have been at home.-The effect, however, of such long separations from parents, brothers, and sisters, and other near relations, is far from favorable to the forming of the moral and social character, in future life.

"The school at Scorton is, I believe, well endowed: and it was at that time of considerable note. During the whole of my continuance there, there were above eighty scholars; several from remote places; and a few of superior station in society, whose names I have since met with as occupying rather conspicuous situations. The Rev. John Noble was head-master. He had been, in his day, indisputably an able teacher of the learned languages: but at this time he was old and lethargic; and, though still assiduous, was most grossly imposed upon by the boys, and by no one more than myself.

"When I arrived at Scorton, I was asked what Latin books I had read; and my answer induced the usher to overrate my proficiency, and to place me in a class much beyond my superficial attainments. This, however, stimulated me to close application; and it was not very long before I overtook my class-mates, and with ease accompanied them. Had I then been again pushed forward, I might have been excited to persevering diligence: but, as I could appear with tolerable credit without much application; partly by actual proficiency, and partly by imposing on Mr. Noble, under whose care I now came; my love of play, and my scarcity of money for self-indulgent expences, induced me to divide a great proportion of my time between diversion and helping other boys in their exercises, for a very scanty remuneration, which I lost in gaming, or squandered in gratifying my appetite. Still, however, I made considerable progress, and should have been at the head of the school, had I continued in it another year. But one thing is remarkable, considering what has since taken place, that, while I could translate Latin into English, or English into Latin, perhaps more readily and correctly than any other boy in the school, I never could compose themes. I absolutely seemed to have no ideas, when set to work of this kind, either then or for some years afterwards; and was even greatly at a loss to write a common letter.-As for verses, I never wrote any except nonsense-verses, of one kind or other; which has perhaps been the case also of many more prolific versifiers. God had not made me a poet, and I am very thankful that 1 never attempted to make myself one."

In addition to what my father has here stated, I think it sufficiently curious to be inserted in the history of one who lived to compose so many large volumes, that I have often heard him remark, that, in his early days, he looked upon few things with so much surprise, as upon great books: he felt utterly, at a loss to conceive, how they had ever been produced. For the encouragement, also, of industry and perseverance, I would venture to express an opinion, which facts, I think, have suggested to me, that to find composition a difficult task is rather a promising symptom in young persons, than the contrary. Precocity in writing is very often no other than the art of writing "without ideas:" while they, who cannot write till they have thought, are more likely, in the event, to store their compositions with valuable matter.

"During these five years," my father proceeds, “I experienced, as I suppose most young persons do, several remarkable preservations in perilous circumstances, generally such as my violent and eager spirit pushed me into; and I also recovered from some very dangerous fevers. These things ought to be remembered by me with lively gratitude, (especially as I then scarcely ever thought of God;)_but they are not so peculiar as to deserve public notice. Perhaps one exception may be admitted. Sitting by the fireside reading, I affronted, by no great offence, a schoolfellow of as violent passions as myself: when, without my being at all aware of his design, he seized a large poker, and aimed a blow at my head, which must have proved fatal, had not its force been broken by an intervening object. As it was, it inflicted a severe wound, which left a bald place on the top of my head ever after.

"My own conduct, at this period, was as immoral as want of money, pride, and fear of temporal consequences, and a natural bashfulness, would admit it to be; except that in one thing I retained a sort of habit of my family, and never learned to swear or to take the name of God in vain, unless sometimes when provoked to violent passion. There was no fear of God before my eyes; no restraint from the thought of any relations watching over and reproving my conduct; no want of most vile examples and prompters; and little fear of detection by the master. In one instance, however, this latter confidence failed me, and I was put to shame in the face of the whole school for robbing an orchard; and my disgrace was proclaimed in the neighborhood; which

I mention, to shew that the master, though liable to gross imposition, decidedly opposed immorality whenever it was detected.

"I cannot quit the present subject, without observing the dire evils attending large public schools, where the boys are, for a very great part of their time, from under the eye of the master, however vigilant; and at a distance from parents and relations, and all whose presence would impose restraint upon them. Thus they are, in great measure, left to devise and practice wickedness together: they embolden one another to break through the defence of natural modesty: they teach their juniors the vicious practices which they have learned from their seniors: they bestow pains to corrupt each other's principles: they often procure the vilest publications: and by the help of indexes, and other means, they sometimes become better acquainted with the most indecent passages of the classic authors, than with their daily lessons. The most clever, daring, and wicked of the elder boys is the hero for the time being, whom all, that are near enough to him, envy, imitate, and emulate. When he leaves the school his most successful copyist takes his place; and the same scene is re-acted again and again. Those who have money purchase the company of such as are witty and entertaining: and not unfrequently they contract unsuspected habits of intemperance and licentiousness.-Something may indeed be done, in many cases, to counteract these evils: but they are in a great degree, inseparable from the system, and are very inadequately counterbalanced by superior advantages for the acquisition of classical learning.

"On my return from Scorton, in June, 1762, I spent some weeks in visiting relations and acquaintance: during which time it was a matter of deliberation whether I should not return to Scorton for another year. This I earnestly desired; for I had now no books for study or amusement. Some of my school-fellows also were about to enter at the University; and they excited in me the desire of doing the same: which I fondly hoped, after another year, might be accomplished; and which I vastly preferred to an apprenticeship. What, however, was deemed the more frugal plan, and what most accorded to my father's previous intention, was adopted: and, in September of that year, I was bound apprentice to a surgeon and apothecary at Alford, about eight miles north of Braytoft. The person, with whom I was placed, was considered as very skilful,

4

and had extensive practice; and the situation was thought very advantageous: but he was in all respects unprincipled, and, I am of opinion, was an infidel.

"In this place my habit of attending church, on the Lord's day, was first interrupted: for, on whatever other days I might have little to do, I was almost uniformly employed on Sundays, from morning till evening.*

"Here, however, I might have continued, and have acquired professional knowledge; and, I doubt not, should have met with adequate encouragement, in that respect, had I behaved well, and rendered myself useful. But my master was a widower, and was seldom at home except when business required it: so that my leisure time was spent with servants, and the most improper companions. As to the things which I was required to do, no fault was found: but, in other respects, I behaved very ill, and gave my master just cause of complaint, and, at least, a plausible reason for dismissing me. This he accordingly did; and at the end of two months, I returned home in deep disgrace.— Thus my father's favorite plan was disappointed, through my misconduct; a family, respected for morality, was dishonored; and I was left to encounter a degree of displeasure, and mortifications resulting from it, which were hard enough in themselves to be endured, and to which my unhumbled heart was by no means properly disposed to submit.

"Yet I must, notwithstanding, regard this short season of my apprenticeship as among the choicest mercies of my life. Not that I learned any wisdom, or self-government, or submission, by my deep and lasting disgrace and anguish: but for two reasons. The first and most important was this: My master, though himself, not only irreligious, but in many respects immoral, first excited in my mind a serious conviction of sin committed against God. Remonstrating with me on one instance of my misconduct, he observed, that I ought to recollect, it was not only displeasing to him, but wicked in the sight of God. This remark produced a new sensation in my soul, which no subsequent efforts could de

* Medical men are too apt to consider their professional engagements as excusing them from attendance on public worship. How much may be done, by proper arrangement, to avoid this may be judged from the fact, that the extensive practice of the late Mr. Hey, of Leeds, seldom prevented his resorting to church twice on the Sunday.-See his life by John Pearson, Esq.

stroy; and proved, I am fully satisfied, as far as any thing proceeding from man was instrumental to it, the primary cause of my subsequent conversion!-With this circumstance, therefore, my narrative in the 'Force of Truth' commences."

Here, in transcribing my father's manuscript, I find it impossible not to pause, for the purpose of avowing the impression which this simple, undisguised narrative makes upon my mind, and in which, I persuade myself, I shall have the sympathy of all those who duly appreciate what the writer afterwards became. The excellent Mr. Cecil, in his usual striking manner, remarks, "The history of a man's own life is, to himself, the most interesting history in the world, next to that of the Scriptures." He adds, "None can either understand or feel the book of his own life like himself." This is undoubtedly true: yet the history of the human mind, in perhaps every instance where we can fairly come at it, is and must be deeply interesting to all pious and thinking persons.-The reflections suggested, by the present narrative, at the period at which we have arrived, may be not at all uncommon; yet they are both affecting and important. What sad marks of depravity may be traced even in the earliest periods of life, by those who honestly observe themselves, and judge by the holy law of God!-How far off from himself does Almighty God often find even his most chosen instruments of good, when he first begins to form them for his service!—And by what remarkable, what apparently trivial and most unexpected means does he frequently work, to reclaim them from their wanderings! Who could have expected an ungodly, and even infidel man, to use such words in remonstrating with an undutiful apprentice? and much more who could ever have anticipated the effects that were to follow from them, when so used?—I subjoin another remark of the same dear friend of my father's just quoted: "The Christian will look back throughout eternity with interest and delight on the steps and means of his conversion. 'My father said this! My mother told me that! Such an event was sanctified to me. In such a place God visited my soul. These recollections will never grow dull and wearisome." -Finally, does any young person, contemplating the early aberrations of a Newton, a Cecil, a Buchanan, or a Scott; and knowing what good men they afterwards proved; feel tempted to flatter himself that he shall live to repent, and