Favourite of Mrs. Diaper's, her young Mafter took the fame Pains, and often rallied her upon the little Absence of Mind fhe was guilty of. One Day, in particular, having caught her all Tears in our Chamber, where I accidentally went for fome Thing or other, I asked her seriously, if any Ill had happened to her, or, in fhort, if I cou'd any ways be of Service to her: Perhaps, fays I, jocofely, you have received fome bad News of your Sweetheart; but prithee, Nanny, don't fret thyfelf to Death about it; what, I fuppofe he is falfe, is not he? She immediately got up, and, cafting a tender Look at me, paffed fuddenly out at the Door, faying, Ah! Mr. Thompson, if I have any Sweetheart, he is not far from this Spot, fo much the worse Luck for me. I was immediately ftruck with the true State of the Cafe, and, though very artless and ftupid in fuch Matters, perceived that I had been the Cause of all this fudden Alteration. In the first Motions of my Heart, I felt fome Pleasure in the Thought of this Conqueft, I must freely own; the Girl was young and handfome, and that was a dangerous Temptation to a young Fellow of my fanguine and warm Conftitution; but foon the Checks of Reason and Morality got the better in my Mind, and I was refolved to behave to her in a more diftant and cautious Manner; for as it was impoffible and contrary to the Ambition of my Temper, and the Maxims of Prudence and Duty,

to indulge a Fancy for her in a laudable Way, the expofing myself to Difgrace, and her to Ruin, was a Thought too horrid to harbour in a Soul that had been nurtured in a Deteftation of the fordid and bafe Gratifications of the Paffions. I feldom went into the House but at Meal-times, after this, or when my young Mafter accompanied me; and forbore either to speak to, or look upon her, hoping that this might induce her to come to a proper Way of Thinking; but I foon found this was a Diftemper that was not to be cured so suddenly: In Proportion as I retreated, he grew more and more inflamed, and put herfelf in my Way whereever I went; would make twenty Excufes in a Day to ask for somewhat, or fome Question in the Shop or Compting-house; and, as an Example of the dangerous and fascinating Wiles of Women, I myself grew uneafy, was reftlefs, new and unusual Defires agitated my Breaft, I began to burn for I knew not what, and it was with the utmoft Force I restrained myself, when an unlucky Opportunity foon betrayed all my Refolves. The other Maid was one Day ordered with a Meffage in the Country, and unfortunately my Friend was engaged to dine Abroad, which he feldom did; fo that I was forced to eat by myself, and nobody was there to wait on me but Mrs. Anne: The Journeyman was alfo at my Master's Country-house, where he had been invited to spend a Day or two. When I went up

to

to Dinner, I perceived at once that she was dreffed with more than ordinary Care, and she behaved with fo much ready Obligingness, that it was impoffible for me not to fall into fome Difcourfe with her ; in fhort, Temptation and Opportunity were such forceable Batteries against my better Refolutions, that a Thousand wanton Ideas rushed into my Brain, and spread their baneful Influence over my whole Frame; fhe perceived my Situation, and improved it by all the Arts fhe was Miftrefs of; Nature, too weak to affift my Reafon, fhe triumphed in the Spoils of my Innocence, and, emboldened by the firft Trefpafs, the guilty Blifs was too often. repeated, before I could perfuade myself to retire. When I got by myfelf, I foon was tempted to deplore my Change of Condition; I accused myself of what I had been guilty of, with the utmost Shame and Confufion; I now found myfelf ruffled, un-eafy and restless: Before, the Goodness and the Untaintedness of my Heart fhewed itself in all my Actions, now I could fcarce bear the Pain of Re-flection, and dreaded to look even my virtuousFriend in the Face; the Crime itself, the Apprehenfion of the Confequences, the Fear of my own Reputation, the Injury I had done to an innocent Creature, as I thought her, by thus being feduced to indulge her Weaknefs, altogether made my Bosom a perfect Hell: I began to form Schemes of concealing the fatal Intercourfe, and found, alas !

*

Fas for the first Time, that I muft learn to be a Hypocrite, to pretend that Innocence, which was now no more: The Thought of thus living a Lye gave me ftill more inexpreffible Torture. I refolved to renew the Guilt no more, and then immediately forfeited my Resolution; nor was my Anxiety confined to my own Reflections; I met with Reproaches from her, and Bewailings of what would become of her; I was obliged to truckle to her Temper, to keep Things eafy; fhe perceives herself with Child, renews her Complaints, I promife Fidelity; fhe grows jealous, watches my Actions, upbraids me, weeps, fwoons away: I gratify her with Money, footh her, and, in fhort, be-come a very Wretch and mere Slave.

Ye Youths, beware how ye yield to the firft Attacks of Vice; how cautious ought you to be to guard against the firft Allurement, the beginning Witchcraft; let it attack you in what Shape it will, it is equally destructive, equally perverfive of your future Good, equally conducive to extirpate the Relifh of Virtue from your Minds; but, above all,. beware of it, when it approaches you under the foft, the too enchanting, too captivating Charms of female delufive Arts? It is then ye ought to put forth your utmost Strength, "work every Nerve, to refift the fubtle Invader! Peace and Serenity of Mind once deftroyed, the Confequence is dread

ful ;

* Woollafton.

ful; feldom we have the Power to retreat, but hurry on to bury, in a Wild of Folly and Intemperance, the little Reflection, and the woeful Regrets, that will ftill continue to haunt our Souls.

The Relish I used to have for the Company of young Mr. Diaper was palled, I had a fecret Kind of Envy of his superior Virtue; he perceived my Alteration, but I afcribed it to the Head-ach, Lownefs of Spirits, and other Causes; Bufinefs languifhed with me, Home was uneafy to me, where I met with nothing but Reproaches from myself, and Upbraidings from the Authorefs of my Mifery. The delicate and fine Sentiments I had imbibed, and the Turn of my Mind, which was of a genuine pure Caft, now gave me repeated Vexations, never-ending Reproaches: I fought to bury my Difquiets in Company; the Minute the Hours of Business were over, I was no more to be seen, but, afforting myself with fome of the neighbouring Apprentices of my own Age, whose Company I before had defpifed, endeavoured by Wine and Mirth to drown and filence my Regrets. The Two whom I was most frequently engaged with were Will Prim, a Mercer's Apprentice, who had ferved half his Time, and Dick Prig, an Attorney's Clerk, whofe Servitude was juft expired; As these young Fellows were of a lively, gay, thoughtless Difpofition, and their Conversation was full of Humour, I fuffered myself to spend whole

Even