her animation or air; her face was uncommonly pretty; but there was no
variety, no change of countenance in it: one would have thought she took
it in the morning out of a case, in order to put it up again at night,
without using it in the smallest degree in the daytime. What can I say
of her! nature had formed her a baby from her infancy, and a baby
remained till death the fair Mrs. Wetenhall. Her husband had been
destined for the church; but his elder brother dying just at the time he
had gone through his studies of divinity, instead of taking orders, he
came to England, and took to wife Miss Bedingfield, the lady of whom we
are now speaking.

His person was not disagreeable, but he had a serious contemplative air,
very apt to occasion disgust: as for the rest, she might boast of having
one of the greatest theologists in the kingdom for her husband: he was
all day poring over his books, and went to bed soon, in order to rise
early; so that his wife found him snoring when she came to bed, and when
he arose he left her there sound asleep: his conversation at table would
have been very brisk, if Mrs. Wetenhall had been as great a proficient
in divinity, or as great a lover of controversy, as he was; but being
neither learned in the former, nor desirous of the latter, silence
reigned at their table, as absolutely as at a refectory.

She had often expressed a great desire to see London; but though they
were only distant a very short day's journey from it, she had never been
able to satisfy her curiosity: it was not therefore without reason, that
she grew weary of the life she was forced to lead at Peckham. The
melancholy retired situation of the place was to her insupportable; and
as she had the folly, incident to many other women, of believing
sterility to be a kind of reproach, she was very much hurt to see that
she might fall under that suspicion; for she was persuaded, that although
heaven had denied her children, she nevertheless had all the necessary
requisites on her part, if it had been the will of the Lord. This had
occasioned her to make some reflections, and then to reason upon those
reflections; as for instance, that since her husband chose rather to
devote himself to his studies, than to the duties of matrimony, to turn
over musty old books, rather than attend to the attractions of beauty,
and to gratify his own pleasures, rather than those of his wife, it might
be permitted her to relieve some necessitous love