quiries, the good old Lady afk'd whether I follow'd any Profeffion, my Quondam-Coufin answered for me, Phyfick, and that I was travelling for Experience; and, I afterwards found, the cunning Huffey had her Views in it. Having feen the Convent, and the Bell ringing for Vefpers, I took my Leave, with my Lady-Abbefs's Permiffion to vifit my pretty Relation, the next Afternoon: But, it feems, fhe was refolved not to lofe my Company fo long; for the next Morning, before I had breakfafted, I was furpriz'd with a Meffage from my Lady-Abbefs, that my Kinfwoman had been taken fo ill in the Night as had put the whole Convent into Diforder; and that as I might be fuppofed, as her Country-man and Relation, to be the best Judge of her Conftitution, my Advice was defir'd. You will eafily imagine, I borrow'd the Wings of Cupid, to haften my Flight, and found my pretty Patient confined to her Cell and Bed, with the Father-Confeffor at her Head, and the good Matron, with Tears in her Eyes, at her Feet: She had fo artfully put on the Countenance of a Perfon agonizing almoft in the Pangs of Death, that I was myself at a Lofs, whether her Sickness was feign'd or real? But the ghoftly Father, after having finish'd his Office, being retir'd, leaving the Care of her Body to her affectionate Kinfman, and the good Mother going likewife officio fly to fetch fomething she thought wanting, we were no fooner alone, than puting on an agreable Simper, fhe, in a languishing Tone, afk'd me if I could not guefs at her Diftemper ? Yes, my dear Charmer (was my Answer, feizing with fome Eagernefs her Arm) your Pulfe beats too high and too irregular to leave me any Doubt of that, and your Remedy is at Hand, almoft finothering her, at the fame Time, with Kiffes :

Hold (replied fhe, puting me by) chi va piano, "va fano (foft and fair) the Mother-Abbefs will probably

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probably foon return, pretend an Ignorance in "the Terms of Art of this Country, haften to "the Apothecary's yourfelf, and fetch fome in"different Medicine; at your Return, feign a Ne"ceffity of obferving the Effects of it; our preten"ded Confanguinity will remove all Scruple; defire "fome good Book to pafs your Time with, while your Medicine may probably compofe me to Sleep, and then (added fhe, preffing me to her "Arms, with an Ardour, that confirm'd my Judg

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ment of her Difeafe) the Day's our own". I followed her Advice; every Thing fucceeded to our With; I was left near three Hours with my beautiful Patient alone, and you may be fure we did not fpend our Time, à conter des Fariboles (in telling Stories.) Towards Noon, I told my Lady-Abbefs, the Medicine I had used operated very kindly; had put my Patient into a breathing Sweat, and had laid her into a Kind of Dozing, which it would be proper to humour; I would therefore retire, and return in the Afternoon to know the farther Effect of it. At my Return, the good Lady told me, her Daughter had fenfibly found the Effect of my Skill; blefs'd the happy Chance that brought me thither, and thought it might not be amifs, if I approv'd of it, to repeat the Dofe. You will imagine, I was not long in refolving; but added, that as violent Symptoms required violent Remedies, and the Virulence of the Difeafe was now in fome Meafure allay'd, I fhould use them more sparingly; and befide, it would be proper, to confult the Strength and Inclination of the Patient. As no Deficiency of either appeared in her, it was foon determined, and I had hereby the Opportunity of fpending the best Part of the Evening with my lovely Coufin, till Reft feem'd to be neceffary for us both.

IN the Intervals of her Paroxyfms, and of the Application of my Remedies, fhe gave me the following Account of her Adventures: You know "(faid fhe) my most youthful Years were spent "in all the Gaiety the Place of my Habitation "could afford, in which my too indulgent Parents "fet no Bounds to my Inclinations. You are not "unacquainted with my unhappy Adventure with "Sir JD, who, under the fpecious Pre"tence of Marriage, having robb'd me of the "Jewel, I fhould have fet the greatest Value upon, notwithstanding his re-iterated Vows,

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bafely abandon'd me, for one who had nothing "but a greater Share of the Gifts of Fortune to "recommend her to his pretended Affection. That, "after I had once tasted the forbidden Fruit, my "Inclination prompted me to indulge myself in "the Enjoyment of it, even beyond the Rules "of Decency, and to the entire Ruin of my Re"putation, is to you no Secret. In fhort, the Li"berties I took foon brought me into a Condition "not long be conceal'd, and I had been too ge"neral a Lover, to know where to fix my Mif"fortune. It was then I took the defperate Re"folution of leaving my Father's Houfe, and had "the Courage to venture alone on fo long a Journy "as to Liverpool, and from thence to Ireland, to "an Aunt I had, who was married there. To "her I open'd my Condition, and met with a fa"vourable Reception: Her Hufband had prevail'd "upon her to abandon her Religion, and embrace "the Roman Catholic, to which fhe was fo much "bigotted, that fhe refted neither Day nor Night, " 'till fhe had made a Convert of me; and having "gain'd that Point, fhe was as affiduous in perfuad

ing me of the Happinefs of a reclufe Life. You "will eafily imagine, this no way fuited my Temper; "but the fatal Itch of Variety, which has always

been

"been prevalent in me, got the better of my Inclination, and I confented. I was foon eas'd of the Burden I carried along with me, by an early fauffe Couche, (Mifcarriage) and the eager Defire "I had of feing foreign Countries, and foreign

Faces, made me prefs my Departure for Brabant, "which was pitch'd upon for my Retirement. Í "had, as well from Liverpool as trom Ireland, acquainted my Parents with my Condition, and

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they apporv'd of my Departure; tho' they blamed "the Manner of it, preffing my Return as foon "as Circumftances would admit: But my Aunt, "who was apprehenfive I might change my Refo

lution, fpar'd no Pains to ftrengthen it, during "the weak State I was reduced to, by the untimely Release from the Weight I bore, and "hurried me away, before I was well able to under

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go the Fatigue of a Voyage. It was then I con"fented to her writing the melancholy Account "fhe gave of my pretended Death and Burial. As "I gather'd Strength, and had Time and Leifure to reflect on what I had inadvertently brought

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upon myself, I began to repent of it: But alas! "I was advanced too far to retreat, and was in "the Hands of a Tyrant-Mafter of a Ship, who "was bound for Oftend, and would not fuffer me to "fpeak with one Soul, 'till he deliver'd me into the

Convent he was order'dat Bruffels. No Pains were fpared to make the Time of my Probation eafy and agreable to me, and fuch Liberties were allowed to fome of the Nuns, with whom I contracted a Familiarity, as might induce me "to form a pleafing Idea of that State of Life. "Among thefe, was a young Italian Lady, from "whom I learned the Language, which at first "conceal'd me from your Knowledge. I foon "found we were both in the fame State of Virginity, and that the had been oblig'd, by her Friends,

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"Friends, to fubmit to the Tonfure, as a Pen"nance for the Sins of her moft early Youth.

Parity of Circumftances, as well as Temper, "foon united our Hearts, and we became as it

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were one Body and one Mind. The Liberties "allowed me, and her for my fake, furnish'd us "with all the Opportunities we could wish, to indulge ourselves in all Manner of Pleafures, I had "almoft faid Libertinifm; and we found Means "to enjoy feme, which I little expected within "thofe facred Walls. My Probation being ex

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pired, I made no Scruple of taking the Vow, "and the Habit, pleafing myfelf with the Thoughts "of entring into a Life perfectly confonant to my "Inclinations: But alas! how foon did I find I was "deluded; and that the View I had of continuing the Pleafures I had 'till then enjoyed was vifionary. My first Mortification was to find my Companion debar'd of thofe Freedoms I was indeed "yet allow'd; but of which I was myself foon after, by Degrees, deprived. However, as no Severity could curb the natural Gaiety of my Temper, "and the many Opportunities I found of indulging it in a Convent fo much frequented as ours, "at least in fome Meafure, could not but give "Offence, it was thought fit, at the Inftigation, "I fuppofe, of my Aunt, to remove me hither. "I was at first inconfolable at the Change, but "am fince pretty eafy under it. We live here "not under the greatest Restraint: Our Lady"Abbefs, who, by the by, poffeffes more good "Nature than good Senfe, loves to live well, and "has fufficient Means to fupport it, of which fhe " is very liberal to fuch of her Votaries as can creep into her particular Efteem, which I have "had the good Fortune to do. We live in pretty "good Harmony; each of us has her Confident,

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and we find no great Difficulty in impofing upon

"the