Here and there, as we got farther into the town, we beheld two or three ftraggling wretches fleeping upon bulks; other ill-looking people were skulking in different bye alleys, to fee if they could take advantage of the watchman's drowfinefs or diftance, to feize upon some vagrant paffenger. After we had taken notice of these objects, we made the best of our way home; and I was very glad to retire to a good bed, and forget for a few hours all the folly, madness, infatuation, and infamy, to which I had been a witness. I fhall resume the pen of friendship again very foon. Mean time I am, Dear Crony, Your's, BOB RANDAL. LETTER *** LETTER VII. JOHN TRUSTY to his FRIEND. Medley of humorous and fhrewd remarks upon Newspapers-Bridewell-Bailiffs-Lawyers-Executions-Marriages-Divorces-Quacks-Beg gars-Foote Garrick-Players-SingersJugglers, and Shew-men. DEAR OLD FRIEND FRANK, AS I walked up and down the streets of this huge city, I took notice of a thousand things which astonished me, and some which put me at my wit's end, particularly the following points, which I fhall deliver to you in my brief, blunt, country-fafhioned manner of writing. My mafter's coufin lives about fix or eight rod off what they call the Royal-Exchange, where, about two o'clock in the afternoon, all the nations of the earth, as I may say, gather together. Jews, Gentiles, Turks, and Saracens, as they call 'em, are all in a heap and a hubbub. At night I walked out, and the fine painted, draggle-tailed madams came up to my very door, and and looked as brazen at me as a Birmingham halfpenny. At the windows of the Coffeehouses, as they call 'em, I faw young and old hipping of all manner of fippings, and reading all manner of news-papers; for ought I know, all the news of the whole world is in every one of these fame Coffee-houses, and it comes piping-hot and fresh every day, ready for people to take with their bread and butter: your Londoners cannot breakfast without them, I'm told. In paffing through a number of the streets, and little fnug paffages in particular, I faw women ftanding under a kind of fhed, with a kettle and tea-cups, and bread and butter, for folks to breakfast in public. To-morrow I am to see a a man ftand in the pillory for taking another man's hand in vain, without asking leave; and this afternoon I am to have the pleasure of feeing the young ladies beat hemp in the New Bridewell, which they fay is now quite full of the finest women in all England. I saw, about ten minutes ago, one man run after another, and after he had caught him he fwore he would lock him up; and I afterwards found this was a bailiff, who had caught a poor fellow of a debtor not worth a fhilling in the world. I went into Weftminster-hall, and there I saw fuch a clutter of Counsellors and Lawyers-juft dreft for all the world like fo many Parfons; and yet, for all their black dreffes, dreffes, and white well-ftarched bands, I don't hear that there's any fuch thing as religion or juftice among 'em-then, fuch wigs! Lord have mercy upon us-they're e'en almost as long, as large, as lufty, and as curlified, as the ladies hair. But of all the fights moft worthy note fince I came to town, was what I have been at about twenty minutes ago: Ah, Frank, Frankhanging, drowning, cutting throats, dying, damning, and every thing is going forward in this fame City of London: about twelve o'clock I beheld as handfome, proper a man, as ever the fun fhone on, dolefully taking his last airing in a fledge, only for making money, when nobody would give him any ready made; this I cannot but account extremely hard. He was as fairlooking a youth as ever you beheld, as indeed you might fee by the cries, fighs, and fobbings as he flowly paced towards the fatal spot, where, by the fame token, I loft my filk pocket-handkerchief that I had bought for fifter Alice but an hour before. I ftood almoft under the gallows, and there fome thief run away with my property. You can't conceive how confounded expenfive the folks are here. Why, would you believe it, Frank? a fellow will ask you for a shilling-aye, and ask for it faucily too-if he goes with a letter of half an ounce weight about a couple of hundred yards. I forgot to tell you, however, however, that the young man that was hanged this morning died as penitent as a prieft; but as he took up a good deal of time to fay his prayers, to fing pfalms, and make his laft confeffion, the folks began to be weary, and several of them went away damning him for living fo long, and fpoiling their dinners. But the best of the joke was, the hawkers of ballads and bloody murders, &c. were running about roundthe very gallows, to fell his laft dying words, before he was turned off, and, indeed, before he had faid a fyllable. When the pickpockets, pimps, parfon, had all done their bufinefs, and when Jack Ketch had broke the neck of bis argument, as I may fay, he proceeded to plunder the pockets of the criminal, and fairly fold the coat, waistcoat and breeches of the dead man by auction; taking care to fecure a pair of filver buckles, and the hat, which had a gold binding, like our hunting gentry in the country. would have been furprized to fee how all the doors and windows leading to Tyburn were hung with faces, eyes, and nofes, to enjoy the glorious fight of a fellow-creature going to be fwung by the neck. Many people who had a notion of staying to fee the end of it, had provided themselves with pockets full of neatstongues, flices of ham, oranges, and what they here call polonies, which are e'en almost like our faufages or hogs puddings; and just as the cart You was |