Amelia -- Volume 1

her secrets of

wine and a pipe of tobacco. These, Mr. Robinson informed his friend, were three street-robbers, and were all certain of be

disorder of mind. This person was, it seems, committed for a small felony; and his wife, who then lay-in, upon hearing the news,

he thought she had great innocence in her countenance. Robinson said she was committed thither as an idle and disorderly person, and a common st

because her father-in-law, who was in the grenadier guards, had sworn that he was afraid of his life, or of some bodily harm which

to which he was condemned by the court of quarter-sessions; but this soon ended in the disappointment of th

n of a man who was committed for certain odious unmanlike practices, not fit to be named, were giving him various kin

of an old man in her lap, who appeared to be giving up the ghost. These, Mr. Robinson informed him, were father and daughter; that th

f being bailed. Nay, of all perjuries, that of which this man is indicted is the worst; for it was with an intention of taking away the life of an innocent person by form of law. As to perjuries in civil matters, they are not so very criminal." "They are not," said Booth; "and yet even these are a most flagitious offence, and worthy the highest punishment." "Surely they ought to be distinguished," answered Robinson, "from the others: for what is taking away a little property from a man, compared to taking away his life and his reputation, and ruining his famil

his forehead. "The case of this poor man is, indeed, unhappy enough," said Robinson. "He hath served his country, lost his limb, and received several wounds at the siege of Gibraltar. When he was discharged from the hospital abroad he came over to get into that of Chelsea, but could not immediately, as none of his officers were then

only so much money in his pocket, he would pay his fees for him; b

ry odd proposal after your last declaration; but what say you to a game at cards? it will se

myself, no charms for a gamester. If he had, however, any such inclinations, he had no opportunity to follow them, for, before he could make any answer to Robinson's proposal, a strapping wench came up to Booth, and, taking hold of his arm, asked him

d the lady, which ended in a bout at fisticuffs, in w

ruple of disowning all revealed religion. As for crimes, they are human errors, and signify but little; nay, perhaps the worse a man is by nature, the more room there is for grace. The spirit is active, and loves best to inhabit those minds where it may meet with the most w

arrived, she said to him, "Well, sir, whither am I to be conducted? I hope I am not to take up my lodging with these creatures." The keeper answered, with a kind of surly respect, "Madam, we have rooms for those who can afford to pay for them." At these words she pulled a handsome purse from her pocket, in which many guineas chinked,

rched him to the bottom. In fact, he had thoroughly examined every one of Mr. Booth's pockets; from which h

ed that he knew her. She was indeed so remarkably handsome, that it was hardly possible for any who had ever seen her to forget her. He enquired of one of the underkeepe

t he hardly thought she could so far have changed her nature as to be guilty of a crime so very incongruous with her former gentle manners: for Miss Matthews