from Gentlemen of Credit and Fortune, and when I left my Shop to engage with them, I had between 20 and 30 Watches in my Custody, which had been brought me to mend and clean, all which I ran away with, and disposed of to support myself and my Companions in our Extravagancies. When this Money was gone, Sutton, Poole, and on F - n C - s, put it into my Head, that as I was known to the Workmen in the Watch-making Business , I might take up Work from them in my Master's Name, and upon his Account. I attempted the Thing, and told the Workmen my Master had a Customer waiting in the Shop, and had sent me for such and such Goods, which I was to carry him immediately. As my Master was a Man of a very good Character, and I being known to them, our Design succeeded, and I got Parcels of Work from differrent Persons to a very considerable Value.

One wicked Device of mine I think it now my Duty to mention, to prevent People's being deceived by dishonest Men, and that was this: When I was determined to abandon my Business for the Sake of my wretched Companions, whatever Watches I sold, I sold several Times over, and to as many different People as I could. I have sold several Pieces of Work that have been worth five or six Guineas, and have taken three Guineas in Part of Payment, agreeing if the Watch prov'd ill, or went not well, to alter it, or return the Money in such a limited Time, and all the Watches I then disposed of, I took Care should be complain'd of, by which Means I got them again under Pretence of making them keep Time, and immediately have disposed of them again to Persons whom I have likewise served in the Manner I did the first Buyer: For this I ask Pardon both of God and the Persons I have thus injured.

When Raby and I had resolved to take the Highway, we soon put our Design into Execution, and committed many Robberies upon Epping-Forrest , and about St. Alban's , Barnet , Finchley , &c. at which last Place we robb'd the St. Alban's Stage-Coach, Raby stopped the Coach, and I rode up to the Coach Door, and told them I was a younger Son, and was in Necessity for Money, upon which they delivered me about five Pound in Money. One Circumstance of Inhumanity in this Robbery troubles me very much, for I happening to tell Raby that I observed a very handsome Ring upon one of the Gentlewomen's Fingers, he rode back and demanded it, and being press'd for Time, he pull'd out his Knife and cut off the Woman's Finger, because he could not readily draw the Ring off After this Fact we cross'd the Road directly to Hendon beyond Hampstead , and robb'd several Persons about those Places; then we came to a House in Drury-lane , and shared the Booty.

At that House we got acquainted with Sutton, who then liv'd in the House; he perswaded us to go with him and George Greenaway< no role > to the Playhouses, and when the People were coming out, one of us used to speak to a Gentleman or a Gentlewoman, pretending to know them, and while we pretended to be mistaken and beg Pardon, the others of our Company always pick'd the Man's Pocket in the Crowd, or cut off that of the Woman's.

This Course we followed for one whole Year, the Person nick-nam'd L - d V - n, and one who kept a Publick House in the Strand, was at that time one of our Company.

While we were engaged in this Way, it was our Custom to wait under the Piazza's at Covent-Garden till the Play was done, and one Night Raby, Vaughan, and one Dick Hodges< no role > , being with me, I was sauntering at a little Distance from them, and an elderly Gentleman came up to me and fell into Conversation with me: He asked me what Business I was of? I told him I lived at Colchester, that my Mother kept a Hosier's Shop there, but my Father being dead, I came to London to get into some Business, and having heard talk of Covent-Garden, I was come there to see the Place. He asked me if I was not short of Money, and if I would not go and drink with him? I thank'd him, and told him he was a Stranger to me, and I did not chuse it. However he prevail'd upon me to go with him to the Castle-Tavern in Drury Lane , and I wink'd at my Companions to follow us. When we came to the Tavern he asked me several Questions, by which I understood his Intentions, and at last he spoke his Mind very plainly I told him I had heard in the Country that at London People stood in a Wooden Thing for such Things; but at last he perswaded me to take a Walk with him; I beckoned my Companions to follow us, and we went through Lincoln's-Inn Fields into Southampton-street , and from thence towards Powis's Wells , and just before we came to the Wells under a dead Wall, he stopp'd, and began to be very sweet upon me; upon this Vaughan, Raby, and Hodges, came up, and we robbed him of his Gold Watch,