Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/20

10 to her as the moſt enormous guilt; and ſhe was every where ſneered at, avoided, and deſpiſed. What pity is it, what an unfortunate, as well as a falſe ſtep, ſhould damn a woman’s fame! In what reſpect was Mrs. Manley to blame? In what particular was ſhe guilty? to marry her couſin, who paſſionately profeſſed love to her, and who ſolemnly vowed himſelf a widower, could not be guilt; on the other hand it had prudence and gratitude for its baſis. Her continuing in the houſe with him after he had made the diſcovery, cannot be guilt, for by doing ſo, ſhe was prevented from being expoſed to ſuch neceſſities as perhaps would have produced greater ruin. When want and beggary ſtare a woman in the face, eſpecially one accuſtomed to the delicacies of life, then indeed is virtue in danger; and they who eſcape muſt have more than human aſſiſtance.

Our poeteſs now perceived, that together with her reputation, ſhe had loft all the eſteem, that her converſation and abilities might have elſe procured her; and ſhe was reduced to the deplorable neceſſity of aſſociating with thoſe whoſe fame was blaſted by their indiſcretion, becauſe the more ſober and virtuous part of the ſex did not care to riſk their own characters, by being in company with one ſo much ſuſpected, and againſt whom the appearance of guilt was too ſtrong.

Under this dilemma, it is difficult to point out any method of behaviour, by which ſhe would not be expoſed to cenſure: If ſhe had ſtill perſiſted in ſolitude, the ill-natured world would have imputed to it a cauſe, which is not founded on virtue; beſides, as the means of ſupport were now removed, by the perfidy of Mr. Manley, ſhe muſt have periſhed by this reſolution.

In this caſe, the reader will not be much ſurprized to find our authoreſs, under the patronage of the ducheſs of Cleveland, a miſtreſs of king Charles