Wife, you cannot but be sensible that your Familiarity with your Man is become a Town-Talk; I have done what I can to prevent it, by turning him away; but if you don’t mend your Manners, and Reform your Life, all that I can say, will be to no purpose.  I am afraid you han’t been Innocent in this matter:  But since what is past cann’t be recall’d’, I will say no more of that; but I expect for the time to come that you avoid both his and all other suspicious Company:  You know I took you without a Portion at a time when your Family was fallen to decay; and I maintain you as well as any Citizens Wife in London; and for you to requite me with being false to my Bed, is not only to be very Dishonest, but highly Ingrateful.  And therefore as you expect the Continuance of my Love, pray let me find a Reformation of your Manners.

To this I answer’d him, That ’twas possible that a Free and affable Temper, as mine was, might give too much occasion to those that had no kindness for me, to speak evil of me:  And that if to be accus’d, was enough to make one Guilty, it was impossible for any to be Innocent.  However, since the Freedom I had us’d had given such occasion of offence, I wou’d take care for the future to walk more Circumspectly, and be more Reserv’d.  With this promise, my Husband was very well satisfy’d, and thereupon Embrac’d me very tenderly.

But all this was only like the raking of a few Ashes over live Coals, which in a little time break forth again, and burn more violently.  My Husband’s Impotency being now about Seventy, grew daily more upon him; and my desires after that due Benevolence he could not give me, still increas’d, so that what he cou’d not do for me, I was under a necessity of getting done elsewhere, And knew no other Person to whom I cou’d repair for a Supply, but he who had so often done it to my own content before:  To him therefore I found means to send a Letter, appointing him to meet me at such a Place and Time, which he accordingly did, and there we had that mutual Enjoyment which we both desir’d:  And tho’ we met thus several times, it was with so much Caution, for fear of a Discovery, that we were often forc’d to change both Time and Place, and take new measures.

One Night above the rest, when I was sure he was engag’d to stay late at the Tavern, I had obliged my Spark to give me a meeting at our House; and had on that Occasion, sent all the servants up to Bed, upon pretence that they must must rise early in the Morning.  When they were gone to bed, and all was sure, my Servant enter’d, with all imaginable Privicy and Caution; and then, without much Ceremony, enter’d upon those melting Joys we both so eagerly desir’d, Which we had hardly finish’d, before my Husband (who had dispatched his Business quicker than we had done) knocks at the door; which I no sooner heard, but springing from the Arms of my affrighted Gallant, I took a Sheet out of the Chest of Drawers in the