INTRODUCTION TO THE VOYAGE TO LISBON
INTRODUCTION
In the beginning of August, 1753, when I had taken the duke of
Portland's medicine, as it is called, near a year, the effects of
which had been the carrying off the symptoms of a lingering
imperfect gout, I was persuaded by Mr. Ranby, the king's premier
sergeant-surgeon, and the ablest advice, I believe, in all
branches of the physical profession, to go immediately to Bath.
I accordingly wrote that very night to Mrs. Bowden, who, by the
next post, informed me she had taken me a lodging for a month
certain. Within a few days after this, whilst I was preparing
for my journey, and when I was almost fatigued to death with
several long examinations, relating to five different murders,
all committed within the space of a week, by different gangs of
street-robbers, I received a message from his grace the duke of
Newcastle, by Mr. Carrington, the king's messenger, to attend his
grace the next morning, in Lincoln's-inn-fields, upon some
business of importance; but I excused myself from complying with
the message, as, besides being lame, I was very ill with the
great fatigues I had lately undergone added to my distemper.
His grace, however, sent Mr. Carrington, the very next morning,
with another summons; with which, though in the utmost distress,
I immediately complied; but the duke, happening, unfortunately
for me, to be then particularly engaged, after I had waited some
time, sent a gentleman to discourse with me on the best plan
which could be invented for putting an immediate end to those
murders and robberies which were every day committed in the
streets; upon which I promised to transmit my opinion, in
writing, to his grace, who, as the gentleman informed me,
intended to lay it before the privy council.
Though this visit cost me a severe cold, I, notwithstanding, set
myself down to work; and in about four days sent the duke as
regular a plan as I could form, with all the reasons and
arguments I could bring to support it, drawn out in several
sheets of paper; and soon received a message from the duke by Mr.
Carrington, acquainting me that my plan was highly approved of,
and that all the terms of it would be complied with. The
principal and most material of those terms was the immediately
depositing six hundred pound in my hands; at which small charge I
undertook to demolish the then reigning gangs, and to put the
civil policy into such order, that no such gangs should ever be
able, for the future, to form themselves into bodies, or at least
to remain any time formidable to the public.
I had delayed my Bath journey for some time, contrary to the
repeated advice of my physical acquaintance, and to the ardent
desire of my warmest friends, though my distemper was now turned
to a deep jaundice; in which case the Bath waters are generally
reputed to be almost infallible. But I had the most eager desire
of demolishing this gang of villains and cut-throats, which I was
sure of accomplishing the moment I was enabled to pay a fellow
who had undertaken, for a small sum, to betray them into the
hands of a set of thief-takers whom I had enlisted into the
service, all men of known and approved fidelity and intrepidity.
After some weeks the money was paid at the treasury, and within a
few days after two hundred pounds of it had come to my hands, the