_Tom Traveller continues his relation._
Having made my desire known to a very worthy young gentleman, he
recommended me to a man of fortune who was going to travel; I was
very well satisfied to accompany him as his gentleman, for which
he allowed me one hundred a year, but oh unspeakable! the very
remembrance shocks my imagination, when my worthy friend introduced
me, the young gentleman eyeing me closer, and seizing me by the
shoulder, swore he knew me, for that I had three weeks before
robbed him, of his watch and fifty guineas. My friend was struck
with amazement, and I with horror. I was speechless, my paleness
confessed my guilt, which when I recovered myself, I imputed to
the sudden surprize of my being accused of a crime which never had
entered into my thoughts. Enraged at the denial, he said I was an
infamous lying villain, and struck me, which made my nose spout
out with blood. My friend told him calmly, he might be mistaken in
faces, but he insisted on his perfect knowledge of my person, and
said he could safely swear to my identity; while I was stopping
the blood, which flowed in streams about the room, he explained
the particulars of this robbery to my friend; urging that I was
not satisfied with his money but would have his watch, which more
incensed him than the loss of the money. Sir, said he, I am sorry
to find that you could have any connections with such a fellow, but
more so to recommend a robber to be my servant. _When he had won my
money_, said he,—at these words it is inexpressible to describe the
tide of rapture, that flowed upon my affrighted, my terrified soul;
such is a reprieve to a condemned wretch in sight of the place of
execution. He proceeded,—when he had won my money, he baited me with
all the tricks and insinuations of a common gambler, and seeing my
watch said, if I would stake that he would venture twice the money it
was worth; so unequal a hazard took me in, and I thought I possibly
might win all again; he won it and left me abruptly, when he went
out, another person came in, of my acquaintance, who seeing me in
some confusion asked me the reason, which I instantly told him; nay
said my acquaintance, if you keep company with known gamblers, how
can you expect better? I replyed, I did not know him to be such, or
should have avoided him. This, Sir, is the case, I never saw this
fellow since, and now I have secured him by this accident, I’ll send
him to Newgate to be made an example of, my friend remonstrated in
my favour, that he had known me for a long time, and never knew me
to bear any such character, that what the person who came in said
might be out of pique, that he did not pretend to be my advocate in a
cause, wherein I might possibly be innocent; but that his stirring
in such an affair might hurt reputation on both sides. I then spoke
for myself, assuring him I had ever played on the square, and that
my playing three times the worth against a bauble of a watch was
an evident proof of it, since I might lose even with pack’d cards,
that I very well knew the gentleman who came in, who owed me a
grudge for the same reason, my winning his money; that though losers
have a right to speak, they have no right to defame, that it was a
common thing for those who lose by gaming to think with prejudice to
the winner; that a gambler was not my known character; that it was
dangerous to attack a man’s reputation without good proof, and that
his proof would never stand good before an equitable magistrate, for
that it was impossible for that person, or any other to prove that
I had pack’d the cards, that time or any other; that a blow from a
strange man, nay from any man, was an unaccountable outrage, and that
though I was reduced by a train of misfortunes, to such a pitch as to
apply for service, yet that I was far from deserving such ill usage,
in the attack on my person, on the one hand, and on my reputation on
the other. He heard all this with patience and only replyed, damn
him, let him begone, I shall get nothing by suing a beggar; I was
glad to take his advice, so taking my leave of my own friend I left
the place, and you may be assured, fellow-prisoners, with abundance
of alacrity,—for I thought of one thing and he of another,—I thought
of the gallows, which I knew I deserved, though not from him, and
he only thought of a bite. This affair made me more cautious of
getting myself recommended to any man, but what could I do without
money, all I had to do was to apply to my reputed father, which I
did on the instant, not without apprehension of being known by some
of his customers, who frequented the house, I went at night, and was
received like the prodigal son, with this difference, that I neither
wanted the best robe, a ring on my finger, or the fatted calf,—my
exigence was of quite another nature; I wanted the _universal pass_,
and I did not well know how to ask it; however I told him of my
resolution to travel, if I had his permission, which if I gained, I
knew the needful would not be wanting. I was happy enough to prevail,
he complied, and after a fond parting and a great deal of good advice
he gave me twenty guineas, little knowing that I had been used to
larger sums. He then went with me himself to his wine merchant, who
dealt largely at the Mediterranean, for which place a ship lay ready.
I thought I should never get safe out of the kingdom, but setting
sail we soon arrived at Leghorn. I had letters of credit, for small
sums to be given me by gales as I called for them, and taking a
lodging at a Cabaretto, and some refreshment, I went to bed, where I
slept serenely, as I slept secure from all the terrors which had long
banished the sweet and healing deity from my eyes.