The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2)

by Daniel Defoe

father'swill if I took Isabel (who had been my waiting-maid ever since I camefrom England) to live with me. "No, my lady," very readily replied he;"as she will be dismissed from me, she is certainly at liberty and fullfreedom to do for herself as soon and in the best manner she possiblycan." After this I stayed about a quarter of an hour with him, and thenI sent for Isabel, to know if she would come and live with me on herdismission from her lord's. The girl readily consented, for I had alwaysbeen a good mistress to her; and then I went to my own lodgings in myson's coach, which he had ordered to be got ready to carry me home.

  Isabel came, according to appointment, about ten days after, and told methe house was quite cleared both of men and movables, but said her lord(meaning my son) was not gone to the university as yet, but was at oneof his guardians' houses, where he would stay about a month, and that heintended to make a visit before his departure, which he did, attended bymy late chaplain; and I, being in handsome lodgings, received them withall the complaisance and love as was possible, telling them that timeand circumstances having greatly varied with me, whatever they saw amissI hoped they would be so good as to look over it at that time, byconsidering the unhappy situation of my affairs.

  After this visit was over, and I had myself and Isabel to provide for,handsome lodgings to keep (which were as expensive as they were fine),and nothing but my principal money to live on (I mean what I happened tohave in my pocket at my lord's death, for I had not been paid my L500 asyet), I could not manage for a genteel maintenance as I had done someyears before. I thought of divers things to lay my small sums out toadvantage, but could fix on nothing; for it always happens that whenpeople have but a trifle, they are very dubious in the disposal of it.

  Having been long resolving in my mind, I at last fixed on merchandise asthe most genteel and profitable of anything else. Accordingly I went toa merchant who was intimate with my late lord, and letting him know howmy circumstances were, he heartily condoled with me, and told me hecould help me to a share in two ships--one was going a trading voyage tothe coast of Africa, and the other a-privateering. I was now in adilemma, and was willing to have a share in the trader, but was dubiousof being concerned in the privateer; for I had heard strange storiestold of the gentlemen concerned in that way of business. Nay, I hadbeen told, but with what certainty I cannot aver, that there was a setof men who took upon them to issue ships, and as they always knew towhat port they are bound, notice was sent to their correspondent abroadto order out their privateers on the coast the other sailed, and theyknowing the loading, and the numbers of hands and guns were on board,soon made prizes of the vessels, and the profits were equally divided,after paying what was paid for their insurance, among them all.

  However, I at last resolved, by the merchant's advice, to have a sharein the trader, and the next day he over-persuaded me to have a share inthe privateer also. But that I may not lay out my money before I haveit, it may not be amiss to observe that I went to the executors andreceived my L500 at an hour's notice, and then went to the merchant's toknow what the shares would come to, and being told L1500, I was resolvedto raise the money; so I went home, and, with my maid Isabel, in twodays' time disposed of as many of my clothes as fetched me near L1100,which, joined to the above sum, I carried to the merchant's, where thewritings were drawn, signed, sealed, and delivered to me in the presenceof two witnesses, who went with me for that purpose. The ships were nearready for sailing; the trader was so well manned and armed, as well asthe privateer, that the partners would not consent to insure them, andout they both sailed, though from different ports, and I depended ongetting a good estate between them.

  When I was about this last ship a letter came from the count, my son,full of tender expressions of his duty to me, in which I was informedthat he was going again to the university at Paris, where he shouldremain four years; after that he intended to make the tour of Europe,and then come and settle at The Hague. I returned him thanks in a letterfor his compliment, wished him all happiness, and a safe return toHolland, and desired that he would write to me from time to time that Imight hear of his welfare, which was all I could now expect of him. Butthis was the last time I heard from him, or he from me.

  In about a month's time the news came that the privateer (which sailedunder British colours, and was divided into eight shares) had taken aship, and was bringing it into the Texel, but that it accidentallyfoundered, and being chained to the privateer, had, in sinking, like tohave lost that too. Two or three of the hands got on shore, and came toThe Hague; but how terribly I was alarmed any one may judge, when Iheard the ship the privateer had was the Newfoundland merchantman, as Ihad bought two shares in out of four. About two months after news wascurrent about The Hague of a privateer or merchantman, one of them ofthe town, though not known which, having an engagement in theMediterranean, in which action both the privateer and trader was lost.Soon after their names were publicly known, and, in the end, my partnersheard that they were our ships, and unhappily sailing under falsecolours (a thing often practised in the time of war), and never havingseen each other, had, at meeting, a very smart engagement, each fightingfor life and honour, till two unfortunate shots; one of them, viz., theprivateer, was sunk by a shot between wind and water, and the traderunhappily blown up by a ball falling in the powder-room. There were onlytwo hands of the trader, and three of the privateer, that escaped, andthey all fortunately met at one of the partners' houses, where theyconfirmed the truth of this melancholy story, and to me a fatal loss.

  What was to be done now? I had no money, and but few clothes left;there, was no hope of subsistence from my son or his guardians; theywere tied down to be spectators of my misfortunes, without affording meany redress, even if they would.

  Isabel, though I was now reduced to the last penny, would live with mestill, and, as I observed before and may now repeat, I was in a prettysituation to begin the world--upwards of sixty years of age, friendless,scanty of clothes, and but very little money.

  I proposed to Isabel to remove from lodgings and retire to Amsterdam,where I was not known, and might turn myself into some little way ofbusiness, and work for that bread now which had been too oftensquandered away upon very trifles. And upon consideration I found myselfin a worse condition than I thought, for I had nothing to recommend meto Heaven, either in works or thoughts; had even banished from my mindall the cardinal and moral virtues, and had much more reason to hidemyself from the sight of God, if possible, than I had to leave TheHague, that I might not be known of my fellow-creatures. And farther tohasten our removing to Amsterdam, I recollected I was involved in debtfor money to purchase a share in the Newfoundland trader, which waslost, and my creditors daily threatened me with an arrest to make me paythem.

  I soon discharged my lodgings and went with Isabel to Amsterdam, where Ithought, as I was advanced in years, to give up all I could raise in theworld, and on the sale of everything I had to go into one of theProveniers' houses, where I should be settled for life. But as I couldnot produce enough money for it, I turned it into a coffee-house nearthe Stadt-house, where I might have done well; but as soon as I wassettled one of my Hague creditors arrested me for a debt of L75, and Inot having a friend in the world of whom to raise the money, was, in ashameful condition, carried to the common jail, where poor Isabelfollowed me with showers of tears, and left me inconsolable for my greatmisfortunes. Here, without some very unforeseen accident, I shall nevergo out of it until I am carried to my grave, for which my much-offendedGod prepare me as soon as possible.

  _The continuation of the Life of Roxana, by Isabel Johnson, who hadbeen her waiting-maid, from the time she was thrown into jail tothe time of her death._

  After my lady, as it was my duty to call her, was thrown into jail for adebt she was unable to pay, she gave her mind wholly up to devotion.Whether it was from a thorough sense of her wretched state, or any otherreason, I could never learn; but this I may say, that she was a sincerepenitent, and in every action had all the behaviour of a Christian. Bydegrees
all the things she had in the world were sold, and she began tofind an inward decay upon her spirits. In this interval she repeated allthe passages of her ill-spent life to me, and thoroughly repented ofevery bad action, especially the little value she had for her children,which were honestly born and bred. And having, as she believed, made herpeace with God, she died with mere grief on the 2nd of July 1742, in thesixty-fifth year of her age, and was decently buried by me in thechurchyard belonging to the Lutherans, in the city of Amsterdam.

  THE END.