toldmehetooktotheroadabouttwelveyearsbeforehe
marriedme；thatthewomanwhichcalledhimbrotherwasnot
reallyhissister，oranykintohim，butonethatbelongedto
theirgang，andwho，keepingcorrespondencewithhim，lived
alwaysintown，havinggoodstoreofacquaintance；thatshe
gavethemaperfectintelligenceofpersonsgoingoutoftown，
andthattheyhadmadeseveralgoodbootiesbyhercorrespondence；
thatshethoughtshehadfixedafortuneforhimwhenshebrought
metohim，buthappenedtobedisappointed，whichhereally
couldnotblameherfor；thatifithadbeenhisgoodluckthat
Ihadhadtheestate，whichshewasinformedIhad，hehad
resolvedtoleaveofftheroadandlivearetired，soberlivebut
nevertoappearinpublictillsomegeneralpardonhadbeen
passed，ortillhecould，formoney，havegothisnameinto
someparticularpardon，thatsohemighthavebeenperfectly
easy；butthat，asithadprovedotherwise，hewasobligedto
putoffhisequipageandtakeuptheoldtradeagain。
Hegavemealongaccountofsomeofhisadventures，and
particularlyonewhenherobbedtheWestChestercoaches
nearLichfield，whenhegotaverygreatbooty；andafterthat，
howherobbedfivegraziers，inthewest，goingtoBurfordFair
inWiltshiretobuysheep。
Hetoldmehegotsomuchmoney
onthosetwooccasions，thatifhehadknownwheretohave
foundme，hewouldcertainlyhaveembracedmyproposalof
goingwithmetoVirginia，ortohavesettledinaplantation
onsomeotherpartsoftheEnglishcoloniesinAmerica。
Hetoldmehewrotetwoorthreeletterstome，directed
accordingtomyorder，butheardnothingfromme。
ThisI
indeedknewtobetrue，buttheletterscomingtomyhandin
thetimeofmylatterhusband，Icoulddonothinginit，and
thereforechosetogivenoanswer，thatsohemightrather
believetheyhadmiscarried。
Beingthusdisappointed，hesaid，hecarriedontheoldtrade
eversince，thoughwhenhehadgottensomuchmoney，he
said，hedidnotrunsuchdesperaterisksashedidbefore。
Thenhegavemesomeaccountofseveralhardanddesperate
encounterswhichhehadwithgentlemenontheroad，who
partedtoohardlywiththeirmoney，andshowedmesome
woundshehadreceived；andhehadoneortwoveryterrible
woundsindeed，asparticularlyonebyapistolbullet，which
brokehisarm，andanotherwithasword，whichranhimquite
throughthebody，butthatmissinghisvitals，hewascured
again；oneofhiscomradeshavingkeptwithhimsofaithfully，
andsofriendly，asthatheassistedhiminridingneareighty
milesbeforehisarmwasset，andthengotasurgeonina
considerablecity，remotefromthatplacewhereitwasdone，
pretendingtheyweregentlementravellingtowardsCarlisle
andthattheyhadbeenattackedontheroadbyhighwaymen，
andthatoneofthemhadshothimintothearmandbroke
thebone。
This，hesaid，hisfriendmanagedsowell，thattheywerenot
suspectedatall，butlaystilltillhewasperfectlycured。
He
gavemesomanydistinctaccountsofhisadventures，thatit
iswithgreatreluctancethatIdeclinetherelatingthem；butI
considerthatthisismyownstory，nothis。
Itheninquiredintothecircumstancesofhispresentcaseat
thattime，andwhatitwasheexpectedwhenhecametobe
tried。
Hetoldmethattheyhadnoevidenceagainsthim，or
butverylittle；forthatofthreerobberies，whichtheywereall
chargedwith，itwashisgoodfortunethathewasbutinone
ofthem，andthattherewasbutonewitnesstobehadforthat
fact，whichwasnotsufficient，butthatitwasexpectedsome
otherswouldcomeinagainsthim；thathethoughtindeed，
whenhefirstsawme，thatIhadbeenonethatcameofthat
errand；butthatifsomebodycameinagainsthim，hehoped
heshouldbecleared；thathehadhadsomeintimation，thatif
hewouldsubmittotransporthimself，hemightbeadmitted
toitwithoutatrial，butthathecouldnotthinkofitwithany
temper，andthoughthecouldmucheasiersubmittobehanged。
Iblamedhimforthat，andtoldhimIblamedhimontwo
accounts；first，becauseifhewastransported，theremightbe
ahundredwaysforhimthatwasagentleman，andabold
enterprisingman，tofindhiswaybackagain，andperhaps
somewaysandmeanstocomebackbeforehewent。
He
smiledatthatpart，andsaidheshouldlikethelastthebestof
thetwo，forhehadakindofhorroruponhismindathisbeing
sentovertotheplantations，asRomanssentcondemned
slavestoworkinthemines；thathethoughtthepassageinto
anotherstate，letitbewhatitwould，muchmoretolerableat
thegallows，andthatthiswasthegeneralnotionofallthe
gentlemenwhoweredrivenbytheexigenceoftheirfortunes
totaketheroad；thatattheplaceofexecutiontherewasat
leastanendofallthemiseriesofthepresentstate，andasfor
whatwastofollow，amanwas，inhisopinion，aslikelyto
repentsincerelyinthelastfortnightofhislife，underthe
pressuresandagoniesofajailandthecondemnedhole，ashe
wouldeverbeinthewoodsandwildernessofAmerica；that
servitudeandhardlabourwerethingsgentlemencouldnever
stoopto；thatitwasbutthewaytoforcethemtobetheirown
executionersafterwards，whichwasmuchworse；andthat
thereforehecouldnothaveanypatiencewhenhedidbut
thinkofbeingtransported。
Iusedtheutmostofmyendeavourtopersuadehim，andjoined
thatknownwoman’srhetorictoit——Imean，thatoftears。
Itold
himtheinfamyofapublicexecutionwascertainlyagreater
pressureuponthespiritsofagentlemanthananyofthe
mortificationsthathecouldmeetwithabroadcouldbe；that
hehadatleastintheotherachanceforhislife，whereashere
hehadnoneatall；thatitwastheeasiestthingintheworld
forhimtomanagethecaptainofaship，whowere，generally
speaking，menofgood-humourandsomegallantry；anda
smallmatterofconduct，especiallyiftherewasanymoney
tobehad，wouldmakewayforhimtobuyhimselfoffwhen
hecametoVirginia。
Helookedwistfullyatme，andIthoughtIguessedatwhathe
meant，thatistosay，thathehadnomoney；butIwasmistaken，
hismeaningwasanotherway。
’Youhintedjustnow，mydear，’
saidhe，’thattheremightbeawayofcomingbackbeforeI
went，bywhichIunderstoodyouthatitmightbepossibleto
buyitoffhere。
Ihadrathergive#200topreventgoing，than
tobesetatlibertywhenIcamethere。’
’Thatis，mydear，’
saidI，’becauseyoudonotknowtheplacesowellasIdo。’
’Thatmaybe，’saidhe；’andyetIbelieve，aswellasyouknow
it，youwoulddothesame，unlessitisbecause，asyoutold
me，youhaveamotherthere。’
Itoldhim，astomymother，itwasnexttoimpossiblebut
thatshemustbedeadmanyyearsbefore；andasforanyother
relationsthatImighthavethere，Iknewthemnotnow；that
sincethemisfortunesIhadbeenunderhadreducedmetothe
conditionIhadbeeninforsomeyears，Ihadnotkeptupany
correspondencewiththem；andthathewouldeasilybelieve，
IshouldfindbutacoldreceptionfromthemifIshouldbe
puttomakemyfirstvisitintheconditionofatransported
felon；thattherefore，ifIwentthither，Iresolvednottosee
them；butthatIhadmanyviewsingoingthere，ifitshouldbe
myfate，whichtookoffalltheuneasypartofit；andifhe
foundhimselfobligedtogoalso，Ishouldeasilyinstructhim
howtomanagehimself，soasnevertogoaservantatall，
especiallysinceIfoundhewasnotdestituteofmoney，which
wastheonlyfriendinsuchacondition。
Hesmiled，andsaidhedidnottellmehehadmoney。
Itook
himupshort，andtoldhimIhopedhedidnotunderstandby
myspeaking，thatIshouldexpectanysupplyfromhimifhe
hadmoney；that，ontheotherhand，thoughIhadnotagreat
deal，yetIdidnotwant，andwhileIhadanyIwouldrather
addtohimthanweakenhiminthatarticle，seeing，whatever
hehad，Iknewinthecaseoftransportationhewouldhave
occasionofitall。
Heexpressedhimselfinamosttendermanneruponthathead。
Hetoldmewhatmoneyhehadwasnotagreatdeal，butthat
hewouldneverhideanyofitfrommeifIwantedit，andthat
heassuredmehedidnotspeakwithanysuchapprehensions；
thathewasonlyintentuponwhatIhadhintedtohimbefore
hewent；thathereheknewwhattodowithhimself，butthat
thereheshouldbethemostignorant，helplesswretchalive。
Itoldhimhefrightedandterrifiedhimselfwiththatwhich
hadnoterrorinit；thatifhehadmoney，asIwasgladtohear
hehad，hemightnotonlyavoidtheservitudesupposedtobe
theconsequenceoftransportation，butbegintheworldupon
anewfoundation，andthatsuchaoneashecouldnotfailof
successin，withthecommonapplicationusualinsuchcases；
thathecouldnotbutcalltomindthatiswaswhatIhad
recommendedtohimmanyyearsbeforeandhadproposedit
forourmutualsubsistenceandrestoringourfortunesinthe
world；andIwouldtellhimnow，thattoconvincehimboth
ofthecertaintyofitandofmybeingfullyacquaintedwiththe
method，andalsofullysatisfiedintheprobabilityofsuccess，
heshouldfirstseemedelivermyselffromthenecessityof
goingoveratall，andthenthatIwouldgowithhimfreely，
andofmyownchoice，andperhapscarryenoughwithmeto
satisfyhimthatIdidnotofferitforwantofbeingabletolive
withoutassistancefromhim，butthatIthoughtourmutual
misfortuneshadbeensuchasweresufficienttoreconcileus
bothtoquittingthispartoftheworld，andlivingwhere
nobodycouldupbraiduswithwhatwaspast，orwebeinany
dreadofaprison，andwithoutagoniesofacondemnedhole
todriveustoit；thiswhereweshouldlookbackonallour
pastdisasterswithinfinitesatisfaction，whenweshould
considerthatourenemiesshouldentirelyforgetus，andthat
weshouldliveasnewpeopleinanewworld，nobodyhaving
anythingtosaytous，orwetothem。
Ipressedthishometohimwithsomanyarguments，and
answeredallhisownpassionateobjectionssoeffectuallythat
heembracedme，andtoldmeItreatedhimwithsuchsincerity
andaffectionasovercamehim；thathewouldtakemyadvice，
andwouldstrivetosubmittohisfateinhopeofhavingthe
comfortofmyassistance，andofsofaithfulacounsellorand
suchacompanioninhismisery。
Butstillheputmeinmind
ofwhatIhadmentionedbefore，namely，thattheremightbe
somewaytogetoffbeforehewent，andthatitmightbe
possibletoavoidgoingatall，whichhesaidwouldbemuch
better。
