from the pocket of a horfeman's coat. They difcourfed in dark and ambiguous terms, affected a bufy and anxious circumfpection, urged the man often to drink, and feemed defirous to render him fubfervient to fome purpose which they were unwilling to difcover. They endeavoured to conciliate his good-will, by extravagant commendations of his dexterity and diligence; and encouraged him to familiarity, by asking him many questions. He was, however, ftill cautious and referved. One of them therefore, pretending to have known his mother, put a crown into his hand, and foon after took an opportunity to ask him at what hour a stage-coach, the paffengers of which they intended to humbug, fet out in the morning; whether it was full; and if it was attended with a guard.

The man was now confirmed in his fufpicions; and, though he had accepted the bribe, refolved to discover the fecret. Having evaded the questions with as much art as he could, he went to his master, Mr. Spiggot, who was then in bed, and acquainted him with what he had obferved.

Mr. Spiggot immediately got up, and held a confultation with his wife, what was to be done. She advifed him immediately to fend for the conftable, with proper affiftants, and fecure them: but he confidered, that, as this would probably prevent a robbery, it would deprive him of an opportunity to gain a very confiderable fum, which he would become entitled to upon their conviction, if he could apprehend them after the fact he therefore very prudently called up four ot five of the oftlers that belonged to the yard; and, having communicated his fufpicions and defign, engaged them to inlift under his command, as an efcort to the coach,

coach, and to watch the motions of the highwaymen, as he should direct. But mine hoft, alfo wifely confi dering that this expedition would be attended with certain expence, and that the profit which he hoped was contingent, acquainted the paffengers with their danger, and proposed that a guard should be hired by á voluntary contribution; a proposal, to which, upon a fight of the robbers through the window, they readily agreed. Spiggot was now fecured against pecuniary lofs, at all events: and, about three o'clock, the knights of the frolic, with infinite fatisfaction, beheld five paffengers, among whom there was but one gentleman, step into the coach, with the aspect of crimf nals going to execution; and enjoyed the fignificant figns which paffed between them and the landlord, concerning the precautions taken for their defence.

As foon as the coach was gone, the supposed highwaymen paid their reckoning in great hafte, and called for their horfes: care had already been taken to faddle them; for it was not Mr. Spiggot's defire, that the adventurers fhould go far before they executed their pur. pofe; and as foon as they departed, he prepared to follow them with his poffe. He was, indeed, greatly furprised to fee, that they turned the contrary way when they went out of the inn yard; but he supposed they might chufe to take a small circuit to prevent fufpicion, as they might eafily overtake the coach whenever they would: he determined, however, to keep behind them; and therefore, instead of going after the coach, followed them at a distance; till, to his utter difappointment, he faw them perfift in a different rout, and at length turn into an inn in Ficcadilly, where feveral fervants in livery appeared to have been waiting

K 4

waiting for them, and where his curiofity was foon gratified with their characters and their names.

In the mean time, the coach proceeded in its journey. The panic of the paffengers increased, upon perceiving that the guard which they had hired did not come up; and they began to accuse Spiggot of having betrayed them to the robbers, for a share of the booty : they could not help looking every moment from the window, though it was fo dark, that a waggon could not have been seen at the distance of twenty yards : every tree was mistaken for a man and horfe; the noife of the vehicle in which they rode was believed to be the trampling of purfuers; and they expected, every moment to hear the coachman commanded to top, and to fee a piftol thrust in amongst them, with the dreadful injunction, "Deliver your money."

Thus far the diftrefs, however great and unmerited, will be deemed ridiculous; the fufferers will appear to have ingeniously tormented themselves, by the fagacity with which they reafoned from appearances intended to deceive them, and their folicitude to prevent mifchiefs which none would attempt.

But it happened, that, when the coach had got about two miles out of town, it was overtaken by a horfeman, who rode very hard, and called out with great eagerness to the driver to stop. This incident, among perfons who had fuffered perpetual apprehenfion and alarm from the moment they fet out, produced a proportionate effect. The wife of the gentleman was fo terrified, that she funk down from her feat; and he was fo much convinced of his danger, fo touched at her diftrefs, and fo incenfed against the ruffian who had produced it, that, without uttering a word, he

drew

drew a pistol from his pocket, and seeing the man par.. ley with the coachmen, who had now ftopped his horfes, he shot him dead upon the spot.

The man, however, who had thus fallen the victim of a frolic, was foon known to be the fervant of a lady,who had paid earneft for the vacant place in the stage,. and having by fome accident been delayed till it was fet out, had followed it in a hackney-coach, and fent him before her to detain it till fhe came up.

Here the ridicule is at an end; and we are furprised that we did not fooner reflect, that the company had fufficient caufe for their fear and their precaution, and that the frolic was nothing more than a lie, which it would have been folly not to believe, and prefumption to difregard.

The next day, while the Bucks were entertaining a polite circle at White's with an account of the farce they had played the night before, news arrived of the catastrophe. A fudden confufion covered every countenance; and they remained fome time filent, looking upon each other, mutually accused, reproached, and condemned.

This favourable moment was improved by a gentleman, who, though fometimes feen in that affembly, is yet eminent for his humanity and wifdom.

" A.

66 'man, "faid he, "who found himself bewildered in "the intricacies of a labyrinth, when the fun was go"ing down, would think himself happy, if a clue' "fhould be put into his hand, by which he might be

led out in fafety: he would not surely quit it for a "moment, because it might poffibly be recovered; " and, if he did, would be in perpetual danger of umbling upon fome other wanderer, and bringing →

In the maze of life

"a common calamity upon both. "we are often bewildered, and darkness and danger furround us: but every one may at leaft fecure confcience against the power of accident, by adhering "inviolably to that rule, by which we are enjoined to “abftain even. from the Appearances of Evil.

No. LXIX. Tuesday, July 3. 1753..

Ferè libenter homines id quod volunt credunt:

CÆSAR

Men willingly believe what they wish to be true..

TULLY has long ago obferved, that no man, however weakened by long life, is fo confcious of his own decrepitude, as not to imagine that he may yet hold his ftation in the world for another year..

Of the truth of this remark every day furnishes new confirmation there is no time of life in which : men, for the most part, feem lefs to expect the ftroke of death, than when every other eye fees it impending ;.

ΟΙ