would certainly have conveyed to the same place of honour; but he had wisely withdrawn: he then searched for his crabstick, and having found that, as well as his fellow-travellers, he declared he would not stay a moment longer in such a house. He then departed, without taking leave of his host; whom he had exacted a more severe revenge on than he intended; for as he did not use sufficient care to dry himself in time, he caught a cold by the accident, which threw him into a fever, that had like to have cost him his life.

CHAPTER VIII.

Which some readers will think too short, others too long. ADAMS, and Joseph, who was no less enraged than his friend at the treatment he met with, went out with their sticks in their hands, and carried off Fanny, notwithstanding the opposition of the servants, who did all, without proceeding to violence, in their power to detain them. They walked as fast as they could, not so much from any apprehension of being pursued, as that Mr. Adams might by exercise prevent any harm from the water. The gentleman, who had given such orders to his servants concerning Fanny that he did not in the least fear her getting away, no sooner heard that she was gone, than he began to rave, and immediately despatched several with orders either to bring her back or never return. The poet, the player, and all but the dancingmaster and doctor, went on this errand.

The night was very dark in which our friends began their journey; however, they made such expedition, that they soon arrived at an inn which was at seven miles'

distance. Here they unanimously consented to pass the evening, Mr. Adams being now as dry as he was before he had set out on his embassy.

This inn, which indeed we might call an alehouse, had not the words, The New Inn, been writ on the sign, afforded them no better provisions than bread and cheese and ale; on which, however, they made a very comfortable meal; for hunger is better than a French cook.

They had no sooner supped, than Adams, returning thanks to the Almighty for his food, declared he had ate his homely commons with much greater satisfaction than his splendid dinner; and expressed great contempt for the folly of mankind, who sacrificed their hopes of heaven to the acquisition of vast wealth; since so much. comfort was to be found in the humblest state and the lowest provision. Very true, Sir,' says a grave man who sat smoking his pipe by the fire, and who was a traveller as well as himself. I have often been as much 'surprised as you are, when I consider the value which 'mankind in general set on riches; since every day's exเ perience shows us how little is in their power; for what, indeed, truly desirable, can they bestow on us? Can 'they give beauty to the deformed, strength to the weak, or health to the infirm? Surely if they could, we should not see so many ill favoured faces haunting the 'assemblies of the great, nor would such numbers of 'feeble wretches languish in their coaches and palaces. 'No, not the wealth of a kingdom can purchase any 'paint to dress pale Ugliness in the bloom of that young 'maiden, nor any drugs to equip Disease with the vigour ' of that young man. Do not riches bring us solicitude instead of rest, envy instead of affection, and danger instead of safety? Can they prolong their own pos'session, or lengthen his days who enjoys them? So far ' otherwise, that the sloth, the luxury, the care which

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'attend them, shorten the lives of millions, and bring 'them with pain and misery to an untimely grave. 'Where then is their value, if they can neither embellish nor strengthen our forms, sweeten nor prolong our ' lives?-Again: Can they adorn the mind more than 'the body? Do they not rather swell the heart with vanity, puff up the cheeks with pride, shut our ears to every call of virtue, and our bowels to every motive ' of compassion?'-'Give me your hand, brother,' said Adams in a rapture, for I suppose you are a clergy'man.'- No truly,' answered the other (indeed, he was a priest of the church of Rome; but those who understand our laws will not wonder he was not over-ready to own it). Whatever you are,' cries Adams, 'you have spoken my sentiments: I believe I have preached every syllable of your speech twenty times over; for it hath 'always appeared to me easier for a cable rope (which by { the way is the true rendering of that word we have 'translated camel) to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven.' -'That, Sir,' said the other, 'will be easily granted you 'by divines, and is deplorably true: but as the prospect ' of our good at a distance doth not so forcibly affect us, 'it might be of some service to mankind to be made 'thoroughly sensible,-which I think they might be with very little serious attention, that even the blessings of 'this world are not to be purchased with riches ;—a 'doctrine, in my opinion, not only metaphysically, but, if I may so say, mathematically demonstrable; and 'which I have been always so perfectly convinced of, 'that I have a contempt for nothing so much as for gold.' Adams now began a long discourse; but as most which he said occurs among many authors who have treated this subject, I shall omit inserting it. During its continuance Joseph and Fanny retired to rest, and the host likewise

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left the room. When the English parson had concluded, the Romish resumed the discourse, which he continued with great bitterness and invective; and at last ended by desiring Adams to lend him eighteen-pence to pay his reckoning; promising, if he never paid him, he might be assured of his prayers. The good man answered, that eighteen-pence would be too little to carry him any very long journey; that he had half a guinea in his pocket, which he would divide with him. He then fell to searching his pockets, but could find no money; for indeed the company with whom he dined had passed one jest upon him which we did not then enumerate, and had picked his pocket of all that treasure which he had so ostentatiously produced.

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'Bless me,' cried Adams, 'I have certainly lost it; I can never have spent it. Sir, as I am a Christian, I had 'a whole half-guinea in my pocket this morning, and 'have not now a single halfpenny of it left. Sure the 'devil must have taken it from me!'-'Sir,' answered the priest smiling, 'you need make no excuses; if you are 'not willing to lend me the money, I am contented.'— Sir,' cries Adams, 'if I had the greatest sum in the ' world,—ay, if I had ten pounds about me,-I would bestow it all to rescue any Christian from distress. I am more vexed at my loss on your account than my own. Was ever any thing so unlucky? because I have 'no money in my pocket, I shall be suspected to be no 'Christian.'-'I am more unlucky,' quoth the other,' if you are as generous as you say; for really a crown would 'have made me happy, and conveyed me in plenty to the place I am going, which is not above twenty miles off, and where I can arrive by to-morrow night. I assure you I am not accustomed to travel pennyless. I am but 'just arrived in England: and we were forced by a storm in our passage to throw all we had overboard. I don't

suspect but this fellow will take my word for the trifle I เ owe him; but I hate to appear so mean as to confess myself without a shilling to such people; for these, and 'indeed too many others, know little difference in their 'estimation between a beggar and a thief.' However, he thought he should deal better with the host that evening than the next morning: he therefore resolved to set out immediately, notwithstanding the darkness; and accordingly, as soon as the host returned, he communicated to him the situation of his affairs; upon which the host, scratching his head, answered, 'Why, I do not know, 'Master; if it be so, and you have no money, I must trust, I think, though I had rather always have ready money if I could; but, marry, you look like so honest a gentleman, that I don't fear your paying me, if it was twenty times as much.' The priest made no reply, but taking leave of him and Adams as fast as he could, not without confusion, and perhaps with some distrust of Adams's sincerity, departed.

He was no sooner gone than the host fell a shaking his head, and declared, If he had suspected the fellow had no money, he would not have drawn him a single drop of drink; saying, he despaired of ever seeing his face again, for that he looked like a confounded rogue. 'Rabbit the fellow,' cries he, 'I thought by his talking so much ' about riches, that he had a hundred pounds at least in 'his pocket.' Adams chid him for his suspicions, which he said were not becoming a Christian; and then, without reflecting on his loss, or considering how he himself should depart in the morning, he retired to a very homely bed, as his companions had before; however, health and fatigue gave them a sweeter repose than is often in the power of velvet and down to bestow.