y
_hoped his good Mistress would give him half a Crown to drink her
Health, by way of Satisfaction for a Pair of Oars and a Sail he had
lost the Night before, when he had drowned her Husband_.

I have many times pass'd between _London_ and _Gravesend_ with these
Fellows; when I have seen them, in spite of the shrieks and cries of
the Women, and the persuasions of the Men-Passengers, and indeed, as
if they were the more bold by how much the Passengers were the more
afraid; I say, I have seen them run needless hazards, and go as it
were within an Inch of Death, when they have been under no necessity
of it: and if not in contempt of the Passengers, it has been in meer
laziness, to avoid their rowing. And I have been sometimes oblig'd,
especially when there have been more Men in the Boat of the same Mind,
so that we have been strong enough for them, to threaten to cut their
Throats, to make them hand their Sails, and keep under Shore, not to
fright, as well as hazard the Lives of the Passengers, when there was
no need of it. But I am satisfied, that the less frighted and timorous
their Passengers are, the more cautious and careful the Watermen are,
and the least apt to run into Danger. Whereas, if their Passengers
appear frighted, then the Watermen grow saucy and audacious, show
themselves venturous, and contemn the Dangers they are really expos'd
to.

_Set one Knave to catch another_, is a proverbial Saying of great
Antiquity and Repute in this Kingdom. Thus the vigilant _Vintner_,
notwithstanding all his little Arts of base Brewings, abridging his
Bottles, and connecting his Guests together, does not always reap the
Fruits of his own Care and Industry. Few People being aware of the
underhand Understandings and Petty-Partnerships these Sons of
_Benecarlo_ and _Cyder_ have topp'd upon them; and the many other
private Inconveniences that they, in the course of their Business, are
subjected to. Now, to let my Readers into this great _Arcanum_ or
Secret, I must acquaint them, that nothing is more certain and frequent
than for some of the principal Customers to a Tavern, to have a secret
Allowance, by way of Drawback, of Six-pence or Seven-Pence, nay
sometimes I have heard of Eight-pence, on every Bottle of Port-Wine that
themselves shall drink, or cause to be drank in the House, and for which
they have seemingly paid the full Price of two Shillings; and so are a
sort of _Vintners in Vizards_, and _Setters of Society_. These