ees.

I found out a relation who was dying in a consumption. He was the son of the widow of my father's brother. He encouraged me, when I had liberty, to visit him. In death he recommended me to his brother's notice, who had been indebted to my father for putting him apprentice. This was Mr. Winter, Water-gilder, in Bunhill-row, of whom I had not any knowledge. I found he had a design to take me from the work-house. I wish I could represent his design in a pleasing light. He appeared disposed to let me go to the charityschool for the advantage of education, but instantly as he took me, I was dismissed by the trustI heard it was to be my fate; but hoped the report was false, especially as the committeeday passed in which the business of the school was attended to, and the scholars were reviewed, without any notice being taken of it. I went as usual, the next morning, at the exact time, for I never was late, nor ever incurred displeasure by an hour's absence unavoidably. After the usual exercise of prayer, the head master surlily came up to me, and demanded if my Sunday's clothes were in their place, (they were taken home on the Saturday and returned on the Monday, by the law of the school.) On being answered in the affirmative, he told me I must go away, that I was no longer of that school. It is not to be described what I felt. I returned to my new home, brokenhearted. As Mr. Winter permitted me to apply for readmission, I am inclined to think it was not his design to prevent me the advantage of the schooling, at least for a time. The month was a very gloomy onc. On the Sunday I betook my

self to the church, longing to be in my seat; like an out-cast I placed myself after church, at the school door and was pierced to the heart by seeing the procession of the scholars, without permission to join them. On the committee-day I presented my petition for readmission, begged access into the room, kneeled upon my knees, and with crying and tears entreated for God's sake the learning of the school might be granted to me; but nothing was said to me; on the other hand, an haughty clergyman, dressed in his full suit of robes, ordered me instantly to be taken

out.

I had not been two years in the school; and three severe fits of sickness, the saints days, and Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide holidays, made a considerable reduction from that time, and no very great attention was paid to improvement; so that I had merely learned to write when my schooling closed, without being set to put three figures together, or to learn one line in any of the tables.

I now became the errand boy, and was devoted to what employ I was capable of in the workshop, and occasionally in the kitchen, and other domestic services from six in the morning till eight in the evening, or later, as occasion served. This was my situation till I was one and twenty years of age. Mr. Winter was a man of very irritable, severe temper, unhappy in his marriage, and given exceedingly to drinking. Whatever ruffled his temper, I was the victim upon whom he vented his rage. By his severity my spirits. were soon broken, and I became so enervated

that the step of his foot up stairs, and the sight of him, commonly threw me into a tremor. Upon the slightest occasion he would beat me unmercifully. He never was at a loss for a weapon: iron was the same as wood; consequences were not regarded. I review the scene and shudder. I sometimes wonder that I have my faculties. To this very time I frequently dream I am with him under his displeasure, and feel uneasiness. During the period of twelve years, I often thought it were better to die than to live, and in some parts of that time was ready to say, I choose strangling rather than life. Had I in the former years been a partaker of grace, I should have thought I endured, as seeing him who is invisible; but as this was not the case, I sometimes wonder, on reflection, that I did not elope from him, and submit to any thing rather than such perpetual torture of body and mind. It was a very abject situation; I had nothing to encourage me. Overburdened one day with the severity of my usage, I made an effort to get work, and was determined to disengage myself from my hard task-master. This I could legally have done as he had not bound me to him. He was informed of it and was alarmed. He came up in the shop one morning in an unusual good humour, directed his discourse to me, applauded my work, asked me, if I had heard the news of young men not apprenticed being liable to be forced into the king's service, and, as it was the time of war, said he had no method of screening me, but by binding me to him Perceiving that he was imposing upon me, and suspecting he had a design of an unworthy naturę,

especially as he kept me back in my improvement and had till then refused to bind me, I resisted Iris motion. He then unmasked, flew into a passion, informed me that he had heard I had applied for business, and threatened to demand recompense for my subsistence for the time I had been with him. I was persuaded into submission.The indenture was antedated, and I continued to wear the galling chain for four years longer.

I was not my own guide. I could not help myself without risking difficulties, which might have been equal to those I underwent with him. I doubtless had my faults. Many I recollect, and, under the review of them, am humbled before God; but those he might charge me with, did not merit that indiscreet severity he exercised upon me I shall in the course of this memoir have occasion to mention him again. I bless God I was not suffered to precipitate myself into ruin, but was enabled patiently to endure; and as I subscribe to his wisdom in permitting events thus to occur, I have to recollect with gratitude his kindness towards me afterwards. He has instructed me and taught me. He has been a father unto me, and shall receive praise from me. I will relieve your attention, and at present subscribe my

LETTER III.

MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,

In the former letter I mentioned that I can recollect my mind being often in a very pious frame; I will here cite a fresh instance. By being brought to Mr. Winter, I became an inhabitant of the parish of St. Luke, Old-street. On Saturday, I frequently anticipated the pleasures of the day ensuing, not merely as a day of leisure, but of devotion; and usually attended St. Luke's church, morning and afternoon, and thought it an additional pleasure to have opportunity to attend a monthly evening lecture at Cripplegate. A charity sermon was of great importance to me, as it afforded me an opportunity to hear a new preacher: and I almost envied the boys the privilege of the charity -judge you how I must feel when a bishop preached. My situation sometimes confined me at home on a Sunday afternoon, when I engaged my attention to the Bible. I remember to have fatigued myself once exceedingly in writing out the first chapter of the second book of Kings. But it stuck by me. O that I had habituated myself more to that employ! I had all this time common and very strong prejudices against the Methodists and Dissenters. When my clothes were disgracefully bad, which was sometimes the case, I absconded from my own church, and occasionally wandered into a meeting house. I at last got to hear Mr. Whitefield two or three times, and was particularly struck by his appearance and dress. Though at the distance of sixty feet, and the congregation