Page:The London Guide and Stranger's Safeguard.djvu/20

4 The name of the first-mentioned culprit is James Law, quite a youth, who will, probably, receive the reward of his early crimes about the time of the appearance of this publication. How can the honester part of those who are engaged about inn yards avoid coming in contact, and partaking in the corruption, while they are daily in the habit of seeing so many others actively employed in such nefarious transactions, as the passing bad money, or the representations of money? To what extent it is carried, with such means at their disposal, remains to be guessed at, since there is no probability of making a calculation. As bad silver is always stirring in great abundance at the inns, so upon the road; those of the drivers who have been contaminated, seldom give change without tendering base money, more or less: it happens at times that they give nothing but bad, so that the cheat is not discoverable upon comparison.

Not only must the New comer be upon his guard against bad-money, but must be as much prepared to meet the less refined depredator who would purloin his boxes and other baggage.

As soon as a coach enters an inn yard, it is followed or met by persons, who either actually expect friends by it, or pretend they do;