The True Life of Betty Ireland

The True Life of Betty Ireland,
by Anonymous

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Anonymous
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Title: 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
Author: Anonymous

Release Date: November 9, 2007 [eBook #23390]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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LIFE OF BETTY IRELAND***
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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.
Neither Betty or her Sister were yet of Age, but the Younger far from it,
and continued under such Guardians, as the Elder recommended, and
had chosen for herself. It was natural to think they should chiefly be
employed in ordering the Affairs of Blanch, and be less attentive to
benefit the other. Accordingly, from time to time, they sent Proxies, to
let Leases, keep her Courts, and force Possession, where the Tenants
held over. Little, however, was done for Betty, though they put her
Sister to great Charges; nor did she thrive in the World to any Purpose,
'till she came under the Care of a good orderly Gentlewoman, who was
also Guardian to Blanch, a notable Manager, and very affectionate to
her Wards, understood their Business to a hair, and was never to be
imposed on or over-reached. Every thing she put her hand to prospered,
and every thing against her miscarried.
When she first looked into Betty's Affairs, she found them in a manner
desperate; her small Revenues had been embezzled by Agents, Farms
set to insolvent Tenants, double Leases made out, huge Fines taken in
Hand and sunk in their own Pockets. She was preyed upon by
Vagabonds and Outlaws; and, to compleat her Misfortunes, a Foreign
Count fell in love with her, an odious Monster and braggadocio Huffer.
He swore bitterly no one else should have her, and to support his Claim,
brought in his Pocket, a pretended Licence from the Spiritual Court,
and a Pack of outlandish Goths along with him, to take Possession of
her Freehold, and break down her Gates. But her Sister generously
came in to her Assistance, repelled Force by Force, and rescued her
from a Tyrant Ravisher,