seek me through all the public-houses in the
neighbourhood, and when she found me, would strike me with whatever lay
next her, raving at me for not coming home, and denying her having been
out. Once, in particular, having bought a piece of veal for my
_Sunday's_ dinner, when the morning came, truly she would not dine at
home, she would go to her mother's, though I convinced her that the
weather, being hot, would spoil the meat by the next day. I then went to
my shoemaker to fetch me a pair of shoes, and they in friendship asked
me to eat, as I found them at dinner; I was soon followed by my wife,
who, finding me eating, was hardly withheld from stabbing me, first with
a knife, and afterward with a fork.

"One _Sunday_, with a view to entertain her, I took her down to _Ilford_,
that we might spend the day agreeably. We dined at the _White-Horse_
there, and after dinner she drank very freely. When the reckoning came
to be paid, she threw herself in a great passion with the landlord, on
account of his charge; and I unluckily attempting to moderate matters
between them, drew all her rage upon myself. She was so violent in her
resentment, that she declared she would not go home with me, but would
go with the first person who should ask her, or even with the next man
who went by. Just at this time, a man dressed like an officer stopped in
a chaise to drink; my wife soon entered into discourse with him, and
asked him to let her ride home in his chaise: the man agreed, and away
they drove together! This now was a measure she was not under any
necessity of taking, because, not believing she would be able to walk
home, I had offered her a place in the stage, which was quickly to pass
the door.

"Thus abandoned by her, I walked home, and after waiting due time went to
bed. About two o'clock in the morning I was roused by a knocking at the
door: there was my wife so drunk as hardly to be able to stand, attended
by her mother! The mother made what excuses she could for her daughter,
to induce me to let her in, pleading, for the lateness of the hour,
that, after the man had carried her a long way out of her road on the
forest, he, at last, left her to walk home alone. I let her in, but her
mother was obliged to stay and put her to bed, as she was entirely
incapable of undressing herself.

"Though her intimacy with _Jones_ was discontinued, yet she was not
destitute of a gallant: one _William Charlton_, a man of my own
business, wa