bouring furgeon paffed by the door on horseback; a circumftance which the waiter, who faw him from the window, no fooner difclofed, than the knight had recourse to his affiftance. This practitioner having viewed the whole figure, and more particularly the head of Crowe, in filent wonder, proceeded to feel his pulfe; and then declared, that as the inflammation was very great, and going on with violence to its akme, it would be neceffary to begin with copious phlebotomy, and then to empty the intestinal canal. So faying, he began to ftrip the arm of the captain, who perceiving his aim, "Avait, brother, (cried he) you go the wrong way to work you may as well rummage the after, hold, when the damage is in the forecastle.-1 shall right again, when my jaws are unhooped." With thefe words he drew a clafpknife from his pocket, and, advancing to a glafs, applied it fo vigorously to the leather straps of his headpiece, that the Gordian-knot was cut, without any other damage to his face than a moderate scarification, which, added to the tumefaction of features, naturally strong, and a whole week's growth of a very bufhy beard, produced, on the whole, a moft hideous caricatura. After all, there was a neceffity for the adminiftration of the furgeon, who found divers contufions on different parts of the fkull, which even the tincap had not been able to protect from the weapons of the rufticks. Thefe being fhaved, and dreffed fecundum artem, and the operator difmiffed with a proper acknowledg ment, our knight detached one of the pott-boys to the field of action for intelligence, concerning Mr. Clarke and fquire Timothy; and, in the interim, defired to know the particulars of Crowe's adventures fince he parted from him at the White Hart. A connected relation, in plain English, was what he had little reafon to expect from the novice, who, nevertheless, exerted his faculties to the uttermoft for his fatisfaction: he gave him to underftand, that in fteering his course to Birmingham, where he thought of fitting himself with tackle, he had fallen in, by accident, at a public house, with an itinerant tinker, in the very act of mending a kettle: that, feeing him de his bufinefs like an able workman, he had applied to him for advice; and the tinker, after having confidered the fubject, had undertaken to make him fuch a fuit of armour as neither fword nor lance should penetrate: that they adjourned to the next town, where the leather coat, the plates of tinned iron, the lance, and the broad fword, were purchased, together with a copper fauce-pan, which the artist was now at work upon, in converting it to a shield: but, in the mean time, the captain, being impatient to begin his career of chivalry, had accommodated himself with a pot-lid, and taken to the highway, notwithstanding all the intreaties, tears, and remonstrances of his nephew Tom Clarke, who could not however be prevailed upon to leave him in the dangerous voyage he had undertaken: that this being but the fecond day of his journal, he defcried five or fix men on horfeback, bearing up full in his teeth; upon which he threw his fails a-back, and prepared for action: that he hailed them at a confiderable diftance, and bad them bring-to: that, when they came along-fide, notwithstanding his hail, he ordered them to clew up their corfes, and furl their topfails, otherwife he would be foul of their quarters: that, hearing this falute, they luffed all at once, till their cloth fhook in the wind: then he hollow ed in a loud voice, that his fweetheart Beffelia Mizzen wore the broad pendant of beauty, to which they muft ftrike their topfails, on pain of being fent to the bottom: that, after having eyed him for fome time with astonishment, they clapped on all their fails, fome of them running under his ftern, and others athwart his forefoot, and got clear off: that, not fatisfied with running a-head, they all of a fudden tacked about, and one of them boarding him on the lee-quarter, gave him fuch a drubbing about his upper works, that the lights danced in his lanthorns: that he returned the falute with his hop-pole fo effectually, that his aggreffor broached-to in the twinkling of an handfpike; and then he was engaged with all the rest of the enemy, ex. cept one who fheered off, and foon returned with a mofqueto fleet of fmall craft, who had done him confiderable damage, and, in all probability, would have made prize of him, hadn't he been brought off by the knight's gallantry. He faid, that in the beginning of the conflict Tom Clarke rode up to the foremost of the enemy, as he did fuppose, in order to prevent hoftilities; but before he got up to him, near enough to hold difcourfe, he was pooped with a fea that almoft fent him to the bottom, and then towed off he knew not whither. Crowe had scarce finished his nar ration, which confifted of broken hints, and unconnected explosions of fea-terms, when a gentleman of the neighbourhood, who acted in the commiffion of the peace, arrived at the gate, attended by a conftable, who had in cuftody the bodies of Thomas Clarke and Timothy Crabfhaw, furrounded by five men on horseback, and an innumerable poffe of men, women, and children, on foot. The captain, who always kept a good lookout, no fooner defcried this cavalcade and proceffion than he gave notice to Sir Launcelot, and advised that they fhould crowd away with all the cloth they could carry. Our adventurer was of another opinion, and determined at any rate to procure the enlargement of the prifoners. The juftice, ordering his attendants to stay without the gate, fent his compliments to Sir Launcelot Greaves, and defired to speak with him for a few minutes. He was immediately admitted, and could not help ftarting at fight of Crowe, who, by this time, had no remains of the human phyfiognomy, so much was the fwelling increafed and the skin discoloured. The gentleman, whofe name was Mr. Elmy, having made a polite apology for the liberty he had taken, proceeded to unfold his bufinefs. He faid, information had been lodged with him, as a juftice of the peace, against two armed men on horfeback, who had ftopped five farmers on the king's highway, put them in fear and danger of their lives, and even affaulted, maimed, and wounded divers perfons, contrary to the king's peace, and in violation of the sta tute that, by the defeription, he fuppofed the knight and his com A a 2 Prin 188 The Life and Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves. panion to be the perfons against whom the complaint had been lodged; and understanding his quality from Mr. Clarke, whom he had known in London, he was come to wait on him, and, if poffible, effect an accommodation, Our adventurer, having thanked him for the polite and obliging manner in which he proceeded, frankly told him the whole ftory, as it had been juft related by the captain; and Mr. Elmy had no reafon to doubt the truth of the narrative, as it confirmed every circumftance which Clarke had before reported. Indeed, Fom had been very communicative to this gentleman, and made him acquainted with the whole hiftory of Sir Launcelot Greaves, as well as with the whimfical refolution of his uncle, captain Crowe. Mr. Elmy now told the knight, that the perfons whom the captain had ftopped were farmers, returning from a neighbouring market, a fet of people naturally boorish, and at that time ele'vated with ale to an uncommon pitch of infolence: that one of them, in particular, called Prickle, was the most quarrelsome fellow in the whole county; and fo litigious, that he had maintained above thirty law-fuits, in eight and twenty of which he had been condemned in cofts. He faid the others might be eafily influenced in the way of admonition; but there was no way of dealing with Prickle, except by the form and authority of the law: he therefore propofed to hear evidence in a judicial capacity, and, his clerk being in attendance, the court was immediately opened in the knight's apartment. By this time Mr. Clarke had British made fuch good ufe of his time in explaining the law to his audience, and difplaying the great wealth and unbounded liberality of Sir Launcelet Greaves, that he had actually brought over to his fentiments the conftable and the commonalty, tag, rag, and bob-tail, and even ftaggered the majority of the farmers, who, at firft, had breathed nothing but defiance and revenge. Farmer Stake, being first called to the bar, and fworn, touching the identity of Sir Launcelot Greaves and captain Crowe, declared, that the faid Crowe had stopped him on the king's highway, and put him in bodily fear : that he afterwards faw the faid Crowe with a pole or weapon, value three pence, breaking the king's peace, by committing affault and battery against the heads and shoulders of his majesty's liege fubjects, Geoffrey Prickle, Hodge Dolt, Richard Bumpkin, Mary Fang, Catherine Rubble, and Margery Litter; and that he faw Sir Launcelot Greaves, baronet, aiding, affifting, and comforting the faid Crowe, contrary to the king's peace, and against the form of the statute. Being afked if the defendant, when he ftopped them, demanded their money, or threatened violence, he anfwered, he could not fay, inafmuch as the defendant spoke in an unknown language. Being interrogated if the defendant did not allow them to pass without using any violence, and if they did not pafs unmolefted, the deponent replied in the affirmative: being required to tell for what reafon they returned, and if the defendant Crowe was not affaulted before he began to ufe his weapon, the deponent made no anfwer. The depofitions of farmer Bump Bumpkin and Muggins, as well as of Madge Litter and Mary Fang, were taken much to the fame purpofe; and his worship earneftly exhorted them to an accommodation, obferving, that they themselves were in fact the aggreffors, and that cap tain Crowe had done no more than exerted himself in his own defence. They were all pretty well difpofed to follow his advice, except farmer Prickle, who, entering the court with a bloody handkerchief about his head, declared, that the law fhould determine it at next 'fize; and in the mean time infifted, that the defendants fhould find immediate bail, or go to prifon, or be fet in the stocks. He affirmed, that they had been guilty of an affray, in appearing with armour and weapons not ufually worn, to the terror of others, which is in itself a breach of the peace: but that they had, moreover, with force of arms, that is to fay, with fwords, ftaves, and other warlike inftruments, by turns, made an affault and affray, to the terror and difturbance of him and divers fubjects of our lord the king then and there being, and to the evil and pernicious example of the liege people of the faid lord the king, and against the peace of our faid lord the king, his crown, and dignity. d. This peafant had purchased a few law-terms at a confiderable expence, and he thought he had a right to turn his knowledge to the annoyance of all his neighbours. Mr. Elmy, finding him obftinately deaf to all propofals of accommodation, held the defendants to very moderate bail, the landlord and the curate of the parish freely offering themselves as fureties. Mr. Clarke, 6 with Timothy Crabfhaw, against whom nothing appeared, were now fet at liberty; when the former, advancing to his worthip, gave information against Geoffrey Prickle, and declared upon oath, that he had feen him affault captain Crowe, without any provocation; and wheu he, the deponent, interpofed to prevent further mifchief, the faid Prickle had likewife aflaulted and wounded him the deponent, and detained him for fome time in falfe imprifonment, without warrant or authority. In confequence of this information, which was corroborated by divers evidences, felected from the mob at the gate, the tables were turned upon farmer Prickle, who was given to understand, that he muft either find bail, or be forthwith imprisoned. This beneft boor, who was in opulent circumftance, had made fuch popular use of the benefits he poffeffed, that there was not an houfekeeper in the parish who would not have rejoiced to fee him hanged. His dealings and connections however were fuch, that none of the other four would have refufed to bail him, had not Clarke given them to understand, that, if they did, he would make them all principals and parties, and have two separate actions against each. Prickle happened to be at variance with the inn keeper, and the curate durft not difoblige the vicar, who at that very time was fuing the farmer for the final tythes. He offered to depofit a fum equal to the recognizance of the knight's bail; but this was rejected as an expedient contrary to the practice of the courts. He fent for the attorney of the village, to whom he had had been a good cuftomer; but the lawyer was hunting evidence in another county. The excifeman prefented himself as a furety; but he not being an housekeeper, was not accepted. Divers cottagers, who depended on farmer Prickle, were fucceffively refused, because they could not prove that they had payed fcot and lot, and parish taxes. The farmer, finding himself thus forlorn, and in imminent danger of vifiting the infide of a prifon, was feized with a paroxyfm of rage; during which he inveighed against the bench, reviled the two adventurers errant, declared that he believed, and would lay a wager of twenty guineas, that he had more money in his pocket than e'er a man in the company; and in the fpace of a quarter of an hour swore forty oaths, which the juftice did not fail to number. "Before we proceed to other matters, (faid Mr. Elmy) I order you to pay forty fhillings for the oaths you have fwore; otherwise I will caufe you to be fet in the stocks, without further ceremony." Prickle, throwing down a couple of guineas, with two execrations more to make up the fum, declared, that he could afford to pay for Twearing as well as e'er a juftice in the county; and repeated his challenge of the wager, which our adventurer now accepted, protefting, at the fame time, that it was not a step taken from any motive of pride, but intirely with a view to punish an infolent plebeian, who could not otherwise be chaftifed without a breach of the peace. Twenty guineas being depofited on each fide in the hands of Mr. Elmy, Prickle, with equal confidence and difpatch, produced a canvas bag, containing two hundred and feventy pounds, which, being fpread upon the table, made a very formidable fhew, that dazzled the eyes of the beholders, and induced many of them to be. lieve he had enfured his conquest. Our adventurer, asking if he had any thing further to offer, and being answered in the negative, drew forth, with great deliberation, a pocket-book, in which there was a confiderable parcel of bank-notes, from which he selected three of one hundred pounds each, and exhibited them upon the table, to the astonishment of all prefent. Prickle, mad with his overthrow and loss, said it might be neceffary to make him prove the notes were honeftly come by; and Sir Launcelot started up, in order to take vengeance upon him for this infult; but was withheld by the arms and remonftrances of Mr. Elmy, who affured him that Prickle defired nothing fo much as another broken head, to lay the foundation of a new profecution. The knight, calmed by this interpofition, turned to the audience, faying, with the moft affable deportment, "Good people, do not imagine that I intend to pocket the fpoils of fuch a contemptible rafcal. I fhall beg the favour of this worthy gentleman to take up these twenty guineas, and distribute them as he fhall think proper, among the poor of the parish: but, by this benefaction, I do not hold myfelf acquitted for the fhare I had in the bruises fome of you have received in this unlucky fray; and therefore I give the other twenty guineas to be divided among the fufferers, to each according to the damage he or she fhall appear to have fuftained; and I fhall |