see the light. He told her he was sorry that the indiscretion of her
and his son had compelled him to make a vow, which put it out of
his power to give them any assistance; that he had already imparted
his thoughts on that subject to her husband, and was surprised that
they should disturb his peace with any farther importunity. This
said, he retired.

The violence of my mother's affliction had such an effect on
her constitution that she was immediately seized with the pains
of childbed; and had not an old maidservant, to whom she was very
dear, afforded her pity and assistance, at the hazard of incurring
my grandfather's displeasure, she and the innocent fruit of her womb
must have fallen miserable victims to his rigour and inhumanity. By
the friendship of this poor woman she was carried up to a garret,
and immediately delivered of a man child, the story of whose
unfortunate birth he himself now relates. My father, being informed
of what had happened, flew to the embraces of his darling spouse,
and while he loaded his offspring with paternal embraces, could not
forbear shedding a flood of tears on beholding the dear partner of
his heart (for whose ease he would have sacrificed the treasures
of the east) stretched upon a flock bed, in a miserable apartment,
unable to protect her from the inclemencies of the weather. It
is not to be supposed that the old gentleman was ignorant of what
passed, though he affected to know nothing of the matter, and
pretended to be very much surprised, when one of his grandchildren,
by his eldest son deceased, who lived with him as his heir apparent,
acquainted him with the affair; he determined therefore to observe
no medium, but immediately (on the third day after her delivery)
sent her a peremptory order to be gone, and turned off the servant
who had preserved her life. This behaviour so exasperated my father