Then the constable related his case: his dialogue with the
mercer about discharging me, and at last his servant’s refusing
to go with him, when he had charged him with him, and his
master encouraging him to do so, and at last his striking the
constable, and the like, all as I have told it already.
The justice then heard the mercer and his man. The mercer
indeed made a long harangue of the great loss they have daily
by lifters and thieves; that it was easy for them to mistake,
and that when he found it he would have dismissed me, etc.,
as above. As to the journeyman, he had very little to say, but
that he pretended other of the servants told him that I was
really the person.
Upon the whole, the just first of all told me very courteously
I was discharged; that he was very sorry that the mercer’s man
should in his eager pursuit have so little discretion as to take
up an innocent person for a guilty person; that if he had not
been so unjust as to detain me afterward, he believed I would
have forgiven the first affront; that, however, it was not in his
power to award me any reparation for anything, other than by
openly reproving them, which he should do; but he supposed
I would apply to such methods as the law directed; in the
meantime he would bind him over.
But as to the breach of the peace committed by the journeyman,
he told me he should give me some satisfaction for that, for he
should commit him to Newgate for assaulting the constable,
and for assaulting me also.
Accordingly he sent the fellow to Newgate for that assault,
and his master gave bail, and so we came away; but I had the
satisfaction of seeing the mob wait upon them both, as they
came out, hallooing and throwing stones and dirt at the coaches
they rode in; and so I came home to my governess.
After this hustle, coming home and telling my governess the
story, she falls a-laughing at me. ‘Why are you merry?’ says
I; ‘the story has not so much laughing room in it as you imagine;
I am sure I have had a great deal of hurry and fright too, with
a pack of ugly rogues.’ ‘Laugh!’ says my governess; ‘I laugh,
child, to see what a lucky creature you are; why, this job will
be the best bargain to you that ever you made in your life, if
you manage it well. I warrant you,’ says she, ‘you shall make
the mercer pay you #500 for damages, besides what you shall
get out of the journeyman.’
I had other thoughts of the matter than she had; and especially,
because I had given in my name to the justice of peace; and
I knew that my name was so well known among the people
at Hick’s Hall, the Old Bailey, and such places, that if this
cause came to be tried openly, and my name came to be inquired
into, no court would give much damages, for the reputation
of a person of such a character. However, I was obliged to
begin a prosecution in form, and accordingly my governess
found me out a very creditable sort of a man to manage it,
being an attorney of very good business, and of a good
reputation, and she was certainly in the right of this; for had
she employed a pettifogging hedge solicitor, or a man not
known, and not in good reputation, I should have brought it
to but little.
I met this attorney, and gave him all the particulars at large,
as they are recited above; and he assured me it was a case, as
he said, that would very well support itself, and that he did
not question but that a jury would give very considerable
damages on such an occasion; so taking his full instructions
he began the prosecution, and the mercer being arrested, gave
bail. A few days after his giving bail, he comes with his
attorney to my attorney, to let him know that he desired to
accommodate the matter; that it was all carried on I the heat