Sometimeintheyear1758，theredawneduponPortsmouthapersonagebearingtheponderoustitleofKing’sAttorney，andcarryingmuchgoldlaceabouthim。ThisgildedgentlemanwasMr。
WysemanClagett，ofBristol，England，wherehisfatherdweltonthemanorofBroadOaks，inamansionwithtwelvechimneys，andkeptacoachandeightortenservants。Uptothemomentofhisadventinthecolonies，Mr。WysemanClagetthadevidentlynotbeenabletokeepanythingbuthimself。Hiswealthconsistedofhispersonaldecorations，thegoldenfrogsonhislapels，andthetinselathisthroat；othercharmshehadnone。YetwiththesehecontrivedtodazzletheeyesofLetticeMitchel，oneoftheyoungbeautiesoftheprovince，andtocausehertoforgetthatshehadplightedtrothwithaMr。Warner，theninEurope，anddestinedtoreturnhomewithadisturbedheart。Mr。Clagettwasamanofviolenttemperandingeniousvindictiveness，andprovedmorethanasufficientpunishmentforLettice’sinfidelity。ThetriflingfactthatWarnerwasdead——hediedshortlyafterhisreturn——didnotinterferewiththecourseofMr。Clagett’sjealousy；hewashauntedbythesuspicionthatLetticeregrettedherfirstlove，havingleftnothingundonetomakeherdoso。\"ThisistopayWarner’sdebts，\"remarkedMr。Clagett，ashetwitchedoffthetable-clothandwreckedthetea-things。
Inhisofficialcapacityhewasarelentlessprosecutor。ThenounClagettspeedilyturneditselfintoaverb；\"toClagett\"meant\"toprosecute；\"theywereconvertibleterms。Inspiteofhisindustriousseverity，andhisroyalemoluments，ifsuchexisted，theexchequeroftheKing’sAttorneyshowedaperpetualdeficit。
ThestratagemstowhichheresortedfromtimetotimeinordertoraiseunimportantsumsremindedoneofcertainscenesinMoliere’scomedies。
Mr。Clagetthadforhisamedamneeaconstableofthetown。Theyweremadeforeachother；theyweretwoflowerswithbutasinglestem，andthiswastheirmethodofprocedure：Mr。Clagettdispatchedoneofhisservantstopickaquarrelwithsomecountrymanonthestreet，orsomesailordrinkingataninn：theconstablearrestedthesailororthecountryman，asthecasemightbe，andhauledtheculpritbeforeMr。Clagett；Mr。Clagettreadtheculpritamorallesson，andfinedhimfivedollarsandcosts。Theplunderwasthendividedbetweentheconspirators——twoheartsthatbeatasone——Clagett，ofcourse，gettingthelion’sshare。Justicewasneveradministeredinasimplermannerinanycountry。Thiseminentlegallightwasextinguishedin1784，andthewicklaidawayinthelittlechurchyardinLitchfield，NewHampshire。Itisasatisfaction，evenaftersuchalapseoftime，toknowthatLetticesurvivedtheKing’sAttorneysufficientlylongtobeveryhappywithsomebodyelse。LetticeMitchelwasscarcelyeighteenwhenshemarriedWysemanClagett。