< fired no Favour, but upon Condition of proving all he had alledged.'

Jones at first pretended that he would take the Fellow at his Word, and go with him, declaring that his Fate fhould depend entirely on the Truth of his Story. Upon this the poor Fellow immediately expreffed fo much Alacrity, that Jones was perfectly fatisfied with his Veracity, and began now to entertain Sentiments of Compaffion for him. He returned the Fellow his empty Piftol, advised him to think of honester Means of relieving his Diftrefs, and gave him a couple of Guineas for the immediate Support of his Wife and his Family; adding, he wished

he had more for his Sake, for the hundred • Pound that had been mentioned, was not his ' own.'

Our Readers will probably be divided in their Opinions concerning this Action; fome may applaud it perhaps as an Act of extraordinary Humanity, while thofe of a more faturnine Temper will confider it as a Want of Regard to that Juftice which every Man owes his Country. Partridge certainly faw it in that Light; for he teftified much Diflatisfaction on the Occafion, quoted an old Proverb, and faid, He fhould not wonder if the Rogue attacked them again before they reached London.

The Highwayman was full of Expreffions of Thankfulness and Gratitude. He actually dropt Tears, or pretended fo to do. He vowed he would immediately return home, and would never afterwards commit fuch a Tranfgreffion; whether he kept his Word or no, perhaps may appear hereafter.

Our

Our Travellers having remounted their Horses, arrived in Town without encountering any new Mishap. On the Road much pleafant Difcourfe paffed between Jones and Partridge, on the Subject of their laft Adventure. In which Jones expreft a great Compaffion for thofe Highwaymen who are, by unavoidable Diftrefs, driven as it were, to fuch illegal Courses, as generally bring them to a fhameful Death. 'I mean,' faid he, ⚫ those only whofe highest Guilt extends no farther than to Robbery, and who are never guilty of Cruelty nor Infult to any Perfon, which is a Circumstance that, I muft fay, to the Honour of our Country, diftinguishes the Robbers of • England from thofe of all other Nations; for 'Murder is, amongst thofe, almost inseparably • incident to Robbery.'

'No doubt,' answered Partridge, it is better to take away one's Money than one's Life; ' and yet it is very hard upon honeft Men, that they can't travel about their Business without 'being in Danger of thefe Villains. And to be

fure it would be better that all Rogues were 'hanged out of the Way, than that one honeft Man fhould fuffer. For my own Part, indeed, I fhould not care to have the Blood of any of them on my own Hands; but it is very proper < for the Law to hang them all. What Right • hath any Man to take Sixpence from me, unlefs I give it him? Is there any Honefty in fuch a Man?'

No furely,' cries Jones, no more than there is in him who takes the Horfes out of another Man's Stable, or who applies to his own Ufe the Money which he finds, when he knows the right Owner.'

Thefe

Thefe Hints ftopt the Mouth of Partridge, nor did he open it again till Jones having thrown fome farcaftical Jokes on his Cowardice, he offered to excuse himself on the Inequality of Fire Arms, faying, A thousand naked Men are nothing to one Piftol; for though, it is true, it will kill but one at a fingle Difcharge, yet who can tell **but that one may be himself.'

THE

HISTORY

OF A
FA

FOUNDLING.

BOOK XIII.

Containing the Space of Twelve Days.

CHAP. I.

An Invocation.

YOME, bright Love of Fame, inspire my glowing Breaft: Not thee I call,

C

who over fwelling Tides of Blood and Tears, doft bear the Heroe on to Glory, while Sighs of Millions waft his fpreading Sails; but thee, fair, gentle Maid, whom Mnefis, happy Nymph, firft on the Banks of Herus did produce. Thee, whom Mania educated, whom Mantua charm'd, and who, on that fair Hill

which overlooks the proud Metropolis of Britain, fat'ft, with thy Milton, fweetly tuning the Heroic Lyre; fill my ravished Fancy with the Hopes of charming Ages yet to come. Foretel me that fome tender Maid, whofe Grandmother is yet unborn, hereafter, when, under the fictitious Name of Sophia, fhe reads the real Worth which once existed in my Charlotte, fhall from her fympathetic Breast, fend forth the heaving Sigh. Do thou teach me not only to forefee, but to enjoy, nay, even to feed on future Praise. Comfort me by a folemn Affurance, that when the little Parlour in which I fit at this Inftant, fhall be reduced to a worse furnished Box, I fhall be read, with Honour, by those who never knew nor faw me, and whom I fhall neither know nor fee.

And thou, much plumper Dame, whom no airy Forms nor Phantoms of Imagination cloathe: Whom the well-feafoned Beef, and Pudding richly ftained with Plumbs delight. Thee, I call; of whom in a Treck/chuyte in fome Dutch Canal the fat Ufrow Gelt, impregnated by a jolly Merchant of Amfterdam, was delivered: In GrubStreet School didft thou fuck in the Elements of thy Erudition. Here haft thou, in thy maturer Age, taught Poetry to tickle not the Fancy, but the Pride of the Patron. Comedy from thee learns a grave and folemn Air; while Tragedy ftorms loud, and rends th' affrighted Theatres with its Thunder. To footh thy wearied Limbs in Slumber, Alderman Hiftory tells his tedious Tale; and again to awaken thee, Monfieur Romance performs his furprizing Tricks of Dexterity. Nor lefs thy well-fed Bookfeller obeys thy Infuence. By thy Advice the heavy, unread, Folio Lump, which long had dozed on the dufty

Shelf,