THE attentive Reader cannot have forgot, that in my laſt Part, the Story of Yan Ptſchirnſooker's Powder was interrupted by a Meſſage from Frog. I have a natural Compaſſion for Curioſity, being much troubled with the Diſtemper my ſelf; therefore to gratify that uneaſy itching Senſation in my Reader, I have procur'd the following Account of that Matter.

Yan Ptſchirnſooker came off (as Rogues uſually do upon ſuch Occaſions) by Peaching his Partner, and being extremely forward to bring him to the Gallows; Jack was accus'd▪ as the Contriver of all the Roguery. And indeed it happen'd unfortunately for the poor Fellow, that he was known to bear a moſt inveterate Spight againſt the old Gentlewoman, and conſequently, that never any ill Accident happen'd to her, but he was ſuſpected to be at the bottom of it. If ſhe prick'd her Finger, Jack, to be ſure, laid the Pin in the way: If ſome Noiſe in the Street diſturb'd her Reſt, who could it be but Jack in ſome of his nocturnal Rambles? If a Servant run away, Jack had debauch'd him: every idle Tittle-tattle that went about, Jack was always ſuſpected for the Author of it: However, all was nothing to this laſt Affair of the temperating, moderating Powder. The Hue and Cry went after Jack, to Apprehend him, dead or alive, wherever he could be found. The Conſtables look'd out for him in all his uſual Haunts; but, to no purpoſe. Where d'ye think did they find him at laſt? Ev'n ſmoaking his Pipe very quietly, at his Brother Martin's; from whence he was carry'd, with a vaſt Mob at his Heels, before the Worſhipful Mr. Juſtice Overdo. Several of his Neighbours made Oath, That of late, the Priſoner had been obſerv'd to lead a very diſſolute Life, renouncing ev'n his uſual Hypocriſy, and Pretences to Sobriety: That he frequented Taverns and Eating-Houſes, and had been often guilty of Drunkenneſs and Gluttony at My Lord-Mayor's Table: That he had been ſeen in the Company of Lewd Women: That he had transferr'd his uſual religious Care of the engroſs'd Copy of his Father's Will, to Bank Bills, Orders for Tallies, and Debentures:Tale of the Tub. Theſe he now affirm'd, with more literal Truth, to be Meat, Drink, and Cloth, the Philoſophers Stone, and the Ʋniverſal Medicine: That he was ſo far from ſhewing his cuſtomary Reverence to the Will, that he kept company with thoſe that call'd his Father a cheating Rogue, and his Will a Forgery. That he not only ſat quietly and heard his Father rail'd at, but often chim'd in with the Diſcourſe, and hugg'd the Authors as his Boſom Friends:Tale of the Tub. That inſtead of asking for Blows, at the Corners of the Streets, he now beſtow'd them as plentifully as he begg'd them before: In ſhort, That he was grown a meer Rake; and, had nothing left in him of old Jack, except his Spight to John Bull's Mother.

Another Witneſs made Oath, That Jack had been overheard bragging of a Trick he had found out to manage the old formal Jade, as he us'd to call her. Damn this numb'd-Skull of mine (quoth he) that I could not light on it ſooner. As long as I go in this ragged tatter'd Coat, I am ſo well known, that I am hunted away from the old Woman's Door by every barking Curr about the Houſe, they bid me Defiance; there's no doing Miſchief as an open Enemy, I muſt find ſome way or another of getting within Doors, and then I ſhall have better Opportunities of playing my Pranks, beſides the Benefit of good keeping.

Two Witneſſes Swore, that ſeveral Years ago, there came to their Miſtriſs's Door, a young Fellow in a tatter'd Coat, that went by the Name of Timothy Trim, whom they did in their Conſcience believe to be the very Priſoner, reſembling him in Shape, Stature, and the Features of his Countenance; that the ſaid Timothy Trim being taken into the Family, clap'd their Miſtriſs's Livery over his own tatter'd Coat; that the ſaid Timothy was extremely officious about their Miſtriſs's Perſon, endeavouring by Flattery and Tale-bearing, to ſet her againſt the reſt of the Servants; no Body was ſo ready to fetch any thing that was wanted, or reach what was drop'd; that he us'd to ſhove and elbow his Fellow-Servants to get near his Miſtreſs, eſpecially when Mony was a paying or receiving, then he was never out of the way; that he was extremely diligent about every Bodies Buſineſs but his own; that the ſaid Timothy, while he was in the Family, us'd to be playing Roguiſh Tricks; when his Miſtreſs's back was turn'd he would loll out his Tongue, make Mouths, and laugh at her, walking behind her like a Harlequin, ridiculing her Motions and Geſtures; if his Miſtreſs look'd about, he put on a grave, demure Countenance, as he had been in a fit of Devotion; that he us'd often to trip up Stairs ſo ſmoothly that you could not hear him tread, and put all things out of Order; that he would pinch the Children and Servants, when he met them in the dark, ſo hard, that he left the Print of his Fore-fingers and his Thumb in black and blue, and then ſlink into a corner, as if no Body had done it: Out of the ſame malicious Deſign, he us'd to lay Chairs and Joint-ſtools in their way, that they might break their Noſes by falling over them. The more young and unexperienc'd, he us'd to teach to talk Saucily, and call Names: During his ſtay in the Family there was much Plate miſſing; that being catch'd with a couple of Silver Spoons in his Pocket, with their Handles wrench'd off, he ſaid, he was only going to carry them to the Goldſmiths to be mended; that the ſaid Timothy was hated by all the honeſt Servants, for his ill-condition'd, ſplenetick Tricks, but eſpecially for his ſlanderous Tongue; traducing them to their Miſtreſs, as Drunkards, Thieves and Whore-maſters; that the ſaid Timothy, by lying Stories, us'd to ſet all the Family together by the Ears, taking delight to make them Fight and Quarrel; particularly one Day ſitting at Table, he ſpoke Words to this Effect: I am of Opinion (quoth he) That little ſhort Fellows, ſuch as we are, have better Hearts. and could beat the tall Fellows; I wiſh it came to a fair Trial, I believe, theſe long Fellows, as ſightly as they are, ſhould find their Jackets well thwack'd. A parcel of tall Fellows, who thought themſelves affronted by this Diſcourſe, took up the Quarel, and to't they went, the tall Men and the low Men, which continues ſtill a Faction in the Family, to the great Diſorder of our Miſtreſs's Affairs: That the ſaid Timothy carried this Frolick ſo far, that he propos'd to his Miſtreſs, that ſhe ſhould entertain no Servant that was above four Foot ſeven Inches high, and for that Purpoſe had prepar'd a Gage, by which they were to be meaſur'd: That the good old Gentlewoman was not ſo ſimple as to go into his Projects, ſhe began to ſmell a Rat. This Trim (quoth ſhe) is an odd ſort of a Fellow, methinks he makes a ſtrange Figure with that ragged, tatter'd Coar, appearing under his Livery, can't he go ſpruce and clean, like the reſt of the Servants? The Fellow has a Roguiſh Leer with him, which I don't like by any means: beſides, he has ſuch a twang in his Diſcourſe, and an ungraceful way of ſpeaking through the Noſe, that one can hardly underſtand him; I wiſh the Fellow be not Tainted with ſome bad Diſeaſe. The Witneſſes farther made Oath, That the ſaid Timothy lay out a Nights, and went abroad often at unſeaſonable Hours; that it was credibly reported, he did Buſineſs in another Family; that he pretended to have a ſqueamiſh Stomach, and could not eat at Table with the reſt of the Servants, tho' this was but a pretence to provide ſome nice Bit for himſelf; that he refus'd to Dine upon Salt-fiſh, only to have an opportunity to eat a Calve's Head (his Favourite Diſh) in private; that for all his tender Stomach, when he was got by himſelf, he would devour Capons, Turkeys and Sirloins of Beef, like a Cormorant.

Two other Witneſſes gave the following Evidence, That in his officious Attendance upon his Miſtreſs, he had try'd to ſlip in a Powder into her Drink, and that once he was catch'd endeavouring to ſtifle her with a Pillow as ſhe was a ſleep; that he and Ptſchirnſooker were often in cloſe Conference, and that they us'd to drink together at the Roſe, where it ſeems he was well enough known by the true Name of Jack.

The Priſoner had little to ſay in his Defence; he endeavour'd to prove himſelf Alibi; ſo that the Trial turn'd upon this ſingle Queſtion, whether the ſaid Timothy Trim and Jack, were the ſame Perſon? which was prov'd by ſuch plain Tokens, and particularly by a Mole under the left Pap, that there was no withſtanding the Evidence; therefore the Worſhipful Mr. Juſtice committed him, in order to his Tryal.