I I - American Memory

[ 79 1
to praftice upon him myfelf, which I did in the follov/-
ing Manner, 'via.
I had obferv'd that one WUdgoofe, a Chamberlain at
an Inn in SmithfieU, had frequently lent him Money,
either upon his Note or Word only, and therefore re-
folving to try if he would not do the like Favour for
me, but being altogether a Stranger to his Perfon, and
well knowing that where Friends are neceffitated to bor-
row Money of each other, there is generally fonie
Motives of Intereft made ufe of as an Inducement, or
at leaft a good Security to be expeiEled, much more be-
tween two fuch Strangers as Mr. WUdgoofe and myfelf,
the beft Expedient I could propofe was, to fee if I cou'd
induce my good Friend Jonathan, to do me the Favour
as fo be Security for the Re-payment thereof, or ra-
thet for him to take the whole upon himfelf, for indeed
1 had an Averfion to the borrowing Money, upon
Terms of Re-payment, knowing full well there are
fuch Things as Serjeants, Bailiffs, Catchpoles, and Of-
ficers, who will be very impertinent upon fuch Occafions;
yet from Jonathan's Temper, having little Reafon (had
my Intentions been ever fo honeft) to expefl; he would
oblige me fo far as to be bound for the re-payment
thereof, I therefore refolv'd to make him ftand alone,
not with me but for me, and from the Acquaintance of
his Correfpondents, and Hand Writing, I drew a Note
for the Sum of lo Guineas upon Mr. Wildgeofe before-
mention'd, and fign'd it in the Name of Jonathan Wild,
and by the help of fome particular Tokens, carry'd it
to Mr. Wildgeofe, who fuppofmg it to be right, without
Hefitation advanc'd the Money, which I put up and
came away ; the Succefs of this was more pleafing to
me then ten times the like Sum would have been from
£ny other Perfon, becaufe I may boldly fay, that in,
doing thereof, I had now taken in the moft knowing
Man in the Kingdom, (to fpeak in his own Fhrafe and
Expreffion) and thereby bit the great Majier of our Or-,
der. But many Days pafled not over, but (upon an In-
terview) Mr. Wildgoafe tells Jonathan he h^ credited
D 4 hb