bed, and conveyed them both to their former apartments.

Man now seriously reflected on his situation; and, being apprehensive that he might be seen by some person who would charge him with a capital offence, he begged to be conducted to a magistrate, before whom he was admitted an evidence against his companion, on a charge of his having committed several robberies on the highway.

Hereupon Udall was committed to Newgate, and, being tried at the next sessions at the Old Bailey, he was convicted, principally on the evidence of Man, and received sen tence of death.

After conviction he seemed at once to give up all hopes of life; conscious that his offences were so numerous and so aggravated, that he had no reason to expect an extension of the royal mercy in his favour. He acknowledged that, from the time when he was first apprenticed, he had been a total stranger to common honesty; and that his father had paid and expended above four

hundred pounds in fruitless endeavours to save him from ruin.

William Udall was executed at Tyburn, on the 14th of March, 1738, in the twenty-second year of his age.

The keeping of bad company appears to have been one great cause of Udall's destruction, as it has been that of thousands besides. There is not a doctrine in the whole system of religion or morality more worthy of being impressed on the minds of youth than that which inculcates the necessity of keeping good company. The mind is as necessarily influenced by the ideas of those with whom we associate as a stream of fair water is discoloured by that of a fouler stream running into it.

Hence, then, let young people learn, that on the choice of their company much of their present and future happiness may depend; and that one day spent in the practice of religion and virtue will afford more solid satisfaction than an age of vice.

THE parents of John Toon were respectable inhabitants of Shore ditch, who, having bestowed on him a liberal education, apprenticed him to a capital ironmonger, who had married his sister; but, not being happy in this situation, his father sent him to sea at the expiration of three years.

After two voyages to Barbadoes, he grew tired of the life of a seaman, which he quitted to live with his uncle, who was a carman, and in whose service he behaved so unexceptionably, that, on the death of the uncle, which happened soon af. terwards, he took possession of four hundred pounds, which his re

lation had bequeathed him as the reward of his good conduct.

Soon after becoming possessed of this money he married the sister of Edward Blastock, and began to live in a most extravagant manner. When he had dissipated half his little fortune, Blastock proposed that they should go into Yorkshire, and embark in public business.

This proposal being accepted, they took an inu at Sheffield, the place of Blastock's birth; but, both the landlords being better calculated to spend than to get money, Toon soon found his circumstances embarrassed.

Thus situated, he reflected on

Blastock for advising him to take the inn; and the other recriminated by recounting the faults of Toon. In consequence of this dissension Blastock brought his wife to London, whither Toon and his wife soon followed, after selling off their effects.

Toon, who was now totally reduced, met his own elder brother one day in Cheapside. This brother, who was a dyer in Shoreditch, took little notice of the other; but, as Toon imagined he was going out for the day, he went to his house, and met with his wife, who en treated him to stay dinner: to this he consented, and in the mean time went to see the men at work, among whom finding one of genteel appearance, whom he learnt was his brother's book-keeper, he became extremely enraged that his brother should employ a stranger in this station in preference to himself, at a time that he was in circumstances of distress.

In this agitation of mind he returned into the house; and, whilst his sister-in-law was gone into another room, he stole a small quantity of silver plate, and decamped: and, having soon spent the produce of this theft, he determined on the dangerous and fatal resource of the highway.

His first expedition was to Epping Forest, where he waited a long time in expectation of a booty; and at length observing a coach come from Lord Castlemain's seat, he used the most dreadful imprecations to compel the coachman to stop, and robbed two ladies of nearly three pounds, with a girdle-buckle and

an etwee-case.

He now imagined that he had got a valuable prize: but he at length pawned the buckle and etwee for twelve shillings, finding that the latter was base metal, though he

had mistaken it for gold, and that the former was set with crystal stones, instead of diamonds, as they had appeared to his eye.

He soon spent his ill-gotten treasure, and, going again on the highway, stopped and robbed several persons, among whom was a gentleman named Currier, who earnestly exhorted him to decline his present course of life, not only from the immorality but the danger of it. The robber thanked the gentleman for his advice; but said that he had no occasion for it, as he was sufficiently apprized of his danger, but he must have his money on peril of instant death; and, having robbed him of three guineas, he decamped with the utmost expedition.

One of his next robberies was on Epping Forest, where he dispos sessed a gentleman of his money, and a gold watch, which he left in the hands of a receiver of stolen goods, to dispose of to the best advantage: but the watch being of value, and in high estimation with the owner, he advertised it, with a reward of eight guineas; on which the receiver delivered it, and took the money, but gave Toon only seven of them, pretending that it was all he could obtain.

Toon, not having read the advertisement, was ignorant of the trick that had been put upon him; but, being some days afterwards upon Epping Forest, and having in vain waited some time for a booty, he went to the Green Man, by Lord Castlemain's house, where he heard one of his lordship's footmen recounting the particulars of the robbery, and saying that the watch had been recovered on giving eight guineas for it.

This circumstance determined Toon never to lodge any of his future booties in the same hands. But it will now be proper to say

something of the other malefactor, whose story makes a part of this narrative.

Edward Blastock was a native of Sheffield, in Yorkshire, and was apprenticed in London to a perukemaker in the Temple; and his master dying when he had served about five years, his mistress declined trade, and gave the young fellow his indentures, on the representation of the gentlemen of the law that they wished him, rather than any other, to succeed her late husband.

But the rent of the house being high, Blastock was afraid to enter on business so early in life, he being at that time only eighteen years of age: on which he took two rooms in Whitefriars, where he began to practise in his calling, and met with great success.

Coming by this means into the possession of money before he knew the value of it, he attached himself to the fashionable pleasures of the town, by which he soon incurred more debts than he could discharge; and, consequently, being obliged to decline business, he had recourse to the wretched life of a strolling player, refusing to accept of a good situation which was offered him by a gentleman of the Temple.

Soon afterwards Blastock married, had several children, and, being reduced to great distress, went into Yorkshire with Toon, as we have already mentioned.

On his return from Yorkshire he again engaged himself as a strolling player, and, after some time, casually meeting with Toon, the latter represented the advantages to be made by the life of a highwayman, and wished him to embark in that business; which he declined on the double score of its danger and immorality.

Not long after this refusal Blastock was seized with an indisposi.

tion which threatened his life, and confined him so long that his wife was obliged to pawn almost all her effects for his support; and, being visited by Toon during his illness, the latter again wished him to commence highwayman.

Blastock had no sooner recovered his health, than, depressed by want, he yielded to the dangerous solicitation, and went with his accomplice to Epping Forest, where they stopped the chariot of a gentleman, whom they robbed of a few shillings and a pocket-piece, and then came to London.

On the following day they went again towards the forest; but, in crossing Hackney Marsh, Toon's horse sunk in a slough, where he continued so long a time that they found it impossible to achieve any profitable adventure that night.

Thus disappointed, they returned to London, and on the 27th of February following set out on another expedition, which proved to be their last of the kind. While Toon was loading his pistols, he was prepossessed with the idea that his fate was speedily approaching; nevertheless, he resolved to run every hazard: on which they rode as far as Muswell Hill, where they stopped gentleman named Seabroke, and demanded his money.

They now took a solemn oath that, if either of them should be apprehended, neither would impeach the other; and the watch obtained in the last robbery being sold for two guineas, Blastock received his share, and went to join a company of strolling players at Chatham.

The stolen watch being advertised, the purchaser carried it to Mr. Seabroke, telling him that he knew Toon, and would assist in taking him into custody; the consequence of which was, that the offender was lodged in Newgate on the same day.

Toon kept his oath in declining to give any information against his accomplice: but Blastock, having agreed to go with the players to a greater distance from London than Chatham, returned to town to bid his wife and children adieu.

When he arrived, which was about midnight, his wife and sister were in bed; and the former having opened the door, he was informed that Toon was in custody, and advised to seek his safety by an immediate flight.

This advice, however, he did not take; and, in the morning, Toon's wife desired he would stay while she visited her husband, declaring that she would not mention his having returned to London.

On her return from this visit she wept much, and expressed her wishes for the approach of night,

that he might retire in safety. In the evening, while supper was providing, she went out under pretence of a visit to her husband; but instead thereof she went to Toon's brother, who taking her before a magistrate, some peace-officers were sent to take Blastock into custody.

Mrs. Toon directed the officers to the room where her brother was, in company with two men of his acquaintance, who were advising him on the emergency of his affairs. Blastock, suspecting some foul play, concealed himself in a closet; and, when the officers came in, they first seized one, and then the other, of the persons present; but were soon convinced that neither of them was the party they were in search of.

On this the officers made a stricter search, and, finding Blastock in the closet, took him into custody. Having taken leave of his wife and children, they carried him before a magistrate, who asked him if he had not a worse coat than that which he then wore. Blastock owned that he had, and actually sent for it; and it was kept to be produced in evidence against him.

While the officers were conducting him to Newgate in a coach, they told him that Mrs. Toon had given the information against him; at which he was so shocked, that it was some time before he could recover his recollection, being absolutely insensible when he was lodged in prison.

These malefactors, being tried at the next sessions at the Old Bailey, were capitally convicted, and received sentence of death; and, after conviction, were confined in the same cell: but being unhappy together, from their mutual recriminations, the keeper caused them to be separated.

Toon behaved more penitently than malefactors usually do; and Blastock exhibited an uncommon

instance of unfeigned penitence and

contrition.

They suffered at Tyburn, May 26, 1738, having embraced each other at the place of their death, and Blastock delivering the following speech to the surrounding multitude:

'Dear friends,-I do not come here to excuse myself, although I have been first led into the crime for which I suffer, and then basely betrayed: no, I am sensible of my guilt; nor should I have made the world acquainted with this barbarous treatment that I have met with, even from a near relation, had it not been with a view of preventing the ruin of many young persons.

'Let my fate be an example to them; and never let any man in trade think himself above his business, nor despise the offers of those who would serve him. Let them purchase wisdom at my cost, and never let slip any opportunity that bids fair to be of the least advantage to them; for experience tells me that, had I done as I now advise you, I had never come to this end.

"The next thing is, never to trust your life in the hands of even a near relation; for money will make those who pretend to be your nearest

friends your most bitter enemies. Never be persuaded to do any thing you may be sorry for afterwards, nor believe the most solemn oaths, for there is no truth in imprecations; rather take a man's word, for those that will swear will lie. Not but that I believe there are some in the world who would suffer the worst of deaths rather than betray the trust reposed in them.

What I have here declared, as I am a dying man, I protest before God is true; and here, before God and the world, I freely forgive those who betrayed me, and die in peace with all mankind.

'I implore the forgiveness of that God who has promised pardon and mercy to all those who sincerely repent; and I hope I have done my best endeavours, while in prison, to make my peace with a justly offended God: I hope, the moment I leave this troublesome world, my soul will be received into eternal happiness, through the merits of Jesus Christ.

'I conclude with my prayers for the welfare of my poor unhappy wife and children, who are now reduced to misery; and, taking a long farewell of the world, I commit my spirit into the hands of Him who gave me being.'

JOHNSON's parents lived in the Old Jewry; and, being very poor people, his education was totally neglected. He kept bad company almost from his infancy; and, becoming a pick pocket while yet a child, he continued that practice till he was above twenty years of age.

He then took a new mode to defraud. He used to meet porters and errand-boys in the streets, and,

by a variety of false pretences, get possession of the goods intrusted to their care. For one of these offences he was taken into custody, and tried at the Old Bailey, where he was acquitted in defect of evi

dence.

Having thus obtained his liberty, he had recourse to his former practices, till, being apprehended for stealing a sword, he was tried and