my old
acquaintance. She expressed her inability to be serviceable." Even after
the Denison and Winthrop fluctuations he was not abashed by refusal, and
he must have been (to quote Mrs. Peachum's words) "a bitter bad judge 'o
women," for he called again and again.

"She seemed resolved not to move out of the house; made some
Difficulties to accept an Election Sermon lest it should be an
obligation to her. The coach staying long, I made some excuse for
my stay. She said she would be glad to wait on me till midnight
provided I should solicit her no more to that effect."

This decision he accepted.

Poor old wife-seeking Judge, with your hanging sleeves, your broken and
drooping wings, feebly did you still flutter around for a resting-place
to "lay your Weary Head in modesty." You fluctuated to a new widow,
Madam Harris, and she gave you "a nutmeg as it grew," ever a true
lover's gift in Shakespeare's day. On January 11th, 1722, this letter
was sent to "Mrs. Mary Gibbs, widow, at Newton."

"Madam, your removal out of town and the Severity of the Weather
are the Reason of my making you this Epistolary Visit. In times
past (as I remember) you were minded that I should marry you by
giving you to your desirable Bridegroom. Some sense of this
intended Respect abides with me still and puts me upon enquiring
whether you be willing I should marry you now by becoming your
Husband. Aged feeble and exhausted as I am your favourable Answer
to this Enquiry in a few lines, the Candour of it will much oblige,
Madam, your humble serv't Samuel Sewall."

This not-too-alluring love-letter brought a favorable answer, for the
Judge assured her she "writ incomparably well," and he accompanied this
praise with a suitable and useful gift, "A Quire of Paper, a good
Leathern Ink Horn, a stick of Sealing Wax and 200 Wafers in a little
Box."

He was even sharper in bargaining with Widow Gibbs than he had been with
other matrimonial candidates. She had no property to leave him by will,
but he astutely stipulated that her children sign a contract that,
should she die before him, they would pay him L100. She thought him
"hard," and so did her sons and her son-in-law, and so he was--hard even
for those times of hard bargains and hard marriage contracts in hard New
England. He would agree to give her but L50 a year in case of his death.
The value of wives had depreciated in his e