bank in the end, though it made the folks that put their money there so desperate rich.

In a word, nobody was sorry for the Radical Gulls, who had been cheated with their eyes open.

CHAP. III.

The wicked punish one another, and are forced to confess that there can be no peace in wickedness.

As soon as Justice Lloyd had read Gudgeon's letter, he directed a constable to set out immediately to Liverpool, and desired William Waver to accompany him, that the persons of Gudgeon and Nework might be sworn to, if the ship in which they were to sail did not leave port before the constable could reach Liverpool.

Waver would have been glad not to go on such an errand; but as he knew that if he did not, others would who might be less tender of his friend, he made no objection.

On arriving at Liverpool, they found that an American vessel had sailed the day before, but whether Gudgeon and Nework had gone by it they could not find out. They went to the captains of all the other American vessels in port without success, and were thinking of giving up all farther search, when they read the following advertisement in the Liverpool Paper.

"If any of the friends of the poor deranged man, who was lodged in the Lunatic Asylum on Tuesday last, will apply at the office of the Asylum, they may be admitted to see and converse with him. The aforesaid poor creature was found in a frantic state near to the docks. He

talks in a rambling manner of his wife having run away from him, and says that he will follow her to America. He will not tell his name. Some papers and seven shillings in money, which were found on him, will be delivered to whoever can swear to his person, and will take charge of him. He stands five feet nine inches high, is of a thin bony make. His eyes are black, as is his hair and beard. He had on a white straw hat, an old blue coat, and leather breeches, with worsted stockings."

On

The constable and Waver agreed that this man might be Gudgeon. They immediately went to the office of the Asylum, and told their suspicions to the head-keeper of the house. giving him a description of Gudgeon, which they had brought with them, the keeper said, that it answered exactly to the poor man who was under his care, but that if either of them knew his hand-writing, they might satisfy themselves at once, as he had some papers of his in his pocket-book. Saying so, he drew out a small packet of papers, which Waver looked over.

The first paper was very dirty, and seemed to have been read often. On the back of it was written, Proofs that religion is all a lie. The second paper consisted of Parodies of the Scripture. The third paper contained Proofs that all kings are tyrants, and that men's consciences are their best governors.

Poor man, said Waver, he has found to his cost, that the conscience of many men would

not hinder them from following their lusts and passions, and that good men must stand together in support of the laws, or bad men will make them miserable.

The last paper was, Proofs that there is no future state to be hoped or feared. It seemed to have been written only a few days, and was in the hand-writing of Nework. Besides these papers, there was a short letter from Nework to Gudgeon, in these words.

"Dear Gudgeon,

"I hope you are too wise to find any fault with me for running away with your wife. You' cannot be so unjust as to want to make a free woman your slave, by forcing her to live with you against her inclinations. And as for talking about her marriage-vow to you, we all know that is only priestcraft, which the age of reason will soon put an end to. I know you will get to your old notions, and tell me that I shall suffer for this hereafter. But do not be fooled with such nonsense. Let every man do the best he can for himself here, and a fig for hereafter. Give my service to the Radicals, and tell them that I would have served them if it happened to have been my interest; but in this age of reason they cannot be so foolish as to expect me not to do the best for myself. I advise you to look to your safety, but never dream you will find out

Your dear friend,

THOMAS NEWork.

When Waver had looked over these papers, and sworn to each of them, the keeper said that there could be no doubt of the poor man being the person they enquired for, but that it would be necessary to prove this to the satisfaction of a committee of the gentlemen who subscribed to the charity, before he could be given up to them.

.

The time has been, said Waver, when I should have called this a tyrannical action of our betters, to hinder men from receiving their friends in this way, and to cause them expence and trouble by the delay. But I am ready to believe now that there may be some good in it, though I cannot understand what.

There is great good in it, said the keeper. Suppose the poor man had a large fortune, and you were his next of kin. If he were to be given up to you in this state without enquiry, might you not take him away to some private mad house, confine him for life, although he perhaps got well in a fortnight, and take all his property? Or, suppose you had driven him mad by cruel usage, might you not take him away and do just the same again till you had killed him? But by our taking care to find out who you are, and where you come from, and so on, it is next to impossible for you to do such things, if you were ever so desirous.

This shall be a lesson to me, said Waver, not to be inclined to grumble at laws, because I do not quite understand their use. You are quite right, Mr. Keeper,