The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

by Daniel Defoe

knew not whither, andin search of I knew not what, when the devil put a snare in my way of adreadful nature indeed, and such a one as I have never had before orsince. Going through Aldersgate Street, there was a pretty littlechild who had been at a dancing-school, and was going home, all alone;and my prompter, like a true devil, set me upon this innocent creature.I talked to it, and it prattled to me again, and I took it by the handand led it along till I came to a paved alley that goes intoBartholomew Close, and I led it in there. The child said that was notits way home. I said, 'Yes, my dear, it is; I'll show you the wayhome.' The child had a little necklace on of gold beads, and I had myeye upon that, and in the dark of the alley I stooped, pretending tomend the child's clog that was loose, and took off her necklace, andthe child never felt it, and so led the child on again. Here, I say,the devil put me upon killing the child in the dark alley, that itmight not cry, but the very thought frighted me so that I was ready todrop down; but I turned the child about and bade it go back again, forthat was not its way home. The child said, so she would, and I wentthrough into Bartholomew Close, and then turned round to anotherpassage that goes into St. John Street; then, crossing into Smithfield,went down Chick Lane and into Field Lane to Holborn Bridge, when,mixing with the crowd of people usually passing there, it was notpossible to have been found out; and thus I enterprised my second sallyinto the world.

  The thoughts of this booty put out all the thoughts of the first, andthe reflections I had made wore quickly off; poverty, as I have said,hardened my heart, and my own necessities made me regardless ofanything. The last affair left no great concern upon me, for as I didthe poor child no harm, I only said to myself, I had given the parentsa just reproof for their negligence in leaving the poor little lamb tocome home by itself, and it would teach them to take more care of itanother time.

  This string of beads was worth about twelve or fourteen pounds. Isuppose it might have been formerly the mother's, for it was too bigfor the child's wear, but that perhaps the vanity of the mother, tohave her child look fine at the dancing-school, had made her let thechild wear it; and no doubt the child had a maid sent to take care ofit, but she, careless jade, was taken up perhaps with some fellow thathad met her by the way, and so the poor baby wandered till it fell intomy hands.

  However, I did the child no harm; I did not so much as fright it, for Ihad a great many tender thoughts about me yet, and did nothing butwhat, as I may say, mere necessity drove me to.

  I had a great many adventures after this, but I was young in thebusiness, and did not know how to manage, otherwise than as the devilput things into my head; and indeed he was seldom backward to me. Oneadventure I had which was very lucky to me. I was going throughLombard Street in the dusk of the evening, just by the end of ThreeKing court, when on a sudden comes a fellow running by me as swift aslightning, and throws a bundle that was in his hand, just behind me, asI stood up against the corner of the house at the turning into thealley. Just as he threw it in he said, 'God bless you, mistress, letit lie there a little,' and away he runs swift as the wind. After himcomes two more, and immediately a young fellow without his hat, crying'Stop thief!' and after him two or three more. They pursued the twolast fellows so close, that they were forced to drop what they had got,and one of them was taken into the bargain, and other got off free.

  I stood stock-still all this while, till they came back, dragging thepoor fellow they had taken, and lugging the things they had found,extremely well satisfied that they had recovered the booty and takenthe thief; and thus they passed by me, for I looked only like one whostood up while the crowd was gone.

  Once or twice I asked what was the matter, but the people neglectedanswering me, and I was not very importunate; but after the crowd waswholly past, I took my opportunity to turn about and take up what wasbehind me and walk away. This, indeed, I did with less disturbancethan I had done formerly, for these things I did not steal, but theywere stolen to my hand. I got safe to my lodgings with this cargo,which was a piece of fine black lustring silk, and a piece of velvet;the latter was but part of a piece of about eleven yards; the formerwas a whole piece of near fifty yards. It seems it was a mercer's shopthat they had rifled. I say rifled, because the goods were soconsiderable that they had lost; for the goods that they recovered werepretty many, and I believe came to about six or seven several pieces ofsilk. How they came to get so many I could not tell; but as I had onlyrobbed the thief, I made no scruple at taking these goods, and beingvery glad of them too.

  I had pretty good luck thus far, and I made several adventures more,though with but small purchase, yet with good success, but I went indaily dread that some mischief would befall me, and that I shouldcertainly come to be hanged at last. The impression this made on mewas too strong to be slighted, and it kept me from making attemptsthat, for ought I knew, might have been very safely performed; but onething I cannot omit, which was a bait to me many a day. I walkedfrequently out into the villages round the town, to see if nothingwould fall in my way there; and going by a house near Stepney, I saw onthe window-board two rings, one a small diamond ring, and the other agold ring, to be sure laid there by some thoughtless lady, that hadmore money then forecast, perhaps only till she washed her hands.

  I walked several times by the window to observe if I could see whetherthere was anybody in the room or no, and I could see nobody, but stillI was not sure. It came presently into my thoughts to rap at theglass, as if I wanted to speak with somebody, and if anybody was therethey would be sure to come to the window, and then I would tell them toremove those rings, for that I had seen two suspicious fellows takenotice of them. This was a ready thought. I rapped once or twice andnobody came, when, seeing the coast clear, I thrust hard against thesquare of the glass, and broke it with very little noise, and took outthe two rings, and walked away with them very safe. The diamond ringwas worth about #3, and the other about 9s.

  I was now at a loss for a market for my goods, and especially for mytwo pieces of silk. I was very loth to dispose of them for a trifle,as the poor unhappy thieves in general do, who, after they haveventured their lives for perhaps a thing of value, are fain to sell itfor a song when they have done; but I was resolved I would not do thus,whatever shift I made, unless I was driven to the last extremity.However, I did not well know what course to take. At last I resolvedto go to my old governess, and acquaint myself with her again. I hadpunctually supplied the #5 a year to her for my little boy as long as Iwas able, but at last was obliged to put a stop to it. However, I hadwritten a letter to her, wherein I had told her that my circumstanceswere reduced very low; that I had lost my husband, and that I was notable to do it any longer, and so begged that the poor child might notsuffer too much for its mother's misfortunes.

  I now made her a visit, and I found that she drove something of the oldtrade still, but that she was not in such flourishing circumstances asbefore; for she had been sued by a certain gentleman who had had hisdaughter stolen from him, and who, it seems, she had helped to conveyaway; and it was very narrowly that she escaped the gallows. Theexpense also had ravaged her, and she was become very poor; her housewas but meanly furnished, and she was not in such repute for herpractice as before; however, she stood upon her legs, as they say, andas she was a stirring, bustling woman, and had some stock left, she wasturned pawnbroker, and lived pretty well.

  She received me very civilly, and with her usual obliging manner toldme she would not have the less respect for me for my being reduced;that she had taken care my boy was very well looked after, though Icould not pay for him, and that the woman that had him was easy, sothat I needed not to trouble myself about him till I might be betterable to do it effectually.

  I told her that I had not much money left, but that I had some thingsthat were money's worth, if she could tell me how I might turn theminto money. She asked me what it was I had. I pulled out the stringof gold beads, and told her it was one of my husband's presents to me;then I showed her the two parcels of silk, whic
h I told her I had fromIreland, and brought up to town with me; and the little diamond ring.As to the small parcel of plate and spoons, I had found means todispose of them myself before; and as for the childbed-linen I had, sheoffered me to take it herself, believing it to have been my own. Shetold me that she was turned pawnbroker, and that she would sell thosethings for me as pawn to her; and so she sent presently for properagents that bought them, being in her hands, without any scruple, andgave good prices too.

  I now began to think this necessary woman might help me a little in mylow condition to some business, for I would gladly have turned my handto any honest employment if I could have got it. But here she wasdeficient; honest business did not come within her reach. If I hadbeen younger, perhaps she might have helped me to a spark, but mythoughts were off that kind of livelihood, as being quite out of theway after fifty, which was my case, and so I told her.

  She invited me at last to come, and be at her house till I could findsomething to do, and it should cost me very little, and this I gladlyaccepted of. And now living a little easier, I entered into somemeasures to have my little son by my last husband taken off; and thisshe made easy too, reserving a payment only of #5 a year, if I couldpay it. This was such a help to me, that for a good while I left offthe wicked trade that I had so newly taken up; and gladly I would havegot my bread by the help of my needle if I could have got work, butthat was very hard to do for one that had no manner of acquaintance inthe world.

  However, at last I got some quilting work for ladies' beds, petticoats,and the like; and this I liked very well, and worked very hard, andwith this I began to live; but the diligent devil, who resolved Ishould continue in his service, continually prompted me to go out andtake a walk, that is to say, to see if anything would offer in the oldway.

  One evening I blindly obeyed his summons, and fetched a long circuitthrough the streets, but met with no purchase, and came home very wearyand empty; but not content with that, I went out the next evening too,when going by an alehouse I saw the door of a little room open, nextthe very street, and on the table a silver tankard, things much in usein public-houses at that time. It seems some company had been drinkingthere, and the careless boys had forgot to take it away.

  I went into the box frankly, and setting the silver tankard on thecorner of the bench, I sat down before it, and knocked with my foot; aboy came presently, and I bade him fetch me a pint of warm ale, for itwas cold weather; the boy ran, and I heard him go down the cellar todraw the ale. While the boy was gone, another boy came into the room,and cried, 'D' ye call?' I spoke with a melancholy air, and said, 'No,child; the boy is gone for a pint of ale for me.'

  While I sat here, I heard the woman in the bar say, 'Are they all gonein the five?' which was the box I sat in, and the boy said, 'Yes.' 'Whofetched the tankard away?' says the woman. 'I did,' says another boy;'that's it,' pointing, it seems, to another tankard, which he hadfetched from another box by mistake; or else it must be, that the rogueforgot that he had not brought it in, which certainly he had not.

  I heard all this, much to my satisfaction, for I found plainly that thetankard was not missed, and yet they concluded it was fetched away; soI drank my ale, called to pay, and as I went away I said, 'Take care ofyour plate, child,' meaning a silver pint mug, which he brought medrink in. The boy said, 'Yes, madam, very welcome,' and away I came.

  I came home to my governess, and now I thought it was a time to tryher, that if I might be put to the necessity of being exposed, shemight offer me some assistance. When I had been at home some time, andhad an opportunity of talking to her, I told her I had a secret of thegreatest consequence in the world to commit to her, if she had respectenough for me to keep it a secret. She told me she had kept one of mysecrets faithfully; why should I doubt her keeping another? I told herthe strangest thing in the world had befallen me, and that it had madea thief of me, even without any design, and so told her the whole storyof the tankard. 'And have you brought it away with you, my dear?' saysshe. 'To be sure I have,' says I, and showed it her. 'But what shallI do now,' says I; 'must not carry it again?'

  'Carry it again!' says she. 'Ay, if you are minded to be sent toNewgate for stealing it.' 'Why,' says I, 'they can't be so base tostop me, when I carry it to them again?' 'You don't know those sort ofpeople, child,' says she; 'they'll not only carry you to Newgate, buthang you too, without any regard to the honesty of returning it; orbring in an account of all the other tankards they have lost, for youto pay for.' 'What must I do, then?' says I. 'Nay,' says she, 'as youhave played the cunning part and stole it, you must e'en keep it;there's no going back now. Besides, child,' says she, 'don't you wantit more than they do? I wish you could light of such a bargain once aweek.'

  This gave me a new notion of my governess, and that since she wasturned pawnbroker, she had a sort of people about her that were none ofthe honest ones that I had met with there before.

  I had not been long there but I discovered it more plainly than before,for every now and then I saw hilts of swords, spoons, forks, tankards,and all such kind of ware brought in, not to be pawned, but to be solddownright; and she bought everything that came without asking anyquestions, but had very good bargains, as I found by her discourse.

  I found also that in following this trade she always melted down theplate she bought, that it might not be challenged; and she came to meand told me one morning that she was going to melt, and if I would, shewould put my tankard in, that it might not be seen by anybody. I toldher, with all my heart; so she weighed it, and allowed me the fullvalue in silver again; but I found she did not do the same to the restof her customers.

  Some time after this, as I was at work, and very melancholy, she beginsto ask me what the matter was, as she was used to do. I told her myheart was heavy; I had little work, and nothing to live on, and knewnot what course to take. She laughed, and told me I must go out againand try my fortune; it might be that I might meet with another piece ofplate. 'O mother!' says I, 'that is a trade I have no skill in, and ifI should be taken I am undone at once.' Says she, 'I could help you toa schoolmistress that shall make you as dexterous as herself.' Itrembled at that proposal, for hitherto I had had no confederates, norany acquaintance among that tribe. But she conquered all my modesty,and all my fears; and in a little time, by the help of thisconfederate, I grew as impudent a thief, and as dexterous as ever MollCutpurse was, though, if fame does not belie her, not half so handsome.

  The comrade she helped me to dealt in three sorts of craft, viz.shoplifting, stealing of shop-books and pocket-books, and taking offgold watches from the ladies' sides; and this last she did sodexterously that no woman ever arrived to the performance of that artso as to do it like her. I liked the first and the last of thesethings very well, and I attended her some time in the practice, just asa deputy attends a midwife, without any pay.

  At length she put me to practice. She had shown me her art, and I hadseveral times unhooked a watch from her own side with great dexterity.At last she showed me a prize, and this was a young lady big withchild, who had a charming watch. The thing was to be done as she cameout of church. She goes on one side of the lady, and pretends, just asshe came to the steps, to fall, and fell against the lady with so muchviolence as put her into a great fright, and both cried out terribly.In the very moment that she jostled the lady, I had hold of the watch,and holding it the right way, the start she gave drew the hook out, andshe never felt it. I made off immediately, and left my schoolmistressto come out of her pretended fright gradually, and the lady too; andpresently the watch was missed. 'Ay,' says my comrade, 'then it wasthose rogues that thrust me down, I warrant ye; I wonder thegentlewoman did not miss her watch before, then we might have takenthem.'

  She humoured the thing so well that nobody suspected her, and I was gothome a full hour before her. This was my first adventure in company.The watch was indeed a very fine one, and had a great many trinketsabout it, and my governess allowed us #20 for it, of which I
had half.And thus I was entered a complete thief, hardened to the pitch aboveall the reflections of conscience or modesty, and to a degree which Imust acknowledge I never thought possible in me.

  Thus the devil, who began, by the help of an irresistible poverty, topush me into this wickedness, brought me on to a height beyond thecommon rate, even when my necessities were not so great, or theprospect of my misery so terrifying; for I had now got into a littlevein of work, and as I was not at a loss to handle my needle, it wasvery probable, as acquaintance came in, I might have got my breadhonestly enough.

  I must say, that if such a prospect of work had presented itself atfirst, when I began to feel the approach of my miserablecircumstances--I say, had such a prospect of getting my bread byworking presented itself then, I had never fallen into this wickedtrade, or into such a wicked gang as I was now embarked with; butpractice had hardened me, and I grew audacious to the last degree; andthe more so because I had carried it on so long, and had never beentaken; for, in a word, my new partner in wickedness and I went ontogether so long, without being ever detected, that we not only grewbold, but we grew rich, and we had at one time one-and-twenty goldwatches in our hands.

  I remember that one day being a little more serious than ordinary, andfinding I had so good a stock beforehand as I had, for I had near #200in money for my share, it came strongly into my mind, no doubt fromsome kind spirit, if such there be, that at first poverty excited me,and my distresses drove me to these dreadful shifts; so seeing thosedistresses were now relieved, and I could also get something towards amaintenance by working,