Extract of a Letter from Ingerstone, Essex.
A Gentleman who came last Week to this Town, to visit a Friend in his Indisposition, meeting a Woman (one of the idle Strollers that infest the Country in Summer-time, pretending to tell Fortunes, and Gifts of Prophecy) was so weak to listen to her Cant and while they were sitting under a Hedge, the cunning Gipsey found Means to get all the Money he had about him, by telling him he must give her all, and go directly to his Friend's House, and in the Orchard dig under a certain Walnut-tree, where he would find fifteen Tickets for the present Bridge-Lottery, which would all prove Prizes and in each Ticket he would find a Diamond of considerable value, but gave him a strict Charge, before he began to dig, to scrape off all the Bark of the Tree.
In pursuance of her iniquitous Directions, the infatuated Gentleman pared all the Bark from the Tree, and dug it, 'till it had like to have fallen on his Head. Now he bemoans his loss, and the injury he has done his Friend.
Warrants are issued out to apprehend the false Prophetess.
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Extracted From:
Newcastle Courant - Tuesday, 8th September 1739
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