This Mr. _Would-be_ it seems had often been told, when he was yet a
Stripling, either by one of his Nurses, or his own Grandmother, or by
some other Gypsy, that he should infallibly be what his Sirname imply’d,
a King, by Providence or Chance, ere he dy’d, or never. This glorious
Prophecy had so great an Influence on all his Thoughts and Actions, that
he distributed and dispers’d his Wealth sometimes so largely, that one
would have thought he had undoubtedly been King of some Part of the
_Indies_; to see a Present made to-day of a Diamond Ring, worth two or
three hundred Pounds, to Madam _Flippant_; to-morrow, a large Chest of
the finest _China_ to my Lady _Fleecewell_; and next Day, perhaps,
a rich Necklace of large Oriental Pearl, with a Locket to it of
Saphires, Emeralds, Rubies, &c., to pretty Miss _Ogle-me_, for an
amorous Glance, for a Smile, and (it may be, tho’ but rarely) for the
mighty Blessing of one single Kiss. But such were his Largesses, not to
reckon his Treats, his Balls, and Serenades besides, tho’ at the same
time he had marry’d a virtuous Lady, and of good Quality: But her
Relation to him (it may be fear’d) made her very disagreeable: For a Man
of his Humour and Estate can no more be satisfy’d with one Woman, than
with one Dish of Meat; and to say Truth, ’tis something unmodish.
However, he might have dy’d a pure Celibate, and altogether unexpert of
Women, had his good or bad Hopes only terminated in Sir _Philip’s_
Niece. But the brave and haughty Mr. _Would-be_ was not to be baulk’d by
Appearances of Virtue, which he thought all Womankind only did affect;
besides, he promis’d himself the Victory over any Lady whom he
attempted, by the Force of his damn’d Money, tho’ her Virtue were ever
so real and strict.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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