: till at last, their eafy, but oppofite Behaviour, to each other, (as he being blind to her Faults, and the abuf

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ing his Virtues) begat fome Wonder, and indeed much blame from the malicious, though, perhaps, the most judicious Part of the obferving World, towards them both. For, the more Good-Nature the Knight treated her with, the more fhe ftill required; and one weak-Step, naturally drew on another. So that, from a Delight in Balls, Concerts, Plays, Operas &c. fhe fell, at length, fo violently in Love with Play, that, at laft, the Sight of no earthly. Thing, but Cards and Dice, could poffibly: please her. And whether the understood the Game the defired to engage in, or not; was as little her Concern, as the Worth of the Sum fhe was always ready to play for. And Win, or Lofe, made not the leaft Difference either in. her Temper, or her Affairs: fo much was fhe a Philofopher, at her Husband's dear Expence: If she had the Money about her, and the Sum was ever fo great, fhe paid it; if not, her Hufband was her Banker, and too much of the polite Gentleman, as well as a fond indulgent Lover, not to supply her so reasonable and requifite Demands, let them be ever fo mighty. And though fhe always had had whatever Money she required from him; yet was fhe at Length ever craving; always moneyless; and constantly in Debt. The good indulgent Husband now be gan to grow weary of her Courfes; and after he VOL. IV.

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had try'd all the tender Methods he could devife, to cure her of this curfed Malignancy, without the leaft Symptom of Success, he began to grow very uneafy with her, and indeed, much more in earnest.

I need not fay that he enumerated to her the many Ill-Effects and Confequences of this pernicious Habit; for this we may suppose he had done, a thousand Times, to no purpose. Which made him at length, by my Advice to resolve upon a very uncooth Method (as fome Ladies will doubtless account it) towards her abfolute Cure. He had often difcharged many large Debts of Honour for her, which he never paid without a gentle and wholefome Leflon of Advice, and Declaration on her ill-Conduct. But alas! with no Manner of Success! At length, a Person (of Honour, no Doubt) fending a Demand for five hundred Pounds (English) on that Rafcally-Score; he being quite tired out, not only fent the demandant Word back, that he would never pay any more fuch unworthy Debts, but in Order to recover her, if poffible, he determin'd also to put the following Plan into immediate Exécution. Which he accordingly did.

We privately enquired for the most reputable and convenient Doctor fome little Way out of Town, that made it his fole Practice to deal with Lunatics, and cure Madness of all Kinds.

When

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When having found out one to our Mind, we privately acquainted him with this ruinousLady's long practiced Vices; defiring him to take her immediately under his good Management; and at the fame Time agreed to give him a very bountifull Reward, if he fucceeded. And, barring him from all cruel Steps, and Acts of Violence, the Knight allow'd him to deal with her in whatever Manner he fhould otherwife judge most proper. But with a Provifo, that he him-. felf fhould be first inform'd of every thing propofed, ere it was put into Execution.

All Things being thus agreed upon, the Day was appointed for his Bringing this fair diflemper'd-Lady to the Doctor's House: where, in the mean Time, a Room was prepared proper for her Reception. The next Day after this Agreement, the Knight, in order to proceed without Lofs of Time, took an Occafion to acquaint his Spoufe, that he had received an Invitation from a particular Family (and an old Acquaintance) a little Way out of Town, on fuch a Day, to dine with them; which he had accordingly promised to do, and hoped fhe had no Objection. To this fhe was all Compliance; so that when the Time came, the Coach and fix was ready to attend, and my Lady being 'drefs'd as per Custom, on those Occafions, in all her beauteous Luftre, away they drove with

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