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THE LIFE

AND

ENTERTAINING ADVENTURES

OF

MRS. CHRISTIAN DAVIES,

COMMONLY CALLED MOTHER ROSS.

I was born in Dublin, in the year 1667, of parents whose probity acquired them that respect from their acquaintance, which they had no claim to from their birth. My father was both a malster and brewer; in which business he employed at least twenty servants, beside those under the direction of my mother, in a farm he hired of Arthur White, of Leslip, esq.; left entirely to her care. My father was remarkable for industry and vigilance in his affairs, which employing his whole time in town, he never saw my mother but on Sundays, except some extraordinary business required his visiting the farm, which, though of fourscore pounds a year, she managed with great prudence and economy. They were both very tender of me, and spared no cost in my education, though I did not make the best use of their care in this article I had pa

tience, indeed, to learn to read, and become a good needle-woman, but I had too much mercury in me to like a sedentary life, the reason that I was always at the farm to assist my mother; this I did as much

through inclination as duty, being delighted with a country life, it indulging to my love of ramping, and the pleasure I took in manly employments; for I was never better pleased than when I was following the plough, or had a rake, flail, or pitchfork in my hand, which implements I could handle with as much strength and dexterity, if not with more, than any of my mother's servants. I used to get astride upon the horses, and ride them bare-backed about the fields, leaped hedges and ditches, by which I once got a terrible fall, and spoiled a grey mare given to my brother by our grandfather. My father never knew how this mischief happened, which brought me under contribution to a cowherd, who saw me tumble the mare into a dry ditch, and whose secrecy I was obliged to purchase, by giving him, for a considerable time, a cup of ale every night. I shall pass by the wild girlish tricks I and my companions were constantly playing, as they can administer nothing entertaining, and mention one only, to show an odd curiosity in a nobleman. I and four of my companions, were rolling ourselves down a hill, and turning heels over head, when the earl of Cd was passing in his coach, drawn by six beautiful grey horses, by the road, divided from the scene of our diversion by a quickset hedge and a ditch. He stopped his coach to be a spectator of our gambols; but finding that we put an end to our pastime on our perceiving him, (for the youngest of us was seventeen, and consequently had sense enough to think the showing our naked tails not over-decent,) he called to us, and promising to give us a crown apiece, if we would begin and pursue our diversion; our modesty gave way to our avarice, we indulged his lordship's optics, and he, having been amply satisfied by the unreservedness of our performance, kept his word.

I said that I was as active and strong in all the labours of husbandry, as any of our servants; I will therefore give one instance of this. About the begin

ning of August, 1685, I was employed to stack wheat, and was on the top of one near fifty-four foot high, when I perceived in the road near our farm, the judges and other magistrates in their robes, preceded by kettle-drums, trumpets, and heralds, in their rich coats, coming up the hill, in order to proclaim king James. Animated by the martial music, and desirous to have a nearer view of this glorious sight, which, with the glare of the gold and silver coats, the heralds, trumpets, and kettle-drums wore, had, in a manner, dazzled my sight, I leaped down, ran to, and cleared with a leap a five-barred gate, which was between me and the road they passed, calling to my mother to come and see the show, as I imagined every man there at least a prince. My mother hearing the procession was to proclaim king James, went back, and wept bitterly for some time, but would never tell me the reason for her tears.

Nothing remarkable occurs to my memory from the time of this monarch's being proclaimed, to that in which he was forced to throw himself into the arms of his Irish subjects, having been driven from the throne of England by king William. The Irish very readily espoused his cause, and among others (from a consciousness of its being a duty incumbent on him to support his lawful sovereign, notwithstanding his being of a different religion, which he thought not reason sufficient to affect his loyalty) my father sold all his standing corn, and other things of value, to Mr. Ascham, a neighbouring farmer, and was thus enabled, with what ready money he had by him before, to raise a troop of horse, and provide them with accoutrements, and everything necessary to take the field; and having furnished himself with a fine horse, and whatever else was requisite, he set out at the head of this troop, which was called by his name, Cavenaugh's, to join the rest of the army. I remember I was very fond of riding this horse, for a reason which would have prevented any

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other of my sex venturing upon him; I mean his mettle; for he was so fiery, that not one of the troop durst mount him. You will, perhaps, wonder how I could; but I had so often fed him with bread and oats, that he would stand for me to take him up, when at grass, though he would have given twenty men work enough to catch him. When I had once hold of him, I would put on his bridle and lead him into a ditch and bestride him barebacked. I have often mounted him when saddled, and took great pleasure to draw and snap the pistols, and have not seldom made my friends apprehend for my life. I mention this, not as worth notice, but only to show my inclinations, while a girl, were always masculine.

My father having sold his corn standing, as I have already observed, without my mother's knowledge, occasioned a quarrel, in which some of Mr. Ascham's and our men were wounded. After my father was gone to the army, my mother sent reapers into the field to cut the corn; these met with others, sent by the then proprietor, upon the same errand. Words immediately arose, and they very soon came to blows, making use of their sickles, a desperate weapon. The noise soon reached my mother's ears, who understanding how the matter was, withdrew her troops; but not without some difficulty, and having regaled them in her house with a good breakfast and strong liquors, they were at length appeased and dismissed.

While my father bore arms for king James, the neighbouring papists, in time of divine service, came to, and blocked up the church door of Leslip, with butchers' blocks, and other lumber. My mother was then in the church; I was at home, but hearing the noise, and fearing my mother might receive some hurt, I snatched up a spit, and, thus armed, sallied forth to force my way, and come to her assistance; but being resisted by a serjeant, I thrust my spit through the calf of his leg, removed the things which had blocked

up the door, and called to my mother, bidding her come away, for dinner was ready. In the scuffle, the reverend Mr. Malary, the clerk, with several others, were wounded, and I taken into custody for having hurt the serjeant; but upon being heard, and representing the hardship of being interrupted in our worship, when my father was actually in arms for the service of the prince for whom they pretended great zeal, though in fact, they ought rather to be esteemed his concealed enemies, since, by such actions, they alienated the hearts of his subjects, and gave ground to his enemies to raise a clamour, I was acquitted.

The battle of the Boyne put an end to all my father's hopes for king James; for his army was there defeated, and he, with the rest of the shattered troops, trusted their safety to the swiftness of their horses' heels, rather than to the strength of their own arms. My father, in company with a very handsome young French gentleman, who served as lieutenant in the king's forces, made the best of his way to our house, without staying to bait on the road. My mother, who understood what belonged to good manners, as she had been genteelly educated by her father, Bryan Bembrick, of Wheatly, in the bishopric of Durham, esq.; who had a particular care to bring up his children in a polite manner, received the stranger with great civility, and having ordered them a hot supper, prepared my bed for his reception that night; but he lay no longer than till three of the morning, when my father, alarmed with the noise of some of his friends who fled from the conquerors, imagining they were the victorious forces of king William, in pursuit of the defeated remains of king James's army, roused the French officer, and got out their horses with the utmost expedition. While they were saddling, my father took a short, but sorrowful leave of his wife and children, whom, with tears in his eyes, he blessed and recommended to the Divine protection: then turning to my mother, My dear, said he, do not

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