her
affliction, while it added to her incapacity. In the midst of these
disastrous circumstances, news arrived that her son Greaves had lost his
life in a sea engagement with the enemy; and these tidings almost
instantly deprived her of reason. Then the landlord seized for his rent,
and she was arrested at the suit of Justice Gobble, who had bought up one
of her debts in order to distress her, and now pretended that her madness
was feigned.

When the name of Greaves was mentioned, our adventurer started and
changed colour; and, now the story was ended, asked, with marks of eager
emotion, if the name of the woman's first husband was not Wilford. When
the prisoner answered in the affirmative, he rose up, and striking his
breast, "Good heaven!" cried he, "the very woman who watched over my
infancy, and even nourished me with her milk! She was my mother's humble
friend. Alas! poor Dorothy! how would your old mistress grieve to see
her favourite in this miserable condition." While he pronounced these
words, to the astonishment of the hearers, a tear stole softly down each
cheek. Then he desired to know if the poor lunatic had any intervals of
reason; and was given to understand that she was always quiet, and
generally supposed to have the use of her senses, except when she was
disturbed by some extraordinary noise, or when any person touched upon
her misfortune, or mentioned the name of her oppressor, in all which
cases she started out into extravagance and frenzy. They likewise
imputed great part of the disorder to the want of quiet, proper food, and
necessaries, with which she was but poorly supplied by the cold hand of
chance charity. Our adventurer was exceedingly affected by the distress
of this woman, whom he resolved to relieve; and in proportion as his
commiseration was excited, his resentment rose against the miscreant, who
seemed to have insinuated himself into the commission of the peace on
purpose to harass and oppress his fellow-creatures.

Thus animated, he entered into consultation with Mr. Thomas Clarke
concerning the steps he should take, first for their deliverance, and
then for prosecuting and punishing the justice. In result of this
conference, the knight called aloud for the jailor, and demanded to see a
copy of his commitment, that he might know the cause of his imprisonment,
and offer bail; or, in case that he should be refused, move for a writ of
Habeas Corpus. The jailor told him the copy