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therefore　he　could　not　have　any　patience　when　he　did　but　

think　of　being　transported。



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

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

him　the　infamy　of　a　public　execution　was　certainly　a　greater　

pressure　upon　the　spirits　of　a　gentleman　than　any　of　the　

mortifications　that　he　could　meet　with　abroad　could　be；　that　

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

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

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

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

small　matter　of　conduct；　especially　if　there　was　any　money　

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

he　came　to　Virginia。



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

me；　you　have　a　mother　there。'



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

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

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

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

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

correspondence　with　them；　and　that　he　would　easily　believe；　

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

was　the　only　friend　in　such　a　condition。



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

occasion　of　it　all。



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

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

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

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

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

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

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



I　told　him　he　frighted　and　terrified　himself　with　that　which　

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

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

the　consequence　of　transportation；　but　begin　the　world　upon　

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

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

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

recommended　to　him　many　years　before　and　had　proposed　it　

for　our　mutual　subsistence　and　restoring　our　fortunes　in　the　

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

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

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

he　should　first　see　me　deliver　myself　from　the　necessity　of　

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

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

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

without　assistance　from　him；　but　that　I　thought　our　mutual　

misfortunes　had　been　such　as　were　sufficient　to　reconcile　us　

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

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

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

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

past　disasters　with　infinite　satisfaction；　when　we　should　

consider　that　our　enemies　should　entirely　forget　us；　and　that　

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

anything　to　say　to　us；　or　we　to　them。



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

answered　all　his　own　passionate　objections　so　effectually　that　

he　embraced　me；　and　told　me　I　treated　him　with　such　sincerity　

and　affection　as　overcame　him；　that　he　would　take　my　advice；　

and　would　strive　to　submit　to　his　fate　in　hope　of　having　the　

comfort　of　my　assistance；　and　of　so　faithful　a　counsellor　and　

such　a　companion　in　his　misery。　　But　still　he　put　me　in　mind　

of　what　I　had　mentioned　before；　namely；　that　there　might　be　

some　way　to　get　off　before　he　went；　and　that　it　might　be　

possible　to　avoid　going　at　all；　which　he　said　would　be　much　

better。　　I　told　him　he　should　see；　and　be　fully　satisfied；　that　I　

would　do　my　utmost　in　that　part　too；　and　if　it　did　not　succeed；　

yet　that　I　would　make　good　the　rest。



We　parted　after　this　long　conference　with　such　testimonies　of　

kindness　and　affection　as　I　thought　were　equal；　if　not　superior；　

to　that　at　our　parting　at　Dunstable；　and　now　I　saw　more　plainly　

than　before；　the　reason　why　he　declined　coming　at　that　time　

any　farther　with　me　toward　London　than　Dunstable；　and　why；　

when　we　parted　there；　he　told　me　it　was　not　convenient　for　

him　to　come　part　of　the　way　to　London　to　bring　me　going；　as　

he　would　otherwise　have　done。　　I　have　observed　that　the　

account　of　his　life　would　have　made　a　much　more　pleasing　

history　than　this　of　mine；　and；　indeed；　nothing　in　it　was　more　

strange　than　this　part；　viz。　that　he　carried　on　that　desperate　

trade　full　five…and…twenty　years　and　had　never　been　taken；　

the　success　he　had　met　with　had　been　so　very　uncommon；　and　

such　that　sometimes　he　had　lived　handsomely；　and　retired　in　

place　for　a　year　or　two　at　a　time；　keeping　himself　and　a　

man…servant　to　wait　on　him；　and　had　often　sat　in　the　

coffee…houses　and　heard　the　very　people　whom　he　had　robbed　

give　accounts　of　their　being　robbed；　and　of　the　place　and　

circumstances；　so　that　he　could　easily　remember　that　it　was　

the　same。



In　this　manner；　it　seems；　he　lived　near　Liverpool　at　the　time　

he　unluckily　married　me　for　a　fortune。　　Had　I　been　the　fortune　

he　expected；　I　verily　believe；　as　he　said；　that　he　would　have　

taken　up　and　lived　honestly　all　his　days。



He　had　with　the　rest　of　his　misfortunes　the　good　luck　not　to　

be　actually　upon　the　spot　when　the　robbery　was　done　which　

he　was　committed　for；　and　so　none　of　the　persons　robbed　

could　swear　to　him；　or　had　anything　to　charge　upon　him。　　But　

it　seems　as　he　was　taken　with　the　gang；　one　hard…mouthed　

countryman　swore　home　to　him；　and　they　were　like　to　have　

others　come　in　according　to　the　publication　they　had　made；　

so　that　they　expected　more　evidence　against　him；　and　for　that　

reason　he　was　kept　in　hold。



However；　the　offer　which　was　made　to　him　of　admitting　him　to　

transportation　was　made；　as　I　understood；　upon　the　intercession　

of　some　great　person　who　pressed　him　hard　to　accept　of　it　before　

a　trial；　and　indeed；　as　he　knew　there　were　several　that　might　

come　in　against　him；　I　thought　his　friend　was　in　the　right；　and　

I　lay　at　him　night　and　day　to　delay　it　no　longer。



At　last；　with　much　difficulty；　he　gave　his　consent；　and　as　he　

was　not　therefore　admitted　to　transportation　in　court；　and　on　

his　petition；　as　I　was；　so　he　found　himself　under　a　difficulty　

to　avoid　embarking　himself　as　I　had　said　he　might　have　done；　

his　great　friend；　who　was　his　intercessor　for　the　favour　of　that　

grant；　having　given　security　for　him　that　he　should　transport　

himself；　and　not　return　within　the　term。



This　hardship　broke　all　my　measures；　for　the　steps　I　took　

afterwards　for　my　own　deliverance　were　hereby　rendered　

wholly　ineffectual；　unless　I　would　abandon　him；　and　leave　

him　to　go　to　America　by　himself；　than　which　he　protested　he　

would　much　rather　venture；　although　he　were　certain　to　go　

directly　to　the　gallows。



I　must　now　return　to　my　case。　　The　time　of　my　being　transported　

according　to　my　sentence　was　near　at　hand；　my　governess；　who　

continued　my　fast　friend；　had　tried　to　obtain　a　pardon；　but　it　

could　not　be　done　unless　with　an　expense　too　heavy　for　my　

purse；　considering　that　to　be　left　naked　and　empty；　unless　I　had　

resolved　to　return　to　my　old　trade　again；　had　been　worse　than　

my　transportation；　because　there　I　knew　I　could　live；　here　I　

could　not。　　The　good　minister　stood　very　hard　on　another　

account　to　prevent　my　being　transported　also；　but　he　was　

answered；　that　indeed　my　life　had　been　given　me　at　his　first　

solicitations；　and　therefore　he　ought　to　ask　no　more。　He　was　

sensibly　grieved　at　my　going；　because；　as　he　said；　he　feared　I　

should　lose　the　good　impressions　which　a　prospect　of　death　

had　at　first　made　on　me；　and　which　were　since　increased　by　

his　instructions；　and　the　pious　gentleman　was　exceedingly　

concerned　about　me　on　that　account。



On　the　other　hand；　I　really　was　not　so　solicitous　about　it　as　I　

was　before；　but　I　industriously　concealed　my　reasons　for　it　

from　the　minister；　and　to　the　last　he　did　not　know　but　that　I　

went　with