The Liverpool Ladies are very civil to me--I am admitted
into good Society--Introduced to Captain Levee--Again
sail to Senegal--Overhear a Conspiracy to seize the Ship
by the Crew of a Slaver, but am enabled to defeat it--Am
thanked and rewarded by the Owner--Take a Trip to London
with Captain Levee--Stopped by Highwaymen on the
Road--Put up at a Tavern--Dissipated Town Life--Remove
to a genteel Boarding-House--Meet with a Government
Spy--Return to Liverpool.
As the captain reported me to be a very attentive and good officer,
although I was then but twenty-three years of age, and as I had been
previously on good terms and useful to the owner, I was kindly
received by him, and paid much more attention to, than my situation on
board might warrant. My captivity among the Negroes, and the narrative
I gave of my adventures, were also a source of much interest. I was at
first questioned by the gentlemen of Liverpool, and afterwards one of
the merchant's ladies, who had heard something of my adventures, and
found out that I was a young and personable man, with better manners
than are usually to be found before the mast, invited me one evening
to a tea-party, that I might amuse her friends with my adventures.
They were most curious about the Negro queen, Whyna, inquiring into
every particular as to her personal appearance and dress, and trying
to find out, as women always do, if there was any thing of an intrigue
between us. They shook their little fingers at me, when I solemnly
declared that there was not, and one or two of them cajoled me aside
to obtain my acknowledgment of what they really believed to be the
truth, although I would not confess it.
When they had tired themselves with asking questions about the Negro
queen, they then began to ask about myself, and how it happened I was
not such a bear, and coarse in my manners and address, as the other
seamen. To this I could give no other reply but that I had been
educated when a child. They would fain know who were my father and
mother, and in what station of life it had pleased God to place them;
but I hardly need say, my dear Madam, to you who are so well
acquainted with my birth and parentage, that I would not disgrace my
family by acknowledging that one of their sons was in a situation so
unworthy; not that I thought at that time, nor do I think now, that I
was so much to blame in preferring independence in a humble position,
to the life that induced me to take the step which I did; but as I
could not state who my family were without also stating why I had
quitted them, I preserved silence, as I did not think that I had any
right to communicate family secrets to strangers. The consequences of
my first introduction to genteel society were very agreeable; I
received many more invitations from the company assembled,
notwithstanding that my sailor's attire but ill corresponded with the
powdered wigs and silk waistcoats of the gentlemen, or the hoops and
furbelows of satin which set off the charms of the ladies.
At first I did not care so much, but as I grew more at my ease, I felt
ashamed of my dress, and the more so as the young foplings would put
their glasses to their eyes, and look at me as if I were a monster.
But supported as I was by the fair sex, I cared little for them. The
ladies vowed that I was charming, and paid me much courtesy; indeed my
vanity more than once made me suspect that I was something more than a
mere favourite with one or two of them, one especially, a buxom young
person, and very coquettish, who told me, as we were looking out of
the bay window of the withdrawing-room, that since I could be so
secret with respect to what took place between the Negress queen and
myself, I must be sure to command the good-will and favour of the
ladies, who always admired discretion in so young and so handsome a
man. But I was not to be seduced by this flattery, for somehow or
another I had ever before me the French lady, and her conduct to me;
and I had almost a dislike, or I should rather say, I had imbibed an
indifference for the sex.
This admission into good society did, however, have one effect upon
me; it made me more particular in my dress, and all my wages were
employed in the decoration of my person. At that time you may
recollect, Madam, there were but two styles of dress among the seamen;
one was that worn by those who sailed in the northern seas, and the
other by those who navigated in the tropical countries, both suitable
to the climates. The first was the jacket, woollen frock, breeches,
and petticoat of canvas over all, with worsted stockings, shoes, and
buckles, and usually a cap of skin upon the head; the other a light
short jacket, with hanging buttons, red sash, trowsers, and neat shoes
and buckles, with a small embroidered cap with falling crown, or a hat
and feather. It was this last which I had always worn, having been
continually in warm climates, and my hair was dressed in its natural
ringlets instead of a wig, which I was never partial to, although very
common among seamen; my ears were pierced, and I wore long gold
earrings, as well as gilt buckles in my shoes; and, by degrees, I not
only improved my dress so as to make it very handsome in materials,
but my manners were also very much altered for the better.
I had been at Liverpool about two months, waiting for the ship to
unload and take in cargo for another voyage, when a privateer
belonging to the same owner, came into port with four prizes of
considerable value; and the day afterwards I was invited by the owner
to meet the captain who commanded the privateer.
He was a very different looking person from Captain Weatherall, who
was a stout, strong-limbed man, with a weather-beaten countenance. He,
on the contrary, was a young man of about twenty-six, very slight in
person, with a dark complexion, hair and eyes jet black. I should have
called him a very handsome Jew--for he bore that cast of countenance,
and I afterwards discovered that he was of that origin, although I
cannot say that he ever followed the observances of that remarkable
people. He was handsomely dressed, wearing his hair slightly powdered,
a laced coat and waistcoat, blue sash and trowsers, with
silver-mounted pistols and dagger in his belt, and a smart hanger by
his side. He had several diamond rings on his finger, and carried a
small clouded cane. Altogether, I had never fallen in with so smart
and prepossessing a personage, and should have taken him for one of
the gentlemen commending the king's ships, rather than the captain of
a Liverpool privateer. He talked well and fluently, and with an air of
command and decision, taking the lead in the company, although it
might have been considered that he was not by any means the principal
person in it. The owner, during the evening, informed me that he was a
first-rate officer, of great personal courage, and that he had made a
great deal of money, which he had squandered away almost as fast as he
received it.
With this person, whose name was Captain Levee (an alteration, I
suspect, from Levi), I was much pleased; and as I found that he did
not appear to despise my acquaintance, I took much pains to please
him, and we were becoming very intimate, when my ship was ready to
sail. I now found that I was promoted to the office of first mate,
which gave me great satisfaction.
We sailed with an assorted cargo, but very light, and nothing of
consequence occurred during our passage out. We made good traffic on
the coast as we ran down it, receiving ivory, gold-dust, and wax, in
exchange for our printed cottons and hardware. After being six weeks
on the coast, we put into Senegal to dispose of the remainder of our
cargo; which we soon did to the governor, who gave us a fair exchange,
although by no means so profitable a barter as what we had made on the
coast; but that we did not expect for what might be called the refuse
of our cargo. The captain was much pleased, as he knew the owner would
be satisfied with him, and, moreover, he had himself a venture in the
cargo; and we had just received the remainder of the ivory from the
governor's stores, and had only to get on board a sufficiency of
provisions and water for our homeward voyage, when a circumstance took
place which I must now relate.
Our crew consisted of the captain, and myself, as first mate, the
second mate, and twelve seamen, four of which were those who had been
taken prisoners with me, and had been released, as I have related, in
our previous voyage. These four men were very much attached to me, I
believe chiefly from my kindness to them when I was a slave to the
queen Whyna, as I always procured for them every thing which I could,
and, through the exertions of my mistress, had them plentifully
supplied with provisions from the king's table. The second mate and
other eight men we had shipped at Liverpool. They were fine, stout
fellows, but appeared to be loose characters, but that we did not
discover till after we had sailed. There was anchored with us at
Senegal a low black brig, employed in the slave-trade, which had made
the bay at the same time that we did; and to their great surprise--for
she was considered a very fast sailer--she was beaten at all points by
our ship, which was considered the fastest vessel out of Liverpool.
The crew of the slaver were numerous, and as bloodthirsty a set of
looking fellows as ever I fell in with. Their boat was continually
alongside of our vessel, and I perceived that their visits were made
to the eight men whom we had shipped at Liverpool, and that they did
not appear inclined to be at all intimate with the rest of the crew.
This roused my suspicions, although I said nothing; but I watched them
very closely. One forenoon, as I was standing at the foot of the
companion-ladder, concealed by the booby-hatch from the sight of those
on deck, I heard our men talking over the side, and at last, as I
remained concealed, that I might overhear the conversation, one of the
slaver's men from the boat said, "To-night, at eight o'clock, we will
come to arrange the whole business." The boat then shoved off, and
pulled for the brig.
Now, it was the custom of the captain to go onshore every evening to
drink sangaree and smoke with the governor, and very often I went with
him, leaving the ship in charge of the second mate. It had been my
intention, and I had stated as much to the second mate, to go this
evening, as it was the last but one that we should remain at Senegal;
but from what I overheard I made up my mind that I would not go. About
an hour before sunset, I complained of headache and sickness, and sat
down under the awning over the after part of the quarter-deck. When
the captain came up to go on shore, he asked me if I was ready, but I
made no answer, only put my hand to my head.
The captain, supposing that I was about to be attacked by the fever of
the country, was much concerned, and desired the second mate to help
him to take me down to the state-room, and then went on shore; the
boat was, as usual, pulled by the four men who were prisoners with me,
and whom the captain found he could trust on shore better than the
others belonging to the crew, who would indulge in liquor whenever
they had an opportunity. I remained in my bed-place till it was nearly
eight o'clock, and then crept softly up the companion-hatch to
ascertain who was on deck.
The men were all below in the fore-peak at their suppers, and as I had
before observed that their conferences were held on the forecastle, I
went forward, and covered myself up with a part of the main-topsail,
which the men had been repairing during the day. From this position I
could hear all that passed, whether they went down into the fore-peak,
or remained to converse on the forecastle. About ten minutes
afterwards I heard the boat grate against the ship's side, and the men
of the slaver mount on the deck.
"All right?" inquired one of the slavers.
"Yes," replied our second mate; "skipper and his men are on shore, and
the first mate taken with the fever."
"All the better," replied another; "one less to handle. And now, my
lads, let's to business, and have every thing settled to-night, so
that we may not be seen together any more till the work is done."
They then commenced a consultation, by which I found it was arranged
that our ship was to be boarded and taken possession of as soon as she
was a few miles out of the bay, for they dared not attack us while we
were at anchor close to the fort; but the second mate and eight men
belonging to us were to pretend to make resistance until beaten down
below, and when the vessel was in their power, the captain, I, and the
other four men who were ashore in the boat, were to be silenced for
ever. After which there came on a discussion as to what was to be done
with the cargo, which was very valuable, and how the money was to be
shared out when the cargo was sold. Then they settled who were to be
officers on board of the ship, which there is no doubt they intended
to make a pirate vessel. I also discovered that, if they succeeded, it
was their intention to kill their own captain and such men of the
slaver who would not join them, and scuttle their own vessel, which
was a very old one.
The consultation ended by a solemn and most villainous oath being
administered to every man as to secrecy and fidelity, after which the
men of the slaver went into their boat, and pulled to their own
vessel. The second mate and our men remained on deck about a quarter
of an hour, and then all descended by the ladder to the fore-peak, and
turned into their hammocks.
As soon as I thought I could do so with safety, I came out of my
lurking-place, and retreated to the state-room. It was fortunate that
I did, for a minute afterwards I heard a man on deck, and the second
mate came down the companion-hatch, and inquired whether I wanted any
thing. I told him no; that I was very ill, and only hoped to be able
to go to sleep, and asked him if the captain had returned. He replied
that he had not, and then went away. As soon as I was left to myself,
I began to consider what would be best to be done. I knew the captain
to be a very timorous man, and I was afraid to trust him with the
secret, as I thought he would be certain to let the men know by his
conduct that they were discovered, and their plans known. The four men
who were prisoners with me I knew that I could confide in. This was
the Tuesday night, and we proposed sailing on the Thursday. Now we had
no means of defence on board, except one small gun, which was
honeycombed and nearly useless. It did very well to make a signal
with, but had it been loaded with ball, I believe it would have burst
immediately. It is true that we had muskets and cutlasses, but what
use would they have been against such a force as would be opposed, and
two-thirds of our men mutineers. Of course we must have been
immediately overpowered.
That the slavers intended to take possession of their own vessel
before they took ours, I had no doubt. It is true that we outsailed
them when we had a breeze, but the bay was usually becalmed, and it
was not till a vessel had got well into the offing that she obtained a
breeze, and there was no doubt but that they would take the
opportunity of boarding us when we were moving slowly through the
water, and a boat might easily come up with us. The slaver had stated
his intention of sailing immediately to procure her cargo elsewhere,
and if she got under weigh at the same time that we did, no suspicion
would be created. To apply for protection to the governor would be
useless--he could not protect us after we were clear of the bay.
Indeed, if it were known that we had so done, it would probably only
precipitate the affair, and we should be taken possession of while at
anchor, for the shot from the fort would hardly reach us. It was,
therefore, only by stratagem that we could escape from the clutches of
these miscreants. Again, allowing that we were to get clear of the
slavers, we were still in an awkward position, for, supposing the
captain to be of any use, we should still only be six men against
nine, and we might be overpowered by our own crew, who were determined
and powerful men.
All night I lay on my bed reflecting upon what ought to be done, and
at last I made up my mind.
The next morning I went on deck, complaining very much, but stating
that the fever had left me. The long-boat was sent on shore for more
water, and I took care that the second mate and eight men should be
those selected for the service. As soon as they had shoved off, I
called the other four men on the forecastle, and told them what I had
overheard. They were very much astonished, for they had had no idea
that there was any thing of the kind going forward. I imparted to them
all my plans, and they agreed to support me in every thing--indeed,
they were all brave men, and would have, if I had acceded to it,
attempted to master and overpower the second mate and the others, and
make sail in the night; but this I would not permit, as there was a
great risk. They perfectly agreed with me that it was no use
acquainting the captain, and that all we had to do was to get rid of
these men, and carry the vessel home how we could. How that was to be
done was the point at issue. One thing was certain, that it was
necessary to leave the bay that night, or it would be too late.
Fortunately, there was always a light breeze during the night, and the
nights were dark, for there was no moon till three o'clock in the
morning, by which time we could have gained the offing, and then we
might laugh at the slaver, as we were lighter in our heels. The boat
came off with the water about noon, and the men went to dinner. The
captain had agreed to dine with the governor, and I had been asked to
accompany him. It was to be our farewell dinner, as we were to sail
the next morning. I had been cogitating a long while to find out how
to get rid of these fellows, when at last I determined that I would go
on shore with the captain, and propose a plan to the governor. His
knowledge of what was about to be attempted could do no harm, and I
thought he would help us; so I went into the boat, and when we landed
I told the men what I intended to do. As soon as I arrived at the
governor's, I took an opportunity, while the captain was reading a
book, to request a few moments' conversation, and I then informed the
governor of the conspiracy which was afloat, and when I had so done, I
pointed out to him the propriety of saying nothing to the captain
until all was safe, and proposed my plan to him, which he immediately
acceded to. When he returned to where the captain was still reading,
he told him that he had a quantity of gold-dust and other valuables,
which he wished to send to England by his ship; but that he did not
wish to do it openly, as it was supposed that he did not traffic, and
that if the captain would send his long-boat on shore after dark, he
would send all the articles on board, with instructions to whom they
were to be consigned on our arrival. The captain of course consented.
We bade the governor farewell about half an hour before dark, and
returned on board. After I had been a few minutes on deck, I sent for
the second mate, and told him as a secret what the governor had
proposed to do, and that he would be required to land after dark for
the goods, telling him that there was a very large quantity of
gold-dust, and that he must be very careful. I knew that this
intelligence would please him, as it would add to their plunder when
they seized the vessel; and I told him that as we sailed at daylight,
he must lose no time, but be on board again as soon as he could, that
we might hoist in the long-boat. About eight o'clock in the evening,
the boat, with him and the eight men, went on shore. The governor had
promised to detain them, and ply them with liquor, till we had time to
get safe off. As soon as they were out of sight and hearing, we
prepared every thing for getting under weigh. The captain had gone to
his cabin, but was not in bed. I went down to him, and told him I
should remain up till the boat returned, and see that all was right;
and that in the mean time I would get every thing ready for weighing
the next morning, and that he might just as well go to bed now, and I
would call him to relieve me at daylight. To this arrangement he
consented; and in half an hour I perceived that his candle was out,
and that he had retired. Being now so dark that we could not perceive
the slaver, which lay about three cables' length from us, it was
fairly to be argued that she could not see us; I therefore went
forward and slipped the cable without noise, and sent men up aloft to
loose the sails. There was a light breeze, sufficient to carry us
about two knots through the water, and we knew that it would rather
increase than diminish. In half an hour, weak-handed as we were, we
were under sail, every thing being done without a word being spoken,
and with the utmost precaution. You may imagine how rejoiced we all
were when we found that we had manoeuvred so well; notwithstanding, we
kept a sharp look-out, to see if the slaver had perceived our motions,
and had followed us; and the fear of such being the case kept us under
alarm till near daylight, when the breeze blew strong, and we felt
that we had nothing more to dread. As the day broke, we found that we
were four or five leagues from the anchorage, and could not see the
lower masts of the slaver, which still remained where we had left her.
Satisfied that we were secure, I then went down to the captain, and,
as he lay in bed, made him acquainted with all that had passed. He
appeared as if awakened from a dream, rose without making any reply,
and hastened on deck. When he found out that we were under weigh, and
so far from the land, he exclaimed:
"It must all be true; but how shall we be able to take the ship home
with so few hands?"
I replied, that I had no fears on that score, and that I would answer
for bringing the vessel safe to Liverpool.
"But," he said at last, "how is it that I was not informed of all
this? I might have made some arrangements with the men."
"Yes, Sir," I replied, "but if you had attempted to do so, the vessel
would have been taken immediately."
"But why was I not acquainted with it, I want to know?" he said again.
I had by this time made up my mind to the answer I should give him; so
I said: "Because it would have placed a serious responsibility on your
shoulders if, as captain of this vessel, you had sailed to England
with such a valuable cargo and so few hands. The governor and I,
therefore, thought it better that you should not be placed in such an
awkward position, and therefore we considered it right not to say a
word to you about it. Now, if any thing goes wrong, it will be my
fault, and not yours, and the owner cannot blame you." When I had said
this, the captain was silent for a minute or two, and then said:
"Well, I believe it is all for the best, and I thank you and the
governor too."
Having got over this little difficulty, I did not care. We made all
sail, and steered homewards, and, after a rapid passage, during which
we were on deck day and night, we arrived, very much fatigued, at
Liverpool. Of course the captain communicated what had occurred to the
owner, who immediately sent for me, and having heard my version of the
story, expressed his acknowledgment for the preservation of the
vessel; and to prove his sincerity, he presented me with fifty guineas
for myself, and ten for each of the men. The cargo was soon landed,
and I was again at liberty. I found Captain Levee in port; he had just
returned from another cruise, and had taken a rich prize. He met me
with the same cordiality as before; and having asked me for a recital
of what had occurred at Senegal, of which he had heard something from
the owner, as soon as I had finished, he said:
"You are a lad after my own heart, and I wish we were sailing
together. I want a first-lieutenant like you, and if you will go with
me, say the word, and it will be hard but I will have you."
I replied that I was not very anxious to be in a privateer again; and
this brought on a discourse upon what occurred when I was in the
Revenge with Captain Weatherall.
"Well," he said at last, "all this makes me more anxious to have you.
I like fair fighting, and hate buccaneering like yourself; however, we
will talk of it another time. I am about to start for London. What do
you say, will you join me, and we will have some sport? With plenty of
money, you may do any thing in London."
"Yes," I replied, "but I have not plenty of money."
"That shall make no difference; money is of no use but to spend it,
that I know of," replied Captain Levee. "I have plenty for both of us,
and my purse is at your service; help yourself as you please, without
counting, for I shall be your enemy if you offer to return it. That's
settled; the horses are all ready, and we will start on Wednesday. How
will you dress? I think it might be better to alter your costume, now
you are going to London. You'll make a pretty fellow, dress how you
will."
"Before I give you an answer to all your kind proposals, I must speak
to the owner, Captain Levee."
"Of course, you must; shall we go there now?"
"Willingly," I replied. And we accordingly set off.
Captain Levee introduced the subject as soon as we arrived at the
counting-house, stating that he wanted me to be first-lieutenant of
the privateer, and that I was going to London with him, if he had no
objection.
"As for going to London with you for five or six weeks, Captain Levee,
there can be no objection to that," replied the owner; "but as for
being your first-lieutenant, that is another question. I have a vessel
now fitting out, and intended to offer the command of it to Mr.
Elrington. I do so now at once, and he must decide whether he prefers
being under your orders to commanding a vessel of his own."
"I will decide that for him," replied Captain Levee. "He must command
his own vessel; it would be no friendship on my part to stand in the
way of his advancement. I only hope, if she is a privateer, that we
may cruise together."
"I cannot reply to that latter question," replied the owner. "Her
destination is uncertain; but the command of her is now offered to Mr.
Elrington, if he will accept of it, before his trip to the
metropolis."
I replied that I should with pleasure, and returned the owner many
thanks for his kindness; and, after a few minutes' more conversation,
we look our leave.
"Now I should advise you," said Captain Levee, as we walked towards
his lodgings, "to dress as a captain of a vessel of war, much in the
style that I do. You are a captain, and have a right so to do. Come
with me, and let me fit you out."
I agreed with Captain Levee that I could not do better; so we went and
ordered my suits of clothes, and purchased the other articles which I
required. Captain Levee would have paid for them, but I had money
sufficient, and would not permit him; indeed with my pay and present
of fifty guineas I had upwards of seventy guineas in my purse, and did
not disburse more than fifty in my accoutrements, although my pistols
and hanger were very handsome.
We did not start until three days after the time proposed, when I
found at daylight two stout well-bred horses at the door; one for
Captain Levee, and the other for me. We were attended by two
serving-men belonging to the crew of the privateer commanded by
Captain Levee--powerful, fierce-looking, and determined men, armed to
the teeth, and mounted upon strong jades. One carried the valise of
Captain Levee, which was heavy with gold. The other had charge of
mine, which was much lighter, as you may suppose. We travelled for
three days without any interruption, making about thirty miles a-day,
and stopping at the hostelries to sleep every night. On the fourth day
we had a slight affair, for as we were mounting a hill towards the
evening, we found our passage barred by five fellows with crape masks,
who told us to stand and deliver.
"We will," replied Captain Levee, firing his pistol, and reining up
his horse at the same time. The ball struck the man, who fell back on
the crupper, while the others rushed forward. My pistols were all
ready, and I fired at the one who spurred his horse upon me, but the
horse rearing up saved his master, the ball passing through the head
of the animal, who fell dead, holding his rider a prisoner by the
thigh, which was underneath his body. Our two men had come forward and
ranged alongside of us at the first attack, but now that two had
fallen, the others finding themselves in a minority, after exchanging
shots, turned their horses' heads and galloped away. We would have
pursued them, but Captain Levee said it was better not, as there might
be more of the gang near, and by pursuing them we might separate and
be cut off in detail.
"What shall we do with these fellows?" asked our men of Captain Levee.
"Leave them to get off how they can," replied Captain Levee. "I will
not be stopped on my journey by such a matter as this. I dare say they
don't deserve hanging more than half the people we meet. Let us push
on and get into quarters for the night. After all, Mr. Elrington,"
said Captain Levee to me, as we were setting off, "it's only a little
land privateering, and we must not be too hard upon them."
I confess, Madam, when I recalled all that I had witnessed on board of
the Revenge, that I agreed with Captain Levee, that these highwaymen
were not worse than ourselves.
No other adventure occurred during our journey, and when we arrived in
London we directed our horses' steps to a fashionable tavern in St.
Paul's, and took possession of apartments, and as Captain Levee was
well known, we were cordially greeted and well attended. The tavern
was in great repute, and resorted to by all the wits and gay men of
the day, and I soon found myself on intimate terms with a numerous set
of dashing blades, full of life and jollity, and spending their money
like princes; but it was a life of sad intemperance, and my head
ached every morning from the excess of the night before, and in our
excursions in the evenings we were continually in broils and
disturbances, and many a broken head, nay, sometimes a severe wound,
was given and received. After the first fortnight, I felt weary of
this continual dissipation, and as I was dressing a sword-cut which
Captain Levee had received in an affray, I one morning told him so.
"I agree with you," he replied, "that it is all very foolish and
discreditable, but if we live with the gay and pretty fellows, we must
do as they do. Besides, how could I get rid of my money, which burns
in my pocket, if I did not spend as much in one day as would suffice
for three weeks?"
"Still I would rather dress a wound gained in an honourable contest
with the enemy than one received in a night brawl, and I would rather
see you commanding your men in action than reeling with other
drunkards in search of a quarrel in the streets."
"I feel that it is beneath me, and I'm sure that it's beneath you. You
are a Mentor without a beard," replied Captain Levee. "But still it
requires no beard to discover that I have made an ass of myself. Now,
what do you say, shall we take lodgings and live more reputably, for
while in this tavern we never shall be able to do so?"
"I should prefer it, to tell you the honest truth," I replied, "for I
have no pleasure in our present life."
"Be it so, then," he replied. "I will tell them that I take lodgings,
that I may be near to a fair lady. That will be a good and sufficient
excuse."
The next day we secured lodgings to our satisfaction, and removed into
them, leaving our horses and men at the tavern. We boarded with the
family, and as there were others who did the same, we had a very
pleasant society, especially as there were many of the other sex among
the boarders. The first day that we sat down to dinner, I found myself
by the side of a young man of pleasing manners, although with much of
the coxcomb in his apparel. His dress was very gay and very expensive,
and he wore a diamond-hilted sword and diamond buckles--at least so
they appeared to me, as I was not sufficient connoisseur to
distinguish the brilliant from the paste. He was very affable and
talkative, and before dinner was over gave me the history of many of
the people present.
"Who is the dame in the blue stomacher?" I inquired.
"You mean the prettiest of the two, I suppose," he replied, "that one
with the patches under the eye? She is a widow, having just buried an
old man of sixty, to whom she was sacrificed by her mother. But
although the old fellow was as rich as a Jew, he found such fault with
the lady's conduct that he left all his money away from her. This is
not generally known, and she takes care to conceal it, for she is
anxious to make another match, and she will succeed if her funds,
which are not _very_ great, enable her to carry on the game a little
longer. I was nearly taken in myself, but an intimacy with her cousin,
who hates her, gave me a knowledge of the truth. She still keeps her
carriage, and appears to be rolling in wealth, but she has sold her
diamonds and wears paste. And that plain young person on the other
side of her has money, and knows the value of it. She requires
rent-roll for rent-roll, and instead of referring you to her father
and mother, the little minx refers you to her lawyer and man of
business. Ugly as she is, I would have sacrificed myself, but she
treated me in that way, and upon my soul I was not very sorry for it,
for she is dear at any price, and I have since rejoiced at my want of
success."
"Who is that elderly gentleman with such snow-white hair?" I inquired.
"That," replied my companion, "nobody exactly knows, but I have my
idea. I think," said he, lowering his voice to a whisper, "that he is
a Catholic priest, or a Jesuit, perhaps, and a partisan of the house
of Stuart. I have my reasons for supposing so, and this I am sure of,
which is, that he is closely watched by the emissaries of government."
You may remember, Madam, how at that time the country was disturbed by
the landing of the Pretender in the summer of the year before, and the
great successes which he had met with, and that the Duke of Cumberland
had returned from the army in the Low Countries, and had marched to
Scotland.
"Has there been any intelligence from Scotland relative to the
movements of the armies?" I inquired.
"We have heard that the Pretender had abandoned the siege of Fort
William, but nothing more; and how far the report is true, it is hard
to say. You military men must naturally have a war one way or the
other," said my companion, in a careless manner.
"As to the fighting part of the question," I replied, "I should feel
it a matter of great indifference which side I fought for, as the
claim of both parties is a matter of mere opinion."
"Indeed," he said; "and what may be your opinion?"
"I have none. I think the claims of both parties equal. The house of
Stuart lost the throne of England on account of its religion--that of
Hanover has been called to the throne for the same cause. The
adherents of both are numerous at the present moment; and it does not
follow because the house of Hanover has the strongest party, that the
house of Stuart should not uphold its cause while there is a chance of
success."
"That is true; but if you were to be obliged to take one side or the
other, which would it be by preference?"
"Certainly I would support the Protestant religion in preference to
the Catholic. I am a Protestant, and that is reason enough."
"I agree with you," replied my companion. "Is your brave friend of the
same opinion?"
"I really never put the question to him, but I think I may safely
answer that he is."
It was fortunate, Madam, that I replied as I did, for I afterwards
discovered that this precious gossiping young man, with his rings and
ribbons, was no other than a government spy, on the look-out for
malcontents. Certainly his disguise was good, for I never should have
imagined it from his foppish exterior and mincing manners.
We passed our time much more to my satisfaction now than we did
before, escorting the ladies to the theatre and to Ranelagh, and the
freedom with which Captain Levee (and I may say I also) spent his
money, soon gave us a passport to good society. About a fortnight
afterwards, the news arrived of the battle of Culloden, and great
rejoicings were made. My foppish friend remarked to me:--
"Yes, now that the hopes of the Pretender are blasted, and the
Hanoverian succession secured, there are plenty who pretend to
rejoice, and be excessively loyal, who, if the truth were known, ought
to be quartered as traitors."
And I must observe, that the day before the news of the battle, the
old gentleman with snow-white hair was arrested and sent to the Tower,
and he afterwards suffered for high treason.
But letters from the owner, saying that the presence of both of us was
immediately required, broke off this pleasant London party. Indeed,
the bag of gold was running very low, and this, combined with the
owner's letter, occasioned our breaking up three days afterwards. We
took leave of the company at the lodgings, and there was a tender
parting with one or two buxom young women; after which we again
mounted our steeds and set off for Liverpool, where we arrived without
any adventure worthy of narration.