three pence three Farthings; Neal rifling his Pockets, and rolling him about on the Ground; (tho' very ancient) after William Pincher< no role > his Companion, had knock'd him down; of this Indictment they were by the Jury found guilty.

This Prisoner said, that he was under 30 Years of Age. That he was born at a Market Town in Warwickshire ; where his Father, altho' by Occupation a Blacksmith, was so much esteem'd by the best Men in the Town, that his Advice was demanded and taken in the chief Affairs relating to the Town. That he was wont to ride much about the Country, and being known to all the People of any Figure; his Company was acceptable to the best Man that dwelt in the Neighbouring Villages, whom he used to furnish with Horses for hunting, or give his Advice in purchasing them; and frequently attended them in their Diversions. But having a great Variety of Business upon his Hands, he gave his Son Edmund Neal< no role > but so slight a Notion of Letters, that for several Years he has been unable to read.

He added, That he had a very wrong Notion of Goodness when he was a Youth; for he thought Sunday an Holy-day for Mirth, observing, that some used to walk about with a Dog or two, and kill Hares, &c. on that Day: And that he thought drinking to Drunkenness, and swearing, and lewd Discourse, were what made him look like a Man of Account. For he was taken great Notice of by reason of his Father, and had then an Opportunity of keeping good Company, had he not chose the worst. And he believed, he had a Spirit in him, that would have led him to despise mean and vile Society; but in the midst of his Expectations, while he was endeavouring to improve himself, and to quallify himself for Gentlemens Acquaintance, his Friends he said blasted him at once: For after he had appear'd genteely, he was compelled to be Apprentice to a Taylor , which of all Occupations he disliked, and had ridiculed some who dwelt in that Town, and very much set them against him; who upon this made a Jest of him; and a young Woman, whom he fancied, did the same, and would not walk about with him, as she had sometimes done before. But altho' he had such an Aversion to his Business, yet he continued at it four Years: For there was a young Man that had lived at London, who work'd on the same Board with him, whose Company he much liked, as he used to tell him, how a Woman he kept Company with at London maintain'd him, by tricking other Sparks who kept her Company, and how she at last lodged with him, but soon after took all that they both had and ran away; also how she cheated a Merchant who kept her, when she was transported to Mary-Land; and of her returning from Transportation in Mens Apparel, &c.

But after this, he said, the Master he belong'd to dying for Grief, that his Daughter had taken a Fancy to an ill Man, and had disgraced herself and him: He was thereupon put to another Master, where he had several Opportunities of wasting his Master's Substance, and was got acquainted with several Fellows and ill Women in the Town, who sollicited him to feed them at his Master's Expence, while he was half the Night at a Publick House: That there was a Private Window, thro' which he could get in and out at any Hour of the Night, and not be heard, his Master having the Key of the Door in his Pocket: And if he had a Mind to let any body out of the House before Day-break, he could easily do it, while his Master was fast asleep.