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 L161— O-1096
 
 i 
 
 LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 COLONEL JACK. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 IPrintctJ Jj? Iame0 ^allantpne anH ^o* 
 
 FOR JOHN BALLANTYNE AND CO. AND DROWiS" 
 AND CROMBIE, EDINBURGH ; 
 LONGMAN, HURST, REES, AND ORME, AND 
 JOHN MURRAY, LONDON. 
 
 1810.
 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 COLONEL JACK. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. Introduction— I am deserted by my parents, almost as soon 
 as born — Nicknamed by my nurse Colonel Jack— Cha- 
 ^ racters of the three Jacks, Colonel Jack, Captain Jack, 
 ^ and Major Jack — Nurse dies, and we are turned loose 
 "^ upon the world — Captain Jack flogged for roguery— 
 V We pick pockets I 
 
 C Chap. II. 
 
 r^I get acquainted with one of the most noted pickpockets 
 ^ in town— We steal a letter-case full of bills — Dreadfully 
 N, distressed how to dispose of my share of the booty— My 
 ^ comrade proposes I shall return the bills and get the re- 
 ward promised — Proceedings thereupon .25 
 
 4
 
 vi CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. Ilf. 
 I am examined by the gentlemen touching the bills and 
 letter- case, and obtain the reward of JOI.— One of them 
 kindly takes charge of the money for me — Wo commit 
 more thefts — My comrade purcha-cs better clothes for 
 me — I rob a Jew of his pocket-book, full of bills and 
 diamonds — Will agrees for a reward to give up the pro- 
 perty 50 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 Will returns the pocket-book, and obtains the reward — 
 We rob an old knight In Sinithfield of a bag of money — 
 Other adventures, in all of which we are successful — 
 The notion of my being a gentleman, which 1 always 
 entertain, keeps me from swearing, drinking, and such 
 like vices— Will seduces me to become highwayman — 
 Adventures on the road 77 
 
 Chap. V. 
 My new profession very hateful to me — Will is in great 
 danger of being taken for a housebreaking at Hounslow 
 — He leaves his plunder under my bed — I meet with him 
 by accident, and receive his directions how to dispose 
 of the stolen goods— 1 meet Captain Jack, who informs 
 me Will is committed to Newgate — 1 pay a visit to my 
 old friend mentioned in the third chapter — Conversation 
 ■with him — I am apprehended — Consequences there- 
 of lOi 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 I visit Will, my tutor in wickedness, in Newgate — He is 
 executed — Captain Jack proposes to me to fly into Scot- 
 land — 1 return a poor old woman the money I had for- 
 merly robbed her of — Captain Jack and I set out on our
 
 CONTENTS. vii 
 
 journey north— The Captain's rogueries, and various 
 adventures on the road 130 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 Further adventures — There is no preventing my comrade 
 from exercising his trade of a thief — We witness a whip- 
 ping in Edinburgh — The Captain takes I- rench leave — I 
 return my horse to the person from whom it was stolen 
 — Learn to read and write — I am hired and cheated 
 by a Scotch master— Meet with the Captain again— I 
 enlist for a soldier— We desert— Adventures there- 
 upon 153 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 We are kidnapped, and carried on board ship by a Vir- 
 ginia captaiu — Make the coast of Virginia in ^2 days- 
 Captain Jack makes his escape — A peep into futurity — 
 1 am sold along with the others to a rich planter — My 
 master holds a long conversation with me, and, in conse- 
 quence of my gojd behaviour, puts me in a place of 
 trust 181 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 I stumble at the threshold of my new office — I study to 
 render the negro/es obedient without punishment, and 
 succeed-— Our master visits the plantation — Conversation 
 ■with him— I gain his good graces more and more— Fi» 
 delity of a negro 207 
 
 Chap. X. 
 My master gives me my liberty, and puts me into a plan- 
 tation for myself — Proceedings as a planter — I get my 
 bill cashed in London, and a sorted parcel of goods sent 
 out for its amount — The greatest part of them are lost 
 at the mouth of the bay — Reflections 239
 
 PREFACE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 LIFE OF COLONEL JACK. 
 
 Prefaces are so customary before books of this 
 nature, to introduce them into the world by a dis- 
 play of their excellencies, that it might be thought 
 too presuming to send this performance abroad, 
 without some such preliminary. And yet I may 
 venture to say, it needs this good office as little as 
 any that has ever gone before it. The pleasant 
 and delightful part speaks for itself; the useful 
 and instructive is so large, and has such a ten- 
 dency to improve the mind, and rectify the man- 
 ners, that it would employ a volume, large as it- 
 self, to particularize the instructions that may be 
 drawn from it.
 
 X PREFACE. 
 
 Here is room for just and copious observations 
 on the blessings and advantages of a sober and 
 well-governed education, and the ruin of so many 
 thousands of all ranks in this nation for want of it ; 
 here, also, we may see how much public schools 
 and charities might be improved, to prevent the 
 destruction of so many unhappy children, as, in 
 this town, are every year bred up for the execu- 
 tioner. 
 
 The miserable condition of multitudes of youth, 
 many of whose natural tempers are docible, and 
 would lead them to learn the best things rather 
 than the worst, is truly deplorable, and is abun- 
 dantly seen in the history of this man's childhood; 
 where, though circumstances formed him by ne- 
 cessity to be a thief, surprising rectitude of prin- 
 ciples remained with him, and made him early ab- 
 hor the worst part of his trade, and at length to 
 forsake the whole of it. Had he come into the 
 world with the advantage of a virtuous education, 
 ' and been instructed how to improve the gene- 
 rous principles he had in him, what a figure might 
 he not have made, either as a man, or a Christian. 
 
 The various turns of his fortune, in different
 
 PREFACE. XI 
 
 gceiies of life, make a delightful field for the rea- 
 der to wander in ; a garden where he may gather 
 wholesome and medicinal fruits, none noxious or 
 poisonous ; where he will see virtue, and the ways 
 of wisdom, every where applauded, honoured, en- 
 couraged, and rewarded ; vice and extravagance 
 attended with sorrow, and every kind of infelicity ; 
 and at last, sin and shame going together, the of- 
 fender meeting with reproach and contempt, and 
 the crimes with detestation and punishment. 
 
 Every vicious reader will here be encouraged to 
 a change, and it will appear that the best and only 
 good end of an impious mispent life is repentance ; 
 that in this there is comfort, peace, and oftentimes 
 hope, that the penitent shall be received like the 
 prodigal, and his latter end be better than his be^ 
 ginning. 
 
 A book founded on so useful a plan, calculated 
 to answer such valuable purposes as have been 
 specified, can require no apology: Nor is it of 
 any concern to the reader, whether it be an 
 exact historical relation of real facts, or whether 
 the hero of it intended to present us, at least in 
 part, with a moral romance. On either suppogj"
 
 Xll ruEFACE. 
 
 tion, it is cquall}^ serviceable for the discourage- 
 ment of vice and tlie recommendation of virtue.* 
 
 Daniel De Foe. 
 
 * This edition is j^rinted from tlic orii^inal one ; and a fac 
 simile of the* na;rave(i frontispiece is i)!erixcd. i'he title, as 
 rendered by the author, runs thus; " The iiistory of the 
 most Remarkable 1-ife, and Lxtraordinary Adventuies, of 
 thctruly Jionoumble ColoneiJacque, vurliiaily culled, Colo- 
 nel Jack ; wi'" was born a Centlenian, put Apprentice to a 
 Pick pocket, flourished six and twenty 3 eais asa Thief, and 
 was then kidnapped to Virginia: Came back a Merchant, 
 •was five times married to four Whores, went into the Wars, 
 behaved bravely, got Preferment, was made Colonel of a 
 Regiment; returned again to England, followed the fortunes 
 of the Chevalier de St George, was taken at the Preston 
 Rebellion; received his Pardon from the late King, is now 
 at the bead of his l^cgiment, in the Service of the L zarina, 
 fighting against the Turks, com; leatinz a lite of Wonders, 
 and resolves to die a General. Written by the Author of 
 Robinson Crusoe."
 
 THE LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 COLONEL JACK 
 
 CHAP. L 
 
 tntrodudion-"! am deserted hy my parents, almost 
 as soon as born — Nichiamed by my nurse Colonel 
 Jach'-'Characters of the three Jacks, Colonel 
 Jack, Captain Jack, and Major Jack — Nurse 
 dies, and toe are turned loose upon the ivorld 
 — Captain Jack fogged Jbr roguery — IFe pick 
 pockets. 
 
 Seeing my life has been such a checquer work of 
 nature, and that I am able now to look back upon 
 it from a safer distance, than is ordinarily the fate 
 of the clan to which I once belonged ; I think my 
 
 VOL, I. A
 
 2 THE LIFE OF 
 
 liistory may find a place in tlic world, as well as 
 sonic, wlio I see are every day read with pleasure, 
 thougli they have in them nothing so diverting, or 
 instructing, as I believe mine will appear to be. 
 
 My original may be as high as any body's for 
 aught I know, for my mother kept very good com- 
 pany, but that part belongs to her story, more than 
 to mine ; all I know of it, is by oral tradition. My 
 nurse told me my mother was a gentlewoman, that 
 my father was a man of quality, and she ( my nurse ) 
 had a good piece of money given her to take me 
 off his hands, and deliver him and my mother from 
 the importunities that usually attend the misfortune 
 of having a child to keep, that should not be seen 
 or heard of. 
 
 My father, it seems, gave my nurse something 
 more than was agreed for, at my mother's request, 
 upon her solemn promise, that she would use me 
 well, and let me be put to school ; and charged her, 
 that if I lived to come to any bigness, capable to 
 understand the meaning of it, she should always 
 take care to bid me remember, that I was a gentle- 
 man ; and tliis, he said, was all the education lie 
 would desire of her for me ; for he did not doubt, 
 he said, but that some time or other, the very hint 
 would inspire me with thoughts suitable to my birth, 
 and that I would certainly act hke a gentleman, if 
 I believed myself to be so. 
 
 11
 
 COLONEL JACK. 3 
 
 But my disasters were not directed to an end as 
 soon as they began. It is very seldom that the un- 
 fortunate are so but for a day ; as the great rise by 
 degrees of greatness to the pitch of glory, in which 
 they shine, so the miserable sink to the depth of 
 their misery by a continued series of disaster, and 
 are long in the tortures and agonies of their dis- 
 tressed circumstances, before a turn of fortune, if 
 ever such a thing happens to them, gives them a 
 prospect of deliverance. 
 
 My nurse was as honest to the engagement she 
 had entered into, as could be expected from one of 
 her employment, and particularly as honest as her 
 circumstances would give her leave to be ; for she 
 bred me up very carefully with her own son, and 
 with another son of shame like me, who she had 
 taken upon the same terms. 
 
 My name was John, as she told me, but neither 
 she or I, knew any thing of a sirname that belonged 
 to me ; so I was left to call myself Mr Any-thing, 
 what I pleased, as fortune and better circumstances 
 should give occasion. 
 
 It happened that her own son (for she had a lit- 
 tle boy of her own, about one year older than 
 I) was called John too ; and about two years after 
 she took another son of shame, as I called it above, 
 to keep as she did me, and his name was John too. 
 
 As we were all Johns, we were all Jacks, and
 
 4 THE LIFE OF 
 
 scion came to be called so ; for at that part of the 
 town, wliere we had our breeding;, viz. near Good- 
 man's-fields, the Johns are generally called Jack ; 
 but my nurse, who may be allowed to distinguish 
 her owT» son a little from the rest, would have him 
 called Captain, because forsooth he wiis the eldest. 
 
 I was provoked at having tliis boy called captain, 
 and I cried, and told my nurse, I would be called 
 captain ; for she told me I was a gentleman, and I 
 would be a captain, that I would : the good wo- 
 man, to keep the peace, told me, ay, ay, I was a 
 gentleman, and therefore I should be above a cap- 
 tain, for I shoidd be a colonel, and that was a great 
 deal better than a captain ; for, my dear, says she, 
 every tarpawhn, if he gets but to be lieutenant of a 
 press smack, is called captain, but colonels are sol- 
 diers, and none but gentlemen are ever made co- 
 lonels ; besides, says she, I have known colonels 
 come to be lords, and generals, though they were 
 bastards at first, and therefore you shall be called 
 Colonel. 
 
 Well, I was hushed indeed with this for the pre- 
 sent, but not thoroughly pleased, till a little while 
 after I heard her tell her own boy, that I was a 
 gentleman, and therefore he must call me colonel ; 
 at which her boy fell a crying, and he would be 
 called colonel. That part pleased me to the life, 
 that he should cry to be called colonel, for then T
 
 COLONEL JACK. ^ 
 
 was satisfied that it was above a captain : so uni- 
 versally is ambition seated in the minds of men, 
 that not a beggar-boy but has his share of it. 
 
 So here was colonel Jack, and captain Jack ; as 
 for the third boy, he was only plain Jack for some 
 years after, till he came to preferment by the merit 
 of his birth, as you shall hear in its place. 
 
 We were hopeful boys all three of us, and pro- 
 mised very early, by many repeated circumstances 
 of our lives, that we would all be rogues ; and yet 
 I cannot say, if what I have heard of my nurse's 
 character be true, but the honest woman did what 
 she could to prevent it. 
 
 Before I tell you much more of our story, it 
 would be very proper to give you something of our 
 several characters, as I have gathered them up in 
 my memory, as far back as I can recover things, 
 either of myself, or my brother Jacks, and they 
 shall be brief and impartial. 
 
 Captain Jack was the eldest of us all, by a whole 
 year. He was a squat, big, strong made boy, and 
 promised to be stout when grown up to be a man, 
 but not to be tall. His temper was sly, sullen, re- 
 served, malicious, revengeful ; and withal, he was 
 brutish, bloody, and cruel in his disposition ; he 
 was as to manners a mere boor, or clown, of a car- 
 man-like breed ; sharp as a street-bred-boy must 
 be, but ignorant and unteachable from a cliild. He
 
 6 THE LIFE OF 
 
 had much the nature of a bull dog, bold and des- 
 perate, but not generous at all ; all the school-mis- 
 tresses we went to, could never make him learn, no, 
 not so much as to make him know his letters ; and 
 as if he was born a thief, he would steal every thing 
 that came near him, even as soon almost as he 
 could speak ; and that, not from his mother only, 
 but from any body else, and from us too that were 
 his brethren and companions. He was an original 
 rogue, for he would do the foulest and most villain- 
 ous things, even by his own inclination; he had no 
 taste or sense of being honest, no, not, I say, to his 
 brother rogues, which is what other thieves make a 
 point of honour of; I mean that of being honest 
 to one another. 
 
 The other, that is to say the youngest of us 
 Johns, was called major Jack, by the accident fol- 
 lowing ; the lady that had deposited him with our 
 nurse, had owned to her that it was a major of the 
 guards that was the father of the child ; but that 
 she was obliged to conceal his name, and that was 
 enough. So he was at first called John the Major, 
 and afterwards the Major, and at last, when we 
 came to rove together, major Jack, according to the 
 rest, for his name was John, as I have observed 
 already. 
 
 Major Jack was a merry, facetious, pleasant boy, 
 had a good share of wit, especially off-hand-wit, as
 
 COLONEL JACK. 7 
 
 tliey call it ; was full of jests and good humour, 
 and, as I often said, had something of a gentleman 
 in him. He had a true manly courage, feared no- 
 thing, and could ook death in the face, without 
 any hesitation; and yet, if he had the advantage, was 
 the most generous and most compassionate creature 
 alive. He had native principles of gallantry in him, 
 without any thing of the brutal or terrible part 
 that the captain had ; and in a word, he wanted 
 nothing but honesty to have made him an excel- 
 lent man. He had learned to read, as I had done ; 
 and as he talked very well, so he wrote good sense, 
 and very handsome language, as you will see in 
 the process of his story. 
 
 As for your humble servant, colonel Jack, he was 
 a poor unhappy tractable dog, willing enough, and 
 capable too, to learn any thing, if he had had any 
 but the devil for his schoolmaster : he set out into 
 the world so early, that when he began to do evil, 
 he understood nothing of the wickedness of it, nor 
 what he had to expect for it. I remember very 
 well, that when I was once carried before a justice, 
 for a theft which indeed I was not guilty of, and 
 defended myself by argument, proving the mistakes 
 of my accusers, and how they contradicted them- 
 selves ; the justice told me it was a pity I had not 
 been better employed, for I was certainly better 
 taught ; in which however his worship was mistaken.
 
 8 THE LIFE OF 
 
 for I had never been taught any thing, but to be a 
 thief ; except, as I said, to read and write, and 
 tliat was all, before I was ten years old ; but I had 
 a natural talent of talking, and could say as much 
 to the purpose as most people that had been taught 
 much more than I. 
 
 I passed among my comrades for a bold resolute 
 boy, and one that durst fight any thing ; but I had 
 a different opinion of myself, and therefore shunned 
 fighting as much as I could, though sometimes I 
 ventured too, and came off well, being very strong 
 made, and nimble withal. However, I many times 
 brought myself off with my tongue, where my hands 
 would not be sufficient ; and this, as well after I was 
 a man, as while I was a boy. 
 
 I was wary and dexterous at my trade, and was 
 not so often catched as my fellow rogues, I mean 
 while I was a boy, and never, after I came to be a 
 man, no, not once for 26 years, being so old in the 
 trade, and still unhanged, as you shall hear. 
 
 As for my person, while I was a dirty glass-bot- 
 tle-house boy, sleeping in the ashes, and dealing 
 always in the street dirt, it cannot be expected but 
 that I looked like what I was, and so we did all ; 
 that is to say, like a black your shoes your honour, 
 a beggar boy, a blackguard boy, or what 3^ou 
 please, despicable, and miserable, to the last de- 
 gree ; and yet I remember, the people would say
 
 COLONEL JACK. 9 
 
 of me, that boy has a good face ; if he was washed 
 and well dressed, he would be a good pretty boy ; 
 do but look what eyes he has, what a pleasant smi- 
 ling countenance : it is pity ! I wonder what the 
 rogue's father and mother was, and the like ; then 
 they would call me, and ask me my name, and I 
 would tell them my name was Jack. But what's 
 your sirname, sirrah ? says they : I don't know, 
 says I. Who is your father and mother ? I have 
 none, said I. What, and never had you any ? said 
 they : No, says I, not that I know of. Then they 
 would shake their heads, and cry, Poor boy ! and 
 'tis a pity, and the like ; and so let me go. But I 
 laid up all these things in my heart. 
 
 I was almost ten years old, the captain eleven, and 
 the major about eight, when the good woman my 
 nurse died. Her husband was a seaman, and had 
 been drowned a little before in the Gloucester fri- 
 gate, one of the king's ships which was cast away 
 going to Scotland with the duke of York, in the 
 time of king Charles 11 ; and the honest woman 
 dying very poor, the parish was obliged to bury 
 her ; when the three young Jacks attended her 
 corpse, and I the colonel, (for we all passed for her 
 own children) was chief mourner, the captain, wlio 
 was the eldest son, going back very sick. 
 
 The good woman being dead, we, the three 
 Jacks, were turned loose to the world. As to the
 
 Id THE LIFE OF 
 
 parish providing for us, we did not trouble our- 
 selves much about that ; we rambled about all 
 three together, and the people in Rosemary-Lane 
 and Ptatcliff, and that way, knowing us pretty 
 well, we got victuals easily enough, and without 
 much begging. 
 
 For my particular part, I got. some reputation, 
 for a mighty civil honest boy ; for if I was sent 
 of an errand, I always did it punctually and care- 
 fully, and made haste again ; and if I was trusted 
 with any thing, I never touched it to diminish it, 
 but made it a point of honour to be punctual 
 to Avhatever was committed to me, though I was 
 as arrant a thief as any of them in all other cases. 
 
 In like case, some of the poorer shop-keepers 
 would often leave me at their door, to look after their 
 shops, till they went up to dinner, or till they went 
 over the way to an alehouse, and the like, and I 
 always did it freely and cheerfully, and with the 
 utmost honesty. 
 
 Captain Jack, on the contrary, a surly, ill-looked 
 rough boy, had not a word in his mouth that 
 savoured either of good manners, or good humour ; 
 he would say Yes, and No, just as he was asked a 
 question, and that was all, but no body got any 
 thing from him that was obliging in the least. If he 
 was sent of an errand he would forget half of it, 
 and it may be go to play, if he met any boys, and 
 
 i
 
 COLONEL JACK. 11 
 
 never go at all, or if he went, never come back 
 with an answer ; which was such a regardless, dis- 
 obliging way, that no body had a good word for 
 him, and every body said he had the very look of 
 a rogue, and would come to be hanged. In a 
 word, he got nothing of any body for good will, 
 but was as it were obliged to turn thief, for the 
 mere necessity of bread to eat ; for if he begged, 
 he did it with so ill a tone, rather like bidding 
 folks give him victuals than entreating them ; that 
 one man, of whom he had something given, and 
 knew him, told him one day, Captain Jack, says 
 he, thou art but an awkward, ugly sort of a beggar, 
 now thou art a boy ; I doubt thou wilt be fitter to 
 ask a man for his purse, than for a penny, when 
 thou comest to be a man. 
 
 The major was a merry thoughtless fellow, al- 
 ways cheerful : Wliether he had any victuals or no, 
 he never complained ; and he recommended him- 
 self so well by his good carriage, that the neigh- 
 bours loved him, and he got victuals enough one 
 where or other. Thus we all made shift, though 
 we were so little, to keep from starving ; and as for 
 lodging, we lay in the summer-time about the 
 watch-houses, and on bulk-heads, and shop-doors, 
 where we were known ; as for a bed, we knew no- 
 thing what belonged to it for many years after 
 my nurse died ; and in winter we got into the ash-
 
 12 THE LIFE OF 
 
 holes, and nealing arches in the glass house, called 
 Dallow's Glass-house in Rosemary-Lane, or at ano- 
 ther glass-house in Ratcliff-Highway. 
 
 In this manner we lived for some years; and 
 here we failed not to fall among a gang of naked, 
 ragged rogues like ourselves, wicked as the devil 
 could desire to Iiave them be at so early an age, 
 and ripe for all the other parts of mischief that suit- 
 ed them as they advanced in years. 
 
 I remember that one cold winter night we were 
 disturbed in our rest with a constable and his 
 watch, crying out for one Wry-neck, who it seems 
 had done some roguery, and required a hue and 
 cry of that kind ; and the watch were informed he 
 was to be found among the beggar boys under the 
 nealing-arches in the glass house. 
 
 The alarm being given, we were awakened in 
 the dead of the night with, Come out here, ye crew 
 of young devils, come out and shew yourselves ; so 
 we were all produced, some came out rubbing 
 their eyes, and scratching their heads, and others 
 were dragged out; and I think there was about 
 seventeen of us in all, but Wry-Neck, as they 
 called him, was not among them. It seems this was 
 a gcod big boy, that used to be among the inhabi- 
 tants of that place, and had been concerned in a 
 robbery the night before, in which his comrade, 
 who was taken, iii hopeg of escaping punishment,
 
 COLONEL JACK. 13 
 
 had discovered him, and informed where he usual- 
 ly harboured j but he was aM'are it seems, and 
 had secured himself, at least for that time. So 
 we were allowed to return to our warm apartment 
 among the coal-ashes, where I slept many a cold 
 winter night ; nay, I may say, many a winter, as 
 sound, and as comfortably as ever I did since, 
 though in better lodgings. 
 
 In this manner of living we went on a good 
 while, I believe two years^ and neither did, or 
 meant any harm. We generally went all three 
 together ; for, in short, the captain, for want of 
 address, and for something disagreeable in him, 
 would have starved if we had not kept hira with us. 
 As we were always together, we were generally 
 known by the name of the three Jacks ; but c >lonel 
 Jack had always the preference, upon many ac- 
 counts. The major, as I have said, wiis merry and 
 pleasant, but the colonel always held talk with the 
 better sort, I mean the better sort of those that 
 would converse with a beggar boy. In this way of 
 talk, I was always upon the inquiry, asking ques- 
 tions of things done in public as well as in private ; 
 particularly, I loved to talk with seamen and sol- 
 diers about the war, and about the great sea-fights, 
 or battles on shore, that any of them had been in ; 
 and, as I never forgot any thing they told me, I 
 could soon, that is to say in a fev/ years, ^ive al-
 
 14 THE LIFE OF 
 
 most as good an account of the Dutch war, and of 
 the fights at sea, the battles in Flanders, the taking 
 of Maestricht, and the like, as any of those that 
 had been there ; and this made those old soldiers 
 and tars love to talk with me too, and to tell me 
 all the stories they could think of, and that not on- 
 ly of the wars then going on, but also of the wars 
 in Oliver's time, the death of king Charles I. and 
 the like. 
 
 By this means, as young as I was, I was a kind 
 of an historian ; and though I had read no books, 
 and never had any books to read, yet I could give 
 a tolerable account of what had been done, and 
 of what was then a doing in the world, especially 
 in those things that our own people were concern- 
 ed in. I knew the names of every ship in the navy, 
 and who commanded them too, and all this before 
 I was 14« years old, or but very soon after. 
 
 Captain Jack in this time fell into bad company, 
 and went away from us, and it was a good while 
 before we ever heard tale or tidings of him, till a- 
 bout half a year I think, or thereabouts, I under- 
 stood he was got among a gang of kidnappers, as 
 they were then called, being a sort of wicked fel- 
 lows that used to spirit people's children away; that 
 is, snatch them up in the dark, and, stopping their 
 mouths, carry them to houses where they had 
 rogues ready to receive them, and so carry them 
 on board of ships bound to Virginia, and sell them.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 15 
 
 This was a trade that liorrid Jack, for so I called 
 him when we were grown up, was very fit for, es- 
 pecially the violent part ; for if a little child got 
 into his clutches, he would stop the breath of it, 
 instead of stopping its mouth, and never troubled 
 his head with the child's being almost strangled, 
 so he did but keep it from making a noise. There 
 was, it seems, some villainous thing done by this 
 gang about that time, whether a child was murder- 
 ed among them, or a child othenvise abused ; but 
 it seems it was a child of an eminent citizen, and 
 the parent some how or other got a scent of the 
 thing, so that they recovered their child, though 
 in a sad condition, and almost killed. I was too 
 young, and it was too long ago, for me to remem- 
 ber the whole story, but they were all taken up 
 and sent to Newgate, and Captain Jack among 
 the rest, though he was but young, for he was not 
 then much above 13 years old. 
 
 What punishment was inflicted upon the rogues 
 of that gang I cannot tell now, but the captain, be- 
 ing but a lad, was ordered to be three times sound- 
 ly whipt at Bridewell ; my lord-mayor, or the re- 
 corder, telling him, it was done in pity to him, to 
 keep him from the gallows, not forgetting to tell 
 him, that he had a hanging look, and bid him have 
 a care on that very account ; so remarkable was
 
 16 THE LIFE OF 
 
 the captain's countenance, even so young, and 
 which he heard of afterwards on many occasions. 
 When he was in Bridewell, I heard of his misfor- 
 tune, and the major and I went to see him, for 
 this was the first news we heard of what became 
 of him. 
 
 The very day that we went, he was called out 
 to be corrected, as they called it, according to his 
 sentence ; and as it was ordered to be done sound- 
 ly, so indeed tliey vi-ere true to the sentence ; for 
 the alderman, who was the president of Bridewell, 
 and who I think they called sir William Turner, 
 held preaching to him about how young he was, 
 and what pity it was such a youth should come 
 to be hanged, and a great deal more, how he 
 should take warning by it, and how wicked a thing 
 it was, that they should steal away poor innocent 
 children, and the like ; and all this while the man 
 with a blue badge on, lashed him most unmerci- 
 fully, for he was not to leave off till sir William 
 knocked with a little hammer on the table. 
 
 The poor captain stamped and danced, and 
 roared out like a mad boy ; and I must confess, I 
 was frighted almost to death ; for though I could not 
 come near enough, being but a poor boy, to see 
 how he was handled, yet I saw him afterwards, 
 with his back all whealed with the lashes, and in 
 several places bloody, and thought I should have
 
 COLONEL JACK. 17 
 
 died with the sight of it ; but I gi'ew better ac- 
 quainted with those things afterwards. 
 
 I did what I could to comfort the poor captain, 
 when I got leave to come to him. But the worst 
 was not over with him, for he was to have two 
 more such whippings before they had done with 
 him ; and indeed they scourg'd him so severely, 
 that they made him sick of the kidnapping trade 
 for a great while ; but he fell in among them again, 
 and kept among them as long as that trade lasted, 
 for it ceased in a few years afterwards. 
 
 The major and I, though very young, had sensible 
 impressions made upon us for some time, by the se- 
 vere usage of the captain, and it might be very well 
 said, we were corrected as well as he, tho' not con- 
 cerned in the crime : But it was within the year 
 that the major, a good conditioned easy boy, was \fA' 
 wheedled away by a couple of young rogues that 
 frequented the glass-house apartments, to take a 
 walk with them, as they were pleased to call it ; 
 The gentlemen were very well match'd, the major t 
 was about 12 years old, and the oldest of the two 
 that led him out, was not above 14 ; the business 
 was to go to Bartholomew-Fair — was, in short, to 
 pick pockets. 
 
 The major knew nothing of the trade, and there- 
 fore was to do nothing ; but they promised him a 
 share for all that, as if he had been as expert as 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 18 THE LIFE OF 
 
 themselves ; so away they went. The two dex- 
 trous young rogues managed it so well, that by 
 about 8 o'clock at night, they came back to our 
 dusty quarters at the glass-house, and sitting them 
 down in a corner, they began to share their spoil, 
 by the light of the glass-house fire : The major 
 lugged out the goods, for as fast as they made any 
 purchase, they unloaded themselves and gave all to 
 him, that if they had been taken, nothing might 
 be found about them. 
 
 It was a devilish lucky day to them, the devil 
 certainly assisting them to find their prey, that he 
 might draw in a young gamester, and encourage 
 him to the undertaking, who had been made back- 
 ward before by the misfortune of the captain. The 
 list of their purchase the first night, was as follows. 
 
 1 . A white handkerchief from a country wench, 
 as she was starting up at a jack-pudding ; there was 
 3s. 6d. and a row of pins tied up in one end of 
 it. 
 
 2. A coloured handkerchief, out of a young 
 country fellow's pocket as he was buying a China 
 orange. 
 
 3. A ribband purse with lis. 3d. and a silver 
 thimble in it, out of a young woman's pocket, 
 just as a fellow offered to pick her up. 
 
 N. B. She missed her purse presently, but not 
 seeing the thief, charged the man with it that 
 
 11
 
 COLONEL JACK. 19 
 
 would have picked her up, and cried out " A 
 pick-pocket !" and he fell into the hands of the 
 mob, but being known in the street, he got 
 off with great difficulty. 
 
 4. A knife and fork, that a couple of boys had 
 just bought, and were going home with ; the young 
 rogue that took it, got it within the minute after 
 the boy had put it in his pocket. 
 
 5. A little silver box with 7 s. in it, all in small 
 silver. Id. 2d. 3d. 4d. pieces. 
 
 N. B. This it seems a maid pulled out of her 
 pocket, to pay at her going into the booth to 
 see a show, and the little rogue got his hand 
 in and fetched it off, just as she put it up 
 again. 
 
 6. Another silk handkerchief, out of a gentle- 
 man's pocket. 
 
 7. Another. 
 
 8. A jointed baby, and a little looking-glass, 
 stolen off a toy seller's stall in the fair. 
 
 All this cargo to be brought home clear in one 
 afternoon, or evening rather, and by only two 
 little rogues so young, was, it must be confessed, 
 extraordinary ; and the major was elevated the 
 next day to a strange degree. 
 
 He came very early to me, who lay not far from 
 him, and said to me. Colonel Jack, I want to speak . 
 with you. Well, said I, what do you say ? Nay,
 
 20 THE TIFE OF 
 
 said he, it is business of consequence, I cannot talk 
 here ; so we walked out : As soon as we were come 
 out into a narrow lane, by the glass-house, Look 
 liere, says he, and pulls out his little hand almost 
 full of money. 
 
 I was surprised at the sight, when he puts it up 
 again, and bringing his hand out, Here, says he, you 
 shall have some of it ; and gives me a sixpence, and 
 a shillings worth of the small silver pieces. This 
 was very welcome to me, who, as much as I was 
 of a gentleman, and as much as I thought of my- 
 self upon that account, never had a shilling of 
 money together before in all m}^ life, not that I 
 could call my own. 
 
 I was very earnest then to know how he came 
 by this wealth, for he had for his share 7s. 6d. in 
 money, the silver thimble, and a silk handkerchief, 
 which was in short an estate to him, that never 
 had, as I said of myself, a shilling together in his 
 life. 
 
 And what will you do with it now. Jack, said I ? 
 I do ? says he, the first thing I do, I'll go into Rag- 
 Fair and buy me a pair of shoes and stockings. 
 That's right, says I, and so will I too ; so away we 
 went together, and we bought each of us a pair of 
 Rag-Fair stockings in the first place for 5d, not 
 5d. a pair, but 5d. together, and good stockings 
 they were too, much above our wear, I assure you.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 21 
 
 We found it more difficult to fit ourselves with 
 shoes ; but at last, having looked a great while be- 
 fore we could find any good enough for us, we 
 found a shop very well stored, and of these we 
 bought two pair for sixteen-pence. 
 
 We put them on immediately to our great com- 
 fort, for we had neither of us had any stockings to 
 our legs that had any feet to them, for a long time: 
 I found myself so refreshed with having a pair of 
 warm stockings on, and a pair of dry shoes ; things, 
 I say, which I had not been acquainted with a 
 great while, that I began to call to my mind my / 
 being a gentleman, and now I thought it began to 
 come to pass ; when we had thus fitted ourselves, 
 I said. Hark ye, major Jack, you and I never had 
 any money in our lives before, and we never had a 
 good dinner in all our lives ; what if we should go 
 somewhere and get some victuals, I am very hun- 
 gry ? 
 
 So we will then, says the major, I am hungry 
 too ; so we went to a boiling cook's in Rosemary- 
 Lane, where we treated ourselves nobly, and, as I 
 thought with myself, we began to live like gentle- 
 men, for we had three-penny worth of boiled beef, 
 two-penny worth of pudding, a penny brick, (as 
 they call it, or loaf) and a whole pint of strong 
 beer, which was 7d. in all. 
 N. B. We bad each of us a good mess of charm-
 
 02 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ing beef-broth into the bargain ; and, which 
 cheered my heart wonderfully, all the while 
 we were at dinner, the maid and the boy in 
 the house every time they passed by the open 
 box where we sat at our dinner, would look in, 
 and cry. Gentlemen, do you call ? and. Do ye 
 call, gentlemen ? I say this was as good to me 
 as all my dinner. 
 
 Not the best house-keeper in Stepney parish, not 
 my lord-mayor of London, no, not the greatest 
 man on earth could be more happy in their own 
 imagination, and with less mixture of grief or re- 
 flection, than I was at this new piece of felicity; 
 though mine was but a small part of it, for major 
 Jack had an estate compared to me, as I had an 
 estate compared to what I had before : in a word, 
 nothing but an utter ignorance of greater felicity, 
 )/ which was my case, could make any body think 
 himself so exalted as I did, though I had no share 
 of this booty but 18d. 
 
 That night the major and I triumph'd in our 
 new enjoyment, and slept with an undisturbed 
 repose in the usual place, surrounded with the 
 warmth of the glass-house fires above, which was 
 a full amends for all the ashes and cinders which 
 we rolled in below. 
 
 Those who know the position of the glass-houses',
 
 C0I.ONEL JACK. 23 
 
 and the arches where they neal the bottles after 
 they are made, know that those places where the 
 ashes are cast, and where the poor boys lie, are 
 cavities in the brick-work, perfectly close, except 
 at the entrance, and consequently warm as the 
 dressing-room of a bagnio, that it is impossible 
 they can feel any cold there, were it in Greenland, 
 or Nova Zembla, and that therefore the boys lie 
 not only safe, but very comfortably, the ashes 
 excepted, which are no grievance at all to them. 
 
 The next day the major and his comrades went 
 abroad again, and were still successful ; nor did 
 any disaster attend them, for I know not how 
 many months: and, by frequent imitation and direc- 1 
 tion, major Jack became as dextrous a pick-pocket ] 
 as any of them, and went on through a long variety 
 of fortunes, too long to enter upon now, because 
 I am hastening to my own story, which at present 
 is the main thing I have to set down. 
 
 The major failed not to let me see every day 
 the effects of his new prosperity, and was so boun- 
 tiful, as frequently to throw me a tester, some- 
 times a shilling ; and I might perceive that he 
 began to have cloaths on his back, to leave the 
 ash-hole, having gotten a society lodging (of which 
 I may give an explanation by itself on another 
 occasion) and which was more, he took upon him 
 to wear a shirt, which was what neither he or I
 
 2i THE LIFE OF 
 
 had ventured to do for three years before, and up- 
 ward. 
 "" But I observed all this while, that though major 
 Jack was so prosperous, and had thriven so well, 
 and notwithstanding he was very kind, and even 
 generous to me, in giving me money upon many 
 occasions, yet he never invited me to enter my- 
 self into the society, or to embark with him, 
 whereby I might have been made as happy as he, 
 no, nor did he recommend the employment to me 
 at all. 
 
 I was not very well pleased with his being thus 
 reserved to me I had learned from him in general, 
 that the business was picking of pockets, and I 
 fancied, that though the ingenuity of the trade 
 consisted very much in slight of hand, a good ad- 
 dress, and being very nimble, yet that it was not 
 at all difficult to learn ; and especially I thought 
 the opportunities were so many, the country people 
 that come to London so foolish, so gaping, and 
 so engaged in looking about them, that it was 
 a trade with no great hazard annexed to it, and 
 might be easily learned, if I did but know in ge- 
 neral the manner of it, and how they went about it.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 25 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 I get acquainted tvith one of the most noted pich* 
 pockets in towi — JVe steal a letter-case fidl of 
 bills — Dreadfully distressed hotv to dispose of my 
 share of the booty — My comrade proposes I shall 
 return the bills and get the reward promised-"Pro^ 
 ceedings thereupon, 
 
 J. HE subtle devil, never absent from his busi- 
 ness, but ready at all occasions to encourage his 
 servants, removed all these difficulties, and brought 
 me into an intimacy with one of the most exqui- 
 site divers, or pick-pockets, in the town ; and this 
 our intimacy was of no less a kind than that, as I 
 bad an inclination to be as wicked as any of them, 
 he was for taking care that I should not be disap- 
 pointed. 
 
 He was above the little fellows who went about 
 stealing trifles and baubles in Bartholomew-Fair, 
 and run the risque of being mobbed for 3s. or 4s.
 
 26 THE LIFE OF 
 
 His aim was at higher things, even at no less than 
 considerable sums of money, and bills for more. 
 
 He solicited me earnestly to go and take a walk 
 with him as above, adding, that after he had shown 
 me my trade a little, he would let me be as wicked 
 as I would ; that is, as he expressed it, that after 
 he had made me capable, I should set up for my- 
 self, if I pleased, and he would only wish me good 
 luck. 
 
 Accordingly, as major Jack went with his gen- 
 tleman, only to see the manner, and receive the 
 purchase, and yet come in for a share ; so he told 
 me, if he had success, I should have my share as 
 much as if I had been principal; and this he assured 
 me was a custom of the trade, in order to encourage 
 young beginn ers, and bring them into the trade 
 with courage, for that nothing was to be done if 
 a man had not the heart of the lion. 
 
 I hesitated at the matter a great while, object- 
 ing the hazard, and telling the story of captain 
 Jack my elder brother, as I might call him : Well, 
 colonel, says he, I find you are faint-hearted, 
 and to be faint-hearted is indeed to be unfit for 
 our trade, for nothing .but a bold heart can go 
 through stitch with this work ; but however, as 
 there is nothing for you to do, so there is no risque 
 for you to run in these things the first time. If I 
 am taken, says he, you having nothing to do in it,
 
 COLONEL JACK. 27 
 
 they will let you go free ; for it shall easily be made 
 appear, that whatever I have done, you had no 
 hand in it. 
 
 Upon those persuasions I ventured out with him; 
 but I soon found that my new friend was a thief 
 of quality, and a pick-pocket above the ordinary 
 rank, and that aimed higher abundantly than my 
 brother Jack. He was a bigger boy than I a great 
 deal ; for though I was now near fifteen years old, 
 I was not big of my age, and as to the nature of the 
 thing, I was perfectly a stranger to it ; I knew 
 indeed what at first I did not, for it was a good 
 while before I understood the thing as an offence : 
 I looked on picking pockets as a trade, and thought 
 I was to go apprentice to it ; it is true, this 
 was when I was young in the society, as well as 
 younger in years, but even now I understood 
 it to be only a thing, for which, if we were 
 catched, we run the risque of being ducked or 
 pumped, which we call soaking, and then all was 
 over ; and we made nothing of having our rags 
 wetted a little : but I never understood, till a great 
 while after, that the crime was capital, and that 
 we might be sent to Newgate for it, till a great 
 fellow, almost a man, one of our society, was hang- 
 ed for it ; and then I was terribly frighted, as you 
 shall hear by and by. 
 
 Well, upon the persuasions of this lad, I walked
 
 28 THE LIFE OF 
 
 out with him ; a poor innocent boy, and (as I re- 
 member my very thoughts perfectly well) I had 
 no evil in my intentions ; I had never stolen any 
 '^ thing in my life ; and if a goldsmith had left me in 
 his shop, with heaps of money strewed all round me, 
 and bade me look after it, I should not have touch- 
 ed it, I was so honest ; but the subtle tempter 
 baited his hook for me, as I was a child, in a man- 
 ner suitable to my childishness, for I never took 
 this picking of pockets to be dishonesty, but, as I 
 have said above, I looked on it as a kind of trade 
 that I was to be bred up to, and so I entered upon 
 it, till I became hardened in it beyond the power 
 of retreating ; and thus I was made a thief involun- 
 tarily, and went on a length that few boys do, with- 
 out coming to the common period of that kind of 
 life, I mean to the transport-ship, or to the gal- 
 lows. 
 
 The first day I went abroad with my new in- 
 structor, he carried me directly into the city, and 
 as we went first to the water-side, he led me into 
 the long-room at the custom-house; we were but 
 a couple of ragged boys at best, but I was much 
 the worse : my leader had a hat on, a shirt, anda 
 neckcloth ; as for me, I had neither of the three, 
 nor had I spoiled my manners so much as to have 
 a hat on my head since my nurse died, w^iicli was 
 now some years. His orders to me were to keep
 
 COLONEL JACK. 29 
 
 always Insight, and near him, but not close to him, 
 nor to take any notice of him at any time till he 
 came to me ; and if any hurly burly happened, I 
 should by no means know him, or pretend to have 
 any thing to do with him. 
 
 I observed my orders to a tittle. While he peer- 
 ed into every corner, and had liis eye upon every 
 body, I kept my eye directly upon him, but went 
 always at a distance, and on the other side of the 
 long-room, looking as it were for pins, and picking 
 them up out of the dust as I could find them, and 
 then sticking them on my sleeve, where I had at 
 last got 40 or 50 good pins ; but still my eye was 
 upon my comrade, whoj I observed, was very busy 
 among the crowds of people that stood at the 
 board, doing business with the officers, who pass 
 the entries, and make the cocquets, &c. 
 
 At length he comes over to me, and stooping as 
 if he would take up a pin close to me, he put some- 
 thing into my hand, and said, put that up, and fol- 
 low me down stairs quickly ; he did not run, but 
 shuffled along a pace through the crowd, and went 
 down, not the great stairs which we came in at, but 
 a little narrow stair-case at the other end of the 
 long-room ; I followed, and he found I did, and so 
 went on, not stopping below as I expected, nor 
 speaking one word to me, till through innumerable 
 narrow passages, alleys, and dark ways, ^ve were
 
 30 THE LIFE OF 
 
 got up into Fcnchurch-street, and through BilHter- 
 Lane into Leadenhall-street, and from thence into 
 Leadenhall-market , 
 
 It was not a meat-market day, so we had room 
 to sit down upon one of the butcher's stalls, and he 
 bid me lug out. Wliat he had given me was a lit- 
 tle leather letter-case, with a French almanack 
 stuck in the inside of it, and a great many papers 
 in it of several kinds. 
 
 We looked them over, and found there was se- 
 veral valuable bills in it, such as bills of exchange, 
 and other notes, things I did not understand ; but 
 among the rest was a goldsmith's note, as he called 
 it, of one sir Stephen Evans, for L.300, payable to 
 the bearer, and at demand ; besides this, there was 
 another note for L.12, 10s. being a goldsmith's bill 
 too, but I forget the name ; there was a bill or two 
 also written in French, which neither of us under- 
 stood, but which it seems were things of value, 
 being called foreign bills accepted. 
 
 The rogue, my master, knew what belonged to 
 the goldsmith's bills well enough, and I observed, 
 when he read the bill of sir Stephen, he said, this 
 is too big for me to meddle with ; but wheri he 
 came to the bill L.12 10s. he said to me, this will 
 do, come hither. Jack ; so away he runs to Lom- 
 bard-street, and I after him, huddling the other 
 papers into the letter-case. As he went along, he
 
 COLONEL JACK. 31 
 
 enquired the name out immediately, and went 
 directly to the shop, put on a good grave counte- 
 nance, and had the money paid him without any 
 stop or question asked ; I stood on the other side 
 the way looking about the street, as not at all con- 
 cerned with any body that way, but observed, that 
 when he presented the bill, he pulled out the letter- 
 case, as if he had been a merchant's boy, acquaint- 
 ed with business, and had other bills about him. 
 
 They paid him the money in gold, and he made 
 haste enough in teUing it over, and came away, 
 passing by me, and going into Three-King-court, 
 on the other side of the way ; then we crossed back 
 into Clement's-lane, made the best of our way to 
 Cole-harbour, at the water-side, and got a sculler 
 for a penny to carry us over the water to St Mary- 
 Over's stairs, where we landed, and were safe 
 enough. 
 
 Here he turns to me ; Colonel Jack, says he, I 
 believe you are a lucky boy, this is a good job ; 
 we'll go away to St George's-Fields and share our 
 booty. Away we went to the Fields, and sitting 
 down in the grass, far enough out of the path, he 
 pulled out the money ; Look here. Jack, says he, did 
 you ever see the like before in your life ? No, ne- 
 ver, says I, and added very innocently, must we 
 have it all ? We have it ! says he, who should have 
 it? Why, says I, must the man have none of it agai»
 
 32 THE LIFE OF 
 
 that lost it ? He have it again ! says he, what d*ye 
 mean by that? Nay, I don't know, says I, why you 
 said just now you would let him have the t'other 
 bill again, that you said was too big for you. 
 
 He laughed at me ; You are but a little boy, says 
 j he, that's true, but I thought you had not beea 
 1 such a child neither ; so he mighty gravely explained 
 'the thing to me thus : that the bill of sir Stephen 
 Evans was a great bill for L.300, and if I, says he, 
 that am but a poor lad, should venture to go for 
 the money, they will presently say, how should I 
 come by such a bill, and that I certainly found it 
 or stole it ; so they will stop me, says he, and take 
 it away from me, and it may bring me into trouble 
 for it too ; so, says he, I did say it was too big for 
 me to meddle with, and that I would let the man 
 have it again, if I could tell how ; but for the 
 money. Jack, the money that we have got, I war- 
 rant you he should have none of that; besides, says 
 he, who ever he be that has lost this letter-case, to 
 be sure, as soon as he missed it, he would run to a 
 goldsmith and give notice, that if any body came 
 for the money, they would be stopped, but I am 
 too old for him there, says he. 
 
 Why, says I, and what will you do with the bill; 
 will 3'^ou throw it away ? if you do, somebody else 
 will find it, says I, and they will go and take the 
 money : No, no, says he, then they will be stopped
 
 COLONEL JACK. 33 
 
 and examined, as I tell you I should be. I did 
 not know well what all this meant, so I talked no 
 more about that ; but we fell to handling the money. 
 As for me, I had never seen so much together in 
 all my life, nor did I know what in the world to do 
 with it, and once or twice I was going to bid him 
 keep it for me, which would have been done like 
 a child indeed, for to he sure, I had never heard a 
 word more of it, though nothing had befallen him. 
 However, as I happened to hold my tongue as 
 to that part, he shared the money very honestly 
 with me ; only at the end, he told me, that though 
 it was true, he promised me half, yet as it was the 
 first time, and I had done nothing but look on, so 
 he thought it was very well if I took a little less 
 than he did ; so he divided the money, which was 
 L.12, 10s. into two exact parts, viz. L.6, 5s. in each 
 part ; then he took L.l, 5s. from my part, and told 
 me I should give him that for hansel. Well, says I, 
 take it then, for I think you deserve it all : so, how- 
 ever, I took up the rest ; and what shall I do with 
 this now, says I, for I have no where to put it ? 
 Why, have you no pockets ? says he ; Yes, says I, 
 but they are full of holes. I have often thought since 
 that, and with some mirth too, how I had really 
 more wealth than I knew what to do with, far lodg* 
 ing I had none, nor any box or drawer to hide 
 my money in, nor had I any pocket, but such as I 
 
 VOL. I. c
 
 34« THE LIFE OF 
 
 say was full of holes ; I knew nobody in the world 
 that I could go and desire them to lay it up for 
 me ; for being a poor naked, ragged boy, they 
 would presently say, I had robbed some body, and 
 perhaps lay hold of me, and my money would be 
 my crime, as they say it often is in foreign coun- 
 tries : and now, as I was full of wealth, behold I 
 was full of care, for what to do to secure my money 
 I could not tell ; and this held me so long, and was 
 so vexatious to me the next day, that I truly sat 
 down and cried. 
 
 Nothing could be more perplexing than this mo- 
 ney was to me all that night. I carried it in my 
 hand a good while, for it was in gold, all but 14s, 
 and that is to say, it was in four guineas, and that 
 14-8. was more difficult to carry than the four 
 guineas ; at last I sat down, and pulled off" one of 
 my shoes, and put the four guineas into that ; but 
 after I had gone a while, my shoe hurt me so I 
 could not go, so I was fain to sit down again, and 
 take it out of my shoe, and carry it in my hand ; 
 then I found a dirty linen rag in the street, and I 
 took that up, and wrapt it all together, and carried 
 it in that a good way. I have often since heard 
 people say, when they have been talking of money 
 that they could not get in, I wish I had it in a foul 
 clout : in truth, I had mine in a foul clout ; for it 
 was foul, according to the letter of that saying, but
 
 COLONEL JACK. 35 
 
 it served me till I came to a convenient place, and 
 then I sat down and washed the cloth in the ken- 
 nel, and so then put my money in again. 
 
 Well, I carried it home with me to my lodging 
 in the glass-house, and when I went to go to sleep, 
 I knew not what to do with it ; if I had let any of 
 the black crew I was with know of it, I should 
 have been smothered in the ashes for it, or robbed 
 of it, or some trick or other put upon me for it ; so 
 I knew not what to do, but lay with it in my hand, 
 and my hand in my bosom, but then sleep went 
 from my eyes : O, the weight of human care ! I, 
 a poor beggar boy, could not sleep as soon as I had 
 but a little money to keep, who, before that, could 
 have slept upon a heap of brick-bats, stones, or 
 cinders, or anywhere, as sound as a rich man does 
 on his down bed, and sounder too. 
 
 Every now and then dropping asleep, I should 
 dream that my money was lost, and start like one 
 frighted ; then, finding it fast in my hand, try to go 
 to sleep again, but could not for a long while, then 
 drop and start again. At last a fancy came into my 
 head, that if I fell asleep, I should dream of the 
 money, and talk of it in my sleep, and tell that I 
 had money ; which if I should do, and one of the 
 rogues should hear me, they would* pick it out of 
 my bosom, and of my hand too, without waking me ; 
 and after that thought I could not sleep a wink
 
 3G THE LIFE OF 
 
 more ; so that I passed that niglit over in care and 
 anxiety enough, and this, I may safely say, was the 
 first night's rest that I lost by the cares of tlii& life, 
 and the deceitfulness of riches. 
 
 As soon as it was day, I got out of the hole we 
 lay in, and rambled abroad in the fields towards 
 Stepney, and there I mused and considered what I 
 should do with this money, and many a time I wish- 
 ed that I had not had it; for, after all my rumina- 
 ting upon it, and what course I should take with it, 
 or where I should put it, I could not hit upon any 
 one thing, or any possible method to secure it, and 
 /- it perplexed me so, that at last, as I said just now, 
 fl sat down and cried heartily. 
 
 When my crying was over, the case was the 
 same ; I had the money still, and what to do with 
 it I could not tell : at last it came into my head, 
 that I would look out for some hole in a tree, and 
 see to hide it there till I should have occasion for 
 it : big with this discovery, as I then thought it, I 
 began to look about me for a tree ; but there were 
 no trees in the fields about Stepney or Mile-End, 
 that looked fit for my purpose ; and if there were 
 any, that I began to look narrowly at, the fields 
 were so full of people, that they would see if I went 
 to hide any thing there, and I thought the people 
 eyed me as it were, and that two men in particular 
 followed me to see what I intended to do.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 37 
 
 This drove me farther ofF, and I crossed the road 
 at Mile-End, and in the middle of the town went 
 down a lane that goes away to the Blind Beggar's at 
 Bednal-Green ; when I came a little way in the 
 lane, I fomid a foot-path over the fields, and in those 
 fields several trees for my turn, as I thought ; at 
 last, one tree had a little hole in it, pretty high out 
 of my reach, and I climbed up the tree to get it, 
 and when I came there, I put my hand in, and 
 found (as I thought) a place very fit, so I placed 
 my treasure there, and was mighty well satisfied 
 with it ; but, behold, putting my hand in again to 
 lay it more commodiously, as I thought, of a sud- 
 den it slipped away from me, and I found the tree 
 was hollow, and my little parcel was fallen in quite 
 out of my reach, and how far it might go in I knew 
 not ; so that, in a word, my money was quite gone, 
 irrecoverably lost; there could be no room so much 
 as to hope ever to see it again, for 'twas a vast 
 great tree. 
 
 As young as I was, I was now sensible what a 
 fool I was before, that I could not think of ways to 
 keep my money, but I must come thus far to throw 
 it into a hole where I could not reach it : well, I 
 thrust my hand quite up to my elbow, but no bot- 
 tom was to be found, or any end of the hole or 
 cavity ; I got a stick of the tree, and thrust it in a 
 great way, but all was one ; then I cried, nay^
 
 38 THE LIFE OF 
 
 roared out, I was in such a passion ; then I got 
 down the tree again, then up again, and thrust in 
 my hand again till I scratched my arm and made 
 it bleed, and cried all the while most violently : 
 then I began to think I had not so much as a half- 
 penny of it left for a halfpenny roll, and I was 
 hungry, and then I cried again : then I came away 
 in despair, crying and roaring like a little boy that 
 had been whipped ; then I went back again to the 
 tree, and up the tree again, and thus I did several 
 times. 
 
 The last time I had gotten up the tree, I hap- 
 pened to come down not on the same side that I 
 went up and capie down before, but on the other 
 side of the tree, and on the other side of the bank 
 also ; and, behold, the tree had a great open place, 
 in the side of it close to the ground, as old hollow 
 trees often have ; and looking into the open place, 
 to my inexpressible joy, there lay my money and 
 my linen rag, all wrapped up just as I had put it 
 into the hole : for the tree being hollow all the way 
 up, there had been some moss or light stuff, (which 
 I had not judgment enough to know,) was not firm, 
 and had given way when it came to drop out of my 
 hand, and so it had slipped quite down at once, 
 
 I was but a child, and I rejoiced like a child, for 
 X hollo'd quite out aloud when I saw it ; then I 
 run to it and snatched it up, hugged and kissed the
 
 COLONEL JACK. 39 
 
 dirty rag a hundred times ; then danced and jump- 
 ed about, run from one end of the field to the 
 other, and, in short, I knew not what, much less do 
 I know now what I did, though I shall never for- 
 get the thing, either what a sinking grief it was 
 to my heart, when I thought I had lost it, or what a 
 flood of joy overwhelmed me when I had got it again. 
 
 While I was in the first transport of my joy, as 
 I have said, I run about and knew not what I did; 
 but when that was over, I sat down, opened the 
 foul clout the money was in, looked at it, told it, 
 found it was all there, and then I fell a crying as 
 savourly as I did before when I thought I had lost it. 
 
 It would tire the reader should I dwell on all the 
 little boyish tricks that I played in the extacy of my 
 joy and satisfaction, when I had found my money ; 
 
 Tso I break off here : joy is as extravagant as grief, 
 and since I have been a man, I have often thought, 
 that had such a thing befallen a man, so to have 
 lost all he had, and not have a bit of bread to eat, 
 and then so strangely to find it again, after having 
 given it so effectually over ; — I say, had it been so 
 with a man, it might have hazarded his using some 
 I violence upon himself. 
 
 Well, I came away with my money, and having 
 taken sixpence out of it, before I made it up again, I 
 went to a chandler's shop in Mile-End, and bought 
 a halfpenny roll, and a halfpenny worth of cheese,
 
 40 THE LIFE OF 
 
 and sat down at the door after I bought it, and eat 
 it very heartily, and begged some beer to drink 
 with it, which the good woman gave me very freely. 
 
 Away I went then for the town, to see if I could 
 find any of my companions, and resolved I would 
 try no more hollow trees for my treasure. As I came 
 along White-Chapel, I came by a broker's shop, 
 over against the church, where they sold old cloaths, 
 for I had nothing on but the worst of rags ; so I 
 stopped at the shop, and stood looking at the 
 cloaths which hung at the door. 
 
 Well, young gentleman, says a man that stood 
 at the door, you look wishfully, do you see any thing 
 you like, and will your pocket compass a good coat 
 now, for you look as if you belonged to the ragged 
 regiment? I was afironted at the fellow. What's that 
 to you, says I, how ragged I am ? if I had seen any 
 think I liked, I have money to pay for it ; but I 
 can go where I shan't be huffed at for looking. 
 
 While I said thus, pretty boldly to the fellow, 
 comes a woman out, What ails you, says she to 
 the man, to bully away our customers so? a poor 
 boy's money is as good as my lord mayor's ; if poor 
 people did not buy old cloaths, what would become 
 of our business ? and then turning to me, Come 
 hither, child, says she, if thou hast a mind to any 
 thing I have, you shan't be hectored by him ; the 
 boy is a pretty boy, I assure you, says she, to
 
 COLON FL JACK. 41 
 
 ianother woman that was by this time come to her. 
 Ay, says the t'other, so he is, a very well looking 
 child, if he was clean and well dressed, and may 
 be as good a gentleman's son for any thing we 
 know, as any of those that are well dressed : come, 
 my dear, says she, tell me what is it you would V 
 have ? she pleased me mightily to hear her talk of 
 my being a gentleman's son, and it brought former 
 things to mind; but when she talk'd of my being 
 not clean, and in rags, tlien I cried. 
 
 She pressed me to tell her if I saw any thing 
 that I wanted ; I told her no, all the cloaths I saw 
 there were too big for me. Come, child, says she, 
 I have two things here that will fit you, and I am 
 sure you want them both ; that is, first, a little hat, 
 and there, says she, (tossing it to me) I'll give you 
 that for nothing ; and here is a good warm pair of 
 breeches, I dare say, says she, they will fit you, and 
 they are very tight and good ; and, says she, if you 
 should ever come to have so much money that you 
 don't know what to do with it, here are excellent 
 good pockets, says she, and a little fob to put your 
 gold in, or your watch in, when you get it. 
 
 It struck me with a strange kind of joy, that I 
 should have a place to put my money in, and need 
 not go to hide it again in a hollow tree ; that I was . / 
 ready to snatch the breeches out of her hands, and 
 wondered that I should be such a fool never to
 
 42 THE LIFE OF 
 
 > 
 
 think of buying me a pair of breeches before, that 
 I might have a pocket to put my money in, and 
 not carry it about two days together in my hand, 
 and in my shoe, and I knew not how ; so, in a word, 
 I gave her 2s. for the breeches, and went over in- 
 to the church-yard and put them on, put my mo- 
 ney into my new pockets, and was as pleased as a 
 prince is with his coach and six horses. I thanked 
 the good woman too for the hat, and told her I 
 \ would come again when I got more money, and 
 ' buy some other things I wanted, and so I came 
 ■ ' away. 
 
 I was but a boy 'tis true, but I thought myself 
 a man, now I had got a pocket to put my money 
 in, and I went directly to find out my companion, 
 by whose means I got it ; but I was frighted out 
 of my wits when I heard that he was carried to 
 Bridewell ; I made no question but it was for the 
 letter-case, and that I should be carried there too ; 
 and then my poor brother captain Jack's case came 
 into my head, and that I should be whipped there 
 as cruelly as he was, and I was in such a fright, 
 that I knew not what to do. 
 
 But in the afternoon I met him ; he had been 
 carried to Bridewell, it seems, upon that very affair, 
 but was got out again ; the ease was thus : having 
 had such good luck at the custom-house the day 
 before, he takes his walk thither again, and aS he
 
 COLONEL JACK. 45 
 
 was In the long-room, gaping and staring about 
 him, a fellow lays hold of him, and calls to one of 
 the clerks that sat behind, Here, says he, is the 
 same young rogue that 1 told you I saw loitering 
 about t'other day, when the gentleman lost his let- 
 ter-case, and his goldsmith's bills ; I dare say it 
 was he that stole them. Immediately the whole 
 crowd of people gathered about the boy, and char- 
 ged him poi nt blank ; but he was too well used to 
 such things to be frighted into a confession ol what 
 he knew they could not prove, for he had nothing 
 about him belonging to it, nor had any money, but 
 sixpence and a few dirty farthings. 
 
 They threatened him, and pulled, and hauled 
 him, till they almost pulled the clothes off his back, 
 and the commissioners examined him ; but all was 
 one, he would own nothing, but said, he walked 
 up through the room, only to see the place; both 
 then, and the time before, for he had owned he 
 was there before ; so as there was no proof against 
 him of any fact, no, nor of any circumstances re- 
 lating to the letter-case, they were forced at last 
 to let him go ; however, they made a show of car- 
 rying him to Bridewell, and they did carry him to 
 the gate to see if they could make him confess any 
 thing ; but he would confess nothing, and they had 
 no mittimus ; so they durst not carry him into the 
 house, HOT would the people have received him, I
 
 44f THE LIFE OF 
 
 suppose, If tliey had, they luiving no warrant for 
 putting hini in prison. 
 
 Well, when they could get nothing out of him, 
 they carried him into an alehouse, and there they 
 told him, that the letter-case had bills in it of a 
 very great value, that they would be of no use to 
 the rogue that had them, but they would be of in- 
 finite damage to the gentleman that had lost them ; 
 and that he had left word with the clerk, who tlie 
 man that stopped this boy had called to, and who 
 was there with him, that he would give L. 30 to 
 any one tliat would bring them again, and give all 
 the security that could be desired, that he would 
 give them no trouble, whoever it was. 
 
 He was just come from out of their hands, when 
 I met with him, and so he told me all the story ; 
 But, says he, I would confess nothing, and so I 
 got off, and am come away clear. Well, says I, and 
 what will you do with the letter-case, and the bills, 
 will not you let the poor man have his bills again ? 
 No, not I, says he, I won*t trust them, M'hat care 
 I for their bills ? It came into my head, as young as I 
 was, that it was a sad thing indeed to take a man's 
 bills away for so much money, and not have any ad- 
 vantage by it either ; for I concluded, that the gen- 
 tleman, who owned the bills, must lose all the 
 money, and it was strange he should keep the bills, 
 and make a gentleman lose so much money for 
 nothing. I remember that I ruminated very much
 
 COLONEL JACK. 4«5 
 
 about it, and, though I did not understand it very 
 well, yet it lay upon my mind, and I said every 
 now and then to him. Do, let the gentleman have 
 his bills again, do, pray do ; and so I teazed him, 
 with do, and pray do, till at last I cried about 
 them ; he said. What, would you have me be found 
 out and sent to Bridewell, and be whipped, as your 
 brother captain Jack was ? I said. No, I would not 
 have you whipped, but I would have the man have 
 liis bills, for they will do you no good, but the gen- 
 tleman will be undone it may be ; and then, I add- 
 ed again. Do, let him have them ; he snapped me 
 short, Why, says he, how shall I get them to him ? 
 Who dare carry them ? I dare not, to be sure, for 
 they will stop me, and bring the goldsmith to see 
 if he does not know me, and that I received the 
 money, and so they will prove the robbery, and I 
 shall be hanged; would you have me be hanged. 
 Jack? 
 
 I was silenced a good while with that, for when 
 he said, would you have me be hanged. Jack? I had 
 no more to say ; but one day after this, he called 
 to me, colonel Jack, says he, I have thought of a 
 way how the gentleman shall have his bills again ; 
 and you and I shall get a good deal of money by 
 it, if you will be honest to me, as I was to you ; 
 Indeed, says I, Rojiiji, that was his name, I will be 
 very honest; let me know how it is, for 1 would faia 
 have him have his bilk.
 
 46 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Why, says he, they told me, that he had left 
 word at the clerk's place in the long-room, that he 
 would give L. 30 to any one that had the bills, and 
 would restore them, and would ask no questions. 
 Now, if you will go, like a poor innocent boy, as 
 you are, into the long-room, and speak to the clerk, 
 it may do : tell him, if the gentleman will do as he 
 promised, you believe you can tell him who has it ; 
 and if they are civil to you, and willing to be as 
 good as their words, you shall have the letter-case, 
 and give it them. 
 
 I told him, Aye, I would go with all my heart ; 
 But, colonel Jack, says he, what if they should take 
 hold of you, and threaten to have you whipped, 
 won't you discover me to them ? No, says I, if they 
 would whip me to death I won't ; Well, then, says, 
 he, there's the letter-case, do you go. So he gave 
 me directions how to act, and what to say ; but I 
 would not take the letter-case with me, least they 
 should prove false, and take hold of me, thinking 
 .^ to find it upon me, and so charge me with the fact ; 
 so I left it with him, and the next morning I went 
 to the custom-house, as was agreed ; what my di- 
 rections were, will, to avoid repetition, appear in 
 what happened ; it was an errand of too much con- 
 sequence indeed to be entrusted to a boy, not only 
 so young as I was, but so little of a rogue as I was 
 yet arrived to the degree of.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 47 
 
 Two things I was particularly armed with, which 
 I resolved upon!; 1. That the man should have 
 his bills again ; for it seemed a horrible thing to 
 me that he should be made to lose his money, 
 which I supposed he must, purely because we would 
 not carry the letter-case home. 2. That whatever 
 happened to me, I was never to tell the name of 
 my comrade Robin, who had been the principal : 
 with these two pieces of honesty, for such they 
 were both in themselves, and with a manly heart, 
 though a boy's head, I went up into the long-room 
 in the custom-house the next day. 
 
 As soon as I came to the place where the thing 
 was done, I saw the man sit just where he had sat 
 before, and it run in my head that he had sat there 
 ever since ; but I knew no better ; so I went up, 
 and stood just at that side of the writing board, 
 that goes upon that side of the room, and which I 
 was but just tall enough to lay my arms upon. 
 
 While I stood there, one thrust me this wa)^, and 
 another thrust me that way, and the man that sat 
 behind began to look at me ; at last he called out 
 to me ; \Vliat does that boy do there ? get you gone, 
 sirrah ; are you one of the rogues that stole the 
 gentleman's letter-case on Monday last ? Then he 
 turns his tale to a gentleman that was doing busi- 
 ness with him, and goes on thus : here was Mr -^— 
 had a very unlucky cha«ce on Monday last, did
 
 48 THE LIFE OF 
 
 not you hear of it ? No, not I, says the gentleman. 
 Why, standing just there, where you do, says he, 
 making his entries, he pulled out his letter^case, 
 and laid it down, as he says, but just at his hand, 
 while he reached over to the standish there for a 
 penful of ink, and some body stole away his letter- 
 case. 
 
 His letter case ! says t'other, what, and was there 
 any bills in it ? 
 
 Ay, says he, there was sir Stephen Evans's note 
 in it for 3001. and another goldsmith's bill for 
 about 121. and which is worse still for the gentle- 
 man, he had two foreign accepted bills in it for a 
 great sum, I know not how much, I think one wm 
 a French bill for 1200 crowns. 
 
 And who could it be ? says the gentleman. 
 
 Nobody knows, says he, but one of our room- 
 keepers says, he saw a couple of young rogues like 
 that, pointing at me, hanging about here, and that 
 on a sudden they were both gone. 
 
 Villains ! says he again ; why, what can they 
 do with them, they will be of no use to them ? I 
 suppose he went immediately, and gave notice to 
 prevent the payment. 
 
 Yes, says the clerk, he did; but the rogues were 
 too nimble for him with the little bill of 121. odd 
 money ; they went and got the money for that, but 
 all the rest are stopped ; however, 'tis an unspeak- 
 able damage to him for wjint of his money.
 
 COLONFL JACK. 49 
 
 Wliy, he should pubHsh a reward for the en- 
 couragement of those that have them to bring them 
 again ; they would be glad to bring them, I warrant 
 you. 
 
 He has posted it up at the door, that he will 
 give sol. for them. 
 
 Aye, but he should add, that he will promise 
 notto stop, or give any trouble to the person that 
 brings them. 
 
 He has done that too, says he, but I fear they 
 won't trust themselves to be honest, for fear he 
 should break his word. 
 
 Why ? it is true, he may break his word in that 
 case, but no man should do so ; for then no rogue 
 will venture to bring home any thing that is stolen, 
 and so he would do an injury to others after him. 
 
 I durst pawn my life for him, he would scorn it. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 50 THE LIFE OF 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 I am examined by the gentleman touching the hilh 
 and letter-case^ and obtain the revoard of SO/. — 
 One of them kindly takes charge of the money 
 Jbr me — We commit more thefts — My comrade 
 purchases better clothes for me — I rob a Jetv of his 
 pocket-book, full of bills and diamonds — Will 
 agrees for a reward to give up the property, 
 
 y. HUS far they discoursed of it, and then went 
 off to something else ; I heard it all, but did not 
 know what to do a great while ; but at last, watch- 
 ing the gentleman that went away, when he was 
 gone, I run after him to have spoken to him, in- 
 tending to have broke it to him, but he went hasti- 
 ly into a room or two, full of people, at the hither 
 end of the long -room ; and when I went to follow, 
 the door-keepers turned me back, and told me, 
 I must not go in there ; so I went back, and 
 loitered about, near the man that sat behind the
 
 COLONEL JACK. 51 
 
 board, and hung about there till I found the clock 
 struck twelve, and the room began to be thin of 
 people ; and at last he sat there writing, but no- 
 body stood at the board before him, as there had 
 all the rest of the morning ; then I came a little 
 nearer, and stood close to the board, as I did be- 
 fore ; when, looking up from his paper, and seeing 
 me, says he to me. You have been up and down 
 there all this morning, sirrah, what do you want ? 
 you have some business that is not very good, I 
 doubt. 
 
 No, I han't, said I. 
 
 No ? it is well if you han't, says he ; pray what 
 business can you have in the long-room, sir ; you 
 are no merchant ? 
 
 I would speak with you, said I, 
 
 With me, says he, what have you to say to me ? 
 
 I have something to say, said I, if you will do 
 me no harm for it. 
 
 I do thee harm, child, what harm should I do 
 thee ? and spoke very kindly. 
 
 Won't you indeed, sir? said I. 
 
 No, not I, child ; I'll do thee no harm ; what is 
 it ? do you know any thing of the gentleman's 
 letter-case ? 
 
 I answered, but spoke softly, that he could not 
 hear me, so he gets over presently into the seat 
 next him, and opens a place that was made to 
 
 0* OF ILL UBo
 
 52 THE LIFE OF 
 
 come out, and bade me come in to him ; and I 
 did. 
 
 Then he asked me again, if I knew any thing 
 of the letter-case. 
 
 I spoke softly again, and said, Folks would hear 
 him. 
 
 Then he whispered softly, and asked me again. 
 
 I told him, I believed I did ; but that, indeed, I 
 had it not, nor had no hand in stealing it, but it 
 was gotten into the hands of a boy that would have 
 burnt it, if it had not been for me ; and that I 
 heard him say, that the gentleman would be glad 
 to have them again, and give a good deal of money 
 for them. 
 
 I did say so, child, said he, and if you can get 
 them for him, he shall give you a good reward, no 
 less than 301. as he has promised. 
 
 But you said too, sir, to the gentleman just now, 
 said I, that you was sure he would not bring them 
 into any harm, that should bring them. 
 
 No, you shall come to no harm ; I will pass my 
 word for it. 
 
 Boy. Nor shan't they make me bring other 
 people into trouble? 
 
 Gent. No, you shall not be asked the name of 
 any body, nor to tell who they are. 
 
 Boy. I am but a poor boy, and I would fain 
 have the gentleman have his bills, and indeed I 
 did not take them away, nor I han't got them.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 53 
 
 Gent, But can you tell how the gentleman shall 
 have them ? 
 
 Boy. If I can get them, I will bring them to yoU 
 to-morrow morning. 
 
 Gent. Can you not do it to-night ? 
 
 Boy. I believe I may, if I knew where to come. 
 
 Gent. Come to my house, child. 
 
 Boy. I don't know where you live. 
 
 Gent. Go along with me now, and you shall see. 
 So he carried me up into Tower-street, and shew- 
 ed me his house, and ordered me to come there 
 at five o'clock at night; which accordingly I did, 
 and carried the letter-case with me. 
 
 When I came, the gentleman asked me, if I had 
 brought the book, as he called it. 
 
 It is not a book, said I. 
 
 No, the letter-case, that's all one, says he. 
 
 You promised me, said I, you would not hurt 
 me, and cried. 
 
 Don't be afraid, child, says he, I will not hurt 
 thee, poor boy ; nobody shall hurt thee. 
 
 Here it is, said I, and pulled it out. 
 
 He then brought in another gentleman, who it 
 seems owned the letter-case, and asked him. If that 
 was it ? and he said. Yes. 
 
 Then he asked me, if all the bills were in it? 
 
 I told him, I heard him say there was one gone, 
 but I believed there was all the rest.
 
 51 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Why do you believe so ? says he. 
 
 Because I lieard the boy, that I believe stole 
 them, say, they were too big for him to meddle 
 with. 
 
 The gentleman, then, that owned them, said, 
 Where is the boy ? 
 
 Then the other gentleman put in, and said. No, 
 you must not ask him that ; I passed my word 
 that you should not, and that he should not be 
 obliged to tell it to any body. 
 
 Well, child, says he, you will let us see the let- 
 ter-case opened, and whether the bills are in it ? 
 
 Yes, says I. 
 
 Then the first gentleman said. How many bills 
 were there in it ? 
 
 Only three, says he, besides the bill of 121. 10s. ; 
 there was sir Stephen Evans's note for 3001. and 
 two foreign bills. 
 
 Well, then, if they are in the letter-case, the 
 boy shall have 301. shall he not? Yes, says the gen- 
 tleman, he shall have it freely. 
 
 Come then, child, says he, let me open it. 
 
 So I gave it him, and he opened it, and there 
 were all the three bills, and several other papers, 
 fair and safe, nothing defaced or diminished, and 
 the gentleman said. All was right. 
 
 Then said the first man. Then I am security to 
 the poor boy for the money : Well, but, says the
 
 Colonel jack. 55 
 
 gentleman, the rogues have got the 121. 10s.; they 
 ought to reckon that as part of the 301. Had he 
 asked me, I should have consented to it at first 
 word ; but the first man stood my friend. Nay, 
 says he, it was since you knew that the 121. 10s. 
 was received that you offered 301. for the other 
 bills, and published it by the crier, and posted it 
 up at the custom-house door, and I promised him 
 the 301. this morning. They argued long, and I 
 thought would have quarrelled about it. 
 
 However, at last they both yielded a little, and 
 the gentleman gave me 251. in good guineas. 
 When he gave it me, he bade me hold out my hand, 
 and he told the money into my hand ; and when he 
 had done, he asked me if it was right ? I said, I did 
 not know, but I believed it was : Why, says he, 
 can't you tell it ? I told him. No ; I never saw so 
 much money in my life, nor I did not know how 
 to tell money. Why, says he, don't you know that 
 they are guineas ? No, I told him, I did not know 
 how much a guinea was. 
 
 Why, how then, says he, did you tell me you be- 
 lieved it v/as right ? I told him. Because I beheved 
 he would not give it me wrong. 
 
 Poor child, says he, thou knowest little of the 
 world, indeed ; what art thou ? 
 
 I am a poor boy, says I, and cried. 
 
 What is your name, says he— but hold, I forgot.
 
 56 THE LIFE OF 
 
 said he ; I promised I would not ask your name, so 
 you need not tell me. 
 
 My name is Jack, said I. 
 
 Why, have you no sirname ? said he. 
 
 What is that ? said I. 
 
 You have some other name besides Jack, says 
 he, han't you ? 
 
 Yes, says I, they call me Colonel Jack. 
 
 But have you no other name ? 
 
 No, said I. 
 
 Plow come you to be called Colonel Jack, pray ? 
 
 They say, said I, my father's name was Colonel. 
 
 Is your father or mother alive ? said he. 
 
 No, said I, my father is dead. 
 
 Where is your mother then ? said he. 
 
 I never had e'er a mother, said I. 
 
 This made him laugh. What, said he, had you 
 never a mother, what then ? 
 
 I had a nurse, said I, but she was not my mo- 
 ther. 
 
 Well, says he to the gentleman, I dare say, this 
 boy was not the thief that stole your bills. 
 
 Indeed, sir, I did not steal them, said I, and cried 
 again. 
 
 No, no, child, said he, we don't believe you did. 
 This is a clever boy, says he, to the other gentle- 
 man, and yet very ignorant and honest ; 'tis pity 
 some care should not be taken of him, and some- 
 thing done for him ; let us talk a little more with
 
 COLONEL JACK. 57 
 
 him. So they sat down and drank wine, and gave 
 me some, and then the first gentleman talked to 
 me again. 
 
 Well, says he, what wilt thou do with this money 
 now thou hast it ? 
 
 I don't know, said I. 
 
 Where will you put it ? said he. 
 
 In my pocket, said I. 
 
 In your pocket, said he ; is your pocket whole ? 
 «han't 3^ou lose it ? 
 
 Yes, said I, my pocket is whole. 
 
 And where will you put it, when you come 
 home ? 
 
 I have no home, said I ; and cried again. 
 
 Poor child ! said he, then what dost thou do for 
 thy living ? 
 
 I go of errands, said I, for the folks in Rose- 
 mary-lane. 
 
 And what dost thou do for a lodging at night ? 
 
 I lie at the glass-house, said I, at night. 
 
 How, lie at the glass-house ! have they any beds 
 there ? says he. 
 
 I never lay in a bed in my life, said I, as I re- 
 member. 
 
 Wliy, says he, what do you lie on at the glass- 
 house ? 
 
 The ground, says I, and sometimes a little straw. 
 Or upon the warm ashes.
 
 53 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Here the gentleman that lost the bills, said, This 
 J poor cliild is enough to make a man weep for the 
 ^ miseries of human nature, and be thankful for him- 
 self, he puts tears into my eyes— and into mine 
 too, says the other. 
 
 Well, but liark ye. Jack, says the first gentle- 
 man, do they give you no money when they send 
 you of errands ? 
 
 They give me victuals, said I, and that's better. 
 
 But what, says he, do you do for cloaths \ 
 
 They give me sometimes old things, said I, such 
 as they have to spare. 
 
 Why, you have never a shirt on, I believe, said 
 he, have you ? 
 
 No, I never had a shirt, said I, since my nurse 
 flied. 
 
 How long ago is that ? said he. 
 
 Six v/inters, when this is out, said I. 
 
 Why, how old are you ? said he. 
 
 I can't tell, said I. 
 
 Well, says the gentleman, now you have this 
 money, won't you buy some cloaths, and a shirt 
 with some of it ? 
 
 Yes, said I, I would buy some cloaths. 
 
 And what will you do with the rest l 
 
 I can't tell, said I, and cried. 
 
 What do'st cry for. Jack ? said he. 
 
 I am afraid, said I ; and cried still.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 59 
 
 What art afraid of? 
 
 They will know I have money. 
 
 Well, and what then ? 
 
 Then I must sleep no more in the warm glass- 
 house, and I shall be starved with cold. They will 
 take away my money. 
 
 But why must you sleep there no more ? 
 
 Here the gentlemen observed to one another, 
 how naturally anxiety and perplexity attend those ..<i^^ 
 that have money. I warrant you, says the clerk, '' 
 when this poor boy had no money, he slept all 
 night in the straw, or on the warm ashes in the 
 glass-house, as soundly and as void of care as it 
 would be possible for any creature to do ; but now, 
 as soon as he has gotten money, the care of pre- 
 serving it brings tears into his eyes, and fear into 
 his heart. 
 
 They asked me a great many questions more ; to 
 which I answered in my childish way as well as I 
 could, but so as pleased them well enough ; at last 
 I was going away with a heavy pocket, and I assure 
 you not a light heart, for I was so frighted with hav- 
 ing so much money, that I knew not what in the 
 earth to do with myself: I went away, however, 
 and walked a little way, but I could not tell what 
 to do ; so, after rambling two hours or thereabout, 
 I went back again, and sat down at the gentleman's -^ 
 door, and there I cried as long as I had any mois»
 
 <50 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ture in my head to make tears of, but never knock- 
 ed at tlie door. 
 
 I had not sat long, I suppose, but somebody 
 belonging to the family got knowledge of it, and a 
 maid came and talked to me, but I said little to her, 
 only cried still ; at length it came to the gentleman's 
 ears. As for the merchant he was gone. When 
 the gentleman heard of me, he called me in, and 
 began to talk with me again, and asked me what 
 I staid for ? 
 
 I told him I had not staid there all that while, 
 for I had been gone a great while, and was come 
 again. 
 
 Well, says he, but what did you come again for ? 
 
 I can't tell, says I. 
 
 And what do you cry so for, said he, I hope 
 you have not lost your money, have you ? 
 
 No, I told him I had not lost it yet, but I was 
 afraid I should. 
 
 And does that make you cry ? says he. 
 
 I told him. Yes, for I knew I should not be able 
 to keep it, but they would cheat me of it, or they 
 would kill me, and take it away from me too. 
 
 They, says he, who? what sort of gangs of 
 people art thou with ? 
 
 I told him they were all boys, but very wicked 
 boys ; thieves and pick-pockets, said I, such as 
 stole this letter-case, a sad pack, I can't abide them.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 61 
 
 Well, Jack, said he, what shall be done for thee ? 
 Will you leave it with me, shall I keep it for you ? 
 
 Yes, said I, with all my heart, if you please. 
 
 Come, then, says he, give it me ; and that you 
 may be sure I have it, and you shall have it ho- 
 nestly again, Pllgive you a bill for it, and for the in- 
 terest of it, and that you may keep safe enough. 
 Nay, added he, and if you lose it, or any body takes 
 it from you, none shall receive tlie money but your- 
 self, or any part of it. 
 
 I presently pulled out all the money, and gave 
 it to him, only keeping about 15s. for myself to 
 buy some clothes ; and thus ended the conference 
 between us on the first occasion, at least for the 
 first time. Having thus secured my money to my 
 full satisfaction, I was then perfectly easy, and ac- 
 cordingly the sad thoughts that afflicted my mind 
 before, began to vanish away. 
 
 This was enough to let any one see how all the 
 sorrows and anxieties of men's lives come about; 
 how they rise from their restless pushing at getting 
 of money, and the restless cares of keeping it when 
 they have got it. I that had nothing, and had not 
 known what it was to have had any thing, knew 
 nothing of the care, either of getting, or of keep- 
 ing ; I wanted nothing, who wanted every thing ; 
 I had no care, no concern about where I should 
 get my victuals, or how I should lodge ; I knew 
 
 \
 
 <^2 THE LIFE OF 
 
 not what money was, or what to do with it ; and 
 never knew what it was not to sieep till I had 
 money to keep, and was afraid of losing it. 
 
 I had, without doubt, an opportunity at this time, 
 if I had not been too foolish, and too much a child 
 to speak for myself; I had an opportunity, I say, 
 to have got into his service, or perhaps to be under 
 some of the care and concern of these gentlemen ; 
 for they seemed to be very fond of doing something 
 for me, and were surprised at the innocence of my 
 talk to them, as well as at the misery (as they 
 thought it) of my condition. 
 
 But I acted indeed like a child; and leaving my 
 money, as I have said, I never went near them for 
 several years after. What course I took, and what 
 befel me in that interval, has so much variety in it, 
 and carries so much instruction in it, that it rC' 
 quires an account of it by itself. 
 
 The first happy chance that offered itself to me 
 in the world was now over ; I had got money, but 
 I neither knew the value of it, or the use of it ; the 
 way of living I had begun was so natural to me, I 
 had no notion of bettering it ; I had not so much 
 as any desire of buying me any clothes, no, not so 
 much as a shirt, and much less had I any thought 
 of getting any other lodging than that in the glass- 
 house, and loitering about the streets, as I had 
 done : for I knew no good, and had tasted no evil ;
 
 COLONEL JACK. 65 
 
 that is to say, the life I had led being not evil in 
 my account. 
 
 In this state of innocence, I returned to my real- 
 lyTniserable life/ so it was in itself, and was only 
 not so to me, because I did not understand how to 
 judge of it, and had known no better. 
 
 My comrade that gave me back the bills, and 
 who, if I had not pressed him, designed never to 
 have restored them, never asked me what I had 
 given me, but told me, if they gave me anything 
 it should be my own ; for, as he said, he would not 
 run the venture of being seen in the restoring 
 them, I deserved the reward if there was any ; nei- 
 ther did he trouble his head with enquiring what I 
 had, or whether I had anything or no ; so my title 
 to what I had got was clear. 
 
 I went now up and down just as I did before ; I 
 had money indeed in my pocket, but I let nobody 
 know it ; I went of errands cheerfully as before, 
 and accepted of what any body gave me, with as 
 much thankfulness as ever ; the only difference that 
 I made with myself, was, that if I was hungry, and 
 nobody employed me, or gave me any thing to eat, 
 I did not beg from door to door, as I did at first, 
 but went to a boiling house, as I said once before, 
 and got a mess of broth and a piece of bread, price 
 a halfpenny ; very seldom any meat, or if I treat- 
 ed myself, it was a halfpenny worth of cheese j ail
 
 ^* THE LIFE OF 
 
 which expence did not amount to above 2d. or Sd, 
 a week ; for, contrary to the usage of the rest of 
 the tribe, I was extremely frugal, and I had not 
 disposed of any of the guineas which I had at first ; 
 neither, as I said to the custom-house gentleman, 
 could I tell what a guinea was made of, or what it 
 was worth. 
 
 After I had been about a month thus, and had 
 done nothing, my comrade, as I called him, came 
 to me one morning. Colonel Jack, says he, when 
 shall you and I take a walk again ? Wlien you will, 
 said I. Have you got no business yet ? says he. 
 No, says I ; and so one thing bringing in another, 
 he told me I was a fortunate wretch, and he belie- 
 ved I would be so again ; but that he must make a 
 new bargain with me now ; for, says he. Colonel, 
 the first time, we always let a raw brother come in 
 for full share to encourage him, but afterward, ex- 
 cept it be when he puts himself forward well, and 
 runs equal hazard, he stands to courtesy ; but as 
 we are gentlemen, we always do very honourable 
 by one another ; and if you are willing to trust it, 
 or leave it to me, I shall do handsomely by you, 
 that you may depend upon. I told him, I was not 
 able to do any thing, that was certain, for I did not 
 understand it, and therefore I could not expect to 
 get any thing, but I would do as he bade me ; so we 
 walked abroad together. 
 
 11
 
 COLONEL JACK. 65 
 
 We went no more to the custom-house, it was 
 too bold a venture ; besides, I did not care to 
 shew myself again, especially with him in com- 
 pany ; but we went directly to the Exchange, and 
 we hankered about in Castle-alley, and in Swith- 
 in's-alley, and at the coffee-house doors. It was 
 a very unlucky day, for we got nothing all day but 
 two or three handkerchiefs, and came home to the 
 old lodgings at the glass-house ; nor had I any 
 thing to eat or drink all day, but a piece of bread 
 which he gave me, and some water at the conduit 
 at the Exchange-gate. So when he was gone 
 from me, for he did not lie in the glass-house as 
 I did, I went to my old broth-house for my usual 
 bait, and refreshed myself, and the next day early 
 went to meet him again, as he appointed me. 
 
 Being early in the morning, he took his walk to 
 Billingsgate, where it seems two sorts of people 
 make a great crowd as soon as it is light, and at 
 that time a-year, rather before day light ; that is to 
 say, crimps, and the masters of coal ships, who 
 they call collier-masters ; and, secondly, fishmong- 
 ers, fish-sellers, and buyers of fish. 
 
 It was the first of these people that he had his 
 eye upon. So he gives me my orders, which was 
 thus : Go you, says he, into all the ale-houses, as we 
 go along, and observe where any people are telling 
 of money ; and when you find any, come and tell 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 66 THE LIFE OF 
 
 me. So he stood at the door, and I went into the 
 houses. As the colher-masters generally sell their 
 coals at the gate, as they call it, so they generally 
 receive their money in those ale-houses ; and it was 
 not long before I brought him word of several. Up- 
 on this he went in, and made his observations, but 
 found nothing to his purpose ; at length I brought 
 him word, that there was a man in such a house 
 who had received a great deal of money of some 
 body, I believed of several people, and that it lay 
 all upon the table in heaps, and he was very busy 
 writing down the sums, and putting it up in several 
 bags. Is he ? says he, I'll warrant him I will have 
 some of it ; and in he goes. He walks up and down 
 the house, which had several open tables and boxes 
 in it, and listened to hear if he could what the man's 
 name was ; and he heard somebody call him Cul- 
 lum, or some such name. Then he watches his op- 
 portunity, and steps up to him, and tells him a long 
 story, that there was two gentlemen at the Gun- 
 tavern, sent him to enquire for him, and to teU 
 him they desired to speak with him. 
 
 Thecollier-masterhadhis money lyingbeforehim, 
 just as I had told him, and had two or three small 
 payments of money, which he had put up in little 
 black dirty bags, and lay by themselves ; and as it 
 was hardly broad day, he found means, in deliver- 
 ing his message, to lay his hand upon one of those 
 bags, and carry it off perfectly undiscovered. 
 4
 
 COLONEL JACK. 6? 
 
 When he had got it, he came out to me, who 
 j^ood but at the door ; and pulhng me by the sleeve. 
 Run, Jack, says he, forourhves: and away he scours, 
 and I after him, never resting, or scarce looking 
 about me, till we got quite up into Fenchurch- 
 street, through Lime-street, into Leadenhall- 
 street, down St Mary- Axe, to London-wall, then 
 through Bishopsgate, and down Old Bedlam into 
 Moorfields. By this time we were neither of us 
 able to run very fast, nor need we have gone so far, 
 for I never found that any body pursued us. When 
 we got into Moorfields, and began to take breath, 
 I asked him, what it was frighted him so ? Fright 
 me, you fool, says he, I have got a devilish great 
 bag of money. A bag ! said I ; Ay, ay, said he, 
 let us get out into the fields where nobody can 
 see us, and I'll shew it you : so away he had me 
 through Long-alley, and cross Hog-lane, and Hol- 
 loway-lane, into the middle of the great field, 
 which, since that, has been called the Farthing Pye- 
 house Fields. There we would have sat down, but 
 it was all full of water ; so we went on, crossed the 
 road at Anniseed Cleer, and went into the field 
 where now the great hospital stands ; and finding 
 j a bye place, we sat down, and he pulls out the bag. 
 j Thou art a lucky boy. Jack, says he, thou deser- 
 I vedst a good share of this job truly, £ot it is all 
 along of thy lucky news. So he pours it all out in* 
 to my hat, for, as I told you, I now wore a hat^
 
 o8 THE LIFE OF 
 
 How he did to whip away such a bag of money 
 from any man that was awake and in his senses, I 
 cannot tell ; but there was a great deal in it, and 
 among it a paper full by itself. When the paper 
 dropt out of the bag, Hold, says he, that is gold ! 
 and began to crow and hollow like a mad boy. 
 But there he was baulked, for it was a paper of old 
 thirteenpence halfpenny pieces, half and quarter 
 pieces, with ninepences, and fourpence halfpen- 
 nies, all old crooked money, Scotch and Irish coin; 
 so he was disappointed in that : but as it was, 
 there was about 171. or 181. in the bag, as I under- 
 stood by him ; for I could not tell money, not I. 
 
 Well, he parted this money into three ; that is to 
 say, into three shares, two for himself, and one for 
 me, and asked. If I was content ? I told him. Yes, I 
 had reason to be contented ; besides it was so 
 much money added to that I had left of his former 
 adventure, that I knew not what to do with it, or 
 with myself, while I had so much about me. . , 
 
 This was a most exquisite fellow for a thief;! 
 for he had the greatest dexterity at conveying any| 
 thing away, that he scarce ever pitched upon any \ 
 thing in his eye, but he carried it off with his hands, \ 
 and never, that I know of, missed his aim, or was J 
 caught in the fact. -'^ 
 
 He was an eminent pick-pocket, and very dex- 
 terous at ladies* gold watches ; but he generally
 
 COLONEL JACK. 69 
 
 pushed higher, at such desperate things as those ; 
 and he came ofF the cleanest, and with the greatest 
 success imaginable ; and it was in these kinds of 
 the wicked art of thieving that I became his scho- 
 lar. 
 
 As we were now so rich, he would not let me 
 lie any longer in the glass-house, or go naked and 
 ragged, as I had done ; but obliged me to buy two 
 shirts, a waistcoat, and a great coat ; for a great 
 coat was more for our purpose in the business we 
 were upon than any other : So I clothed myself as 
 he directed, and he took me a lodging in the same 
 house with him, and we lodged together in a little 
 garret fit for our quality. 
 
 Soon after this we walked out again, and then 
 we tried our fortune in the places by the Ex- 
 change a second time. Here we began to act se- 
 parately, and I undertook to walk by myself; and 
 the first thing I did accurately, was a trick I play- 
 ed that required some skill for a new beginner, for 
 I had never seen any business of that kind done 
 before. I saw two gentlemen mighty eager in talk, 
 and one pulled out a pocket-book two or three 
 times, and then slipt it into his coat-pocket again, 
 and then out it came again, and papers were taken 
 out, and others put in ; and then in it went again, 
 and so several times ; the man being still warmly 
 engaged with another man, and two or three others
 
 70 THE LIFE OF 
 
 standing hard by them. The last time he put his 
 pocket-book into his pocket, he might be said to 
 throw it in, rather than put it in with his hand, and 
 the book lay end-way, resting upon some other 
 book, or something else in his pocket ; so that it 
 did not go quite down, but one corner of it was 
 seen above his pocket. 
 
 This careless way of men putting their pocket- 
 books into a coat-pocket, which is so easily dived 
 into by the least boy that has been used to the 
 trade, can never be too much blamed ; the gentle- 
 men are in great hurries, their heads and thoughts 
 entirely taken up, and it is impossible they should 
 be guarded enough against such little haw^k's-eyed 
 creatures as we were ; and, therefore, they ought 
 either never to put their pocket-books up at all, 
 or to put them up more secure, or to put nothing 
 of value into them. I happened to be just opposite 
 to this gentleman in that they call Swithin*s-alley ; 
 or that alley rather which is between Swithin's- 
 alley and the Exchange, just by a passage that 
 goes out of the alley Into the Exchange ; when see- 
 ing the book pass and repass into the pocket, and 
 out of the pocket as above, it came immediately 
 into my head, certainly I might get that pocket- 
 book out if I were nimble, and I warrant Will 
 would have it, if he saw it go and come to and again 
 a£ I did ; but when I saw it hang by the way, as I
 
 COLONEL JACK. 71 
 
 have said ; now it is mine, said I to myself, and cross? 
 ing the alley, I brushed smoothly, but closely by 
 the man, with my hand down flat to my own side, 
 and taking hold of it by the corner that appeared, 
 the book came so light into my hand, it was impos- 
 sible the gentleman should feel the least motion, 
 or any body else see me take it away. I went di- 
 rectly forward into the broad place on the north 
 side of the Exchange, then scoured down Bartho- 
 lomew-lane, so into Tokenhouse-yard, into the al- 
 leys which pass through from thence to London- 
 wall, so through Moor-gate, and sat down on the 
 grass in the second of the quarters of Moorfields, 
 towards the middle field ; which was the place that 
 Will and I had appointed to meet at if either of 
 us got any booty. Wlien I came thither. Will was 
 not come, but I saw him a coming in about half an 
 hour. 
 
 As soon as Will came to me, I asked him what 
 booty he had gotten ? he looked pale, and, as I 
 thought, frighted ; but he returned, I have got no- 
 thing, not I ; but you lucky young dog, says he, 
 what have you got ? Have not you got the gentle- 
 man's pocket-book in Swithin's-alley ? Yes, says 
 I, and laughed at him ; why, how did you know it ? 
 Know it ! says he, why, the gentleman is raving 
 and half distracted ; he stamps and cries, and tears 
 his very clothes ; he says he is utterly undone and
 
 TZ THE LIFE OF 
 
 ruined, and the folks in the alley say there is I 
 know not how many thousand pounds in it ; what 
 can be in it, says Will, come, let us see. 
 
 Well, we lay close in the grass in the middle of 
 the quarter, so that nobody minded us ; and so we 
 opened the pocket-book, and there was a great 
 many bills and notes under men's hands ; some 
 goldsmiths', and some belonging to insurance offi- 
 ces, as they call them, and the like ; but that which 
 was, it seems, worth all the rest, was, that in one of 
 the folds of the cover of the book, where there was 
 a case with several partitions, there was a paper 
 full of loose diamonds. The man, as we understood 
 afterward, was a Jew, who dealt in such goods, and 
 who indeed ought to have taken more care of the 
 keeping of them. 
 
 Now was this booty too great, even for Will him- 
 self to manage ; for though by this time I was come 
 to understand things better than I did formerly, 
 when I knew not what belonged to money ; yet 
 Will was better skilled by far in those things than 
 I. But this puzzled him too, as well as me. Now 
 were we something like the cock in the fable ; for 
 all these bills, and I think there was one bill of sir 
 Henry Furnese's for 12001. and all these dia- 
 monds, which were worth about 1501. as they said; 
 I say, all these things were of no value to us, one 
 little purse of gold would have been better to its
 
 COLONEL JACK. 73 
 
 than all of it. But come, says Will, let us look over 
 the bills for a little one. 
 
 We looked over all the bills, and, among them, 
 we found a bill under a man's hand for 321. ; Come, 
 says Will, let us go and enquire where this man 
 lives. So we went into the city again, and Will 
 went to the post-house, and asked there ; they told 
 him he lived at Temple-bar : Well, says Will, I will 
 venture, I'll go and receive the money ; it may be 
 he has not remembered to send to stop the payment 
 there. 
 
 But it came into his thoughts to take another 
 course ; Come, says Will, I'll go back to the alley, 
 and see if I can hear anything of what has hap- 
 pened, for I believe the hurry is not over yet. It 
 seems the man, who lost the book, was carried into 
 the King's-head tavern, at the end of that alley, 
 and a great crowd was about the door. 
 
 Away goes Will, and watches and waits about 
 the place ; and then, seeing several people together, 
 for they were not all dispersed, he asks one or two 
 what was the matter ; they tell him a long story of 
 a gentleman who had lost his pocket-book, with a 
 great bag of diamonds in it, and bills for a great 
 many thousand pounds, and I know not what ; and 
 that they had been just crying it, and had offered 
 1001. reward to any one that would discover and 
 restore it.
 
 74 THE LIFE OF 
 
 I wish, said he, to one of them that parleyed with 
 him, I did but know who lias it, I don't doubt but 
 I could help him to it again ; does he remember 
 nothing of any body, boy, or fellow, that was near 
 him? ifhecouldbutdescribehim,itmightdo. Some- 
 body that overheard him was so forward to assist 
 the poor gentleman, that they went up and let him 
 know what a young fellow, meaning Will, had been 
 talking at the door ; and down comes another gen- 
 tleman from him, and, taking Will aside, asked him, 
 what he had said about it? Will was a grave sort 
 of a young man, that, though he was an old soldier 
 at the trade, had yet nothing of it in hts counte- 
 nance ; and he answered, that he was concerned in 
 business where a great many of the gangs of little 
 pick-pockets haunted, and if he had but the least 
 description of the person they suspected, he durst 
 say he could find him out, and might perhaps get 
 the things again for him. Upon this, he desired 
 him to go up with him to the gentleman, which 
 he did accordingly ; and there,, he said, he sat lean- 
 ing his head back to the chair, pale as a cloth ; discon- 
 solate to a strange degree, and, as Will described 
 him, just like one under a sentence. 
 
 When they came to ask him, whether he had 
 seen no boy, or shabby fellow, lurking near where 
 he stood, or passing, or repassing, and the like, he 
 answered, No, not any ; neither could he rememba-
 
 COLONEL JACK. 75 
 
 that any body had come near him. Then, said Will, 
 it will be very hard, if not impossible, to find them 
 out. However, said Will, if you think it worth while, 
 I will put myself among those rogues, though, says 
 he, I care not for being seen among them ; but I 
 will put in among them, and if it be in any of those 
 gangs, it is ten to one but I shall hear something 
 of it. 
 
 They asked him then, if he had heard what 
 terms the gentleman had offered to have it restor- 
 ed ; he answered, No, (though he had been told at 
 the door;) they answered. He had offered lOOl.; 
 That is too much, says Will ; but if you please to 
 leave it to me, I shall either get it for you for less 
 than that, or not be able to get it for you at all. 
 Then the losing gentleman said to one of the other, 
 Tell him, that if he can get it lower, the overplus 
 shall be to himself. William said. He would be 
 very glad to do the gentleman such a service, and 
 would leave the reward to himself. Well, young 
 man, says one of the gentlemen, whatever you ap- 
 point to the young artist that has done this rogue- 
 ry, (for I warrant he is an artist, let it be who it will), 
 he shall be paid, if it be within the lOOl. and the 
 gentleman is willing to give you 501. besides for 
 your pains. 
 
 Truly, sir, says Will, very gravely, it was by 
 mere chance, that, coming by the door, and seeing
 
 76 THE LIFE or 
 
 the crowd, I asked what the matter was ? but if I 
 should be instrumental to get the unfortunate gen- 
 tleman his pocket-book, and the things in it again, 
 I shall be very glad ; nor am I so rich neither, sir, 
 but 501. is very well worth my while too. Then 
 he took directions who to come to, and where, 
 and who to give his account to, if he learned any 
 thing, and the like.
 
 COLONEL JACK. '77 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Will returns the pocket-booJc, and obtains the rt" 
 ivard'-'We rob an old knight in SynitJifield of a 
 bag of money — Other adventures^ in all ofvohich 
 ive are successful"— The notion of my being a gen- 
 tleman, ivhich I alxvays entertain, keeps me from 
 stvearing, drinking, and such like vices — Will 
 seduces me to become highvoaymaU'—Adventures 
 on the road. 
 
 W ILL staid so long, that, as he and I agreed, I 
 went home, and he did not come to me till night ; 
 for we had considered before, that it would not be 
 proper to come from them directly to me, least 
 they should follow him and apprehend me. If he 
 had made no advances towards a treaty, he would 
 have come back in half an hour, as we agreed ; but 
 staying late, we met at our night rendezvous, 
 which was in Rosemary-lane. 
 
 When he came, he gave an account of all the
 
 is THE LIFE OP 
 
 discourse, and particularly what a consternation 
 the gentleman was in who lost the pocket-book, 
 and that he did not doubt, but we should get a 
 good round sum for the recovery of it. 
 
 We consulted all the evening about it, and con- 
 cluded he should let them hear nothing of them 
 the next day at all; and that the third day he 
 should go, but should make no discovery, only 
 that he had got a scent of it, and that he believed 
 he should have it, and make it appear as difficult 
 as possible, and to start as many objections as he 
 could. Accordingly, the third day after he met 
 with the gentleman, who he found had been un- 
 easy at his long stay, and told him, they were afraid 
 that he only flattered them to get from them ; and 
 that they had been too easy in letting him go with- 
 out a farther examination. 
 
 He took upon him to be very grave with them, 
 and told them. That if that was what he was like to 
 have for being so free, as to tell them he thought 
 he might serve them, they might see that they had 
 wronged him, and were mistaken by his coming 
 again to them ; that if they thought they could 
 do any thing by examining him, they might go 
 about it, if they pleased, now ; that all he had to say 
 to them was, that he knew where some of the 
 young rogues haunted, who were famous for such 
 things ; and that by some inquiries, offering then*
 
 COLONEL JACK. 79 
 
 money, and the like, he believed they would be 
 brought to betray one another, and that so he 
 might pick it out for them ; and this he would say 
 before a justice of peace, if they thought fit: and 
 then all that he had to say farther to them, was, to 
 tell them, he had lost a day or two in their service, 
 and had got nothing, but to be suspected for his 
 pains ; and that after that he had done, and they 
 might seek their goods where they could find them. 
 
 They began to listen a little upon that, and 
 asked him, if he could give them any hopes of re- 
 covering their loss ; he told them, that he was not 
 afraid to tell them that he believed he had heard 
 some news of them, and that what he had done, 
 had prevented all the bills being burnt, book and 
 all ; but that now he ought not to be asked any 
 more questions till they should be pleased to an- 
 swer him a question or two. They told him they 
 would give him any satisfaction they could, and 
 bid him tell what he desired. 
 
 Why, sir, says he, how can you expect any 
 thief that had robbed you to such a considerable 
 value as this, would come and put himself into 
 your hands, confess he had your goods, and re- 
 store them to you, if you do not give them assu- 
 rance that you will not only give them the reward 
 you agreed to, but also give assurance that they 
 shall not be stopped, questioned, or called ot ac- 
 count before a magistrate ?
 
 80 THE LIFE OF 
 
 They said they would give all possible assurance 
 of it ; Nay, says he, I do not know what assurance 
 you are able to give ; for when a poor fellow is in 
 your clutches, and has shown you your goods, 
 you may seize upon him for a thief, and it is plain 
 liejmust be so ; then you go, take away your goods, 
 send him to prison, and what amends can he have 
 of you afterward ? 
 
 They were entirely confounded with the difficul- 
 ty ; they asked him to try if he could get the things 
 into his hands, and they would pay him the money 
 before he let them go out of his hand, and he 
 should go away half an hour before they went out 
 of the room. 
 
 No, gentlemen, says he, that won't do now. If 
 you had talked so before you had talked of appre- 
 hending me for nothing, I should have taken your 
 words ; but now it is plain you have had such a 
 thought in your heads, and how can I, or any one 
 else, be assured of safety ? 
 
 Well, they thought of a great many particulars, 
 but nothing would do ; at length the other people 
 who were present put in, that they should give 
 security to him, by a bond of lOOOl., that they 
 would not give the person any trouble whatsoever. 
 He pretended they could not be bound, nor could 
 their obligation be of any value, and that their 
 own goods being once seen, they might seize them;
 
 COLONEL JACK. ^^ 
 
 and what would it signify, said he, to put a poor 
 pick-pocket to sue for his reward ? They could not 
 tell what to say ; but told him, that he should take 
 the things of the boy, if it was a boy ; and they 
 would be bound to pay him the money promised. 
 He laughed at them, and said. No, gentlemen, as 
 I am not the thief, so I shall be very loth to put 
 myself in the thief's stead, and lye at your mercy. 
 
 They told him they knew not what to do then, 
 and that it would be very hard he would not trust 
 them at all. He said, he was very willing to trust 
 them, and to serve them ; but that it would be 
 very hard to be ruined and charged with the theft, 
 for endeavouring to serve them. 
 
 They then offered to give it him under their 
 hands, that they did not in the least suspect him ; 
 that they would never charge him with any thing 
 about it ; that they acknowleged he went about 
 to enquire after the goods at their request ; and 
 that if he produced them, they would pay him so 
 much money, at or before the delivery of them, 
 without obliging him to name or produce that 
 person he had them from. 
 
 Upon this writing, signed by three gentlemen 
 who were present, and by the person in particular 
 who lost the things, the young gentleman told them, 
 he would go and do his utmost to get the pocket- 
 book, and all that was in it. 
 
 VOL. I. F
 
 82 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Then he desired that they would In writing, be- 
 fore hand, give him a particular of all the several 
 things that were in the book ; that he might not 
 have it said, when he produced it, that there was 
 not all ; and he would have the said writing sealed 
 up, and he would make the book be sealed up 
 when it was given to him. This they agreed to; 
 and the gentleman accordingly drew up a particu- 
 lar of all the bills that he remembered, as he 
 said, was in the book ; and also of the diamonds, 
 as follows : 
 
 One bill under sir Henry Furness's hand for 
 L.1200. 
 
 One bill under sir Charles Duncomb's hand for 
 L.800, L.25Q indorsed ofl.— L.550. 
 
 One bill under the hand of J. Tassell, goldsmith, 
 L.165. 
 
 One bill of sir Francis Child, L.39. 
 One bill of one Stewart, that kept a wager-office 
 and insurance, L.350. 
 
 A paper containing thirty-seven loose diamonds, 
 value about L.250. 
 
 A little paper, containing three large rough dia- 
 monds, and one large one pohshed, and cut, value 
 L,185. 
 
 For all these things they promised, first, to give 
 him whatever he agreed with the thief to give him.
 
 COLONEL JACK. B$ 
 
 not exceeding L.50, and to give him L.50 more 
 for himself for procuring them. 
 
 Now he had his cue, and now he came to me, 
 and told me honestly the whole story as above : so 
 I delivered him the book, and he told me, that he 
 thought it was reasonable we should take the full 
 sum ; because he would seem to have done them 
 some service, and so make them the easier. All 
 this I agreed to ; so he went the next day to the 
 place, and the gentlemen met him very punctually. 
 He told them at the first word, he had done their 
 work, and, as he hoped, to their mind ; and told 
 them, if it had not been for the diamonds, he 
 could have got all for L.IO, but that the diamonds 
 had shone so bright in the boy's imagination, that 
 he talked of running away to France or Holland, 
 and living there all his days like a gentleman ; at 
 which they laughed. However, gentlemen, said 
 he, here is the book ; and so pulled it out, wrapt 
 up in a dirty piece of a coloured handkerchief, as 
 black as the street could make it ; and sealed with 
 a piece of sorry wax, and the impression of a far- 
 thing for a seal. 
 
 Upon this, the note being also unsealed, at the 
 same time he pulled open the dirty rag, and shew- 
 ed the gentleman his pocket-book ; at which he was 
 so over surprised with joy, notwithstanding all the 
 preparatory discourse, that he was fain to call for
 
 ^^ THE LIFE OF 
 
 a glass of wine or brandy to drink, to keep him 
 from fainting. 
 
 The book being opened, the paper of diamonds 
 was first taken out, and there they were every one, 
 only the little paper was by itself; and the rough 
 diamonds that were in it, were loose among the 
 rest ; but he owned they were all there safe. 
 
 Then the bills were called over, one by one, and 
 they found one bill for L. 80 more than the ac- 
 count mentioned ; besides several papers which 
 were not for money, though of consequence to the 
 gentleman, and he acknowledged that all was very 
 honestly returned ; And now, young man, said they, 
 you shall see we will deal as honestly by you ; and 
 so, in the first place, they gave him L. 50 for him- 
 self, and then they told out the L. 50 for me. 
 
 He took the L. 50 for himself, and put it up in 
 his pocket, wrapping it in paper, it being all in gold : 
 then he began to tell over the other L. 50 ; but 
 when he had told out L. 30, Hold, gentlemen, said 
 he, as I have acted fairly for you, so you shall have 
 no reason to say I do not do so to the end. I have 
 taken L. 30, and for so much I agreed with the boy ; 
 and so there is L. 20 of your money again. 
 
 They stood looking one at another a good while, 
 as surprised at the honesty of it ; for till that time 
 they were not quite without a secret suspicion that 
 he was the thief, but that piece of policy cleared
 
 COLONEL JACK. 85 
 
 up his reputation to them. The gentleman that had 
 got his bills, said softly to one of them, Give it him 
 all ; but the other said, (softly too, ) No, no, as long 
 as he has got it abated, and is satisfied with the 
 L. 50 you have given him, 'tis very well, let it go 
 as it is. This was not spoke so softly but he heard 
 it, and said. No, too ; I am very well satisfied, I am 
 glad I have got them for you ; and so they began 
 to part* 
 
 But just before they were going away, one of 
 the gentlemen said to him. Young man, come, you 
 see we are just to you, and have done fairly, as 
 you have also, and we will not desire you to tell 
 us who this cunning fellow is that got such a prize 
 from this gentleman ; but as you have talked with 
 him, pr'ythee, can you tell us nothing of how he did 
 it, that we may beware of such sparks again ? 
 
 Sir, says Will, when I shall tell you what they 
 say, and how the particular case stood, the gentle- 
 man would blame himself more than any body else, 
 or as much at least. The young rogue, that catch- 
 ed this prize, was out, it seems, with a comrade, 
 who is a nimble experienced pick-pocket as most 
 in London, but at that time the artist was some 
 where at a distance, and this boy never had pick- 
 ed a pocket in his life before ; but, he says, he stood 
 over against the passage into the Exchange, on 
 the east side, and the gentleman stood just by the
 
 86 THE LIFE OF 
 
 passage ; that he was very earnest In talking with 
 some other gentleman, and often pulled out this 
 book and opened it, and took papers out, and put 
 others in, and returned it into his coat pocket ; that 
 the last time it hitched at the pocket-hole, or stopt 
 at something that was in the pocket, and hung a 
 little out, which the boy, who had watched it a 
 good while, perceiving, he passes by close to the 
 gentleman, and carried it smoothly ofF, without the 
 gentleman's perceiving it at all. 
 
 He went on; and said, 'Tis very strange gentle- 
 men should put pocket-books which have such 
 things in them into those loose pockets, and in so 
 careless a manner. That's very true, says the gen- 
 tleman ; and so, with some other discourse of no 
 great signification, he came away to me. 
 
 We were now so rich that we scarce knew what 
 to do with our money ; at least I did not, for I had 
 no relations, no friend, no where to put any thing 
 I had but in my pocket ; as for Will, he had a poor 
 mother, but wicked as himself, and he made her 
 rich, and glad with his good success. 
 
 We divided this booty equally ; for, though the 
 gaining it was mine, yet the improving of it was 
 his, and his management brought the money ; for 
 neither he or I could have made any thing propor- 
 tionable of the thing any other way. As for the 
 bills, there was no room to doubt, but unless they
 
 COLONEL JACK. 87 
 
 had been carried that minute to the goldsmith's 
 for the money, he would have come with notice to 
 stop the payment, and perhaps have come while 
 the money was receiving, and have taken hold of 
 the person. And then as to the diamonds, there 
 had been no offering them to sale by us poor boys 
 to any body, but those who were our known recei- 
 vers, and they would have given us nothingfor them, 
 compared to what they were worth ; for, as I un- 
 derstood afterwards, those who made a trade of 
 buyingstolen goods, took care to have false weights, 
 and cheat the poor devil that stole them, at least 
 an ounce in three. 
 
 Upon the whole, we made the best of it many 
 ways besides. I had a strange kind of uninstruct- 
 ed conscience at that time ; for, though I made no 
 scruple of getting any thing in this manner from 
 any body, yet I could not bear destroying their bills 
 and papers, which were things that would do them / 
 a great deal of hurt, and do me no good ; and I was 
 so tormented about it, that I could not rest night 
 or day while I made the people easy, from whom 
 the things were taken. 
 
 I was now rich, so rich that I knew not what to 
 do with my money, or with myself. I had lived 
 so near and so close, that although, as I said, I did 
 now and then lay out 2d. or 3d. for mere hunger, 
 yet I had so many people, who, as I said, employ-
 
 88 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ed me, and who gave me victuals, and sometimes 
 clothes, that in a whole year I had not quite spent 
 the 15s. which I had saved of the custom-house 
 gentleman's money ; and I had the four guineas^ 
 which was of the first booty before that, still in my 
 pocket, I mean the money that I let fall into th6 
 tree. 
 
 But now I began to look higher ; and though 
 Will and I went abroad several times together, yet, 
 when small things offered, as handkerchiefs, and 
 such trifles, we would not meddle with them, not 
 caring to run the risk for small matters. It fell 
 out one day, that, as we were strolling about in 
 West-Smithfield on a Friday, there happened to 
 be an ancient country gentleman in the market, 
 seUing some very large bullocks; it seems they 
 came out of Sussex. His worship, for so they called 
 him, had received the money for these bullocks at 
 a tavern, whose sign I forget now, and having 
 some of it in a bag, and the bag in his hand, he 
 was taken with a sudden fit of coughing, and stands 
 to cough, resting his hand with the bag of money 
 in it, upon the bulk-head of a shop, just by the 
 Cloyster-gate in Smithfield, that is to say, within 
 three or four doors of it ; we were both just behind 
 him. Says Will to me, stand ready ; upon this, he 
 makes an artificial stumble, and falls with his head 
 just against the old gentleman in the very moment
 
 COLONEL JACK. 89 
 
 ■when he was coughing, ready to be strangled, and 
 quite spent for want of breath. 
 
 The violence of the blow beat the old gentle- 
 man quite down ; the bag of money did not imme- 
 diately fly out of his hand, but I run to get hold of 
 it, and gave it a quick snatch, pulled it clean away, 
 and run like the wind down the Cloysters with it ; 
 turned on the left-hand, as soon as I was through, 
 and cut into Little-Britain, so into Bartholomew- 
 close, then cross Aldersgate-street, through Paul*s- 
 alley into Red-cross-street, and so cross all the 
 streets, through innumerable all-eys, and never stop- 
 ped till I got into the second quarter 43f Moor-fields, 
 our old agreed rendezvous. 
 
 Will, in the mean time-, fell down with the old 
 gentleman, but soon got up ; the old knight, for 
 such it seems he was, was frighted with the fall, 
 and his breath so stopped with his cough, that he 
 could not recover himself to speak till some tim.e; 
 during which, nimble Will was got up again, and 
 walked off; nor could he call out, stop thief, or telJ 
 any body he had lost any thing for a good while ; 
 but, coughing vehemently, and looking red, till he 
 was almost black in the face, he cried, the ro 
 Hegh, hegh, hegh, the rogues — hegh, have got — 
 hegh, hegh, hegh, hegh, hegh, hegh,— then he 
 would get a little breath, and at it again : the rogues 
 —hegh, hegh; and, after a great many heghs and
 
 90 THE LIFE OF 
 
 rogues, he brought it out, — have got away my bag 
 of money ! 
 
 All this while the people understood nothing of 
 the matter ; and as for the rogues indeed, they had 
 time enough to get clear away, and in about an 
 hour Will came to the rendezvous ; there we sat 
 down in the grass again, and turned out the money, 
 which proved to be eight guineas, and 51. 12s. in 
 silver, so that it made just 141. together. This we 
 shared upon the spot, and went to work the same 
 day for more ; but whether it was, that, being flush- 
 ed with our success, we were not so vigilant, or 
 that no other opportunity offered, I know not, but 
 we got nothing more that night, nor so much as 
 any thing offered itself for an attempt. 
 
 We took many walks of this kind, sometimes to- 
 gether, at a little distance from one another, and 
 several small hits we made ; but we were so flush- 
 ed with our success, that truly we were above med- 
 dling with trifles, as I sdlid before, no, not such 
 things that others would have been glad of; no- 
 thing but pocket-books, letter-cases, or sums of 
 money would move us. 
 
 The next adventure was in the dusk of the even- 
 ing, in a court, which goes out of Grace-church- 
 street into Lombard-street, where the Quaker's 
 meeting-house is ; there was a young fellow, who, 
 as we learned afterward, was a woollen-draper's
 
 COLONEL JACK. 91 
 
 apprentice in Grace-church-street; it seems he 
 had been receiving a sum of money, which was 
 very considerable, and he comes to a goldsmith's 
 shop in Lombard-street with it ; paid in the most 
 of it there ; insomuch, that it grew dai'k, and the 
 goldsmith began to be shutting in shop, and can- 
 dles to be lighted ; we watched him in there, and 
 stood on the other side of the way to see what he 
 did. When he had paid in all the money he in- 
 tended, he stayed still sometime longer to take 
 notes, as I supposed, for what he had paid, and by 
 this time it was still darker than before ; at last he 
 comes out of the shop, with still a pretty large bag 
 under his arm, and walks over into the court, which 
 was then very dark ; in the middle of the court is 
 a boarded entry, and farther, at the end of it, a 
 threshold ; and as soon as he had set his foot over 
 the threshold, he was to turn on his left-hand into 
 Grace-church-street. 
 
 Keep up, says Will to me, be nimble ; and as 
 soon as he had said so, he flies at the young man, 
 and gives him such a violent thrust, that pushed 
 him forward with too great a force for him to stand ; 
 and, as he strove to recover, the threshold took 
 his feet, and he fell forward into the other part of 
 the court, as if he had flown in the air, with his 
 head lying towards the Quaker's meeting-house. 
 I stood ready, and presently felt out the bag oi
 
 rf2' 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 money, which I heard fall, for it flew out of his 
 hand, he having his life to save, not his money. I 
 went forward with the money, and Will, that threw 
 him down, finding I had it, run backward, and as I 
 made along Fen-church-street, Will overtook me, 
 and we scoured home together. The poor young 
 man was hurt a little with the fall, and reported to 
 his master, as we heard afterward, that he was 
 knocked down, which was not true, for neither 
 Will or I had any stick in our hands ; but the m.as- 
 ter of the youth was, it seems, so very thankful 
 that his young man was not knocked down before 
 he paid the rest of the money (which was above 
 1001. more) to the goldsmith, who was sir John 
 Sweetapple, that he made no great noise at the 
 loss he had ; and, as we heard afterward, only warn- 
 ed his 'prentice to be more careful, and come no 
 more through such places in the dark; whereas 
 the man had really no such deliverance as he ima- 
 gined, for we saw him before, when he had all 
 the money about him ; but it was no time of day 
 for such work as we had to do, so that he was in. 
 no danger before. 
 
 This booty amounted to 291. 16s. which was 141. 
 18s. a-piece, and added exceedingly to my store, 
 which began now to be very much too big for my 
 management ; and indeed I began to be now full 
 of care for the preservation of v/hat I had got : I
 
 COLONEL JACK. 9f> 
 
 wanted a trusty friend to commit it to, but where 
 was such a one to be found by a poor boy, bred up 
 among thieves ? If I should have let any honest 
 body know that I had so much money, they would 
 have asked me how I came by it, and would have 
 been afraid to take it into their hands, lest I be- 
 ing some time or other catched in my rogueries, 
 they should be counted the receivers of stolen 
 goods, and the encouragers of a thief. 
 
 We had, however, in the mean time, a great 
 many other successful enterprizes, some of one 
 kind, some of another, and were never so much as 
 in danger of being apprehended ; but my compa- 
 nion Will, who was now grown a man, and encou- 
 raged by these advantages, fell into quite another 
 vein of wickedness, getting acquainted with a 
 wretched gang of fellows that turned their hands 
 to every thing that was vile. 
 
 Will was a lusty strong fellow, and withal very 
 bold and daring, would fight any body, and ven- 
 ture upon any thing, and I found he began to be 
 above the mean rank of a poor pick-pocket, so I 
 saw him but seldom : however, once coming to 
 me in a very friendly manner, and asking me how 
 I went on, I told him that I used the old trade 
 still, that I had had two or three good jobs; 
 one with a young woman, whose pocket I had 
 picked of eleven guineas ; and another, a country-
 
 94. THE LIFE OF 
 
 woman, just come out of a stage-coach, seeing her 
 pull out her bag to pay the coachman ; and that I 
 followed her till I got an opportunity, and slipped 
 it out so neatly, that though there was 81. 17s. in 
 it, yet she never felt it go. And several other jobs I 
 told him of, by which I made pretty good pur- 
 chase. I always said you were a lucky boy, Colo- 
 nel Jack, says he ; but,come, you are grown almost 
 a man now, and you shall not be always_at.play-at 
 push-pin; I am got into better business, I assure 
 you, and you shall come into it too. I'll bring you 
 into a brave gang, Jack, says he, where you shall 
 see we shall be all gentlemen. 
 
 Then he told me the trade itself, in short, which 
 was with a set of fellows, that had two of the most 
 desperate works upon their hands that belonged 
 to the whole art of thieving ; that is to say, in the 
 evening they were foot-pads, and in the night they 
 were house-breakers. Will told me so many plau- 
 sible stories, and talked of such great things, that, 
 in short, I, who had been always used to do any 
 thing he bid me do, went with him without any 
 hesitation. 
 
 Nothing is more certain, than that hitherto, be- 
 ing partly from the gross ignorance of my untaught 
 childhood, as I observed before, partly from the 
 hardness and wickedness of the company I kept, 
 and add to these, that it was the business I might
 
 COLONEL JACK. 95 
 
 be said to be brought up to ; I had, I say, all the 
 way hitherto, no manner of thoughts about the good 
 or evil of what I was embarked in ; consequently, 
 I had no sense of conscience, no reproaches upon 
 my mind for having done amiss. 
 Y^ Yet I had something in me, by what secret influ- ^^ 
 I ence I knew not, kept me from the other degrees i^^^-' ^ 
 of raking and vice, and, in short, from the general 
 wickedness of the rest of my companions : for ex- 
 ample, I never used any ill words, nobody ever 
 heard me swear, nor was I given to drink, or to 
 love strong drink; and I cannot omit a circum- 
 stance that very much served to prevent it. I had 
 a strange original notion, as I have mentioned in 
 its place, of my being a jgentleman ; and several 
 , things had casually happened in my way to increase 
 this fancy of mine. It happened one day, that being 
 in the glass-house yard, between Rosemary-lane 
 and Ratcliff-highway, there came a man dressed 
 very well, and with a coach attending him, and he 
 came (as I suppose) to buy glass-bottles, or some 
 other goods, as they sold ; and in bargaining for his 
 goods, he swore most horrible oaths at every two 
 or three words. At length the master of the glass- 
 house, an ancient grave gentleman, took the liberty 
 to reprove him, which at first made him swear the 
 worse ; after a while, the gentleman was a httle
 
 96 THE LIFE OF 
 
 calmer, but still he swore very mucli, though not sa 
 bad as at first. After some time, the master of the 
 glass-house turned from him, — Really, sir, says the 
 good old gentleman, you swear so, and take God's 
 name in vain so, that I cannot bear to stay with 
 you ; I would rather yoa would let my goods alone, 
 and go somewhere else ; I hope you won't take it 
 ill, but I don't desire to deal with any body that 
 does so ; I am afraid my glass-house should fall on 
 your head while you stay in it. 
 
 The gentleman grew good-humoured at the re- 
 proof, and said. Well, come, don't go away, I won't 
 swear any more, says he, if I can help it ; for I 
 own, says he, I should not do iu 
 
 With that the old gentleman looked up at him, 
 and, returning. Really, sir, says he, 'tis a pity you, 
 that seem to be a fine gentleman, well bred, and 
 good-humoured, should accustom yourself to such 
 an hateful practice ; why, 'tis not like a gentleman 
 to swear, 'tis enough for my black wretches that 
 work there at the furnace, or for these ragged, na- 
 ked, blackguard boys, pointing at me, and some 
 others of the dirty crew that lay in the ashes ; 'tis 
 bad enough for them, says he, and they ought to 
 be corrected for it too ; but for a man of breeding, 
 sir, says he, a gentleman, it ought to be looked 
 upon as below them ; gentlemen know better, and 
 are taught better, and it is plain you know better;
 
 COLONEL JACK. 97 
 
 I beseech you, sir, when y^i are tempted to swear, 
 always ask yourself, is this like a gentleman ? does 
 this become me as a gentleman ? Do but ask your- 
 self that question, and your reason will prevail, you 
 will soon leave it off. 
 
 I heard all this, and it made the blood run chill 
 . in my veins, when he said swearing was only fit for 
 I such as we were. In short, it made as great an im- 
 \ pression upon me as it did upon the gentleman ; 
 land yet he took it very kindly too, and thanked 
 Vhe old gentleman for his advice. But from that 
 /time forward I never had the least inclination to 
 / swearing or ill words, and abhorred it when I 
 heard the other boys do it. As to drinking, I had 
 no opportunity, for I had nothing to drink but wa- 
 ter, or small beer that any body gave me in charity, 
 for they seldom gave away strong beer ; and after 
 I had money, I neither desired strong beer, or 
 cared to part with my money to buy it. 
 
 Then as to principle, 'tis true I had no foun- 
 dation laid in me by education ; and being early 
 led by my fate into evil, I had the less sense of its 
 being evil left upon my mind : but when I began 
 to grow to an age of understanding, and to know 
 that I was a thief, growing up in all manner of vil- 
 lainy, and ripening apace for the gallows, it came 
 loften into my thoughts that I was going wrong ; 
 Vhat I was in the high road to the devil, and seve- 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 98 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ral times I would stop short, and ask myself, if this ,< 
 was the life of a gentleman ? 
 
 But these little things wore off again as often 
 as they came on, and I followed the old trade 
 again ; especially when Will came to prompt me, 
 as I have observed ; for he was a kind of a guide 
 to me in all these things ; and I had, by custom 
 and application, together with seeing his way, 
 learned to be as acute a workman as my master. _ 
 
 But, to go back where I left off. Will came to / 
 me, as I have said, and telling me, how much better 
 business he was fallen into, would have me go 
 along with him, and I should be a gentleman. 
 Will, it seems, understood that word in "a quite 
 different manner from me ; for his gentleman was 
 nothing more or less than a gentleman thief, a vil- 
 lain of a higher degree than a pick-pocket, and 
 one that might do something more wicked, and 
 better entitling him to the gallows, than could be 
 done in our way: but my gentleman that I had 
 my eye upon, was another thing quite, though 
 I could not really tell how to describe it neither. 
 
 However the word took with me, and I went with 
 him. We w^ere neither of us old. Will was about 
 i'^^ twenty-four, and as for me I was now about eight - 
 teen and pretty tall of my age. 
 
 The first time I went with him, he brought me 
 into the company only of two more young fellows, 
 
 4
 
 COLONEL JACK. 99 
 
 We met at the lower part of Grays-inn-lane, about 
 an hour before sun-set, and went out into the fields 
 toward a place called Pindar of Wakefield, where 
 are abundance of brick-kilns ; here it was agreed 
 to spread from the field-path to the road way, all 
 the way towards Pancras-church, to observe any 
 chance game, as they called it, which they m ght 
 shoot flying. Upon the path, within- the bank, 
 on the side of the road, going towards Kentish- 
 town, two of our gang, Will, and one of the other, 
 met a single gentleman, walking apace towards 
 the town ; being almost dark. Will cried, Mark, 
 ho ! which, it seems was the word at which we 
 were all to stand still at a distance, come in, if he 
 wanted help, and give a signal if any thing appear- 
 ed that was dangerous. 
 
 Will steps up to the gentleman, stops him, and 
 put the question, that is, Sir, your money ? The 
 gentleman seing he was alone, struck at him with 
 his cane, but Will, a nimble strong fellow, flew in 
 upon him, and, with struggling, got him down ; 
 then he begged for his life. Will having told him 
 with an oath that he would cut his throat. In that 
 moment, while this was doing, comes a hackney- 
 coach along the road, and the fourth man, who was 
 that way, cries, Mark, ho ! which was to intimate 
 that it was a prize, not a surprize ; and according- 
 ly the next man went up to assist him, where they
 
 100 THE LIFE OF 
 
 stopped the coach, which had a doctor of physic 
 and a surgeon in it, who had been to visit some 
 considerable patient, and, I suppose, had consider- 
 able fees ; for here they got two good purses, one 
 with eleven or twelve guineas, the other six, with 
 some pocket money, two watches, one diamond 
 ring, and the surgeon's plaister-box, which was 
 most of it full of silver instruments. 
 ■ While they were at this work, Will kept the 
 man down who was under him ; and though he 
 promised not to kill him, unless he offered to make 
 a noise, yet he would not let him stir till he heard 
 the noise of the coach going on again, by which 
 he knew the job was over on that side. Then he 
 carried him a little out of the way, tied his hands 
 behind him, and bid him lie still and make no noise, 
 and he would come back in half-m-hour and un- 
 tie him upon his word ; but if he cried out, he 
 would come back and kill him. 
 
 The poor man promised to lie still and make 
 no noise, and did so ; and had not above lis. 6d. 
 in his pocket, which Will took, and came back 
 to the rest ; but while they were together, I, who 
 was on the side of the Pindar of Wakefield, cried, 
 Mark, ho ! too. 
 
 What I saw was a couple of poor women, one 
 a kind of a nurse, and the other a maid-servant 
 going for Kentish-town. As Will knew that I was
 
 COLONEL JACK. ]01 
 
 but young at the work, he came flying to me, and 
 seeing how easy a bargain it was, he said Go, Co- 
 lonel, fall to work. I went up to them, and speak- 
 ing to the elderly woman, Nurse, said I, don't be 
 in such haste, I want to speak with you ; at which 
 they both stopped, and looked a little frighted. 
 Don't be frighted, sweetheart, said I to the maid, 
 a little of that money in the bottom of your pocket 
 will make all easy, and I will do you no harm. By 
 this time Will came up to us, for they did not see 
 him before ; then they began to scream out. Hold, 
 says I, make no noise, unless you have a mind to 
 force us to murder you whether we will or no ; 
 give me your money presently, and make no words, 
 and we shan't hurt you. Upon this, the poor maid 
 pulled out 5s. 6d. and the old woman a guinea, aii.'A 
 a shining, crying heartily for her money, and said^ 
 it was all she had left in the world. Well, we took 
 it for all that, though it made my very heart bleed 
 to see what agony the poor woman was in at parting 
 with it, and I asked her where she lived ; she said 
 her name was Smith, and she lived at Kentish- 
 town : I said nothing to her, but bid them go on 
 about their business, and I gave Will the money ; 
 so in a few minutes we were all together again : 
 says one of the other rogues, Come, this is well 
 enough for one road, it's time to be gone. So we 
 jogged away, crossing the fields, out of the path to-
 
 102 THE LIFE OF 
 
 wards Tottenham-court; But hold, says Will, I 
 must go and untie the man. D-mn him, says one 
 of them, let him lye ; No, says Will, I won't be 
 worse than my word, I will untie him. So he 
 went to the place, but the man was gone ; either 
 he had untied himself, or somebody had passed 
 by, and he had called for help, and so was un- 
 tied, for he could not find him, nor make him 
 hear, though he ventured to call twice for him 
 aloud. 
 
 This made us hasten away the faster, and get- 
 ting into Tottenham-court road, they thought it 
 was a little too near, so they made into the town 
 at St Giles's, and crossing to Piccadilly, went to 
 Hyde-park-gate ; here they ventured to rob another 
 coach, that is to say, one of the two other rogu- 
 es and Will did it between the Park-Gate and 
 Knightsbridge ; there was in it only a gentleman 
 and a punk that he had picked up, it seems, at 
 the Spring-garden a little farther. They took the 
 gentleman's money, his watch, and his silver-hilt- 
 ed sword ; but when they came to the slut, she 
 damned and cursed them for robbing the gentle- 
 man of his money, and leaving none for her ; as 
 for herself, she had not one sixpenny piece about 
 her, though she was indeed well enough dressed 
 too. 
 
 Having made this adventure, we left that road
 
 COLONEL JACK. 103 
 
 too, and went over the fields to Chelsea. In the way 
 from Westminster to Chelsea, we met three gen* 
 tlemen, but they were too strong for us to meddle 
 with ; they had been afraid to come over the fields 
 so late, (for by this time it was eight o'clock, and 
 though the moon gave some light, yet it was too 
 late and too dark to be safe,) so they hired three 
 men at Chelsea, two with pitchforks, and the third, 
 a waterman, with a boat-hook-staff to guard them, 
 we would have steered clear of them, and cared not 
 to have them see us, if we could help it, but they 
 did see us, and cried. Who comes there ? we an- 
 swered, friends ; and so they went on to our great 
 satisfaction.
 
 104 THE LIFE OF 
 
 CHAP, v; 
 
 My neii) profession veri/ hateful to me'^Will is in 
 great danger of being taken Jbr a housebreaking 
 at HoimslotV""He leaves his plunder under my bed 
 -*■-/ meet with him by accident, and receive his 
 directions hoiv to dispose of the stolen goods^-I 
 meet captain Jack who informs me Will is com' 
 mitted to Newgate—^I pay a visit to my old friend 
 mentioned in the third chapter'— Conversation with 
 him"'! am apprehended'—Consequences thereof 
 
 W HEN we came to Chelsea, it seems we had 
 other work to do, which I had not been made 
 privy to ; and this was a house to be robbed. They 
 had some inteUigence, it seems, with a servant in 
 the house, who was of their gang ; this rogue was 
 a waiting-man, or footman, and he had a watch- 
 word to let them in by ; but this fellow, not' for 
 want of being a villain, but by getting drunk, and 
 not minding his part of the work, disappointed us ;
 
 COLO'N^EL JACK. 105 
 
 for he had promised to rise at two o'clock in the 
 morning and let us all in, but, being very drunk, 
 and not come in at eleven o'clock, his master order 
 ed him to be shut out, and the doors locked up, and 
 charged the other servants not to let him in up- 
 on any terms whatsoever. 
 
 We came about the house at one o'clock to 
 make our observations, intending to go and lye 
 under Beaufort-house-wall till the clock struck two, 
 and then to come again ; but, behold I when we 
 came to the house, there lay the fellow at the 
 door fast asleep, and very drunk. Will, who I 
 found was the leader in all these things, waked the 
 fellow, who, as he had had about two hours sleep, 
 was a little come to himfelf, and told them the 
 misfortune, as he called it, and that he could not 
 get in ; they had some instruments about them, by 
 which they could have broken in by force ; but 
 Will considered, that as it was but waiting till an 
 other time, and they should be let in quietly, they 
 resolved to give it over for that time. 
 
 But this was a happy drunken -bout for the 
 family ; for the fellow having let fall some words 
 in his drink, for he was a saucy one, as well as a 
 drunken one, and talked oddly, as that it had been 
 better they had let him in, and he would make 
 them pay dear for it, or some such thing ; the 
 master hearing of it, turned him away in the
 
 106 THE LIFE OF 
 
 morning, and never let him come into his house 
 again ; so I say, it was a happy drunkenness to 
 the family, for it saved them from being robbed, 
 and perhaps murdered ; for they were a cursed 
 bloody crew, and, as I found, were about thirteen 
 of them in all, whereof three of them made it their 
 business to get into gentlemens' services, and so 
 to open doors in the night, and let the other 
 rogues in upon them to rob and destroy them. 
 
 I rambled this whole night with them. They 
 went from Chelsea, being disappointed there as 
 above, to Kensington; there they broke into a 
 brew house and wash house, and by that means 
 into an out-kitchen of a gentleman's house, where 
 they unhangM a small copper, and brought it oif, 
 and stole about a hundred wt. of pewter, and 
 went clear off with that too ; and every one going 
 their own by-ways, they found means to get safe 
 to their several receptacles where they used to dis- 
 pose of such things. 
 
 We lay still the next day, and shared the effects 
 stolen that night, of which my share came to 81. 
 19s.— The copper and pewter being weighed, and 
 cast up, a person was at hand to take it as money, at 
 about half value, and in the afternoon. Will and I 
 came away together. Will was mighty full of the 
 success we had had, and how we might be sure of 
 the like this way everyday. But he observed, that I
 
 COLONEL JACK. IO7 
 
 did not seem so elevated at the success of that night's 
 ramble as I used to be, and also that I did not take 
 any great notice of the expectations he was in, of 
 what was to come, yet I had said little to him at 
 that time. 
 
 But my heart was full of the poor woman's case 
 at Kentish-town, and I resolved, ifpossible, tofind 
 her out, and give her her money : with the abhor* 
 rence that filled my mind at the cruelty of that act, 
 there necessarily followed a little distaste of the 
 thing itself; and now it came into my head with a 
 double force, that this was the high road to the de- 
 vil, and that certainly this was not the life of a 
 gentleman. 
 
 Will and I parted for that time, but next morn- 
 ing we met again, and Will was mighty brisk and 
 merry ; And now, Colonel Jack, says he, we shall be 
 rich very quickly ; Well, says I, and what shall we 
 do when we are rich ? Do, says he, we will buy 
 a couple of good horses, and go farther a field. 
 Wliat do you mean by farther a field, says I ? Why 
 says he, we will take the highway like gentlemen, 
 and then we shall get a great deal of money in- 
 deed. Well, says I, what then ? Why then, says 
 he, we shall live like gentlemen. 
 
 But Will, says I, if we get a great deal of mo-
 
 ^OS THE LIFE OF 
 
 ney shan't we leave this trade off, and sit down, 
 and be safe and quiet ? 
 
 "" Ay, says Will, when we have got a great estate 
 I we shall be willing to lay it down ; But where, says 
 1 1, shall we be before that time comes, if we should 
 drive on this cursed kind of trade ? 
 
 Prithee never think of that, says Will, if you 
 think of those things, you will never be Mt to be a 
 gentleman. He touched me there indeed, for it 
 run much in my mind still that I was to be a gen- 
 tleman, and it made me dumb for a while ; but I 
 came to my self after a little while, and I said to 
 him, pretty tartly, WTiy, Will, do you call this 
 way of living the life of a gentleman ? 
 
 Why, says Will, why not ? 
 
 Why, says I, was it like a gentleman for me to 
 take that 22s. from a poor ancient woman, when she 
 begged of me upon her knees not to take it, and 
 told me it was all she had in the world to buy her 
 bread for herself and a sick child which she had at 
 home; do you think I could be so cruel, if you had 
 not stood by and made me do it ; why, I cried at 
 doing it as much as the poor woman did, though 
 I did not let you see me. 
 
 You fool you, says Will, you will never be fit for 
 
 our business indeed if you mind such things as 
 
 those ; I shall bring you off those things quickly. 
 
 \JV\Tiy, if you will be fit for business, you must learn
 
 COLOl^EL JACK. 109 
 
 to fight when they resist, and cut their throats 
 when they submit; you must learn to stop their 
 breath, that they may beg and pray no more. 
 What signifies pity, prithee who will pity us when 
 we come to the Old Bailey ? I warrant you that 
 whining old woman, that begged so heartily for 
 her 22s. would let you and I beg upon our knees 
 and would not save our lives, by not coming in for 
 an evidence against us ; did you ever see any of 
 them cry when they see gentlemen go to the gal- 
 lows? 
 
 Well, Will says I, you had better let us keep to 
 the business we were in before ; there was no such 
 cruel doings in that, and yet we got more money 
 by it then I believe we shall get at this. 
 
 No, no, says Will, you are a fool; you don't know 
 what fine things we shall do in a little while. 
 
 Upon this discourse we parted for that time ; but 
 I resolved with myself, that I would never be con- 
 cerned with him that way any more. The truth 
 is, they were such a dreadful gang, such horrid 
 barbarous villains, that even that little while that I 
 was among them, my very blood run cold in my 
 veins at what I heard, particularly the continued 
 raving and damning one another, and themselves 
 at every word they spoke ; and then the horrid 
 resolutions of murder, and cutting throats, which 
 I perceived was in their minds upon any occasion 
 that should present. This appeared first in their
 
 f- 
 
 110 THE LIFE OF 
 
 discourse upon the disappointment they met with 
 at Chelsea, where the two rogues that were with 
 us, ay, and Will too, damned and raged that they 
 could not get into the house, and swore they would 
 have cut the gentleman's throat if they had got in ; 
 and shook hands, damning and cursing themselves, 
 if they did not murther the whole family as soon 
 as Tom (that was the man servant) could get an 
 opportunity to let them in. 
 
 Two days after this. Will came to my lodging ; 
 for I had now got a room by myself, had bought 
 me tolerable good clothes and some shirts, and 
 began to look like other folks ; but as it happened, 
 I was abroad upon the scout another way ; for 
 though I was not hardened enough for so black a 
 villain as Will would have had me be, yet I had not 
 arrived to any principle sufficient to keep me from 
 a life, in its degree wicked enough, which tended 
 .to the same destruction, though not in so violent 
 IJ^nd precipitant degrees. I had his message deliver- 
 ed to me, which was to meet him the next even- 
 ing at such a place, and I came in time enough to 
 meet ; so I went to the place, but resolved before- 
 hand, that I would not go any more with him 
 among the gang. 
 
 However, to my great satisfaction, I missed him, 
 for he did not come at all to the place, but met 
 with the gang at another place, they having sent
 
 COLONEL JACK. Ill 
 
 for him in haste upon the notice of some booty ; 
 and so they went all away together. This was a 
 summons, it seems, from one of the creatures, 
 which they had abroad in a family, where an op- 
 portunity offered them to commit a notorious rob- 
 bery, down almost as far as Hounslow, and where 
 they wounded a gentlemans gardener so, that I 
 think he died, and robbed the house of a very con- 
 siderable sum of money and plate. 
 
 This, however, was not so clean carried, nor did 
 they get in so easy, but by the resistance they met 
 with, the neighbours were all alarmed, and the gen- 
 tlemen rogues were pursued, and being at London 
 with the booty, one of them was taken ; Will, a dex- 
 terous fellow, and head of the gang, made his 
 escape, and though in hiscloaths, with agreat weight 
 about him, of both money and plate, plunged into 
 the Thames, and swam over where there was no 
 path, or road, leading to the river ; so that nobody 
 suspected anj'^ one's going that way. Being got 
 over, he made his way, wet as he was, into some 
 woods adjacent, and, as he told me afterwards, not 
 far from Chertsey, and stayed lurking about in the 
 woods, or fields thereabout, till his cloaths were 
 dry ; then, in the night, got down to Kingston, 
 and so to Mortlack, where he got a boat to Lon- 
 don. 
 
 He knew nothing that one of his comrades was
 
 112 THE LIFE OF 
 
 taken ; only he knew that they were all so closely 
 pursued that they were obliged to disperse, and 
 every one to shift for himself. He happened to 
 come home in the evening, as good luck then di- 
 rected him, just after search had been made for 
 him by the constables ; his companion, who was 
 taken, having, upon promise of favour, and of sav- 
 ing him from the gallows, discovered his compa- 
 nions, and Will, among the rest, as the principal 
 party in the whole undertaking. 
 
 Will got notice of this just time enough to run 
 for it, and not to be taken ; and away he came to 
 look for me ; but, as my good fate still directed, I 
 was not at home neither. However, he left all his 
 booty at my lodging, and hid it in an old coat that 
 lay under my bedding, and left word that my bro- 
 ther Will had been there, and had left his coat, 
 that he borrowed of me, and that it was under my 
 bed. 
 
 I knew not what to make of it, but went up to 
 go to bed ; and, finding the parcel, was perfectly 
 frighted to see, wrapped up in it, above one hundred 
 pound in plate and money, and yet knew nothing 
 of brother Will, as he called himself, nor did I hear 
 of him in three or four days. 
 
 At the end of four days, I heard, by great acci- 
 dent, that Will, who used to be seen with me, and 
 who called me brother, was taken, a'nd would be
 
 COLONEL JACK. 113 
 
 hanged. Next day, a poor man, a shoemaker, that 
 used formerly to have a kindness for me, and to 
 send me of errands, and gave me sometimes some 
 victuals, seeing me accidentally in Rosemary-lane, 
 going by hifti, clasped me fast hold by the arm ; 
 Hark ye, young man, says he, have I catched you ? 
 and hauled me along as if I had been a thief appre- 
 hended, and he the constable. Hark ye. Colonel 
 Jack, says he again, come along with me, I must 
 speak with you. What, are you got into this gang 
 too ? What, are you turned house-breaker ? Come, 
 I'll have you hanged, to be sure. 
 
 These were dreadful words to me, who, thougli 
 not guilty of the particular thing in question, yet 
 was frighted heartily before, and did not know 
 what I might be charged with by Will, if he was 
 taken, as I had heard that very morning he was. 
 With tftese words, the shoemaker began to haul and 
 drag me along as he used to do when I was a boy. 
 
 However, recovering my spirits, and provoked 
 to the highest degree, I said to him again, What 
 
 do you mean, Mr ? Let me alone, or you will 
 
 oblige me to make you do it ; and, with that, I stop- 
 ped short, and soon let him see I was a little too big 
 to be hauled about, as I used to be when I run of 
 his errands, and made a motion with my other 
 hand as if I would strike him in the face. 
 
 How, Jack ! says he, will you strike me ? Wilt 
 
 VOL. I, H
 
 114? THE LIFE OF 
 
 you strike your old friend ? and then he let go my 
 arm, and laughed. Well, but hark ye. Colonel, 
 says he, I am in earnest, I hear bad news of you ; 
 they say you are gotten into bad company, and 
 that this Will calls you brother ; he is a great vil- 
 lain, and I hear he is charged with a bloody rob- 
 bery, and will be hanged, if he is taken. I hope 
 you are not concerned with him ; if you are, I 
 would advise you to shift for yourself, for the con- 
 stable and the headborough are after him to-day, 
 and if he can lay any thing to you, he will do it, 
 you may be sure ; he will certainly hang you to 
 save himself. 
 
 This was kind, and I thanked him ; but told him, 
 this was a thing too serious, and that had too much 
 weight in it to be jested with, as he had done be- 
 fore ; and that some ignorant stranger might have 
 seized upon me as a person guilty, who had no 
 farther concern in it than just knowing the man, 
 and so I might have been brought into trouble for 
 nothing ; at least people might have thought I was 
 among them, whether I was or no, and it would 
 have rendered me suspected, though 1 was inno- 
 cent. 
 
 He acknowledged that ; told me he was but in 
 jest, and that he talked to me just as he used to 
 do. However, Colonel, says he, I won't jest any 
 moi-e with you in a tihing of such a dangerous
 
 COLO^TEL JACK. 115 
 
 consequence ; I only advise you to keep the fel- 
 low company no more. 
 
 I thanked him, and went away, but in the great- 
 est perplexity imaginable ; and now, not knowing 
 what to do with myself, or with the little ill-gotten 
 wealth which I had, I went musing and alone in- 
 to the fields towards Stepney, my usual walk, and 
 there began to consider what to do ; and as this 
 creature had left his prize in my garret, I began 
 to think, that if he should be taken, and should 
 confess, and send the officers to search there for 
 the goods, and they should find them, I should be 
 undone, and should be taken up for a confederate ; 
 whereas I knew nothing of the matter, and had 
 no hand in it. 
 
 While I was thus musing, and in great perplexi- 
 ty, I heard somebody hollo to me ; and, looking 
 about, I saw Will running after me. I knew not 
 what to think at first ; but seeing him alone, was 
 the more encouraged, and I stood still for him. 
 When he came up to me, I said to him, Wliat is 
 the matter, Will ? Matter ! says Will, matter 
 enough ; I am undone— When was you at home ? 
 
 1 saw what you left there, says I ; what is the 
 meaning of it, and where got you all that ? is that 
 your being undone ? 
 
 Ay, says Will, I am undone for all that ; for the 
 officers are after me, and I am a dead dog if I am
 
 116 THE LIFE OF 
 
 taken, for George is in custody, and he has peach- 
 ed me and all the others, to save his life. 
 
 Life ! says I, why should you lose your life if they 
 should take you ? pray what would they do to you ? 
 
 Do to me ! says he, they would hang me, if the 
 king had ne'er another soldier in his guards ; I 
 shall certainly be hanged as I am now alive. 
 
 This frighted me terribly, and I said, and what 
 will you do then ? Nay, says he, I know not, I 
 would get out of the nation, if I knew how ; but I 
 am a stranger to all those things, and I know not 
 what to do, not I ; advise me. Jack, says he, prithee 
 tell me whither shall I go ; I have a good mind to 
 go to sea. 
 
 You talk of going away, says I ; what will you do 
 with all you have hid in my garret ; it must not lie 
 there, said I ; for, if I should be taken up for it, 
 and it be found to be the money you stole, I shall 
 be ruined. 
 
 1 care not what becomes of it, not I, says Will ; 
 I'll be gone ; do you take it, if you will, and do 
 what you will with it ; I must fly, and I cannot take 
 it with me : I won't have it, not I, says I to him, 
 I'll go and fetch it to you if you will take it, says 
 I, but I won't meddle with it ; besides, there is plate, 
 what shall I do with plate ? said I ; if I should offer 
 to sell it anywhere, said I, they will stop me. 
 
 As for that, says Will, I could sell it well
 
 COLONEL JACK. 117 
 
 enough, if I had it, but I must not be seen any 
 where among my old acquaintance ; for I am 
 blown, and they will all betray me : but I will tell 
 you where you shall go and sell it if you will, and 
 they will ask you no questions, if you give them 
 the word that I will give you. So he gave me the 
 word, and directions to a pawnbroker, near Cloth- 
 fair ; the word was Good totver standard. Having 
 these instructions, he said to me. Colonel Jack, lam 
 sure you won't betray me ; and I promise you, if I 
 am taken, and should be hanged, I won't name 
 you; I will go to such a house, (naming a house at 
 Bromley by Bow where he and I had often been,) 
 and there, says he, Pll stay till it is dark ; at night 
 I will come near the streets, and I will lie under 
 such a haystack all night, (a place we both knew 
 also very well;) and if you cannot finish to come 
 to me there, I will go back to Bow. 
 
 I went back and took the cargo, went to the 
 place by Cloth-fair, and gave the word. Good tower 
 standard ; and, without any words, they took the 
 plate, weighed it, and paid me after the rate of 2s. 
 per ounce for it ; so I came away, and went to 
 meet him ; but it was too late to meet him at the 
 first place ; but I went to the haystack, and there 
 I found him fast asleep. 
 
 I delivered him his cargo ; what it really amount- 
 ed to I knew not, for I never told it; ; but I went
 
 118 THE LIFE OF 
 
 home to my quarters very late and tired. I went to 
 sleep at first, but, notwithstanding I was so weary, 
 I slept little or none for several hours ; at last, be- 
 ing overcome with sleep, I dropped, but was imme- 
 diately roused with noise of people knocking at 
 the door, as if they would beat it down, and cry- 
 ing and calling out to the people of the house, Rise, 
 and let in the constable here, we come for your 
 lodger in the garret. 
 
 I was frighted to the last degree, and started up 
 in my bed ; but when I was awake, I heard no 
 noise at all, but of two watchmen thumping at the 
 doors with their staves, and giving the hour past 
 three o'clock, and a rainy wet morning, for such it 
 was. I was very glad when I found it was but a 
 dream, and went to bed again, but was soon rou- 
 sed a second time with the same, very same noise 
 and words : then, being sooner awaked than I was 
 before, I jumped out of bed, and run to the win- 
 dow, and found it was just an hour more, and the 
 watchmen were come about past four o'clock, and 
 they went away again very quietly ; so I lay me 
 down again, and slept the rest of the night quietly 
 enough. 
 
 I laid no stress upon the thing called a dream, 
 neither till now did I understand that dreams were 
 of any importance ; but getting up the next day, 
 and going out with a resolution to meet brother
 
 COLONEL JACK. 119 
 
 Will, who should I meet but my former brother. 
 Captain Jack : when he saw me, he came close to 
 me in his blunt way, and says. Do you hear the 
 news? No, not I, said I, what news ? Your old com- 
 rade and teacher is taken this morning and carried 
 to Newgate. How, says I, this morning? Yes, says 
 he, this morning, at four o'clock. He is charged 
 with a robbery and murder, somewhere beyond 
 Brentford ; and that which is worse, is, that he is 
 impeached by one of the gang, who, to save his 
 own life, has turned evidence ; and therefore you 
 had best consider, says the Captain, what you have 
 to do. What I have to do ? says I ; and what do you 
 mean by that? Nay, Colonel, says he, don'tbe angry, 
 you know best if you are not in danger ; I am glad 
 of it, but I doubt not but you were with them. No, 
 not I, said I, again; I assure you I was not. Well, 
 gays he, but if you were not with them this bout, 
 you have been with them at other times ; and 'twill 
 be all one. Not I, says I, you are quite mistaken, I 
 am none of their gang ; they are above my quality. 
 With such, and a little more talk of that kind, we 
 parted, and Captain Jack went away ; but as he 
 went, I observed he shook his head, seemed to 
 have more concern upon him, than he could be 
 supposed to have merely on my account, of which 
 we shall hear more very quickly. 
 I was extremely alarmed when I heard Will was
 
 120 THE LIFE OF 
 
 in Newgate, and, had I known where to have gone, 
 would eertainly have fled as far as legs would have 
 carried me ; my very joints trembled, and I was 
 ready to sink into the ground ; and all that evening 
 and that night following, I was in the uttermost 
 consternation ; my head run upon nothing but New- 
 gate and the gallows, and being hanged ; which, I 
 said, I deserved, if it were for ijothing but taking 
 that two-and-twenty shillings from the poor old 
 mjrse. 
 
 The first thing my perplexed thoughts allowed 
 me to take care of was my money. This indeed lay 
 in a little compass, and I carried it generally all 
 about me. I had got together, as you will perceive 
 by the past account, above sixty pounds, for I 
 spent nothing, and what to do with it I knew not ; 
 at last it came into my head that I would go to 
 my benefactor, the clerk at the custom-house, if 
 he was to be found, and see if I could get him to 
 take the rest of my money : the only business was 
 to make a plausible story to him, that he might 
 not wonder how I came by so much money. 
 
 But my invention quickly supplied that want; 
 there was a suit of cloaths at one of our houses of 
 rendezvous, which was left there for any of the 
 gang to put on, upon particular occasions, as a dis- 
 guise : this was a green livery, laced with pink-co- 
 loured galloon, and lined with the same ; an edged
 
 COLONEL JACK. 121 
 
 hat, a pair of boots, and a whip. I went and dress- 
 ed myself up in this hvery, and went to my gen- 
 tleman, to his house in Tower-street, and there I 
 found him in health, and well, just the same honest 
 gentleman as ever. 
 
 He stared at me when first I came to him, for 
 I met him just at his door ; I say he stared at me, 
 and seeing me bow, and bow to him several times, 
 with my laced hat under my arm ; at last, not 
 knowing me in the least, says he to me, dost thou 
 want to speak with me, young man ? and I said, 
 yes, sir; I believe your ^worship (I had learnt 
 some manners now) does not know me ; I am the 
 poor boy Jack ; he looked hard at me, and then 
 recollecting me presently, says he, who, Colonel 
 Jack ! why, where hast thou been all this while > 
 why 'tis five or six years since I saw you. 'Tis 
 above six years, and please your worship, says I. 
 
 Well, and where hast thou been all this while ? 
 says he. 
 
 I have been in the country, sir, says I, at ser- 
 vice. 
 
 Well, Colonel Jack, says he, you give long credit ; 
 what's the reason you han't fetched your money 
 all this while, nor the interest ? why, you will 
 grow so rich in time by the interest of your mo- 
 ney, you won't know what to do with it. 
 - To that I said nothing, but bowed and scraped
 
 122: THE LIFE OF 
 
 3 great many times ; well, come, Colonel Jack, 
 said he, come in, and I will give you your money, 
 and the interest of it too. 
 
 I cringed, and bowed, and told him, I did not 
 come to him for my money ; for I had had a good 
 place or two, and I did not want my money. 
 
 Well, Colonel Jack, said he, and who do you 
 live with ? 
 
 Sir Jonathan Loxham, said I, sir, in Somerset- 
 shire, and please your worship : This was a name 
 I had heard of, but knew nothing of any such gen- 
 tleman, or of the county. 
 
 Well, says, he, but won't you have your money. 
 Jack? 
 
 No, sir, said I, if your worship would please, for 
 I have had a good place. 
 
 If I would please to do what, prithee ? Your 
 money is ready, I tell thee. 
 
 No, sir, said I, but I have had a good place. 
 
 Well, and what dost thou mean, Jack ? I do not 
 understand thee. 
 
 ^Vhy, and please your worship, my old master, 
 sir Jonathan's father, left me 301. when he died, 
 and a suit of mourning, and — 
 
 And what, prithee. Jack, what, hast thou brought 
 me more money ? For then he began to under- 
 stand what I meant. 
 
 Yes, sir, said I, and your worship would be so
 
 COLONFL JACK. 1^^ 
 
 good to take it, and put it all together ; I have saved 
 some too out of my wages. 
 
 I told you, Jack, says he, you would be rich ; 
 and how much hast thou saved ? come let me see 
 it. 
 
 To shorten the story, I pulled it out, and he was 
 content to take it, giving me his note, with inte- 
 rest, for the whole sum, which amounted to ninety- 
 four pounds, that is to say, 
 
 251. The first money. 
 
 91. For six years interest. 
 601. Now paid him. 
 
 941. 
 I came away exceeding joyful, made him abun- 
 dance of bows and scrapes, and went immediately 
 to shift my clothes again, with a resolution to run 
 away from London, and see it no more for a great 
 while ; but I was surprised the very next morning, 
 when, going cross Rosemary-lane, by the end of 
 the place, which is called Rag-fair, I heard one 
 call Jack ; he had said something before, which I 
 did not hear, but upon hearing the name Jack, I- 
 looked about me, immediately saw three men, and 
 after them a constable coming towards me with 
 great fury. I was in a great surprise, and started 
 to run, but one of them clapped in upon me, and 
 got hold of me, and in a moment the rest surround-
 
 124f THE LIFE 01* 
 
 ed me, and I was takcii. I asked them what 
 they wanted, and what I had done ? They told me 
 it was no place to talk of that there ; but shewed 
 me their warrant, and bade me read it, and I should 
 know the rest when I came before the justice ; so 
 they hurried me away. 
 
 I took the warrant, but to my great affliction, 1 1 - (, ^ 
 could know nothing by that, for I could not read ; ' ' 
 80 I desired them to read it, and they read it, that 
 they were to apprehend a known thief, that went 
 by the name of one of the three Jacks of Rag-fair ; 
 for that he was charged upon oath with having 
 been a party in a notorious robbery, burglary, and 
 murder, committed so and so, in such a place, and 
 on such a day. 
 
 It was to no purpose for me to deny it, or to 
 say I knew nothing of it, that was none of their 
 business they said ; that must be disputed, they 
 told me, before the justice, where I would find 
 that it was sworn positively against me, and then, 
 perhaps, I might be better satisfied. 
 
 I bad no remedy but patience ; and, as my heart 
 was full of terror and guilt, so I was ready to die 
 with the weight of it as they carried me along ; for 
 as I very well knew that I was guilty of the first 
 day's work, though I was not of the last ; so I did 
 not doubt but I should be sent to Newgate, and 
 then I took it for granted I must be hanged ; for
 
 COLONEL JACK. 1^^ 
 
 to go to Newgate, and to be hanged, were to me 
 as things which necessarily followed one another. 
 
 But I had a sharp conflict to go through before 
 it came to that p^^rt ; and that was before the jus- 
 tice ; where, when I was come, and the constable 
 brought me in, the justice asked me my name; 
 but hold, says he, young man, before I ask you 
 your name, let me do you justice ; you are not 
 bound to answer till your accusers come : so, turn- 
 ing to the constable, he asked for his warrant. 
 
 Well-, says the justice, you have brought thi« 
 young man here by virtue of this warrant ; is this 
 young man jthe person for whom this warrant is 
 granted ? 
 
 Con. I believe so, and please your worship. 
 
 Just. Believe so ! Why, are you not sure of it ? 
 
 Con. An't please your worship, the people said 
 so where I took him. 
 
 J^ust. It is a very particular kind of warrant ; it 
 is to apprehend a young man who goes by the 
 name of Jack, but no surname, only that it is said, 
 he is called Captain Jack, or some other such name- 
 Now, young man, pray is your name Captain Jack ? 
 or are you usually called so ? 
 
 I presently found that the men that took me 
 knew nothing of me, and the constable had taken 
 me up by hear-say ; so I took heart, and told the 
 justice, that I thought, with submission, that it was
 
 126 THE LIFE OF 
 
 not the present question, what my name was, but 
 what these men, or any one else, had to lay to my 
 charge ; whether I was the person who the warrant 
 empowered them to apprehend, or no ? 
 
 He smiled ; 'tis very true, young man, says he, 
 it is very true ; and on my word, if they have taken 
 you up, and do not know you, and there is nobody 
 to charge you, they will be mistaken, to their own 
 damage. 
 
 Then I told his worship, I hoped I should not 
 be obliged to tell my name till my accuser was 
 brought to charge me, and then I should not con- 
 ceal my name. 
 
 It is but reason, said his worship. Mr consta- 
 ble, turning to the officers, are you sure this is the 
 person that is intended in your warrant ? If you 
 are not, you must fetch the person that accuses 
 him, and on whose oath the warrant was granted. 
 They used many words to insinuate that I was the 
 person, and that I knew it well enough, and that 
 I should be obliged to tell my name. 
 - I insisted on the unreasonableness of it, and 
 that I should not be obliged to accuse myself; and 
 the justice told them in so many words, that he 
 could not force me to it, that I might do it if I 
 would, indeed ; but you see, says the justice, he 
 understood too well, to be imposed upon in that 
 ease : so that, in short, after an hour's debating
 
 COLONEL JACK. 127 
 
 before his worship, in which time I pleaded again^ 
 four of them, the justice told them they must pro- 
 duce the accuser, or he must discharge me. 
 
 I was greatly encouraged at this, and argued 
 with the more vigour for myself; at length the ac- 
 cuser was brought, fettered as he was, from the 
 gaol, and glad I was when I saw him, and found 
 that I knew him not ; that is to say, that it was not 
 one of the two rogues that I went out with that 
 night that we robbed the poor old woman. 
 
 When the prisoner was brought into the room, 
 he was set right against me. 
 
 Do you know this young man, says the justice ? 
 
 No, sir, says the prisoner, I never saw him in 
 my life. 
 
 Hum ! says the justice, did not you charge one 
 that goes by the name of Jack, or Captain Jack, 
 as concerned in the robbery and murder which 
 you are in custody for ? 
 
 Pris. Yes, an't please your worship, says the 
 prisoner. 
 
 Just. And is this the man, or is he not ? 
 
 Pris, This is not the man, sir ; I never saw this 
 man before. 
 
 Very good, Mr Constable, says the justice, What 
 must we do now ? 
 
 I am surprised, says the constable ; I was at such 
 a house, naming the house, and this young mjm
 
 I2S THE LIFE OF 
 
 went by ; the people cried out, tliere^s Jack, that's 
 your man, and these people ran after him, and ap-' 
 ' prehended him. 
 
 Well, says the justice, and have these people 
 any thing to say to him ? can they prove that he is 
 the person ? 
 
 One said no, and the other said no ; and, in short, 
 they all said no ; why then, said the justice, what 
 can be done ? the young man must be discharged ; 
 and I must tell you, Mr Constabl£, and you gen- 
 tlemen that have brought him hither, he may give 
 you trouble if he thinks fit, for your being so rash ; 
 but look you, young man, says the justice, you 
 have no great damage done you, and the constable, 
 though he has been mistaken, had no ill design, 
 but to be faithful to his office ; I think you may 
 pass it by. 
 
 I told his worship, I would readily pass it by at 
 his direction ; but I thought the constable and the 
 rest could do no less than to go back to the place 
 where they had insulted me, and declare publicly 
 there that I was honourably acquitted, and that I 
 was not the man. This his worship said was very 
 reasonable, and the constable and his assistants 
 promised to do it, and so we came all away good 
 friends, and I was cleared with triumph. 
 
 Note. — This was the time that, as I mentioned
 
 COLONEL JACK. 129 
 
 above, the justice talked to me, and told me I was 
 born to better things, and that by my well ma- 
 naging of my own defence, he did not question 
 but I had been well educated ; and that he was 
 sorry I should fall into such a misfortune as this, 
 which he hoped however would be no dishonour 
 to me, since I was so handsomely acquitted. 
 
 \^OL. I.
 
 130 THE LIFE OF 
 
 CHAP VI. 
 
 / visit Will, my tutor in mckedness^ in Newgate^" 
 He is executed-"Captain Jack proposes to rtie to 
 jly into Scotland"-'! return the poor old 'woman 
 the money I had formerly robbed her of^Captain 
 Jach and I set out on our journey north-^—The 
 Captain* s rogueries, and various adventures on the 
 road. 
 
 X HOUGH his worship was mistaken in the matter 
 of my education, yet it had this good effect upon 
 me, that I resolved, if possible, I would learn to 
 read and write, that I would not be such an unca- 
 pable creature, that I should not be able to read a 
 warrant, and see whether I was the person to be 
 apprehended, or not. 
 
 But there was something more in all this than 
 what I have taken notice of; for, in a word, it ap- 
 peared plainly, that my brother Capt. Jack, who 
 had the forwardness to put it to me, whether I was 
 among them or no ? when in truth he was there
 
 COLONEL JACK. 131 
 
 liimself, had the only reason to be afraid to fly, at 
 the same time that he advised me to shift for my 
 self. 
 
 As this presently occm-red to my thoughts, so I 
 made it my business to enquire and find him out, 
 and to give him notice of it. 
 
 In the mean time, being now confident of my 
 own safety, I had no more concern upon my mind 
 about myself; but now I began to be anxious for 
 poor Will, my master and tutor in wickedness, who 
 was now fast by the heels in Newgate, while I was 
 happily at liberty, and I wanted very much to go 
 and see him, and accordingly did so. 
 
 I found him in a sad condition, loaden with heavy 
 irons, and had himself no prospect or hope of esca- 
 ping ; he told me he should die, but bid me be 
 easy ; for, as it would do him no good to accuse 
 me, who never was out with any of them but that 
 once, so I might depend upon it, he would not 
 bring me into the trouble ; as for the rogue who 
 had betrayed them all, he was not able to hurt me, 
 for I might be satisfied he had never seen me in 
 hislife; but, ColonelJack, says he, I will tell you wl.o 
 was with us, and that is, your brother the captain, 
 and the villain has certainly named him; and, there- 
 fore, says he, if you can give him timely notice of 
 it, do, that he may make his escape.
 
 132 THE LIFE OF 
 
 He said a great many things to Varn me of fol- 
 lowing the steps he had led me. I was far out. 
 Jack, said he, when I told you, to be a notorious 
 thief was to live like a gentleman. He chiefly 
 discovered his concern that they had, as he feared, 
 killed the gentleman's gardener, and that he in 
 particular had given him a wound in the neck, of 
 which he was afraid he would die. 
 
 He had a great sum of money in gold about him, 
 being the same that I had carried back to him at the 
 haystack ; and he had concealed it so well, that 
 those that took him had not found it, and he gave 
 me the greatest part of it to carry to his mother, 
 which I very honestly delivered, and came away 
 with a heavy heart ; nor did I ever see him since, 
 for he was executed in about three weeks time af- 
 ter, being condemned that very next sessions. 
 
 I had nothing to do now but to find the captain, 
 who, though not without some trouble, I at last got 
 news of, and told him the whole story, and how I 
 had been taken up for him by mistake, and was 
 come off, but that the warrant was still out for him, 
 fSind very strict search after him ; I say, telling him 
 all this, he presently discovered by his surprize 
 that he was guilty, and, after a few words more, 
 told me plainly it was all true, that he was in the 
 robbery ; and that he liad the greatest part of the
 
 COLONEI, JACK. 13S 
 
 booty in keeping, but what to do with it, or him- 
 self, he did not know ; and wanted me to tell him, 
 which I was very unfit to do, for I knew nothing of 
 the world. Then he told me, he had a mind to fly 
 into Scotland, which was easy to be done, and ask- 
 ed me if I would go with him : I told him I would 
 with all my heart, if I had money enough to bear 
 the charge. He had the trade still in his eyes by 
 his answer : I warrant you, says he, we will make 
 the journey pay our charge. I dare not think of 
 going any more upon the adventure, says I ; be- 
 sides, if we meet with any misfortune out of our 
 knowledge, we shall never get out of it, we shall 
 be undone ; nay, says he, we shall find no mercy 
 here, if they can catch us, and they can do no 
 worse abroad ; I am for venturing at all events. 
 
 Well, but captain, says I, have you husbanded 
 your time so ill that you have no money to supply 
 you in such a time as this ? I have very little in- 
 deed, said he, for I have had bad luck lately ; but 
 he lied, for he had a great share of the booty they 
 had got at their last adventure, as above ; and, as 
 the rest complained, he and Will had got almost 
 all of it, and kept the rest out of their shares, 
 which made them the willinger to discover them. 
 
 However it was, he owned he had about 221. in 
 money, and something that would yield money ; I
 
 134 THE LIFE OF 
 
 suppose it was plate ; but he would not tell me 
 what it was, or where it was, but he said he durst 
 not go to fetch it, for he should be betrayed 
 and seized, so he would venture without it ; sure, 
 says he, we shall come back again some time or 
 other. 
 
 I honestly produced all the money I had, which 
 was 161. and some odd shillings ; now, says I, if we 
 are good husbands^ and travel frugally, this will 
 carry us quite out of danger ; for we had both 
 been assured, that when we came out of England, 
 we should be both safe, and no body could hurt us, 
 though they had known us ; but we neither of us 
 thought it was so many weary steps to Scotland as 
 we found it. 
 
 I speak of myself as in the same circumstances 
 of danger with brother Jack ; but it was only thus, 
 I was in as much fear as he, but not in quite as 
 much danger. 
 
 I cannot omit, that, in the interval of these things, 
 and a few days before I carried my money to the 
 gentleman in Tower-street ; I took a walk all alone 
 into the fields, in order to go to Kentish-town, and 
 do justice to the poor old nurse ; it happened that 
 before I was aware, I crossed a field that came to 
 the very spot where I robbed the poor old woman 
 and the maid, or where, I should say, Will made me.
 
 COLONEL JACK, 1^5 
 
 rob them ; my heart had reproached me many a time 
 with that cruel action, andmanyatimel hadpromis- 
 ed to myself, that I would find a way to make her 
 satisfaction, and restore her money, and that day 
 I had set apart for the work ; but was a little sur- 
 prized that I was so suddenly upon the unhappy 
 spot. 
 
 The place brought to my mind the villainy I had 
 
 /committed there, and something struck me with a 
 
 i kind of wish, I cannot say prayer, for I knew not 
 
 I what that meant, that I might leave off that cursed 
 
 trade ; and said to myself, O ! that I had some 
 
 trade to live by ; I would never rob no more, for 
 
 sure *tis a wicked abominable thing. 
 
 Here indeed I felt the loss of what just parents 
 do^ and ought to do, by all their children ; I mean 
 being bred to some trade or employment, and I 
 wept many times, that I knew not what to do, or 
 what to turn my hand to, though I resolved to 
 leave off the wicked course I was in. 
 
 But, to return to my journey ; I asked my way 
 to Kentish-town, and it happened to be of a poor 
 woman that said she lived there ; upon which in- 
 telligence, I asked if she knew a woman that lived 
 there, whose name was Smith? She answered, 
 yes, very well, that she was not a settled inhabit- 
 ant, only a lodger in the town, but that she was 
 an honest, poor, industrious woman, and, by her
 
 136 .fHE LIFE OF 
 
 labour and pains, maintained a diseased husband, 
 that had been unable to help himself some years. 
 
 What a villain have I been, said I to myself, 
 that I should rob such a poor woman as this, and 
 add grief and tears to her misery, and to the sor- 
 rows of her house ! This quickened my resolution 
 to restore her money, and not only so, but I resol- 
 ved I would give her something over and above 
 her loss ; so I went forward, and by the direction 
 I had received, found her lodging with very little 
 trouble; then asking for the woman, she came to 
 the door immediately, for she heard me ask for 
 lier by her name of a little girl that came first to 
 the door. I present^ spoke to her ; dame, said I, 
 was not you robbed about a year ago, as you was 
 coming home from London, about Pindar of Wake- 
 field ? Yes, indeed I was, says she, and sadly fright- 
 ed into the bargain. And how much did you lose ? 
 said I. Indeed, says she, I lost all the money I 
 had in the world ; I am sure I worked hard for it, 
 it was money for keeping a nurse child that I had 
 then, and I had been at London to receive it. But 
 Jiow much was it, dame ? said I ; why, says she, it 
 was g2s. and 6d. halfpenny ; 21s. I had been to 
 fetch, and the odd money was my own before. 
 
 Well, look you, good woman, what will you say 
 if I should put you in a way to get your money 
 again ; for I believe the fellow that took it is fast
 
 COLONEL JACK. 137 
 
 enough now, and perhaps I may do you a kindness 
 in it, and for that I came to see you. O dear ! says 
 the old woman, I understand you, but indeed I 
 cannot swear to the man's face again ; for it was 
 dark, and beside , I would not hang the poor wretch 
 for my money ; let him live and repent. That is 
 very kind, says I, more than he deserves from 
 you ; but you need not be concerned about that, 
 for he will be hanged whether you appear against 
 him or not : But are you willing to have your 
 money again that you lost ? Yes, indeed, says the 
 woman, I should be glad of that, for I have not 
 been so hard put to it for money a great while as 
 I am now ; I have nmch ado to find us bread to 
 eat, though I work hard early and late ; and with 
 that she cried. 
 
 I thought it would have broke my very heart, 
 to think how this poor creature worked, and was 
 a slave at near threescore, and that I, a young fel- 
 low of hardly twenty, should rob her of her bread 
 to support my idleness and wicked life ; and the 
 tears came from my eyes in spite of all my strug- 
 gling to prevent it, and the woman perceived it 
 too. Poor woman, said I, 'tis a sad thing such crea- 
 tures as these should plunder and strip such a p«or 
 object as thou art ! Well, he is at leisure now to 
 repent it, I assure you. I perceive, sir, says she, 
 you are very compassionate indeed; I wish he
 
 IS8 THE LIFE OF 
 
 may improve the time God has spared him, and 
 that he may repent, and I pray God give him re- 
 pentance ; whoever he is, I forgive him, whether 
 he can make me recompence or not, and I pray 
 God forgive him ; I won*t do him any prejudice, 
 not I ; and with that, she went on praying for me. 
 
 Well, dame, come hither to me, says I ; and 
 with that I put my hand into my pocket, and she 
 came to me : Hold up your hand, said I ; which 
 she did, and I told her nine half-crowns into her 
 hand : tliere, dame, said I, is your 22s, 6d. you 
 lost ; I assure you, dame, said I, I have been the 
 cliief instrument to get it of him for you ; for, ever 
 since he told me the story of it among the rest of 
 his wicked exploits, I never gave him any rest till 
 I made him promise me to make you restitution. 
 All the while I held her hand and put the money 
 into it, I looked in her face, and I perceived her 
 colour come and go, and that she was under the 
 greatest surprise of joy imaginable. 
 
 Well, God bless him, says she, and spare him 
 from the disaster he is afraid of, if it be his will ; 
 for sure, this is an act of so much justice, and so 
 honest, that I never expected the like. She run 
 on a great while so, and wept for him, when I told 
 fier I doubted there was no room to expect his life. 
 Well, says she, then pray God give him repentance, 
 and bring him to heaven, for sure he must have
 
 COLONEL JACK. 139 
 
 something that is good at the bottom ; he has a 
 principle of honesty at bottom to be sure, however 
 he may have been brought into bad courses, by 
 bad company or evil example, or other tempta- 
 tions ; but I dare say he will be brought to repen- 
 tance one time or other before he dies. 
 
 All this touched me nearer than she imagined ; 
 for I was the man that she prayed for all this while, 
 though she did not know it, and in my heart I said 
 Amen to it ; for I was sensible that I had done one 
 of the vilest actions in the world, in attacking a 
 poor creature in such a condition, and not listening 
 to her entreaties, when she begged so heartily for 
 that little money we took from her. 
 
 In a word, the good woman so moved me with 
 her charitable prayers, that I put my hand in my 
 pocket again for her; dame, said I, you are so 
 charitable in your petitions for this miserable crea- 
 ture, that it puts me in mind of one thing more 
 which I will do for him, whether he ordered me 
 or not ; and that is, to ask you forgiveness for the 
 thief in robbing you ; for it was an offence, and a 
 trespass against you, as well as an injury to you ; 
 and therefore I ask your pardon for him : will you 
 sincerely and heartily forgive him, dame ? I do 
 desire it of you ; and with that I stood up, and, 
 with my hat oft^ asked her pardon. O ! sir, says 
 she, do not stand up, and with your hat off to me!
 
 140 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 I am a poor woman, I forgive him, and all that 
 were with him ; for there was one or more with 
 him ; I forgive them with all my heart, and I pray 
 God to forgive them. 
 
 Well, dame, then, said I, to make you some re- 
 compence for your charity, tliere is something for 
 you more than your loss ; and with that I gave her 
 a crown more. 
 
 Then I asked her who that was, who was robbed 
 with her ? She said it was a servant maid that lived 
 then in the town, but she was gone from her place, 
 and she did not know where she lived now. Well, 
 dame, says I, if ever you do hear of her, let her 
 leave word where she may be found ; and if I live 
 to come and see you again, I will get the money 
 of him for her too : I think that was but little, was 
 it ? No, says she, it was but 5s. 6d. which I knew 
 as well as she ; well, says I, dame, enquire her out 
 if you have an opportunity ; so she promised me 
 she would, and away I came. 
 '" The satisfaction this gave me was very much ; 
 but then a natural consequence attended it, which 
 filled me with reflection afterwards ; and this was, 
 that, by the same rule, I ought to make restitution 
 to all that I had wronged, in the like manner ; and 
 what could I do as to that ? To this I knew not 
 what to say, and so the thought in time wore off ; 
 for, in short, it was impossible to be done : I had
 
 COLONEL JACK, 141 
 
 ^not ability, neither did I know any of the people 
 
 I whom I had so injured ; and that satisfying me for 
 
 I the present, I let it drop. 
 
 7 I come now to my journey with Captain Jack, 
 
 /my supposed brother. We set out from London 
 
 / on foot, and travelled the first day to Ware, for 
 
 we had learnt so much of our road, that the way lay 
 
 \ through that town ; we were weary enough the 
 
 first day, having not been used at all to travelling ; 
 
 but we made shift to walk once up and down the 
 
 town, afler we came into it. 
 
 I soon found, that his walking out to see the 
 town was not to satisfy his curiosity in viewing the 
 place, for he had no notion of any thing of that 
 kind ; but to see if he could light of any purchase, 
 for he was so natural a thief, that he could see no- 
 thing on the road, but it occurred to him how 
 easily that might be taken, and how cleverly this 
 might be carried off, and the like. 
 
 Nothing offered in Ware to his mind, it not be- 
 ing market day; and as for me, though I made no 
 great scruple of eating and drinking at the cost of 
 his roguery, yet I resolved not to enter upon any 
 thing, as they called it, nor to take the least thing 
 from any body. 
 
 When the captain found me resolved upon the 
 negative, he asked me, how I thought to travel? 
 I asked him what he thought of himself, that was
 
 Ut THE LIFE OF 
 
 sure to be hanged if he was taken, how small so- 
 ever the crime was that he should be taken for. 
 How can that be, says he ; they don't know me m 
 the country ; Ay, says I, but do you think they do 
 not send up word to Newgate as soon as any thief 
 is taken in the country, and so enquire who is es- 
 caped from them, or who is fled, that they may 
 be stopped ? Assure yourself, says I, the jailors 
 correspond with one another, with the greatest 
 exactness imaginable ; and if you were taken here 
 but for stealing a basket of eggs, you shall have 
 your accuser sent down to see if he knows you. 
 
 This terrified him a little for a while, and kept 
 him honest for three or four days ; but it was but 
 for a few days indeed, for he played a great many 
 rogue's tricks without me, till at last he came to 
 his end without me too, though it was not till 
 many years after, as you shall hear in its order : 
 but as these exploits are no part of my story, but 
 of his, whose life and exploits are sufficient to 
 make a volume larger than this, by itself; so I 
 shall omit every thing but what I was particularly 
 concerned in, during this tedious jourftey. 
 
 From Ware we travelled to Cambridge, though 
 that was not our direct road ; the occasion was 
 this : In our way, going through a village called 
 Puckeridge, we baited at an inn, at the sign of 
 the Faulcon, and while we were there, a country-
 
 COLONEL JACK. 14S 
 
 wan comes to the inn, and hangs his horse at the 
 door, while he goes in to drink; we sat in the 
 gate-way, having called for a mug of beer, and 
 drank it up : We had been talking with the host- 
 ler about the way to Scotland, and he had bid us 
 ask the road to Royston ; but, says he, there is a 
 turning just here a Kttle farther, you must not go 
 that way, for that goes to Cambridge. 
 
 We had paid for our beer, and sat at the door 
 only to rest us, when on the sudden comes a gen- 
 tleman's coach to the door, and three or four 
 horsemen ; the horsemen rode into the yard, and 
 the hostler was obliged to go in with them ; says 
 he to the captain, young man, pray take hold of 
 the horse, (meaning tlie countryman's horse, I 
 mentioned above, ) and take Iiim out of the way, 
 that the coach may come up. He did so, and 
 beckoned me to follow him ; we walked together 
 to the turning : Says he to me, do you step be- 
 fore and turn up the lane, I'll overtake you ; so I 
 went on up the lane, and in a few minutes he was 
 got up upon the horse and at my heels. Come, 
 get up, says he, we will have a lift, if we don't get 
 the horse by the bargain. , 
 
 I made no difficulty to get up behind him, and 
 away we went at a good round rate, it being 
 a good strong horse. We lost no time for an hour's 
 riding and more, by which time we thought we
 
 144. THE LIFE OF 
 
 were out of the reach of being pursued ; and as 
 tJie countryman, when he should miss his horse, 
 would hear that we enquired the way to Royston, 
 he would certainly pursue us that way, and not 
 towards Cambridge: We went easier after the 
 first hour's riding, and, coming through a town or 
 two, we alighted by turns, and did not ride double 
 through the villages. 
 
 Now, as it was impossible for the captain to pass 
 by any thing that he could lay his hand on, and 
 not take it, so now, having a horse to carry it off 
 too, the temptation was the stronger. Going 
 through a village, where a good housewife of the 
 house had been washing, and hung her cloaths out 
 upon a hedge near the road, he could not help it, 
 but got hold of a couple of good shirts, that were 
 about half dry, and overtook me upon the spur, 
 for I walked on before ; I immediately got up be- 
 hind, and away we galloped together as fast as the 
 horse could well go. In this part of our expedi- 
 tion, his good luck, or mine, carried us quite out 
 of the road ; and having seen none to ask the way 
 of, we lost ourselves, and wandered I know not 
 how many miles to the right hand, till, partly 
 by that means, and partly by the occasion follow- 
 ing, we came quite into the coach road to Cam- 
 bridge, from London, by Bishop- Stratford. The 
 particular occasion that made me wander on was
 
 COLOXEL JACK. 14.,3 
 
 thus ; the country was all open corn-fields, no en- 
 closures ; when, being upon a little rising ground, 
 I bad him stop the horse, for I would get down, 
 and walk a little to ease my legs, being tired with 
 riding so long behind without stirrups; when I 
 was down, and looked a little about me, I saw 
 plainly the great white road, which we should have 
 gone, at near two miles from us. 
 
 On a sudden, looking a little back to my left, 
 upon that road, I saw four or five horsmen, riding 
 full speed, some a good way before the other, and 
 liurrying on, as people in a full pursuit. 
 
 It immediately struck me ; Ha ! Brother Jack, 
 says I, get off the Iiorse this moment, and ask 
 why afterwards ; so he jumps off: What is the 
 matter ? says he ; the matter ; says I, look yonder, 
 it is well we have lost our way ; do you see how 
 they ride ? they are pursuing us, you may depend 
 upon it ; either, says I, you are pursued from the 
 last village for tlie two shirts, or from Puckeridge 
 for the horse. He had so much presence of mind, 
 that, without my mentioning it to him, he puts 
 back the horse behind a great white thorn-bush, 
 which grew just by him; so they could by no 
 mean see the horse, which, we being just at the 
 top of the hill, they might otherwise have done, 
 iind so have pursued that way at a venture. 
 
 But as it was impossible for them to see the 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 146 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Iiorse, so was it as impossible for tlicm to see us 
 at that distance, wlio sat down on tlie ground to 
 look at them the more securely. 
 
 The road winding about, we saw them a great 
 way, and they rode as fast as they could make 
 their horses go. When we found they were gone 
 quite out of sight, we mounted, and made the best 
 of our way also ; and indeed, though we were two 
 upon one horse, yet we abated no speed where 
 the way would admit of it, not enquiring of any 
 body the way to any where, till, after about two 
 hours riding, we came to a town, which, upon en- 
 quiry, they called Chesterford ; and here we stop- 
 ped, and asked not our way to any place, but 
 whither that road went, and were told it was the 
 coach road to Cambridge; also that it was the 
 way to Newmarket, to St Edmunds-bury, to Nor- 
 wich and Yarmoutli, to Lynn, and to Ely, and the 
 like. 
 
 We staid here a good while, believing our- 
 selves secure; and afterwards, towards evening, 
 went forward to a place called Bourn-bridge, 
 where the road to Cambridge turns away out of 
 the road to Newmarket, and where there are but two 
 houses only, both of them being inns. Here the 
 captain says to me. Hark ye, you see we are pur- 
 sued towards Cambridge, and shall be stopped if 
 we go tliither ; now Newmarket is but ten miles
 
 COLONEL JACK. 147 
 
 off, and there we may be safe, and perhaps get an 
 opportunity to do some business. 
 
 Look ye. Jack, said I, talk no more of doing 
 business, for I will not join with you in any thing 
 of that kind ; I would fain get you to Scotland, 
 before you get a halter about your neck ; I will 
 not have you hanged in England, if I can help it, 
 and therefore I wont go to Newmarket, unless 
 you will promise me to take no false steps there : 
 Well, says he, if I must not, then I wont ; but I 
 hope you will let us get another horse, wont you, 
 that we may travel faster? No, says I, I wont 
 agree to that ; but if you will let me send this horse 
 back fairly, I will tell you how we shall hire horses 
 afterwards, for one stage, or two, and then take 
 them as far as we please ; it is only sending a letter 
 to the owner to send for him, and then, if we are 
 stopped, it can do us but little hurt. 
 
 You are a wary politic gentleman, says the 
 captain, but, I say, we are better as we are ; for 
 we are out of all danger of being stopped on the 
 way, after we are gone from this place. 
 
 We had not parleyed thus long, but, though in 
 the dead of the night, came a man to the other inn 
 door ; for, as I said above, there are two inns at 
 that place, and called for a pot of beer, but the 
 people were all in bed, and would not rise ; he ask- 
 ed them if they had seen two fellows come that
 
 148 THE LIFE OF 
 
 n ay upon one horse : The man said he had, that 
 they went by in the afternoon, and asked the way 
 to Cambridge, but did not stop only to dring one 
 mug : O ! says he, are they gone to Cambridge ? 
 Then I'll be with them quickly. I was awake in 
 a little garret of the next inn, where we lodged ; 
 and hearing the fellow call at the door, got up, 
 and went to the window, having some uneasiness 
 at every noise I heard ; and by that means heard 
 the whole story : Now, the case is plain, our hour 
 was not come, our fate had determined other things 
 for us, and we were to be reserved for it ; the mat- 
 ter was thus : when we first came to Bourn-bridge, 
 we called at the first house, and asked the way to 
 Cambridge, drank a mug of beer, and went on, 
 and they might see us turn off to go the way they 
 directed; but, night coming on, and we being 
 very wear}% we thought we should not find the 
 way ; and we came back in the dusk of the even- 
 ing, and went into the other house, being the first 
 as we came back, as that, where v^e called before, 
 was the first as we went fonvard. 
 
 You may be sure I was alarmed now, as indeed 
 I had reason to be : the captain was in bed, and 
 fast asleep, but I waked him, and roused him with 
 a noise that frighted him enough ; rise, Jack, said 
 I, we are both ruined, they are come after us 
 hither ; indeed, I was wrong to terrify him at that
 
 COLONEL JACK. 149 
 
 rate ; for he started, and jumpt out of bed, and 
 run directly to the window, not knowing where he 
 was, and, not quite awake, was just going to jump 
 out of the window, but I laid hold of him ; what 
 are you going to do ; says I ; I won't be taken, 
 says he ; let me alone, where are they ? 
 
 This was all confusion ; and he was so out of him- 
 self with the fright, and being overcome with sleep, 
 that I had much to do to prevent his jumping out 
 of the window : However, I held him fast, and 
 thoroughly wakened him, and then all was well 
 again, and he was presently composed. 
 
 Then I told him the story, and we sat together 
 upon the bed-side, considering what we should do: 
 upon the whole, as the fellow that called was ap- 
 parently gone to Cambridge, we had nothing to 
 fear, but to be quiet till day-break, and then to 
 mount and be gone. 
 
 Accordingly, as soon as day peeped, we were 
 up ; and having happily informed ourselves of the 
 road at the other house, and being told that the 
 road to Cambridge turned off on the left hand, and 
 that the road to Newmarket lay strait forward ; I 
 say, having learnt this, the captain told me he 
 would walk away on foot towards Newmarket ; 
 and so, when I came to go out, I should appear as 
 a single traveller ; and accordingly he went out 
 immediately, and away he walked, and he travelled 
 so hard, that when I came to follow, I thought
 
 150 THE LIFE OF 
 
 once thathe had dropped me, for though I rode hard, 
 I got no sight of him for an hour ; at length, ha- 
 ving passed the great bank, called the devil's-ditch, 
 I found him, and took him up behind me, and we 
 rode double till we came almost to the end of New- 
 market town. Just at the hither house in the 
 town, stood a horse at a door, just as it was at 
 Puckeridge : Now, says Jack, if the horse was at 
 the other end of the town, I would have him, as 
 sure as we had the other at Puckeridge ; but it 
 would not do, so he got down, and walked through 
 the town on the right hand side of the way. 
 
 He had not got half through the town, but the 
 horse, having some how or other got loose, came 
 trotting gently on by himself, and nobody follow- 
 ing him ; the captain, an old soldier at such work, 
 as soon as the horse was got a pretty way before 
 him, and that he saw nobody followed, sets up a 
 run after the horse ; and the horse hearing him 
 follow, ran the faster ; then the captain calls out, 
 ** Stop the horse !" and by this time the horse was 
 got almost to the farther end of the town ; the 
 people of the house where he stood not missing 
 him all the while. 
 
 Upon his calling out " Stop the horse!" the 
 poor people of the town, such as were next at 
 hand, ran from both sides the way, and stopped 
 the horse for him, as readily as could be, and held
 
 COLONEL JACK. 151 
 
 him for him, till he came up ; he very gravely 
 comes up to the horse, hits him a blow or two, and 
 calls him dog for running away ; gives the man 2d, 
 that catched him for him, mounts, and away he 
 comes after me. 
 
 This was the oddest adventure that could have 
 happened, for the horse stole the captain, the cap- 
 tain did not steal the horse. Wlien he came up to 
 me, now, Colonel Jack, says he, what say you to 
 good luck ? would you have had me refused the 
 horse, when he came so civilly to ask me to ride ? 
 No, no, said I, you have got this horse by your wit, 
 not by design ; and you may go on now I think ; 
 you are in a safer condition then I am, if we are 
 taken. 
 
 The next question was, what road we should 
 take ? here were four ways before us, and we were 
 alike strangers to them all ; first on the right hand, 
 and at a little mile from the town, a great road 
 went off to St. Edmund's-bury ; strait on, but in- 
 clining afterwards to the right, lay the great road 
 to Barton-mills, and Thetford, and so to Norwich; 
 and full before us lay a great road also to Brandon 
 and Lynn, and on the lefl, lay a less road to the 
 city of Ely, and into the Fens. 
 
 In short, as we knew not which road to take, 
 nor which way to get into the great north road, 
 which we had left, so we, by mere unguided
 
 152 THE LIFE OF 
 
 chance, took the way to Brandon, and so to Lynn: 
 at Brand, or Brandon, we were told, that, passing 
 over at a place called Downhani-bridge, we might 
 cross the fen country to Wisbich ; and from thence 
 go along the bank of the river Nyne to Peterbo- 
 rough, and from thence to Stamford, where we 
 were in the northern road again : and likewise, 
 that at Lynn we might go by the washes into 
 Lincolnshire, and so might travel north. But upon 
 the whole, this was my rule, that, when we en- 
 quired the way to any particular place, to be sure 
 we never took the road, but some other, which 
 the accidental discourse we might have should 
 bring in ; and thus we did here ; for, having chief- 
 ly asked our way into the northern road, we re- 
 solved to go directly for Lynn.
 
 COLONEL JACK, l$2 
 
 CHAP. VIL 
 
 Further adventures — There is no preventing my 
 comrade from exercising his trade of a thief'— We 
 witness a ivhijjping in Edinburgh — The captain 
 takes French leave — I return my horse to the per* 
 son from uihom it ivas stolen — Learn to read 
 and ivrite-^I am hired and cheated by a Scottish 
 master — Meet mth the captain again-^I enlist 
 for a soldier — We desert — Adventures thereupon, 
 
 VV E arrived here very easy and safe ; and, while 
 we were considering of what way we should travel 
 next, we found we were got to a point, and that 
 there was no way now left, but that by the washes 
 into Lincolnshire, and that was represented as very 
 dangerous ; so an opportunity offering of a man 
 that was travelling over the fens, we took him 
 for bur guide, and went with him to Spalding, and 
 from thence to a town called Deeping, and so to 
 Stamford in Lincolnshire. 
 
 This is a large populous town, and it was market- 
 day when we came to it ; so we put in at a little
 
 154? THE LIFE OF 
 
 house, at the hither end of the town, and walked 
 into the town. 
 
 Here it was not possible to restrain my captain 
 from playing his feats of art, and my heart aked 
 for him ; I told him I would not go with him, for 
 he would not promise to leave off, and I was so ter- 
 ribly concerned at the apprehensions of his venturous 
 humour, that I would not so much as stir out of my 
 lodging ; but it was in vain to persuade him. He 
 went into the market, and found a mountebank 
 there, which was what he wanted. How he pick- 
 ed two pockets there in one quarter of an hour, 
 and brought to our quarters a piece of new hol- 
 land of eight or nine ells, a piece of stuff, and 
 played three or four pranks more in less than two 
 hours ; and how afterward he robbed a doctor of 
 physic, and yet came off clear in them : all this I 
 say, as above, belongs to his story, not to mine, 
 
 I scolded heartily at him when he came back, 
 and told him he would certainly ruin himself, and 
 me too, before he left off, and threatened in so 
 many words, that I would leave him, and go back, 
 and carry the horse to Puckeridge, where we 
 borrowed it, and so go to London by myself. 
 
 He promised amendment ; but, as we resolved, 
 (now we were in the great road) to travel by 
 night, so it being not yet night, he gives me the 
 slip again ; and was not gone half an hour, but he 
 comes back with a gold Match in his hand : Come,
 
 COLONEL JACK. 155 
 
 says he, why an't you ready ? I am ready to go 
 as soon as you will ; and with that he pulls out the 
 gold watch. I was amazed at such a thing as that 
 in a country town ; but it seems there were pray- 
 ers at one of the churches in the evening, and he, 
 placing himself, as the occasion directed, found 
 the way to be so near a lady, as to get it from 
 her side, and walked off with it unperceived. 
 
 The same night we went away, by moon-light, 
 after having the satisfaction to hear the watch 
 cried, and ten guineas offered for it again : he 
 would have been glad of the ten guineas, instead 
 of the watch ; but durst not venture to carry it 
 home. Well, says I, you are afraid, and indeed 
 you have reason ; give it me, I will venture to 
 carry it again : but he would not let me ; but told 
 me, that, when he came into Scotland, we might 
 sell any thing there without danger, which was 
 true indeed, for there they asked us no c^uestions. 
 
 We set out, as I said, in the evening by moon- 
 light, and travelled hard, the road being very plain 
 and large, till we came to Grantham, by which 
 time it was about two in the morning, and all the 
 town, as it were, dead asleep ; so we went on for 
 Newark, where we reached about eight in the 
 morning, and there we lay down and slept most 
 of the day ; and by this sleeping so contiually in 
 the day-time, I kept him from doing a great deal 
 of mischief, which he would otherwise have done.
 
 156 THE LIFE OP 
 
 From Newark, we took advice of one that was 
 accidentally comparing the roads, and we conclu- 
 ded that the road by Nottingham would be the best 
 for us ; so we turned out of the great road, and 
 went up the side of the Trent to Nottingham : 
 here he played his pranks again in a manner, that 
 it was the greatest wonder imaginable to me that 
 he was not surprized, and yet he came oif clear ; 
 and now he had got so many bulky goods, that he 
 bought him a portmanteau to caiTy them. in. It 
 was in vain for me to offer to restain him any more; 
 go after this he went on his own way. 
 
 At Nottingham, I say, he had such success as 
 made us the hastier to be going than otherwise we 
 would have been, least we should have been baulk- 
 ed, and should be laid hold of ; from thence we 
 left the road, which leads to the north again, 
 went away by Mansfield into Scarsdale, in York- 
 shire. 
 
 I shall take up no more of my own story with 
 his pranks ; they very well merit to be told by 
 themselves, but I shall observe only what relates 
 to our journey. In a word, I dragged him along as 
 fast as I could, till I came to Leeds in Yorkshire. 
 Here, though it be a large and populous town, 
 yet he could make nothing of it, neither had he 
 any success at Wakefield; and he told me, in short, 
 that the north-country people were certainly all
 
 COLONEL JACK. 157 
 
 thieves. Why so ? said I, the people seem to be 
 just as other people are: No, no, says he, they 
 have their eyes so about them, and are all so sharp, 
 they look upon every body that comes near them 
 to be a pick-pocket, or else they would never 
 stand so upon their guard ; and then again, says 
 he, they are so poor, there is but little to be got ; 
 and I am afraid, says he, the farther we go north, 
 we shall find it worse. Well, said I, what do you 
 infer from thence ? I argue from thence, says he, 
 that we shall do nothing there, and I had as good 
 go back into the south and be hanged, as into the 
 north to be starved. 
 
 Well, we came at length to Newcastle upon 
 Tyne. Here, on a market day, was a great 
 throng of people, and several of the town's-people, 
 going to market to buy provisions ; and here he 
 played his pranks, cheated a shopkeeper of 151. or 
 161. in goods, and got clear away with them ; 
 stole a horse, and sold that he came upon, and 
 played so many pranks, that I was quite frighted 
 for him ; I say for him, for I was not concerned 
 for myself, having never stirred out of the house 
 where I lodged, at least not with him, nor without 
 some or other with me, belonging to the inn, that 
 might give an account of me. 
 
 Nor did I use this caution in vain, for he had
 
 158 THE LIFE OF 
 
 made himself so public by his rogueries, that he 
 was way-laid every where to be taken, and had he 
 not artfully first given out, that he was come from 
 Scotland, and was going toward London, enqui- 
 ring that road, and the like, which amused his 
 pursuers for the first day, he had been taken, and 
 in all probability had been hanged there ; but by 
 that artifice he got half a day's time of them ; and 
 yet, as it was, he was put so to it, that he was 
 fain to plunge, horse and all, into the river Tweed, 
 and swim over, and thereby made his escape : It 
 was true, that he was before upon Scots ground, 
 (as they called it) and consequently they had no 
 power to have carried him off, if any body had op- 
 posed them ; yet, as they were in a full chase after 
 him, could they have come up with him, they 
 would have run the risque of the rest, and they 
 could but have delivered him up, if they had been 
 questioned about it. However, as he got over the 
 Tweed, and was landed safe, they could neither 
 follow him, the water being too high at the usual 
 place of going over, nor could they have attempt- 
 ed to have brought him away, if they had taken 
 him : the place where he took the river was where 
 there is a ford below Kelso, but the water being 
 up, the ford was not passable, and he had no time 
 to go to the ferry-boat, which is about a furlong 
 off, opposite to the town.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 159 
 
 Having thus made his escape, he went to Kelso, 
 where he had appointed me to come after him. 
 
 I followed with a heavy heart, expecting every 
 hour to meet him upon the road, in the custody 
 of the constables, and such people, or to hear of 
 him in the gaol ; but when I came to a place on 
 the border, called WoUer-haugh-head, there I un- 
 derstood how he had been chased, and how he 
 had made his escape. 
 
 When I came to Kelso, he was easy enough to 
 be found; for his having desperately swam the 
 Tweed, a rapid and large river, made him much 
 talked of, though it seems they had not heard of 
 the occasion of it, nor any thing of his character ; 
 for he had wit enough to conceal all that, and live 
 as retired as he could till I came to him. 
 
 I was not so much rejoiced at his safety, as I 
 was provoked at his conduct ; and the more, for 
 that I could not find he had yet the least notion 
 of his having been void of common sense with re- 
 spect to his circumstances, as well as contrary to 
 what he promised me. However, as there was no 
 beating any thing into his head by words, I only 
 told him, that I was glad he was at last gotten into 
 a place of safety, and I asked him then how he in- 
 tended to manage himself in that country ? He 
 said in a few words, he did not know yet, he doubt-
 
 160 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ed the people were very poor ; but if they had any 
 money, he was resolved to have some of it. 
 
 But do you know too, says I, that they are the 
 severest people upon criminals of your kind in the 
 world ? He did not value that, he said, in his blunt 
 short way, he would venture it ; upon this, I told 
 him, that, seeing it was so, and he would run such 
 ventures, I would take my leave of him, and be 
 gone back to England. He seemed sullen, or ra- 
 ther it was the roughness of his untractable dispo- 
 sition ; he said I might do what I would, he would 
 do as he found opportunity ; however, we did not 
 part immediately, but went on towards the capital 
 city ; on the road we found too much poverty, and 
 too few people, to give him room to expect any ad- 
 vantage in his way ; and though he had his eyes 
 about him as sharp as a hawk, yet he saw plainly 
 there was nothing to be done ; for as to the men, 
 they did not seem to have much money about 
 them ; and for the women, their dress was such, 
 that had they any money, or indeed any pockets, 
 it was impossible to come at them ; for, wearing 
 large plaids about them, and down to their knees, 
 they were wrapped up so close, that there was no 
 coming to make the least attempt of that kind. 
 
 Kelso was indeed a good town, and had abun- 
 dance of people in it ; and yet, though he staid 
 one Sunday there, and saw the church, which is 
 11
 
 COIJDNEL JACK. 1^1 
 
 very large, and thronged with people ; yet, as he 
 told me, there was not one woman to be seen in all 
 the church with any other dress than a plaid, ex- 
 cept in two pews, which belonged to some noble- 
 men, and who, when they came out, were so sur- 
 rounded with footmen and servants, that there was 
 no coming near them, any more than there was 
 any coming near the king surrounded by his 
 guards. 
 
 We set out therefore with this discouragement, 
 which I was secretly glad of, and went forward for 
 Edinburgh. All the way thither, we went through 
 no considerable town, and it was but very coarse 
 travelling for us, who were strangers ; for we met 
 with waters, which were very dangerous to pass, 
 by reason of hagty rains, at a place called Lauder- 
 dale, and where my captain was really in danger 
 of drowning, his horse being driven down by the 
 stream, and fell under him^ by which he wetted 
 and spoiled his stolen goods, that he brought from 
 Newcastle, and which he had kept dry strangely, 
 by holding them up in his arms, when he swam 
 the Tweed ; but here it wanted but little, that he 
 and his horse had been lost, not so much by the 
 depth of the water, as the fury of the current ; but 
 he had a proverb in his favour, and he got out of 
 the water, though with difficultv enough, not 
 
 VOL. I, L
 
 162 THE LIFE OF 
 
 being born to be drowned, as I shall obsierve after- 
 wards in its place. 
 
 We came to Edinburgh, the third day from 
 Kelso, having stopped at an inn on£ whole day, 
 at a place called Soutra-hill to dry our goods, and 
 refresh ourselves. We were oddly saluted at Edin- 
 burgh, the next day after we came thither ; my 
 captain having a desire to walk, and look about 
 him, asked me if I would go and see the town ? I 
 lold him yes ; so we went out, and coming through 
 a gate, that they call the Nether-bow, into the 
 great High-street, which went up to the Cross, we 
 were susprised to see it thronged with an infinite 
 number of people : Ay, (says my captain) this 
 will do ; however, as I had made him promise to 
 make no adventures that day, otherwise I told him 
 I would not go out with him, so I held him by the 
 sleeve, and would not let him stir from me. 
 
 Then we came up to the Market-cross, and 
 there, besides the great number of people who pass- 
 ed and repassed, we saw a great parade, or kind 
 of meeting, like an Exchange of gentlemen, of all 
 ranks and qualities, and this encouraged my cap- 
 tain again, and he pleased himself with that sight. 
 
 It was while we were looking, and wondering 
 at what we saw here, that we were surprised with 
 a sight, which we little expected ; we observed the 
 people running on a sudden, as to see some strange
 
 COLONEL JACK. 163 
 
 thing just coming along, and strange it was indeed ; 
 for we saw two men naked from the waist upwards, 
 run by us as swift as the wind, and we imagined 
 nothing, but that it was two men running a race 
 for some mighty wager ; on a sudden we found 
 two long small ropes or lines, which hung down 
 at first, pulled strait, and the two racers stopped, 
 and stood still, one close by the other ; we could 
 not imagine what this meant, but the reader may 
 judge at our surprise, when we found a man follow 
 after, who had the ends of both those lines in his 
 hands, and who, when he came up to them, gave 
 each of them two frightful lashes with a wire-whip, 
 or lash, which he held in the other hand ; and then 
 the two poor naked wretches run on again to the 
 length of their line or tether, where they waited for 
 the like salutation : And in this manner they danced 
 the length of the whole street, which is about half 
 a mile. 
 
 This was a dark prospect to my captain, and put 
 him in mind, not only of M-hat he was to expect if 
 he made a slip in the way of his profession in this 
 place ; but also of what he had suffered, when he 
 was but a boy, at the famous place called Bride- 
 well. 
 
 But this was not all ; for, as we saw the execu- 
 tion, so we were curious to examine into the crime 
 too : and we asked a young fellow who stood near
 
 164< THE LIFE OF 
 
 us, what the two men had done, for which they 
 suffered that punishment ? The fellow, an unhappy 
 ill-natured Scotchman, perceived by our speech 
 that we were Englishmen, and by our question 
 that we were strangers, told us, with a malicious 
 wit, that they were two Englishmen ; and that 
 they were whipped so for picking pockets, and 
 other petty thieveries, and that they were after- 
 wards to be sent away over the border into Eng- 
 land. 
 
 Now this was every word of it false, and was 
 only formed by his nimble invention to insult us 
 as Englishmen ; for when we enquired farther, they 
 were both Scotchmen, and were thus scourged for 
 the usual offences, for which we give the like pu- 
 nishment in England : and the man who held the 
 line, and scourged them, was the city hangman, 
 who (by the way) is there an officer of note, has 
 a constant salary, and is a man of substance ; and 
 not only so, but a most dexterous fellow in his of- 
 fice, and makes a great deal of money of his em- 
 ployment. 
 
 This sight, however, was very shocking to us ; 
 and my captain turned to me, Come, says he, let 
 us go away, I won't stay here any longer. I was 
 glad to hear him say so, but did not think he had 
 meant or intended what he said: However, we 
 went back to our quarters, and kept pretty much
 
 COLONEL JACK. 165 
 
 within, only that iii'the evenings we walked about : 
 But even then my captain found no employment, 
 no encouragement ; two or three times indeed, he 
 made a prize of some mercery and millinery goods : 
 But when he had them, he knew not what to do 
 with them ; so that, in short, he was forced to be 
 honest, in spite of his good will to be otherwise. 
 
 We remained here about a month ; when, on a 
 sudden, my captain was gone, horse and all, and I 
 knew nothing what was become of him ; nor did I 
 ever see or hear of him for eighteen months after, 
 nor did he so much as leave the least notice for 
 me, either whither he was gone, or whether he 
 would return to Edinburgh again, or no. 
 
 I took his leaving me very heinously, not know- 
 ing what to do with myself, being a stranger in the 
 place ; and on the other hand, my money abated 
 apace too : I had for the most part of this time my 
 horse upon my hands to keep ; and as horses yield 
 but a sorry price in Scotland, I found no oppor- 
 tunity to make much of him ; and, on the other 
 hand, I had a secret resolution, if I had gone back 
 to England, to have restored him to the owner, at 
 Puckeridge, by Ware ; and so I should have wrong- 
 ed him of nothing, but of the use of him for so long 
 time : But I found an occasion to answer all my 
 designs about the horse to advantage. 
 
 There came a man to the stabler (so they call
 
 166 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 the people at Edinburgh, that take in horses to 
 keep) and wanted to know if he could hear of any 
 returned horses for England ; my landlord (so we 
 called him ) came bluntly to me one day, and ask- 
 ed me. If my horse was my own ? It was an odd 
 question, as my circumstances stood, and puzzled 
 me at first ; and I asked why, and what was the 
 matter? Because, says he, if it be a hired horse 
 in England, as is often the case with Englishmen, 
 who come to Scotland, I could help you to send 
 it back, and get you something for riding ; so he 
 expressed himself. 
 
 I was very glad of the occasion ; and, in short, 
 took security there of the person, for delivering 
 the horse safe and sound, and had 15s. sterling for 
 the riding him : Upon this agreement I gave order 
 to leave the horse at the Falcon at Puckeridge, and 
 where I heard, many years after, that he was ho- 
 nestly left, and that the owner had him again, but 
 had nothing for the loan of him. 
 
 Being thus eased of the expence of my horse, 
 and having nothing at all to do, I began to consi- 
 der with myself, what would become of me, and 
 what I could turn my hand to : I had not muchvj 
 diminished my stock of money, for though I was i 
 all the way so wary, that I would not join with my » 
 captain in his desperate attempts, yet I made no ' 
 scruple to live at his expence, which, as I came ;
 
 COLONEL JACK. 167 
 
 J out of England only to keep him company, had 
 been but just, had I not known that all he had to 
 spend upon me, was what he robbed honest people 
 of, and that I was all that while a receiver of sto- 
 len goods ; but I was not come so far then as to 
 scruple that part at all. 
 
 In the next place, I was not so anxious about 
 my money running low, because I knew what a 
 reserve I had made at London ; but still I was very 
 willing to have engaged in any honest employment 
 for a livelihood ; for I was sick indeed of the wan- 
 dering life which I had led, and was resolved to 
 thieve no more; but then two or three things, 
 which I had offered me, I lost, because I could 
 not write or read. 
 
 This afflicted me a great while very much ; but 
 the stabler, as I have called him, delivered me 
 from my anxiety that way, by bringing me to an 
 honest, but a poor young man, who undertook to 
 teach me both to write and read, and in a little 
 time too, and for a small expence, if I would take 
 pains at it. I promised all possible diligence, and 
 to work I went with it, but found the writing much 
 more difficult to me than the reading. 
 
 However in half a year's time, or thereabouts, I 
 could read and write too, tolerably well, insomuch 
 that I began to think I was now fit for business ; 
 and I got by it into the service of a certain officer
 
 168 THE LIFE OF 
 
 of the customs, who employed me for a time, but 
 as he set me to do little but pass and repass be- 
 tween Leith and Edinburgh, with the accompts 
 which he kept for the farmers of the customs there, 
 leaving me to live at my own expence till my wages 
 should be due, I run out the little money I had 
 left, in clothes and subsistence, and a little before 
 the year's end, when I was to have 121. English 
 money, truly my master was turned out of his 
 place ; and, which was worse, having been charged 
 with some misapplications, was obliged to take 
 shelter in England, and so we that were servants, 
 for there were three of us^ were left to shift for 
 ourselves. 
 
 This was a hard case for me in a strange place, 
 and I was reduced by it to the last extremity. I 
 might have gone for England, an English ship be- 
 ing there, the master of which proffered me to give 
 me my passage (upon telling him my distress) and 
 to take my word for the payment of 10s. when I 
 came there ; but my Captain appeared just then 
 under new circumstances, which obliged him not 
 to go away, and I was loth to leave him ; it seems 
 we were yet farther to take our fate together. 
 
 I have mentioned that he left me, and that I saw 
 him no more for eighteen months : His ramble and 
 adventures were many in that time ; he went to 
 Glasgow, played some remarkable pranks there.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 1^9 
 
 escaped almost miraculously from the gallows, got 
 over to Ireland, wandered about there, turned ra- 
 paree, and did some villainous things there, and 
 escaped from Londonderry, over to the Highlands 
 in the North of Scotland ; and about a month be- 
 fore I was left destitute at Leith, by my master, 
 behold ! my noble Captain Jack came in there, on 
 board the ferry-boat from Fife, being, after all ad- 
 ventures and successes, advanced to the dignity of 
 a foot soldier, in a body of recruits raised in the 
 North for the regiment of Douglas. 
 
 After my disaster, being reduced almost as low 
 as my Captain, I found no better shift before me, 
 at least for the present, than to enter myself a sol- 
 dier too ; and thus we were ranked together, with 
 each of us a musquet upon our shoulders, and, I 
 confess, that thing did not sit so ill upon me as I 
 thought at first it would have done ; for, though I 
 fared hard, and lodged ill, (for the last especially, 
 is the fate of poor soldiers in that part of the world) 
 yet to me, that had been used to lodge on the ashes 
 in the glass-house, this was no great matter ; I had 
 a secret satisfaction at being now under no neces- 
 sity of stealing, and living in fear of a prison, and 
 of the lash of the hangman ; a thing which, from 
 the time I saw it in Edinburgh, was so terrible to 
 me, that I could not think of it without horror ; and 
 it was an inexpressible ease to my mind, that I was
 
 170 THE LIFE OP 
 
 now in a certain way of living, which was honest, 
 ancl which I could say, was not unbecoming a gen- 
 tleman. 
 
 Whatever was my satisfaction in that part, yet 
 other circumstances did not equally concur to 
 make this life suit me ; for after we had been about 
 six months in this figure, we were informed that 
 the recruits were all to march for England, and to 
 be shipped off at Ne*vcastle, or at Hull, to join the 
 regiment, which was then in Flanders. 
 
 I should tell you, that, before this, I was ex- 
 tremely delighted with the life of a soldier, and I 
 took the exercise so naturally, that the serjeant 
 that taught us to handle our arms, seeing me so 
 ready at it, asked me if I had never carried arms 
 before : I told him, no ; at which he swore, though 
 jesting. They call you colonel, says he, and I be- 
 lieve you will be a colonel, or you must be some 
 colonePs bastard, or you would never handle your 
 arms as you do, at once or twice showing. 
 
 This pleased me extremely, and encouraged me, 
 and I was mightily taken with the life of a soldier; 
 but when the captain came and told me the news, 
 that we were to march for England, and to be 
 shipped off for Flanders at Newcastle upon Tyne, I 
 was surprised very much, and new thoughts began 
 to come in my mind; as, first, my captain's condition 
 was particular, for he durst not appear publicly at
 
 COLONEL JACK. 17X 
 
 Newcastle, as he must have done if he had march- 
 ed with the battalion, (for they were a body of 
 above 4-00, and therefore called themselves a bat- 
 talion, though they were but recruits, and belong- 
 ed to the several companies abroad) I say, he must 
 have marched with them, and been publicly seen, 
 in which case he would have been apprehended, 
 and delivered up : in the next place , I remember- 
 ed that I had almost lOOl. in money in London, and 
 if it should have been asked all the soldiers in the 
 regiment, which of them would go to Flanders, a 
 private centinel, if they had lOOl. in their pockets, 
 I believe none of them would answer in the affir- 
 . mative ; a 1001. being at that time sufficient to buy 
 colours in any new regiment, though not in that 
 regiment, which was on an old establishment : this 
 whetted my ambition, and I dreamt of nothing but 
 being a gentleman officer, as well as a gentleman 
 soldier. 
 
 These two circumstances concurring, I began 
 to be very uneasy, and very unwilling in my 
 thoughts to go over a poor musqueteer into Flan- 
 ders, to be knocked on the head at the tune of 
 3s. 6,d. a week : while I was daily musing on the 
 circumstances of being sent away, as above, and 
 considering what to do, my captain comes to me 
 one evening ; Hark ye. Jack, says he, I must 
 «peak with you ; let us take a m alk in the fields a 
 little out from the houses. We were quartered at
 
 172 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ft place called Park-End, near the town of Dunbar, 
 about twenty miles from Berwick upon Tweed, 
 and about sixteen miles from the river Tweed, the 
 nearest way. 
 
 We walked together here, and talked seriously 
 upon the matter ; the captain told me how his case 
 stood, and that he durst not march with the batta- 
 lion into Newcastle ; that if he did, he should be 
 taken out of the ranks and tried for his life, and 
 that I knew as well as he : I could go privately to 
 Newcastle, says he, and go through the town well 
 enough, but to go publicly, is' to run into the jaws 
 of destruction : well, says I, that is very true, but 
 what will you do ? Do ! says he, do you think I am 
 so bound by honour, as a gentleman soldier, that 
 I will be hanged for them ? No, no, says he, I am 
 resolved to be gone, and I would have you go w ith 
 us ; said I, what do you mean by us ? Why, here is 
 another honest fellow, an Englishman also, says he, 
 that is resolved to desert too, and he has been a 
 long while in the service, and says he knows how 
 we shall be used abroad, and he will not go to Flan- 
 ders, says he, not he. 
 
 Why, says I, you will be shot to death for deser- 
 ters if you are taken, and they will send out scouts 
 for you in the morning all over the country, so 
 that you will certainly fall into their hands. As 
 for that, says he, my comrade is thoroughly acquaint-
 
 COLONEL JACK. 1*73 
 
 ed with the way, and has undertaken to bring us 
 to the banks of Tweed, before they can come up 
 with us, and when we are on the other side of the 
 Tweed, they can't take us up. 
 
 And when would you go away ? says I. 
 
 This minute, says he ; no time to be lost ; 'tis a 
 fine moon shining night. 
 
 I have none of my baggage, says I ; let me go 
 back and fetch my linen, and other things. 
 
 Your linen is not much, I suppose, says he, 
 and we shall easily get more in England the old 
 way. 
 
 No, says I, no more of your old ways ; it has 
 been owing to those old ways that we are now in 
 such a strait. 
 
 Well, well, says he, the old ways are better 
 than this starving life of a gentleman, as we call it 
 
 But, says I, we have no money in our pockets, 
 how shall we travel ? 
 
 I have a little, says the captain ; enough to elp 
 us on to Newcastle, and if we can get none by the 
 way, we will get some collier ship to take us in, 
 and carry us to London by sea. 
 
 I like that the best of all the measures you have 
 laid yet, said I ; and so I consented to go, and 
 went off with him immediately. The cunning 
 rogue having lodged his comrade a mile off under 
 the hills, had dragged me by talking with him by
 
 174 THE LIFE OF 
 
 little and little that way, till just when I consented, 
 he was in sight, and he said. Look, there's my 
 comrade ! who I knew presently, having seen him 
 among the men. 
 
 Being thus gotten under the hills, and a mile off 
 the way, and the day just shut in, we kept on 
 apace, resolving, if possible, to get out of the reach 
 of our pursuers, before they should miss us, or 
 know any thing of our being gone. 
 
 We plyed our time so well, and travelled so 
 hard, that by five o'clock in the morning we were 
 at a little village, whose name I forget ; but they 
 told us that we were within 8 miles of the Tweed ; 
 and that as soon as we should be over the river, 
 we were on English ground. 
 
 We refreshed a little here, but marched on with 
 but little stay ; however it was half an hour past 
 eight in the morning before we reached the Tweed, 
 so it was at least 12 miles, when they told us it 
 was but eight : Here we overtook two more of the 
 same regiment, who had deserted from Hadding- 
 ton, where another part of the recruits were 
 quartered. 
 
 Those were Scotchmen, and very poor, having 
 not one penny in their pockets ; and had no more 
 when they made their escape but 8s. between 
 them ; and when they saw us, whom they knew to 
 be of the same regiment, they took us to be pur-
 
 COLONEL JACK. 175 
 
 »uers, and that we came to lay hold of them ; up- 
 on which they stood upon their defence, having 
 the regiment swords on, as we had also, but none 
 of the mounting or cloathing ; for we were not to 
 receive the cloathing till we came to the regiment 
 in Flanders. 
 
 It was not long before we made them under- 
 stand, that we were in the same circumstances 
 with themselves, and so we soon became one com- 
 pany ; and after resting some time on the English 
 side of the river, (for we were heartily tired, and 
 the others were as much fatigued as we were) I 
 say, after resting a while, we set forward towards 
 Newcastle, whither we resolved to go to get our 
 passage by sea to London ; for we had not money 
 to hold us out any farther. 
 
 Our money was ebbed very low ; for, though I 
 had one piece of gold in my pocket, which I kept 
 reserved for the last extremity, yet it was but 
 half a guinea, and my captain had bore all our 
 charges as far as his money would go, so that when 
 we came to Newcastle, we had but six-pence left 
 in all to help ourselves, and the two Scots had 
 begged their way all along the road. 
 
 We contrived to come into Newcastle in the 
 dusk of the evening, and even then we durst not 
 venture into the public part of the town, but made 
 down towards the river, something below the town,
 
 176 THE LIFE OF 
 
 where some glass-houses stand: Here we knew 
 not what to do with ourselves ; but, guided by our 
 fate, we put a good face upon the matter, and 
 went into an alehouse, sat down, and called for a 
 pint of beer. 
 
 The house was kept by a woman only, that is to 
 say, we saw no other ; and, as she appeared very 
 frank, and entertained us chearfully, we at last told 
 our condition, and asked her, if she could not help 
 us to some kind master of a collier, that would 
 give us a passage to London by sea. The subtile 
 devil, who immediately found us proper fish for 
 her hook, gave us the kindest words in the world, 
 and told us, she was heartily sorry she had not 
 seen us one day sooner ; that there was a collier 
 master, of her particular acquaintance, that went 
 away but with the morning tide, that the ship was 
 fallen down to Shields, but she believed was hardly 
 over the bar yet, and she would send to his house 
 and see if he was gone on board, for sometimes 
 the masters do not go away till a tide after the 
 ship, and she was sure if he was not gone, she 
 could prevail with him to take us all in ; but then 
 she was afraid we must go on board, inmiediately, 
 the same night. 
 
 We begged her to send to his house, for we 
 knew not what to do, and if she could oblige him 
 to take us on board, we did not care what time of 
 
 4c
 
 COLONEL JACK. 177 
 
 night it was ; for, as we had no money, we had no 
 lodging) and we wanted nothing but to be on 
 board. 
 
 We looked upon this as a mighty favour, that 
 she sent to the master's house, and to our greater 
 joy, she brought us word about an hour after, that 
 he was not gone, and was at a tavern in the town, 
 whither his boy had been to fetch him ; and that 
 he had sent word he would call there in the way 
 home; 
 
 This was all in our favour, and we were ex- 
 tremely pleased with it. About an hour after, the 
 landlady being in the room with us, her maid 
 brings us word the master was below; so down 
 she goes to him, telling us she would go and tell 
 him our case, and see to persuade him to take us 
 all on board. After some time she comes up with 
 him, and brings him into the room to us : Where 
 are these honest gentlemen soldiers, says he, that 
 are in such distress ? We stood all up, and paid 
 
 our respects to him. Well, gentlemen, and is all 
 
 your money spent ? 
 
 Indeed it is, said one of our company, and we 
 
 shall be infinitely obliged to you, sir, if you will 
 
 give us a passage ; we will be very willing to do 
 
 any thing we can in the ship, though we are not 
 
 seamen. 
 
 Why, says he, were none of you ever at sea ia 
 
 your lives ? 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 178 THE LIFE OF 
 
 No, says we, not one of us. 
 
 You vv'ill be able to do me no service then, says 
 he, for you will be all sick : Well, however, says 
 he, for my good landlady's sake here, I'll do it ; 
 but are you all ready to go on board, for I go on 
 board this very night ? 
 
 Yes, sir, says we again, we are ready to go this 
 minute. 
 
 No, no, says he very kindly, we'll drink toge- 
 ther ; come, landlady, says he, make these honest 
 gentlemen a sneaker of punch. 
 
 We looked at one another, for we knew we had 
 no money, and he perceived it ; come, come, says 
 he, dont be concerned at your having no money ; 
 my landlady here and I never part with dry lips : 
 Come, good wife, says he, make the punch as I bid 
 you. 
 
 We thanked him, and said, God bless you, noble 
 captain, a hundred times over, being overjoyed 
 with such good luck. While we were drinking the 
 punch, he calls the landlady ; Come, says he, I'll 
 step home and take my things, and bid them good- 
 bye, and order the boat to come at high water and 
 take me up here ; and pray, good wife, says he, 
 get me something for supper ; sure, if I can give 
 these honest men their passage, I may give them 
 a bit of victuals too; it may be they han't had 
 much for dinner.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 179 
 
 With this away he went, and in a Httle while we 
 heard the Jack agoing, and one of us going down 
 stairs for a spy, brought us word there was a good 
 leg of mutton at the fire : In less than an hour 
 our captain came again, and came up to us, and 
 blamed us that we had not drank all the punch out ; 
 come, says he, don't be bashful, when that is out 
 we can have another ; when I am obliging poor 
 men, I love to do it handsomely. 
 
 We drank on, and drank the punch out, and 
 more was brought up, and he pushed it about 
 apace ; and then came up a leg of mutton, and I 
 need not say that we eat heartily, being told se- 
 veral times that we should pay nothing ; after sup- 
 per was done, he bids my landlady ask if the boat 
 was come ? And she brought word no, it was not 
 high water by a good deal; no, says he! Well 
 then give us some more punch; so more punch 
 was brought in, and, as was afterwards confessed, 
 something was put into it, or more brandy than 
 ordinary, that by that time the punch was drunk 
 out, we were all very drunk, and, as for me, I was 
 asleep. 
 
 About the time that was out, we were told the 
 boat was come ; so we tumbled out, almost over 
 one another, into the boat, and away we went, 
 and our captain with us in the boat. Most of us, 
 if not all, fell asleep, till after some time, though
 
 180 THE LIFE OF 
 
 how much or how far going we knew not, the boat 
 stopped, and we were waked, and told we were at 
 the ship's side, which was true ; and with much 
 help and holding us, for fear we should fall over 
 board, we were all gotten into the ship ; all I re- 
 member of it was this, that, as soon as we were on 
 board, our captain, as we called him, called out 
 thus ; Here, boatswain, take care of these gentle- 
 men, and give them good cabins, and let them turn 
 in and go to sleep, for they are very weary ; and 
 so indeed we were, and very drunk too, being the 
 first time I had ever drank any punch in my life.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 181 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 JVe are kidnapped, and carried on hoard ship hy 
 a Virginia captain — Make the coast of Virginia 
 in 32 days — Captain Jack makes his escape — A 
 peep intofuturity — lam sold along with the others 
 to a rich planter — My master holds a long con- 
 versation xvith me, and in consequence of my good 
 behaviour ptuts me in a place of trust, 
 
 W ELL, care was taken of us according to order, 
 and i^e were put into very good cabins, where we 
 were sure to go immediately to sleep. In the 
 mean time, the ship, which was indeed just ready 
 to go, and only on notice given had come to an 
 ^ichor for us at Shields,- weighed, stood over the 
 bar, and went off to sea ; and when we waked, 
 and began to peep abroad, which was not till near 
 noon the next day, we found ourselves a great way 
 at sea, the land in sight indeed, but at a great
 
 182 THE LIFE OF 
 
 distance, and all going merrily on for London, as 
 we understood it ; we were very well used, and 
 well satisfied with our condition for about three 
 days, when we began to enquire whether we were 
 not almost come, and how much longer it would 
 be before we should come into the river. Wliat 
 river ? says one of the men : Wliy, the Thames, 
 says my captain Jack ; the Thames ! says the sea- 
 man, Wliat do you mean by that ? What, han't 
 you had time enough to be sober yet ? so captain 
 Jack said no more, but looked about him like a 
 fool ; when a while after, some other of us asked 
 the like question, and the seaman, who knew no- 
 thing of the cheat, began to smell a trick ; and 
 turning to the other Englishman that came with 
 us, Pray says he, where do you fancy you are go- 
 ing, that you ask so often about it ? \Vliy to Lon- 
 don, says he, where should we be going? We 
 agi-eed with the captain to carry us to London. 
 
 Not with the captain, says he, I dare say ; poor 
 men, you are all cheated ; and I thought so when 
 I saw you come aboard with that kidnapping rogue 
 Gilliman ; poor men ! adds he, 3^ou are all betrayed; 
 Why, you are going to Virginia, and the ship is 
 bound to Virginia. 
 
 The Englishman falls a storming and raving like 
 a mad man, and we gathering round him, let any 
 man guess, if they can, what was our surprise, ^nd
 
 COLONEL JACK. 183 
 
 how we were confounded when we were told how 
 it was ; in short, we drew our swords, and began to 
 lay about us, and made such a noise and hurry in 
 the ship, that at last the seamen were obHged to 
 call out for help. The captain commanded us to 
 be disarmed in the first place, which was not, how- 
 ever, done without giving and receiving some 
 wounds, and afterwards he caused us to be brought 
 to him into the great cabin. 
 
 Here he talked calmly to us, that he was really 
 very sorry for what had befallen us ; that he per- 
 ceived we had been trepanned, and that the fellow 
 who had brought us on board was a rogue, that was 
 employed by a sort of wicked merchants not unlike 
 himself; that he supposed he had been represented 
 to us as captain of the ship, and asked us if it was 
 not so ? We told him yes, and gave him a large 
 account of ourselves, and how we came to the 
 woman's house to enquire for some master of a col- 
 lier to get a passage to London, and that this man 
 engaged to carry us to London in his own ship, 
 and the like, as is related above. 
 
 He told us he was very sorry for it, and he had 
 no hand in it ; but it was out of his power to help 
 us, and let us know very plainly what our condi- 
 tion was, namely, that we were put on board his 
 ship as servants to be delivered at Maryland to such 
 a man, whom he named to us ; but that, however, 
 if we would be quiet and orderly in the ship, he
 
 184- THE LIFE OF 
 
 would use us well in the passage, and take care we 
 should be used well when we came there, and that 
 he would do any thing for us that lay in his power ; 
 but if we were unruly and refractory, we could not 
 expect but he must take such measures as to oblige 
 us to be satisfied ; and that, in short, we must be 
 hand-cuffed, carried down between the decks and 
 kept as prisoners, for it was his business to take 
 care that no disturbance must be in the ship. 
 
 My captain raved like a mad-man, swore at the 
 captain, told him he would not fail to cut his throat 
 either on board, or a shore, whenever he came 
 within his reach ; and that if he could not do it now, 
 he would do it after he came to England again, if 
 ever he durst show his face there again ; for he 
 might depend upon it, if he was carried away to 
 Virginia, he should find his way to England again ; 
 that if it was twenty years afler, he would have 
 satisfaction of him : well young man, says the cap- 
 tain smiling, 'tis very honestly said, and then I 
 must take care of you while I have you here, and 
 afterwards I must take care of myself. Do your 
 worst, says Jack boldly, I'll pay you home for it 
 one time or other. I must venture that, young man, 
 says he, still calmly, but for the present you and I 
 must talk a little ; so he bids the boatswain, who 
 Stood near him, secure him, which he did ; I spokQ
 
 COLONEL JACK. 185 
 
 to him to be easy and patient, and that the captain 
 had no hand in our misfortune. 
 
 No hand in it ! d n him, said he aloud, do 
 
 you think he is not confederate in this villainy ? 
 would any honest man receive innocent people on 
 board his ship, and not enquire of their circum- 
 stances, but carry them away, and not speak to 
 them ? and now he knows how barbarously we are 
 treated, why does he not set us on shore again ; I 
 tell you he is a villain, and none but him , why 
 does he not compleat his villany and murder us, 
 and then he will be free from our revenge ? but 
 nothing else shall ever deliver him from my hands, 
 but sending us to the d — 1, or going thither him- 
 self; and I am honester in telling him so fairly, 
 than he h?s been to me, and am in no passion any 
 more than he is. 
 
 The captain was, I say, a little shocked at his 
 boldness, for he talked a great deal more of the 
 same kind, with a great deal of spirit and fire, and 
 yet without any disorder in his temper ; indeed I 
 was surprised at it, for I never had heard him talk 
 so well, and so much to the purpose in my life : 
 the captain was, I sa}^, a little shocked at it ; how- 
 ever, he talked very handsomely to him, and told 
 liim. Look ye, young man, I bear with you the 
 more, because I am sensible your case is very hard; 
 and yet I cannot allow your threatening me neither
 
 186 THE LIFE OF 
 
 and you oblige me by that to be severer with you 
 than I intended : however, I will do nothing to you, 
 but what your threatening my life makes necessary. 
 The boatswain called out to have him to the geers, 
 as they called it, and to have him taste the cat-a- 
 nine-tails ; all which were terms we did not under- 
 stand till afterwards, when we were told he should 
 have been whipped and pickled, for they said it 
 was not to be suffered ; but the captain said, No no, 
 the young man has been really injured, and has 
 reason to be very much provoked ; but I have not 
 injured him, says he ; and then he protested he. 
 had no hand in it, that he was put on board, and 
 we also, by the owners, agent, and for their ac- 
 count ; that it was true, that they did always deal 
 in servants, and carried a great many every voy- 
 age ; but that it was no profit to him as command- 
 er, but they were always put on board by the own- 
 ers, and that it was none of his business to enquire 
 about them ; and, to prove that he was not con- 
 cerned in it, but was very much troubled at so 
 base a thing, and that he would not be instrumen- 
 tal to carry us away against our wills, if the wind 
 and the weather would permit, he would set us on 
 shore again, though, as it blowed then, the wind 
 being at south west, and a hard gale, and that 
 they were already as far as the Orkneys, it was 
 impossible.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 187 
 
 But the captain was the same man ; he told him, 
 that let the wind blow how it would, he ought not 
 to carry us away against our consents ; and as to 
 his pretences of his owners and the like, it was 
 saying of nothing to him, for it was he, the cap- 
 tain, that carried us away, and that whatever 
 rogue trepanned us on board, (now he knew it) 
 lie ought no more to carry us away than murder us ; 
 and that he demanded to be set on shore, or else 
 he, the captain, was a thief and a murderer. 
 
 The captain continued mild still ; and then I put 
 in with an argument, that had like to have brought 
 us all back, if the weather had not really hindered 
 it ; which, when I came to understand sea affairs 
 better, I found was indeed so, and that it had 
 been impossible. I told the captain that I was 
 sorry that my brother was so warm, but that our 
 usage was villainous, which he could not deny : 
 then I took up the air of what my habit did not 
 agree with ; I told him, that we were not people 
 to be sold for slaves, that though wc had the mis- 
 fortune to be in a circumstance that obliged us to 
 conceal ourselves, having disguised ourselves to 
 get out of the army, as being not willing to go in- 
 to Flanders, yet that we were men of substance, 
 and able to discharge ourselves from the service 
 when it came to that; and, to convince him of 
 it, I told him I would give him sufficient security, to
 
 188 THE LIFE OF 
 
 pay 201. a piece for my brother and myself; and 
 in as short time as we could send from the place 
 he should put in to London, and receive a return ; 
 and, to show that I was able to do it, I pulled out 
 my bill for 9 ll. from the gentleman of the Custom- 
 house, and who, to my infinite satisfaction, he 
 knew as soon as he saw the bill. He was astonish- 
 ed at this, and, lifting up his hands. By what witch- 
 craft, says he, were you brought hither J 
 
 As to that, says I, we have told you the story, 
 and we add nothing to it ; but we insist upon it, 
 that 5^ou will do this justice to us now : Well, says 
 he, I am very sorry for it, but I cannot answer 
 putting back the ship; neither if I could, says he, 
 is it practicable to be done. 
 
 Wliile this discourse lasted, the two Scotchmen 
 and the other Englishman were silent ; but as I 
 seemed to acquiesce, the Scotchmen began to talk 
 to the same pui'pose, which I need not repeat, and 
 had not mentioned, but for a merry passage that 
 followed. After the Scotchmen had said all they 
 could, and the captain still told them they must 
 submit, — And will you then carry us to Virginia ? 
 Yes, says the captain ; and will we be sold, says 
 the Scotchman, when we come there ? Yes, says 
 the captain. Why then, sir, says the Scotchman, 
 the devil will have you at the hinder end of the 
 bargain ; say you so, says the captain smiling, well.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 189 
 
 well, let the devil and I alone to agree about that ; 
 do you be quiet, and behave civilly as you should 
 do, and you shall be used as kindly, both here and 
 there, too^ as I can: The poor Scotchmen could 
 say little to it^ nor I, nor any of us ; for we saw- 
 there was no remedy, but to leave the devil and 
 the captain to agree among themselves, as the cap- 
 tain had said, as to the honesty of it. 
 
 Thus, in shorty we were all, I say, obliged to ac- 
 quiesce, but my captain^ who was so much the 
 more obstinate when he found that I had a fund 
 to make such an offer upon, nor could all my per- 
 suasions prevail with him : The captain of the ship 
 and he had many pleasant dialogues about this in 
 the rest of the voyage, in which Jack never treated 
 him with any language, but that of kidnapper, and 
 villain, nor talked of any thing but of taking his 
 revenge t)f him ; but I omit that part, though very 
 diverting, as being no part of my own story. 
 
 In short, the wind continued to blow hard, 
 though very fair, till, as the seamen said, we were 
 past the Islands on the north of Scotland, and that 
 we began to steer away westerly, (which I came 
 to understand since) as there was no land any 
 way, for many hundred leagues, so we had no 
 remedy but patience, and to be easy as we could ; 
 only my suily Captain Jack continued the same 
 man all the way.
 
 190 THE LIFE OF 
 
 We had a very good voyage, no storms all the 
 way, and a northerly wind almost twenty days to- 
 gether ; so that, in a word, we made the capes of 
 Virginia in two and thirty days, from the day we 
 steered west, as I have said, which was in the lati- 
 tude of 60 degrees, 30 minutes, being to the north 
 of the Isle of Great-Britain ; and this they said was 
 a very quick passage. 
 
 Nothing material happened to me, during the 
 voyage ; and indeed, when I came there, I was 
 obliged to act in so narrow a compass, that nothing 
 very material could present itself. 
 
 When we came ashore, which was in a great ri- 
 ver, which they call Potomack, the captain asked 
 us, but me more particularly, whether I had any 
 thing to propose to him now ? Jack answered yes, 
 I have something to propose to you, captain ; that 
 is, that I have promised you to cut your throat, 
 and depend upon it I will be as good as my word. 
 Well, well, says the captain, if I can't help it, you 
 shall; so he turned away to me. I understood 
 him very well what he meant ; but I was now out 
 of the reach of any relief; and as for my note, it 
 was now but a bit of paper of no value, for no body 
 could receive it but myself. I saw no remedy, and 
 so talked coldly to him of it as of a thing I was in- 
 different about; and indeed I was grown indif- 
 ferent, for I considered all the way on the voyage.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 191 
 
 that as I was bred a vaga])ond, had been a pick- 
 pocket and a soldier, and was run from my colours, 
 and that I had no settled abode in the world, nor 
 any employ to get any thing by, except that wick- 
 ed one I was bred to, which had the gallows at the 
 heels of it. I did not see but that this service 
 might be as well to me as other business ; and this 
 I was particularly satisfied with, when they told 
 me, that after I had served out the five years ser- 
 vitude, I should have the courtesy of the country, 
 (as they called it) that is, a certain quantity of 
 land to cultivate and plant for myself. So that 
 now I was like to be brought up to something, by 
 which I might live, without that wretched thing 
 called stealing ; which my very soul abhorred, and 
 which I had given over, as I have said, ever since 
 that wicked time that I robbed the poor widow of 
 Kentish-Town. 
 
 In this mind I was when I arrived at Virginia; 
 and so, when the captain enquired of me what I 
 intended to do, and whether I had any thing to 
 propose, (that is to say, he meant whether I would 
 give him my bill, which he wanted to be fingering 
 very much;) I answered coldly, My bill would be 
 of no use to me now, for nobody would advance 
 any thing upon it ; only this I would say to him, 
 that, if he would carry me and Captain Jack back 
 to England, and to London again, I would pay
 
 192 THE LIFE OF 
 
 him the 201. off my bill for each of us. This he 
 had no mind to ; for as to your brother, says he, I 
 would not take him into my ship for twice 201. he 
 is such a hardened desperate villain, says he I 
 should be obliged to carry him in irons as I 
 brought him hither. 
 
 Thus we parted with our Captain, or kidnapper, 
 call him as you will. We were then delivered to 
 the merchants, to whom we were consigned, who 
 again disposed of us as they thought fit, and in a 
 few days we were separated. 
 ^, As for my Captain Jack, to make short of the 
 ^ story, that desperate rogue had the good luck to 
 J have a very easy good master, whose business and 
 good humour he abused very much ; and, in par- 
 ticular, took an opportunity to run away with a 
 boat, which his master entrusted him and another 
 with, to carry some provisions down the river to 
 another plantation, which he had there. This boat 
 and provisions they ran away with, and sailed north 
 to the bottom of the bay, (as they call it) and into 
 a river, called Susquehanna, and there, quitting 
 the boat, they wandered through the woods, till 
 they came into Pennsylvania, from whence they 
 made shift to get passage to New-England, and 
 from thence home ; where, falling in among his old 
 I companions, and to the old trade, he was at length 
 taken and hanged, about a month before I came 
 
 i^ 
 
 11
 
 COLONEL JACK. 193 
 
 to London, which was near twenty years after- 
 ward. 
 
 My part was harder at the beginning, though 
 better at the latter end ; I was disposed of, (that is 
 to say) sold, to a rich planter, whose name was 
 Smith, and, with me, the other Englishman, who 
 was my fellow- deserter, that Jack brought to me 
 when we went off from Dunbar. 
 
 We were now fellow-servants, and it was our 
 lot to be carried up a small river or creek, which 
 falls into Potomack river, about eight miles from 
 the great river. Here we were brought to the 
 plantation, and put in among about fifty servants, 
 as well negroes, as others ; and being delivered to 
 the head-man, or director, or manager of the plan- 
 tation, he took care to let us know that we must 
 expect to work, and very hard too ; for it was for 
 that purpose his master bought servants, and for 
 no other. I told him, very submissively, that since 
 it was our misfortune to come into such a misera- 
 ble condition as we were in, we expected no other ; 
 only we desired, we might be showed our business, 
 and be allowed to learn it gradually, since he 
 might be sure we had not been used to labour ; 
 and, I added, that when he knew particularly by 
 what methods we were brought, and betrayed into 
 such a condition, he would perhaps see cause, at 
 least to shew us that favour, if not more. This I 
 spoke with such a moving tone, as gave him curi- 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 194 THE LIFE OF 
 
 osity to enquire into the particulars of our story, 
 which I gave him at large, a little more to our 
 advantage too than ordinary. 
 
 This story, as I hoped it would, did move him to 
 a sort of tenderness ; but yet he told us, that his 
 master's business must be done, and that he expect- 
 ed we must work as above ; that he could not dis- 
 pense with that upon any account whatever. Ac- 
 cordingly to work we went ; and indeed we had 
 three hard things attending us ; namely, we work- 
 ed hard, lodged hard, and fared hard. The first 
 I had been an utter stranger to, the last I could 
 shift well enough with* 
 
 During this scene of life, I had time to reflect 
 on my past hours, and upon what I had done in 
 the world ; and though I had no great capacity of 
 i making a clear judgment, and very little reiiec- 
 ' tions from conscience, yet it made some impres- 
 sions upon me; and, particularly, that I was brought 
 into this miserable condition of a slave, by some 
 strange directing power, as a punishment for 
 the wickedness of my younger years; and this 
 thought was increased upon the following occasion : 
 the master, whose service I was now engaged in^ 
 was a man of substance and figure in the country, 
 and had abundance of servants, as well negroes 
 as Enghsh ; in all, I think, he had near two hun- 
 dred ; and among so many, as some grew every
 
 COLONEL JACK. 195 
 
 year infirm and unable to work, others went off up- 
 on their time being expired, and others died ; and 
 by these and other accidents the number would 
 diminish, if they were not often recruited and filled, 
 and this obliged him to buy more every year. 
 
 It happened while I was here, that a ship arri- 
 ved from London with several servants, and among 
 the rest was seventeen transported felons, some 
 burnt in the hand, others not ; eight of whom my 
 master bought for the time specified in the warrant 
 for their transportation respectively, some for a 
 longer, some a shorter term of years. 
 
 Our master was a great man in the country, 
 and a justice of peace, though he seldom came 
 down to the plantation where I was ; yet, as the 
 new servants were brought on shore, and delivered 
 at our plantation, his worship came thither, in a 
 kind of state, to see and receive them. When they 
 were brought before him, I was called, among 
 other servants, as a kind of guard, to take them 
 into custody, after he had seen them, and to carry 
 them to the work. They were brought by a guard 
 of seamen from the ship, and the second mate of 
 the ship came with them, and delivered them to 
 our master, with the warrant for their transpor- 
 tation, as above. 
 
 When his worship had read over the warrants, 
 he called them over by their names, one by one^
 
 196 THE LIFE OF 
 
 and having let them know, by his reading the war- 
 rants over again to each man respectively, that he 
 knew for what offences they were transported. He 
 talked to every one separately very gravely ; let 
 them know how much favour they had received in 
 being saved from the gallows, which the law had 
 appointed for their crimes ; that they were not sen- 
 tenced to be transported, but to be hanged, and 
 that transportation was granted them upon their 
 own request and humble petition. 
 
 Then he laid before them, that they ought to 
 look upon the life they were just agoing to enter 
 upon as just beginning the world again ; that if they 
 thought fit to be diligent and sober, they would 
 (after the time they were ordered to serve was ex- 
 pired) be encouraged by the constitution of the 
 country, to settle and plant for themselves ; and 
 that even he himself would be so kind to them, 
 that, if he lived to see any of them serve their time 
 faithfully out, it was his custom to assist his servants 
 in order to their settling in that country, accord- 
 ing as their behaviour might merit from him ; and 
 they would see and know several planters round 
 about them, who now were in very good circum- 
 stances, and who formerly were only his servants, 
 in the same condition with them, and came from 
 the same place, (that is to say) Newgate; and 
 some of them had the mark of it in their hands.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 197 
 
 but were now very honest men, and lived in very 
 good repute. 
 
 Among the rest of his new servants, he came to 
 a young fellow not above seventeen or eighteen 
 years of age, and Iiis warrant mentions, that he 
 was, though a young man, yet an old offender; 
 that he had been several times condemned, but 
 had been respited or pardoned, but still he con- 
 tinued an incorrigible pick-pocket ; that the crime, 
 for which he was now transported, was for picking a 
 a merchant's pocket-book, or letter-case, out of 
 his pocket, in which was bills of exchange for a 
 very great sum of money ; that he had afterwards 
 received the money upon some of the bills ; but 
 that going to a goldsmith in Lombard-street with 
 another bill, and having demanded the money, 
 he was stopped, notice having been given of the 
 loss of them ; that he was condemned to die for 
 the felony, and being so well known for an old 
 offender, had certainly died, but the merchant, 
 upon his earnest application, had obtained that he 
 should be transported, on condition that he resto- 
 red all the rest of his bills, which he had done ac- 
 cordingly. 
 
 Our master talked a long time to this young fel- 
 low ; mentioned, with some surprize, that he so 
 ) oung should have followed such a wicked trade 
 so long as to obtain the name of an old offender at
 
 198 THE LIFE OF 
 
 so young an age ; and that he should be stiled in- 
 corrigible, which is to signify, that, notwithstand- 
 ing his being whipt two or three times, and seve- 
 ral times punished by imprisonment, and once 
 burnt in the hand, yet nothing would do him any 
 good, but that he was still the same. He talked 
 mighty religiously to this boy, and told him, God 
 had not only spared him from the gallows, but had 
 now mercifully delivered him from the opportu- 
 nity of committing the same sin again, and put it 
 into his power to live an honest life, which perhaps 
 he knew not how to do before ; and though some 
 part of his life now might be laborious, yet he 
 ought to look on it to be no more than being put 
 out apprentice to an honest trade, in which, when 
 he came out of his time, he might be able to set 
 up for himself, and live honestly. 
 
 Then he told him, that while he was a servant, 
 he would have no opportunity to be dishonest, so 
 when he came to be for himself he would have no 
 temptation to it ; and so, after a great many other 
 kind things said to him, and the rest, they were 
 dismissed. 
 
 I was exceedingly moved at this discourse of 
 our master's, as any body would judge I must be, 
 when it was directed to such a young rogue, born 
 9. thief, and bred up a pick-pocket, like myself; for
 
 COLONEL JACK. 199 
 
 I thought all my master said was spoken to me, 
 and sometimes it came into my head, that sure my 
 master was some extraordinary man, and he knew 
 all things that ever 1 had done in my life. 
 
 But I was surprized to the last degree, when 
 my master, dismissing all the rest of us servants, 
 pointed at me, and speaking to his head clerk, 
 here, says he, bring that young fellow hither to 
 me. 
 
 I had been near a year in the work, and I had 
 plied it so well, that the clerk, or head man, either 
 flattered me, or did really believe, that I behaved 
 very well ; but I was terribly frighted to hear my- 
 self called out aloud, just as they used to call for 
 such as had done some misdemeanor, and were to 
 to be lashed, or otherwise corrected. 
 
 I came in like a malefactor indeed, and thought 
 I looked like one just taken in the fact, and carried 
 before the justice ; and indeed, when I came in, 
 for I was carried into an inner room, or parlour, in 
 the house to him ; his discourse to the rest was in 
 a large hall, where he sat in a seat like a lord-judge 
 upon the bench, or a petty king upon his throne. 
 
 When I came in, I say, he ordered his man to 
 withdraw, and I standing half naked, and bare- 
 headed, with my haugh, or hoe, in my hand, (the 
 posture and figure I was in at my work) near the 
 door, he bad me lay down my hoe, and come near- 
 er ; then he began to look a little less stern and
 
 200 THE LIFE OF 
 
 terrible than I fancied him to look before, or, per- 
 haps, both his countenance then and before might 
 be, to my imagination, differing from what they 
 really were ; for we do not always judge those things 
 by the real temper of the person, but by the mea- 
 sure of our apprehensions. 
 
 Hark ye, young man, how old are you ? says 
 my master, and so our dialogue began. 
 
 Jach. Indeed, sir, I do not know. 
 
 Mast, What is your name ? 
 
 Jack. They call me Colonel here, but my name 
 is Jack, an't please your worship. 
 
 Mast. But pr'ythee, what is thy name ? 
 
 Jaclc. Jack, 
 
 Mast. What is thy christian name then. Colonel, 
 and thy sirname. Jack ? 
 
 Jack. Truly, sir, to tell your honour the truth, 
 I know little or nothing of myself, nor what my 
 true name is ; but thus I have been called ever 
 since I remember ; which is my christian name, or 
 which my sirname, or whether I was ever christen- 
 ed or not, I cannot tell. 
 
 Mast. Well, however, that's honestly answered. 
 Pray how came you hither, and on what account 
 are you made a servant here ? 
 
 Jack. 1 wish your honour could have patience 
 with me to hear the whole story ; it is the hardest 
 and most unjust thing that ever came before you.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 201 
 
 Mast. Say you so ? tell it me at large then ; I'll 
 hear it, I promise that, if it be an hour long. 
 
 This encouraged me, and I began at my being 
 a soldier, and being persuaded to desert at Dunbar, 
 and gave him all the particulars, as they are rela- 
 ted above, to the time of my coming on shore, and 
 the Captain talking to me about my bill after I ar- 
 rived here. He held up his hands several times 
 as I went on, expressing his abhorrence of the us- 
 age I had met with at Newcastle, and enquired 
 the name of the master of the ship ; for, said he, 
 that Captain, for all his smooth words, must be a 
 rogue ; so I told him his name, and the name of 
 the ship, and he took it down in his book, and then 
 we went on. 
 
 Mast. But pray answer me honestly too, to ano- 
 ther question. What was it made you so much 
 concerned at my talking to the boy there, the 
 pick-pocket ? 
 
 Jack. An't please your honour, it moved me to 
 hear you talk so kindly to a poor slave. 
 
 Mast. And was that all, speak truly now ? 
 
 Jack. No, indeed, but a secret wish came into 
 my thoughts, that you that were so good to such 
 a creature as that, could but one way or other 
 know my case, and that if you did, you would cer- 
 tainly pity me, and do something for me. 
 
 Mast, Well, but was there nothing in his case
 
 202 THE LIFE OF 
 
 that hit with your own, that made you so affected 
 with it, for I saw tears come from your eyes, and 
 it was that made me call to speak to you. 
 
 Jack. Indeed, sir, I have been a wicked idle boy, 
 and was left desolate in the world ; but that boy is 
 a thief, and condemned to be hanged; I never was 
 before a court of justice in my life. 
 
 Mast, Well, I won't examine you too far; if 
 you were never before a court of justice, and are 
 not a criminal transported, I have nothing farther 
 to enquire of you. You have been ill used, that's 
 certain, and was it that that affected you ? 
 
 Jack. Yes indeed, please your honour : (we all 
 called him his honour, or his worship.) 
 
 Mast. Well, now I do know your case, what 
 can I do for you ? You speak of a bill of 911. of 
 which you would have given the Captain 4-01. for 
 your liberty, have you that bill in your keeping 
 still > 
 
 Jack. Yes, sir, here it is, (I pulled it out of the 
 waistband of my drawers, where I always found 
 means to preserve it, wrapped up in a piece of 
 paper, and pinned to the waistband, and yet al- 
 most worn out too with often pinning and remo- 
 ving, so I gave it to him to read, and he read it.) 
 
 Mast. And is this gentleman in being that gave 
 you the bill ? 
 
 Jack, Yes, sir, he was alive, and in good health,
 
 COLONEL JACK. 
 
 203 
 
 when I came from London, which you may see by 
 the date of the bill, for I came away the next day. 
 
 MasU I do not wonder that the Captain of the 
 ship was willing to get this bill of you, when you 
 came on shore here. 
 
 Jack. I would have given it into his possession, 
 if he would have carried me and my brother back 
 again to England, and have taken what he asked 
 for us out of it. 
 
 Mast, Ay, but he knew better than that too; 
 he knew, if he had any friends there, they would 
 call him to an account for what he had done ; but 
 I wonder he did not take it from you while you 
 were at sea, either by fraud or by force. 
 
 Jack, He did not attempt that indeed. 
 
 Mast, Well, young man, I have a mind to try 
 if I can do you any service in this case. On my 
 word, if the money can be paid, and you can get 
 it safe over, I might put you in a way how to be a 
 better man than your master, if you will be honest 
 and diligent. 
 
 Jack. As I behave myself in your service, sir, 
 you will, I hope, judge of the rest. 
 
 Mast. But perhaps you hanker after returning 
 to England. 
 
 Jack, No, indeed, sir, if I can but get my bread 
 honestly here, I have no mind to go to England ;
 
 204? THE LIFE OF 
 
 for I know not how to get my bread there ; if I had, 
 I had not Hsted for a soldier. 
 
 Mast. Well, but I must ask you some questions 
 about that part hereafter; for *tis indeed some- 
 thing strange that you should list for a soldier, 
 when you had 941. in your pocket. 
 
 Jack. I shall give your worship as particular ac- 
 count of that as I have of the other part of ray 
 life, if you please, but 'tis very long. 
 
 Mast. Well, we will have that another time ; 
 but to the case in hand, are you willing I should 
 send to any body at London, to talk with that gen- 
 tleman that gave you the bill ; not to take the mo- 
 ney of him, but to ask him only, whether he has 
 so much money of yours in his hands ? and whe- 
 ther he will part with it when you shall give order, 
 and send the bill, or a duplicate of it ; that is, says 
 he, the copy ; and it was well he did say so, for I 
 did not understand the word duplicate at all. 
 
 Jack Yes, sir, I will give you the bill itself, if 
 you please, I can trust it with you, though I could 
 not with him. 
 
 Mast. No, no, young man, I won't take it from 
 you. 
 
 JacL I wish your worship would please to keep 
 it for me, for, if I should lose it, then I am quite 
 undone. 
 
 Mast. I will keep it for you, Jack, if you will.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 205 
 
 but then you shall have a note under my V and, 
 signifying that I have it, and will return it you 
 upon demand, which will be as safe to you as the 
 bill ; I won't take it else. 
 
 So I gave my master the bill, and he gave me 
 his note for it ; and he was a faithful steward for 
 me, as you will hear in its place. After this con- 
 ference, I was dismissed, and went to my work, 
 but about two hours after, the steward, or the over- 
 seer of the plantation, came riding by, and coming 
 up to me, as I was at work, pulled a bottle out of 
 his pocket, and calling me to him, gave me a dram 
 of rum ; when, in good manners, I had taken but 
 a little sup, he held it out to me again, and bad 
 we take another, and spoke wonderous civilly to 
 me, quite otherwise than he used to do. 
 
 This encouraged me, and heartened me very 
 much, but yet I had no particular view of any 
 thing, or which way I should have any relief. 
 
 A day or two after, when we were all going 
 out to our work in the morning, the overseer call- 
 ed me to him again, and gave me a dram, and a 
 good piece of bread, and bade me come off from 
 my work about one o'clock, and come to him to 
 the house, for he must speak with me. 
 
 When I came to him, I came to be sure in the 
 ordinary habit of a poor half-naked slave. Come 
 hither, young man, says he, and give me your hoe.
 
 206 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 When I gave it him, Well, says he, you are to 
 work no more in this plantation. 
 
 I looked surprised, and as if I was frighted. 
 What have I done, sir, said I, and whither am I 
 to be sent away ? 
 
 Nay, nay, says he, and looked very pleasantly, 
 do not be frighted, 'tis for your good, *tis not to 
 hurt you; I am ordered to make an overseer of 
 you, and you shall be a slave no longer. 
 
 Alas ! says I to him, I an overseer ! I am in no 
 condition for it, I have no cloaths to put on, no 
 linen, nothing to help myself. 
 
 Well, well, says he, you may be better used 
 than you are aware of; come hither with me. So 
 he led me into a vast great warehouse, or rather 
 set of w arehouses, one within another, and calling 
 the warehouse-keeper. Here, says he, you must 
 clothe this man, and give him every thing neces- 
 sary, upon the foot of number five, and give the 
 bill to me ; our master has ordered me to allow it 
 in the accompt of the west plantation. That was, 
 it seems, the plantation where I was to go.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 20^ 
 
 CHAP. IXi 
 
 / stumble at the threshold of my netu office— ^I study 
 to render the negroes obedient tvithout punishment, 
 and succeed' -Our master visits the plantation — 
 Conversation tvith him — / gai?i his good graces 
 more and more — Fidelity of a negroe. 
 
 Accordingly, the warehouse-keeper carried mc 
 into an inner warehouse, where were several suits 
 of cloaths of the sort his orders mentioned ; which 
 Tvere plain, but good sorts of cloaths, ready made, 
 being of a good broad-cloth, about 11 s. a yard in 
 England, and with this he gave me three good 
 shirts, two pair of shoes, stockings and gloves, a 
 hat, six neckloths, and,, in short, every thing I could 
 want ; and when he had looked every thing out, 
 and fitted them, he lets me into a little room by 
 itself: Here, says he, go in there a slave, and 
 4Come out a gentleman ; and with that carried every
 
 208 THE LIFE OF 
 
 thing into the room, and, shutting the door, bid 
 me put them on, which I did most wilHngly ; and 
 now you may beheve, that I began to hope for 
 something better than ordinary. 
 
 In a little while after this, came the overseer, 
 and gave me joy of my new cloaths, and told me I 
 must go with him ; so I was carried to another plan- 
 tation, larger than that where I worked before, and 
 where there were two overseers, or clerks; one 
 within doors, and two without. This last was re- 
 moved to another plantation, and I was placed 
 there in his room ; that is to say, as the clerk with- 
 out doors, and my business was to look after the 
 servants and negroes, and take care that they did 
 their business, provide their food, and, in short, both 
 govern and direct them. 
 
 I was elevated to the highest degree in my 
 thoughts at this advancement, and it is impossible 
 for me to express the joy of my mind upon this 
 occasion ; but there came a difficulty upon me, that 
 shocked me so violently, and went so against my 
 very nature, that I really had almost forfeited my 
 place about it ; and in all appearance, the favour 
 of our master, who had been so generous to me ; 
 and this was, that when I entered upon my office, 
 I had a horse given me, and a long horse whip, 
 like what we call in England a hunting whip. The 
 horse was to ride up and down all over the planta- 
 
 11
 
 COLONEL JACK. 209 
 
 tion, to see the servants and negroes did their 
 work, and the plantation being so large, it could 
 not be done on foot, at least so often, and so effec- 
 tually, as was required; and the horses-whip was 
 given me to correct and lash the slaves and ser- 
 vants, when they proved negligent or quarrelsome, 
 or, in short, were guilty of any offence. This part 
 turned the very blood within my veins, and I could 
 not think of it with any temper, that I, who was 
 but yesterday a servant or slave like them, and un- 
 der the authority of the same lash, should lift up 
 my hand to the cruel work which was my terror 
 but the day before. This, I say, I could not do ; 
 insomuch that the negroes perceived it, and I had 
 soon so much contempt upon my authority, that 
 we were all in disorder. 
 
 The ingratitude of their return, for the compas- 
 sion I shewed them, provoked me, I confess, and a 
 little hardened my heart ; and I began with the ne- 
 groes, two of whom I was obliged to correct ; and 
 I thought I did it most cruelly ; but after I had 
 lashed them, till every blow I struck them hurt 
 tnyself, and I was ready to faint at the work, the 
 rogues laughed at me, and one of them had the 
 impudence to say, behind my back, that, if he had 
 the whipping of me, he would show me better how 
 to whip a negroe. 
 
 Well, however, I had no power to do it in such 
 a barbarous manner as I found it was necessary t© 
 
 VOL. I. o
 
 210 THE LIFE OF 
 
 have it done ; and the defect began to be a detri- 
 ment to our master's business, and now I began 
 indeed to see, that the cruelty so much talked of, 
 used in Virginia and Barbadoes, and other colonies, 
 in whipping the negroe slaves, was not so much 
 owing to the tyranny, and passion, and cruelty of 
 the English, as had been reported ; the English not 
 being accounted to be of a cruel disposition, and 
 really are not so ; but that it is owing to the bru- 
 tality and obstinate temper of the negroes, who can- 
 not be managed by kindness and courtesy, but must 
 be ruled with a rod of iron, beaten with scor- 
 pions, as the scripture calls it, and must be used 
 as they do use them, or they would rise and 
 murder all their masters, which, their numbers 
 considered, would not be hard for them to do, if 
 they had arms and ammunition suitable to the riage 
 and cruelty of their nature. 
 
 But I began to see at the same time, that this 
 brutal temper of the negroes was not rightly ma- 
 naged ; that they did not take the best course with 
 them to make them sensible, either of mercy or 
 punishment ; and it was evident to me that even 
 the worst of those tempers might be brought to a 
 compliance, without the lash, or at least without 
 so much of it as they generally inflicted. 
 
 Our master was really a man of humanity him- 
 self, and was sometimes so full of tenderness, that 
 he would forbid the severities of his overseers and
 
 COLONEL JACK. 211 
 
 stewards ; but he saw the necessity of it, and was 
 obliged at last to leave it to the discretion of his 
 upper servants ; yet he would often bid them be 
 mercifiil, and bid them consider the difference of 
 the constitution of the bodies of the negroes ; some 
 being less able to bear the tortures of their punish- 
 ment than others, and some of them less obstinate 
 too than others. 
 
 However some body was so officious as to in- 
 form him against me upon this occasion ; and let 
 him know, that I neglected his affairs, and that 
 the servants were under no government ; by which 
 means his plantation was not duly managed, and 
 that all things were in disorder. 
 
 This was a heavy charge for a young overseer, 
 and his honour came like a judge, with all his at- 
 tendants, to look into things, and hear the cause. 
 However, he was so just to me, as that, before 
 he censured me, he resolved to hear me fully, and 
 that not only publicly but in private too ^ and the 
 last part of this was my particular good fortune ; 
 for as he had formerly allowed me to speak to him 
 with freedom, so I had the like freedom now, and 
 had full liberty to explain and defend myself. 
 
 I knew nothing of the complaint against me, till 
 I had it from his own mouth ; nor any thing of his 
 coming till I saw him in the very plantation, view- 
 ing his work, and viewing the several pieces of
 
 212 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ground that were ordered to be new planted ; and 
 after he had rode all round, and seen things in 
 the condition which they were to be seen in ; how 
 every thing was in its due order, and the servants 
 and negroes were all at work, and every thing* 
 appearing to his mind, he went into the house. 
 
 As I saw him come up the walks, I ran towards 
 him, and made my homage, and gave him my 
 humble thanks for the goodness he had shewed me, 
 in taking me from the miserable condition I was in 
 before, and employing and entrusting me in his 
 business ; and he looked pleasant enough, though 
 he did not say much at first, and I attended him 
 through the whole plantation, gave him an account 
 of every thing as he went along, answered all his 
 objections and enquiries, every where in such a 
 manner, as it seems, he did not expect, and, as 
 he acknowledged afterward, every thing was very 
 much to his satisfaction. 
 
 There was an overseer, as I observed, belong- 
 ing to the same plantation, who was, though not 
 over me, yet in a work superior to mine ; for his 
 business was to see the tobacco packed up, and 
 deliver it either on board the sloops, or otherwise, 
 as our master ordered, and to receive English 
 goods from the grand warehouse, which was at the 
 other plantation, because that was nearest the 
 water-side ; and, in short, to keep the accompts.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 213^ 
 
 This overseer, an honest and upright man, made 
 no complaint to him of his business being neglect- 
 ed, as above, or of any thing like it, though he 
 enquired of him about it, and that very strictly too. 
 
 1 should have said, that as he rid over the plan- 
 tation, he came in his round to the place where 
 the servants were usually corrected, when they had 
 done any fault ; and there stood two negroes, with 
 their hands tied behind them, as it were mider 
 sentence ; and when he came near them, they fell 
 on their knees, and made pitiful signs to him for 
 mercy.— Alas ! alas ! says he, turning to me, why 
 did you bring me this way ^ I do not love such 
 sights, what must I do now ^ I must pardon them ; 
 prithee, what have they done ? I told him the par- 
 ticular oftences which they were brought to the 
 place for; one had stole a bottle of rum, and had 
 made himself drunk with it, and when he was 
 drunk, had done a great many mad things, and had 
 attempted to knock one of the white servants* 
 brains out with a hand-spike ; but that the white 
 man had avoided the blow, and, striking up the 
 negroe's heels, had seized him, and brought him 
 prisoner thither, where he had lain all night ; and 
 that I had told him he was to be whipped that day, 
 and the next three days, twice every day. 
 
 And could you be so cruel > (says his honour,) 
 why you would kill the poor wretch ; and so, beside
 
 214 THE LIFE OF 
 
 the blood which you would have to answer for, 
 you would lose me a lusty man negroe, which cost 
 me at least SOl. or 401. and bring a reproach upon 
 my whole plantation; nay, and more than that, some 
 of them in revenge would murder me, if ever it 
 was in their power. 
 
 Sir, says I, if those fellows are not kept under 
 by violence, I believe you are satisfied, nothing is 
 to be done with them ; and it is reported, in your 
 works, that I have been rather their jest than their 
 terror, for want of using them as they deserve ; 
 and I was resolved, how much soever it is against 
 my own disposition, that your service should not 
 suffer for my unseasonable forbearance ; and there- 
 fore, if I had scourged him to death— Hold, says 
 he, no, no, by no means, any such severity in my 
 bounds ; remember, young man, you were once a 
 servant, deal as you would acknowledge it would 
 be just to deal with you in his case, and mingle al- 
 ways some mercy ; I desire it, and let the conse- 
 quence of being too gentle be placed to my ac- 
 count. 
 
 This was as much as I could desire, and the 
 more, because what passed was in pubhc, and se- 
 veral, both negroes and white servants, as well as 
 the particular persons who had accused me, heard 
 it all, though I did not know it. — A cruel dog of 
 ^ overseer, says one of the white servants behind,
 
 COLONEL JACK. 215 
 
 he would have whipped poor bullet-head (so they 
 called the negroe that was to be punished) to 
 death, if his honour had not happened to come to- 
 day. 
 
 However, I urged the notorious crime this fel- 
 low was guilty of, and the danger there was in such 
 forbearance, from the refractory and incorrigible 
 temper of the negroes, and pressed a little the ne- 
 cessity of making examples ; but he said. Well, 
 well, do it the next time, but not now ; so I said no 
 more. 
 
 The other fellow's crime was trifling compared 
 with this ; and the master went forward, talking of 
 it to me, and I following him, till we came to the 
 house ; when, after he had been sat down a while, 
 he called me to liim ; and, not suffering my ac- 
 cusers to come near, till he had heard my defence, 
 he began with me thus. 
 
 Mast, Hark ye, young man, I must have some 
 discourse with you. — Your conduct is complained 
 of since I set you over this plantation ; I thought 
 your sense of the obligation I had laid on you, 
 would have secured your diligence and faithfulness 
 to me. 
 
 Jack, I am very sorry any complaint should be 
 made of me, because the obligation I am under to 
 your honour, (and which I freely confess) does 
 bind n^e to your interest in the strongest manner
 
 216 THE LIFE OF 
 
 imaginable ; and, however I may have mistaken 
 my business, I am sure 1 have not willingly neglect- 
 ed it. 
 
 Mast. Well, I shall not condemn you without 
 hearing you, and therefore I called you in now to 
 tell you of it. 
 
 Jack, I humbly thank your honour ; I have 
 but one petition more, and, that is, that I may 
 know my accusation ; and, if you please, my accu- 
 sers. 
 
 Mast, The first you shall, and that is the reason 
 of my talking to you in private ; and if there is 
 any need of a farther hearing, you shall know your 
 accusers too. What you are charged with, is just 
 contrary to what appeared to me just now, and 
 therefore you and I must come to a new under- 
 standing about it, for I thought I was too cunning 
 for you, and now I think you have been too cun- 
 ning for me. 
 
 Jack, I hope your honour will not be offended, 
 that I do not fully understand you. 
 
 Mast, I believe you do not ; come, tell me honest- 
 ly, did you really intend to whip the poor negroe 
 twice a day for four days together, that is to say, to 
 whip him to death, for that would have been the 
 English of it, and the end of it. 
 
 Jack. If I may be permitted to guess, sir, Ibelieve 
 I know the charge that is brought against me ; and
 
 COLONEL JACK. 21^ 
 
 that your honour has been told, that I have been 
 too gentle with the negroes, as well as with other 
 servants ; and that when they deserved to be used 
 with the accustomed severity of the country, I 
 have not given them half enough ; and that by 
 this means they are careless of your business, and 
 that your plantation is not well looked after, and 
 the like. 
 
 Mast, Well, you guess right ; go on. 
 
 Jack. The first part of the charge I confess, but 
 the last I deny ; and appeal to your honour's strict- 
 est examination into every part of it. 
 
 Mast. If the last part could be true, I would be 
 glad the first were ; for it would be an infinite 
 satisfaction to me, that, my business not being ne- 
 glected, nor our safety endangered, those poor 
 wretches could be used with more humanity ; for 
 cruelty is the aversion of my nature, and it is the 
 only uncomfortable thing that attends me in all 
 my prosperity. 
 
 Jack. I freely acknowledge, sir, that at first it 
 was impossible for me to bring myself to that ter- 
 rible work. How could I, that was but just come 
 out of the terror of it myself, and had but the day 
 before been a poor naked miserable servant myself, 
 and might be to morrow reduced to the same con- 
 dition again ; how could I use this (shewing a horse
 
 218 THE LIFE OF 
 
 whip) terrible weapon on the naked flesh of my 
 fellow-servants, as well as fellow-creatures ? At 
 least, sir, when my duty made it absolutely neces* 
 sary, I could not do it without the utmost horror. 
 I beseech you pardon me, if I have such a tender- 
 ness in my nature, that though I might be fit to 
 be your servant, I am incapable of being an excr 
 cutioner, having been an offender myself. 
 
 Mast, Well, but how then can my business be 
 done ? and how will this terrible obstinacy of the 
 negroes, who, they tell me, can be no otherwise 
 governed, be kept from neglect of their work, or 
 even insolence and rebellion ? 
 
 Jack, This brings me, sir, to the latter part of 
 my defence ; and here, I hope your honour will be 
 pleased to call my accusers, or that you will give 
 yourself the trouble of taking the exactest view of 
 your plantation, and see, or let them shew you, if 
 any thing is neglected, if your business has suffer- 
 ed in any thing, or if your negroes or other ser- 
 vants are under less government than they were 
 before ; and if, on the contrary, I have found out 
 that happy secret, to have good order kept, the 
 business of the plantation done, and that with dili- 
 gence and dispatch, and that the negroes are kept 
 in awe, the natural temper of them subjected, and 
 the safety and peace of jqwx family secured, as
 
 COLONEL JACK. 219 
 
 well by gentle means as by rough, by moderate 
 correction as by torture and barbarity, by a due 
 awe of just discipline, as by the horror of unsufFer- 
 able torments, I hope your honour will not lay that 
 sin to my charge. 
 
 Mast. No, indeed, you would be the most accept- 
 able manager that ever I employed ; but how then 
 does this consist with the cruel sentence you had 
 passed on the poor fellow that is in your condemn- 
 ed hole yonder, who was to be whipped eight times 
 in four days, 
 
 JacJc, Very well, sir ; first, sir, he remains under 
 the terrible apprehensions of a punishment, so se- 
 vere as no negroe ever had before; this fellow, 
 with your leave, I intended to release to-morrow, 
 without any whipping at all, after talking to him in 
 my way about his offence, and raising in his mind 
 a sense of the value of pardon ; and if this makes 
 him a better servant than the severest whipping 
 will do, then, I presume, you would allow I have 
 gained a point. 
 
 Mast, Ay, but what if it should not be so ? for 
 these fellows have no sense of gratitude. 
 
 Jack, That is, sir, because they are never par- 
 doned ; if they offend, they never know what mer- 
 cy is, and what then have they to be grateful for ? 
 
 Mast. Thou art in the right indeed ; where there
 
 220 THE LIFE OF 
 
 is no mercy shewed, there is no obligation laid up- 
 on them. 
 
 Jack. Besides, sir, if they have at any time been 
 let go, which is very seldom, they ai-e not told 
 what the case is; they take no pains with them 
 to imprint principles of gratitude on their minds, 
 to tell them what kindness is she\m them, and 
 what they are indebted for it, and what they might 
 gain in the end by it. 
 
 Mast, But do you think such usage would do ? 
 Would it make any impression ? You persuade 
 yourself it would, but you see 'tis against the re- 
 ceived notion of the whole country. 
 
 Jack, There are, it may be, public and nation- 
 al mistakes and errors in conduct, and this is one. 
 
 Mast, Have you tried it ? You cannot say it is 
 a mistake till you have tried and proved it to 
 be so. 
 
 Jack. Your whole plantation is a proof of it. 
 This very fellow had never acted as he did, if he 
 had not gotten rum in his head, and been out of 
 the government of himself; so that indeed all the 
 offence I ought to have punished him for had been 
 that of stealing a bottle of rum, and drinking it all 
 up ; in which case, like Noah, he did not know the 
 strength of it, and when he had it in his head, he 
 was a madman, he was as one raging and distract-
 
 COLONEL JACK, 221 
 
 ed ; so that, for all the rest, he deserved pity rather 
 than punishment. 
 
 Mast. Thou art right, certainly right, and thou 
 wilt be a rare fellow if thou canst bring these 
 notions into practice : I wish you had tried it upon 
 any one particular negroe, that I might see an 
 example ; I would give 5001. it could be brought to 
 bear. 
 
 JacL I desire nothing, sir, but your favour, and 
 the advantage of obliging you ; I will show you an 
 example of it, among your own negroes, and all 
 the plantation will acknowledge it. 
 
 Mast. You make my very heart glad within me. 
 Jack ; if you can bring this to pass, I here give you 
 my word, I'll not only give you your own freedom, 
 but make a man of you for this world as long as 
 you live. 
 
 Upon this I bowetl to him very respectfully, and 
 told him the following story. There is a negroe, 
 sir, in your plantation, who has been your servant 
 several years before I came ; he did a fault that 
 was of no great consequence in itself, but perhaps 
 would have been woi'se, if they had indeed gone 
 farther, and I had him brought into the usual place, 
 and tied him by the thumbs for correction, and he 
 was told that he should be whipped and pickled in 
 a dreadful manner. After I had made proper im» 
 pressions on his mind, of tlie terror of his punish-
 
 222 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ment, and found that he was sufficiently humbled 
 by it, I went into the house, and caused him to be 
 brought out, just as they do when they go to cor- 
 rect the negroes on such occasions ; when he was 
 stripped and tied up, he had two lashes given him, 
 that were indeed very cruel ones, and I called to 
 them to hold ; Hold, said I, to the two men that 
 had just began to lay on upon the poor fellow, hold, 
 said I, let me talk with him* 
 
 So he was taken down ; then I began, and repre- 
 sented to him how kind you, that were his * great 
 master, had been to him ; that you had never done 
 him any harm, that you had used him gently, and 
 he had never been brought to this punishment in 
 so many years, though he had done some faults 
 before ; that this was a notorious offence, for he 
 had stolen some rum, and made himself and two 
 other negroes drunk-mad, f and had abused two 
 women negroes, who had husbands in our master's 
 service, but in another plantation ; and played se- 
 
 • So the negroes call the owner of the plantation, or at 
 least so they called him, because he was a great man in the 
 country, having three or four large plantations. 
 
 t To be drunk in a negroe, is to be mad ; for when they 
 get rnra they are worse than raving, and fit to do any man- 
 ner of mischief.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 223 
 
 veral pranks, and for this I had appointed him this 
 punishment. 
 
 He shook his head, and made signs that he was 
 muchee sorree, as he called it. And what will you 
 say or do, said I, if I should prevail with the great 
 master to pardon you ? I have a mind to go and 
 see if I can beg for you. He told me he would lie 
 down, let me kill him ; me will, says he, run, go, 
 fetch, bring for you as long as me live. This was 
 the opportunity I had a mind to have, to try whe- 
 ther, as negroes have all the other faculties of rea- 
 sonable creatures, they had not also some sense of 
 kindness, some principles of natural generosity, 
 which, in short, is the foundation of gratitude ; for 
 gratitude is the product of generous principles. 
 
 You please me with the beginning of this story, 
 says he, I hope you have carried it on. 
 
 Yes, sir, says Ij it has been carried on farther 
 perhaps than you imagine, or will think has been 
 possible in such a case. 
 
 But I was not so arrogant as to assume the me- 
 rit to myself: No, no, said I, I do not ask you to 
 go or run for me, you must do all that for our 
 great master, for it will be from him entirely that 
 you will be pardoned, if you are pardoned at all, 
 for your offence is against him ; and what will you 
 say, will you be grateful to him, and run, go, fetch, 
 bring, for him as long as you live, as you have said 
 you w ould for me ?
 
 224i THE LIFE OF 
 
 Yes indeed, says he, and muchec do, muchee 
 do, for you too (he would not leave me out) you 
 ask him for me. 
 
 Well, I put off all his promised gratitude to me 
 from myself, as was my duty, and placed it to your 
 account ; told him I knew you was muchee good, 
 muchee pitiful, and I would persuade you if I 
 could ; and so told him I would go to you, and he 
 should be whipped no more till I came again ; but, 
 liark ye, Mouchat, says I, (that was the negroe's 
 name, ) they tell me, when I came hither, that there 
 is no showing kindness to any of you negroes; 
 that when we spare you from whipping, you laugh 
 at us, and are the worse. 
 
 He looked very serious at me, and said, O, that 
 no so ; the masters say so, but no be so, no be so, 
 indeede, indeede, and so we parlied. 
 
 Jack, Why do they say so then ? To be sure 
 they have tried you all. 
 
 Negroe. No, no, they no try, they say so, but 
 no try. 
 
 Jack. I hear them all say so. 
 
 Negroe. Me tell you the true ; they have no mer- 
 cie, they beat us cruel, all cruel, they never have 
 show mercie. How can they tell we be no better ? 
 
 Jack. What, do they never spare ? 
 
 Negroe. Master, me speakee the true ; they 
 tiever give mercie, they always whippee, lashce, 
 
 11
 
 COLONEL JACK. 225 
 
 knockee down, all cruel : negroe be muchee bet- 
 ter man, do muchee better work, but they tell us 
 no mercie. 
 
 Jach. But, what, do they never show any mercy ? 
 
 Negroe. No, never, no never, all whippee, all 
 whippee, cruel, worse than they whippee de horse, 
 whippee de dog. 
 
 Jack, But would they be better if they did I 
 
 Negroe. Yes, yes, negroe be muchee better if 
 they be mercie ; when they be whippee, whippee, 
 negroe muchee cry, muchee hate, would kill if they 
 had de gun ; but when they makee de mercie, then 
 negroe tell de great tankee, and love to worke, 
 and do muchee worke ; and because be good mas- 
 ter to them. 
 
 Jack They say no, you would laugh at them 
 and mock when they shew mercy. 
 
 Negroe. How ! they say when they shew mer- 
 cie, they never shew mercie, me never see them 
 shew one mercie since me live. 
 
 Now, sir, said I, if this be so, really they go, I 
 dare say, contrary to your inclination ; for I see 
 you are but too full of pity for the miserable ; I 
 saw it in my own case ; and upon a presumption, 
 that you had rather have your work done from a 
 principle of love, than fear, without making your 
 servants bleed for every trifle, if it were possible ; 
 
 VOL. I. p
 
 226 THE LIFE OF 
 
 I say, upon this presumption, I dealt with this 
 Mouchat as you shall hear. 
 
 Mast. I have never met with any thing of this 
 kind since I have been a planter, which is now- 
 above 40 years ; I am delighted with the story ; go 
 on, I expect a pleasant conclusion. 
 
 Jack. The conclusion, sir, will be, I believe, as 
 much to your satisfaction as the beginning ; for 
 it every way answered my expectation, and will 
 yours also ; and shew you how you might be faith- 
 fully served if you pleased, for 'tis certain you are 
 not so served now. 
 
 Mast. No, indeed ; they serve me but just as 
 they do the devil, for fear I should hurt them ; but 
 'tis contrary to an ingenuous spirit to delight in 
 such service ; I abhor it, if I could but know how 
 to get any other. 
 
 Jack. It is easy, sir, to shew you, that you may 
 be served upon better principles, and consequent- 
 ly be better served, and more to your satisfaction ; 
 and I dare undertake to convince you of it. 
 
 Mast. Well, go on with the story. 
 
 Jack. After I had talked thus to him, I said. 
 Well, Mouchat, I shall see how you will be after- 
 ward, if I can get our great master to be merciful 
 to you at this time. 
 
 Negroe. Yes, you shall see, you muchee sec, 
 muchee see. 
 
 U
 
 COLONEL JACK. 227 
 
 Upon this, I called for my horse, and went from 
 him^ and made, as if I rode away to you, who, they 
 told me, was in the next plantation, and having 
 staid four or five hours, I came back and talked to 
 him again ; told him that I had waited on you, 
 and that you had heard of his offence, was highly 
 provoked, and had resolved to cause him to be 
 severely punished for an example to all the negroes 
 in the plantation ; but that I had told you how 
 penitent he was, and how good he would be if you 
 would pardon him ; and had at last prevailed on 
 you : That you had told me what all people said 
 of the negroes ; how, that to shew them mercy, 
 was to make them think you were never in earnest 
 with tliem, and that you did but trifle and play with 
 them : However, that I had told you what he had 
 said of himself, and that it was not true of the ne- 
 groes, and that the white men said it, but that they 
 could not know, because they did never shew any 
 mercy ; and therefore had never tried : That I had 
 persuaded you to shew mercy, to try whether kind- 
 ness would prevail as much as cruelty ; and now, 
 Mouchat, said I, you will be let go ; pray let our 
 great master see that I have said true ; so I ordered 
 him to be untied, gave him a dram of rum out of my 
 pocket bottle, and ordered them to give him some 
 victuals. 
 
 When the fellow was let loose, he came to me, 
 and kneeled down to me, and took hold of my legs
 
 ^28 THE LIFE OF 
 
 and of my feet, and laid his head upon the ground, 
 and sobbed and cried Hke a child that had been 
 corrected, but could not speak for his life ; and 
 thus he continued a long time : I would have taken 
 him up, but he would not rise ; but I cried as fast 
 as he, for I could not bear to see a poor wretch 
 lie on the ground to me, that was but a servant 
 the other day like himself; at last, but not till a 
 quarter of an hour, I made him get up, and then 
 he spoke. Me muchee know good great master, 
 muchee good you master : No negroe unthankful, 
 me die for them, do me so muchee kind. 
 
 I dismissed him then, and bid him go to his 
 wife, (for he was married,) and not work that after- 
 noon ; but, as he was going away, I called him 
 again, and talked thus to him. 
 
 Now, Mouchat, says I, you see the white men 
 can shew mercy : Now you must tell all the negroes 
 what has been reported of them, that they regard 
 nothing but the whip ; that if they are used gently 
 they are the worse, not the better ; and that this 
 is the reason why the white men shew them no 
 mercy ; and convince them, that they would be 
 much better treated, and used kindlier, if they 
 would shew themselves as grateful for kind usage, 
 as humble after torment ; and see if you can work 
 on them. 
 
 Me go, me go, says he, me muchee talk to
 
 COLONEL JACK, 229 
 
 them ; they be muchee glad as me be, and do great 
 work, to be used kind by de great master. 
 
 Mast. Well, but now what testimony have you 
 of this gratitude you speak of? Have you seen any 
 alteration among them ? 
 
 Jack. I come next to that part, sir. About a 
 month after this, 1 caused a report to be spread 
 abroad in the plantation, that I had offended you, 
 the great master, and that I was turned out of the 
 plantation, and was to be hanged ; your honour 
 knows that some time ago, you sent me upon your 
 particular business into Potuxent river, where I 
 was absent 12 days, then I took the opportunity 
 to have this report spread about among the ne- 
 groes, to see how it would work. 
 
 Mast. What ? to see how Mouchat would take 
 it? 
 
 Jack. Yes, sir, and it made a discovery indeed; 
 the poor fellow did not believe it presently, but 
 finding I was still absent, he went to the head 
 clerk, and standing at his door, said nothing, but 
 looked like a fool of ten years old ; after some 
 time, the upper overseer came out, and, seeing 
 him stand there, at first said nothing, supposing he 
 had been sent of some errand ; but observing him 
 to stand stock still, and that he was in the same 
 posture and place, during the time that he had 
 passed and repassed two or three times, he stops 
 short the last time of his coming by, what do you
 
 230 THE LIFE OF 
 
 want, says he to him, that you stand idle here so 
 long ? 
 
 Me speakee, me tell something, says he. 
 
 Then the overseer thought some discovery was 
 at hand, and began to listen to him ; what would 
 )'ou tell me, says he ? 
 
 Me tell ? pray, says he, where be de other mas- 
 ter ? 
 
 He meant, he would ask where he was ; what 
 other master do you mean, says the clerk ? what, 
 do you want to speak with the great master ? He 
 can't be spoke by you ; pray what is your business, 
 cannot you tell it to me ? 
 
 No, no, me no speakee, the great master, the 
 other master, says Mouchat. 
 
 What, the colonel, says the clerk ? 
 
 Yes, yes, the colonel, says he. 
 
 Why don't you know that he is to be hanged 
 to-morrow, says the clerk, for making the great 
 master angry. 
 
 Yes, yes, says Mouchat, me know, me know, 
 but me want speak, me tell something. 
 
 Well, what would you say, says the clerk ? 
 
 O ! me no let him makee de great master angry ; 
 with that he kneeled down to the clerk. 
 
 Wliat ails you; says the clerk, I tell you he 
 must be hanged. 
 
 No, no, says he, no hang de master, me kneel 
 for him to great master.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 231 
 
 You kneel for him ! says the clerk, what, do 
 you think the great master will mind you ? He 
 has made the great master angry, and must be 
 hanged, I tell you ; what signifies your begging. 
 
 Negroe, O ! me pray, me pray the great master 
 for him. 
 
 Clerk. Why, what ails you, that you would pray 
 for him ? 
 
 Negroe. O ! he beggee the great master for me, 
 now me beggee for him ; the great master muchee 
 good, muchee good, he pardon me when the other 
 master beggee me ; now he pardon him, when me 
 beggee for him again. 
 
 Clerk, No, no, your begging won't do ; will you 
 be hanged for him ? if you do that, something 
 may be. 
 
 Negroe. Yes, yes, me be hang for de poor 
 master that beggee for me ; Mouchat shall hang, 
 the great master shall hangee me, whippee me, 
 any thing to save the poor master that beggee 
 me, yes, yes, indeed. 
 
 Clerk. Are you in earnest, Mouchat ? 
 
 Negroe. Yes indeed, me tellee de true, the 
 great master shall know me tellee de true, for he 
 shall see the white man hangee me Mouchat ; poor 
 negroe Mouchat will be hangee, be whippee, any 
 thing for the poor master that beggee for me. 
 
 With this the poor fellow cried most pitifully, 
 and there was no room to question his being in
 
 232 THE LIFE OF 
 
 earnest ; when on a sudden I appeared, for I was 
 fetched to see all this transaction : I was not in 
 the house at first, but was just come home from the 
 business you sent me of, and heard it al], and in- 
 deed neither the clerk nor I could bear it any 
 longer ; so he came out to me ; go to him, says he, 
 you have made an example that will never be for- 
 got, that a negroe can be grateful ; go to him, 
 adds he, for I can talk to him no longer ; so I ap- 
 peared, and spoke to him presently, and let him 
 see that I was at liberty; but to hear how the 
 poor fellow behaved, your honour cannot but be 
 pleased. 
 
 Master. Prithee go on, I am pleased with it all ; 
 'tis all a new scene of negroe life to me, and very 
 moving. 
 
 Jack, For a good while he stood as if he had been 
 thunder-struck and stupid ; but, looking steadily at 
 me, though not speaking a word, at last he mutters, 
 to himself, with a kind of a laugh. Ay, ay, says he, 
 Mouchat see, Mouchat no see, me wakee, me no 
 wakee; nohangee, no hangee, he live truly, very live; 
 and then on a sudden he runs to me, snatches me 
 away as if I had been a boy of ten years old, and 
 takes me up upon his back, and runs away with me, 
 till I was fain to cry out to him to stop ; then he 
 sets me down, and looks at me again, then falls a 
 dancing about me, as if he had been bewitched,
 
 COLONEL JACK. 23S 
 
 just as you have seen them do about their wives 
 and children when they are merry. 
 
 Well, then he began to talk with me, and told 
 me what they had said to him, how I was to be 
 hanged; well, says I, Mouchat, and would you 
 have been satisfied to be hanged to save me ? Yes, 
 yes, says he, be truly hangee, to beggee you. 
 
 But why do you love me so well, Mouchat? 
 said I. 
 
 Did you no beggee me, he says, at the great 
 master ? you savee me, make great master muchee 
 good, muchee kind, no whippee me ; me no for- 
 get ; me be whipped, be hanged, that you no be 
 hanged, me die, that you no die, me no let any 
 bad be with you, all while that me live. 
 
 Now, sir, your honour may judge, whether 
 kindness, well managed, would not oblige these 
 people as well as cruelty ; and whether there are 
 principles of gratitude in them or no ? 
 
 Master, But what then can be the reason that 
 we never believed it to be so before ? 
 
 Jack, Truly, sir, I fear that Mouchat gave the 
 true reason. 
 
 Master. What was that pray ? that we were too 
 cruel ? 
 
 JacJc. That they never had any mercy shewed 
 them ; that they never tried them whether they 
 would be grateful or no ; that if they did a fault.
 
 234? THE LIFE OF 
 
 they were never spared, but punished with the ut 
 most cruelty ; so that they had no passion, no 
 affection to act upon, but that of fear, which ne- 
 cessarily brought hatred with it ; but that if they 
 were used with compassion, they would serve with 
 \ affection as well as other servants : nature is the 
 t same, and reason governs in just proportions in all 
 1 creatures ; but having never been let taste what 
 •mercy is, they know not how to act from a prin- 
 ciple of love. 
 
 Master. I am convinced it is so ; but now, pray 
 tell me, how did you put this in practice with the 
 poor negroes now in bonds yonder, when you 
 passed such a cruel sentence upon them, that they 
 should be whipped twice a day, for four days to- 
 gether ; was that shewing mercy ? 
 
 Jack, My method was just the same ; and if you 
 
 please to enquire of Mr , your other servant, 
 
 you will be satisfied that it was so ; for we agreed 
 upon the same measures as I took with Mouchat ; 
 namely, first to put them into the utmost horror 
 and apprehensions of the cruelest punishment that 
 they ever heard of, and thereby enhance the value 
 of their pardon, which was to come as from your- 
 self, but not without our great intercession : Then 
 I was to argue with them, and work upon their rea- 
 son, to make the mercy that was shewed tliem sink 
 deep into their minds, and give lasting impressions; 
 explain the meaning of gratitude to them, and the
 
 COLONEL JACK. 235 
 
 nature of an obligation, and the like, as I had done 
 with Mouchat. 
 
 Master. I am answered ; your method is cer- 
 tainly right, and I desire you may go on with it ; 
 for I desire nothing on this side heaven more, than 
 to have all my negroes serve me from principles 
 of gratitude, for my kindness to them : I abhor to 
 be feared like a lion, like a tyrant ; it is a violence 
 upon nature every way, and is the most disagree- 
 able thing in the world to a generous mind. 
 
 Jaclu But, sir, I am doubtful that you may not 
 believe that I intended to act thus with those poor 
 fellows ; I beseech you to send for Mr , that 
 
 he may tell you what we had agreed on, before I 
 speak with him. 
 
 Master, What reason have I to doubt that ? 
 
 Jack, I hope you have not ; but I should be 
 very sorry you should think me capable of execu- 
 ting such a sentence as you have heard me own I 
 had passed on them ; and there can be no way 
 effectually to clear it up but this. 
 
 Master. Well, seeing you put so much weight 
 upon it, he shall be called for,* 
 
 * He was called, and being ordered hj the master to tell 
 tlic measures that were concerted between them for the 
 punishment or management of those negroes, he gave it just 
 as Jack had done before.
 
 236 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Jacli. I hope, sir, you are now, not only satis- 
 fied of the trutli of the account I gave, relating to 
 the method we had agreed on ; but of its being so 
 proper, and so likely to answer your end. 
 
 Master. I am fully satisfied, and shall be glad to 
 see that it answers the end ; for, as I have said, 
 nothing can be more agreeable to me, nothing has 
 so much robbed me of the comfort of all my for- 
 tunes, as the cruelty used, in my name, on the bo- 
 dies of those poor slaves. 
 
 Jack, It is certainly wrong, sir ; it is not only 
 wrong, as it is barbarous and cruel, but it is wrong 
 too, as it is the worst way of managing and of ha- 
 ving your business done. 
 
 Master. It is my aversion, it fills my very soul 
 with horror ; I believe, if I should come by while 
 they were using those cruelties on the poor crea- 
 tures, I should either sink down at the sight of it, 
 or fly into a rage, and kill the fellow that did it ; 
 though it is done too by my own authority. 
 
 Jack. But, sir, I dare say, I shall convince you 
 also that it is wrong, in respect of interest ; and 
 that your business shall be better discharged, and 
 your plantations better ordered, and more work 
 done by the negroes, who shall be engaged by 
 mercy and lenity, than by those who are driven 
 and dragged by the whips and the chains of a mer- 
 ciless tormentor. 
 
 Master. I think the nature of the thing speaks
 
 COLONEL JACK. 237 
 
 itself; doubtless it shoi*ld be so, and I have often 
 thought it would be so, and a thousand times wish- 
 ed it might be so ; but all my English people pre- 
 tend otherwise, and that it is impossible to bring 
 the negroes to any sense of kindness, and conse- 
 quently not to any obedience of love. 
 
 Jack, It may be true, sir, that there may be 
 found here and there a negroe of a senseless, stu- 
 pid, sordid disposition, perfectly untractable, undo- 
 cible, and incapable of due impressions ; especially 
 incapable of the generosity of principle which I am 
 speaking of: You know very well, sir, there are 
 such among the Christians, as well as among the 
 negroes ; whence else came the English proverb. 
 That if you save a thief from the gallows, he shall 
 be the first to cut your throat. But, sir, if such a 
 refractory, undocible fellow comes in our way, he 
 must be dealt with, first, by the smooth ways to 
 try him, then by the violent way to break his 
 temper, as they break a horse ; and, if nothing will 
 do, such a wretch should be sold off, and others 
 bought in his room ; for the peace of the plantation 
 should not be broken for one devilish tempered fel- 
 low : and if this was done, I doubt not, you should 
 have all your plantation carried on, and your work 
 done, and not a negroe or a servant upon it, but 
 what would not only work for you, but even die 
 for you, if there was an occasion for it, as you see 
 this poor Mouchat would have done for me.
 
 238 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Master, Well, go on with your measures, and 
 may you succeed ; PlI promise you I will fully make 
 you amends for it ; I long to have these cruelties 
 out of use, in my plantation especially; as for 
 others, let them do as they will.
 
 COLONEL JACK* 239 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 My master gives me my liberty^ and puts me into 
 a plantation for myself'— Proceedings as a plan- 
 ter — I get my bill cashed in London, and a sort- 
 ed parcel of goods sent out for its amount — The 
 greatest part of them are lost at the mouth of the 
 bay — Refectiojis, 
 
 \_/UR master being gone, I went to the prison- 
 ers, and, first, I suffered them to be told that the 
 great master had been there, and that he had been 
 indined to pardon them, till he knew what their 
 crime was ; but then he said it was so great a fault 
 that it must be punished : Besides, the man that 
 talked to them told them, that the great master 
 said, that he knew if he had pardoned them they 
 would but be the worse, for that the negroes were 
 never thankful for being spared, and that there 
 were no other ways to make them obedient, but 
 by severity. 
 
 One of the poor fellows, more sensible that the
 
 24-0 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Other, answered, ifanynegroe be badder for being 
 kindly used, they should be whipped till they were 
 muchee better ; but that he never knew that, for 
 that he never knew the negroe be kindly use. 
 
 This was the same thing as the other had said, 
 and, indeed, was but too true, for the overseers 
 really knew no such thing as mercy ; and that no- 
 tion of the negroes being no other way to be go- 
 verned but by cruelty, had been the occasion that 
 no other method was ever tried among them. 
 
 Again, if a slack hand had at any time been 
 held upon them, it had not been done with discre- 
 tion, or as a point of mercy, and managed with 
 the assistance of argument to convince the negroes 
 of the nature and reason of it, and to shew them 
 what they ought to do in return for it : But it was 
 perhaps the effect of negligence, ill conduct, and 
 want of application to the business of the planta- 
 tion ; and then it was no wonder that the negroes 
 took the advantage of it. 
 
 Well, I carried on the affair with these two ne- 
 groes, just as I did with Mouchat, so I need not re- 
 peat the particulars ; and they were delivered with 
 infinite acknowledgments and thanks, even to all 
 the extravagancies of joy usual in those people on 
 such occasions; and such was the gratitude of 
 those two pardoned fellows, that they were the 
 most faithful and most diligent servants ever after.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 241 
 
 that belonged to the whole plantation, Mouchat 
 excepted. 
 
 In this manner I carried on the plantation fully 
 to his satisfaction ; and before a year more was ex- 
 pired, there was scarce any such thing as correc- 
 tion known in the plantation, except upon a few 
 boys, who were incapable of the impressions that 
 good usage would have made, even upon them 
 too, till they had lived to know the difference. 
 
 It was some time after this conference, that our 
 great master, as we called him, sent for me again 
 to his dwelling-house, and told me he had had an 
 answer from England from his friend, to whom he 
 had written about my bill: I was a little afraid 
 that he was going to ask me leave to send it to 
 London ; but he did not say any thing like that, 
 but told me that his friend had been with the gen- 
 tleman, and that he owned the bill, and that he 
 had all the money in his hand that the bill had 
 mentioned ; but that he had promised the young 
 man that had given him the money, (meaning me) 
 not to pay the money to any body but himself, 
 though they should bring the bill ; the reason of 
 which was, that I did not know who might get 
 the bill away from me. 
 
 But now. Colonel Jack, says he, as you wrote 
 him an account where you was, and by what 
 
 VOL. I. Q
 
 ^4^2 THE LIFE OF 
 
 wicked arts you were trepanned, and that it was 
 impossible for you to have your liberty till you 
 could get the money ; my friend at London has 
 written to me, that, upon making out a due copy 
 of the bill here, attested by a notary, and sent to 
 him, and your obligation likewise attested, where- 
 by you oblige yourself to deliver the original to 
 his order, after the money is paid, he will pay the 
 money. 
 
 I told him I was willing to do whatever his ho- 
 nour directed ; and so the proper copies were drawn, 
 as I had been told were required. 
 
 But now, what will you do with this money, 
 Jack ? says he, smiling ; will you buy your liberty 
 of me, and go to planting ? 
 
 I was too cunning for him now indeed, for I re- 
 membered what he had promised me ; and I had 
 too much knowledge of the honesty of his princi- 
 ples, as well as of the kindness he had for me, to 
 doubt his being as good as his word ; so I turned 
 all this talk of his upon him another way : I knew 
 that when he asked me if I would buy my liberty 
 and go to planting, it was to tiy if I would leave 
 him ; so I said, As to buying my liberty, sir, that 
 is to say, going out of your service, I had much 
 rather buy more time in your service, and I am 
 only unhappy that I have but two years to serve. 
 
 Come, come, Colonel, says he, don't flatter me ;
 
 COLONEL JACK. 243 
 
 I love plain dealing ; liberty is precious to every 
 body : if you have a mind to have your mohey 
 brought over, you shall have your liberty to be- 
 gin for yourself, and I will take care you shall be 
 well used by the country, and get you a good 
 plantation. 
 
 I still insisted that I would not quit his service 
 for the best plantation in Maryland ; that he had 
 been so good to me, and I believed I was so use- 
 ful to him, that I could not think of it ; and at 
 last I added, I hoped he could not believe but I 
 had as much gratitude as a negroe. 
 
 He smiled, and said, he would not be sei-ved 
 upon those terms ; that he did not forget what he 
 had promised, nor what I had done in his planta- 
 tion ; and that he was resolved in the first place 
 to give me my liberty : so he pulls out a piece of 
 paper, and throws it to me: there, says he, there's a 
 certificate of your coming on shore, and being 
 sold to me for five years, of which you have lived 
 three with me, and now you are your own master. 
 I bowed, and told him, that I was sure, if I was my 
 own master, I would be his servant as long as he 
 would accept of my service ; and now we strained 
 courtesies, and he told me I should be his servant 
 still; but it should be on two conditions, 1st, that 
 he would give me 301. a year and my board, for 
 my managing the plantation I was then employ^
 
 244 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ed in ; and, ^dly^ that at the same time he would 
 procure nie a new plantation to begin upon for my 
 own account ; for, Colonel Jack, says he, smiling^ 
 though you are but a young man, yet 'tis time 
 you were doing something for yourself. 
 
 I answered, that I could do little at a plantation 
 for myself, unless I neglected his business, which 
 I was resolved not to do on any terms whatever ; 
 but that I would serve him faithfully, if he would 
 accept of me, as long as he lived ; so you shall, 
 says he again, and serve yourself too. And thus 
 we parted for that time. 
 
 Here I am to observe in the general, to avoid 
 dwelling too long upon a story, that as the two 
 negroes, who I delivered from punishment, were 
 ever after the most diligent and laborious poor fel- 
 lows in the whole plantation, as above, except 
 Mouchat, of whom I shall speak more by and by, 
 so they not only were grateful themselves for their 
 good usage, but they influenced the whole planta- 
 tion: so that the gentle usage and lenity, with 
 which they had been treated, had a thousand times 
 more influence upon them, to make them diligent, 
 than all the blows and kicks^ whippings, and other 
 tortures, could have, which they had been used 
 to, and now the plantation was famous for it ; so 
 that several other planters began to do the same, 
 though I cannot say it was with the same success,.
 
 COLONEL JACK. 245 
 
 which might be for want of taking pains with them, 
 and working upon their passions in a right manner. 
 It appeared that negroes were to be reasoned into 
 things as well as other people, and it was by thus 
 managing their reason, that most of the work was 
 done. 
 
 However, as it was, the plantations In Mary- 
 land were the better for this undertaking, and they 
 are to this day less cruel and barbarous to their 
 negroes, than they are in Barbadoes and Jamaica ; 
 and 'tis observed the negroes are not in these co- 
 lonies so desperate, neither do they so often run 
 away, or so often plot mischief against their master, 
 as they do in those.. 
 
 I have dwelt the longer upon it, that, if possible, 
 posterity might be persuaded to try gentler me- 
 thods with those miserable creatures, and to use 
 them with humanity ; assuring them, that, if they 
 did so, adding the common prudence that every 
 particular case would direct them to for itself, the 
 negroes would do their work faithfully and chear- 
 fully ; they would not find any of that refractori- 
 ness and sullenness in their temper, that they pre- 
 tend now to complain of; but they would be the 
 same as their Christian servants, except that they 
 would be the more thankful, and humble, and 
 laborious, of the two. 
 
 I continued in this station between five and six
 
 '21-6 THE LIFE OF 
 
 years after this, and in all that time we had not 
 one negroe whipped, except, as I observed before, 
 now and then an unlucky boy, and that only for 
 trifles ; I cannot say but we had some ill-natured, 
 ungovernable negroes ; but if at any time such 
 offended, they were pardoned the first time, in 
 the manner as above ; and the second time were 
 ordered to be turned out of the plantation ; and 
 this was remarkable, that they v^^ould torment 
 themselves at the apprehension of being turned 
 away, more by a great deal, than if they had been 
 to be whipped, for then they were lony sullen and 
 heavy ; nay, at length we found the fear of being 
 turned out of the plantation had as much effect 
 to reform them, that is to say, make them more 
 diligent, than any torture would have done ; and 
 the reason was evident, namely, because in our 
 plantation they were used like men, in the other 
 like dogs. 
 
 My master owned the satisfaction he took in 
 this blessed change, as he called it, as long as he 
 lived ; and as he was so engaged, by seeing the 
 negroes grateful, he shewed the same principle of 
 gratitude to those that served him, as he looked 
 for in those that he served ; and particularly to me, 
 and so I come briefly to that part. The first thing 
 he did after giving me my liberty, as above, and 
 making me an allowance, was to get the country
 
 COLONEL JACK. 24-7 
 
 bounty to me, that is to say, a quanlty of land, to 
 begin and plant for myself. 
 
 But this he managed a way by himself; and, as 
 I found afterwards, took up, that is, purchased in 
 my name, about three hundred acres of land, in a 
 more convenient place than it would have other- 
 wise been allotted me ; and this he did by his in- 
 terest with the lord proprietor ; so that I had an 
 extent of ground marked out to me, not next, but 
 very near one of his own plantations. When I 
 made my acknowledgment for this to him, he 
 told me plainly, that I was not beholden to him 
 for it at all ; for he did it, that I might not be obli- 
 ged to neglect his business for the carrying on 
 my own, and on that account he would not reckon 
 to me what money he paid, which, however, ac- 
 cording to the custom of the country, was not a 
 very great sum ; I think about 401. or 501. 
 
 Thus he very generously gave me my liberty, 
 advanced this money for me, put me into a plan- 
 tation for myself, and gave me 301. a year wages 
 for looking after one of his own plantations. 
 
 But, Colonel, says he to me, giving you thi» 
 plantation is nothing at all to you, if I do not assist 
 you to support it, and to carry it on; and there- 
 fore I will give you credit for whatever is needful 
 to you for the carrying it on ; such as tools, pro- 
 visions for servants, and some servants to begin ;
 
 24-8 THE LIFE OF 
 
 materials to build out-houses, and convcniencies 
 of all sorts for the plantation, and to buy hogs, 
 cows, horses for stock, and the like, and Til take 
 it out of your cargo, which will come from Lon- 
 don, for the money of your bill. 
 
 This was highly obliging and very kind, and the 
 more so, as it afterwards appeared. In order to 
 this-", he sent two servants of his own, who were 
 carpenters ; as for timber, boards, planks, and all 
 sorts of such things, in a country almost all made 
 of wood, they could not be wanting : These run 
 me up a little wooden house in less than three weeks 
 time, where I had three rooms, a kitchen, an out- 
 house, and two large sheds at a distance from the 
 house, for store-houses, almost like barns, with 
 stables at the end of them ; and thus I was set up 
 in the world, and, in short, removed by the degrees 
 that you have heard, from a pick-pocket to a kid- 
 napped miserable slave in Virginia ; (for Maryland 
 is Virginia, speaking of them at a distance;) then 
 from a slave to a head officer or overseer of slaves, 
 and from thence to a master planter. 
 
 I had now (as above) a house, a stable, two 
 warehouses, and 300 acres of land ; but ( as we say ) 
 bare walls make giddy hussies, so I had neither axe 
 nor hatchet to cut down the trees ; horse, nor Iiog, 
 nor cow to put upon the land ; not a hoe, or a spade,
 
 COLONEL JACK. 24-9 
 
 to break ground, nor a pair of hands, but my own, 
 to go to work upon it. 
 
 But heaven and kind masters make up all those 
 things to a dihgent servant ; and I mention it, be- 
 cause people, who are either transported, or other- 
 wise trepanned into those places, are generally 
 thought to be rendered miserable, and undone; 
 whereas, on the contrar}^, I would encourage them, 
 upon my own experience, to depend upon it, that 
 if their own diligence in the time of service gains 
 them but a good character, which it will certainly 
 do if they can deserve it, there is not the poorest 
 and most despicable felon that ever went over, but 
 may (after his time is served) begin for himself, 
 and may in time be sure of raising a good planta- 
 tion. 
 
 For example, I will now take a man in the mean- 
 est circumstances of a servant, who has served out 
 his five or seven years; (suppose a transported 
 wretch for seven years) the custom of the place 
 was then (what is since 1 know not) that on his 
 master's certifying that he had served his time 
 out faithfully, he had fifty acres of land allotted 
 him for planting, and on this plan he begins. 
 
 Some had a horse, a cow, and three hogs giveuj^ 
 or rather lent them, as a stock for the land, which 
 they made an allowance for at a certain time and 
 rate.
 
 250 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Custom has made it a trade, to give credit to 
 such beginners as these, for tools, cloaths, nails, 
 iron-work, and other things necessary for their 
 planting ; and which the persons, so giving credit 
 to them, are to be paid for, out of the crop of to- 
 bacco which they shall plant ; nor is it in the debt- 
 or's power to defraud the creditor of payment in 
 that manner ; and as tobacco is their coin, as well 
 as their product, so all things are to be purchased 
 at a certain quantity of tobacco, the price being 
 so rated. 
 
 Thus the naked planter has credit at his begin- 
 ning, and immediately goes to work, to cure the 
 land, and plant tobacco ; and from this little begin- 
 ning, have some of the most considerable planters 
 in Virginia, and in Maryland also, raised them- 
 selves ; namely, from being without a hat, or a 
 shoe, to estates of forty or fifty thousand pounds ; 
 and in this method, I may add, no diligent man 
 ever miscarried, if he had health to work, and was 
 a good husband ; for he every year increases a lit- 
 tle, and every year adding more land, and plant- 
 ing more tobacco, which is real money, he must 
 gradually increase in substance, till at length he 
 gets enough to buy negroes, and other servants, 
 and then never works himself any more. 
 
 In a word, every Newgate wretch, every des- 
 perate forlorn creature, the most despicable ruined
 
 COLONEL JACK. 251 
 
 man in the world, has here a fair opportunity put 
 into his hands to begin the world again, and that 
 upon a foot of certain gain, and in a method ex- 
 actly honest ; with a reputation that nothing past 
 will have any effect upon : and innumerable people 
 have raised tliemselves from the worst circumstance 
 in the werld, namely, from the cells in Newgate, 
 
 But 1 return to my own story : I was now a 
 planter, and encouraged by a kind benefactor; 
 for, that I might not be wholly taken up with my 
 new plantation, he gave me freely, and without 
 any consideration, my grateful negroe Mouchat : 
 He told me it was a debt due to the affection that 
 poor creature had always had for me ; and so in- 
 deed it was, for as the fellow would once have 
 been hanged for me, so now, and to his last, he 
 loved me so much, that it was apparent he did 
 every thing with pleasure that he did for me ; and 
 he was so overcome of joy when he heard that he 
 was to be my negroe, that the people in the planta- 
 tion really thought it would turn his head, and 
 that the fellow would go distracted. 
 
 Besides this, he sent me two servants more, a 
 man and a woman, but these he put to my account, 
 as above : Mouchat and these two fell immediately 
 to work for me ; and they began with about two 
 acres of land, which had but little timber on it at 
 first, and most of that was cut down by the twe
 
 252 THE LIFE OF 
 
 carpenters who built my house, or shed rather, 
 for so it should be called. 
 
 These two acres I got in good forwardness, and 
 most of it well planted with tobacco ; though some 
 of it we were obliged to plant with garden-stuff 
 for food ; such as potatoes, carrots, cabbages, pease, 
 beans, &c. 
 
 It was a great advantage to me, that I had so 
 bountiful a master, who helped me out in every 
 case ; for in this very first year I received a terri- 
 ble blow ; for my bill (as I have observed) having 
 been copied, and attested in form, and sent to 
 London, my kind friend and custom-house gen- 
 tleman paid me the money ; and the merchant at 
 London, by my good master's direction, had laid 
 it all out in a sorted cargo of goods for me, such 
 as would have made a man of me all at once ; but, 
 to my inexpressible terror and surprize, the ship 
 was lost, and that just at the entrance into the 
 capes, that is to say, the mouth of the bay ; some 
 of the goods were recovered, but spoiled, and, in 
 short, nothing but the nails, tools, and iron-work, 
 were good for any thing ; and though the value of 
 them was pretty considerable in proportion to the 
 rest, yet my loss w^as irreparably great, and, in- 
 deed, the greatness of the loss consisted in its be- 
 ing irreparable. 
 
 I was perfectly astonished at the first news of
 
 COLONEL JACK. 25S 
 
 the loss, knowing that I was in debt to my patron, 
 or master, so much, that it must be several year* 
 before I should recover it ; and as he brought me 
 the bad news himself, he perceived my disorder, 
 that is to say, he saw I was in the utmost confu- 
 sion, and a kind of amazement, and so indeed I 
 was, because I was so much in debt ; but he spoke 
 chearfully to me ; come, says he, do not be so dis- 
 couraged, you may make up this loss. No, sir, 
 says I, that never can be, for it is my all, and I 
 shall never be out of debt: Well, but says he, you 
 have no creditor, however, but me ; and now re- 
 member, I once told you I would make a man of 
 you, and I will not disappoint you for this disaster. 
 
 I thanked him, and did it with more ceremony 
 and respect than ever, because I thought myself 
 more under the hatches than I was before. But 
 he was as good as his word, for he did not baulk 
 me in the least of any thing I wanted ; and as I 
 had more iron-work saved out of the ship, in pro- 
 portion, than I wanted, I supplied him with some 
 part of it and took up some linen and cloths, 
 and other necessaries, from him in exchange. 
 
 And now I began to increase visibly ; I had a 
 large quantity of land cured, that is, freed from 
 timber ; and a very good crop of tobacco in view, 
 and I got three servants more, and one negroe ; s«
 
 254? THE LIFE OF 
 
 that I had five white servants, and two negroes, 
 and with this my affairs went very well on. 
 
 The first year, indeed, I took my wages, or 
 salary, (that is to say) of 30l. a year, because I 
 wanted it very much ; but the second and third 
 year I resolved not to take it, on any account 
 whatsoever, but to leave it in my benefactor's 
 hands, to clear off the debt I had contracted. 
 
 And now I must impose a short digression on 
 the reader, to note, that, notwithstanding all the 
 disadvantages of a most wretched education, yet 
 now, when I began to feel myself, as I may say, 
 y^ in the world, and to be arrived to an independent 
 \ state, and to foresee, that I might be something 
 I** considerable in time ; I say, now I found different 
 sentiments of things taking place in my mind ; and, 
 first, I had a solid principle of justice and honesty, 
 and a secret horror at things past, when I looked 
 back upon my former life : that original something, 
 I knew not what, that used formerly to check me 
 ; in the first meannesses of my youth, and used to 
 i dictate to me, when I was but a child, that I was 
 ■ to be a gentleman, continued to operate upon 
 me now, in a manner I cannot describe ; and I con- 
 tinually remembered the words of the antient glass- 
 maker, to the gentleman that he reproved forswear- 
 ing, that to be a gentleman, was to be an honest 
 man; that without honesty, human nature was sunk
 
 COLONEL JACK. ^^^ 
 
 and degenerated; the gentleman lost all the dignity 
 of his birth, and placed himself even below an ho- 
 nest beggar. These principles growing upon my mind 
 in the present circumstances I was in, gave me a 
 secret satisfaction, that I can give no description 
 of; it was an inexpressible joy to me, that I was 
 now like to be^ not only a jnan, but an honest man ; 
 andTit yielded me a greater pleasure, that I was ran- 
 somed from being a vagabond, a thief, and a crimi- 
 nal, as I had been from a child, than that I was deliver- 
 ed from slavery, and the wretched state of a Virginia 
 sold servant : I had notion enough in my mind 
 of the hardships of the servant, or slave, because 
 I had felt it, and worked through it ; I remembered 
 it as a state of labour and servitude, hardship and 
 suftering. But the other shocked my very nature, 
 chilled my blood, and turned the very soul within 
 me : the thought of it was like reflections upon 
 hell and the damned spirits ; it struck me with 
 horror, it was odious and frightful to look back on, 
 and it gave me a kind of a fit, a convulsion or ner 
 vous disorder, that was very uneasy to me. 
 
 But to look forward, to reflect how things were 
 changed, how happy I was, that I could live by 
 my own endeavours, and was no more under the 
 necessity of being a villain, and of getting my bread 
 at my own hazard, and the ruin of honest families ; 
 this had in it something more than commonly plea*
 
 ^(y^ THE LIFE OF 
 
 sing and agreeable, and, in particular, it had a plea* 
 sure, that till then I had known nothing of: It 
 was a sad thing to be under a necessity of iloing 
 evil, to procure that subsistence, which I could 
 not support the want of, to be obliged to run the 
 venture of the gallows, rather than the venture of 
 starving, and to be always wicked for fear of want. 
 
 I cannot say that I had any serious religious re- 
 flections, or that these things proceeded yet from 
 the uneasiness of conscience, but from mere rea- 
 sonings with m^^self, and from being arrived to a 
 capacity of making a right judgment of things 
 more than before ; yet I own I had such an abhor- 
 rence of the wicked life I had led, that I was 
 secretly easy, and had a kind of pleasure in the 
 disaster that was upon me about the ship, arid that, 
 though it was a loss, I coukl not but be glad that 
 those ill-gotten goods were gone, and that I had 
 lost what I had stolen ; for I looked on it as none of 
 mine, and that it would be fire in my flax if I should 
 mingle it with what I had now, which was come ho- 
 nestly by, and was (as it were) sent from heaven, 
 to lay the foundation. of my prosperity, which the 
 other would be only as a moth to consume. 
 
 At the same time my thoughts dictated to me, 
 that though this was the foundation of my new 
 life, yet that this was not the superstructure, and 
 that I might still be born for greater things than
 
 COLONEL JACK. 257 
 
 these ; that it was honesty and virtue alone that 
 made men rich and great, and gave them a fame, 
 as well as a figure in the world, and that therefore 
 I was to lay my foundation in these, and expect 
 what might follow in time. 
 
 To help these thoughts, as I had learned to read 
 and write when I was in Scotland ; so I began now 
 to love books, and particularly I had an opportu- 
 nity of reading some very considerable ones ; such 
 as Livy's Roman history, the history of the Turks, 
 the English history of Speed, and others ; the his*- 
 tory of the Low Country wars, the history of Gus- 
 tavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, and the history 
 of the Spaniards' conquest of Mexico, with several 
 others, some of which I bought at a planter's house, 
 who was lately dead, and his goods sold, and others 
 I borrowed. 
 
 I considered my presenT^late of life to be my \ 
 mere youth, though I was now above thirty years | 
 old, because in my youth I had learned nothing ; 
 and if my daily business, which was now great, 
 would have permitted, I would have been content 
 to have gone to school ; however, Fate, that had 
 yet something else in store for me, threw an oppor- 
 tunity into my hand ; namely, a clever fellow, that 
 came over a transported felon from Bristol, and 
 fell into my hands for a servant. He had led a loose 
 life, that he acknowledged, and being driven to 
 
 VOJL. I. R
 
 255 THE LIFE OF 
 
 extremities, took to the highway, for which, had 
 he been taken, he would have been hanged ; but 
 falling into some low-prized rogueries afterwards, 
 for want of opportunity for worse, was catched, 
 condemned, and transported, and, as he said, was 
 glad he came off so. 
 
 He was an excellent scholar, and I perceiving 
 it, asked him one time, if he could give a method 
 how I might learn the Latin tongue ? He said, smi- 
 ling, yes, he could teach it me in three months, if I 
 would let him have books, or even without books, if 
 he had time. I told him, a book would become his 
 hands better than a hoe ; and if he could promise 
 to make me but understand Latin enough to read 
 it, and understand other languages by it, I would 
 ease him of the labour, which I was now obliged to 
 put him to, especially if I was assured that he was 
 fit to receive that favour of a kind master. Li 
 short, I made him to me, what my benefactor made 
 me to him, and from him I gained a fund of know- 
 ledge, infinitely more valuable than the rate of a 
 slave, which was what I paid for it : but of this 
 hereafter. 
 
 With these thoughts I went chearfuUy about my 
 work. As I had now five servants, my plantation 
 went on, though gently, yet safely, and increased 
 gradually, though slowly ; but the third year, with 
 the assistance of my old benefactor, I purchased 
 two negroes more, so that now I had seven ser-
 
 COLONEL JACK. 259 
 
 vants ; and having cured land sufficient for supply 
 of their food, I was at no difficulty to maintain them ; 
 so that my plantation began now to enlarge itself; 
 and as I lived without any personal expence, but 
 was maintained at my old great master's (as we 
 called him,) and at his charge, with 301. a year 
 besides, so all my gain was laid up for increase. 
 
 THE END OF VOLUME FIRST. 
 
 l.DJN BURGH : 
 
 Printed by James Ballantyne & C«t
 
 fV