"have to fay. But, as I deteft perfonal reflec❝tions as much as I do general vices, I fhall "not give you the character of any perfon but "under a feigned name, and even in that do it "fo as it may affect the crime, and not the per"fon who is fo unfortunate as to be guilty of "it. I will go no nearer as to the place where "what I am going to fay was acted, than to " acknowledge frankly to you that the fcene is "in an houfe between Knightsbridge and Stepney; "and that if you can take the pains, you will

66

find within that space there lives a very good body of the age of forty-two or, thereabouts, "who is extremely handy in her business, and 66 is, as fhe will tell you herself, the best maker "of mantoes and petticoats of any of that com" modious occupation within the bills of mor"tality. She is impertinent and genteel, has the true ftate of affairs in city, town, and country; yet does not confine her knowledge to general things, but condefcends to enquire "into the affairs of every private family, with "which he is as well acquainted as with her "own. Silly women of condition look upon "her as the wonder of the age for her great parts; and the witty ones receive her as a more agreeable companion to them than any of "their near relations. But to come to the point: "It has been obfervable for four or five, years

"paft that the petticoats made by this artificer "have fwelled foon after they came out of her "hands, and the proportion between the hoop "and the waift, and from the hoops and the "circumference of the petticoat on the floor, has "been remarkably preferved in her ware above "what has appeared in the performance of any "other work woman. It was at first given out "that her petticoats were quilted with oftrich"feathers, which are known to receive a new "elafticity from the warmth of the body, till it

A

grew notorious that this was not the reafon, but that the wearers of them were pregnant. "When that was publicly known, the Naturalifts were long at a lofs to find caufe of fertility in buckram and whalebone only; but "Time which difcovers all things, has made it 65 appear that he has had affiftances, which explain the myflery. You are to understand, "Mrs. THIMBLE (for that shall be her name) "was bred up in a diftant part of England, at "a gentleman's houfe of a great eftate, to whofe "wife THIMBLE was a diftant relation.

66

"When the lady we are now fpeaking of was "about eleven years of age, her kinfwoman brought into the world a blind male-child. The infant was remakably beautiful, and as it is "the wife dictate of Nature, that we love thofe "children

3

"children deareft whom the presents to our care

with most infirmities, the mother could never "look at this child without the fofteft touches ❝of affection, and a partiality as her fond heart "told her, to that sweet harmony of features, "that glowing warmth of complexion in the "boy's countenance, that was chequed and overcaft with blindness. It was a common exer"cife with her, as he grew into years of pratling, "to fit whole hours looking at him, to admire

his perfections, and lament his defect. To "hear his pretty endeavours at comprehending "what could come only to him by fight, and

fee him fmile with fuch a free countenance, "till the dimples of joy feemed to fink at his

eyes, was her daily employment: but fhe "found this fond melancholy incapacitated her "for her houfhold affairs, and from that con"fideration, refolved to put Mr. CHARLES into "the hands of BETTY THIMBLE, who had "orders to lead him, to divert, to instruct him, and keep him out of the way of hurting him"felf, or being hurt by other-children.

"This familiarity grew up between Mrs. "THIMBLE and Mr. CHARLES, till fhe was fit "to be put abroad to a relation of hers in "town, for a livelihood; aud the poor child's "unfortunate circumstances made it neceffary "to place him near her; for whom he had now B 4 "taken

"taken fuch a paffionate affection, that he could "not live without her. When he grew up to"wards years of difcretion, he used to fay, 'Whatever you mean by light, fince coufin BETTY enjoys it, I don't want it; as I obferve, faid he, you are filent foon after I hear you fay it is dark, and my coufin is of the fame 'humour, I can only follow her way, and fleep

as the rest of you do.' Mrs. THIMBLE has "had the care of him from his earliest years to "those of manhood; he is now in the livelieft " and moft fprightly days of life; and it is well "known that the vifits her blind man with "much diligence on occafions for which dark"ness is chofen, even by those who enjoy their "fight. As Mrs. THIMBLE had obferved du

ring her apprenticeship under her kinswoman, "an experienced dame from whom the learned "her trade, that greater profits were made by "the intelligence than labour of a true manto"maker, it came into her head one day, and "The jumped at the conception of it, that fhe, might employ Mr. CHARLES for her fervice to "as good purpofe as her miftrefs had formerly engaged others. She laid great firefs in her imagination of this particular advantage, that "favours could not be boafted, where the perfon "who bestowed them was unknown to the re

16

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ceiver. Madam THIMBLE has a great deal

"of

T

"of humour and fancy, is very daring, and can "from those qualities bring to pass what to the ordinary part of the world would feem im"practicable. Mr. CHARLES is tall, well-shaped, "and having had his chief education in the

chit-chat of women, who are his friends and "relations, or were the customers of Mrs. "THIMBLE's mistress, or herself ever fince the ❝ fet his converfation is remarkably agree

up,

able. It is notorious that blind people are “ usually chearful; and he is fo in a very par"ticular manner, from the people with whom "he has always lived. Add to this, that he has a moft charming voice; and though he has never learned to dance, when a minuet is played, his natural motion to it, especially "when led about by Mrs. THIMBLE, is furpriz

ingly just, and gracefully exact: for the ear "being uninterrupted by the vagaries of the eye, he keeps time, to the inexpreffible fatisfaction of his fpectators, who are often fuch without his knowing it, as his gipfy has a mind to "play him off. Such Mr. CHARLES is, and fuch "Mrs. THIMBLE. To carry on her defign "upon him for the gratification of her beft and

favourite customers, the for fome time feigned to the youth, that what had paffed. "between them began to be obferved and Spoke of, and therefore it was neceffary they

"fhould