The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

The only thing I found in all her conversation on these subjects that

gave me any distaste, was, that one time in discouraging about my being

far gone with child, and the time I expected to come, she said

something that looked as if she could help me off with my burthen

sooner, if I was willing; or, in English, that she could give me

something to make me miscarry, if I had a desire to put an end to my

troubles that way; but I soon let her see that I abhorred the thoughts

of it; and, to do her justice, she put it off so cleverly, that I could

not say she really intended it, or whether she only mentioned the

practice as a horrible thing; for she couched her words so well, and

took my meaning so quickly, that she gave her negative before I could

explain myself.

To bring this part into as narrow a compass as possible, I quitted my

lodging at St. Jones's and went to my new governess, for so they called

her in the house, and there I was indeed treated with so much courtesy,

so carefully looked to, so handsomely provided, and everything so well,

that I was surprised at it, and could not at first see what advantage

my governess made of it; but I found afterwards that she professed to

make no profit of lodgers' diet, nor indeed could she get much by it,

but that her profit lay in the other articles of her management, and

she made enough that way, I assure you; for 'tis scarce credible what

practice she had, as well abroad as at home, and yet all upon the

private account, or, in plain English, the whoring account.

While I was in her house, which was near four months, she had no less

than twelve ladies of pleasure brought to bed within the doors, and I

think she had two-and-thirty, or thereabouts, under her conduct without

doors, whereof one, as nice as she was with me, was lodged with my old

landlady at St. Jones's.

This was a strange testimony of the growing vice of the age, and such a

one, that as bad as I had been myself, it shocked my very senses. I

began to nauseate the place I was in and, about all, the wicked

practice; and yet I must say that I never saw, or do I believe there

was to be seen, the least indecency in the house the whole time I was

there.

Not a man was ever seen to come upstairs, except to visit the lying-in

ladies within their month, nor then without the old lady with them, who

made it a piece of honour of her management that no man should touch a

woman, no, not his own wife, within the month; nor would she permit any

man to lie in the house upon any pretence whatever, no, not though she

was sure it was with his own wife; and her general saying for it was,

that she cared not how many children were born in her house, but she

would have none got there if she could help it.