patience, diligence
and humility, made shift to educate a large family of children after the
death of her husband, without being chargeable to the parish; which, as
it was quite beyond her hope, she often spoke of with great delight.
At length, when worn out with age and infirmities, she lay upon her
death-bed, she, in a most lively and affecting manner, expressed her hope
and joy in the views of approaching glory. Yet, amidst all the triumphs
of such a prospect, there was one remaining care and distress which
lay heavy on her mind; this was, that as her journey and her stock of
provisions were both ended together, she feared that she must either
be buried at the parish expense, or leave to her most dutiful and
affectionate daughters the house stripped of some of the few movables
which remained in it, in order to perform the last office of duty to her,
which she had reason to believe they would do. While she was combatting
with this only remaining anxiety, I happened, though I knew not the
extremity of her illness, to come in, and to bring with me a guinea
which the generous colonel had sent by a special message, on hearing the
character of the family, for its relief. A present like this, (probably
the most considerable they had ever received in their lives,) coming in
this manner from an entire stranger at such a crisis of time, threw my
dying friend (for such, amidst all her poverty, I rejoiced to call her)
into a perfect transport of joy. She esteemed it a singular favour of
Providence sent to her in her last moments as a token for good, and
greeted it as a special mark of that loving kindness of God which should
attend her for ever. She insisted, therefore, to be raised up in her bed,
that she might bless God for it upon her knees, and with her last breath
pray for her kind and generous benefactor, and for him who had been the
instrument of directing his bounty into this channel. After this she soon
expired, and with such tranquillity and sweetness as could not but most
sensibly delight all who beheld her, and occasioned many who knew the
circumstance to glorify God on her behalf.

The colonel's last residence at Northampton was in June and July 1742,
when Lord Cadogan's regiment of dragoons was quartered here. Here I
cannot but observe, that wherever that regiment came, it was remarkable
not only for the fine appearance it made, and for the exactness with
which it performed its various exercises, (of which it had a