to such extremity of distress; my own hand shall open a
way for my deliverance, before I arrive at that forlorn period!"
Her condition filled me with sympathy and compassion: I revered her
qualifications, looked upon her as unfortunate, not criminal, and
attended her with such care and success, that in less than two months
her health, as well as my own, was perfectly re-established. As we often
conferred upon our mutual affairs, and interchanged advice, a thousand
different projects were formed, which, upon further canvassing, appeared
impracticable. We would have gladly gone to service, but who would take
us in without recommendation? At length an expedient occurred to her, of
which she intended to lay hold; and this was, to procure with the first
money she should earn, the homely garb of a country wench, go to some
village at a good distance from town, and come up in a waggon, as a
fresh girl for service: by which means she might be provided for, in
a manner much more suitable to her inclination than her present way of
life.

CHAPTER XXIV

I am reduced to a great misery--assaulted on Tower Hill by a press-gang,
who put me on board a tender--my usage there--my arrival on board at a
man-of-war, where I am put in irons, and released by the good offices of
Mr. Thompson, who recommends me as assistant to the surgeon---he relates
his own story--characters of the captain, surgeon, and first mate

I applauded the resolution of Miss Williams, who a few days after, was
hired in quality of bar-keeper, by one of the ladies who had witnessed
in her behalf at the Marshalsea, and who since that time had got credit
with a wine merchant, whose favourite she was, to set up a convenient
house of her own. Thither my fellow-lodger repaired, after having taken
leave of me with a torrent of tears, and a thousand protestations of
eternal gratitude; assuring me she would remain in this situation no
longer than she could pick up money sufficient to put her other design
in execution.

As for my own part, I saw no resource but the army or navy, between
which I hesitated so long that I found myself reduced to a starving
condition. My spirit began to accommodate itself to my beggarly fate,
and I became so mean as to go down towards Wapping, with an intention to
inquire for an old schoolfellow, who, I understood, had got the
command of a small coasting vessel then in the river, and implore his
assistance. But my destiny prevented this a