I could not in the pride of my heart avoid fhewing it to my old friend Mr. Wilmot, as I made no doubt of receiving his approbation; but not till too late I discovered that he was most violently attached to the contrary opinion, and with good reafon; for he was at that time actually courting a fourth wife. This, as may be expected, produced a difpute attended with fome acrimony, which threatened to interrupt our intended alliance: but on the day before that appointed for the ceremony, we agreed to difcufs the fubject at large.

It was managed with proper spirit on both fides : he afferted that I was heterodox, I retorted the charge : he replied, and I rejoined. In the mean time, while the controverfy was hotteft, I was called out by one of my relations, who, with a face of concern, advised me to give up the difpute, at least till my fon's wedding was over. How," cried I, "relinquish the "cause of truth, and let him be an husband, already "driven to the very verge of abfurdity.

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You

might as well advife me to give up my fortune, as my argument.' "Your fortune," returned my friend, "I am now forry to inform you, is almost nothing. The merchant in town, in whofe hands "your money was lodged, has gone off, to avoid a " ftatute of bankruptcy, and is thought not to have " left a fhilling in the pound. I was unwilling to "fhock you or the family with the account till after "the wedding but now it may ferve to moderate your warmth in the argument; for, I fuppofe, "your own prudence will enforce the neceffity of "diffembling, at least till your fon has the young "lady's fortune fecure.". "Well," returned I, "if what you tell me be true, and if I am to be a "beggar, it fhall never make me a rafcal, or induce "me to difavow my principles. I'll go this mo"ment and inform the company of my circum"ftances; and as for the argument, I even here re

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"tract

"tract my former conceffions in the old gentleman's "favour, nor will I allow him now to be an husband "in any fenfe of the expreffion."

It would be endless to defcribe the different fen-, fations of both families when I divulged the news of our misfortune; but what others felt was flight to what the lovers appeared to endure. Mr. Wilmot, who feemed before fufficiently inclined to break off the match, was by this blow foon determined: one virtue he had in perfection, which was prudence, too often the only one that is left us at seventy-two.

CHAP. III.

A migration. The fortunate circumftances of our lives are generally found at last to be of our own procuring.

THE only hope of our family now was, that the report of our misfortune might be malicious or premature: but a letter from my agent in town foon came with a confirmation of every particular. The lofs of fortune to myself alone would have been trifling; the only uneafiness I felt was for my family, who were to be humble without an education to render them callous to contempt.

Near a fortnight had paffed before I attempted to reftrain their affliction; for premature confolation is but the remembrancer of forrow. During this interval, my thoughts were employed on fome future means of fupporting them; and at laft a fmall Cure of fifteen pounds a year was offered me in a distant neighbourhood, where I could ftill enjoy my principles without moleftation. With this propofal I joy

fully

fully clofed, having determined to increase my falary by managing a little farm.

Having taken this refolution, my next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune; and all debts collected and paid, out of fourteen thousand pounds we had but four hundred remaining. My chief attention therefore was now to bring down the pride of my family to their circumftances; for I well knew that afpiring beggary is wretchedness itself. "You "cannot be ignorant, my children," cried I, "that

no prudence of ours could have prevented our late "misfortune; but prudence may do much in dif"appointing its effects. We are now poor, my "fondlings, and wifdom bids us conform to our "humble fituation. Let us then, without repining, give up thofe fplendours with which numbers are "wretched, and feek in humbler circumftances that peace with which all may be happy. The poor "live pleasantly without our help, why then fhould "not we learn to live without theirs. No, "dren, let us from this moment give up all preten"fions to gentility; we have ftill enough left for happiness if we are wife, and let us draw upon con"tent for the deficiencies of fortune.

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my

chil

As my eldest fon was bred a scholar, I determined to fend him to town, where his abilities might contribute to our fupport and his own. The feparation of friends and families is, perhaps, one of the most diftrefsful circumftances attendant on penury. The day foon arrived on which we were to disperse for the first time. My fon, after taking leave of his mother and the reft, who mingled their tears with their kiffes, came to afk a bleffing from me. This I gave him from my heart, and which, added to five guineas, was all the patrimony I had now to beftow. "You are going, my boy," cried I, "to London "on foot, in the manner Hooker, your great an"ceftor, travelled there before you. Take from me

'

"the

"the fame hotfe that was given him by the good "bishop Jewel, this ftaff, and take this book too, "it will be your comfort on the way: thefe two "lines in it are worth a million, I have been young, " and now am old; yet never fuw I the righteous man forfaken, or his feed begging their bread. Let this "be your confolation as you travel on. Go, my "boy, whatever be thy fortune let me fee thee "once a year; ftill keep a good heart, and farewel." As he was poffeft of integrity and honour, I was under no apprehenfions from throwing him naked into the amphitheatre of life; for I knew he would act a good part whether vanquished or victorious.

His departure only prepared the way for our own, which arrived a few days afterwards. The leaving à neighbourhood in which we had enjoyed fo many hours of tranquillity, was not without a tear which fcarcely fortitude itself could fupprefs. Befides, a journey of feventy miles to a family that had hitherto never been above ten from home, filled us with apprehenfion, and the cries of the poor, who followed us for fome miles, contributed to increase it. The first day's journey brought us in fafety within thirty miles of our future retreat, and we put up for the night at an obfcure inn in a village by the way. When we were fhewn a room, I defired the landlord, in my ufual way, to let us have his company, with which he complied, as what he drank would increase the bill next morning. He knew, however, the whole neighbourhood to which I was removing, particularly 'Squire Thornhill, who was to be my landlord, and who lived within a few miles of the place. This gentleman he defcribed as one who defired to know little more of the world than its pleafures, being particularly remarkable for his attachment to the fair fex. He obferved that no virtue was able to refift his arts and affiduity, and that fcarcely a farmer's daughter within ten miles round

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but what had found him fuccefsful and faithlefs. Though this account gave me some pain, it had a very different effect upon my daughters, whose features feemed to brighten with the expectation of an approaching triumph, nor was my wife lefs pleased and confident of their allurements and virtue. While our thoughts were thus employed, the hoftefs entered the room to inform her husband, that the strange gentleman, who had been two days in the houfe, wanted money, and could not fatisfy them for his reckoning. "Want money!" replied the hoft, "that must be impoffible; for it was no later than "yesterday he paid three guineas to our beadle to fpare an old broken foldier that was to be whipped through the town for dog-ftealing." The hoflefs, however, ftill perfifting in her firft affertion, he was preparing to leave the room, fwearing that he would be fatisfied one way or another, when I begged the landlord would introduce me to a ftranger of fo much charity as he defcribed. With this he complied, fhewing in a gentleman who feemed to be about thirty, dreft in cloaths that once were laced. His perfon was well formed, and his face marked with the lines of thinking. He had fomething short and dry in his addrefs, and feemed not to understand ceremony, or to despise it. Upon the landlord's leaving the room, I could not avoid expreffing my concern to the stranger at feeing a gentleman in fuch circumftances, and offered him my purse to satisfy the present demand. "I take it with

all my heart, Sir," replied he, "and am glad "that a late overfight in giving what money I had "about me, has fhewn me that there are ftill fome

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men like you. I muft, however, previously in"treat being informed of the name and refidence of "my benefactor, in order to repay him as foon as

poffible." In this I fatisfied him fully, not only mentioning my name and late misfortunes, but the

place