faid, in the Fact; fo that Denial, he

tow was in vain. He, therefore, honestly confest what he knew must be proved; and defired, on the Merit of the Discoveries he made, to be admitted as an Evidence against his Accomplices. This afforded the happiest Opportunity to the Juftice, to fatisfy his Confcience in relation to Heartfree. He told Fireblood, that, if he expected the Favour he folicited, it must be on Condition, that he revealed the whole Truth to him concerning the Evidence which he had lately given againft a Bankrupt, and which fome Circumftances had induced Sufpicion of; that he might depend on it, the Truth would be difcovered by other Means, and gave fome oblique hints, (a Deceit entirely juftifiable) that Wild himfelf had offered fuch a Difcovery. The very Mention of Wild's Name immediately alarmed Fireblood, who did not in the least doubt the Readiness of that GREAT Man to hang any of the Gang, when his own Intereft feemed to require it. He, therefore hesitated not a Moment; but, having obtained a Promife from the Justice, that he fhould be accepted as an Evidence, he

difco

discovered the whole Falfhood, and that he had been feduced by Wild to depofe as he had done,

THE Juftice having thus luckily and timely difcovered this Scene of Villany, alias GREATNESS, loft not a Moment in ufing his utmoft Endeavours to get the Cafe of the unhappy Convict reprefented to the Sovereign; who immediately granted him that gracious Reprieve, which caufed fuch Happiness to the Perfons concerned; and which, we hope, we have now accounted for to the Satisfaction of the Reader. Indeed we had Reafon to apprehend, it would at firft very greatly furprize him, and by that Means leffen the Pleasure of the Critics, a Sort of People, for whom, and for whose Entertainment, we have the tendereft Regard, and to whom we pay all that just Duty and Refpect, which, of common Right, they ought to receive from every Author.

THE good Magiftrate having obtained this Reprieve for Heartfree, thought it incumbent on him to vifit him in the Prifon, Y 3

and

and to found, if poffible, the Depth of this Affair, that if he fhould appear as innocent as he now began to conceive him, he might ufe all imaginable Methods to obtain his Pardon and Enlargement.

THE next Day therefore after that, when the miferable Scene above defcribed had paffed, he went to Newgate, where he found those three Perfons, namely Heartfree, his Wife, and Friendly, fitting together. The Juftice informed the Prisoner of the Confeffion of Fireblood, with the Steps which he had taken upon it. The Reader will cafily conceive the many outward Thanks as well as inward Gratitude which he received from all three; but those were of very little Confequence to him, compared with the fecret Satisfaction he felt in his Mind, from reflecting on the Prefervation of Innocence, as he foon after very clearly perceived was the Cafe.

WHEN he entred the Room, Mrs. Heartfree was fpeaking with fome Earneftnefs: As he perceived, therefore, he had interrupted her, he begged the would con

tinue

tinue her Difcourfe, which, if he prevented by his Prefence, he defired to depart; but Heartfree would not fuffer it. He faid, he had been relating fome Adventures, which perhaps might entertain him to hear, and which he the rather defired he would, as they might ferve to illuftrate the Foundation on which this Falfhood had been built, which had brought on him all his Misfortunes.

The Juftice very gladly confented, and Mrs. Heartfree, at her Hufband's Defire, began the Relation from the first Renewal of Wild's Acquaintance with her Husband; but, tho' this Recapitulation was neceffary, for the Information of our good Magiftrate, as it would be useless, and perhaps tedious, to the Reader, we fhall only repeat that Part of her Story to which he is a Stranger, beginning with what happened to her, after Wild had been turned adrift in the Boat, by the Captain of the French Pri

vateer.

Y 4

CHAP

MR

Adventures.

RS. Heartfree proceeded thus. "The Vengeance which the French Cap"tain exacted on that Villain, (our Hera)

perfuaded me, that I was fallen into the "Hands of a Man of Honour and Justice;

nor, indeed, was it poffible for any Per«fon to be treated with more Respect and

Civility than I now was; but, if this "could not mitigate my Sorrows, when I "reflected on the Condition in which I had "been betrayed to leave all that was dear "to me, much lefs could it produce fuch "an Effect, when I difcovered, as I foon "did, that I owed it chiefly to a Paffion, "which threatned me with great Un

cr

eafinefs, as it quickly appeared to be very "violent, and as I was abfolutely in the

Power of the Perfon who poffeffed it, "or or was rather poffeffed by it. I must « however do him the Juftice to say, my "Fears carried my Sufpicions farther than