Page:Adventures of the extravagant wit, or, The English swindler.pdf/4

( 4 ) coming, I ſent my two friends out with their warrant and putting it into the conſtable's hand, charged him in the king's name to execute it upon the merchant; the conſtable dare not deny it, but carried him before a Juſtice, before whom my two rogues ſwore flat felony, and fe he was committed. Sending for friends they adviſed him to make an end thereof: whereupon I was much ſolicited, and upon conſideration, I conſented to cauſe my friends to forbear proſecution.

Attiring myſelf one time in one of my richeſt garbs, I went to a Scrivener in Bow-lane, and acquainted him I had an occaſion for an hundred pounds. He demanded the names of my ſecurity I told him where they lived, two perſons of eminent worth (whom I knew were going into the country) and defired him to make enquiry, but in it to be private and modeſt The Scrivener went, and found them by report, to be what they were, real, able, and ſufficient men. Two or three days after, I called upon him, to know whether I might have the money He told me I might bringing the perſons, and appointed me a day. Accordingly I came, with two of my accomplices, attired like wealthy grave citizens who perſonated ſuch perſons ſo to the life, that the Scrivener could not entertain the leaſt ſufpicion The money being ready, I told it over, and putting it up in a bag I and my inſignificant boodfinen ſealed, leaving the Scrivener to another enquiry after us whom, if he did not meet, he could never find out by reaſon of our feigned names.

It chanced that my forged and fictitious name was the ſame with that of a gentleman in Surry, who was a great purchaſer; which I came to know by being accidently in his company, the next night after I had cheated this credulous Scribe. Where-