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Page 45
Now there was all the probability imaginable that this contract
would have proved of such happy note, both from the great
accomplishments of the young lady, who was thought to be possessed
of every qualification necessary to make the marriage state happy,
and from the truly ardent passion of Mr. Wild; but, whether it was
that nature and fortune had great designs for him to execute, and
would not suffer his vast abilities to be lost and sunk in the
arms of a wife, or whether neither nature nor fortune had any hand
in the matter, is a point I will mot determine. Certain it is that
this match did not produce that serene state we have mentioned
above, but resembled the most turbulent and ruffled, rather than
the most calm sea.
I cannot here omit a conjecture, ingenious enough, of a friend of
mine, who had a long intimacy in the Wild family. He hath often
told me he fancied one reason of the dissatisfactions which
afterwards fell out between Wild and his lady, arose from the
number of gallants to whom she had, before marriage, granted
favours; for, says he, and indeed very probable it is too, the
lady might expect from her husband what she had before received
from several, and, being angry not to find one man as good as ten,
she had, from that indignation, taken those steps which we cannot
perfectly justify.
From this person I received the following dialogue, which he
assured me he had overheard and taken down verbatim. It passed on
the day fortnight after they were married.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A DIALOGUE MATRIMONIAL, WHICH PASSED BETWEEN JONATHAN WILD, ESQ.,
AND LAETITIA HIS WIFE, ON THE MORNING OF THE DAY FORTNIGHT ON
WHICH HIS NUPTIALS WERE CELEBRATED; WHICH CONCLUDED MORE AMICABLY
THAN THOSE DEBATES GENERALLY DO.
Jonathan. My dear, I wish you would lie a little longer in bed
this morning.
Laetitia. Indeed I cannot; I am engaged to breakfast with Jack
Strongbow.
Jonathan. I don't know what Jack Strongbow doth so often at my
house. I assure you I am uneasy at it; for, though I have no
suspicion of your virtue, yet it may injure your reputation in the
opinion of my neighbours.
Laetitia. I don't trouble my head about my neighbours; and they
shall no more tell me what company I am to keep than my husband
shall.
Jonathan. A good wife would keep no company which made her husband
uneasy.
Laetitia. You might have found one of those good wives, sir, if
you had pleased; I had no objection to it.
Jonathan. I thought I had found one in you.
Laetitia. You did! I am very much obliged to you for thinking me
so poor-spirited a creature; but I hope to convince you to the
contrary. What, I suppose you took me for a raw senseless girl,
who knew nothing what other married women do!
Jonathan. No matter what I took you for: I have taken you for
better and worse.
Laetitia. And at your own desire too; for I am sure you never had
mine. I should not have broken my heart if Mr. Wild had thought
proper to bestow himself on any other more happy woman. Ha, ha!
Jonathan. I hope, madam, you don't imagine that was not in my
power, or that I married you out of any kind of necessity.
Laetitia. O no, sir; I am convinced there are silly women enough.
And far be it from me to accuse you of any necessity for a wife. I
believe you could have been very well contented with the state of
a bachelor; I have no reason to complain of your necessities; but
that, you know, a woman cannot tell beforehand.
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