order to steer safely between Scilla and
Charibdis, I fairly owned the Charge; but at the same Time intimated,
that the Noose was not tyed so fast, but that it might be easily
undone, and that I was then in a Fair Way of setting that Marriage
aside; and to gain belief to my Assertion, I persuaded my poor
credulous Wife to disown me for her Husband, whose Letter restored me
to the good opinion of the Family, but especially of my Mistress and
her Mother.

The old Gentleman, however, was not so easy of Belief; he was afraid
there was a Snake in the Grass and tho' he seemed to give Credit to my
Protestations, that the Cause would quickly be decided, yet I could
easily perceive a Coldness in his Behaviour, which was an evident
Proof to me that I had lost ground in his favour; nor was I less
sensible that the event of my Trial in Scotland, would not contribute
anything to replace me in his good Opinion. I found myself in such a
situation, that I must very shortly, either lose my Mistress, and,
what was more valuable to me, her Fortune, or make one desperate Push
to recover both. Several schemes for this purpose were offered to my
Thoughts; but none seemed so feasible as dispatching the Old Man into
the other World: For if he was but once Dead, I was well assured I
should soon be in Possession of his Estate. I had however, one
Difficulty to surmount, which was, to make my Mistress a Party
concerned in the Execution of my Project. I knew she was greatly
provoked at her Father's late unkind Behaviour to me; which I took
care to aggravate all I could, which produced the Effects I desired;
and she declared she was ready to embrace any scheme I could propose
to release us from our Embarrassments; nay, I convinced her, that we
should never have her Father's consent, and therefore it would be in
vain to wait for it. And, in order to fix her entirely in my Interest,
I used all my Rhetorick to persuade her to a private Marriage, which
however for good Reasons she did not think proper to agree to; yet she
gave me her solemn Vow, that no other Man but myself should call her
Wife, and that in the mean Time, she should reckon herself in Duty
bound to have the utmost Regard to my Will & Pleasure.

What I now speak of, was after Judgment was given against me in
Scotland, and a Decree, confirming the Validity of my Marriage, had
been pronounced. This Decree, I assured Mr. Blandy, his Wife and
Daughter, I should be able to vacate by an Appea