6

rance of others; but fellows who excel in fome little, low, contemptible art, are always certain to defpife thofe who are unacquainted with that art.

In fhort, we foon feparated, and I went by the advice of a phyfician to drink the Bath waters: for my violent affliction, added to a fedentary life, had thrown me into a kind of paralytic diforder, for which thofe waters are accounted an almost

⚫ certain cure. The fecond day after my arrival, as 1 was walking by the river, the fun fhone fo intenfely hot (though it was early in the year) that I retired to the fhelter of fome willows, and fat down by the river-fide. Here I had not been feated.long before I heard a perfon on the other fide the willows fighing and bemoaning himself bitterly. On a fudden, having uttered a moft impious oath, he cried, "I am refolved to bear it no longer," and directly threw himself into the water. I immediately ftarted, ⚫ and ran towards the place, calling at the fame time as loudly as I could for affiflance. An angler happened luckily to be a fishing a little below me, though fome very high fedge had hid him from my fight. He immediately came up, and both of us together, not without fome hazard of our lives, drew the body to the fhore. At first we perceived no ⚫ fign of life remaining; but having held the body up by the heels (for we foon had affiftance enough) it 6. difcharged a vast quantity of water at the mouth; and at length began to difcover forne fymptoms of breathing, and a little afterwards to move both its bands and its legs.

An apothecary who happened to be prefent among others, advised that the body which feemed now to have pretty well emptied itfelf of water, and which began to have many convulfive motions, fhould be directly taken up, and carried into a warm bed. This was accordingly performed, the apothecary and myself attending.

As we were going towards an inn, for we knew not the man's lodgings, luckily a woman met us, who after fome violent fcreamings, told us that the gentleman lodged at her houfe.

When

When I had feen the man fafely depofited there, I left him to the care of the Apothecary, who, I fuppofe, ufed all the right methods with him; for the next morning I heard he had perfectly recovered his fenfes.

I then went to vifit him, intending to fearch out, as well as I could, the caufe of his having attempted fo defperate an act, and to prevent, as far as I was able, his purfuing fuch wicked intenfions for the * future. I was no fooner admitted into his chamber, than we both inftantly knew each other; for who fhould this perfon be but my good friend Mr. Wat• fon! Here I will not trouble you with what paft at our first interview: for I would avoid prolixity as much as poffible.' Pray let us hear all', cries Partridge, I want mightily to know what brought him to Bath."

&

You shall hear every thing material,' answered the Stranger; and then proceeded to relate what we fhall proceed to write, after we have given a fhort breathing time to both ourfelves and the reader.

СНА Р. XIV.

In which the man of the Hill concludes his hiftory.

MR

very

R. Watfon,' continued the Stranger, freely acquainted me, that the unhappy fituation of his circumftances, occafioned by a tide of ill-luck, had in a manner forced him to a refolution of deftroying himself.

I now began to argue very seriously with him, in oppofition to this heathenifh, or indeed diabolical principle of the lawfulness of self-murder; and faid every thing which occurred to me on the fubject; but to my great concern, it feemed to have very little effect on him. He feemed not at all to repent of what he had done, and gave me reafon to fear, he would foon make a fecond attempt of the like horrible kind.

When I had finished my difcourfe, inftead of ⚫ endeavouring to answer my arguments, he looked

me

me ftedfaftly in the face, and with a smile said, "You are ftrangely altered, my good friend, fince "I remember you. I question whether any of our bishops could make a better argument againft fuicide "than you have entertained me with; but unless you 16 can find fomebody who will lend me a cool hun"dred, 1. muft either hang, or drown, or ftarve; "and in my opinion the laft death is the most terrible "of the three."

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4

I anfwered him very gravely, that I was indeed altered fince I had feen him laft. That I had found leifure to look into my follies, and to repent of them. I then advised him to purfue the fame fteps; and at laft concluded with an affurance, that I myfelf would lend him an hundred pound, if it would be of any fervice to his affairs, and he would not put it into the power of a die to deprive him of it.

Mr. Watfon, who feemed almoft compofed in flumber by the former part of my difcourfe, was roufed by the latter. He feized my hand eagerly, gave me a thousand thanks, and declared I was a * friend indeed; adding that he hoped I had a better opinion of him, than to imagine he had profited fo little by experience, as to put any confidence in thofe damned dice, which had fo often deceived him.' "No, no," cries he, "let me but once "handfomely be fet up again, and if ever fortune "makes a broken merchant of me afterwards, I will forgive her."

up,

1 very well understood the language of fetting and broken merchant. I therefore faid to him with a very grave face, Mr. Watfon, you must endeavour to find out fome bufinefs or employment, by which you may procure yourfelf a livelihood; and I promife you, could I fee any proba bility of being repaid hereafter, I would advance a much larger fum than what you have mentioned, to equip you in any fair and honourable calling: but as to gaming, befides the bafenefs and wickednefs of making it a profeffion, you are really to my own knowledge, unfit for it, and it will end in your certain ruin.'

"Why

Ι

"Why now, that's ftrange," anfwered he, "nei"ther you, nor any of my friends, would ever allow me to know any thing of the matter, and yet, believe, I am as good a hand at every game as any of all; you and I heartily wish I was to play with you only for your whole fortune; I fhould defire no "better fport, and I would let you name your game "into the bargain but come, my dear boy, have you

the hundred in your pocket?"

I anfwered, I had only a bill for 50l. which I. delivered him, and promifed to bring him the rest next morning; and after giving him a little more • advice, took my leave.

I was indeed better than my word: for I rẻturned to him that very afternoon. When I entered the room, I found him fitting up in his bed at cards with a notorious gamefter. This fight, you will imagine, fhocked me not a little! to which I may add the mortification of feeing my bill delivered by him to his antagonist, and thirty guineas only given. in exchange for it.

• me;

The other gamefter prefently quitted the room,. and then Watfon declared he was afhamed to fee but," fays he, "I find luck runs fo dam"nably against me, that I will refolve to leave off 66. play for ever. I have thought of the kind pro"pofal you made me ever fince, and I promise you "there fhall be no fault in me, if I do not put it in "execution."

Though I had no great faith in his promifes, I produced him the remainder of the hundred in confequence of my own; for which he gave me a note, which was all I ever expected to fee in return for my money.

We were prevented from any further difcourfe at prefent, by the arrival of the apothecary; who with much joy in his countenance, and without even afking his patient how he did, proclaimed there was great news arrived in a letter to himself, which he faid would fhortly be public, That the "duke of Monmouth was landed in the weft with a vaft army of Dutch; and that another vaft fleet

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⚫ hovered

"hovered over the coaft of Norfolk, and was to make a defcent there, in order to favour the duke's enterprise with a diverfion on that fide.”

This apothecary was one of the greateft politi· Icians of his time. He was more delighted with the moft paltry packet, than with the beft patient; and the higheft joy he was capable of, he received from having a piece of news in his poffeffion an hour or two fooner than any other perfon in the His advices, however, were feldom authentic; for he would fwallow almeft any thing as a truth, a humour which many made ufe of to impofe upon him.

town.

Thus it happened with what he at prefent communicated; for it was known within a fhort time. afterwards, that the duke was realy landed; but that his army confifted only of a few attendants; and as to the diverfion in Norfolk, it was entirely • falfe.

The apothecary staid no longer in the room than while he acquainted us with his news; and then, without faying a fyllable to his patient on any other fubject, departed to fpread his advices all over the

town.

Events of this nature in the public are generally apt to eclipfe all private concerns. Our difcourfe, therefore, now became intirely political. For my own part, I had been for fome time very ferioufly affected with the danger to which the Proteftant Religion was fo vifibly expofed, under a Popish prince; and thought the apprehenfion of it alone fufficient to juftify that infurrection: for no real fecurity can ever be found against the perfecuting fpirit of popery, when armed with power, except the depriving it of that power, as woful experience prefently fhewed.. You know how king James behaved after getting the better of his attempt; how little he valued either his royal word, or coronation oath, or the liberties and rights of his people. But all had not the fenfe to foresee this at firft, and therefore the duke of Monmouth was weakly fupported; yet all could feel when the evil,

came