I took a liking to the girl. One day, when there was no body in the house but her and me, I took occafion to extol her beauty and voice, expressed my regard for her in an affectionate moving manner; and hinted, I could not be happy, unless I met with a return of affection. I then took her in my arms, and kissed her. The girl blushed; and modeftly asked me, what I meant by using fuch freedoms with her? I told her, I loved her dearly; and that I would do any thing to procure her esteem. " I suppose, Sir," answered the, very briskly, you can have no thoughts of marrying a poor girl; but you would fain rob me of my honour, and fatisfy your pleasure on me. If 'his, Sir, is your view, you will be disappointed. { value my honour and reputation, and will never prostitute my chastity to the prettiest fellow in Britain, though he were to give me ten thousand pounds for the favour. I own I am as susceptible of paffions as others, and have natural defires in common with my fex; but I look upon myself as too good and noble to admit any man to my embraces; and will never, for a momentary pleasure, which may be succeeded with the most direful consequences, strip myself of the distinguishing glory and ornament of my sex. Besides, how can I do fo great a wickedness, and fin against God? I beg of you then not to tempt an innocent and unspotted virgin, or use any means to rob me of the only jewel I have. Sure, though I were to comply with your lewd defires, (nay kiss me not), could a little tranfitory pleasuré atone for the loss of hơnour, the ruin of my foul, and the disgrace and mifery which such an adventure would entail on me? No; Sir, I hope I shall be enabled to referve myfelf for fome worthy man, whom Providence shall be pleased to appoint for my husband; and if I have any charms, he shall enjoy them pure :. and : د I and unstained." I used many arguments with this handfome maid; but could not prevail. I was forced to reverence her virtue; and could not but blush at my own impudence and wickedness, in attempting to seduce the lovely creature. gave her a couple of guineas, telling her to perfift in her good resolutions, and I should never tempt her more. After this I behaved very complaifantly to her, but made no more attacks on her chastity. Some time after she was honoura, bly married, and proved to be an excellent virtuous wife. I have met with rebuffs from several other young women, whose modesty and virtue struck me with reverence and admiration, not without wishing in my heart that all the sex were endued with the like fortitude and chastity. One faid, " My chastity is all my portion; and I will not give it up for all the gold and filver you have shewed, or are master of: no; I'll die, rather than part with my precious treasure." Another said, “ I abhor the name of a whore; I would rather beg my bread, than be branded with the name or trade of a prostitute." A third said, "I am a great enough finner already, though I do not add the pollution of my body to the catalogue of my crimes. I know, that no fornicator shall inherit the kingdom of God; and therefore I will not defile myself with impure embraces, let the best man tempt me." | A pretty damsel said, " Fie upon you, Sir; would you render a poor young woman miferable, by robbing her of her only glory, for a pleasure that lasts not a minute? Can the satisfaction of your brutal lust countervail my loss and difgrace? Should pregnancy succeed the guilty congress, perhaps I, to hide my shame, might be tempted to embrue my hands in the blood of the fruit of my womb, and so come to an untimely end. No, Sir; though I would defire to be a wife and a mother, I will never be a whore to the best man in the kingdom, nor, for the pleasure of a moment, run the risk of an eternity of pain." A handsome girl faid to me very gravely, "Pray, Sir, what evidence of levity or lewdness have I given you, that emboldens you to make such scandalous proposals to me? I thought I had always behaved with the reserve and modesty becoming my sex, so that no son of vice could imagine I would be easily ensnared with fair words and hypocritical profeffions of love. I will be yet more referved, and fly the face of men, the deceivers and ruiners of the weak sex, until (if it please God) I am taken into the protection of a man of sense and honour, who will be my affectionate guardian through life." A charming girl once faid, "Your money perish with its infamous owner. I would rather die an old maid, amidst poverty and beggary, than consent to your vile inclinations. I prefer peace of mind, and an unfullied reputation, to all imaginary pleasures, or the gilded rubbish of the earth. If heaven appoints me an agreeable partner for life, he shall inherit my treasure, and I will referve my jewels for him. Away then, begone; I hate the fight of a debauchee." A jolly buxom wench, being surprised half naked, and warmly attacked, with an offer of a confiderable present, notwithstanding her disadvantageous fituation, very gravely replied, "Perhaps, Sir, my undefirable attitude, in which no woman of modesty would chuse to be seen by a man; my rolling black eyes, my rosy cheeks, my coral lips, and heaving breasts, upon which you have paffed fuch encomiums, have tempted you to this abominable proposal. My appearance and features are juft just as God made them, without being decorated by foreign embellishments; and if I have any tempting charms, any alluring beauties, I cannot help it. I am conscious of innocence and integrity of heart. Carnal pleasures are very mean and infignificant in my view. I will never purchase ruin and disgrace by indulging merely sensual pleasures. Nor will I defile a body given me by heaven, and to whom it shall be confecrated as a temple, till corruption shall waste its fading beauty, and it fall a prey to putrefaction, while the foul shall wing its way to celestial blifs. Begone then, and let me never fee your face more." An amiable lady, with whom I had spent an hour in amorous talk, at last perceiving my drift, faid very briskly, "I have been too long a coquette. I have gone too great lengths with men; but my. chastity I still retain, and ever will. I must esteem it the more, and reckon it the more precious, that such a miscreant as you would pluck the lovely flower, which I hope will ere long perfume the nuptial bed. You will find abundance of women ready to comply with any thing. I am none of those; therefore get you out of my prefence." This lady was married a few days after, and proved a most excellent happy wife, the darling of a most agreeable husband. : A handsome married lady, in the bloom of youth, who had lived some weeks separate from her husband, and who, one told me, would receive an accomplished youth, was affectionately careffed by me one evening; when the very ingenuously replied, "I came into my husband's arms a pure virgin, and have tafted the sweets of the nuptial bed, and long for nothing more than a reconciliation with the man I love. His cursed jealoufy and fevere treatment of his virtuous wife drove her away, very reluctantly, to languish in frigidity. But But I am bold to appeal to heaven, that I never wronged him, however uncharitable the world may be in passing cenfures upon me, as you are not the first that has attacked me. I will never wrong my own foul, or abuse the property of another man, whom I still love, notwithstanding his base and cruel ufage of me. I hope he will foon relent, and call a loving wife to his fociety." He did so foon afterwards, upon convincing evidence of her unspotted honour, which he frankly confessed he had exposed to formidable temptations. I have been often deceived with regard to reports. I have vifited feveral ladies, both married and unmarried, whom fame had reported to be lovers of mankind; but on whom, after lavishing a world of compliments, and addressing in the most moving manner, I could make no impreffion; but was, on the contrary, obliged to troop off with disgrace. Others, whom I had been taught to confider as fifters of Lucretia, and impregnable to the affaults of love, I found to capitulate at the first attack, and invite me to their embraces ére I could finish my proposals; and fome would spurn at a few guineas offered as the price of their favours. The behaviour of one of these ladies, who had a most amiable husband and fine children, was fo very extraordinary, that I would relate it, if it would not fhock modest ears; and therefore I must condemn it to perpetual oblivion, wishing her, if the is yet alive, that repentance that is not to be repented of.. On this head I must further observe, that the far greater number of handsome girls were very eafily and cheaply feduced. I purchased women at all prices, whose impudence I detested. And forry am I to fay it, that many reputable and fober families have servant-maids, who purchase their finery by no better methods than those of prostitution B |