ther than fuch Villany should pass unchastised, and fhould execute fignal Vengeance on the Tranf greffors.

In the other Cafe, the Criminals were not indeed of the fame Rank, but they were exprefly invefted with Power for the Maintenance of Virtue, and Condemnation of Vice; fuch as were bound by their Office, to the moft exemplary Probity, and Rectitude of Life; they were fuch as were to have been the Judges of the Guilty, and Protectors of the Helpless and Oppreffed: When fuch Perfons therefore fo far perverted Juftice, and polluted the Tribunal, as to become the Perfecutors and Murderers of Innocence and Virtue, and that in fuch a Way, as left no room for Detection, or Remedy, it was an Act worthy of an Almighty, Beneficent, and All-feeing Power, to interfere, rather than fuch Wickedness in high Places fhould efcape unpunished, or fuch Virtue and Innocence go unjustified and unprotected.

But though, on fo many Accounts, we believe thefe Inftances more remarkable than any others that can be produced; yet, as we are too fenfible, their being drawn from Scripture will take away from their Weight, and render them lefs affecting to most People, than fuch as are extracted from modern Hiftory, and efpecially fuch as have happened within our own Memory, or Knowledge, we fhall cite one or two from the Records of our own Times And here we shall pa's over the noted Japhet Crook, alias Sir Peter Stranger, becaufe we. think the Eftate he got by his Villany, and was enabled to bequeath to his Wench, was more than a Compenfation for the Lots of fuch a Scoun drel's Ears, and his perpetual Imprifonment. We fhall likewife pass by Parfon Kinnerfley, and his Accomplice, though

died in Newgate,

not, lands

pon

upon himself in the faid Goal. We fhall likewie pass over many of the numerous Tribe of Infor mers against the Venders of Gin, feveral of whom met with their Defert from the incenfed Populace, and the others ended their Days mi'erably, in the utmoft Agonies, unpitied and unlamented.

We shall pafs by all these Villains, we fay, with Wreathock, and many more, however notorious and wicked, to proceed to one yet more enormous, who, for fome Years, made it his conftant Practice to traffick away the Lives of the Innocent, by falfly fwearing Robberies on the Highway against them, for the Sake of the great Reward allowed in fuch Cafes by the Government. This hardened Monster, by Name JohnTrevor alias Waller, after having long driven on this iniquitous Trade, with Impunity, began, in Time, to be fufpected; having been obferved to make his Appearance frequently at different Circuits, (though under various Names,) and always on the fame Account, namely, to profecute fome Perfons by whom he pretended to have been robbed.

At laft, he was palpably detected in fwearing falfly against two Men at Hertford Affizes, by the Name of Waller, and was accordingly indicted, and tried for the fame; but, inasmuch as the Oath he had taken, though it tended to take away Life, was only fworn before a Juftice of the Peace, it was not capital; and he was only fentenced to pay a Fine of Twenty Marks, to fuffer Two Years Imprisonment, to find Security for his good Behaviour for Life, and to ftand twice in the Pilory bareheaded, once at the Seven Dials, and once at Hick's Hall, as also to stand twice before the Pillory, bare-headed, at the fame Places.

Thus was this execrable Mifcreant, who had long, without Remorfe, fold innocent Blood, in great

great Hopes, through the unnaccountable, and, we think, blameable Lenity of our Laws in fuch Cafes, of escaping with only being a little pelted But herein he found himself grievously miftaken; for the Populace in this Cafe, as they did afterwards in that of Porteous, took the Adminiftration of Juftice into their own Hands, not thinking it fit fuch a Wretch fhould live; and áccordingly, the firft Time of his ftanding, not content with battering him with CollyflowerStalks, Stones, and Pieces of Glafs Bottles, whereby he was terribly bruifed and cut, they pulled him down, tore off all his Cloaths, threw him on the Ground, leaped upon him, and, in fhort, never left him, till they had quite difpatched him. Such was the miferable End of this hardened Profligate! And fuch the juft Fruits of his manifold Tranfgreffions of the Ninth Commandment!

The next Inftance we fhall produce of the fad Confequences of violating this Divine Law, is the notorious John Hanna; one who, although but a Youth, or rather a meer Boy, was fo compleatly hardened in Iniquity, to forge a falfe Accufation against his Mafter, John Longden, when Captain of a Collier, of running down a fishing Veffel, with ten Hands on board, all of whom, for fear of Dif covery, and being obliged to make good the Damage, he had either drowned, or other wife cruelly murdered. Upon this fhocking Account of fuch unprecedented Barbarity, the poor Man was apprehended and committed to the Marshalfca, where he underwent a tedious and fevere Confinement, being put in Irons, and was afterwards tried at the Old Bailey, together with one of his Men : But, no Thanks to his wicked Servant, who fwore. it politively upon them, they were both honourably acquitted, and the wretched Evidence was' committed in Court, in order to be profecuted for

wilful and corupt Perjury It appears, however,

that thro' the unaccountable, and, as was faid before, unjuftifiable Lenity of our Laws, in fuch Cafes, he came off with little or no Punishment; fince we find him, not many Months afterwards, apprehended for a Robbery on the Highway, for which, having filled up the Measure of his Iniquity, he was defervedly executed, and died unpitied.

Now we cannot help thinking the Interpofition of Providence was very vifible in the Punishment of both thefe Wretches; in that of Waller, because his Sentence itself was entirely unprecedented it being a Thing never before known, that any one was ordered to ftand bareheaded; fo that it feemed, in effect, to be delivering him up to the Mercy of the Populace, and was as good as declaring to the Publick, Gentlemen, our Lars are defective in this Cafe, and will not reach the Life of this notorious Villain; we leave him, therefore, in your Hands, to fupply that Defect, and to deal with him as you fee fit!

At leaft, it is very plain, it was fo interpreted by the People, and even by the Constables, and others, who attend on fuch Occafions to keep the Peace, and prevent Mifchief; because not one of the latter, though it was their Duty, interpofed in his Behalf; nor, though an English Mob are feldom or never inclined to be fanguinary; but, on the contrary, are very apt to compaffionate an unhappy Sufferer, and generously to endeavour his Refcue, not a Soul of the former offered to flir to fave him, when they faw him dragged down from the Pillory by a fingle Chimney Sweeper, nor even when it was very evident, if no Help came, he would be killed.

Should it be urged, in answer to this, that two Perfons were afterwards condemned and executed for the Murder of this Wretch, we allow it to be

true; but muft add thereto, that it both furprized and fhocked all ferious and confiderate People, and that for several Reafons: First, the Evidences against these two Men were of the most profligate Character, and of Waller's own Gang. Secondly, the poor Creatures had great Provocation for fo doing, fuppofing them to have been the very fame. who difpatched him; (which nevertheless one of them denied to the laft, and that even at taking the Sacrament;) the one having loft his Brother, and the other fome other near Relation, by the Perjuries of the faid Waller.

Upon the whole, it was generally thought, the Severity exercifed upon these unfortunate Men, was owing to the guilty Confcience of another very notorious Criminal in a more exalted Station; who, knowing himself to be utterly obnoxious to the Publick, was apprehenfive, fhould they once take upon themselves the Execution of Juftice, it might foon come to be his own Turn: Wherefore, tho' Heaven, for wife Reasons, unknown to us, might permit thefe poor Creatures to fuffer a fhametul Death, that is no Argument of his not having fir made them the Inftruments to execute his Judgments upon fo hardened an Offender. Then as to John Hanna, we think the Cafe is ftill more plain; fioce his being fo foon, enlarged, after he was com mitted by the Court, which undoubtedly he looked upon as a great Piece of good Fortune, was the very means, in the over-ruling Hand of Providence, of bringing him the fooner to receive the due Reward of his Villany.

Many more Examples might be fubjoined hereto, of the miferable End of divers of thofe infamous Wretches, who, for fome Time, made a Trade of fwearing falfly against their innocent Neighbours, either as Venders of Gin, Runners of uncuftomed Goods, or Offenders against fome

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