The Adventures of Roderick Random
miserable condition; and in the ecstacy of despair resolved to be still
where I was, and perish.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
I get up and crawl into a barn, where I am in danger of perishing,
through the fear of the country people—their inhumanity—I am succoured
by a reputed witch—her story—her advice—she recommends me as a valet to
a single lady, whose character she explains
But as I lay ruminating, my passion insensibly abated; I considered my
situation in quite another light, from that in which it appeared to me
at first, and the result of my deliberation was to rise if I could, and
crawl to the next inhabited place for assistance. With some difficulty
I got upon my legs, and having examined my body, found I had received
no other injury than two large contused wounds, one on the fore and
another on the hinder part of my head, which seemed to be occasioned by
the same weapon, namely, the butt-end of a pistol. I looked towards the
sea, but could discern no remains of the ship; so that I concluded she
was gone to pieces, and that those who remained in her had perished:
but, as I afterwards learned, the gunner, who had more sagacity than
Crampley, observing that it was flood when he left her, and that she
would probably float at high water, made no noise about getting on
shore, but continued on deck, in hopes of bringing her safe into some
harbour, after her commander should have deserted her, for which piece
of service he expected, no doubt, to be handsomely rewarded. This
scheme he accordingly executed, and was promised great things by the
Admiralty for saving his Majesty’s ship: but I never heard he reaped
the fruits of his expectation. As for my own part, I directed my course
towards a small cottage I perceived, and in the road picked up a
seaman’s old jacket, which I suppose the thief who dressed himself in
my clothes had thrown away: this was a very comfortable acquisition to
me, who was almost stiff with cold: I therefore put it on; and, as my
natural heat revived, my wounds, which had left off bleeding, burst out
afresh; so that, finding myself excessively exhausted, I was about to
lie down in the fields, when I discovered a barn on my left hand,
within a few yards of me; thither I made shift to stagger, and finding
the door open, went in, but saw nobody; however, I threw myself upon a
truss of straw, hoping to be soon relieved by some person or other. I
had not lain here many minutes, when I saw a countryman come in with a
pitchfork in his hand, which he was upon the point of thrusting into
the straw that concealed me, and in all probability would have done my
business, had I not uttered a dreadful groan, after having essayed in
vain to speak. This melancholy note alarmed the clown, who started
back, and discovering a body all besmeared with blood, stood trembling,
with the pitchfork extended before him, his hair bristling up, his eyes
staring, his nostrils dilated, and his mouth wide open. At another time
I should have been much diverted by this figure, which preserved the
same attitude very near ten minutes, during which time I made many
unsuccessful efforts to implore his compassion and assistance; but my
tongue failed me, and my language was only a repetition of groans. At
length an old man arrived, who, seeing the other in such a posture,
cried, “Mercy upon en! the leaad’s bewitched! why, Dick, beest thou
besayd thyself!” Dick, without moving his eyes from the object that
terrified him, replied, “O vather! vather! here be either the devil or
a dead mon: I doant know which o’en, but a groans woundily.” The
father, whose eyesight was none of the best, pulled out his spectacles,
and, having applied them to his nose reconnoitered me over his son’s
shoulder: but no sooner did he behold me, than he was seized with a fit
of shaking, even more violent than Dick’s, and, with a broken accent,
addressed me thus: “In the name of the Vather, Zun, and Holy Ghost, I
charge you, an you been Satan, to be gone to the Red Zen; but an you be
a moordered mon, speak, that you may have a Christom burial.”
As I was not in a condition to satisfy him in this particular, he
repeated his conjuration to no purpose, and they continued a good while
in the agonies of fear. At length the father proposed that the son
should draw nearer, and take a more distinct view of the apparition;
but Dick was of opinion that his father should advance first, he being
an old man past his labour and, if he received any mischief, the loss
would be the smaller; whereas he himself might escape, and be useful,
in his generation. This prudential reason had no effect upon the
senior, who still kept Dick between me and him. In the meantime I
endeavoured to raise one hand as a signal of distress, but had only
strength sufficient to produce a rustling among the straw, which
discomposed the young peasant so much, that he sprang out at the door,
and overthrew his father in his flight. The old gentleman would not
spend time in getting up, but crawled backwards like a crab, with great
speed, till he had got over the threshold, mumbling exorcisms all the
way. I was exceedingly mortified to find myself in danger of perishing
through the ignorance and cowardice of these clowns; and felt my
spirits decay apace, when an old woman entered the barn, followed by
the two fugitives and with great intrepidity advanced to the place
where I lay, saying, “If it be the devil I fearen not, and for a dead
mon a can do us no harm.” When she saw my condition, she cried, “Here
be no devil, but in your en fool’s head. Here be a poor miserable
wretch bleeding to death, and if a dies, we must be at the charge of
burying him; therefore, Dick, go vetch the old wheelbarrow and put en
in, and carry en to goodman Hodge’s backdoor; he is more able than we
to pay out money upon poor vagrants.” Her advice was taken, and
immediately put in execution; I was rolled to the other farmer’s door,
where I was tumbled out like a heap of dung; and should certainly have
fallen a prey to the hogs, if my groans had not disturbed the family,
and brought some of them out to view my situation. But Hodge resembled
the Jew more than the good Samaritan, and ordered me to be carried to
the house of the parson, whose business it was to practise as well as
to preach charity; observing that it was sufficient for him to pay his
quota towards the maintenance of the poor belonging to his own parish.
When I was set down at the vicar’s gate, he fell into a mighty passion,
and threatened to excommunicate him who sent, as well as those who
brought me, unless they would move me immediately to another place.
About this time I fainted with the fatigue I had undergone, and
afterwards understood that I was bandied from door to door through a
whole village, nobody having humanity enough to administer the least
relief to me, Until an old woman, who was suspected of witchcraft by
the neighbourhood, hearing of my distress, received me into her house,
and, having dressed my wounds, brought me to myself with cordials of
her own preparing. I was treated with great care and tenderness by this
grave matron, who, after I had recovered some strength, desired to know
the particulars of my last disaster. This piece of satisfaction I could
not refuse to one who had saved my life, therefore related all my
adventures without exaggeration or reserve. She seemed surprised at the
vicissitudes I had undergone, and drew a happy presage of my future
life from my past suffering, then launched out into the praise of
adversity, with so much ardour and good sense, that I concluded she was
a person who had seen better days, and conceived a longing desire to
hear her story. She perceived my drift by some words I dropped, and
smiling told me, there was nothing either entertaining or extraordinary
in the course of her fortune; but, however, she would communicate it to
me, in consideration of the confidence I had reposed in her. “It is of
little consequence,” said she, “to tell the names of my parents, who
are dead many years ago; let it suffice to assure you, they were
wealthy, and had no other child than me; so that I was looked upon as
heiress to a considerable estate, and teased with addresses on that
account. Among the number of my admirers, there was a young gentleman
of no fortune, whose sole dependence was on his promotion in the army,
in which, at that time, he bore a lieutenant’s commission. I conceived
an affection for this amiable officer, which, in a short time,
increased to a violent passion, and without entering into minute
circumstances, married him privately. We had not enjoyed one another
long in stolen interviews, when he was ordered with his regiment to
Flanders; but, before he set out, it was agreed between us, that we
should declare our marriage to my father by letter, and implore his
pardon for the step we had taken without his approbation. This
discovery was made while I was abroad visiting, and just as I was about
to return home, I received a letter from my father, importing that,
since I had acted so undutifully and meanly as to marry a beggar,
without his privity or consent, to the disgrace of his family as well
as the disappointment of his hopes, he renounced me to the miserable
fate I had entailed upon myself, and charged me never to set foot
within his doors again. This rigid sentence was confirmed by my mother,
who, in a postscript, gave me to understand that her sentiments were
exactly conformable to those of my father, and that I might save myself
the trouble of making any applications, for her resolutions were
unalterable. Thunderstruck with my evil fortune I called a coach, and
drove to my husband’s lodgings, where I found him waiting the event of
his letter. Though he could easily divine by my looks the issue of his
declaration, he read with great steadiness the epistle I had received;
and with a smile full of tenderness, which I shall never forget,
embraced me, saying, “I believe the good lady your mother might have
spared herself the trouble of the last part of her postscript. Well, my
dear Betty, you must lay aside all thoughts of a coach, till I can
procure the command of a regiment.” This unconcerned behaviour, while
it enabled me to support my reverse of fortune, at the same time
endeared him to me the more, by convincing me of his disinterested
views in espousing me. I was next day boarded in company with the wife
of another officer, who had long been the friend and confidant of my
husband, at a village not far from London, where they parted with us in
the most melting manner, went to Flanders, and were killed in sight of
one another at the battle of the Wood.
“Why should I tire you with a description of our unutterable sorrow at
the fatal news of this event, the remembrance of which now fills my
aged eyes with tears! When our grief subsided a little, and reflection
came to our aid, we found ourselves deserted by the whole world, and in
danger of perishing by want; whereupon we made application for the
pension, and were put upon the list. Then, vowing eternal friendship,
sold our jewels and superfluous clothes, retired to this place (which
is in the county of Sussex) bought this little house, where we lived
many years in a solitary manner, indulging our mutual sorrow, till it
pleased Heaven to call away my companion two years ago; since which
time I have lingered out an unhappy being, in hopes of a speedy
dissolution, when I promise myself the eternal reward of all my cares.
In the meantime,” continued she, “I must inform you of the character I
bear among my neighbours. My conversation being different from that of
the inhabitants of the village, my recluse way of life, my skill in
curing distempers, which I acquired from books since I settled here,