We have seen that his income must have been large from the year 1718 or thereabouts, till his utter loss of credit in journalism about the year 1726; but he may have had old debts.

It is difficult to explain otherwise why he should have been at such pains, when he became prosperous, to assign property to his children.

There is evidence, as early as 1720, of his making over property to his daughter Hannah, and the letter from which I have quoted shows that he did not hold his Newington estate in his own name.

In this letter he speaks of a perjured, contemptible enemy as the cause of his misfortunes.

Mr.Lee conjectures that this was Mist, that Mist had succeeded in embroiling him with the Government by convincing them of treachery in his secret services, and that this was the hue and cry from which he fled.