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on　some　other　parts　of　the　English　colonies　in　America。



He　told　me　he　wrote　two　or　three　letters　to　me；　directed　

according　to　my　order；　but　heard　nothing　from　me。　　This　I　

indeed　knew　to　be　true；　but　the　letters　coming　to　my　hand　in　

the　time　of　my　latter　husband；　I　could　do　nothing　in　it；　and　

therefore　chose　to　give　no　answer；　that　so　he　might　rather　

believe　they　had　miscarried。



Being　thus　disappointed；　he　said；　he　carried　on　the　old　trade　

ever　since；　though　when　he　had　gotten　so　much　money；　he　

said；　he　did　not　run　such　desperate　risks　as　he　did　before。　　

Then　he　gave　me　some　account　of　several　hard　and　desperate　

encounters　which　he　had　with　gentlemen　on　the　road；　who　

parted　too　hardly　with　their　money；　and　showed　me　some　

wounds　he　had　received；　and　he　had　one　or　two　very　terrible　

wounds　indeed；　as　particularly　one　by　a　pistol　bullet；　which　

broke　his　arm；　and　another　with　a　sword；　which　ran　him　quite　

through　the　body；　but　that　missing　his　vitals；　he　was　cured　

again；　one　of　his　comrades　having　kept　with　him　so　faithfully；　

and　so　friendly；　as　that　he　assisted　him　in　riding　near　eighty　

miles　before　his　arm　was　set；　and　then　got　a　surgeon　in　a　

considerable　city；　remote　from　that　place　where　it　was　done；　

pretending　they　were　gentlemen　travelling　towards　Carlisle　

and　that　they　had　been　attacked　on　the　road　by　highwaymen；　

and　that　one　of　them　had　shot　him　into　the　arm　and　broke　

the　bone。



This；　he　said；　his　friend　managed　so　well；　that　they　were　not　

suspected　at　all；　but　lay　still　till　he　was　perfectly　cured。　　He　

gave　me　so　many　distinct　accounts　of　his　adventures；　that　it　

is　with　great　reluctance　that　I　decline　the　relating　them；　but　I　

consider　that　this　is　my　own　story；　not　his。



I　then　inquired　into　the　circumstances　of　his　present　case　at　

that　time；　and　what　it　was　he　expected　when　he　came　to　be　

tried。　　He　told　me　that　they　had　no　evidence　against　him；　or　

but　very　little；　for　that　of　three　robberies；　which　they　were　all　

charged　with；　it　was　his　good　fortune　that　he　was　but　in　one　

of　them；　and　that　there　was　but　one　witness　to　be　had　for　that　

fact；　which　was　not　sufficient；　but　that　it　was　expected　some　

others　would　come　in　against　him；　that　he　thought　indeed；　

when　he　first　saw　me；　that　I　had　been　one　that　came　of　that　

errand；　but　that　if　somebody　came　in　against　him；　he　hoped　

he　should　be　cleared；　that　he　had　had　some　intimation；　that　if　

he　would　submit　to　transport　himself；　he　might　be　admitted　

to　it　without　a　trial；　but　that　he　could　not　think　of　it　with　any　

temper；　and　thought　he　could　much　easier　submit　to　be　hanged。



I　blamed　him　for　that；　and　told　him　I　blamed　him　on　two　

accounts；　first；　because　if　he　was　transported；　there　might　be　

a　hundred　ways　for　him　that　was　a　gentleman；　and　a　bold　

enterprising　man；　to　find　his　way　back　again；　and　perhaps　

some　ways　and　means　to　come　back　before　he　went。　　He　

smiled　at　that　part；　and　said　he　should　like　the　last　the　best　of　

the　two；　for　he　had　a　kind　of　horror　upon　his　mind　at　his　being　

sent　over　to　the　plantations；　as　Romans　sent　condemned　

slaves　to　work　in　the　mines；　that　he　thought　the　passage　into　

another　state；　let　it　be　what　it　would；　much　more　tolerable　at　

the　gallows；　and　that　this　was　the　general　notion　of　all　the　

gentlemen　who　were　driven　by　the　exigence　of　their　fortunes　

to　take　the　road；　that　at　the　place　of　execution　there　was　at　

least　an　end　of　all　the　miseries　of　the　present　state；　and　as　for　

what　was　to　follow；　a　man　was；　in　his　opinion；　as　likely　to　

repent　sincerely　in　the　last　fortnight　of　his　life；　under　the　

pressures　and　agonies　of　a　jail　and　the　condemned　hole；　as　he　

would　ever　be　in　the　woods　and　wilderness　of　America；　that　

servitude　and　hard　labour　were　things　gentlemen　could　never　

stoop　to；　that　it　was　but　the　way　to　force　them　to　be　their　own　

executioners　afterwards；　which　was　much　worse；　and　that　

therefore　he　could　not　have　any　patience　when　he　did　but　

think　of　being　transported。



I　used　the　utmost　of　my　endeavour　to　persuade　him；　and　joined　

that　known　woman's　rhetoric　to　itI　mean；　that　of　tears。　　I　told　

him　the　infamy　of　a　public　execution　was　certainly　a　greater　

pressure　upon　the　spirits　of　a　gentleman　than　any　of　the　

mortifications　that　he　could　meet　with　abroad　could　be；　that　

he　had　at　least　in　the　other　a　chance　for　his　life；　whereas　here　

he　had　none　at　all；　that　it　was　the　easiest　thing　in　the　world　

for　him　to　manage　the　captain　of　a　ship；　who　were；　generally　

speaking；　men　of　good…humour　and　some　gallantry；　and　a　

small　matter　of　conduct；　especially　if　there　was　any　money　

to　be　had；　would　make　way　for　him　to　buy　himself　off　when　

he　came　to　Virginia。



He　looked　wistfully　at　me；　and　I　thought　I　guessed　at　what　he　

meant；　that　is　to　say；　that　he　had　no　money；　but　I　was　mistaken；　

his　meaning　was　another　way。　　'You　hinted　just　now；　my　dear；'　

said　he；　'that　there　might　be　a　way　of　coming　back　before　I　

went；　by　which　I　understood　you　that　it　might　be　possible　to　

buy　it　off　here。　　I　had　rather　give　#200　to　prevent　going；　than　

#100　to　be　set　at　liberty　when　I　came　there。'　　'That　is；　my　dear；'　

said　I；　'because　you　do　not　know　the　place　so　well　as　I　do。'　　

'That　may　be；'　said　he；　'and　yet　I　believe；　as　well　as　you　know　

it；　you　would　do　the　same；　unless　it　is　because；　as　you　told　

me；　you　have　a　mother　there。'



I　told　him；　as　to　my　mother；　it　was　next　to　impossible　but　

that　she　must　be　dead　many　years　before；　and　as　for　any　other　

relations　that　I　might　have　there；　I　knew　them　not　now；　that　

since　the　misfortunes　I　had　been　under　had　reduced　me　to　the　

condition　I　had　been　in　for　some　years；　I　had　not　kept　up　any　

correspondence　with　them；　and　that　he　would　easily　believe；　

I　should　find　but　a　cold　reception　from　them　if　I　should　be　

put　to　make　my　first　visit　in　the　condition　of　a　transported　

felon；　that　therefore；　if　I　went　thither；　I　resolved　not　to　see　

them；　but　that　I　had　many　views　in　going　there；　if　it　should　be　

my　fate；　which　took　off　all　the　uneasy　part　of　it；　and　if　he　

found　himself　obliged　to　go　also；　I　should　easily　instruct　him　

how　to　manage　himself；　so　as　never　to　go　a　servant　at　all；　

especially　since　I　found　he　was　not　destitute　of　money；　which　

was　the　only　friend　in　such　a　condition。



He　smiled；　and　said　he　did　not　tell　me　he　had　money。　　I　took　

him　up　short；　and　told　him　I　hoped　he　did　not　understand　by　

my　speaking；　that　I　should　expect　any　supply　from　him　if　he　

had　money；　that；　on　the　other　hand；　though　I　had　not　a　great　

deal；　yet　I　did　not　want；　and　while　I　had　any　I　would　rather　

add　to　him　than　weaken　him　in　that　article；　seeing；　whatever　

he　had；　I　knew　in　the　case　of　transportation　he　would　have　

occasion　of　it　all。



He　expressed　himself　in　a　most　tender　manner　upon　that　head。　　

He　told　me　what　money　he　had　was　not　a　great　deal；　but　that　

he　would　never　hide　any　of　it　from　me　if　I　wanted　it；　and　that　

he　assured　me　he　did　not　speak　with　any　such　apprehensions；　

that　he　was　only　intent　upon　what　I　had　hinted　to　him　before　

he　went；　that　here　he　knew　what　to　do　with　himself；　but　that　

there　he　should　be　the　most　ignorant；　helpless　wretch　alive。



I　told　him　he　frighted　and　terrified　himself　with　that　which　

had　no　terror　in　it；　that　if　he　had　money；　as　I　was　glad　to　hear　

he　had；　he　might　not　only　avoid　the　servitude　supposed　to　be　

the　consequence　of　transportation；　but　begin　the　world　upon　

a　new　foundation；　and　that　such　a　one　as　he　could　not　fail　of　

success　in；　with　the　common　application　usual　in　such　cases；　

that　he　could　not　but　call　to　mind　that　is　was　what　I　had　

recommended　to　him　many　years　before　and　had　proposed　it　

for　our　mutual　subsistence　and　restoring　our　fortunes　in　the　

world；　and　I　would　tell　him　now；　that　to　convince　him　both　

of　the　certainty　of　it　and　of　my　being　fully　acquainted　with　the　

method；　and　also　fully　satisfied　in　the　probability　of　success；　

he　should　first　see　me　deliver　myself　from　the　necessity　of　

going　over　at　all；　and　then　that　I　would　go　with　him　freely；　

and　of　my　own　choice；　and　perhaps　carry　enough　with　me　to　

satisfy　him　that　I　did　not　offer　it　for　want　of　being　able　to　live　

without　assistance　from　him；　but　that　I　thought　our　mutual　

misfortunes　had　been　such　as　were　sufficient　to　reconcile　us　

both　to　quitting　this　part　of　the　world；　and　living　where　

nobody　could　upbraid　us　with　what　was　past；　or　we　be　in　any　

dread　of　a　prison；　and　without　agonies　of　a　condemned　hole　

to　drive　us　to　it；　this　where　we　should　look　back　on　all　our　

past　disasters　with　infinite　satisfaction；　when　we　should　

consider　that　our　enemies　should　entirely　forget　us；　and　that　

we　should　live　as　new　people　in　a　new　world；　nobody　having　

anything　to　say　to　us；　or　we　to　them。



I　pressed　this　home　to　him　with　so　many　arguments；　and　

answered　all　his　own　passionate　objections　so　effec