Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/170

 after her Departure her Son died, but Providence in Return, was pleaed to give her a Girl in his Room, of which he was afely delivered, in her Retreat, and this was our Mary Read.

Here the Mother liv’d three or four Years, till what Money he had was almot gone; then he thought of returning to London, and conidering that her Husband’s Mother was in ome Circumtances, he did not doubt but to prevail upon her, to provide for the Child, if he could but pas it upon her for the ame, but the changing a Girl into a Boy, eem’d a difficult Piece of Work, and how to deceive an experienced old Woman, in uch a Point, was altogether as impoible; however, he ventured to dres it up as a Boy, brought it to Town, and preented it to her Mother in Law, as her Husband’s Son; the old Woman would have taken it, to have bred it up, but the Mother pretended it would break her Heart, to part with it; o it was agreed betwixt them, that the Child hould live with the Mother, and the uppoed Grandmother hould allow a Crown a Week for it’s Maintainance.

Thus the Mother gained her Point, he bred up her Daughter as a Boy, and when he grew up to ome Sene, he thought proper to let her into the Secret of her Birth, to induce her to conceal her Sex. It happen’d that the Grandmother died, by which Means the Subitance that came from that Quarter, ceaed, and they were more and more reduced in their Circumtances; wherefore he was obliged to put her Daughter out, to wait on a French Lady, as a Foot-boy, being now thirteen Years of Age: Here he did not live long, for growing bold and trong, and having alo a roving Mind, he entered her elf on Board a Man of War, where he erved ome Time, then quitted it, went over into Flanders, and carried Arms in a giment