reader　will　easily　perceive　it　is　not　introduced　for　its　own
  sake；　but　for　some　observations　and　reflections　naturally
  resulting　from　it；　and　which；　if　but　little　to　his　amusement；
  tend　directly　to　the　instruction　of　the　reader　or　to　the
  information　of　the　public；　to　whom　if　I　choose　to　convey　such
  instruction　or　information　with　an　air　of　joke　and　laughter；　none
  but　the　dullest　of　fellows　will；　I　believe；　censure　it；　but　if
  they　should；　I　have　the　authority　of　more　than　one　passage　in
  Horace　to　allege　in　my　defense。　　Having　thus　endeavored　to
  obviate　some　censures；　to　which　a　man　without　the　gift　of
  foresight；　or　any　fear　of　the　imputation　of　being　a　conjurer；
  might　conceive　this　work　would　be　liable；　I　might　now　undertake　a
  more　pleasing　task；　and　fall　at　once　to　the　direct　and　positive
  praises　of　the　work　itself；　of　which　indeed；　I　could　say　a
  thousand　good　things；　but　the　task　is　so　very　pleasant　that　I
  shall　leave　it　wholly　to　the　reader；　and　it　is　all　the　task　that
  I　impose　on　him。　　A　moderation　for　which　he　may　think　himself
  obliged　to　me　when　he　compares　it　with　the　conduct　of　authors；
  who　often　fill　a　whole　sheet　with　their　own　praises；　to　which
  they　sometimes　set　their　own　real　names；　and　sometimes　a
  fictitious　one。　　One　hint；　however；　I　must　give　the　kind　reader；
  which　is；　that　if　he　should　be　able　to　find　no　sort　of　amusement
  in　the　book；　he　will　be　pleased　to　remember　the　public　utility
  which　will　arise　from　it。　　If　entertainment；　as　Mr。　Richardson
  observes；　be　but　a　secondary　consideration　in　a　romance；　with
  which　Mr。　Addison；　I　think；　agrees；　affirming　the　use　of　the
  pastry　cook　to　be　the　first；　if　this；　I　say；　be　true　of　a　mere
  work　of　invention；　sure　it　may　well　be　so　considered　in　a　work
  founded；　like　this；　on　truth；　and　where　the　political　reflections
  form　so　distinguishing　a　part。　　But　perhaps　I　may　hear；　from　some
  critic　of　the　most　saturnine　complexion；　that　my　vanity　must　have
  made　a　horrid　dupe　of　my　judgment；　if　it　hath　flattered　me　with
  an　expectation　of　having　anything　here　seen　in　a　grave　light；　or
  of　conveying　any　useful　instruction　to　the　public；　or　to　their
  guardians。　　I　answer；　with　the　great　man　whom　I　just　now　quoted；
  that　my　purpose　is　to　convey　instruction　in　the　vehicle　of
  entertainment；　and　so　to　bring　about　at　once；　like　the　revolution
  in　the　Rehearsal；　a　perfect　reformation　of　the　laws　relating　to
  our　maritime　affairs：　　an　undertaking；　I　will　not　say　more
  modest；　but　surely　more　feasible；　than　that　of　reforming　a　whole
  people；　by　making　use　of　a　vehicular　story；　to　wheel　in　among
  them　worse　manners　than　their　own。
  INTRODUCTION
  In　the　beginning　of　August；　1753；　when　I　had　taken　the　duke　of
  Portland's　medicine；　as　it　is　called；　near　a　year；　the　effects　of
  which　had　been　the　carrying　off　the　symptoms　of　a　lingering
  imperfect　gout；　I　was　persuaded　by　Mr。　Ranby；　the　king's　premier
  sergeant…surgeon；　and　the　ablest　advice；　I　believe；　in　all
  branches　of　the　physical　profession；　to　go　immediately　to　Bath。
  I　accordingly　wrote　that　very　night　to　Mrs。　Bowden；　who；　by　the
  next　post；　informed　me　she　had　taken　me　a　lodging　for　a　month
  certain。　　Within　a　few　days　after　this；　whilst　I　was　preparing
  for　my　journey；　and　when　I　was　almost　fatigued　to　death　with
  several　long　examinations；　relating　to　five　different　murders；
  all　committed　within　the　space　of　a　week；　by　different　gangs　of
  street…robbers；　I　received　a　message　from　his　grace　the　duke　of
  Newcastle；　by　Mr。　Carrington；　the　king's　messenger；　to　attend　his
  grace　the　next　morning；　in　Lincoln's…inn…fields；　upon　some
  business　of　importance；　but　I　excused　myself　from　complying　with
  the　message；　as；　besides　being　lame；　I　was　very　ill　with　the
  great　fatigues　I　had　lately　undergone　added　to　my　distemper。
  His　grace；　however；　sent　Mr。　Carrington；　the　very　next　morning；
  with　another　summons；　with　which；　though　in　the　utmost　distress；
  I　immediately　complied；　but　the　duke；　happening；　unfortunately
  for　me；　to　be　then　particularly　engaged；　after　I　had　waited　some
  time；　sent　a　gentleman　to　discourse　with　me　on　the　best　plan
  which　could　be　invented　for　putting　an　immediate　end　to　those
  murders　and　robberies　which　were　every　day　committed　in　the
  streets；　upon　which　I　promised　to　transmit　my　opinion；　in
  writing；　to　his　grace；　who；　as　the　gentleman　informed　me；
  intended　to　lay　it　before　the　privy　council。
  Though　this　visit　cost　me　a　severe　cold；　I；　notwithstanding；　set
  myself　down　to　work；　and　in　about　four　days　sent　the　duke　as
  regular　a　plan　as　I　could　form；　with　all　the　reasons　and
  arguments　I　could　bring　to　support　it；　drawn　out　in　several
  sheets　of　paper；　and　soon　received　a　message　from　the　duke　by　Mr。
  Carrington；　acquainting　me　that　my　plan　was　highly　approved　of；
  and　that　all　the　terms　of　it　would　be　complied　with。　　The
  principal　and　most　material　of　those　terms　was　the　immediately
  depositing　six　hundred　pound　in　my　hands；　at　which　small　charge　I
  undertook　to　demolish　the　then　reigning　gangs；　and　to　put　the
  civil　policy　into　such　order；　that　no　such　gangs　should　ever　be
  able；　for　the　future；　to　form　themselves　into　bodies；　or　at　least
  to　remain　any　time　formidable　to　the　public。
  I　had　delayed　my　Bath　journey　for　some　time；　contrary　to　the
  repeated　advice　of　my　physical　acquaintance；　and　to　the　ardent
  desire　of　my　warmest　friends；　though　my　distemper　was　now　turned
  to　a　deep　jaundice；　in　which　case　the　Bath　waters　are　generally
  reputed　to　be　almost　infallible。　　But　I　had　the　most　eager　desire
  of　demolishing　this　gang　of　villains　and　cut…throats；　which　I　was
  sure　of　accomplishing　the　moment　I　was　enabled　to　pay　a　fellow
  who　had　undertaken；　for　a　small　sum；　to　betray　them　into　the
  hands　of　a　set　of　thief…takers　whom　I　had　enlisted　into　the
  service；　all　men　of　known　and　approved　fidelity　and　intrepidity。
  After　some　weeks　the　money　was　paid　at　the　treasury；　and　within　a
  few　days　after　two　hundred　pounds　of　it　had　come　to　my　hands；　the
  whole　gang　of　cut…throats　was　entirely　dispersed；　seven　of　them
  were　in　actual　custody；　and　the　rest　driven；　some　out　of　the
  town；　and　others　out　of　the　kingdom。　　Though　my　health　was　now
  reduced　to　the　last　extremity；　I　continued　to　act　with　the　utmost
  vigor　against　these　villains；　in　examining　whom；　and　in　taking
  the　depositions　against　them；　I　have　often　spent　whole　days；　nay；
  sometimes　whole　nights；　especially　when　there　was　any　difficulty
  in　procuring　sufficient　evidence　to　convict　them；　which　is　a　very
  common　case　in　street…robberies；　even　when　the　guilt　of　the　party
  is　sufficiently　apparent　to　satisfy　the　most　tender　conscience。
  But　courts　of　justice　know　nothing　of　a　cause　more　than　what　is
  told　them　on　oath　by　a　witness；　and　the　most　flagitious　villain
  upon　earth　is　tried　in　the　same　manner　as　a　man　of　the　best
  character　who　is　accused　of　the　same　crime。　　Meanwhile；　amidst
  all　my　fatigues　and　distresses；　I　had　the　satisfaction　to　find　my
  endeavors　had　been　attended　with　such　success　that　this　hellish
  society　were　almost　utterly　extirpated；　and　that；　instead　of
  reading　of　murders　and　street…robberies　in　the　news　almost　every
  morning；　there　was；　in　the　remaining　part　of　the　month　of
  November；　and　in　all　December；　not　only　no　such　thing　as　a
  murder；　but　not　even　a　street…robbery　committed。　　Some　such；
  indeed；　were　mentioned　in　the　public　papers；　but　they　were　all
  found　on　the　strictest　inquiry；　to　be　false。　　In　this　entire
  freedom　from　street…robberies；　during　the　dark　months；　no　man
  will；　I　believe；　scruple　to　acknowledge　that　the　winter　of　1753
  stands　unrivaled；　during　a　course　of　many　years；　and　this　may
  possibly　appear　the　more　extraordinary　to　those　who　recollect　the
  outrages　with　which　it　began。　　Having　thus　fully　accomplished　my
  undertaking；　I　went　into　the　country；　in　a　very　weak　and
  deplorable　condition；　with　no　fewer　or　less　diseases　than　a
  jaundice；　a　dropsy；　and　an　asthma；　altogether　uniting　their
  forces　in　the　destruction　of　a　body　so　entirely　emaciated　that　it
  had　lost　all　its　muscular　flesh。　　Mine　was　now　no　longer　what　was
  called　a　Bath　case；　nor；　if　it　had　been　so；　had　I　strength
  remaining　sufficient　to　go　thither；　a　ride　of　six　miles　only
  being　attended　with　an　intolerable　fatigue。　　I　now　discharged　my
  lodgings　at　Bath；　which　I　had　hitherto　kept。　　I　began　in　earnest
  to　look　on　my　case　as　desperate；　and　I　had　vanity　enough　to　rank
  myself　with　those　heroes　who；　of　old　times；　became　voluntary
  sacrifices　to　the　good　of　the　public。　　But；　lest　the　reader
  should　be　too　eager　to　catch　　at　the　word　VANITY；　and　should　be
  unwilling　to　indulge　me　with　so　sublime　a　gratification；　for　I
  think　he　is　not　too　apt　to　gratify　me；　I　will　take　my　key　a　pitch
  lower；　and　will　frankly　own　that　I　had　a　stronger　motive　than　the
  love　of　the　public　to　push　me　on：　　I　will　therefore　confess　to
  him　that　my　private　affairs　at　the　beginning　of　the　winter　had
  but　a　gloomy　aspect；　for　I　had　not　plundered　the　pu