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 coming into the Room soon afterwards, sees the Key, and opens the Repository, when the first thing she cast her Eyes upon, was a Letter, which I had lately received from a Mistress I kept in Petto.  This opened such a scene of Ingratitude and Perfidy, that when she charged me with it, I was scarce able to stand the Shock, and was so thunderstruck, that for some time I had not a word to say for myself.  But when I had a little recollected my scattered Spirits, I had Address enough to pacify her Wrath, even in an Instance of such a notorious Breach of my Fidelity.

These you will allow, were uncommon Instances of Affection for a Man so circumstanced as I was; after which, can you suppose her capable of denying me anything within the Compass of her Power?  Can you any longer wonder that she should join with me in compassing the Death of her Father, when I had convinced her that our Happiness could no otherwise be accomplished?