sisters had tied his hair with a broad black ribband. We all followed him several paces from the door, bawling after him good luck, good luck, till we could see him no longer.

He was scarcely gone, when Mr. Thornhill's butler came to congratulate us upon our good fortune, saying, that he overheard his young master mention our names with great commendation.

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Good fortune seemed resolved not to come alone. Another footman from the same family followed, with a card for my daughters, importing, that the two ladies had received such pleasing accounts from Mr. Thornhill of us all, that, after a few previous inquiries, they hoped to be perfectly satisfied, "Ay," cried my wife, "I now see it is no easy matter to get into the families of the great; but when one once gets in, then, as Moses says, one may go to sleep.' To this piece of humour, for she intended it for wit, my daughters assented with a loud laugh of pleasure. In short, such was her satisfaction at this message, that she actually put her hand in her pocket, and gave the messenger seven-pence halfpenny.

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This was to be our visiting-day. The next that came was Mr. Burchell, who had been at the fair. He brought my little ones a pennyworth of gingerbread each, which my wife undertook to keep for them, and give them by letters at a time. He brought my daughters also a couple of boxes, in which they might keep wafers, snuff, patches, or even money, when they got it. My wife was usually fond of a weasel skin purse, as being the most lucky; but this by the bye. We had still a regard for Mr. Burchell, though his late rude behaviour was in some measure displeasing; nor could we now avoid communicating our happiness to him, and asking his advice: although we seldom followed advice, we were all ready enough to ask it. When

he

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he read the note from the two ladies, he shook his head, and observed, that an affair of this sort demanded the utmost circumspection.--This air of diffidence highly displeased my wife. "I never "doubted, Sir," cried she, " your readiness to be against my daughters and me. You have more "circumspection than is wanted. However, I "fancy when we come to ask advice, we will ap"ply to persons who seem to have made use of it "themselves.". "Whatever my own conduct may have been, Madam," replied he, " is not the "present question; though as I have made no use "of advice myself, I should in conscience give it "to those that will."--As I was apprehensive this answer might draw on a repartee, making up by abuse what it wanted in wit, I changed the subject, by seeming to wonder what could keep our son so long at the fair, as it was now almost nightfall.--"Never mind our son," cried my wife," depend 66 upon it he knows what he is about. I'll warrant "we'll never see him sell his hen of a rainy day. I "have seen him buy such bargains as would amaze 66 one. I'll tell you a good story about that, that "will make you split your sides with laughing-"But as I live, yonder comes Moses, without a "horse, and the box at his back."

As she spoke, Moses came slowly on foot, and sweating under the deal box, which he had strapt round his shoulders like a pedlar." Welcome, "welcome, Moses; well, my boy, what have you "brought us from the fair?"-" I have brought "you myself," cried Moses, with a sly look, and resting the box on the dresser.-"Ah, Moses," cried my wife, "that we know, but where is the horse?" "I have sold him," cried Moses, " for three pounds "five shillings and two pence.' "Well done,

my good boy," returned she, " I knew you "would touch them off. Between ourselves, three "pounds five shillings and two-pence is no bad

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day's

"I

"day's work. Come let us have it then.". "have brought back no money," cried Moses again, "I have laid it all out in a bargain, and "here it is," pulling out a bundle from his breast: "here they are; a gross of green spectacles, with "silver rims and shagreen cases."-"A gross of green spectacles!" repeated my wife in a faint voice. "And you have parted with the colt, and "brought us back nothing but a gross of green

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paltry spectacles!"-"Dear mother," cried the boy, " why won't you listen to reason? I had them "a dead bargain, or I should not have bought them. "The silver rims alone will sell for double the money."" A fig for the silver rims," cried my wife in a passion: "I dare swear they won't sell "for above half the money at the rate of broken silver, five shillings an ounce."-" You need be "under no uneasiness," cried I, "about selling the "rims; for they are not worth sixpence, for I per"ceive they are only copper varnished over." "What," cried my wife, "not silver, the rims not "silver!" "No," cried I, "no more silver than

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your saucepan."-" And so," returned she, "we "have parted with the colt, and have only got a co gross of green spectacles, with copper rims and shagreen cases! A murrain take such trumpery. "The blockhead has been imposed upon, and "should have known his company better.". There, my dear," cried I, you are wrong, he "should not have known them at all."—“ Marry, hang the idiot," returned she, "to bring me such "stuff, if I had them I would throw them in the "fire." "There again you are wrong, my dear," cried I; for though they be copper, we will keep "them by us, as copper spectacles, you know, are "better than nothing."

By this time the unfortunate Moses was undeceived. He now saw that he had indeed been imposed upon by a prowling sharper, who, observing

his

his figure, had marked him for an easy prey. I therefore asked the circumstance of his deception. He sold the horse, it seems, and walked the fair in search of another. A reverend looking man brought him to a tent, under pretence of having one to sell. "Here," contined Moses, "we met another man, 66 very well dressed, who desired to borrow twenty "pounds upon these, saying, that he wanted money, "and would dispose of them for a third of the "value. The first gentleman who pretended to be "my friend, whispered me to buy them, and cau"tioned me not to let so good an offer pass. I "sent for Mr. Flamborough, and they talked him up as finely as they did me, and so at last we were persuaded to buy the two gross between us.'

CHAP. XIIJ.

Mr. Burchell is found to be an enemy; for he has the confidence to give disagreeable advice.

OUR family had now made several attempts to be fine; but some unforeseen disaster demolished each as soon as projected. I endeavoured to take the advantage of every disappointment, to improve their good sense in proportion as they were frustrated in ambition. "You see, my children," cried I, "how little is to be got by attempts to impose upon the world, in coping with our betSuch as are poor and will associate with "none but the rich, are hated by those they avoid, "and despised by those they follow. Unequal com"binations are always disadvantageous to the weaker "side: the rich having the pleasure, and the poor "the inconveniences that result from them. But come, Dick, my boy, and repeat the fable

"ters.

that

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you were reading to-day, for the good of the company.'

"Once upon a time," cried the child," a Giant "and a Dwarf were friends, and kept together. They made a bargain that they would never for"sake each other, but go seek adventures. The "first battle they fought was with two Saracens, "and the Dwarf, who was very courageous, dealt "one of the champions a most angry blow. It did "the Saracen very little injury, who lifting up his sword, fairly struck off the poor Dwarf's arm. He "was now in a woful plight; but the Giant coming "to his assistance, in a short time left the two Sara" cens dead on the plain, and the Dwarf cut off the "dead man's head out of spite. They then tra"velled on to another adventure. This was against "three bloody-minded Satyrs, who were carrying 66 away a damsel in distress. The Dwarf was not quite so fierce now as before; but for all that "struck the first blow, which was returned by another, that knocked out his eye; but the Giant was soon up with them, and had they not fled, "would certainly have killed them every one. They "were all very joyful for this victory, and the dam"sel who was relieved, fell in love with the Giant " and married him. They now travelled far, and "farther than I can tell, till they met with a com

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pany of robbers.. The Giant, for the first time, "was foremost now; but the Dwarf was not far be"hind. The battle was stout and long. Wherever "the Giant came all fell before him; but the "Dwarf had liked to have been killed more than

once. At last the victory declared for the two

adventurers; but the Dwarf lost his leg. The "Dwarf was now without an arm, a leg, and an eye, "while the Giant was without a single wound. Upon which he cried out to his little companion, "My little hero, this is glorous sport; let us get

"one