As for the Captain he was a Man well read, and having seen the world, the novelty of a place never alter’d him, he had a good natural genius, and very facetious in discourse which appears sufficiently by the witty narrative of his Life, the relation whereof, did infinitely please us, but most especially my _Jenny_, who would often repeat to me some passages, but one day after dinner being altogether she took occasion to speak of the Captains gaming and other Extravagancies, and having drawn several good Observations from them, she desired the Company to give her audience, and she would give an account of a notable Extravagant, a young Man of her acquaintance, but as an introduction to her story, she begg’d leave to speak something of his Father first, and thus she began. [Illustration] CHAP. XIX. _A Brewers-Clerk cheating his Master, is taken in the manner: Afterwards, he having buried his Master, by a politick Project is married to his Mistress; he buries her, and is married to a Countrey-maid; who understanding her Husbands Riches, puts him to great expences in new furnishing the House, and extravagantly fitting her against, and in her lying in._ I Remember (said Mrs. _Jane_) when I lived in _London_, there was a jolly old Blade, who was then the Aldermans Deputy of the Ward, and who was reported to be worth the better part of 10000 _lib._ that had in his youth been a notable Gamester, and many tricks he had used before his _Mercury_ was fix’d, and became settled in the World. He had Travelled and Rambled many years by Sea and Land, and had tried and tasted all Fortunes and Conditions; and Fortune had alwayes been so much his friend, as to bring him off without a scratch’d face, no great, no sensible disaster; at length, being somewhat weary of the Ramble, he resolved to take up and follow some imployment. He was fitted for any imployment, and yet not rightly fitted for none. But being of a good Capacity, he was entertained by a Brewer to be his desperate Clerk, that is to say, to gather up the desperate Debts. This was an Imployment very fit for him, for it gave him large convenience to Ramble; for the Brewer, who had been a great dealer, had Money oweing him by several people, some whereof lived at one end of the Town, and some at the other; so that all parts of that great City, especially the out-parts, his business lay in. He discharged this imployment indifferently well, for his Masters profit, and very well for his own; for he had power if he could not get all, to compound with any of the debtors for a part. And although his allowance, being three shillings in the pound, was considerable, yet he much augmented it by the tricks he had; for although he received a Debt of five pound or more, he would tell his Master, that he could get but half; and sometimes, although he received all, yet he would keep all to himself; and by this means he raised to