The New Hampshire Gazette

An interesting ANECDOTE.

...a premeditated Affair, and by no Means,
and (so, as I was saying, it was quite a
the Effect of a sudden Fit of Passion, or
inconsiderate Precipitation.--You are to know they
were together at a private publick Rout, or Ball,
the Night before they actually went off; that very
Night was intended for the Execution of their Pro-
ject.. They danced together. About Two in the
Morning, says she to her Mother... 'My dear Madam.
I am sorry to be the Cause of keeping you here so
long beyond your usual Hour of Repose; But really
I am in such Spirits, and find my self in such a Humour for Dancing, that I fear it will be late before
I shall be able to persuade my self to give over.
Do, good Madam, let me persuade you to retire with-
out me. '... O! by no Means, my Dear. (replied
the kind Mother) I have not the least Inclination to
go Home; so don't make your self at all uneasy about
me : ....'Your Time shall be mine.' This unexpected
and superabundant Goodness disconcerted their Scheme,
and obliged the Gentleman to have Recourse to a
2d Plot.
About Four in the Morning, the Company broke
up. The Mother's Chair appeared at the Door; but
that of the Daughter's was not to be found : Upon
which her Partner very naturally desired the Young
Lady to accept of his. The prudent Matron thanked
him for the Offer, and told him, that he would put
Miss into her Chair, and that she her self would make
Use of his. This she accordingly performed, and by
that Means, added one restless Night more to her
Daughter's Virginity. The next Morning the young
Lady took it into her Head to visit her Uncle, stepped
into her Chair and quitted her Father's House. The
Chairman set her down at a certain House, in a cer-
tain Street, which House was Previously prepared for
the Purpose. She told the Fellows to come again
at a certain Hour, and so dismissed them. The Chair
returned according to Order; but on enquiring for
the Lady, the Men were told, that she had been gone
from thence a considerable Time. This was reported
to her Father, who the next Morning received a Let-
ter, which by the Hand-writing on the Direction,
he knew to be his Daughter's. He took the Letter,
read the Supercription, and then returned it to
the Bearer, telling him he might give it to the Person
from whom it came. The Lover also wrote a Let-
ter to his Wife ; in which he informed her, that tho'
he had lived with her so many Years, it had never,
notwithstanding all his Endeavours, been in his Power
to bring himself to love her as she deserved: that Miss
was the only Person for whom he ever felt a real
Affection, and that with her therefore he had deter-
mined to spend the rest of his Days. [They imme-
diately embarked for Germany, in their Way to Italy,
where according to the Fashion of the Country, they
are determined to live together till they grow weary
of each other..]

On Saturday e'nnight the noble Lord and Lady
set off in a Post Chaise for Gravesend : from whence
they took Water and proceeded to the Point, about
two Miles below Tilbury, where they waited till a
Dutch Vessel was cleared, not chusing to embark be-
fore. As this took up some Time, and the Weather
was very cold, the Lord and Lady lay down in the
Boat, covered with the Tilt, while the Watermen
walked to and fro on the Shore. After the Custom*
House Officers had cleared the Vessel, the Lord and
Lady embarked. However the Winds not being fa-
vourable, the Dutchman on Friday last was got no
farther than the Nore. Before the Dutchman sailed
from Gravesend, the Officers having observed two
Foreigners on board, whom they suspected to be
French Prisoners, the Officers were ordered on board
again to bring those Persons on Shore for a stricter
Examination ; and a Rumour then prevailing that the
Persons the Watermen had shipped on board the
Vessel, must be the Lord and Lady, the Captain of
Vessel, then at Gravesend, on Friday Morning
manned his Boat, went with her himself, and pro-
ceeded to the Nore, where coming up with the
Dutchman, he boarded him, and by Force of Arms,
demanded the fair Lady, and brought her off in Tri-
umph (leaving the noble Lord behind) to the Falcon
at Gravesend, where he continued all Friday Night,
very disconsolate, and full of Tears. She had every
Civility offered, but refused to go to Bed. The
Captain it is said, sent a Messenger to the Nore, to
let his Lordship know that the Lady was safe landed
and was at the Falcon at Gravesend ; upon which his
Lordship quitted the Dutchman, and returned to
the Lady the next Morning about three o'Clock.
There appeared two Gentlemen from London, very
intimate with his Lordship; however on a sudden,
his Lordship agreed with the Master of a Cod Smack
for 50 Guineas, and 12 Guineas more to a Pilot, to
take them with all Expedition to one of the first
Ports in Holland.....Accordingly, every Thing being
provided, his Lordship, and the Lady, who was
dressed in a black Silk Sack, with a Leghorn Hat on
her Head, tied down with a Handkerchief to conceal
her Face, put off from Gravesend on Saturday Mor-
ning about Ten o'Clock.--on board the Cod Smack.
and proceeded directly on their Voyage.