630 



The Life of William Hutlon, of Birmingham, 



room, unless I had meant to equivo- 

 cate? 



I was drawing towards eighteen, held 

 some rank among my acquaintance, made 

 a small figure in dress, and was taken 

 notice of by tiie fair sex : therefore, 

 though I was greatly hurt in body, I was 

 much more hurt in mind. Pride takes a 

 very early root in the heart, and never 

 leaves us but with life. How should I 

 face those whom I had often laughed at, 

 and whipped with the rod of satire? 



Tlie next day, July 12, 1741, I went 

 to Meeting in the morning as usual. My 

 uncle seemed sorry for what had passed, 

 and inclined to make matters up. At 

 noon he sent me for some fruit, and 

 asked me to partake. I thanked him 

 with a sullen No. My vtounds were too 

 deep to be healed with cherries. 



Standing by the palisades of the house, 

 in a gloomy posture, a female acquaint- 

 ance passed by, and turning, with a 

 pointed sneer, said, " You were licked 

 last night." The remark stung me to 

 the quick. I had rather she iiad broken 

 tny head. 



My fellow-apprentice. Roper, was big. 

 g«r and older than I, though he came 

 two years after me. This opake body 

 of dl-nature centered between my uncle 

 and myself, and eclipsed that affection 

 which gave pleasure to both. lie staid 

 with us three years. The two years of 

 my servitude, before became, were spent 

 in great friendship with my uncle; and 

 after he left, the same friendship return- 

 ed, and continued for life. 



This lad had often solicited me to run 

 away with him ; but I considered that 

 my leaving my uncle would be a los> to 

 him, for which I should be very sorry; 

 and that, if I told Roper my design, lie 

 would insist upon gonig with me, ivhich 

 would double that loss. 1 cnuld not bear 

 the thought : therefore resolved to go 

 alone, for which Roper afterwards blamed 

 me. 



I put on my iiat as if going to meeting, 

 but privately slipped up stairs till the 

 family were gone. The whole house 

 was now open to my inspection. Upon 

 cxaiTiining a glass in the 1 eanfet, I found 

 ten shillings. I took two, and left eight. 

 After packing up my finali stock of 

 moveables, 1 was at a loss how to get 

 out of the house. There was but one 

 'ddor, which was locked, and my uncle 

 had the kty. I contrived, ibertf re, to 

 get my chattels upon a wall, eight feet 

 high, in a small back yaidj climb up 

 myself, drop them on the other side, aud 

 jump down after thtm. 



While this was transacting, an acquaint* 

 ance passed by. I imparted my design 

 to him, because it was impossible to hide 

 it, and enjoined him secresy. He seemed 

 to rejoice at my scheme, or rather at my 

 fall ; for, if I commit an error and he does 

 not, he is the best of the two. 



Figure to yourself a lad of seventeen, 

 not elegantly dressed, nearly five feet 

 high, rather Dutch built, with a long 

 narrow bag of brown leather, that would 

 hold about a bushel, in which was neatly 

 packed up a new suit of clothes; also, a 

 white linen bag, which would hold about 

 half as much, containing a sixpenny loaf 

 of coarse blencorn bread, a bit of butter, 

 wrapped in the leaves of an old copy- 

 book; a new bible, value three shillings; 

 one shiit; a pair of stockings; a sun- 

 dial; my best wig, carefully folded and 

 laid at top, that, by lying in the hollow of 

 the bag, it might not be crushed. The 

 ends of the two hags being tied together, 

 I slung them over my left shoulder, rather 

 in the style of a cock-fighter. My best 

 hat, not being properly calculated for a 

 bag, I hung to the button of my coat. I 

 had only two shillings in my pocket; a 

 spacious world before me, and no plan of 

 oper.Ttions. 



I cast back many a melancholy look, 

 while every step set me at a greater dis« 

 tance; and took, what I thought, an 

 everlasting farewel of Nottingham. 



I carried neither a light heart, nor a 

 light load ; nay, there was ncthing light 

 about me but the sun in the heavens, aiul 

 the money in my pocket, I considereil 

 myself an out-cast, an exuberance in the 

 creation, a being now fitted to no pur- 

 pose. At ten, I arrived at Derby. The 

 inhabitants were gone to bed, as if re- 

 treating from my society, 



I took a view of my father's house, 

 where I supposed all were at rest ; but 

 before I was aware, I perceived the door 

 open, and heard his foot not three yaids 

 from me, I retreated with precipitation. 

 How ill calculated are we to judge of 

 events ! I was running from the last hand 

 that could have saved me ! 



Adjoining the town is a field calleii' 

 Abbey- barns, the scene of my childish 

 amusements. Here I took up my abode 

 upon the cold grass, in a damp place, 

 after a day's fatigue, with the sky over 

 my head, and the bags by my side. I 

 need not say I was a boy, this rash 

 action proves it. The place was full of 

 cattle. The full breath of tlie cows half 

 asleep, the jingling of the chains at the 

 horses' feet, and a mind agitated, tvere ill 

 calculated for rest. 



I rose 



