 of temper, - - took occasion as they lay chatting gravely in bed
afterwards, talking over what was to come, -- to let her know that she must
accommodate herself as well as she could to the bargain made between them in
their marriage deeds; which was to lye-in of her next child in the country to
balance the last year's journey.
    My father was a gentleman of many virtues, - but he had a strong spice of
that in his temper which might, or might not, add to the number. - 'Tis known by
the name of perseverance in a good cause, - and of obstinacy in a bad one: Of
this my mother had so much knowledge, that she knew 'twas to no purpose to make
any remonstrance, - so she e'en resolved to sit down quietly, and make the most
of it.
 

                                  Chap. XVIII.

As the point was that night agreed, or rather determin'd, that my mother should
lye-in of me in the country, she took her measures accordingly; for which
purpose, when she was three days, or there-abouts, gone with child, she began to
cast her eyes upon the midwife, whom you have so often heard me mention; and
before the week was well got round, as the famous Dr. Maningham was not to be
had, she had come to a final determination in her mind, -- notwithstanding there
was a scientifick operator within so near a call as eight miles of us, and who,
moreover, had expressly wrote a five shillings book upon the subject of
midwifery, in which he had exposed, not only the blunders of the sisterhood
itself, -- but had likewise superadded many curious improvements for the quicker
extraction of the foetus in cross births, and some other cases of danger which
belay us in getting into the world; notwithstanding all this, my mother, I say,
was absolutely determined to trust her life and mine with it, into no soul's
hand but this old woman's only. - Now this I like; - when we cannot get at the
very thing we wish, -- never to take up with the next best in degree to it; -
no; that's pitiful beyond description; - it is no more than a week from this
very day, in which I am now writing this book for the edification of the world;
- which is March 9, 1759, -- that my dear, dear Jenny, observing I look'd a
little grave, as she stood cheapening
