The _Conscientious Thieves_.
There was a Knot of Good Fellows that Borrow’d a small Sum of Mony of a
Gentleman upon _the Kings High-way_: When they had taken All they could
find; _Dam ye for a Dog_, says One of the Gang, _You have more Mony
about you Sirrah, some where or other_. Lord, Brother, says One of his
Companions, can’t ye take the Gentleman’s Mony Civilly, but you must
Swear and call Names! As they were About to Part, Pray by your favour
Gentlemen, says the Traveller, I have so many Miles to go, and not
One Penny in my pocket to bear my Charges; you seem to be Men of some
Honour, and I hope you’l be so Good as only to let me have so much of my
Mony back again, as will carry me to my Journeys End. _Ay, Ay, the Lord
forbid else_, they cry’d, and so they Open’d One of the Bags, and bad him
Please Himself. He took them at their Word, and presently fetch’d out a
Handfull, as much as ever he could Gripe. _Why how now_, says One of the
Blades, _Ye Confounded Son of a Whore, Ha’ ye no_ Conscience?
The MORAL.
_’Tis a notable Trade that many drive in the World, of pretending to make
a Conscience of One Sin, and taking out their Penn’orths in Another. Some
there are that Commute Swearing for Whoring, as if the Forbearance of
the One, were a Dispensation for the Committing of T’other. We have heard
of Others too, that have been Strict Observers of the Lords Day, and yet
made no Scruple at all of Robbing the Lords Altars. But a Good Christian
and an Honest Man, must be all of a Piece; and these Inequalities of
Proceeding will never hold Water._