Sussex Advertiser — 19/02/1749
View Original

Part 32 of the adventures of Roderick Random. The narrator listens to a companion's harrowing account of falling into desperate street prostitution and illness after a failed inheritance scam. Moved by her tragic transformation from a wealthy upbringing to extreme poverty, the narrator helps nursing her back to health while they plot an escape from their circumstances.

No. XXXII. The Continuation of The Adventures of Roderick Random.

HAVING lost my Benefactor, and almost consumed the Remains of his Bounty, I saw myself in Danger of relapsing into my former Necessity, and began to be very uneasy at the Prospect of Bailiffs and Jails;—when one of the Sisterhood, a little stale, advised me to take Lodgings in a Part of the Town where I was unknown, and pass for an Heiress, which might cozen Some Body to be my Husband, who would possibly be able to allow me a handsome Maintenance, or at worst screen me from the Dread and Danger of a Prison, by becoming liable for whatever Debts I should contract—I approved of this Scheme, towards the Execution of which my Companion clubbed her Wardrobe, and undertook to live with me in Quality of my Maid; with the Proviso, that she should be reimbursed and handsomely considered out of the Profits of my Success. She was immediately detached to look out for a convenient Place, and that very Day hired a genteel Apartment in Park-street, whither I moved in a Coach loaded with her Baggage and my own—I made my first Appearance in a blue Riding-Habit trimmed with Silver; and my Maid acted her Part so artfully, that in a Day or two, my Fame was spread all over the Neighbourhood, and I was said to be a rich Heiress just arrived from the Country—This Report raised a Swarm of gay young Fellows about me; but I soon found them out to be all indigent Adventurers like myself, who flew to me with a View of mending their own Fortune.—I maintained, however, as moderate a Wealth as long as possible, in hopes of gaining some Admirer more for my Purpose; and at length, attracted the Regard of one who would have satisfied my Wishes, and managed Matters so well, that a Day was actually fixed for our Nuptials: In the Interim, he begged Leave to introduce an intimate Friend to me, which Request as I could not refuse, I had the extreme Mortification and Surprise, to see next Night, in that Friend, my old Keeper Horatio, who no sooner beheld me than he changed Colour; but had Presence of Mind to advance and salute me, bidding me (with a low Voice) be under no Apprehension, for he would not expose me—In spite of this Assurance, I could not recover myself so far, as to entertain them, but withdrew to my Chamber on Pretence of a severe Head-ach, to the no small Concern of my Adorer, who took his Leave in the tenderest Manner, and went off with his Friend.

Having imparted my Situation to my Companion, she found it high Time for us to decamp, and that without any Noise, because we were not only indebted to our Landlady, but also to several Tradesmen in the Neighbourhood.—Our Retreat (therefore) was concerted and executed in this Manner: Having packed up all our Clothes and Moveables in small Parcels, she (on Pretence of fetching Cordials for me) carried them at several Times, to the House of an Acquaintance, where she likewise procured a Lodging, to which we retir’d in the Middle of the Night, when every other Body in the House was asleep—I was now obliged to aim at lower Game, and accordingly spread my Nets among Trades People; but found them all too phlegmatic or cautious for my Art and Attractions; till at last I became acquainted with you, on whom I practised all my Dexterity; not that I believed you had any Fortune or Expectation of one, but that I might transfer the Burden of such Debts as I had incurred or could contract, from myself to another, and at the same Time avenge myself of your Sex, by rendering miserable, one who bore such Resemblance to the Wretch who ruined me;—but Heaven preserved you from my Snares, by the Discovery you made, which was owing to the Negligence of my Maid in leaving the Chamber-Door unlocked, when she went to buy Sugar for Breakfast—The Person in Bed with me, was a Gentleman whom I allured the Night before, as he walked homeward pretty much elevated with Liquor; for by this Time my Condition was so low, that I was forced to turn out in the Twilight, to the Streets in Hopes of Prey—When I found myself detected and forsaken by you, I was fain to move my Lodging, and dwell two Pair of Stairs higher than before: My Companion being disappointed in her Expectations, left me, to trade upon her own Bottom, and I had no other Resource, than to venture forth, like the Owls, in the Dark, to pick up a precarious and uncomfortable Subsistence—I have often sauntered between Ludgate-Hill and Charing-Cross, a whole Winter’s Night, exposed not only to the Inclemency of the Weather, but likewise to the Rage of Hunger and Thirst, without being so happy as to meet with one Cully; then creep up to my Garret, in a deplorable, draggled Condition, sneak to Bed, and try to bury my Appetite and Sorrows in Sleep—When I lighted on some Rake or Tradesman reeling home drunk, I frequently suffered the most brutal Treatment, in spite of which I was obliged to affect Gaiety and Good-humour, tho’ my Soul was stung with Resentment and Disdain, and my Heart loaded with Grief and Affliction—In the Course of these nocturnal Adventures, I was infected with the Disease, that in a short Time rendered me the Object of my own Abhorrence, and drove me to the Retreat, where your Benevolence rescued me from the Jaws of Death.

So much Candour and good Sense appeared in this Lady’s Narration, that I made no Scruple of believing every Syllable of what she said; and expressed my Astonishment at the Variety of Miseries she had undergone, in so little Time; for all her Misfortunes had happened within the Compass of two Years—I compared her Situation with my own, and found it a thousand Times more wretched: I had endur’d Hardships, ‘tis true; my whole Life had been a Series of such, and when I looked forward, the Prospect was not much bettered—but then, they were become habitual to me, and consequently, I could bear them with less Difficulty—If one Scheme of Life should not succeed, I could have Recourse to another, and so to a third, veering about to a thousand different Shifts, according to the Emergencies of my Fate, without forfeiting the Dignity of my Character, beyond a Power of retrieving it, or subjecting myself wholly to the Caprice and Barbarity of the World. On the other Hand, she had known and relished the Sweets of Prosperity, she had been brought up under the Wings of an indulgent Parent, in all the Delicacies to which her Sex and Rank entitled her; and without any Extravagance of Hope, entertained herself with the uninterrupted Happiness thro’ the whole Scene of Life—How fatal then, how tormenting, how intolerable must her Reverse of Fortune be! a Reverse, that not only robs her of these external Comforts, and plunges her into all the Miseries of Want, but also murders her Peace of Mind, and entails upon her the Curse of eternal Infamy!—Of all Professions I pronounced that of a Courtezan the most deplorable, and of all Courtezans the most unhappy.—She allowed my Observation to be just in the Main, but at the same time, affirmed, that notwithstanding the Disgraces which had fallen to her Share, she had not been so unlucky in the Condition of a Prostitute as many others of the same Community,—

“I have often seen (said she) while I strolled about the Streets at Midnight, a Number of naked Wretches reduced to Rags and Filth, huddled together like Swine, in the Corner of a dark Alley; some of whom, but eighteen Months before, I had known the Favourites of the Town, rolling in Affluence, and glittering in all the Pomp of Equipage and Drefs.”

And indeed the Gradation is easily conceived; the most fashionable Woman of the Town is as liable to Contagion, as one in a much humbler Sphere; she infects her Admirers, her Situation is public, she is avoided, neglected, unable to support her usual Appearance, which however she strives to maintain as long as possible; her Credit fails, she is obliged to retrench and become a Night-Walker, her Malady gains Ground, she tampers with her Constitution and ruins it; her Complexion fades, she grows nauseous to Every Body, finds herself reduced to a starving Condition, is tempted to pick Pockets, is detected, committed to Newgate, where she remains in a miserable Condition, till she is discharged because the Plaintiff will not appear to prosecute her. No Body will afford her Lodging, the Symptoms of her Distemper are grown outrageous, she sues to be admitted into an Hospital, where she is cured at the Expence of her Nose; she is turned out naked into the Streets, depends upon the Addresses of the Canaille, is fain to allay the Rage of Hunger and Cold with Gin, degenerates into a State of brutal Insensibility, rots and dies upon a Dunghill!—Miserable Wretch that I am! perhaps the same Horrors are decreed for me!—

“No (cried she after some Pause) I sha’n’t never live to such Extremity of Distress! my own Hand shall open a Way for my Deliverance, before I arrive at that forlorn Period!”

Her Condition filled me with Sympathy and Compassion; I revered her Qualifications, looked upon her as unfortunate, not criminal; and attended her with such Care and Success, that in less than two Months, her Health, as well as my own, was perfectly re-established.—As we often conferred upon our mutual Affairs, and interchanged Advice, a thousand different Projects were formed, which upon further canvassing appeared impracticable—We would have gladly gone to Service; but who would take us in without Recommendation? At length an Expedient occurred to her, of which she intended to lay hold; and this was, to procure with the first Money she should earn, the homely Garb of a Country Wench, go to some Village at a good Distance from Town, and come up in a Waggon, as a fresh Girl for Service; by which Means, she might be provided for in a Manner much more suitable to her Inclination, than her present Way of Life.