I I - American Memory

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there we broke it open, and found therein wearing Ap-
parel, and three Silver Spoons, to the Value ofaboui
30/.
One SatarJay Night as I and one Ratis (fince execu-
ted) was going towards Ratcliff, we over-took a Porter,
at the beginning of Rat cliff-Higtm:ny, with a Cafe un-
der his Arm, and as I fuppofed to be full of Plate; per-
ceiving he was difguifed in Liquor, I aik'd him where
he was going with that Cafe ? he anfwer'd, What's
that to you, on which my Companion reply'd. Don't he
angry honeft Porter, 'vAth the Gentleman for asking you a
ci'vil ^ueftion, for I do affare you, you maf take it as a
particular Favour he fpeaks to you, for I knofvj him to be
a Gentleman of good Fortune, and it may lie in his Po'wer
to he Jer'viceable to ycu ; Say you fo. Sir, fays the Porter,
/ am firry I fhouU affront the Gentleman then; upon
this, Rans reply'd, / --willperfuade him to drink ivith you,
for he is no proud Man;. Ay,, ivith all my Heart, fays
the Porter; upon which my Companion feemingly in-
treated me in the Porter's Behalf to put up with the pre-
tended Affront, and propofed to go in and drink toge-
ther, v^hich Kc did accordingly, and went to the Sign
of the Sho-vel, not far from Granjel-Lane, where we
crank two or three Quarterns of Brandy, which tiie
Porter iaid, he •vjould pay for, hecanfe Sir, fays be, /
am itform'd by this Gentleman, that it lies in your Po'uier
to be ferviceable to me : So I 'will honcfl Friend, fays I,
and you may depend upon it I ^vill fer've you ; but, fays
I, honvfar are you going ijoith that Cafe f Sir, fays he,
/ am going to Upper-Wall-Alley in VVapping. Then
we parted, but I followed him at a little Dittance, and
at the Corner of Graniel-Lane, I put my Foot before
him, and down he fell; faid I, you are fo drunk that
you cannot carry yourfelf, much more the Cafe, let me
carry it for you ; Wtil you, faid he. Never fear hotieji
Friend, faid I, give it me, which he did j whereupon
Rans and I gave him the Slip, and went off with it,
and carry'd it to the Boars-Head in Gravel-Lane, it
being, heavy,. I thought there was a great Vidue in it,
and
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