naturally gave Jack a great efteem for the profeffion of a blacksmith, and in his occafional vifits to the forge with the horses, he learnt to make and fix a shoe as neatly as any artist in the country. Nor were Jack's talents confined to the manufactory of iron; his love of horses was fo

great, and his interest in every thing that related to them, that it was not long before he acquired a very competent knowledge in the art of fadlery.

Jack would alfo fometimes obferve the carpenters when they were at work, and fometimes by stealth attempt the management of their tools, in which he fucceeded as well as in every thing else, so that he was looked upon by every body as a very active, ingenious boy.

There was in the family where he now lived a young gentleman, the nephew of his mistress, who had loft his parents, and was therefore. brought

brought up by his aunt. As Master Willets was fomething younger than Jack, and a very goodnatured boy, he foon began to take notice of him, and be much diverted with his company. Jack, indeed, was not undeferving this attention; for although he could not boaft any great advantages of education, his conduct was entirely free from all the vices to which fome of the lower clafs of people are fubject. Jack was never heard to fwear, or exprefs himself with any indecency. He was civil and respectful in his manners to all his fuperiors, and uniformly goodnatured to his equals. In refpect to the animals entrusted to his care, he not only refrained from ufing them ill, but was never tired with doing them good offices. Added to this, he was fober, temperate, hardy, active, and ingenious, and defpifed a lie as much as any of his betters. Mafter Willets now began to be much pleased with playing at cricket and trap-ball with Jack, who excelled at both these games. Master Willets had a little horse, which Jack looked after, and not contented with looking after him in the best manner, he used to ride him at his leisure hours with fo much care and address, that in a fhort time he made him the moft gentle and docile little animal in the country. Jack had acquired this knowledge partly from his own experience, and partly from paying particular attention to an C 2

itinerant

itinerant riding-mafter, that had lately exhibited various feats in that neighbourhood. Jack attended him fo closely, and made fo good an use of his time, that he learned to imitate almoft every thing he faw, and used to divert the fervants and his young mafter with acting the taylor's riding to Brentford.

The young gentleman had a mafter who used to come three times a week to teach him accounts, and writing, and geography. Jack used to be fometimes in the room while the leffons were given, and liftened, according to cuftom, with fo much attention to all that paffed, that he received very confiderable advantage for his own improvement. He had now a little money, and he laid fome of it out to purchase pens, and paper, and a flate, with which at night he used to imitate every thing he had heard and seen in the

the day; and his little mafter, who began to love him very fincerely, when he faw him fo defirous of improvement, contrived, under one pretence or another, to have him generally in the room while he was receiving inftruction himself.

In this manner Jack went on for some years, leading a life very agreeable to himself, and difcharging his duty very much to the fatisfaction of his mistress. An unlucky accident at length happened to interrupt his tranquillity. A young gentleman came down to vifit Mafter Willets, who, having been educated in France, and among genteel people in London, had a very great tafte for finery, and a fupreme contempt for all the vulgar. His dress too was a little particular, as well as his manners; for he spent half his time in adjusting his head, wore a large black bag tied to his hair behind, and would fometimes strut about for half an hour together with his hat un

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der his arm, and a little sword by his fide. This young man had a fupreme contempt for all the vulgar, which he did not attempt to conceal; and when he had heard the story of Jack's birth and education, he could fcarcely bear to be in the fame room with him. Jack foon perceived the averfion which the ftranger entertained for him, and at first endeavoured to remove it, by every civility in his power; but when he found that he gained nothing by all his humility, his temper, naturally haughty, took fire, and, as far as he dared, he plainly fhewed all the refentment he felt.

i. It happened one day, after Jack had received fome very mortifying ufage from this young gentleman, that as he was walking along the road, he met with a showman, who was returning from a neighbouring fair with fome wild beasts in a cart. Among the reft was a middle-fized monkey, who was not under cover like the reft, and played fo many antic tricks, and made fo many grimaces, as engaged all Jack's attention, and. delighted him very much, for he always had a propensity for every species of drollery. After a variety of questions and conversation, the showman, who probably wanted to be rid of his monkey, proposed to Jack to purchase him for half a crown. Jack could not refift the temptation of being mafter of fuch a droll diverting animal, and

therefore