gone to my father, and found him seemingly inclined
to sleep; so let him, retired into the parlour, and
wrote to Mr. Cranstoun, as I did almost every post.
I had, on the Friday before, a letter from him; wherein
some secrets of his family were disclosed. As
I wrote in a hurry, I only advised him to take care
what he wrote; which, as my unhappy affairs turned
out, my enemies dressed up greatly to my disadvantage
at my trial. I gave this letter, as I did all
of them, to Mr. Littleton to direct, who opened it,
carried it to a friend of his for advice on the occasion,
and conveyed it to a French usher; who, by the help
of it, published a pamphlet entitled, The Life
of Miss Mary Blandy. On Sunday in the afternoon,
Mrs. Mounteney and her sister came to see my father;
who told them, “He hoped he should soon be able
to meet them in his parlour; since he thought himself
better then.” Susan was to sit up with her
master that night. The Rev. Mr. Stockwood, Rector
of the parish, came in the evening to visit him; the
apothecary was there likewise; and he desired the
room might be quite still; so that only Susan, the
old maid, was to be with him. After this I went
up to my father’s bedside; upon which he took
me in his arms and kissed me: I went out of the
room with Mr. Stockwood and Mr. Norton, the apothecary,
almost dead, and begg’d of the latter to tell
me if he thought my father still in danger. He
said “he was better, and hoped he would still
mend. To-morrow,” said he, “we shall
judge better, and you will hear what Dr. Addington
will say.” While Mr. Stockwood staid, Mr.
Littleton and Betty, my father’s cook-maid,
behaved tolerably well; but as soon as he was gone
they altered their conduct; however, upon Mr. Norton’s
speaking to him, Mr. Littleton became much more civil;
and Betty followed his example. I took a candle,
and went up into my own room; but in the way I listened
at my father’s door, and found everything still
there; this induced me to hope that he was asleep.
On Monday morning, I went to his door, in order to
go in: his tenderness would not let me stay up
a-nights; but I was seldom from him in the daytime.
I was deprived access to him; which so surprised and
frightened me, that I cried out, “What, not
see my father!” Upon which, I heard him reply,
“My dear Polly, you shall presently;” and
some time after I did. This scene was inexpressibly
moving. The mutual love, sorrow, and grief, that
then appeared, are truly described by Susannah Gunnel;
tho’, poor soul, she is much mistaken in many
other respects. I was, as soon as Dr. Addington
came, by his orders, confined to my own room; and
not suffered to go near my father, or even so much
as to listen at his door; all the comfort I then could
have had, would have been to know whether he slept
or no; but this was likewise refused me. A man
was put into my room night and day; no woman suffer’d
to attend me. My garters, keys, and letters were
taken away from me, by Dr. Addington himself.