and call her at the house, which it seems was an alehouse. I
said Yes, very readily, and away she went.
She was no sooner gone but comes a wench and a child, puffing
and sweating, and asks for the Barnet coach. I answered
presently, ‘Here.’ ‘Do you belong to the Barnet coach?’ says
she. ‘Yes, sweetheart,’ said I; ‘what do ye want?’ ‘I want
room for two passengers,’ says she. ‘Where are they, sweetheart?’
said I. ‘Here’s this girl, pray let her go into the coach,’ says
she, ‘and I’ll go and fetch my mistress.’ ‘Make haste, then,
sweetheart,’ says I, ‘for we may be full else.’ The maid had
a great bundle under her arm; so she put the child into the
coach, and I said, ‘You had best put your bundle into the coach
too.’ ‘No,’ says she, ‘I am afraid somebody should slip it away
from the child.’ ‘Give to me, then,’ said I, ‘and I’ll take care
of it.’ ‘Do, then,’ says she, ‘and be sure you take of it.’ ‘I’ll
answer for it,’ said I, ‘if it were for #20 value.’ “There, take
it, then,’ says she, and away she goes.
As soon as I had got the bundle, and the maid was out of sight,
I goes on towards the alehouse, where the porter’s wife was,
so that if I had met her, I had then only been going to give her
the bundle, and to call her to her business, as if I was going
away, and could stay no longer; but as I did not meet her, I
walked away, and turning into Charterhouse Lane, then
crossed into Batholomew Close, so into Little Britain, and
through the Bluecoat Hospital, into Newgate Street.
To prevent my being known, I pulled off my blue apron, and
wrapped the bundle in it, which before was made up in a piece
of painted calico, and very remarkable; I also wrapped up my
straw hat in it, and so put the bundle upon my head; and it was
very well that I did thus, for coming through the Bluecoat
Hospital, who should I meet but the wench that had given me
the bundle to hold. It seems she was going with her mistress,
whom she had been gone to fetch, to the Barnet coaches.
I saw she was in haste, and I had no business to stop her; so
away she went, and I brought my bundle safe home to my
governess. There was no money, nor plate, or jewels in the
bundle, but a very good suit of Indian damask, a gown and a
petticoat, a laced-head and ruffles of very good Flanders lace,
and some linen and other things, such as I knew very well the
value of.
This was not indeed my own invention, but was given me by
one that had practised it with success, and my governess liked
it extremely; and indeed I tried it again several times, though
never twice near the same place; for the next time I tried it in
White Chapel, just by the corner of Petticoat Lane, where the
coaches stand that go out to Stratford and Bow, and that side
of the country, and another time at the Flying Horse, without
Bishopgate, where the Cheston coaches then lay; and I had
always the good luck to come off with some booty.
Another time I placed myself at a warehouse by the waterside,
where the coasting vessels from the north come, such as from
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sunderland, and other places. Here,
the warehouses being shut, comes a young fellow with a letter;
and he wanted a box and a hamper that was come from
Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I asked him if he had the marks of it;
so he shows me the letter, by virtue of which he was to ask
for it, and which gave an account of the contents, the box
being full of linen, and the hamper full of glass ware. I read
the letter, and took care to see the name, and the marks, the
name of the person that sent the goods, the name of the person
that they were sent to; then I bade the messenger come in the