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Anna Maria Faulkner (1770)

The Covent Garden Calendar - Chapter XXXIV.

Chapter XXXIV.


Miss C––r is married, much against her inclination, and almost by force, to Captain Faulkner. Her husband uses her in the most barbarous manner. She falls into a consumption, and dies.

            The unfortunate Miss C––r's hopes of delivery being thus frustrated, her lover, whom we shall call Mr Butler, fired with love and resentment, was resolved to support his pretensions by his sword; and as soon as he saw the Captain enter Mrs C––r's house the next morning, he sent him a card, desiring he would appoint a time and place, where he should wait on him that evening. The noble Captain, who was now of the Privy Council, showed this card to Mrs C––r, who instantly construed it into a challenge; and told the Captain, that this was the very fellow, whom her daughter was going to elope with the preceding night, and advised him, by all means, to decline meeting the ravishing, blood-thirsty rogue. These were really her expressions, and it is but just the reader should have them by way of instruction, and as a specimen of polite education. This explanation of Mr Butler's card threw the Captain into the utmost consternation. It is true, he had for some time wore a sword, but had never yet been called upon to use it; and, on due examination of himself, he discovered an utter aversion to cold iron. He was therefore very easily persuaded to follow Mrs C––r's advice in declining to meet Mr Butler, or even to send him any answer to his card, until the arrival of Miss Faulkner.

            During these deliberations, Misss C––r was locked up in a dark closet, and a guard set over her; and about noon Miss Faulkner drove up to Mrs C––r's door in Lord Halifax's coach and six, with a splendid retinue of servantss and attendants; and being informed of the business of the night, and reading Mr Butler's card, she instantly declared, she would have that ravishing villain taken up by a secretary of state's warrant, and imprisoned for life, for daring to conspire, or threaten the death of her brother, who was then so immediately connected with the state; and accordingly set out for Whitehall for that purpose: but upon stating the affair to Lord Halifax, his Lordship was of opinion, that he could not with safety issue a warrant against Butler, as Captain F–– had not yet been sworn into the Privy Council. He therefore recommended a warrant from the civil magistrate, for apprehending Mr Butler. Before this warrant could be obtained, it was necessary, that the Captain should appear before a justice of the peace, and swear, that he was in dread and fear of his life, from the terrible menaces of this assassin, Butler; which, to the honour of his regimentals, longsword, and valiant cockade, he certainly and absolutely did do, and obtained a warrant against Mr Butler, who was taken thereon, and bound over in a recognizance of 5,000l. that he would not commit any assault on the magnanimous captain; and when the recognizance on the part of Mr Butler was entered into, the magistrate, as usual in such cases, recommended it to Mr Butler, to bind the Captain in a like security to keep the peace with him. Mr Butler told the justice, that he could not do it, and being asked his reason, he said, that as it could not be done without his swearing, that he was in dread and fear of the Captain, it was impossible he should do so without perjuring himself, for that he was not in dread or fear of anything like him; and giving the Captain a look of the highest contempt, left him at the justice's.

            This point of honour being thus settled, it was resolved that no more time should be lost in the accomplishment of their design. Miss Faulkner therefore prevailed with Mrs C––r to take her daughter with her immediately into the country, and that the nuptials should be celebrated the very next night. The wretched Miss C––r was, accordingly released from her confinement, and by force put into Lord Halifax's coach, with the valiant Captain; and they set out directly, with a magnificent retinue, for B––y Park, where the next night the hero was put in possession of one of the finest girls in England with a fortune of 2,0000l.

            It would shock humanity to read or describe the barbarities, that were practiced on this unfortunate young lady, to force her into the arms of this monster. Let it therefore suffice to say, that in less than a month they separated. Her aversion to hrm, every hour increased, and she justly treated him with abhorrence and contempt; which so provoked his brutal nature, that he beat, kicked, and abused her almost every hour: and as they returned to Mrs C––r's in some few days after their marriage, the whole neighbourhood was alarmed in the middle of the night with this distressed lady's cries of "Murder!" Several gentlemen forced into the house, and on entering her room, found her weltering in her blood, beat and bruised in the most shocking manner, and her fine hair, torn out by handfuls, strewed about the chamber. Her monster of a husband was treated with the utmost indignity and abuse by several of the spectators, particularly by one gentleman, who directly took his wife out of the house to his own, and the next day generously had her situation laid before the Lord Chancellor, who ordered her an immediate maintenance, suitable to her fortune, and stopped the noble Captain's receiving a single shilling belonging to her, until a further hearing.

            Mrs C––r, when it was too late, saw the cruelty of her behaviour to her daughter. She immediately agreed to the separation, and went into the country with her, but the treatment she had received, made such an impression on her tender heart, and so affected her, that she fell into a deep consumption, and at the end of six months died; leaving her mother and the detested Captain to dispute her fortune; which, perhaps, they are, at this day, contending for in Chancery. It is possible, the gentle reader will wish, that neither of them may live to enjoy it.

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