 Guide having now taken
up behind him, in the Room of Sophia, a much heavier, as well as much less
lovely Burthen; being, indeed, a huge Portmanteau, well stuffed with those
outside Ornaments, by Means of which the fair Honour hoped to gain many
Conquests, and, finally, to make her Fortune in London City.
    When they had gone about Two Hundred Paces from the Inn, on the London Road,
Sophia rode up to the Guide, and, with a Voice much fuller of Honey than was
ever that of Plato, though his Mouth is supposed to have been a Bee-hive, begged
him to take the first Turning which led towards Bristol.
    Reader, I am not superstitious, nor any great Believer of modern Miracles. I
do not, therefore, deliver the following as a certain Truth; for, indeed, I can
scarce credit it myself: But the Fidelity of an Historian obliges me to relate
what hath been confidently asserted. The Horse, then, on which the Guide rode,
is reported to have been so charmed by Sophia's Voice, that he made a full Stop,
and exprest an Unwillingness to proceed any farther.
    Perhaps, however, the Fact may be true, and less miraculous than it hath
been represented; since the natural Cause seems adequate to the Effect: For as
the Guide at that Moment desisted from a constant Application of his armed right
Heel, (for, like Hudibras, he wore but one Spur) it is more than possible, that
this Omission alone might occasion the Beast to stop, especially as this was
very frequent with him at other Times.
    But if the Voice of Sophia had really an Effect on the Horse, it had very
little on the Rider. He answered somewhat surlily, »That Measter had ordered him
to go a different Way, and that he should lose his Place, if he went any other
than that he was ordered.«
    Sophia finding all her Persuasions had no Effect, began now to add
irresistible Charms to her Voice; Charms, which according to the Proverb, makes
the old Mare trot, instead of standing still; Charms! to which modern Ages have
attributed all that irresistible Force, which the Ancients imputed to perfect
Oratory. In a Word, she promised she would reward him to his utmost Expectation.
    The Lad was not totally deaf to these Promises; but he disliked their being
indefinite: For tho' perhaps he had never heard that Word, yet that in Fact was
his Objection. He said, »Gentlevolks did not consider the Case of poor Volks;
that he
