might not have received, had I been blest with the fostering hand of a parent. Confined, at all times, at home, except when sent on errands, or to church—debarred from the society of every one, either male or female—kept to hard labour, seldom allowed a penny, often hungry and badly clothed—a slave, a drudge, and, worst of all, denied the knowledge of that business to which I was bound; these things often made me fret, and shed thousands of tears. What will some masters have to answer for, in the day of God? The latter part of my time, I endeavoured to form an intimacy with some females; which is very natural; but it being discovered, I was forbid to speak to them. One of whom I promised marriage if providence should permit. But long before my apprenticeship expired, she was married to another. She is still alive, and she has visited me within these two years. After I had lost her, another came to live in the house; but we were forbid all intimacy: and an old woman, a relation of the master, was appointed to watch us; so that we could not speak to each other, only when the family was gone to bed; this was running a risk: and this old plague of a woman (I suppose, having been in the oven herself) knew _where_, _when_, and _how_ to look after us. One trifling circumstance proved this—I am sure you will smile at the relation, and if it gives offence, I would ask pardon of my reader for the story. The family having retired, myself and fellow-apprentice supposed to be in bed, I slipped down stairs to converse with my darling; but, alas! I was soon detected, as I heard a footstep on the stairs, when I was obliged to hide myself in the cupboard. As soon as the person was gone, I came out of my secrecy, and we renewed our converse—but we were presently disturbed by the old woman, who was roving about the house on pretence of looking for something: hearing this, my companion shut me up in the coal cellar, but in her haste she unfortunately had not shut the door close, though she had turned the key, and taken it with her, intending to return in a few minutes—here the old woman came and found me, like Guy Fawkes, in a corner of the cellar. This was the occasion of a sad uproar. The young woman left her situation, and was soon afterwards married; and I was threatened with being sent to sea; the horrid thoughts of which almost broke my heart. {33} But amidst all the hardships I endured, I never lost my bookish fit, although I had scarcely a moment’s time to read. Every penny I got, I saved till it amounted to sixpence or a shilling, when I soon hied to the bookseller. Many books were given me by the men who worked for my master; and when I arrived at the age of eighteen, I had a tolerable library. It excited the jealousy of my master, to see that I was the favorite of some people, by whose means I had gained such a collection of books, and he determined to take them from me, under the pretence that I had not got them honestly:—he