The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the famous Moll Flanders Read Online

I manag'd so well in this case, that I got my Goods away before the Release was sign'd, and then I always found something or other to say to evade the thing, and to put off the signing it at all; till at length I pretended I must write to my Brother, before I could do it.

Including this Recruit, and before I got the last 50l. I found my strength to amount, put all together, to about 400l. so that with that I had above 450l. I had sav'd 100l. more, but I met with a Disaster with that, which was this; that a Goldsmith in whose Hands I had trusted it, broke, so I lost 70. of my Money, the Man's Composition not making above 30l. out of his 100l. I had a little Plate, but not much, and was well enough stock'd with Cloaths and Linnen.

With this Stock I had the World to begin again; but you are to consider, that I was not now the same Woman as when I liv'd at Rotherbith; for first of all I was near 20 Years older, and did not look the better for my Age, nor for my Rambles to Virginia and back again; and tho' I omitted nothing that might set me out to Advantage, except Painting, for that I never stoop'd to, yet there would always be some difference seen between Five and Twenty and Two and Forty.

I cast about innumerable ways for my future State of Life, and began to consider very seriously what I should do, but nothing offer'd; I took care to make the World take me for something more than I was, and had it given out that I was a Fortune, and that my Estate was in my own Hands, the last of which was very true, the first of it was as above: I had no Acquaintance, which was one of my worst Misfortunes, and the Consequence of that was, I had no Adviser, and above all, I had no Body to whom I could in confidence commit the Secret of my Circumstances to; and I found by Experience, that to be Friendless is the worst Condition, next to being in want, that a Woman can be reduc'd to: I say a Woman, because 'tis evident Men can be their own Advisers, and their own Directors, and know how to work themselves out of Difficulties and into Business better than Women; but if a Woman has no Friend to Communicate her Affairs to, and to advise and assist her, 'tis ten to one but she is undone; nay, and the more Money she has, the more Danger she is in of being wrong'd and deceiv'd; and this was my Case in the Affair of the Hundred Pound which I left in the Hand of the Goldsmith, as above, whose Credit, it seems, was upon the Ebb before, but I that had no Body to consult with, knew nothing of it, and so lost my Money.

When a Woman is thus left desolate and void of Council, she is just like a Bag of Money, or a Jewel dropt on the Highway, which is a Prey to the next Comer; if a Man of Virtue and upright Principles happens to find it, he will have it cried, and the Owner may come to hear of it again; but how many times shall such a thing fall into Hands that will make no scruple of seizing it for their own, to once that it shall come into good Hands.

This was evidently my Case, for I was now a loose unguided Creature, and had no Help, no Assistance, no Guide for my Conduct. I knew what I aim'd at, and what I wanted, but knew nothing how to pursue the End by direct means; I wanted to be plac'd in a settled State of Living, and had I happen'd to meet with a sober good Husband, I should have been as true a Wife to him as Virtue it self could have form'd: If I had been otherwise, the Vice came in always at the Door of Necessity, not at the Door of Inclination; and I understood too well, by the want of it, what the Value of a settl'd Life was, to do any thing to forfeit the felicity of it; nay, I should have made the better Wife for all the Difficulties I had pass'd thro', by a great deal; nor did I in any of the Times that I had been a Wife, give my Husbands the least uneasiness on account of my Behaviour.

But all this was nothing; I found no incouraging Prospect; I waited, I liv'd regularly, and with as much frugality as became my Circumstances, but nothing offer'd; nothing presented, and the main Stock wasted apace; what to do I knew not, the Terror of approaching Poverty lay hard upon my Spirits: I had some Money, but where to place it I knew not, nor would the Interest of it maintain me, at least not in London.

Atlength a new Scene opened: There was in the House, where I lodg'd, a North Country Gentlewoman, and nothing was more frequent in her Discourse, than her account of the cheapness of Provisions, and the easy way of living in her Country; how plentiful and how cheap everything was, what good Company they kept, and the like; till at last I told her she almost tempted me to go and live in her Country; for I that was a Widow, tho' I had sufficient to live on, yet had no way of increasing it, and that London was an extravagant Place; that I found I could not live here under One Hundred Pound a Year, unless I kept no Company, no Servant, made no Appearance, and buried my self in Privacy, as if I was oblig'd to it by Necessity.

I should have observ'd, that she was always made to believe, as every Body else was, that I was a great Fortune, or at least that I had Three or Four Thousand Pounds, if not more, and all in my own Hands; and she was mighty sweet upon me when she thought me inclin'd in the least to go into her Country; she said she had a sister liv'd near Liverpool, that her Brother was a considerable Gentleman there, and had a great Estate also in Ireland, that she wou'd go down there in about two Months, and if I would give her my Company thither, I should be as welcome as her self for a Month or more as I pleas'd, till I should see how I lik'd the Country; and if I thought fit to live there, she would undertake they would take care, tho' they did not entertain Lodgers themselves, they would recommend me to some agreeable Family, where I should be plac'd to my content.

If this Woman had known my real Circumstances, she would never have laid so many Snares, and taken so many weary steps to catch a poor desolate Creature that was good for little when it was caught; and indeed I, whose Case was almost desperate, and thought I cou'd not be much worse, was not very anxious about what might befall me, provided they did me no personal Injury; so I suffered my self, tho' not without a great deal of Invitation, and great Professions of sincere Friendship and real Kindness, I say, I suffer'd my self to be prevail'd upon to go with her, and accordingly I put my self in a Posture for a Journey, tho' I did not absolutely know whither I was to go.

And now I found my self in great Distress; what little I had in the World was all in Money, except as before, a little Plate, some Linnen, and my Cloaths; as for Houshold stuff I had little or none, for I had liv'd always in Lodgings; but I had not one Friend in the World with whom to trust that little I had, or to direct me how to dispose of it; I thought of the Bank, and of the other Companies in London, but I had no Friend to commit the Management of it to, and to keep and carry about me Bank Bills, Talleys, Orders, and such things, I look'd upon as unsafe; that if they were lost my Money was lost, and then I was undone; and on the other hand I might be robb'd, and perhaps murder'd in a strange place for them; and what to do I knew not.

It came into my Thoughts one Morning that I would go to the Bank my self, where I had often been to receive the Interest of some Bills I had, and where I had found the Clark, to whom I apply'd my self, very Honest to me, and particularly so fair one time, that when I had misstold my Money, and taken less than my due, and was coming away, he set me to rights and gave me the rest, which he might have put into his own Pocket.

I went to him, and ask'd if he would trouble himself to be my Adviser, who was a poor friendless Widow, and knew not what to do: He told me, if I desir'd his Opinion of any thing within the reach of his Business, he would do his Endeavour that I should not be wrong'd, but that he would also help me to a good sober Person of his Acquaintance, who was a Clark in such Business too, tho' not in their House, whose Judgment was good, and whose Honesty I mighty depend upon; for, added he, I will answer for him, and for every step he takes; if he wrongs you, Madam, of one Farthing, it shall lye at my door; and he delights to assist People in such Cases, he does it as an act of Chaity.

I was a little at a stand at this Discourse, but after some pause I told him, I had rather have depended upon him, because I had found him Honest, but if that cou'd not be, I would take his Recommendation sooner than any ones else; I dare say, Madam, says he, that you will be as well satisfied with my Friend as with me, and he is thoroughly able to assist you, which I am not; it seems he had his Hands full of the Business of the Bank, and had engag'd to meddle with no other Business than that of his Office: He added, that his Friend should take nothing of me for his Advice or Assistance, and this indeed encourag'd me.

He appointed the same Evening, after the Bank was shut, for me to meet him and his Friend: as soon as I saw his Friend, and he began but to talk of the Affair, I was fully satisfied I had a very honest Man to deal with, his Countenance spoke it, and his Character, as I heard afterwards, was every where so good, that I had no room for any more doubts upon me.

After the first meeting, in which I only said what I had said before, he appointed me to come the next Day, telling me, I might in the mean time satisfy my self of him by enquiry, which however I knew not how to do, having no Acquaintance my self.

Accordingly I met him the next Day, when I entered more freely with him into my Case; I told him my Circumstances at large, that I was a Widow come over from America, perfectly desolate and friendless; that I had a little Money, and but a little, and was almost distracted for fear of losing it, having no Friend in the World to trust with the management of it; that I was going into the North of England to live cheap, that my Stock might not waste; that I would willingly Lodge my Money in the Bank, but that I durst not carry the Bills about me; and how to Correspond about it, or with who I knew not.

He told me I might lodge the Money in the Bank as an Account, and its being entred in the Books would entitle me to the Money at any time, and if I was in the North I might draw Bills on the Cashier, and receive it when I would; but that then it wou'd be esteem'd as running Cash, and the Bank would give no Interest for it; that I might buy Stock with it, and so it would lie in store for me, but that then if I wanted to dispose of it, I must come up to Town to Transfer it, and even it would be with some difficulty I should receive the half yearly Dividend, unless I was here in Person, or had some Friend I could trust with having the Stock in his Name to do it for me, and that would have the same difficulty in it as before; and with that he look'd hard at me and smil'd a little; at last, says he, why do you not get a head Steward, Madam, that may take you and your Money together, and then you would have the trouble taken off of your Hands? Ay, Sir, and the Money too it may be, said I, for truly I find the hazard that way is as much as 'tis t' other way; but I remember, I said, secretly to my self, I wish you would ask me the Question fairly, I would consider very seriously on it before I said NO.

He went on a good way with me, and I thought once or twice he was in earnest, but to my real Affliction, I found at last he had a Wife; but when he own'd he had a Wife he shook his Head, and said with some Concern, that indeed he had a Wife, and no Wife: I began to think he had been in the Condition of my late Lover, and that his Wife had been Lunatick, or some such thing: However, we had not much more Discourse at that time, but he told me he was in too much hurry of business then, but that if I would come home to his House after their Business was over, he would consider what might be done for me, to put my Affairs in a Posture of Security: I told him I would come, and desir'd to know where he liv'd: He gave me a Direction in Writing, and, when he gave it me he read it to me, and said, there 'tis, Madam, if you dare trust your self with me: Yes Sir, said I, I believe I may venture to trust you with my self, for you have a Wife you say, and I don't want a Husband; besides, I dare trust you with my Money, which is all I have in the World, and if that were gone, I may trust my self any where.

He said some things in Jest that were very handsome and mannerly, and would have pleas'd me very well if they had been in earnest; but that pass'd over, I took the Directions, and appointed to be at his House at Seven o'Clock the same Evening.

When I came he made several Proposals for my placing my Money in the Bank, in order to my having Interest for it; but still some difficulty or other came in the way, which he objected as not safe; and I found such a sincere disinterested Honesty in him, that I began to think I had certainly found the honest Man I wanted; and that I could never put my self into better Hands; so I told him with a great deal of frankness that I had never met with a Man or Woman yet that I could trust, or in whom I could think my self safe, but that I saw he was so disinterestedly concern'd for my safety, that I would freely trust him with the management of that little I had, if he would accept to be Steward for a poor Widow that could give him no Salary.

He smil'd, and standing up, with great Respect saluted me; he told me he could not but take it very kindly that I had so good an Opinion of him; that he would not deceive me, that he would do any thing in his Power to serve me and expect no Salary; but that he could not by any means accept of a Trust that might bring him to be suspected of Self-interest, and that if I should die he might have Disputes with my Executors, which he should be very loth to encumber himself with.

I told him if those were all his Objections I would soon remove them, and convince him that there was not the least room for any difficulty; for that, first as for suspecting him, if ever now was the time to suspect him, and not to put the Trust into his Hands, and whenever I did suspect him, he could but throw it up then and refuse to go on; Then as to Executors, I assur'd him I had no Heirs, nor any Relations in England, and I would have neither Heirs or Executors but himself, unless I should alter my Condition, and then his Trust and Trouble should cease together, which however I had no prospect of yet; but I told him if I died as I was, it should be all his own, and he would deserve it by being so faithful to me, as I was satisfied he would be.

He chang'd his Countenance at this Discourse, and ask'd me, how I came to have so much good-will for him? and looking very much pleas'd, said, he might very lawfully wish he was single for my sake; I smil'd and told him, that as he was not, my Offer could have no design upon him, and to wish, was not to be allow'd, 'twas Criminal to his Wife.

He told me I was wrong; for, says he, as I said before, I have a Wife and no Wife, and 'twould be no Sin to wish her hang'd; I know nothing of your Circumstances that way, sir, said I; but it cannot be innocent to wish your Wife dead; I tell you, says he again, she is a Wife and no Wife; you don't know what I am, or what she is.

That's true, said I, Sir, I don't know what you are, but I believe you to be an honest Man, and that's the Cause of all my Confidence in you.

Well, well, says he, and so I am, but I am something else too, Madam; for, says he, to be plain with you, I am a Cuckold, and she is a Whore; he spoke it in a kind of Jest, but it was with such an awkward smile, that I perceiv'd it stuck very close to him, and he look'd dismally when he said it.

That alters the Case indeed, Sir, said I, as to that part you were speaking of; but a Cuckold you know may be an honest Man, it does not alter that Case at all; besides I think, said I, since your Wife is so dishonest to you, you are too honest to her, to own her for your Wife; but that, said I, is what I have nothing to do with. Nay, says he, I do think to clear my Hands of her, for to be plain with you, Madam, added he, I am no contented Cuckold neither: On the other hand, I assure you it provokes me to the highest Degree, but I can't help my self; she that will be a Whore, will be a Whore.

I wav'd the Discourse, and began to talk of my Business, but I found he could not have done with it, so I let him alone, and he went on to tell me all the Circumstances of his Case, too long to relate here; particularly, that having been out of England some time before he came to the Post he was in, she had had two Children in the mean time by an Officer of the Army; and that when he came to England, and, upon her Submission, took her again, and maintain'd her very well, yet she run away from him with a Linnen-Draper's Apprentice, robb'd him of what she could come at, and continu'd to live from him still; so that Madam, says he, she is a Whore not by Necessity, which is the common Bait, but by Inclination, and for the sake of the Vice.

Well, I pitied him, and wish'd him well rid of her, and still would have talk'd of my Business, but it would not do; at last he looked steadily at me, look you, Madam, says he, you came to ask Advice of me, and I will serve you as faithfully as if you were my own Sister; but I must turn the Tables, since you oblige me to do it, and are so friendly to me, and I think I must ask Advice of you; tell me what must a poor abus'd fellow do with a Whore? What can I do to do my self Justice upon her?

Alas, Sir, says I, 'Tis a Case too nice for me to advise in, but it seems she has run away from you, so you are rid of her fairly; what can you desire more? Ay she is gone indeed, said he, but I am not clear of her for all that. That's true, says I, she may indeed run you into Debt, but the Law has furnish'd you with Methods to prevent that also, you may Cry her down, as they call it.

No, no, says he, that is not the Case, I have taken care of all that; 'tis not that part that I speak of, but I would be rid of her that I might marry again.

Well, sir, says I, then you must Divorce her; if you can prove what you say, you may certainly get that done, and then you are free.

That's very tedious and expensive, says he.

Why, says I, if you can get any Woman you like, to take your Word, I suppose your Wife would not dispute the Liberty with you that she takes herself.

Ay, says he, but 'twou'd be hard to bring an honest Woman to do that; and for the other sort, says he, I have had enough of her to meddle with any more Whores.

It occur'd to me presently, I would have taken your Word with all my Heart, if you had but ask'd me the Question, but that was to my self; to him I reply'd, why you shut the Door against any honest Woman accepting you, for you condemn all that should venture upon you, and conclude, that a Woman that takes you now, can't be honest.

Why, says he, I wish you would satisfy me that an honest Woman would take me, I'd venture it, and then turns short upon me, will you take me, Madam?

That's not a fair Question, says I, after what you have said; however, least you shou'd think I wait only a Recantation of it, I shall answer you plainly, NO not I; my Business is of another kind with you, and I did not expect you would have turn'd my serious Application to you in my distracted Case, into a Comedy.

Why, Madam, says he, my Case is as distracted as yours can be, and I stand in as much need of Advice as you do, for I think if I have not Relief some where, I shall be mad my self, and I know not what course to take, I protest to you.

Why sir, says I, 'tis easier to give Advice in your Case than mine; speak then, says he, I beg of you, for now you encourage me.

Why, says I, if your Case is so plain, you may be legally Divorc'd, and then you may find honest Women enough to ask the Question of fairly, the Sex is not so scarce that you can want a Wife.

Well then, said he, I am in earnest, I'll take your Advice; but shall I ask you one Question seriously before hand?

Any Question, said I, but that you did before.

No, that Answer will not do, said he, for in short, that is the Question I shall ask.

You may ask what Questions you please, but you have my Answer to that already, said I; besides, Sir, said I, can you think so ill of me, as that I wou'd give any Answer to such a Question before hand? Can any Woman alive believe you in earnest, or think you design any thing but to banter her?

Well, well, says he, I do not banter you, I am in earnest, consider of it.

But, Sir, says I, a little gravely, I came to you about my own Business, I beg of you to let me know, what you will advise me to do?

I will be prepar'd, says he, against you come again.

Nay, says I, you have forbid my coming any more.

Why so? said he, and look'd a little surpriz'd.

Because, said I, you can't expect I should visit you on the account you talk of.

Well, says he, you shall promise to come again however, and I will not say any more of it till I have the Divorce, but I desire you'll prepare to be better condition'd when that's done, for you shall be the Woman, or I will not be Divorc'd at all: I owe it to your unlooked for kindness, if to nothing else, but I have other Reasons too.

He could not have said anything in the World that pleas'd me better; however, I knew that the way to secure him was to stand off while the thing was so remote, as it appear'd to be, and that it was time enough to accept of it when he was able to perform it; so I said very respectfully to him, it was time enough to consider of these things, when he was in a Condition to talk of them; in the mean time I told him, I was going a great way from him, and he would find Objects enough to please him better: We broke off here for the present, and he made me promise him to come again the next Day, for my own Business, which after some pressing I did; tho' had he seen farther into me, I wanted no pressing on that Account.

I came the next Evening accordingly, and brought my Maid with me, to let him see that I kept a Maid: He would have had me let the Maid have staid, but I would not, but order'd her aloud to come for me again about Nine a Clock, but he forbid that, and told me he would see me safe Home, which I was not very well pleased with, supposing he might do that to know where I liv'd, and enquire into my Character, and Circumstances: However, I ventur'd that, for all the People there knew of me, was to my Advantage; and all the Character he had of me, was, that I was a Woman of Fortune, and that I was a very modest sober Body; which whether true or not in the Main, yet you may see how necessary it is, for all Women who expect any thing in the World, to preserve the Character of their Virtue, even when perhaps they may have sacrifiz'd the Thing itself.

I found, and was not a little pleas'd with it, that he had provided a Supper for me: I found also he liv'd very handsomely, and had a House very handsomely furnish'd, and which I was rejoic'd at indeed, for I look'd upon it all as my own.

We had now a second Conference upon the Subject Matter of the last: He laid his Business very Home indeed; he protested his Affection to me, and indeed I had no room to doubt it; he declared that it began from the first Moment I talk'd with him, and long before I had mentioned leaving my Effects with him; 'tis no matter when it began, thought I, if it will but hold, 'twill be well enough: He then told me, how much the Offer I had made of trusting him with my Effects had engag'd him; so I intended it should, thought I, but then I thought you had been a single Man too: After we had Supp'd, I observ'd he press'd me very hard to drink two or three Glasses of Wine, which however I declin'd, but drank one Glass or two: He then told me he had a Proposal to make to me, which I should promise him I would not take ill, if I should not grant it: I told him I hop'd he would make no dishonourable Proposal to me, especially in his own House, and that if it was such, I desir'd he would not mention it, that I might not be obliged to offer any Resentment to him that did not become the Respect I profess'd for him, and the Trust I had plac'd in him, in coming to this House; and beg'd of him he would give me leave to go away, and accordingly began to put on my Gloves, and prepare to be gone, tho' at the same time I no more intended it, than he intended to let me.

Well, he importun'd me not to talk of going; he assured me, he was very far from offering any such thing to me that was dishonourable, and if I thought so, he would chuse to say no more of it.

That part I did not relish at all; I told him, [I] was ready to hear anything that he had to say, depending that he would say nothing unworthy of himself, or unfit for me to hear; upon this, he told me his Proposal was this; That I would marry him, tho' he had not yet obtain'd the Divorce from the Whore his Wife; and to satisfy me that he meant honourably, he would promise not to desire me to live with him, or go to Bed to him till the Divorce was obtain'd: My Heart said Yes to this Offer at first Word, but it was necessary to play the Hypocrite a little more with him; so I seem'd to decline the Motion with some warmth as unfair, told him that such a Proposal could be of no Signification, but to entangle us both in great Difficulties; for if he should not at last obtain the Divorce, yet we could not dissolve the Marriage, neither could we proceed in it; so that if he was disappointed in the Divorce, I left him to consider what a Condition we should both be in.

In short, I carried on the Argument against this so far, that I convinc'd him it was not a Proposal that had any Sense in it; then he went from it to another, viz. that I would Sign and Seal a Contract with him, Conditioning to marry him as soon as the Divorce was obtain'd, and to be void if he could not get it.

I told him that was more Rational than the other; but as this was the first time that ever I could imagine him weak enough to be in earnest, I did not use to say Yes at first asking, I would consider of it. I plaid with this Lover, as an Angler does with a Trout: I found I had him fast on the Hook, so I jested with his new Proposal, and put him off: I told him he knew little of me, and bad him enquire about me; I let him also go Home with me to my Lodging, tho' I would not ask him to go in, for I told him it was not Decent.

In short, I ventur'd to avoid Signing a Contract, and the Reason why I did it, was because the Lady that had Invited me to go with her into Lancashire insisted so possitively upon it, and promised me such great Fortunes, and fine things there, that I was tempted to go and try; perhaps, said I, I may mend my self very much, and then I made no scruple of quitting my honest Citizen, whom I was not so much in Love with as not to leave him for a Richer.

In a Word, I avoided a Contract; but told him I would go into the North, that he would know where to write to me by the Business I had entrusted with him, that I would give him a sufficient Pledge of my Respect for him, for I would leave almost all I had in the World in his Hands; and I would thus far give him my Word, that as soon as he had sued out the Divorce, if he would send me an Account of it, I would come up to London, and that then we would talk seriously of the Matter.

It was a base Design I went with, that I must confess, tho' I was invited thither with a Design much worse, as the Sequel will discover; well I went with my Friend, as I call'd her, into Lancashire; all the way we went she caressed me with the utmost appearance of a sincere undissembled Affection; treated me, except my Coach-hire all the way; and her Brother brought a Gentleman's Coach to Warrington to receive us, and we were carried from thence to Liverpool with as much Ceremony as I could desire.

We were also entertain'd at a Merchant's House in Liverpool three or four Days very handsomely: I forbear to tell his Name, because of what follow'd; then she told me she would carry me to an Uncle's House of hers where we should be nobly entertain'd; and her Uncle, as she call'd him, sent a Coach and four Horses for us, and we were carried near forty Miles I know not whither.

We came however to a Gentleman's Seat, where was a numerous Family, a large Park, extraordinary Company indeed, and where she was call'd Cousin; I told her if she had resolv'd to bring me into such Company as this, she should have let me have furnish'd my self with better Cloaths; the Ladies took Notice of that, and told me very genteely, they did not value People in their own Country so much by their Cloaths, as they did in London; that their Cousin had fully inform'd them of my Quality, and that I did not want Cloaths to set me off; in short, they entertain'd me not like what I was, but like what they thought I had been, Namely, a Widow Lady of a great Fortune.

The first Discovery I made here was, that the Family were all Roman Catholicks, and the Cousin too; [however], nobody in the World could behave better to me; and I had all the Civility shown that I could have had, if I had been of their Opinion: The Truth is, I had not so much Principle of any kind, as to be Nice in Point of Religion; and I presently learn'd to speak favourably of the Romish Church; particularly I told them I saw little, but the Prejudice of Education in all the Differences that were among Christians about Religion, and if it had so happen'd that my Father had been a Roman Catholick, I doubted not but I should have been as well pleas'd with their Religion as my own.

This obliged them in the highest Degree, and as I was besieg'd Day and Night with good Company, and pleasant Discourse, so I had two or three old Ladies that lay at me upon the Subject of Religion too; I was so Complaisant that I made no scruple to be present at their Mass, and to conform to all their Gestures as they shew'd me the Pattern, but I would not come too cheap; so that I only in the main encouraged them to expect that I would turn Roman Catholick, if I was instructed in the Catholick Doctrine, as they call'd it, and so the matter rested.

I slay'd here about six Weeks; and then my Conductor led me back to a Country Village, about six Miles from Liverpool, where her Brother (as she call'd him) came to visit me in his own Charriot, with two Footmen in a good Livery; and the next thing was to make Love to me: As it happen'd to me, one would think I could not have been cheated, and indeed I thought so my self, having a safe Card at Home, which I resolvd not to quit unless I could mend my self very much: However, in all appearance this Brother was a Match worth my listning to, and the least his Estate was valu'd at, was a 1000l. a Year, but the Sister said it was worth 1500l. a Year, and lay most of it in Ireland.

I that was a great Fortune, and pass'd for such, was above being ask'd how much my Estate was; and my false Friend taking it upon a foolish hearsay had rais'd it from 500l. to 5000l. and by the time she came into the Country she call'd it 15,000l. The Irishman, for such I understood him to be, was stark Mad at this Bait: In short, he courted me, made me Presents, and run in Debt like a mad Man for the Expences of his Courtship: He had, to give him his due, the Appearance of an extraordinary fine Gentleman; he was tall, well-shap'd, and had an extraordinary Address; talk'd as naturally of his Park, and his Stables; or his Horses, his Game-keepers, his Woods, his Tenants, and his Servants, as if he had been in a Mansion house, and I had seen them all about me.

He never so much as ask'd me about my Fortune or Estate; but assur'd me that when we came to Dublin he would Joynture me in 600l. a Year in good Land; and that he would enter into a Deed of Settlement, or Contract here, for the Performance of it.

This was such Language indeed as I had not been us'd to, and I was here beaten out of all my Measures; I had a she Devil in my Bosom, every Hour telling me how great her Brother liv'd: One time she would come for my Orders, how I would have my Coach painted, and how lin'd; and another time what Cloaths my Page should wear: In short, my Eyes were dazled, I had now lost my Power of saying NO, and to cut the Story short, I consented to be Married; but to be more private we were carried farther into the Country, and married by a Priest, which I was assur'd would marry us as effectually as a Church of England Parson.

I cannot say, but I had some Reflections in this Affair, upon the dishonourable forsaking my faithful Citizen; who lov'd me sincerely, and who was endeavouring to quit himself of a scandalous Whore by whom he had been barbarously us'd, and promis'd himself infinite Happiness in his new Choice; which Choice was now giving up her self to another in a Manner almost as Scandalous as hers could be.

But the glittering show of a great Estate and of fine Things, which the deceived Creature that was now my Deceiver represented every Hour to my Imagination, hurried me away, and gave me no time to think of London, or of any thing there, much less of the Obligation I had to a Person of infinitely more real Merit than what was now before me.

But the thing was done, I was now in the Arms of my new Spouse, who appear'd still the same as before; great even to Magnificence, and nothing less than a Thousand Pounds a Year could support the Ordinary Equipage he appear'd in.

After we had been married about a Month, he began to talk of my going to Westchester in order to embark for Ireland. However, he did not hurry me, for we stay'd near three Weeks longer, and then he sent to Chester for a Coach to meet us at the Black-Rock, as they call it, over against Liverpool: Thither we went in a fine Boat they call a Pinnace with six Oars, his Servants, and Horses, and Baggage going in a Ferry-Boat. He made his Excuse to me, that he had not Acquaintance at Chester, but he would go before and get some handsome Appartment for me at a private House; I ask'd him how long we should stay at Chester? he said not at all, any longer than one Night or two, but he would immediately hire a Coach to go to Holyhead; then I told him he should by no Means give himself the trouble to get private Lodgings for one Night or two, for that Chester being a great Place, I made no doubt but there would be very good Inns and Accommodation enough; so we lodg'd at an Inn not far from the Cathedral, I forgot what Sign it was at.

Here my Spouse talking of my going to Ireland, ask'd me if I had no Affairs to settle at London before we went off; I told him No, not of any great Consequence, but what might be done as well by Letter from Dublin: Madam, says he very respectfully, I suppose the greatest part of your Estate, which my Sister tells me is most of it in Money in the Bank of England, lies secure enough, but in case it requir'd Transferring, or any way altering its Property, it might be necessary to go up to London, and settle those Things before we went over.

I seem'd to look strange at it, and told him I knew not what he meant; that I had no Effects in the Bank of England that I knew of; and I hope he could not say that I had ever told him I had. No, he said, I had not told him so, but his Sister had said the greatest part of my Estate lay there, and I only mention'd it my Dear, said he, that if there was any Occasion to settle it, or order any thing about it, we might not be oblig'd to the hazard and trouble of another Voyage back again, for he added, that he did not care to venture me too much upon the Sea.

I was surpris'd at this talk, and began to consider what the meaning of it must be! and it presently occurr'd to me that my Friend, who call'd him Brother had represented me in Colours which were not my due; and I thought that I would know the bottom of it before I went out of England, and before I should put my self into I knew not whose Hands, in a strange Country.

Upon this I call'd his Sister into my Chamber the next Morning, and letting her know the Discourse her Brother and I had been upon, I conjur'd her to tell me, what she had said to him, and upon what Foot it was that she had made this Marriage? She own'd that she had told him that I was a great Fortune, and said that she was told so at London: Told so, says I warmly, did I ever tell you so? No she said, it was true I never did tell her so, but I had said several times that what I had, was in my own disposal: I did so, return'd I very quick, but I never told you I had anything call'd a Fortune; No, that I had one Hundred Pounds, or the Value of an Hundred Pounds in the World; and how did it consist with my being a Fortune, said I, that I should come here into the North of England with you, only upon the Account of living cheap? At these Words which I spoke warm and high, my Husband came into the Room, and I desir'd him to come in and sit down, for I had something of Moment to say before them both, which it was absolutely necessary he should hear.

He look'd a little disturb'd at the Assurance with which I seem'd to speak it, and came and sat down by me, having first shut the Door; upon which I began, for I was very much provok'd, and turning my self to him, I am afraid, says I, my Dear, for I spoke with kindness on his side, that you have a very great Abuse put upon you, and an Injury done you never to be repair'd in your marrying me, which however as I have had no Hand in it, I desire I may be fairly acquited of it, and that the Blame may lye where it ought and no where else, for I wash my Hands of every part of it.

What Injury can be done me, my Dear, says he, in marrying you? I hope it is to my Honour and Advantage every way: I will soon explain it to you, says I, and I fear there will be no Reason to think yourself well us'd, but I will convince you, my Dear, says I again, that I have had no Hand in it.

He look'd now scar'd and wild, and began, I believed, to suspect what follow'd; however, looking towards me, and saying only, go on, he sat silent, as if to hear what I had more to say; so I went on; I ask'd you last Night, said I, speaking to him, if ever I made any boast to you of my Estate, or ever told you I had any Estate in the Bank of England, or any where else, and you own'd I had not, as is most true; and I desire you will tell me here, before your Sister, if ever I gave you any Reason from me to think so, or that ever we had any Discourse about it, and he own'd again I had not; but said, I had appeared always as a Woman of Fortune, and he depended on it that I was so, and hoped he was not deceived. I am not enquiring whether you have been deceived, said I, I fear you have, and I too; but I am clearing my self from being concern'd in deceiving you.

I have been now asking your Sister if ever I told her of any Fortune or Estate I had, or gave her any Particulars of it; and she owns I never did: And pray Madam, said I, be so just to me, to charge me if you can, if ever I pretended to you that I had an Estate; and why if I had, should I ever come down into this Country with you on purpose to spare that little I had, and live cheap? She could not deny one Word, but said she had been told in London that I had a very great Fortune, and that it lay in the Bank of England.

And now, Dear Sir, said I, turning my self to my new Spouse again, be so just to me as to tell me who has abus'd both you and me so much, as to make you believe I was a Fortune, and prompt you to court me to this Marriage? He could not speak a Word, but pointed to her; and after some more pause, flew out in the most furious Passion that ever I saw a Man in my Life; cursing her, and calling her all the Whores and hard Names he could think of; and that she had ruin'd him, declaring that she had told him I had Fifteen Thousand Pounds, and that she was to have Five Hundred Pounds of him for procuring this Match for him: He then added, directing his Speech to me, that she was none of his Sister, but had been his Whore for two Years before, that she had had One Hundred Pounds of him in part of this Bargain, and that he was utterly undone if things were as I said; and in his raving he swore he would let her Heart's Blood out immediately, which frightened her and me too; she cried, said she had been told so in the House where I lodg'd, but this aggravated him more than before that she should put so far upon him, and run things such a length upon no other Authority than a hear-say; and then turning to me again, said very honestly, he was afraid we were both undone; for to be plain, my dear, I have no Estate, says he, what little I had, this Devil has made me run out in putting me into this Equipage; she took the Opportunity of his being earnest in talking with me, and got out of the Room, and I never saw her more.

I was confounded now as much as he, and knew not what to say: I thought many ways that I had the worst of it, but his saying he was undone, and that he had no Estate neither put me into a meer Distraction; why, says I to him, this has been a hellish Juggle, for we are married here upon the Foot of a double Fraud; you are undone by the Disappointment it seems, and if I had had a Fortune I had been cheated too, for you say you have nothing.

You would indeed have been cheated, my Dear, says he, but you would not have been undone, for Fifteen Thousand Pounds would have maintain'd us both very handsomely in this Country; and I had resolv'd to have dedicated every Groat of it to you; I would not have wrong'd you of a Shilling and the rest I would have made up in my Affection to you, and Tenderness of you as long as I liv'd.

This was very honest indeed, and I really believe he spoke as he intended, and that he was a Man that was as well qualified to make me happy, as to his Temper and Behaviour, as any Man ever was; but his having no Estate, and being run into Debt on this ridiculous Account in the Country, made all the Prospect dismal and dreadful, and I knew not what to say, or what to think.

I told him it was very unhappy, that so much Love, and so much good Nature as I discovered in him, should be thus precipitated into Misery; that I saw nothing before us but Ruin, for as to me, it was my unhappiness, that what little I had was not able to relieve us a Week, and with that I pull'd out a Bank Bill of 20l. and Eleven Guineas, which I told him I had saved out of my little Income; and that by the Account that Creature had given me of the way of living in that Country, I expected it would maintain me three or four Years; that if it was taken from me, I was left destitute, and he knew what the Condition of a Woman must be, if she had no Money in her Pocket; however, I told him, if he would take it, there it was.

He told me with great concern, and I thought I saw Tears in his Eyes, that he would not touch it, that he abhor'd the Thoughts of striping me, and making me Miserable; that he had Fifty Guineas left, which was all he had in the World, and he pull'd it out and threw it down on the Table, bidding me take it, tho' he were to Starve for want of it.

I returned with the same concern for him, that I could not bear to hear him talk so; that on the contrary, if he could propose any probable Method of living, I would do any thing that became me, and that I would live as narrow as he could desire.

He beg'd of me to talk no more at that rate, for it would make him Distracted; he said he was bred a Gentleman, tho' he was reduc'd to a low Fortune, and that there was but one way left which he could think of, and that would not do, unless I cou'd answer him one Question, which, however, he said he would not press me to; I told him I would answer it honestly, whether it would be to his Satisfaction or no, that I could not tell.

Why then, my Dear, tell me plainly, says he, will the little you have keep us together in any Figure, or in any Station or Place, or will it not?

It was my Happiness that I had not discover'd my self, or my Circumstances at all; No, not so much as my Name, and seeing there was nothing to be expected from him, however good humour'd, and however honest he seem'd to be, but to live on what I knew would soon be wasted, I resolv'd to conceal every thing but the Bank-Bill, and Eleven Guineas, and I would have been very glad to have lost that, and have been set down where he took me up: I had indeed another Bank-Bill about me of 30l., which was the whole of what I brought with me, as well to subsist on in the Country, as not knowing what might offer; because this Creature, the go-between that had thus betray'd us both, had made me believe strange things of marrying to my Advantage, and I was not willing to be without Money whatever might happen. This Bill I conceal'd, and that made me the freer of the rest, in Consideration of his Circumstances, for I really pitied him heartily.

But to return to this Question, I told him, I never willingly deceiv'd him, and I never would: I was very sorry to tell him that the little I had would not subsist us; that it was not sufficient to subsist me alone in the South Country, and that this was the Reason that made me put my self into the Hands of that Woman who call'd him Brother, she having assured me that I might board very handsomely at a Town call'd Manchester, where I had not yet been, for about six Pounds a Year, and my whole Income not being above 15l. a Year, I thought I might live easy upon it, and wait for better things.

He shook his Head, and remain'd silent, and a very melancholly Evening we had; however we supp'd together, and lay together that Night, and when we had almost supp'd he look'd a little better, and more chearful, and call'd for a Bottle of Wine; Come my Dear, says he, tho' the Case is bad, it is to no Purpose to be dejected, Come, be as easy as you can, I will endeavour to find out some way or other to live; if you can but subsist your self, that is better than nothing, I must try the World again; a Man ought to think like a Man: To be discouraged, is to yield to the Misfortune; with this he fill'd a Glass, and drank to me, holding my Hand all the while the Wine went down, and protesting his main concern was for me.

It was really a true gallant Spirit he was of, and it was the more Grievous to me: 'Tis something of Relief even to be undone by a man of Honour, rather than by a Scoundrel; but here the greatest Disappointment was on his side, for he had really spent a great deal of Money, and it was very remarkable on what poor Terms she proceeded; first, the baseness of the Creature herself is to be observ'd, who for the getting One Hundred Pounds herself, could be content to let him spend Three or Four more, tho' perhaps it was all he had in the World, and more than all; when she had not the least Ground more than a little Tea-Table Chat, to say that I had any Estate, or was a Fortune, or the like: It is true the design of deluding a Woman of Fortune, if I had been so, was base enough; the putting the Face of great Things upon poor Circumstances was a Fraud, and bad enough; but the Case a little differ'd too, and that in his Favour, for he was not a Rake that made a Trade to delude Women, and as some have done, get six or seven Fortunes after one another, and then rifle and run away from them; but he was already a Gentleman, unfortunate and low, but had liv'd well; and tho' if I had had a Fortune, I should have been enrag'd at the Slut for betraying me; yet really for the Man, a Fortune would not have been ill bestow'd on him, for he was a lovely Person indeed; of generous Principles, good Sense, and of abundance of good Humour.

We had a great deal of close Conversation that Night, for we neither of us slept much; he was as Penitent, for having put all those Cheats upon me, as if it had been Fellony, and that he was going to Execution; he offered me again every Shilling of the Money he had about him, and said, he would go into the Army and seek for more.

I ask'd him why he would be so unkind to carry me into Ireland, when I might suppose he could not have subsisted me there? He took me in his Arms, My Dear, said he, I never design'd to go to Ireland at all, much less to have carried you thither; but came hither to be out of the Observation of the People, who had heard what I pretended to, and that no Body might ask me for Money before I was furnish'd to supply them.

But where then, said I, were we to have gone next?

Why my Dear, said he, I'll confess the whole Scheme to you, as I had laid it; I purposed here to ask you something about your Estate, as you see I did, and when you, as I expected you would, had enter'd into some Account of the Particulars, I would have made an Excuse to have put off our Voyage to Ireland' for some time, and so have gone for London.

Then my Dear, says he, I resolv'd to have confess'd all the Circumstances of my own Affairs to you, and let you know I had indeed made use of these Artifices to obtain your Consent to marry me, but had now nothing to do but to ask your Pardon, and to tell you how abundantly I would endeavour to make you forget what was past, by the Felicity of the Days to come.

Truly, said I to him, I find you would soon have conquer'd me; and it is my Affliction now, that I am not in a Condition to let you see how easily I should have been reconcil'd to you, and have pass'd by all the Tricks you had put upon me, in Recompence of so much good Humour; but my Dear, said I, what can we do now? We are both undone, and what better are we for our being reconcil'd, seeing we have nothing to live on.

We propos'd a great many things, but nothing could offer, where there was nothing to begin with: He beg'd me at last to talk no more of it, for he said I would break his Heart; so we talk'd of other things a little, till at last he took a Husband's leave of me, and so went to Sleep.

He rose before me in the Morning, and indeed having lain awake almost all Night, I was very sleepy, and lay till near Eleven o'Clock, in this time he took his Horses, and three Servants, and all his Linnen and Baggage, and away he went, leaving a short, but moving Letter for me on the Table, as follows:

My Dear,

I am a Dog; I have abus'd you; but I have been drawn in to do it by a base Creature, contrary to my Principle, and the general Practice of my Life: Forgive me, my Dear! I ask you Pardon with the greatest Sincerity; I am the most miserable of Men, in having deluded you: I have been so happy to Possess you, and am now so wretched as to be forc'd to fly from you: Forgive me, myDear, once more I say forgive me! I am not able to see you ruin'd by me, and my self unable to support you: Our Marriage is nothing, I shall never be able to see you again; I here discharge you from it; if you can marry to your Advantage do not decline it on my Account; I here swear to you on my Faith, and on the Word of a Man of Honour, I will never disturb your Repose if I should know of it, which however is not likely: On the other hand, if you should not marry, and if good Fortune should befall me, it shall be all yours where ever you are.

I have put some of the Stock of Money I have left into your Pocket; take Places for your self and your Maid in the Stage Coach, and go for London; I hope it will bear your Charges thither, without breaking into your own: Again I sincerely ask your Pardon, and will do so, as often as I shall ever think of you.

Adieu, my Dear, for ever,

I am yours most Affectionately,

J.E.

Nothing that ever befel me in my Life, sunk so deep into my Heart as this Farewel: I reproach'd him a Thousand times in my Thoughts for leaving me, for I would have gone with him thro' the World, if I had beg'd my Bread. I felt in my Pocket, and there I found ten Guineas, his Gold Watch, and two little Rings, one a small Diamond Ring, worth only about Six Pound, and the other a plain Gold Ring.

I sat down and look'd upon these Things two Hours together, and scarce spoke a Word, till my Maid interrupted me, by telling me my Dinner was ready: I eat but little, and after Dinner I fell into a violent Fit of Crying, every now and then, calling him by his Name, which was James; O Jemy! said I, come back, come back, I'll give you all I have; I'll beg, I'll starve with you: And thus I run Raving about the Room several times, and then sat down between whiles, and then walking about again, call'd upon him to come back, and then cry'd again; and thus I pass'd the Afternoon, till about seven o'Clock, when it was near Dusk in the Evening, being August, when to my unspeakable Surprise he comes back into the Inn, and comes directly up into my Chamber.

I was in the greatest Confusion imaginable, and so was he too: I could not imagine what should be the Occasion of it; and began to be at odds with my self whether to be glad or sorry; but my Affection byass'd all the rest, and it was impossible to conceal my Joy, which was too great for Smiles, for it burst out into Tears. He was no sooner enter'd the Room, but he run to me and took me in his Arms, holding me fast and almost stopping my Breath with his Kisses, but spoke not a Word; at length I began, my Dear, said I, How could you go away from me? To which he gave no Answer, for it was impossible for him to speak.

When our Extasies were a little over, he told me he was gone above 15 Miles, but it was not in his Power to go any farther, without coming back to see me again, and to take his leave of me once more.

I told him how I had pass'd my time, and how loud I had call'd him to come back again; he told me he heard me very plain upon Delamere Forest, at a Place about 12 Miles off: I smil'd; Nay says he, Do not think I am in Jest, for if ever I heard your Voice in my Life, I heard you call me aloud, and sometimes I thought I saw you running after me; Why said I, what did I say? for I had not nam'd the Words to him, you call'd aloud, says he, and said, O Jemy! O Jemy! come back, come back.

I laugh'd at him, my Dear, says he, do not Laugh, for depend upon it, I heard your Voice as plain as you hear mine now; if you please, I'll go before a Magistrate and make Oath of it; I then began to be amaz'd and surpriz'd, and indeed frighted, and told him what I had really done, and how I had call'd after him, as above. When we had amus'd ourselves a while about this, I said to him, well, you shall go away from me no more, I'll go all over the World with you rather: He told me, it would be a very difficult thing for him to leave me, but since it must be, he hoped I would make it as easy to me as I could; but as for him, it would be his Destruction, that he foresaw.

However he told me that he had consider'd he had left me to Travel to London alone, which was a long Journey; and that as he might as well go that way, as any way else, he was resolv'd to see me thither, or near it; and if he did go away then without taking his leave, I should not take it ill of him, and this he made me promise.

He told me how he had dismiss'd his three Servants, sold their Horses, and sent the Fellows away to seek their Fortunes, and all in a little time, at a Town on the Road, I know not where; and, says he, it cost me some Tears all alone by my self, to think how much happier they were than their Master, for they could go to the next Gentleman's House to see for a Service, whereas, said he, I knew not whither to go, or what to do with my self.

I told him, I was so compleatly miserable in parting with him, that I could not be worse; and that now he was come again, I would not go from him, if he would take me with him, let him go whither he would; and in the mean time I agreed that we would go together to London; but I could not be brought to consent he should go away at last, and not take his leave of me; but told him Jesting, that if he did, I would call him back again as loud as I did before; Then I pull'd out his Watch and gave it him back, and his two Rings, and his Ten Guineas; but he would not take them, which made me very much suspect that he resolv'd to go off upon the Road, and leave me.

The truth is, the Circumstances he was in, the passionate Expressions of his Letter, the kind Gentlemanly Treatment I had from him in all the Affair, with the Concern he show'd for me in it, his manner of Parting with that large Share which he gave me of his little Stock left, all these had join'd to make such Impressions on me, that I could not bear the Thoughts of parting with him.

Two Days after this we quitted Chester, I in the Stage Coach, and he on Horseback; I dismiss'd my Maid at Chester; he was very much against my being without a Maid, but she being hired in the Country, keeping no Servant at London: I told him it would have been barbarous to have taken the poor Wench, and have turn'd her away as soon as I came to Town; and it would also have been a needless Charge on the Road, so I satisfy'd him, and he was easy on that Score.

He came with me as far as Dunstable, within 30 Miles of London, and then he told me Fate and his own Misfortunes oblig'd him to leave me, and that it was not Convenient for him to go to London, for Reasons, which it was of no value to me to know, and I saw him preparing to go. The Stage Coach we were in, did not usually stop at Dunstable, but I desiring it for a Quarter of an Hour, they were content to stand at an Inn-Door a while, and we went into the House.

Being in the Inn, I told him I had but one Favour more to ask him, and that was, that since he could not go any farther, he would give me leave to stay a Week or two in the Town with him, that we might in that time think of something to prevent such a ruinous thing to us both, as a final Separation would be; and that I had something of Moment to offer to him, which perhaps he might find Practicable to our Advantage.

This was too reasonable a Proposal to be denied, so he call'd the Landlady of the House, and told her, his Wife was taken ill, and so ill that she cou'd not think of going any farther in the Stage Coach, which had tir'd her almost to Death, and ask'd if she cou'd not get us a Lodging for two or three Days in a private House where I might rest me a little, for the Journey had been too much for me? The Landlady, a good sort of a Woman, well bred, and very obliging, came immediately to see me; told me, she had two or three very good Rooms in a part of the House quite out of the Noise, and if I saw them, she did not doubt but I would like them, and I should have one of her Maids, that should do nothing else but wait on me; this was so very kind, that I could not but accept of it; so I went to look on the Rooms, and lik'd them very well, and indeed they were extraordinarily Furnish'd, and very pleasant Lodgings; so we paid the Stage Coach, took out our Baggage, and resolv'd to slay here a while.

Here I told him, I would live with him now till all my Money was spent, but would not let him spend a Shilling of his own: We had some kind squabble about that, but I told him it was the last time I was like to enjoy his Company, and I desir'd he would let me be Master in that thing only, and he should govern in every thing else so he acquiesc'd.

Here one Evening taking a Walk into the Fields, I told him, I would now make the Proposal to him I had told him of; accordingly I related to him how I had liv'd in Virginia, that I had a Mother, I believ'd, was alive there still, tho' my Husband was dead some Years; I told him, that had not my Effects miscarry'd, which by the way I magnify'd pretty much, I might have been Fortune good enough to him to have kept us from being parted in this manner: Then I enter'd into the manner of Peoples settling in those Countries, how they had a quantity of Land given them by the Constitution of the Place; and if not, that it might be purchased at so easy a Rate that it was not worth naming.

I then gave him a full and distinct account of the nature of Planting, how with carrying over but two or three Hundred Pounds value in English Goods, with some Servants and Tools, a Man of Application wou'd presently lay a Foundation for a Family, and in a few Years would raise an Estate.

I let him into the nature of the Product of the Earth, how the Ground was Cur'd and Prepar'd, and what the usual Increase of it was; and demonstrated to him, that in a very few Years, with such a Beginning, we should be as certain of being Rich, as we were now certain of being Poor.

He was surpriz'd at my Discourse; for we made it the whole Subject of our Conversation for near a Week together, in which time I laid it down in black and white, as we say, that it was morally impossible, with a supposition of any reasonable good Conduct, but that we must thrive there and do very well.

Then I told him what measures I would take to raise such a Sum as 300l.