DICK ADAMS.
The parents of this worthless fellow lived in Gloucestershire, and gave him an education suited to his station. Leaving the country, and coming to London, the abode of the most distinguished virtue as well as of the most consummate villany, he was introduced into the service of a great duchess atSt.James’, and stayed there for two years. He was at last dismissed for improper conduct; but while he remained there, he had obtained a general key which opened the lodgings inSt.James’. Accordingly, he went to a mercer, and desired him to send, with all speed, a parcel of the best brocades, satins, and silks, for his duchess, that she might select some for an approaching drawing-room. Having often gone on a similar errand, the mercer instantly complied. His servant, and a porter to carry the parcels, accompanied Dick, and when arrived at the gate of some of the lodgings, he said, “Let’s see the pieces at once, for my duchess is just now at leisure to look at them.” So receiving the parcel, he conveyed it down a back stair, and went clear off. After waiting with great impatience for two or three hours, the porter and the man returned home, much lighter than when they came out.
About a month after, one evening when Dick had been taking his glass pretty freely, he unfortunately came by the mercer’s shop, while the mercer was standing at the door; the latter recollected and instantly seized him, saying, “Oh sir, have I caught you! you are a fine spark indeed! to cheat me out of two hundred pounds’ worth of goods! but before I part with you, I shall make you pay dearly for them!” Adams was not a little surprised at being so unexpectedlytaken; but instantly seeing the bishop of London coming up in his carriage, he said to the mercer, “I must acknowledge that I have committed a crime to which I was forced by extreme necessity; but I see my uncle, the bishop of London, coming this way in his coach; therefore, I hope that you’ll be so civil as not to raise any hubbub of a mob about me, by which I should be exposed and utterly undone: I’ll go speak to his lordship about the matter, if you please to step with me; and I’ll engage he shall make you satisfaction for the damage I have done you.”
The mercer, eager to receive his money, and deeming this proposal a better method than sending him to gaol, consented. Adams went boldly up, and desiring the coachman to stop, requested a few words of his lordship. Seeing him in the dress of a gentleman, he was pleased to listen to him, upon which Adams said, “Begging your lordship’s pardon for my presumption, I make bold to acquaint your reverence that the gentleman standing behind me is an eminent mercer, keeping house hard by, and is a very upright, godly man; but being a great reader of books of divinity, especially polemical pieces, he has met therein with some intricate cases, which very much trouble him, and his conscience cannot be at rest until his doubts and scruples are cleared about them; I humbly beg, therefore, that your lordship would vouchsafe him the honor of giving him some ease before he runs utterly to despair.”
The bishop, always ready to assist any person troubled with scruples of conscience, requested Adams to bring his friend to him the following day: “But,” said Adams, deferentially, “it will be more satisfactory to the poor man, if your lordship will speak to him yourself.” Upon which the bishop bowing to the mercer, the latter approached the coach, when the bishop said, “The gentleman has informed me of all the matter about you, and if you please to give yourself the trouble of coming to my house at Fulham, I will satisfy you in every point.” The mercer made many gratefulbows, and taking Adams to a tavern, gave him a good entertainment.
The next morning Adams waited upon the mercer, who was making out his bill to present to the bishop, and pretending that his coming in haste to attend him to the bishop’s house had made him forget to bring money with him, entreated that he would grant him the loan of a guinea, and put it down in the bill. They then went off to wait upon the bishop at the time appointed. After being regaled in the parlor with a bottle of wine, the mercer was introduced to the bishop, who addressed him, saying, “I understand that you have been greatly troubled of late; I hope that you are better now, sir?” The mercer answered, “My trouble is much abated, since your lordship has been pleased to order me to wait upon you.” So pulling out his pocket-book, he presented his lordship with a bill containing several articles, including a guinea of borrowed money, amounting in all to two hundred and three pounds nineteen shillings and tenpence.
His lordship, staring upon the bill, and examining its contents, said, “What is the meaning of all this? The gentleman last night might very well say your conscience could not be at rest, and I wonder why it should, when you bring a bill to me of which I know nothing.” “Your lordship,” said the mercer, bowing and scraping, “was pleased last night to say, that you would satisfy me to-day.” “Yes,” replied the prelate, “and so I would with respect to what the gentleman told me; who said that you, being much troubled about some points of religion, desired to be resolved therein, and, in order thereto, I appointed you to come to-day.” “Truly, your lordship’s nephew told me otherwise; for he said you would pay me this bill of parcels, which, upon my word, he had of me, and in a very clandestine manner too, if I were to tell your lordship all the truth: but out of respect to your honor, I will not disgrace your nephew.” “My nephew! he is none of my nephew! I never, to my knowledge, saw the gentleman in my life before!”
Dick not long after went into the life-guards, but as his pay would not support his extravagance, he sometimes collected upon the highway. Along with some of his companions upon the road, they robbed a gentleman of a gold watch and a purse of a hundred and eight pounds. Not content with his booty. Adams went after the gentleman, saying, “Sir, you have got a very fine coat on; I must make bold to exchange with you.” As the gentleman rode along, he thought he heard something making a noise in his pocket, and examining it, to his great joy he found his watch and all his money, which Adams in his hurry had forgot to remove out of the pocket of his own coat when he exchanged with the gentleman. But when Adams and his associates came to an inn, and sat down to examine their booty, to their unspeakable chagrin they found that all was gone.
Adams and his companions went out that very same day to repair their loss, and attacked the stage-coach, in which were several women, with whom, irritated by their recent misfortune, they were very rough and urgent. While Dick was searching the pockets of one of the women, she said, “Have you no pity or compassion on our sex? Certainly, you have neither Christianity, nor conscience, nor religion, in you!” “Right, we have not much Christianity nor conscience in us: but, for my part, you shall presently find a little religion in me.” So falling next upon her jewels and ear-rings, “Indeed, madam,” exclaimed Adams, “supposing you to be an Egyptian, I must beg the favor of you, being a Jew, to borrow your jewels and ear-rings, according as my forefathers were commanded by Moses;” and having robbed the ladies to the amount of two hundred pounds in money and goods, allowed them to proceed. After a course of depredations, Dick, in robbing a man between London and Brentford, was so closely pursued by the person who was robbed, and a neighbor whom he fortunately met upon the road, that in a little time afterwards he was apprehended, carried before a magistrate, committed to Newgate,tried, condemned, and executed, in March 1713. Though rude and profligate before, he was penitent and devout after receiving his sentence.