to His Majesty at Windsor, was stopped near Langley Broom
by three footpads, who took from him the box containing the despatches,
and his money, etc. The same men afterwards robbed a gentleman in a
postchaise of a hundred guineas, a gold watch, etc. Some light dragoons,
who received information of the robberies, went in pursuit of the
thieves, but were not successful. They found, however, a quantity of the
papers scattered about the heath."

We will quote one more instance, as showing the frequency of these
robberies on the road. It is mentioned in the _Annual Register_ of the
28th March 1793.

"Martin (the mail robber), condemned at Exeter Assizes, was executed on
Haldown, near the spot where the robbery was committed. He had been well
educated, and had visited most European countries. At the end of the
year 1791 he was at Paris, and continued there till the end of August
1792. He said he was very active in the bloody affair of the 10th
August, at the Palace of the Tuilleries, when the Swiss Guards were
slaughtered, and Louis XVI. and his family fled to the National Assembly
for shelter. He said he did not enter with this bloody contest as a
volunteer, but, happening to be in that part of the city of Paris, he
was hurried on by the mob to take part in that sanguinary business. Not
speaking good French, he said he was suspected to be a Swiss, and on
that account, finding his life often in danger, he left Paris, and,
embarking for England at Havre de Grace, arrived at Weymouth in
September last, and then came to Exeter. He said that being in great
distress in October he committed the mail robbery."

A rather good anecdote is told of an encounter between a poor tailor
and one of these knights of the road. The tailor, on being overtaken by
the highwayman, was at once called upon to stand and deliver, the
salutation being accompanied by the presentation of two pistols at the
pedestrian's head. "I'll do that with pleasure," was the meek reply; and
forthwith the poor victim transferred to the outstretched hands of the
robber all the money he possessed. This done, the tailor proceeded to
ask a favour. "My friends would laugh at me," said he, "were I to go
home and tell them I was robbed with as much patience as a lamb. Suppose
you fire your two bull-dogs right through the crown of my hat; it will
look something like a show of resistance." Taken with the fancy, the
robber good-naturedly complied with the request; but hardly h