of many pockets prejudice me in the eyes of the inferioris ordinis commensales, who supposed I must be a man of some distinction, or I would not be so careless of forms as to sit down to table in a shooting dress.

The business of our dinner was not interrupted by any general conversation, but each seemed intent upon his immediate concern-the plate before him; compliments to the landlord, on the goodness of his beef, being the chief topic.

At length, however, one of the guests, a traveller who had just come in from Reading, excited the attention of us all, but mine in particular, by the neverending story of the robbery at Wallingford, and the supposed culprits concerned in it. This was faintly canvassed at its commencement; but as plates were emptied, and hunger satisfied, the tale of the traveller was eagerly listened to, and his relation discussed in a critical examination of its facts, varying according to the varying opinions and capacities of those who sat in judgment upon them.

My own curiosity was interested by the new fact, that Dr. Firebrass had been examined by a full bench of magistrates, and committed, partly for refusing to answer, but also upon the information of a third party, who had been apprehended that morning, and turned what was called king's evidence upon the occasion. The examinations had been taken in short-hand, printed, and spread about the town, and the traveller having got a copy, produced it upon the table after dinner.

From that it appeared that the informing accomplice was no other than that blacksmith who, it may be recollected, had made the false key with which the accomplished Handcock had righted himself, as he said, by rifling his master's pantry. This new actor in the scene owned to an intimacy of near thirty years between the pedlar and himself, and now came forward to swear away his life in order to save his own. The account he gave was, that in his early youth he had been guilty of peccadillos, such as robbing hen-roosts and orchards, chiefly in company with the said Handcock; but of these he had thoroughly repented, and had even turned Methodist during a long separation from his friend, till, after his return, he had been again debauched by him into his old habits, and at length listened to his proposal to rob the bank.

The plan was the pedlar's own, who, by virtue of his pack, had got frequent admittance to the premises, and made himself master of all the ways of the house, particularly the shop and its appurtenances. By these means they contrived to enter it, and by the blacksmith's skill in picking locks, which was what made his instrumentality so necessary to his friend, they carried off their booty. Previous, however, to this the late serious habits of the blacksmith having made him rather too conscientious-the superiorminded Handcock had advised him to attend Firebrass's lectures, which had entirely convinced him of the lawfulness of robbery, provided it was of the rich, by the poor. It also proved to a demonstration, that all laws preventing it, indeed all government whatever,

except that of nature, was nothing but a usurpation by the corrupt few over the virtuous many.

He was not, indeed, quite satisfied by the lecture alone, so Handcock drew up a case for him, to be submitted to Firebrass, who gave the opinion upon it we have mentioned in a late chapter. This determined the blacksmith; but the question still remained as to the guilt of Firebrass in the transaction.

There were, as may be supposed, many opinions at the table, in which the lawyer, of course, took the lead.

"There can be no doubt," said Mr. Simcox, "that he was a particeps, and certainly will be, or ought to be, hanged."

"With great submission, as becomes me," said Mr. Smooth, as he finished a glass of ale, and bowing to the attorney, "the law will not reach him-neither ought it, since it was only an opinion; and I hope, bad as our laws are, nobody is to be hanged for an opinion."

"And how, pray, friend Smooth," said Mr. Simcox, "can you know any thing about the law?—you who pass your days in flogging boys into Propria quæ maribus, and As in presenti."

At this there was a laugh at the schoolmaster's expense.

"Yes! yes!" continued the pleased attorney, "you had better stick to quæ genus, for you will make no hand of your republican notions here, I can tell you.” Here there was another laugh.

"I humbly ask pardon," returned Smooth, "but I suppose an Englishman may have an opinion ?"

"Yes," replied the man of law; "but if the opinion excite a man to commit a felony, I should not like to stand in his shoes."

“And yet, I humbly beg leave to ask," rejoined the schoolmaster, "If Dr. Firebrass were to employ you to defend him, would not you argue as I do?"

"That totally alters the case,” replied the attorney; at which a laugh was kindled against himself, which he did not seem to like, especially as Mr. Smooth bowed and was quiet, as if satisfied that he had gained a victory.

The attorney, however, rallied, and said he would put a case, which was always the best way in a law argument.

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"Suppose," said he, "I was to walk into your school, call all the boys about me, and say to 'em, Now, boys, though you be scholars, and this is your master, you have no call to obey him if he flogs too hard, and you don't like it.' What would you say to that, my good Smooth ?"

"O! that alters the case too," observed Smooth, in his turn, which produced a greater laugh than that against the attorney, who absolutely crowed, looking complacently round, and observing, "I think I have settled him,"

I have related this conversation, not from any particular interest that belongs to it, but because afterwards, in much higher scenes, I often saw, under very

little more decency of manners, exactly the same feelings displayed among persons reckoned first-rate as to abilities, rank, and education, but who did not love one another. So true it is, that it is the exterior only that makes the difference between man and man.*

The rest of the conversation at the Ordinary having been all in the same strain (and I have given a sufficient specimen of it), I will content myself with stating its result. The traveller from Reading, who brought the account of Firebrass, having sided with Smooth, who was far from succumbing, the battle might have been a drawn one; but the apothecary and bailiff throwing their weight into the scale of Mr. Simcox, that gentleman finally triumphed; and it was agreed by the majority, that the patriotic doctor deserved hanging as much, if not more, than the blacksmith, or even Handcock himself.

The subject was not pleasant to me, and that I may not revert to it again, I may as well here relate the

* Mr. Clifford here, perhaps, might have successfully transcribed from his master, Fielding :

"The great are deceived if they imagine they have appropriated ambition and vanity to themselves. These noble qualities flourish as notably in a country church, or church-yard, as in the drawingroom, or the closet. Schemes have indeed been laid in the vestry, which would hardly disgrace the Conclave. Here is a ministry; and here an opposition; here are plots, parties, and factions, equal to those which are to be found in courts.

"Nor are the women here less practised in the highest feminine arts than their fair superiors in quality and fortune. Here are prudes and coquets, dressing and ogling, falsehood, envy, malice, scandal; in short, every thing which is common to the most splendid assembly, or politest circle."-Tom Jones.

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