Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/169

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OW we are to begin a Hitory full of urprizing Turns and Adventures; I mean, that of Mary Read and Anne Bonny, alias Bonn, which were the true Names of thee two Pyrates; the odd Incidents of their rambling Lives are uch, that ome may be tempted to think the whole Story no better than a Novel or Romance; but ince it is upported by many thouand Witnees, I mean the People of Jamaica, who were preent at their Tryals, and heard the Story of their Lives, upon the firt dicovery of their Sex; the Truth of it can be no more conteted, than that there were uch Men in the World, as Roberts and Black-beard, who were Pyrates.

Mary Read was born in England, her Mother was married young, to a Man who ued the Sea, who going a Voyage oon after their Marriage, left her with Child, which Child proved to be a Boy. As to the Husband, whether he was cat away, or died in the Voyage, Mary Read could not tell; but however, he never returned more; nevertheles, the Mother, who was young and airy, met with an Accident, which has often happened to Women who are young, and do not take a great deal of Care; which was, he oon proved with Child again, without a Husband to Father it, but how, or by whom, none but her elf could tell, for he carried a pretty good Reputation among her Neighbours. Finding her Burthen grow, in order to conceal her Shame, he takes a formal Leave of her Husband’s Relations, giving out, that he went to live with ome Friends of her own, in the Country: Accordingly he went away, and carried with her her young Son, at this Time, not a Year old: Soon after