-y's making himself known in the West-Indies, furnished him
with numberless advantages over that unhappy young gentleman: for, being in
possession of a plentiful fortune, and lord of many manors in the neighbourhood
of the very place where the claimant was born, he knew all the witnesses who
could give the most material evidence of his legitimacy; and, if his probity did
not restrain him, had, by his power and influence, sufficient opportunity and
means of applying to the passions and interests of the witnesses, to silence
many, and gain over others to his side: while his competitor, by an absence of
fifteen or sixteen years from his native country, the want of education and
friends, together with his present helpless situation, was rendered absolutely
incapable of taking any step for his own advantage. And although his worthy
uncle's conspicuous virtue, and religious regard for justice and truth, might
possibly be an unconquerable restraint to his taking any undue advantages; yet
the consciences of that huge army of emissaries he kept in pay, were not
altogether so very tender and scrupulous. This much, however, may be said,
without derogation from, or impeachment of the noble earl's nice virtue and
honour, that he took care to compromise all differences with the other branches
of the family, whose interests were, in this affair, connected with his own, by
sharing the estate with them, and also retained most of the eminent council
within the bar of both kingdoms against this formidable bastard, before any suit
was instituted by him.
    While he was thus entrenching himself against the attack of a poor forlorn
youth, at the distance of fifteen hundred leagues, continually exposed to the
dangers of the sea, the war, and an unhealthy climate, Mr. M--, in the common
course of conversation, chanced to ask some questions relating to this romantic
pretender, of one H--, who was at that time the present lord A--y's chief agent.
This man, when pressed, could not help owning that the late lord A-m actually
left a son, who had been spirited away into America, soon after his father's
death; but said he did not know whether this was the same person.
    This information could not fail to make an impression on the humanity of Mr.
M-, who, being acquainted with the genius of the wicked party who had possessed
themselves of this unhappy young man's estate and honours, expressed no small
anxiety and apprehension lest they should take him off by some means or other;
