ing this, they never endeavoured to give a falfe Glofs to their Affairs, or run the Rifque of other 'Men's Property in Attempts to recover their own: In truth, your dear Father, and this worthy Man, finding their Affairs fo declined, fummoned their Creditors together, and paid the whole they owed in the World; which having confumed every thing ⚫ that we poffefs'd, this brought a lingering Illness on your Father; which perceiving, the best of Men, beholding me with Tears of Affection, wringing this. 'wither'd Hand, and looking in this Face with Ten'derness ineffable, My Nanny, I am happier than you, 'he cried; this Heart, which has ever been warm'd with Love of you alone, is now breaking; I am 'foon to be removed from Pain, indeed I am already from all but what I feel on your Account. At this 'Time I tried all my fond Imagination could fuggeft, to give him Spirits; I told him Heaven had Happinefs in ftore for him and me,' for you,' fays he, I hope, thou dear Partner of my Soul; but I am going to taste it unalloyed with earthly Pleafure; this Day, as every other, Mr. Probit vifited him with true Friendship, when your dear Parent expreffing himself with great Fear and Anxiety, on what would be the Lot of me after his Death, that good Man promifed him to be my conftant Friend; this being heard from his Lips which never uttered a Falfehood, that beft of Men your Parent reclined his Head upon the Pillow, and flept away in all that Calmnefs, which a righteous Life can only impart to the dying Hour, and left me behind to Bitterness and • Woe.'

THERE remained to this Gentleman after all the Debts were paid, a small Sum of Money in which I had no Share; with this he purchafed a finall Annuity, and from that Income he has diftributed all that has fuftained me, fince your dear Parent's • Death.'

This Account filled the whole Soul of Mifs Lydia with Affliction, the Tears ftreamed from her Eyes;: the asked, why she had not communicated her Diftrefs by Letter to her ? Ah Child!' replied the Mo

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ther, I would have preferved my Afflictions ever ⚫ from your Knowledge.'

MADAM,' fays the lovely Creature, what my dear dying Parent told you was true; there are yet happier Days in ftore for you, I have brought the Means with me;' this fhe pronounced with that emphatic Earneftness, with which thofe utter any Thought, who are convinced from internal Senfation that it will prove true. We shall now leave this lovely Creature for fome Time, and turn our Eyes towards the Lieutenant Mac Valor and Parfon Pugh, who had accused the Captain of Cowardice, and who was to be tried by a Court-martial.

CHA P. XXXIX.

The Honourable Captain Charles Bounce tried for Cowardice, and honourably acquited. Mac Valor dif charged, with the Reasons in a Dialogue between a r and two other Men.

M

T

HE Time being appointed for the Court-martial, Lord Braggard attended the Levee of * * * * and told him that his Son Charles, one of the braveft • Commanders in his Majesty's Service, was to be tried by a Court-martial for Cowardice, being accufed of it by an Irish Rafcal of a Lieutenant, and an ignorant Welch Parfon. You know, my Lord,” added he, that both I and those Members who are chofen on my Intereft, have never given a Vote against you, therefore my Boy must not be found guilty.'

FOUND guilty! my Lord; no, my Lord, my Friends fha'nt be found guilty, give yourself no ⚫ trouble, I must go to the ***, must go to the ** ** * *, when p-fling before the Company, he hurried to his Coach.

THE Members of this Court-martial were composed all of chofen Men, fuch as expected momentary Favours, and were in a flavish Dependance on the M

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to whom it had been whispered that Captain Bounce was a great Favourite.

HOWEVER, Mifs Lydia hearing that the Captain was to be tried, though the would not wait on MacValor, yet knowing his honest and blunt Difpofition, was afraid the Lieutenant would mention fomething relating to the Captain's Transactions with her; fhe therefore wrote him the following Letter, directed for Lieutenant Mac Valor at the Admiralty Coffeehouse.

SIR,

A

S. I fee in the public Papers that Captain Bounce is to be tried for Cowardice, I have taken the Liberty to fend you this Letter and request you that bis Behaviour to me may not be mentioned at that Time. This does not arife from any favourable Opinion I entertain of him, or Inclination to fcreen him from Juftice, but from Self-love only; tho' I know my own Innocence, and am confident you would rifque your Life to defend my Character, yet fuch is the Temper of the World, a Story that Nature spread abroad, lefjens every Woman's Reputation; it always leaves fome depreciating Mark behind, in the Minds of too many of our own Sex; I ball become the feft of infamous Women; which sho' I dread nothing but their Praife. I would chufe rather to avoid, than be known, for an Adventure which I wish to have concealed. I know you' will oblige me.

I am your most humble Servant

LYDIA FAIRCHILD.

THIS Letter prevented Lieutenant Mac Valor from faying any thing relating to Mifs Lydia.

THE Court-martial being fet, the Accufation was fupported in proving the Captain's Behaviour, with every Circumstance as it has been already related, by all that were called upon as Evidence; this however was of no Confequence, the Honourable Captain Charles Bounce was honourably acquitted, with Thanks

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for having taken fuch fpecial Care of his Majefty's Ship, and Subjects; the Lieutenant was broke, and the Parfon had Orders to fell his Chaplainfhip.

Mac Valor was now looked upon with an invidious Eye by every one, as a wrong-headed Fellow that knew nothing of the Duty of a Seanian, rash and hot, and that he was juftly difmiffed the Service; it was univerfally agreed, that if a Commander was to be called in queftion by his Officers, and his Courage open to their Cenfure, no Man would be safe in his Majesty's Fleet; this Opinion, however, not one of them chofe to affert before Mac Valor's Face.

THE Lieutenant being thus caufelefsly difgraced, began to feel for his Family, that which he never could for himfelf; he therefore fwore he would be ⚫ reinftated, or kill Captain Bounce whenever he met him; the honourable Commander hearing this Refolution, obtained a Ship, and failed on another Cruize as foon as poffible, dreading the Danger of the Seas much less than Mac Valor's Sword.

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THERE was amongst the Lieutenant's Countrymen, a Gentleman who knew Mac Valor's Character, and thought this Treatment of him too fevere; he therefore waited * * * * and told him the Story. Lord,' fays he, it feems extremely hard, that Men of Courage and Conduct muft fuffer in the Manner in which Mr. Mac Valor has fuffered ; if you had 6. thought fit to have acquitted Captain Bounce, what Neceflity was there to have ruined Mac Valor 3 Is this the way to have his Majesty and the Nation ⚫ well ferved, to honour and reward Cowardice, and • ftigmatize true Courage.*

SIR, Sir, my Lord Braggard would have it fo; he has three Boroughs in his Command, can't refuse a Lord with three Boroughs,' answered **

My Lord,' fays Mr. * * * thee Boroughs will be the Ruin of the Nation, if their Interest is fuch, that Men must be undone and difgraced who fupport "the Honour of their native Land, and thofe honoured ⚫ and rewarded who bring eternal Infamy and Ruin on • it..

CAN'T

CAN'T help it, can't help it, Earl Braggard will have it fo, can't refufe a Lord with three Boroughs, muft go to the * * * *, muft go to the ***, Morning to you, Sir,' and away he hurries.

THUS Mac Valor was reduced to Ruin, and the Honourable Captain Charles Bounce thanked and rewarded: Mac Valor therefore, with the little Money which remained to him, withdrew into Ireland, where Hofpitality yet making one Part of a Gentleman's Character, Men of Courage and Virtue cannot easily be reduced to great Neceffity; fwearing, that if 6 ever Bounce returned, the Sword fhould end their • Lives; and that he would make his Body shine through the Sun."'

PARSON Pugh retired into Wales to his Family, felling his Chaplainship, and became a Curate.

Macpherson whofe Evidence had been favourable for the Captain on his Trial, went out Surgeon with him, ftill in great Hopes of accomplishing his Obfervavations, and writing a Treatife on the Nature of Gunfhot Wounds.

HAVING thus found Employment for fome, and discharged others, we here difcharge ourfelves to return to Mifs Lydia, and begin a new Chapter, referving Cannafatego and his Remarks on this Nation, till we have advanced a great way on in this History.

CHA P. XL.

Lydia's Misfortunes commence from the Source of quaking Probity; her filial Piety and Refolution to fupport her Parent manifefted in Converfation with Mr.

Probit.

M

ISS Lydia Fairchild, it seems, when she determined to leave New York, had put four Hundred Pounds of her Money into the Hands of Jabez Sly, a Quaker of great external Purity; this Man had given her Bills on Friend Abraham Sly, his Coufin, in London.

HAVING