Accordingly in July laft, 1791, we set out from Merton, which I now make my chief refidence, taking Bath, Bristol, &c. in our way to my native place Wellington.

In Bristol, Exbridge, Bridgewater, Taunton, Wellington, and other places, I amused myself in calling on fome of my mafters, with whom I had about twenty years before worked as a journeyman fhoemaker. I addreffed each with, "Pray Sir, have you got any occafion?" which is the term made ufe of by journeymen in that useful occupation, when feeking employment. Most of those honeft men had quite forgot my perfon, as many of them had not feen me fince I worked for them: fo that it is not easy for you to conceive with what furprize and aftonishment they gazed on me. For you must know that I had the vanity (I call it humour) to do this in my chariot, attended by my fervants; and on telling them who I was, all appeared to be very happy to see me, And I affure you, my friend, it afforded me much real pleasure to see so many of my old

acquaintances alive and well, and tolerable happy. The following lines often occurred to my mind:

"Far from the madding crowd's ignoble ftrife,
"Their fober wishes never learn'd to stray :

"Along the cool fequefter'd vale of life

They keep the noiseless tenor of their way."

At Taunton and Wellington it seemed to be the unanimous determination of all the poorer fort, that I fhould by no means be deficient in old acquaintance. Some poor fouls declared that they had known me for fifty years (that is, years before I was born ;) others had danced me in their arms a thoufand times; nay, better still, fome knew my grandmother; but, beft of all, one old man claimed acquaintance with me, for having seen me many times on the top of a fix-andtwenty round ladder, balanced on the chin of a merry Andrew! The old man was however egregiously mistaken, as I never was fo precariously exalted, my ambition, as you well know, taking a very different turn. But that was of no confequence: all the old

fellow

fellow wanted was a fhilling-and I gave it him. No matter (as Sterne fays) from what motive. I never examine into these things. This I obferved, that none of them were common beggars, but poor ufeful labouring people. Giving to common ftrollers is but encouraging idleness and every other vice. And as fmall matters made many happy, I was fupremely fo, to be the means of contributing to their comfort. And indeed who would hefitate at being the means of diffufing happiness on fuch easy terms, and with fo little trouble?

The bells rang merrily all the day of my arrival. I was alfo honoured with the attention of many of the most refpectable people in and near Wellington and other parts ; Some of whom were pleafed to inform me, that the reafon of their paying a particular attention to me was their having heard, and now having themfelves an opportunity of obferving, that I did not fo far forget myfelf, as many proud upftarts had done; that the notice I took of my poor relations and

old

old acquaintance merited the refpect and approbation of every real gentleman. They were also pleased to exprefs a wish, that as foon as I could difpofe of my business, I would come down and fpend the remainder of my days among them. This reception was the more pleasing, as I have sometimes obferved a contrary conduct practifed by fome, who have been pleased to stile themfelves gentlemen, and on that score think that they have a right to treat men of bufiness (however respectable they may be) as by much their inferiors; and it too often. happens that one of those petty gentry who poffeffes but a hundred or two per annum, will behave in a haughty manner to a man in business who fpends as many thousands; but fuch fhould be told, that a real gentleman in any company will never either by word or action, attempt to make the meanest perfon feel his inferiority, but on the contrary.

They should be informed also how highly impolitic and unjust it is to attempt to fix a ftigma

a ftigma on trade and commerce, the very things that have caufed England to rife fo high in the political scale of Europe.

'Tis true that even in England you may fee great numbers of very opulent tradefmen who have not an idea but what they have acquired behind the counter; but you may also find many thousands of the fame clafs of life who are poffeffed of very liberal ideas, and who would not commit an action that would difgrace a title. For my part, I will endeavour to adhere to the advice given by Perfius as it is tranflated :

Study thyfelf what rank, or what degree

"The wife Creator has ordain'd for thee:

"And all the offices of that state

"Perform! and with thy prudence guide thy fate."

William Jones, Efq. of Foxdowne, near Wellington, informed me of a remarkable prognoftication in my favour; he told me that when I was a boy, about twelve years of age, Mr. Paul, then a very confiderable wholesale linen-draper, in Friday-ftreet, London, (I

believe