Reader! as the business becomes a little more serious, I must crave a little unprejudiced attention. The warrant being executed in the evening, I undertook to produce the parties next morning, before the magistrates; they, of course, willingly appeared; when the hardy villain related the particulars of the assault committed upon him, as if he had never heard of the crime of perjury, or the punishment annexed to it: however the two defendants were of course ordered to find bail, which they did. And now begins a scene of oppression sufficient to make a man believe that the actors were impatient for their share of pillories and gibbets. When these two ill-fated people were before the magistrates, Mr. Baker asked Shenstone what he was?—he replied, a gentleman’s servant out of place. “How do you get your living?” was the next question. ‘I am supported by my friends at Birmingham:’ Cook, not chusing to let this _Birmingham-story_, pass, gave his _town-made_ description in the following workman-like manner; “_You are maintained by a set of Sodomites_! _these are your friends that support you_!”—Now, mark how this business was reported in the public papers: “Cook, the cidevant keeper of the Swan, in Vere-street, was brought before the magistrates, for assaulting a respectable tradesman, with an intent to extort money from him.” The account then stated the names and places of residence of his bail; and that Cook had been taken to Queen-square, a few days before, for a similar attempt on a gentleman. With regard to what passed at Marlborough-street, I have faithfully stated it; and what passed at Queen-square was simply this, for I was present. Cook met a gentleman of some consequence over Westminster-bridge, and used some unpleasing language to him, which raised a mob: he thereupon threatened to take Cook before a magistrate, who replied that he would meet him at Queen-square; where they met, and, upon Cook’s promising not to molest him again, he was discharged. The reporter, not satisfied with the most shameful perversion of truth, added a malignant, diabolical note, that _extorting money is a capital offence_. I must now bestow a few observations upon the transactions at Marlborough-street: and, first, with respect to the extortion and respectability of the prosecutor, who, by his own account, is a gentleman’s servant out of place—no very promising subject for extortion; a fellow whom Cook states to be one of the lowest attendants at Vere-street, for the most depraved purposes;—a fellow that was obliged to borrow a great coat to appear before the magistrates!!! EXTORTION! from a wretch living in a back garret, and literally in rags, and whose breeches, from the superfluous apertures, gave manifestation of rapturous attacks upon his virtue! and whose finances were so far from satisfying the demands of _extortion_, that the Constable was obliged to go to one of his Birmingham friends, for money to defray the trifling expences at the office.