their goods, in order to profit by them. 10. That the heart is the proper seat of hatred: and the countenance of affection and friendship. Mr. Wild was born at Wolverhampton, in Staffordshire, about the year 1682, his father being an honest and laborious carpenter; who, after bestowing a tolerable education on Jonathan, apprenticed him to a buckle-maker, at Birmingham. Here he deserted a distressed wife and infart, and repaired to London, where he contracted some debts, for which he was imprisoned in the compter for about four years; and in that learned seminary it was, that he imbibed ideas, and formed connections which paved the way to his future greatness. On Monday February 15, 1724-5, Jonathan was apprehended at his house in the Old Bailey, charged with assisting a highwayman to escape from a constable at Bow; and this charge being fully substantiated, he was committed to Newgate. Besides this charge, there were several informa tions filed against him to the following effect. That for many years past, he had been a confede rate with great numbers of highwaymen, pickpockets, housebreakers, shoplifters, and other thieves. That he had formed a kind of thieving corporation, of which he was the director, or commander in chief; and that, notwithstanding his pretended services in detecting offenders, he procured such only to be hanged as concealed or refued to share their booty with him. That he had divided the town and country into so many districts, and appointed' distinct gangs for each; who regularly produced their accounts

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to him; concealing even in his own house, those villains who ran a risk of detection. That he had not only been a receiver of stolen goods and writings of all kinds, for near fifteen years past, but also occasionally turned robber himself, in conjunction with his confederates, whom he protected, at such periods, by assuming the functions of a civil officer; carrying for that purpose a short silver staff as a badge of authority. That he had, under his care and direction, several warehouses for the reception of stolen goods and also a ship for conveying jewels, watches, and other valuable goods to Holland, where he had stationed an old thief as factor. That he kept several artists in pay to new modify rings, watches, seals, snuff-boxes, &c. that such articles might not be sworn to. That he seldom, or never, helped owners to the notes or papers they had lost, unless he found them able exactly to specify and describe them; and then often insisted on more than half their value. And, lastly, that he had often sold human blood, by procuring false witnesses to swear away the lives of those who were obnoxious to him; or otherwise to obtain the reward given by government on the conviction of offenders. Some of his old associates were ready to substantiate several of these heavy charges but, while in Newgate, Jonathan committed the particular fact for which he died. Having before his apprehension, been concerned in robbing the shop of Catherine Stetham, in Holborn, of fifty yards of lace, value forty pounds, he received ten guineas from that

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lady, while under confinement, for the recovery of her property, but without discovering the persons who committed the fact. In order to magnify his public services, and make a favourable impression on the minds of the jury, he distributed a printed paper, just before the trial commenced, stating the number of unfortunate wretches whom he had legally murdered : thirtyfive were for robbing on the highway; twentytwo for house-breaking; and ten for returning from transportation. Mrs. Stetham's evidence, however, very clearly developed the hero's villainy, with respect to his ostensible occupation. After having paid him for the recovery of the box, which did not contain all the lace." Now, Mr. Wild, (said she) what must I give you for your trouble?"—"Not a farthing, (answered Jonathan) not a single farthing. I don't do these things for worldly interest, but alone for the benefit of poor persons who have met with misfortunes. And as you are a widow, and a good christian, I desire nothing but your prayers; for I have many enemies; and God only knows what will be the consequence of this imprisonment!" Fortunately for mankind, Jonathan's prophetic fears were realized by a public execution at Tyburn, amidst the execrations of an enraged populace, who pelted him with stones, to the last moment of his existence. Fielding says, that Jonathan Wild picked the ordinary's pocket of a corkscrew at the gallows, and died with it in his band; but, perhaps, this is an exaggeration. Jona

Jonathan's ruin could by no means be attributed to his want of depth in the ocean of villainy. His body was covered with wounds and scars; his throat had been cut, and his skull fractured in two places; accidents which happened in various heroic contests between this great man and his pupils, nearly one hundred of whom, he not only trained for, but personally arrested, convicted on his own oath, and, as it were, led to the gallows. Perjury was an undertaking which he considered as innocent; whether directed to the ruin of an industrious tradesman, or to save, or to take away, the life of a friend and coadjutor. Insolent and haughty in' prosperity, he became dejected and timid in adversity for unable either to bear the stings of conscience, or the approach of dissolution, he had recourse to intoxicating liquors, which deadened without dispelling, his fears. Jonathan, as the aweful period drew near, delighted in talking of the glorious acts of suicide which the Greeks and Romans had performed; and, in order to imitate such great examples-or rather to procure an easy and tranquil death-he swallowed an immoderate dose of laudanum; but the quantity proving antidotal, by rising again from his stomach, our wretched hero was compelled to accept the honour only of the intention; while a second hero, Mr. Executioner, obtained the real credit of exterminating the greatest miscreant that nature ever produced; for, reader, we have not presented thee with a perfect catalogue of his public enormities.

WILKES,

WILKES, (JOHN) an active politician, and at one time of life the idol of the people, was born in Clerkenwell in 1728. He received the rudiments of his education at Hertford, whence he was removed into Buckinghamshire, and placed under a private tutor of Presbyterian principles. After making a tour on the Continent, he returned home, and married a lady of considerable fortune. He was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Buckinghamshire militia, and nominated one of the deputy lieutenants of the same county. In 1761, he was chosen member of parliament for Aylesbury. Having dissipated the principal part of his fortune, he found his circumstances much embarrassed, and became the vehement opposer of government, under the administration of the earl of Bute, in which cause he was assisted by that distinguished poetical genius Charles Churchill. In the paper war which he commenced, he was called to an account for the 45th number of his "North Briton," in which he had made so free with royalty itself, that a general warrant was issued against his papers by the earl of Halifax, then secretary of state; and he was committed prisoner to the tower. His political warfare not only deprived him of his liberty, but also exposed his life to danger from two duels. As some compensation, however, for his sufferings, he obtained a verdict with a thousand pounds damages, and full costs of suit against lord Halifax, for the illegal seizure of his papers. But he experienced the vengeance of the court of king's bench, and both houses of parliament,

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