'the present business is to give bail only, and then you will have some time to try your friends: I think you might get a company abroad, and then I would advance the money on the security of half your pay; and, in the mean time, I will be one of your bail with all my heart.'
Whilst Booth poured forth his gratitude for all this kindness, the serjeant ran down-stairs for the bailiff, and shortly after returned with him into the room.
The bailiff, being informed that the colonel offered to be bail for his prisoner, answered a little surlily, 'Well, sir, and who will be the other? you know, I suppose, there must be two; and I must have time to enquire after them.'
The colonel replied, 'I believe, sir, I am well known to be responsible for a much larger sum than your demand on this gentleman; but, if your forms require two, I suppose the serjeant here will do for the other.'
'I don't know the serjeant nor you either, sir,' cries Bondum; 'and, if you propose yourselves bail for the gentleman, I must have time to enquire after you.'
'You need very little time to enquire after me,' says the colonel, 'for I can send for several of the law, whom I suppose you know, to satisfy you; but consider, it is very late.'
'Yes, sir,' answered Bondum, 'I do consider it is too late for the captain to be bailed to-night.'
'What do you mean by too late?' cries the colonel.
'I mean, sir, that I must search the office, and that is now shut up; for, if my lord mayor and the court of aldermen would be bound for him, I would not discharge him till I had searched the office.'
'How, sir!' cries the colonel, 'hath the law of England no more regard for the liberty of the subject than to suffer such fellows as you to detain a man in custody for debt, when he can give undeniable security?'
'Don't fellow me,' said the bailiff; 'I am as good a fellow as yourself, I believe, though you have that riband in your hat there.'
'Do you know whom you are speaking to?' said the serjeant. 'Do you know you are talking to a colonel of the army?'
'What's a colonel of the army to me?' cries the bailiff. 'I have had as good as he in my custody before now.'
'And a member of parliament?' cries the serjeant.
'Is the gentleman a member of parliament?--Well, and what harm have I said? I am sure I meant no harm; and, if his honour is offended, I ask his pardon; to be sure his honour must know that the sheriff is answerable for all the writs in the office, though they were never so many, and I am answerable to the sheriff. I am sure the captain can't say that I have shewn him any manner of incivility since he hath been here.--And I hope, honourable sir,' cries he, turning to the colonel, 'you don't take anything amiss that I said, or meant by way of disrespect, or any such matter. I did not, indeed, as the gentleman here says, know who I was speaking to; but I did not say anything uncivil as I know of, and I hope no offence.'
The colonel was more easily pacified than might have been expected, and told the bailiff that, if it was against the rules of law to discharge Mr. Booth that evening, he must be contented. He then addressed himself to his friend, and began to prescribe comfort and patience to him; saying, he must rest satisfied with his confinement that night; and the next morning he promised to visit him again.
Booth answered, that as for himself, the lying one night in any place was very little worth his regard. 'You and I, my dear friend, have both spent our evening in a worse situation than I shall in this house. All my concern is for my poor Amelia, whose sufferings on account of my absence I know, and I feel with unspeakable tenderness. Could I be assured she was tolerably easy, I could be contented in chains or in a dungeon.'
'Give yourself no concern on her account,' said the colonel; 'I will wait on her myself, though I break an engagement for that purpose, and will give her such assurances as I am convinced will make her
