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spouse　very　uneasy；　for　he　found　me　perplexed；　and　yet　thought

I　was　not　open　with　him；　and　did　not　let　him　into　every　part　

of　my　grievance；　and　he　would　often　say；　he　wondered　what　

he　had　done　that　I　would　not　trust　him　with　whatever　it　was；　

especially　if　it　was　grievous　and　afflicting。　　The　truth　is；　he　

ought　to　have　been　trusted　with　everything；　for　no　man　in　the　

world　could　deserve　better　of　a　wife；　but　this　was　a　thing　I　

knew　not　how　to　open　to　him；　and　yet　having　nobody　to　

disclose　any　part　of　it　to；the　burthen　was　too　heavy　for　my　

mind；　for　let　them　say　whatthey　please　of　our　sex　not　being　

able　to　keep　a　secret；　my　life　is　a　plain　conviction　to　me　of　the　

contrary；　but　be　it　our　sex；　or　the　man's　sex；　a　secret　of　moment　

should　always　have　a　confidant；a　bosom　friend；　to　whom　we　

may　communicate　the　joy　of　it；　or　the　grief　of　it；　be　it　which　

it　will；　or　it　will　be　a　double　weight　upon　the　spirits；　and　

perhaps　become　even　insupportable　in　itself；　and　this　I　appeal　

to　all　human　testimony　for　the　truth　of。



And　this　is　the　cause　why　many　times　men　as　well　as　women；　

and　men　of　the　greatest　and　best　qualities　other　ways；　yet　have　

found　themselves　weak　in　this　part；　and　have　not　been　able　to　

bear　the　weight　of　a　secret　joy　or　of　a　secret　sorrow；　but　have　

been　obliged　to　disclose　it；　even　for　the　mere　giving　vent　to　

themselves；　and　to　unbend　the　mind　oppressed　with　the　load　

andweights　which　attended　it。　　Nor　was　this　any　token　of　folly　

orthoughtlessness　at　all；　but　a　natural　consequence　of　the　thing；

and　such　people；　had　they　struggled　longer　with　the　oppression；　

would　certainly　have　told　it　in　their　sleep；　and　disclosed　the　

secret；　let　it　have　been　of　what　fatal　nature　soever；　without　

regard　to　the　person　to　whom　it　might　be　exposed。　　This　

necessity　of　nature　is　a　thing　which　works　sometimes　with　

such　vehemence　in　the　minds　of　those　who　are　guilty　of　any　

atrocious　villainy；　such　as　secret　murder　in　particular；　that　they　

have　been　obliged　to　discover　it；　though　the　consequence　

would　necessarily　be　their　own　destruction。　　Now；　thought　it　

may　be　true　that　the　divine　justice　ought　to　have　the　glory　of　

all　those　discoveries　and　confessions；　yet　'tis　as　certain　that　

Providence；　which　ordinarily　works　by　the　hands　of　nature；　

makes　use　here　of　the　same　naturalcauses　to　produce　those　

extraordinary　effects。



I　could　give　several　remarkable　instances　of　this　in　my　long　

conversation　with　crime　and　with　criminals。　　I　knew　one　fellow　

that；　while　I　was　in　prison　in　Newgate；　was　one　of　those　they　

called　then　night…fliers。　　I　know　not　what　other　word　they　may　

have　understood　it　by　since；　but　he　was　one　who　by　connivance　

was　admitted　to　go　abroad　every　evening；　when　he　played　his　

pranks；　and　furnished　those　honest　people　they　call　thief…catchers　

with　business　to　find　out　the　next　day；　and　restore　for　a　reward　

what　they　had　stolen　the　evening　before。　　This　fellow　was　as　

sure　to　tell　in　his　sleep　all　that　he　had　done；　and　every　step　he　

had　taken；　what　he　had　stolen；　and　where；　as　sure　as　if　he　had　

engaged　to　tell　it　waking；　and　that　there　was　no　harm　or　danger　

in　it；　and　therefore　he　was　obliged；　after　he　had　been　out；　to　

lock　himself　up；　or　be　locked　up　by　some　of　the　keepers　that　

had　him　in　fee；　that　nobody　should　hear　him；　but；　on　the　other　

hand；　if　he　had　told　all　the　particulars；　and　given　a　full　account　

of　his　rambles　and　success；　to　any　comrade；　any　brother　thief；　

or　to　his　employers；　as　I　may　justly　call　them；　then　all　was　

well　with　him；　and　he　slept　as　quietly　as　other　people。



As　the　publishing　this　account　of　my　life　is　for　the　sake　of　the　

just　moral　of　very　part　of　it；　and　for　instruction；　caution；　

warning；　and　improvement　to　every　reader；　so　this　will　not　

pass；　I　hope；　for　an　unnecessary　digression　concerning　some　

people　being　obliged　to　disclose　the　greatest　secrets　either　of　

their　own　or　other　people's　affairs。



Under　the　certain　oppression　of　this　weight　upon　my　mind；　I　

laboured　in　the　case　I　have　been　naming；　and　the　only　relief　

I　found　for　it　was　to　let　my　husband　into　so　much　of　it　as　I　

thought　would　convince　him　of　the　necessity　there　was　for　us　

to　think　of　settling　in　some　other　part　of　the　world；　and　the　

next　consideration　before　us　was；　which　part　of　the　English　

settlements　we　should　go　to。　　My　husband　was　a　perfect　stranger　

to　the　country；　and　had　not　yet　so　much　as　a　geographical　

knowledge　of　the　situation　of　the　several　places；　and　I；　that；　

till　I　wrote　this；　did　not　know　what　the　word　geographical　

signified；　had　only　a　general　knowledge　from　long　conversation　

with　people　that　came　from　or　went　to　several　places；　but　this　

I　knew；　that　Maryland；　Pennsylvania；　East　and　West　Jersey；　

New　York；　and　New　England　lay　all　north　of　Virginia；　and　

that　they　were　consequently　all　colder　climates；　to　which　for　

that　very　reason；　I　had　an　aversion。　　For　that　as　I　naturally　

loved　warm　weather；　so　now　I　grew　into　years　I　had　a　stronger　

inclination　to　shun　a　cold　climate。　　I　therefore　considered　of　

going　to　Caroline；　which　is　the　only　southern　colony　of　the　

English　on　the　continent　of　America；　and　hither　I　proposed　to　

go；　and　the　rather　because　I　might　with　great　ease　come　from　

thence　at　any　time；　when　it　might　be　proper　to　inquire　after　

my　mother's　effects；　and　to　make　myself　known　enough　to　

demand　them。



With　this　resolution　I　proposed　to　my　husband　our　going　away　

from　where　we　was；　and　carrying　all　our　effects　with　us　to　

Caroline；　where　we　resolved　to　settle；　for　my　husband　readily　

agreed　to　the　first　part；　viz。　that　was　not　at　all　proper　to　stay　

where　we　was；　since　I　had　assured　him　we　should　be　known　

there；　and　the　rest　I　effectually　concealed　from　him。



But　now　I　found　a　new　difficulty　upon　me。　　The　main　affair　

grew　heavy　upon　my　mind　still；　and　I　could　not　think　of　going　

out　of　the　country　without　somehow　or　other　making　inquiry　

into　the　grand　affair　of　what　my　mother　had　one　for　me；　nor　

could　I　with　any　patience　bear　the　thought　of　going　away；　and　

not　make　myself　known　to　my　old　husband　（brother）；　or　to　my　

child；　his　son；　only　I　would　fain　have　had　this　done　without　

my　new　husband　having　any　knowledge　of　it；　or　they　having　

any　knowledge　of　him；　or　that　I　had　such　a　thing　as　a　husband。



I　cast　about　innumerable　ways　in　my　thoughts　how　this　might　

be　done。　　I　would　gladly　have　sent　my　husband　away　to

Caroline　with　all　our　goods；　and　have　come　after　myself；　but　

this　was　impracticable；　he　would　never　stir　without　me；　being　

himself　perfectly　unacquainted　with　the　country；　and　with　the　

methods　of　settling　there　or　anywhere　else。　　Then　I　thought　

wewould　both　go　first　with　part　of　our　goods；　and　that　when　

we　were　settled　I　should　come　back　to　Virginia　and　fetch　the　

remainder；　but　even　then　I　knew　he　would　never　part　with　me；

and　be　left　there　to　go　on　alone。　　The　case　was　plain；　he　was　

bread　a　gentleman；　and　by　consequence　was　not　only　

unacquainted；　but　indolent；　and　when　we　did　settle；　would　

much　rather　go　out　into　the　woods　with　his　gun；　which　they　

call　there　hunting；　and　which　is　the　ordinary　work　of　the　

Indians；　and　which　they　do　as　servants；　I　say；　he　would　rather　

do　that　than　attend　the　natural　business　of　his　plantation。



These　were　therefore　difficulties　insurmountable；　and　such　as　

I　knew　not　what　to　do　in。　　I　had　such　strong　impressions　on　

mymind　about　discovering　myself　to　my　brother；　formerly　

my　husband；　that　I　could　not　withstand　them；　and　the　rather；　

because　it　ran　constantly　in　my　thoughts；　that　if　I　did　not　do　

it　while　he　lived；　I　might　in　vain　endeavour　to　convince　my　

son　afterward　that　I　was　really　the　same　person；　and　that　I　was　

his　mother；　and　so　might　both　lose　the　assistance　and　comfort　

of　the　relation；　and　the　benefit　of　whatever　it　was　my　mother　

had　leftme；　and　yet；　on　the　other　hand；　I　could　never　think　it　

proper　to　discover　myself　to　them　in　the　circumstances　I　was　

in；　as　well　relating　to　the　having　a　husband　with　me　as　to　my　

being　brought　over　by　a　legal　transportation　as　a　criminal；　on　

both　which　accounts　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　me　to　

remove　from　the　place　where　I　was；　and　come　again　to　him；　

as　from　another　place　and　in　another　figure。



Upon　those　considerations；　　I　went　on　with　telling　my　husband　

the　absolute　necessity　there　was　of　our　not　settling　in　Potomac　

River；　at　least　that　we　should　be　presently　made　public　there；　

whereas　if　we　went　to　any　other　place　in　the　world；　we　should　

come　in　with　as　much　reputation　as　any　family　that　came　to　

plant；　that；　as　it　was　always　agreeable　to　the　inhabitants　to　

have　families　come　among　them　to　plant；　who　brought　substance　

with　them；　either　to　purchase　plantations　or　begin　new　ones；　

so　we　should　be　sure　of　a　kind；　agreeable　reception；　and　that　

without　any　possibility　of　a　discovery　of　our　circumstances。



I　told　him　in　general；　too；　that　as　I　had　several　relations　in　the　

place　where　we　was；　and　that　I　durst　not　now　let　myself　be　

known　to　them；　because　they　would　soon　come　into　a　knowledge　

of　the　occasion　and　reason　of　my　coming　over；　which　would　be　

to　expose　myself　to　the　last　degree；　so　I　had　reason　to　believe　

that　my　mother；　who　dies　here；　had　left　me　something；　and　

perhaps　considerable；　which　it　might　be　very　well　worth　my　

while　to　inquire　after；　but　that　this　too　could　not　be　done　

without　exposing　us　publicly；　unless　we　went　from　hence；　and　

then；　wherever　we　settled；　I　might　come；　as　it　were；　to　visit　

and　to　see　my　brother　and　nephews；　make　myself　known　to　

them；　claim　and　inquire　after　what　was　my　due；　be　received　

with　respect；　and　at　the　same　time　have　justice　done　me　with　

cheerfulness　and　good　will；　whereas；　if　I　did　it　now；　I　could　

expect　nothing　but　with　trouble；　such　as　exacting　it　by　force；　

receiving　it　with　curses　and　reluctance；　a