time our hero gave over all hopes of life, his conduct was
truly great and admirable. Instead of showing any marks of contrition or
dejection, he rather infused more confidence and assurance into his
looks. He spent most of his hours in drinking with acquaintances, and
with the good chaplain; and being asked whether he was afraid to die, he
answered, "It's only a dance without music. A man can die but once.
Zounds! Who's afraid?"

At length the morning came which Fortune had resolutely ordained for the
consummation of our hero's greatness; he had himself, indeed, modestly
declined the public honour she intended him, and had taken a quantity of
laudanum in order to retire quietly off the stage. But it is vain to
struggle against the decrees of fortune, and the laudanum proved
insufficient to stop his breath.

At the usual hour he was acquainted that the cart was ready, and his
fetters having been knocked off in a solemn and ceremonious manner,
after drinking a bumper of brandy, he ascended the cart, where he was no
sooner seated than he received the acclamations of the multitude, who
were highly ravished with his greatness.

The cart now moved slowly on, preceded by a troop of Horse Guards,
bearing javelins in their hands, through the streets lined with crowds
all admiring the great behaviour of our hero, who rode on, sometimes
sighing, sometimes swearing, sometimes singing or whistling, as his
humour varied.

When he came to the tree of glory, he was welcomed with an universal
shout of the people; but there were not wanting some who maligned this
completion of glory, now about to be fulfilled by our hero, and
endeavoured to prevent it by knocking him on the head as he stood under
the tree, while the chaplain was performing his last office.

They therefore began to batter the cart with stones, brick-bats, dirt,
and all manner of mischievous weapons, so that the ecclesiastic ended
almost in an instant, and conveyed himself into a place of safety in a
hackney coach.

One circumstance must not be omitted. Whilst the chaplain was busy in
his ejaculations, Wild, in the midst of the shower of stones, etc.,
which played upon him, true to his character, applied his hands to the
parson's pocket, and emptied it of his bottle-screw, which he carried
out of the world in his hand.

The chaplain being now descended from the cart, Wild had just
opportunity to cast his eyes around the crowd, and to give them a hearty
curse, whe