ed to be mysterious, but that
he was sure it was in nobody's power to hinder him going, if he
resolved upon it, except me, who had influence enough upon him to make
him do anything.

Yes, I told him, I could hinder him, because I knew he could no more do
an unkind thing by me than he could do an unjust one; and to put him out
of his pain, I told him I was with child.

He came to me, and taking me in his arms and kissing me a thousand times
almost, said, why would I be so unkind not to tell him that before?

I told him 'twas hard, that to have him stay, I should be forced to do
as criminals do to avoid the gallows, plead my belly; and that I thought
I had given him testimonies enough of an affection equal to that of a
wife, if I had not only lain with him, been with child by him, shown
myself unwilling to part with him, but offered to go to the East Indies
with him; and except one thing that I could not grant, what could he ask
more?

He stood mute a good while, but afterwards told me he had a great deal
more to say if I could assure him that I would not take ill whatever
freedom he might use with me in his discourse.

I told him he might use any freedom in words with me; for a woman who
had given leave to such other freedoms as I had done had left herself no
room to take anything ill, let it be what it would.

"Why, then," he said, "I hope you believe, madam, I was born a
Christian, and that I have some sense of sacred things upon my mind.
When I first broke in upon my own virtue and assaulted yours; when I
surprised and, as it were, forced you to that which neither you intended
or I designed but a few hours before, it was upon a presumption that you
would certainly marry me, if once I could go that length with you, and
it was with an honest resolution to make you my wife.

"But I have been surprised with such a denial that no woman in such
circumstances ever gave to a man; for certainly it was never known that
any woman refused to marry a man that had first lain with her, much less
a man that had gotten her with child. But you go upon different notions
from all the world, and though you reason upon it so strongly that a man
knows hardly what to answer, yet I must own there is something in it
shocking to nature, and something very unkind to yourself. But, above
all, it is unkind to the child that is yet unborn, who, if we marry,
will come into the world with advantage enough, but if not, is ruined
before it is b