pleasure, to those that stood in no need of such violent goads: what then should move me to subscribe myself voluntarily to a party of pain, foreknowing it such? Why, to tell the plain truth; it was a sudden caprice, a gust of fancy for trying a new experiment, mix'd with the vanity of proving my personal courage to Mrs. Cole, that determin'd me, at all risques, to propose myself to her, and relieve her from any farther look-out; accordingly, I at once pleas'd and surpris'd her, with a frank and unreserv'd tender of my person to her, and her friend's absolute disposal on this occasion.
My good temporal mother, was however so kind as to use all the arguments she could imagine to dissuade me: but as I found they only turn'd on a motive of tenderness to me, I persisted in my resolution, and thereby acquitted my offer of any suspicion of its not having been sincerely made, or out of compliment only: acquiescing then thankfully
