Bartholomew Close; but, when he went to demand payment, the vintner was removed.

On the following day the vintner's wife went to Langley, and informed him that Gray had defrauded her husband of four hundred and fifty pounds; and Langley, being of a humane disposition, interested himself so far in behalf of the unfortunate man, that a letter of license for three years was granted him by his creditors.

Langley now took out an action against Gray, but was not able to find him; when one day he was accosted by a man in Fleet Street, who asked him to step into a public house, and he would tell him where he should meet with the defrauder. Langley complying with the proposal, the stranger said he would produce Gray within an hour if the other would give him a guinea; which being done, the stranger went out, but returned no more.

Exasperated by this circumstance, which seems to have been a contrivance of one of Gray's accomplices, Mr. Langley employed an attorney, who soon found the delinquent, against whom an action was taken out, in consequence of which he was confined several years in the Marshalsea.

Langley now became a sportsman on the turf at Newmarket, under the instruction of a vintner in Holborn, whose niece entered into his service, but soon fell a victim to his unbounded passion for the sex.

Langley becoming acquainted with some young fellows in the Temple, three of them, and four women of the town, went with him to Greenwich, where they gave the ladies the slip, and took a boat to London; but the women, pursuing them, overtook them in the river, and, attempting to board their boat,

afforded great diversion to the spectators: our adventurers' watermen, however, rowing hard, they reached the Temple, and concealed themselves in one of the chambers a few minutes before the ladies landed.

Soon after this Langley made another excursion to Greenwich to visit a lady and gentleman, who, having a remarkably handsome servant-maid, our adventurer found means to seduce her; the consequence of which was that she became pregnant, and made repeated applications to him for support: whereupon he gave her a considerable sum of money, and heard no more of her from that period.

Thus living in a continual round of dissipation, his friends recommended matrimony as the most likely step to reclaim him; in consequence of which he married a young lady named Brown, with a handsome fortune.

He had not been long married before he determined to borrow all the cash and jewels he could, and decamp with the property. As he had the reputation of being in ample circumstances, he found no difficulty in getting credit for many articles of value, with which he and his wife embarked for Holland; and, in the mean time, his creditors took out a commission of bankruptcy against him.

When Langley came to Rotterdam he applied to the States-General for protection, in apprehension of being pursued by his creditors; but the States not being then sitting, the creditors made application to Lord Chesterfield, then ambassador at the Hague, which frustrated his intention.

In the interim his creditors found out his lodgings in a village near Rotterdam; but he eluded their search, leaving his wife, with four hundred pounds, in the care of a

friend; and not even telling her the place of his retreat, to prevent any possibility of a discovery.

After skulking from place to place, he went back to Rotterdam, and surrendered to his creditors; but found that his wife was gone with an English captain to Antwerp. On his arrival in England he was examined before the commissioners, and treated with the customary lenity.

After his affairs were adjusted he sailed to Barbadoes, where he soon contracted so many debts that he was glad to take his passage to Port Royal, in Jamaica; and soon after his arrival there he went to visit a planter at some distance, who would have engaged him as his clerk.

Langley told the planter that he owed twenty dollars at Port Royal, for which he had left his chest as a security. The gentleman instantly giving him the money to redeem it, he went to Port Royal, assumed the name of Englefield, embarked on board a man of war as midship. man, and came to England, where the ship was paid off at the expiration of six months.

On his arrival in London he sent for a man who had formerly lived with his father, from whom he learnt that his creditors had not made any dividend under the bankruptcy, and were engaged in a law. suit respecting a part of the property. This faithful old servant of his father told him that his wife had retired to the north of England; and, giving him money, recommended it to him to lodge privately in Southwark.

This advice he followed, and kept himself retired for some time; but, passing through Cheapside, he was arrested, and conducted to the Poultry Compter, where he continued many months, during which he was supported by the benevo

lence of the old servant above men tioned. While in the Compter he made some very bad connexions; and, being concerned with some of the prisoners in an attempt to escape, he was removed to Newgate, as a place of greater security.

While in this prison he fell ill of a disorder which threatened his life; whereupon his friends discharged the debt for which he had been arrested, and removed him to lodgings, where he soon recovered his health.

Shortly afterwards he got recommended to a captain in the Levant trade, with whom he was to have sailed; but an unhappy attachment to a woman of ill fame prevented his being ready to make the voyage.

Langley's friends were chagrined at this fresh instance of his imprudence; and soon afterwards he was arrested, and carried to a spunginghouse, where he attempted to dispatch himself by a halter; but the rope breaking, he escaped with life. The bailiff and his wife happening to be now absent, and only two maid-servants in the house, Langley made them both drunk, and, effecting his escape, crossed the water into the Borough, where he worked some time with a colour-grinder.

Disgusted at a life attended by so much labour, he contracted with the captain of a Jamaica ship, who took him to that island on the condition of selling him as a slave, and, on his arrival, sold him to Colonel Hill, who employed him to educate his children: but Langley, soon running from his employer, went on board a ship bound to England: being impressed on his arrival in the Downs, he was put on board a man of war, and carried round to Plymouth.

Langley and another man, descrting from the ship, strolled to London, and took up their resi

dence in a twopenny lodging: but, as Langley now found no friends to support him, he contracted with one of those persons called crimps, who used to agree with unhappy people to go as slaves to the colonies. His contract now was to sail to Pennsylvania; but, while the ship lay in the Thames, he and a weaver from Spitalfields made their escape, and, travelling to Canterbury, passed themselves as Protestant refugees. Going hence to Dover, they embarked for Calais; and, after some weeks' residence in that place, Langley sailed to Lisbon, where he remained only a short time before he contracted debts which obliged him to seek another residence, and he went to Malaga, in Spain.

His poverty was now extreme; and, while he sat melancholy one day by the sea-side, some priests asked him from what country he came. He answered, in Latin, From England.'

Hereupon they conducted him to a convent, relieved his distresses, and then began to instruct him in the principles of the Roman Catholic religion. Langley disguised his sentiments, and, after being apparently made a convert, was recommended as a page to a Spanish lady of distinction.

In this situation he continued several months; but, having an affair of gallantry with the niece to the old lady, he was compelled to make a precipitate retreat from a window, and shelter himself in the house of an Irish tailor, who procured a passage for him to Gibraltar in the first ship that sailed.

On his arrival at Gibraltar he would have entered into the army; but being refused, because he was not tall enough, his distress compelled him to work as a labourer in repairing the barracks. He soon quitted this business, and officiated as a waiter in the tennis-court be

longing to the garrison; but, it being, intimated to the governor that he was a spy, he was lodged in a dun. geon, where he remained more than a fortnight.

On obtaining his discharge he embarked on board a Spanish vessel bound to Barbary with corn: and, on his return to Spain, applied to the monks of a convent, who charitably relieved him; and the prior. agreed to take him a voyage to Santa Cruz. Having, however, no great prospect of pecuniary advantage in this way of life, he went to Oratava, where some English merchants contributed to his support; but he soon sailed to Genoa, as. he could get no settled employ at Oratava.

From Geroa the vessel sailed to Cadiz; and Langley, being now appointed steward to the captain, in the course of his reading some letters found one directed to Messrs. Ryan and Mannock; and, having been a schoolfellow with Mr. Man. nock, he requested the captain's permission to go on shore, and was received by him in the most friendly manner: he offered to serve him in any way within his power, when Langley said that what he wished was a discharge from his present. situation.

Hereupon Mannock wrote to the captain, desiring him to pay the steward, and discharge him; but this being refused, Langley took a lodging, to which he was recommended by his friend, who desired he would dine daily at his table till he procured a passage for England. He likewise gave him money and clothes, so as to enable him to appear in the character of a gentle

man.

Langley behaved with great regularity for some time; but the season of a carnival advancing, he got into company with a woman of ill fame, with whom he spent the

evening; and, on his return, was robbed of his hat, wig, and a book which he had borrowed of his friend.

On the following day Mr. Mannock saw the book lying at a shop for sale, which chagrined him so much that he asked Langley for it, who thereupon acknowledged the whole affair; and Mr. Mannock supposing the woman was privy to the robbery, he took out a warrant against her; by which he recovered his book, which he greatly esteemed.

This matter being adjusted, Langley, by the help of his friend, procured a passage for England; but just when he was going to embark he met with a woman, who detained him till the ship had sailed; on which he took a boat, and passed over to St. Lucar, where he went on board an English vessel, which brought him to his native country.

On his arrival in London he found that his creditors, under the bankruptcy, had received ten shillings in the pound, which gave him reason to hope that he should have a sum of money returned to him, with which he proposed to engage in a small way of business; and in that view applied to his wife's mother for her assistance, and also to inform him where he might find his wife; but she positively refused to comply with either request.

Langley now gave himself up to despair, associated with the worst of company, and, though he had some money left him at this juncture, he dissipated the whole in the most extravagant manner.

He now made an acquaintance with one Hill, a young fellow who was in similar circumstances; and, having agreed to go to Paris together, they walked as far as Dover; but, on their arrival, finding that an embarge had been laid on all vessels in the port, they determined to return to Lon lon.

Being now destitute of cash, they demanded a man's money on the highway; but, on his saying he had not any, they searched him, and took from him three farthings, which they threw away almost as soon as they had got it: for this offence they were apprehended on the same day, and, being tried at the next assizes for Kent, were capitally convicted; but the sentence was changed to transportation for seven years.

Langley was transported in the month of December, 1740.

This man appears to have fallen the victim of unrestrained appetite and an aversion to honest industry. That his heart was not wholly depraved we may charitably infer from his treatment of the unfortunate vintner. But early vices grew up in him, until they (as is commonly the case) assumed the force of habits; and thus a life which might have been passed honorably and usefully, and by consequence happily, became overwhelmed with wretchedness and ultimate ignominy. It is to be regretted that his mother-in-law refused to befriend him on his last arrival in England. Had she done so, his sad experience might possibly have preserved him from future dishonesty and shame.

MR. SMYTHEE'S father, having been for many years commander of a ship in the merchant service, resigned in favour of his son, who

was a youth qualified by nature and education to cut a capital figure in any rank of life.

After he had made several voy

ages a storm obliged him to put into the harbour of Poole, in Dorsetshire, where he saw a young lady, the daughter of a merchant, to whom he paid his addresses, and was in a short time married. His wife's father dying soon after their marriage, Mr. Smythee declined going any longer to sea, engaged in the mercantile business, and employed his leisure hours in rural diversions.

One day, when out with his gun, he wandered so far from home that he lost his way; and, being very hungry, strolled to a cottage kept by a poor widower, named Ralph Mew, who had an only daughter, equally distinguished by the elegance of her form and the simplicity of her manners.

Mr. Smythee requested the favour of some food; but the countryman, suspecting that he meant to take some undue advantage of him, told him he might be supplied at a public house a mile distant. Smythee, to convince the countryman that he was no impostor, showed him a diamond ring, a purse of gold, and his watch; on which he was asked to sit down; and Jane Mew, the daughter,f ried some bacon and eggs for him, while her father drew some of his best ale.

After the repast he recounted several of his adventures in foreign parts; but in the mean time, regarding the daughter with an eye of desire, and being struck with her superior charms, he resolved, if possible, to get possession of her.

On his quitting the house the old man told him that, if he came that way another time, he should be welcome to any thing in his cottage, except his daughter. On the following day he went to the cottage, and gave the old man a tortoiseshell snuff-box, as a complim. nt for his hospitable behaviour the day before.

The old cottager going out, Mr. Smythee paid his warmest addresses to the daughter, to whom he presented some jewels: but she no sooner suspected his design than she said, Is it thus, sir, you make returns for my father's hospitality and my civility? And can you be such a wretch as to think that my poverty will make me guilty of a dishonorable action?'

Saying this, she rejected his presents with contempt; while he, apparently struck with the force of what she had urged, remained some time speechless, and then attributed his conduct to the violence of his passion, offering to make her all the satisfaction in his power by marriage.

The girl acquainting her father with what had passed, Mr. Smythee was permitted to pay his addresses in an honorable way: but such was his artifice and villainy, that his solemn vows of marriage soon prevailed over the too-credulous girl, and her ruin was the consequence.

When the father found that his daughter was pregnant he died with grief, leaving the unhappy girl a prey to the poignant sorrows of her own mind. Distressed as she was, she wrote to her seducer; but he taking no notice of her letter, she went to Poole, and, being di rected to his house, the door was opened by Mrs. Smythee, who de manded her business, and said she was the wife of the person inquired for.

The poor girl was so shocked to find that Mr. Smythee had a wife, that it was with difficulty she was kept from fainting.

When somewhat recovered, she said that she was with child by Mr. Smythee, who had seduced her under promise of marriage. Hereupon the wife censured her con duct with unreasonable severity, and threatened that she should be