got it he set out, and meeting his sweetheart at a place they had agreed on, they went to Worcester, where the nuptial rites were celebrated. At this time it happened that the officers, by whom she had been seduced, were at Worcester, and hearing of her marriage, they caused young Hayes to be taken out of bed from his wife, under pretence that he had enlisted in the army. Thus situated, he was compelled to send an account of the whole transaction to his father, who, though offended with his son for the rash step he had taken, went to a magistrate, who attended him to Worcester, and demanded by what authority the young man was detained. The officers endeavoured to excuse their conduct but the magistrate threatening to commit them to prison, if they did not release him, the young fellow immediately obtained his liberty. The father irritated at the imprudent conduct of his son, severely censured his proceedings; but considering what was passed could not be recalled, had good sense enough not to persevere in his opposition to an unavoidable event.— Mr. Hayes now furnished his son with money to begin business for himself: and the young couple were in a thriving way, and appeared to live in harmony but Mrs. Hayes, being naturally of a restless disposition, prevailed on her husband to enlist for a soldier. The regiment in which he served being ordered to the Isle of Wight, Catharine followed him thither. He had not heen long there before his father procured his discharge, which, as it happened in the time of war, was attended with an expence of 6ol. On the return of young Hayes and his wife, the father gave them an estate of rol. per annum, to which he afterwards added another

of

of 161. which, with the profit of their trade, would have been amply sufficient for their support. The husband bore the character of an honest, well-disposed man; he treated his wife very indulgently, yet she constantly complained of the covetousness of his disposition: but he had much more reason to complain of her disposition, for she was turbulent, quarrelsome, and perpetually exciting disputes among her neighbours. The elder Mr. H. observing with concern how unfortunately his son was matched, advised him to leave her, and settle in some place where she might not find him Such, however, was his attachment to her, that he could not comply with his advice; and she had the power of persuading him to come to London, after they had been married about six years. On their arrival in the metropolis, Mr. Hayes took a house, part of which he let into lodgings, and opened a shop in the chandlery and coal trade, in which he was as successful as he could have wished. Exclusive of his profit by shop keeping, he acquired a great deal of money by lending small sums on pledges, for at this time the trade of pawnbroking was followed by any one at pleasure, it having been then subject to no regulation. Mrs. Hayes's. conduct in London was still more reprehensible than it had been in the country. The chief pleasure of her life consisted in creating and encouraging quarrels among her neighbours; and, in. deed, her unhappy disposition discovered itself on every occasion. Sometimes she would speak of her husband, to his acquaintance, in terms of great tenderness and respect; and at other times she would represent him to her female associates as a compound of every thing that was contemptible

in

in human nature. On a particular occasion, she told a woman of her aequaintance, that she would think it no more sin to murder him than to kill a dog. At length her husband finding she made perpetual disturbances in the neighbourhood, thought it prudent to remove to Tottenham-court-road, where he carried on his former business; but not being as successful here as he could have wished, he took another house in Tyburn-road, since called Oxford road. Here he continued his practice of lending small sums of money on pledges, till having acquired a decent competency, he left off housekeeping, and hired lodgings near the same spot.Thomas Billings, a journeyman taylor, and a supposed son of Mrs. Hayes's, by her former connections, lodged in the house with Mrs. Hayes, and the husband having gone into the country on business, his wife and this man indulged themselves in every species of extravagance. On Hayes's return, some of his neighbours told him how his wife had been seen wasting his substance; on which he severely censured her conduct, and a quarrel arising between them, they proceeded from words to blows. It was con.monly thought that she formed the resolution of murdering him at this time, as the quarrel happened ouly six weeks before his fatal exit. She now began to sound the disposition of Billings, to whom she said it was impossible for her to live longer with her husband; and she urged all possible arguments to prevail on him to aid her in the commission of the murder, which Billings resisted for some time, but at length complied, At this period Tho. Wood, an acquaintance of Mr. Hayes, arrived from the country, and as he was apprehensive of being impressed, Hayes kindly took him into his house, and promised to use his interest

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