coach, and to watch the motions of the highwaymen, as he should direct. But mine hoft, alfo wifely confi dering that this expedition would be attended with certain expence, and that the profit which he hoped was contingent, acquainted the paffengers with their danger, and proposed that a guard should be hired by a voluntary contribution; a proposal, to which, upon a fight of the robbers through the window, they readily agreed. Spiggot was now fecured against pecuniary lofs, at all events and, about three o'clock, the knights of the frolic, with infinite fatisfaction, beheld five paffengers, among whom there was but one gentleman, step into the coach, with the aspect of crimf nals going to execution; and enjoyed the fignificant signs which passed between them and the landlord, concerning the precautions taken for their defence.

As foon as the coach was gone, the fuppofed highwaymen paid their reckoning in great hafte, and called for their horfes: care had already been taken to faddle them; for it was not Mr. Spiggot's defire, that the adventurers should go far before they executed their pur. pofe; and as foon as they departed, he prepared to follow them with his poffe. He was, indeed, greatly furprised to fee, that they turned the contrary way when they went out of the inn yard; but he fuppofed they might chufe to take a small circuit to prevent fufpicion, as they might eafily overtake the coachwhenever they would: he determined, however, to keep behind them; and therefore, instead of going after the coach, followed them at a distance; till, to his utter disappointment, he faw them perfift in a different rout, and at length turn into an inn in Ficcadilly, where feveral fervants in livery appeared to have been waiting

K4

waiting for them, and where his curiofity was foon gratified with their characters and their names.

In the mean time, the coach proceeded in its journey. The panic of the paffengers increased, upon perceiving that the guard which they had hired did not come up; and they began to accufe Spiggot of having betrayed them to the robbers, for a share of the booty: they could not help looking every moment from the window, though it was fo dark, that a waggon could not have been feen at the distance of twenty yards: every tree was mistaken for a man and horse; the noife of the vehicle in which they rode was believed to be the trampling of purfuers; and they expected every moment to hear the coachman commanded to top, and to fee a piftol thruft in amongst them, with the dreadful injunction, "Deliver your money."

Thus far the distress, however great and unmerited, will be deemed ridiculous; the fufferers will appear to have ingeniously tormented themselves, by the fagacity with which they reafoned from appearances intended to deceive them, and their folicitude to prevent mifchiefs which none would attempt.

But it happened, that, when the coach had got about two miles out of town, it was overtaken by a horfeman, who rode very hard, and called out with great eagerness to the driver to stop. This incident, among persons who had fuffered perpetual apprehenfion and alarm from the moment they fet out, produced a proportionate effect. The wife of the gentleman was fo terrified, that she funk down from her feat; and he was fo much convinced of his danger, fo touched at her diftrefs, and fo incenfed against the ruffian who had produced it, that, without uttering a word, he

drew

drew a pistol from his pocket, and feeing the man par.. ley with the coachmen, who had now ftopped his horfes, he shot him dead upon the spot.

The man, however, who had thus fallen the victim of a frolic, was foon known to be the fervant of a lady, who had paid earneft for the vacant place in the stage, and having by fome accident been delayed till it was fet out, had followed it in a hackney-coach, and fent him before her to detain it till fhe came up.

Here the ridicule is at an end; and we are furprised that we did not fooner reflect, that the company had fufficient cause for their fear and their precaution, and that the frolic was nothing more than a lie, which it would have been folly not to believe, and prefumption to disregard.

The next day, while the Bucks were entertaining a polite circle at White's with an account of the farce they had played the night before, news arrived of the catastrophe. A fudden confufion covered every countenance; and they remained fome time filent, looking upon each other, mutually accufed, reproached, and condemned.

This favourable moment was improved by a gentleman, who, though fometimes feen in that affembly, is yet eminent for his humanity and wifdom. "A 66 man, "faid he, "who found himself bewildered in "the intricacies of a labyrinth, when the fun was go

ing down, would think himfelf happy, if a clue' "should be put into his hand, by which he might be *

led out in fafety: he would not furely quit it for a "moment, because it might poffibly be recovered; "and, if he did, would be in perpetual danger of tumbling upon fome other wanderer, and bringing

68.

trived, which can gratify pure benevolence, or entertain, without producing an oppofition of interest. There are, indeed, many external advantages, which it has never been thought immoral to acquire, though an oppofition of intereft is neceffarily implied; advantages, which, like a stake at cards, one party can only gain by the lofs of the other: for wealth and poverty, obfcurity and diftinction, command and fervitude, are mutually relative; and the existence of each is by each reciprocally derived and given.

Play, therefore, is not unlawful, merely as a con• teft; nor can the pleasure of them that win be imputed to a criminal want of benevolence, in this state of imperfection, merely because it is enjoyed at the expence of those who lofe. But, as in business, it has never been held lawful to circumvent those whom we defire to excel: fo in play, the chance of lofs and gain ought to be always equal; at least, each party should be apprized of the force employed against him; and if then he plays against odds, no man has a right to inquire his motive, though a good man would decline to en. gage him.

There is, however, one fpecies of diverfion which has not been generally condemned, though it is produced by an attack upon those who have not voluntarily entered the lifts, who find themselves buffeted in the dark, and have neither means of defence nor poffi. bility of advantage.

Thefe feats are atchieved by the knights-errant of Mirth, and known by the name of Frolics: under this name, indeed, many species of wanton cruelty have been practifed, without incurring the infamy, or rail ing the indignation which they deferve; and it is ex

tremely

1

tremely difficult to fix upon any certain criterion, by which frolics may be diftinguished into criminal and innocent. If we could difcern effects while they are involved in their caufes, and ascertain every remote confequence of our own actions, perhaps thefe fallies might be allowed under the fame restrictions as raillery: the falfe alarms and ridiculous distress into which others are betrayed to make us fport, fhould be fuch only as will be fubjects of merriment, even to the fufferer, when they are paft, and remembered neither with refentment nor regret: but as every action may produce effects over which human power has no influence, and which human fagacity cannot foresee, we fhould not lightly venture to the verge of evil, nor ftrike at others, though with a reed, left, like the rod of Mofes, it become a ferpent in our hands..

During the hard froft in the year 1740, four young: gentlemen, of confiderable rank, rode into an inn, near one of the principal avenues to this city, at eleven o'clock at night, without any attendant; and having expreffed uncommon concern about their horses, and overlooked the provifion that was made for them, called for a room; ordering wine and tobacco to be. brought in, and declaring, that as they were to fet out very early in the morning, it was not worth while to go to bed. Before the waiter returned, each of them had laid a pocket pistol upon the table; which, when he entered, they appeared to be very folicitous to conceal, and fhewed fome confufion at the furprise. They perceived, with great fatisfaction, that the fellow was alarmed at his difcovery; and having, upon various pretences, called him often into the room, one of them contrived to pull out a mask with his handkerchief.