Phoenix tower. On the following day the royal fugitive took his departure for Denbigh Castle.

"On the 29th of September the besiegers affected a breach near the Newgate, and at night made an assualt, but were repulsed. On October 7th the city was surrounded by their horse, and a violent assualt made in several places. For a long time the conflict was doubtful. At length the assailants having gained the top of the Walls, were again beaten off, thrown down, and many of them killed. From this time the Parliamentary commander despaired of taking the city by assault, and immediately converted the siege into a close blockade-a high compliment to the gallantry of the inhabitants of Chester.

"The beginning of 1646 found the garrison in want of the common necessaries of life, being so reduced as to be compelled to feed upon horses, dogs, and cats. In this extremity the citizens rejected nine different summonses: nor till they received assurances that there was no hope of succour, did they answer the tenth. The negotiations occupied six days, when conditions were agreed to-that the garrison should march out with the honours of war, and that all the ammunition, stores, &c., in the castle be delivered up without injury to the besieging army. "In conformity with these articles, the brave and loyal city of Chester, which had held out twenty weeks beyond expectation, being reduced by famine to the utmost extremity, was upon the 3rd of February, 1646, formally surrendered to the Parliamentary forces. For two years nothing had been heard but the sound of warlike preparations, and during most of that time the citizens were enclosed within their walls-the victims of starvation and constant apprehension. The incessant drains upon their property for the maintenance of the garrison and the support of their fugitive Prince had levelled the different classes of the community to one common condition of beggary. The whole suburbs presented an undistinguishable mass of ruins, while the walls and edifices within the city were defaced or battered down by the destructive cannon. In addition to this, the city lands were all mortgaged, the funds quite exhausted, the plate melted down, and the churches, particularly St. John's, being so long in possession of the enemy, greatly damaged.

"In July, 1659, a large party of citizens and others, under Sir George Booth, smarting under Parliamentary misrule, seized the garrison for King Charles II., who was then an exile; but, on giving battle at Winnington Bridge to the Parliamentary General Lambert, they were repulsed with considerable loss. A few months afterwards the Royal wanderer returned to his own, and was received with open arms; our city records proving that in no part of England was the change more heartily welcomed than in the loyal city of Chester.

"From this eventful period down to the present day, saving a few Royal visits, no circumstance has occurred of sufficient import to deserve especial mention here."

(To be Continued.)

REMINISCENCES OF A COCKNEY.

BY FORWARD.

SECOND SERIES.

No. XV.

A FEW REFLECTIONS ON BANKRUPTCY BY MR. CRAFTY. As my name and misfortunes have been brought before the public by the accountant whom I honoured with my confidence when I was cruelly driven to make myself a bankrupt, I think it is but just to myself that the world should be truly informed of my opinions in respect to all the parties with whom I was thus unfortunately brought into contact. I know that no want of business knowledge or industry conduced to my failure, and I assert that nothing was wanting to my ultimate success but the continued faith and reliance in my integrity by those who had credited me with their cash and goods. It has been thrown into my teeth that I either kept garbled or useless accounts, and that the absence of proper books laid me open to the suspicion of wilfully intending to deceive my creditors. I have been twitted again and again with the amount I paid for the discounting of the bills I brought into the market; but I am certain I never offered 50 per cent. to any one where I thought I could get my paper cashed for 20. As to my hypothecation of my stock, I consider I acted prudently; for in arranging to meet my engagements for the 4th of the month, I maintained my trade credit up to the last, and might have procured ten times more goods than I had in stock at the date of my composition. The only difficulty I laboured under in that respect was to procure those articles of foreign manufacture which could not be obtained through English houses; but I think, on the whole, my accountant stated that my stock had been judiciously selected. When it is remembered that I commenced as a journeyman, and in ten or fifteen years had worked my way up to a position of credit and commercial fame, I think my readers will not hesitate to say that I must have been a man of perseverance and business tact. I know that I laboured hard at my business, and I had plenty to tire me in continued exertions to provide for the future, without being worried by entering up memoranda of what had passed. I do say I was harshly treated by my creditors when I petitioned the court, and that the assignees were not justified in their continued opposition, for they knew I always intended to pay the full amount of my debts; and when they, some little time before, agreed to accept 10s. in the pound on their then claims, I had offered to pay them in full if they would only have waited my convenience. However it is useless to state now what I meant to have done. They have at last driven me to ruin, and they may feel sure that if I ever make a fortune they will never receive a single penny more from me than they have done. Why should I think of doing so? for they opposed me and did their worst, and I have nothing now to thank them for. Feeling, however, that the public have a claim upon me, I have got a friend to jot down a few

thoughts that crossed me in my career as a bankrupt, and a few remembrances of men and facts with which I became acquainted in connexion with the court, its officers, solicitors, counsel, and accountants. When I applied for the petition against myself, I was rather startled on being told by my solicitor that he should want £15 to cover the fees of the court, which must be paid out of his own pocket before I could obtain my discharge, even if I were not opposed. He said he would give me credit for his own personal charges, but I must hand over that sum to him before he would take up the matter. When I asked him what they were for, he said, "Five pounds would be for the opening-stamp, five pounds more for deposit with the messenger, two pounds for advertising, one guinea for the discharge-stamp, besides other little charges for searches, papers, &c.; and that if I were opposed and adjourned at my own cost, there would be one pound five shillings to be paid for every such subsequent meeting." I had let myself run out of all cash, except a few pounds I had just handed over to Mrs. Crafty for housekeeping, and had to put on my night-cap to reflect how to procure the ways and the means. I could not take out any of my stock, as the sheriff's officer in possession was exceedingly watchful, and I was afraid that he had some slight suspicion of my contemplated proceedings. I had collected in every available account that was due, and I knew my own family were very sore at not having received their last instalments under my composition deed. I had no plate or jewellery, and really began to think I should be defeated at last. I had, however, one outstanding debtor for a considerable sum, and to him I went and asked him to oblige me by accepting a bill for the amount. After some hesitation, he did so, and I entered the amount as received some weeks before. This bill I took to my solicitor, and he got it discounted, and gave me credit for £20, returning the balance to me. I thought to myself what a bad thing it must be for an honest man who has gone on paying up to the last moment, and left himself without the means of petitioning. He may sit at home, and feel himself hampered with debt and with care, and almost hope for the visit of the sheriff's officer who shall convey him to prison, as the first step to his being turned out a free man. I made up my mind that if I ever found myself in business again I would open up a little "private" account with my own breeches pocket, and never again be caught unprovided for court fees and other little disbursements incidental to a bankrupt's position. Since I have obtained my discharge, I have religiously stuck to my then determination, and have commenced a "charitable" subscription, which I shall limit to a "cool hundred," for my experience is that the man is a fool who thinks to fight without weapons, or to baffle creditors unless he is provided with the wherewithall to fee justice. I maintained a long combat in my own case, which might have been materially shortened if I could have paid for an accountant's assistance at an earlier period. Having overcome this first difficulty, my solicitor opened the petition and obtained the adjudication, and we went to the Messenger's Office, where I duly surrendered myself as a bankrupt. In reply to the usual questions, my solicitor informed him that there were three executions on the premises at the suit of creditors, and that the sheriff had given notice of sale for the next day but one. Having handed him over "his deposit," he imme

diately despatched one of his men with the court warrant, who, much to the surprise of the sheriff's officer, handed him over the notice of adjudication, and took possession of the stock, books, papers, and other property he found on the premises. I went to my private house, having been provided with the registrar's protection of person and property, to which I was subsequently followed by the messenger's deputy. This latter personage I found to be a very quiet, unobtrusive sort of man, fond of a pot and a pipe, and a friend to give them to him. Having a perfect cognizance of our misfortunes, he was very full of his sympathy, and very ready to make himself generally useful about the house. He could turn his hand to anything, would light the fire and boil the kettle for breakfast, lay the cloth for dinner, prepare the tray of cups and saucers for the evening meal, or cook a chop or steak for supper, or even if those could not be maintained, eat plain bread and cheese. It really was astonishing how he seemed to look to my wife's comfort, and, when she appeared dull and desponding, would venture to suggest a little hot water, with spirits, as a sovereign remedy; "For," said he, "I have known better days, and gone through all this." Such a friendin-need seemed to us to be a God-send, and, to show our sense of his kindness, he fed as we fed, and supped out of the same cup with ourselves. All this was of course extra to our usual expenses, and how to provide would have been a mystery to many, but I had still left some of the money returned to me out of the bill I had got discounted. Next to this worthy retainer of the court there followed another official, in the shape of an auctioneer's clerk, who came down by appointment to take an inventory of and place a value on the furniture and effects of the dwelling-house. Believing that I should procure the necessary assistance, I had determined to purchase my furniture and chattels from the assignees, and therefore I desired that the valuation placed on them should be as moderate as possible. I knew no better way to effect this than to treat this official handsomely, and therefore insisted on his dining before he proceeded with his work. After dinner we had some wine, and the clerk then hurried on with his inventory, to make up for the lost time. I had no reason to complain of the excessiveness of the amount placed on the furniture, and congratulated myself that my wife and family would not be disturbed, whatever persecution I might have to undergo. My next introduction was to the office of the official assignee, whose duty it is to take charge of all the books and vouches, and exercise control over the property until the creditors shall have appointed the trade assiguee. I found the clerks generally a very gentlemanly set of men, and the principal treated me with every courtesy. The questions put to me were certainly of a very puzzling and inquisitive nature, and my answers were constrained. I did not know how to answer some of them, and I am afraid some were afterwards contradicted by the facts as they subsequently came out in evidence. I was informed that I must make out a list of all my debtors and creditors, to the best of my power, before the first meeting, and that all accounts owing to me must be prepared and furnished to the official assignee for collection. I accordingly set my clerk to work, and helped him to get out the lists by the time appointed. Thus passed away the intervening time until the day appointed for the choice of assignees, during which I heard nothing from my creditors, and the messenger and sheriff's officers

remained in possession of my house and business premises. I hoped that, finding I was a bankrupt, the parties who had obtained judgments against me would proceed no further, and that some friend would be nominated for trade assignee. To my exceeding surprise I found that Messrs. the accountants into whose hands my matters had been placed by the creditors referred to, had canvassed the whole trade against me, and put in proof after proof until I was completely astounded. I knew I owed a good deal of money, but I was not prepared to find myself indebted in half the amount, and had not taken into consideration that the whole unliquidated balance of my previous debts had revived in consequence of my not having paid the last two instalments under my deed. Of course they would have carried the choice, in the event of any opposition being offered; but my solicitor would not put up any one, in hopes that he might mollify any feelings that might be entertained against me. No notice was given me that I should have to file other than the usual balanee-sheets, and I now hoped that in a short time I should see my way clear to start again in the world. Determined to save expenses, I prepared my own accounts, and then filed them. The trade assignees having asked me whether I had any one to purchase the stock and plant of my trade and the furniture at the private house, I went to Mr. T-- and asked him to befriend me by advancing the necessary amount? I considered I had a claim on this person, as I knew that in our previous transactions he had cleared sufficient profits on the monies he had advanced to cover more than double the required outlay. He had always told me that I should find him a friend, and I believed him. He said that he would do what I required, provided that I got any good name to secure him the payment of 10 per cent. interest until the advance was repaid him. I told him that the property would be his own, and that I would manage the business as his foreman until I could buy it back again from him. To my surprise and indignation, he quietly insinuated that as I could not manage my own affairs he was afraid I should mismanage his, and he would rather have nothing to do with the business. Finding myself thus disappointed in the man on whom I had relied, and whom I had freed from all loss when I had before paid a composition, I was compelled to decline the stock and fixtures, and turned my thoughts to obtaining possession of my furniture at the valuation placed on it by the court broker. I knew I could not replace it for four times the amount, and, as the assignees were content that it should go for the sum therein named, I made up my mind to try my wife's family for their aid in securing it. I accordingly went to one and another, but was met on every side with the assurance that there was no power to accommodate me. In some cases I believe the assertion was true, but in others I knew it to be false, and only made to soften down a denial. One party I told so, and he then said if I had not deceived him at the composition he would have helped me now. I told him I always meant to pay him, and then he unfeelingly responded that when the intentions in respect to previous obligations had been fulfilled he should be very happy to assist me again. Day after day did I go about seeking assistance, and put off the assignees with the assurance that I could not fail in procuring its purchase, until at last one morning I was astounded by having a placard put in my hand which announced the