could hardly fwallow a Morfel. Sophia likewife fhewed more Concern and Sorrow in her Countenance than appeared in the other Lady; who having obferved thefe Symptoms in her Friend, begged her to be comforted, faying, Perhaps all may yet end better than either you or I expect.'

Our Landlord thought he had now an Opportunity to open his Mouth, and was refolved not to omit it. I am forry, Madam,' cries he, that your Ladyfhip can't eat; for to be fure you must be hungry after fo long fafting. I hope your Ladyship is not uneafy at any thing: For, as Madam there fays, all may end better than any body expects. A Gentleman who was here juft now, brought excellent News; and perhaps fome Folks who have given other Folks the Slip, may get to London before they are overtaken and if they do, I make no Doubt, but they will find People who will be very ready to receive them.'

All Perfons under the Apprehenfion of Danger convert whatever they fee and hear into the Objects of that Apprehenfion. Sophia therefore immediately concluded from the foregoing Speech, that she was known and purfued by her Father. She was now ftruck with the utmoft Confternation, and for a few Minutes deprived of the Power of Speech; which the no fooner recovered, than the defired the Landlord to fend his Servants out of the Room, and then addreffing herfelf to him, faid; I perceive, Sir, you know who we are; but I befeech you;- nay, I am convinced, if you have any Compaffion or Goodness, you will not betray us.'

I

I betray your Ladyfhip!' quoth the Landlord; No; (and then he fwore feveral very hearty Oaths) I would fooner be cut into ten ⚫thousand Pieces. I hate all Treachery, I! I • never betrayed any one in my Life yet, and I am fure I fhall not begin with fo fweet a Lady as your Ladyship. All the World would very much blame me if I fhould, fince it will be in your Ladyfhip's Power fo fhortly to reward me. My Wife can witness for me, I knew your Ladyfhip the Moment you came into the Houfe: I faid it was your Honour, before I lifted you from your Horfe, and I fhall carry the Bruises I got in your Ladyfhip's Service to the Grave; but what fignified that, as long as I faved your Ladyfhip? To be fure fome People this Morning would have thought of getting a Reward; but no fuch Thought ever entered into my Head. I would fooner ftarve than take any Reward for betraying your La• dyfhip.'

I promise you, Sir,' fays Sophia, if it be < ever in my Power to reward you, you shall not lofe by your Generofity."

Alack-a-day, Madam!' anfwered the Landlord, in your Ladyfhip's Power! Heaven put it as much into your Will. I am only afraid your Honour will forget fuch a poor Man as · an Innkeeper; but if your Ladyship should not, I hope you will remember what Reward I refufed-refufed! that is, I would have refused, and to be fure it may be called refüfing; for I 'might have had it certainly; and to be fure you might have been in fome Houses ;-but for my Part, would not methinks for the World have your Ladyship wrong me fo much, as to ima

gine I ever thought of betraying you, even before I heard the good News.

What News pray?" fays Sophia, fomething eagerly.

Hath not your Ladyfhip heard it then?' cries the Landlord,nay, like enough: For I heard it only a few Minutes ago; and if I had never heard it, may the Devil fly away with me this Inftant, if I would have betrayed your Honour; no, if I would, may I-Here he fubjoined feveral dreadful Imprecations, which Sophia at last interrupted, and begged to know what he meant by the News. He was going to answer, when Mrs. Honour came running into the Room, all pale and breathlefs, and cried out, Madam, we are all undone, all ruined, they are come, they' are come!' Thefe Words almoft froze up the Blood of Sophia; but Mrs. Fitzpatrick afked Honour, who were come? Who? answered fhe, why the French; feveral hundred thousands of them are landed, and we fhall be all mur'dered and ravifhed."

で

As a Mifer, who hath in fome well-built City a Cottage value Twenty Shillings, when at a Distance he is alarmed with the News of a Fire, turns pale and trembles at his Lofs; but when he finds the beautiful Palaces only are burnt, and his own Cottage remains fafe, he comes inftantly to himself and fmiles at his good Fortunes: Or as (for we diflike fomething in the former Simile) the tender Mother, when terrified with the Apprehenfion that her darling Boy is drowned, is ftruck fenfelefs and almost dead with Confternation; but when fhe is told that little Mafter is fafe, and the Victory only with Twelve hundred brave Men gone to the Bottom, Life and Senfe

again

again return, maternal Fondness enjoys the fudden Relief from all its Fears, and the general Benevolence which at another Time would have deeply felt the dreadful Catastrophe, lies fast asleep

in her Mind.

So Sophia, than whom none was more capable of tenderly feeling the general Calamity of her Country, found fuch immediate Satisfaction from the Relief of those Terrors she had of being overtaken by her Father, that the Arrival of the French scarce made any Impreffion on her. She gently chid her Maid for the Fright into which fhe had thrown her; and faid,

fhe was 6 glad it was no worse; for that she had feared fomebody else was come."!

Ay, ay,' quoth the Landlord fmiling, her Ladyfhip knows better Things; she knows the French are our very beft Friends, and come. over hither only for our Good. They are the People who are to make old England flourish again. I warrant her Honour thought the Duke was coming; and that was enough to put her into a Fright. I was going to tell your Ladyfhip the News.---His Honour's Majefty, Heaven blefs him, hath given the Duke the Slip; and is marching as faft as he can to London, and Ten thousand French are landed to "join him on the Road.'

Sophia was not greatly pleased with this News, nor with the Gentleman who related it; but as she still imagined he knew her (for the could not poffibly have any Sufpicion of the real Truth) fhe durft not fhew any Diflike. And now the Landlord, having removed the Cloth from the Table, withdrew; but at his Departure frequently repeated his Hopes of being remembred hereafter. VOL. III.

F

The

The Mind of Sophia was not at all easy under the Suppofition of being known at this House ; for the ftill applied to herfelf many Things which the Landlord had addreffed to Jenny Cameron; fhe therefore ordered her Maid to pump out of him by what Means he had become acquainted with her Perfon, and who had offered him the Reward for betraying her; the likewife ordered the Horfes to be in Readiness by Four in the Morning, at which Hour Mrs. Fitzpatrick promifed to bear her Company; and then compofing herself as well as fhe could, the defired that Lady to continue her Story..

De had

DL

TAN

In which Mrs. Fitzpatrick concludes her History.

W

HILE Mrs. Honour, in Pursuance of the Commands of her Miftrefs, ordered a Bowl of Punch, and invited my Landlord and Landlady to partake of it, Mrs. Fitzpatrick thus went on with her Relation.

• Moft of the Officers who were quartered at C a Town in our Neighbourhood were of my Husband's Acquaintance. Among these was a Lieutenant, a very pretty Sort of Man, and. who was married to a Woman fo agreeable. both in her Temper and Conversation, that from our first knowing each other, which was foon after my Lying-in, we were almost inseparable Companions; for I had the good Fortune to make myself equally agreeable to her.

The Lieutenant, who was neither a Sot nor a Sportsman, was frequently of our Parties; • indeed he was very little with my Husband, and

" no