often expressed a wish that he would show himself in the daytime, thinking that Master Vine, with his forty scholars, would be able to drive him once and for ever out of the parish.
"9th.- I went to Heathfield and met with John Vine, who had neglected to put off his scholars, and raised some weak excuses against going.
"5th March.- Master Thos. Merchant, at Little London, came into the school to confer about painting, the Commandments at their church. I made the price two guineas, which he bad no objection to. I went to Heathfield, and went to the Star and met Master Starr there, who was drinking with an old soldier and Welch Bess, his odiously swearing trull.
"10th.- Being disappointed of my Bourn journey, I set out for Laughton after drinking a quartern of gin, and came to Whitesmiths, where was a hurley bolloo about Mr. Plummer's (now a custom-house officer) having seized a horse loaded with 3 anchors of brandy, which was carried off by him and two soldiers, and afterwards stabled at Parishe's; John Willard and Wm. Bran being there, followed and overtook them, and prevailed with them to go back. Parish took the seized horse and put it into Martin's stable."
Two years only before this occurred a special commission, at the head of which that great judge Sir Michael Forster presided, had been sent to Chichester to try seven smugglers for the murder of two custom-house officers under circumstances of atrocity too horrible to be related. They were convicted, and, with the exception of one who died the night before the execution, they were all executed and hanged in chains in different parts of Sussex. A company of foot guards and a troop of horse attended to prevent all chances of rescue, so thoroughly were the feelings of great numbers of the people enlisted on the side of the smugglers. Seven more were tried and convicted at the following assizes at East Grinstead for the barbarous murder of a poor fellow named Hawkins, who was suspected of giving information against them, and who was literally flogged to death, and for highway robbery. Six of them were executed. Most of them belonged to the celebrated Hawkhurst gang, who were the terror of the counties of Kent and Sussex. Three more were tried at the Old Bailey for joining with sixty others in breaking open the custom-house
