The very day after I wrote my last, Clinker was set at liberty. As
Martin had foretold, the accuser was himself committed for a robbery,
upon unquestionable evidence. He had been for some time in the snares of
the thief-taking society; who, resenting his presumption in attempting
to incroach upon their monopoly of impeachment, had him taken up and
committed to Newgate, on the deposition of an accomplice, who has been
admitted as evidence for the king. The postilion being upon record as an
old offender, the chief justice made no scruple of admitting Clinker to
bail, when he perused the affidavit of Mr Mead, importing that the said
Clinker was not the person that robbed him on Blackheath; and honest
Humphry was discharged. When he came home, he expressed great eagerness
to pay his respects to his master, and here his elocution failed him,
but his silence was pathetic; he fell down at his feet and embraced his
knees, shedding a flood of tears, which my uncle did not see without
emotion. He took snuff in some confusion; and, putting his hand in
his pocket, gave him his blessing in something more substantial than
words--‘Clinker (said he), I am so well convinced, both of your honesty
and courage, that I am resolved to make you my life-guardman on the
highway.’
He was accordingly provided with a case of pistols, and a carbine to be
flung a-cross his shoulders; and every other preparation being made, we
set out last Thursday, at seven in the morning; my uncle, with the three
women in the coach; Humphry, well mounted on a black gelding bought for
his use; myself a-horseback, attended by my new valet, Mr Dutton,
an exceeding coxcomb, fresh from his travels, whom I have taken upon
trial--The fellow wears a solitaire, uses paint, and takes rappee with
all the grimace of a French marquis. At present, however, he is in a
ridingdress, jack-boots, leather breeches, a scarlet waistcoat, with
gold binding, a laced hat, a hanger, a French posting-whip in his hand,
and his hair en queue.
Before we had gone nine miles, my horse lost one of his shoes; so that I
was obliged to stop at Barnet to have another, while the coach proceeded
at an easy pace over the common. About a mile short of Hatfield, the
postilions, stopping the carriage, gave notice to Clinker that there
were two suspicious fellows a-horseback, at the end of a lane, who
semed waiting to attack the coach. Humphry forthwith apprised my uncle,
declaring he would stand by him to the last drop of his blood; and
unflinging his carbine, prepared for action. The ‘squire had pistols in
the pockets of the coach, and resolved to make use of them directly;
but he was effectually prevented by his female companions, who flung
themselves about his neck, and screamed in concert--At that instant,
who should come up at a hand-gallop, but Martin, the highway-man, who,
advancing to the coach, begged the ladies would compose themselves for
a moment then, desiring Clinker to follow him to the charge, he pulled a
pistol out of his bosom, and they rode up together to give battle to the
rogues, who, having fired at a great distance, fled across the common.
They were in pursuit of the fugitives when I came up, not a little
alarmed at the shrieks in the coach, where I found my uncle in a violent
rage, without his periwig, struggling to disentangle himself from Tabby
and the other two, and swearing with great vociferation. Before I had
time to interpose, Martin and Clinker returned from the pursuit, and
the former payed his compliments with great politeness, giving us to
understand, that the fellows had scampered off, and that he believed
they were a couple of raw ‘prentices from London. He commended Clinker
for his courage, and said, if we would give him leave, he would have the
honour to accompany us as far as Stevenage, where he had some business.
The ‘squire, having recollected and adjusted himself, was the first
to laugh at his own situation: but it was not without difficulty, that
Tabby’s arms could be untwisted from his neck; Liddy’s teeth chattered,
and Jenkins was threatened with a fit as usual. I had communicated to my
uncle the character of Martin, as it was described by the constable, and
he was much struck with its singularity--He could not suppose the fellow
had any design on our company, which was so numerous and well armed; he
therefore thanked him, for the service he had just done them, said he
would be glad of his company, and asked him to dine with us at Hatfield.
This invitation might not have been agreeable to the ladies, had they
known the real profession of our guest, but this was a secret to all,
except my uncle and myself. Mrs Tabitha, however, would by no means
consent to proceed with a case of loaded pistols in the coach, and they
were forthwith discharged in complaisance to her and the rest of the
women.
Being gratified in this particular, she became remarkably goodhumoured,
and at dinner behaved in the most affable manner to Mr Martin, with
whose polite address and agreeable conversation she seemed to be much
taken. After dinner, the landlord accosting me in the yard, asked with a
significant look, if the gentleman that rode the sorrel belonged to our
company?--I understand his meaning, but answered no; that he had come
up with us on the common, and helped us to drive away two fellows, that
looked like highwaymen--He nodded three times distinctly, as much as to
say, he knows his cue. Then he inquired, if one of those men was mounted
on a bay mare, and the other on a chestnut gelding with a white streak
down his forehead? and being answered in the affirmative, he assured me
they had robbed three post-chaises this very morning--I inquired, in my
turn, if Mr Martin was of his acquaintance; and, nodding thrice again,
he answered, that he had seen the gentleman.
Before we left Hatfield, my uncle, fixing his eyes on Martin with such
expression as is more easily conceived than described, asked, if he
often travelled that road? and he replied with a look which denoted his
understanding the question, that he very seldom did business in that
part of the country. In a word, this adventurer favoured us with his
company to the neighbourhood of Stevenage, where he took his leave of
the coach and me, in very polite terms, and turned off upon a crossroad,
that led to a village on the left--At supper, Mrs Tabby was very full
in the praise of Mr Martin’s good-sense and good-breeding, and seemed
to regret that she had not a further opportunity to make some experiment
upon his affection. In the morning, my uncle was not a little surprised
to receive, from the waiter a billet couched in these words--
‘SIR,
I could easily perceive from your looks, when I had the honour to
converse with you at Hatfield, that my character is not unknown to you;
and, I dare say you won’t think it strange, that I should be glad to
change my present way of life, for any other honest occupation, let it
be ever so humble, that will afford me bread in moderation, and sleep
in safety--Perhaps you may think I flatter, when I say, that from the
moment I was witness to your generous concern in the cause of your
servant, I conceived a particular esteem and veneration for your person;
and yet what I say is true. I should think myself happy, if I could
be admitted into your protection and service, as house-steward, clerk,
butler, or bailiff, for either of which places I think myself tolerably
well qualified; and, sure I am, I should not be found deficient in
gratitude and fidelity--At the same time, I am very sensible how much
you must deviate from the common maxims of discretion, even in putting
my professions to the trial; but I don’t look upon you as a person that
thinks in the ordinary stile; and the delicacy of my situation, will,
I know, justify this address to a heart warmed with beneficence and
compassion--Understanding you are going pretty far north, I shall take
an opportunity to throw myself in your way again, before you reach the
borders of Scotland; and, I hope, by that time, you will have taken into
consideration, the truly distressful case of,
honoured sir, your very humble, and devoted servant, EDWARD MARTIN’
The ‘squire, having perused this letter, put it into my hand, without
saying a syllable; and when I had read it we looked at each other in
silence. From a certain sparkling in his eyes, I discovered there was
more in his heart, than he cared to express with his tongue, in favour
of poor Martin; and this was precisely my own feeling, which he did not
fail to discern, by the same means of communication--‘What shall we
do (said he) to save this poor sinner from the gallows, and make him
a useful member of the commonwealth; and yet the proverb says, Save a
thief from the gallows, and he’ll cut your throat.’ I told him I really
believed Martin was capable of giving the proverb the lie; and that
I should heartily concur in any step he might take in favour of his
solicitation. We mutually resolved to deliberate upon the subject,
and, in the mean time, proceeded on our journey. The roads, having been
broken up by the heavy rains in the spring, were so rough, that although
we travelled very slowly, the jolting occasioned such pain, to my uncle,
that he was become exceedingly peevish when we arrived at this place,
which lies about eight miles from the postroad, between Wetherby and
Boroughbridge.
Harrigate-water, so celebrated for its efficacy in the scurvy and other
distempers, is supplied from a copious spring, in the hollow of a
wild common, round which, a good many houses have been built for the
convenience of the drinkers, though few of them are inhabited. Most of
the company lodge at some distance, in five separate inns, situated in
different parts of the commons, from whence they go every morning to the
well, in their own carriages. The lodgers of each inn form a distinct
society, that eat together; and there is a commodious public room, where
they breakfast in disabille, at separate tables, from eight o’clock till
eleven, as they chance or chuse to come in--Here also they drink tea in
the afternoon, and play at cards or dance in the evening. One custom,
however, prevails, which I looked upon as a solecism in politeness. The
ladies treat with tea in their turns; and even girls of sixteen are
not exempted from this shameful imposition--There is a public ball by
subscription every night at one of the houses, to which all the company
from the others are admitted by tickets; and, indeed, Harrigate treads
upon the heels of Bath, in the articles of gaiety and dissipation--with
this difference, however, that here we are more sociable and familiar.
One of the inns is already full up to the very garrets, having no less
than fifty lodgers, and as many servants. Our family does not exceed
thirty-six; and I should be sorry to see the number augmented, as our
accommodations won’t admit of much increase.
At present, the company is more agreeable than one could expect from
an accidental assemblage of persons, who are utter strangers to one
another--There seems to be a general disposition among us to maintain
good-fellowship, and promote the purposes of humanity, in favour of
those who come hither on the score of health. I see several faces which
we left at Bath, although the majority are of the Northern counties,
and many come from Scotland for the benefit of these waters--In such a
variety, there must be some originals, among whom Mrs Tabitha Bramble is
not the most inconsiderable--No place where there is such an intercourse
between the sexes, can be disagreeable to a lady of her views and
temperament--She has had some warm disputes at table, with a lame parson
from Northumberland, on the new birth, and the insignificance of moral
virtue; and her arguments have been reinforced by an old Scotch lawyer,
in a rye periwig, who, though he has lost his teeth, and the use of his
limbs, can still wag his tongue with great volubility. He has paid her
such fulsome compliments, upon her piety and learning, as seem to have
won her heart; and she, in her turn, treats him with such attention as
indicates a design upon his person; but, by all accounts, he is too
much of a fox to be inveigled into any snare that she can lay for his
affection.
We do not propose to stay long at Harrigate, though, at present, it is
our headquarters, from whence we shall make some excursions, to
visit two or three of our rich relations, who are settled in this
country.--Pray, remember me to all our friends of Jesus, and allow me to
be still
Yours affectionately, J. MELFORD HARRIGATE, June 23.
To Dr LEWIS.