CHAPTER XII.-XIII.

"Though bold these truths, thou Muse, with truths like these, Wilt none offend, whom 'tis a praise to please;

Let others flatter, to be flattered, thou,

Like just Tribunals, bend an awful bow.

How terrible it were to common sense,

To write a Satire, which gives none offence !"-YOUNG.

'I wish,' exclaimed Ferdinand, that he (Charles) would take Jem. to bed, for he will never be done with him! confound him! and his Jem.; if we have to be troubled with him, and every idle, low-bred brat, that he, with his tender heart, takes a fancy to, we may read till we are full of the blue devils!' 'If you talk on at this rate,' said Augustus, patiently, for he began to be a little interested in Jem's. fate and account; 'it may be Doomsday, ere we shall have done, but let us proceed.'

"Near the cot, in which Jem. resided, lived one Mr. Potion, a respectable Currier; or rather a Gentleman Currier, for he never so much as touched leather; his fore-man did all; he likewise was skilled in physic, and though now become rich, and highly honourable; aping a little of the Quality, although sprung from exceedingly low origin. Jem's father being one of his customers, he often saw Jem. and joked him, on making his Hay-man, telling him that his next prank would be to hang himself! On this, Jem. was somewhat nettled, for Cobblers have the same pride, honour and feeling, as any of us Nobles! or, Mushroom Gentlemen! and retorted rather freely; which affronted Mr. Potion so much, that he told Jem. to tell his father, that he would call upon him, and they

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would settle their accounts. This was like a clap of thunder to poor Jem., yet, he thought within himself, that if his poor father, at that time could not pay him, he might perhaps borrow it, as his parents were, in Pope's words:-

Religious, punctual, frugal, and so forth;

Their word would pass, for more than they were worth."

However, Jem's father came on better than he expected. After Jem. went home, Mr. Potion, jokingly observed to some of his men, that, Jem. was 'a curious lad, very hot tempered, and that he thought, a little physic might do him good, as he wanted vomiting, purging, and something to clear and cool his head; as his pride and assurance, to be a Cobbler's son, was got to such a height, that it ought to be curbed and checked; and he, by his reading, &c. was, or soon would turn light-headed; nay, further, he thought by the wildness of his eye, that he already was a little deranged!' This lost nothing by going through the mouths of his men, who exaggerated it, by reporting, that Mr. Potion said, (thus depriving him for ever, of the title, of being a Sharp, Quick Lad) that Jem. was certainly deranged, by so much reading, and that he ought to be confined, as he was likely to be a second Jonathan Martin! At last, it got to Jem's ears, which had such an effect upon his mind, that he thought he should have died; he thought within himself, that Mr. Potion need not to make such comments concerning his head; if he would only examine the contents of his own; he would see, that it contained nothing but Lumber and Rubbish indeed

"A wit's a feather, and a chief a rod,

An honest man's the noblest work of God;,
Fame but from death, a villain's name can save,
As Justice tears his body from the grave.”—Pors.

What is he? where is all his wisdom? --

"In parts superior, what advantage lies?
Tell (for you can) what is it to be wise?
"Tis but to know, how little can be known,
To see all other's faults, and feel our own;
Condemn'd in business, or in arts to drudge,
Without a second, or without a Judge,

Truths would you teach, or save a sinking land?
All fear, none aid you, and few understand.

Painful pre-eminence! yourself to view,

Above life's weakness, and its comforts too."-POPE.

Ah! poor Jemmy, had you been the son of one of these worldlings, how you would have been caressed; your wit would have been extolled above the sky. Yes, it would have been said, 'Mr. what a wonderful wise son you have, what a depth of knowledge, what a mine of wit he possesses, what an honour he must be to you, &c.' But, alas! by reason of thy understanding soaring above the common sort, beyond the level of thy cobbling fellow brethren-thou art hated-viewed through the Mirror of envy-who makes thee as ugly, and as thou lackest, that which is the root of all evil; thou art despised, yet thy merit will, I doubt not, make its way through all its oppositions, and opposers, and attain that Laurel and Rank, which were destined thee, by the unsearchable and immutable Decrees of an allwise Providence; and ever to enjoy that Rank and wear that Laurel Crown, which thy merit well deserves; what happiness can wealth afford without Content?

"What though his wits could ne'er dispense,
One page of Grammar, or of sense;
What though his learning be so slight,
He scarcely knows to spell, or write;
What though his skull be cudgel proof,
He's orthodox, and that's enough.'

-Tom Brainless.

As for Mentor and Dapperwit; truly, poor Jem. will never forget their kindnesses; with what pleasure, what thankfulness, does his grateful mind, dwell upon their friendship! Yes, when on his dying bed, 'twill alleviate his sorrows and his pain; it will banish gloom and horror from his poor heaving breast; and when his tender heart hath throbbed its last, and tongue refused its office, it will be-Mentor!Dapperwit!! He might say in the words of the Poet:

"Pleasures would court in vain, and beauty smile,
Glory in vain my wishes would beguile;
The persecutors rage I would not fear,
Let death in ev'ry horrid form appear;
And with his fiercest darts my breast assail,
When breath, and ev'ry vital spring shall fail:
This sacred flame on brighter wings shall rise,
And unextinguish'd reach its native skies!"

4

Jem. had on a certain time some thoughts of. getting his Reviewer published; yet, on account of so many false reports, against it, and to its disadvantage, it fell to the ground. One Mr. Jodd Whipcord, a Sadler, was very kind, amongst the rest of Jem's enemies, and with his poisonous tongue, did all the harm he could:

"O that the too censorious world would learn,
This wholesome rule, and with each other bear!
But man as if a foe to his own species,
Takes pleasure to report his neighbours faults,
Judging with rigour, ev'ry small offence.

And prides himself in scandal."

Heywo d's D. of Brunswick

Jem. in a fit of passion, made the following Acrostic, on Whipcord :

Wickedness! thou wicked man, forsake, or else,

Hell will catch hold on thee, what wicked thoughts the Devil bath, I. nstill'd into thy noddle, if thou alt'rest not, thou'll be,

P lung'd into the dark abyss of Hell!-How truly terrible!

Canst thou, with Everlasting burnings wage?

Or canst thou withstand the Great Omnipotent! who will here long,
Reach out his Huge, Almighty Arm and will thee thrust
Down, to be for ever with the devils damn'd!

Mr. Potion had also heard of this book, and ridiculed it with all his might. However, Jem. might say, in Cowper's words.

"The nightingale may claim the topmost bough,
While the poor grass-hopper must chirp below.
Like him unnotic'd, I, and such as I,
Spread little wings, and rather skip than fly :
Perch'd on the meagre produce of the land,
An ell or two of prospect we command;
But never peep beyond the thorny bound,

Or oaken fence, that hems the Paddock sound."

As to his much reading, writing, and studying, being said to do him harm; he might answer Mr. Potion thus :

"Why did I write? what sin to me unknown,
Dipp'd me in ink; my Parents? or my own?
As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame,
I lisp'd in numbers for the numbers came:
I left no calling, for this idle trade,

No duty, no father disobey'd."-POPE.

As Jem. remembered Whipcord, so he did not forget Potion, for on him, he likewise made an Acrostic (like the other, in blank verse) it is as follows: