第 11 节
作者:中国必胜      更新:2021-02-20 05:34      字数:9322
  spouse very uneasy; for he found me perplexed; and yet thought
  I was not open with him; and did not let him into every part
  of my grievance; and he would often say; he wondered what
  he had done that I would not trust him with whatever it was;
  especially if it was grievous and afflicting。  The truth is; he
  ought to have been trusted with everything; for no man in the
  world could deserve better of a wife; but this was a thing I
  knew not how to open to him; and yet having nobody to
  disclose any part of it to;the burthen was too heavy for my
  mind; for let them say whatthey please of our sex not being
  able to keep a secret; my life is a plain conviction to me of the
  contrary; but be it our sex; or the man's sex; a secret of moment
  should always have a confidant;a bosom friend; to whom we
  may communicate the joy of it; or the grief of it; be it which
  it will; or it will be a double weight upon the spirits; and
  perhaps become even insupportable in itself; and this I appeal
  to all human testimony for the truth of。
  And this is the cause why many times men as well as women;
  and men of the greatest and best qualities other ways; yet have
  found themselves weak in this part; and have not been able to
  bear the weight of a secret joy or of a secret sorrow; but have
  been obliged to disclose it; even for the mere giving vent to
  themselves; and to unbend the mind oppressed with the load
  andweights which attended it。  Nor was this any token of folly
  orthoughtlessness at all; but a natural consequence of the thing;
  and such people; had they struggled longer with the oppression;
  would certainly have told it in their sleep; and disclosed the
  secret; let it have been of what fatal nature soever; without
  regard to the person to whom it might be exposed。  This
  necessity of nature is a thing which works sometimes with
  such vehemence in the minds of those who are guilty of any
  atrocious villainy; such as secret murder in particular; that they
  have been obliged to discover it; though the consequence
  would necessarily be their own destruction。  Now; thought it
  may be true that the divine justice ought to have the glory of
  all those discoveries and confessions; yet 'tis as certain that
  Providence; which ordinarily works by the hands of nature;
  makes use here of the same naturalcauses to produce those
  extraordinary effects。
  I could give several remarkable instances of this in my long
  conversation with crime and with criminals。  I knew one fellow
  that; while I was in prison in Newgate; was one of those they
  called then night…fliers。  I know not what other word they may
  have understood it by since; but he was one who by connivance
  was admitted to go abroad every evening; when he played his
  pranks; and furnished those honest people they call thief…catchers
  with business to find out the next day; and restore for a reward
  what they had stolen the evening before。  This fellow was as
  sure to tell in his sleep all that he had done; and every step he
  had taken; what he had stolen; and where; as sure as if he had
  engaged to tell it waking; and that there was no harm or danger
  in it; and therefore he was obliged; after he had been out; to
  lock himself up; or be locked up by some of the keepers that
  had him in fee; that nobody should hear him; but; on the other
  hand; if he had told all the particulars; and given a full account
  of his rambles and success; to any comrade; any brother thief;
  or to his employers; as I may justly call them; then all was
  well with him; and he slept as quietly as other people。
  As the publishing this account of my life is for the sake of the
  just moral of very part of it; and for instruction; caution;
  warning; and improvement to every reader; so this will not
  pass; I hope; for an unnecessary digression concerning some
  people being obliged to disclose the greatest secrets either of
  their own or other people's affairs。
  Under the certain oppression of this weight upon my mind; I
  laboured in the case I have been naming; and the only relief
  I found for it was to let my husband into so much of it as I
  thought would convince him of the necessity there was for us
  to think of settling in some other part of the world; and the
  next consideration before us was; which part of the English
  settlements we should go to。  My husband was a perfect stranger
  to the country; and had not yet so much as a geographical
  knowledge of the situation of the several places; and I; that;
  till I wrote this; did not know what the word geographical
  signified; had only a general knowledge from long conversation
  with people that came from or went to several places; but this
  I knew; that Maryland; Pennsylvania; East and West Jersey;
  New York; and New England lay all north of Virginia; and
  that they were consequently all colder climates; to which for
  that very reason; I had an aversion。  For that as I naturally
  loved warm weather; so now I grew into years I had a stronger
  inclination to shun a cold climate。  I therefore considered of
  going to Caroline; which is the only southern colony of the
  English on the continent of America; and hither I proposed to
  go; and the rather because I might with great ease come from
  thence at any time; when it might be proper to inquire after
  my mother's effects; and to make myself known enough to
  demand them。
  With this resolution I proposed to my husband our going away
  from where we was; and carrying all our effects with us to
  Caroline; where we resolved to settle; for my husband readily
  agreed to the first part; viz。 that was not at all proper to stay
  where we was; since I had assured him we should be known
  there; and the rest I effectually concealed from him。
  But now I found a new difficulty upon me。  The main affair
  grew heavy upon my mind still; and I could not think of going
  out of the country without somehow or other making inquiry
  into the grand affair of what my mother had one for me; nor
  could I with any patience bear the thought of going away; and
  not make myself known to my old husband (brother); or to my
  child; his son; only I would fain have had this done without
  my new husband having any knowledge of it; or they having
  any knowledge of him; or that I had such a thing as a husband。
  I cast about innumerable ways in my thoughts how this might
  be done。  I would gladly have sent my husband away to
  Caroline with all our goods; and have come after myself; but
  this was impracticable; he would never stir without me; being
  himself perfectly unacquainted with the country; and with the
  methods of settling there or anywhere else。  Then I thought
  wewould both go first with part of our goods; and that when
  we were settled I should come back to Virginia and fetch the
  remainder; but even then I knew he would never part with me;
  and be left there to go on alone。  The case was plain; he was
  bread a gentleman; and by consequence was not only
  unacquainted; but indolent; and when we did settle; would
  much rather go out into the woods with his gun; which they
  call there hunting; and which is the ordinary work of the
  Indians; and which they do as servants; I say; he would rather
  do that than attend the natural business of his plantation。
  These were therefore difficulties insurmountable; and such as
  I knew not what to do in。  I had such strong impressions on
  mymind about discovering myself to my brother; formerly
  my husband; that I could not withstand them; and the rather;
  because it ran constantly in my thoughts; that if I did not do
  it while he lived; I might in vain endeavour to convince my
  son afterward that I was really the same person; and that I was
  his mother; and so might both lose the assistance and comfort
  of the relation; and the benefit of whatever it was my mother
  had leftme; and yet; on the other hand; I could never think it
  proper to discover myself to them in the circumstances I was
  in; as well relating to the having a husband with me as to my
  being brought over by a legal transportation as a criminal; on
  both which accounts it was absolutely necessary to me to
  remove from the place where I was; and come again to him;
  as from another place and in another figure。
  Upon those considerations;  I went on with telling my husband
  the absolute necessity there was of our not settling in Potomac
  River; at least that we should be presently made public there;
  whereas if we went to any other place in the world; we should
  come in with as much reputation as any family that came to
  plant; that; as it was always agreeable to the inhabitants to
  have families come among them to plant; who brought substance
  with them; either to purchase plantations or begin new ones;
  so we should be sure of a kind; agreeable reception; and that
  without any possibility of a discovery of our circumstances