t of affairs in the north, the quarrels between our own
Assembly and his Excellency, by whom they had been afresh convened, when
our ghostly Hagan rushes into our parlour, and asks, "Have we heard the
news of the Governor?"

"Has he dissolved the Assembly again, and put that scoundrel Patrick
Henry in irons?" asks Madam Esmond.

"No such thing! His lordship with his lady and family have left their
palace privately at night. They are on board a man-of-war off York,
whence my lord has sent a despatch to the Assembly, begging them to
continue their sitting, and announcing that he himself had only quitted
his Government House out of fear of the fury of the people."

What was to become of the sheep, now the shepherd had run away? No
entreaties could be more pathetic than those of the gentlemen of the
House of Assembly, who guaranteed their Governor security if he would
but land, and implored him to appear amongst them, if but to pass bills
and transact the necessary business. No: the man-of-war was his seat of
government, and my lord desired his House of Commons to wait upon him
there. This was erecting the King's standard with a vengeance. Our
Governor had left us; our Assembly perforce ruled in his stead; a rabble
of people followed the fugitive Viceroy on board his ships. A mob of
negroes deserted out of the plantations to join this other deserter. He
and his black allies landed here and there in darkness, and emulated the
most lawless of our opponents in their alacrity at seizing and burning.
He not only invited runaway negroes, but he sent an ambassador to
Indians with entreaties to join his standard. When he came on shore it
was to burn and destroy: when the people resisted, as at Norfolk and
Hampton, he retreated and betook himself to his ships again.

Even my mother, after that miserable flight of our chief, was scared
at the aspect of affairs, and doubted of the speedy putting down of
the rebellion. The arming of the negroes was, in her opinion, the most
cowardly blow of all. The loyal gentry were ruined, and robbed, many of
them, of their only property. A score of our worst hands deserted from
Richmond and Castlewood, and fled to our courageous Governor's fleet;
not all of them, though some of them, were slain, and a couple hung by
the enemy for plunder and robbery perpetrated whilst with his lordship's
precious army. Because her property was wantonly injured, and his
Majesty's chief officer an imbecile, would M