ence, and when he returned, acquainted his mafter: that all his enquiries refpecting it had been ineffectual.

However, a difcovery of the party who had been guilty of the robbery was made in the following fingular manner. The jeweller who had bought the ring frequented the fame coffee-house with the gentleman who had loft it, and was intimately acquainted with him, though he knew nothing of Griffiths. Now the jeweller, having carefully examined the ring after he had bought it, and therefore concluded that it had been obtained in an illegal manner. Being a man who was much above the idea of having his integrity fufpected, he related the particulars of his purchafe at the coffee-houfe, which the person who had loft the ring hearing, defired to have a fight of it; and on the first inspection, knew it to be that which he had loft.

The perfon of Griffiths was now fo exactly defcribed by the jeweller, that there could be little doubt but that he was the thief; wherefore he was defired to go to the chambers with a conftable, and take him into cuftody, if he appeared to be the man who had fold the ring. As this was really the cafe, he was carried before a juftice of the peace, and accused of the crime, which he immediately confeffed, and likewife that he had robbed his master of money, in the manner we have already related.

Griffiths in confequence hereof was committed to Newgate, and being arraigned at the next feffions at the Old Bailey, he pleaded guilty to the indictment, and fentence of death was paffed on him accordingly.

As in his fituation it was natural to fuppofe

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that

that he would attempt to correfpond with the young lady to whom he had aspired as a wife, a proper person was employed by her father to intercept her letters: a fervice that was performed with fuch care, that, not one reached her hands, though a confiderable number were written.

When Mr. Griffiths found that he had nothing to hope from the intervention of the royal mercy, and confequently that all the views with which he had flattered himfelf in wedlock were vanifhed, he began seriously to prepare himself for that state in which perfons "neither marry, nor are given in marriage." He very juftly attributed his miffortunes to the affociating with perfons who were his fuperiors in point of circumstances, and the making an appearance which he was unable to fupport, in order to fecure the object of his wishes.

Many leffons of useful instruction may be learnt from the preceding melancholy narrative. Among the number of our young gentlemen who are fent to the inns of court, fome are of confiderable fortune; while others have very fcanty ftipends; for it is the ambition of too many parents to place their children in ftations in which they cannot fupport them with the requilite degree of credit till they are enabled to provide for themselves; and it is poffible that this may be the fource of many calamities. The wish to provide in a proper manner for our children, is as laudable as it is natural but many a youth owes his ruin to his being placed in a fituation above his reasonable views or expectations.

When it happens that a young gentleman, whofe circumstances are rather contracted, is fent to one of our inns of court; instead of frequent

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ing play-houses and taverns with thofe of more liberal fortune, he fhould ftudy with the utmost affiduity the reverend fages of the law, by which, in a few years, he may render himself fuperior to those who, at the prefent moment, may look down on him with a degree of contempt.

In respect to the unhappy fubject of this narrative, we have only to remark, that a rigid perfeverance in the paths of honour might have finally procured him the confummation of his wishes. On a prefumption that he was enamoured of his mafter's daughter, the ready way to have obtained her would have been to have fought the approbation of her father: and, as he appears to have been much confided in by the old gentleman, there feems to be little doubt but that modeft perfeverance would have enfured his fuccefs: befides, his guilt was increased in proportion to the confidence that his master reposed in him.

Mr. Griffiths was executed at Tyburn, on the first of August, 1700.

Reflecting on his fate severe,

We own that love has borne its part;
A tale like this muft draw a tear

From every tender, feeling heart.

Particulars of the Life, Atheism, and remarkable Execution of the REV. THOMAS HUNTER, in Edinburgh, for the Murder of two of bis young Pupils.

TH

HIS atrocious offender was born in the county of Fife, and was the son of a rich farmer, who fent him to the University of St.

Andrew