His Father writes him a Letter which increafes bis Disorder.-Mr. Diaper fails.Behaviour of that worthy Man upon the unfortunate Occafion.-He gives Thompson his Indentures, accompanied with proper AdPage 284

vice.

CHAP. XXXII.

Mr. Diaper difcovers his Purpose to Thompfon. He takes Leave of Mifs Bellair. Is accompanied to Gravefend by Thompson and Prig -Their tender Farewel.-He embarks for China.-Meets with an old Acquaintance at Blackwall.-Her Story, and Death. They fave a Woman from drowning. -Who she proves to be.-Sequel of her Story.

299

THE

The Author's Motives for writing his Adventures. His Birth.-Account of his Parents.—Management of him till he arrives to an Age fufficient for School.-Is put under the Tuition of Mr. Profody.

W

HEN a Man's Life has been one continued Scene of Misfortunes and Diftrefs; and when thefe Ills have been brought upon him, principally by his own bad Conduct, his prevailing Vices, and repeated Crimes; he cannot poffibly be fufpected to be acted upon by Vanity, or a Luft of Applaufe, to relate his Adventures. Such a Relation must, then, be dictated by other and better Motives, for it would VOL. I

B

be

be abfurd to suppose, that the Writer could reap any Self-fatisfaction, by making the humbling and mortifying Discovery of fuch Actions, as muft incur the Cenfure, and be defpifed by the Bulk of Mankind, and can never engage their Approbation.

The Recapitulation of a Life, even of the most fhining Events, should propose fome fuperior Gratification to the Mind, than the Defire of Praife, or an Inclination to perpetuate a Name; these are mean and low Spurs to fuch an Attempt; and believe me, gentle Reader, was I not thoroughly convinced from Reason, as well as an higher Authority, that every Aim, every Action of our Lives, fhould as well be directed to the Good of our Fellowcreatures, as to our own Purposes; and that I am filently accused by my own Confcience, for not having been of fo much Ufe, by setting a proper Example, which is the great Work of Life, as I am affured is the Defign of Providence, that every Individual fhould do; but have perverted the Ends of my Existence, in the groffeft Manner, in the former Part of my Time; I should have had no Inclination to have fubmitted this Hiftory to thy Inspection. 'Tis, as much as lies in my Power, to atone for my former Neglect, which fits heavily upon my Soul, that I venture to appear thus upon the Stage, and to act over again thofe Scenes which plunged me into the moft torturing Mise

ries.

ries. If my Pains answer the End I fincerely propofe; if, whilft the Entertaining and the Amufing captivates the Reader, I may be the Means to caution the giddy and thoughtless Part of the World, from the Purfuit of Folly and Extravagance, by a lively Representation of the Sufferings they never fail to produce: If by reprefenting lovely Virtue, in all her Flow of genuine, native Charms, with all her Train of infpiring, encouraging Rewards, I fubdue and melt the Heart to a Love and Veneration for her Precepts: If by difplaying Vice, all bañeful and odious, ftripped of those artful enfnaring Difguifes, that fo bewitch our depraved Appetites, I make fome of her Votaries ficken at the nauseous Sight, and abandon her guilty Triumphs, over the Reason and over the good Senfe of our Race; great will be my Reward, and I fhall applaud myself for my Labour.

A pleasant and well fituated Village, in the Weft Riding of Yorkshire, was the Place of my Nativity. My Father was a Clergyman, and defcended from a Family of confiderable Repute in that County. He enjoyed the Vicarage where I was born, of which he had been the Incumbent for near ten Years before. From a fond and tender Affection, he married my Mother, without the least Confideration of adding to his Fortune: But, tho' they had been wedded for five Years, they had had no Child, to their great Concern and Difquiet: fo

that I was received with the utmost Festivity and Rejoicing, as a Boon from Providence, like the Child of the Promife. Our Neighbourhood was furrounded by Gentlemen's Seats, and the Parish in general had a moft high Esteem for my Father. He was then in the full Vigour of his Age. An Education of the most generous and liberal Cast had humanized his Mind, without giving him that uncouth Stiffnefs, that unfociable Behaviour, very often the disagreeable Attendants of Learning and Study. To a perfect Knowledge of Books, in almost every Language, he had joined a Knowledge of Mankind, and a Politenefs of Addrefs; which, without taking from the Dignity of his Function, discovered, in every Thing he faid or did, the fine Gentleman. Tho' he was a thorough Son of the Church of England, he never, either in his Sermons, or common Difcourfe, betrayed the leaft Animofity or Prejudice against the many Sects and Parties into which Religion is divided; but prayed for, and wished well to, every honeft, upright Man, let his Manner of Thinking, as to the fpeculative Part of Religion, be what it would. He was, at once, the Pastor, the Phyfician, and the Umpire of every Dispute that arofe, amongst his Flock : And, as his Living was a very good one, he never exacted his Dues with Severity, and exercised, on every Occafion, the most diffusive Benevolence, Charity, and Hofpitality. He had married my Mo

ther,

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