grew fond of me; fhe was a very holy woman; fhe taught me my prayers and catechifm, and made me read to her every night, and repeat chapters and pfalms, till 1 had nearly got half the Bible by rote.

As my mafter ufed to fend me on many errands and meffages, and to entrust me with little matters of money on fuch occafions, on firding me always punctual and honeft to him, he began to love me almoft as much as my good mistress did.

But now came on my firft falling away from all goodnefs. I was about twelve years old, when, in a curfed hour, my mafter fent me to a diftant part of the town, with a bill to pay fome money, and bring to him back the change. The change amounted to about four pounds in glittering filver. It appeared a mint of money. I never had been in poffeffion of fo large a heap; and I fighed, and faid to myself, How bleffed muft they be who are become the rich owners of fo much money! Then fome one feemed to whifper me, that I was the owner; and again fome one feemed to whisper me, that I was not the owner. Then I would go forward toward my mafter; and again I would ftop and go afide. Then I would

thruft

5

thruft my hand into my pocket, and feel the greatness of my treafure, then turn to the wall, and lay the brightness of it before my eyes. Then I would run a piece off, as hurried away by the force of the temptation; and again I would delay, and stop, and turn, and strive to force myself homeward. Till, what with doubting and delaying, and ftruggling off and on, and going backward and forward, I confidered, that if I went home, I fhould now get nothing but blame and beating; and fo I took a head, and ran into the country as faft as my feet could carry me.

As I ran myself out of breath, from time to time, I would look back and look back, and run on and run on, in the thought that my mafter, or fome one from him, was at my heels. But often fince, I have reflected, and was perfuaded in my mind, that my kind mafter and mistress had not the leaft fufpicion of ine, but rather inquired and forrowed after me, as being murdered or kidnapped from them; and this alfo was, at times, a great grief of heart to me.

弊

When I was quite tired and jaded, and night came on, i turned up to a forry kid of an inn, or rather alehoufe, which I happened to be near. But, as I feared A 3

every

every thing, I had the cunning to conceal my treasure, and taking a penny from my pocket, I begged the woman of the houfe, for that and charity's fake, to give me a little bread and milk, and fome hole to lie in.

Having finifhed my fupper, I was fhewn to a kind of hovel under the ftairs, where, throwing myfelf on fome ftraw with a piece of a blanket over me, I fell faft as a rock. Awakening, however, about midnight, or fomewhat after, and feeing all dark about me, and no creature near hand; I began to tremble greatly; and then I wished to fay my prayers, but I did not dare to pray; and fo I lay weating and trembling, and trembing and fweating, till the dawning of the day brought fome relief to my fpirits.

my

Having breakfafted at the cost of a fecond penny, I fet out, though not with former fpeed; for, reflecting that I had not my livery on, but a small frockcoat, I was under the lefs fear of being known. However, I pufhed on as well as I was able, wanting ftill to get as far hom danger as poffible. And indeed I hoped, by going on ftill further and further, to get away from my own fears and from my own confcience..

O Gentlemen! what misery did I not endure at that feafon? The truft I had in my treasure began now to abite, the dread of losing it also brought new troubles upon me; peace was banished from within me; and without there was no place whereto I might fly for rest.

On the fifth morning of my travels, having expended what halfpence and fmall filver I had; I took out half a crown, and offered it to the man of the house, defiring him to return what was over the reckoning. As he took it, he gave me a look that I thought went through me, and continuing to ftare me in the face, he fhamed me fo, that I was conftrained to turn afide. He gave me the change, however, and I fet forward on my journey, all trembling, and apprehending I knew not what.

I had not gone above a mile, when, meeting a dirty road, I turned over a ftile that led to a path through the fields. Here I walked on a little way, when, turning, I faw my landlord making long ftrides after me; whereupon my heart beat, and my knees grew fo weak under me that I ftood as still as a stone.

- He came quickly up with me, and, feizing me by the neck, he caft me on my back. Ha! you young rogue, fays

he, let us fee what money you have got. Then, diving into my pockets, he pulled out the whole ftock in which I trufted for happiness. O, you little dog of a villain, from whom have you stolen all this treasure? But I must go and return it to the right owner. O, good Sir, good Sir, I roared out, will you not leave me a little? every fo little, dear Sir, to keep me from ftarving? But he was deaf to my cries and prayers, and away he went.

Hope, the laft comfort of the miserable, now forfook me. I curfed, at my heart, the day on which I was born; and I lay a long time, as one who had no use for limbs, or any further way to travel upon earth. At length I broke out into fhouts and a great gush of tears, and having got fome eafe by venting my forrows, I rofe, by a kind of inftinct, and went on I knew not whither.

Growing hungry after noon, I would willingly have begged the charity of paffengers; but this I did not dare to do, for fear they fhould ask me whence I came, and who I was, and whereto I was going; questions to which I could give no very honeft anfwer. So I bore my hunger as well as I could, till coming at night to a hovel where a farmer kept his pigs,