d rob him of this supposed great
prize; for which purpose he attacked him in a lone place, and not only
threatened him with shooting him, but as he pretended, by his hand
shaking, was as good as his word, and actually wounded him in such a
manner as he in all probability at that time took to be mortal; but
taking advantage of the condition in which the poor man was, he made the
best of his way off, and was so lucky as to escape for the present,
although that crime brought him afterwards to his execution.

When he had considered a little the nature of the fact which he had
committed, it appeared even to himself of so black and barbarous a
nature that he resolved to fly to the West of England, in order to
remain there for some time. But from this he was deterred by looking
into a newspaper and finding himself advertised there; the man whom he
had shot being also said to be dead, this put him into such a
consternation that he returned directly to London, and going to a place
hard by where his wife lived, he sent for her, and told her that he was
threatened with an unfortunate affair which might be of the greatest
ill-consequence to him if he should be discovered. She seemed to be
extremely moved at his misfortunes, and gave him what money she could
spare, which was not a little, insomuch that Young at last began to
suspect she made bold now and then to borrow of her mistress; but if she
did, that was a practice he could forgive her. At last he proposed
taking a lodging for himself at Horsely Down,[101] as a place the
likeliest for him to be concealed in. There his wife continued to supply
him, until one Sunday morning she came in a great hurry and brought with
her a pretty handsome parcel of guineas. Young could not help suspecting
she did not come very honestly by them. However, if he had the money he
troubled not his head much which way he came by it, and he had so good a
knack of wheedling her that he got twenty pounds out of her that Sunday.

A very few days after, intelligence was got of his retreat, and the man
whom he had robbed and shot made so indefatigable a search after him,
that he was taken up and committed to the New Gaol, and his wife, a very
little time after, was committed to Newgate for breaking open her lady's
escrutoire, and robbing her of a hundred guineas. This was what Young
said himself and I repeat it because I have his memoirs before me. Yet
in respect to truth, I shall be obliged to say something