not duplicates of the fame notes come in, and given the alarm. By comparing these one with another, there was found so material a difference, that the clerks could inftantly tell the counterfeit from the real, though their orders were to pay both without hesitation, provided they came through any houfe of credit, or other unfufpected channel.

To ftrengthen this conjecture, the writer of this account recolleas to have heard, that, while Mathifon was at the. Bank to exchange a real note, one of his own forged notes came in for payment at the fame time; and that this furnished the teller, to whom thofe notes were prefented, with an occafion to challenge Maxwell (for that was the name he went by) pretty roundly with having fome knowledge of these forgeries, feveral of which had appeared, though no notice, had been taken of them, left it should give a check to the circulation of the real notes. This he fteadily denied; yet there appeared fome alteration in his countenance which denoted guilt, but nothing that could jullify a detainer, and he was fuffered to efcape. Alarmed, however, by this, he knew he could no longer carry on his fraud with fafety in England; and he was preparing to leave the kingdom, when next day, [April 11], pretty early in the morning, the teller was told that his friend Maxwell (for fo he was now ftyled iro

nically) was feen with a bundle paffing along Cornhill.

Whether the teller had discover ed more of these notes in the mean time, or had received particular inftructions from his fuperiors to detain Maxwell if he fhould come again, is not material; but certain it is, that he instantly posted after him, and, having come up with him, under pretence of having committed a mistake in the tale of the money he had paid him the day before, perfuaded him to return with him to the Bank to have that mistake rectified. Being afked what the mistake was, the other replied, that he believed he had paid half a guinea too much: on which Maxwell made light of the matter, and, putting his hand in his pocket, pulled out a guinea, and offered him that. The clerk faid, that would not do; the miftake must be rectified by the books, or he must lofe his place. This had the defired effect: he confented to return; and in his way back left his bundle at a particular fhop. As foon as he entered the Bank, he was told that he muft ftay till the Directors met; and he was fhewn into a room, where the porters paffing to and fro might fee and obferve his motions,

What paffed between him and the Directors, the writer does not pretend to know; all that appeared was, his bundle was fent for and examined, but there was nothing exceptionable found in that.

note.

VOL. XXII.

[X]

Yet,

Yet, notwithstanding this harm lefs appearance, it was thought neceffary, in a cafe of fo much confequence, to take him before Sir John Fielding, where, though he had eluded the questions that had been put to him by the Directors, he perhaps might not be able to evade thofe put to him by the experience and fagacity of that magiftrate; by whom he was particularly afked as to his family, his friends, his connexions, his place of abode, his purfuits, and his profeffion; to all which queftions, he faid, he had reafons for declining an answer. He was a citizen of the world, he said, and knew not how he came into it, nor how he should go out of it. Nothing, therefore, appearing against him, the Solicitor of the Bank fent him to a public house, attended by proper officers, while he fhould confult the magiftrates about reftoring to him his bundle, and fetting him at large. Being placed in the infide of the box, next the window, he had not fat long before he, lifting up the fafh as if to let in air, gave a fudden fpring and jumped out; but, being immediately purfued, was taken and brought back. This confirmed the Solicitor in his fufpicions that he was the man; otherwife why fhould he fly, and leave his money and effects behind him? Being afked his motive, his anfwer was, It was his humour. It was, how ever, determined not to let him go till he had undergone a fecond examination by Sir John Fielding, who, before he was brought up, extended his enquiries to all his

intelligence offices, and had collected all the information poffible concerning him; when, to his utter confufion, the advertisement of the Darlington Bank was produced, and he was found to answer the defcription of Mathifon, who was fufpected to have forged the notes that had been counterfeited of that bank. This being read to him, and being asked if his name was not Mathifon, inftead of Maxwell, he all at once loft his refolution, turned pale, burst into tears, and, after faying he found he was a dead man, he added, "And now I will confefs all." He accordingly owned, that he fabricated the notes in the manner already related; that the moment he had completed the number of notes he thought proper, he destroyed the plates and every implement which he had made ufe of in the fabrication; that his next business was to negociate those notes, and then return and make out more; that he had an aftonishing facility in doing all this, fo that he could accomplish the whole in lefs than a fingle day. By what appeared upon the trial, it fhould feem that he discovered to the Solicitor of the Bank his method of counterfeiting the water-mark; but, upon enquiry, there is reafon to doubt whether he made any particular discovery, only, in general, that he himself was the fole fabricator.

Thus much we have been able to collect of a man, whose powers of imitation never were equalled, and, we hope, for the good of this country, never will in future.

The