breaking her heart, I grew negligent and careless,
took to drinking, and my affairs went to wreck. Being one day in liquor,
and provoked by the fleers and taunts of the man who had set up against
me, I struck him at his own door; upon which I was carried before the
justice, who treated me with such insolence, that I became desperate, and
not only abused him in the execution of his office, but also made an
attempt to lay violent hands upon his person. You know, sir, when a man
is both drunk and desperate, he cannot be supposed to have any command of
himself. I was sent hither to jail. My creditors immediately seized my
effects; and, as they were not sufficient to discharge my debts, a
statute of bankruptcy was taken out against me; so that here I must lie,
until they think proper to sign my certificate, or the parliament shall
please to pass an act for the relief of insolvent debtors."

The next person who presented himself in the crowd of accusers was a
meagre figure, with a green apron, who told the knight that he had kept a
public-house in town for a dozen years, and enjoyed a good trade, which
was in a great measure owing to a skittle-ground, in which the best
people of the place diverted themselves occasionally. That Justice
Gobble, being disobliged at his refusing to part with a gelding which he
had bred for his own use, first of all shut up the skittle-ground; but,
finding the publican still kept his house open, he took care that he
should be deprived of his licence, on pretence that the number of
ale-houses was too great, and that this man had been bred to another
employment. The poor publican being thus deprived of his bread, was
obliged to try the staymaking business, to which he had served an
apprenticeship; but being very ill qualified for this profession, he soon
fell to decay and contracted debts, in consequence of which he was now in
prison, where he had no other support but what arose from the labour of
his wife, who had gone to service.

The next prisoner who preferred his complaint against the unrighteous
judge was a poacher, at whose practices Justice Gobble had for some years
connived, so as even to screen him from punishment, in consideration of
being supplied with game gratis, till at length he was disappointed by
accident. His lady had invited guests to an entertainment, and bespoke a
hare, which the poacher undertook to furnish. He laid his snares
accordingly overnight, but they were disc