of Europe clapped a purse in his hand; and the virgins of Congo furnished him with a tail. Since that time, all the vows addreffed to Love, are in reality paid to the idol; while, as in other falfe religions, the adoration feems moft fervent, where the heart is leaft fincere."

ESSAY

XXIV..

No obfervation is more common, and at the

fame time more true, than, That one half of the world are ignorant how the other half lives. The misfortunes of the great are held up to engage our attention; are enlarged upon in tones of declamation; and the world is called upon to gaze at the noble fufferers: the great, under the preffure of calamity, are confcious of feveral others fympathizing with their diftrefs; and have, at once, the comfort of admiration and pity.

THERE is nothing magnanimous in bearing misfortunes with fortitude, when the whole world is looking on men in fuch circumftances will act bravely, even from motives of vanity. But he who, in the vale of obscurity, can brave adverfity; who, without friends to encourage, acquaintances to pity, or even without hope to alleviate his misfortunes, can behave with tranquillity and indifference, is truly great: whether peafant or courtier, he deferves admiration, and fhould be held up for our imitation and respect.

WHILE the flighteft inconveniencies of the great are magnified into calamities; while tra

gedy

gedy mouths out their fufferings in all the ftrains of eloquence, the miferies of the poor are entirely difregarded; and yet some of the lower ranks of people undergo more real hardships in ane day, than thofe of a more exalted station fuffer in their whole lives. It is inconceivable what difficulties the meanest of our common failors and foldiers endure without murmuring or regret, without paffionately declaiming againft Providence, or calling their fellows to be gazers on their intrepidity. Every day is to them a day of mifery; and yet they entertain their hard fate without repining.

WITH what indignation do I hear an Ovid, a Cicero, or a Rabutin, complain of their misfortunes and hardships, whofe greatest calamity was that of being unable to vifit a certain fpot of earth, to which they had foolishly attached an idea of happiness. Their diftreffes were pleasures, compared to what many of the adventuring poor every day endure without murmuring. They ate, drank, and flept; they had flaves to at tend them, and were fure of fubfiftence for life ; while many of their fellow-creatures are obliged to wander, without a friend to comfort or affift them, and even without a fhelter from the feverity of the feafon.

I HAVE been led into thefe reflections from accidentally meeting, fome days ago, a poor fellow, whom I knew when a boy, dreffed in a failor's jacket, and begging at one of the outlets of the town, with a wooden leg. I knew him to be honeft and induftrious when in the country, and was curious to learn what had reduced him to his present situation. Wherefore,

after

after giving him what I thought proper, I defired to know the hiftory of his life and misfortunes, and the manner in which he was reduced to his prefent diftrefs. The difabled foldier, (for fuch he was, though dressed in a failor's habit), fcratching his head, and leaning on his crutch, put himself into an attitude to comply with my request, and gave me his hiftory as follows:

"As for my misfortunes, mafter, I can't pretend to have gone through any more than other folks; for, except the lofs of my limb, and my being obliged to beg, I don't know any reason, thank Heaven, that I have to complain: there is Bill Tibbs, of our regiment, he has loft both his legs, and an eye to boot; but, thank Hear ven, it is not so bad with me yet.

"I was born in Shropshire, my father was a labourer, and died when I was five years old; fo I was put upon the parish. As he had been a wandering fort of a man, the parishioners were not able to tell to what parish belonged, or where I was born; fo they fent me to another parish, and that parifh fent me to a third. I thought in my heart, they kept fending me about fo long, that they would not let me be born in any parish at all; but, at laft, however, they fixed me. I had fome difpofition to be a scholar, and was refolved, at least, to know my letters; but the mafter of the workhoufe put me to bufinefs as foon as I was able to handle a mallet; and here 1 lived an easy kind of a life for five years. I only wrought ten hours in the day, and had meat and drink provided for my labour. It is true, 1 was not fuffered to ftir out of the houfe, for fear, as they faid, I fhould

run

run away; but what of that? I had the liberty of the whole house, and the yard before the door, and that was enough for me. I was then bound out to a farmer, where I was up both early and late; but I ate and drank well, and liked my business well enough, till he died, when I was obliged to provide for myself: fo L was refolved to go and feek my fortune.

"IN. this manner I went from town to town, worked when I could get employment, and starv ed when I could get none: when happening one day to go through a field belonging to a juftice of peace, I fpy'd a hare croffing the path just before me; and I believe the devil put it into my head to fling my ftick at it.-Well, what will you have on't? I killed the hare, and was bringing it away in triumph, when the juftice himself met me he called me a poacher and a villain, and, collaring me, defired I would give an account of myself. I fell upon my knees, begged his worship's pardon, and began to give a full account of all that I knew of my breed, feed, and generation; but, though I gave a very good account, the juftice would not believe a fyllable I had to fay; fo I was indicted. at the feffions, found guilty of being poor, and fent up to London to Newgate, in order to be transported as a vagabond..

"PEOPLE may say this and that of being in jail; but, for my part, I found Newgate as agreeable a place as ever I was in in all my life. I had my bellyful to eat and drink, and did no work at all. This kind of life was too good to laft for ever; fo I was taken out of prison after five months, put on board a fhip, and fent off,

with

with two hundred more, to the plantations.. We had but an indifferent paffage; for, being all confined in the hold, more than a hundred of our people died for want of fweet air; and thofe that remained were fickly enough, God knows. When we came on fhore, we were fold to the planters, and I was bound for seven years more. As I was no fcholar, for I did not know my letters, I was obliged to work among the negroes; and I ferved out my time, as in duty bound to do.

"WHEN my time was expired, I worked my paffage home, and glad I was to fee Old Engand again, because I loved my country. I was afraid, however, that I fhould be indicted for a vagabond once more; fo did not much care to. go down into the country, but kept about the town, and did little jobs when I could get them.

"I was very happy in this manner for some time, till one evening, coming home from work, two men knocked me down, and then defired me to ftand. They belonged to a press-gang: I was carried before the justice, and, as I could give no account of myself, I had my choice left, whether to go on board a man of war, or lift for a foldier. chofe the latter; and, in this poft of a gentleman, I ferved two campaigns inFlanders, was at the battles of Val and Fontenoy, and received but one wound through the breaft here; but the doctor of our regiment foon. made me well again.

"WHEN the peace came on, I was discharged; and, as I could not work, because my wound was fometimes troublesome, I lifted for a landman in

the