his being deliver'd from the Cares and Troubles of this wicked World, my Bell put me in mind to be gone, left I should meet with a fecond Reprimand.

GOING the next Day, to the Opera, I took my Inftrument with me thither, likewife; and being, by the Favour of my Friend, Mr. L-d, admitted upon the Stage, into the Room where the Actreffes were dreffing, I fet it upon the Table amongst them; upon which I perceiv'd they took me for a Jugler, and wanted to know by what Art I could fet the Bell a ringing, at fuch a Distance. You will eafily conceive, Saturn had very little Employ among these Creatures; I could, indeed, have put him in Motion, by telling one I thought her ugly, a fecond that he was a Coquette, a third that fhe was a Prude, and the like; but I could not prevail upon myself to be guilty of fo much ill Manners, especially as there were feveral Perfons of Figure in the Room, who profefs'd to be their Admirers: And indeed they were all fo taken up, that it was long before I could find one at Leifure to fpend a little idle Difcourfe upon. At Length, I efpied a little hump-back'd Creature, in a Corner, who 'till then had efcap'd my Notice, without fo much as one Fop near her, to footh her Vanity. To her I addrefs'd myself, for Want of a better, when whispering me in the Ear, that he was not for my Purpose, I might address myself to her Sifter, who was every Man's Mony; I caft my Eye upon my little Figure, and found fhe was in Earneft; as I likewife afterwards perceived her Sifter was, when, upon puting the Queftion, fhe confented to accept of a Supper with me, after the Play was over. However, as I defign'd nothing lefs, fhe was no fooner call'd upor the Stage, than I pack'd up my Awls, and retir'd to my Lodgings, to write you this Letter, leaving my Lady to look out for another Companion.

I am, &c.

SIR,

LETTER XXIII.

HAMBURG.

The

SHOULD have told you, fome Time fince, that my Stay being longer here, than I at firft defign'd, I have chang'd my Lodgings, from a public to a private Houfe: But a merry and pretty fingular Adventure, which has happen'd to me, fince this Change, a Relation of which may give you fome Amusement in your Solitude, puts me in Mind of my Neglect, and gives me an Opportunity of doing it now. Houses are in general pretty large here, and in fome of the Out and moft pleafant Parts of the Town, they are fo adapted for leting Lodgings, that not only feveral Perfons; but frequently different Families are harbor'd under one and the fame Roof. In that where I now am, there are, on the first Floor, three convenient Apartments, of two handfome Rooms and an Alcove-Bed-Chamber to each. I have my Lodgings backwards; and forwards, in one Apartment, lodges an ancient Banker of who has been a few Weeks in this City, on Account of a Law Suit, and whom I fhall call Toccario. His Family confifts of a young buxom Wife, who, for her Age, might have been his Grandaughter, a Book-keeper and a Servant-maid. In the other Apartment lodges the young Baron von Brg, a Holstein Nobleman, of a confiderable Fortune, just come to his Eftate, by the Death of his Father.

TOCCARIO, as I have been inform'd, had O 3

becn

been guilty of the Indifcretion, after having been above 12 Years a Widower, to marry Riminia, (which is the Name I fhall give his Wife) at 17 Years of Age, tho' he was just entering into his Grand Climacterick; and, notwithstanding this Diifference of Age, tho' fhe was of a better Family than himfelf, for Reafons eafy to be guefs'd at, had a confiderable Fortune with her. A small Mony-Affair, I had to tranfact, foon brought me acquainted with the old Gentleman, and that Acquaintance has as foon been improved into a decent Familiarity, both with him and Riminia; infomuch that I often dine or fup with them, and take the Liberty frequently to fend in Provifions, which I find neither of them miflike: For Toccario has the Failing, which is very common with People of his Age, to fet his Heart too much upon Mammon. He is very fond of his Wife, but yet more of his Mony, and keeps her extreamly bare: He has, however, one good Quality, rarely found in Men of his Age and Cirftances, he is not infected with the leaft Tincture of Jealoufy. As the Baron likewife vifits them, efpecially in the Evening, we have often been very merry together, and Riminia would fometimes admit of fuch Freedoms, in the Prefence of her Hufband, as almoft exceeded the Bounds of Decency: This he is fo far from being difpleas'd at, that it feems rather to encrease his Mirth, and he would often make it the Subject of his Raillery. Riminia is now about 20 Years of Age, tall, well fhap'd, has regular Features, dark brown Hair and Eyes, a good Skin, and a Complexion too fanguin to put up with the Satisfaction her Hufband is capable of giving her. I foon obferved a Familiarity between her and the Book-keeper, beyond what was becoming either, by which fhe probably makes herfelf Mafter of more of her Hufband's Cafh, than he is aware of, I likewife obferved, at my first coming,

coming, that the Baron took every Opportunity of making himself agreable to Madam, which at once broke off, with fuch a Coldnefs, and feeming Difdain for each other, as I could not but be furprised

I alfo foon found, that if Riminia and I were not better acquainted, it would not be her Fault; and, indeed, strong Temptations, on her Side, have not been wanting; but I took, at our first Acquaintance, fo firm a Refolution, as has been Proof against them all. In the mean Time, Toccario has been twice abfent; once, for a Night only, at a Gentleman's Seat in the Neighborhood; and afterwards for two Nights at his own Home. The laft Time, the old Gentleman was fo good-natur'd to defire I would bear his Wife Company, at Dinner and Supper, 'till his Return, which I promis'd, in her Prefence, and, of Courfe, could not be worse than my Word. At Dinner, the first Day, I took the Liberty of bringing a Friend with me, which, I found, by Madam's Behavior, difpleas'd her; but to put her in Humor again, I refolv'd to let her have my Company, in the Evening, alone. I came from the Coffee-houfe, where I had spent the Afternoon at Billiards, about Nine, and going directly into Riminia's Apartment, foon found, by her Garb, that she had laid her Snare. She had a light loofe Gown on, of Crimson Luftring, which the Seafon of the Year feem'd to require: But the Window-fhutters being clos'd, and Candles lighted, tho' it was yet Day, for which the chid her Maid (who I found was her Confident, and Mistress of all her Secrets) and pretending the too great Heat of the Weather had made her faint, The threw open her Gown, under which he had nothing on but a Jacket of Marfeilles, and a Petticoat of the fame; and she had taken great Care to remove all Obftructions that might conceal what fhe was refolv'd to expofe. What think What think you, Sir, O 4 had

had not I the Refolution of a Stoick, to ftand my Ground? During Supper, all went pretty decently, except that she was continually preffing me to drink more than I was inclin'd to do: But the Cloth was no fooner taken away, and Maria (for fo the Servant is call'd) out of the Room, than, upon my propofing a Game at Picquet, fhe glanc'd a wanton Look at me, cried, Pifh! and drawing her Chair clofe to mine, lean'd her Head upon my Shoulder, and fqueez'd me by the Hand. In fhort fhe gave me fo plainly to understand, that the thought me too bashful, and wanting as well to myself as her; that I was forc'd to break off our Amour abruptly; by confeffing myself guilty of the highest ill Manners; expreffing my Concern for being obliged, in Compaffion to her, to deny myself the greatest Happiness I could wifh, and to alledge a Reason, which made me Blush; as much as it did her. She flew from me in a feeming Paffion; but, after having taken a Turn or two in the Room, to compofe herfelf, fat down again by me, with all the Prefence of Mind imaginable, as if nothing uncommon had happen'd; and falling into Difcourfe on fome indifferent Subject, we spent an Hour or two afterwards, with great Coolnefs and Decency. I was under no Apprehenfions of a fecond Attack the next Evening; nor, indeed, did fhe feem to have laid any Bait, more than ordinary, in my Way: But I was not a little furpriz'd to find, that, as well at as after Supper, fhe was more free with the Glass than ufual, and feem'd to be under great Impatience and Uneafinefs of Mind; upon which I could not conceive what Conftruction to put. I was more than once going to offer fome Familiarities to her, with no other View, than to put her in a better Humor : But happening to afk, how it came we had not enjoy'd the Baron's Company of late? Immediatly I perceived her Countenance change, her Eyes darted