JAMES BUTLER.
James Butler was bred and born in Kilkenny, and in his pupilage was kept pretty much at school, but his learning did him little service, though he spoke Latin very fluently. When he arrived at man's estate, he enlisted himself a soldier in Lord Galway's regiment, and went with the army to Spain, where he had not been long before he departed to the Spaniards as his favourite party; but meeting with some usage among them he did not relish, he soon grew tired of a military life, and gave the Spaniards the go-by also. Thinking himself in danger in Spain, and not finding a convenient opportunity of returning home, his fancy led him to Andalusia, where he set up as a mountebank, and had wonderful success in raising his reputation and performing cures. At length he undertook the method of easing men of troublesome wives, who were taken to him by wholesale, and this brought more grist to his mill than any other part of his practice. So great was his fame at last, that he outvied the famous Dr. Thornhill, who offered to be his Merry-Andrew, upon condition that he would teach him his Irish assurance; but whether Thornhill did it to get rid of his competitor, or not, I can't tell, however it happened that he was discovered, and to prevent danger, made the best of his way to Venice, where he set up for conjuror, and not managing this business so well as the former, success failed him, and he joined with a company of banditti.
While he was in this company, they had the good fortune to meet with a lusty fat mendicant friar, whom they robbed, taking from him the amount of £20,000, which he was going to carry to Modena, for the late widow of King James II. Queen Dowager of England. The captain of the gang divided the booty, ordering Butler but a very small part, not half his portion, which stomached him so much that he left them and went to Florence: and by this time he had learned to speak both Spanish and Italian.
While he was at Florence, hie curiosity led him to go to see a man executed, where he singled out a young gentleman with whom he had some confabulation, and among the rest of his discourse, he said, "The man was a fool for suffering himself to he taken." At these words, the gentleman taking him for a man of resolution, took him to a tavern, and having sounded him pretty well, offered him five hundred pieces of gold to murder an uncle of his that he might enjoy his estate. Butler consented to the proposal, and went immediately to one of the banditti, with whom he agreed concerning the manner of the murder, and taking him along with him about eleven o'clock at night, to the old man's house, they made a quick dispatch of his life. This being done, and the reward paid them, as soon as Butler got a convenient opportunity he likewise put an end to the young man's life, to prevent him from discovering; and, for the same reason, in a little time afterwards he murdered his comrade.
But, having thus committed three murders, the rumour whereof spread far and near, he grew a little afraid of his mother's calf's skin, and fled directly to Paris, where he soon found means to introduce himself into Cartouch's gang, with whom he often went in quest of prey; but not always distributing the booty equally, as he thought, he ventured to go out one fine morning alone, and taking notice of a young gentleman of Campaigne, who came to Paris on purpose to study, he met him and accosted him, pretending to be a scholar also, and then taking him to the college of Navarre, he led him through the walks, on pretence of entertaining him with new discourses, till they came to a remote corner, and then robbed him.
But beginning to get too notorious in France, and not over-well liked by his comrades, he packed up his awls and went to Holland, and on his travels overtaking a genteel young woman, near Rotterdam, he began to make love, and grew very sweet upon her. She seemed coy at first, but after some discourse had passed, and upon further application, she agreed to pass for his wife. Not beings able to reach the Hague, they stopped short at an inn on the road, and after supper they retired to rest.
As soon as his supposed wife saw daylight, and perceiving how soundly he slept, she rose, and, calling for her husband's portmanteau, under pretence of getting out some linen, took out of it two hundred and ninety pieces of gold, and ordered the hostler to saddle her husband's horse for her to go and pay a friend a visit, but took care to ride off, and let none of them hear any more of her afterwards.
When Butler awoke he threw his arms about, expecting to grasp his dear mistress, but finding himself disappointed, in order to make inquiry about her, and to know the time of the day, he called for his landlord, who told him his lady was a very early woman, having risen three or four hours before. Surprised at this news, he started up and ran to his portmanteau, which, when he searched, he immediately found how nicely he was tricked, yet he could not find in his heart to asperse her, or much to blame her for herself, because he lived by tricking. However, thus outwitted as he was, he sold his lady's horse, and having paid the reckoning with the remainder of the money, he made the best of his way to England, where dame fortune forsaking him, the lady poverty came to pay him a visit, and would not be persuaded to abandon him till she had brought him to a very low ebb. Being reduced to this condition, he happened one day to pick up a fresh acquaintaince with Mrs. Impudence, who accompanied him and two others to King's Gate, in Grey's Inn Lane, where they attacked and stopped a coach, but finding a vigorous resistance, were obliged to return in a hurry, and ride off as fast as they could. However, Butler was pursued, taken, and committed to Newgate, but being only found guilty of an assault, he was fined £100 and confined twelve months.
At length procuring his liberty, he fell to his old courses on the highway, in conjunction with one Nodes, an upholsterer's son, at Fleetditch, where they continued their depredations for a length of time, and amassed a great deal of money. Being warned in a dream, after a night of dreadful debauch and sensuality, of what his present wicked course would bring him to, and happening to hear a most impressive sermon on the suffering of the damned in hell, he at length determined to quit his sinful courses of life. He therefore relinquished his iniquitous gain, dispensing it in charity, and returned to his friends in Ireland, where he passed the remainder of his life in penance and mortification.