There being now none left but he and I together; Dearest, said he, be not troubled at what I shall tell you, and it shall be never the worse for you. I have a Wife and Children at Waymouth, although to gain my ends of you I pretended to have none; she is the most jealous woman in the world, and well she may, for she knows there is no woman in the Creation much more deform’d than her self, wherefore this I would have you to do that I may continue your company; you shall change your feminine habit for what is masculine, under which disguise you shall pass as a young man I have met with abroad, which for fancy’s sake I have chosen to be my Companion in my Travels. I thought I should have sunk into the Earth to hear him make this new confident proposition to me after so many vowes and promises to make me his wife, but gathering courage, I started out of his hand and would have gone down stairs, but pulling me back, what said I, are all my expectations come to this? must I be only your wandring whore at last? have I left so many wealthy matches at Potomack for this? no, I am in mine own Country, in a place where I am not known, & I will wash and scour for a lively-hood rather than submit so basely after so many worthy proffers. Notwithstanding a thousand resolutions I had to leave him; yet such was the subtlety of mans sly insinuation, that he made me unsay all that I had said in less than half an hour; and I agreed to everything he would have me do. Leaving me at the Tavern he went immediately, and bought a suite (which he guest would fit me) with Hatt, Shooes, Stockings, and whatever was requisite to cloath a young man fashionably, and brought them to me upon tryal, they exactly fitted me. Now because we would not give any cause of suspition to the people of the house where we were in changing my habit, it was concluded on between us to walk out of the town somewhere, he being well acquainted with all the places about the town, made choice of Catdown, where in the cleft of an hollow rock I unchas’d, throwing my proper habit into the Sea, and although it was somewhat immodest I was forc’d to beg his help in my new metamorphosis; he had procur’d me a very All-a-mode Perriwig, but before that would fit me he must play the Barbar himself, which he did by cutting my hair off close to my head. Being now clad with everything requisite from top to toe, we made towards the town again, where entring the former house we were in, we drank and were very merry, having a noise of musick, having supp’d one bed serv’d us without suspition; in the morning came the boat for us with the doctor in her, who asked my Master very seriously for the Gentlewoman, he replyed she had kindred and friends in this place and that she resolv’d to stay with them awhile; then he enquired what that young man was; O, said he, he is of my former acquaintance, who having little to depend on here, is resolv’d to see the world abroad with me. Coming aboard our Master need not make a repetition of what he had already said, the Doctor did it for him: now did we set sail steering for Waymouth which we did reach in a little time.
I was entertain’d in his house with much civility from his wife, and the servants observing what respect their Master shew’d me, paid me the like. There was seldom a day wherein he had me not to a Tavern, sometimes with company, but most commonly alone, and this life I led for fourteen moneths; at the expiration of which my master being employed by some Merchants in a Voyage to East-India, took me along with him by which means we have the wonderful hap to see one another again.
My Jinny having ended her discourse, I endeavoured to endear myself unto her with all the outward demonstrations I could devise or imagine, protesting for the future I would never violate my faith to her, that she and I would run our fortune, live together, and she dying I would voluntarily do so too, to accompany her to the other world.
Fearing lest I should detain her too long, and give her Master any cause of suspition, I dispatch’d her away, and soon after went aboard our own ship, but before I went I appointed her to meet me there two days after. The Captain, my self, and all that were concern’d, went roundly about our business, for since he had gone beyond the bounds of his commission, he was resolv’d not to return home with her, but convert Ship and goods to his own use; this in secret he acquainted me with, as knowing my ingenious rogueship would be very helpful and assistant to him in all his enterprizes; and that I might oblidge him to me in an absolute bond of friendship, I seem’d to make him my Cabinet-counsel in all my affairs, and did really inform him of the truth of the last Adventure, knowing I could not carry on my design without his privity and help.
He did much wonder to hear me tell him that I had here also discovered another of my wenches in man’s apparrel, but his wonder turn’d into rejoycing when I told him how this wench should enrich our Stock by robbing her or his pretended Master of his Gold and what else he had valuable, and could hardly rest to think how I would effect my design. Fear not, said I, his Gold is all our own, therefore let us lay out our own as fast as we can, in the commodites of this place. The Dutch thought we had the Devil and all of mony, to see our goods come tumbling in upon us so fast, so that with what goods we took in at Bantam, and what we receiv’d here, our ship wanted but little of her full fraught.
The time was come wherein I was to have another Mess of discourse with my Jinny, who was punctual to her time, and there before me at the place appointed. And after some few amorous ceremonies I seriously told her that it was my intent never to part with her during life, she answered that it was her desire, and that she would run any hazard to bear me company; well, said I, make your self ready to go along with us, for we are resolv’d to set sayl within these two dayes; that I shall (she said) and know that I will not come with empty hands; my love shall neither be burthensome to you, nor expensive; how prithee, how said I, why thus, my pretended Master, as I have told you loves me dearly, expressing it in whatever way I desire, and to let me see how great a trust he dares impose upon me, and what confidence he hath of my fidelity, I have the key of his Chest wherein is contain’d 8 hundred Jacobuss’s, besides a box of rough diamonds with other stones of price, all of which, or as much as I can carry off handsomely will I bring to thee, so much efficacy hath my first Lover over me that I could be content to undo all the rest to raise thee. I told her the notion was very suitable to our present affair, and that it was the best and easiest course I could propound for our happy living hereafter, and that when she saw any white thing hanging in our shrowd she should then fall to her work, which should be the token of our being all ready; which she could easily do at any time, for the Captain being almost continually a shore and she with him, it was but waiting for the boat (upon the sign given) which at her command would carry her aboard and bring her with the least word ashore. Moreover that having got the prize, she should presently make down to the Toddy-trees, over against which we lay at Anchor, and upon the signal of a Handkerchief, we would send our boat instantly ashore to receive her. All which according to instruction was exactly perform’d, the Captain whom she requited in this manner for all his love being at that time dead drunk by an invitation of the Factors of Surrat.
Having got my double Treasure aboard, and what lading we desir’d, our Hold shut up, our Anchors weigh’d, and our Canvas spread, away we sail’d over the Bar, with an hundred shot after us, for our Country-men as well as Hollanders, concluded there must be some damn’d inexpressible Treachery in this our suddain sailing, neither giving notice some days before, or fairly taking our leaves by fireing of Guns according to Custom; besides they knew we had not taken in our full Lading. Let them fire their hearts out we valued them not, in derision we fir’d a Gun at stern, and so stood to the Southwards.
I knew very well this female confident of mine would effectually do the business we had plotted together, and so to divert my self and make sport with the Captain of the discovery of my Rival, I wrote some few Lines and nail’d them on a Toddy-tree on the shore directed to the said Captain, which I knew would be discovered by some or other, and carried to him the verses were as follow.
Noble Captain.
’Twas a close plot y’ faith, but ’twould not hide