his hands upon all he had left behind him; and before he was well cold in his grave, he set off at such a rate, while every good-for-nothing fellow was after him, far and near. For though his old father in his wicked way, had mustered up full two thousand pounds, yet in a little more than fourteen months, it was all gone.

Sir Thos. How, in the name of wonder, could he, in his line, squander away such a deal of money in so short a time!

Far. Why Sir, first of all, the extravagant blade gave eighty guineas for a very fine hunter; but this he said would pay him very well, as it would bring a deal of their sort of rakish company to his house: but instead of their being his guests, he would treat them all; and then try if he could not pay himself back again by gaming with them; and then they would make him half drunk, and pick his pocket of hundreds.

Sir Thos. No wonder that he so soon ruined himself, if he got connected with a set of gamblers and sharpers.

Far. Why your Honor, he was after them morning, noon, and night; and then he got acquainted with that strange wild blade, 'Squire Madcap, who knows how to take care of himself, while he can trick others; and because the 'Squire knew he had a little money, he pretended to be very gracious with him; and he got him to give two hundred guineas for a race-horse, which was to beat all the horses in the country. And away he went with him to Gambleton races, cracking and boasting as how he was worth double the money, as he thought he was to get thousands by him. And there, by his gamings and bettings, he lost five hundred pounds, and came home to his wife half mad, through disappointment and rage.

Sir Thos. No wonder that he brought himself to ruin by such extravagances as these.--Those public

horse-races are the destruction of thousands. I never suffer any of my family to go near them.

Far. Aye, and when he found that his money was almost all gone, he would be swearing by his maker, in the most blaspheming way, that either he would go on to ruination, or fetch it all back again; and it was not above fourteen months after his father's death, before what the old man had got in his wicked ways, was all spent by this rakish blade, in ways if possible, much wickeder still. Aye, and what is worse than all, he has ruined his poor mother, and unmarried sister into the bargain, by spending what by right, should have come to them; though as to his sister, she is a sad saucy puss as ever lived; and no wonder, when we consider how they bred her up; but I must say nothing on that score the Lord be praised that I was not permitted to live according to the natural corruptions of my heart, all the days of my life!

Sir Thos. This has proved a very unfortunate match for your daughter.

Far. Ah Sir, though he appeared mighty loving to her at first, yet they had not been married together above a month, before she began to rue the day that ever she saw him. There she would be coming to our house, to tell of all her grievances, when he would be away from her upon his rakish tricks, night after night; and when I heard that he had got linked in with that desperate fellow, Sam Blood, who has been in goal before now, I thought what would become of

; and my poor daughter feels all the more since she knows I could not advise her against the match; but now she hears he is cast for death, and left for execution, she is almost distracted.

Wor. This is a terrible family calamity, and justice must at times, be stern. I fear it will be very difficult to prevent the fatal stroke, especially as the young man has been known to be so wild and worthless. And his connexion with that horrid fellow, Sam Blood, will go much against both him and young Sparkish,

25

COCK-FIGHTING.

Farmer.-Why your Honour knows how Sam Blood, Ned Sparkish, and my son-in-law, all went to that wicked town where Lord Rakish and Squire Wild were to have first a bull-baiting, next a boxing-match, then a badger-playing, and afterwards a cock-fighting.

Lovegood.-These abominably cruel sports are productive of a deal of evil, wherever they are permitted to exist.

Sir Thomas.-I suppressed one of their cock-pits not long ago, that some loose rakes were attempting to promote in our neighbourhood.

though I am told that Sam Blood is by far the most daring and villanous of the three.

Sir Thos. I am not as yet acquainted with the particulars of the offence.

Far. If your honor can but save his life, I shall be glad to tell you all I know. After he had lost all he was worth among these gamblers by his horse-racings, excepting the little maintenance I settled on my daughter, and what he still got by selling liquors, his next project was to see if he could not fetch back his money again, by cock-fighting.

Wor. So that when he could not afford to game in a more extravagant way, he attempted it in another style.

Loveg. These abominably cruel sports are productive of a deal of evil, wherever they are permitted to exist.

Sir Thos. I suppressed one of their cock-pits not long ago, that some loose rakes were attempting to promote in our neighbourhood, though it was with some difficulty, through the negligence and connivance of some other magistrates in those parts.

Far. It had been well for Will Frolic, if there had been none of those places within his reach; for there he went off to Gambleton with his fighting-cocks, and we never heard of him for three days, till after he was committed to gao!.

Wor. Will you tell Sir Thomas how this unhappy event took place?

Far. Why your Honor knows how Sam Blood and Ned Sparkish, and my Son-in-law, all went to that wicked Town, where Lord Rakish and 'Squire Wild were to have first a bull-baiting, next a boxing-match, then a cudgel-playing, and afterwards a cock-fighting in the evening. I don't think there are two such gentlemen blackguards to be found any where like them; for all the other common blackguards, are sure to be after them, far and wide.

Loveg. You must excuse the strong language of my good old friend, Sir Thomas. And no wonder, since