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Page 51
A GREAT MAN ought to do his business by others; to employ hands,
as we have before said, to his purposes, and keep himself as much
behind the curtain as possible; and though it must be acknowledged
that two very great men, whose names will be both recorded in
history, did in these latter times come forth themselves on the
stage, and did hack and hew and lay each other most cruelly open
to the diversion of the spectators, yet this must be mentioned
rather as an example of avoidance than imitation, and is to be
ascribed to the number of those instances which serve to evince
the truth of these maxims: Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit. Ira
furor brevis est, &c.
CHAPTER TWELVE
NEW INSTANCES OF FRIENDLY'S FOLLY, ETC.
To return to my history, which, having rested itself a little, is
now ready to proceed on its journey: Fireblood was the person
chosen by Wild for this service. He had, on a late occasion,
experienced the talents of this youth for a good round perjury. He
immediately, therefore, found him out, and proposed it to him;
when, receiving his instant assent, they consulted together, and
soon framed an evidence, which, being communicated to one of the
most bitter and severe creditors of Heartfree, by him laid before
a magistrate, and attested by the oath of Fireblood, the justice
granted his warrant: and Heartfree was accordingly apprehended and
brought before him.
When the officers came for this poor wretch they found him meanly
diverting himself with his little children, the younger of whom
sat on his knees, and the elder was playing at a little distance
from him with Friendly. One of the officers, who was a very good
sort of a man, but one very laudably severe in his office, after
acquainting Heartfree with his errand, bad him come along and be
d--d, and leave those little bastards, for so, he said, he
supposed they were, for a legacy to the parish. Heartfree was much
surprized at hearing there was a warrant for felony against him;
but he shewed less concern than Friendly did in his countenance.
The elder daughter, when she saw the officer lay hold on her
father, immediately quitted her play, and, running to him and
bursting into tears, cried out, "You shall not hurt poor papa."
One of the other ruffians offered to take the little one rudely
from his knees; but Heartfree started up, and, catching the fellow
by the collar, dashed his head so violently against the wall,
that, had he had any brains, he might possibly have lost them by
the blow.
The officer, like most of those heroic spirits who insult men in
adversity, had some prudence mixt with his zeal for justice.
Seeing, therefore, this rough treatment of his companion, he began
to pursue more gentle methods, and very civilly desired Mr.
Heartfree to go with him, seeing he was an officer, and obliged to
execute his warrant; that he was sorry for his misfortune, and
hoped he would be acquitted. The other answered, "He should
patiently submit to the laws of his country, and would attend him
whither he was ordered to conduct him;" then, taking leave of his
children with a tender kiss, he recommended them to the care of
Friendly, who promised to see them safe home, and then to attend
him at the justice's, whose name and abode he had learned of the
constable.
Friendly arrived at the magistrate's house just as that gentleman
had signed the mittimus against his friend; for the evidence of
Fireblood was so clear and strong, and the justice was so incensed
against Heartfree, and so convinced of his guilt, that he would
hardly hear him speak in his own defence, which the reader
perhaps, when he hears the evidence against him, will be less
inclined to censure: for this witness deposed, "That he had been,
by Heartfree himself, employed to carry the orders of embezzling
to Wild, in order to be delivered to his wife: that he had been
afterwards present with Wild and her at the inn when they took
coach for Harwich, where she shewed him the casket of jewels, and
desired him to tell her husband that she had fully executed his
command;" and this he swore to have been done after Heartfree had
notice of the commission, and, in order to bring it within that
time, Fireblood, as well as Wild, swore that Mrs. Heartfree lay
several days concealed at Wild's house before her departure for
Holland.
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