The husband was not insensible of the alteration, which at first excited his astonishment, and afterwards his indignation. On discovering the cause, he very naturally insisted that the governess should be dismissed. The foolish wife, however, resisted this, and so implicated her own case with that of her counsellor, that she declared one would not go without the other. The husband was firm, and the result was, that the indiscreet wife sacrificed three young children, and the society of her husband, with whom she had hitherto lived happily, to share with her female friend the disgrace, contempt, and privations, which accompanied their departure. The husband instituted different suits in Doctors Commons, for the establishment of his just rights, in every one of which, the decisions, as might be expected, were in his favour. The fugitives at length found it expedient to retire from Great Britain to a remote island in its dependencies, where they lived, and may perhaps yet live, victims of self-reproach, of the grossest folly, and most unjustifiable perverseness. The name of this sage female counsellor, ought perhaps to be published by way of punishment. It was, however, printed in the proceedings of the Consistorial Court, where her conduct was most severely animadverted upon, by the Judge who presided. It is withheld in this place, merely from respect to the memory of her deceased brother. Si lucri quid detur rem divinam deseram. CHAPTER XXV. “Laud we the gods,” we are at length released from a narrative involving so much extravagance and folly; proceed we to one somewhat motley indeed, in its hue, but neither distressing in its progress, nor offensive in its termination. The subject of this sketch, when first known to the Sexagenarian, was a dissenting minister; he had very respectable talents, but did not shine much as a preacher. He had, however, an elegant mind, with which he had taken considerable pains; and though no very profound scholar, he was well acquainted with the modern languages, and was, in truth, an accomplished gentleman. The career of a dissenting minister in a provincial town, does not display a very wide field for ambition of any denomination; it is not at all surprising, therefore, that our friend became tired both of his situation and profession, and strenuously entered upon the study of the law. If he was not splendidly successful in this new career, it was soon manifest that he had changed for the better. He married a woman of fortune.—The lady who perhaps would have rejected his pretensions as an obscure dissenting parson, had no objection to be designated as Counsellor ⸺’s wife. She did not, however, live a great while, and he inherited her property.