nd abhorrence of Mrs. Bull's wicked
doctrine of the indispensable duty of change. Some yielded, others
refused to part with their native liberty, which gave rise to two great
parties amongst the wives, the Devotos and the Hitts. Though, it must be
owned, the distinction was more nominal than real; for the Devotos would
abuse freedoms sometimes, and those who were distinguished by the name
of Hitts were often very honest. At the same time there was an ingenious
treatise came out with the title of "Good Advice to Husbands," in which
they are counselled not to trust too much to their wives owning the
doctrine of unlimited conjugal fidelity, and so to neglect a due
watchfulness over the manners of their wives; that the greatest security
to husbands was a good usage of their wives and keeping them from
temptation, many husbands having been sufferers by their trusting too
much to general professions, as was exemplified in the case of a foolish
and negligent husband, who, trusting to the efficacy of this principle,
was undone by his wife's elopement from him.

CHAPTER XV. An Account of the Conference between Mrs. Bull and Don
Diego.*

* A Tory nobleman who, by his influence upon the House of
Commons, endeavoured to stop the Treaty.

The lawyers, as their last effort to put off the composition, sent Don
Diego to John. Don Diego was a very worthy gentleman, a friend to John,
his mother, and present wife, and, therefore, supposed to have some
influence over her. He had been ill used himself by John's lawyers, but
because of some animosity to Sir Roger was against the composition. The
conference between him and Mrs. Bull was word for word as follows:--

DON DIEGO.--Is it possible, cousin Bull, that you can forget the
honourable maxims of the family you are come of, and break your word
with three of the honestest, best-meaning persons in the world--Esquires
South, Frog, and Hocus--that have sacrificed their interests to yours?
It is base to take advantage of their simplicity and credulity, and
leave them in the lurch at last.

MRS. BULL--I am sure they have left my family in a bad condition, we
have hardly money to go to market; and nobody will take our words for
sixpence. A very fine spark this Esquire South! My husband took him in,
a dirty boy. It was the business of half the servants to attend him.*
The rogue did bawl and make such a noise: sometimes he fell in the
fire and burnt his face, sometimes broke his