generally considered as a doubtful character. He was by all accounts
a tall, showy, good-looking man, and a frequent visitor at Button's
Coffee-house, founded, as is well known, by Addison, in favour of an old
servant of the Warwick family, but never visited by him, when driven
from his home by the ill-humour of his wife; he then resorted to Will's,
on the opposite side of the same street, that he might not be reminded
of domestic anxieties. Button's was on the south side of Russell-street,
Covent-garden; and Will's in the same street, at the corner of
Bow-street. Button's became a private house, and Mrs. Inchbald lodged
there. Mr. Donaldson, observing that Maclaine paid particular attention
to the bar-maid, the daughter of the landlord, gave a hint to the father
of Maclaine's dubious character. The father cautioned his daughter
against the addresses of Maclaine, and imprudently told her by whose
advice he put her on her guard; she as imprudently told Maclaine. The
next time Donaldson visited the coffee-room, and was sitting in one of
the boxes, Maclaine entered, and in a loud tone said, "Mr. Donaldson,
I wish to _spake_ to you in a private room." Mr. Donaldson being
unarmed, and naturally afraid of being alone with such a man, said in
answer, that as nothing could pass between them that he did not wish the
whole world to know, he begged leave to decline the invitation. "Very
well," said Maclaine, as he left the room, "we shall _mate_ again."
A day or two after, as Mr. Donaldson was walking near Richmond in the
evening, he saw Maclaine on horseback, who on perceiving him spurred
the animal and was rapidly approaching him; fortunately, at that moment
a gentleman's carriage appeared in view, when Maclaine immediately
turned his horse towards the carriage, and Donaldson hurried into the
protection of Richmond as fast as possible. But for the appearance of
the carriage, which presented better prey, it is probable that Maclaine
would have shot Mr. Donaldson immediately. Maclaine a short time after
committed a highway robbery, was tried, found guilty, and hanged at