collegiate; one who had left the univerfity above a year, and long before any of my misfortunes had 'befallen me. This gentleman, whofe name was Watson, fhook me heartily by the hand, and, ex'preffing great joy at meeting me, propofed our immediately drinking a bottle together. I first de'clined the propofal, and pretended bufinefs; but as 'he was very earneft and preffing, hunger at last overcame my pride, and I fairly confeffed to him Į. had no money in my pocket; yet not without fram'ing a lie for an excufe, and imputing it to my hav'ing changed my breeches that morning. Mr. Wat-fon anfwered, I thought Jack, you and I had been "too old acquaintance for you to mention fuch a "matter.' He then took me by the arm, and was 'pulling me along; but I gave him very little trou'ble, for my own inclinations pulled me much strong

fer than he could do..

We then went into the Friars, which you know: 'is the scene of all mirth and jollity. Here when we 'arrived at the tavern, Mr. Watfon applied himself to the drawer only, without taking the least notice of the cook; for he had no fufpicion but that I had 'dined long fince. However, as the cafe was really ' otherwife, I forged another falfhood, and told my companion, I had been at the further end of the city ་ on bufinefs of confequence, and had fnapt up a mutton chop in hafte; fo that I was again hungry and · 'wifhed he would add a beef-ftake to his bottle.' 'Some people,' cries Partridge, ought to have good memories, or did you find just money enough in your breeches to pay for the mutton chop ? 'Your obfervation is right,' anfwered the ftranger, and I believe fuch blunders are infeparable from all dealing in untruth. But to proceed.-I began now to feel myfelf extremely happy. The meat and 'wine foon revived my fpirits to a high pitch, and I enjoyed much pleasure in the converfation of my. old acquaintance, the rather as I thought him entirely ignorant of what had happened at the uni'verfity fince his leaving it..

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But he did not fuffer me to remain long in this

G 3

agreeable delufion; for taking a bumper in one hand, and holding me by the other, Here, my boy,' cries he, here's wilhing you joy of your being fo honourably acquitted of that affair laid to your charge.' I was thunder-ftruck with confufion at those words, which Watson, obferving, pro'ceeded thusNay, never be afhamed, man; "thou hast been acquitted, and no one now dares "call thee guilty; but prithee do tell me, who am thy friend, I hope thou didft really rob him; for "rat me if it was not a meritorious action to strip "fuch a sneaking pitiful rafcal, and inftead of the "two hundred guineas, I wish you had taken as many thousands. Come, come, my boy, don't be

ઃઃ

fhy of confeffing to me; you are not now brought "before one of the pimps. D-n me, if I don't "honour you for it; for, as I hope for falvation, I "would have made no manner of fcruple of doing "the fame thing."

This declaration a little relieved my abafhment, and as wine had now fomewhat opened my heart, I very freely acknowledged the robbery, but acquainted him that he had been mifinformed as to the fum taken, which was little more than a fifth part of what he had mentioned.'

"I am forry for it with all my heart,' quoth he, " and I wish thee better fuccefs another time. Tho' "if you will take my advice, you fhall have no oc"cafion to run any fuch risk. Here,' faid he, (taking fome dice out of his pocket), here's the "tuff. Here are the implements; here are the little doctors which cure the diftempers of the purse. Follow but my counfel, and I will fhew you a way "to empty the pocket of a queer cull, without any "danger of the nubbing cheat.'

"

pray, Sir,

Why that, Sir, fays the ftranger, is a cant phrafe for the gallows; for as gamefters differ little from highwaymen in their morals, fo do they very much resemble them in their language.

We had now each drank our bottle, when Mr. • Watfon

Watson faid, the board was fitting, and that he ' must attend, earnestly preffing me, at the fame time, to go with him and try my fortune. I anfwered, he knew that was at prefent out of my power, as I had informed him of the emptinefs of my pocket. To fay the truth, I doubted not, from his many ftrong expreflions of friendship, but that he would offer to lend me a fmall fum for that purpose; but he answered, Never mind that, man, e'en boldly "run a levant;' (Partridge was going to enquire the meaning of that word; but Jones ftopped his mouth;) but be circumfpect as to the man. I will tip you the proper perion, which may be neceffary, as you do not know the town, nor can diftinguith a rum cull from a queer one.'

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The bill was now brought, when Watfon paid 'his fhare, and was departing. I reminded him, 'not without blufhing, of my having no money.' 'He answered, That fignifies nothing, fcore it be"hind the door, or make a bold bruth, and take no notice-Or-ftay, fays he, I will go down ftairs "first, and then do you take up my money, and score "the whole reckoning at the bar, and I will wait for you at the corner.' 1 expreffed fome dislike at this, and hinted my expectation that he would have depofited the whole; but he fwore he had not another fix-pence in his pocket.

'He then went down, and I was prevailed on to 'take up the money and follow him, which I did 'clofe enough to hear him tell the drawer the reckoning was upon the table. The drawer paffed by

me up ftairs; but I made fuch hafte into the street, 'that I heard nothing of his difappointment, nor 'did I mention a fyllable at the bar, according to my inftructions.

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6

We now went directly to the gaming-table, where. 'Mr. Watfon to my furprize, pulled out a large fum of money, and placed it before him, as did many others; all of them, no doubt, confidering their own heaps as fo many decoy birds, which were to intice and draw over the heaps of their neighbours.

'Here

Here it would be tedious to relate all the freaks which fortune, or rather the dice, played in this her temple. Mountains of gold were in a few mo. ⚫ments reduced to nothing at one part of the table, • and rofe as fuddenly in another. The rich grew in a moment poor, and the poor as fuddenly became rich; fo that it feemed a philofopher could no where have fo well instructed his pupils in the contempt of riches, at least he could no where have better incul⚫cated the incertainty of their duration,

·

For my own part, after having confiderably improved my small eftate, I at laft entirely demolished it. Mr. Watson too, after much variety of luck, rofe from the table in fome heat, and declared he • had loft a cool hundred, and would play no longer. Then coming up to me, he asked me to return with him to the tavern ; but I pofitively refused, saying, I would not bring myself a fecond time into fuch a • dilemma, and especially as he had loft all his money, and was now in my own condition,' "Pooh," fays he, I have juft borrowed a couple of guineas of a friend; and one of them is at your fervice.' He immediately put one of them into my hand, and · I no longer refifted his inclination.

I was at first a little fhocked at returning to the fame houfe whence we had departed in fo unhandsome a manner; but when the drawer with very civil • address, told us, he believed we had forgot to pay our reckoning' I became perfectly eafy, and very readily gave him a guinea, bid him pay himfelf, and acquiefced in the unjust charge which • had been laid on my memory.

Mr. Watfon now bespoke the most extravagant : fupper he could well think of and though he had contented himself with fimple claret before, nothing now but the most precious Burgundy would serve. • his purpose.

Our company was foon encreased by the addition of feveral gentlemen from the gaming-table; most of whom, as I afterwards found, came not to the tavern to drink, but in the way of bufinefs; for the true gamefters pretended to be ill, and refufed their

• glafs,

glafs, while they plied heartily two young fellows, who were to be afterwards pillaged, as indeed they were without mercy. Of this plunder I had the good fortune to be a fharer, though I was not yet

let into the fecret.

'There was one remarkable accident attended this tavern play; for the money, by degrees, totally dif appeared, fo that though at the beginning the table was half covered with gold, yet before the play ended, which it did not till the next day, being Sunday at noon, there was fcarce a fingle guinea to be 'feen on the table; and this was the stranger, as every 'perfon prefent except myfelf declared he had loft; and what was become of the money, unless the de'vil himself carried it away, is difficult to determine.' Moft certainly he did,' fays Partridge, for 'evil fpirits can carry away any thing without being feen, though there were never fo many folk in the room; and I fhould not have been furprised if he had carried away all the company of a fet of wicked 'wretches, who were at play in fermon time. And I could tell you a true ftory if I would, where the 'devil took a man out of bed from another man's wife, and carried him away through the key-hole ' of the door. I've feen the very houfe where it was done, and no body hath lived in it these thirty ' years.'

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1

Though Jones was a little offended by the impertinence of Partridge, he could not however avoid fmiling at his fimplicity. The ftranger did the fame, and then proceeded with his ftory, as will be feen in the next chapter.

CHAP. XIII.

In which the foregoing story is farther continued.

M

Y fellow collegiate had now entered me in a new scene of life. I foon became acquainted with the whole fraternity of fharpers, and was let ' into their fecrets. I mean into the knowledge of thofe grofs cheats which are proper to impose upon

the