now he saw all that scheme dissolved, he returned to his integrity; of which he gave an incontestible proof, by informing Wild of the measures which had been concerted against him. In which, he said, he had pretended to acquiesce, in order the better to betray him; but this, as he afterwards confessed on his deathbed at Tyburn, was only a copy of his countenance; for that he was, at that time, as sincere and hearty in his opposition to Wild as any of his companions. Our hero received Fireblood's information with a very placid countenance. He said, as the gang had seen their errors, and repented, nothing was more noble than forgiveness. But, though he was pleased modestly to ascribe this to his lenity, it really arose from much more noble and political principles. He considered that it would be dangerous to attempt the punishment of so many; besides, he flattered himself that fear would keep them in order; and indeed Fireblood had told him nothing more than he knew before, viz., that they were all complete Prigs whom he was to govern by their fears, and in whom ha was to place no more confidence than was necessary, and to watch them with the utmost caution and circumspection for a rogue, he wisely said, like gunpowder, must be used with caution; since both are altogether as liable to blow up the party himself who uses them, as to execute his mischievous purpose against some other person or animal. We will now repair to Newgate, it being the place where most of the great men of this history are hastening as fast as possible; and, to confess the truth, it is a castle very far from being an improper or misbecoming habitation for any great man whatever. And as this scene will continue during the residue of our history we shall open it with a new book; and shall, therefore, take this opportunity of closing our third. A sentiment of the ordinary's, worthy to be written in letters of gold; a very extraordinary instance of folly in Friendly; and a dreadful accident which befel our hero. HEARTFREE had not been long in Newgate before his frequent conversation with his children, and other instances of a good heart, which betrayed themselves in his actions and conversation, created an opinion in all about him that he was one of the silliest fellows in the universe. The ordinary himself, a very sagacious as well as very worthy person, declared that he was a cursed rogue, but no conjuror. What indeed might induce the former, i. e. the roguish part of this opinion in the ordinary, was a wicked sentiment which Heartfree one day disclosed in conversation, and which we, who are truly orthodox, will not pretend to justify, That he believed a sincere Turk would be saved. To this the good man, with becoming zeal and indignation, answered, I know not what may become of a sincere Turk, but if this be your persuasion, I pronounce it impossible you should be saved. No, Sir, so far from a sincere Turk's being within the pale of salvation, neither will any sincere Presbyterian, Anabaptist, nor Quaker whatever, be saved. But neither did the one or the other part of this character prevail on Friendly to abandon his old master. He spent his whole time with him, except only those hours when he was absent for his sake, in procuring evidence for him against his trial, which was now shortly to come on. Indeed this young man was the only comfort, besides a clear conscience, and the hopes beyond the grave, which this poor wretch had; for the sight of his children was like one of those alluring pleasures which men in some diseases indulge themselves often fatally in, which at once flatter and heighten their malady. Friendly being one day present while Heartfree was, with tears in his eyes, embracing his eldest daughter, and lamenting the hard fate to which he feared he should be obliged to leave her, spoke to him thus: 'I have long 'observed with admiration the magnanimity with which you go through your own misfortunes, and the steady เ countenance with which you look on death. I have 'observed that all your agonies arise from the thoughts ' of parting with your children, and of leaving them in a 'distressed condition; now, though I hope all your fears 'will prove ill-grounded, yet that I may relieve you as 'much as possible from them, be assured, that as nothing 'can give me more real misery than to observe so tender ' and loving a concern in a master, to whose goodness I เ owe so many obligations, and whom I so sincerely love, so nothing can afford me equal pleasure with my con เ 6 เ 6 you tributing to lessen or to remove it. Be convinced, therefore, if you can place any confidence in my promise, ' that I will employ my little fortune, which you know to 'be not entirely inconsiderable, in the support of this your little family. Should any misfortune, which I pray heaven avert, happen to have better probefore you 'vided for these little ones, I will be myself their father, nor shall either of them ever know distress, if it be any way in my power to prevent it. Your younger daughter 'I will provide for, and as for my little prattler, your ' elder, as I never yet thought of any woman for a wife, 'I will receive her as such at your hands; nor will I ever relinquish her for another.' Heartfree flew to his friend, and embraced him with raptures of acknowledgment. He vowed to him, that he had eased every anxious thought of his mind but one, and that he must carry with him out of the world. O Friendly!' cried he, 'it is my เ concern for that best of women, whom I hate myself for having ever censured in my opinion. O Friendly! thou 'didst know her goodness; yet, sure, her perfect character none but myself was ever acquainted with. She had every perfection both of mind and body, which heaven hath indulged to her whole sex, and possessed all in a higher excellence than nature ever indulged to another in any single virtue. Can I bear the loss of such a 'woman? Can I bear the apprehensions of what mis'chief that villain may have done to her, of which death เ เ is perhaps the lightest ?' Friendly gently interrupted him as soon as he saw any opportunity, endeavouring to comfort him on this head likewise, by magnifying every circumstance which could possibly afford any hopes of his seeing her again. By this kind of behaviour, in which the young man exemplified so uncommon a height of friendship, he had soon obtained in the castle the character of as odd and silly a fellow as his master. Indeed, they were both the byword, laughingstock, and contempt of the whole place. The sessions now came on at the Old Bailey. The grand jury at Hicks's-hall had found the bill of indictment against Heartfree, and on the second day of the session he was brought to his trial; where, notwithstanding the utmost efforts of Friendly, and the honest old female servant, the circumstances of the fact corroborating the evidence of Fireblood, as well as that of Wild, who counterfeited the most artful reluctance at appearing against his old friend Heartfree, the jury found the prisoner guilty. Wild had now accomplished his scheme; for as to what remained, it was certainly unavoidable, seeing that Heartfree was entirely void of interest with the great, and was besides convicted on a statute, the infringers of which could hope no pardon. The catastrophe, to which our hero had reduced this wretch, was so wonderful an effort of Greatness, that it probably made fortune envious of her own darling; but whether it was from this envy, or only from that known inconstancy and weakness so often and judiciously remarked in that lady's temper, who frequently lifts men to the summit of human greatness, only ut lapsu graviore ruant; certain it is, she now began to meditate mischief against Wild, who seems to have come to that period, at which all heroes have arrived, and which she was resolved they should never transcend. In short, there seems to be a certain measure of mischief and iniquity, which every great man is to fill up, and then fortune looks on him of no more use than a silkworm, whose bottom is spun, and deserts him. Mr. Blueskin was convicted the same day of robbery, by our hero, an unkindness, which though he |