CHAP. I. HANNAH AND JOHN DASH INTO LIFE, AND SUCCEED RAPIDLY.

IT is the cuſtom of writers to terminate a hiſtory on the marriage of their Hero and Heroine; forgetting, that as they are then only at the beginning of their cares, the [2] work ſtands a chance, from that period, of becoming more and more diverſified, con⯑ſequently more and more intereſting to the reader.

As to what has befallen me, I can ſafely ſay, that ſome addition has been made to the meaſure of my care, from the firſt moment I could remember, which was pretty early, to the moment I am now writing; but, I thank God, my mind has ſtrengthened in proportion to every exi⯑gency, and the conſciouſneſs of having never, intentionally, brought any miſery on my head, affords me a comfort, in the midſt of all my afflictions, that the guilty happy, if I may ſo expreſs myſelf, might envy.

Previous to the wedding, we had many conſultations as to the plan of life we ſhould purſue. I had ſaved nearly four hundred pounds from my own earnings, and my brother's preſents. Hewit ex⯑pected [3] to receive ſeven hundred pounds as his ſhare of prize money, and my bro⯑ther would inſiſt upon giving me five more, as a marriage portion. With this ſum it was concluded that we could not do better than ſet up in buſineſs in Lon⯑don; for though we were but a young couple, Hewit being but twenty-three, and I not quite twenty, they paid me the compliment of ſaying, that with prudence, like mine, ſucceſs could not fail to crown our endeavours.

To be ſure my brother talked ſome⯑thing of taking Hewit to ſea after the honey moon, as he called it, and, I muſt own, he himſelf did not ſeem very averſe to the propoſal; but I parried that and every other objection with great ſucceſs, till finding the Wolverhampton manufac⯑turers were charmed at the idea of my opening a warehouſe in town, and that they, one and all, were ready to give us [4] unlimited credit and aſſiſtance, it would have been madneſs to have contended againſt a plan ſo very eligible, and ſo evi⯑dently advantageous.

John's maſter was one of the firſt that came into the above ſcheme, and gene⯑ronſly gave him up his indentures for the purpoſe, remarking, that as far as he knew the buſineſs, he was a very good work⯑man; and, at any rate, he knew enough to ſuperintend a ſhop of his own, adding, that if he was only careful and induſtrious, aſſiſted by ingenuity like mine, we could not fail of making a fortune.

All matters being now properly ar⯑rainged, it was agreed that we ſhould firſt go to Briſtol to ſettle my brother's affairs, and thoſe of Hewit, and then to town; and that no time might be loſt, Mr. Smallbrook undertook that a friend of his ſhould be inſtructed to look out for a houſe and warehouſe fit for our purpoſe.

[5] It muſt be confeſſed, my heart warmed at theſe proſpects; and though I felt great regret at the idea of leaving ſo many va⯑luable friends, yet I had ever conſidered Wolverhampton as by no means the pro⯑per ſphere for an emulative mind like mine to move in. I panted for an op⯑portunity of diſplaying my abilities, ſuch as they were, in the only place where they could be ſeen to advantage. How many patents had the ſuggeſtions of my inge⯑nuity procured for others; how juſt then that in future the profit ſhould be my own, and again, a conſideration above all theſe, the love of John Hewit would, of courſe, encreaſe with my celebrity.

The parting from my friends at Wol⯑verhampton, was truly intereſting. Parſon Williams told John Hewit, that he had the beſt wife in the world, and John pro⯑miſed to make the beſt huſband in the world. I took a tender leave of my two female friends, who promiſed to cor⯑reſpond [6] with me, to be kind to Mrs. Crow, and to ſuperintend my Sunday ſchool. Mr. Smallbrook, and Mr. Gregory, un⯑dertook to be our agents at Wolverhamp⯑ton, and we to be theirs' in London; and now, with hearts full of love and gratitude, accompanied with the good wiſhes of our friends, we ſet out for Briſtol.

My brother and Hewit, in the courſe of a few weeks, received their right. But nothing could induce the former to have any thing more to do with the Briſtol mer⯑chants. He ſaid they were ſharks at ſea, crocodiles in ſhoal water, and tygers on land. So giving them a hearty curſe, it being now in time of peace, he applied to ſome friends in London, from whence he ſoon ſailed commander of a fine Weſt-Indiaman.

On our arrival in town, we found that Mr. Smallbrook's friend had not neglected his commiſſion. He took us to ſee ſe⯑veral [7] houſes; and, at laſt, we pitched upon one that ſeemed extremely well to anſwer our purpoſe. It was ſituated in the moſt conſpicuous part of Cockſpur⯑ſtreet.

I ſeemed now in the very atmoſphere I was born to breathe. I was continually bringing out ſome improvement on every article in our way. If a thing uſually went by a weight, I altered it and made it go by a ſpring; if wheels went well by being vertical, I made them go better by being horizontal; every ſquare form be⯑came, by my direction, an oblong; and every circle lengthened into an oval at my bidding. The buſineſs was to make every thing aſſume an unuſual form. Con⯑venience had nothing to do with it. No⯑velty was the only thing to be thought of. Thus it ſoon grew as cuſtomary to en⯑quire after the laſt new ſpring candleſtick, or reverberating cheeſe toaſter, at Hewit's, [8] as after the laſt new comedy, or tragedy, at Drury Lane, or Covent Garden.

Through the medium of our extenſive connections, we were ſoon ſurrounded with friends; and by continually keeping invention upon the ſtretch, we had plenty of means to keep up a large and oppulent acquaintance. Hewit was delighted at this, and as the ſum of all my wiſhes was the happineſs of my huſband, I gave into, perhaps, more extravagance than, at firſt, was prudent, without the ſmalleſt uneaſi⯑neſs, however, for my genius was inex⯑hauſtible, and there was no fear but that the ſpirit of the Engliſh would ever be found to encourage ingenuity.

We had an ſuperb Villa, kept a coach and a phaeton, both with ſprings of my own invention, which, of courſe, were inſtantly imitated; and having in the country been adviſed to work in the garden, on account [9] of a bilious habit, I became, in a ſhort time, an excellent botaniſt; ſo that we abounded in town and country elegance, all the reſult of my fancy.

To crown our felicity, I had now two ſweet children, the eldeſt a fine boy, and the youngeſt a lovely girl.

We had gone on in this ſtyle for five years, viſiting and been viſited, feaſting and being feaſted, till there could not be a pitch of faſhion which we did not arrive at; and yet, ſo confirmed was our ſucceſs, we could command the means to indulge ourſelves in much more. But I do not know how it was, I never had a true reliſh for any of this pleaſure; and I have often been more delighted with contemplating the beauty of a leaf, or a flower, in an in⯑ſulated green-houſe, and hermitage, which I had built in a large piece of water, and in which I took greater pleaſure, than in all [10] the vain tinſel and tawdry trappings of a ball-room.

One reaſon, perhaps, was this: I could not find in all the variety of characters that ſurrounded me, a creature like my⯑ſelf. I had a warm heart, and both pro⯑feſſed and felt cordial friendſhip, others were cold, forbidding, and inacceſſable; and though they profeſſed as much as I did, they felt nothing. I envied no wo⯑man the poſſeſſion of a handſome and accompliſhed huſband. Every woman ſeemed to envy me the poſſeſſion of mine, and every man to envy him the poſſeſſion of me; for under the mark of vivacity and gallantry, all his friends made love to me, and all mine ſeemed as if they wiſhed he ſhould make love to them.

This life, of all pleaſure and no hap⯑pineſs, threw me at times into a very deep melancholy. Not being able to applaud [11] myſelf for giving into ſuch folly and ab⯑ſurdity, the applauſe of the giddy and the vain, operated as a ſevere ſatire on my conduct, and many a ſmile that I forced into my face in public, has been followed by an involuntary tear the moment I was alone.

My greateſt pleaſure was to take my children to my little iſland, and watch my improvements. Ah! how often have I indulged there an irreſiſtable impulſe, no doubt a foreboding of my preſent fate, that confidently aſſured me, were that ſpot ſeparated from human ſociety, ſo that I could have my huſband, and my children, and merely common neceſſaries, I ſhould be much more happy than in ſuch a de⯑ceitful world.

This train of ideas made me reſolve to prevail on my huſband, who ſeemed as if he lived but to oblige me, to ſave a cer-to [12] retire from the buſtle of the world. He came into my propoſal, and there ap⯑peared, juſt then, an admirable opportu⯑nity of accelerating ſuch a ſcheme.

A tin mine was ſaid to have been diſ⯑covered on one ſide of Saliſbury plain, and the ſhares in it were expected to yield, at leaſt, forty per cent. We enquired into the particulars; and finding very ſolid ground to believe that we ſhould be perfectly ſe⯑cure, we adventured nine thouſand pounds in the ſcheme.

This brought me a good deal about. The expectation of hitting on a way to accompliſh my plan of eaſe and retire⯑ment, made me bear the tumult of the world with renewed ſprightlineſs and good humour, and the pleaſure this gave my huſband, abſorbing every other conſidera⯑tion I joined in the throng, and my me⯑lancholy, though ever intenſe, was never perceived.

CHAP II. HANNAH AND JOHN GO ON IN A GREAT STYLE, AND ARE SURROUNDED BY DEPENDANTS OF ALL DE⯑SCRIPTIONS.

MY taſte was now conſulted in every thing. The Hewit cap, the Hewit bon⯑net, and the Hewit robe were all the faſhion; and if I had had vanity enough to credit the aſſertions of thoſe who partook of our dinners, I poſſeſſed more refined elegance than any woman in town.

There was no end to the train that ſur⯑rounded us. I painted, and every poor artiſt in town courted my opinion; I wrote, and all the poor poets dedicated [14] their works to me; I underſtood a little of muſic, and my patronage was ſought by all the frequenters of the Orange Coffee-houſe.

My ſonnets, elegies, and eclogues, I knew not how, got into the papers, under the ſignature of 'Petrach's Laura.' They were afterwards ſelected into a pocket vo⯑lume; and, moſt impartially celebrated as a model for Engliſh poetry in the Re⯑views. Daubings, that would have diſ⯑graced a club-room, were firſt exhibited, and afterwards engraved by ſubſcription, under an idea, that they had the honour and advantage of my ſanction; and many an eaſy ſet of ſonatos, which it was impoſ⯑ſible for any body to play, had a prodi⯑gious run, from the fortunate circum⯑ſtance of my having done them the honour to give them a place on my piano forte; an inſtrument ſomething between the vir⯑ginal and the clarichord, ſtruck by ham⯑mers; originally made from a ſuggeſtion of [15] mine, and which, on that account, had juſt then became the height of the mode, and has obtained wonderfully ſince.

I permitted all this nonſence, not to gratify my own vanity, for to conſider properly, it was a ſevere ſarcaſm to patro⯑nize ſtupidity, but that the poor rogues might eat. Not that every caſe was alike. All my dependants were bad enough off, but not equally ſo. My painters, through ſign-poſts, coach-makers, cheap magazines, or the theatres, could get ſomething to eat; and a muſician, with a fiddle under his arm, found no difficulty in ſcraping up a little bread.

But the caſe was different with the poor poet. He muſt ſhiver in the avenues of Paternoſter-row, and watch, with de⯑ference and reſpect, for the fortunate mo⯑ment of being called in to earn the li⯑beral ſum of half a guinea, by doing a magazine. If he be a retainer to a newſ⯑paper, [16] he muſt, while he is torne with hunger, deſcribe ſumptuous feaſts; while he roams without a lodging, he muſt ex⯑patiate upon gorgeous palaces; and he muſt minutely particularize every beauty of court dreſſes, on a birth day, while he is trembling without a coat to his back.

Though I heartily lamented the occaſion, I cannot help ſaying, that it gave me ſome ſatisfaction to be able, by a knowledge of theſe circumſtances, to account for the ſcandalous and ſhameful rancour with which theſe poor devils beſpatter one an⯑other. Literature, by expanding the mind, is ſurely calculated to convey noble and generous ſentiments; and, in proportion as the human intellects are enlarged and improved, ſo one would think they would become fraught with the divinely ſocial quality of beneficence; but as we are taught to conſider ſelf preſervation as pa⯑ramount to all other motives, ſo it muſt be that conſideration, and that only, in [17] men of enlightened manners and in⯑formed minds, which can poſſibly account for their barking and ſnarling, and ſnatch⯑ing the fluctuating morſel from each others' mouth, like ſo many half famiſhed curs.

This alſo I ſhould ſuppoſe has an ef⯑fect on their tempers, and thus their tem⯑pers are reflected in their writings. One addreſſes your feelings in his works in the language of an incendiary, as if he thought you could be bullied into compaſſion, and reviles the age and every one in it, imply⯑ing that there is no virtuous man but him⯑ſelf, the prominent feature of whoſe vir⯑tue he convinces you, by his manner, is vain aſſumption, and impertinent arro⯑gance.

Another, no leſs hurt, throws into his ſtyle all the oily, ſmoothneſs of fulſome adulation; and with the ſame ductile plia⯑bility, praiſes every body, and every thing; [18] but his commendation is an affront, and his flattery a nauſea, for no man can be all virtue any more than he can be all vice; and, indeed, even if he ſpoke his ſenti⯑ments, he is the laſt man in the world to judge of what he writes; for while his pen emits milk, his heart overflows with gall; and while he effects the language of can⯑dour, he is torne with the gnawings of envy.

As to the lady writers, whoſe merito⯑rious exertions I had ſo much admired in the country, they none of them came in my way, being well patronized before; and if they had, there were many reaſons why I muſt have declined aſſiſting them, all which are very probably obvious to the reader; I ſhall, therefore, only ſay, that now my judgment had grown more mature, I conſiderably altered my opinion, and wondered how the age could, with any degree of patience, except in ſuch inſtances, as my nameſake Hannah More, [19] Miſs Seward, my dear Miſs Margery Wil⯑liams, and a few others, receive leſſons of virtue and morality from women, the notoriety of whoſe practices gave the broad lie to their precepts.

Being, I own, a little wickedly inclined to impoſe upon that world which I ſaw ſo willing to impoſe upon itſelf, I, now and then, helped my poor dependants out, by ſubſtituting a portion of my ingenuity to make up their deficiency in merit. If an author had failed by a poem, I made him ſucceed by a puzzle; if a muſician loſt money by compoſing what was eaſy, I brought him up by ſhewing him how to compoſe what was impracticable; if a painter could not ſucceed by imitating nature, I made him ſtrike into caracature. Every body recollects the cylindrical prints; they were entirely of my in⯑vention.

But the thing in which I beſt ſuc⯑eeded, [20] was an invention of mine to ſerve Walmeſley; who having made one voyage with my brother to the Weſt Indies, de⯑termined, on his return, to live peaceably upon Terra Firma. We all contributed towards eſtabliſhing him; and it was re⯑ſolved he ſhould open a warehouſe for the ſale of patent medicines, which, as the rea⯑der knows, he was well qualified to coun⯑terfeit.

Celebrity, however, is only to be at⯑tained by novelty. I, therefore, invented a new medicine, which was to cure, or rather to prevent, every poſſible ſpecies of diſorder to which the human frame is lia⯑ble. The doctrine upon which this aſ⯑ſertion hinged was this: All diſorders proceed from the blood; and could that fluid be kept pure and uncontaminated, it muſt be clear to every capacity, that there would immediately be an end of gouts, fevers, and all the long catalogue of complaints inumerated in the bills of mortality.

[21] The virtue of eradicating every ſpe⯑cies of impurity from the circulation we were to prove that our noſtrum clearly poſſeſſed; which I went about to do, in the hand bill I drew up for Walmeſley, in the following manner:

I called this ſovereign remedy, 'The Univerſal Specific; or, Eſſence of May Dew, impregnated with Spirit of Owl's Dung.' I then held this argument. The blood is, certainly, in its pureſt ſtate when both the body and mind are in their ſtrongeſt vigour. Now the month of May is the moſt vigorous and healthy month in the year, and the owl is the bird of wiſdom, inaſmuch as Minerva herſelf, has the image of that bird for her creſt.

May dew has ſenſibly been called the Eſſence of Vegetation, and it is be⯑lieved, by more than one writer on agri⯑culture, to contain particles imbued with nutrimental qualities, which, perforating [22] the pores of the leaf on which the dew falls, penetrate the ſap, and conſequently contribute to the health of the plant.

Thus I fairly eſtabliſhed my poſition, as far as it related to animal exiſtence by means of fermentation, a quality, I ar⯑gued, as certainly eſſential as putreſaction; for man is an entity, part animal, part ve⯑getable, hair and nails being brought to perfection as mechanically as cucumbers; for, like them, they are improved by prun⯑ing, and, like them, grow beſt, hair eſpe⯑cially, in a hot ſoil.

To make good the remainder of my argument, I reaſoned thus: As animal exiſtence is allowed, in great meaſure, to depend on putrefaction, as the owl is the bird of all others endowed with moſt wiſ⯑dom, and as wiſdom is the mind's health; the owl's dung, being the putrefacton of wiſdom, the ſpirit extracted from it muſt naturally, materially brace and ſtrengthen [23] the mind, and, conſequently, aſſiſt in pro⯑moting the vigour of the body.

By the time this medicine had been ſeen on my toilette, and on the toilettes of ſome ladies of my acquaintance, it took beyond credibility; and Walmeſley, per⯑fectly in his element, was enabled to laviſh what he received from the follies of the rich, to relieve the miſeries of the poor.

CHAP. III. FORTUNE GROWS FICKLE, FRIENDS BEGIN TO BE COOL, HANNAH WAKES FROM HER DREAM OF PROSPERITY, JOHN IS AFRAID OF THE BAILIFFS, AND CAPTAIN HIGGINS GETS INTO A PRISON.

BEING now on the very pinnacle of our hopes, having for more than eight years experienced a ſeries of pleaſure and profit ſcarcely credible, we were fated to expe⯑rience a moſt dreadful reverſe. The tin mines turned out a bubble. After ſo much money and labour had been la⯑viſhed away, and diſappointment, that had perpetually ſucceeded to expectation, ſeemed perpetually to be revived with new hopes, like the projection of a che⯑miſt on the eve of finding the philoſopher's ſtone, every thing was flown in fumo.

[25] No tin was to be found, and now all the world, who had encouraged our hopes, and aſſured us we could not fail of making a fortune, for the firſt time, diſcovered that nothing could be ſo mad and abſurd as to ſearch for tin upon Saliſbury Plain.

It was now abſolutely neceſſary im⯑mediately to retrench; and, in retrenching, it was neceſſary to give up our faſhionable friends. Poor Hewit thought otherwiſe, and, Timon like, indulged conſiderable expecta⯑tion from the friendſhip of thoſe to whom we, indeed, had ſhewn friendſhip; but he ſoon found himſelf egregiouſly deceived. There was not a ſingle creature in all the buzzing croud, that had fluttered round us, but flew off and left us as if we had been a contagion.

The cry was—How could ſuch upſtarts preſume to vie with people of faſhion? They had better have ſtuck to their buſi⯑neſs; [26] but this was always the caſe; 'twas not the firſt inſtance of low people being ruined by aping their ſuperiors. It was plain to ſee that every thing had been a long time going to rack and ruin. They did not make half ſuch good ſnuffers as they uſed to do. In ſhort, the ſquibs and ſarcaſms, that flew about, were innumera⯑ble; and, though but a month before, had we been actually guilty of any crime, we could have found friends to have proved us immaculate, had we now been accuſed, though perfectly innocent, it would have gone hard with us; nor did we eſcape my very artiſts, I was lampooned in a ſong, called Pride out of tune, by a muſician for whom I got a large ſubſcription; a painter I had taught to caracature others, caraca⯑tured me; and my milky poet, who had nauſeated me with adulation, now levelled a volley of ſcurility againſt me in a poem, under the title of, 'Sappho in the Tin Mines.'

[27] For my own part, had it not been for the loſs of fortune, I ſhould have rejoiced at all this, for I had long wiſhed to give Hewit a diſtaſte to the world, and this fairly completed my purpoſe.

One thing in particular took effect ex⯑actly as I had wiſhed; my huſband and I, as before mentioned, had a diſpute when firſt we ourſelves received the news of our loſs, and while it continued unknown to our acquaintance. He, being of opinion that we ſhould keep their countenance and good wiſhes, and I, that we ſhould be ut⯑terly forſaken. I offered to put it at iſſue, in a way that pleaſed him very much.

Having a good deal led the faſhions, my taſte, as I before obſerved, was looked up to as a pattern of elegance; but, parti⯑cularly, as to the ſhape. I altered the waiſt at any time in a month; and, at the period [28] I am ſpeaking of, I had brought it to ſuch a length, that when a lady ſat down the peak of her ſtays touched the chair. My propoſal was, all of a ſudden, to ſhorten the waiſt to nothing, to tye a ſaſh immediately under the arms, and let all below reſemble a promiſcuous maſs of looſe drapery, under an idea that the faſhion was Grecian.

At the ſame time I propoſed, that Hewit ſhould have a great coat made without ſkirts, and his excuſe ſhould be that ſkirts were an inconvenient thing in the rain, and that the upper part would an⯑ſwer all the purpoſe of warmth for which great coats were worne. We both agreed that the faſhion would be followed; the diſpute was, whether or not they would continue it when they knew our reverſe of fortune.

He agreed to abide the trial; and, on the following Sunday, we drove round the [29] Ring in Hyde Park, dreſſed in our new Hewits; which were, firſt, the ſurprize, and afterwards the admiration of every body. The papers were full of the new Hewits. On the following Sunday many people wore them; on the Sunday after, every body wore them; and on the Sun⯑day after that, our ill fortune getting ſcent in the interval, every body left them off.

Upon a fair review of our ſituation there appeared nothing deſperate in it; for though Mr. Smallbrook was dead, and Mr. Gregory had retired from buſineſs, which, by the way, cut off all communi⯑cation between me and Miſs Binns, who had been gone ſome time under the care of a friend to the Eaſt Indies, yet our Wolverhampton and Pontepool connec⯑tions were as extenſive as ever; and though it did not appear that we could perfect our plan of retirement as ſoon as could be expected, yet there did not ſeem [30] to be much danger, with care, of our liv⯑ing in a very comfortable ſtyle.

But now came a ſevere ſtroke indeed. The buſineſs of the tin mines had been as complete a deception as the famous South Sea bubble. Several individuals con⯑cerned were declared bankrupts, and it ſoon became evident that no real money had been employed in it but ours. We began now to tremble for the conſe⯑quences; for as the whole was completely a partnerſhip, we feared that the ſolvent parties might be ſued for deficiencies. Theſe fears were ſoon realized; and in the courſe of a few months, demands were exhibited againſt us to the amount of al⯑moſt twelve thouſand pounds.

Ruin now ſtared us in the face. To appeaſe the rapacity of the moſt importu⯑nate, firſt went the leaſe of the houſe in the country, with all my improvements—The carriages had been put down before—Next [31] jewels, then plate, in ſhort, we ſtript our⯑ſelves and yet were as much peſtered as ever; nor did misfortune threaten us alone: my elder brother, who had made ſeveral very ſucceſsful voyages to the Weſt-Indies, had been prevailed on by the very ſame ſet to trade, according to his own fancy, upon a two years voyage. The plan was his own, and it muſt be confeſſed it was a good idea.

He was to purchaſe commodities at any place he thought proper, where they were cheap, and to fell them in countries where they were dear. They fitted him out with money to their laſt guinea, and all their expectation of a ſupply was from what he might have to remit them. He, always juſt, remitted to the very ſhilling, drawing upon them for repairs, victualing, and others incurred expences, according to the nature of the exigency. It ſo hap⯑pened, that having been at ſeveral markets up the Streights, and in different parts of [32] the Mediterranian, he had in his hands, of theirs, upwards of three thouſand pounds, which he informed them of; and alſo that he meant to bring it home, the term of his voyage being nearly expired.

Having put into Leghorn, he was aſto⯑niſhed at being applied to for a bill of four hundred pounds, which his owners had re⯑fuſed to accept, and which had, therefore, been proteſted in form. He paid it of courſe with their money, but could not help thinking there was ſomething extra⯑ordinary in the tranſaction. He, however, thought it could be ſome how or other explained, and touched at another part, where a demand, in the ſame way, was exhibited againſt him of ſeven hundred pounds. In ſhort, before he reached the Thames, he had paid upwards of two thou⯑ſand pounds of his owners' money in this manner.

Having fairly now diſcovered what [33] men he had to deal with, he determined, the moment he ſet his foot aſhore, to con⯑ſult ſome attorney as to what ſteps he could take againſt them, for his name was out upon all their engagements.

The attorney informed him, with very little ceremony, that there was a ſtatute of bankruptcy out againſt his owners, that among the accounts they had given in was one charging him with the value of the ſhip and her different cargoes, all correctly ſpecified in letters and memorandums re⯑ceived from himſelf; and, alſo, three thou⯑ſand pounds and upwards, which money he had acquainted them remained in his hands before he touched at Leghorn. That as theſe were large ſums, and the aſſignees were very anxious to receive all monies due to the creditors at large, he had ſued out a proceſs againſt him, to be ready on his arrival, and he might now have his choice of going either to a Spunging-houſe, [34] or at once to Newgate, as he might think proper.

Thus did I welcome my brother home by viſiting him in Newgate, from whence, however, he was ſoon removed to the Fleet, where we had ſcarcely ſeen him ſafe, but we had reaſon enough to believe we ſhould ſoon join him. In the mean time, as we paid enormous ſums, through the villainy of the ſame oppreſſors, we were told that we might have our remedy againſt them, among whom, to my con⯑fuſion, as it came out, upon an inveſtiga⯑tion, were collaterally concerned the vil⯑lain Sourby, and my unnatural brother the lawyer.

CHAP IV. HANNAH AND JOHN, TO AVOID THE MALICE OF THE WORLD, ASSUME THE GARB OF HUMILITY.

THE-further we looked into our affairs, the more we were confirmed in the cer⯑tainty that our ruin and my brother's had been long, regularly, and ſyſtematically determined upon. From the moment our good genius took us by the hand and led us on towards proſperity and independence, thoſe fiends, Sourby, and my brother the lawyer, were contriving, in ſecret, ſome diabolical ſcheme to fatten themſelves at the expence of our induſtry.

[36] I own I had, at times, feared ſomething of this; for my brother, the lawyer, had, ſoon after we ſettled in town, made ſeveral attempts at a reconciliation, which I never would ſubmit to; and Sourby had thrown himſelf purpoſely in the way of Hewit at public places, and once, at a coffee-houſe, he managed to be of a party at a card ta⯑ble, where John was preſently cheated out of fifty pounds. Indeed, one evening he had the audacity to addreſs me in a very particular manner at the rout of a perſon of diſtinction; and when I repulſed his impertinence in the manner it deſerved, he told me, in a very pointed manner, that high as I carried my head at preſent, I might one day, perhaps, be obliged to humble to him.

It was plain now that we had not a ſingle moment to loſe. The firſt ſtep was to keep Hewit out of the way, that he might not ſhare the fate of my brother. [37] For this purpoſe we hid him at Wal⯑meſley's, where, while I ſet my face to the weather at home, he drew out a faithful account of our affairs, in order to ſee what it would be in our power to do to keep our heads above water.

This, however, appeared to be imprac⯑ticable, for our property had been ſo im⯑paired by the late various and heavy de⯑mands, that we had, of what we could call our own, but little more than would cover the juſt due of thoſe tradeſmen and manu⯑facturers, whoſe debts, indeed, the only le⯑gal debts we owed, we were determined honourably and conſcientiouſly to diſ⯑charge.

In our counſels, therefore, which we held at my brother's apartment in the Fleet every Sunday, where, by the way, his unconquerable fortitude, and ſweetneſs of temper, had endeared him to every body, it was thought expedient for Hewit [38] to execute a deed of truſt in favour of my brother, that the property might be imme⯑diately appropriated by him to the pay⯑ment of our legal debts.

This was done, poſſeſſion was then given, and our tormentors had no remedy as to property. Circular letters were next written to thoſe creditors we meant to pay, who, as the reader will learn, were honourably paid twenty ſhillings in the pound.

The villains who had ruined us, were now, of courſe, ſo exaſperated, that it be⯑came more neceſſary than ever to conceal the perſon of Hewit. This could not be done at Walmeſley's, and to place him any where elſe, might be attended with aggra⯑vated danger, beſides being expenſive and inconvenient. What to do? We once had an idea of ſurrendering him to the Fleet, but then it occurred to us, that it might be an impriſonment for life, eſpecially at [39] the inſtance of ſuch implacable enemies; and, again, why anticipate a fate which it would be time enough to ſubmit to when it ſhould be unavoidable.

A variety of expedients ſuggeſted them⯑ſelves. At laſt I hit on one which, at any rate, would give us breathing time, and which, I thought, I could faſhion ſo to Hewit's taſte, as to divert his mind, now completely depreſſed; I, therefore, thus explained my ſcheme to him.

"It is abſolutely neceſſary, my dear Hewit, to exiſt by our induſtry, or ſtarve. We have two ſweet children, and we muſt find bread for them. 'Tis true I can earn money, but it will be impoſſible to be ſafe where we are known. I have, therefore, a plan to propoſe to you, which, at firſt, will look a little romantic, but which, I think, upon reflection, you will approve. I have thought of it with pleaſure upon many accounts. In the firſt place, it will take a [40] load off your mind; in the next place, it will give you an opportunity of laughing at that world which is now laughing at you; again, it will procure me the coveteous happineſs of having you entirely to my⯑ſelf; and, laſtly, it will ſtrengthen, if poſſi⯑ble, your affection for me, by ſhewing you that I am ready to embrace any fortune, though ever ſo humble, out of affection to you.

"In ſhort, my love," ſaid I, "this is what I propoſe. That you ſhould viſit thoſe parts of the kingdom where we are unknown, as a Razor-grinder, attended by your wife and children. Our grandeur ſhall be changed to humility; the hand of neceſſity ſhall form our coach into a machine for whetting knives and ſciſ⯑ſars; our phaeton ſhall be converted into panniers, and our ſtud into an aſs, as a memento of that folly which taught us to laviſh our fortune on an ungrateful world.

[41] "Well," continued I, "how do you reliſh my ſcheme? Is it not, at leaſt, as ſeaſible as Walmeſley's turning bear? I think it is; and, if I miſtake not, I'll make it as amuſing. For one thing, ſuffer what we may, you ſhall never ſee me without a ſmile; indeed, proſperity has often ſorced from my eyes thoſe tears to which the children of humility are ſtrangers. The chearfulneſs of induſtry ſmooths the path of poverty; it looks forward with hope, proſperity ſhrinks backward with fear; and men raiſe thoſe edifices, brick by brick, that, when they fall, fall all at once."

'By heaven!' ſaid John, 'you are an angel, Hannah, and I'll follow you to the world's end. I will laugh at the world, indeed, oppreſs me as it may. I have a right to laugh at it, for I have tricked it of you, a prize of more value than all that's left!' I was delighted at his kindneſs and his willingneſs to embrace my offer, and it [42] was agreed to put our ſcheme in execu⯑tion immediately. Not to detain the rea⯑der, Walmeſley bought a razor-grinder's travelling apparatus, an aſs, and a pair of panniers; I gathered together ſome ne⯑ceſſaries, and ſuch materials as I knew I could turn to account; I concerted with my brother how we ſhould correſpond with each other; and when every neceſ⯑ſary preliminary was ſettled, we ſallied forth on the 9th of September, 1772, a child in each pannier, John crying, 'Ra⯑zors to Grind,' and I decked with a ſtring of pincuſhions and trinkets, for ſale on the way.

Till we got at a diſtance from town, we were rather uneaſy; and our apprehen⯑ſion was not a little increaſed by the very particular notice every body took of us; which, upon reflection, only aroſe from our exhibiting a perfect picture of induſtry, for I was dreſſed ſo tidy, John looked ſo clean, and our children ſo wholeſome, that [43] people gave us more work, out of curio⯑ſity, than would have fallen to our ſhare had there been nothing particular in our appearance; and, at any rate, more than we wiſhed for, on account of the ſmall diſtance we had yet got from London.

The reflection was now verified that I had a thouſand times made. If people are ever ſo poor they may be comfortable to themſelves, and command the attention of the world, particularly women. Inſtead of lounging, with a child over the arm in a crampt attitude, liſtening to the ſcandal of every waſherwoman in the pariſh, her face all grimed, her cloaths all filth, the wife of a labourer, beſtired herſelf to prepare a cleanly repaſt for her returning huſband, and waſhed her face that he might ſee thoſe ſmiles with which he has a right to be re⯑ceived; I will venture to ſay cottages might be the ſeat of content and comfort; and honeſt, hard working men, would ſo⯑lace [44] themſelves with real pleaſures at home, inſtead of being driven by ſlatern⯑lyneſs, and ill temper, to ſeek for artificial pleaſures in an ale-houſe.

This was exemplified at leaſt in me. I had propoſed to Hewit that when we found a good place for our purpoſe, we ſhould ſettle there for a given time in ſome comfortable, cleanly cottage; by which means we ſhould be enabled to avoid all the vulgar croud that would otherwiſe very much annoy us if we took up our reſidence among the common herd at ale-houſes.

I had another reaſon alſo for this. As our converſation and conduct, in every reſpect, were a good deal above the level of perſons in our ſituation, I wiſhed to prevent as much as poſſible all prying into our affairs; for as I knew, by experience, that people in the country ſeldom give a kind motive to what they cannot compre⯑hend, [45] I did not know but one of thoſe ſingular chances which ſeemed particu⯑larly to characterize our fortune, might drag us from our concealment, and ſend us to join my brother.

In ſpight of all my caution, how⯑ever, in the courſe of our itinerant expe⯑dition, there exiſts ſcarcely a motive that could poſſibly apply to our conduct, but was by ſome perſon or other attributed to it. The exciſeman at Colcheſter, ſaid he ſhould not wonder if we were ſmugglers, and declared, one evening at an ale-houſe, which intelligence we received from a very kind friend, who gave the caution in order to put us upon our guard, that if the lawyer was of opinion he could ſtand to it, he would undertake to ſearch us.

He added, that Flanders lace was a thing very eaſy of conveyance; and ſaid that he had ſuſpected that there was ſome⯑thing going forward by my being ſent for [46] by ſo many ladies in the neighbourhood, who had, indeed, bought trinkets of me, and concluded by ſaying, that there was no chance of a reform in ſmuggling, while the heads of the nation connived at it.

At Harwich, an old drum-major was almoſt confident we were ſpies. He had noticed my taking a ſketch of the harbour, the light-houſe, and other objects near the ſea; and was almoſt ſure he had heard me ſay ſomething one day that ſounded very like the French lingo.

But the moſt curious, and, indeed, the moſt ſerious thing that happened, was in a large manufacturing town in Yorkſhire; where we were ſuſpected of being perſons employed by government to mix among the lower claſſes of the people to detect ſedition.

It is certain—the people there being principally diſſenters, and full of fanati⯑ciſm, [47] indeed almoſt the only laborious body in the kingdom, where the mild doc⯑trines of Mr. Weſtley, who always recom⯑mended a ſpirit of loyalty, and a love of order, had not prevailed—moody diſcon⯑tent and turbulent diſquiet ſeemed to mark this dingy race. Their faces, their ſhirts, and their minds, ſeemed to be equally grimed; and inſtead of gratitude to provi⯑dence for placing them in a land the beſt calculated upon earth to protect their fa⯑milies, and ſecure their property, theſe demons, in their fuliginous pandemonium, were perpetually ſeeking to overturn that order their gloomy ſouls had no reliſh for.

Hewit and I, who were both from in⯑clination and duty, firmly loyal, uſed to combat the nonſenſe and wickedneſs of theſe people; whoſe ſanguinary ſcheme, though yet in embryo, it was plain to ſee, if not inſtantly checked, would, one day, expand to the ruin of all order, and good-fellowſhip. They inſtantly became ſhy [48] of us, and my landlord, having one day picked up a letter from Walmeſley, which being interlarded with quotations from plays, ſeemed to favour his ſuſpicions, I remember one of them was, "The reſty knaves are over-run with eaſe, as plenty ever is the nurſe of faction," we received a civil intimation that it would be as ſafe for us to retire to ſome other place; a hint we did not fail inſtantly to profit ourſelves of.

I ſhall not name this place where I ſaw the ſeeds of faction lying dormant like the eggs of ſerpents; if they have been cruſhed, let oblivion hide them, if they have expanded, and have torne the bowels of the parent that foſtered them, let the execration of their fellow creatures be the puniſhment of thoſe who laid them.

CHAP V. MORE ANIMADVERSIONS ON MEN AND MANNERS, AND A LETTER FROM CAPTAIN HIGGINS.

IN this manner, being ſtrangers every where, come where we would, public cu⯑rioſity was excited; till, at length, really, it did not ſeem as if we were born to mix in any ſort of ſociety at all; for as our vulgar intruſion into high life had been ſcouted the moment we became poor; ſo forcing ourſelves into low life, with our decent manners and appearance, expoſed us to a ſuſpicion that we were richer than we would be thought; in which caſe what [50] was the natural concluſion, but that we were afraid of telling who we were?

All we met with, however, treated us civily enough, becauſe we wanted no aſſiſtance from them; and even the wo⯑man of whom I bought black tea at the chandler's ſhop, and who had been the whole morning entertaining her cuſtomers with ſtories ſhe had either heard and exag⯑gerated, or invented of me, allowed that, though with my fair ſkin, and delicate hands, it was plain to ſee I had never been uſed to hard work, and, therefore, muſt have been a gentlewoman; ſhe, for her part, would put no bad inſtructions upon the thing, and dared to ſay, that it was all along of my hard hearted parents, who had cut me with a ſhilling, and diſin⯑heritated me for marrying a handſome ra⯑zor-grinder.

But I ſaw nothing in their clamour againſt me that they did not raiſe againſt [51] one another. If the farrier's daughter re⯑freſhed a lilac ribband with pearl aſhes, that was caſt off by her ladyſhip's woman, it was look at Miſs with her fine top knot! If the 'ſquire's gentleman gave Hodge, the pig driver, a pair of ſhoes to prevent his going bare foot, it was look at the gentle⯑man in his dancing pumps!

Thus was the church-yard of a Sunday, juſt after the parſon had admoniſhed his pariſhioners, and charged them not to ſlander their neighbours, filled with ſar⯑caſtic ruſtics making ſatirical remarks; and thus it went, in gradation, all the way up from the waſherwoman to the 'ſquire's lady. The blue apron envied the check, the check the holland, the holland the plain muſlin, the plain muſlin the ſprigged, the ſprigged the flounced, the flounced the gauze, and the gauze the blond lace.

What does this ſay more than that hu⯑man [52] nature is human nature in all ſtations; and that, however, the other qualities of mankind may fluctuate and vary, envy is always ſtationary.

Envy is ſo natural to the heart of man, that we are not contented with detracting from living merit; but by a horrible effect of that diabolical paſſion, we ceaſe to re⯑gret merit when it is no more; and even the praiſe of great men, after their death, is extorted from us; for we allow it not out of reſpect to their virtues, but to throw an envious ſhadow over thoſe who fill their ſituations. I declare I have heard as malicious a ſarcaſm from a ruſtic in a cottage, aye, and as witty too, as ever I did from the moſt accompliſhed pupil of irony in a circle of the firſt faſhion.

Did the limits of this work permit me, I could relate in it the hiſtories of one-third of the kingdom; for let our ſtay be ever ſo ſhort in a place, I was ſure to hear [53] all that had befallen its inhabitants and their families for a century.

The grandfather of one man of fortune had been a labourer at the time of pulling down an old abbey, where he found a ſtone coffin filled full of money. Another had a great uncle who was a blue coat boy, and he was bribed at the drawing of the lottery to ſecrete the ten thouſand pound prize, for which piece of roguery he was rewarded with half the amount; and be⯑ing, afterwards, honeſt and induſtrious, he had ſo thriven in the world, that though he never got rid of the nick name of Tom of Ten Thouſand, the family were now worth oceans.

A certain baronet had riſen in the world by a little falſe ſtep which his grand⯑mother made with a Prince, who was loſt in a foreſt a hunting. Another gentleman, a great lawyer, poſſeſſed a very large eſtate [54] in conſequence of a diſtant relation's hav⯑ing contrived to hang an innocent man; but the money never proſpered with any of them, for the ghoſt of the man haunted all the family till they dropt off one by one, and now this only remaining heir was going after the reſt, for he was reported to have a wolf in his arm, which made now and then a horrible howling, but the fact was, the noiſe was occaſioned by the gnaw⯑ings of his conſcience.

Theſe and many other ſtories, was I compelled to hear, and, indeed, compelled to wonder at, otherwiſe I ſhould have made my own caſe more enigmatical than it ap⯑peared before. My aſtoniſhment was, that had what I heard been correctly fact, the foundation of all the wealth in the kingdom muſt have been a large maſs com⯑poſed of every monſtrous and deteſtable crime, that could humiliate and diſgrace human nature.

[55] For my own part I could have wiſhed, had ſuch a thing been poſſible, to have heard of fortunes which had ſprung from honourable deſert, true patriotiſm, or lau⯑dable induſtry; but I could never coax out any acknowledgment of this kind; and even when I alledged, that oppulent men had founded charities, and built hoſpitals, 'It was very true; but men could not take their money with them, and it was policy to leave ſtrangers to ſpeak well of them after death, that their cla⯑mour might drown the voices of thoſe who knew them.'

For nearly three years did we follow this itinerant life, which, though it was at⯑tended with many unpleaſant circum⯑ſtances, had its moments of ſatisfaction. Hewit entered ſo much into the ſpirit of regarding the ſcenes we witneſſed, as if looking at a comedy; that though I ſaw a little further, and, in the end, felt com⯑miſeration [56] for that which, at firſt, I had laughed at, I never checked his good hu⯑mour, but rather encouraged him to di⯑vert himſelf at the ridiculous ſide of the picture, than pity the envious reverſe of it.

During this time I had frequently heard from my brother, who had honour⯑ably, ſo far, ſettled our affairs, that all thoſe with whom we had any buſineſs, de⯑clared they were handſomely ſatisfied, and perfectly diſpoſed, whenever we thought proper to demand it, to give us credit again. Poor ſoul he had gone on but in⯑differently himſelf, for he was too proud to ſue to thoſe he had formerly aſſiſted, which neglect they took comfortably to themſelves as a ſufficient excuſe why they ſhould not aſſiſt him.

I cannot deſcribe his ſituation better than by giving the reader one of his let⯑ters.

I received ſeveral other letters from my brother, one of which, in particular, gave me great pleaſure; for it informed me that ſome perſon had privately ſent him a hundred pounds; which, as he did not know who to return it to, he ſaid he ſhould conſider as his own, in hopes he ſhould one day or other find the owner and be able to pay him two for it in return.

Our original intention was to ſtay away ſix years, that in caſe we were per⯑ſecuted on our return, we might plead [63] the ſtatute of limitations; but before we had accompliſhed half that term, an ex⯑traordinary accident fruſtrated that, and, apparently, every other pleaſureable pro⯑ſpect.

CHAP. VI. AN EXTRAORDINARY MEEETING—AN EXTRAORDI⯑NARY PIECE OF INTELLIGENCE—AN EXTRAORDI⯑NARY JOURNEY—AN EXTRAORDINARY FRIEND—AND AN EXTRAORDINARY REVERSE OF FORTUNE.

BEING at Lieceſter, as I was one morn⯑ing going to market to buy our day's pro⯑viſions, which I always took care, though homely, ſhould be clean and wholeſome, I paſſed by the county jail; and when I came to the begging grate, I dropt a half⯑penny in the box, at which a wretched wo⯑man, in a melancholy tone, ſaid, 'Heaven bleſs you good lady.' Alas, I am no lady, ſaid I, I wiſh I was, and rich enough to re⯑lieve all the diſtreſs of this priſon.

[65] I had ſcarce uttered theſe words when a man in a moſt ſqualid condition came forward, crying out "Who calls on Ach⯑met! Did not Barbaroſſa require me here? Nay do not mock me, I am weak and fooliſh. Methinks I ſhould know you. It is, it is, 'tis Hannah Hewit! I now re⯑member well each circumſtance!"

The reader already ſees that this cu⯑rious rhapſody could proceed from no⯑body but poor Walmeſley; but how he came there, and in ſuch a condition, was beyond my conception, and it was utterly impoſſible to learn it from him at that mo⯑ment; at the ſame time, as a mob was ga⯑thering round us, I put ſome ſilver into his hand, begged him to get ſome refreſh⯑ment, and promiſed him that Hewit and I would pay him a viſit in the courſe of an hour.

The keeper of the jail, who, ſeeing the [66] people aſſemble, came to learn what was the matter, paid particular attention to the latter part of our converſation. He ſeemed extremely pleaſed at the proſpect of con⯑juring up, a friend for Walmeſley, and ſaid, that if Mr. Hewit and I would come and take a bit of dinner, he had a ſnug little parlour, and would take care that we ſhould be charged very reaſonably.

All this I related to Hewit, who agreed to take the children and ſpend the day with poor Walmeſley in the caſtle, to whom we had previouſly, however, con⯑veyed ſome clean things; and, really, what with being thus refreſhed, and his pleaſure at finding his old friends, by the time we arrived, he looked very decent, and appeared full of vivacity.

Walmeſley told us, that he had been ru⯑ined by falling under the diſpleaſure of the college of phyſicians. They had gained over the two licentiates, who, in conſequence [67] of receiving a large ſhare of the profits ac⯑cruing from the ſale of the Univerſal Spe⯑cific, had ſigned his petition and procured him a diploma from Glaſgow, which cir⯑cumſtance, by the way, I ought to have mentioned before, and it was unanimouſly agreed, by way of rendering a general be⯑nefit to ſociety, to analyze the medicine, in order to proſecute the vender as an im⯑poſtor; or, by way of giving their pro⯑ceedings a colour of impartially to re⯑commend it, provided it ſhould prove ge⯑nuine in its purport, and ſalutary in its effect.

After a moſt elaborate chemical inqui⯑ſition, they very gravely, and deliberately gave a report that the noſtrum in queſtion was a vile impoſition, and not in any wiſe calculated to anſwer the purpoſes for which it was intended, being deviſed, not only to deſtroy the health, but ridicule the underſtandings of his majeſty's liege ſub⯑jects; [68] for that the Eſſence of May Dew, as they had proved by many ingenious ex⯑periments, was only an efferveſcence, pro⯑duced by ſour ſmall beer and magniſia alba; and that the ſpirit, ſo far from being the true ſpirit of owl's dung, was—which had been rendered demonſtrable by a moſt ſubtle and complex proceſs, from whence had ariſen various phenomenae, hereafter to be enumerated in a publication in⯑tended for the information of the Royal Society, and the edification of the whole world—neither more nor leſs than an ex⯑tract from the excrement of a gooſe.

Theſe gentlemen learned in phyſic had, therefore, recourſe to other gentlemen learned in the law; and, between them both, poor Walmeſley was ſo handled that he was glad enough to ſell off his gallipots ſtock and block, and decamp with the ſhattered remains of his fortune.

He immediately endeavoured to find [69] us, but as we had juſt at that time changed our route, in conſequence of our being ſuſpected of belonging to a gang of gip⯑ſies, and had not informed my brother of it, he took a wrong road, and had been travelling about as an actor for ſeveral months, when chance had brought us to⯑gether in the extraordinary manner I have above related.

The reader knows that Walmeſley was perpetually ruining himſelf for other peo⯑ple. Upon our aſking him how he came there, he ſaid, it was all to ſave poor Dick Douce from limbo. Well, but, ſaid Hewit, why could not he as well go to limbo as you? 'Oh lord a different thing!' ſaid Walmeſley, 'I en't married, I have not got a fine ſlatternly wife and three filthy children ſqualling round me, be⯑ſides the fellow was in the jaundice; looked as yellow as a guinea, a colour his pocket had been long a ſtranger to. Oh the obligation of my violent love outran the [70] pauſe of reaſon! In ſhort I took the thing upon myſelf, who could refrain that had a heart to love, and in that heart courage to make his love known? And ſo you ſee Dick's gone on with the company, and I am here. No more of that, I have done the ſtate ſome ſervice, and they know it.

'Now, after all, people talk of a pri⯑ſon, what is there in a priſon? I dare ſay I ſleep upon as ſoft a board as any in the place; and then, you ſee, what a nice clean ſhirt I have got on; and again, for jail diſtempers, all a joke, the healthieſt place in the world; the devil of any diſ⯑temper have I had ſince I came here but hunger.'

When it grew towards duſk, and we were about to take leave of Walmeſley, the gaoler came in and ſaid he hoped every thing had been to our ſatisfaction, he then begged he might be his tiff of punch. After it was brought in, he began to talk [71] of his profeſſion, which he wiſhed to give us an idea he had exerciſed with a true regard to thoſe feelings which induce men to comfort inſtead of inſult the afflicted.

He ſaid, for example, that if he had the ſtuff againſt John Hewit, Eſq. late living in Cockſpur-ſtreet, the Hay-market, and was by accident to ſurprize him in his travelling dreſs of a razor-grinder, why did any body think he would go for to treat him, and ſweet madam Hewit, in an out of the way manner. No; he knew what breeding was, and how to behave to a gemman that was a gemman. Hollo, ſaid Hewit, why this is the ſecond act of the Vigo buſineſs!—Come, come, ſaid I, Sir, if you have any drift in this, let us know it. 'Why then, if you will have the long and the ſhort on't,' ſaid the gaoler, 'I have got the ſtuff againſt John Hewit for three hun⯑dred and thirty pounds, at the ſuit of Meſſrs. Winkworth and Broadhead, and [72] when the attorney writes to town, I ex⯑pects to have a good deal more.'

"How!' ſaid Walmeſley, 'the prince's near ally, my very friend hath got his mor⯑tal hurt in my behalf. Away to Heaven reſpective lenity, and fire eyed fury be my conduct now!" 'Come, come, none of of your fury,' ſaid the gaoler, 'you have been treated pretty well ſince you have been here, I'm ſure; if I had not known you to be an actor man, with your antics and monkey tricks, I ſhould have called in the crowner and put you in a ſtrait waiſt-before now.'

Well, Sir, ſaid I, there is no need of altercation, we are your priſoners. 'You e'nt, madam,' ſaid the gaoler, I wiſh you was; though, damme, if I ſhould not like to be your priſoner, for you are a nice, handſome bit.' "Come, Sir," ſaid Hewit, "there is no neceſſity. to inſult my wife; ſhew me your warrant, and ſend for the [73] moſt eminent attorney in your place, you have neither to treat with fools, nor beg⯑gars.

'I beg your pardon, 'ſquire Hewit,' ſaid the gaoler, 'I always knows how to treat they that have money to ſpend. As for you, ma'am, I beg your pardon too; but I'll be damned if I don't think you as handſome a bit of goods as ever I ſaw for all that, let your huſband be ever ſo much affronted. I wiſh you may get clear of the buſineſs, for I knows ſome of the clan, and if what I heard yeſterday, ſhould be but true, the brother of a certain lady, in my eye, as the parliament men ſays in their debates, ſtands a good chance, if he don't mind his hits, of dancing upon nothing.'

I told him I had no doubt but that his intentions were perfectly handſome, and proper; that, to be ſure, in a ſituation like that, people could expect no favour but [74] in proportion as they paid their way, that, fortunately, we did not want money, and all the ſervice required of the attorney, at preſent, would be to move my huſband by a habeas corpus into the Fleet, where my brother was, with whom we ſhould like to conſult as we were all embarked, as it were, in a common cauſe.

We had truly deſcribed our ſituation to the gaoler; for in caſe of this very emergency, we had laid by fifty pounds as a depoſit to extricate us from all diffi⯑culty. As for Walmeſley, as the ſeven debts he ſtood engaged for, contracted by Douce, amounted to no more than eleven pounds, the ſum he had been taken in exe⯑cution for by virtue of a warrant of attor⯑ney, given to one man in truſt for the whole, which he had the cunning to ma⯑nage, in order to avoid multiplying the coſts, we compounded them, ſet him free, and ſent him forward to London.

[75] Thus, after waiting all the neceſſary ceremonies, and being treated very li⯑berally by the gaoler, who had a regard for my elder brother, becauſe he had ſhewn ſome civility to a Briſtol turnkey, who afterwards turned ſailor; and a rooted diſlike to my other brother, who had pro⯑miſed to protect a friend of his, a king's evidence, and afterwards got him tran⯑ſported; we came to an anchor, as my brother called it, in his Majeſty's Fleet, on the 5th of March, 1775.

Walmeſley, who was waiting for us at the gate, ſaid that they had diſcovered a plot: Firſt, ſaid he, it muſt be a plot, be⯑cauſe there is a lawyer in it; ſecondly, it muſt be a plot, becauſe there is a Jew in it; thirdly, it muſt be a plot, becauſe there is a parliament man in it; and, fourthly, it muſt be a plot, becauſe—'You ſtupid fellow you don't know what to make of it,' [76] ſaid my brother, who came up as Wal⯑meſley was ſpeaking.

'Hannah, my dear girl,' continued he, 'how are you? Jack give us your hand, come with me; I have ſomething to tell you. I think we ſhall get afloat if we keep a good look out.'

We went with my brother into his room, where he gave us the following in⯑telligence: A parliament man, who was conſiderably in debt, had reaſon to be⯑lieve that a Jew, to whom he was under many and material obligations, would, on a diſolution of parliament, endeavour to ſecure his perſon on an execution, under an idea, that during the ſuſpenſion, the perſon of a member of parliament was not inviolable.

This gentleman's apprehenſions were well grounded, for he was ſtopt getting [77] into his chaiſe to ſet out for his Borough, and the Jew having indemnified the offi⯑cers, they carried him to a Spunging-houſe. As there was no parliament to apply to, and his intereſt in the Borough began ſo to totter, that he would certainly have loſt his ſeat if he had not been pre⯑ſent, finding the Jew inexorable, he com⯑miſſioned my brother, the lawyer, and Sourby, to tamper with him, giving them the beſt ſecurity he could find in the mi⯑nority, on which ſide he happened to be, for five hundred pounds, to be paid on the day of his being returned to parliament.

They knew that tampering with the Jew, like dipping red hot iron in cold wa⯑ter, would only harden him the more. They, therefore, forged in his name, an or⯑der to the ſheriff's officer to liberate the gentleman; who availing himſelf of the opportunity, not the fraud, for he did not know one word of that, ſtole down to the [78] Borough, was re-elected, and thus his per⯑ſon became as ſacred as ever.

The moment the newſpapers an⯑nounced the return of the new parliament, and our gentleman as one of the members, the Jew inſtantly went to conſult his at⯑torney, as to how far he could anſwer to keep him in the cuſtody of the ſheriff, where he thought he ſtill had him ſecure; but when he found that his enlargement was nefariouſly procured, at a time when his perſon was as attachable as the perſon of any body elſe, both he and the attorney were clearly of opinion that he might go againſt the ſheriff.

Searching further, however, it became evident that neither the ſheriff, nor the member had been to blame. The firſt, or rather his officer, having acted in con⯑formity, as far as he knew, with the Jew's own order; and the other, ſo far from [79] being acceſſary to the fraud, on his return to town, had thanked him for his indul⯑gence, and aſſured him, that as ſoon as the miniſtry changed, he would honourably diſcharge every demand againſt him.

Upon a minuter enquiry, he found that my brother, the lawyer, and Sourby was at the bottom of it, but he knew their charac⯑ters ſo well that he had no doubt, if the mat⯑ter was to be inveſtigated, they would both ſwear, to ſave themſelves, that he ſigned the order in their preſence. He, there⯑fore, contented himſelf with getting it re⯑turned to him, and making no further ſtir about it for the preſent.

It ſo happened that the character of this Jew was of a peculiar caſt. His com⯑mon conduct was like the common con⯑duct of his brethren. He enriched him⯑ſelf by taking advantage of folly, but he appropriated his gains by the ſtrict line of true wiſdom. He preyed upon vice to [78] [...] [79] [...] [80] relieve virtue. The riches he wrung from villany, he laviſhed on goodneſs; and while he was publickly execrated as a Jew, and a devil, he was privately adored as a chriſtian, and an angel. He was, in groſs, what Walmeſley was in little; and though he did not go to priſon to exonerate his friends, he had his Dick Douces, whom he often came into priſon to relieve.

It has ſometimes ſtruck me that ſuch a character would do well for the ſtage. ſuch a man without oſtentation, without egotiſm, beneficent without parade, noble with humility, never the hero of his own little tale, ſeeking no praiſe but the teſti⯑mony of his own heart, a miſer in virtue, not in money; though no novelty, I truſt, in nature, would certainly be one to the drama.

One kind action, liberally rewarded, ſometimes makes amends for many which [81] are returned by ingratitude. This hap⯑pened in the preſent caſe. My elder bro⯑ther, who had toiled, and riſked every thing for his owners, was thrown into pri⯑ſon for his pains. He had on that very voyage done a common act of humanity to this Jew, and mark the difference! The chriſtians had plunged him into diſtreſs and obloquy, the Jew, the moment he heard of his ſituation, meditated how he might relieve him. Nay, it was from him, as the reader probably has gueſſed, that he received the hundred pounds.

The circumſtance was this: The Jew and his family having embarked from Smyrna for England, their ſhip caught fire at ſea. It ſo happened that my brother was near enough in his ſhip to lend him aſſiſtance; and ſo well did his inclination ſtimulate his exertions, that, what with his boats and their own, though the ſhip burnt to the water's edge, very few lives were [82] loſt, and much more of the property was ſaved than they had the ſmalleſt reaſon to expect.

The Jew, his family, and his property, were ſaved. My brother was not, at that time, bound for England; he, therefore, put them all on board another Strieghtſ⯑man, and wiſhed them a good voyage, re⯑fuſing to accept any gratuity, his ſervices having been occaſioned by mere chance, and performed from motives of common humanity.

The circumſtance, however, had never from that moment eſcaped the Jew, who, when he came to find, upon examining the buſineſs of the forgery to the bottom, that my brother, the lawyer, and Sourby, had been indirectly concerned in my brother's ſhip, and were a part of that neſt who had ſent him to priſon, he was determined to procure him ample redreſs.

[83] Little, indeed, did he know till that ac⯑cidental diſcovery, which was not aſtoniſh⯑ing, uſurers, and other nefarious characters, frequently conſulting him as one of their own clan, that his benefactor was languiſh⯑ing in a priſon, through the connivance of his own brother. His determination was prompt and efficacious. He firſt took care to prove, by unqueſtionable teſti⯑mony, that he had not been in town on the day the order was ſigned to releaſe the member of parliament. He then ſent for my brother, and Sourby, upon an errand that induced them readily to attend, and told them, in ſo many words, that they muſt releaſe my brother from priſon, or he would not only hang them both for forgery, but that he would ſo completely break up their gang, that they ſhould never dare to ſhew their faces again in the kingdom.

In ſhort he knew what ſort of argu⯑ment [84] to uſe, and he ſucceded; but before he loſt ſight of them, he exacted a condi⯑tional bond to the amount of the monies for which my brother was impriſoned, to be forfeited if they did not procure his enlargement by a given day.

With this news the Jew had, on the morning we arrived, acquainted my bro⯑ther; who, informing him how we had been uſed, he declared that he would take care, in the ſettling of the buſineſs, to in⯑clude us in the treaty.

Many days had not elapſed before my brother and Hewit were diſcharged from confinement, and now general releaſes paſſed between all parties that had been either immediately, or collaterally, con⯑cerned in any of the tranſactions.

CHAP. VII. THE SEA OF HANNAH's FORTUNE HAVING BECOME CALM, APPEARS, GRADUALLY, TO BE AGITATED; SHE MEETS, UNEXPECTEDLY, WITH AN OLD FRIEND, WHO SHE HAS SCARCELY SPOKEN TO WHEN JOHN AND SHE ARE OBLIGED TO TAKE SHELTER IN FLIGHT.

WE had now the world to begin again. As for my brother, through the intereſt of the Jew, he got to be ſecond-mate of an Eaſt-Indiaman, with ſuch recommenda⯑tions as were ſure to procure him the com⯑mand of a ſhip in the country ſervice on his arrival; and as it was probable he would ſoon have a good deal in his power, at his earneſt entreaty, I truſted my ſon to his care.

As for ourſelves, Hewit got to be [86] foreman to a capital tin man, and I was furniſhed with as much work in various ways from ſhops as I could perform; and as for poor Walmeſley, he ſoon after em⯑barked for Ireland, in conſequence of a liberal offer made him by the manager of the Dublin Theatre, and the laſt thing we heard of him was, that he died in conſe⯑quence of a cold he had caught by lend⯑ing his bed to accommodate a family in diſtreſs.

I own I dropt a tear of the moſt poig⯑nant regret at this news, and thinking on all his various quotations, which were ſo apt, and had ſo much of the heart in them, I exclaimed, 'Alas poor Walmeſley! he had a mind mild as mercy, and a hand open as day for tender hearted charity.'

In this ſituation we went on pretty comfortably, and lived ſo ſaving, that in leſs than ſix months, we furniſhed a very ſnug houſe; and having experienced all [87] the viciſſitudes of high and low life, we were now placed in a middle ſtate, that ſtate ſaid to be, of all others, the moſt to be coveted.

I cannot ſay, however, that I found any alteration in the world. It was ſtill the ſame vain ſupercilious, ridiculous world I had ever known it; and the mid⯑dle ſtate, by ſtanding between the two ex⯑tremities, affecting the hauteur of the one, and embibing the vulgarity of the other, exhibited ſuch a ſtrange mixture of pride and meanneſs, ſuch an incongruous col⯑lection of finery and filth, ſuch a hetero⯑genious, pyeballed, jumble of patch work gentility, that it ſeemed to be both, and neither; like a magpie ſtanding between a crow and a ſwan.

I could have been extremely well con⯑tent, nevertheleſs, in this ſituation, had fortune ceaſed to torment us, and had my huſband been always with me. It is true [88] when he came home to dinner, or at night, abſence gave a zeſt to our meetings; but then we had always ſome little unpleaſant matter to talk over; and among the reſt, our troubles, like embers half extin⯑guiſhed, began, now and then, to ſhew a diſpoſition to rekindle.

When men are involved in partner⯑ſhips, and in the habit of ſigning notes, whether on their own account, or to ac⯑commodate others, there is no anſwering for their ſafety. One litigation begets an⯑other, till they are ſo involved, that no fortune can make a ſtand againſt the va⯑rious attacks of cunning and chicanery.

Many things of this kind ſtood out againſt us, which, certainly, the general releaſes had virtually done away; but hav⯑ing been improvident enough not to take them up, they got into various hands, and we were perpetually peſtered with perſons who tendered them for payment. It is [89] true, a court of juſtice would have re⯑lieved us, but who is there that does not find even winning at law a ſevere loſs? A man ſued us upon one of theſe notes for twenty pounds; he was caſt; but having thrown himſelf into the King's Bench, we had our own attorney's bill to pay, which came to ſeventeen pounds.

Theſe things brought us into every kind of diſgrace; our friends began, as formerly, to look cool upon us, we were afraid of our own ſhadows, and it was, once more, thought expedient to conſider what to do to avoid a priſon. Hewit pro⯑poſed following my brother to India, where, he ſaid, we ſhould certainly do great things; but this propoſal I ſtrenuouſly reſiſted, nor could I ever think of it with⯑out ſhuddering; therefore, at laſt, he left off urging it. At length, as nothing could prevent our doing extremely well, if we could once be free, we determined to [90] muſter all the money we could, and go to France, in order that Hewit might take the benefit of the next act of inſolvency as a fugitive.

We were in great forwardneſs when our operations were retarded by the ſickneſs of our little girl, whoſe diſorder, a violent fever, after I had been her nurſe for a fortnight, baffled every ſkill, and ſhe died in my arms.

As this melancholy event had pre⯑vented me from finiſhing ſome work, for which I was to be very well paid, I was obliged, as ſoon as poſſible, to labour with redoubled aſſiduity; and this, together with the deſpondency into which I was thrown at loſing my child, brought on a complaint on my ſpirits, which I very much feared would be attended with ſe⯑rious conſequences.

As I grew better, Hewit did the ut⯑moſt [91] in his power to keep up my ſpirits; and, among the reſt, frequently took me to the play, where we were ſome⯑times accompanied by a lady who had ſhewn me a great deal of attention; and who, though there was certainly a ſort of levity about her that was, at times, not ſtrictly proper, had ſomething extremely engaging, and good natured in her man⯑ner.

This lady was a widow, her name was Vint. She had a relation who had a con⯑cern in one of the Theatres, and thus ſhe could get orders whenever ſhe pleaſed. Hewit and I, therefore, availed ourſelves of this privilege; and, in return, ſhe paſſed a good deal of time at our houſe; which, on account of her ſprightly temper, was very agreeable to John, and, indeed, to me, as ſhe had a moſt happy knack of laughing off that particular chagrin occa⯑ſioned by pecuniary diſtreſs.

[92] We had all three ſettled it to go to a new play; but Hewit having received a meſſage to call upon an attorney, who he always kept upon the look out, to watch whenever any immediate danger threat⯑ened, ſaid, he feared he could not be in time for us; and, therefore, begged we would go, telling us that he would find us at the theatre. I drank tea with Mrs. Vint, and we went from her houſe together. No Hewit, however, came; at which, indeed, I was no farther concerned than at the loſs of his company, and leſt his buſineſs with the lawyer ſhould have turned out of a more ſerious nature than he had ex⯑pected.

The play being over, as we were wait⯑ing in the lobby, while a friend of Mrs. Vint was gone in queſt of a coach, I thought I ſaw in the croud a man I knew. At the ſame moment I caught his eye, and he ſeemed to know me. Approaching each other I cried out, "Gracious Hea⯑ven [93] Mr. Binns!' and he, almoſt in the ſame inſtant reiterated, 'Is it poſſible that I ſee my dear Hannah!' "I declare," cried I, "I never was ſo ſurprized and ſo pleaſed in my life! How is your ſiſter?" 'She is married, my love,' ſaid Binns, 'and as for me—' but ſeeing every one looking at us in a ſtate of aſtoniſhment, 'I cannot,' added he, 'explain any thing here; it would intereſt you too much; beſides I have company with me. Where do you live?' I gave him my addreſs, made him promiſe to come to me the next day, and as at that moment the gen⯑tleman returned with intelligence that the coach was ready, we went towards the door and loſt him in the croud.

I ſat Mrs. Vint down at her houſe, and bid the coachman make all the haſte he could to mine; for, ſurprized as I was at ſeeing Binns, I was ſtill impatient to ſee Hewit. But this was to be a night of [94] aſtoniſhment. I found every thing packed up in readineſs to be ſent away.

Hewit, who was in the parlour with a broker, told me that an annuity bond, to which I knew he had ſigned his name as ſecurity, had become forfeited; and the news the attorney wanted to inform him of was, that the next day an execution would be brought into the houſe for two hundred and ſeventy pounds. In conſe⯑quence of this, not having a moment to loſe, he had ſent for a broker, had ſold every thing to him, and had received the money. He added, that our cloaths were packed up, a chaiſe was in readineſs, and that he meant, if poſſible, to reach Dover by the morning, with a view to embark for France, leſt they ſhould change their ground and ſue out a writ of execution againſt his perſon.

As we had determined to take this [95] ſtep as ſoon as it ſhould be convenient, and neceſſity now left the time no longer a matter of choice, I conſented with ala⯑crity, and in three days we were ſafely landed at Calais.

CHAP VIII. A DESCRIPTION OF THE FRENCH, HANNAH'S PREDIC⯑TION, SHE RETURNS TO ENGLAND, A TEMPORARY CALM IS SUCCEEDED BY FAMILY DISQUIET, WHICH TERMINATES IN A FATAL SEPARATION.

HAVING ſufficient money to laſt us, with oeconomy, while it was probable we might remain in France, I was determined, as I had no other employ, to make myſelf a proficient in the language, and lay up in my mind a ſtore of literature; which, indeed, was of ſo much ſervice to me, that it perfectly and completely ſupplied for me the place of a regular claſſical education.

I perfected myſelf alſo in one ſtudy [97] more, which was ſo obvious, and ſo ne⯑ceſſary, that it was impoſſible to avoid it. I mean a ſtudy of the people, and their manners; and now it was that I ſaw, if the world was faulty in my own country, how much the term ought to be magnified ſpeaking of France.

Go where I would I found nothing but human wolves diſguiſing their natural ferocity with the grimace of monkies. At market, in a ſhop, whatever was the co⯑modity, its commendation was ſweetened with ſome groſs compliment to induce the purchaſe of it. Either your gown was a handſome pattern, your hair was a beautiful colour, and then you were En⯑gliſh, that was enough; meaning it was enough to afford them an opportunity of cheating you, and laughing at you at the ſame time.

Among one another the ſubtilty was [98] more refined. All had ſome artful point to carry, and to gloſs over. Thus a bon mot hid a deſign, a Jeux d'eſprit covered a manoeuvre, and a coup de vivacite con⯑cealed a coup de grace; for the more bril⯑liant the wit, the more pointed the ſally, the more it reſembled the gleam that pre⯑cedes the ſtroke of a lifted dagger.

But the moſt ſhocking trait of their diſſimulation was their affecting to believe in a religion which, in ſecret, they laughed at. This went to the root of all ſocial or⯑der; for to impoſe upon each other what no one credited, was, in its nature, ſuch a blaſphemy, and begat ſuch a rooted hy⯑pocriſy, that neighbour could not be ſafe with neighbour.

Oh how I have contemplated this peo⯑ple! Specious, guarded, fawning, fraud⯑ful, faithleſs, volatile, ſanguinary, and mercileſs; and theſe qualities they put off to ſtrangers for openneſs, carefulneſs, [99] breeding, prudence, vivacity, gallantry, courage, and greatneſs. In ſhort, I found a Frenchman an animated lie, that ſhould be reverſed to be underſtood. Alas! ſaid I, theſe were the Gauls that were ſo faith⯑leſs to Caeſar! What are they, now that they have added to their native ferocity, conſummate art? I tremble for their coun⯑try; I dread, leſt in one horrible moment, the French nation, memorable for crime, memorable for treachery, memorable for barbarity; ſhall undergo a tremendous internal convulſion, and that, like Etna, it ſhall vomit forth its own bowels to deſolate the country around,

I ſaw the Court of France; I ſaw it in the moment of its moſt ſplendid bril⯑liancy. It was when the Emperor was there to ſolicit the hand of the King's ſiſter. But he never married her. That man contemplated the country as I did. He thought, probably, an alliance with it [100] might endanger his own crown. He ſaw there could be no ſecurity where there was no honour; no ſtability where there was no ſincerity. He ſaw his own ſiſter the puppet of that court. He ſaw it, and lamented it. Poor, ſplendid, beautiful, amiable, unhappy wretch; falſely deified by deſigning men, whoſe ambitious views were to make her beauty their bait, to lure her to deſtruction.

Among the foremoſt of theſe was that horrid wretch the Duke D'Orleans. He who introduced Engliſh noblemen, and other foreigners to the Queen, and, af⯑terwards, like a low backbiter, whiſpered away her reputation. He who converted his countrymen from monkies to bears, by making them ape Engliſh grooms. I ſhould not wonder if that man de⯑ſtroyed his country by the hands of vil⯑lains, and that thoſe villains ſhould make his carcaſe the foot ſtool of their power.

[101] Among this frivolous, this contempti⯑ble, this proud, this mean, this arrogant, this ſupercilious people, we reſided nearly a year and a half; during which time I ſaw no one ſingle inſtance that could in⯑duce me to retract an iota of that ineffable pity, and ſovereign contempt, which every day's experience of them excited. There may have been virtuous individuals, and no doubt there were; it did not fall to my lot to know them. But I'll give a reaſon why I ſuſpect there were fewer in France than any where.

The high are too tyranic, the low are too ſervile, and yet they are the ſame creature; the lord oppreſſes his vaſſal, the vaſſal domineers over his labourer, the labourer beats his dog, and the dog worries his rat; yet each turns back in reſentment. Every Frenchman knows every thing better than any body; is a better calculator, a better politician, a better lawyer, a better ruler than any [102] body; and I ſhould not wonder if upon the ſame principal that tinſel and cala⯑manco, ape fattin and lace among them; that ſhould ever a revolution take place in that devoted country, which, for the ſake of Europe, of the world, of human nature, may Heaven avert; ſhould order be de⯑ſtroyed, virtue confounded, religion ani⯑hilated, the crown trampled under foot, and riot, anarchy, and maſſacre reign tri⯑umphant, it would be accompliſhed by the loweſt dregs of the people who would lord it and tyrannize over the reſt.

In June, 1778, we arrived in town; and in two months, from that time, John Hewit took the benefit of an act of inſol⯑vency that had lately paſſed; which ſtep, as he had no debts that he could legally conſider as his own, his friends, one and all commended.

I could not, however, reconcile him cordially to it. He conſidered it as a [103] diſgrace, and though we began to get for⯑ward, his former maſter having taken him again as his foreman, and the ſhops being ready, as formerly, to ſupply me with work, yet his continual cry was that he did not like to have his name recorded among a ſet of ſwindlers, and others, who had defrauded honeſt tradeſmen out of their legal demands.

Beſides, to clinch this buſineſs, ſome of our creditors, from vexatious motives, were determined to litigate their claims with us. Theſe I began to be afraid were ſet on by my brother, the lawyer, and Sourby; and to make all ſure, the annuity buſineſs ſtill ſtood out againſt us, except as to Hewit's perſon; for though the act cleared him up to the time of its date, yet it gave no relief as to property acquired afterwards.

As this kept us perpetually at law with either beggars, or rogues, which always [104] coſt us ſomething, and as our fears were more than imaginary, relative to the an⯑nuity, I really could not blame Hewit's uneaſineſs; and, at laſt, indeed, I began to make myſelf quite wretched about it. He grew melancholy, his temper was ſoured, he loſt his health; and, though he certainly loved me tenderly, when I have ventured to carreſs him, he would ſome⯑times received me coldly, while a tear ſtood in his eye.

Formerly a wiſh, expreſſed in a hint, accelerated his endeavours to oblige and pleaſe me; now, there ſeemed to be ſome⯑thing unreaſonable in all I wiſhed. I had informed him, of courſe, of my interview with Binns in the lobby of the playhouſe, at which time he expreſſed an anxiety to know what he could mean; now, when I propoſed ſetting about an enquiry how we might find him, and, indeed, I had taken ſome ſteps towards it, it was all wrong. What had we to do with Binns? Perhaps [105] he belonged to the gang of raſcals who perſecuted us; but Binns was ſuch a gal⯑lant protector, that no wonder I was con⯑ſtantly thinking of him.

It had been his delight to fondle a ſweet girl that fortune bleſſed me with about eight months after we arrived in France; now he could not bear the ſight of the little creature. This I own grieved me to the ſoul, which very grief became now an offence. I certainly paid the child additional attention for his neglect of it; I offended in that, I was always thinking of nonſenſe when we ought to conſider what was to become of us.

This was hard, and it was not at all in the ſtyle of John Hewit. It was unkind, and almoſt unmanly. It was ſomething like jealouſy, but that was impoſſible; for he never in his life had a moment's cauſe for ſuſpicion of me. It ſeemed to be a ſort of trial of my affection, as if he wiſhed to [106] excite jealouſy in me, but that was equally impoſſible. I knew him to be all ſoul, all honour; and though I had been told a hundred idle ſtories when we were in pro⯑ſperity, when in adverſity, when in mid⯑ling life, when in France, nay, even, ſince we returned; my ſenſe of affection was that I ought to have been deprived of his love for ever if I could have been ſo cru⯑elly ungenerous as to have ſuſpected it.

I could not help thinking now and then that he had ſome adviſer, but who could it be? Nobody came near us but that thoughtleſs, goodnatured crea⯑ture Mrs. Vint; who ſought us out ſoon after our arrival in town, and from that time occaſionally viſited us; and as to her, though out of complaiſance he be⯑haved civilly before her face, I believe in my conſcience he diſliked her moſt heartily. Nay, when in a moment of af⯑fection for me, from which he could not ſometimes refrain, and at which time he [107] would treat me as if his conduct was a re⯑paration for ſome offence meditated or committed, he would declare that no wo⯑man upon earth ever loved, or deſerved to be loved but me.

If it were proper minutely to dwell upon this part of my hiſtory, I ſhould ex⯑hibit, perhaps, the moſt extraordinary and affecting picture of domeſtic diſquiet that ever was drawn. Tender, anxious, ſoli⯑citous expoſtulations on my part; ſullen, moody, reſerved coldneſs on his. Yet he loved me, tenderly loved me, his whole conduct was love; and, indeed, in the end, I had fatal cauſe to know it.

I had one evening prepared a ragout for his ſupper, which I had learnt to cook in France, where of courſe, I perfected myſelf in culinary knowledge, and had waited conſiderably beyond his uſual hour of returning, when ſomebody knocked at [108] the door. My heart fluttered, for I had determined on that evening to come to an explanation with him, and, I believe, I ſhould have fainted if I had not drank a glaſs of Madeira, a wine I always made a point of indulging him with.

My apprehenſions, however, were more excited by the fear of what would happen than the knowledge of what did. It was not Hewit, it was Mrs. Vint; who ſaid ſhe had been at the play, and had come, without ceremony, to eat a bit of ſupper with us; then, turning round, ſhe expreſſed her aſtoniſhment at not ſeeing He wit.

I ſaid he was not come home, but that I expected him every moment; at which ſhe ſaid, huſbands were ſtrange things; ſhe had had one, but would never have an⯑other. She then talked of the play, then aſked me if I did not remember that ſhe and I were there together at the time we [109] ſaw Binns, if I did not think him a hand⯑ſome fellow; 'indeed,' ſaid ſhe, 'by his raptures, I ſhould have thought you had been old ſweethearts. Do you know I have often thought Hewit's ſulkineſs looked liked jealouſy of that man? What he might know of him formerly I cannot tell, but it muſt be contemptible, indeed, to fly out ſo about a ſingle interview, and in the preſence of five hundred people.

As I never condeſcended to complain to any one of my huſband ſo I did not chuſe to enter into any converſation on the ſubject; I, therefore, waved her rattling, inquiſitive hints, by telling her ſhe was a giddy creature, and that I was ſure ſhe knew better how to do juſtice to every body than ſeriouſly to entertain any ſuch abſurd ſuſpicions.

She begged my pardon, ſaid, to be ſure it was no buſineſs of hers, and deſired we might have the ſupper, for that ſhe was [110] hungry, and could plainly ſee it would be uſeleſs to wait for Hewit. Out of com⯑plaiſance I ſet it before her, for it was paſt twelve o'clock, and ſhe are heartily; for my own part I could eat nothing. As time wore, ſo our ſurprize encreaſed; and, at laſt the clock ſtruck two, and no Hewit. All this while ſhe had grown warmer and warmer in her exclamations againſt him for his treatment of me; till, at length, ſhe ap⯑peared to be a little intoxicated, to which failing, having a weak head, ſhe certainly was now and then addicted; and as there was nobody to ſee her home, which Hewit uſually did, I perſuaded her to go to bed, after which I ſat counting the hours till day light, in vain expectation of my huſband.

It was now nine o'clock, I had juſt re⯑freſhed myſelf with a diſh of tea, Mrs. Vint was yet ſleeping, when the people of the houſe brought me a letter, which they told me was delivered by a porter who [111] went away, ſaying it required no anſwer. The letter was from Hewit, and the ſen⯑ſation I felt on opening it, was like the ſtroke of death.

This letter informed me that he was then underweigh aboard an Eaſt-India⯑man; that he was perfectly convinced I held a criminal intercourſe with Binns; that he went upon proof, that he knew of our having had frequent interviews, and his evidence went as far as to ſubſtantiate that Binns was the father of the child, which, in France, he had fondly imagined to be his. He added, that though he was determined never to ſee me again, for he could not ſtomach living with an adult⯑treſs, his love for me was unceaſing; that it had become ſo violent, it was, at laſt, unſafe for him to truſt himſelf in my pre⯑ſence; and that if his religion had not got the better of his madneſs, I ſhould not have lived long to wrong him, for he had [112] more than once meditated to murder me in my ſleep. He concluded by recom⯑mending me, wicked as I was, to the care of providence; and hoping whatever be⯑came of him, God would bleſs and proſper me; but he feared I could not expect to proſper after making ſo good a huſband miſerable.

With a trembling frame, my heart ſunk within me, ſick with wretchedneſs, and petrified with aſtoniſhment, did I perſe⯑vere till I came to the end of this fatal paper. It ſeemed a deluſion, a mockery of that imagination which had maddened into a thouſand phantaſies during the te⯑dious night in which I had watched and amuſed myſelf with inventing a thouſand excuſes for the ſtrange conduct of that deluded wretch, the cauſe of all my mi⯑ſery and his own.

It was with the utmoſt difficulty I could [113] go through it. Line after line my impa⯑tience, my aſtoniſhment, my wretched⯑neſs, and my deſpair increaſed. At length, ſeeing and, indeed, feeling moſt forcibly, moſt fatally, moſt horribly the preſſure of the finger of fate, I ſhuddered with agony, and fell lifeleſs on the floor.

CHAP IX. HANNAH'S DISTRESS, THE FATE OF LAWYER HIG⯑GINS AND SOURBY; HANNAH DEPARTS FOR INDIA; SEES HER BROTHER THE CAPTAIN: RE-EMBARKS IN THE GROSVENOR, AND IS CAST AWAY UPON THE COAST OF AFRICA.

WHEN I came to myſelf I was ſurrounded by the people of the houſe and Mrs. Vint; who gave me the letter and told me to take care of it. When I grew ſufficiently recovered to explain myſelf, I accounted for what had happened, by ſaying that the ſatigue of ſitting up all night, in anxiety on account of my huſband, and my unex⯑pectedly receiving a letter, which con⯑vinced me he was ſafe, had, I ſuppoſed, oc⯑eaſioned [115] a ſenſation which had thrown me into the condition they had ſeen, but that I was now perfectly well.

Mrs. Vint ſaid I was too good to live in this world; and after the people of the houſe had gone down, told me ſhe had read the letter, and plainly ſaw that my huſband was a villain. I could not bear this, but did not chuſe to enter into an ex⯑planation of my ſenſations, which were dictated by a delicacy Mrs. Vint was little calculated to feel; neither did I like her having taken the liberty to read the letter. Indeed one part of my reflections during the night had been on the ſubject of this la⯑dy; who, though inoffenſively, I dared ſay, had always been too prying. I, therefore, under the pretenſe of wanting reſt, and my incapacity of holding any converſation on ſo peculiar a ſubject, prevailed on her to retire, and having done ſo, I reſolved, in future, to have as little communication with her as poſſible.

[116] In the mean time it was neceſſary to have ſome friend, and it inſtantly ſtruck me, that as intereſt is a ſurer inducement with mankind to aſſiſt one another than any call upon their friendſhip, or tye upon their gratitude, ſo I thought I had hit on the very perſon to execute any truſt I ſhould repoſe in him, with ſtrict rectitude and ſcrupulous fidelity.

It was a perſon of the name of Morris, who had employed me to paint fan mounts, paper ſnuff boxes, enamelled watch caſes, and ſleeve buttons. He had a wife who, though ſhe never aſked me to ſit down, always, when I brought home my work, took a glaſs of cherry brandy herſelf, and begged me to take another, probably, be⯑cauſe ſhe knew I ſhould refuſe, and theſe people, though I had not the ſmalleſt ex⯑pectation that they would advance an inſe⯑cure ſixpence to keep me from ſtarving, I was ſure if I would give up my whole time to them, and afford them a lumping penny⯑worth, [117] would keep my ſecret inviolably, and protect me moſt ſacredly from all per⯑ſecution. Beſides I wiſhed my exact ſtory to be known by ſome family of credit, which they really were, by way of evidence in my favour, if it ſhould be neceſſary hereafter.

Having made my reſolution, I took ſome repoſe, then I went to theſe people, and fairly told them my ſtory; propoſing that while I ſat myſelf down in a lodging near town, they ſhould report that I had gone abroad, which would make it a better thing for them, at it would enhance the va⯑lue of thoſe things I might furniſh them with. Finding they ſhould have my excluſive labours, they gave into every thing; and I muſt, in juſtice, declare that having al⯑ready given me about the fourth of what I ought to have been paid, they did not ſo far take advantage of my preſent neceſſi⯑ties as to beat me down in any one article I offered them; and during the time I [118] ſtayed in England, nothing could be more ſacredly kept than was my ſecret.

Nay, they did every thing they could ſecretly to get at Hewit, with a view to expoſtulate with him, and the good woman, who certainly had a moſt excellent opinion of me, for, ſaid ſhe, 'induſtrous people are never bad,' aſſured me, if ſhe could find him, ſhe would have his life out if he did not do me juſtice, adding, 'fine airs indeed, juſt like my huſband once when we had a handſome apprentice; but I made him buckle to, I ſoon brought his noſe to the grindſtone!' All they could do, however, was of no uſe, for the Van⯑ſitart, which was the laſt ſhip of that ſeaſon, from whence he dated his letter, had ſailed before they could make any enquiries, and it being now ſix months before another fleet was to go out, I had no chance of following him even had I ability to do ſo.

Mr. and Mrs. Morris approved very [119] much of my deſign of breaking off with Mrs. Vint, ſaying, which I have no doubt was nothing but ſcandal, that they had heard but a ſo ſoiſh character of her. I had now taken a lodging at Brumpton, and I earned of Mr. Morris about fifty ſhillings a week, more than half of which I regularly ſaved to lay up againſt a rainy day.

I had continued in this ſituation about three months, when, one morning, having taken up a newſpaper, I found to my great aſtoniſhment, that my brother, the lawyer, was condemned to death for for⯑gery; and that Sourby, as his accomplice, though not, on account of ſome law nicety, implicated capitally, was ſentenced to be tranſported for life.

This ſickened me of my native coun⯑try; and when I reflected that Hewit was gone to India, where both he and my bro⯑ther [120] had often preſſed me to try my for⯑tune, though I never thought of the ſub⯑ject but I turned as cold as ice, and the ſweat ran off my forehead, I almoſt made up my mind to embark with the next fleet, upon this idea, that if I found Hewit, and could appeaſe his cauſeleſs anger, I might yet be happy with him; if not, I ſhould be ſure to meet with a brother, the only friend on earth able and willing to defend me, and a ſon, who might, in duty, com⯑penſate for his father's cruelty and neglect.

While I was wavering on this ſubject, like one wiſhing to plunge into a ſalutary bath yet afraid of being drowned, my beautiful little girl, and heaven knows Hewit's beautiful little girl, the only veſtige of him now left me, firſt ſickened and ſoon after died. I now grew ſo me⯑lancholy, ſo ſick of diſappointment, ſo heart broken, and ſo completely let down, that I was ready to follow to, whenever [121] Fate ſhould think proper to beckon. To be brief, I immediately advertiſed as a companion to any lady of fortune going to India; and having given a reference to Mr. Morris, who gave me a moſt ex⯑cellent character, I ſailed in the ſpring of the year, 1781, and arrived, in ſomething leſs than eight months, at my brother's houſe in Surat.

He happened to be juſt arrived from a long voyage; and after a moſt affecti⯑onate welcome, which, unuſed as I was to kindneſs, overcame me with delight and melted me into gratitude, I ſoon learnt that he knew my affairs as well as I knew them myſelf. He ſhewed me three letters from Hewit, which, though dated and ſent at different times, he had received all together.

The firſt of theſe letters, in a moſt manly manner, delicately and feelingly [122] opened my ſuppoſed ill conduct; appealed to him how I ought to be treated; ac⯑knowledged he was broken hearted, and that he never ſhould have taken the reſo⯑lution to part with me but from the fulleſt conviction, and the dread of what his vio⯑lent love might have hurried him to. He finiſhed with ſaying, he ſhould imme⯑diately fly to him, as the only friend with whom he could expect to find conſo⯑lation in ſuch a delicate and wretched ſituation.

In the ſecond letter, he informed my brother that he had miſſed of the Van⯑ſitart. Miſſed of her, ſaid I, then if I had been induſtrious I might have found him out and convinced him of his errors. The letter went on ſaying, that he was confirmed in his former ſuſpicions, for that he had ſcarcely turned his back when I went off publickly with Binns, and that I was, at that time, living with him in [123] Ireland. That he had ſent that letter by the Packet, and he ſhould poſitively em⯑bark himſelf by the next fleet.

The third letter contradicted the other two. He ſaid my brother, the lawyer, had ſent for him when he was under ſen⯑tence of death, in Newgate, and had lain open a moſt iniquitous ſcene of villainy. He was now convinced I was perfectly innocent, and he had laboured in every poſſible way to find me out, and make me amends; and among the reſt, had in⯑ſerted ſeveral advertiſements in the newſ⯑papers, drawn up in the moſt penitent and contrite terms. He ſaid, this letter was written in a hurry, but that he ſhould write again fully as ſoon as he ſhould get any intelligence; and as he had al⯑ready learnt that I was in an obſcure lodging ſomewhere near town, he had no doubt of ſending in his next the ſa⯑tisfactory [124] intelligence of having found, and being reconciled, to the moſt amiable and moſt injured of wives.

I was all anxiety now to get back. 'Avaſt, avaſt!' ſaid my brother, 'we muſt talk this matter over cooly. To be ſure if he ſhould hear of your taking this trip, and follow you, it would be awkward enough; but even then it is but a trip home again at worſt, and Jack Hewit does not mind a little weather.

'I will tell you how it is with me; I muſt ſail in a fortnight for the Coaſt of Coromandel with a freight, and after that I am going upon a commiſſion from the Nabob, acroſs the Red Sea, to Grand Cairo, which, I think, is the laſt voyage I ſhall make; for, thank God, good friends, and my own induſtry, I am now grown pretty warm. If, therefore, you have a mind to truſt yourſelf with me, I [125] have no doubt but, either on our way, at Madraſs, or ſome other port, I can put you on board an Indiaman bound for Europe. If not, and you ſhould think it more feaſible to ſtay, here are my premiſes, houſe, laſcars, palanquin, every thing at your ſervice, till either my return, which, by the way, will be three years, or the ar⯑rival of Hewit.

I expreſſed a very ardent wiſh to ſee my ſon, but this he told me was impoſſi⯑ble; for that he was ſituated in a very good employ at Benares, and that we ſhould not be, at any time, within five hundred miles of him. He aſſured me he was perfectly well, was very much re⯑ſpected, and in a way to get rich; I, there⯑fore, contented myſelf with writing him a long letter full of maternal tenderneſs, and containing advice ſuitable to his time of life, tending to enſure his happineſs, and accelerate his expectations.

[126] Upon deliberate conſideration, it was agreed that I ſhould return; and, with this idea, I embarked on board my bro⯑ther's ſhip. Our voyage was adverſe, and we were driven into Tricomalee juſt as the Groſvenor was preparing to ſail. My brother happening to know captain Coxſon, her commander, perfectly well, he took me aboard with great willingneſs, and promiſed me every poſſible accommo⯑dation.

We dined on board, and a fair wind ſpringing up, we ſailed the next day. I burſt into a flood of tears at parting with my brother, which he treated as a joke. 'Good bye, Hannah,' ſaid he, 'I am go⯑ing over the Red Sea to ſearch for the ſpirits that are laid there; And if I ſhould fiſh up one of the wheels of Pharoah's chariot, with the fluke of my anchor, I'll ſend it for a preſent to ſome of the gaming-houſes near St. James's.'

[127] In ſhort, after ſettling all matters, as to Hewit and every thing elſe, we parted. He, in the higheſt good humour, and I, in the moſt pitiable depreſſion of ſpirits, which continued from that day, the 13th of June, till the 4th of Auguſt, when the Groſvenor was ſhipwrecked, between la⯑titude 27 and 32, on the Coaſt of Africa.

CHAP. I. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE DREADFUL DISTRESS EX⯑PERIENCED BY THE PASSENGERS AND CREW OF THE GROSVENOR EAST-INDIAMAN.

THE moment the ſhip ſtruck, a univerſal panic pervaded the whole company as if conveyed by an electrical ſhock. That [130] fatal blow was the knell of many, perhaps of all there, except me; or, if any ſur⯑vived, if they encountered ſo many hard⯑ſhips as I did, unleſs their minds were as well fitted to the trial, better, indeed, had it been for them to have died at that moment.

In the confuſion, as it is uſual I ſup⯑poſe upon ſuch occaſions, every precau⯑tion was taken improperly. The carpen⯑ters attempted to ſound the pumps, when it was impoſſible to find water; which had run entirely forward, owing to the ſtern's lying high upon the rocks. Signals of diſtreſs were next ordered to be fired; but had common ſenſe been conſulted, they would have known, that owing to the wa⯑ter, they could not get to the powder-room.

In this delemma what ſhould have been done firſt was done laſt, but not till the experiment was ineffectual. I mean [131] cutting away the maſts, which expedient had it been adopted before the veſſel had ſtruck ſo hard and ſo often by the ſtern as to wedge herſelf, as it were, among the rocks, the wind now coming to blow off the land, ſhe would certainly have righted, though, perhaps, with conſiderable da⯑mage.

Every precaution, finding all other hope at an end, was now taken to convey the crew and the paſſengers aſhore. A raft was formed and launched, but it proved as ineffectual an attempt as the reſt, for the hawſer, to which it was faſtened, broke and five men were drowned.

Four expert ſailors now attempted to ſwim aſhore, conducting with them the deep ſea line, with a view to convey a larger line, and then a larger ſtill, in order that the people might be borne upon it, ſo as to reach the ſhore in ſafety.

[132] Another expedient was to hoiſt out the yawl, and the jolly boat, but this an⯑ſwered no better purpoſe than any of the former, for the ſurf curling in between the pointed fragments of the rocks, inſtantly daſhed them both to pieces.

But none of theſe methods could ap⯑ply to the ſafety of any others than expert ſailors; the paſſengers, and particularly the ladies, muſt inevitably have periſhed, had it not been for a moſt unexpected and pro⯑vidental circumſtance, by means of which every ſoul that then remained got on ſhore without the ſmalleſt difficulty.

The wind chopping directly about, and blowing right on the ſhore, the bows, which were looſe from the rock, being heavy and choaked with water, ſtrained conſiderably, and the veſſel, having nearly broken her back, ſhe fairly ſnapt in two immediately before the main maſt.

[133] The after part, having leſs to ſtrug⯑gle with, and being, of courſe, conſi⯑derably lighter, in conſequence of be⯑ing diſencumbered of the bows, began, by the force of the wind, and the un⯑dulating motion of the ſurge, which made to the land, to be lifted forwards. Strik⯑ing, however, frequently, as this part of wreck edged in, a ſevere ſhock tore the deck fairly aſunder, by which means, as on a raft, that part neareſt the ſhore floated into ſhoal water, and every crea⯑ture, except, I believe, about four, were ſaved.

We had every proſpect that the ſhore, where we had taken ſhelter, would not prove a very hoſpitable one, for the inha⯑bitants conſtantly plundered us, and when we reſiſted, beat us. My foreboding heart, which always too fatally anticipated my ſufferings, had, in the midſt of my diſtraction, providently dictated to me to [134] ſupply myſelf with whatever might be uſe⯑ful to me in any emergency. I had, there⯑fore, carefully concealed about me two knives, two pair of ſciſſars, a houſewife, very well ſtocked, pins, and a few other things; and having, beſides, made a parade of buckles, ear-rings, and other trinkets, they contented themſelves with plunder⯑ing me of what was viſible, and left my concealed ſtock unmolleſted.

We remained a long time undeter⯑mined, as to what meaſures we ſhould purſue; but, after a variety of conſulta⯑tions, we reſolved to traverſe the country, in hopes, at length, to fall in with ſome of the Dutch ſettlements.

This attempt was attended with various ſucceſs. We paſſed, at firſt, from village to village, with but little difficulty; but as we advanced our troubles increaſed. The natives plundered us, and if we ap⯑proached [135] the woods, we were terrified, not only with the roarings, but the ſight of wild beaſts; and, in ſhort, ſurrounded with ſo many, and ſuch complicated difficulties, and inconveniencies, that though they were little to thoſe I have ſuſtained ſince, my heart ſinks within me at the remem⯑brance of them.

At length our misfortunes maſtered our patience; and inſtead of enduring with reſignation what could not be avoided, we inveighed againſt each other for the fruit⯑leſs advice every one had given. The ſailors ſwore that if it had not been for the obſtancy of the captain, in not taking pro⯑per obſervations, the ſhip would never have gone aſhore. Some adviſed going back to the wreck, others to live in the beſt manner we could, while a party of the moſt enterpriſing ſhould go forward and give notice to the Dutch ſettlers; who, in hopes of a reward from the En⯑gliſh [136] Eaſt-India Company, would of courſe ſend to our relief.

Theſe diſcontents were augmented by their receiving information from a man, ſuppoſed to be a Malayan, that it would be impoſſible to accompliſh what they attempted. This man, who called him⯑ſelf Trout, met us two or three times, and ſeemed very anxious as to what was to become of us. I had noticed him very little myſelf, though it is plain I had not eſcaped his obſervation.

He was repreſented as a man who had been guilty of ſeveral murders in his own country, and had, therefore, taken ſhelter among the Caffres, where he was ſettled and had a wife and a child. This alone was quite enough to deter me from pay⯑ing him much attention, but his ſallow face, his lank black hair, and his wild looks, in which there was an uncommon [137] ferocity, perfectly diſguſted me; though I could not help thinking I had ſome⯑where ſeen a reſemblance of him; and, notwithſtanding, he ſpoke Dutch, which language I did not underſtand, I imagined I had at ſometime or other heard his voice.

This man having widened the unhappy breach among us, in a few days it was re⯑ſolved, that the captain's party ſhould take one route, and the reſt another. The mates, the ſurgeon, the paſſengers, and in ſhort, all the genteeler part of the com⯑pany made their election to ſtay with the captain, and what became of the reſt I am entirely ignorant of; and, indeed, of thoſe, except one with whom I was left, for it was my fate, though, perhaps, my life was preſerved by it, to be torne from my com⯑panions ſhortly afterwards in the manner I ſhall relate in its place.

The man who called himſelf Trout, [138] had met us three ſeveral times. What paſſed at theſe meetings the ladies knew nothing of but by report, for we were now ſo bare of neceſſaries, that it was ſcarcely decent for us to be ſeen. We, therefore, walked at a diſtance from the men; and when they found any refreſh⯑ment, they left it and we went and fetched it when they were out of ſight.

When night concealed our ſhame, we converſed together; and at thoſe opportu⯑nities, we learnt that this man had come to treat with us from the natives, who ſaid, that if we would ſubmit to be their ſer⯑vants, till we were redeemed by the Dutch, they would ſend an expreſs to the ſettlers deſcribing our ſituation, and in⯑forming them of our quality, after which we ſhould be delivered whenever we were demanded; and, in the mean time, we ſhould experience very mild and kind treatment.

[139] We journeyed on in the track we were directed, but heard no more of the negociation. One morning we miſſed one of the carpenter's mates, whoſe name was M'Daniel, and as we had heard the roaring of wild beaſts in the night, we conjectured he had been carried off and torne to pieces.

Our diſtreſſes and apprehenſions now hourly encreaſed. Treachery from the na⯑tives, deſtruction from famiſhed wolves, lions, and tygers; raging hunger we could not appeaſe, and parching thirſt, which we were obliged to allay in the moſt ſhocking and unnatural manner, menaced us in ſuch horrid and various forms, that we ſeemed like ſo many devoted wretches waiting for death as the only kind friend we could implore to terminate our ſhock⯑ing and degrading miſeries.

Surely, ſurely human nature never [140] ſuffered ſuch deplorable humiliation. A ſet of fine, ſenſible, gallant men, and handſome, elegant, educated women, reduced to a ſtate more filthy than brutes. Their reſolution conquered, their intellects impaired, their ſtrength exhauſted, their hopes deſtroyed. In the courſe of a few days ſhrunk, de⯑cayed, and emaciated; all lovelineſs de⯑faced, all delicacy confounded. For this, thought I, did we ſeek the volup⯑tuous luxury of the Eaſt? For this in our ſloating palace did we command the winds to waft us with propitious gales to our expecting friends? But it is juſt. Inordinate pleaſure terminates in pain, and extravagant hope is baulked by diſ⯑appointment.

I cannot ſay, however, that my ob⯑ſervation exactly applied to myſelf. In going to India, I had no pride to gra⯑tify; no ſplendor to indulge in; nor [141] did I contemplate the ſatisfaction I ſhould receive on my return, at being gazed on as a meteor, and held up as a prodigy of beauty, wit, and elegance though the glaring medium of a galaxy of diamonds.

CHAP II. HANNAH PARTS FOR EVER FROM HER COMPANIONS IN AFFLICTION; THE CAUSE OF THIS EXTRA⯑ORDINARY SEPARATION; SOME CURIOUS PARTI⯑CULARS RELATIVE TO TROUT; AND AN AWFUL INSTANCE OF THE JUSTICE OF PROVIDENCE.

I Do not mean, in my laſt obſervations, to caſt any reflections on my unhappy companions. The moment of wretched⯑neſs is but an ill time for the language of admonition; and if it were a proper one, never was it ſo little neceſſary as upon the preſent occaſion. I declare my heart bleeds within me when I think of the probable fate of ſuch ornaments of their ſex as Mrs. James, Miſs Hoſea, [143] Miſs Wilmot, Miſs Dennis, and other la⯑dies, who had the misfortune to be ſhip⯑wrecked in the Groſvenor.

I only meant to remark, that theſe la⯑dies having fallen from a greater height than I did, and their diſappointment, as to their future proſpects, being more elevated than mine, neither my mind was ſo con⯑quered, nor my body ſo impaired as theirs. Indeed, if I could not account for it, the ſuperior health, and, I almoſt ſaid, ſpirits I was in, would not be credited; but as it is my diſpoſition, upon all occa⯑ſions, to be provident, ſo the precautions I adopted, from the firſt moment of com⯑ing aſhore, ſerved to prepare me for all I was to ſuffer.

Theſe precautions I could not prevail on any body elſe to take. If there was any thing to eat, they would eat vora⯑ciouſly. If what we had was merely a re⯑ſource, it was deſpiſed. Thus by ſucking [144] gums, chewing the pith of a tree, ex⯑tracting juice from leaves, keeping perpe⯑tually a ſtone in my mouth, eſpecially if it contained any ſaline or nutritious quality, were very ſalutary reſources to me, though for a long time I could not prevail on them to follow my example, and when they wiſhed to have followed it, we were in too dreary a part of the country to find the means.

I was as unfortunate in the reſource I had provided, by hoarding up a little ſtock of neceſſaries. When we came to be in great extremity, I ſhared it with them to the laſt article; but they were ſo careleſs, or rather ſo loſt, in conſequence of their diſtreſſes, that the inhabitants with eaſe diſcovered their hoard and plundered them, ſo that all that remained of it was what I had now left in my poſſeſſion, conſiſting of a kniſe, and a pincaſe, with ſome pins, which ſerve me to reckon the days.

[145] I here mention theſe matters in ſome order, becauſe it was on the next day, be⯑ing the 2d of October, 1782, and exactly eight weeks and three days after the ſhip ſtruck, that I was torne from my com⯑panions in misfortune, never to ſee them more.

The men came to us towards ſun ſet, and told us they had ſeen Trout, who ſaid he ſhould be ready for the negociation the next morning, and bid us ſing for joy. We, therefore, all determined to yield to the propoſals of the Caffres, provided they involved no actual violation of our honour, in which caſe, it is but little to ſay, that we would rather have ſacrificed our lives than have conſented.

And now a number of melancholy re⯑flections ſunk our ſpirits to the duſt; and as we laid down to reſt, we compared our⯑ſelves to the children of Iſrael in captivity, [146] commanded to ſing the Lord's ſong in a ſtrange land. Indeed, no moment of my life will ever have a more indelible place in my remembrance, than that night. Overcome with fatigue, ſunk into melan⯑choly, and our minds ſoftened into a fixed ſadneſs that weighed upon our hearts, every one heightened the deſpondency of the preſent moment by the recollection of ſome happier time, when the ſmiles of fortune had not a ſingle film to obſtruct them.

It was within three hours of morning; and, it being my turn to relate ſome ſad paſſage of my life, I had ſcarcely in⯑veighed againſt the treachery of a falſe friend, the eaſy credulity of a jealous miſtaken huſband, and deplored the loſs of a lovely infant, when, all of a ſudden, two Caffres ruſhed upon us, tore me away from my companions, and folding me up in a ſort of wrapper, darted with me acroſs the ſand. Whether my cries [147] were ſo ſmothered as not to be heard, or whether my companions took a falſe di⯑rection in any attempt to reſcue me from theſe wretches I know not, but it was a conſiderable time before they ſtopped, and when they did, I was delivered into the power of Trout, who gueſs my diſ⯑traction, announced himſelf as the villain—Sourby!

Oh heavens what did I feel at this mo⯑ment! No wonder I had ſhuddered every time I had ſeen the wretch, though always at a diſtance, no wonder his perſon and voice, diſguiſed as they were, ſeemed fa⯑miliar to me; no wonder, in ſhort, I ſhould apprehend the worſt of perdition, when ſo malignant a fiend was hovering round me.

His companions had ſcarcely ſet me down, when after exchanging a few words with him, in a language I did not under⯑ſtand, [148] they diſappeared like lightning. I began to tear the air with my cries, but he entreated me not to be alarmed, ſaid that the moments were precious, and it would be my fault if he made an improper uſe of them.

He ſaid, that the law having taken hold of him in England, he had determined from that moment to repent and become a valuable member of any country on which he ſhould happen to be thrown. That the captain of the tranſport ſhip, had ſo well liked his behaviour, that he had put him on board a veſſel bound to the Brazils, with a recommendation to a merchant there.

This merchant finding him very capa⯑ble of conducting buſineſs, had entruſted him with ſeveral commiſſions to the Cape of Good Hope, where he was going on very proſperouſly, and would have made a fortune, but for an extraordinary acci⯑dent, [149] which he was ſorry it fell to his lot to relate, becauſe it nearly concerned me. 'Me!' cried I, "Yes, you," ſaid he, "but be not alarmed, your huſband is no more; and finding you in this inhoſpitable place, I entreat that I may be your pro⯑tector in his ſtead."

'My huſband dead!' ſaid I, "Yes," anſwered he, "but I revenged him. I put the Dutch villain to death with my own hand, who had dared to lift his againſt my friend!"

There ſeemed ſo much rhodomontade in this that I could not for my life give credit to it; I diſembled, however, and with a deep ſigh, the offspring of involun⯑tary fear, enquired into the particulars, when I learnt that he had found John Hewit in a fray at the Cape, where a Dutchman had ſtabbed him with a ſnick⯑aſnee; that he himſelf, as he informed me before, had immediataly put the Dutch⯑man [150] to death, who being a man of ſome conſideration, he was obliged to fly; that ſince that time, he had lived amongſt the Caffres, who would not admit him till he had taken a wife from their tribe, that he had deteſted the life he led, that from the moment he ſaw me, for he knew me im⯑mediately, he had meditated my eſcape, which it was now in his power to effect.

He added, that he had entirely amended his life, that I knew very well that he never loved any woman but me, that he did not conſider his marriage among the Caffres as any way binding, and that if I would eſcape with him to Madagaſcar, where he had no doubt but we ſhould get very ſafe, he would there marry me, and called Heaven to witneſs that if I would truſt myſelf in his care, no violence ſhould be offered to me. He then finiſhed by appealing to me, whether in gratitude I ought not to marry the man who had avenged the death of my huſband.

[151] The morning now dawned; and as the day in thoſe countries comes on very faſt, I deſerned, by the ſea ſhore, a man waiting with a kind of ſhallop. I conſi⯑dered in a moment, that I ſhould be ſafer in the company of two men, even though they ſhould be both villains, than with one. I knew it muſt be deep diſſimulation that could impoſe upon Sourby, yet I was de⯑termined to diſſemble.

I told him that liberty, nay, even life itſelf, was, at that time, of very little mo⯑ment to me; and even if from moral, or religious motives, I could wiſh to preſerve either, what could I poſſibly hope from him who had made it his uniform pretence to deceive and impoſe upon me.

He declared he liked me the better for deteſting his former character, but he was now no longer that character, his in⯑tentions were honourable; and in what⯑ever he might be found deficient, he [152] ſhould conſider it the pride of his life to be corrected by my better mind, and ſu⯑perior judgment.

This affected compliment, to my ſa⯑gacity, by which he thought to impoſe upon me, was not thrown away. I put that ſagacity in practice in a moment; and, penetrating his heart and intentions, though I found him a greater villain than ever, I determined, guarded as I was, to riſk every thing for my liberty. I, there⯑fore, reluctantly appeared to conſent, aſſigning ſuch motives as would be moſt likely to impoſe upon him; and now as we walked towards the boat, my wrapper ſtill round me, which proved to be a morning gown belonging to poor captain Coxſon; I enquired what men were thoſe who carried me off, and where they were gone.

He told me that my queſtion involved the fate of all my companions, the nature [153] of which he would inform me. They were all that morning to be ſurrounded and taken priſoners, after which a propoſal would be made for the men to take Caffre wives, and the women Caffre huſbands, which if any refuſed to do, they would be killed and eaten. That he had with great difficulty kept this buſineſs in a ſtate of ſuſpenſion for the laſt three weeks, which time he had employed in getting ready the ſhallop, and ſtocking it with proviſions; that having deſpaired of getting me away by fair means, he had employed force; and that the two Caffres, which people are always faithful when they were em⯑ployed, but vindictive if deceived, had undertaken to effect this upon promiſe of being rewarded.

The reward he had promiſed the Caffres was three buffaloes, and five deer; which, at parting, he had given them orders to drive to their own kraal, [154] but they would find, he ſaid, no ſuch buffaloes, nor deer, for he had been obliged to part with them to another Caffre, to procure a part of our ſupply; therefore, ſaid he, you ſee the neceſſity of uſing expedition, for if theſe men ſhould find out the deceit and return before we get away, I ſhall become a ſacrifice. Nay, this may ſerve to convince you of my ſincerity, for if cruelly you now refuſe my forfeit life will ſoon expiate my for⯑mer crimes.

Though I ſaw the villain in every word of this, I affected to believe him; and ap⯑pearing pleaſed at this inſtance of his ſeem⯑ing confidence, I ſignified ſome anxiety about getting away. In a very ſhort time we got to the ſhallop, which I found guarded by the very carpenter's mate whom we had given over as one devoured by wild beaſts.

As this young man had demeaned himſelf [155] with great propriety and decorum, I took heart at the ſight of him; but what was my ſurprize when he caught an opportunity of whiſpering to me, when Sourby was fetching ſome things at a diſtance, "You are in the hands of a villain; ſeem to truſt him by all means. If he behaves ill, I know how to defend you."

Sourby had told me not to contradict him in any thing he ſhould ſay as to the motives of our intended voyage. He ſaid, he had amuſed this young man with the promiſe of mountains when we ſhould reach Madagaſcar, where he pretended I had a very rich brother. In conſequence of theſe and other promiſes, he had, from the wreck of the Groſvenor, formed this ſhallop, which was well built, both for ſurfs and ſeas, and plentifully ſtored, ſo that there could be no doubt but we ſhould eſcape in ſafety.

[156] Placing an implicit truſt in provi⯑dence, I ſuffered myfelf to be conducted on board. The weather was uncommonly ſerene and beautiful; and ſailing under favour of an awning that protected us from the ſcorching rays of the ſun, we went be⯑fore the wind under a kind of ſquare ſail, at ſo expeditious a rate, that in about four hours we loſt ſight of the African coaſt.

My mind was ſo fully made up to all conſequences, and I knew ſo well the na⯑ture of every riſk I could poſſibly run; that having plenty of proviſions, and very comfortable things to wrap myſelf in, by way of temporary cloathing, I felt as if inſpired with new life, I ſtipulated for a partition to be made for me abaft, where I might retire as often and as long as I pleaſed, eſpecially when I might be in⯑clined to ſleep, and that every attention ſhould be ſtrictly kept, which delicacy and decorum demanded.

[157] Theſe conditions were inviolably ob⯑ſerved; and for ſix days, during which time we kept the ſea, the weather being ſtill, mild, and favourable, I cannot ſay I had any thing to complain of. Sourby appeared to pay me great deference and reſpect, conſtantly alluding to the acknow⯑ledgements he ſhould receive from my brother, when he ſhould have ſafely de⯑livered me into his hands, and the carpen⯑ter's mate ſeemed very thankful for the promiſes that were made him in return for the aſſiſtance he was affording us. As to the reſt, the fate of my afflicted friends on the coaſt of Africa, was often the ſub⯑ject of our converſation; and we com⯑forted ourſelves with the hope of ſending aſſiſtance to them from Madagaſcar, in which hope we were none of us ſincere, for we muſt have known no ſuch thing was practicable.

In proportion as converſation becomes familiar, nothing is ſo eaſy as to catch peo⯑ple [158] tripping. Cunning as he was, this was often the caſe with Sourby, but much oftener with the carpenter's mate, who was more artleſs; nay, I will not ſay it did not ſometimes happen to me. Thus getting equally diſtruſtful, we grew grave, reſerved, and cautious. As for myſelf, confiding in nothing but my firm and unalterable re⯑ſolution, I was prepared for any act, how⯑ever deſperate, to free me from impending danger; and for the men, a thouſand half hints and ſignificant geſtures convinced me that they were bent on each other's de⯑ſtruction.

On the ſeventh day this moodineſs rather encreaſed than diminiſhed. While we were venturing every poſſible con⯑jecture, as to our ſituation, and diſputing about it pretty warmly all round, we plainly ſaw land; and the wind ſetting fair for the ſhore, we made towards it pretty faſt. This diſcovery was for ten minutes a ſubject of general exultation. Preſently [159] we had all our different meditations on it. At laſt it threw ſuch a gloom over us, as each boſom throbbed with its own con⯑ſlict, that it muſt have been pitable to have ſeen us.

I have thought an hundred times what a dreadful degradation of humanity this ſcene preſented. That three beings who dared to tempt the dangerous ocean with ſo inſignificant a protection, who had found in providence a generous ſafeguard, and an unering pilot; inſtead of exulting at this unexampled ſalvation, inſtead of vowing to devote themſelves to the pro⯑tection of each other, ſhould indulge in nothing but criminal and unfeeling ſelf⯑iſhneſs.

My conduct, however, Heaven knows, had an innocent motive; for I began to fear both my conductors, and had no doubt, when once aſhore, when one [160] ſhould have killed the other in rival con⯑tention, my honour was to be the prize of the victor.

I had not long, however, to think upon this before we ſaw a monſtrous ſhark making towards us; at which mo⯑ment, whether it was his previous in⯑tention, or whether his conduct aroſe from an inſtantaneous impulſe on ſeeing the ſhark, I knew not; but Sourby ſeized a kind of pole ax, and aimed it at the head of the carpenter's mate.

I ſcreamed and catched at his arm, but not ſo effectually as wholly to prevent the blow, which, however, fell obliquely on the poor man's ſtomach inſtead of his head; when, mark the finger of providence! My intervention diverting the arm of Sourby from the direction he intended it ſhould take, and, by that means, throwing his body out of its equipoiſe, unable to re⯑cover [161] his feet, he ſtaggered from the thwart, on which he had ſtood, and fell into the ſea.

My cries were now reiterated, I en⯑treated he might be ſaved, whatever might be the conſequence. He implored, in Chriſt's name, we would aſſiſt him, de⯑claring himſelf to have been the worſt of all villains, but that he would amend his life. The poor carpenter's mate, though almoſt lifeleſs, ſeconded my en⯑deavours, but in vain, for before we could get him into the boat, he uttered, incoherently, 'Binns! Hewit!' Then gave a frightful ſcream, and was nipt in two by the monſter.

If ever unerring juſtice gave an aw⯑ful example in the death of any man, it did in the death of this. He had been a ſhark to his fellow creatures. Peace of mind, domeſtic felicity, character, ho⯑nour, [162] lovelineſs, innocence, had all been a prey to his inſatiate rapacity; and now, Oh matchleſs inſtance of impartial reta⯑liation! he himſelf became a prey to the mercileſs monſter, whoſe remorſeleſs vo⯑racity had been his imitation.

CHAP. III. IN WHICH HANNAH HEWIT, AFTER FRESH DISTRESS, OCCASIONED BY ANOTHER DISASTER, FINDS HER⯑SELF ALONE ON A DESOLATE ISLAND.

PENETRATED with horror as I was at this ſhocking circumſtance, I, nevertheleſs, kept ſight of our perilous ſituation, and fearing leſt the ſanguinary monſter ſhould return to devour us, I conjured M'Daniel to haſten with all expedition to the ſhore.

Poor fellow he was unable to aſſiſt me. He had received his death blow. He attempted to riſe, but panted like a bird, [164] and fell backwards; ſeeing, therefore, I had nothing elſe for it, I exerted all my reſolution. I ſpread the ſprit acroſs the ſail, put the head of the ſhallop right for the ſhore; and the wind and tide ſetting in, I dare ſay it was not more than half an hour when we were ſcarcely afloat upon an even ſand as fair and as firm as the beach at the foot of Portland Iſland.

I cheered my companion in the beſt manner I could, leading him with great difficulty up a gradual eminence, where he might ſit down in ſhelter from the flowing tide, and reſt himſelf more at his eaſe than in the boat. I then fetched him every refreſhment I could find; and fear⯑ing leſt night ſhould ſurprize me, I moored the ſhallop in the beſt manner my ſtrength would permit, and returned to the aſſiſt⯑ance of M'Daniel, who I yet hoped, with care and attention, would recover.

I was deceived, he grew fainter and [165] fainter, and ſo far from being able to eat, he could ſcarcely ſpeak. However, in broken ſentences, he told me that Sourby had deluded him from the company under a promiſe that he ſhould regain his liberty, and make his fortune by means of a gentle⯑man at Madagaſcar; that he had believed his ſtory, and was willing enough to ad⯑venture in his ſcheme; but upon being told that this gentleman's name was Hig⯑gins, a doubt had ariſen in his mind, for that he knew captain Higgins, had ſerved under him, and had a great value for him; and alſo knew that he, at that time, which was the truth, was ſettled comfortably in India, for he had ſeen him when he put me on board the Groſvenor.

This doubt had induced him to put other circumſtances together, and, upon the whole, he had no doubt but Sourby's intention was to ſteal me away with ſome ſiniſter deſign. Still it was his advice that I ſhould attempt my eſcape, as he ſhould [166] be at hand to protect me, if it became ne⯑ceſſary, and to this he added, that he had himſelf conceived a violent paſſion for me from the firſt moment he ſaw me, but un⯑derſtanding I was a married woman, had checked it. Believing now, however, that I was ſingle, it was his intention firſt to have deſerved my affection, and then to have offered his.

All this, in a very incoherent, diſ⯑jointed manner, I got from M'Daniel, who added, that if out of his death ſhould come my preſervation, he ſhould heave his laſt ſigh with pleaſure.

I omitted nothing that could cheriſh and comfort him, I tenderly entreated him to take heart, telling him, that though he could never be my huſband, he ſhould be my protector and my friend. He ſcarcely now heard me, life was forſaking him, his reſpiration was thick, broken, and con⯑vulſed; at length he fell into a violent fit [167] of coughing, and the blood pouring in a torrent from his mouth, he dropt lifeleſs at my ſeet.

I apprehended that the blow had ſlightly irrupted a blood veſſel about the heart; that thus he had for a time bled inwardly, until the parts being clogged with coagu⯑lated and extravaſated blood, the coughing was brought on by a violent effort of na⯑ture to diſcharge the inconvenience ſhe laboured under; that this had enlarged the orifice of the irrupted veſſel, and thus immediate death was the conſequence.

The humanity of the reader will form that picture of my calamitous ſituation that I am unable to deſcribe. Seated on the bank, ſcarcely elevated enough to pre⯑ſerve me from the influx of the roaring waves that beat againſt an inacceſſable rock, of which my place of ſhelter formed the baſe; my dead friend by my ſide, the ſhades of night ſurrounding me, uncertain [168] where fortune had thrown me, I was ſo ſunk with melancholy, and petrified with horror, that my harraſſed faculties could ſcarcely teach me to think; and ſitting with my mind thus torpid and ſuſpended, reflection my torment, and my relief my tears; day, that welcome harbinger of happineſs to others, ſeemed to ſmile be⯑nignly upon creation only to point out the moſt deplorable object in it.

I had but two things, to periſh or to be reſolute. If gracious Providence had ſaved me from ſhipwreck, afterwards from certain death, or diſhonour, among the Caffres, and at length from a perilous voyage in a ſmall veſſel upon a tremen⯑dous ſea, why ſhould I accelerate my fate? Ought not rather the magnitude of my danger to make me look it in the face? To ſtruggle all I could againſt it; and, at laſt, if it ſhould overwhelm me, I ſhould ſink into peace with the conſcious re⯑flection that I had not ſhortened a life [169] truſted not to my diſpoſal, but the diſpoſal of him who gave it.

Searching now in my mind for re⯑ſources, I became more and more deter⯑mined. I firſt looked for the boat, but, alas, my feeble ſtrength had not ſecured it ſo as to bear the buffetting of the flow⯑ing and ebbing tide. No trace of it re⯑mained, and, I dare ſay, that for many hours it had floated out to ſea.

I inſtantly reflected that it was a mercy I had not been carried off by the tide in the ſame manner, which muſt have been the caſe had not the moon been in the wane; for by obſerving the objects about, I could eaſily perceive that the ſpring tides flowed conſiderably higher than the top of the bank on which I ſtood; it was, therefore, impoſſible I could main⯑tain my poſition for more than a day or two at moſt. I determined to take my [170] meaſures without delay; and having vowed to him who gave me my being, that I would not reſign it till it ſhould be his pleaſure, nor repine any farther than the weakneſs of human nature compelled me, I began my pious taſk with conſigning, I would I could ſay, to a peaceful grave, the ſad remains of my poor companion.

With a ſhell, which lay on the ſhore, I contrived with much difficulty, to dig a hole large enough to hold the body; and having, with great labour and trouble, placed it there, after a ſhort, but fervent prayer to the Deity, I concealed the ſhocking ſpectacle from my eyes, though Heaven knows it will never be ſhut out from my remembrance.

My next care was to ſee for a ſafer place of ſhelter, for which purpoſe I kept along the ſhore at the foot of the rock, where having rambled, I ſuppoſe, about three miles, I deſerned an inlet, whoſe [171] banks ſeemed to penetrate into the coun⯑try; and as the water at the time I diſ⯑covered it, ran from it towards the ſea, I had no doubt but that, at its ſource, it muſt be freſh.

This diſcovery gave me a pleaſure which I cannot expreſs. I had hardly, properly ſpeaking, taſted good water ſince we left Trincomalee. On board of ſhip every body knows it is very difficult to have good water; that on the coaſt of Africa, when we could get any at all, which was very rare, was, at beſt, brackiſh; and ſince I left the Caffres, the preſerved juice of cooling fruits ſerved us for its ſubſtitute.

I was, therefore, very anxious to fol⯑low up this diſcovery, but the attempt was attended with difficulty. The banks, if I may ſo call them, of this rivulet, were compoſed of ragged points of rock jetting [172] out, ſometimes ſo bold that they could not be attempted without manifeſt hazard.

Seeing this I changed my courſe and took a circuitous route, in a more practi⯑cable direction, where the rivulet ſeemed to wind. By this means, after ſome fa⯑tigue, I got upon an elevation, from whence I could ſee great part of the coun⯑try around me, which I found partly rocky, partly verdant, and every where abounding with wildneſs and luxuriancy.

Roaming about in this uncertain ſtate, if I had hitherto been prevented from tracing the river to its bed, I was made ample amends by another object which I may fairly call manna in the wilderneſs. It was the plantain tree, which ſpread its nutrimental golden cluſters within my reach; ſo that, in this ſhort interval, I had a proſpect of water and a certainty of bread.

[173] Oh Heaven! what were my ſenſations now? The gratitude that warmed my ſoul infuſed into my heart a glow of delight that inſpired me with the felicity of angels.

I now purſued the track of the river with more ardour than ever; and pene⯑trating through a thick cluſter of cedars, round which it ſeemed to wind, ſtill taking care to mark my way, I came to a ſloping lawn, down which it gently rolled; its ſource, apparently, being the top of a very high mountain, ſkirted with palms, cedars, cocoa trees, and other lofty pro⯑ductions of the Eaſt.

Theſe reſearches having ſo beguiled the time, that I plainly ſaw it would be in vain, before the tide ſet in, to attempt a retreat, I concluded to ramble about and ſleep for that night at the foot of a tree, in the mean time, having eaten ſome fruit of the plantain, and drank ſome moſt de⯑licious water, I ſtrolled to that part of the [174] rock next the ſea; when coming, unex⯑pectedly, to the prominence which imme⯑diately overlooked the bank on which I had ſo diſmally paſſed the night before, good Heaven! what did I behold?

A huge ſea lion had raked the body of the carpenter's mate out of the ſand, and was at that moment feaſting upon it. I gazed with horror and ſurprize, and again felt that ſweet ſenſation of gratitude that has ſo often repaid me, by one moment's exquiſite pleaſure for days and months of pain. Could I diſtruſt that a particular providence watched over me! Elſe why did I leave the place where I was ſure to meet inevitable deſtruction? Why was I invited to the wholeſome plantain, and the refreſhing ſpring? Was this chance? No; it was the eſpecial care of that power who I knew would never forſake me, ſo long as I put my truſt in him.

Full of theſe thankful ſenſations, I [175] haſtened to the river, and filled with my chryſtal beverage, a ſmall keg, which I had the precaution to ſling at my back; I then reaſcended the rock; and having found a beautiful retreat, interwoven with moſs and thick tendrils, I made another ſalutary meal, and when night approached, confi⯑dently reſigned myſelf into the arms of ſleep.

CHAP IV. HANNAH'S INGENUITY PUT TO THE TEST, 'TILL HAVING EXERCISED IT PRETTY VARIOUSLY, SHE FINDS HERSELF TOLLERABLY WELL OFF.

I SLEPT in great tranquility for ſeveral hours; and having awoke a conſiderable time before day light, I began to ruminate on my ſituation, and to conſider of every expedient neceſſary for me to adopt, in order to make it as comfortable as poſſible.

With the boat I had certainly loſt many reſources, and the few things I had been able to get aſhore, as they conſiſted [177] only of ſome proviſions we had brought away from the coaſt of Africa, ſuch as a few jars of potted deer, and preſerved fruits, they could now be of no material uſe to me. The jars, indeed, would have been welcome, but then I thought, per⯑haps, I might find ſhells, or ſome other ſubſtitute to anſwer the purpoſe as well.

I determined, at all adventures, not to return to the ſand bank, and if I ſhould find it neceſſary, upon any occa⯑ſion, to ſeek the ſea ſhore, to do ſo as carefully as poſſible. The circumſtance of the ſea lion, was a very ſerious cau⯑tion, and it behoved me to ſhun every op⯑portunity of expoſing myſelf to danger, from which, if it once ſurrounded me, it would be impoſſible for me to extricate myſelf.

After turning my ſituation in every [178] poſſible point of view, and making up my mind, as to my ſafety, which I was deter⯑mined never to doubt till the conſumation of my fate ſhould fill up the meaſure of deſtiny, the ſmiling morn found me as chearful as itſelf, what had I to wiſh for but ſhelter, food, and rayment, and theſe the birds that warbled round my head, found eaſily, and were thankful for the bleſſing.

Why then ſhould I repine? A thou⯑ſand houſes, built of the moſt beautiful materials, and erected by the moſt perfect architect, courted my acceptance. A ſingle rock could furniſh for me a magni⯑ficent dwelling with all its compartments. For food, I could not have luxuries, but I could imbibe health at every mouthful, and for cloathing, the inhabitants of that part of the world, needed none; and even if it were neceſſary, to an ingenious mind, ſomething might be eaſily contrived [179] out of leaves, feathers, and a variety of other materials that I could already per⯑ceive I ſhould find in much greater abun⯑dance than would be neceſſary to anſwer my purpoſe.

In this cheerful diſpoſition did I walk abroad; and while the birds hymned their gratitude to that power that gave them an⯑other day, my heart in ſilent ſervency joined the general thankſgiving.

My firſt idea was to ſet my face to all that I could ſtand the ſmalleſt poſſible chance of encountering; for that purpoſe I ſet about aſcending the mountain whence the river ſeemed to derive its ſource; gueſſing, which I own was my greateſt ap⯑prehenſion, that I ſhould thereby diſcover whether any part of the place was inhabited.

With great difficulty, in about ſix [180] hours, I accompliſhed my purpoſe, when I plainly ſaw I was upon an iſland, ac⯑cording to my judgment, of about five miles and a half by about nine miles, the whole view of which, like the Peak of Teneriffe, this emminence commanded. I did not diſern the ſmalleſt trace of build⯑ings, or any thing that could lead me to believe that human creatures had ever been accuſtomed to reſide there.

I ſaw ſome wild deer, and an animal of the buffalo kind, and ſeveral ſpecies of monkies; but they all ran away from me and took ſhelter in the woods. I had loſt ſo much time that I was under the ne⯑ceſſity of ſleeping by the ſide of an im⯑menſe baſon, which proved to be the ſource of the river, and which plainly, like the original reſervoir at Antigua, was ſup⯑plied by the clouds to fertilize the iſland.

I paſſed, however, a very uncomforta⯑ble [181] night; the bellowing, braying and chat⯑tering of beaſts, and the hiſſing of ſnakes, filled my mind with a good deal of ap⯑prehenſion; and though I did not at all repent that I had made this experiment, I determined in future to keep in the more rocky part of the place, as I was con⯑vinced I ſhould there be ſubject to leſs annoyance.

Miſtaking my way I deſcended by an⯑other branch of the river, which led me gradually to a ridge of rocks that extended far into the ſea, and at low water appeared ſmall and ragged for a conſiderable diſ⯑tance, not very unlike the Giants' Cauſe⯑way in Ireland. I was at firſt diſappointed at this circumſtance; but as I went on I found I had no reaſon to be under much concern, for the plantain grew every where round in great perfection, and what gave me infinite pleaſure, I found orange, lime, citron, ſhaddock, and olive trees; [182] and, in the brakes, there grew in large quantities, a ſpecies of wild cotton.

In addition to this welcome diſcovery I found that the river ſpread through a verdant plain at the foot of a large rock, and continued upon a level ſurface for many hundred yards; after which it ſud⯑denly diſappeared among the brakes, and through fiſſures, and gave notice, only by its murmuring, that it bent its courſe to the ocean.

Near the plain, through which, as I before obſerved, glided the river, a large cavern ran into the rock to a prodigious extent, extremely in appearance like that part of the Derbyſhire rocks, near Caſtle⯑ton, which is called one of the wonders of the Peak. Here being ſupplied with or⯑anges, citrons, and ſeveral other fruits, beſides that of the plantain tree, having a large canal before my door, and being [183] beſides wonderfully ſheltered from wea⯑ther and other inconvenience, I thought I could not do better than ſet up my reſt, eſpecially as it was now high time to ſquare the ſort of life I ſhould lead by ſomething like method and regularity.

In the firſt place I had, by way of cloaths, only the wrapper I ſpoke of, with a piece of old muſlin tied round my head, and a pair of ſandals on my feet, made of a buffalo's hide, and tied with thongs of lea⯑ther. All theſe were inconveniencies which I had already conſidered how to remedy.

Again I wanted a comfortable place for repoſe, for though I had experienced good weather thitherto, I had no idea how long it might laſt. This place, I thought, I could eaſily manage to procure myſelf within the hollow of the rock. Indeed I had formed a hundred projects, which I [182] [...] [183] [...] [184] had no doubt but I ſhould ſet about with great facility, and which, as well as being an agreeable bodily refreſhment, would ſerve to amuſe my mind, and divert it from that diſtraction that now and then, in ſpight of all my fortitude, it was in⯑volved in.

The firſt ſtep I took to effect my pur⯑poſe was to explore the different receſſes of my cavern, which were divided and ſubdivided into apartments, rude, indeed, but ſome of them wonderfully compact and convenient. But what pleaſed me moſt was that in all my reſearches I found nothing that could induce me to believe the place was infeſted by any ſavage or noxious animals.

As mortals, however, in proportion as they emancipate from their natural ſtate, find many artificial wants, ſo I felt out the neceſſity of conſiderable alterations in [185] my reſidence before I could make it tena⯑ble. Some apartments ſweat with humidity, others were choaked up with brambles, and then ſuch an univerſal gloom pervaded the whole place, that a light would be an article not to be diſpenſed with.

Theſe difficulties very frequently put me to a ſtand; but as difficulty ſtimulates invention, and active minds ſucceed beſt when they ſtruggle with oppoſition, ſo in a very ſhort time I had ſurmounted almoſt every impediment likely to obſtruct my operations.

In the firſt place, having obſerved a fiſſure which gave a glimmering of light into the interior part of the cavern, I found it out on the outſide, and having widened it by removing the earth and ſtones about it, which happened to be little more than rubbiſh, where grew ſome low [186] ſhrubbery, I at different times obtained a perforation equal to three feet ſquare.

This threw day into a great part of the the cavern, in the nature of a ſkylight, but the reader muſt not ſuppoſe I was not aware that rain might enter it alſo, an in⯑convenience that it was my care to remedy, which I did in this manner:

I gathered ſome twigs from a tree, that were as ſupple as oziers, and wattling them together in the nature of an open-work baſket, I formed them into a frame large enough for my purpoſe. Having done this I got together a quantity of plantain leaves, and wetting thoſe with a gum, that oozed from a tree, which ſeemed to be a ſpecies of the larch, I hardened them in the ſun, and they grew tough and pelucid. Theſe I placed on my frame; and having ſlightly wattled another coat of oziers to ſecure them, I fixed them into their ſitua⯑tion, [187] placing earth, of an adheſive quality like clay, neatly at all the extremities, in the nature of putty, and thus made a com⯑plete window by way of ſkylight.

My next care was to contrive ſome⯑thing like a couch to ſleep upon. This I managed by forming a baſket in the nature of a cot, which I lined with matting made of the ruſhes that grew in great abundance and variety by the ſide of my canal. Hav⯑ing done this, I gathered a large quantity of cotton, picked it, and beat it with two ſticks, and then ſpread it out in ſlakes, or as the wool combers call it ſlivers; this done, I placed within my cot a layer of cotton and a layer of mats, until the whole formed a ſucceſſion of mattraſſes perfectly elaſtic; and thus by a little ingenuity, I contrived a moſt comfortable bed.

Cloaths began now to be a material conſideration. I had found the poor cap⯑tain's [188] morning gown ſo cumberſome, and inconvenient, that I had reſerved only the ſleeves and the back of it in their old ſhape, and had torne all the reſt into aprons; but ſtill ſo many parts of my body and limbs were expoſed, that the parching rays of the ſun became at laſt intolerable.

A variety of expedients ſuggeſted themſelves to remedy this inconvenience, but they were either impracticable for want of implements, or infefficient from the na⯑ture of the materials. I had plantain leaves, and the leaves of the catalpa, but could I have ſewed them together, their texture would not have borne it ſo as to laſt any time.

The firſt attempt that was attended with any thing like ſucceſs, was twiſting cotton into a kind of ropes, and ſo winding it round every part, in the ſame manner as the Hot⯑tentots twiſt round them the inteſtines of [189] animals, ſo that had the cotton been of many colours, I ſhould have looked like a fury dreſſed out in ſnakes, but this faſhion, which I found very uncomforta⯑ble, ſoon gave way to another.

I dreſſed ſome fine cotton into as thin flakes as poſſible, by means of the prickly pear leaf, which is formed exactly like an inſtrument for carding. This done, I ſpun with a kind of common diſtaff, a large quantity of cotton thread, ſome fine, ſome coarſe; then, with a thorn, that I uſed for a needle, I ſewed the edges of theſe ſlivers together till I had got a large piece, but this was making very little progreſs, for the leaſt tenſion would have pulled all my work to pieces.

What I had done, however, was a great point gained. My next ſcheme was to form a net with large open maſhes, of an extent ſufficient to cover my cotton, [190] which having done on one ſide I found it neceſſary to do the ſame on the other; thus the cotton lay between the two nets, exactly like wadding in a cloak; and the net being faſtened at proper diſtances, by the knots, it kept pretty well together.

To effect all this took me a great deal of time, and was an inconceivable trouble to me; and, at laſt, I could do nothing with my netting to anſwer any good pur⯑poſe, till I had waſhed it, dipped it in gum water, and ſtretched it in the ſun to dry.

Having pretty well carried this point, I braided cotton thread into laces of given lengths, and, at laſt, formed a ſort of dreſs cut in the faſhion, and laced on in the manner of a harlequin's jacket and trowſers.

But after all, this curious dreſs ſo inge⯑niouſly contrived, like the firſt, gave way [191] to another, which, though it did not ſug⯑geſt itſelf till after I had taken ſo much trouble, was perfectly obvious, and an⯑ſwered every deſired end, being nothing more than a jacket and trowſers, knit with cotton in the nature of knitting a ſtocking.

For my head I formed a ſort of helmit out of ruſhes, which I lined with fine cot⯑ton, and for my feet I made ſandals of very ſmall oziers, which I lined with cot⯑ton and faſtened with laces.

And now, having a habitation, a bed to lie on, cloaths to cover me, two cane charis, a ozier table, covered with a mat, and ſeveral other conveniencies, I ſhall enumerate the time and trouble all this proceſs took me, which will be found very little when it is conſidered how few re⯑ſources I had but what immediately re⯑ſulted from the fertility of my invention, and how little I was aſſiſted by a know⯑ledge of what expedients others had [192] adopted in ſimilar exigencies; for whether it was from a dread of mind, or any other cauſe, I will not pretend to ſay, but I had never in my life read Robinſon Cruſoe, Alexander Selkirk, Peter Quarles, nor any of thoſe books, which of courſe would have afforded me, in my ſituation, many ſerviceable hints.

This laſt circumſtance I mention among other reaſons to defend my fame as a writer; and I beg, if it ſhould appear that any of my expedients or contrivances bear a ſimilitude to thoſe of the perſons above mentioned, the matter may be candidly weighed, and allowance made for the ne⯑ceſſity of adopting ſimilar meaſures in ſimilar ſituations.

CHAP. V. IN WHICH HANNAH CONTRIVES TO BEGIN HER HIS⯑TORY; SHE IS VISITED BY INNUMERABLE GUESTS OF TWO SORTS; SHE PROVIDES AGAINST THE RAINY SEASON, WHICH, COMING ON, SHE EXPE⯑RIENCES VERY DISAGREEABLE EFFECTS FROM IT.

I HAVE ſaid that I left Cafraland on Wedneſday the 2d day of October, 1782; ſo that being ſix days, and part of the ſe⯑venth day, at ſea, I landed on the deſolate iſland, where I have ever ſince reſided, on Wedneſday the 9th; and it was not until Saturday the 30th of November, that I found myſelf in the comfortable ſituation I have juſt deſcribed; nay, when it is [194] conſidered how much I muſt have had to impede my exertions, the wonder will be how I was able to accompliſh it in ſo ſhort a time.

In the firſt place, as it was my inten⯑tion to retire to the ſand bank on the even⯑ing of the day I left it, I brought nothing with me that could be of any uſe but a keg and a knife. The knife I unfortu⯑nately loſt by the way, and this misfortune I very much lamented, for it was indiſpen⯑ſibly neceſſary to have ſome ſharp inſtru⯑ment in ſuch work as cutting and ſhaping ſticks, ſtakes, ozier twigs, and ruſhes.

Luckily my keg was ſtrongly hooped with iron, and I had no doubt but I ſhould be able to accompliſh, by means of the hoops, after ſome difficulty, every thing I wanted. A fire was now indiſpenſibly ne⯑ceſſary, and my buſineſs was either by friction or ſome other means, to procure one.

[195] I rubbed two ſticks together, which certainly, after ſome trouble, emitted ſomething phoſphoric, but which, the wood being green, I could not fairly bring to a burning ſtate. I then ſtruck ſeveral hard ſtones againſt the hoops of my keg, holding ſome cotton underneath, but nei⯑ther were the ſparks ſtrong enough, nor the cotton inflamable enough to produce fire.

At length, after a variety of ineffectual experiments, perceiving that ſome ſand, which formed, a few days before, only an incruſtation, had now, by the heat of the ſun become vitrified, I had great hopes I might effect my purpoſe through this me⯑dium, in the nature of a burning glaſs, for its form was very nearly concave, and I was not to learn that any thing concave, that has the power of reflection, acts ac⯑cording to the laws of reflection, and in⯑clines [196] the rays of light to a point in their axis, the burning depending upon the union of rays, and the union of rays on the concave ſperical figure. Thus I have known gilded wooden mirrors, as they are falſely called, alabaſter, covered with gold, or foil, nay, even mirrors made of paper, covered with ſtraw, to emit rays of heat, ſo as to burn inflamable objects, with which they have come in contact.

I don't know how far an experiment would have anſwered my purpoſe, for I did not try one, an accident of a ſingular nature having prevented me. Looking round where I had ſwept together a vaſt quantity of leaves, which I had from time to time ſtript off the oziers, for I had made an excellent broom, on which heap was thrown heavy rubbiſh, in order to keep my working place clean, a method I never neglected, a ſmoke iſſued from the place. I was inſtantly aſtoniſhed at myſelf, that I [197] had not thought of a thing ſo ſelf evident, this being a common expedient to procure fire, but it is in our natures to ſearch at random for what reflection would have ſhewn us in a beaten track.

I encouraged the heat by beating and preſſing it down with more ſtones, till, at length, the ſmoke encreaſing, it burſt into a flame, exactly upon the principle of an overheated hay rick, ſo that at preſent I left my ſcheme of trying an experiment on my vetrified incruſtation, which I deter⯑mined, however not to abandon; for find⯑ing the compoſition extremely in the na⯑ture of the Chineſe petunſe, I had no doubt but I ſhould one day be able to make glaſs, if not porcelaine, the whole progreſs of which I had completely made myſelf miſtreſs of during my ſtay in the vicinage of Derby.

But the neceſſaries of life being my [198] firſt object, it was proper that all idea of the luxuries ſhould, at preſent give way, I therefore, encouraged my fire, and went ſo well to work, that it turned out of great uſe to me. I pitched upon a ſtone of the temper of porphyry, for my anvil; and having taken off the hoops from my keg, I ſtraitened them, and now I was in poſ⯑ſeſſion of ſeven pieces of iron, about twenty-ſeven inches long, three quarters of on inch wide, and the ſixteenth of an inch thick.

I took one of the hoops, and heating it in the fire, I doubled it in two; then again, and again, till having worked them each time with a poliſhed ſtone into per⯑fect coheſion, I had a ſolid piece of iron, more than half an inch thick, and about three inches long.

I took another hoop, which I worked with the ſame kind of labour, into a punch; [199] and having hardened it, I beat my other piece of iron, at one end, to the ſhape of a bricklayer's lathing hammer. I then punched a hole through the middle large enough to contain a handle, then hardened it, and thus I had a complete hammer, to drive at one end, and cut at the other.

I could now work more handily, and, indeed, I did ſo to ſo good a purpoſe; that before I had uſed all my hoops, I was in poſſeſſion of the hammer before menti⯑oned, two very good knives, a pair of ſciſ⯑ſars, three punches of different ſizes, and brads, and nails, to the tune of between three and four hundred. I attempted to make a ſaw, but finding it would be no uſe without a file, which was beyond my ability, I thought I had better, as I ſaid before, convert the materials into nails and brads, which I might again transform if I ſhould find it neceſſary.

Being thus furniſhed with implements [200] it will not appear extraordinary that I ſhould accompliſh all I have already re⯑lated, eſpecially when it is recollected that I had been perfectly inſtructed in theſe matters at Wolverhampton, where I once made a pair of ſciſſars for a wager, though I had never attempted ſuch a thing before.

In my intervals of leiſure, during the proſecution of this work, it was my cuſtom to exame every thing around me, as well to ſee whether I could diſcover any ma⯑terials to aſſiſt my labours, as to ſearch for ſhell fiſh. In this latter purſuit I was particularly fortunate, for I found, towards the ſhore, plenty of ſea ſnails, limpets, and that delicious dainty known by the name of the hammer oyſter.

In a lake alſo, or baſon, formed in a hollow rock, and which communicated both with the ſea and my river, according to circumſtances, I diſcovered ſeveral ſorts of fiſh, which I apprehended came into the [201] freſh water to ſpawn, exactly as ſalmon and other fiſh are known to do in En⯑gland. Among theſe there was a kind of congereel, or rather a ſea ſnake. This gave me particular pleaſure, not only on account of the ſkin, which I knew would ſerve me for a variety of uſes, but for the oil it would yield me.

In this lake alſo I found part of a ſhark's ſkeleton, which creature had, no doubt, ventured, during a ſpring tide, to follow the fiſh that took ſhelter there, and had got into ſuch ſhoal water, that he was unable to get back again, and was thus ſtarved to death. The bones of this fiſh, which was of the lamia ſpecies, I put to various uſes, but the teeth were particu⯑larly ſerviceable to me, every one of them ſerving for an excelent ſaw, a tool of all others I ſtood moſt in need of.

Being now provided with every thing [202] that could poſſibly be of uſe to me, even to a comb, which I formed out of the ſhe'll of a land crab, I thought there would be no crime if I went on even to luxuries, as it would give a new ſpur to my genius, and employ my mind, ever active in thoſe purſuits beſt calculated to expand it, and thus diverſify my employments, ſo as to leave no time for the intruder care.

And firſt I panted to gratify what I had always a longing for, which was no leſs than, by ſome means, to ſet down the eventful particulars of my ſtrange hiſtory. I had ſeen at Surat, a Malabar manuſcript, which ſeemed to be wrought, not written, on palm leaves, by the intervention of ſome medium which bit in the letters ex⯑actly upon the ſame principle as acqua⯑fortis is uſed for etching upon copper. This art certainly came from the antients, who, when they had occaſion to ſet down any thing they compoſed, uſed tablets [203] coated with wax, on which they wrote with a needle, pointed at one end for the purpoſe of marking the words, and flatted at the other for the purpoſe of effacing the errors. In this they muſt have uſed ſome compoſition; for in order to promulgate their opinions, fair copies were taken upon a ſort of paper called charta, made from the plant papyrus, which grows in Egypt; or elſe upon a ſort of parchment, or vel⯑lum made from the ſkins of animals, which was called membranas, indeed, the origin of writing muſt have been leaves, the divi⯑ſions of a book being to this day called by that name.

In imitating of theſe methods, I dried plantain leaves, took the ſoundeſt of them, and having ſpread a thin gum over them, I uſed a corroſive ſubſtance, ſome⯑thing of the nature of what iſſues from the mangeneal tree, which marked upon the [204] leaf pretty well; but I was very awkward at firſt, eſpecially as I had to mark every thing with a point, and afterwards fill up the interſtices with the compoſition. Ha⯑bit, however, rendered the taſk pretty prac⯑ticable; and having at laſt managed to make an iron pen, I lowered my ingredient to the conſiſtency of ink, and afterwards wrote with tolerable facility.

Before I began my grand work I cleared my way; and having wiped off thoſe different calculations of what had happened to me at particular times ſince I had been deprived of the uſual methods of communication, and which calculations I had made by means of pins, knots in a ſtring, ſtakes driven into the ground, ſhells placed at particular diſtances, or any other method that ſtruck me at the time as pro⯑per to anſwer the purpoſe, I was prepared by the 1ſt of January, 1783, to begin my hiſtory.

[205] The main chance, however, was the object moſt neceſſary for my attention; and though I was determined to give as much time as I could properly ſpare, to recording my life, even though my la⯑bours ſhould never ſee the light, yet pru⯑dence whiſpered to me, that there were many important duties alſo to be per⯑formed if I expected to be comfortable.

In the firſt place the weather had been wonderfully favourable for me thitherto, but I knew ſo well the nature of that cli⯑mate, that I muſt not expect it to continue ſo for any length of time, my buſineſs, therefore, was to guard againſt every emer⯑gency; and, in particular, I conſidered that it would be neceſſary to furniſh my⯑ſelf with ſuch a ſtock as ſhould anſwer every purpoſe, in caſe I ſhould be obliged during the rainy ſeaſon, to keep houſe.

As, however, this urgency did not [206] ſeem ſo very preſſing as, at preſent, to de⯑mand a ſacrifice of every thing elſe; I ap⯑portioned my time ſo as to have alternately ſome labour and ſome amuſement. This was my general mode of paſſing the twenty four hours.

I aroſe ſoon after the ſun; and having offered up a moſt ſincere thankſgiving to him who had permitted me to ſurvive ſo many trials, I walked out; and according as I was guided by the tide, either ſought for ſhell fiſh, angled in my river, or ſearched for ſuch food as ſhould be ne⯑ceſſary, for my preſent and future pur⯑poſes.

Having ſtocked myſelf to my mind, I retired home to breakfaſt, which meal, by this time, I had made very comfortable. In an infuſion from the ſagoe tree, I found a pleaſanter and more nutritive beverage than tea, and the plantain fruit, kneaded [207] and baked, produced me an eatable, at leaſt, equal to Yorkſhire cakes.

After breakfaſt I went about all the manual labour, neceſſary for that day, till twelve o'clock, when I ſet about my cookery, which generally conſiſted of lim⯑pets ſtewed with rice, or Indian wheat, with both of which I was now ſtocked; or elſe the hammer oyſter roaſted, or ſome other fiſh, of which, particularly one very delicious, and extremely like the bara⯑coota, my lake abounded.

Immediately after dinner I went to writing. This was my employment till four o'clock, then I indulged myſelf with a moſt delightful walk, in which I often made new diſcoveries. This was the moſt pleaſing, yet the moſt melancholy part of the day; for though every object furniſhed me with a new motive for contemplation; and though every day's experience gave [208] my heart a freſh reaſon to throb with gra⯑titude for the tranquility I enjoyed, yet the declining ſun never failed to caſt a gloom over me, which nothing, perhaps, but the imbecility of human nature can, either account for or excuſe.

Before the day ſet in I illuminated my apartments, for by this time I had made ſeveral lamps with layers of dried catalpa leaves cemented with gum, in the ſame manner as fire workers make their ſmall mortars for pots de brins, pots des aigrettes. &c. The oil I had boiled from the ſea ſnake, I purified till it became ſuperior to the beſt ſpermacaeta oil I ever ſaw, and my wicks of courſe, were made of cotton. I had it in contemplation to make candles, but the lamps anſwered my purpoſe, at leaſt for the preſent, full as well.

My ſupper was generally boiled rice, or elſe a ſort of millet, which I ſweetened [209] with an extract from the locuſt tree; and having taken this and cloſed the day with the ſame gratitude to the Creator that I commenced it, I retired to my couch, ſometimes cheerful, ſometimes with a ſigh, and now and then, perhaps, with a tear, and then reſigned myſelf to repoſe.

Thus I went on with very little varia⯑tion, except improving all my old ſchemes, and contemplating new ones, and among the reſt, painting and muſic, both of which I had concerted how to bring about, till early in the month of March.

One morning, I ſhall never forget it, As I took my walk, a ſmall cloud, as it appeared to me, all of a ſudden dimned the ſun. It grew larger and larger, and more and more grew the gloom. Diſmayed at I knew not what, I ſtood in a ſtate of ſtu⯑pefaction; my terror encreaſed, till by [201] and by, the monſtrous maſs made to⯑wards the iſland which it ſeemed large enough to cover. When I had recovered a little my ſuſpended faculties, I diſcerned the truth; it was a cloud of birds; nor was it long before I was convinced of it by their chattering and ſcreaming. At length, with the moſt hideous yells, they pitched every where about me; and I ſoon di⯑vined, theſe creatures, like the birds that at certain ſeaſons of the year, build their neſts in many iſlands, particularly the Iſle of Wight, had for that purpoſe paid my place a viſit, and thus I ſhould be troubled with them, perhaps, a few weeks, after which they would diſappear with their young. It now ſtruck me, that if I had adroitneſs enough, I ſhould not only fur⯑niſh myſelf with eggs, but feaſt upon the young ones.

I found nothing, except their hideous noiſe, that was diſagreeable to me. In a [211] day or two, they began without any cere⯑mony to build their neſts, and I ſoon ſaw that with little difficulty I ſhould ſupply myſelf with as many eggs as I pleaſed; but it was not a week before another phenomenon appeared, which gave me much more uneaſineſs than the birds. This was no leſs than a whole ſwarm of monkies, who ſeemed to have as great a reliſh for birds eggs as myſelf.

Many of theſe I had ſeen in the wood on the top of the mountain, as I before mentioned, where they took no notice of me; I was ſoon convinced, however, this would not be the caſe here. It is true, that at firſt they avoided me; but as my form became more familiar to them, they came nearer and nearer, and demon⯑ſtrated by their chattering, that they had no objection to be more familiar with me. This gave me great uneaſineſs, eſ⯑pecially [112] as I perceived ſeveral among them of the large baboon kind.

I had luckily before the monkies made their appearance furniſhed myſelf with a large ſtock of eggs. I, therefore, thought I had better ſtay at home, and give up the idea of ſearching for young birds; for that, probably, if I concealed myſelf for a time, when the birds went away, the monkies might diſappear alſo.

This anſwered my purpoſe very well for nine or ten days; but one morning, while at my work, I was ſurprized by a monſtrous large baboon. The hideous wretch caught hold of me in a moment, and it was with great difficulty I ſhook him off. I inſtantly menanced him in the moſt determined manner, and he ſeemed ſo terrified at my voice that he ſlunk away. He returned, however, and cringed, and fawned, and played ſo many monkey's [213] tricks, that the ſtriking reſemblance of his grimaces to the pert addreſſes of a cox⯑comb would have provoked me to laugh⯑ter, had it not been that I ſaw plainly he grew bolder and bolder. At laſt, as he moſt impudently advanced towards me, with one blow of my hammer, which I happened to have in my hand, I laid him dead at my feet.

I next dragged the horrid creature out of the cavern and threw it down the rock, where it ſtuck on a craggy point as if in terorem to the reſt, and this effect I really began to think it had taken, for I preſently ſaw the monkies in a croud chattering very buſy about it, and in a very few days they all diſappeared.

I had nothing now but the birds to en⯑counter, and not having eaten animal food ſo long, except fiſh, I took a neſt of young ones, and found them an exceedingly fine [214] diſh. They had very much the ſlavour of wheatears, but were as large as pigeons. What a ſtore to have ſome of theſe potted? I ſet to work immediately, prepared a number of ſhells; and through the me⯑dium of the wild alſpice, and other pun⯑gent aromatics, made ſo excellent a ſea⯑ſoning, that I am ſure, could it have been ſent from any diſtance in London, as a rariety, my diſh would have been conſi⯑dered as a delicious luxury at the firſt tables.

I had now taken every precaution in caſe the rainy ſeaſon ſhould ſet in, and in one inſtance, it was well I did. I had very ſoon found that my viſitors, the birds, fed wholly on the plantain fruit; and before they decamped, if I did not take care, would fairly ſtrip all the trees in my neigh⯑bourhood, I therefore made a quantity of it into biſcuit, and baked it hard for the purpoſe of ſerving me like a ſea ſtore.

[215] And now came a moſt dreary time in⯑deed. The birds, on the information of a few clouds, aſſembled one morning, and on the very next went gradually off in the ſame order I had ſeen them approach. They took their courſe northward, leſſen⯑ing, until, to my view, they became a point, and then nothing.

In two days more it began to rain, and in a few hours the clouds ſeemed to em⯑brace the iſland, threatened to overwhelm it. My river ſwelled, torrents of water poured down the rock, and an ordinary mind would have been terrified at the ap⯑prehenſion of a compleat inundation. My only fear was that when the immenſe baſon on the top of the mountain ſhould overflow the natural receptacles for carrying off the water, would become ineffectual, and my ſituation, being not only ſubterraneous, but in ſome degree ſubaqueous, ſome tor⯑rent might force its way through the dif⯑ferent [216] hollows of the rock, ſo as to fill my habitation, in which caſe I muſt have ine⯑vitably periſhed.

Perceiving nothing of this kind, how⯑ever, and finding the rain, though conti⯑nual, by no means violent; I made the beſt of my lot, and amuſed myſelf as well as I could. I had got on pretty for⯑ward in my hiſtory, which was now al⯑moſt my only employment; and, really, when upon peruſing the different paſſages of my life, it called to my recollection that in a peopled world I had found as little aſſiſtance, except from my own ex⯑ertions, as in a deſolate iſland, I could not help, through the medium of pity, for the follies of my fellow creatures, taking to myſelf ſome ſatisfaction for the rectitude of my intentions compared with the du⯑plicity of theirs.

In this manner did I go on, amuſing [217] myſelf, and beguiling the dreary time, until one morning—it was my birth-day—Oh Heaven, what a birth-day! I had in a long and ſincere prayer thanked that Be⯑ing for all his mercies, who had graciouſly permitted me to ſee thirty nine years paſs over my head, I had breakfaſted, felt myſelf uncommonly light and alert, when juſt as I had laughed heartily at the whim⯑ſical manner that Walmeſley always made light of his misfortunes, I was ſeized with a vertigo, and fell lifeleſs on the ground.

When I came to myſelf, a cold ſhiver⯑ing ſucceeded, my knees knocked together, and my teeth chattered in my head. I heaped fuel on my fire, and beginning to glow from its effects, I fell into a moſt violent fever, but finding myſelf extremely dizzy, and feeling every ſymptom of an approaching delirium, I inſtantly took an emetic, which I had prepared from the [218] ipecacuanha root, and to that, I have no doubt, I owe my life; for what the practice in England may be now I know not, but, though it was at one time very much ſcouted, I was one of the firſt that induced the phyſicians in Warwickſhire to give emetics in an early ſtage of a fever.

Could I have been comfortably lodged, I have no doubt but I ſhould have been well in a day or two, but owing to the humidity every where around, which, in proportion as the rain continued, ſweat through every pore of the rock, and to catching one cold upon another, I grew ſo weak and ſo emaciated, that I began ſeriouſly to think my un⯑fortunate days would very ſhortly be numbered.

To add to my wretched ſtate, I was ſo nervous, that the leaſt noiſe threw me into the horrors. I fancied a thouſand dread⯑ful [219] things. I have found myſelf conjur⯑ing the firm rock not to fall upon my head; the ſea not to ſwell up and drown me; I have held converſations with death, who condeſcendingly deigned to viſit me that I might be familiarized to his pre⯑ſence. I had determined, for fear of ſur⯑prize, to make my coffin, and one morn⯑ing I actually caught myſelf digging my own grave.

I had ſuſtained this dreadful compli⯑cation of complaints about ſix weeks, for ill as I was, I never failed to know how the time paſſed, when, to add to my ſhocking diſtreſs, it began to blow ſuch a hurricane as if all nature was threat⯑ened with annihilation. Pieces of the rocks were torne from their baſe, and hurled into the ſea, trees were blown about like feathers; yet it had one good effect, it certainly relieved my nerves; [220] and though I was bowed down to the earth, yet, the emergency being great, my mind met it with its uſual fortitude. I was alarmed, but I thanked God that I was at laſt firm.

CHAP VI. HANNAH IS DREADFULLY ALARMED, WHENCE THE ALARM PROCEEDED; HER APPREHENSIONS IN⯑CREASE; SHE IS WITNESS TO DISTRESS, WHICH SHE CANNOT RELIEVE; AND ESCAPES DEATH HERSELF IN A WONDERFUL MANNER.

REDUCED both in body and mind to the deplorable condition I have juſt deſcribed, I one night reclined upon my couch, ex⯑pecting, and, indeed, wiſhing for a ſpeedy termination of all my cares. The ele⯑mentary contention, that for two days had raged with ſo much violence, ſeemed to increaſe, and the horizon, on which I had been accuſtomed to ſee the ſun deſcend [222] with majeſty, and a ſerenity that gave piety to contemplation, was now tinged with a thick duſky red, which reflected on the waves, and broken into a thouſand ſhades by their agitation, gave the proſpect an effect ſo horribly tremendous, that it ſeemed as if devoted nature was inſtantly to be engulphed in a ſea of blood.

Dreadful as this idea was, the enfeebled condition of my diſtracted frame ſtill heightened it; I ſtretched out my hand, and having taken a little of a beverage I had that day made, which my ſtomach ſeemed to receive with unuſual pleaſure, I ſoon found myſelf inclined to ſleep.

It was now quite dark, and I had ſcarcely recommended myſelf to that pro⯑vidence, which had hitherto ſo graciouſly watched over and protected me, and im⯑plored the ſame protection for my huſ⯑band, when I inſenſibly ſunk into the [223] arms of ſleep, but what words ſhall de⯑ſcribe my next ſenſation!—

I had ſlept about eight hours, and was loſt in one of thoſe delicious dreams, which, though they cannot be deſcribed, muſt be remembered by every one, who, in ſickneſs, has experienced the moment at which delirium reſigns the mind to re⯑novation, when the firm rock trembled under me, the caverns groaned with a terrific noiſe, and the whole iſland ſeemed as if ſinking into nothing. The noiſe grew fainter and fainter, and, at length, I could hear nothing more than the agitated waves, and the whiſtling winds.

I had lain a few minutes in ſtupid aſtoniſhment, ſcarcely acknowledging life, or knowing how to uſe it, when another tremendous concuſſion, like the former, ſhook the iſland. The moment recol⯑lection had ſucceeded to wonder, I con⯑cluded [224] it was an earthquake, and expected every moment to be ſwallowed up; I, therefore, fell on my knees, and having put up a ſhort but ſincere prayer to the Deity, waited my fate in that poſture with calm and determined reſignation.

The fervour which my ejaculations had called forth in my mind, gave me un⯑common collection; and the noiſe being again repeated, I eaſily noticed that its continuation, and gradually dying away, proceeded from a ſucceſſion of echoes. I, therefore, ſuppoſed that the violence of the ſtorm had torne away the prominent fragments of a rock, which falling into a hollow had cauſed the noiſe and all its conſequences. This, of courſe, diſpelled every apprehenſion of perſonal danger, for which I uttered a pathetic thankſgiving, and roſe.

Finding myſelf wonderfully refreſhed [225] by ſleep, I made my way towards the door to ſee if I could diſcover whether the ſtorm had abated. Inſtantly a flaſh beamed acroſs the cavern, which was fol⯑lowed by the noiſe in the ſame manner as before. I ſhould have conceived that my alarm had proceeded from thunder, had I not particularly remarked, that the noiſe had nothing disjointed, or continual in it. It was one ſingle burſt like an exploſion, which was multiplied only by the echoes from the ſurrounding rocks.

A gleam of hope at this inſtant darted acroſs my mind. It could not proceed from what I firſt conjectured, becauſe of the flaſh. It could not be thunder—What then could it be but the exploſion of a cannon? And from what could the exploſion of a cannon proceed but from ſome ſhip in diſtreſs in the Offing? I re⯑ſolved, therefore, to ſally forth and fire a [226] beacon, which I one day had raiſed when my mind ſeemed to anticipate this very accident.

Deſpair lends ſtrength to the weak, and reſolution to the timid. I accom⯑pliſhed my purpoſe; and now what a variety of ſenſations agitated my mind! Who knew how many lives I might have been born to preſerve? Who knew but my own wanderer, the author of all my wretchedneſs, might be ſent at laſt to alle⯑viate my deplorable condition! Four times did I hear the ſignal, and four times did I add fuel to my pile. At length the day appeared, and all my hopes va⯑niſhed into nothing.

I muſt here mention a circumſtance that I reflected on a long time with great horror. While I was attending the fire a moſt hideous and frightful creature paſſed by me, and made its way towards [227] the inacceſſable part of the rock, the ſum⯑mit of which, as I before noticed, was co⯑vered with a thick wood. It appeared to me of the lion or tyger kind, and I con⯑cluded that its intention was to make me its prey; but alarmed by the fire, it had ran from that it meant to have purſued.

As the diſcovery of one of theſe crea⯑tures denoted the exiſtence of more, I had no doubt but the iſland was overrun with wild beaſts, a reflection of ſo ſhocking a nature, that it for a time abſorbed every other conſideration, nay, even that of my probable preſervation by means of the ſhip; but, alas, Hope now ſeemed deter⯑mined to deſert me in every thing.

Day having dawned, it preſented a diſmal ſpectable to my ſight. I diſerned, about three miles from the foot of the rock, a ſhip firmly aground. The waves [228] yet ran mountains high, and if it had not been for my entrenched ſituation, I could not have kept my footing to make my re⯑marks. Looking further, I ſaw two boats full of people, ſtriving to ſtem the fury of the ſurge, and in ſeeing them, I knew I ſaw ſo many people devoted to deſtruc⯑tion. The ſurf, curling round the imper⯑ceptable jagged points of the rock, were ſo many vortexes from which it was im⯑poſſible for them to eſcape. In ſhort my fears were prophecies. The boats all ſunk, and every ſoul periſhed.

Almoſt the whole day had I been in this anxious, diſtreſſing ſtate, with nothing to offer towards the ſuccour of theſe poor ſhipwrecked wretches but my prayers, when the ſtorm came on to rage with a degree of violence more dreadful than ever, accompanied with torrents of rain, ſheets of vivid lightning, and peals of ter⯑rifying thunder. Indeed ſoon did I wit⯑neſs the difference between the ineffectual [229] thunder invented by man, and that which ſpeaks the Deity; for if the poor ſhip's ſignal of diſtreſs alarmed me in the morn⯑ing, ſo tranſcendantly awful was what I now heard, that nothing but an implicit truſt in him, in whom we live and move, and have our being, weak and ill as I was, could have preſerved my reaſon, or, per⯑haps, my life.

Indeed I could not venture within the cavern, drenched as I was in rain, and weak for want of food, till the thunder had gone by, for there I knew the effect muſt be much ſtronger. The thunder ceaſed, but the ſtorm continued with equal, if not en⯑creaſed violence, and the tide ſetting in, the ſprays, beat in ſuch volumes againſt the rock that they ſeemed to threaten its very ſummit.

Night now threw its ſuneral paul over theſe devoted wretches, and I crept back, [230] with difficulty, to my ſhelter; when light⯑ing my lamp, and throwing myſelf upon my couch, I began to reflect on the va⯑rious viciſſitudes of that unfortunate day. After ſuch a ſeries of miſery, chequered with expectation, after ſo much promiſe, and ſo much diſappointment, I lamented my fate in terms of the deepeſt deſ⯑pondency. I wept aloud; and bewailing myſelf in expreſſions of bittereſt agony, I had well nigh arrainged that providence on which I had ſo often and ſo effectually relied.

This interval, in which the weakneſs of human nature got the better for a mo⯑ment, of that ſtrength of mind which had hitherto borne me out through all my trials, though poignant, was ſhort; I ſoon reſumed my wonted fortitude; and the re⯑collection that ſelf preſervation was a duty I owed that Being who gave me a life to preſerve, induced me to ſuſtain nature in [231] the beſt manner I could; and after a hu⯑miliation, in which my tears wonderfully relieved me, I determined to ſeek for means to preſerve life, whatever miſery that life might occaſion me.

I kindled a fire and heated ſome rice; but finding this food not ſufficiently nu⯑tritious to appeaſe the gnawings of hunger, I roaſted three or four limpits, which I devoured rather than ate, after which I drank rather profuſely of my new be⯑verage, and retired to my couch.

I was inſtantly ſeized with a delirium; my head ſwelled, reſpiration was ob⯑ſtructed, and I expected every moment would be my laſt. A violent vomiting, however, ſucceeded; and exertion of mind and body being at length exhauſted, I fell into a ſort of ſleep, or rather trance, out of which, after viewing, as in a dream, all the circumſtances of my life, I awoke [232] in a very emaciated condition about ten o'clock the next morning.

My mind was at that moment in ſuch a ſtate that it feared to repine. Like a threatened child, it dreaded the rod, and deprecated that chaſtiſement which it was not conſcious it deſerved. I felt my⯑ſelf the offspring of humiliation, and de⯑termined, as far as human perſeverance would allow me, to ſuffer and ſmile. Nor ever had I ſuch cauſe to admire by what unſeen ways the unerring hand of Provi⯑dence permits evil for our good.

I was about to drink of that beverage from which I had felt ſuch ſalutary effects; when, like a filmy phantom, beautiful at firſt to the ſight, and afterwards changed to filth and deformity, I nauſeated its view, its ſmell, and its taſte. I inſtantly, of courſe, forbore to touch it. The truth beamed acroſs my mind in a moment. I [233] had ſwallowed poiſon. The firſt doſe being a ſmall quantity, operated on my diſtempered frame in the cordial and re⯑ſtorative manner I there deſcribed, but the ſecond, being more potent, had it not been for the oppoſition from the quantity of the food I had eaten, and particularly the limpits, which are very muſcular, and hard of digeſtion, it would have deprived me of exiſtence.

Having found, as I imagined, the me⯑longena, or egg plant; which every body knows, and which, particularly abroad, is eſteemed as a ſtimulus, eſpecially for the purpoſe of throwing warmth through the circulation and to the extremities when, owing to any obſtruction, the vital heat is confined round the region of the heart, I made it into what I thought a reſtorative cordial; which I have frequently taſted; but it is plain I had miſtaken this plant for that ſpecies of the mandragore called the [234] mad apple, which is a ſolanum and a deadly poiſon.

Reflecting on this circumſtance in every view, I was profuſe in my acknow⯑ledgments to Providence that had pre⯑ſerved me. Had I not been hurried from the cavern by the ſignal of diſtreſs, I ſhould have had recourſe to that beverage whoſe ſalutary effects I had experienced the night before, and that way been poi⯑ſoned. Had I found opportunity during the courſe of the day, I ſhould have at⯑tended the ſame experiment, and ſo have been poiſoned. Had I not ſtrongly felt the calls of hunger when I came back, and eat inordinately, I ſhould, in that caſe, have been poiſoned. The humility, the ſanctity, the confidence, the fortitude, and, above all, the gratitude, and the ſerenity that theſe conſiderations raiſed in my mind, I ſhall ever feel, but ſhall never be able to deſcribe.

[235] I was determined after this never to call any thing an affliction; and, as the ſtorm continued with undiminiſhed rage, I re⯑ſolved to ſtay at home, and endeavour to reſtore my ſtrength before I made any further obſervations.

CHAP. VII. A PROSPECT OF RELIEF BROUGHT ABOUT BY A MOST EXTRAORDINAY ACCIDENT, AND AN IN⯑STANCE OF HANNAH'S PIETY, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE FOUND ITS REWARD.

I STEWED ſome limpits, and made a be⯑verage from raiſons, which I cooled by the addition of ſmall pieces of a chalky ſub⯑ſtance, that were ſcattered about among the viens in the rock, and ſtrongly im⯑pregnated with nitrous particles. The limpet broth, which I took ſparingly, proved a powerful reſtorative, and the be⯑verage, which by the infuſion of a root correſponding with our liquorice, became [237] a very good ptiſanne, refreſhed me and kept off the fever; and in the courſe of two days, by which time the ſtorm entirely ſubſided, I was able, without riſk, to ſalley forth again and make my obſervations.

My perquiſitions were completely in vain. I could diſcern no trace, not even a ſingle veſtige of the ſhip, the boats, nor any human creature, dead or alive; and after traverſing every acceſſable port, and even venturing to the very verge of the promontary, I was obliged to conclude that the tempeſt had borne the ſhip from the place where ſhe ſtruck, and had either ſunk her at a diſtance from the ſhore, or daſhed her to pieces againſt ſome other part of the iſland.

In this temper I moved ſlowly back again to the cavern, where though, through the infirmity of human nature, I ſhed a flood of tears, I would not permit my tongue to [238] utter a ſingle murmur. An involuntary ſigh, however now and then eſcaped me; and, in the bitterneſs of my reflections, I could not help wiſhing that if either of the boats had contained John Hewit, that I had but ſeen him and periſhed in his arms.

Exploring the different receſſes of the cavern in ſearch of mofs, and that chalky ſubſtance I ſpoke of before, I took a turn by accident round a ſort of natural column and got into another large chamber like that I occupied, As this was further re⯑mote from the entrance, and conſequently more ſheltered from the weather, I re⯑joiced at the diſcovery, and concluded it might be expedient for me to change my habitation.

This induced me to pay every atten⯑tion to the ſituation of the place, and for that purpoſe I ſtruck out of it into a paſſage which ſeemed to lead on a deſcent to a [239] conſiderable diſtance. I had my lamp with me all this while, but obſerving a cranny through which beamed a glimmer of light, in order to diſcover whence it came, I laid the lamp down and walked up to the place without it.

I ſoon diſcovered that it was only a reflection from another opening in a loftier ſituation, and much larger, and this laſt ſeemed to be dammed up with ſome ſub⯑ſtance that prevented it from conveying the light ſo clear and pure as it had been immediately received from the atmo⯑ſphere. In ſhort, I conjectured that other fragments of the rock, built higher and higher, made their way into the air, and obſtructed the free communication of light by means of this opening.

I don't know what induced me to follow up my diſcovery, for one thing it ſtruck me, that I might with greater facility than [240] I had been accuſtomed to, get at the eggs of thoſe fowls, another ſeaſon, which had proved ſo nutritious.

Something more than this curioſity cer⯑tainly urged me on, nay I trembled, I knew not why, at every ſtep. My ſenſations, however, were not induced by fear, on the contrary I was full of a ſolicitous anxiety, ſuch as I had often felt, but, I think, never ſo forcibly. That mixture of pleaſurable and painful ſuſpence that has aſſailed me on the eve of every great event during my life, produced a preſentiment that con⯑vinced me ſuch an event was at hand, nor was I long before my expectations were verified.

When I arrived at the opening in the rock I could plainly perceive that the ob⯑ject which obſtructed the light was a part of ſome ſhip; and preſently afterwards I crept into her without difficulty through [241] one of her ports. I next got up the fore⯑caſtle, and there perceived, by her form, that ſhe could be no other than the veſſel I had ſeen aſhore, but how ſhe could have come into that ſituation, jammed into a cleft of a rock, I could not for the life of me imagine.

Examining, however, around, I con⯑cluded, that as the tide ſet in, the violence of the tempeſt had brought the ſhip along with it, and by the influence of a tornado had thrown her into that ſituation; where the ſtorm having abated, ſhe was ſafe from danger as in a dry dock; and putting cir⯑cumſtances together, I found nothing ex⯑traordinary in this, for in the year 1778, or thereabouts, the hurricanes in the Weſt-Indies, did actually tear veſſels from their moorings and thrown them into the towns. One inſtance of which happened at Fort Royal, in Jamaica, and another at St. Kitts.

[242] If I was ungrateful enough to murmur at my former diſappointment, how did I take ſhame to myſelf at the preſent mo⯑ment. To ſee ſuccour, comfort, conve⯑nience, nay, even luxury, brought, as it were, to my very door! Oh how my grateful heart ran over! I almoſt gloried in my ſtrong trials, convinced that I was ſtill the care of Providence, whoſe inſcrutable decrees, however weak ſighted mortals may dare to diſpute them, permit not a fly to periſh in vain.

When my mind became a little more calm, I determined to examine the ſhip. By her ſize ſhe muſt have been of ſeven or eight hundred tons burthen, ſhe was coppered bottomed, and wore, in every reſpect, the appearance of an Indiaman; and by her lading, I ſoon found ſhe was homeward bound. In examining her more particularly, I diſcovered that a large part of her cargo yet remained on board, ſome of which had been materially damaged in [243] conſequence of her having filled with wa⯑ter, though ſhe was perfectly dry at this time, the water having ran out again through her leaks.

And now a dreadful ſpectacle preſented itſelf to my view. Five dead bodies lay between decks in a moſt lacerated ſtate; a little further, three more; and at the door of a cabin, which I found afterwards to be the purſer's, a man and woman of genteel appearance, were locked in each other's arms. I ſuſtained all this miſery with the beſt fortitude I could, determined, before I conſidered the living, to pay every due reſpect I could to the dead.

Among theſe poor wretches were three women and ſeven men. I ſearched their pockets with a view to learn who they were, but in this my expectation failed, except in four inſtances. The gentleman and lady I found in each other's arms, were [244] Monſ. and Madame D'Oliviere, a young man, well dreſſed, was called D'Aubignac, and a woman, apparently an attendant, was named Jeannotte Du Bois.

This intelligence I gathered from let⯑ters, pocket books, and other documents I found about them; I alſo found other things, ſuch as knives, ſciſſars, houſwives and articles of uſe, which to me turned out of ſingular convenience, and now having, by way of refreſhment, eaten ſome buſcuit and drank a ſmall quantity of excellent arrack to give me ſpirits, I began my pious work.

I unpacked a bale of chintz, and ſewed up each body in a double piece of it, as tight as my poor ſtrength would permit me, and as much as poſſible in the ſhape of a mummy, except the huſband and wife, who I wrapt up in each others arms as I found them, which I conſidered as ful⯑filling [245] the will of the dead, their laſt wiſh, apparently, being never to be ſeperated.

This awful taſk took me up nearly three hours. My next care was to ſee for a place where to depoſit theſe relics of mortality; and on looking from the ſide of the ſhip I ſaw a hole of about a yard diameter, which ſeemed to be profound.

Here I determined theſe unfortunate wretches ſhould find a ſepulchre; and having, by means of a rope, which I formed with a block into a ſort of tackle drawn each miſerable carcaſs to the edge of one of the ports, I let it down as gra⯑dually as I could, followed it with my eyes till they were dimmed with tears, and then repeating a ſhort requiem, bid it an earthly adieu.

This pious ceremony I performed to each till the earth had hid them all from [246] my view. I then fell upon my knees, put up a fervent prayer for their everlaſt⯑ing felicity, and followed it with a thankſ⯑giving for my own miraculous preſerva⯑tion. After this a ray of comfort beamed acroſs my mind, which I ſhall never for⯑get; and, though I could not help pitying from my ſoul all thoſe poor wretches, who had vainly enterprized for ſo much trea⯑ſure, yet ſo impulſive is the vanity of hu⯑man nature, that my mind would, for a moment, admit no other conſideration than that it was ſent to me as a recom⯑penſe for ſo much reſignation in ſo many alarming trials.

The radiant ſun was now haſtening to hide his leſſening beams within the glow⯑ing ocean. Being, therefore, heartily fa⯑tigued, and having, beſides, little oppor⯑tunity to explore what fortune had ſent me that evening, I contented myſelf with examining the purſer's cabin for refreſh⯑ment, [247] where I found a caſe of cordials, ſome biſcuits, and other things; and hav⯑ing ſparingly refreſhed myſelf with what I thought would beſt agree with me, and determined to ſtay till morning, I changed my ſtrange weeds for ſome night cloaths of Madame D'Oliviere, and went to ſleep for the firſt time during eleven months in a bed.

CHAP VIII. GOOD FORTUNE PRESENTS HANNAH WITH ONE STORE AFTER ANOTHER, OF ALL WHICH SHE IS DEPRIVED, IN A SINGLE MOMENT, BY A FATAL ACCIDENT.

I WAKED with the day, which aroſe with a garb as pearly and delicate as that was crimſon and grand, in which the former had ſet. My firſt wiſh was to have a diſh of tea, which I knew I could eaſily get. I, therefore, went to the galley, kindled a fire, by means of a piſtol tinder box, and while it was burning, I returned through the rock to my brook, and coming back ſet on my kettle. It is [249] inconceivable how theſe familiar objects delighted my mind. The contraſt was ſo directly oppoſite to the inconveniences I had been accuſtomed to experience, that no pleaſure could be much more perfect than was mine at this moment.

Having breakfaſted I began to ex⯑amine my wealth, I plainly perceived that I had loſt much of the private ſtock which the officers and paſſengers had lain in for their own convenience. To make me amends, however, the purſer's ſtore-room, the ſlop-room, and every other part, where the ſubſtantial materials for food and cloth⯑ing are always depoſited, were perfectly ſafe, nor were any articles, except thoſe which ſalt water can ſpoil, materially in⯑jured. I found plenty of ſalt beef, dried tongues, hams, potted ſiſh, portable ſoup, and many other articles in high perfection, and though the wet had periſhed a great [250] deal of the buſcuit, I got from firſt to laſt more than three hundred weight that was very good.

Flour, Indian wheat, rice, barley, po⯑tatoes, and a great choice of oriental ſeeds, I found in abundance, moſt of which, ex⯑cept part of the flour, was in a pretty good condition. Several forts of wine, particu⯑larly ſome cape wine, and two pipes of Madeira, were alſo as good as ever; be⯑ſides theſe, in the different cabins I found cordials, ſweetmeats, ſpices, and almoſt every delicacy that the Eaſtern world af⯑fords; and now having a ſtock of neceſ⯑ſaries, that, with care, would laſt me for many years, and by cultivation, procure me enough for many more, I proceeded to ſee what merchandize I was in poſ⯑ſeſſion of.

Among an aſtoniſhing number of other things, bales of cottons, muſlins, ginghams, [251] ſhawls, and ornamental paper preſented themſelves to my view. Tea I found in plenty, but the greateſt part of that in the cheſts was damaged. The private ſtock was, however, in general, ſo well ſecured that it had taken no harm; but what pleaſed me moſt, was the carpenter's cheſt, the maſter's, and the doctor's. In the firſt I found whatever tools I might ſtand in need of; in the ſecond were ſeveral caſe [...] of inſtruments for the purpoſe of naviga⯑tion; and in the third were medicines and phyſical books, together with chirurgical inſtruments. I had ſcarcely got poſſeſſion of the maſter's cheſt but I took an obſer⯑vation, and finding myſelf in the latitude of thirteen degrees, eighteen minutes ſouth, I concluded I was upon one of the Co⯑mora Iſlands.

In the cheſt alſo, of different indivi⯑duals, I found colours, chemical compoſi⯑tions, beſides china, and utenſils of various [252] kinds out of all calculation. In ſhort, every thing that is uſually to be found in a French homeward bound Eaſt India⯑man, was now in my excluſive poſſeſſion, for the papers, particularly ſeveral jour⯑nals of the officers, which were all written in French, informed me that the name of this ſhip was the Entrepreneur, and that ſhe was bound from Rajapore to Bour⯑deaux.

This ſurvey, which was attended with a good deal of fatigue, laſted me ſix or eight hours, after which I proceeded to convey into my cavern what I might moſt ſtand in need of; and, to be brief, for it would be endleſs and irkſome to the rea⯑der, beyond idea, to go over particulars, in about ten days, all which time, as the weather was fair, I ſlept aboard, I had got together more articles, both for utility and pleaſure, than I ſtood a chance of wanting as long as I ſhould live.

[253] A true mortal, my ideas enlarged with my poſſeſſions, and that chamber which I had hailed with awful veneration, which had afforded me an aſſylum, like the cell of a ſaint, I now conſidered as no place for one of my towering expectations. It was dreary, cold, and inconvenient in moiſt weather, and reflected ſuch a humid gleam when the ſun ſhone powerfully, that I not only determined to have recourſe to it for culinary and other houſehold pur⯑poſes alone, but I reſolved to build me a new habitation, conſiſting of different apartments, on the lawn before the cavern.

To effect this I conveyed piece meal into the cavern, a large number of ſpare yards, capſtern bars, handſpecks, marlin⯑ſpikes, and other uſeful pieces of timbers, together with an entire new ſuit of ſails, which were ſtowed away in the hold, be⯑ſides hoops, ſtaves, a framed capſtern, blocks, the machinery of a chain pump, [254] and innumerable other articles. My next determination was to uncopper the ſhip, for which purpoſe I conſtructed a ſwing⯑ing ſcaffold, and ſuſpending it occaſionally from the chains, or other prominent parts of the hull, I got, in the courſe of three days, a prodigious quantity of copper; but, as this ſeems a work not only beyond the ſtrength but the ingenuity of any indivi⯑dual, leſt I ſhould be ſuſpected of exag⯑geration, I ſhall minutely explain the na⯑ture of my operations.

The principle of a tackle is extremely well known to ſeamen, and to them it will not ſeem extraordinary that I ſhould be able to hoiſt and lower ten times the weight that I could have managed by my proper ſtrength, through the means of ſuch an engine, eſpecially as I had all ſorts of ropes and blocks ready at hand for my purpoſe. I have ſeen three ſeamen bowſe a pipe of Madeira into the Groſve⯑nor, [255] from the waters edge, which muſt, at leaſt, have been twenty feet perpendicular, and that pipe of Madeira muſt have weighed twelve hundred weight; but this is but a trifling inſtance, for any one who knows the doctrine of nautical mechanics, will join with me in allowing that ten times more than this is practicable from a large complication of pullies, ſo placed as to aſſiſt the purchaſe of one another.

As to my ſwinging ſcaffold, nothing could be more ſimple nor more ſecure than it was. I got ſome of the nettings under the bowſprit, and fixed it to a bot⯑tom of wood, about two foot ſquare. This encloſed me as in a cage, or to give a more familiar idea, exactly like a cab⯑bage net with a wooden bottom. The top of this net, or cage, I faſtened to a block with one pulley, from whence went a rope to another block with two pullies, and the block at bottom, being fixed to that at [256] top, in a working ſtate, I could hoiſt or lower myſelf at pleaſure, always taking care ſafely to belay my rope when I found myſelf in the deſired ſituation to go on with my work. Thus I loaded my cage with copper; and when it contained a ſuf⯑ficient quantity, I ran myſelf up, unladed, then lowered and went to work again.

I could not refrain from going into this explanation, becauſe I ſhould be ex⯑tremely ſhocked, if in this work, proba⯑bility were a ſingle moment neglected. Fertile in expedients, as I naturally am; and, indeed, as any one would be in the ſame ſituation; yet many points in this hiſtory may ſeem extraordinary to thoſe determined to doubt, which, through the allowance of a liberal latitude, will only appear a lively ingenuity impelled by ne⯑ceſſity.

For three weeks, with very little inter⯑miſſion [257] did I continue this work, by which time I was completely furniſhed with every material I could poſſibly want. My next taſk was to convey my building ma⯑terials to the mouth of the cavern; which, with all my contrivance, I began to fear would be utterly impracticable. At laſt I determined to accompliſh it by means of my framed capſtern, which I fancied I ſhould find no difficulty in ſetting up at every turning, and ſo gradually draw what I pleaſed to any given point upon the principal of warping a ſhip.

As I had ſome fear leſt a ſudden hur⯑ricane might again remove the wreck from its preſent ſituation, or ſhatter it to pieces, I was now determined to content myſelf with what was in my poſſeſſion, and run no further riſks. Curioſity, however, or rather fate impelled me to pay the ſhip another viſit, to examine whether there was [258] any thing further that might be of uſe to me.

Having penetrated into the bottom of the hold, I looked at a variety of things; but I had ſo many duplicates of them, and grew ſo anxious to ſet about my grand plan, that I was coming away reſolved to ſearch no further; when, all of a ſud⯑den, I ſaw ſomething gliſten, and going up to examine what it was, gueſs my aſto⯑niſhment, reader, at finding the name of John Hewit ſtudded upon a cheſt in ſmall braſs nails! My very blood froze within me, the place ſwam round with me, and I fell with violence to the ground, and ſo near the hole into which I had preci⯑pitated the dead bodies, that it was a mira⯑cle I had not fallen into it.

How long I lay deprived of life I know not: but when I recovered my ſenſes, and with them the recollection that [259] my hopes and apprehenſions concerning my huſband when the ſhip was caſt away, were but too true, I ſcreamed aloud, tore my hair, and acted the part of a bedlamite. In this extremity, not conſidering how cautiouſly I ought to have ſtept from plank to plank, my foot ſlipt, and I fell through a hole in the bows into a hollow of the rock, not leſs than a diſtance of eighteen feet; and if I had not, as it were by inſtinct, caught hold of a rope in my fall, I muſt have been inevitably daſhed to pieces.

Now was my ſtate deplorable indeed! I was ſhut out in one moment from all that comfort which I had ſo completely in my power. By one fatal inſtance of imprudent curioſity, I not only loſt all that could make life endurable, but come to the knowledge of that which made me regret the poſſeſſion of life itſelf. In [260] that ſituation I lifted up my ſtreaming eyes to Heaven and moſt earneſtly im⯑plored ſome pitying power to take my life to eaſe my affliction.

CHAP IX. HANNAH LOSES SIGHT OF ALL HOPE AND EXPEC⯑TATION; AND, AT LENGTH, HER LIFE IS ME⯑NACED BY A DANGER FROM WHICH NOTHING LESS THAN A MIRACLE COULD HAVE PRESERVED HER.

WHEN my grief had a little ſubſided, I looked moſt piteouſly around me; and as recollection ſucceeded to ſtupefaction, I blamed my own ambitious pride for all that had befallen me. Had I been con⯑tented with the neceſſaries of life, without panting for luxuries, I might have borne my ſituation, ſad as it was, with reſigna⯑tion and fortitude, and glided through ex⯑iſtence, though a forgotten, yet an inof⯑fenſive [262] ſufferer. Now, through my pride, my folly, and my indiſcretion, I was not only fated to periſh in ſight of plenty, but my laſt moments were to be embittered with the torture of reflection.

I next upbraided myſelf with having dared to repine after ſo many ſolemn vows to the contrary; and though my eyes ſtill were traitors to my promiſes, I would not ſuffer my heart to acknowledge the trea⯑ſon. I, therefore, bruiſed as I was, looked about me to ſee if I could regain the ſhip, but, alas, I too fatally ſaw it was impoſſi⯑ble. The rope which had ſo miraculouſly preſerved me, at its length, would not have reached within ten feet of the ground; but, unluckily, on my quitting it, it had receded and twirled in a kink round a ſhattered piece of the cathead, and as to any other means they were impracticable.

The bows of the ſhip lay as in a cradle [263] over a prominence, which was worſe than perpendicular, it was oblique, the baſe bending inward; and to get beyond it on either ſide was utterly impoſſible; for had I fallen only a few paces any way from where I happened to alight. The diſtance from the ſhip muſt have been thirty yards, therefore, my preſervation was every way providential.

When I reflected on this a faint glim⯑mer of hope again revived in my mind. I might by ſome other paſſage regain my cavern; I might in my way make ſome uſeful diſcovery; nay, I might again viſit the fatal cheſt, and agreeably undeceive myſelf. John Hewit was a very common name, and it might belong to ſomebody elſe and not my huſband. Nay, even if it were his, he might have ſold it after hav⯑ing no further uſe for it; for, after all, what could be ſo unlikely as that he who was ſo excellent an Engliſh ſailor ſhould belong to a French ſhip.

[264] With theſe fond and weak, but con⯑ſolatory ideas, with which hope ſeldom fails to flatter miſery, did I cheer my⯑ſelf till I had called into action a portion of my wonted fortitude. It being yet early in the day, I thought by perſeverance I might get round the bottom of the rock and ſo make ſome diſcovery of importance before night ſhould overtake me, truſting to chance as to what wild fruit I might find in my way to eke out the ſmall por⯑tion of buſcuit which, by good fortune, I happened to have in my pocket, and from what chryſtal ſpring I might quench my thirſt.

With a heavy heart did I crawl and clamber from one craggy point to another, taking that direction which I conſidered as moſt likely to lead me round to my ha⯑bitation. The further I ventured, how⯑ever, the more I got aſtray, no veſtige of any known object preſented itſelf to my view; on the contrary, my journey was [265] retarded by dangerous breaks, overgrown with brambles, in which it required the utmoſt judgment to avoid being enthralled.

I had wandered about in this hopeleſs and forlorn condition for ſeveral hours, ſometimes directing my way towards the place of my deſtination, and ſometimes meeting with obſtructions that obliged me to take a contrary direction, when getting into a kind of irregular valley, tremen⯑douſly ridged with rocks on each ſide, and ſloping towards the ſea, I determined to ſee where it would lead, in the hope that I ſhould at the bottom of it regain the ridge of rocks on the ſhore, which, though it would be a work of infinite labour, would, in the end, lead me to my cavern.

This valley led me to an extenſive lawn covered with the moſt beautiful verdure, and planted, as if with ſome human hand, with clumps of orange, citron, and a pro⯑digious [266] variety of other oriental fruit trees. At the back, which received the full ſouth ſun, a ridge of rocks ran nearly in the form of an amphitheatre, while vines of all ſorts twining in great luxuriance interlaced their rugged face. To the weſtward, from a cleft in the rock, burſt in a large volume a beautiful caſcade, which being regorged from the ſiſſures, it perforated and bounded with redoubled force over the craggy pro⯑minencies, that being thus waſhed, looked like a rich mixture of porphory, marble, granate, and ſpar; it then made its way to the baſe with a moſt majeſtic and awful concuſſion, and thence ran off in an ample and profound ſtream, which emptied itſelf into a capacious baſon about five hun⯑dred yards beneath it.

To the eaſt a ridge of cedars, cocoa trees, pines, and other Eaſtern productions of the largeſt kind, like a towering wood reached to the very ſurface of the moun⯑tain.

[267] Thus the valley I deſcended was nearly in the center of this beautiful lawn, which being fringed round in the manner I have deſcribed to the right and left, with ridges of rocks and trees, the whole is an amphi⯑theatrical form, ſpread on in a gradual ſlope to the diſtance, I ſuppoſe, ſtrait on, of half a mile, and in breadth a mile and a half, the front bounded by a poliſhed rock beneath, which at high tide was waſhed by the ſea, but which was ſituated ſo high, that the ſea ſeldom or ever waſhed over it.

Struck by the awful grandeur of this beautiful ſcene, I pauſed and wondered. I could ſcarcely think but that art had combined with nature in forming it. Theſe were my reflections. Perhaps the iſland had been ſome time or other inhabited, and that wild beaſts, with which I had received one ſhocking proof it abounded, had de⯑voured the inhabitants. Who knew but that ſome other part of the Groſvenor's [268] people might have, like me, found a tem⯑porary ſhelter, and alas, like me, a devoted grave.

I was in this mood, and had ſcarcely time to eat ſome of my biſcuit and drink a little water, when night overtook me. I now crept into a cloſe interwoven thicket, and having ſecured myſelf from all dan⯑gers in the beſt manner I could, I com⯑mitted myſelf to the care of Providence.

I had ſcarcely fallen aſleep when I was rouſed by a moſt terrifying noiſe, which I too well knew to be the roar of a lion. Heavens what were my feelings at that moment! Annihilation would have been mercy to me. I was convulſed with hor⯑ror, my whole maſs of blood curdled in my veins; and frantic with deſpair, as I knelt with my hands claſped in agony, I knew not whether my diſtracted prayer to Heaven implored death or mercy.

[369] The noiſe encreaſed. Twenty lions ſeemed to be in ſearch of their prey. At legth it died off, and having liſtened with a death like ſilence for more than an hour, my mind and body tired out, nature again yielded to repoſe, but Oh what a dream enſued.

I dreamt John Hewit came to me all bloody. He told me he had been torne by the jaws of a lion, and begged me to hide him. When I attempted it the lion came and tearing him from me, ſcattered his limbs upon the plain. I expected to be devoured in my turn, inſtead of which the lion lay down before me, fawned on me, and kiſſed my feet. In an inſtant I loſt it, and being tranſported to a barren wild, I was ſet upon by thieves. Binns reſcued me from their violence; and as I ap⯑proached him he bade me ſtand off for that he had married his ſiſter. What ſucceeded was delirium, and I waked juſt after day break in a violent fever.

[270] Parched with thirſt, I tottered, I ſcarcely knew how, towards the verge of the precipice that faced the ſea, where I had the day before found ſome ripe oranges. When I arrived there I entered a receſs, from whence iſſued a moſt delicious odour occaſioned by the orange and citron flow⯑ers that bloomed every where about me. I gathered ſeveral branches of theſe, and diſtracted as I yet was with the burning fever, I formed them into wreaths and gar⯑lands, ſinging incoherently bits and ſcraps of melancholy ditties.

My intellects, however, were not ſo impaired but I ſoon became ſenſible enough of a danger that ſeemed to threaten me with inevitable deſtruction. Getting to the very verge of the rock, over which hung luxuriant branches of the orange trees, loaded at the ſame time with fruit and bloſſoms, I diſturbed a monſtrous lioneſs as ſhe was ſtretched with a cub by her ſide. My ſituation, in one moment, [271] was exactly the ſame as that of the horſe in Stubbs's beautiful picture, except that, unlike him, I knew my danger, and there⯑fore, my blood inſtead of filling my veins receded to my heart, and actuated by that knowledge, and, perhaps, my diſtemper, for nothing is ſo quick as madneſs, I in⯑ſtantly meditated how to eſcape; but be⯑fore I could give my dreadful ſituation a ſingle thought, catching the glow of the monſter's eye, I was fairly under the power of facination. A moment after I ſaw her in the act of ſpringing at me when I meaſured my length upon the ground and died away.