if John Cockburn, &c. 177 

 was a handfom young Woman, and a good 

 Fortune; and when I was in this Town be- 

 Fore, (he had frequently urged me to fettle 

 here, and would be often talking in high 

 Commendation of this young Woman her 

 Sifter; and in ffiort, gave many Hints, that 

 jfhe fllould be well pleafed to have me mar- 

 ry her ; but I always turned a deaf Ear to 

 fuch Difcourfes. She now did me the Ho- 

 nour, to make me the Offer of being her 

 Brother-in-Law, in Terms too plain to ad- 

 mit of any Evafion ; and as the Propofal 

 was not difadvantageous to one in my Cir- 

 cumftances, and made by one from whom 

 I had received many Favours, I knew not 

 how to behave in the Affair, nor what An- 

 fwer to give. The only Way I could think 

 of, to come off without giving Offence, was 

 to tell her, that as I could not forefee lb 

 great a Bleffing was in Store for me, I 

 had been fo unhappy as to put myfelf 

 out of the Capacity of receiving it, and that 

 as I Had actually left a Wife and Children 

 in England^ I, upon that Account, was 

 bound by the Chriftian Church, not to en- 

 ter into other Engagements of that Nature; 

 which, I hopedj would fufficiently plead my 



N Excufe 



