Select proceedings at the Old-Bailey ... Containing the trials at large of I. Captain Morris, for a rape on the body of Mary Shortney. II. Miss Hannah Philips, a young lady, for shop-lifting. III. William Adams, for defrauding His Majesty / [James Morris].

  • James Morris
Date:
1757
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Select proceedings at the Old-Bailey ... Containing the trials at large of I. Captain Morris, for a rape on the body of Mary Shortney. II. Miss Hannah Philips, a young lady, for shop-lifting. III. William Adams, for defrauding His Majesty / [James Morris]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    LETTER II. [ IO 1 that you are going out of town rot feme time, which indeed is the principal caule of my pre¬ fuming this liberty. 1 hat the great Grod may pour down a fucceflionof bleflings on you, fhau he my conftant prayer whilft I breathe. At leaft this I am confident of, that your benevolence will not be unrewarded, and I am pleafed with think¬ ing that the providence of the Almighty has luffi- cient bleflings in ftore for fuch unutterable good- nefs, and will difeharge the obligation certainly, tho’ it might not be pleafing to his Divine Will to make me the happy inftrument in doing it. However, nothing in my power fhail be wanting to {hew my gratitude; I (hall make it the buhneis of my life to thank you, and to deferve your kind favour. As I have not the honour to be k®iown to you, ihall not prefume to fay further of myfelf than this, that if I could be enabled to wait on you, and that you would he pleafed to give me leave to do fo, I flatter myfelf, you, good Sir, will find me deferving of bread, as indeed. Sir, there is nothing in my abilities, becoming a man, that I would not chearfully do for honeft bread. Be plea- led to believe me, that I am not an idle nor an indo¬ lent man, tho’ I am, God help me, fo much dif- t re fled. I have been living, or rather ftarving on promifes, till I have been neceflitated, to keep life and foul together, to leave myfelf deftituteof even fuch apparel as entitles me to look after any fort of bread, and muff now, with my poor wife, inevi¬ tably perifh, unlefs immediately relieved ; infhort, words cannot tell our deplorable fituation at this prefent jundfure ; upon the whole, as you, good Sir, in your wonted goodnefs have oeen pleafed to oive me fuch ftrong inftances that you are a truly charitable and humane gentleman, 1 humbly make bold to lay our melancholy cafe before you, in hopes that you, in your great goodnefs, will oe pleafed to enable me to recover as much of my cloaths, as will enable me decently to go of doors in, which indeed, good Sir, will prevent tne im¬ mediate ruin of the moft abje£t, the moft grate¬ ful young couple under the canopy of heaven. I fhail hope your kind anfwer,and am with all de¬ ference and refpeft, SIR, Your moft obedient and moft humble fervant, Chappie-ftreetjWeftminfter, T. Shortney. oppofite the Bluecoat- fciiool, July 13, 1756* S I R, When I fpoke to you Friday noon on the imme¬ diate knowledge of the cruel injury you have done me, under the pretended fan&ion of friendfhip, I then (God help me) could not talk coolly to you, as indeed how could I ? O mifery, mifery, what have you expofed me to ? Or can you ever expe£t to look your Maker in the face?—Without fay¬ ing more, for I cannot now dwell upon the unhappy fubjeft, if you will immediately enable metodifpofe of what was moft dear to me, that you cruel man have vilely forced from my arms, fo that fhe may not become an open fhame, and enable me to waft myfelf to fome foreign ifle, where I may ftruggle through the remainder of my life with fome peace, for here I can never have any, I fhail be fatisfied to let the unhappy matter be buried in oblivion (this you know you ought in confcience to do, even if the law would not touch you, but you will find it can, and that feverely too) but if you will not, and that immediately on the receipt of this, I do allure you, you fhail be profecuted to theutmoft rigour of the law, and a true ftate of the cafe made public, as the injury done me of courfe muft be ; don’t feed yourielf with fancies that you may laugh at the poor injured man be- caufe of his diftrefles in life, that you have fo vile¬ ly taken advantage of; no, believe me, you (han’t, you will find I fhail have powerful friends to ftand by me, if neceflary, to profecute fo unheard of piece of villainy. Be difpofed to expend what you will in law, you will find that the juftneis of my caufe will weigh you down and expofe your infamy, and the world will pity me. I have not open’d the matter to any one as yet, my lawyer will be in town this evening, t ill which time I fhail beat home, and if you have 'a mind to accommodate the matter privately, 1 wih fee yen calmly, provided you add with any neceflary pru¬ dence; but, by all that is heavenly, if you furrer me to ftir at all, nothing can or fhail prevent my going to the utmoft length to do myfeli juftice. I will admit of no folicitor but yourfelf; I value my character, though in diftreflfed circumftances, as much as any man under heaven, fo that if this matter is the leaft expofed, which it will be to¬ morrow (unlefs you prevent it this day) I will never drop it till i have the fatisfa&ion the law allows me; this you will find to be orthodox, and if you chufe
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