CHAP. XLI.

He perfifts in his Defign of going Abroad.Prig arrives, whom he confults.-Luckily thinks of applying to Mr. Goodwill.-That Gentleman arrives at Mr. Diaper's.-He perfuades Mr. Thompson to let his Son go to the Eaft Indies.-Mr. Goodwill procures him to be fent as a Factor to Fort St. George. He takes Leave of the Directors. Is nobly fitted out for the Voyage.

WE' spent three or four Days in this Recefs,

and I took it fo kindly and gratefully, that my Father nor Mr. Diaper ever reproached me, or mentioned my late Folly, that I was full of a Senfe of their Goodness, which gave me more than usual Inclination to please in every Thing I did; and I, even, for fome Time, facrificed my cruel Regrets, to the Joy and Pleasure I experienced in the Company of thefe dear Perfons. I found Mr. Diaper had not yet heard from my Friend again, which did not give us much Uneafinefs, as no India Ship had arrived, fince he fet fail from Lisbon; but, to make us fome Amends, we received Letters from Mr. Bellair and Mifs Sukey, accompanied with fome Prefents to Mrs. Diaper, by which we found that

Lady

Lady and her Brother in the fame Sentiments of my Friend, and longing for Advices from him.

Notwithstanding the Eafe and Compofure, however, that I affected, I was under a good deal of Concern to fee my Father and Mr. Diaper ftill in an Humour of fettling me in the Business of a Linnen-Draper, to which I had now loft all Manner of Relifh; and to which the Departure of my Friend had not a little contributed: Befides, the many Accidents that I had met with, the Death of my Louifa, together with the Life I had lately led, had given me a Repugnance to a clofe Application, and a Course of Hurry and Trade: This, tho', was not making a proper Judgment of Things, for, in the Execution of my Design of going Abroad, if I had thought only of the common Difficulties that would naturally occur, and the Care I muft manage with to bring myself into a wifhed State of Succefs, I believe I fhould have laid it abfolutely afide; but now I faw, I thought, a Relief from my Afflictions, in thus fhifting the Scene of Action, by the Variety of unusual Objects that would present themselves; and, in fhort, my hapless Love had given a romantic Turn to my Mind, which ab folutely unhinged me for an home Employment. I should not have known how to manage in this D:lemma, if good Fortune had not returned Mr Prig to Town, who immediately came down to pay his Compliments to Mr. Diaper and us, upon E 6 hearing

hearing we were all together. He was received with great Respect by that Gentleman and my Father, to whom I introduced him with particular Expreffions . of Regard; but, as for myfelf, I felt unufual Satiffaction in seeing a Man, who was now my only bofom Friend, and the Repofitory of my Se

.crets.

He was to the laft Degree furprised, when he heard of my Imprisonment, and the Affair of Mr. Deacon; but it was his Advice to fit down with the Lofs; for tho', by Filing a Bill in Chancery, perhaps fome Relief might be got, yet the Time it would employ, and the neceffary Expences, previous to the obtaining any Satisfaction, would be fo great a Difcouragement, that we should be heartily fick and tired, before it would be terminated, My Father, who was an Enemy to long and tedious Litigations, upon these Advices, agreed to let the Affair drop, telling me, with a great deal of good Humour, that he would look upon it as a Debt due to him, from me, whenever I was able tɔ pay him.

When I could conveniently do it, I took my Friend Prig with me upon a Ride, and disclosed to him my Situation, and the eager Defire I had to follow Mr. Diaper's Example, by going Abroad; for which I gave him fuch Reafons, that, finding all his Perfuafions to the contrary of no Avail, he heartily promised me his Affiftance to bring over

my

my Father and Mother to lay aside their Thoughtsof seeing me fixed in England; and now we began to think of the beft Means to bring it to bear, when luckily I recollected that Mr. Goodwill had an Uncle in the Direction of the East-India Company, and determined to write to that Gentleman to use his Intereft with him, for my obtaining fomewhat in their Service, which I had all the Reason in the World to believe he would employ with a great deal of Pleasure; and, accordingly, that very Evening I wrote to him, acquainting him with my Request and my Inducements for it; and another Letter to his Lady to back me in my Defire; and sent them directly to the Poft. Mean Time, I endeavoured to keep my Father from making any Progress in my Affairs, by propofing continual Parties of Pleasure to him and Mr. Diaper, which they readily engaged in, upon the Confideration of the Confinement I had fuffered, which they imagined must have confiderably hurt my Conftitution, and rendered Air and the Amusements of the Country neceffary to re-eftablish my Health; and my Mother, as well as my Father, was very careful never to mention Sir Walter or his Family, which I was glad of, for the leaft Word of my dear Louifa would have caft me into my old Melancholy, which I was now fomewhat relieved from by the Pursuit of my favourite Project. At

length

length a Letter arrived from Yorkshire, which, to my Surprise, only contained thefe Words:

DEAR SIR,

R. Goodwill will be in Town, almoft as foon

MR.

as you receive this; and I believe I fhall alfo have the Happiness to see you myself.

Your most affectionate Friend,

K. GOODWILL.

I could hardly tell what to think of Mr. Goodwill's not writing himself, and the Laconic Strain of this Epiftle from his Wife, and waited impatiently another Week for the Event; for I had wrote to Mr. Goodwill, to be fo good to fend a Letter to my Father, and to endeavour therein to bring him to Confent, by representing the Service he could do me, if it were in his Power. The Week was hardly expired, when, as we were one Morning at Breakfast, a Coach and Six drove up to the Houfe, which Mr. Diaper was wondering at, when my Mother, clapping her Hands for Joy, cried out, I am fure, Joe, that Livery belongs to a very great Friend of yours; and fo it did indeed, and fpringing from my Seat I ran to the Door before any of the Servants, and, opening it, flew to the Coach-fide, where Mr. Goodwill and his Lady were just alighted, who clasped me in his Arms,