Page:Life of Colonel Jack (1810).djvu/32

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16
THE LIFE OF

the captain's countenance, even so young, and which he heard of afterwards on many occasions. When he was in Bridewell, I heard of his misfortune, and the major and I went to see him, for this was the first news we heard of what became of him.

The very day that we went, he was called out to be corrected, as they called it, according to his sentence; and as it was ordered to be done soundly, so indeed they were true to the sentence; for the alderman, who was the president of Bridewell, and who I think they called sir William Turner, held preaching to him about how young he was, and what pity it was such a youth should come to be hanged, and a great deal more, how he should take warning by it, and how wicked a thing it was, that they should steal away poor innocent children, and the like; and all this while the man with a blue badge on, lashed him most unmercifully, for he was not to leave off till sir William knocked with a little hammer on the table.

The poor captain stamped and danced, and roared out like a mad boy; and I must confess, I was frighted almost to death; for though I could not come near enough, being but a poor boy, to see how he was handled, yet I saw him afterwards, with his back all whealed with the lashes, and in several places bloody, and thought I should have