Relation of the Reafons for our Elopement. He readily undertook the Tafk, having been always very fond of me, and, my Father not being at Home, imparted the News to my Mother, who eagerly ordered us to come to her; which accordingly we performed, and I was received with the utmoft Tendernefs and Affection, and my Companions, with great Civility, and were ordered to be refreshed before fhe would hear our Story.

His Reception at Home with his Comrades.They are reproved by his Father.-Several excellent Obfervations.-His Father, with thefe of his Companions, pay a Visit to Mr. Profody. His Behaviour thereon.

A Galley-flave that has been long chained to

the Oar, and subjected to the remorseless Rage and cruel Stripes of his Overfeer, could not more rejoice at being reftored to Freedom, than we did, at our Deliverance from the Brutality of our incenfed Mafter; and my Mother, who indulged the utmoft Fondness at my unexpected Arrival, not having feen me above once fince I first went to School, undertook to break the Matter to my Father, and to make my Peace, when

the

she understood in what a Manner we had been used, at which fhe expreffed the utmost Indignation. He had been to pay a Vifit to a neighbouring Gentleman, and did not return till pretty late, when my Mother let him into the Story, which very much furprised him, and he defired her to call us to him. I ran to him, as foon as I saw him, and he very affectionately embraced me: "So Joey! So young Gentlemen! I find you "have fled from Punishment; let me have a sin"cere and true Account of what has happened, "and by that I fhall be able to judge whether I "shall entertain you, or fend you back to your "Mafter." I was Spokefman, and therefore related to him, which he never had any Idea of before, the tyrannical Behaviour, the terrible Scourgings of Mr. Profody, and the Hardfhips we had undergone from the miferable and covetous Temper of him and his Wife; the Story of the Peartree, the Adventure of the Cats, and every Thing elfe, without Difguife; concluding, that, as I had attained to every Thing that he was capable to teach me, and had been far from neglecting my Book, I hoped he would not fo far mortify me, as to fend me there again; but would either undertake the further Care of me himself, or procure me another Master, and intercede with the Parents of my Friends, to take them also into FaHe was greatly incensed at the Treatment

vour.

we had met with, and could scarcely keep the Gravity of his Countenance, whilft I related the little Pranks we had played our Tutor; but, conftraining himself as much as poffible, he gave us the following Lecture :

"I am charmed, my Dear, that you have not "mifpent your School Hours, but have made fuch a Proficiency in the Languages, which indeed "I have heard before from your Mafter himself, "who was also tempted, young Gentlemen, to "give me the fame Account of you too, the last

Time I was at his Houfe; which I communi"cated to your Fathers, and which gave them great Satisfaction. We had intended to take you away from thence, at the Expiration of "the next Quarter, but you have anticipated our Defign. I blame myfelf for not having mcre minutely enquired into Matters of fuch Importance, as the Temper and Difpofition of a Per"fon whom I entrusted with the Government of "you, at such a critical Part of Life; the right

Management of fuch young Minds, at that "Time, laying the Foundation of every future. “Good, or, on the contrary, every future Er

ror and Misfortune; I own, I was deceived "in the Account I received, both of him and "his Family, fo falfely tender Perfons are of "giving a true Character of a Man in fuch an

natural Temper, I must imagine you would "never have been guilty of fome Things you have " mentioned, had not the contemptible Beha"viour of your Mafter, and the little Care he "took to form your Minds, which, by the bye, "is one principal Bufinefs of a Schoolmafter, "laid you open to fuch puerile Temptations as "lay in your Way. If I forgive you, and re

ceive you into Favour, it is on this Condition, "that you are forry for any Disregard, though "ever so trifling, you have paid to other People's "Property, and the low and bafe Principles of "Revenge, which, indeed, your Mafter fet you ❝an Example of, that you have indulged; though now they may be imputed to boyish Inattention "and Folly, if not checked, they may grow too "ftrong for all the good Senfe you may ever be "Mafters of to eradicate. You, Sir, for the fu"ture Part of your Education, fhall be indebted "to my Care; I begin to fee the Folly of public "Schools, merely because we can never be fure of "the good Qualities of those we confide you to: "As to you, young Gentlemen, you'il ftay with

Joe, till I have feen your Fathers, and reconciled "them to my Way of thinking." When he had thus finished this reasonable and tender Speech, he took me in his Arms, and embraced me with great Emotion, and also faluted my School-fellows; and then proceeded to examine us in the feveral Authors we had read, and applauded us greatly for the ready C 5. Know

my

Knowledge we fhewed in them, and the Taste we feemed to have for their Elegancies. I was now in fourteenth Year, and, without Vanity, may fay, that Nature had stamped on my Soul the most virtuous and generous Affections; no Wonder then, if the kind Reception I met with at Home, and the reasonable and prudent Manner of my Treatment, gave me the highest Sentiments of Refpect and Veneration for this good Father; a contrary Treatment, and fending me back again, would have had the worst Effects, upon fuch a Temper, which Argument and Perfuafion will work upon, with proper Force, but Sournefs, Ill-nature, and Harfhnefs, drive to the last Extremities: The more Boys are used like rational, thinking Creatures, the more they are applied to by gentle Methods, the better they behave; and the contrary Maxims, I am perfuaded, are the Caufes of much of that Degeneracy, we every Day have fuch melancholy Proofs of, in the rifing Generation. By being thus treated, they learn a Habit of reafoning, and fo strongly imbibe it, that they practise it all their Lives after; and let the Sallies of their boiling Paffions carry them to ever fuch extravagant Lengths, you fix a Monitor in their Breafts, which fooner or later draws them off from, and corrects their wild Pursuits.

My Father waited, the next Day, on Mr. Sharpley and Mr. Archer, who, as they were both Men

of