THE article in my mother-s marriage settlement, which I
told the reader I was at the pains to search for, and which,
now that I have found it, I think proper to lay before him,-
is so much more fully expressed in the deed itself, than ever
I can pretend to do it, that it would be barbarity to take it
out of the lawyer's hand:-It is as follows.
'AND THIS ADVENTURE FURTHER WITNESSETH,
That the
said
Walter Shandy, merchant, in consideration of the said in-
tended marriage to be had, and, by God's blessing, to be
well and truly solemnized and consummated between the
said Walter Shandy and Elizabeth Mollineux aforesaid, and
divers other good and valuable causes and considerations
him thereunto specially moving,-doth grant, covenant, con-
descend, consent, conclude, bargain, and fully agree to and
with John Dixon, and James Turner, Esqrs. the above-named
trustees, &c. &c.-TO 'WIT',-That in case it should hereafter
so fall out, chance, happen, or otherwise come to pass,-- That
the said Walter Shandy, merchant, shall have left off busi-
ness before the time or times, that the said Elizabeth Molli-
neux shall, according to the course of nature, or otherwise,
have left off bearing and bringing forth children;-and that,
in consequence of the said Walter Shandy having so left off
business, he shall in despite, and against the free-will, con-
sent, and good-liking of the said Elizabeth Mollineux,-
make a departure from the city of London, in order to retire
to, and dwell upon, his estate at Shandy Hall, in the county
of -, or at any other country-seat, castle, hall, mansion-
house, messuage, or grange-house, now purchased, or here-
after to be purchased, or upon any part or parcel thereof: -
That then, and as often as the said Elizabeth Mollineux
shall happen to be enceint with child or children severally
and lawfully begot, or to be begotten, upon the body of the
said Elizabeth Mollineux during her said coverture,-he
the said Walter Shandy shall, at his own proper cost and
charges, and out of his own proper monies, upon good and
reasonable notice, which is hereby agreed to be within six
weeks of her the said Elizabeth Mollineux's full reckoning,
or time of supposed and computed delivery,-- pay, or cause
to be paid, the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds of
good and lawful money, to John Dixon, and James Turner,
Esqrs. or assigns,-upon TRUST and confidence, and for and
unto the use and uses, intent, end, and purpose following: -
What iq to gav,-That the said sum of one hundred and twenty
pounds shag be paid into the hands of the said Elizabeth
Mollineux, or to be otherwise applied by them the said
trustees, for the well and truly hiring of one coach, with
able and sufficient horses, to carry and convey the body of
the said Elizabeth Mollineux, and the child or children
which she shall be then and there enceint and pregnant
with,-unto the city of London; and for the further paying
and defraying of all other incidental costs, charges, and
expences whatsoeverr-in and al>out, and for, and relating
to, her said intended delivery and lying-in, in the said city
or suburbs thereof. And that the said Elizabeth Mollineux
shall and may, from time to time, and at all such time and
times as are here covenanted and agreed upon,-peaceably
and quietly hire the said coach and horses, and have free
ingress, egress, and regress throughout her journey, in and
from the said coach, according to the tenor, true intent, and
meaning of these presents, without any let, suit, trouble,
disturbance, molestation, discharge, hindrance, forfeiture,
eviction, vexation, interruption, or incumbrance whatsoever.
-And that it shall moreover be lawful to and for the said
Elizabeth Mollineux, from time to time, and as oft or often
as she shall well and truly be advanced in her said preg-
nancy, to the time heretofore stipulated and agreed upon-
to live and reside in such place or places, and in such family
or families, and with such relations, friends, and other per-
sons within the said city of London, as she at her own will
and pleasure, notwithstanding her present coverture, and as if
she was a femme sole and unmarried,-shall think fit.-
Zinb tbio.3nbtnture furtbtr taitnt!gottb, That for the more effec-
tually carrying of the said covenant into execution, the said
Walter Shandy, merchant, doth hereby grant, bargain, sell,
release, and confirm unto the said John Dixon, and James
Turner, Esqrs. their heirs, executors, and assigns, in their
actual possession now being, by virtue of an indenture of
bargain and sale for a year to them the said John Dixon,
and James Turner, Esqrs. by him the said Walter Shandy,
merchant, thereof made; which said bargain and sale for
a year, bears date the day next before the date of these
presents, and by force and virtue of the statute for trans-
ferring of uses into possession,- 0111 that the manor and
lordship of Shandy, in the county of -, with all the rights,
members, and appurtenances thereof; and all and every the
messuages, houses, buildings, barns, stables, orchards, gar-
dens, backsides, tofts, crofts, garths, cottages, lands,
meadows, feedings, pastures, marshes, commons, woods,
underwoods, drains, fisheries, waters, and water-courses-1-
together with all rents, reversions, services, annuities, fee-
farms, knights' fees, views of frank-pledge, escheats, reliefs,
mines, quarries, goods and chattels of felons and fugitives,
felons of themselves, and put in exigent, deodands, free
warrens, and all other royalties and seigniories, rights and
jurisdictions, privileges and hereditaments whatsoever.-
Oinb aloo the advowson, donation, presentation, and free
disposition of the rectory or parsonage of Shandy aforesaid,
and all and every the tenths, tythes, glebe-lands.' In
three words' My mother was to lay in, (if she chose it)
in London.'
But in order to put a stop to the practice of any unfair
play on the part of my mother, which a marriage article
of this nature too manifestly opened a door to, and which
indeed had never been thought of at all, but for my uncle
TobyShandy;-a clause was added in security of my father,
which was this: -That in case my mother hereafter should,
at any time, put my father to the trouble and expence of a
London journey upon false cries and tokens;-that for
every such instance, she should forfeit all the right and title
which the covenant gave her to the next turn;-but to no
more,-and so on, toties quoties, in as effectual a manner,
as if such a covenant betwixt them had not been made.'-
This, by the way, was no more than what was reasonable;-
and yet, as reasonable as it was, I have ever thought it hard
that the whole weight of the article should have fallen en-
tirely, as it did, upon myself.
But I was begot and born to misfortunes;-for my poor
mother, whether it was wind or water--o r a compound of
both,-or neither;- or whether it was simply the mere swell
of imagination and fancy in her, - or how far a strong wish
and desire to have it so, might mislead her judgment;-in
short, whether she was deceived or deceiving in this matter,
it no way becomes me to decide. The fact was this., That in
the latter end of September, 1717, which was the year before
I was born, my mother having carried my father up to town
much against the grain,-he peremptorily insisted upon the
clause;-so that I was doomed, by marriage articles, to have
my nose squeezed as flat to my face,
as if the destinies had
actually spun me without one.
How this event came about,-and what a train of vex-
atious disappointments, in one stage or other of my life,
have pursued me from the mere loss, or rather compression,
of this one single member,-shall be laid before the reader
afl in due time.