y was the ordinary method that the world was
guided by; that he had reason to expect I should be content with that
which all the world was contented with; that he was of the opinion that
a sincere affection between a man and his wife answered all the
objections that I had made about the being a slave, a servant, and the
like; and where there was a mutual love there could be no bondage, but
that there was but one interest, one aim, one design, and all conspired
to make both very happy.

"Ay," said I, "that is the thing I complain of. The pretence of
affection takes from a woman everything that can be called herself; she
is to have no interest, no aim, no view; but all is the interest, aim,
and view of the husband; she is to be the passive creature you spoke
of," said I. "She is to lead a life of perfect indolence, and living by
faith, not in God, but in her husband, she sinks or swims, as he is
either fool or wise man, unhappy or prosperous; and in the middle of
what she thinks is her happiness and prosperity, she is engulfed in
misery and beggary, which she had not the least notice, knowledge, or
suspicion of. How often have I seen a woman living in all the splendour
that a plentiful fortune ought to allow her, with her coaches and
equipages, her family and rich furniture, her attendants and friends,
her visitors and good company, all about her to-day; to-morrow
surprised with a disaster, turned out of all by a commission of
bankrupt, stripped to the clothes on her back; her jointure, suppose she
had it, is sacrificed to the creditors so long as her husband lived, and
she turned into the street, and left to live on the charity of her
friends, if she has any, or follow the monarch, her husband, into the
Mint, and live there on the wreck of his fortunes, till he is forced to
run away from her even there; and then she sees her children starve,
herself miserable, breaks her heart, and cries herself to death! This,"
says I, "is the state of many a lady that has had L10,000 to her
portion."

He did not know how feelingly I spoke this, and what extremities I had
gone through of this kind; how near I was to the very last article
above, viz., crying myself to death; and how I really starved for almost
two years together.

But he shook his head, and said, where had I lived? and what dreadful
families had I lived among, that had frighted me into such terrible
apprehensions of things? that these things indeed might happen where