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expence attending the profecution, may it not be deemed an important fervice to fuggeft a practicable mode, the only one likely to be productive of fo defirable an effect, through the channel of your valuable Mifcellany? In facilitating the developement of fuch a plan, Mr. Urban's readers will hail their venerable henefactor.

Hiftorian muft infpect public records with his own eyes, not with thofe of others; for he alone can beft underftand how far the information they af ford is necellary, whether concitely or more in detail, or whether he may not already poffefs it. Much time and expence may be frequently saved by these

means.

A literary gentleman, of general Not to mention the unexampled efknowledge, and of extenfive applica-forts of the Hiftorian of Leicestershire;

tion, has long been collecting materials for fuch a purpofe. Engaged at prefent in digefting and clalling them, already fwelled to an unwieldy bulk, and difperfed in various MSS. that no untoward accident may occafion their being loft to the world; fuch is their abundance, that the winter months at leaft, with the most active exertion, will fearcely be fufficient for this branch of preparation. Many arrangements have alfo been made for a more effectual and expeditious fearch of the public libraries and repofitories of records; and measures afcertained for completing fo very important and laborious a work. The liberality of the nobility and gentry, by their generous communications and friendly fupport, in addition to thefe refources, would be alto neceflary, and must be productive of the happiest fuccefs. The communication of the plan to the inhabitants of the Conaty is allo faid to be in contemplation; but, in the mean time, it would be extremely defirable if gentlemen friendly to fuch a vaft undertaking would fignify their approbation through the medium of Mr. Urban, which would add to the facilities already fecured.

That individual exertion alone will ever execute a labour of fuch magnitude, is fufficiently effablifhed. All our County Hiftories have been principally accomplished by fingle perfons. Through the individuals as a medium, all information inuft be communicated, however liberal or extenfive; which does not paralyfe the efforts of others, but fuppofes their neceffity, and only directs the channel through which it must be conveyed to render it effectual.

the late Rev. Mr. Hutchins, in his History of the County of Dorset, has given an example to others, in the affittance rendered him to procure intel ligence. By a handfome fubfcription of the nobility and gentry of the county, he was enabled to collect his materials for two handfome folio volumes; and, by a perfevering conduct, more than by a brilliancy of talent or extenfive fcientific knowledge, effected a work which will immortalize his name. Notwithstanding the natural impediment, as I am well informed, of extreme deafnefs, the moft unpropitions to converfation and friendly verbal con..zunication; by a liberal fpirit in the county, he was firft enabled to inspect the various offices, and afterwards to mount his poney perfonally to vifit every parish, tithing, and hamlet, within the county, and to make every difficulty vanifh before him. If fuch means, however, were neceffary in a diftrict of an extent comparatively fmall to perfect two folio volumes, much more muft they be fo in more expenfive times, in a County fo much larger, the materials of which could not poffibly be digefted in lets than double the quantity. But by thefe means it may be accomplished; and Mr. Urban, by inferting this letter in his valuable Mifcellany, will effentially promote fuch an undertaking; for which he will not think any other motive neceflary to be urged by his very obliged fervant, and old correfpondent, SEVERIANUS.

THE PROJECTOR, N° XII. "Difficile eft hoc de omnibus confirmare, fet tamen eft certum." CICERO.

THE fine compliment paid by Cicero pecuni-To the ufes of learning, in the ora

But few individuals poflefs the pecuniary means of perfecting fuch a labour; and to thofe who do, however pleafing thofe fubjects may be as amusements, confidering the numerous avocations which their rank in life renders unavoidable, the magnitude becomes an infurmountable obftacle. The County

tion from which I have taken my motto, "adolefcentiam alunt, fenectutem oblectant, Stc." happened lately to be repeated with fome degree of triumph in a company of men of letters, where I had the honour to be prefent: and it

was

was followed by remarks, not very uncommon; that the refinement of the age is greatly indebted to the more general diffution of literature; that it tends to make men wifer, and enables them to regulate the bufinefs of life with more difcretion. In truth, panegyrics on the benefits of learning may always be expected in the company of thofe who have in any degree cultivated it. This is l'efprit de corps.

But while we were thus throwing indirect compliments at one another, as is the custom with Projectors, a gentleman who had not hitherto spoke on the subject, but had during the converfation applied himself to his fnuff-box with more than ufual affiduity, broke filence, by exclaiming, that there was one thing yet remaining to be mention ed, which letters could not make men: they could not make them honest. "I aver," continued he, "that, in the commonwealth of letters, there are all the crimes to be found, which are ufual in any other commonwealth or kingdom; yes, all the rogueries upon record in the Old-Bailey." And then he burst forth into an enumeration of the thieves, rogues, pilferers, forgers, and murderers of literature; and gave fuch a catalogue of crimes as inclined us, fo far from denying his affertion, to doubt whether, by fome magical tranflation, we had not got into the prefs-yard of Newgate.

On my return home, this fubject dwelt for fome time on my mind; and, upon a recollection of past experience, I foon began to agree with our friend, that the fimilarity between the crimes of Grub-fireet, and thofe of the OldBailey, is very ftriking. Literary thefts are notorious: goods are ftolen from books in the face of open day; and, although the thief attempts to difguife them, in order to make them pafs for his own, the trick is fo clumfily performed, that immediate detection folJows. Thefe thieves, too, may be fubdivided according to their degrees of criminality, like the objects of our Seffions and Affizes. Some will teal a whole book, and endeavour to vend it for their own; thefe are a fort of capital felons, and may be faid to break open warehouses, and carry off goods by wholefale; others, lefs hardened, will content themselves with a chapter or a fection, and are a fpecies of Booklifters, who may perhaps merit banish ment; but the most numerous clafs are the pilferers, who aim only at fuch

finall articles as they think will not be miffed, pretty little toys and beauties, which they may appropriate to their own ufe, and place in fuch fituations as the owner will not be very likely to fearch. The dealers in rhime compofe the greateft part of this clafs; and although the Critical watchmen very frequently detect and expofe them, their poverty is fuch that the injured party is content to let them go with a little caftigation, thinking it hard to confine a poor creature for pilfering a rhime, when perhaps he had but one line in the world, and did not know where another was to be found. One Alexander Pope, is faid to have been a noted offender in this way, and was repeatedly tried, but as repeatedly got off by the goodnels of his character in other refpects.

Thefts, however, have become fo common lately, that lenity, which has loft its effect, must be exchanged for feverity. Public juftice demands that honeft men be protected in their writings, and that no perfon fh ll be allowed to invade an author's printed caffellum without a warrant from the higher powers. We Ellayifts are particularly liable to fuffer by depredatious of this kind; and I have mylelf had fome reafon to complain of the light-fingered tribe, who will fometimes fteal a whole Projector, and serve it as their brethren of the framp ferve watches or plate, melt it down into paragraphs, in fuch a manner, that it is impoffible to fwear to the property.

Of the wholefale thieves, the principal part are called, in the language of the trade, compilers, which means the fame as divers in the flang cant; for I am forry to obferve that, however honourably this term be fometimes applied, its derived from compilare, which eve ry Latin fcholar will readily allow means to fteal, and, when the articles are ftolen, to heap them together, to pile them up, as thieves who break into houfes, and pile up the plate and other moveables in bundles. And as the houfe-breaker has his crow to force a door, or his pick-locks to open clofets and repofitories; fo the compiler may always be apprehended with a pair of feiflars in his pocket, which no paper can refift.

There is one branch of theft, which with I could fay might be excepted in thefe remarks on the crimes of the commonwealth of letters: but truth obliges me to add, that of late years innumerable

innumerable depredations have been committed on the property of fome worthy clergymen, by itealing their Sermons, which, I fumbly think, may be deemed a fpecies of facrilege. There was a time when this was much practifed on the property of Tillotfon, Barrow, Clark, &c; but of late, as far as my information goes, Dr. Blair has been the greateft fufferer. I was once prefent at the trial of an offender, who had broke into the Doctor's first two volumes, and taken out a good inany articles; and, as he fhowed fome fignis of penitence, I asked him how he caine to have the impudence to offer thefe as his own, when any attentive perfon might difcover that they were the Doctor's property, and had betides the Hall mark? He aufwered that attentive perfons might indeed difcover all this; but that the perfons to whom he of fered them, were principally a Corporation in the North, half of whom were inattentive, and the other half asleep.

With refpect to murder, that, I am forry to fay, is fometimes practifed to conceal robbery. I have now before me the body of a difcourfe, with the head cut off, and the limbs cruelly mangled by the bafe perpretator of the theft, to avoid detection; and fo art fully was this managed, that although the mutilated body was found in his houfe after his death, the features are fo completely obliterated that no difcovery can be made of the perfon to whom it belonged. The cruel practices of fome of this gang would, perhaps, fhock my readers too much; but by way of information, I cannot help mentioning that, when they catch a volume coming out of a fhop, they cut off the title at one blow, knock out two or three paffages, and ftab the context fo often, that an excellent difcourfe has fometimes been left all over gore nonfenfe.

The principal murders, however, are committed on the bodies of thofe eminent characters whole refidence is in and about Drury Lane, Coventgarden, and the Flayimarket; and they are attended with circamitances of particular atrocity, being generally performed before crowds of fpectators, few of whom ever interfere; and very often for hire, which in the eye of the law, I humbly prefuure, conftitutes affaffination. These gangs of defperados have been very common of late;

and fuch is their infatuation, that they care not whom they murder, fo they only derive a benefit from it. They nfually come from the country, where they are firft tutored to this business; but the eftablishment of a good patrole, both Morning and Evening, will, it is to be hoped, pat a stop to fuch enormities, and induce the guilty to take to fome more honeft employment, than murdering Scotch Kings, Venetian Moors, and Danish Princes.

Betides murder, there is another species of dramatic delinquents, who carry on the nefarious trade of piracy, and very much infeft the coafts of France and Italy, and are in league with a gang of land-robbers, who have lately committed fundry depredations in Germany; bringing away entire plots, fables, and characters. They fmuggle Spirits alfo, which, though of a very inferior kind to thofe manufactured by Shakspeare and Company, are fuited to the tale of the lower claffes in this country, who have a particular relish for articles of foreign growth-I cannot but remark, however, on this whole tribe of dramatic pirates, that they exhibit a melancholy inftance of the force of bad habits; for, although the articles they bring over are fo trifling and contemptible, that it is almoft impoffible to fet a value on then, fuch is their propenfity to thieving, that nothing of the kind efcapes, upon which they can lay their hands.

There are likewife a low fet of pilferers belonging to our theatres, who, not having the courage to take either to the open feas, or to the highway, are perpetually filching jokes out of the warehoufes of Joe Miller and Co's, and other old-eftablifhed repofitories. It is wonderful with what dexterity they will feal a pun, or a quibble, and offer it as their own for a confiderable time, without detection. They entered fome years ago into a confpiracy againft one Henry Fielding, who failed in the dramatic line; and as foon as he was dead got poffeflion by fome means of his effects, tore off the marks, and have fince brought them to fale as their own property. This fpecies of fwindling is not uncommon, for the publick is to credulous as to be duped, although, from the well-known characters of the parties, it is notorious that they live entirely by procuring credit on falfe pretences. They are fouietimes, indeed, condemned in the full

penalties

penalties of empty benches; but, when men are hardened, common punishnents lofe their effect.

Forgery is a crime which has been very prevalent in the commonwealth of letters. One Lauder was a very noted character in this way, about half a century ago, having frequently forged the name of Milton, and would have ruined that very worthy character, if an ingenious Clergyman, now a high Dignitary in the church, had not fiept forward, and, by proving Milton's writing, detected the roguery. This fellow had the art to deceive a Mr. JOHNSON, a very difcerning man of thofe days, but who, when undeceived, made the forger fign a difcovery of his tricks, before he was turned off.Another noted character, was a man who forged poems upon one Offian, an ancient gentleman of Scotland, and likewife produced a will and other documents. This long deceived the publick; but the Mr. Johnson above mentioned, who was become wifer in confequence of his former mistake, purfu ed this new delinquent until he was brought to trial. The trial lafied a very long time; and the Jury went feveral times out, before they could agree in their verdict. At length they brought in a general verdict of guilty; but an exception was taken by the counfel for the defendant, and a queftion referred to the opinion of the Judges; fo that the matter was not fettled before the defendant's death.

A more clear cafe of forgery, however, occurred very recently, when certain perfon or perfons unknown attempted to forge the hand-writing of Mr. William Shakspeare, of Stratford upon Avon, in the county of Warwick, and produced a vaft mafs of writings, confifting of plays, letters, poems, &c. pretended to be written by the fame William Shakspeare. Numbers of very honeft gentlemen, who knew nothing of the matter, were taken in by thefe forgeries; when at length Mr. Malone, a very active and diligent magifirate in the commonwealth of letters, entered upon an investigation of the whole matter, clearly proved the papers to be forgeries, and, although he could not difcover the immediate parties who imitated the handwriting, was the means of bringing two perfons to trial for "uttering them, knowing them to be forged"; and, notwithstanding the ability of their counfel, who offered many apologies for their

conduct, they were condemned, with full colis of paper and print. Mr. Jufpolice, which will be extremely useful tice Malone alfo drew up a plan of in detecting fimilar, offences hereafter, . and for which he is entitled to the thanks of the publick at large.

in the cafe of forgeries, caunot attach But this fyllem, however beneficial to the mafs of other crimes noticed in this paper. It becomes me, therefore, as a Projector, to fuggest that an entire new fyftem of Police becomes abfolutely neceffary, to protect the property of literature, from the daily and nightly depredations of the numerous claffes of delinquents, who infelt the walks of learning. Crimes of this fort have been fo common of late, that the Monthly offices have more bufinefs than they their falaries have been advanced twice can poffibly attend to; and although within thefe ten years, they are obliged to difinifs. fome of the most notoriafter a very fummary examination; the ous of the gang of pilterers and pirates confequetice of which is, that they return to their depredations more hardened than ever, by depending on the many chances of escape,

mentioned in the beginning of my paIt was propofed, in the company per, that certain bookfellers fhould be appointed to prefide in certain new offices of Police, about to be established; but I objected to this, although I have a profound refpect for many of the fraternity. The beft of human hearts may yield to the flow progrefs of corruption; and there would be a danger of thefe gentlemen becoming trading juftices, which would defeat the beneficial purposes of a ftriét and vigilant police. We agreed, indeed, that Mr. SYLVANUS URBAN, from his long experience, and advanced fate of life, being now in his 72d volume, would be a very proper perfon to prefide at one of the new offices, with full power to apprehend fufpicious perfons, and detain them in his pages, until they could give a good account of themfelves.

But a more extenfive and ufeful part of the plan would be to provide for fuch unhappy creatures as had no means of fubfifting, after a gaol-delivery, but by returning to their evil ways. And this, it is apprehended, might be accomplished by a few fenfible and humane perfons, forming themfelves into a Society, and providing employment for fuch as have for

feited their character in literary fociety. It is well known that many of thefe unhappy objects have been brought up to an honeft calling, but, for want of work, have been driven to the evil ́courses enumerated in this paper. Some have lived genteelly and in good reputation, until in fome evil hour, and probably by the influence of a bad example, they have mounted their Pegalus, and robbed on the highways leading to Parnaflus —But this 1 throw out merely as a hint to the humane and well-difpofed; prevention is better than punishment; and when punishment is unavoidable, let us at least take fuch meafures as may lead to future repentance and amendment. And, in the mean time, a very neceflary previous step muft be, to watch the receivers of fiolen goods, who are a principal caufe of all the evil. These have too long been permitted to carry ou their trade with impunity, and to purchafe whole cargoes of ill-gotten hiftories, and voyages, which they measure out in fixpenny-worths to the poor, in fuch a manner that both the right owner, and the poor, are equally defrauded. Such petty larcenies alfo defeat the purposes of justice; for, when brought to trial, it cannot be proved that the rogues have ftolen to the value of ten-pence.

Mr. URBAN,

FROM

Dec. 8. ROM the manuferipts of the late Rev. John Jones, curate of Welwyn, I give you the following particulars, concerning the difcoveries of Murder; which, from a recent event, may perhaps prove not uninterefting. Yours, &c.

M. GREEN. January 16. 1760, Mr. Shotbolt, a gentleman upon whofe fidelity in the account I can well depend, affures me from his own knowledge and remembrance of the following fact.

That one Captain Paxton, an officer in the army, about 40 years ago, or above, took a farm near Luton in Bedfordshire, which he rented of Mr. Crofs, a brewer in London, who had formerly been a plough-boy to a farmer there. The captain would needs af fume the air of a perfon of efiate, and keep a bailiff to manage the affairs of his farm. He fent him one market day to fell grain and other goods at Luton, expecting money at his return: the bailiff, whofe name was Reddas, having laid out the money he had received upon fome neceflary occafions,

the captain fell into a rage, and in the height of his wrath ftabbed the man, who foon after died of the wound. Parten, upon this, fled into foreign parts, and continued there about two years. Having fome urgent bufinels to tranfact in England, he ventured to return, hoping he might pafs undif covered, wearing a black patch over one of his eyes. The very moment he ftepped out of the boat at one of the landing-places upon the Thames, having scarcely fet foot on the fairs of the place, the murdered perfon's brother (a barber at Luton) happened to be there, immediately knew him, and got him fecured.-Parton was brought down to Bedford, and fentenced to the gibbet.

J. J.

1763, 26 October, I had this fiory attefied to me anew, by another perfon of good character, who knew the man. March 29, 1763.

This evening, George Keate, efq. of the Temple, being at Dr. Young's upon a vifit, told us this remarkable fory, which he had from Mr. Pinkney, chief juice of South Carolina, and which Pinkney had received from the captain of the Thip who had brought the Negro hereafter mentioned from Carolina into England, the last time of his coming over hither from thence, when he was taken up, as fhall be hereafter related, in the prefence of the faid captain and of all his crew.

Whatever the occafion might be, this Negro, fome years before, put himself aboard a fhip fetting fail for England; which probably might be the first time of his coming over hither.

He was landed in one of our docks. near Loudon, and contracted with a poor honeft laundrefs in that neigh bourhood for washing his linen. This poor woman wore generally three rings on one of her fingers, and was reputed to have fome little money; which this wretch (the Negro) obferving, and being in want, he refolved to murder her, and to take what she had. She was a widow, and had only a nephew living with her in her little cottage. This nephew, one evening, at a jovial caroufe, got exceflively drunk, and was carried home, and put to bed. The Negro thought this a favourable opportunity to put his villainous defign in execution. He got to the top of the houfe, and, being totally ftript, got into the cottage through the chimney; marched immediately up ftairs, and entered the woman's bed-chamber,

when

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