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one wound, through the breast 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 East-India Company's fervice. I have fought the French in fix pitched battles; and I verily believe that, if I could read or write, our captain would have made me a corpo❤ ral. But it was not my good fortune to have any promotion, for I foon fell fick, and so got leave to return home again with forty pounds in my pocket. This was at the beginning of the prefent war, and I hoped to be fet on fhore, and to have the pleasure of spending my money; but the government wanted men, and fo I was preffed for a failor before ever I could set foot on shore.

"The boatswain found me, as he said, an obstinate fellow: He swore he knew that I understood my busi nefs well, but that I fhammed Abraham, to be idle; but, God knows, I knew nothing of sea business, and he beat me, without confidering what he was about. I had still, however, my forty pounds, and that was some comfort to me under every beating; and the money I might have had to this day, but that our ship was taken by the French, and so I lost all.

"Our crew was carried into Breft, and many of them died, because they were not used to live in a jail; but, for my part, it was nothing to me, for I was fea foned. One night, as I was afleep on the bed of boards, with a warm blanket about me, for I always loved to lie well, I was awakened by the boatswain, who had a dark lanthorn in his hand: Jack,' fays he to me, will you knock out the French fentry's brains! I don't care,' fays I, ftriving to keep myself awake, if I lend a hand.' Then follow me,' fays he, and I hope we fhall do bufinefs. So up I got, and tied my blanket, which was all the cloaths I had, about my middle, and went with him to fight the Frenchmen. I hate the French, because they are all flaves, and wear wooden shoes.

"Though

"Though we had no arms, one Englishman is able to beat five French at any time; fo we went down to the door, where both the fentries were pofted, and, rushing upon them, feized their arms in a moment, and knocked them down. From thence nine of us ran together to the quay, and feizing the first boat we met, got out of the harbour, and put to fea. We had not been here three days before we were taken up by the Dorset privateer, who were glad of so many good hands, and we consented to run our chance. However, we had not as much luck as we expected. In three days we fell in with the Pompadour privateer, of forty guns, while we had but twenty-three; fo to it we went, yard arm and yard-arm. The fight lafted for three hours, and I verily believe we fhould have taken the Frenchman, had we but had some more men left behind; but, unfortunately, we loft all our men just as we were going to get the victory.

"I was once more in the power of the French, and I believe it would have gone hard with me had I been brought back to Breft; but, by good fortune, we were retaken by the Viper. I had almost forgot to tell you, that, in that engagement, I was wounded in two places; I loft four fingers off the left hand, and my leg was fhot off. If I had had the good fortune to have loft my leg and use of my hand on board a king's fhip, and not a-board a privateer, I should have been entitled to cloathing and maintenance during the rest of my life! But that was not my chance: One man is born with a filver spoon in his mouth, and another with a wooden ladle. However, bleffed be God, I enjoy good health, and will for ever love liberty and Old England. Liberty, property, and Old England for ever, huzza!"

Thus faying, he limped off, leaving me in admiration at his intrepidity and content; nor could I avoid acknowledging, that an habitual acquaintance with mifery ferves better than philosophy to teach us to defpife it.

Scene

Scene between Colonel Rivers and Sir Harry ; in which the Col. from Principles of Honour, refuses to give his Daughter to Sir Harry.

OLONEL, your moft obedient;

I am

Sir Har. come upon the old business; for, unless

I am allowed to entertain hopes of Mifs Rivers, I fhall be the most miserable of all human beings.

Riv. Sir Harry, I have already told you by letter, and I now tell you perfonally, I cannot liften to your proposals.

Sir Har. No, Sir!

Riv. No, Sir: I have promised my daughter to Mr Sidney. Do you know that, Sir?

Sir Har. Í do: But what then? Engagements of this kind you know

Riv. So then, you do know I have promised her to Mr Sidney?

Sir Har. I do-But I alfo know that matters are not finally fettled between Mr Sidney and you; and I moreover know, that his fortune is by no means equal to mine, therefore

Riv. Sir Harry, let me ask you one question before you make your confequence.

Sir Har. A thousand, if you please, Sir.

Riv. Why then, Sir, let me ask you, what you have ever observed in me, or my conduct, that you defire me fo familiarly to break my word? I thought, Sir, you confidered me as a man of honor.

Sir Har. And so I do, Sir—a man of the niceft ho

nor.

Rip. And yet, Sir, you ask me to violate the fanctity of my word; and tell me directly, that it is my interest to be a rafcal?

"Sir Har. I really don't understand you, Colonel; I thought, when I was talking to you, I was talking to a

man

man who knew the world; and as you have not yet. figned

Riv. Why this is mending matters, with a witness! And fo you think, because I am not legally bound, I am under no neceffity of keeping my word! Sir Harry, laws were never made for men of honor: They want no bond but the rectitude of their own fentiments; and laws are of no ufe but to bind the villains of fociety.

Sir Har. Well! But my dear Colonel, if you have no regard for me, fhew fome little regard for your daughter.

Riv. I fhew the greatest regard for my daughter, by giving her to a man of honor: and I must not be infulted with any further repetition of your propofals.

Sir Har. Infult you, Colonel! Is the offer of my alliance an infult? Is my readiness to make what fettlements you think proper

Riv. Sir Harry, I fhould confider the offer of a kingdom an infult, if it were to be purchased by the violation of my word. Befides, though my daughter fhall never go a beggar to the arms of her husband, I would rather fee her happy than rich; and if she has enough to provide handsomely for a young family, and fomething to fpare for the exigencies of a worthy friend, I fhall think her as affluent as if he were miftrefs of Mexico.

Sir Har. Well, Colonel, I have done; but I believe

Riv. Well, Sir Harry, and as our conference is done, we will, if you please, retire to the ladies. I fhall be always glad of your acquaintance, though I cannot receive you as a fon-in-law; for a union of interest I look upon as a union of difhonor, and confider a marriage for money at best but a legal prostitution.

The

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TH HE father of Meliffa was the youngest fon of a country gentleman who poffeffed an eftate of about five hundred a year; but as this was to be the inheritance of the elder brother, and as there were three fifters to be provided for, he was at about fixteen taken from Eton fchool, and apprenticed to a confiderable merchant at Briftol. The young gentleman, whofe imagination had been fired by the exploits of heroes, the victories gained by magnanimous prefumption, and the wonders difcovered by daring curiofity, was not difpofed to confider the acquifition of wealth as the limit of his ambition, or the repute of honeft induftry as the total of his fame. He regarded his fituation as fervile and ignominious, as the degradation of his genius, and the preclufion of his hopes; and longing to go in fearch of adventures, he neglected his bufinefs as unworthy of his attention, heard the remonftrances of his master with a kind of fullen difdain, and, after two years legal flavery, made his escape, and at the next town enlifted himself

R

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