ly
declares, she was perfectly ignorant of the noxious Quality of the
Powder: but had she suffered the Publick to have seen my Letters, the
World would have known that she was privy to the Design, and equally
concerned in the Plot, as I can convince you even to Demonstration by
her Answers to my Letters, under her own Hand, which I will show you
when we return to our Lodgings. However, I do not blame her for
denying it, because it was the only means she had left of persuading
the World to believe her innocent.

Perhaps, Gentlemen, you will suppose I am guilty of a great deal of
Vanity, in imagining myself capable of so grossly imposing on the
Understanding of a Lady of such refined sense as Miss Blandy was
acknowledged to be. In answer to which I can only say, that when Love
has taken possession of the Heart, it leaves but very little Room for
Reflection. That this was Miss Blandy's case, I will give you some few
instances of the violence of her Passion, and then leave you to judge
to what extravagant Lengths that might carry her.

As my small Income afforded me but slender Supplies, I was frequently
in Debt, and as often at a loss how to come off with Honour. Miss was
my constant Friend on such Occasions; and when her own Purse could not
do it, she had recourse to her Servant, Susan Gunnel, who having
scraped together about 90l. Miss borrowed near 80l. of it for the
relief of my Wants.

Again; at the Death of the Prince of Wales,[30] her Father gave her
twenty Guineas to buy her Mourning, of which she laid out about 51.
for that Purpose, and the Remainder she remitted to me, being then in
Scotland.

Another Instance of the Extravagance of her Passion was this: You must
know, that during the Course of our mutual Love and Tenderness, some
envious female Sprite whispered in her Ear, that I had at that very
time a Bastard, and was obliged to maintain both Mother and Child. To
this Charge I pleaded guilty, but told her, that it was a piece of
Gallantry that was never imputed to a Soldier as a Crime, and hoped I
might plead the general Practice in Excuse. In short, she not only
forgave me, but contributed all in her Power to the Support of both.

Miss however, was not so easily pacified on another Occasion, when she
happened to spring a Mine that had like to have blown up all my works.
When I lodged in the House, some Occasion or other calling me suddenly
into the Town, I forgot to take out the Key of my Trunk. Miss co