as he could
produce no pass, this would not satisfy them, so they seized upon him,
and conducted him to one Colonel Brown's, a justice of the peace in Anne
Arundel county.

But here, most gentle reader, that thou mayest not form a wrong idea of
this justice, and, as is too often the case, judge of what thou hast not
seen, from what thou hast seen, it will be necessary to inform thee, that
he was not such a one as Hudibras describes:

An old dull sot, who told the clock,
For many years at Bridewell dock.

Neither was he such a one as that excellent artist, Mr. Hogarth, has
depicted in his picture of a Modern Midnight Conversation;--nor such a
one as the author of Joseph Andrews has, above all authors, so inimitably
drawn to the life; nor yet was he such a one as thou hast often seen at a
quarter sessions, with a large wig, a heavy unmeaning countenance, and a
sour aspect, who gravely nods over a cause, and then passes a decision on
what he does not understand; and no wonder, when he, perhaps, never saw,
much less read the laws of his country; but of Justice Brown, I can
assure the reader, he could not only read, but upon occasion write a
mittimus, without the assistance of his clerk; he was thoroughly
acquainted with the general duties of his office, and the particular laws
of Maryland; his countenance was an awful majesty, tempered with a humane
sweetness, ever unwilling to punish, yet always afraid of offending
justice; and if at any time necessity obliged him to use the rod, he did
it with so much humanity and compassion, as plainly indicated the duties
of his office forced, rather than the cruelty or haughtiness of his
temper prompted to it; and while the unhappy criminal suffered a
corporeal punishment, he did all that lay in his power, to the end that
it might have a due effect, by endeavouring to amend the mind with
salutary advice; if the exigencies of the state required taxes to be
levied upon the subjects, he never, by his authority or office, excused
himself from bearing his full proportion; nor even would he meanly submit
to see any of his fellow-justices do so.

It was before such a justice Mr. Carew had the good fortune to be
carried: they found him in his court-yard, just mounting his horse to go
out, and he very civilly inquired their business; the timbermen told him
they had got a runaway: the justice then inquired of Mr. Carew who he
was: he replied he was a sea-faring man, belonging to the