_Frank Henley to Oliver Trenchard_
_London, Grosvenor Street_
I did not intend to have written again so soon, but an incident has
occurred which perplexes all reasoning upon it, and again engenders
doubt. It relates to Clifton.
I last night attended Anna to Covent-Garden playhouse, where about
eight o'clock I was obliged to leave her, having an appointment with
some gentlemen in the city relative to my father's money affairs at
that hour; which having settled it was agreed I should return in the
carriage for Anna, before the play was ended, to conduct her home.
Accordingly having met my men of business, whom on Friday next I am to
meet again to receive eight thousand pounds, I drove back to Covent
Garden.
It was then about ten o'clock. The coachman stopped at the Piazza. I
alighted; but, as I was stepping out of the carriage, whom should I see
but the gambler and highwayman, Mac Fane, linked arm in arm with Mr.
Clifton! I was struck with amazement, as well I might be. A thousand
confused doubts succeeded to each other, which I had neither time nor
indeed power to unravel.
However it seemed to me almost impossible that Mr. Clifton should know
the man, and suffer himself to be seen in public with such a character.
For certainly a want of self-respect is not one of the habitual
mistakes of Mr. Clifton. I stopped some little time in this state of
perplexity, but at last concluded it would be highly culpable in me to
leave Mr. Clifton ignorant of the character of his acquaintance. They
had gone toward King-Street, and I hastened after them.
I soon came up with them, and addressing myself to Mr. Clifton,
said--'Sir, it is incumbent on me to inform you of a particular of
which I imagine you are ignorant. The name of the man you are in
company with is Mac Fane. You have heard his history. He is the
gambler who endeavoured to defraud Captain St. Ives of three thousand
pounds.'
I have before acquainted thee, Oliver, of the ferocious character of
this Mac Fane; of which I have now had further proofs. I had scarcely
finished my phrase before he replied, with one of his accustomary
oaths--'You're a scoundrel and a liar'--and immediately made a blow at
me.
Being previously on my guard and watchful of his motions, I stepped
quickly back, and he missed me and reeled. This was in King-Street,
where I overtook them.
I turned back, intending not to notice his insult; but he was too much
enraged to suffer me to escape, unless I had thought proper to run. He
is a very muscular fellow, and confident of his own strength. No man
could be more determined than I was to avoid so absurd a contest, had
it been possible; but it was not. He made several blows at me, two or
three of which took effect, before I returned one of them. But finding
that I must be obliged to beat him in order to get rid of him, and that
there was absolutely no other mode, I began my task with all necessary
determination.
The mob collected apace, and we were presently surrounded by
passengers, waiters, chairmen, footmen, hackney-coachmen and link-boys.
It was a strange disgusting situation; but it did not admit of a
remedy. This fellow, Mac Fane, has studied the whole school of assault,
and is a practised pugilist. When I was a boy thou knowest, Oliver, and
before thy worthy father had taught me better, I was myself vain of my
skill and prowess. I was not therefore the novice which he expected to
have found. Not to mention, Oliver, that energy of mind, if it be real
and true energy, is itself, without any such contemptible knowledge,
sufficient to overcome the strongest efforts of tyranny.
Of this I presently made Mr. Mac Fane sensible. After the very first
onset, he felt himself cowed; which increased his rage so much that he
endeavoured to have recourse to the most malignant and cruel
expedients, to obtain victory. This obliged me to give him several hard
and very dangerous blows, which I should otherwise have been cautious
of doing, and the effects of which he will for some time continue to
feel.
He fought however with great obstinacy, and in a manner which proved
how much his ambition was wounded by being conquered. The mob, as in
all such cases, chose different sides; but much the greatest part was
for me. They several times saw the malicious and evil intentions of Mac
Fane; and he once received a blow for them, from one of the assistants,
which made him more guarded.
It is delightful to the philosopher to perceive how, even in error,
justice struggles to shew itself. Those rules which are the laws of
honour to the mob originate in this noble principle: and never is the
infraction of justice more dangerous than at such moments, when the
mind is awakened to full exertion.
Still it was a painful and degrading situation! Wert thou ever at the
mercy of a mob? Didst thou ever feel the littleness of thy own
faculties, when exerted to make a confused multitude act rationally, at
the very time that thou thyself wert apparently acting like a fool, or
a madman? If so, Oliver, thou canst conceive something of the contempt
which I felt for myself, during this scene. Can a general, thinkest
thou, if he be really a fit person to be a general, feel otherwise in
the heat of battle? For I am mistaken if armies of the best disciplined
men, brought into action, do not more or less become a mob. And added
to this sense of imbecility, what must the general's feelings be the
next morning, when he goes to view the wretched scene of his own
making? Does he go to view it, thinkest thou, or does he shun the
fight? If he go he is a fiend; and if he stay away he is worse!
The battle being ended and the rage of Mr. Mac Fane, though perhaps
increased, obliged to restrain itself, there stood I, surrounded by my
applauding admirers, suffering a thousand ridiculous interrogatories,
and confined to the spot for the want of clothes! My hat and coat I had
committed to one person, and my watch and purse to another; taking it
for granted the latter would have been stolen from me if I had not, as
was actually the fact, for my breeches pockets were turned inside out.
I had rightly concluded that the chances were more favourable in
trusting to a person I should select, than to the honesty of a mob in
the confines of Covent-Garden.
I was fortunate: the whole of my moveables again made their appearance;
and it gave me great pleasure, because I had trusted my purse and watch
to a poor fellow. The consciousness of his own honesty was a greater
pleasure to him than the recompense he received from me; though I
thought it my duty to reward him liberally. Beside he had seen me ill
treated, and had conceived an affection for me, or more properly for
the justice of my cause, and he rejoiced exultingly in my victory.
I escaped from the shouts and congratulations of my greasy well-meaning
companions as fast as I could; and after a further delay of stepping
into a coffee-house, to wash and adjust my appearance as well as
circumstances would permit, I joined Anna, who began to be alarmed, the
play being over and the house almost empty.
I saw no more of Clifton. But that affords me no clue. If he were
before unacquainted with Mac Fane, he would hasten from such a
companion with vexation and contempt: and if the contrary, his chagrin
at being seen by me would equally induce him to shun us. Mind, as I
have always remarked, Oliver, and as I have before reasoned with thee
relative to him, is slow in ridding itself of the habits of prejudice,
even when prejudice itself seems to have ceased.
'Tis true that conjectures disadvantageous to Clifton have, when Anna
and I were considering this incident, intruded themselves forcibly upon
us: but they were only conjectures, and I hope ill founded. Indeed they
are improbable; for Clifton could not knowingly league himself with a
man like Mac Fane, except for purposes too black or too desperate for
even passions so violent as his to entertain.
I know mind to be capable of astonishing mistakes; nor can I pretend,
when I recollect the proofs on record, to say what are the boundaries
of error; nor indeed what are the boundaries of probability. But I
think Clifton could not make himself the associate of Mac Fane!
I should pronounce more boldly still, but that I cannot conceive how it
was possible for a character so legible and gross, as that of this
gambler, to impose for a moment on Coke Clifton; acquainted as he is
with the world, and accustomed to detect and satirize what he
understands to be absurdity! I can only say, if he be proceeding fin
error so flagrant and deep as this, he is a man much to be feared, but
more to be pitied.