d been made a fellow of All Souls by the
Parliamentary Visitors of Oxford, and graduated B.C.L. 4 August, 1648,
was quite ready to become a spy in the English service and to report on
the doings of the English exiles who were not only holding treasonable
correspondence with traitors at home and plotting against the King, but
even joining with the Dutch foe to injure their native land. Scott was
extremely anxious for his own pardon and, in addition, eager to earn any
money he could.

Aphra then, taking with her some forty pounds in cash, all she had, set
sail with Sir Anthony Desmarces [11] either at the latter end of July
or early in August, 1666, and on 16 August she writes from Antwerp
to say she has had an interview with William Scott (dubbed in her
correspondence Celadon), even having gone so far as to take coach and
ride a day's journey to see him secretly. Though at first diffident, he
is very ready to undertake the service, only it will be necessary for
her to enter Holland itself and reside on the spot, not in Flanders, as
Colonel Bampfield, who was looked upon as head of the exiled English at
the Hague, watched Scott with most jealous care and a growing suspicion.
Aphra, whose letters give a vivid picture of the spy's life with its
risks and impecuniosity, addresses herself to two correspondents, Tom
Killigrew and James Halsall, cupbearer to the King.

[Footnote 11: He was at Margate 25 July, and at Bruges 7 August.]

On 27 August she was still at Antwerp, and William Scott wrote to
her there but did not venture to say much lest the epistle might
miscarry. He asks for a cypher, a useful and indeed necessary precaution
in so difficult circumstances. It was about this time that Mrs. Behn
began to employ the name of Astrea, which, having its inception in a
political code, was later to be generally used by her and recognized
throughout the literary world. Writing to Halsall, she says that she has
been unable to effect anything, but she urgently demands that money be
sent, and confesses she has been obliged even to pawn her ring to pay
messengers. On 31 August she writes to Killigrew declaring she can get
no answer from Halsall, and explaining that she has twice had to
disburse Scott's expenses, amounting in all to L20, out of her own
pocket, whilst her personal debts total another L25 or L30, and living
itself is ten guilders a day. If she is to continue her work
satisfactorily, L80 at least will be needed to p