BOOBY.

* * * * *

Now, Mamma, what think you?----For my own Part, I am convinced he

will marry me, and faith so he shall. O! Bless me! I shall be Mrs.

_Booby_ and be Mistress of a great Estate, and have a dozen Coaches

and Six, and a fine House at _London_, and another at _Bath_, and

Servants, and Jewels, and Plate, and go to Plays, and Opera's, and

Court; and do what I will, and spend what I will. But, poor Parson

_Williams_! Well; and can't I see Parson _Williams_, as well after

Marriage as before: For I shall never care a Farthing for my Husband.

No, I hate and despise him of all Things.

Well, as soon as I had read my Letter, in came Mrs. _Jewkes_. You

see, Madam, says she, I carry the Marks of your Passion about me; but

I have received order from my Master to be civil to you, and I must

obey him: For he is the best Man in the World, notwithstanding your

Treatment of him. My Treatment of him, Madam, says I? Yes, says she,

your Insensibility to the Honour he intends you, of making you his

Mistress. I would have you to know, Madam, I would not be Mistress to

the greatest King, no nor Lord in the Universe. I value my Vartue

more than I do any thing my Master can give me; and so we talked a

full Hour and a half, about my Vartue; and I was afraid at first, she

had heard something about the Bantling, but I find she hath not; tho'

she is as jealous, and suspicious, as old Scratch.

In the Afternoon, I stole into the Garden to meet Mr. _Williams_; I

found him at the Place of his Appointment, and we staid in a kind of

Arbour, till it was quite dark. He was very angry when I told him

what Mrs. _Jewkes_ had threatned----Let him refuse me the Living,

says he, if he dares, I will vote for the other Party; and not only

so, but will expose him all over the Country. I owe him 150_l._

indeed, but I don't care for that; by that time the Election is past,

I shall be able to plead the _Statue_ of _Lamentations_.

I could have stayed with the dear Man forever, but when it grew dark,

he told me, he was to meet the neighbouring Clergy, to finish the

Barrel of Ale they had tapped the other Day, and believed they should

not part till three or four in the Morning----So he left me, and I

promised to be penitent, and go on with my reading in good Books.

As soon as he was gone, I bethought myself, what Excuse I should make

to Mrs. _Jewkes_, and it came into my Head to pretend as how I

intended to drown myself; so I stript off one of my Petticoats, and

threw it into the Canal; and then I went and hid myself in the

Coal-hole, where I lay all Night; and comforted myself with repeating

over some Psalms, and other good things, which I had got by heart.

In the Morning Mrs. _Jewkes_ and all the Servants were frighted out

of their Wits, thinking I had run away; and not devising how they

should answer it to their Master. They searched all the likeliest

Places they could think of for me, and at last saw my Petticoat

floating in the Pond. Then they got a Drag-Net, imagining I was

drowned, and intending to drag me out; but at last _Moll_ Cook coming

for some Coals, discovered me lying all along in no very good Pickle.

Bless me! Mrs. _Pamela_, says she, what can be the Meaning of this? I

don't know, says I, help me up, and I will go in to Breakfast, for

indeed I am very hungry. Mrs. _Jewkes_ came in immediately, and was

so rejoyced to find me alive, that she asked with great Good-Humour,

where I had been? and how my Petticoat came into the Pond. I

answered, I believed the Devil had put it into my Head to drown my

self; but it was a Fib; for I never saw the Devil in my Life, nor I

don't believe he hath any thing to do with me.

So much for this Matter. As soon as I had breakfasted, a Coach and

Six came to the Door, and who should be in it but my Master.

I immediately run up into my Room, and stript, and washed, and drest

my self as well as I could, and put on my prettiest round-ear'd Cap,

and pulled down my Stays, to shew as much as I could of my Bosom,

(for Parson _Williams_ says that is the most beautiful part of a

Woman) and then I practised over all my Airs before the Glass, and

then I sat down and read a Chapter in the Whole Duty of Man.

Then Mrs. _Jewkes_ came to me and told me, my Master wanted me below,

and says she, Don't behave like a Fool; No, thinks I to my self, I

believe I shall find Wit enough for my Master and you too.

So down goes me I into the Parlour to him. _Pamela_, says he, the

Moment I came in, you see I cannot stay long from you, which I think

is a sufficient Proof of the Violence of my Passion. Yes, Sir, says

I, I see your Honour intends to ruin me, that nothing but the

Destruction of my Vartue will content you.

_O what a charming Word that is, rest his Soul who first invented

it._

How can you say I would ruin you, answered the Squire, when you shall

not ask any thing which I will not grant you. If that be true, says

I, good your Honour let me go home to my poor but honest Parents;

that is all I have to ask, and do not ruin a poor Maiden, who is

resolved to carry her Vartue to the Grave with her.

Hussy, says he, don't provoke me, don't provoke me, I say. You are

absolutely in my power, and if you won't let me lie with you by fair

Means, I will by Force. O la, Sir, says I, I don't understand your

paw Words.----Very pretty Treatment indeed, says he, to say I use paw

Words; Hussy, Gipsie, Hypocrite, Saucebox, Boldface, get out of my

Sight, or I will lend you such a Kick in the ---- I don't care to

repeat the Word, but he meant my hinder part. I was offering to go

away, for I was half afraid, when he called me back, and took me

round the Neck and kissed me, and then bid me go about my Business.

I went directly into my Room, where Mrs. _Jewkes_ came to me soon

afterwards. So Madam, says she, you have left my Master below in a

fine Pet, he hath threshed two or three of his Men already: It is

might pretty that all his Servants are to be punished for your

Impertinence.

Harkee, Madam, says I, don't you affront me, for if you do, d--n me

(I am sure I have repented for using such a Word) if I am not

revenged.

_How sweet is Revenge: Sure the Sermon Book is in the Right, in

calling it the sweetest Morsel the Devil ever dropped into the Mouth

of a Sinner._

Mrs. _Jewkes_ remembered the Smart of my Nails too well to go

farther, and so we sat down and talked about my Vartue till

Dinner-time, and then I was sent for to wait on my Master. I took

care to be often caught looking at him, and then I always turn'd away

my Eyes, and pretended to be ashamed. As soon as the Cloth was

removed, he put a Bumper of Champagne into my Hand, and bid me

drink----O la I can't name the Health. Parson _Williams_ may well say

he is a wicked Man.

Mrs. _Jewkes_ took a Glass and drank the dear _Monysyllable_; I don't

understand that Word, but I believe it is baudy. I then drank towards

his Honour's good Pleasure. Ay, Hussy, says he, you can give me

Pleasure if you will; Sir, says I, I shall be always glad to do what

is in my power, and so I pretended not to know what he meant. Then he

took me into his Lap.--O Mamma, I could tell you something if I

would--and he kissed me----and I said I won't be slobber'd about so,

so I won't; and he bid me get out of the Room for a saucy Baggage,

and said he had a good mind to spit in my Face.

_Sure no Man over took such a Method to gain a Woman's Heart._

I had not been long in my Chamber before Mrs. _Jewkes_ came to me,

and told me, my Master would not see me any more that Evening, that

is, if he can help it; for, added she, I easily perceive the great

Ascendant you have over him, and to confess the Truth, I don't doubt

but you will shortly be my Mistress.

What says I, dear Mrs. _Jewkes_, what do you say? Don't flatter a

poor Girl, it is impossible his Honour can have any honourable Design

upon me. And so we talked of honourable Designs till Supper-time. And

Mrs. _Jewkes_ and I supped together upon a hot buttered Apple-Pie;

and about ten o'Clock we went to Bed.

We had not been a Bed half an Hour, when my Master came pit a pat

into the Room in his Shirt as before. I pretended not to hear him,

and Mrs. _Jewkes_ laid hold of one Arm, and he pulled down the Bed

cloaths and came into Bed on the other Side, and took my other Arm

and laid it under him, and fell a kissing one of my Breasts as if he

would have devoured it; I was then forced to awake, and began to

struggle with him, Mrs. _Jewkes_ crying why don't you do it? I have

one Arm secure, if you can't deal with the rest I am sorry for you.

He was as rude as possible to me; but I remembered, Mamma, the

Instructions you gave me to avoid being ravished, and followed them,

which soon brought him to Terms, and he promised me, on quitting my

hold, that he would leave the Bed.

_O Parson_ Williams, _how little are all the Men in the World

compared to thee_.

My Master was as good as his Word; upon which Mrs. _Jewkes_ said, O

Sir, I see you know very little of our _Sect_, by parting so easily

from the Blessing when you was so near it. No, Mrs. _Jewkes_,

answered he, I am very glad no more hath happened, I would not have

injured _Pamela_ for the World. And to-morrow Morning perhaps she may

hear of something to her Advantage. This she may be certain of, that

I will never take her by Force, and then he left the Room.

What think you now, Mrs. _Pamela_, says Mrs. _Jewkes_, are you not

yet persuaded my Master hath honourable Designs? I think he hath

given no great Proof of them to-night, said I. Your Experience I find

is not great, says she, but I am convinced you will shortly be my

Mistress, and then what will become of poor me.

With such sort of Discourse we both fell asleep. Next Morning early

my Master sent for me, and after kissing me, gave a Paper into my

Hand which he bid me read; I did so, and found it to be a Proposal

for settling 250_l._ a Year on me, besides several other advantagious

Offers, as Presents of Money and other things. Well, _Pamela_, said

he, what Answer do you make me to this. Sir, said I, I value my

Vartue more than all the World, and I had rather be the poorest Man's

Wife, than the richest Man's Whore. You are a Simpleton, said he;

That may be, and yet I may have as much Wit as some Folks, cry'd I;

meaning me, I suppose, said he, every Man knows himself best, says I.

Hussy, says he, get out of the Room, and let me see your saucy Face

no more, for I find I am in more Danger than you are, and therefore

it shall be my Business to avoid you as much as I can; and it shall

be mine, thinks I, at every turn to throw my self in your way. So I

went out, and as I parted, I heard him sigh and say he was bewitched.

Mrs. _Jewkes_ hath been with me since, and she assures me she is

convinced I shall shortly be Mistress of the Family, and she really

behaves to me, as if she already thought me so. I am resolved now to

aim at it. I thought once of making a little Fortune by my Person. I

now intend to make a great one by my Vartue. So asking Pardon for

this long Scroll, I am,

_Your dutiful Daughter_,