He woke up before me in the morning. After I awoke, I found a letter from him, explaining that he had left with his servants, horses, and baggage. My dear,
I am a dog; I have hurt you. Forgive me , my dear! I ask you to pardon what I have done to you sincerely. I have felt terrible for having cheated you . I was so happy to have you as my wife , and am now broken-hearted to be forced to leave you. Forgive me, my dear. Please forgive me! I cannot care for you , as I have no fortune. Our marriage is nothing; I
shall never be able to see you again. Please find happiness. I hope you mill find a husband of great fortune. However, if you do not marry, and I become wealthy, it shall all be yours.
I have left some money for you. Again, I sincerely ask you to forgive me.
Goodbye, my dear, forever!
J.E
Nothing in my life had ever upset me more than
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that letter did. I was angry with him for leaving me, as I only wanted to be with him; I was no longer worried about being a gentlewoman of fortune. I saw that he had left me ten guineas, his gold watch, and a few rings.
I sat down for the next few hours, looking at his letter, crying and calling his name. "Oh, Jemmy! Come back, come back. I'll give you all I have!" Then I would walk around the room, calling his name again, telling him to come back, and then cried again.
I spent the day crying for my lost husband till about seven o'clock, when he surprised me by returning to me. I did not know whether to be glad or angry, but when I saw him, I was overjoyed, and ran to him.
I told him how I spent the day, and how loudly I had called his name, telling him to return. He told me that he had heard me from a forest about twelve miles
away.
"Do not think I am lying, as I heard you call me. You said, 'Oh, Jemmy! Oh, Jemmy! Come back, come back.'"
I laughed at him, but he insisted that he had heard my voice. I told him he must never leave me again, but he explained that he only returned to say goodbye to
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me. I persuaded him to stay with me for a week more. He agreed. During the next week, I told him of a plan for us to stay together, while making a fortune for ourselves. I explained that we could leave for Virginia, where we would buy land cheaply, eventually able to make a great deal of money from the land. I then told him that I knew a great number of people that had bought land there, and had become quite wealthy. At first, he was rather interested in this idea, but eventually he began speaking about moving to Ireland to buy land in the same manner, telling me that he could make a great deal more money there. He promised me that he would come back for me if he was successful. I gave him an address that he could write me at, although I never told him my real name.
Soon after, I arrived in London, and lived very quietly, remembering my wonderful time with my husband. My happiness ended when I discovered I was with child. I was quite worried as to what to do; I had no friends to ask for help, and did not know where to go to have this child.
During this time, I had continued to write to my friend at the bank, or rather he had continued to write to me, as he wrote to me nearly once a week. In his
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latest letter, he explained that his divorce was almost complete, though he had some unexpected difficulties. I was pleased to hear that his divorce was taking longer. Though I could not marry him now, as I was with child, I decided that I would marry him if he was still planning to marry me; I believed that my husband would never contact me again.
After some time, the family of the house noticed that I was with child. Shortly after, the lady of the house politely suggested that I find another place to live, as I was there alone with no husband, which did not look proper. After this, I became quite upset, as I had no place to go to have this child. I was so worried about my situation that I soon became rather ill. The lady of the house suggested that I find a nurse to help me, but I told her that I did not know any nurse in the area, so she promised me she would find an excellent nurse for me. Soon enough, the nurse came to see me. She explained her services and fees, which were rather cheap; I was delighted to hear this. She told me that I could go to live at her house, where many women went to have their children, which was a comfortable place with private rooms and servants. After speaking to her several times, I realised that most of the women who
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she helped were unmarried women, often mistresses. I explained to her that I did have a husband, but he was far away, and unable to return. She seemed unconcerned with whether or not I had a husband. She explained that whether I was a wife or a mistress, she would care for me.
Soon after, I moved into her house. On the day I arrived, she sent me a roasted chicken and a bottle of wine to welcome me. She visited me often during my stay, which eased me a great deal. After being at her home for a week, my illness was cured. I had become ill when I realised I had no place to go to have my child. Now, however, I no longer had such worries. My nurse often spoke to me about what I would do with the child after it was born. I was, indeed, quite concerned about what to do with my child, as I had little money to care for the poor baby. She told me that many women who came to live at her house to have their babies, were unable to care for their children, and were placed with other families, who would raise the children. I was worried, however, that my child would not be properly cared for. I feared for my child. My nurse assured me, however, that she would find the best families to care for the children. She reminded me,
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as well, that many of these children would live on the streets with no one to care for them or die if she did not find them homes. We spoke about this quite often, as I was rather anxious about what to do with my child after its birth.
While I stayed in her house, for nearly four months, I discovered that my dear nurse did not earn any money through taking care of these women, as she had thirteen in the house with me, and took care of nearly thirty-two in other homes. She earned her income from other work. She cared for each woman with great care, as if each woman was her own daughter,
I was shocked to see how many women she was taking care of, all of whom had the great problem I did, that they were all without husbands, and had no one to care for them. I never saw anything improper in that house. No men were allowed in the house unless they were relatives of the women living there, and were only allowed to visit the women if the dear old nurse was in the room,
A short time before I was to give birth to my child, I received another letter from my banker friend. He explained that he had finally obtained a divorce, and
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wished to marry me, if I would still agree to marry him. On the evening that his wife was informed of their divorce, she killed herself. He did not regret his decision to divorce her, but was upset that she decided to kill herself, although he no longer loved her as a wife. He declared that he was still greatly in love with me, and wanted nothing but to be with me. I, of course, had not told him that I was with child. I felt rather guilty for cheating him; if he had known I was with child, he would have been broken-hearted.
I wrote to him to congratulate him on his divorce. In the letter, I did not give an answer to his offer of marriage. I explained that he should think carefully about deciding to marry again so quickly. I mentioned, however, that I planned to return to London at the end of the year, this being the month of April.
In the middle of May, I had a brave boy. My nurse helped me greatly. She knew her job well, and cared for each woman with extreme care. Nearly twenty days after I had my dear son, I received another letter from my friend at the bank. He begged me to agree to marry him, explaining that he had thought a great deal about the decision to marry me, and desired nothing more in life than to marry me. I was quite
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anxious after receiving this letter, as I now had a child to care for, and could not tell him about the child.
My nurse knew that something was upsetting me greatly, and often asked me to tell her. I explained that I could never tell another person my secret. After telling her this, she began asking me more frequently about my troublesome secret, reminding me that she had never told me any secrets of the other women in her house. Finally, I explained the story of how my husband and I had attempted to cheat each other, but that my husband had told me I was free to marry again. Then, I told her of my friend at the bank, who had asked me to marry him, but who, as well, did not know I had been with child. After concluding, my dear nurse told me that my marriage was meaningless, and I was free to marry again, as my husband and I had cheated each other, and both agreed to part.
Although I was now free to marry again, I still had the problem of what to do with my dear child. I loved him dearly, but knew that I could not take care of him without a husband or a great fortune. My bank friend, however, was unaware of my new child. I greatly feared that if my friend did know, he would leave me entirely, and never write to me again. I was
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in great pain when I thought of leaving my dear child to someone else and never seeing my baby again. I. was terrified when I had such thoughts. I was quite afraid that if my child was given to someone else to be cared for, he would surely die, as he would not be given the careful attention that a mother's love provides.
I often spoke of my fears to my nurse, who I came to call my mother. She seemed quite worried about my problem, as well, although many women had told her of such problems. Therefore, she was more reasonable about the situation, without the emotional feelings of a mother.
One particular instance, during which we were speaking of my child, she mentioned that my mother had not raised me, but I had raised myself and made a small fortune. I was rather shocked when she reminded me of not having been raised by my mother; I had had a difficult life, and did not want my dear child to suffer as I had.
"Never be concerned, child, "said she, "I have no bad nurses around me. I employ the best nurses, who care dearly for the children. "
She knew that I was still upset, quite worried about the future of my child, and myself. She
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continued to speak of the many children her nurses care for with great love and attention.
"Well, Mother," said I, "your nurses are very poor, and quite delighted to receive the money, and make sure the child does not die, or they will lose their income, but they have no reason to give the child a happy, loving life."
"They are as careful as any mother," said she, "they must care for the child as a mother would, or the child will be taken away, and they will lose their pay,"
"Oh, Mother," said I, "it is impossible to be satisfied with finding a nurse for my dear child. I will always worry that my dear boy will suffer. "
"Alright, my child, I have found out a way how you shall be certain that your child is well-taken care of. If you are able to spend a bit of your income each year, you shall be able to see the child once or twice a year, although he will never know who you are. "
I was quite pleased with her offer, and immediately agreed. So the next week, a woman was brought to my nurse's home to take the child. I gave her ten pounds to take the child, and promised her another five pounds every year if she would bring the child to my nurse's house once or twice a year.
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I then began to write to my friend at the bank more kindly. Near the beginning of July, I sent him a letter explaining that I would return to London during August. He quickly responded to my letter with great words of love, insisting that he would come meet me. I did not wish for him to see where I was staying, so I requested that he meet me in a town near London.
I was very glad to see him. It pleased me, as well, to see the expensive gentleman's carriage he arrived in, along with a servant to care for him. He decided that we should rest at an inn for the night before returning to London the next day, as he worried that I was tired after my journey. That evening, after dinner, as we were walking around the inn, I thought that he might ask me to marry him, now that he was no longer married. I decided that I must accept his offer, as I had little left of my fortune and no friends to go to. Soon enough, the owner of the inn came out to meet us. He informed my banker friend that he could call a minister to marry us, if we would need one.
My gentleman answered loudly enough for me to hear, "Very well, I believe I shall need a minister. "
He then came to me, speaking sincerely of his love for me. He told me that he had wished to marry me
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since our first meeting, and now we were able to marry.
I came to meet you so I would be able to ask you to marry me," said he, before showing me his divorce papers. "Don't be frightened, my dear," said he as he kissed me. That was the first time he had spoken to me with such passion.
As he spoke, I began to cry, and turned my head away so he would not see my tears, I thought of how sincere and honest this dear man was, this man who I had cheated so terribly in marrying another man and giving birth to a child. I then decided that I would no longer cheat him; I would be an honest, loving wife to this dear man. The minister was called to the inn, and we were happily married, in the presence of the inn owner, his wife, and their daughter.
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CHAPTER SIX
The next morning, I opened the window to look out at the small village when I saw three gentlemen ride by and go into a nearby inn, I was shocked to discover that one of the men was my last husband, with whom I had had a child. I was frightened, as I knew his clothes, his horse, and his face quite well. I immediately closed the window, but looked out again several times before the three men quickly departed, as I was curious to find out his reason for coming to the village. That evening, the town was alarmed to discover that a carriage coming into town was robbed of 560 pounds shortly after the three men left the town. Several police officers came into the town to find out about the men. I announced, however, that I knew one of the gentlemen quite well, and knew he was no robber, but rather a wealthy gentleman from nearby.
We did, indeed, leave for London the next day. When we arrived at my husband's home, I was delighted to see that my husband had quite a lovely house, filled with many wealthy treasures. How different my life would be. I would live honestly and be
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an excellent wife; I would have a life of pleasure! I sincerely regretted cheating him, and promised to never cheat him again.
We lived together quite pleasantly for five years. He was a quiet, sensible, sincere man, and worked hard at his business, I decided that I must not spend great amounts of money foolishly, as I had in the past. I chose now to live quietly with my family, and paid a great deal of attention to my husband and children; and this kind of life became a pleasure to me.
After five calm years, however, my husband lost a great deal of our fortune to a partner in his business, who had cheated him. My husband was quite upset about this loss, although I explained that he would easily make the fortune again. He did not listen, however, and soon became ill and died. I was desperate, as our fortune was gone and I now had two children to care for. I was now forty-eight years old, and no longer looked like a young beauty that could easily become a mistress to be taken care of. I had no friend to comfort or advise me; I sat and cried day and night. I lived two years this way, crying continually over my unfortunate situation.
I had sold my house and many of my things to save
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a bit of money, but feared that my little fortune would soon be gone, and I would be nothing but a poor old woman with no home. I thought of this quite often with terror. One afternoon, I was wandering about the town, worrying about my poor situation when I was walking past a clothing shop. I noticed that near the door of the shop was a great deal of expensive cloth, and the shopkeeper was not nearby. I walked into the shop, carefully took the cloth from the table near the door, and walked out. I was rather upset for having become a criminal, but had no choice; if I continued to live an honest life, I would soon have no home, and would soon die with no food. I walked away quickly, terrified that I was now a thief, and no longer an honest gentleman's wife.
"Lord," I said to myself as I cried, "what am I now? A thief! I shall soon be taken to Newgate and killed!"
I continued this way, as I greatly feared that if I did not become a thief, I would soon be poor, with no way to buy a little bread to eat. I regretted having to steal, but I had no other way to live.
Some time later, I was walking through the streets of London when I saw a young child walking alone. I
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began walking next to the child, speaking kindly, and explaining that I would take the dear child home. While talking to the child, I took her necklace of gold beads, but the child never noticed; I then left quietly. I was quite pleased with myself for finding such a treasure; my fears of poverty surpassed my desire to be honest and sincere. This necklace was worth nearly twelve or fourteen pounds. After this adventure, I attempted many more robberies, and was not caught, although I worried that I would be caught and go immediately to Newgate to be killed for my dishonesty. I stole many things from people, but did not know where to trade my goods for money. Although I had several things I had obtained from robberies, I had very little money left, and had to tell my dear child's nurse that I could no longer send her the five pounds each year that I had promised. I went to see my old nurse, and told her of my situation; She told me not to worry about my dear child, as he was well-taken care of by his nurse, who would continue to treat him well. During the visit, I explained that I had very little money left, but had several pieces of silver, cloth, and other goods to sell, but did not know where to go for a good price. I did not tell her where the goods had come from, though. She told me that she
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knew someone who often bought such goods, and she would help me sell my things to him.
I found that my dear nurse was quite useful to me, and could possibly help me with finding a job, as I would happily find honest employment if I could find it. She, unfortunately, had no employment to offer. She invited me at last to come live at her house till T could find something to do; I gladly accepted her offer. My nurse knew of my secret robberies, as she realised that many of the goods I had were not mine. After discovering that I was not an honest gentlewoman, she encouraged me more often to go out to steal. She often did business with such people.
My nurse found a woman to teach me to steal clothing from stores, steal boos, and take off gold watches from ladies' wrists. After some time, she became my partner in robberies, and we became quite rich, stealing a great deal, which pleased my nurse. My partner had been a thief for many years, and no longer felt guilty in stealing. Some time later, I, too, no longer felt guilty about being a thief. Of course, I believe that if I had found honest work, I would not have become a thief. We became rich through our dangerous work, and continued, although we had quite
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a fortune to live on. I decided that I would continue as a thief until I had a fortune of four or five hundred times, after which I would retire.
After many robberies with my partner, the police caught her after a particularly dangerous adventure. She was sent to Newgate and was sentenced to death, as she had committed other crimes, and had gone to prison already. Before she was killed, I went to see her to comfort her while in prison. The experience of going to Newgate, my frightening birthplace, scared me a great deal, and I could not bear to visit the place any longer. Soon enough, my friend was killed; I should have stopped my stealing then, but I refused, although I had a fortune of over 200 pounds.
One evening, I was walking through a nearby neighbourhood, looking for a robbery opportunity. I soon came to a house that was on fire. I quickly walked in, as the fire was rather small. The maids were yelling and crying, running all over the house. I told one of the servants I came from a nearby house to help remove the treasures of the house to safety. The woman looked grateful for my help, and gave me a great deal of silver, cloth, and other expensive treasures. I carried my prize to my nurse, who was quite pleased with my
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work, my treasures being worth 24 pounds. This was the greatest and the worst prize I had ever found. I had, indeed, become distrustful and insincere, but I did pity the poor gentlewoman who lost her home and possessions, and was cheated by me, as well. I cried often when I thought of that poor woman. Yet, that robbery encouraged me to continue as a criminal, as I became rather unfeeling after becoming a thief, but was quite careful with each adventure, as I did not wish to die in Newgate like my partner.
I was once walking in a crowd, looking to steal a gentlewoman's gold watch off her wrist. I could not remove the watch from her wrist, however. I became quite frightened, scared that she would discover me behind her, attempting to steal her jewellry. I cried out that someone tried to steal my watch. The crowd stopped, everyone looked around for the thief. Then, the woman yelled that someone had tried to take her watch, as well. When I go out into town as a thief, I always dress quite well in my best clothing and a gold watch on my wrist, and carry at least 20 pounds with me. Soon after I exclaimed that someone had attempted to rob me, several others in the crowd cried the same words, I was now far away from the woman; a young
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man was soon taken, and the crowd declared that he was the thief. He was immediately taken to the police. After this incident, I was rather frightened and did not steal watches for quite some time.
My nurse, however, encouraged me to continue my robbery adventures. As my dear nurse and I became closer, she explained that she had spent many years stealing, among other manners of work. She had been caught and sent to prison for some time, then to Ireland where she continued her work. She then returned to England to work as a nurse while continuing her dishonest work.
Now I had worked as a thief for nearly five years without being caught by the police and sent to Newgate. Many at Newgate, however, knew my name, as they had heard of my good skills in stealing and cheating others. They all expected that I would soon be caught and sent to Newgate, but I was never caught, though many times I was quite close to being caught.
My greatest danger now was that I was too well-known. Many were angry that I was not in Newgate, and would attempt to cheat me so I would soon be caught and sent to prison. These people knew me as Moll Flanders, which was not my real name, although
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these other thieves did not know that I once used the name Mrs. Flanders.
I was rather worried that I would soon be caught, as I was so well-known among other thieves. I decided to stay indoors for quite some time, refusing to go out as a thief. Finally, my nurse persuaded me to dress as a man to go out stealing with a man my nurse had found. I went with the man usually at night to rob, although he never knew I was not actually a man.
One evening, we were out when we saw five pieces of expensive silk sitting just inside the window. My partner became rather anxious to get the pieces, although I told him we should not, as it was quite a dangerous situation. Yet, he went to fetch the pieces, but someone soon saw him, and yelled, "Thief!"
He began to run, as did I. I ran back to my nurse's home and up the stairs. A crowd of people soon followed, demanding that my nurse open the door, as a man had just run inside. She was quite calm, and explained that there was no man in her house. The crowd became angry and again demanded to look inside. She allowed a police officer to come in to look, but he found nothing, and told the crowd to return home.
My poor partner was taken to Newgate to be
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killed. He proclaimed that he could find his partner, Gabriel Spencer, but he never could find me. He explained what I looked like and where I stayed, but no one could find me. T had never told my partner where I actually lived, but had always gone somewhere else so he would not know my true identity.
I was quite uneasy after this event, and decided to move to die countryside for some time, worried that I would be found and sent to Newgate. I stayed in the countryside for five weeks before my nurse sent me a message that my partner had been killed in Newgate. I was delighted, although I pitied him for the terrible end to his life. Although I was terribly frightened of being caught, I still continued as a thief after my partner was killed.
Some time later, I had a new partner to help in my robberies. On one occasion, I stole some expensive material from a clothing shop, but the shop owner noticed that I took the material, so I handed it to my partner quickly before we ran in opposite directions. She was caught with the material and was sent to Newgate; I was never caught. As many of my partners were often caught and sent to Newgate, I never told anyone my real name, which saved me from Newgate. I felt terribly guilty for her misfortune in going to
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Newgate. I often sent her money and food after she was sent to Newgate. I obtained information about her situation, and paid great attention to what would happen to the poor thing. She pleaded that she had not stolen the material, but that I, Mrs. Flanders, had given it to her as we ran from the shop. The court decided not to kill her, as she was, in fact, not the original thief. She was then sent to America to work as a servant for several years.
I must repeat it again that this poor woman's situation was quite troublesome to me, as I was the reason she was sent to Newgate. However, I realised that my life would be in serious danger if anyone were to find out my name to be Moll Flanders, When I discovered that she would not be killed, I was content to find out that she would be taken to America, and therefore, I would no longer be worried that she might again find me.
For some time I did not leave my nurse's house as a thief. After a while, however, I began to go out for simple robberies again. I sometimes dressed as a maid or would wait near the ships to see what goods were coming from abroad. On one occasion, I went near a ship that had just returned to London from abroad, I
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noticed that a box full of expensive clothing and materials had just come in, I then wrote a letter from Mr. John Richardson to his dear cousin, Jemmy Cole in London, explaining that Mr. John Richardson's mother would take the materials to him. I brought this letter to the ship workers to explain that Mr. Richardson had sent me, his aunt, to collect his things that had come on the ship.
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CHAPTER SEVEN
I was quite successful in my adventures as a thief. My nurse often persuaded me to continue my life as a thief, although I became rather worried, at times. During one robbery, I dressed in black, as a widow whose husband had recently died. I wandered around the city looking for robbery opportunities. As I walked, I heard someone screaming, "Stop, thief! Stop, thief!" Someone had dressed in black as a widow, and robbed a nearby shop. Just then, a crowd gathered around me, and one man, the shopkeeper's assistant, declared that I had been the thief. I was immediately brought to the shop where the shopkeeper announced that I had not been the thief. Others insisted, however, that I remain at the shop until the police officer arrived. The officer soon came, but I was still not allowed to leave, as the officer declared that I would soon be in Newgate. Soon enough, however, the true thief was brought into the shop, and the shopkeeper announced that this woman, indeed, was the thief. I then demanded that we immediately go to court. The shopkeeper apologized for refusing to let me
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leave earlier. On our way to the court, the actual thief had run away, but we continued to court. Nearly 500 people followed us, curious to see what was happening.
We soon arrived, and the judge asked that we explain what had happened. He first asked my name, so I had to tell him my name was Mary Flanders. I then explained that my husband was a sea captain who had died while traveling to Virginia, and that I was living with my nurse for a short time before leaving for America. I then told the judge the story of the shopkeeper's assistant treating me as a criminal, although the shopkeeper had declared that I was not the thief, and that they decided to keep me at the shop. After I concluded the story, the judge declared that I was free to leave. I returned home to my nurse quickly to explain the terrible story. When I finished explaining what had happened, she began laughing. I was shocked to see her laughing, as I was greatly disturbed after what had happened.
"I laugh, child," she said, "because of how lucky you are. You shall make the shopkeeper and his assistant pay five hundred pounds to you for the way they treated you."
I was worried, however, that I had told the judge
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my name was Mary Flanders. My name was famous in Newgate, and I was quite troubled to go to court against the shopkeeper for five hundred pounds. My nurse hired an excellent lawyer who explained that we would not have to return to court to demand the five hundred pounds from the shopkeeper. He soon went to speak with the shopkeeper, explaining that if he would agree to pay me five hundred pounds for troubling me, then I would not force him to return to the court. He told the frightened shopkeeper that I was a woman of fortune, with many wealthy friends who were quite upset that I was treated so horribly by the shopkeeper and his assistant. After some time, the shopkeeper offered fifty pounds, but my lawyer demanded five hundred pounds. So, they continued to disagree for some time. Finally, my lawyer informed me that the shopkeeper was eager to have a meeting between us. I agreed; my lawyer requested that I dress as a woman of fortune to show the shopkeeper I was, indeed, quite wealthy.
I arrived to the meeting in new clothing, a necklace made of pearls and diamonds that my nurse had given me to use for the meeting, a good gold watch, and my maid at my side. When I came into the
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room, the shopkeeper looked quite surprised to see that I appeared to be quite wealthy. The shopkeeper complimented my elegant clothing. I told him I believed he would not have treated me so rudely if he had known of my wealth.
He told me he was very sorry for what had happened. He explained that he was willing to pay me for my suffering, and hoped that we could agree not to return to court. I replied that I did not intend to ruin him, but my friends insisted that I must be paid for my suffering. After some discussion of payment, we agreed that he would pay me one hundred and fifty pounds, my lawyer's fees, and make me a suit of black silk.
I was now, indeed, quite a wealthy woman, as I had nearly seven hundred pounds, besides clothes, rings, two gold watches, and some silver, and all of them stolen. I could no longer resist going out as a thief; the possibilities of the adventures excited me.
A short time after the misunderstanding with the shopkeeper was finished, I dressed as a beggar woman, hoping to cheat people. I walked around the city, looking in every door and window. I hated being dirty, so this adventure was quite short, as it was not suitable to me. Everyone I met seemed to be afraid of me, and
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would not walk near me. I did not find many opportunities while out dressed as a beggar woman. One night, I was standing near the doorway of an inn when a man came near on horseback. He looked around for a few moments, looking for a place to keep his horse safe. He asked that I watch his horse for him while he was inside. Soon after he walked in, I took the horse away and took it to my nurse.
We did not know what to do with the horse, as my nurse and I knew not where to sell the horse. After same time, we decided that we should take the horse to another inn, then send a letter to the gentleman's inn explaining that the horse had been lost, but was later found.
So this was a robbery and no robbery, as I neither gained nor lost anything through it. After this adventure, I decided I no longer wished to dress as a beggar woman, as I earned very little on my adventures out.
I decided, instead, to dress as a wealthy gentlewoman, which had previously given me several opportunities as a thief; most people believed thieves could not look wealthy, One afternoon, I was in a clothing shop at the other side of town, watching a shopkeeper take out an expensive piece of lace. A moment later, people outside started screaming that the
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queen would soon walk down the street. Everyone, including the shopkeepers turned to watch the queen walk by. As the crowd was watching carefully, I cautiously took the lace before quietly walking out of the shop. I slowly walked to find a carriage, as I did not wish to be caught walking down the street with the lace. Just after I stepped into the carriage, I heard loud screams coming closer. I did not hear, "Stop, thief!" because nobody ran away, but I could hear the words "robbed" and "lace," and I became quite uneasy. A moment later, the carriage driver was ready and we left. I brought my new lace home to my nurse, which was worth nearly twenty pounds.
The next day, I dressed up again as a woman of fortune, and walked near the same shop. I walked to the park where I saw a great number of wealthy women. Soon, I noticed a young miss of thirteen, or fourteen years old step out of a carriage with her sister of about nine years old. The two girls had no maid with them, only the carriage driver. The little miss told the driver to wait while the two girls walked through the park for a short time. After the girls went into the park, I walked towards the driver, asking about the two girls, remarking that they were quite well-
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mannered, pretty girls. Soon enough, I walked into the park, calling the girl by her name, Lady Betty. I began asking her about her parents, telling the girl that I was a dear friend of her mother. We walked around the park together, talking about her parents and her dear little sister. Soon, the king walked by, and all in the park turned to see him go by, I helped Lady Betty to stand nearby to see the king, while I took her gold watch. The crowd of people began to move along the park as the king walked by. I left the two girls, saying, "Dear Lady Betty, take care of your little sister. " And so, I left with the crowd. I later heard that upon returning to her carriage, she discovered that her gold watch was gone. She explained me in great detail, and the driver knew I had been the woman, and he searched around the park for a great deal of time,
I was quite fortunate in my work as a thief. My nurse and I became quite wealthy through our adventures. In the past, I had thought of retiring from such work, but my nurse insisted that we continue. Now, my nurse attempted to persuade me to end my work as a thief, but I was more courageous than before in my adventures. With my success, I became the most famous thief in London.
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It was the day after Christmas that I went out to a silver shop. I looked around the shop, and saw that no one was in the shop. I was about to steal a few pieces of silver when I saw a man from the other side of the, street come running into the shop. He then grabbed my hand and called for the owners of the shop to come.
1 had not touched anything in the shop, and when I saw him running over, I called for the shop owners to come, I had always had the most courage when I was in the most danger, so when he stopped me, I said that I came from the countryside to buy some silver spoons. The man laughed when I spoke, declaring that I was lying. A crowd of people now surrounded the shop, curious to find out what had happened. This man insisted that I came to steal, but he had to prove it; I demanded that we go immediately to court.
The owners of the shop were rather polite, but were confused on what to do. As we were discussing what to do, the town judge came into the shop, offering to hear the story and offer advice. The shop owner explained what had happened quite honestly. Then, the man from across the street told his story with foolish anger. I then explained that I had come from the countryside to buy six silver spoons. Luckily,
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I had a silver spoon in my pocket, which I showed them, telling them that I wished for the owner of the shop to make six others in the same manner.
The judge asked the neighbour if I had, indeed, called for the shop owner; the neighbour admitted that I had, but insisted that I had because 1 saw the neighbour running towards the shop,
"You told me earlier that this woman could not see you, as she was not facing the street. Now, you say that she did see you coming," the judge told the neighbour.
Now, it was true that I was facing the inside of the shop, rather than the street. However, my business as a thief required that I watch every direction, so I really did see the man come running towards the shop, though he did not notice.
After hearing each story, the judge decided that I was not guilty, as I had not yet attempted to steal anything in the shop, which the shop owner and his wife agreed with. As I was leaving, however, the judge reminded me that I had come to buy six silver spoons, and remarked that he hoped that I would still buy them.
"I'll buy the spoons still if he can match this
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spoon. I responded, as I showed him my silver spoon. He found the spoons and told me they were thirty-five shillings, so I took out my purse to pay him, in which I had nearly twenty guineas. I never went out as a thief without taking at least twenty guineas with me. I discovered that carrying such an amount of money was useful if I had trouble.
When the judge saw my money, he said, "Well, madam, now I believe you did not come here to steal. I insisted that you buy the spoons because if you did not have the money to pay for them, I would have suspected that you did not come into the shop to buy, as most thieves do not carry much money with them."
So I left the situation quite well, after coming so close to being caught, and became more confident as a thief.
Only three days after that affair, having become more courageous, I walked into a house where I saw the doors open. I took two pieces of silk, then went to the door to leave before two maids grabbed me. One of them pulled me back into the room while the other shut the door. They screamed and tore my clothes, as if they were about to murder me. Then, the owner of the house came running in.
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I told the owner that I came in because I saw the door open, and was tempted by the elegant furniture inside, I was poor, and had no money for food, I begged him with tears to have pity on me. His wife felt pity for me, and almost persuaded her husband to let me go, but the two angry maids had already left the house to get a police officer.
The officer soon arrived. Seeing him scared me greatly, and I began to cry again. The people there thought I would have died. The wife argued to let me leave, and the officer almost permitted me to go, as I had not been allowed to take anything. One of the maids, however, reminded the officer that I would have left the house if she had not caught me. So, the officer took me to Newgate, that terrible place! I feel ill at hearing the name; the place where so many of my partners had been taken to die; the place where my mother suffered, where I was born, and from where I expected to die an infamous death, which I had successfully avoided for so long.
It is impossible to describe how terrified I was at being in Newgate for the first time since my birth, after seeing so many I knew return there. I now blamed myself for returning to Newgate. I had no need
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for earning money, and knew there were many risks in my dangerous work. I now regretted all the evil work I had done. I regretted the work not because I hurt others in my evil doings, but that I was punished for committing the crimes.
I slept little the first few nights m that miserable
prison. The first night there, I sent a message to my nurse that I was caught and sent to Newgate. She spent the night out of Newgate almost as ill as I was inside the prison. The next morning she came to see me to cheer me up, but there was no way to improve my feelings of regret and hopelessness. She immediately began to prevent my being killed in prison. First, she went to the two maids, and offered them nearly one hundred pounds to leave the city so they would not go to court to explain what I had done. The maids refused, although her yearly income was only three hundred pounds. My nurse told me that the maids would have refused if she had offered them five hundred pounds. Then, she spoke with the owners of the home. The wife had pitied me greatly, and her husband had, as well, but her husband had since decided to go to court.
At first, while in prison, I was horrified at being
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in Newgate, the place of so much misery and death, I thought of death during the day and night, thinking of all the evil things I had done in the past. The prison minister came to speak to me, at times. He told me that if I did not admit all of my past evil behaviour, then God would never forgive me. He would come to see me in the morning, declaring that T must admit my wrongdoing, and ask God to forgive me, but then I would see the poor man asleep in the afternoon, after drinking a bottle of wine. I began to fear seeing that man, and wished not to see him any longer.
I was sorry that I was in Newgate, but I still did not regret my evil life before prison. T first became stupid and senseless, and then became a thoughtless animal, and at last I became crazy, just as all the rest were. I became pleased and easy with the place, as if, indeed, I had been born there and lived there all my life.
I was healthy with a great fortune, but was in a place I believed to be the most horrible in the world. I felt guilty, as I know I had committed terrible crimes, but I was terrified that I had been caught, not that I had committed any crimes. Now, however, I felt nothing, I had committed a crime, and would soon die
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because of it. I was famous as a criminal, and there was no way to escape. I had no hope to save myself, I knew that I would most certainly die soon. Therefore, I no longer had any sadness or fear. The past forty years of my life were evil, filled with lying, cheating, and stealing. I no longer cared that I was to die soon; I could think of nothing.
All my terrifying thoughts were past, the horrors of Newgate became familiar. All my life, I had had excellent manners and behaviour, but in Newgate, I became as evil as the rest. I was no longer the same woman I had been before entering that prison of terror.
During this time, however, I had a sudden surprise, which reminded me of my life before coming to Newgate. I was told one night that three men were brought to the prison who had robbed several carriages in the countryside. We prisoners were rather curious to see these brave men, who had been so successful for quite some time as robbers. The next morning, the men were taken through the prison. I was shocked to see that one of the three was my husband who had attempted to cheat me by telling me he had a fortune in Ireland, and the same husband who I had seen just after I married my last husband in the countryside. I
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was shocked to see him, although he did not recognise me, which eased me greatly. I returned to my room and cried for quite some time.
"Evil woman that I am!" said I, "how many poor people have to suffer because of my evil doings." This gentleman had returned to robberies after discovering that I, indeed, had no fortune. I had never admitted that I had a great fortune, but I had certainly encouraged him to believe so. I was told that he was the leader of the thieves, and had robbed many people in the countryside; he would soon die for his crimes.
I felt great pity for this man that I had loved so dearly. My own death, which would come soon, was no bother to me; I was worried only about my dear husband, who had suffered greatly because of me. I then remembered the horrors of the prison, and again became quite terrified of my coming death.
My dear nurse came to see me often. She acted like a true mother to me; she pitied me, she cried with me and for me, but she could not help me. I could hear other prisoners talking, who all agreed that I should die for my terrible crimes. Soon enough, another prisoner informed me that I would go to court the next Friday, only two days away.
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"Well, Mrs. Flanders, I'll advise you that you should prepare for death," the prisoner told me. 1 became weak upon hearing the news, and could not speak.
CHAPTER EIGHT
My nurse then sent a minister to see me. Recently, she had regretted all the evil crimes she had committed, and begged that I regret having committed such terrible things, as well. She had not been a thief for many years, but had persuaded me to continue my work. She cried for many days, insisting that she had been the reason I was in prison,
"No, Mother, no," said I, "you were not to blame; I continued my life as a thief, not you. Only I have ruined myself."
Two days later, on a Friday, I was sent to court. The two evil maids told the judge that I had attempted to steal two pieces of silk, value forty-six pounds, I insisted, however, that I only wanted to buy the silks, but one of the maids exclaimed that I had walked out the door of the house before she caught me. At the end, the judge gave me time to tell my story. I spoke with great emotion, and cried. Many in the court cried, as welt, after hearing me speak. Soon after, the judge sadly declared that I would soon die for my crime, as I was quite famous for other crimes I had
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committed, as well. After hearing this, I could no longer speak. It was now that for the first time, I felt guilty for the evil crimes I had committed. I thought about the terrible things I had done in my life, and finally felt regret.
My dear nurse's minister came to see me, and to speak of my recent feelings of regret, fear, and sadness. He explained that he was not a minister for the prison, whose only purpose was to find out the names of other criminals. He had come to see me to comfort me before my death. He was honest and friendly with me, and I began to trust him, as I had never trusted another person before. I told him all the secrets of my past. He visited me again the next morning. He comforted me and I desired to be forgiven by God. I no longer feared death.
During the next twelve days, he came to visit me frequently, and we would discuss my past life and God's forgiveness. Soon after, however, I received news that I would die very shortly, I was terrified, and again felt hopeless.
The day before I was to die, the minister did not come to see me until the evening, which greatly shocked me. Although, he told me that he had been
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speaking to the court judge, begging to have my sentence of death delayed, I was overjoyed to hear that I would not die the following day. Two weeks later, the judge decided that since I was guilty of only one crime, I would not yet be punished by death. I waited the next fifteen weeks in that terrible prison, waiting for news of my future life or death. I was then told that instead of being killed in Newgate, I would be sent as a servant to work in America, My dear minister, however, worried that I would again become a thief, as I would be travelling with others from Newgate who were as evil as I had been before being caught. I knew that before my departure, I had to speak to my husband, who had been in Newgate for quite some time, although he and his two comrades had not yet gone to court. There were several people who had planned to swear in court that the three gentlemen had robbed them, but these people had recently disappeared. Many believed they were given money not to speak, as the three robbers had a great fortune together.
I went to see my husband, although he did not recognise me, as I hid my face from his view. At last, however, he asked me if I knew him. I then turned to
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him, and asked how he could not know me. He then saw my face, and immediately knew I was his dear wife. We spoke for quite some time about our lives after we had parted. He explained that he had returned to life as a robber after he sadly discovered that I had no fortune. I explained that I had gone into a house to buy some furniture, but the maids had insisted that I was a thief. I, as well, had the problem of being called Moll Flanders, a famous criminal, although my husband did not know me by this name. I told him that I would soon be taken to America to be punished as a servant in Virginia, and that he should request to go, as well. He had not yet gone to court, and might be allowed to leave for America. He insisted, however, that a gentleman could not do such work, and he would rather die in Newgate. I patiently explained, however, that there were many ways to quickly return to England or to become a wealthy gentleman in America.
I begged him to go with me, explaining that if only he had money, as he did, we would surely have no troubles. He refused, but I spoke with him for quite some time, and finally he told me that he would trust me. I told him he would be fully satisfied with his choice of going to America.
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Soon enough, we were taken on the ship to leave for America. For the first night, we were locked in the lowest deck, guarded heavily by prison officers. I feared that we would not be able to go above deck before our departure. The next morning, however, before we left on our journey, we were allowed to go above deck. I asked a sailor onboard if he could deliver a letter to my nurse, requesting some goods to lake on the trip, I gave him a shilling to deliver the letter, and he immediately noticed that I had a great deal of money in my purse. After seeing that I was quite a wealthy prisoner, he was rather helpful before the departure, I sent my nurse a letter, explaining that my husband and I planned to go to America as servants, although we were both now wealthy, and could easily buy our freedom. Then, we would buy land to farm to gain a great income from the land. I decided I would not find my mother and brother, who was once my husband, as I did not wish for them to know I was a prisoner. I also requested that she send me certain goods that I could sell upon arriving in America.
The following day, the helpful sailor returned with a letter from my nurse, who was delighted for my journey, as I would not be killed in prison. My husband
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had not yet come onboard the ship, but my nurse assured me that he would soon arrive. Some time after, I saw him board the ship, which greatly eased my worries. My dear nurse promised me that my husband would very soon join me on the ship, and went to Newgate often to request that he immediately be sent to the ship. When my husband finally did arrive, I was delighted to see him. Although, he looked rather upset that he was to arrive in America as a dangerous criminal. He was sentenced to work as a servant for five years, upon our arrival in America, as I was, as well.
Although my poor husband was quite angry at being treated as a prisoner rather than a gentleman, I explained that we would soon have no worries, and would once again be considered a wealthy couple of fortune. He became quite tender with me, and became quite cheerful at no longer being in Newgate. He once took me in his arms while telling me, "My dear, you have saved my life twice. I will always take your advice. "
Our first business was to compare our wealth. He was very honest with me, and told me he was quite wealthy before entering the prison, but had spent a
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great deal while in Newgate to continue living as a gentleman, which was quite expensive while in prison. He only had 108 pounds left. Before entering Newgate, I had between 700 and 800 pounds in the bank, but had spent a great deal on court fees and payments to live comfortably in a miserable prison. I had nearly 246 pounds left to take to America, although I left 300 pounds with my dear nurse. I had, as well, a number of gold rings and watches, all of which were stolen. Together, my husband and I had 354 pounds to carry to Virginia. With this fortune, I left with my husband for a new life in America, at the age of sixty-one. I left as a poor criminal who had just escaped being killed in Newgate. The clothes I wore were poor, and no one on the ship knew that I had a great amount of wealth with me. However, I had many good clothes and other goods onboard, although I had shipped them using my real name, rather than my criminal name of Moll Flanders, which I would collect after we reached Virginia.
Soon before the ship was to depart from England, I went to speak to the sailor who had helped deliver the letter to my nurse. I told him that my husband and I were not poor criminals, but were rather unlucky in our
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misfortune at Newgate, and desired to know whether the captain could move us to a more comfortable place on the ship during the journey to America. I then placed a guinea in his hand. He took the guinea, as I could see, with great satisfaction, and assured me that he would help me.
The next morning, I was taking a walk around the ship when the friendly sailor came to speak to me. He told me that the captain was very curious to meet me, so I went to see him and was warmly greeted. The captain explained that my husband and I should not worry about having a comfortable voyage to America, as he assured me that we would be provided for. He insisted that we stay in a cabin near his, which was quite elegant. He, as well, invited my husband and I to have our meals with him. So, I paid fifteen guineas for my husband and I to live comfortably on our voyage, I was delighted to hear that we were allowed to stay in a private cabin near the captain, as I could now carry a great deal of goods to America without fearing that they would be stolen.
I then sent a letter to my nurse asking for liquor, sugar, lemons, etc., to treat the captain to excellent eating and drinking. I also requested many tools and
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materials for farming, as my husband and I planned to buy land to farm. A short time later, my nurse arrived onboard to see me before my departure. She was delighted to see my good fortune in riding to America not as a terrible criminal, but as a respectable gentlewoman. During her visit onboard the ship, she mentioned to the captain that my husband and I were quite anxious about arriving in Virginia as servants, not the gentleman and lady we indeed were. The captain told my nurse not to worry, as we could easily find someone to buy us as servants, as we were sent from Newgate to be bought as servants for our prison punishment. Then, our owner would declare us to be free, after which we would buy land to farm. The captain promised my nurse he would help us upon our arrival. My nurse and I were then satisfied that I was leaving for America, as I would be well-cared for by the captain, and could begin a new life in Virginia as a gentlewoman.
During the trip, we often dined with the captain, while drinking bottles of good beer and wine. Nearly forty-two days after leaving England, we arrived in Virginia, after quite a pleasant trip with the cheerful captain of the ship.
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When we came near to the shore, the captain called me to speak about how to obtain my freedom upon arriving in America. He explained that he knew someone who would buy me as a servant, but would then allow me to go free. We soon arrived in Virginia, after which the ship captain took us to meet the Virginian planter who bought us as servants. We then went to dine and drink wine. The planter then gave us a certificate declaring that we had served him faithfully, and were now free to leave. For this, the captain demanded that I buy 6,000 pounds of tobacco from the planter, which the captain said he would sell. We then gave the honest captain a present of twenty guineas, which he was quite satisfied with.
Soon after, I obtained news that my mother had died several years ago, but my brother (who I once called my husband) was still alive, living with one of our children. I was a little surprised to hear that my brother was, indeed, still alive. I then discovered that my brother could no longer see, and could hear very poorly. I decided then that I would like to see him, although I would not announce who I was. I requested a neighbour woman to take me there, explaining that I wished to meet the other neighbours of the area. I went
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to see him, but when I saw my own son at the door, I was shocked to discover how my emotions changed upon seeing him. I wished to hold him and cry. I did not know what to do, and when I left, I could not speak or think of anything but my dear son, who did not know he had just spoken to his mother.
The woman who led me to see my brother and child noticed that I had become quite upset upon seeing my son, although she thought I had become ill and needed to return home to rest; I quietly agreed. As we were going back, we spoke of my brother and son. The woman began telling me the story of the two men.
"There is a very strange story about that family," she told me, "the old man had returned to England, and fell in love with a young lady there, one of the finest women that ever was seen here. He married her and brought her here to his mother, who was alive then. He lived here several years with her," continued she, "and had several children by her. After some time, the gentleman's mother began speaking of her past in England, and the daughter-in-law became quite surprised and uneasy. In the end, it seemed that the old gentlewoman was her own mother, and so her husband was her own brother. This news horrified the
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family, and almost ruined them all. The young woman would not live with him, and at last went away to England, and has never returned."
I, of course, was quite disturbed at hearing this story. I asked her a thousand questions about the story, and discovered that my mother had, indeed, left me a small fortune and some land, as she had promised me before I returned to England. I was delighted to hear the news, and began to plan how to obtain the fortune and the land, which was currently held by my own son.
I then decided that my husband and I should move to Carolina to buy land, as I did not yet wish to have my son and brother know I had returned. I had not told my husband of my marriage to my brother, and did not desire that he discover the secret. He noticed that I was becoming increasingly anxious and worried before we left for another part of Virginia. He often asked to know what was upsetting me, but I knew F could not yet tell him the truth.
I decided that my husband and I would go settle in Carolina, then I would return to introduce myself to my son, and collect the fortune that my mother had left me. I told my husband that we could not settle in
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Virginia, as I had many relatives living there, and I did not wish for them to know the reason for my return, I explained that we must settle elsewhere first, then return to see my relatives.
Soon after we were settled in a new area, I persuaded my husband to allow me to return to Virginia to find out more about my friends. He now happily agreed, as he became familiar with the area and began to do business. He was now fully satisfied at agreeing to go to America, instead of dying in Newgate as a terrible criminal.
After my husband and I had bought a great deal of land and settled, I returned to Virginia, to see my brother, who was once my husband. I was now determined to return to see my brother immediately to explain who I was. However, after arriving in the town, I decided instead to write a letter to him first to tell him I had arrived, and that I had not come to trouble him, but had come as a loving sister. I said some very tender, kind things in the letter about our son, asking that I would be able to visit my dear child, who I had not seen since he was a small child. I knew that since my brother could no longer see, the letter would immediately be given to his son, who would read
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the letter first.
Soon after the letter was sent to the house, my dear son demanded to know where he could find the woman who wrote the letter. He was told, and immediately came to see me.
"There she is, sir," my son was told, as he entered the inn. He then came directly to me, kissed me, took me in his arms, and began to cry like a young child. I was overjoyed at seeing my dear child again, who now recognised his own mother.
After a short time, we both sat down to talk. He told me that he had not shown my letter to his father or told him anything about my return, as my brother was quite ill and could no longer see, and worried quite often. I realised that my son had decided wisely not to tell his father that I had returned. My son explained that he knew I could not bear to see my brother, after discovering that the man who had once been my husband was actually my brother. My son then explained that my mother had left me a small fortune, which he had kept for me, hoping that I would one day return.
A few days later, my son asked me about where I was living, and soon explained that he owned a great
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deal of land nearby. He insisted that if I were to move to this land, I could earn an income of nearly one hundred and fifty pounds a year. He told me, as well, that he made quite a fortune on his own land from selling tobacco. He then explained that he would happily send me about one hundred pounds a year, part of the income he earned from his land.
This news was all strangely wonderful to me, although I still worried about my husband, who I loved dearly, and would not leave again. During my stay, I often dined with my son and my brother, although my son did not tell his father my true identity. I stayed here about five weeks before returning to my husband. We decided to stay on our land where we made a great income from the land, and after a short time, had several servants working on a great deal of land. During the second year there, my dear nurse came to live, taking along the rest of my fortune I had left with her, which greatly surprised my husband when it arrived.
"I see now that T was not cheated when I married you, a woman of fortune. I think I have married a fortune, and a very good fortune, too," said he. We were now quite comfortable and wealthy, and increased our fortune every year. After eight years, we earned
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nearly three hundred pounds a year.
Nearly a year after I had returned from the first visit to my son, I was surprised to hear that my brother, or old husband, had died. This news was quite agreeable to me because I could now explain the story to my husband and my son. My son continued to pay me one hundred pounds a year from the income on his land, and sent me home each year with a great number of presents.
Some time after my brother had died, I told my son that I had gotten married and invited him over to see us. After my brother had died, I told my husband the story of that marriage. Although, I did not tell my son that I had been married to my husband for several years, but rather that he had owned land nearby, and we had married soon after we met. My husband was quite understanding after I explained the story of my old husband also being my brother.
We lived together with the greatest kindness and comfort. We have now grown old; I have come back to England, being almost seventy years old, my husband sixty-eight. We are both in good heart and health. We have decided to live in England for the rest of our lives, to live honestly after so many years of evil lies and
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cheating.
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Written in the year 1683.
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