Badman giv

en to pilfer

fer and steal; so that what he could, as we say, handsomely lay his hands on, that was counted his own, whether they were the things of his fellow-children, or if he could lay hold of any thing at a neighbour's house, he would take it away; you must understand me of trifles; for being yet but a child; he attempted no great matter, especially at first. But yet as he grew up in strength and ripeness of wit, so he attempted to pilfer and steal things still of more value than at first. He took at last great pleasure in robbing of gardens and orchards; and as he grew up, to steal pullen from the neighbourhood; yea, what was his

Badman would rob

bis father.

father's could not escape his fingers; all was fish that came to his net, so hardened at last was he in this mischief also.

Atten. You make me wonder more and more. What play the thief too! What, play the thief so soon! He could not but know though he was but a child, that what he took from others was none of his own. Besides, if his father was a good man, as you say, it could not be, but he must also hear from him, that to steal was to transgress the law of God, and so to run the hazard of eternal damnation.

Wise. His father was not wanting to use the means to reclaim him, often urging, as I have been told, that saying in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not steal:" And also that, "That

is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth, for every one that stealeth shall be cut off," &c. The light of nature also, though he was little, must needs shew him, that what he took from others was not his own, and that he would not willingly have been ser ved so himself. But all was to no purpose, let father and conscience say what they would to him, he would go on, he was resolved to go on in his wickedness.

Atten. But his father would, as you intimate, sometimes rebuke him for his wickedness; pray how would he carry it then?

Wise. How! why, like a thief that is found. He would stand gloating, and hanging downhis head in a sullen, pouching manner, (a body might read, as we use to say, the picture of illluck in his face), and when his father did demand his answer to such questions concerning his villainy, he would grumble and mutter at him, and that should be all he could get.

Atten. But you say that he would also rob his father; methinks that was an unnatural thing,

Wise. Natural or unnatural, all is one to a thief. Besides, you must think that he had likewise companions to whom he was, for the wickedness that he saw in them, more firmly knit, than either to father or mother. Yea, and what had he cared, if father and mother had died for grief for him. Their death would have been, as he would have counted, great release and liberty to him: for the truth is,

Badman would rejoice that his parents death were at hand.

they and their counsel was his bondage; yea, and if I forget not, I have heard some say, that when he was at times, among his companions, he would greatly rejoice to think that his parents were old, and could not live long, and then, quoth he, I shall be mine own man, to do what I list, without their controul.

Atten. Then it seems he counted that robbing of his parents was no crime.

Wise. None at all; and therefore he fell directly under that sentence, "Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith it is no transgression, the same is the companion of a destroyer." And for that he set so light by them as to their persons and counsels, it was a sign that at present he was of a very abominable spirit, and that some judgment waited to take hold of him in time to come.

Atten. But can you imagine what it was, I mean, in his conceit, (for I speak not now of the suggestions of Satan, by which doubtless he was put on to do these things); I say, what it should be in his conceit, that should make him think that this his manner of pilfering and stealing was no great matter?

Wise. It was, for that the things that he stole were small; to rob orchardss, and gardens, and to steal pullen, and the like: these he counted tricks of youth, nor would he

Badman counted his

thieving no great matter.

be beat out of it by all that his friends could say. They would tell him that he must not covet, or desire, (and yet to desire is less than to take), even any thing, the least thing that was his neighbour's; and that if he did, it would be a transgression of the law; but all was one to him; what through the wicked talk of his companions, and the delusion of his own corrupt heart, he would go on in his pilfering course, and where he thought himself secure, would talk of and laugh at it when he had done.

Atten. Well, I heard a man once when he was upon the ladder with therope about his neck, confess, (when

ready to be turned off by the hangman), that that which had brought him to that end, was his accustoming of himself, when young, to pilfer and steal small things. To my best remembrance he told us, that he began the trade of a thief by stealing of pins and points; and therefore did forewarn all the youth, that then were gathered together to see him die, to take heed of beginning, though but with little sins; because, by tampering at first with little ones, way is made for the commission of bigger.

Wise. Since you are entered upon stories, I also will tell you one; the which, though I heard it not with mine own ears, yet my author

The story of old Tod.

I dare believe. It is concern- Young thieves ing one old Tod, that was hang

ed about twenty years ago, or

take notice.

more, at Hertford, for being a thief. The story is this:

At summer assizes holden at Hertford, while the judge was sitting upon the bench, comes this old Tod into the court, cloathed in a green suit, with his leathern girdle in his hand, his bosom open, and all on a dung sweat, as if he had run for his life; and being come in, he spake aloud as follows: My Lord said he, here is the verriest rogue that breaths upon the face of the earth. I have been a thief from a child; when I was but a little one, I gave myself to rob orchards, and to do other such like wicked things, and I have continued a thief ever since. My Lord, there has not been a robbery committed these many years, within so many miles of this place, but I have either been at it, or privy to it.

The judge thought the fellow was mad; but after some conference with some of the justices, they agreed to indict him; and so they did of several felonious actions; to all which he heartily confessed guilty, and so was hanged with his wife at the same time.

Atten. This is a remarkable ftory indeed, and you think it is a true one.

Wise. It is not only remarkable, but pat to our purpose. This thief, like Mr Badman, began his trade betimes; he began too where Mr Badman began, even at robbing of or