Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/175

 Night or Day; but as there is nothing more ingenious than Love, it was no hard Matter for her, who had before been practiced in thee Wiles, to find a Way to let him dicover her Sex: She firt ininuated her elf into his liking, by talking againt the Life of a Pyrate, which he was altogether avere to, o they became Mes-Mates and trict Companions: When he found he had a Friendhip for her, as a Man, he uffered the Dicovery to be made, by carelely hewing her Breats, which were very White.

The young Fellow, who was made of Fleh and Blood, had his Curioity and Deire o rais’d by this Sight, that he never ceaed importuning her, till he confeed what he was. Now begins the Scene of Love; as he had a Liking and Eteem for her, under her uppoed Character, it was now turn’d into Fondnes and Deire; her Paion was no les violent than his, and perhaps he expres’d it, by one of the mot generous Actions that ever Love inpired. It happened this young Fellow had a Quarrel with one of the Pyrates, and their Ship then lying at an Anchor, near one of the Ilands, they had appointed to go ahore and fight, according to the Cutom of the Pyrates: Mary Read, was to the lat Degree uneay and anxious, for the Fate of her Lover; he would not have had him refue the Challenge, becaue, he could not bear the Thoughts of his being branded with Cowardie; on the other Side, he dreaded the Event, and apprehended the Fellow might be too hard for him: When Love once enters into the Breat of one who has any Sparks of Generoity, it tirs the Heart up to the mot noble Actions; in this Dilemma, he hew’d, that he fear’d more for his Life than he did for her own; for he took a Reolution of quarreling with this Fellow her elf, and having challenged him ahore, he appointed the Rh