"months!" This was one of those observations I ufually made to imprefs my wife with an opinion of my fagacity; for if the girls fucceed, then it was a pious with fulfilled; but if any thing unfortunate enfued, then it might be looked upon as a prophecy. All this converfation, however, was only preparatory to another scheme, and indeed I dreaded as much. This was nothing lefs than, that as we were now to hold up our heads a little higher in the world, it would be proper to fell the colt, which was grown old, at a neighbouring fair, and buy us an horse that would carry fingle or double upon an occafion, and make a pretty appearance at church or upon a vifit. This at first I opposed stoutly; but it was as ftoutly defended. However, as I weakened, my antagonists gained ftrength, till at laft it was refolved to part with him.

As the fair happened on the following day, I had intentions of going myfelf; but my wife perfuaded me that I had got a cold, and nothing could prevail upon her to permit me from home. "No, my "dear," faid fhe, "our fon Mofes is a difcreet boy, and can buy and fell to very good advan"tage; you know all our great bargains are of his purchafing. He always ftands out and higgles, "and actually tires them till he gets a bargain."

As I had fome opinion of my fon's prudence, I was willing enough to entrust him with this commiffion; and the next morning I perceived his fifters mighty bufy in fitting out Mofes for the fair; trimming his hair, brufhing his buckles, and cocking his hat with pins. The bufinefs of the toilet being over, we had at last the fatisfaction of seeing him mounted upon the colt, with a deal box before him to bring home groceries in. He had on a coat made of that cloth they call thunder and lightning, which, tho' grown too short, was much too good to be thrown away. His waistcoat was of gofling green, and his

fifters

fifters had tied his hair with a broad black ribband. We all followed him feveral paces from the door, bawling after him good luck, good luck, till we could fee him no longer.

He was fcarcely gone, when Mr. Thornhill's butler came to congratulate us upon our good fortune, faying, that he overheard his young mafter mention our names with great commendation.

Good fortune feemed refolved not to come alone. Another footman from the fame family followed, with a card for my daughters, importing, that the two ladies had received fuch pleafing accounts from Mr. Thornhill of us all, that, after a few previous inquiries, they hoped to be perfectly fatisfied. "Ay," cried my wife, "I now fee it is no eafy matter to get into the families of the great; but when one once gets in, then, as Mofes fays, one may go to fleep." To this piece of humour, for the intended it for wit, my daughters affented with a loud laugh of pleasure. In fhort, fuch was her fatisfaction at this meffage, that the actually put her hand in her pocket, and gave the meffenger feven-pence halfpenny.

This was to be our vifiting-day. The next that came was Mr. Burchell, who had been at the fair. He brought my little ones a pennyworth of gingerbread each, which my wife undertook to keep for them, and give them by letters at a time. He brought my daughters alfo a couple of boxes, in which they might keep wafers, fnuff, patches, or even money, when they got it. My wife was ufually fond of a weefel fkin purfe, as being the moft lucky; but this by the bye. We had fill a regard for Mr. Burchell, though his late rude behaviour was in fome measure difpleafing; nor could we now avoid communicating our happiness to him, and afking his advice: although we feldom followed advice, we were all ready enough to afk it. When

he

he read the note from the two ladies, he fhook his head, and obferved, that an affair of this fort demanded the utmoft circumfpećtion.- This air of diffidence highly difpleafed my wife.

66

66

"I never

doubted, Sir," cried the, " your readiness to be against my daughters and me. You have more circumfpection than is wanted. However, I fancy when we come to afk advice, we will ap"ply to perfons who feem to have made ufe of it "themfelves.". "Whatever my own conduct "may have been, Madam," replied he, "is not the prefent question; though as I have made no use "of advice myself, I fhould in confcience give it "to thofe that will."As I was apprehenfive this anfwer might draw on a repartee, making up by abufe what it wanted in wit, I changed the fubject, by feeming to wonder what could keep our fon fo long at the fair, as it was now almost nightfall."Never mind our fon," cried my wife, "depend

upon it he knows what he is about. I'll warrant "we'll never fee him fell his hen of a rainy day. I

have feen him buy fuch bargains as would amaze 66 one. I'll tell you a good story about that, that "will make you fplit your fides with laughing"But as I live, yonder comes Mofes, without an "horfe, and the box at his back."

As the fpoke, Mofes came flowly on foot, and fweating under the deal box, which he had ftrapt round his fhoulders like a pedlar.-" Welcome, "welcome, Mofes; well, my boy, what have you "brought us from the fair?" "I have brought

you myfelf," cried Mofes, with a fly look, and refling the box on the dreffer.-" Ah, Mofes," cried my wife," that we know, but where is the horse?" "I have fold him," cried Mofes, "for three pounds "five fhillings and two-pence.' "Well done, "I knew you

my good boy," returned fhe, "would touch them off. Between ourselves, three "pounds five fhillings and two-pence is no bad

« day's

66

day's work. Come, let us have it then."--" I "have brought back no money," cried Mofes again. "I have laid it all out in a bargain, and "here it is," pulling out a bundle from his breaft : "here they are; a grofs of green fpectacles, with "filver rims and fhagreen cafes."" A grofs of green fpectacles "repeated my wife in a faint voice. "And you have parted with the colt, and brought us back nothing but a grofs of green paltry spectacles !"- "Dear mother," cried the boy, "why won't you liften to reafon? I had them a dead bargain, or I fhould not have bought them. "The filver rims alone will fell for double the "money. "A fig for the filver rims," cried my wife, in a paffion: "I dare fwear they won't fell "for above half the money at the rate of broken filyer, five fhillings an ounce."-" You need be "under no uneafinefs," cried I," about felling the

66

rims; for they are not worth fix pence, for I per"ceive they are only copper varnished over.". "What," cried my wife," not filver, the rims not "filver !" "No," cried I, "no more filver than "your fauce-pan."-" And fo," returned fhe, "we "have parted with the colt, and have only got a "grofs of green fpectacles, with copper rims and

thagreen cafes! A murrain take fuch trumpery. "The blockhead has been impofed upon, and "fhould have known his company better." "There, my dear," cried I," you are wrong, he "fhould not have known them at all."-" Marry,

'

hang the idiot," returned fhe, "to bring me fuch "ftuff, if I had them I would throw them in the "fire." "There again you are wrong, my dear," cried I;" for though they be copper, we will keep "them by us, as copper fpectacles, you know, are "better than nothing."

By this time the unfortunate Mofes was unde→ ceived. He now faw that he had indeed been impofed upon by a prowling fharper, who, obferving

66

66

his figure, had marked him for an easy prey. therefore afked the circumftances of his deception. He fold the horfe, it feems, and walked the fair in fearch of another. A reverend looking man brought him to a tent, under pretence of having one to fell. Here," " continued Mofes, "we met another man, very well dreft, who defired to borrow twenty pounds upon thefe, faying, that he wanted money, "and would difpofe of them for a third of the "value. The firft gentleman who pretended to be my friend, whispered me to buy them, and cau"tioned me not to let fo good an offer pass. I "Tent for Mr. Flamborough, and they talked him up as finely as they did me, and fo at laft we were perfuaded to buy the two grofs between us.

66

66

༤.ག

CHAP. XIII

Mr. Burchell is found to be an enemy; for he has the confidence to give difagreeable advice.

OUR family had now made feveral attempts to

be fine; but fome unforeseen difafter demolished each as foon as projected. I endeavoured to take the advantage of every disappointment, to improve their good fenfe in proportion as they were fruftrated in ambition. "You fee, my children," cried I," how little is to be got by attempts to impofe upon the world, in coping with our betSuch as are poor and will affociate with "none but the rich, are hated by thofe they avoid, "and defpifed by thefe they follow. Unequal com"binations are always difadvantageous to the weaker "fide: the rich having the pleasure, and the poor "the inconveniences that refult from them. But

(6

❝ters.

come, Dick, my boy, and repeat the fable that 66 you