第16章

herehowmuchtheyplacethemselvesbelowthecommon

stationofawife，which，ifImaybeallowednottobepartial，

islowenoughalready；Isay，theyplacethemselvesbelowtheir

commonstation，andpreparetheirownmortifications，bytheir

submittingsotobeinsultedbythemenbeforehand，whichI

confessIseenonecessityof。

Thisrelationmayserve，therefore，tolettheladiesseethat

theadvantageisnotsomuchontheothersideasthemen

thinkitis；andthoughitmaybetruethatthemenhavebuttoo

muchchoiceamongus，andthatsomewomenmaybefound

whowilldishonourthemselves，becheap，andeasytocome

at，andwillscarcewaittobeasked，yetiftheywillhavewomen，

asImaysay，worthhaving，theymayfindthemasuncomeatable

aseverandthatthosethatareotherwiseareasortofpeople

thathavesuchdeficiencies，whenhad，asratherrecommend

theladiesthataredifficultthanencouragethementogoon

withtheireasycourtship，andexpectwivesequallyvaluable

thatwillcomeatfirstcall。

Nothingismorecertainthanthattheladiesalwaysgainofthe

menbykeepingtheirground，andlettingtheirpretended

loversseetheycanresentbeingslighted，andthattheyarenot

afraidofsayingNo。

They，Iobserve，insultusmightilywith

tellingusofthenumberofwomen；thatthewars，andthesea，

andtrade，andotherincidentshavecarriedthemensomuch

away，thatthereisnoproportionbetweenthenumbersofthe

sexes，andthereforethewomenhavethedisadvantage；butI

amfarfromgrantingthatthenumberofwomenissogreat，

orthenumberofmensosmall；butiftheywillhavemetell

thetruth，thedisadvantageofthewomenisaterriblescandal

uponthemen，anditlieshere，andhereonly；namely，thatthe

ageissowicked，andthesexsodebauched，that，inshort，the

numberofsuchmenasanhonestwomanoughttomeddle

withissmallindeed，anditisbuthereandtherethatamanis

tobefoundwhoisfitforawomantoventureupon。

Buttheconsequenceevenofthattooamountstonomore

thanthis，thatwomenoughttobethemorenice；forhowdo

weknowthejustcharacterofthemanthatmakestheoffer？

Tosaythatthewomanshouldbethemoreeasyonthis

occasion，istosayweshouldbetheforwardertoventure

becauseofthegreatnessofthedanger，which，inmywayof

reasoning，isveryabsurd。

Onthecontrary，thewomenhavetenthousandtimesthemore

reasontobewaryandbackward，byhowmuchthehazardof

beingbetrayedisthegreater；andwouldtheladiesconsider

this，andactthewarypart，theywoulddiscovereverycheat

thatoffered；for，inshort，thelivesofveryfewmennowadays

willbearacharacter；andiftheladiesdobutmakealittle

inquiry，theywillsoonbeabletodistinguishthemenand

deliverthemselves。

Asforwomenthatdonotthinktheyown

safetyworththeirthough，that，impatientoftheirperfectstate，

resolve，astheycallit，totakethefirstgoodChristianthat

comes，thatrunintomatrimonyasahorserushesintothebattle，

Icansaynothingtothembutthis，thattheyareasortofladies

thataretobeprayedforamongtherestofdistemperedpeople，

andtometheylooklikepeoplethatventuretheirwholeestates

inalotterywherethereisahundredthousandblankstooneprize。

Nomanofcommon-sensewillvalueawomanthelessfornot

givingupherselfatthefirstattack，orforacceptinghisproposal

withoutinquiringintohispersonorcharacter；onthecontrary，

hemustthinkhertheweakestofallcreaturesintheworld，as

therateofmennowgoes。

Inshort，hemusthaveavery

contemptibleopinionofhercapacities，nay，everyofher

understanding，that，havingbutonecaseofherlife，shallcall

thatlifeawayatonce，andmakematrimony，likedeath，bea

leapinthedark。

Iwouldfainhavetheconductofmysexalittleregulatedin

thisparticular，whichisthethinginwhich，ofallthepartsof

life，Ithinkatthistimewesuffermostin；’tisnothingbutlack

ofcourage，thefearofnotbeingmarriedatall，andofthat

frightfulstateoflifecalledanoldmaid，ofwhichIhavea

storytotellbyitself。

This，Isay，isthewoman’ssnare；but

wouldtheladiesoncebutgetabovethatfearandmanage

rightly，theywouldmorecertainlyavoiditbystandingtheir

ground，inacasesoabsolutelynecessarytotheirfelicity，that

byexposingthemselvesastheydo；andiftheydidnotmarry

sosoonastheymaydootherwise，theywouldmakethemselves

amendsbymarryingsafer。

Sheisalwaysmarriedtoosoonwho

getsabadhusband，andsheisnevermarriedtoolatewhogets

agoodone；inaword，thereisnowoman，deformityorlost

reputationexcepted，butifshemanageswell，maybemarried

safelyonetimeorother；butifsheprecipitatesherself，itisten

thousandtoonebutsheisundone。

ButIcomenowtomyowncase，inwhichtherewasatthis

timenolittlenicety。

ThecircumstancesIwasinmadethe

offerofagoodhusbandthemostnecessarythingintheworld

tome，butIfoundsoonthattobemadecheapandeasywas

nottheway。

Itsoonbegantobefoundthatthewidowhad

nofortune，andtosaythiswastosayallthatwasillofme，

forIbegantobedroppedinallthediscoursesofmatrimony。

Beingwell-bred，handsome，witty，modest，andagreeable；all

whichIhadallowedtomycharacter——whetherjustlyornois

notthepurpose——Isay，allthesewouldnotdowithoutthe

dross，whichwaynowbecomemorevaluablethanvirtueitself。

Inshort，thewidow，theysaid，hadnomoney。

Iresolved，therefore，astothestateofmypresentcircumstances，

thatitwasabsolutelynecessarytochangemystation，andmake

anewappearanceinsomeotherplacewhereIwasnotknown，

andeventopassbyanothernameifIfoundoccasion。

Icommunicatedmythoughtstomyintimatefriend，thecaptain’s

lady，whomIhadsofaithfullyservedinhercasewiththe

captain，andwhowasasreadytoservemeinthesamekind

asIcoulddesire。

Imadenoscrupletolaymycircumstances

opentoher；mystockwasbutlow，forIhadmadebutabout

atthecloseofmylastaffair，andIhadwastedsomeof

that；however，Ihadabout#460left，agreatmanyveryrich

clothes，agoldwatch，andsomejewels，thoughofno

extraordinaryvalue，andabout#30or#40leftinlinennot

disposedof。

Mydearandfaithfulfriend，thecaptain’swife，wassosensible

oftheserviceIhaddoneherintheaffairabove，thatshewas

notonlyasteadyfriendtome，but，knowingmycircumstances，

shefrequentlymademepresentsasmoneycameintoher

hands，suchasfullyamountedtoamaintenance，sothatIspent

noneofmyown；andatlastshemadethisunhappyproposal

tome，viz。thataswehadobserved，asabove，howthemen

madenoscrupletosetthemselvesoutaspersonsmeritinga

womanoffortune，whentheyhadreallynofortuneoftheir

own，itwasbutjusttodealwiththemintheirownwayand，

ifitwaspossible，todeceivethedeceiver。

Thecaptain’slady，inshort，putthisprojectintomyhead，and

toldmeifIwouldberuledbyherIshouldcertainlygeta

husbandoffortune，withoutleavinghimanyroomtoreproach

mewithwantofmyown。

Itoldher，asIhadreasontodo，

thatIwouldgiveupmyselfwhollytoherdirections，andthat

Iwouldhaveneithertonguetospeaknorfeettostepinthat

affairbutassheshoulddirectme，dependingthatshewould

extricatemeoutofeverydifficultyshebroughtmeinto，

whichshesaidshewouldanswerfor。

Thefirststepsheputmeuponwastocallhercousin，andto

toarelation’shouseofhersinthecountry，whereshedirected

me，andwhereshebroughtherhusbandtovisitme；andcalling

mecousin，sheworkedmatterssoabout，thatherhusband

andshetogetherinvitedmemostpassionatelytocometotown

andbewiththem，fortheynowliveinaquitedifferentplace

fromwheretheywerebefore。

Inthenextplace，shetellsher

husbandthatIhadatleast#1500fortune，andthataftersome

ofmyrelationsIwasliketohaveagreatdealmore。

Itwasenoughtotellherhusbandthis；thereneedednothing

onmyside。

Iwasbuttositstillandwaittheevent，forit

presentlywentallovertheneighbourhoodthattheyoung

widowatCaptain——’swasafortune，thatshehadatleast

andperhapsagreatdealmore，andthatthecaptain

saidso；andifthecaptainwasaskedatanytimeaboutme，

hemadenoscrupletoaffirmit，thoughheknewnotoneword

ofthematter，other

thanthathiswifehadtoldhimso；andin

thishethoughtnoharm，forhereallybelievedittobeso，

becausehehaditfromhiswife:

soslenderafoundationwill

thosefellowsbuildupon，iftheydobutthinkthereisafortune

inthegame。

Withthereputationofthisfortune，Ipresently

foundmyselfblessedwithadmirersenough，andthatIhadmy

choiceofmen，asscarceastheysaidtheywere，which，bythe

way，confirmswhatIwassayingbefore。

Thisbeingmycase，

I，whohadasubtlegametoplay，hadnothingnowtodobut

tosingleoutfromthemalltheproperestmanthatmightbe

formypurpose；thatistosay，themanwhowasmostlikely

todependuponthehearsayofafortune，andnotinquiretoo

farintotheparticulars；andunlessIdidthisIdidnothing，for

mycasewouldnotbearmuchinquiry。

Ipickedoutmymanwithoutmuchdifficulty，bythejudgment

Imadeofhiswayofcourtingme。

Ihadlethimrunonwith

hisprotestationsandoathsthathelovedmeabovealltheworld；

thatifIwouldmakehimhappy，thatwasenough；allwhichI

knewwasuponsupposition，nay，itwasuponafullsatisfaction，

thatIwasveryrich，thoughInevertoldhimawordofitmyself。

Thiswasmyman；butIwastotryhimtothebottom，and

indeedinthatconsistedmysafety；forifhebaulked，IknewI

wasundone，assurelyashewasundoneifhetookme；and

ifIdidnotmakesomescrupleabouthisfortune，itwasthe

waytoleadhimtoraisesomeaboutmine；andfirst，therefore，

Ipretendedonalloccasionstodoubthissincerity，andtold

him，perhapsheonlycourtedmeformyfortune。

Hestopped

mymouthinthatpartwiththethunderofhisprotestations，

asabove，

butstillIpretendedtodoubt。