ate, in better Health and Spirits than when the Writer left you; and that, if Providence fends me again to revifit my native Skies, I fhall fee you cured of a hopeless Grief that can be of no Avail to recal the precious Saint you have loft, who now perhaps attends and watches o'er your Steps, as your Guardian Angel. I have defired my dear Father to put my Letter to the Charmer of my Soul into your Hands, trufting to your Care for its fafe Conveyance. Whilft I write, my Hand fhakes, and I tremble with Apprehenfion at what may have happened fince my Departure! Oh! this cruel Uncertainty, that Diftance creates, of what paffes, is grievous: Often I wish I had the Power of transporting myself with a Thought from Place to Place, to folve my Doubts of your Healths and Profperity. You may now, with every body elfe, that I love and efteem, have become the Prey of Death's daily Ravages: Tormenting Thought! which I must not, will not, in-dulge, for it would carry with it Distraction and Madness. My fincere Refpects attend Mr. Prig, who I hope never leaves you long enough for you to increase your Melancholy. Our Captain and the rest of our Gentlemen are very agreeable Companions, and I am as happy as a Man can poffibly be in my Station, and have hitherto preserved my Health very well. Adieu, dear Friend; you'l hardly hear from me again till fome homeward bound bound Ship comes from the Indies, by the first of which, if alive and well, I will not fail to write to you, and every body else, at large. Take Care of my lovely Maid, and keep her Mind as eafy and compofed as poffible, whenever you have the Happiness to see her, tho' I fuppofe fhe is now gone, with her Brother, into the Country. If, oh! ye Powers fupreme, who still prefide Excuse my Numbers, and believe me, my deareft Thompson, Thy eternally affectionate and fincere Friend, W. DIAPER. B 6 СНАР. CHAP. XXXIV. He, with Prig, is attacked by Footpads.They take three of them.-One of them proves to be Packer.-Difcourfe between Thompson and him.-He is committed to Newgate, tried at the Old Bailey, condemned, and executed.-Obfervations arifing from bis Behaviour in his laft Moments.-Mr. Archer and Mr. Sharpley arrive in Town. Dispatched an Answer to my Friend, by a Ship that was juft failing to Lisbon, which probably might arrive there Time enough to give him the wifhed Intelligence how Matters ftood in England, and, by the fame Conveyance, fent another Letter to Archer. One Evening, as Mr. Prig and myself were returning from Hampftead, where we had taken an Excurfion, fomewhat later than ordinary, on Foot, thinking it the fafest Way, we ftruck thro' the Fields between Kentish Town and Bloomsbury, and for our better Security, as there were many Accounts of Robberies committed between Hampstead and London, had drawn our Hangers, which we carried naked in our Hands. We had already croffed three Fields, and could plainly difcover the Lights from Red-lion-Street and Queen's-Square, fo that we imagined we had got clear of any Mole station; ftation; but we were mistaken, for, fuddenly, paffing over a narrow Causeway, two Men jumped out of a Ditch on one Side, whilst two others did the fame on the other Side, and, with a Multitude of Oaths and Execrations, ordered us to ftand, and deliver, or we were dead Men. As we perceived each of them was armed with a Piftol, we did not think proper, for the Sake of a little Money, to be Fool-hardy, and fo directly delivered our Purses to them; at the fame Time I told them we had no more, for our Watches were left behind us; and defired them to treat us like Gentlemen: Aye, fa we will, fays one of them, and immediately fired his Pistol, the Ball of which grazed upon my Shoulder, and took away a Piece of my Coat. We immediately concluded we were to expect no Quarter from them, and therefore, turning Back to Back, prepared to make the beft Defence we were able, and, in that Pofition, received the Fire of another Piftol, two others flashing in the Pan, without receiving any Hurt, and then were attacked on all Sides with Bludgeons, which they had concealed in their Bofoms. We beftirred ourfelves as nimbly as we poffibly could, but yet were fearful we should be overpowered with Numbers, when a lucky Stroke I made cut one of the Fellows down the Shoulder; and, fhortening my Hanger, which was a cut-and-thrust one, I ran it up to the Gripe in his Body, at which he gave a Groan, Groan, and fell down at my Feet. There needed no more to dishearten the reft, who directly took to their Heels; but we purfued them fo nimbly, crying out, Thieves, all the Way, that, at the End of Red-lion Street, they were all three taken, and we immediately carried them into a Public-houfe, till we could get more Affiftance, and convey them before a Magiftrate. We found no other offenfive Weapons upon fearching them; but no Surprise could be equal to ours, when in the Face of one of thefe Footpads, we difcovered the Features of that Villain Packer! I gave a great Cry, occafioned by my Aftonishment, and asked him the Reafon he was not contented with our Money, but pursued our Lives with fo much Inveteracy, which had brought him into his prefent Circumftances: I added, I was forry to fee him in fuch a Situation, for he must now expect the Reward due to fo many Crimes as he had been guilty of; at the fame Time wishing any other Perfon had been the Means of bringing him to Juftice. He loured a fcornful Look, and fwore nothing grieved him, but that he had not been the Death of me, for then Hanging would have been but a Trifle; and could I, fays he, have found you out, long fince, I'd have made you the Victim of my Refentment. I told him I was forry his Difpofition was fo wicked; for tho' he had done me many Injuries, and had well nigh caufed the Death of my Friend, who. |