 miracles, against the children of perverseness
and incredulity: and in conclusion, this faithful adviser had made strong love
on his own score, proposing to maintain a correspondence with her, for which she
would be amply recompenced by the bounty of his patron, whom he undertook to
deceive with a feigned account of her repentance.
    The wench, having an aversion to the character of this parasite, whom she
had too great reason to know, instead of embracing his proposal with
chearfulness and alacrity, told him with an affected air of severity, that
howsoever his heart might be hardened against the warnings of heaven, she had
the internal comfort to find her own breast touched with a due sense of her
unworthiness, and would, by the blessing of providence, imitate the salutary
example of his good friend, to whom she intended to write an account of her
inward workings, which she hoped were no other than the motions of the spirit.
    Mr. Mercury hearing this unexpected declaration, which was delivered with a
face of pious resolution, immediately availed himself of that hypocrisy, which
he possessed to such a consummate degree; and after having protested with great
earnestness, that what he had said, was uttered with a view to try whether or
not she was intirely mortified to all the lusts of the flesh, he applauded her
determination with the most lofty encomiums, and admonished her to perseverance,
in an enthusiastic harangue; during which, the tears actually gushed from his
eyes, and his looks adopted a sort of wildness and extatic stare, as if he had
been really transported.
    Though she saw through the disguise, she seemed convinced of his sincerity;
as a confirmation of which, he gave her his purse, and took his leave, assuring
her that she should never want, so long as she could retain grace enough to
persist in the happy work she had so righteously begun. Peregrine approved of
her behaviour, and having instructed her with regard to her future conduct,
returned to his auxiliary and intelligencer, with whom he concerted another
stratagem, to be practised upon a certain she-gamester of fashion, and a French
adventurer, who, under the title of count, supported with invincible effrontery,
and a large stock of finesse, had found means to introduce himself among the
quality, from many of whom he had extracted large sums of money at play. Among
those whom he laid under contribution, was this lady, who with all the
inclination of a rank sharper, had fallen a sacrifice to his superior talents,
and become his debtor for five hundred pounds, which she could not pay without
the assistance of
