see him in no light without
mixing something of her own goods and chattels along with him--till
by reiterated acts of such combination, he gets foisted into her
inventory--

--And then good night.

But this is not matter of System; for I have delivered that above--nor
is it matter of Breviary--for I make no man's creed but my own--nor
matter of Fact--at least that I know of; but 'tis matter copulative and
introductory to what follows.

Chapter 4.XXXIII.

I do not speak it with regard to the coarseness or cleanness of them--or
the strength of their gussets--but pray do not night-shifts differ
from day-shifts as much in this particular, as in any thing else in the
world; that they so far exceed the others in length, that when you
are laid down in them, they fall almost as much below the feet, as the
day-shifts fall short of them?

Widow Wadman's night-shifts (as was the mode I suppose in King William's
and Queen Anne's reigns) were cut however after this fashion; and if the
fashion is changed (for in Italy they are come to nothing)--so much the
worse for the public; they were two Flemish ells and a half in length,
so that allowing a moderate woman two ells, she had half an ell to
spare, to do what she would with.

Now from one little indulgence gained after another, in the many
bleak and decemberley nights of a seven years widow-hood, things
had insensibly come to this pass, and for the two last years had got
establish'd into one of the ordinances of the bed-chamber--That as soon
as Mrs. Wadman was put to bed, and had got her legs stretched down to
the bottom of it, of which she always gave Bridget notice--Bridget, with
all suitable decorum, having first open'd the bed-clothes at the feet,
took hold of the half-ell of cloth we are speaking of, and having
gently, and with both her hands, drawn it downwards to its furthest
extension, and then contracted it again side-long by four or five even
plaits, she took a large corking-pin out of her sleeve, and with the
point directed towards her, pinn'd the plaits all fast together a little
above the hem; which done, she tuck'd all in tight at the feet, and
wish'd her mistress a good night.

This was constant, and without any other variation than this; that on
shivering and tempestuous nights, when Bridget untuck'd the feet of the
bed, &c. to do this--she consulted no thermometer but that of her
own passions; and so performed it standing--kneeling--or squatting,
accor