rowned upon him, and everybody treated him with that disdain and
contempt which his foolish behaviour deserved. However, instead of
reclaiming him, this forced him upon worse courses. His wife, it seems,
either died in his absence, or was dead before he went abroad, and soon
after his return he contracted an acquaintance with a woman, who was at
that time cook in the family of a certain bishop; her he courted and a
short time after, married. She brought him not only some ready money,
but also goods to a pretty large value. Young being not a bit mended by
his misfortunes, squandered away the first in a very short time, and
turned the last into ready money. However, these supplies were of not
very long continuance, and with much importunity his friends, in order,
if it were possible, to keep him honest, got him in a small place in
the Revenue, and he was put in as one of the officers to survey
candles. In this post he continued for about a twelvemonth, and then
relapsing into his former idle and profligate courses, he was quickly
suspected and thereby put to his shifts again, though his wife at that
time was in place, and helped him very frequently with money.

This, it seems, was too servile a course for a man of Mr. Young's spirit
to take, so that he picked up as much as bought him a pair of pistols,
and then went upon the highway, to which it seems the foolish pride of
not being dependant upon his wife did at that time not a little
contribute. In his first adventure in this new employment, he got
fifteen guineas, but being in a very great apprehension of a pursuit,
his fears engaged him to fly down to Bristol, in order, if it were
possible, to avoid them. After staying there some considerable time, he
began at last to take heart, and to fancy he might be forgotten. Upon
these hopes he resolved with himself to come up towards London again;
and taking advantage of a person travelling with him to Uxbridge, he
made use of every method in his power to insinuate himself into his
fellow traveller's good graces. This he effected, insomuch that at High
Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, as Young himself told the story, he
prevailed on him to lend him three half-crowns to defray his expenses,
pretending that he had some friend or relation hard by who would repay
him. But unfortunately for the man, he had talked too freely of a sum of
money which he pretended to have about him. It thereupon raised an
inclination in Young to strip him an