What happened to Mr. Jones in his journey from St.

T

Albans.

HEY were got about two miles beyond Barnet, and it was now the dusk of the evening, when a genteel-looking man, but upon a very fhabby horfe, rode up to Jones, and asked him whether he was going to London, to which Jones anfwered in the affirmative. The gentleman replied, I fhould be obliged to you, Sir, if you will accept of my company; for it is very late, and I am a stranger to the road.' Jones readily complied with the request; and on they travelled together, holding that fort of difcourfe which is ufual on fuch occafions.

Of this, indeed, robbery was the principal topic; upon which fubject the ftranger expreffed great apprehenfions; but Jones declared he had very little to lofe, and confequently as little to fear. Here Partridge could not forbear putting in his word. Your 'honour,' faid he, may think it a little, but I am fure if I had a hundred pound bank-note in my pocket as you have, I fhould be very forry to lose it; but, for my part, I never was lefs afraid in my life; for we are four of us, and, if we all stand by one another, the best man in England can't rob us. Suppose he should have a pistol, he can kill but one of us, and a man can die but once-That's my comfort, a man can die but once.'

Befides the reliance on fuperior numbers, a kind of valour which hath raised a certain nation among the moderns to a high pitch of glory, there was another reason for the extraordinary courage which Partridge now discovered; for he had at prefent as much of that quality as was in the power of liquor to bestow.

Our company were now arrived within a mile of Highgate, when the ftranger turned fhort upon Jones, and, pulling out a pistol, demanded that little banknote which Partridge had mentioned.

Jones

Jones was at first fomewhat fhocked at this unexpected demand; however, he prefently recollected himfelf, and told the highwayman all the money he had in his pocket was entirely at his fervice; and, fo faying, he pulled out upwards of three guineas, and offered to deliver it; but the other answered with an oath, That would not do. Jones anfwered coolly, he was very forry for it, and returned the money into his pocket.

The highwayman then threatened, if he did not deliver the bank note that moment, he must shoot him; holding his piftol at the fame time very near to his breaft. Jones inftantly caught hold of the fellow's hand, which trembled fo that he could fcarce hold the pistol in it, and turned the muzzle from him. A truggle then enfued, in which the former wrested the piftol from the hand of his antagonist, and both came from their horses on the ground together, the highwayman › upon his back, and the victorious Jones upon him.

The poor fellow now began to implore mercy of the conqueror; for, to fay the truth, he was in firength by no means a match for Jones. Indeed, Sir,' fays. he, I could have no intention to fhoot you; for you will find the pifiol was not loaded. This is the first robbery I ever attempted, and I have been driven. by diftrefs to this.".

At this inftant, at about an hundred and fifty yards diftance, lay another perfon on the ground, roaring for mercy in a much louder voice than the highwayman. This was no other than Partridge himself, who, endeavouring to make his escape from the engagement, had been thrown from his horfe, and lay flat on his face, not daring to look up, and expecting every minute to be fhot.

In this pofture he lay till the guide, who was no otherwife concerned than for his horfes, having fecured the stumbling beast, came up to him, and told him, his mafter had got the better of the highwayman.

Partridge leapt up at this news, and ran back to the place, where Jones flood with his fword drawn in his hand to guard the poor fellow; which Partridge no fooner faw, than he cried out, Kill the villain, Sir, run him through the body, kill him this inftant.'

Cc z

Luckily

Luckily however for the poor wretch he had fallen into more merciful hands; for Jones, having examined the pistol, and found it to be really unloaded, began to believe all the man had told him before Partridge came up; namely, that he was a novice in the trade, and that he had been driven to it by the diftrefs he mentioned, the greatest indeed imaginable, that of five hungry children, and a wife lying in of a fixth, in the utmost want and mifery: The truth of all which the highwayman moft vehemently afferted, and offered to convince Mr. Jones of it, if he would take the trouble to go to his houfe, which was not above two miles off, faying, That he defired 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 ftory. Upon this the poor fellow immediately expreffed fo much alacrity, that Jones was perfectly satisfied with his veracity, and began now to entertain fentiments of compaffion for him. He returned the fellow his empty piftol, advised him to think of honefter means of relieving his diftrefs, and gave him a couple of guineas for the immediate fupport of his wife and his family, adding,' he wifhed he had more ⚫ for his fake, 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 diffatisfaction 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 horfes, arrived in town, without encountering any new mishap. On the road much pleasant difcourfe paffed, between Jones and Partridge, on the fubject of their last adventure: In which Jones expreft a great compaffion for thofe highwaymen who are, by unavoidable diftress, driven as it were to fuch illegal courfes, as generally bring them to a fhameful death: I mean,' faid he, thofe 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 circumftance 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 infeparably incident to robbery.'

No doubt,' anfwered 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 bufinefs, 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 hands; but it is very proper for the law to ⚫ hang them all. What right hath any man to take fixpence from me, unless I give it him? Is there any honesty in fuch a man?'

*

No furely,' cries Jones, no more than there is in him who takes the horfes out of another man's ftable, or who applies to his own ufe the money ⚫ which he finds, when he knows the right owner.

A

These 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 excufe himself on the inequality of fire-arms, faying, ⚫ thousand naked men are nothing to one piftol; for though it is true it will kill but one at a fingle dif- charge, yet who can tell but that one may be hint-.• felf.'.

THE

HISTORY

OF A

FOUNDLING.

BOOK XIII.

Containing the space of twelve days.

CHAP. I.

An invocation.

OME, bright love of fame, infpire my glowing break, not thee I call, who, over fwelling tides of blood and tears, dost bear the hero on to glory, while fighs of millions waft his spreading fails; but thee, fair, gentle maid, whom Mnefis, happy nymph, firft on the banks of Hebrus did produce: Thee, whom Mæonia educated, whom Mantua charmed, and who, on that fair hill which overlooks the proud metropolis of Britain, fat'st, with thy Milton, fweetly tuning thy heroic lyre; fill my ravifhed 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, the reads the real worth which once exifted in my Charlotte, fhall from her fympathetic breast send forth the heaving figh. Do thou teach me not only to foresee, but to enjoy, nay even to feed on future praife. Comfort me by a folemn affurance, that, when the little

parlour