"We are the sons as you already know, of the two youngest
Daughters which Lord St Clair had by Laurina an italian opera
girl. Our mothers could neither of them exactly ascertain who were
our Father, though it is generally beleived that Philander, is the
son of one Philip Jones a Bricklayer and that my Father was one
Gregory Staves a Staymaker of Edinburgh. This is however of little
consequence for as our Mothers were certainly never married to
either of them it reflects no Dishonour on our Blood, which is of
a most ancient and unpolluted kind. Bertha (the Mother of
Philander) and Agatha (my own Mother) always lived together. They
were neither of them very rich; their united fortunes had
originally amounted to nine thousand Pounds, but as they had
always lived on the principal of it, when we were fifteen it was
diminished to nine Hundred. This nine Hundred they always kept in
a Drawer in one of the Tables which stood in our common sitting
Parlour, for the convenience of having it always at Hand. Whether
it was from this circumstance, of its being easily taken, or from
a wish of being independant, or from an excess of sensibility (for
which we were always remarkable) I cannot now determine, but
certain it is that when we had reached our 15th year, we took the
nine Hundred Pounds and ran away. Having obtained this prize we
were determined to manage it with eoconomy and not to spend it
either with folly or Extravagance. To this purpose we therefore
divided it into nine parcels, one of which we devoted to Victuals,
the 2d to Drink, the 3d to Housekeeping, the 4th to Carriages, the
5th to Horses, the 6th to Servants, the 7th to Amusements, the 8th
to Cloathes and the 9th to Silver Buckles. Having thus arranged
our Expences for two months (for we expected to make the nine
Hundred Pounds last as long) we hastened to London and had the