the rogue that had them, but they would be of infinite damage to the gentleman that had lost them; and that he had left word with the clerk, whom the man that stopped this boy had called to, and who was there with him, that he would give 30% to any one that would bring them again, and give all the security that could be desired, that he would give them no trouble, whoever it was. 66 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; what 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 advantage by it either; for I concluded that the gentleman 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 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 his bills, for they will do you no good, but the gentleman will be undone it may be; and then," I added 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, "Robin," that was his name, 66 I will be very honest; let me know how it is, for I would fain have him have his bills." 66 Why," says he, "they told me, that he had left word at the clerk's place in the long-room, that he would give 304. 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, "Ay, 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 directions were, will, to avoid repetition, appear in what happened; it was an errand of too much consequence 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. 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 way, and another thrust me that way, and the man that sat behind began to look at me; at last he called out to me-" What 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 business with him, and goes on thus:"Here was Mr. had a very unlucky chance on Monday last, did 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 somebody stole away his lettercase." "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 still worse for the gentleman, he had two foreign accepted bills in it for a great sum, I know not how much, I think one was a French bill for 1,200 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 COLONEL JACK. were too nimble for him with the little bill of 127. odd money; they went and got the money for that, but all the rest are stopped; however, 'tis an unspeakable damage to him for want of his money." Why, he should publish a reward for the encouragement 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 30% for them." "Ay, but he should add that he will promise not to 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 anything 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." CHAPTER III. I AM EXAMINED BY THE GENTLEMAN TOUCHING THUS far they discoursed of it, and then went off "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. "Won't you indeed, sir?" said I. 66 No, not I, child; I'll do thee no harm; what is it? do you know anything 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 come out, and bade me come in to him; and I did. Then he asked me again, if I knew anything 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 anybody, 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. 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 ?" come. GENT.-"Come to my house, child." BOY.-"I don't know where you live." GENT.-"Go along with me now, and you So he carried me up into Tower shall see." street, and showed 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 "With me," says he, "what have you to say that was it?" and he said, "Yes." Only three," says he, "besides the bill of 12. 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 gentleman, "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 three bills, and several other papers, fair and safe, nothing defaced or diminished, and the gentleman said, "All is right." Then said the first man, "Then I am security to the poor boy for the money:"-" Well, but," says the gentleman, "the rogues have got the 12. 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 12. 10s. was received that you offered 30% for the other bills, and published it by the crier, and posted it up at the Custom-house door, and I promised him the 307. 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." I never had e'er a mother," said I. This made him laugh. "What," said he, “bad you never a mother, what then?" "I had a nurse," said I, "but she was not my mother." "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. 66 "No, no, child," said he; "we don't believe you did. This is a very clever boy," says he, to the other gentleman, "and yet very ignorant and honest; 'tis pity some care should not be taken of him, and something done for him; let us talk a little more with 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? shan't you lose it?" "Yes," said I, "my pocket is whole." "And where will you put it when you get 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 Rosemary 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 remember.” Why," 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." Here the gentleman that lost the bills said, "This poor child is enough to make a man weep for the miseries of human nature, and be thankful for himself he puts tears into my eyes;" "and "Why, then," says he, "did you tell me you believed it was right?"-I told him, "Be-into mine too," says the other. cause I believed 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," said he; "I promised I would not ask your name, so you need not tell me." My name is Jack," said 1. 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?" "Well, but hark ye, Jack," says the first gentleman; " 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 clothes?" 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 died." 66 How long ago is that?" said he. "Six winters, when this is out," said I. Well," says the gentleman; "now you have this money, won't you buy some clothes, and a shirt with some of it?" They will know I have money." "Well, and what then?" 'Then I must sleep no more in the warm glasshouse, 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 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 preserving 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 having 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 moisture in my head to make tears of, but never knocked at the 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." “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 that I have it, and you shall have it honestly again, I'll give you a bill for it, and for the interest of it, and that you may keep safe enough. Nay," added he, "and if you lose it, or anybody takes it from you, none shall receive the money but yourself, 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 accordingly 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 keeping it; I wanted nothing, who wanted everything; I had no care, no concern about where I should get my victuals, or how I should lodge; I knew not what money was, or what to do with it; and never knew what it was not to sleep 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 requires 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, nor 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 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: that is to say, the life I had led being not evil in my account. any In this state of innocence I returned to my really miserable 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; neither did he trouble his head with inquiring 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 no body know it; I went of errands cheerfully as before, and accepted of what anybody 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 anything 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 treated myself, it was a halfpenny-worth of cheese; all which expense did not amount to above 2d. or 3d. 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. I went into the houses. As the collier-masters The collier-master had his money lying before him, 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 delivering his message, to lay his hand upon one of those bags, and carry it off perfectly undiscovered. After I had been 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?" "When 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 believed 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 afterwards, except it be when he puts himself forward well, and runs equal hazard, he stands to courtesy; but as we are gentlemen, When he had got it, he came out to me, who we always do very honourable by one another; stood but at the door, and pulling me by the and if you are willing to trust it, or leave it to me, sleeve, Run, Jack," says he, "for our lives :" and I shall do handsomely by you, that you may de-away he scours and I after him, never resting, or pend upon." I told him I was not able to do scarce looking about me, till we got quite up into anything, that was certain, for I did not under- Fenchurch street, through Lime street, into Leadstand it, and therefore I could not expect to get enhall street, down St Mary axe, to London anything, but I would do as he bade me; so we wall, then through Bishopsgate street, and down walked abroad together. 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 anybody 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 show it you." So away he had me through Long alley, and cross Hog lane, and Holloway 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 a bye place, we sat down, and he pulls out the bag. "Thou art a lucky boy, Jack," says he, "thou deservedst a good share of this job truly, for it is all along of thy lucky news. So he pours it all out into my hat, for, as I told you, I now wore a hat. We went no more to the Custom-house, it was too bold a venture; besides I did not care to show myself again, especially with him in company; but we went directly to the Exchange, and we hankered about in Castle alley, and in Swithin'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 anything 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 glasshouse 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, fishmongers, 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 me. So he stood at the door, and 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 |