ments, and to promote the restoration of his health. But all his laudable and affectionate efforts were inefficacious: his uncle died in a few weeks, and left scarce enough to pay the expences of his funeral.

The loss of fo dear and fo kind a friend, added to the difficulties with which his attempts to get into a new employment were attended, gave William fuch a disgust to London, in which his love for Nancy had, probably, no small share, that he returned to his father, intending to try his fortune in fome other occupation near him.

He found his father dangeroufly ill of a fever, by which he was carried off in a few hours after his arrival, leaving a wife and seven children, befides himself, for whom their mother was utterly unable to provide, being in a bad state of health, and incumbered with debts.

Poor William was unspeakably diftreffed by this addition to his forrow. Nancy fhared his grief. Covell perceiving that his daughter had fet her heart upon a man he looked upon as a vagabond, having at that time no vifible means of fubfiftence, and perceiving alfo that his family were likely to come to the parish, infifted upon her marrying a fubftantial

fubftantial grazier, who being old and amorous, had for fome time difcovered a willingness to take her without a fix-pence.

Nancy, who would fooner have perished than forfaken her William, peremptorily refused to liften to this antiquated admirer, and spent all the hours fhe could fteal with the mother of her lover, whom the ftrove to affift and comfort by every method in her power. This behaviour of her's fo enraged the old man, that he was determined to remove William, if poffible, out of his way and as his mother had quitted the farm, of which fhe was unable to pay the rent after the death of her hufband, he prevailed on the Juftice of the peace to take him up as a vagabond, and get him entered as a recruit. This being done, he was carried to one of the camps, and compelled, much against his inclination, to become a foldier.

He did not want courage, nor a disposition to ferve or defend his country, in cafe of an unjuft invafion, attack, or a scarcity of men; but as he had been bred up in a very different profeffion, and, upon the failure of that, determined to look out for another near his mother, and her helpless young family, in order to contribute towards their pport, he could not endure the thoughts of being

forced

forced to bear arms, of being torn from all that he held moft dear in this world, and of being prevented from pursuing a more lucrative, as well as agreeáble employment. The fmall pittance of a common foldier would not, he was feelingly fenfible, permit him to fpare any towards the maintenance of a family. Nancy and his mother were equally afflicted, when they heard that he was under a neceffity of withdrawing from them, and deprived of all hopes of entering into another way of bufinefs, which might encourage her to look for the hand of her lover, enabled not only to make her happy, but to be ferviceable to his furviving unfortunate parents.

i

Upon Mrs. Benfley's falling dangeroufly ill, in confequence of the acutenefs with which fhe felt her misfortunes, Nancy, ever attentive to the mo. ther of him on whom fhe doated, flew to her with all the money fhe had, and begged her to be comforted, telling her that she would marry no-body but her fon, who would, fhe hoped, be difcharged, when the old grazier found that nothing could make her confent to be his wife. Mrs. Benfley, fighing, replied, "I fhall not live to fee my fon again."

Nancy, prompted by her tears, and her own wifhes, dispatched a note to William, to acquaint

him with his mother's pitiable fituation; requefting him to get permiffion to make her happy with the fight of him before fhe died.

The poor young man, diftricted at this intelligence, haftened to his officer, told his tale with a pathetic fimplicity, and begged he might be allowed to take leave of a dying parent. His requeft met with an abfolute refufal, from a fuppofition that it arofe entirely from his wanting a pretence to quit the army.

Stung at being accufed of what he had not at that time, the mallest idea; fhocked at having been forced into a profeffion which made him a prisoner in his own country, which deprived him of the fight of his friends, though at the distance of a few miles; and feeling moft acutely for the agonies of an expiring mother, rendered ftill more infupportable from his compulfive abfence; he could no longer support the fenfations he endured from what he could not help calling an act of injuftice; but determined at all events, to fee his mother, if he died for it. Accordingly, he stole away early in the morning, flaid with her a few hours, gave her hopes of getting his discharge and prepared to return.

Juft

Juft as he was on the point of returning, the old grazier, ever on the watch, immediately fent intelligence to the camp of his having deserted. He was fecured within a mile of his mother's dwelling, forced back to his quarters, tried, and fentenced to be fhot.

Nancy, poor unhappy Nancy, as foon as fhe heard of her William's fituation became almoft frantic with despair. Inftantly leaving her father's houfe, fhe flew to the old dotard who had been the caufe of all this mifery. The moment fhe faw him, fhe with a wildness in her air which ftruck terror into him, exclaimed, "You have found the way to gain your purpofe. If you can and will fave William's life and procure his difcharge, I am ready to be married to you, and will promise never to see him again. If this is in your power and you do not exert it, tremble for the confequences. You will know the miferies you have brought on the innocent; as he would have died, (though he abhorred the fervice into which he was forced,) rather than have meanly deferted: but the agony which he felt on being denied the melancholy fatisfaction of giving a dying parent all the comfort he could, was too much for him to bear. Fly, then, and fave my William, and I am your's for ever."