friends among the Quakers of that city—­and, indeed, his manners made him a general favourite, wherever he went.  Plunkett suffered much in prison, and his friends pitied him; but dared not attempt his release.  However, there was a young girl of great beauty and strength of mind, who resolved to release the suffering soldier, at all hazards.  It accidentally happened, that the uniform of Captain Plunkett’s regiment bore a striking resemblance to that of a British corps, which was frequently set as a guard over the prison in which he was confined.  A new suit of regimentals was in consequence procured and conveyed, without suspicion of sinister design, to the Captain.  On the judicious use of these rested the hopes of the fair Friend to give him freedom.  It frequently happened that officers of inferior grade, while their superiors affected to shun all intercourse with the rebels, would enter the apartments of the prisoners, and converse with them with kindness and familiarity, and then at their pleasure retire.  Two sentinels constantly walked the rounds without, and the practice of seeing their officers walking in and out of the interior prison, became so familiar, as scarcely to attract notice, and constantly caused them to give way without hesitation, as often as an officer showed a disposition to retire.  Captain Plunkett took the advantage of this circumstance, and putting on his new coat, at the moment that the relief of the guard was taking place, sallied forth, twirling a switch carelessly about and ordering the exterior door of the prison to be opened, walked without opposition into the street.  Repairing without delay to the habitation of his fair friend, he was received with kindness, and for some days secreted and cherished with every manifestation of affectionate regard.  To elude the vigilance of the British Guards, if he attempted to pass into the country, in his present dress was deemed impossible.  Woman’s wit, however, is never at a loss for contrivances, while swayed by the influences of love or benevolence.  Both, in this instance, may have aided invention.  Plunkett had three strong claims in his favour:  he was a handsome man—­a soldier—­and an Irishman.  The general propensity of the Quakers, in favor of the Royal cause, exempted the sect in a great measure from suspicion, in so great a degree indeed, that the barriers of the city were generally entrusted to the care of their members, as the best judges of the characters of those persons who might be allowed to pass them, without injury to the British interests.  A female Friend, of low origin, officiating as a servant in a farm near the city, was in the family, on a visit to a relative.  A pretext was formed to present her with a new suit of clothes, in order to possess that which she wore when she entered the city.  Captain Plunkett was immediately disguised as a woman, and appeared at the barrier accompanied by his anxious deliverer.  ‘Friend Roberts,’ said the enterprising girl, ’may this damsel