Alderman Forest, in James-street, furnished us with beer, and my husband went one day thither to pay him 501.; but, to my great surprise, and contrary to custom, he did not return all that day: this gave me some uneasiness, which increased when it was grown entirely dark; but when the night advanced, and I heard no news of him, I concluded he must of necessity be murdered, for the sake of the money he had carried out, and grew quite outrageous. I despatched people every way to find him, but all their endeavours were to no manner of purpose; they heard, indeed, that he had been at the alderman's, and he owned the receipt of the money, but could give no account of him; other than that a gentleman was in his company when he paid the 50%., and that they went away together. I now concluded, (though, as it proved, very unjustly,) that the person mentioned to have been with him, had, upon some private pique, murdered him, and conveyed away his body. My grief for his loss, for all search proved vain, was equal to the tender affection I bore him, and made me unfit to look after my house; the care of which I trusted to a nominal friend, who I found took care of her own interest to the prejudice of mine; for, instead of gaining while she had the management of my affairs, I ran out money. Time having somewhat mollified my grief, and a twelvemonth having elapsed since my husband had disappeared, I bought mourning for myself and children, and took upon me the care of the business. After having given my dear Richard over for dead, I was surprised by the receipt of a letter from him, which was as follows: DEAR CRISTIAN, This is the twelfth letter I have sent you without any answer to my former, which would both surprise and very much grieve me, did I not flatter myself that ters. your silence proceeds from the miscarriage of my letIt is from this opinion that I repeat the account of my sudden and unpremeditated departure, and the reason of my having enlisted for a soldier. It was my misfortune, when I went out to pay the alderman the 50%., to meet ensign C―m, who having formerly been my schoolfellow, would accompany me to the alderman's house, from whence we went, at his request, and took a hearty bottle at the tavern, where he paid the reckoning; having got a little too much wine in my head, I was easily persuaded to go on board a vessel that carried recruits, and take a bowl of punch, which I did in the captain's cabin, where being pretty much intoxicated, I was not sensible of what was doing upon deck. In the interim, the wind sprang up fair, the captain set sail with what recruits were on board, and we had so quick a passage, that we reached Helvoet Sluys before I had recovered from the effects of liquor. It is impossible for me to paint the despair I was in, finding myself thus divided from my dear wife and children, landed on a strange shore, without money or friends to support me. I raved, tore my hair, and curst my drunken folly, which had brought upon me · this terrible misfortune, which I thought in vain to remedy by getting a ship to carry me back, but there was none to be found. The ensign, who possibly did not intend me this injury, did all he could to comfort me, and advised me to make a virtue of necessity, and take on in some regiment. My being destitute and unknown, compelled me to follow his advice, though with the greatest reluctance, and I now am, though much against my inclination, a private sentinel in lord O-y's regiment of foot, where I fear I must pass the remainder of a wretched life, under the deepest affliction for my being deprived of the comfort I enjoyed while blessed with you and my dear babies: if Providence, in his mercy, does not relieve me; the hopes of which, and of once embracing those alone who engross my tenderest affection, you, my dearest Christian, and my poor children, make me endeavour to support my misfortune, and preserve a life, which, without you, would be too miserable to be worth the care of your my Unfortunate, but ever loving husband, my This letter renewed my grief, and gave new fountains to my eyes. I had bewailed him dead, and now I lamented him living, looking upon his unfortunate situation worse than death, as he was deprived of all means of returning to me; for I despaired of his officers parting with him. When I had read the letter, I was at first stupified; I stood without motion, and trouble being too great to allow of tears, I gave a sudden shriek and fell down, without the least signs of life remaining in me. When, by the care and charity of friends and neighbours who came to my assistance, I was brought to my senses and speech, I burst into a flood of tears; but when I was asked the occasion of this sudden grief, I, for some time, answered nothing, but, My dear Richard, O must I never see thee more! O my dear, dear husband! once the comfort of my life, now the source of my misfortunes, I can never support the loss. In a word, I was in such agonies, and fainted so often, that they who were about me almost despaired of my life, or if I survived this new affliction, of which I was not capable to give them an account, that it would be the loss of my senses. Some of my friends would watch with me that night, and had it not been for their care, I had certainly put an end to that life which I thought insupportable. In the getting me to bed, my letter dropped, and their curiosity having taught them the cause of my distracting trouble, they endeavoured to comfort me with the hopes of recovering my husband; but to no purpose, I was inconsolable, and closed not my eyes all that night; in the morning I thought of going in search of my dear Richard, and this gave some ease to my tortured mind. I began to flatter myself that I should meet no great difficulty in finding him out, and resolved in one of his suits, for we were both of a size, to conceal my sex, and go directly for Flanders, in search of him whom I preferred to everything else the world could afford me, which, indeed, had nothing alluring, in comparison with my dear Richard, and whom the hopes of seeing had lessened every danger to which I was going to expose myself. The pleasure I found in the thoughts of once more regaining him, recalled my strength, and I was grown much gayer than I had been at any time in my supposed widowhood. I was not long deliberating, after this thought had possessed me, but immediately set about preparing what was necessary for my ramble; and disposing of my children, my eldest with my mother, and that which was born after my husband's departure, with a nurse, (my second son was dead,) I told my friends, that I would go to England in search of my husband, and return with all possible expedition after I had found him. My goods I left in the hands of such friends as had spare houseroom, and my house I let to a cooper. Having thus ordered my affairs, I cut off my hair, and dressed me in a suit of my husband's, having had the precaution to quilt the waistcoat, to preserve my breasts from hurt, which were not large enough to betray my sex, and putting on the wig and hat. I had prepared, I went out and bought me a silver-hilted sword, and some Holland shirts but was at a loss how I should carry my money with me, as it was contrary to law to export above 57. out of the kingdom; I thought at last of quilting it in the waistband of my breeches, and by this method I carried with me fifty guineas without suspicion. : I had now nothing upon my hands to prevent my setting out; wherefore, that I might get as soon as possible to Holland, I went to the sign of the Golden Last, C. D. S where ensign Herbert Laurence, who was beating up for recruits, kept his rendezvous. He was in the house at the time I got there, and I offered him my service to go against the French, being desirous to show my zeal for his majesty king William, and my country. The hopes of soon meeting with my husband, added a sprightliness to my looks, which made the officer say, I was a clever brisk young fellow; and having recommended my zeal, he gave me a guinea enlisting money, and a crown to drink the king's health, and ordered me to be enrolled, having told him my name was Christopher Welsh, in captain Tichbourn's company of foot, in the regiment commanded by the marquis de Pisare. The lieutenant of our company was Mr. Gardiner, our ensign Mr. Welsh. We stayed but a short time in Dublin after this, but, with the rest of the recruits, were shipped for Holland, weighed anchor, and soon arrived at Williamstadt, where we landed and marched to Gorcum. Here our regimentals and first mountings were given us. The next day we set out for Gertrudenburg, and proceeded forward to Landen, where we were incorporated in our respective regiments, and then joined the grand army, which was in expectation of a general battle, the enemy being very near within cannon-shot. Having been accustomed to soldiers, when a girl, and delighted with seeing them exercise, I very soon was perfect, and applauded by my officers for my dexterity in going through it. In a day or two after we arrived at Landen, I was ordered on the night guard, and, by direction of my officer, was posted at the bed-chamber door of the elector of Hanover. Mustapha, a Turk, and valet-dechambre to his most serene highness, while I was here upon duty, introduced to the elector, a fine, handsome, jolly lady, who was what we call a black beauty; she was dressed in a rich silk, and her gown was tied with ribbons from her breast to her feet. I thought the |