onour, and esteem. His grace received me in the most affectionate
manner, saying at parting, 'Lady W--, if he does not use you well, I
will take you back again.'"

"The bridegroom and I met at Ox-- Chapel, where the ceremony was
performed by the bishop of W--, in presence of his lordship's mother, my
father, and another lady. The nuptial knot being tied, we set out for
my father's house in the country, and proceeded full twenty miles on
our journey before my lord opened his mouth, my thoughts having been all
that time employed on something quite foreign to my present situation;
for I was then but a giddy girl of eighteen. At length my father broke
silence, and clapping his lordship on the shoulder, told him he was but
a dull bridegroom; upon which my lord gave him to understand that he was
out of spirits. This dejection continued all the day, notwithstanding
the refreshment of a plentiful dinner which he ate upon the road; and
in the evening we arrived at the place of our destination, where we were
kindly received by my mother, though she had no liking to the match;
and, after supper, we retired to our apartment.

"It was here that I had occasion to perceive the most disagreeable
contrast between my present helpmate and my former lord. Instead of
flying to my arms with all the eagerness of love and rapture, this manly
representative sat moping in a corner, like a criminal on execution day,
and owned he was ashamed to bed with a woman whose hand he had scarce
ever touched.

"I could not help being affected with this pusillanimous behaviour. I
remembered Lord W--, while I surveyed the object before me, and made
such a comparison as filled me with horror and disgust: nay, to such a
degree did my aversion to this phantom prevail, that I began to sweat
with anguish at the thought of being subjected to his pleasure; and
when, after a long hesitation, he ventured to approach me, I trembled
as if I had been exposed to the embraces of a rattlesnake. Nor did the
efforts of his love diminish this antipathy. His attempts were like
the pawings of an imp, sent from hell to seize and torment some guilty
wretch, such as are exhibited in some dramatic performance, which I have
never seen acted without remembering my wedding-night. By such shadowy,
unsubstantial, vexatious behaviour was I tantalized, and robbed of my
repose; and early next morning I got up, with a most sovereign contempt
for my bedfellow, who indulged himself in bed ti