which she hourly
expected; that it might not be born out of Wedlock, and so be made
uncapable of inheriting either of their Estates; with a great many more
pressing Arguments on all Sides: To which at last she consented; and an
honest officious Gentleman, whom they had before provided, was call'd
up, who made an End of the Dispute: So to Bed they went together that
Night; next Day to the _Exchange_, for several pretty Businesses that
Ladies in her Condition want. Whilst they were abroad, came the Vermin
of the Parish, (I mean, the Overseers of the Poor, who eat the Bread
from 'em) to search for a young Blackhair'd Lady (for so was
_Bellamora_) who was either brought to Bed, or just ready to lie down.
The Landlady shew'd 'em all the Rooms in her House, but no such Lady
could be found. At last she bethought her self, and led 'em into her
Parlour, where she open'd a little Closet-door, and shew'd 'em a black
Cat that had just kitten'd: assuring 'em, that she should never trouble
the Parish as long as she had Rats or Mice in the House; and so
dismiss'd 'em like Loggerheads as they came.

_FINIS._

NOTES: The Black Lady.

p. 3 _Bridges-Street._ Brydges Street lies between Russell Street and
Catherine Street. Drury Lane Theatre is at its N.E. corner. It early
acquired no very enviable repute, e.g. In the Epilogue to Crowne's _Sir
Courtly Nice_ (1685) we have: 'Our Bridges Street is grown a strumpet
fair'; and Dryden, in the Epilogue to _King Arthur_ (1691), gave Mrs.
Bracegirdle, who entered, her hands full of billets-doux, the following
lines to speak:--

Here one desires my ladyship to meet [_Pulls out one._
At the kind couch above in Bridges-Street.
Oh sharping knave! that would have--you know what,
For a poor sneaking treat of chocolate.

p. 8 _Star-Inn on Fish-street-Hill._ Fish Street Hill, or, New Fish
Street, runs from Eastcheap to Lower Thames Street, and was the main
thoroughfare to old London Bridge, cf. 2 _Henry VI_, IV, viii: '_Cade._
Up Fish Street! down St. Magnus' corner! kill and knock down! throw them
into the Thames.'

p. 9 _the Exchange._ The New Exchange, a kind of bazaar on the South
side of the Strand. It was an immensely popular resort, and continued so
until the latter years of the reign of Queen Anne. There are innumerable
references to its shops, its sempstresses and haberdashers. Thomas
Duffet was a milliner here before he took to writing farces, prologues
and poems.