The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Colonel Jacque, Commonly Called Colonel JackDefoe, Daniel
General
The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Colonel Jacque, Commonly Called Colonel Jack
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories, English; England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Picaresque fiction
“I am surprised,” says the constable. “I was at such a house” (naming
the house), “and this young man went by. The people cried out, ’There’s
Jacque; that’s your man;’ and these people ran after him, and
apprehended him.”
“Well,” says the justice, “and have these people anything to say to
him? Can they prove that he is the person?”
One said no, and the other said no; and, in short, they all said no.
“Why, then,” said the justice, “what can be done? The young man must be
discharged; and I must tell you, Mr. Constable, and you gentlemen that
have brought him hither, he may give you trouble, if he thinks fit, for
your being so rash. But look you, young man,” says the justice, “you
have no great damage done you, and the constable, though he has been
mistaken, had no ill design, but to be faithful to his office. I think
you may pass it by.”
I told his worship I would readily pass it by at his direction, but I
thought the constable and the rest could do no less than to go back to
the place where they had insulted me, and declare publicly there that I
was honourably acquitted, and that I was not the man. This his worship
said was very reasonable, and the constable and his assistants promised
to do it, and so we came all away good friends, and I was cleared with
triumph.
_Note_.—This was the time that, as I mentioned above, the justice
talked to me, and told me I was born to better things, and that by my
well managing of my own defence, he did not question but I had been
well educated; and that he was sorry I should fall into such a
misfortune as this, which he hoped, however, would be no dishonour to
me, since I was so handsomely acquitted.
Though his worship was mistaken in the matter of my education, yet it
had this good effect upon me, that I resolved, if possible, I would
learn to read and write, that I would not be such an uncapable
creature, that I should not be able to read a warrant, and see whether
I was the person to be apprehended or not.
But there was something more in all this than what I have taken notice
of; for, in a word, it appeared plainly that my brother, Captain
Jacque, who had the forwardness to put it to me whether I was among
them or no, when in truth he was there himself, had the only reason to
be afraid to fly, at the same time that he advised me to shift for
myself.
As this presently occurred to my thoughts, so I made it my business to
inquire and find him out, and to give him notice of it.
In the meantime, being now confident of my own safety, I had no more
concern upon my mind about myself; but now I began to be anxious for
poor Will, my master and tutor in wickedness, who was now fast by the
heels in Newgate, while I was happily at liberty; and I wanted very
much to go and see him, and accordingly did so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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