HISTORY OF MARY PRINCE.

BY THE EDITOR.


Leaving Mary's narrative, for the present, without comment to the reader's
reflections, I proceed to state some circumstances connected with her case
which have fallen more particularly under my own notice, and which I
consider it incumbent now to lay fully before the public.

About the latter end of November, 1828, this poor woman found her way to
the office of the Anti-Slavery Society in Aldermanbury, by the aid of a
person who had become acquainted with her situation, and had advised her
to apply there for advice and assistance. After some preliminary
examination into the accuracy of the circumstances related by her, I went
along with her to Mr. George Stephen, solicitor, and requested him to
investigate and draw up a statement of her case, and have it submitted to
counsel, in order to ascertain whether or not, under the circumstances,
her freedom could be legally established on her return to Antigua. On this
occasion, in Mr. Stephen's presence and mine, she expressed, in very
strong terms, her anxiety to return thither if she could go as a free
person, and, at the same time, her extreme apprehensions of the fate that
would probably await her if she returned as a slave. Her words were, "I
would rather go into my grave than go back a slave to Antigua, though I
wish to go back to my husband very much--very much--very much! I am much
afraid my owners would separate me from my husband, and use me very hard,
or perhaps sell me for a field negro;--and slavery is too too bad. I would
rather go into my grave!"