The true and genuine account of the life and actions of the late Jonathan Wild : not made up of fiction and fable, but taken from his own mouth, and collected from papers of his own writing

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Treadwell- Elizabeth- Phillips -Kirstein.

THE

WILLIAM p. TRENT COLLECTION

WORKS RELATING TO

DANIEL DEFOE

AND HIS TIME

T

THEPUBLICLIBRARY

OFTHECITYOF

BOSTON

^urcAaJ£tL /rtwo tUc yttcotttC' of

SUNDRY TRUST FUNDS

* Clement • Charlotte Harris • Whitneij

3M.

^Ac ?/'.i^<^Effegies of

JoKATHAN Wit- I) —

THE

True and Genuine

ACCOUNT

OF the'

LIFE and ACTIONS

Of the Late

JONATHAN WILD 5

I^Jot made up of FiSlion and Fahk^
but taken trom his Owii Mouthy and
colleacd from PAPERS of his.
pwn Writing.

LO N D 0 M^

Printed and Sold by John Applebee, in Slacf^:
Fryers • J. Isted, at the Golden-Ball near Chaju
eery-Lane in Fket-flreet ^ and the Bookfellers of
London ^rAWepnir^sr^ 172$. (Pace Six- Pence.)

27^^PREFACE.^

Heads of the fcribhling Authors ^ mcerlf
to get a Fmny^ without regard to Truth
of FaB^ or ezfento Probability ^ or with-
out making any .Conscience of their impo^
fing on the Credulous World.

NA Y^ fo little Ground has there beeti
for them^ that except there was fuch a
Man as Jonathan Wild^ that he was bortt
nt Wolverhampton, /ii/W in the Old-
B^yley, was caWd a Thief -Catcher^ and
was Han^d at Tyburn^ there is not one
^tory printed of him that can be caWd
iruth^ or that is not mingled up with fo
mtch Falpood and Fable as to fmother
and drown that little Truth which is at
the bottom of it.

The fell owing TraB does not indeed make a
^efl of his Story Ks they do, or present his Hi-
flofy^ wMch indeed is a Tragedy of itfelfi in a
Jiile cf Mockery and Redimle^ hut in a Method
Agreeable to the Fa&. They that had rather
have a Falfiood to laitgh at^ than a true Jccoimt
t>f T hi Jigs to ijiform them, had hefl buy the
FiBion^ and leave the Hiftory to thofe ivho knom
'fpoiv to dijlingnijl) Good from Evil^

m

[v3

INTRODUCTION.

HEXInJertaker of this Work having
eafily forefeen that the Story of this e-
minent Criminal wonIJ be acceptible
to theWorld^ refolvedfometime ago to
fubliflj it^ but knowing at the fame
time it woulclbe Attempted over and over by our
Hackney Grub-flreet Writers^ upon the old Pick-
pocket Principle ofPiihlijJo'ing a?iy Thing to get a
Pemiy • they therefore took care not only to fur^
nify themfelves -with authentick and fill vouchers
for the Truth of what they have to fay^ but alfo
to have the Account of him he very Particular^ I
andfuch as may anfwer their Title, ^

- UPON the Affurance of their being thm pro-
vided^ not only to give a true, hut alfo a full and
compleat Account of him^ Voey took care to give
the World an early and timely Votice thatfuch a {
Work was preparing for the Prefs, in order to I
prevent Peoples being imposed upon • and to that !
'purpofe they advertised this Work in fever al Pith-
lick Prints ; and they are fatisfyd that- as on
me Hand^ it has prepared the World to expe^
this Account^ fo it will fully anfwer their Expe^
Ration now it appears,

THEThave not fat is fyd them f elves in their
Enquiries^ to take Things upon the Credit of
Common Fame^ which (generally fpeaking) is a
Common Something \ nor hav$ they fupplyed, hy

Invention^

Invention, the Particulars of what wanted fuch
Helps. The Life of this unhappy Wretch is too
full of Incidents^ and that ef an uncommon Na-
ture^ to ft and in Need cf any fuch Helps ^ and
voe are fo far from wanting Matter to fill up this
TraB^ and make the Story out^ that on the con^
trary^ we are fore d to abridge and contra^ fome
of the mojl confiderahle Paffages ofPi^ Life, that
ix>e may bring it all into as narrow a Compass as
^e can*

THE Life ^/Jonathan Wild is a perfeSly
new Sceiie ^ as his Conduct has been Inimitable, fo
his hnployinent has been fmgtdar to him, and is
like to be fo, for as it began, fo it is like to dye
with hifH 5 no Man among the mo ft daring of the
Clan beings we believe, fo hardy as to venture ta
take it up after him.

EVERT Step he took was Crimiiial, and the
very J^ions which he did with the greateji open-
mfs and an avowed profefs'd Allowance^ merited
the Gallows even by the very L'.tter ^ but pray
Isfote, when we fay Allowance, tne mean his
i)wn Allowance^ for no other ?owe^ or Perfon could
allow him in it.

I T is true^ he had an inimitable Boldnefs in
his Behaviour and by deteuiing fome Criminals^
l)e affimed a kind of Bower to proteB othe^s^
cnly the difference lay here^ ?iamely, that he did
the fir ft Biiblickly^ and the la ft Privately ^ fo that
in a Wordy he ferved the Publick in the
fir ft ^ and abufed the Publkk in the fecond, and
Was only, deceived in this, that he thought his be^
vig Vfeful in the firjl^ would prote^ him in being

Criminal

C vli 1

XJrinmal in the lajl ; but here he was^ we faj^
'Mijlaken^ and fell into a Snare which all his
pretefjJeJ Metis could not deliver him from.

TAKE him as a Man^ only he had a kind
of brutal Courage which fitted htm to be an In-
Jlrument in attacking fome of the mojl defperate
cf the fever al Gangs of Rogues he had to do
rpith. But as this Courage alfo fervd to make
him Audacious in the other wicked Things he un--
dertook^ he was rather Bold than Couragious,
and fnight be calTd hnpudent^ hut we cannot fay ^
he was Brave^ as appeared in a a more particu^ |
lar manner in his Jinpid and confused Behaviour^^
during his lying in Newgate, and at his Execu*
tion^ of which in its Place. f

WE have the Advantage in this Account t(f '
4;ome at the particular of his Story from unqueJliO'
ned Authority^ for as he was fenfihle wrong Ac'
counts would be puhlifi:d of him^ he was not
hackward to give Materials from his own Mouth
which no Body can contradiB^ and others fully
converfant with him, having given the fame Sto-
ries or Accounts of the fame FaBs^ we have
theSatisfaSion to fee them agree fuUy together^ and
thereby be affured of the Truth of both j for in
fuch Cafes there could be no Combination to de^
€eive us.

NO T that it is poffible to obtain a full Ac^
count of all the particular Villanies of Jonathan
Wild, during a feries of fixteen Tears ^ in which
he reign' d in allhisWickednefs with fuch Succefs^
as no Age can produce the like. ^Tis enough if
pe give you a general View of his Life^ or a

Scheme

[ viii J

Scheme oj his VraBice, Uhijlrated hy Examples ^ rphtcfp

Examples likewife might he farther jet forth by moreEx^

I ample s and hy Stories fiill of an htjinite Variety^ which

I if colle&ed together^ would male up a large Volume hi

Folio^ and yet leave many of them unrelated.

n is true, as we jhall take Notice in its Place, that
the World does 7tot charge Jonathan with being hijufelf
aBually a Highwayynan or Robber]-^ or that when any of
the Gangs of Prancers (as they are calld in the New-
gate Cant) went out upon the Grand Defgn, he ever
went with them, and we are affurd he did 7Joi : Hd
Jiiiew the Trade too well^ to put his Life intofuch a Ha-"
\ %ard \ he knew how common a Bite it was among fiich
People to fave thci/^ own Live;, at the Expence of their
Companions ^ but he 7vas too Cummg for that. And hs
had Ukewife afo much better Trade in Hand, hy which
he was fure to make a Prey both of the Perfons Robb^d^
and of the Rogues that rohFd them 5 thdt he would hatj^
been worfe than Lunatick, if be had been drawn in to
he a Party.

THE Part he aUed iii the Facl for which hefufer'd^
^as mor3 than he ordinarily did, or than we ever find
be venturd to do before, for here he was both Thief and
Thief-^Catcher too, which he did not ufually venture^
'But a fecret Infatuation was Jiow upon him, a7id Heaven
T^ho had determined his Fate, no doubt left Mm to Esi»
mfe hijjifelf more in this mie ABion^ than he had done
in many Tears before, and hy thi^he Fell*

I T is f aid, that if this had notfix^d him, there were

other FaBs charged which would effeBually have done 5

to that we fljall fay nothing, hscaufe thofe others bavs

fiot been tryd, 'tis ejiougb, Jonathan dyd not in bit

own way of Thief Cat chiiig, but by going out of his

Road and taking a Share in the Robbery as he did af^

ter in the Rev^ard i And here he was taken in his owni

Snare, for the very Thieves be employ d, where the Wit*

[* ^e([es that Hj^r.gdMm. But we fay no more of that^

I tiii 21^0 com tothcr Story itflf, W'e^ now proceed to the

\ ^articvldr AccouM of bk Life^ " ANI^

A N

ACCOUNT

O F T H E

LIFE

AND

Eminent Actions^ &d

0 NA THA N iriL D the wretched
Siibjed of this Hiftory^ was born at
TF'olverhampton in StaffordJInre •, and to
do Juftice to his Original his Parents,
tho' mean, had the repute of Honeft
and Induftrioujs People, his Father be-
ing a Gtrpentet\ and his Mother fold Herbs and
Fruit in the Market of Jfolverhajnpton : They had
three Sons, and two Daughters, the two Daughteris
«re yet living and Married to honeft Tradefmeii
in Wolverhampton^ one to a Comb^Maker, and the?
other a Buckle-Maker, and whofe Characters we do
not hear are any way Blemiih'd -^ but the Sons liave
all a diiferent Fame.

THE Brotliers I fay were three in Kumber,

Jqmtbmy John and Andrew : John was a publick

B ». Officer

en

Officer in tlie Town where they Liv'd, being the
Cryerof Wolverhampton-^ but ftepping out of his
Employment in the time of the late Presort Re-
bellion, and making himfelf popular by Heading
and appearing among the Rable, for pulling down
the Meeting-Houfe at Wolverhampton •, he was ta-
lcing up for a Rioter, brought to LONDON^

' and put into Cuftody of a Meflenger, where he
continued fometime, till he was fent down again
in Cuftody to Stafford, to be Try'd at the Ailizes
held there for the County: There he was Convidled^
and received Sentence to be publicWy Whipt, and
afterwards to lye in Prifon for a certain Time,
which Sentence was accordingly Executed : But the
famt J hn being afterwards at Liberty, the time of
his Iim-jcifonment being expir'd. Dyed about four
Years ago, asdidalfo his Mother much about the
fame Time^ that is to fey, within a Month of One
another.

THE younger Brother Andrew being by Trade
a Birmingham Ware-man, or in particular a Buckle-
Maker •, left his own Country and came up to Lon-
do7Ty what Trade he has driven here we fhall not

' meddle with, the Man being yet alive 5 and as we
are not writing his Story, but that of his elder Bro-
ther, fo we are not willing to enter into any thing
that may be prejudicial to particular Perfons on a^
ny Account whatever 5 'tis enough to fay, that we
hear he is at this Time a Prifoner in the Fonltry

\ Compter for Debt ^ lb that it feems, all the three

^ Brothers have had fome Acquaintance with the in-
iide of a Goal, tho* on different Accounts.

Jonathan as I have faid, was the eldeft Brother,
he was born about the year 168^, being at the time
^i his Execution, about two and forty years of
Age, of which fomething more than thirteen years
I ' las been fpent in the moft' exquifite Villanies, of
which we Ihall give fome Account in this Work.

HIS

HIS Education was fuitable to his Fatliers Cir-
ctimftances, being taught in the Free-School of
Wolverhamton, to Read and Write, and then his Fa*
ther put him Apprentice to a Birmhigham Man,
or as they call them there, a Hardware Man, and
particularly a Buckle maker,

AUTHORS are not agreed in the Name of
his Mafter, and as it is not Material, we alfo let it
pafs without any Notice, having ferv'd his Time
out, or as fome fay but part of it. He got into the
Service of one Counfellor Daniel of Staffordjhire,
and came up with him to London as his Servant, this
was about the year 1704. But whether he did not
pleafe his Mafter, or that he took ill Courfes lb
earl3r, we have not enquir'd •, but that Counfellor
difmiifing him, he went home again to Wolverhamp^
ton, and very honeftly work'd for fome time at his
Trade.

BUT his Thoughts, as he f aid, being above his
Trade, tho' at that time he had had no Taft of the
Life he afterwards led, yet he grew uneafie in the ,
Country, was fick of his Work, and in ihort, after /
a few Years came away to London, to fee if he
could get into any Bufinefs there.

HERE he fomid but little Encouragement,
and tho' he WorVd at his Trade, yet what he could
get at his day Labour, but ill ferv'd to maintain
him, whofe Temper even then, T^as not much given
to Frugality, which with his being not enclin'd to
lit very clofe to his Work neither, made him run
out pretty much, till at length it was his Misfor-
tune to be Arrefled for Debt, and carried to JTood*
Jtreet Co?npter.

HERE he fuffer'd great hardfhip, having no
Friends to help him out, or Money to maintain
him within, fo that he was on the Common-lide,
and far'd as other People in thofe Circumftances do
fare, th^t is to fay, very hard.

3 2 HOWEVER,

[4]

HOWEVER, after having lain along tim^

there, he at length having behaved himfelf well cr
nough among the Prifoners, got fo much Favour
with the Keepers, that he got the Liberty of the
Gate, as they call it.

HIS Bulinefs here was chiefly to attend in the
Night, in Cafe any Prifoners were brought in for
Diforders in t'e Street ; to wait upon them, and
guaid thcin with the OfHcers to any Juftice of the
Peace, and fo back again if they were Committed ^
and in this, he D)C:h2irg'd himfelf to Satisfadion,
fo that he was at lergth trufted to go of Errands,
and the like Liberties to get a Penny.

AMONG the great variety of Night-walking
Offenders which came in^o his Cuflody, at length
there comes in one Mary Milliner, who after having
been carried before a juftice, might be remanded
to the Compter for the prefent ^ but being a Jade of
fome Fame, ilie foon found her way out again, for
we do not iind ib^ was reckoned to be a Prifoner
there at alL i

WHETHER it was that flie was frequently
brought m there in herlSlight Rambles, and might
receive fome Favours from him on that Occalion,
at being much in his way to favour fuch as fhe was,
he being as a kind oF Keeper fet over them ^ or
whether rbey Contra6ted a Friendftiip at firft fight*
or what other Incident brought it about I know
not -, but Mr. Wild not only became acquainted
with her, but a more than common Intimacy fopn
grew between thejn •, infomuch, that Ihe began to
teach him a great many T^ew, and to him unknown
Ways of getting Money, and brought him into her
own Gang, whether of Thieves or Whores, or of
both, is not much Material.

B Y the Advantage of this new Correfpondence

Mr. y'ild foon cle^r'd himfelf of his Imprifonment,

..the Debt for which he was tbruft into the ^Compter

[53

teing tut fmall ; and tho' he had a Wife at that
time living at 7folverhamt07t, and had a Son by her^
which Son isftill living, as we fhall hear prefenti/.
And tho' this new Favourite he had pitch 'd iipon^
had alfo a Hasband then living, a TFatermm by his
ProfeiTion •, yet they pretended to be Married and
Jiv'd together fome time as Man and Wife, and
this we are to call his fecond Wife, for he had fix of
them in all. This Mrs. Milliner as I am informM is
ftill living, fo that Mr. Wild has left feveral Wi-
dows behind him at his Exit^ whether they go by
his Name or not, that he himfelf could not inform
ms.

DURING his Intimacy with this Mrs. Milliner^
and by her means he grew Acquainted with fome
other 'of the wicked ways of Living, which it feems;
ihe praftis'd befides that of Whoring : And firfl;
it feems llie carried him out with her upon the
Tff' AJSIG : This is One of the Cant Words fop
thofe who attend upon the Night-walking Ladies
in their Progrefs,and who keep at a diftance, that if
the Lady they are employ 'd by, happens to fall in-
to any Broil, they may come in timely to her Af-
fiftance, and making a Noife and a Quarrel, if pof-
jible fall a Fighting, and fo give her an Opportu-
nity to walk off, which Joiiathaii often praftis'd
with good Succefs.

H E improv'd his time during his Acquaintance
with this Mary Milliner to a very great Degree, for
ilie brought him acquainted with feveral Gangs, or
Societies of t\it Sharping and Thieving World, ia
fo much, that in a little time he knew all their fe-
veral Employments, and the feveral Parts they
Acted, their Haunts and their Walks, how they
performed, and how they manag'd their Effeds
when they had met with Succefs : And as he feem'd
to fet up for a Diredor to them, under xh^, Govern-
jnent of that Dextrous Lady his f.rft Inlirudor

ft

in

To he found ways to mate himfelf as ufeful to themi
as if he had gone Abroad with them, which how-
ever he always avoided : Nor, indeed, had he any
occafion to run a Hazard himfelf, he finding him-
lelf as much a gainer in the Part he Aded, as if he
liad ihar'd in the Adventure : So that, in a "Word,
He had the Profit without the Danger 5 and politi-
cally kept himfelf from the Lalt, on pretence of
his ercreafing the Firft, by his Art in managing
for them.

THUS without being a Thief or a Receiver, he
brought a Gain to himfelf, and his Bufinefs went
on Profperoufly,

H O W he and his Lady parted after this, is a Sto-
ry, which has nothing Extraordinary in it 5 'tis e^
nough to fay, that Johmthan became fuch a Profi-
cient in his Bufinefs, that he flood no longer in need
of her Inftrudions •, and as ilie had a Trade of her
own, which he began to be ficlc of affifting her in,
they made no difficulty of feperating, with as lit^
tie Ceremony as they came together.

THO' I do not find but that they kept a kind
of remote Correfpondence after they were fepera-?
ted, as to Cohabitation j and the other Trade was
carry ed on with mutual AlFiftance, as well as to mu-
tual Advantage, for fome time. And here it is ve-
ry Remarkable, That tho' during this Intercourfe
of Mr.Fz/J among thefe loofe People (as above) ma-*
ny of them dayly fell into the Hand of Juftice^
and fome went ojff the Stage, the High Road, (as
they call itj that is to fay, by the Gallows 5 yet
none of them had any thing to fay to Jonathan^ or
to his She Friend, Mrs. Milliner : but thefe alway§
did their Bufinefs fo Clean, with fuch Subtilty,
and fo much to the Advantage of the Criminals,
that it was of no Ule tp. them to charge him or her
with any Thing.

IN

l7l

IN this dextrous way of Managing^ ft came
frequently in his way, where any Thing of Value
was Stolen, to make it worth more Money, both to
himfelf and to the Thief that had Stolen it, by
I is private Ways ^ which at the fame time the Cri«
minal knew nothing of. The Cafe was thus.

I T is not to be doubted, that when a Robery
was committed, the Thieves fometfmes xm\ as mucfi I
Hazard in fecuriug what they had got, as they did
in the getting of it, and often times much more 5 .
nay, they were very often difcovered and detect-
ed in their Attempts, to turn what they had get in-
to Mone3r, or to fell and difpofe of it, when they
had efcaped the Danger of the Fad it felf, and
come off Clean.

TFIERE was a Time indeed, 'when there were
Brokers and Receivers, whofe Bufinefs it was to
take every Thing off of their Hands as foon as they
had gotten it •, and a young Shoplifter or Houfe-
breaker had no fooner got a Booty, but he knew
where to go and carry it in, as to a Warehoufe or
Repofitory ; where he was fure to have Money for
it, and that 'fomething near the Value of it too 5
and this was a great Encouragement to the Light-
firiger'd Gang : So that when it was a Misfortune
of a Family or Perfon to lofe any Goods, they
were effedtually loft, and feldom or never were
they heard of any more.

BUT there being an Aft paft in the Reign of
the late King William, making it Felony to buy or
receive any Stolen Goods, knowing them to be
Stolen •, and one or two bold People having fufFcred
on that very Account ^ the Receiving Trade was
fpoil'd all at once. Ani when the poor Adventu-
rer had, at the hazard of his Neck, gotten any I
Purchafe, he muft run all tjjat Hazard over again ^
to turn it into Money.

IT

[8]

I T IS true^ after Tome time, the Temptation
being ftrong, and the Profits great, there were
Perfons frequently found again that did hel^
the Adventurers and took of theii^ Goods ^
but then the Thief got fo fmall a' Share, that the
Encouragement was very fmall \ and had it con-
tinued fo, the Thieving Trade might (for ought I
Icnow) have been in danger of being loft : For the
Receivers running fo extreme a Hazard, they got
all the Profit ^ and the poor Lifter or Houfe-break-
er was glad to part with Things of the greateft Va-
lue for a Trifle.

BUT jfomtban and his Diredlor, foon found out
a Way to fencourage the Trade again, and to make
it worth while as they calFd it, and the firfl Me-
thod was this : When a Purchafe was made, Jova^
than enquired firfl where it was gotten, what Houfe
had been robb'd, or, who had Tofl the Goods •, and
having learn'd that, his next Bufinefs was to have
the Goods depofited in proper Places, alway avoid-
ing the receiving them himfelf, or bringing himfelf
into any Jeopardy as to the Law.

THEN he found out proper Inftruments to em-
ploy to go to the Perfons, who had been robVd^ and
tell them, that if they could defcribe what they
hadlofl;, they believ'd they could help them to
them again, for that there v/as a parcel of ftolen
<joods ftopt by an honeft Broker, to whom they
were offered to be fold, and if their Goods were
smong them they might have them again for a
fmall matter of Expence.

THE People who had been robb'd, it may be
lupposM were always willing enough to hear of
their Goods again, and very thankful to the Difco-
verer, ar.d fo readily gave an Account of theThmgs
they had lof!;, with fuch proper Deftriptions of
them =>fi were r^eedful ^ The next Day thejr
ihould be toid ^ there was fuch or fuch Part of ttieir

Gojcdtt

C9l

Goods iiopt among other Goods, which it was ftip*
pofed were ftolen from other People, and fo upoa
AlTurance given on both Sides to make no Enquiry
into the'particular Circumilances of flopping the
Goods, and a Confideration to tht Perfon who went
between, for helping the Lofer to his Goods again,
the Things were reftor'd, and the Perfon receiv'd
abundance of Thanks and Acknov/ledgments for
their Honefty and Kindnefs, and this part always
fell to Jonathan, or his Miftrefs Milliner^ or per-
haps both, who always pretended they got nothing
for their Pains but tlie Satisfaction of having help'd
the People to recover their own again , which was
taken by a Company of Rogues ^ profeiTing their
Sorrow that they had not had the good Luck at the
fame time to detedt the Rogues that took them, and
bring them to the Puniftiment they deferv'd*

ON the other hand, they adled as fafe a Part
with the Thief alfo, for rating and reproving the
Rogue for his Villany, they would pretend to
bring them to an honeft Reftoring the Goods again,
taking a reafonable Confideration for their Honefty,
.and fo bring them to lodge them in fuch Place as
fhould be direded -jand fometimes,asI have been told,
he has officioufly caufed the Thief, or Thieves, to be
taken v/ith theGoods upon them, when he has not been
able to bring them to comply, and fo has made him-
felf bothThief andGhapman,as the Proverb fays^ get-
ting a Reward for the Difcovery, and bringing the
l)oor Wretch to the Gallows too, and this only be-
caufe he could not make his Market of him to his
Mind -, but I muft be fo juft to Jonathan too, as to /
fay he did not acknowlerjge this, fo that this Partj
was not had from his own MojiyTi, yet perhaps it(
may not be the Tefs true, nordo I think it would be
very hard to prove the Fad:.

AS to the other Part, he was never backward to
own that it was his early Pradicea and bo^fted of

« u

I

Cio]

it as doing a piece of Service which none tut hiiil-
feir could manage, and that he thereby affifted ho-
neft People in the recovery of their own ^ how far
he afted honeftly in the doing it, fuppofing he had
no hand in the Robbery itfelf, I leave to the Ca-
fuifls to determine ^ no Qneftion, in their Newgate
Divinity, they might think it a mighty honeft way
of getting Money, for as to the Encouragement it
was to the Robbery itfelf, while the Thief knew
before hand how to come off of the Guilt and
get Money in his Pocket, that thtj gave their
jThoughtsno trouble about.

THIS Trade I found by his own Difcourfe he
carry 'd on a great while, and had he gone no far-
ther, I qneftion whether it had been in any Man's
power to have hurt him to the laft ♦, nay, or that
even the Laws would have reach'd his Life, not-
tvithfianding tliejate A6t which feem'd to be cal-
culated on purpofe to put a ftop to his Trade : But
he knew no Bounds to his Gain, and therefore knew
no Reftraint of Laws, or at leaft coniidered of
none, till he involved himfelf in a mafs ()f Crimes,
out of which it was impolTible he iliould recover.

BUT to return to the firft Part of this unjuft
Commerce, which, whatever Glofs he might put
i]pon it, v/asno other than an encouraging Rogues
to rob and plunder, and then demanding Money for
them to bring back what they had ftolen, out of
which he fecur'd always a Share for himfelf. This
Practice of giving People notice of their Goods
after they were robb'd becoming pretty Piiblick,
and efpecially feveral People recovering their loit:
Goods upon the ealie Conditions of giving a Gratu-
ity to the Difcoverer, being known, it introduced
another weak foolifhPradice asaConfc(]uence,name-
]y, that after this, when any Perfou was robb'd, they
always publifh'dthe Particulars of rheir loft Goods,
with thePromife of a Reward to thofe who fhould

diRover

C"3

difcover them : It reafonable indeed to fuppofe
that this might occafion a Difcovery one way or
other,either by theThievcs betraying one another, or
elfe by direding the Buyers of Goods, who were
honeftly inclin'd, to flop fuch Goods if they came
to be offered, and hence it was a ufiial Practice in
fuch Advertifements to add, that if fuch Goods
were offered to be fold or pawnM, they were delir'd
to flop both the Goods and the Perfons, and give
notice fo and fo, as direded.

BUT this was every Way an inefFedual Method,
and indeed the latter part was particularly ib^ for,
indeed it was neither more or lefs than giving a /
Caution to the Thief, not to venture to offer any
thing he had gotten to Sale, for he fhould be fure
to be flopt as well as the Goods and indeed it was
flrange, that the People who publiih'd fuch Adver-
tifements fhould not forefee the making fuch a
Publication would bean effedual ihutting the Door
againft the Difcovery they defign'd it for, and
was therefore nothing but a throwing good Money
after bad.

O N the other hand, neither was the Advertizing j
ox Publiihing their Lois any real Service, or of a- /
ny ufe to the Lofer, for that the only PerCbn who
could a/Tifl in the Recovery of the Goods, was quite
out of the Q.ieflion, having no need of the Infor-
mation, bur coming by his Intelligence another
Way, viz,, from the Thief himfelf ^ and that if
there had been no fuch Information, I mean by
publick Print, he would, as ufual, have been fure to
haire fent an Account to the Lofer, and have come
to a Treaty with him another Way • for the Thief
giving an Account to Mr. Jojiathan Jf^ild where the
Robbery v/as committed, and whofe Goods they
were, the cunning Artifi always in^de Application
o the Lofer lirfl: ^ and if it was asked, how they

C 2 come

[12 3

come to know who the Goods were taken from ?
it was always anfwer'd. That it was meerly Provi-
dential I being, by meer Accident, at a Tavern,
or at a Friend's Houfe in the Neighboarhood, they
heard that fuch a Gentleman had his Houfe broken
open, and fuch and fuch Goods Stolen, and the
like.

THIS was fo planfible a Story, and carry ed
fo much an appearance of Truth with it, that it
left Room for no Enquiry : But on th^ other hand,
if the People, to whom the Dilcovery was made,
were too Inqaifitive,theParty fent,pre^ntly feem'd
to take it 111, and reply'd, Sir, I cpmeTo ferve you.
If you think to make any Did'overy by me, of'
the Thieves that robbed you, I mull tell you, that
you are Miftakcn : I conveife with no fuch Cattle •,
I can give a very good Account of my felf to you,
or any Body elfe : I only come to tell you that
fome Goods being offer'd"^ to Sale by a fufpefted
Hand ^ the Perfon to whom they were offer'd. had
thQ Honefty to fcop them, and the Goodnefs to
give you ic^me Notice of it, that you may fee whe-
ther your Goods are am.ong them or not j if this
13 not enough to oblige you, I have done. If you
have any thing to fay to me, or think to talk to
me about the Thief or Thieves that robb'd you, I
have no more to ray to you, but to let you know,
jny Name is fo and lb -, and I live in fuch a Place, if
you have any thing to fay to me, I am to be found,
bir, at anyTime. And thus they take their leave in
a HafF. And this never fails to bring the Enquirer
to a better Temper 5 and either immediately, ^or
foon af:er, to treat them with more Civility.

AND indeed the oflPer itfelf appears fo Good, and
the appearance fo above Board,that not aMagiftrate,
or Juitice of Peace, could find the leaft Flaw in it :
Oiiiy enquire where. the Goods are which are ftopt,

iu

■ [13]

in which Cafe, a Place and Perfon is named, and
Goods produced wh^n any one is fent to view them j
but then the Party fo Caviling at that offer, is fure
to find none of his own Goods among them : And .
lb being loft as it were in a Wood^ he is i:)erfedlly /
amufed, and has not one "Word to fay 5 for he nei- ^
ther fees his own Goods, nor knows that the other "^
Goods are fiolen, much lefs by who or from who : /
And thus by his being too Curious, or rather Im-
pertinent, he lofes his Goods entirely, and has no
lecond Offer made him.

I T muft be confefs'd, Jomthm play'd a fure
Game in all this ^ and therefore it is not to be won-
der'd at that he went on for fo many Years without
any Difafter : Nay, he acquired a ftrange, and, in-
deed, unufual Reputation, for a mighty honeit
Man, till his Succefs hardened him to put on a
Face of publick Service in it ; and for that Purpofe,
to profefs an open and bare Correfpondence among
the Gangs of Thieves • by which his Houfe became
an Office of Intelligence for Enquiries of that
Kind • as if all Stolen Goods had been depolited
with him, in order to be reftor'd.

BUT even this good Character of his, as it did not
lad long, fb neither did it come all at once -^ and
fome tell us (iiow true it is, I will not affirm) that
he was oblig'd to give up every now and then one
or two of his Clients to the Gallows, to fupport
his rifing Reputation : In which cafes, he never
faiFd to proclaim his own Credit in bringingtOften-
ders to Juftice, and in delivering his Country from
fach dangerous People.

SOME have gone fo far as to tell us the very
Particulars which, recommended any of the Gangs
to him for a Sacrifice, and to divide them into
Clafles : For Example, (i.) fuch as having com-
mitted the Secret of a Fa6t to him, yet would not

fubmit

[ 14 ]

fubmit their Purchare to his Difporal • or (2.) would
not accept reafonable Terms of Compofition for
reftcrmg the Goods; or (5.) ufed any threatning
Speeches againft their Comrades : Tliefe he would
immediately caufe to be apprehended, he knowing
both their Haunts, and where the Goods weredepo v
Uted^ and in fuch Cafes, none fo vigilant in the
Difcovery, or (b eager in apprehending the Thief:
And, generally fpeaking, he had his ways and
means to bring in others of the Gang, to come, in
and Confefs, that they might Impeach the Perfon
fo intended to be given up to Jiiftice.

THIS, I fay fome have affirmed was his Pra«^"
£life, and allured me of the Truth of it ; and that,
in thefe Cafes, they add, That he managed with
fuch Dexterity, that he always obtained publicfc
Applaufe, as a mighty forward Man to deted: the
Vilianies of thofe People, and bring Offenders to.
Juftice.

HOW many he murthered in that manner, for
as his End was only making a Sacrifice to his own
Interefi and Fame, I can call it no other : I fay,
how many they were, I cannot learn •, but if it
has been a Pradice of fo many Years (landing,
and fo frequent in that Time, ir cannot be doubt-
ed but the Number has been very confiderable ^
nor does it a little contribute to the belief of the
Thing, that the fraternity of Thieves in general
were of late fo exafperated againfl: him ^ tor tho'
the Method was in it feif wiqked in him, yet it cer-
tainly brought a great many Crimina]s to juft Con-
demnation, who would otherwife have liv'd to da
much more Mifchiet than they did.

AND this occafion'd him doubtlefs to pufh on
with the more Heat and Fury againft thofe who.
flood in his way,and where he could exert hisPower
without fear of being Touch'd hjmfelf, as particu-
larly

[15]

lady againfl: the late f, Sheppard^ BluesliTi, and o- /
thers, in the taking, re-taking, and profecnting of ^^'
'whom, he was veiy Officious -, while sat the fame
time thofe audacious Criminals exclaim'd againft
him, as a Man who had the firft great Encourager
of their Villanies, or at leaft had been inftrumen-
tal to draw them into the very Pradice it felf ^ in
Revenge for which, the faid Bhieskht bid fair for
giving J-oyiathayi his quietus in the very Face of
Juftice. But his Fate was to dye with more Infa-
my than he would have gone off with, if he had
been fent off at that Time.

B U T to return to the Hiftory it felf, what e-
ver was at the bottom of his Deiigns, 'tis evident,
he had two very clear Pretences for what he did \
end on thefe two Pretences, it was that he fpported
the Credit of all his monftrous doings, and which
indeed no Man but himfelf could have fhown his
Face in 5 i. The Publick Good, in taking and ap-
j>rehending the moft open and notorious Criminals 5
and, 2. The procuring and reftoring the Goods a-
gain to the right Owners, which had been ftoleii
from them either by Fraud or Violence.

I T was allowed, that neither of thefe could be
done eftectually, as Jonathan did them, but by an
avowed Intimacy and Acquaintance among the
Gangs and Societies of Thieves of every fort ^ and
it was very hard to Imagine, that fnch an Inti-
macy could be maintained without being really a
Party to their Management, and without a crimi-
nal Correfpondence with them in the very Fads i
Kw^ Jonathan was often told fo, as well by thofe
who believed him really guilty of fuch a criminal
Correfpondence, as thofe that did not.

BUT be that as it will, Jonathaji himfelf al- /
ways deny'd it, and inluted not only on his Inno- ^
cence, but on his Merit : And that as he was in^

deed

Aeed acquainted with the wicked ways made ufe of
by all the feveral ClafTes of Thieves, and by con-*
fequence with many of them Perfonally, he only
made ufe of that Acquaintance, to pci fvvade and
prevail upon them, when good Rewards were offer'd
for it, to reftore the Goods to the People who had
loft them, placing himfelf fo only in the middle,
between the Lofer and the Robber ^ as to capitu-
late for the latter, that if the Goods were returned,
the Lofer would keep Promife, and give a Reward
without Enquiry into the Particulars, or Perfons,
which would other ways put an end to all Reftorings
or Returnings of Stolen Goods for ever after.

THIS Part he iniifted on as not only very Honeft
but very Serviceable; always infifting that whatever
he took on either fide, was no otherwife than as a
Sollicitor takes his Fee, on Confideration from
both Parties, for honeftly putting an end to a Law-
fuit, and bringing the contending Parties to a
friendly Accommodation ^ and had he gone no far-
ther, I cannot fay but he might be in the Right :
But he aded in a more difficult Station, as pla-
cing himfelf in the middle, between the Law and
the Offender, in a manner, commuting the Felony,
and making a kind of Compofition where the Fa£t
was Punifhable ^ which Punifliment no Man had
Power to anticipate, but the Hand above, which
had Power alfo to remit the Penalty •, ^namely, the
fupreame Magiftrate. ' litic

I T muft be allow^d to Jomthajis Fame, That
as he fteer'd among Rocks and dangerous Shoals, fo
he was a bold Pilot ^ he ventured in, and always got
out'in a manner equally furpriling ^ no Man ever
did the. like before him, and I dare fay, no Man
-will attempt to do the like after him; TwoThings
indeed favoured him 5 (i.) The willingnels the Go-
vernment always Ihows to have Criminals Peter-
ed, and brought to Juftice* And, (2.) The Willing-

jiefs

D7]

nefs of the People who had heen Robb'J, and loft
Things of conliderable Value, to get their Goods
^gaiiic

L TH E willingnefs of the Government to
bring Rogues to their Reward, as well to Punilh
the Perfons, as to difcourage the Crime •, all jufi:
Governments difcover a Difpofition to bring Of-*
fenders to Juftice : And on this Account, they not
only receive and accept of Informations of the
worft of Crimes, from the worft of Criminals, and
take Knowledge of the Offence from the Offenders *
themfelves, but encourage fuch Criminals to coma
in and confefs the Offence, and Difcover their Ac-
complices, Promifing as well Pardon for the Crimes,
as a Reward for the Difcovery, even to thiofe who
are Guilty. Now this willingnefs of the Govern-
ment to deted Thieves, feem'd to be a kind of
Authority, for Jonathayi in his vigorus perfuit of /
thofe who he thought fit to have Puniflied 5 tho' ^
'tis true, it was no Authority to him to drav/ pooi?
Fellows firfi into the Crime, that he might after-
wards obtain a Reward from the Government for
Detecting and Apprehending them, and there in-
deed is the nice turn of Jonathans Cafe, and which
indeed has turn'd him off of the Stage at long run, /
as we fhall fee in its Place. /

H E continued in the profperous part of his
Bufinefs about ten Year, without being fo publick-
ly taken notice of, or making himfelf fo famous as
he has been lately •, and in this time it was not
doubted but he got a large ftock of Money, as well
as of Credit ^ and had he contented himfelf with
the fame Cautious wary Way of Ading, v/hich his
lirft In{trud:or introduc'd him hj, he might have
grown Rich, and been fafe too 5 but as he was of a.
piiChing, enterprizing Nature, he could content
ninifelf with nothing but every thing he could get,

D nor

[ i8 3

r or could he a£l moderately in any part of his
Condua:.

I N this time of his Profperity, he Married a
third AVife, (his two former, if they were Wives, be-
ing ftill living) her Name was Elizabeth Man, who
tho' fhe was a Woman of the Town, was yet a
very fenlible and agreeable Perfon ^ and her fhort
Hiflory is this : He lov'd her above all the other
Women he had taken for Wives, and liv'd pub-
liclcly with her, which he did not with any of the
reft •, he had no Children by her, but.fhe was as he
himfelf Confefs'd, a true Penitent for all her for-
mer Life, and made him an excellent Wife, {lie ex-
piated her former bad Life by a formal full Con-
feilion and Pennan' e, having on that Occalion been
peifwadcd xo turn Ro?jm7i CathoUrk, and havingre-
ceiv'd Abfoliition from LerCcn;tffor, hvM a very
fober Life for fome Years, after which fhe Died,
ai.J was buried at St. Fajicrajs in the Fields ^ and
Jonathan XQidJuo fuch an impieffion of the Sanfti-
ty and goodnefs of this Wife, that he never forgot
it as ioiig as he liv'd ^ and ordered himfelf to be
Buried dofe to her when he Died, which his
Friends took care to fee performed, about Two of
the Clock in the Morning.

H E had two Wives as they are call'd, bclides
this •, and after her Death, who I underftand, he
did not live with, or not long at a Time, (ihtl.)

Sarah Pavrin, alias GregJIoiie^ who I underftand
is yet Living.

Judith Nun by whom- he had a Daughter, who
is now about ten Years of Age, and the Mother al-
fo ftill Living.

BESIDES thofe five, he Married his Sixth and
laft Wife about feven Year ago, and with whom he
liv'd to the Time of his Execution i her Maiden
Kame was Mary Brown, but when he took her to
Wife, her Name v/as Mary Bean^ being the Widow

or

1^9 1

or Relift o^ShiU Bem^ a Alan of theTrade who was
executed for Houfe-brealving, that is to fay, for
Burglary, about the Year 1716, or 1717 : Some
have tax'd Jonathan v/ith being Inftrumental to
the Execution of this D^j?/, herfaidfirft Husband,
that he migit have the Liberty to make Court to
his Wife, but he deny\l it pointiveh^ and fee no
room for fuch a Reproach. I lliall not refled on his
Memory, without good Evidence.

THE faid Shdl Dean, Mrs. WiWs firft Hus-
band, was a very dextrous Fellow in his Calling,
snd particularly expert in breaking into Houfls:
After he was condemn'd, he got out of the Prifon,
on pretence of going to the NecelTary-houfe, and
being gotten quite clear for a little while,he made his
way as far as Guilt fpir-Jlreet^ towards Smithfield^
but being purfued by the Keepers, and having his
Fetters on, he could not go long undifcovered,
fo they over-took him, and carry ed him back to
Prifon.

THIS Mrs.Dean is his prefent apparentRelid,ihe
has had the mortification to hax'e had two Husbands,
and bothHang'd •, and was ih affected with the Dif-
falter of this iaft, that as Jonathan himlelF declar'd
a few Days before his Execution, flie had twice at-
tempted to deftroy herfrlf, after flie had the Ac-
count of his receiving Sentence of Death.

H E had no Children by this Sixth Yenture ^ bat
we are afTur'd, fhe has been an extraordinary
Wife to him on many Accounts, and particularly
in the way of his Buiinefs, in wrAch flie could not
be perfectly unacquainted, having had fo extraor-
dinary a Husband before 5 tho' we do not find
that Jonathan himfelf wanted any Aiuftance, being
by tnis Time perfect Maffcer of his Trade.

I N the Time of this Yv ife, or on the Marrying
her, he removed from his former Lodging, (a Houfe
ia thp Littls Old Baily, where his iaid Wife -had

D 2 liv'd

[20]

liv'd before) and rook a Houfe in the Great Old
Bally, and there he liv'd to the laft •, and in no
mean Figure neither, for his Wife made a very
good Appearance •, and as to Jonathan, he carryed
on a very flourilhing Bufinefs, as the Town well
tnows.

H E was now Mafter of his Trade, Poor and
Rich flock'd to him ; If any Thing was Loft, (whe-
ther by Negligence in the Owner, or Vigilance and
Dexterity in the Thief) away w^ went to Jonathan
Wild, Nay, Advert ifements were Publiih'd, di-
recting the Finder of almoft every Thing, to bring
it to Jonathan JHld, who was eminently impower''d
to take it, and give the Reward.

HOW Infatuate were the People of this Nation all
this v/hile ? Did they confider, that at the very
time that they treated thisPerfon with fuchaCon*
fidence, as if he had been appointed to the Trade ? ,
He had, perhaps, the ver}^ Goods in his keeping,
waiting the Advertifement for the Reward • and
that, perhaps, they had been Stolen with that very
Intention ?

IT was not a little Difficult to give his Emi-
nence his true Title 5 he v^as, indeed, call'd a Thief-
Catcher, and on forae extraordinary Occafions, he
was fo, as in the Cafe of Sheppa/d, Bhiesldn, and
others : But this was no Explanation of his Bufi-
nefs at all, for his Profits came in another way,
not in catching the Thief, but more properly, in
Catching (that is, Biting) the Perfons robb'd : As
for the Thief, it was not his Bufinefs to catch him,
as long as he would be fabjeded to his Rules •, that
is to fay, as often as he had committed any Robbe-
ry, to bring it to him, to be reftor'd to the Owner.
I F the Correfpondence he kept was large. If
the Number of his Inftruments was very great,
his dexterity in Managing them, v/as indeed won-
derful; And hovv ckaverly he keept himfelf out

of

[21]

of the reach of the Afl: for receiving Stolen Goods^
mentioned above, is hardly to be ImaginM •, and
yet we find he was never charged Hoi^ie 'tiil now 5
notwithftanding To many Fellons who he exafpe- /
rated to the laft Degree, and made Dcfperate, by j
falling upon them to their Deftruclion.

I T is true, the young C^eneration of Thieves,
who as we may fay liv'd under him, were always
kept low and poor, and could not fabfift kut by
the Bounty of their Governour ^ and v/hen they
had a Booty of any Bulk cr Value, they knew not
v/hatto do with it, but to depoliteit, and get feme
Money for the prefent Ufe, and then have a little
more upon its being difpofed the right way.

FOR the managing this Part, he had his parti-
cular Servants to take and receive, fo that ^oiia-
thajt received nothing, delivered nothing, nor could
any thing be faften'd on him to his hurt, I mean for
receiving ftolen Goods, and yet as things ftood, al-
moft all the ftolen Goods were brought to him, and
put into his Hands.

H E openly kept his Compting Eoufe, or
Office, like a Man of Bufinefs, and had his Books
to enter every thing in with the utmoft Exacint Ts
and Regularity : When you iirft came to him to
give him an Account of any thing Loft, it was
hinted to you. That you muft firft depofite a Crown,
this was hisJletaining Fee •, Then you were ask'd
fome needful Qjieflions, that is to fay needful, not
for his Information, but for your Amufement •, as
where yon liv'd, where the Goods were Loft, whe-
ther out of your Houfe, or out of your Pocket, or
whether on the Highway, and the like 5 and your
Anfy/ersto them all w?re Minuted down, as if in
order to make a proper Search and Liquiry -, where-*
as perhaps the very Thing you came to enquire af-
ter, was in the very Room where you were, or not
far off ; After all this Grimace was at an end, you |

were I

[ 22 3

were defir'd to call again, or fend in a day or two]
and then you fhould know whether he was able to
do you any Service or no, and fo you were difmifs'd.

A T your fecond coining, you had fome En-
couragement given you, that you would be ferv'd,
but perhaps the Terms were a little rais'd upon
you, and you were told the Rogue that had it was
Impudent, that he infifted it was worth fo much,
and he could fell it when he would for double the
Money you offerM •, and that if you would not
give him fuch a Sum., he would not treat with you 5
however, fays Jonathan, if I can but come to the
Speech of him, I'll make him be more reafohable.

THE next time he tells you, that all he can

bring the Rogue to is, that Guineas being

paid to the Porter who (hall bring the Goods, and a
Promife upon Honour that nothing ihall be faid to
him, but juft take and give • the gold Watch, or the
Snuff Box, or whatever it is, ihail be brought to
you by fuch a time exactly 5 and thus upon mutual
AfTurances the Bargain is made for reftoring the
Goods.

BUT then it remains to be ask'd, what Mr.
7^z7i experts for his Pains in managing this nice
Part, who anfwers with an air of Greatnefs, he
leaves it to you ; that he gets nothing by what is
to be given the Porter, that he is fatisfyed in being
able to ferve G::ntlem2n in fuch a Manner, fo that
it is in your Breaft to do what you think is hand-
fome by Mr J-^//^, who has taken a great deal of
Pains in it to do you a Service.

I T muft be confefs'd that in all this, if there
was no more than is m3ntion'd,fucH a Part might be
Adted on all Sides without any Guilt faftenM any
where but on the Thief: For Example, a Houfe is
Robb'd, or a Lady has loft her Gold Watch : Jo-
Ttathan by his Inteiligence among the Gang, finds
out vvho ^^s done it •, that is to fay, he is told 'tis

fjcli

[23 ]

fuch a one ^ 'tis no matter how he hears it, he is
not bound to the Difcovery upon a hear-fay , nor
is he oblig'd to profecute a Felony committed on
he docs not know who, by he knows not who, that's
none of his Bulinels.

HOWEVER, having a kind of Knowledge of the
Perfon, he fends to him, to let him know, that if
he is his own Friend; he will carry, that is, fend
the Watch, or the Cane, or the SnufF-box, fo, and
fo, to fuch a Place-, and that if he does lb, and the
Forter receives ten Guineas, or more, or left,
whatever it is that is offered, all will be well^
if not, he adds a Threatning, that he will be pro-
fecuted with the ntmofl: Severity.

UPON this, the Thief fends the Gcods, has the
Money, and never fees jGvathan, nor an}'" Perfon
elfe : What can Jonathan be charg'd with, in fjch
an Affair as this ? I muft confefs I do not fee it 5 <
no, nor if the Thief fends him a prefent of four or /
five Guineas out of the Money, provided ashefaid
it is without any Conditions made before^hand, or
being prefent, at the Time "tis done.

NOR, on the other hand, does the treating for
delivering the Goods, as above, with a fecond or
third Perfon give any Room to fix any Thing on i
Jonathan ; So that, in fhort, he treats both with /
the Thief and with the Perfon robb'd, with the ut-
moft fafety and fecuity. Indeed I do not fee why
he might not have carryed on fuch a Commerce a
this, with the greateft Eafe, I co not fay Honefty,
in the World, if he had gone no farther 5 for he tcok
none of your Money for reftoring^your Goods
neither did he reftore you any Goods 5 you gavQ
him Money indeed for his Trouble in enquiring
out the Thief, and for ufing his Intereftby awing
or perfwading to get your ftolen Goods fent
you back, telling you what you muft give to the

Forter

Vorter t&at brings them, if you pleafe, for he
does not oblige you to give it.
' BUT the Danger lay on the other fide of the
Qiieftion, namely, not being contented with what
the Perfon robb'd, gave upon the Foot of a grajte-
grateful Acknowledgement, for Trouble ^ but im-
pudently taking the Goods of iht Thief, fending
the Porter himfeif, taking the Money, and then ca-
pitulating with the Thief, for fuch a Part of the
Rev^ard •, and then this Thief coming inagainfthim
as a Witnefs. This was the very Cafe in the Fadfc
upon which Jomthan mifcarried.

S O that in a Word, Joriathans Avarice hang'd
him. It is true, in the Cafe he was tryM for, it was
Apparent that he fet the Robbery, as they exprefs
it 5 that is, he direded the Perfons to the Place,
nay, went with them to ihow them the Shop, de-
Icribed the Woman and the Bufinefs ^ and after all,
receiv'd the Goods, and ga\'e them the Money for
returning them, refer ving it in his own Power to
take what more he pleased for himfeif ; and at
]a(t all this being teftifyed hj the Thieves them-
felves.

I T is not to be doubted, but Jonathan, to carry
on this Commerce to fuch a Highth as he really had
rais'd it, had a perfedt Underftanding with all the
profefsM Thieves in the Town •, at leaft the young
Beginners, for thefe are a Clafs generally more
out of his Power than others, and who are not
fo eafily to be governed as the others are • and yet
he finds ways tolnfluence them too in the way of their
Pradice. But the reft, I fay, he had in his Reach
manag'd them as he thought fit -, nay, he generally
knew, or perhaps appointed them the Qiiarter
they fliould w^lk in -, fo that when ever any Per-
fon came to enquire for his Goods loft, he could
make a toiler able Guefs at the Thief, by the quar-
ter

[25]

. part of the Town you liv'd in, or where you were
when you loit it.

I Remember I ha 1. occafion, m a Cafe of this \
Kind, to wait u\)onMT. Joria than with a Crown in |
my Hand, as above, and having made a DepolTle, \^
I was ask'd, as above, where theThiug was loft?
At.firft he fmird, ano turning to one, I fu{)pofe
of his Inftruments, who can this be ? fays he, why
all our People are gone down to 5fM^^nW^^g Fair - jj
the other anfwer'd, after ibme paufe, I thi\;k I faw
Lynx, in the Street, Yefterday : Did you, fays he,
then 'tis that Dog, I v/arrant yen. Well, Sir, fays
he, I believe we can find out your Man -, you fhall
know more of it, if you let me fee you ag^in a
Monday^ this was on the Friday : When the Monday
came, truly I was told, they could not fee the youiig
Rogue, and they believ'd he was gone after the
reft to the Fair, it being about the beginning of
September,

AFTER the Fair, I came again and again, but
was put off from time to time, and could rot at
laft be ferv'd in the Cafe, it being only a Silver-
hiked Sword, which the Thief it Teems had found
means to turn into Money, and then there was no
coming at.it ; the Time alfo having been laps'd by
his Honour, having been gone to the Fair.

ANOTHER Perfon applying in another and
more material Affair, was treated v/ith Refpedl by
IMr. Wild^ and a Pot of Tea brought out in Form : .
(N,B. The Crown being nrft depoii^ed as ufual)
The Cafe related to a Gold Watch, with Trinkits \
and fome Diamonds about either the "Watch, and
the Lady offer'd very conliderably, for ihereftoriug.
it, as I remember, 30/. but no Advertifements had
been pubiiih'd. Mr. Jfild, after the ufiial Enqui-
ries of when it was loft ? and where ? And being
told it was at St. Ami s Chmch, Jfejhnhtjfer^ pau-
(es a while, and calls up a Servant, and asks aloud^
• E where

Ivfiere was M-'ll K^-g laft Sunday ? About JFeJlrnhf"
fter, fays the Man, but the Bi-h would not tell
where. Was fhe Crank ? fays Mr. Wild, I don't
know, fays the Fellow. However, turning to the
Lady, fays he, Madam, I fancy I fhall be able to
ferve you, and perhaps for lefs Money than your
Ladyfhip fpeaks off, If it be M— /^ -K— ^, that .
Woman, I have in my Thoughts, as I believe 'tis,
for fhe is a dextrous Jade at the Work, I'll have her
fafe before Morning. The Lady full of Compaf-
lion returns, O Sir ! don't take her up 5 I allure
you I won't profecute, I'll rather lofe my Watch,
than have any poor Wretch Hang'd for it.

Why > Madam, fays Mr. TFiU, We can't talk
with her, but by Threatning : We muft not make a
Bargain with her, that would be to compound a
Felony. If I can perfwade her to come and bring
your Watch, and ask your Pardon, will that fatis-
fy you. Nay, fays the Lady, I don't know whe-
ther that would be fafe, neither : If ihe will fend
it me, I had rather •, and I'll forgive her, without
asking Pardon. Well, Madam, will you take it,
and give the Porter that brings it 20 Guineas, if
you pleafe, but not to oblige you to it. What-
ever you fay, Mr. jnid, Hijs the Lady.

Weil, Madam, faysMr.FzW, if I may have the
Honour to fee your Ladyihip again.

Lady. Will it hot do if I fend any Body >

Wild. Why, truly, no Madam : People that deal
in thefe Things, do not care for Witnelfes.

Lady. Well, well, that's true: I'll com? my felf.
What Day would you have me come ?

Wild. OnThiirfday, Madam.

Lady, Well, Mr. mid, what muft I do ? What
v/ill fatisfy you for your Trouble ?

Wild, It is time enough, Madam, to fpeak of
that when I am fiire I can do you any Service,

Thefe

L 27 ]

Thefe Creatures are very loofe, and I can't tell you
how it may be.

Well, Mr. jrUd, I'll come furnilh'd to pay my
Refpeds to you. *^^

Wild. Madam, Your moft obedient Servant
[Jfaits on her to her Coachr\

Accordingly, Thurfday coming, the Lady ap-
pears. Mr. Fi/J, in his Callimancoe Night-gown,
(the fame he was hangd in) receives her-, and with a
pleafant Look, tells her, he is very glad, to be
able to fay, that he believes he Ihall ferveher.
That it was the fame Woman he fufpeded, and
that the Jade had already pawn'd the Watch for
fome Money, but that it was but a little, and he
was glad fhe had.

Lady. Why > Mr. Jnid.

Wild, Becaufe, Madam, if fhe had kept it all
this while, it would have been ten to one but fhe
had Broke fomething about it, or done it fome
Mifchief.

Lady, That's true, indeed. Pray what has fhe
Pawn'd it for ?

jy^ild. Not much. Madam, fhe has got but fevei^
Guineas upon it yet.

Lady, Well, Mr. Tfild, what mufl be done >

Wild. Why, Madam, If the People, that have it,
bring it fafe and found to your Ladyfhip, will you
give me your Honour that you will ask no Qiie^
ftions, or ftop the Perfbn that comes with it >

Lady, I promifeyou, on my^ Word, I will not.

Wild, The Man that brings it may be a poor In-
nocent Fellow, that knows nothing of it.

Lady W>11, well, he fhall have no Harm or In-
terruption from me.

Wild, Then I believe your Ladyfhip may hear
fomething of it to Night.

Lady, And what muft I give him >

Wild, I don't yet know, Madam^ but I'll bring
E 2 ■ theiu

tBem as low as I can. Not above 20 Guineas, to
be fiire. Madam.

Lady, That is very Icind, indeed. Well, Mu
Wild, then Tli make it up to you. [_So the Lady
Fulls out her Purfe ik order to give him fame Mo7iey.1

Wild No, Madair-.. not a Farthing. Befides you
have not got your V/atch yet : Pray ftay till you
fee ^vvherher the Jade will Perform ^ tho' I think,
indeed, I am pretty fare of her.

Lady. Well^ 111 rake your Word, Mr. Wild.
Ipfevs him Money againr\

Wild. By no xV[eans,^\Iadam-, let me fee if I
can ferve vou.

Laciy, Well, Mr. Wild, if it muft be fb, I muft
come again then.

Wild, It may be not. Will your Ladyfhip be
pleas'd to ftay about half an Hour.

Lady, Ay, with all my Heart.

In about half an Hour, Jomthan having been
caird hafliily out, comes in again immediately.
Madam, fays he, if 3rour LadyOiip pleafes to go

into your Coach, and drive gently up Street^

perhaps a MeiTerger may ^diiQ to fpeak with you
as you go aloiig.

Very well, xVIr. Wild^ I underftand you.

Upon the Lady's going along Street, a

Ticket ^ Porter, with his Hat in his Hand, fhows
Inmfelf by the Coach-iide, and the Lady taking
the Hint, flops her Coach, and lets down the Gla/s,
and fpeaking to the Fellow, fays. Would you
fpeak with me Friend ?

The Fellov/ fays not a Word, but delii'ers into
fier Hand the Watch with all the Trinkits and Di-
monds perfectly fafe •, and when ihe had look'd-
upon it a little, gives her a Note, wherein was
written nothing but thus in Words at length,
Eighteen Gimieas,

' " ' The

[29]

THE Lady immediately tells out the Money
to the Porter y and he was going away : Hold! Ho-
nefl: Friend, fays the Lady, there's fomewhat for
your felf ^ and gives him half a Guinea, and fo dis-
mifsM him,

A Day or two after fhe makes Mr. THld a Yifit,
and prefents him with 15; Guineas more : Bat with
great Difficulty made him accept of it •, telling
her it was a great deal to much 5 that he would not
take it by any means, but at laft accepts it, with
the Ceremony of faying, he would not take it on
account of the Watch, but for having been at fome
Trouble in ferving her Ladyftiip, in which (he was
pleasM to Reward him much more than he deferv^'d^
when at at the {a me time 'twas very likely had
part of the 18 Guineas too from M'-U K--g, who
he frighted out of the Watch with threatning to
have her put put into Newgate for ftealing of it.

THIS may ferve for a Sketch of PraBice, as I
call it -, and to let the World fee in what manner
this Secret Service was carryed on ^ how the Thie-
ving Trade was managed, how the People were
guird out of their Money, and how a Crew of Hell-
born Rogues and Whores, which is much the fame,
' have been bre^l up to the Trade by their grand Pa-
tron and Mafirer of Art, Jomthaii Wild, It would
be endlefs to give a particular of the many Tricks
and Cheats of this Kind that he has manag'd, du-
ring a continued Life o? Wickednefs, for about 16
Years, among which it would be very Inftruding,
to give an account of the numbers of poor wretch-
ed Creatures, like himfelf ^ who he having firft
led them on in the Road of Crime for feveralTears,
as long as they would be fubfervient to h im, and
put all their Purchafe into his Hands, abandoned
as foon as they ofFer'd to fet up for themfelves, and
leaving them to the mercy of the Government,
xnade himfelf the Inftrument of their Deftrudtion*

and

[30]

land then pleaded the Merit of it to the PuhlicK
But thefe require a long Hiftory, rather than a
Pamphlet, and therefore I wholly omit them.

I T is time now to enter into a particular Ac-
count of the conclufion of this Life of Crime, it
has been a kind of Comedy, or a Farce rather all
a long, but it prov'd a Tragedy at laft •, and Jona-
than being brought to Juftice, has fumm'd up his
Account here in a moft ignominious End, fatisfy-
ed how in a manner not uncommon only, but fucli
as Hiftory can not give one Inftance of tht like,
except lately, that of a Murther at St. Ed7nunds-
Bury in Suffolk.

THE Sum of the matter is this, Jomthan had
long been fo Notorious, and his Pradtice tho' not
within the Compafs of the Law, was yet in its
Nature fo Criminal in itfelf, and above all, was fo
dangerous in its Example, that the Publick begaa
to be juftly Alarm'd at it, and to coniider of pro-
per Meafures for putting a ftop to it, which pur-
pofe an Ad of Parliament, (the only Remedy for
growing Evils of this kind) was pafs'd the laft
Seflionto make it Feloiiy, to take or receive any
Reward for the reftoring of any ftolen Goods,
knowing them to be Stolen: TheClaufe in the faid
A6t is asf follows.

"AND whereas there are feveral Perfons who
" have fecret Acquaintance with Felons, and who
" make it their Bulinefs to help Perfons to their
" ftorn Goods, and by that means gain Money
" from them, which is divided between them and
" the Felons, whereby they greatly encourage fuch
" Offenders : Be it Enaded by the Authority a-
*^ forefaid. That where ever any Perfon taketh
" Money or Reward, diredtly or indireftly, under
" pretence or upon Account of helping any Per-
" fon or Perfons to any iloVn Goods or Chattels,
" every fuch Perfon fo taking Money or Reward as

" aforefaid

<c

[31]

" aforefaid, (unlefs fuch Perfon do apprehend, or
" caufe to be apprehended, fuch Felon who Aole
** the fame, and caufe fuch Felon to be brought to

his Tryal for the fame, and give Evidence againft

him) fhall be Guilty of Felony, and fufFer the
" Pains and Penalties of Felony, according to the
" Nature of the Felony committed in Healing lijch
** Goods and Chattels, in the Manner and with
*' fuch Circumftances as the fame were ftoFn."

T H I S Adl was fo diredly aim'd at Jomthan's
general Practice, that he could not be Ignorant e-
nough not to fee it 5 but leaft he fliould, a certain
Honourable Perfon, too juft to favour him, and
yet too human not to warn him of his Danger that
he might avoid it ^^ gave him Notice that this very
Adt was made againft his unlawful Practice, and
therefore in time warn'd him, in few, but Hgnifi-
cant Words, to take heed to himfelf and avoid the
Confequences by leaving off the Trade of Thief-
Catching, as it is un juftly call'd, that is, of com-
pounding for the return of ftoFn Goods.

BUT good Advice to Jomthan Wild^ was like \
talking GoJ])el to a kettle Drum, bidding a Dragoon f
not Plunder, or talking of Compaffion to a Hujjari I
he that was hardned above the Bafenefs of aU cau- /
tionary Fear, fcorn'd the Advice, and went on in
his wicked Trade -, not warily and wifely as he had /
formerly done, but in Ihort, with more Impu- /
dence and Ihamelefs Boldnels than ever, for as if
he defpis'd Laws, and the Governours, and the
provok'd Juftice of the Nation ; He now not only
took Rewards for returning Goods ftolen, but even
directed the Stealing of them, and making him-
felf a Party to the very Robberies themfelves -
adted a Part of the Thief, and the Receiver alfo •
and this in fo many Cafes, that we are told if the
Indidtment had faifd for which he was juftly Con-
demned, there were ^^v^^^^ ^tK*»fc ready to have

been

C32 3

tieen trougtiton, and the Witnefles ready to hive
been produc'd for Proof of the Fadts.

BUT one Felony being fully prov'd was fuffi-
cient • and upon a full Hearing he was Convided
in fo evident a Manner, that he really had nothing
to fay in his own Behalf, not being able to deny
the Fadi ^ his Council would have pleaded, that the
Offence was not within the late Statute upon which
he was Indidted ^ but the Court anfwer'd them ful-
ly, and over ruled the Plea 5 fo that being allowed
to be within the Statute, and the FaQ: being fully
proved by feveral Witnefles, he receiv'd Sentence
of Death the 15th of May laft.

THE Circumftances of this Fa6t feem to be fo
agreeable to the whole tenor of Jonathans former
Pradtice, and fo like other Parts of his Life, that
we can not but obferve the Paralel, and conclude
the particular Accounts of other parts of his Life
to be true likewife.

I T has been faid of him, that if ever he was
mov'd to promote any Man, or to help any Man
to Bulinefs, which he often pretended to do in
Compaffion to their Poverty, that ftill he did it
always in his own way, that is to fay, endeavoured
to make Thieves of them, to bring them to be
Hang'd, to keep them from Mifery, and to make
Newgate Birds of them, to keep them out of the
Compters 5 this he praftis'd principally upon young
Creatures, and little deftitute Children, fuch as
feem'd to be left to wander about in- Want and
Beggery ^ and many a poor Boy he has pick'd up
in the Street pretending Charity, and a willingnefs
to do them good, which when ^it has come to the
IfTue, has been no more or lefs than to breed them
up to Thieving, and ripen them for t}\e Devil,

BUT which is ftill worfe than all the reft, I
have ftvreral Stories by me at this Time, which I
ha/e particular Reafons to believe are true^ of

Children

/

I 33 ]

Children tlius Ilrolling about the Streets in Mife-
ry and Poverty, whom he has taken in on pretence
of providing for them, and employing them ^ and
all has ended in this (i;iz.) making Rogues of th^m. '
Horrid IFickednefs ! his Charity has been to breed
them up to be Thieves, Bnd fill more Hor/ id \ fe-
veral of thefe his own forjler Children, he hashim-
felf caufed afterwards to be apprehended and
Hang'd for the very Crimes which he firlt taugfit
them how to Commit.

I A M not indeed to make a jeft of thefe thing?^'
there is fomething iliocking and difmal in the ver/
Relation, and therefore it is, that this Account of
the Life of Jonathan Tfild^ which in its Nature, /
is all a Tragedy, is not related with an air of Ban- /
ter and Ridicule as Others are •, 'tis hoped it will
not be the lefs acceptable to Men of Senfe -, it is a
folemn and terrible thing to look back on a Life
of fuch hardened, abominable Practices ^ to fee it
carried on in defiance, either of God or Devil ^
and that with fuch Succefs too, pafTing for fo many-
Years unpunifli'd-, and tho' there are fomd
things in the long Series of his wicked Life, which
may relilh with tlie Levity of a drol-way of Wri-»
ting -, yet to fee a Man turn'd into an incarnate
Devil, his Life a Scene of inimitable Crimes ^ his
very Society a Hell, and equally devouring both
to Soul and Body 5 he that can read it without foii\e
Horror, muft have very little o^ what we call
Chriftianity about him.

T O fee him take up an unthinking Youth in the
Street coverM with Dii t and Rags, and willing on
any Terms to get out of his Mifery ^ to fee this fa«
perlative Wretch pretend Charity to the Child, and
tell him he will provide for him^ and thereby en-
gage the Lad to him^ as to a Gentleman thafe
intends to do him good 5 and x^ri-^n initead
of providing for him, lead him by the Hand ta

F Hell

[ 34 3

Hell-gates, and after that^ like a true Devil, tTiruft
him in ! Firft to tempt,and then accufe, which is the,
very nature of the Devil . firjR: to "inake poor de-
folate vagabond Bojs, Thieves, and then betray
them to the Gallows ! Who can think of fuch a
thing without a juft Abhorrence, who can think it
to be any lefs than the worft fort of Murther ^ fuch
was the Life, and fuch the Pradice of this wretch-
ed Man, and in thefe very laft Scenes of his Life,
he grew fo audacious, that it feem'd as if he was
really ripening up a pace for his own Deftrudion.

I T is faid of him in the Cafe of that harden'd
Felow BUieskiii^ that he fliould fay, Jomthan firft
inade him a Thief, and then abandoning him, left
him to carry it on by himfelf 5 and it being ne-
celTary to his (Jomthans) Fame to have alwayt
fome Chafe in his view, to build his own Merit
tipon,with the Government^ he kept a Watch upoa
him, that he might at laft bring him to the Gal-*
lows,for which the faid Blueskin was very near giving
him a pafs into another World, by that defperate
Attempt to cut his Throat in the face of a Court
of Juftice 5 which Jonathan tho' furpriz'd at then^
has had leifare fince to wilh, had been effedually
done at that time, and faid fo publickly in the
Trefs-Tard^ two days b^ore his Tryal.

BUT to come thenlo the particular Fadt for
which he Suffered, the Story as it was related upon
Oath at his Tryal, and the ftveral Circumftances
belonging to it ftands'0ius,

Katherine Stetham d^pofed : That on the 2 2d, of
yanitary^ between Three and Four in the Afternoon
a Man and Woman came into her Shop, under Pre-
tence of buying fomeLace;They v^eve faid fie fo very
difficult, that I had none below that would pleafe
them 5 and fo, leaving my Daughter in the Shop,
I ftepr up Stairs, and brought down another Box.
We could not agree about the Price, ^nd fo they

wens

C35l

went away togetlier •, and in about half an Hour
after I mifs'd a Tin Box of Lace, that I valu'd at
50 /. The fame Night, and the next, I went to Jo^
^tathaninide'sUo'dk '^ but not meeting with him,
I advertifed the Lace that I had loft, with a Reward
of 15 Guineas, and no Qjieftions ask'd. But hear-
ing nothing of it, I went to Jonathans Houfe a-
gain, and then met with him: He deflr'd me to
give him a Dcfcription of the Perfons that I fuf-
pedted, which I di'' as near as I could ^ and then
he told me that hv. d make Enquiry, and bade me
call again in two or three days, I did fo •, and then
he faid^ that he had heard fomething of my Lace,
and expe&ed to know more of the Matter in a lit-
tle time. I came to him again on that day that
he was apprehended, (I think 'twas the 15th oiFe^
hriiary) I told him, that tho' I had advertifed but
15 Guineas Reward, yet Td give 20 or 2$ rather
than not have my Goods. Doft't be infnch a Hiirry^
fays he, / dont know hut I may help you to it for
lefs • and if I can^ I will. The Perfojis that have it^
hre gone out of Town^ Ifiall fet them to qnarrelUrtg
about it, a7td then IJlmll get it the cheaper. On the
loth of Marchy he fent me word, that if I would
come to him in Newgate^ , and'bring 10 Guineas in
my Pocket, he could help me to the Lace. I went ;
He defired me to call a Porter 5 but I not knowii^g
where to find one, he fent a Perfon who brought
one that appeared to be ^ Ticket -Porter, The Pri^
foner gave me a Letter, :f which he faid v/as feiit
him as a Direction where to go for the Lace ^ but
I could not read, andfb I delivered it to the Porter,
Then he defired me to give the Porter the loGuineas,
or elfe (he faidj the Perfons that had the Lace
v/ould not deliver it. I gave the Porter thQ Mo-
ney ^ he went away, and in a little time returned,
an'd brought me a Box that was feai'd up, but not
tae fame that was loft. I open'd it, and found all

F ? my

[3«]

my Lace but one Piece. Now, Mt, Wilde, (fayg TJ
What viujl you have for your Trouble ? Not a Farthings
(fays he) 7Wt a Farthing for me, I dont do thefi
thhgs for worldly Inter eji^ hut only for the Good of
poor People that have met with Misfortunes, Ai for
the Piece of Lace that is mijnig, I hope to get it for
yen e'er be longy and [dont know but that I may help,
you not only to your Money again, but to the Thief too'^
and if lean, 7nuch good mayt do you. And as yours
a good Woman and a Widow, and a Chrijiian^ I defre
mothing of you but your Prayers, and for thejn I jball
he thankful, I have a great 7nany Emmies, and God
"knows what may be the Confequcnce of this hnprifon"
Tfient,

THIS is a black Story indeed, and it was
very remarkable, that the Fad was really com-
mitted, that is to fay, the Felony was contracted,
or that Part which the late Adl in particular reach'd
(viz,) the delivering the Goods, and taking the
x^ Money for difcovering them •, all this Part v/as aded"
I I fay after his being committed to Newgate,

IT was likewile very remarkable, that there
was another Cafe much of the fame Nature, which
lay ready to have been brought to a Hearing if
this had not intervened, namely; of a Pocket. Book
ftolen from Mr. Tidman, a Corn Chandler^ in Gilt-
fpur Jlreet, u^ar Newgate, in which was a Bank Bill
for ii6L in which the WitnelTes were two Perfons
who had pleaded to their Pardons.

WE come now to his Behaviour after his Coji-s
demnation, and at the Place of Execution, at
which lafc Place he indeed fcarce faid a Word to
God or Man, being either doz'd with the liquid
Laudamm which he had taken, or demented and
fjonfus'd by the horror of what was before him, and
;he refiedion of what was within him.

NOR even before he took the Dofe of Laudammi
\\'aa he in any fuitahk mannir fenfible of hi$ Cpn-i

dition,

[ 37 1

dition, or concern'd about it, very little fign ap-
peared of his having the leaft Hope coiicerning his
future State •, but as he liv'd hardened, he fecm'd
to die ftupid.

HE declin'd coming to the Chapel, either to
the Sermon or Prayers, pleading his lamenefs by
the Gout, but chiefly the Crowds and Diforders of
the People difcompofing or dif)rdering him= In
the condemnM Hold, or Place where Malefador.^
are kept after their Sentence, they had Pravers as
ufual, and he feem'd to join with them in a kind of
Form, but little or nothing of the Penitence of a
Criminal, in view of Death, appeared upon him.

HIS principal Enquiries feem'd to be about
what kind of State was to be expedted after Death,
and how the invifible World was to be difcrib'd ^
but nothing of the moffc certain Judgment which is
there to be expected, righteous and terrible, accord-
ing to the Deeds done in the Body, or of a Saviour
to whom to have recourfe, as the Slayer in the
old Law had to the City of Refuge, to fave him
from the avenger of Blood.

AS his Time fhortia'd he feem'd more and more
confus'd, and then began to entertain Difcourfes of
the Lawfulnefs of difmifling ourfelves out of the
prefent Mifery, after the Example of the antieut
Romans^ which as he (aid was then efteepi'd as an
ad: of Bravery and Gallantry, and recorded to
their Honour,

T HIS kind of Difcourfe was indeed fufficient
to have caufed the Keepers to have had an Eye to
him, fo as to prevent any Violence he might offer
to himfelf, and they did watch him as narrowly as
they could *, however he fo far deceived them, as
that the Day before his Execution he found means
to have a fmall Bottle with liquid Laudayinjn con*
veyM to Mm unfeen, of which he took fb large a
Qj-mntity? ^^^^ ^^ ^^s fooii perreiv'd by the

ChangQ

[38 3

CHange it made upon hini, for he was fo droufie
that he could not hold up his Head, or keep open
his Eyes, at the time of reading the Prayers.

UPON this two of his Fellow Prifoners endea-
voured to roufe him (not fufpedting that he had
taken enough to hurt him) and taking hiin by the
Hands, they perfwaded him to ftand up, and walk
a little about the Room, which he could not do
without help becaufe of his Gout.

THIS walking, tho' it did a little waken
him, had feveral other Operations at the fame
time i for firfl: it chang'd his Countenance, turning
it to be exceeding pale, then it put him into a
violent Sweat, which made them apprehend he
Would faint, upon which they offered to give him
fomething to keep up his Spirits, but he refused
it, telling them he was very fick «, foon after
which he vomited very violently, and this in
all probability prolonged his Life for the Exe-
cution 5 for by their ftirring him, and making him
vomit, he brought up thQ greateft Part of the
Laudanum which he had taken, before it had been
long enough in his Stomach to mix with the animal
Spirits or Blood, which if it had done but one
Hour more, he would certainly have taken his
laft fleep in the Prifon.

BUT Nature having thus difchargM itfelf of
the load, he reviv'd again, and tho' ftill doz'd and
infenlible of what he faid or did, yet he was able
to walk about, (peak, and adt fufficiently for the
Part that remain'd to him, namely, for the laft
fcene of his Life at the Gallows.

ACCORDINGLY on Monday the 24th of
Mxy^ he was convey 'd in a Cart to Tyburn, and
tho' it VV3S apparent he was ftill under the Opera-
tion of the Liiidamim, and that which was left in
his Stomach had fo far feiz'd upon his Spirits as.
to m^ke him alaiofl: ftupid, yet it began to go off^

and

C39 3

an3 Nature getting the Maftery of it, he began
to be more fenlible of what he was going about-
tut the Scene was then fiiort, and he had little to
do but to ftand up in the Cart, and, the needful
Apparatus being made, be turn'd off with the reft,
which was donesbout 9 a-Clock in the Afternoon.

THE rudenefs of the Mob to him, both at his
firft going into the Cart, and all the way from
thence to the Place of Execution, is not to be ex-
prefs'd, and ihews how notorious his Life had been,
and what ImprelFion his known Villanies had
made on the Minds of the People 5 for, contrary
to the general Behaviour of the Street in fuch Cafes,
inftead of compaiTionate ExpreiHons, and a gene-
ral Caft of Pity, which ordinarily lits on the
Countenances of the People, when they fee the
miferable Objeds of Juftice go to their Execution ;
here was nothing to be heard but Curlings and Ex-
ecrations^ abhorring the Crimes and the very Name
of thQ Man, throwing Stones and Dirt at him all
the way, and even at the Place of Execution ^ the
other Malefadors beinjg all ready to be turn'd
oft, but the Hangman giving him leave to take
his own Time, and he continuing fetting down in
the Cart, the Mob impatient, and fearing a Re-
prieve, tho' they had no occalion for it, call'd furi-
oufly upon the Hangman to difpatch him, and at
laft threatened to tear him to pieces, if he did not
tye him up immediately.

I N ihort there was a kind of an nniverfal Rage
againft him, which nothing but his Death could^
fatisfie or put an end to, and if a Reprieve had
come, it would have, twas thought, been difficult
for the Officers to have brought him back again
without his receiving fome Mifchief, if not his
Deaths Wound from the Rabble.

S O

S O deteftaUe had he made himfelf by his note-
tioiis Crimes, and to fuch a height were his wiciad
P radices come.

- T HU S ended the Tragedy, and thus was a Life
Kf Jiorrid and inimitable Wickednefs finiih'd at
^e Gallows, the very fame Place where, according
to Tome, above I2b miferable Creatures had been
iiang'd, v/ho.fe Blood in great meafurd may be faid
to lye at his Door, either in their being firft brought
Into the. thieving Trade, or led on in it by his
Encouragement and AiTiftance 5 and many of them-
at laft betjay'd and brought to Juftice by his Means^
\ipon which worll fort of Murther he valued him-^
Jeif, aiid w6uld have had it pafs'd for Merit, even
livith the Government itfelf.

P I & t 4,

k-«

%pee'dily will be publifh'd, fof which Kotice will
*^ be given in the Daily Fojl and Fofi-Boy)

THE Advejttiires and Froceedzvgs of the famom
Captain-John Gow alias Smith, th& Captaiji of the
-' Fyrates, m Board ths Ship Revenge, fovjnerly
^taird tZ?^ George Galley, aii Englilh Ship, jitted oift

in Holland, with an AcGouni of all their FiraQie.^
\indthe barbarous Mitrthers they coimjittted^ from their

frJPputdng out to Sea^ till their behg Stranded on

thejjldnd of Orkneys on the North of Scotland,
• jjphere they were apprehended by Mr, Fea, a Gentleman
' vf that Country '^ colleBed fro7n the Accoinit :of the
\Firafcs thernfeives, and from original Fapers taken out

Board t he faid Ship . N. B. No other genuine AccoMt
jcan he publijVd^ the Originals being already fecUrdi

Frhtted and Sold by John Applebee in Black- fryers^

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