clenched that Fift which we have before commemorated, and would have discharged it full in the Breast of his Antagonist, had he not dextrously caught it with his. left Hand, at the fame time darting his Head, (which fome modern Heroes, of the lower Clafs, ufe, like the Battering-Ram of the Ancients, for a Weapon of Offence; another Reason to admire the Cunningness of Nature, in compofing it of thofe impenetrable Materials) dafhing his Head, I fay, into the Stomach of Adams, he tumbled him on his Back, and not having any regard to the Laws of Heroifm, which would have restrained him from any farther Attack on his Enemy 'till he was again on his Legs, he threw himself upon him, and laying hold on the Ground with his left Hand, he with his right belaboured the Body of Adams 'till he was weary, and indeed, 'till he concluded (to use the Language of fighting) that he had done his Bufinefs; or, in the Language of Poetry, that he had fent him to the Shades below; in plain English, that he was dead.

But Adams, who was no Chicken, and could bear a Drubbing as well as any boxing Champion in the Universe, lay ftill only to watch his Opportunity; and now perceiving his Antagonist to. pant with his Labours, he exerted his utmoft Force at once, and with fuch Success, that he overturned him, and became his Superior; when fixing one of his Knees in his Breaft, he cried out in an exulting Voice, It is my turn now: and after a few Minutes conftant Application, he gave him fo dextrous a Blow juft under his Chin, that the Fellow no longer retained any Motion, and Adams began to fear he had ftruck him once too often; for he often afferted, he should be con⚫cerned

'cerned to have the Blood of even the Wicked

upon him.'

6

Adams got up, and called aloud to the young Woman, Be of good cheer, Damsel, faid he, you are no longer in danger of your Ravisher, who, I am terribly afraid, lies dead at my Feet; but God forgive me what I have done in defence s of Innocence.' The poor Wretch, who had been some time in recovering Strength enough to rife, and had afterwards, during the Engagement, ftood trembling, being difabled by Fear, even from running away, hearing her Champion was victorious, came up to him, but not without Apprehenfions, even of her Deliverer; which, however, the was foon relieved from, by his courteous Behaviour and gentle Words. They were both ftanding by the Body, which lay Motionlefs on the Ground, and which Adams wifhed to fee ftir much more than the Woman did, when he earnestly begged her to tell him, by what Misfortune the came, at fuch a time of Night, into fo lonely a Place? She acquainted him, fhe was travelling towards London, and had accidentally met with the Perfon from whom he had delivered her, who told her he was likewife on his Journey to the fame Place, and would keep her Company: an Offer which, fufpecting no Harm, fhe had accepted; that he told her, they were at a fmall Distance from an Inn where the might take up her Lodging that Evening, and he would fhew her a nearer Way to it than by following the Road. That if he had fufpected him, (which she did not, he fpoke fo kindly to her,) being alone on thefe Downs in the dark, fhe had no human • Means to avoid him; that therefore she put her • whole

whole Truft in Providence, and walk'd on, ex6 pecting every Moment to arrive at the Inn; when, on a fudden, being come to thofe Bushes, he defired her to ftop, and after fome rude Kiffes, which fhe refifted, and fome Entreaties, which the rejected, he laid violent Hands on her, and was attempting to execute his wicked ‹ Will, when, fhe thanked G-, he timely 6 came up and prevented him.' Adams encouraged her for faying fhe had put her whole Truft in Providence, and told her, He doubted not but Providence had fent him to her Deliver' ance, as a Reward for that Trust. He wished indeed he had not deprived the wicked Wretch of Life, but G-'s Will be done; he faid, he hoped the Goodness of his Intention would • excuse him in the next World, and he trusted

in her Evidence to acquit him in this.' He was then filent, and began to confider with himself, whether it would be properer to make his Efcape, or to deliver himself into the Hands of Juftice; which Meditation ended, as the Reader will fee in the next Chapter.

СНАР.

СНАР. Х.

Giving an Account of the ftrange Catastrophe of the preceding Adventure, which drew poor Adams into fresh Calamities; and who the Woman was who owed the Prefervation of her Chastity to his victorious Arm.

T

HE Silence of Adams, added to the Darknefs of the Night and Loneliness of the Place, ftruck dreadful Apprehenfions into the poor Woman's Mind: She began to fear as great an Enemy in her Deliverer, as he had delivered her from; and as he had not Light enough to difcover the Age of Adams, and the Benevolence vifible in his Countenance, the fufpected he had used her as fome very honeft Men have used their Country'; and had rescued her out of the Hands of one Rifler, in order to rifle her himself. Such were the Sufpicions the drew from his Silence: but indeed they were illgrounded. He ftood over his vanquished Enemy, wifely weighing in his Mind the Objections which might be made to either of the two Methods of proceeding mentioned in the last Chapter, his Judgment fometimes inclining to the one, and sometimes to the other; for both feemed to him fo equally adviseable, and fo equally dangerous, that probably he would have ended his Days, at leaft two or three of them, on that very Spot, before he had taken any Resolution: At length he lifted up his Eyes, and spied a Light at a Distance,

ftance, to which he inftantly addreffed himself with Heus tu, Traveller, heus tu! He presently heard several Voices, and perceived the Light approaching toward him. The Perfons who attended the Light began fome to laugh, others to fing, and others to hollow, at which the Woman teftified fome Fear, (for fhe had concealed her Sufpicions of the Parfon himself,) but Adams faid, Be of good Cheer, Damfel, and repofe thy Truft in the fame Providence, which hath hitherto protected thee, and never will forfake the Innocent.' Thefe People who now approached were no other, Reader, than a Set of young Fellows, who came to these Bushes in purfuit of a Diverfion which they call Bird batting. This, if thou art ignorant of it (as perhaps if thou haft never travelled beyond Kenfington, Islington, Hackney, or the Borough, thou mayft be) I will inform thee, is performed by holding a large Clap-Net before a Lantern, and at the fame time beating the Bufhes, for the Birds, when they are difturbed from their Places of Reft, or Rooft, immediately make to the Light, and fo are enticed within the Net. Adams immediately told them what had happened, and defired them,

to hold the Lantern to the Face of the Man · on the Ground, for he feared he had mote him fatally.' But indeed his Fears were frivolous; for the Fellow, tho' he had been ftunned by the laft Blow he received, had long fince recovered his Senfes, and finding himself quit of Adams, had liftened attentively to the Discourse between him and the young Woman; for whofe Departure he had patiently waited, that he might likewife withdraw himfelf, having no longer Hopes of fucceeding in his Defires, which were

moreover

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