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and, which was yet more, both were punctually obeyed by them, both equally laid the Public un der Contribution, both were equally willing and able to skrcen fuch as obferved their Orders from condign Punishment, both likewife flourished a long Time, in defiance of all Law and Juftice, though their injured Country long and loudly demanded, that each might be brought to receive his. due Reward. The Parallel indeed went no farther; the one, namely Jonathan, met with his Deferts, whilst the other, to the lafting Scandal of the Briti Nation, lived to riot in the Spoils of the Public, and to laugh at the impotent Attempts of his inju-red Fellow-Subjects, to make him a memorable Example to Betrayers and Plunderers of their native Land. So much fafer it is in this World, to be a Rogue in a high Station, than one of a low Condition!

The next petty Plunderer we fhall bring upon the Stage, was one who flourished likewife for fome Time with Impunity; nay one, whom, even when feized, it was found very difficult to hold; we mean the noted Jack Sheppard. This hopeful Spark was likewife a very extraordinary Perfon in his Calling: He was a Man of Dexterity, Industry, and Refolution; nor did he want for Wit and Hu-mour, though he greatly misapplied it; witnefs his Anfwer to the Turnkey, when he was chained and ftapled down to the Floor, after having once broken out of Newgate: Look you, young Gentleman, faid the Turnkey, the Evening before he was to have fuffered, It is your Business to get away if you can, and it is mine to take Care you do not: Very well, answers Sheppard, mighty calmly, then let us both mind our Bufinefs; as he did accordingly, (if we mistake not), and, made his Escape that very Night.

Be that, however, as it will, it is very certain,

that

that all thofe good Qualities, which, if put to a right Ufe, might have made him a happy Man, were of no Advantage to him, ferving only to render him more hardened in Iniquity, and to make him the more a Gazing-stock to thofe Multitudes who went to fee him under his Confinement, and at his Execution: For, fuch is the Fatality (if we may ufe that Expreffion) attending thefe unfortunate Creatures, that they feldom or never take Warning; and accordingly poor Jack, though he made a Shift to break Prifon twice, was apprehended, and fo well fecured the third Time, that he finifhed his wretched Courfe at Tyburn.

The next Inftance we fhall produce of the little Hope there is of a Thief efcaping Punishment, even in this Life, shall be Daniel Malden; one who likewife broke twice out of Newgate, but had not the Difcretion to improve the Mercy granted him by Heaven, fo far as to make his Efcape effectually, and reform his Life; though as he had betaken himself to honeft Labour for fome Weeks before his being apprehended a fecond Time, and seemed heartily penitent at his Execution, we would willingly hope the beft of his prefent State.

Another remarkable Example of the fatal Confequences of violating the Eighth Commandmen', is the notorious Mac Cray; one who, though he wanted neither for Understanding to inform him of the Danger of fuch Practices, and the little Probability of efcaping if he perfifted therein, nor yet for a tolerable Education, to enable him to put that Underftanding to a good Ufe, having been bred an Attorney; yer, like the two former, would take no Warning till it was too late, and he was thereby brought to a fhameful End. He had once been tried at the Old Bailey, for robbing a reverend Clergyman, and acquitted only by the Dint of Perjury, though certainly guilty the in

famou

famous Wreathock, one of his Accomplices, having procured fuch a Cloud of Witneffes to invalidate the Force of the King's Evidence, that the Jury would not venture to condemn him, though the Fact was pofitively fworn upon him: And he flattered himself with the Hopes of coming off a fecond Time by the fame honeft Means, as he certainly had, if the fuborning of falfe Witneffes could have faved him; but he found himself miferably deceived; the Hand of Juftice at laft overtook him; all his Subterfuges and Subtlety availed him nothing; for notwithstanding a defperate Attempt made by him to break out of Goal, he ended his Life miferably at Kennington Gallows.

The laft Inftance we fhall produce of the dreadful Effects of fuch vicious Courses, and the Punishment that feldom fails to attend them, is the late famous, or rather infamous, Richard Turpin. This extraordinary Perfon, after having long laid his Country under Contribution; after a long Run of Succefs, wherein, with good Management, he might have laid up enough, to have enabled him to fubfift the Remainder of his Days; having, at laft, by his repeated Robberies, made the Country where his ufual Haunts were, too hot to hold him, several Perfons, on account of the great Reward offered for apprehending him, being out Day and Night in purfuit of him, was forced to betake himself to Flight, and concealing his real Name under the fictitious one of John Palmer, to lie lurking up and down in Yorkshire.

Now, had he not been infatuated, had he put his ungodly Gain to a good Ufe, as he might have faved a Competency for his Subfiftence for the Remainder of his Life, he had there abundant Opportunity of making his Efcape beyond Sea, and might have ended his Days in a peaceful Obscurity, in fome foreign Country; nay, even as it was,

could

could he have kept himself honeft, could he have left off his former vicious Courfes, he might have lived unknown and fecure there many Years: But, not being able to defift from his former Pranks, though in a different Branch, he was there apprehended for Horfe-ftealing, and the Fact being proved upon him, was condemned and executed at York Gallows.

We have now fhewn fufficiently, in our Opinion, the fatal Confequences of breaking the Eighth Commandment; and as to the happy Effects of obferving it, or, in other Words, of Common Honesty, furely every one must be sensible of them; as continual Danger, conftant Fears, and perpetual Remorfe of Confcience, must be the infeparable Attendants upon Robbery and Theft; so, undisturbed Peace of Mind, quier Sleeps, and a happy Security, are the never failing Recompence of an upright Life, and juft Dealings: Sufficient Inducements furely, to any reasonable Man, to prefer the latter to the former, were even the Rewards and Punishments of a Future State out of the Question.

CHAP. IX.

Of the good and bad Confequences of the Obfervance, or Non-Obfervance of the Ninth Commandment.

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Hou shalt not bear falfe Witness against thy Neighbour. As exprefs, and eafy to be understood, as the Words of this Ninth Commandment are, to our eternal Shame be it fpoken, we believe, there is not a Country in the Univerfe, where it is fo often literally broken, as in Great Britain; and this

is one of the hopeful Fruits of our numerous penal Laws, and high Duties; together with the great Rewards given on the Conviction of certain Offenders, and the unnaccountable Lenity of our Laws, to fuch as are forfworn, even though their Evidence, if taken, tended to take away Life: But, leaving this Point for the prefent, let us now proceed to confider the Extent of this Law, which we fhall find, like all the others, to be of a far greater Latitude than most of us are aware of, or, at least, than most of us are willing to remember.

In effect, were we to keep this Law continually before our Eyes, what would become of all the polite Tea Tables and Aflembles in this overgrown City? Take away Scandal and Detraction, and we ftrike the greater half of the Fair Sex, with the numerous Society of Beaux and Petit Maitres, quite dumb. It it nevertheless certainly true, that all Lying, even though it should affect no one, is forbid by this Commandment, and much more all Lying that may injure our Neighbour. But not only all actual Lying is hereby forbidden, but all Concealment of any Truths, the revealing of which may be ferviceable, or beneficial, to our Neighbour, or the Publick; as alfo all Forgery of Hands, Seals, or Writings; all Proneness to judge uncharitably, and all propagating of evil Reports upon Hearfay, even though they should happen to be true. der this Head likewife are comprehended all Equivocations, or defignedly expreffing ourselves in fuch a manner, that our Words may be understood two Ways, to the end they may be taken in the worft Senfe; as alfo every ironical Commendation, which we intended fhould be interpreted the contrary Way; as when we fay of any one, Oh! he's a mighty honest Fellow truly! Meaning, at the fame time, he is a great Rogue.

Un

But of all Violations of this Law, undoubtedly

the

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