I made way for myself among them, and flept in the ftraw till morning.

The day following, as I paffed flowly and half famished through a fall village, my eye catched at a penny-loaf that lay on a little fhop window which jutted into the ftreet. I looked here and there, and peered into the fhop, and was just going to feize the ready and tempting fpoil; when fomething whispered at my heart, Do not touch it for your life, starve, farve, rather than offer to steal any more; and fo I tore myself away, and running as faft as I could, for fear of turning back, I at laft got clear off from the reach of this temptation.

When I had travelled fomething far ther, I got into an inclofed country, where there were hedges on every fide, with plenty of haws and bramble berries on every bush. And here I filled my belly with berries to ferve me for dinner; and I ftuffed my pockets with haws again't I fhould want. Upon this I grew wonderful glad that I had not taken the loaf; and peace again began to come upon my mind; and, about night fall, having reached a copfe on one fide of the road, I crept, like a hare, under the shelter of the bushes; I then fupped upon my haws, after which I kneeled down, and half ventured

tured at a prayer to God; and gather ing up in my form, I flept happily till morning.

Having lived thus for fome days, I came into an open country, where there was fcarce any path, nor any haw or berry within many a mile. I now began to grow fick and faint with hunger; and again my ficknefs went off, and I became fo greedy and ravenous, that I was ready to eat my own flesh from the bones. Soon after, I fpied, at a distance, a confufed heap of fomething at the root of a great tree that grew in the open fields. I made up to it in expectation of I knew not what; and found an old beggar-man faft afleep in his patched cloak, with a bundle of fomewhat lying befide him.

Inftantly I opened his little baggage, when to my inexpreffible transport, a large luncheon of brown bread, with fome halfpence, ftruck my eyes. I did not hesitate a moment about feizing the bread; for I could no more withstand the cravings of my appetite at the time, than I could withstand a torrent rushing down a hill. Having appeafed my flomach, I began to demur about what I fhould do with the remainder of the bread, and felt a motion or two incli

ning me to leave it behind me. But, "no, "faid I to myfelf; this is all the bread that "I have, or may ever have during life, "and I know not where to get a bit "in the whole world; befide, I do this "man no harm in taking it away, fince I "leave him money enough wherewith to "buy more." So I put the bread in my pocket, and went on my way, leaving behind me about four or five pence in the wrapper.

I had not gone far, however, before I faid to myself again, "This man is a beg"gar by trade, and gets halfpence from "every paffenger that goes the road. But

alas, no one living has any pity upon "me; and fo to ftarve alive, or take the "money, is all the question." So faying or fo thinking, I went back on tiptoes, and ftooping and seizing my prey, I flew away like lightning.

As foon as I had got out of the reach and fight of the poor man, the first motion I felt was the joy of having fuch a prize; but I had not gone far till this joy was much abated, my fighs began to heave, and my tears to flow apace.

That night, I took up my lodging in a waste hut that lay a little way off the road. But though, as I thought, I had plenty of bread, and money enough

about

about me; yet I found myself exceeding heavy, and I was not able to pray, as I did the foregoing nights.

During all this time, I neither knew where I was, nor whereto I was going, nor any thing more of my travels than that I came from London. When I had fpent to my last penny, and was walking, flow and melancholy, on a by-path that led through fome woody lawns, I heard the voice of merriment, and, quickly after, perceived a group of gipfies that came from behind fome trees.

As I faw that I could not escape them, I gathered courage, and went forward, when, coming up, they stopped and eyed me with much attention, and made a ring about me. Where are you going, my child? fays a man with a broad girdle and a very formidable beard. Indeed, Sir, faid I, I cannot tell. And where did you come from then? From London, Sir, fo please you. From London, child? why, that is a very great way off. And pray what made you leave London? To get away from my mafter. But I hope you did not come away empty, you brought fomething from him, did not you? Some little matter, good Sir, but I was robbed of it on the way. Hereupon, this ve nerable regent smiled, and, turning to his

dependents,

dependents, As far as I fee, faid he, this chap will answer our purpose to a hair.

Here one of the females asked if I was hungry; and on my answer in the affirmative, they all invited me with a jovial air to dinner. We then turned a diftance off from the path wherein we had met, and gradually defcended into one of the pleasanteft fpots in the world. It was a dell furrounded with hills, fome of which were flanting, fome headlong and impending, and all covered or spotted with groups of trees, of different heights, forts, and colours; through which the e defcended a gurging rivulet, which, having rolled over ftones and pebbles, gre v filent in a small lake, that reflected the circling objects from the hills around.

1

Immediately nature's carpet was covered with a large cloth of fine damasked linen. The baggage was taken from the fhoulders of the bearers; and before I well could obferve what they were about, there was spread, as by art-magic, before my eyes, the moft various and fumptuous banquet I had ever beheld. Down inftantly funk the guests; fome fitting, like the Turks, cross-legged; while others lolled, like the Romans, befide each other.

VOL. IV.

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As