I I - American Memory

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bus to know the Exploits of my j'avenal Years, tKey
not being attended with any Particulars extraordinary,
or uncommon to Youth of that Age, I ihall pafs them
over, that I may have Time to fpeak tlie more largsiy
to the unhappy and calamitous Part of my Life, and
thofe Offences I have committed, and for which I am
fiilling a Sacrifice to Juitice.
'Tis now fome Years fuice by falling into ill Com-
pany, I was induc'd to become one of their Society,
and as we were willing to fupport ourfelves in a more
fplendid manner than our Circumibinces Vv'OulJ adinit
of, we readily perfued any Means that we believ'd might
fupport our Extravagancies, and firft we made a Pra-
ftice to vifit Tradefmens Shops in the Evening, when
{being three or four in Company) whilft one of us was
buying a pair of Buttons, Buckles, or any fuch Things,
the others were as induftrioufly employ'd in removing
fuch Matters as we thought might fatisfy us for our
Trouble, or ferve to defray the Expence of the Day,,
which Things were by a fort of Legerdemain convcy'd
from one to the other, till they were infenfibly va-
niih'd, and if we once laid our Fingers upon them,
we furely made them our own; by this Means have
we in an Evening pick'd up at feveral Places, fome-
times ten, twenty, or thirty Silver fnuff-boxes, and
other Things, at Goldfmiths, Toy-fhops, and fuch
Places.
At other Times we went out upon the Sneak in ths
Evening, i;zz. that is, going from Street to Street, and
obferving what Things of Value lay in or near the
Windows of Shops, Parlours, or Dining Rooms, we
ufed to lift up the Saih with a Chifel, and fnatch out
any Parcel of Value, even in the Sight of feveral Per-
fons who might be in the Room at the fame Time,
and before they could recover themfelves from the Sar--
prize the fuddennefs of the A