E-text prepared by Robert Cicconetti, Suzan Flanagan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Transcriber's note: The original spelling, hyphenation, and capitalization have been retained. However, long s's have been transcribed as modern s's, and minor punctuation corrections have been made. The oe ligature is represented as [oe]. THE TRUE LIFE OF _Betty IRELAND._ [Price a _British_ Sixpence.] THE TRUE LIFE OF _Betty IRELAND._ WITH Her BIRTH, EDUCATION, and ADVENTURES. Together with Some Account of her elder Sister _BLANCH_ of _BRITAIN_. Containing, Sundry very curious Particulars. [Illustration] _LONDON_, Printed: _DUBLIN_, Reprinted for PETER WILSON, in _Dame-street_. MDCCLIII. [Illustration] THE TRUE LIFE OF _Betty IRELAND_. It is agreed on all Hands, that _Betty Ireland_ was a younger Daughter by a _second Venter_; let, at first, to run wild in the Woods, cloathed with Skins and fed with Acorns; till a _famous Hunter_ took her in his Toils, and, liking her _Countenance_, gave her to a Son of his, a _Lad_, to bring up. The _Girl_ was born to a good Estate, but ill tenanted, and run to waste. Her _Farms_ neither _meared_ or bounded, her Rents never paid, as she had no _certain_ Tenants, and had little more to claim than a Pepper-corn Acknowledgment. She had no Relation to manage her _Demesnes_, and could hardly be said to be possessed of any thing. In this Condition the young _Sportsman_ found her, was fond of her at first, and resolved to marry her; and _happy_ had it been both for _him_ and _her_, if he had kept his Resolution, and performed the _Contract_. But he hankered after his elder Brother's _Estate_, and, on his Death, suddenly got the Tenants to _attorn_ to _him_, and basely dispossessed his _Nephew_. But instead of an _Estate_, he got nothing but a _Law-suit_, lived in _Broils_, and dyed a _Beggar_. Whereas had he quitted all Pretensions at home, married _Betty_ and minded her Concerns, he had soon been in a Condition not to envy his Brother; and, perhaps, had left a _second Family_ little inferior in _Greatness_ to the first. This was the only Chance ever _Betty_ had to make a _separate_ Fortune, set up for herself, and be _independent_ of her _Sister_. She was ever after _beholden_ to _her_ for maintaining her _Rights_, settling her _Affairs_, and bringing her _Tenants_ to Reason.