"My friend's first care," continued my son, "was to alter my appearance by a very fine suit of his own clothes, and then I was admitted to his table, upon the footing of half friend, half underling. My business was to attend him at auctions, to put him in spirits when he sat for his picture, to take the left hand in his chariot when not filled by another, and to as

"O no, Sir," returned he, "a true poet can never be so base; for wherever there is genius, there is pride. The creatures I now describe are only beggars in rhyme. The real poet, assist at tattering a kip, as the phrase was, when he braves every hardship for fame, so he is equally a coward to contempt; and none but those who are unworthy protection, condescend to solicit it.

"Having a mind too proud to stoop to such indignities, and yet a fortune too humble to hazard a second attempt for fame, I was now obliged to take a middle course, and write for bread. But I was unqualified for a profession where mere industry alone was to ensure success. I could not suppress my lurking passion for applause; but usually consumed that time in efforts after excellence which takes up but little room, when it should have been more advantageously employed in the diffusive productions of fruitful mediocrity. My little piece would therefore come forth in the midst of periodical publications, unnoticed and unknown. The public were more importantly employed than to observe the easy simplicity of my style, or the harmony of my periods. Sheet after sheet was thrown off to oblivion. My essays were buried among the essays upon liberty, eastern tales, and cures for the bite of a mad dog; while Philautos, Philalethes, Philelutheros, and Philanthropos all wrote better, because they wrote faster than I.

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he had a mind for a frolic. Besides this, I had twenty other little employments in the family. I was to do many small things without bidding; to carry the corkscrew; to stand godfather to all the butler's children; to sing when I was bid; to be never out of humour; ways to be humble, and if I could, to be very happy.

"In this honourable post, however, I was not without a rival. A captain of marines, who was formed for the place by nature, opposed me in my patron's affections. His mother had been laundress to a man of quality, and thus he early acquired a taste for pimping and pedigree. As this gentleman made it the study of his life to be acquainted with lords, though he was dismissed from several for his stupidity, yet he found many of them who were as dull as himself, that permitted his assiduities. As flattery was his trade, he practised it with the easiest address imaginable; but it came awkward and stiff from me and as every day my patron's desire of flattery increased, so every hour being better acquainted with his defects I became more unwilling to give it. Thus I was once more fairly going to give up the field to the captain, when my friend found occasion for my assistance. This was nothing less than to fight a duel for him, with a gentleman whose sister it was pretended he had used ill. I readily complied with his request, and though I see you are displeased with my conduct, yet, as it was a debt indispensably due to friendship, I could not refuse. I undertook the affair, disarmed my antagonist, and soon after had the pleasure of finding that the lady was only a woman of the town, and the fellow her bully and a sharper. This piece of service was repaid with the warmest professions of gratitude; but as my friend was to leave town in a few days, he knew no other method of serving me, but by recommending me to his uncle Sir William Thornhill, and another nobleman of great distinction who enjoyed a post under the government. When he was gone, my first care was to carry his recommendatory letter to his uncle, a man whose character for every virtue was universal, yet just. I was received by his servants with the most hospitable smiles; for the looks of the "What did you say, George!" interrupted domestic ever transmit their master's benevo I,-" Thornhill, was not that his name? It lence. Being shown into a grand apartment, can certainly be no other than my landlord.”— | where Sir William soon came to me, I deli

Now, therefore, I began to associate with none but disappointed authors like myself, who praised, deplored, and despised each other. The satisfaction we found in every celebrated writer's attempts, was inversely as their merits. I found that no genius in another could please me. My unfortunate paradoxes had entirely dried up that source of comfort. I could neither read nor write with satisfaction; for excellence in another was my aversion, and writing was my trade.

"In the midst of these gloomy reflections, as I was one day sitting on a bench in St James's park, a young gentleman of distinction, who had been my intimate acquaintance at the university, approached me. We saluted each other with some hesitation; he almost ashamed of being known to one who made so shabby an appearance, and I afraid of a repulse. But my suspicions soon vanished; for Ned Thornhill was at the bottom a very goodnatured fellow."

vered my message, and letter, which he read, vile things that nature designed should be and after pausing some minutes, Pray, Sir, thrown by into her lumber-room, there to cried he, inform me what you have done for perish in obscurity. I had still, however, my kinsman to deserve this warm recommen- half a guinea left, and of that I thought fordation: But I suppose, Sir, I guess your tune herself should not deprive me; but in merits; you have fought for him; and so you order to be sure of this, I was resolved to go would expect a reward from me for being the instantly and spend it, while I had it, and instrument of his vices. I wish, sincerely then trust to occurrences for the rest. As I wish, that my present refusal may be some was going along with this resolution, it happunishment for your guilt; but still more, pened that Mr Crispe's office seemed invitthat it may be some inducement to your ingly open to give me a welcome reception. repentance. The severity of this rebuke I In this office Mr Crispe kindly offers all his bore patiently, because I knew it was just. Majesty's subjects a generous promise of £30 My whole expectations now, therefore, lay in a year, for which promise all they give in return my letter to the great man. As the doors of is their liberty for life, and permission to let the nobility are almost ever beset with beg-him transport them to America as slaves. I gars, all ready to thrust in some sly petition, I was happy at finding a place, where I could found it no easy matter to gain admittance. lose my fears in desperation, and entered this However, after bribing the servants with half cell (for it had the appearance of one) with my worldly fortune, I was at last shown into the devotion of a monastic. Here I found a a spacious apartment, my letter being previ- number of poor creatures, all in circumstances ously sent up for his lordship's inspection. like myself, expecting the arrival of Mr Crispe, During this anxious interval I had full time to presenting a true epitome of English impalook round me. Every thing was grand and tience. Each untractable soul at variance of happy contrivance; the paintings, the fur- with fortune, wreaked her injuries on their niture, the gildings, petrified me with awe, and own hearts: but Mr Crispe at last came raised my idea of the owner. Ah, thought I down, and all our murmurs were hushed. He to myself, how very great must the possessor deigned to regard me with an air of peculiar of all these things be, who carries in his head approbation, and indeed he was the first man the business of the state, and whose house dis- who for a month past had talked to me with plays half the wealth of a kingdom; sure his smiles. After a few questions, he found I genius must be unfathomable !-During these was fit for every thing in the world. He awful reflections, I heard a step come heavily paused awhile upon the properest means of forward. Ah, this is the great man himself! providing for me, and slapping his forehead as No, it was only a chambermaid. Another if he had found it, assured me, that there was foot was heard soon after. This must be he! at that time an embassy talked of from the No, it was only the great man's valet de cham-synod of Pennsylvania to the Chickasaw bre. At last his lordship actually made his appearance. Are you, cried he, the bearer of this here letter? I answered with a bow. I learn by this, continued he, as how that-But just at that instant a servant delivered him a card, and without taking farther notice, he went out of the room, and left me to digest my own happiness at leisure; I saw no more of him, till told by a footman that his lordship was going to his coach at the door.-Down I "As I was going out with that resolution, immediately followed, and joined my voice to I was met at the door by the captain of a ship that of three or four more, who came, like me, with whom I had formerly some little acquainto petition for favours. His lordship, how-tance, and he agreed to be my companion over ever, went too fast for us, and was gaining his chariot door with large strides, when I hallooed out to know if I was to have any reply. He was by this time got in, and muttered an answer, half of which only I heard, the other half was lost in the rattling of his chariot wheels. I stood for some time with my neck stretched out, in the posture of one that was listening to catch the glorious sounds, till looking round me, I found myself alone at his lordship's gate.

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My patience," continued my son, "was now quite exhausted: stung with the thousand indignities I had met with, I was willing to cast myself away, and only wanted the gulf to receive me. I regarded myself as one of those

Indians, and that he would use his interest to get me made secretary. I knew in my own heart that the fellow lied, and yet his promise gave me pleasure, there was something so magnificent in the sound. I fairly therefore divided my half-guinea, one half of which went to be added to his thirty thousand pounds, and with the other half I resolved to go to the next tavern, to be there more happy than he.

a bowl of punch. As I never choose to make a secret of my circumstances, he assured me that I was upon the very point of ruin, in listening to the office-keeper's promises: for that he only designed to sell me to the plantations. But, continued he, I fancy you might, by a much shorter voyage, be very easily put into a genteel way of bread. Take my advice. My ship sails to-morrow for Amsterdam. What if you go in her as a passenger? The moment you land, all you have to do is to teach the Dutchmen English,and I'll warrant you'll get pupils and money enough. I suppose you understand English,added he, by this time, or the deuce is in it. I confidently assured him of that: but expressed a doubt whether the Dutch would

be willing to learn English. He affirmed with ders, and among such of the French as were an oath that they were fond of it to distrac-poor enough to be very merry; for I ever tion; and upon that affirmation I agreed with his proposal, and embarked the next day to teach the Dutch English in Holland. The wind was fair, our voyage short, and after having paid my passage with half my moveables, I found myself, fallen as from the skies, a stranger in one of the principal streets of Amsterdam. In this situation I was unwilling to let any time pass unemployed in teaching. I addressed myself therefore to two or three of those I met, whose appearance seemed most promising; but it was impossible to make ourselves mutually understood. It was not till this very moment I recollected, that in order to teach the Dutchmen English, it was necessary that they should first teach me Dutch. How I came to overlook so obvious an objection is to me amazing; but certain it is I overlooked it.

found them sprightly in proportion to their wants. Whenever I approached a peasant's house towards nightfall, I played one of my most merry tunes, and that procured me not only a lodging, but subsistence for the next day. I once or twice attempted to play for people of fashion ; but they always thought my performance odious, and never rewarded me even with a trifle. This was to me more extraordinary, as whenever I used in better days to play for company, when playing was my amusement, my music never failed to throw them into raptures, and the ladies especially; but as it was now my only means, it was received with contempt-a proof how ready the world is to underrate those talents by which a man is supported.

"In this manner I proceeded to Paris, with no design but just to look about me, and then "This scheme thus blown up, I had some to go forward. The people of Paris are much thoughts of fairly shipping back to England fonder of strangers that have money than those again; but falling into company with an Irish that have wit. As I could not boast much of student who was returning from Louvain our either, I was no great favourite. After walkconversation turning upon topics of literature, ing about the town four or five days, and see(for by the way it may be observed, that I ing the outsides of the best houses, I was prealways forgot the meanness of my circum- paring to leave this retreat of venal hospitality, stances when I could converse upon such sub-when passing through one of the principal jects,) from him I learned that there were not two men in his whole university who understood Greek. This amazed me. I instantly resolved to travel to Louvain, and there live by teaching Greek; and in this design I was heartened by my brother student, who threw out some hints that a fortune might be got

by it.

"I set boldly forward the next morning. Every day lessened the burden of my moveables, like Æsop and his basket of bread; for I paid them for my lodgings to the Dutch as I travelled on. When I came to Louvain, I was resolved not to go sneaking to the lower professors, but openly tendered my talents to the principal himself. I went, had admittance,and offered him my service as a master of the Greek language, which I had been told was a desideratum in his university. The principal seemed at first to doubt of my abilities; but of these I offered to convince him by turning a part of any Greek author he should fix upon into Latin. Finding me perfectly earnest in my proposal, he addressed me thus; You see me, young man : I never learned Greek, and I don't find that I have ever missed it. I have had a doctor's cap and gown without Greek; I have ten thousand florins a-year without Greek; I eat heartily without Greek; and in short continued he, as I don't know Greek, I do not believe there is any good in it.

streets, whom should I meet but our cousin, to whom you first recommended me. This meeting was very agreeable to me, and I believe not displeasing to him. He inquired into the nature of my journey to Paris, and informed me of his own business there, which was to collect pictures, medals, intaglios, and antiques of all kinds for a gentleman in London, who had just stept into taste, and a large fortune. I was the more surprised at seeing our cousin pitched upon for this office, as he himself had often assured me he knew nothing of the matter. Upon asking how he had been taught the art of a cognoscento so very suddenly, he assured me that nothing was more easy. The whole secret consisted in a strict adherence to two rules: the one, always to observe the picture might have been better if the painter had taken more pains; and the other, to praise the works of Pietro Perugino. But, says he, as I once taught you how to be an author in London, I'll now undertake to instruct you in the art of picture-buying at Paris.

"With this proposal I very readily closed, as it was living, and now all my ambition was to live. I went therefore to his lodgings, improved my dress by his assistance, and after some time accompanied him to auctions of pictures, where the English gentry were expected to be purchasers. I was not a little surprised at his intimacy with people of the best of fashion, who referred themselves to his judgment upon every picture or medal, as to He made very

"I was now too far from home to think of returning; so I resolved to go forward. I had some knowledge of music, with a tolerable voice, and now turned what was my amuse- an unerring standard of taste. ment into a present means of subsistence. I good use of my assistance upon these occasions; passed among the harmless peasants of Flan- | for when asked his opinion, he would gravely

take me aside and ask mine, shrug, look wise, return, and assure the company that he could give no opinion, upon an affair of so much importance. Yet there was sometimes an occasion for a more important assurance. I remember to have seen him, after giving his opinion that the colouring of a picture was not mellow enough, very deliberately take a brush with brown varnish, that was accidentally lying by, and rub it over the piece with great composure before all the company, and then ask if he had not improved the tint.

along from city to city, examined mankind more nearly, and, if I may so express it, saw both sides of the picture. My remarks, however, are but few: found that monarchy was the best government for the poor to live in, and commonwealths for the rich. I found that riches in general were in every country another name for freedom; and that no man is so fond of liberty himself, as not to be desirous of subjecting the will of some individuals in society to his own.

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Upon my arrival in England I resolved to pay my respects first to you, and then to inlist as a volunteer in the first expedition that was going forward; but on my journey down my resolutions were changed, by meeting an old acquaintance, who I found belonged to a company of comedians that were going to make a summer campaign in the country. The company seemed not much to disapprove of me for an associate. They all, however, apprised me of the importance of the task at which I aimed; that the public was a manyheaded monster, and that only such as had very good heads could please it; that acting was not to be learned in a day, and that without some traditional shrugs, which had been on the stage, and only on the stage, these hundred years, I could never pretend to please. The next difficulty was in fitting me with parts, as almost every character was in keeping. I was

"When he had finished his commission in Paris, he left me strongly recommended to several men of distinction, as a person very proper for a travelling tutor; and after some time I was employed in that capacity by a gentleman who brought his ward to Paris, in order to set him forward on his tour through Europe. I was to be the young gentleman's governor, but with a proviso that he should always be permitted to govern himself. My pupil in fact understood the art of guiding in money concerns much better than I. He was heir to a fortune of about two hundred thousand pounds, left him by an uncle in the West Indies; and his guardians, to qualify him for the management of it had bound him an apprentice to an attorney. Thus avarice was his prevailing passion: all his questions on the road were, how money might be saved; which was the least expensive course of travel; whe-driven for some time from one character to ther any thing could be bought that would turn to account when disposed of again in London? Such curiosities on the way as could be seen for nothing, he was ready enough to look at ; but if the sight of them was to be paid for, he usually asserted that he had been told they were not worth seeing. He never paid a bill that he would not observe how amazingly ex. pensive travelling was, and all this though he was not yet twenty-one. When arrived at Leghorn, as we took a walk to look at the port and shipping, he inquired the expense of the passage by sea home to England. This he was informed was but a trifle compared to his returning by land; he was therefore unable to withstand the temptation; so paying me the small part of my salary that was due, he took leave, and embarked with only one attendant for London.

'I now therefore was left once more upon the world at large; but then it was a thing I was used to. However, my skill in music could avail me nothing in a country where every peasant was a better musician than I; but by this time I had acquired another talent which answered my purpose as well, and this was a skill in disputation. In all the foreign universities and convents there are, upon certain days, philosophical theses maintained against every adventitious disputant; for which, if the champion opposes with any dexterity, he can claim a gratuity in money, a dinner and a bed for one night. In this manner, therefore, I fought my way towards England, walked

another, till at last Horatio was fixed upon, which the presence of the present company has happily hindered me from acting."

THE

CHAPTER XXI.

SHORT CONTINUANCE OF FRIENDSHIP AMONGST THE VICIOUS, WHICH IS COEVAL ONLY WITH MUTUAL SATISFACTION.

My son's account was too long to be delivered at once, the first part of it was begun that night, and he was concluding the rest after dinner the next day, when the appearance of Mr Thornhill's equipage at the door seemed to make a pause in the general satisfaction. The butler, who was now become my friend in the family, informed me with a whisper, that the Squire had already made some overtures to Miss Wilmot, and that her aunt and uncle seemed highly to approve the match. Upon Mr Thornhill's entering, he seemed, at seeing my son and me, to start back; but I readily imputed that to surprise, and not displeasure. However, upon our advancing to salute him, he returned our greeting with the most apparent candour; and after a short time his presence served only to increase the general good humour.

After tea he called me aside to inquire after my daughter; but upon my informing him that my inquiry was unsuccessful, he seemed greatly

surprised; adding that he had been since fre- | behind, any way damped his spirits. After quently at my house in order to comfort the he had taken leave of the rest of the company, rest of my family, whom he left perfectly well. I.gave him all I had, my blessing. 66 And He then asked if I had communicated her now, my boy," cried I," thou art going to fight misfortune to Miss Wilmot or my son; and for thy country, remember how thy brave upon my replying that I had not told them as grandfather fought for his sacred King, when yet, he greatly approved my prudence and pre- loyalty among Britons was a virtue. Go, my caution, desiring me by all means to keep it a boy, and imitate him in all but his misfortunes, secret: "For at best," cried he, "it is but if it was a misfortune to die with Lord Falk. divulging one's own infamy; and perhaps Miss land. Go, my boy, and if you fall, though Livy may not be so guilty as we all imagine." distant, exposed, and unwept by those that We were here interrupted by a servant who love you, the most precious tears are those came to ask the 'Squire in, to stand up at with which heaven bedews the unburied head country dances: so that he left me quite pleased of a soldier." with the interest he seemed to take in my concerns. His addresses, however, to Miss Wilmot, were too obvious to be mistaken: and yet she seemed not perfectly pleased, but bore them rather in compliance to the will of her aunt than real inclination. I had even the satisfaction to see her lavish some kind looks upon my unfortunate son, which the other could neither extort by his fortune nor assidu. ity. Mr Thornhill's seeming composure, however, not a little surprised me: we had now continued here a week at the pressing instances of Mr Arnold; but each day the more tenderness Miss Wilmot showed my son, Mr Thornhill's friendship seemed proportionably to increase for him.

The next morning I took leave of the good family, that had been kind enough to entertain me so long, not without several expressions of gratitude to Mr Thornhill for his late bounty. I left them in the enjoyment of all that happiness which affluence and good-breeding procure, and returned towards home, despairing of ever finding my daughter more, but sending a sigh to heaven to spare and to forgive her. I was now come within about twenty miles of home, having hired a horse to carry me, as I was yet but weak, and comforted myself with the hopes of soon seeing all I held dearest upon earth. But the night com. ing on, I put up at a little public-house by the road side, and asked for the landlord's company over a pint of wine. We sat beside his kitchen fire, which was the best room in the house, and chatted on politics and the news of the country. We happened, among other topics, to talk of young 'Squire Thornhill, who, the host assured me, was hated as much as his uncle Sir William, who sometimes came down to the country, was loved. He went

As

He had formerly made us the most kind assurances of using his interest to serve the family; but now his generosity was not confined to promises alone. The morning I designed for my departure, Mr Thornhill came to me with looks of real pleasure, to inform me of a piece of service he had done for his friend George. This was nothing less than his having procured him an ensign's commis-on to observe, that he made it his whole study sion in one of the regiments that was going to to betray the daughters of such as received the West Indies, for which he had promised but him to their houses, and after a fortnight or one hundred pounds, his interest having been three weeks' possession, turned them out unsufficient to get an abatement of the other two. rewarded and abandoned to the world. "As for this trifling piece of service," continued we continued our discourse in this manner, the young gentleman, "I desire no other re- his wife, who had been out to get change, reward but the pleasure of having served my turned, and perceiving that her husband was friend; and as for the hundred pounds to be enjoying a pleasure in which she was not a paid, if you are unable to raise it yourselves, sharer, she asked him in an angry tone, what I will advance it, and you shall repay me at he did there? to which he only replied in an your leisure." This was a favour we wanted ironical way, by drinking her health. "Mr words to express our sense of: I readily there- Symmonds," cried she, "you use me very ill, fore gave my bond for the money, and testified and I'll bear it no longer. Here three parts as much gratitude as if I never intended to of the business is left for me to do, and the pay. fourth left unfinished: while you do nothing but soak with the guests all day long; whereas, if a spoonful of liquor were to cure me of a fever, I never touch a drop." I now found what she would be at, and immediately poured her out a glass, which she received with a curtesy, and drinking towards my good health, "Sir," resumed she, "it is not so much for the value of the liquor I am angry, but one cannot help it when the house is going out of windows. If the customers or guests are to be dunned, all the burden lies upon my back; he'd as lief eat that glass as budge after them

George was to depart for town the next day to secure his commission, in pursuance of his generous patron's directions, who judged it highly expedient to use despatch, lest in the mean time another should step in with more advantageous proposals, The next morning therefore our young soldier was early prepared for his departure, and seemed the only person among us that was not affected by it. Neither the fatigues and dangers he was going to encounter, nor the friends and mistress-for Miss Wilmot actually loved him-he was leaving