was taken
at some advantage. Indeed, my dear, I was not. Indeed I gave no room
for advantage to be taken of me. I hope, one day, that will be seen, if
I have the justice done me which Mr. Belford assures me of.

I should hope that my cousin has not taken the liberties which you (by an
observation not, in general, unjust) seem to charge him with. For it is
sad to think, that the generality of that sex should make so light of
crimes, which they justly hold so unpardonable in their own most intimate
relations of our's--yet cannot commit them without doing such injuries to
other families as they think themselves obliged to resent unto death,
when offered to their own.

But we women are to often to blame on this head; since the most virtuous
among us seldom make virtue the test of their approbation of the other
sex; insomuch that a man may glory in his wickedness of this sort without
being rejected on that account, even to the faces of women of
unquestionable virtue. Hence it is, that a libertine seldom thinks
himself concerned so much as to save appearances: And what is it not that
our sex suffers in their opinion on this very score? And what have I,
more than many others, to answer for on this account in the world's eye?

May my story be a warning to all, how they prefer a libertine to a man of
true honour; and how they permit themselves to be misled (where they mean
the best) by the specious, yet foolish hope of subduing riveted habits,
and, as I may say, of altering natures!--The more foolish, as constant
experience might convince us, that there is hardly one in ten, of even
tolerably happy marriages, in which the wife keeps the hold in the
husband's affections, which she had in the lover's. What influence then
can she hope to have over the morals of an avowed libertine, who marries
perhaps for conveniency, who despises the tie, and whom, it is too
probable, nothing but old age, or sickness, or disease, (the consequence
of ruinous riot,) can reclaim?

I am very glad you gave my cous--

SUNDAY MORNING, SEPT. 3, SIX O'CLOCK.

Hither I had written, and was forced to quit my pen. And so much weaker
and worse I grew, that had I resumed it, to have closed here, it must
have been with such trembling unsteadiness, that it would have given you
more concern for me, than the delay of sending it away by last night's
post can do. I deferred it, therefore, to see how it would please God to
deal with me. And I find my