 the expence of another's quiet; and yet with
this (I had almost called it diabolical) quality, he expects that I should
cherish him with all the tenderness of affection; and after he has been at pains
to incur my aversion, punishes my disgust, by contriving schemes to mortify and
perplex me, which have often succeeded so effectually, as to endanger my life
and constitution; for I have been fretted and frighted into sundry fits of
illness, and then I own I have experienced his care and concern.
    Over and above the oddities I have mentioned, he is so unsteady in his
oeconomy, that he is always new modelling his affairs, and exhausting his
fortune, by laying out ten pounds, in order to save a shilling; he inquires into
the character of a servant after he has lived two years in his family, and is so
ridiculously stocked with vanity and self-conceit, that notwithstanding my
assurance before, and the whole series of my conduct since our marriage, which
ought to have convinced him of my dislike, he is still persuaded, that at
bottom, I must admire and be enamoured of his agreeable person and
accomplishments, and that I would not fail to manifest my love, were I not
spirited up against him by his own relations. Perhaps it might be to their
interest to foment the misunderstanding betwixt us; but really, they give
themselves no trouble about our affairs; and, so far as I know them, are a very
good sort of people. On the whole, I think I may with justice pronounce my
precious yoke-fellow a trifling, teazing, insufferable, inconsistent creature.
    With the little money which remained of what I had received from his
lordship, for housekeeping, I transported myself to Flanders, and arrived in
Ghent, a few days after our troops were quartered in that city, which was so
much crowded with these new visitants, that I should have found it impracticable
to procure a lodging, had I not been accommodated by lord R- B-, the duke of
A--'s youngest brother, who very politely gave me up his own. Here I saw my
friend Mr. B--, who was overjoyed at my arrival, though jealous of every man of
his acquaintance; for he loved me with all the ardour of passion, and I regarded
him with all the perfection of friendship, which, had he lived, in time might
have produced love; but it never did. Notwithstanding his earnest solicitations
to the contrary, I stayed but a week in Ghent, from whence I proceeded to
Brussels
