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almost cost the Lady her Life; and it might have gone farther, for the Gentleman was affronted so, that he demanded Satisfaction of him, and it went up to a Challenge; but some Friends interposed, so that they did not fight.
The enraged Lady fell sick with Disdain; and the Fury that this Piece of Management put her in was such, that she continued languishing near two Years, but then recovered. A great many Friends interposed, if possible, to reconcile them; but there was no room for that, it was gone too far.
At length they brought it to a Truce, tho' they could not bring it to a Peace, they brought them to an Agreement of Civility, viz. not to Insult or Affront one another any more; and this was all they could ever be brought to; nor was it easy to bring them to that, so exasperated were they on both Sides, so irreconcileably provoked, especially the Woman.
This is one Example of a Marriage by force of Friends, and by motives of Avarice and Pride, where the Parties were pre-ingaged by their Affection to other Objects. I could give many Instances in their degree equally unhappy, though perhaps not carried on to such an extravagant Length, but all serve to convince us, how fatal it is for Men or Women to engage their Persons one Way, and their Affections another.
Certainly those People who have the least value for their own Ease, that expect any Felicity in a married Life, should think before they take this Leap in the Dark, I say, they should think a little, how, in the Nature of the thing, they can expect Happiness in a Woman they do not love; and in a Woman who theyshall
