179. THE PLEASURES OF MATRIMONY, interwoven with sundry comical and delightful stories, with the charming delights and ravishing sweets of wooing and wedlock in all its diverting enjoyments. 12mo. London, n.d.

We may extract a few curious notices of marriage ceremonies from this volume :-"All things being settled, and the appointed morning come, up gets the bridegroom, and dresses himself in all his gaudy attire. The bride is scarcely dressed, but the bridegroom coming into her chamber, with submissive knees adores his earthly deity, and kisses the lilies of her white hands, and sips ambrosial nectar from her lips, and then conducts her to the room of state, where they both stand to welcome their invited guests. Now things being ready, they take coach environed by a great crowd of spectators, of which not one of them but what must say something. . . . They go from the church again, and first receive the joy of the beggars, the bridegroom, for the grandeur of the wedding, throwing amongst them a handful of small money, which sets them scrambling. Then, taking coach, they return to the place from whence they set out, attended by a rabble, which is a mark of greatness.

"Being come into the dining-room, the guests, of course, must all salute the bride, and in return, the bridegroom must salute all the young women, and this must sure be a great pleasure to him. This usual formality being over, the bridegroom then drinks a bumper to the whole assembly. By this time, dinner is upon the table, and marshalled with as much forma

E

lity as the Lord's Feast. After the parson says grace, they fall to without further ceremony; and now here comes a new pleasure to the bridegroom, to see all the guests address their glasses to the bride, and afterwards to him.

"We will now suppose the afternoon worn out in dancing, to the great pleasure of the spectators, and the night begun, the bride is stolen away from the company, and put to bed; and after her the bridegroom. Up comes the sack-posset, nor can the bride and bridegroom get rid of this unnecessary ceremony, until some good compassionate lady threw on purpose the stocking into the posset, when she pretended to throw it at the bride. This caused the sack-posset to be taken away, which being done, it only remained now to kiss the women round, and so depart.

"The next morning, the drums and trumpets begin to sound; in a moment the street is full of benedictions to the bride and bridegroom; and this must be another pleasure, for now the bridegroom, unwilling to pay the music for nothing, gets up and dances to the music. The next day is spent in being treated by the bridemen at a tavern; and there can be now room for nothing but pleasure."

180. THE FIFTEEN COMFORTS OF MATRIMONY, WITH AN ADDITION OF THREE COMFORTS MORE.

12mo. London. Printed for H. Woodgate and S. Brooks, at the Golden Ball in Paternoster Row, 1760. This is partly a translation of the Quinze joyes de

Mariage, and is evidently reprinted from an earlier edition.

181. THE NEW ACADEMY OF COMPLIMENTS, OR THE LOVER'S SECRETARY, being wit and mirth improved by the most elegant expressions used in the art of courtship. 12mo. London, n.d. Front. There are several curious pieces in this book, not a few illustrating old customs. From the latter we may select "a plain downright country love-letter from Roger to his sweetheart, Joan,”

"Sweet-honey Joan,-I have sent thee a thing, such a one as the gentlefolks call a love letter, it was indited by myself after I had drank two or three pots of ale, but 'twas written in Roman joining hand by the schoolmaster, who is clerk of the parish, to whom I gave sixpence for his pains. Truly Joan, and marry Joan, thou knowest how many a time and oft I have fetch'd home thy cows, when nobody knew who did it. Marry Joan, thou know'st I always play'd on thy side at stool-ball: and when thou did'st turn the garland in the Whitsun Holidays, marry Joan, I was sure to be drunk that night for joy. Marry Joan, cry I still, but wilt thou marry me, Joan? I know thou dost love Will the taylor, who, it is true, is a very quiet man, and foots it most feteously; but I can tell thee, Joan, I think I shall be a better man than he very shortly, for I am learning of a fidler to play on the kit, so that if you will not yield the sooner, I will ravish thee e'er long with my music. 'Tis true I never gave thee a token, but I have here sent thee one, I bought

in the Exchange, where all the folks hooted at me, but thought I, hoot and be hang'd and you will, so I will buy a top-knot for Joan; and I can assure thee, Joan, it will make a better shew in the church, than a green bay-leaf by thy side. But what wilt thou give me for that, Joan? Alas, I ask nothing but thyself; come, Joan, give me thyself. Law ye, what a happy day would that be, to see thee, with thy best cloaths on at church, and the parson saying, I Hodge take thee Joan, and, by the Mass, I would take thee, and hug thee, and buss thee. And then hey away to the alehouse, and hey for the musicianers, and the Canaries, and the syllybubs, and the shoulder of mutton and gravy, and so having no more to say, I rest assured of your own good will. Thy own dear sweetheart, trusty Hodge the plowman."

The following is an account of the dance of Green Sleeves:-"Change sides; first man and second woman side to one another, and go right hands round, first woman and second man do the same; then the first couple cross over behind the second couple, and turn round, then they lead up, and casting off, turn round again; so it ends.”

182. A TIMELY WARNING TO RASH AND DISOBEDIENT CHILDREN, being a strange and wonderful relation of a young gentleman in the parish of Stepheny, in the suburbs of London, that sold himself to the devil for twelve years, to have the power of being revenged on his father and mother, and how his time being expired, he lay in a sad and deplorable condition, to the amazement of all spectators. 12mo. Edinburgh, 1721.

A description of story formerly very common, and stedfastly believed by the ignorant. The devil appears in person, and makes the youth sign and seal with his own blood.

183. GOD'S MERCIES MADE MANIFEST TO THE FAITHFUL, or a pious exhortation to all sinners, shewn in the wonderful relation of Mr. David Bentley, near the town of Largin, in the county of Armagh, who, being a very good man, obtained great favour of the Lord. Shewing how he entertained an angel in his house, who came and enquired for lodging, in the likeness of a man, on the 20th July last, and declared many things to him which will shortly come to pass. 8vo. 1760.

184. THE AFFLICTED PARENTS, or the undutiful CHILD PUNISHED, shewing how a gentleman, living in the city of Chester, had two children, a son and a daughter, who was about two years younger than the son; how the girl gave good advice to her brother; how he rejected it, and knock'd her down, left her for dead, and then went away; how an angel appeared to him, and how he discovered the murder, was taken up, tried, cast, and condemned to die. Shewing how he was executed with two highwaymen, being cut down, put into his coffin, carried home to his father's house, and preparing for his funeral, how he came to life again, how he sent for a minister, and discovered to him several strange things, which after he had related, was executed a second time, for a warning to all disobedient children. 8vo. n.d.

185. THE GARLAND OF GOOD WILL, divided into