joy them. Heaven seems only to have prolonged his loathsome life, for the wise purpose of demonstrat ing to the world that ill-gotten wealth will ruin the possessor's peace of mind, and, ultimately, bring him to shame, infamy, and destruction. James Mackcoull, though he had an honest father, was educated a thief, and from infancy was initiated into all the mysteries of picking pockets, shop-lifting, and housebreaking. He was born in the parish of St. Sepulchre, London, in the year 1763. His father, Benjamin Mack coull, a man of unblemished character, was a pocket-book maker; but, being unfortunate in business, he was appointed a city officer, in which situation he continued until his death. This poor man did all in his power to bring his children up in honesty; but, unfortunately, his praiseworthy exertions proved abortive in consequence of his wife being a base unprincipled woman, who might be said to have educated her offspring for the gallows; for though they all, except one, singularly escaped such au ignominious death, they are allowed to have richly merited it.

James had three sisters and two brothers. The daughters emulated the example of the mother, and were, with her, frequently convicted of petty crimes, being the most expert and notorious thieves in London. They all lived till within a few years of James's death, notwithstanding their abandoned and vicious lives. The younger brother, Benjamin, was executed in 1786 for street-robbery; but the eldest, John, was always fortunate in eluding justice, though well known as a notorious character. He was frequently tried for various offences, but uniformly escaped conviction. This extraordinary villain received a more liberal education than any

other of the family, and served his apprenticeship to a law-stationer. He possessed some talents, and gave proofs of them on various occasions. In 1810 he published a volume, entitled 'Abuses of Justice,' in which he very freely speaks of himself; indirectly acknowledges his previous crimes; but resolves to abandon his evil ways in future. His contrition, however, may be doubted; for, in 1820, he was the proprietor of two brothels in London, and of the Apollo circulating library in Worthing, Sussex.

James Mackcoull received a very limited education, and could just read and write. At school he was frequently detected purloining the play-things of other boys, and at a very tender age robbed a poor man who sold cats' meat through the streets. The young villain saw the vender of offal put his money, as he received it, into a bag which hang on the handle of his barrow, and, watching his opportunity, when the owner's back was turned he cut the cord, and carried off the booty. Emboldened by success he ventured again and again, and soon associated with gangs who are known to infest the entrances to theatres and places of amusement, where they are on the alert to snatch or steal hats, bonnets, umbrellas, &c. &c.

The father, ignorant of the vicious habits of the son, bound him apprentice to a leather-stainer, in Clerkenwell; but James, encouraged by the mother, adhered to his former comrades, and soon gave occasion to his master to discharge him.

He now became a notorious thief, and, by shifting bis quarters, continued to elude detection; but, hav. ing been engaged with another in snatching the seals of a gentleman's watch in St. James's Park, they were pursued, Mackcoull's companion was appret ended, and him

self only escaped detection by going at night on board the tender, at Tower Hill, and entering as a volunteer.

For two years he remained on board the Apollo frigate, in the character of an officer's servant, and afterwards on board the Centurion, in the same capacity. In the absence of temptation even a rogue may be honest. Mackcoull acquired so good a character in the navy, that he was in a few years appointed purser's steward, and in the course of nine years saved a considerable sum of money. In 1785 he returned to London, where, in a short time, he dissipated all his earnings in the society of the dissolute and abandoned, and to repair his finances had recourse to his former habits of dishonesty. Mackcoull soon eclipsed all his companions in iniquity, and shone pre-eminent as a pugilist, horse-racer, cock-fighter, gambler, swindler, and pick pocket. To carry on his depredations with success he assumed various characters, and succeeded in all. Not even the sanctuary of religion was free from his desperate villany; for he frequently went there to pick pockets, and on one occasion deprived the preacher of his watch, on his way from the pulpit. The knowledge and acuteness he displayed, as well as the successful manner in which he obviated discovery, procured him among his vile associates the appellation of 'The Heathen Philo. sopher.'

Being at Brentford during an election, Mackcoull saw a self-important baker very busy among the electors, and observed him put a bundle of notes into his side pocket. Desirous of possessing the notes, Mackcoull made various attempts, but failed until the evening, when, learning the baker's extreme pas sion for the science of astronomy,

he went into his shop and invited him out to view a strange alternating star. The baker declared he would not lose the sight for fifty pounds, and accordingly hastened into the street, and, while he was busy with his telescope viewing the starry heavens, Mackcoull contrived to ease him of the notes in his breast pocket, after which he quitted the spot and hastened to London.

A thief, to use a vulgar adage, throws out with a shovel what he brings in with a spoon; or, in other words, his improvidence is greater than his precarious gains, and, in addition to a thousand other apprehensions, he lives in continual dread of want and poverty. Mack coull, notwithstanding all his address, was in continual pecuniary embarrassments, and when unsuccessful as a pickpocket at the theatre, or a fair, had to go to bed supperless. His particular misfortunes seem to have consoled, on various occasions, his less notorious brethren, for it has passed as a remarkable saying among the thieving tribe, That the best hand will miss at times, like Jem Mackcoull.'

Mackcoull, in his twenty-eighth year, married the mistress of a brothel, and assisted her in furnishing her house in Clifford's Inn Passage, which, in addition to its being a receptacle for unfortunate women, he made a depot for stolen property. He planned several burglaries, but was an actor in none. The stolen property he always deposited in a recess, formed by the shutting up of a window, which he called Pitt's picture, in allusion to the windowtax.

This secret recess was, however, detected by the ferrets of the law, and Mackcoull was obliged to take a trip to the West Indies, a phrase he made use of to signify a removal from London. His friends

endeavoured to hush the business, but their efforts failed, and Mackcoull was compelled to quit the country.

In 1802 he arrived at Hamburg, and took the name of Moffat. In company with two others he affected the air of a merchant, and pretended to have large consignments from England and Scotland. Of the latter country he said he was a native. He had recourse here to his former practices, and supported himself by gaming, picking pockets, and shop-lifting. He was no sooner suspected in one town than he removed to another, but had to make a precipitate retreat in 1805, and came home. In London he found it not prudent to stop, and therefore went to Edinburgh, where he arrived the 10th of September, and called himself Moffat.

In Scotland he followed his usual practices, and, the better to conceal his real character, pretended to follow the business of a dyer of leather, and took premises for the purpose, into which skits were seen to be taken, but no one ever saw any coming out. A gentleman pickpocket was then a character un. known north of the Tweed; and Mackcoull had so plentiful a harvest, that he brought his wife from London, and she passed in Edinburgh for a genteel proper woman. Being of a facetious turn, full of anecdote, and not deficient in low wit, Mack coull was regarded as an agreeable companion, and was known in the different taverns and coffee-houses as the good-humoured red-faced Englishman.

In the beginning of November, 1806, William Begbie, porter to the British Linen Company, was assassinated in the entry leading to the bank at Edinburgh, and robbed of a bag containing five thousand pounds. Though this daring mur

der took place in clear day-light, the perpetrator was never discovered; but subsequent events lead to the presumption of Mackcoull being the ruthless assassin. The large notes, payment of which was stopped, were afterwards found in a spot frequented by Mackcoull, who no doubt purposely left them there.

Until 1808 Mackcoull committed his depredations with impunity; but about this period he was detected picking a gentleman's pocket in the theatre; for which offence he wascommitted toprison; but, strange to say, he was liberated without being prosecuted. He now returned to London, and concealed himself for some time in the neighbourhood of Somers Town, but again visited Scotland the following year. On his arrival he was apprehended for passing forged notes; but having artfully got change of a five-pound note on his journey in presence of a fellowpassenger, the latter, a respectable man, came forward and procured Mackcoull's liberation. 'After this he visited Glasgow, Perth, Dundee, and Montrose, and during his migrations met with a notorious character named French, with whom he agreed to rob one of the Scotch banks, and they hastened to London to procure the necessary implements. On their arrival French was apprehended on a charge of barglary, tried, and sentenced to transportation for life, in accordance with which he was sent to the hulks. In consequence of this event the robbery of the Scotch banks was deferred.

Meeting with the notorious Huffey White, whose case we have already given, Mackcoull agreed with this expert housebreaker to rob the Chester bank. White, having just escaped from the hulks, was very poor, so that Mackcoull had to provide for the expenses of the journey,