This notorious criminal was born at Ipswich, where he continued till he was between fifteen and sixteen, and then went to sea. Nine years after, coming to London, and associating with loose company, especially with women of the most infamous character, he left no villainy undone for the support of himself and them in their extravagances, till at last he became so expert in house-breaking and all sorts of theft, that he was esteemed the most remarkable villain of his time. It was in the reign of queen Elizabeth that our artist flourished: accordingly, we find that he had the boldness to rob the royal lodgings at Whitehall palace of plate to the amount of 400_l._ for which he was taken and committed to Newgate. But fortunately for him, her majesty’s act of grace coming out, granting a free pardon for all offences except murder, treason, and other notorious crimes, he was allowed the benefit of that act, and thus obtained his liberty. But neither the royal clemency, nor the imminent danger to which he had been exposed, had any effect upon the obdurate heart of Wynne; for, pursuing his villanies, he was soon constrained to hire himself as under servant in the kitchen, to the earl of Salisbury, to avoid detection. While he was in this post, he had the audacity to make love to the countess’s woman, who, astonished at such insolence in a fellow of his rank, returned his addresses with the greatest contempt. This exasperated Wynne so much, that his pretended love turned to hatred, and he vowed revenge. He embraced an opportunity, and used her in a very brutal manner, until she was under the necessity of calling to the other servants for assistance. The poor woman took to her bed, and remained very unwell for some time. The master, informed of this shocking piece of cruelty, ordered Wynne to be whipped by the coachman, and the same to be repeated once a week during a month. Though Wynne was happy in having satiated his vengeance upon the woman who had contemptuously spurned his addresses, yet he was not very much in love with the reward assigned him by his master; therefore, robbing the coachman of nine pounds, borrowing fifteen pounds of the master-cook, carrying off a silver cup of the master’s, and all the best clothes of the woman whom he had so greatly injured, he went in quest of new adventures. At that time innkeepers were not so active as now; Wynne therefore often dressed himself in the garb of a porter, and carried off parcels consigned to carriers, and continued undetected in this practice, until he had acquired about two hundred pounds, for which the different carriers had to pay through their neglect. Taught by experience, however, they began to look better after the goods entrusted to their care, so that Wynne had to turn to a new employment.