872 



ESSAYS. 



much care to go clown into the country, but 

 kept about the town, and did little jobs when 

 I could get them. 



' I was very happy in this manner for some 

 time, till one evening, coming home from 

 work, two men knocked me down, and then 

 desired me to stand. They belonged to a 

 press-gang ; I was carried before the justice, 

 and, as I could give no account of myself, I 

 had my choice left, whether to go on board a 

 man of war, or list for a soldier. I chose the 

 latter ; and, in this post of a gentleman, I 

 served two campaigns in Flanders, was at 

 the battles of Val and Fontenoy, and receiv- 

 ed but one wound, through the breast here; 

 but the doctor of our regiment soon made me 

 well again. 



Then the peace came on I was discharg- 

 ed ; and, as I could not work, because my 

 wound was sometimes troublesome, I listed 

 for a landsman in the East-India company's 

 service. I have fought the French in six 

 pitched battles : and 1 verily believe, that if 

 I could read or write, our captain would have 

 made me a corporal. But it was not my good 

 fortune to have any promotion, for I soon fell 

 sick, and so got leave to return home again 

 with forty pounds in my pocket. This was 

 at the beginning of the present war, and 1 

 hoped to be set on shore, and to have the 

 pleasure of spending my money ; but the 

 government wanted men, and so I was press- 

 ed for a sailor, before ever I could set foot 

 on shore. 



' The boatswain found me, as he said, an 

 obstinate fellow : he swore he knew that I un- 

 derstood my business well, but that I shammed 

 Abraham, to be idle : but God knows, I knew 

 nothing of sea business, and he beat me with- 

 out considering what he was about. 1 had 

 still, however, my forty pounds, and that was 

 some comfort to me under every beating; 

 and the money I might have had to this day, 

 but that our ship was taken by the French, 

 and so I lost all. 



' Our crew was carried into Brest, and 

 many of them died, because they were not 

 used to live in a jail ; but, for my part, it was 

 nothing to me, for I was seasoned. One 

 night, as I was asleep on the bed of boards, 

 with a warm blanket about me, for I always 

 Joved to lie well, I was awakened by the 



boatswain, who had a dark lantern in his 

 hand ; " Jack," says he to me, " will you knock 

 out the French sentry's brains?'' 'I don't 

 care,' says I, striving to keep myself awake, 

 ' if I lend a hand.' " Then follow me," says 

 he, " and I hope we shall do business." So 

 up I got, and tied my blanket, which was all 

 the clothes I had, about my middle, and went 

 with him to fight the Frenchman. 1 Late the 

 French, because they are all slaves, and wear 

 wooden shoes. 



' Though we had no arms, one Englishman 

 is able to beat five French at any time ; so 

 we went down to the door, where both the 

 sentries were posted, and rushing upon them, 

 seized their arms in a moment, and knocked 

 them down. From thence, nine of us ran to- 

 gether to the quay, and seizing the first boat 

 we met, got out of the harbour and put to sea. 

 We had not been here three days before we 

 were taken up by the Dorset privateer, who 

 were glad of so many good hands; arid we 

 consented to run our chance. However, we 

 had not as much luck as we expected. In 

 three days we fell in with the Pompadour 

 privateer, of forty guns, while we had but 

 twenty-three ; so to it we went, yard-arm and 

 yard-arm. The fight lasted for three hours, 

 and I verily believe we should have taken the 

 Frenchman, had we but had some more men 

 left behind ; but, unfortunately, we lost all our 

 men just as we were going to get the vic- 

 tory. 



' I was once more in the power of the 

 French, and I believe it would have gone 

 hard with me had I been brought back to 

 Brest; but, by good fortune, we were retaken 

 by the Viper. I had almost forgot to tell 

 you, that in that engagement, I was wounded 

 in two places : I lost four fingers off the left, 

 hand, and my leg was shot off! If I had had 

 the good fortune to have lost my leg and use 

 of my hand on board a king's ship, and not 

 a-board a privateer, I should have been 

 entitled to clothing and maintenance during 

 the rest of my life: but that was not my 

 chance : one man is born with a silver spoon 

 in his mouth, and another with a wooden 

 ladle. However, blessed be God, I enjoy 

 good health, and will forever love liberty and 

 old England. Liberty, property, and old 

 England, for ever, huzza !' 



