320] 
verted by her frequent pregnancies, 
by an exclusive passion for her hus 
band, and by the d ssipation of the 
woild, in which his taste and au. 
thority obliged her toniirgle. But 
the maternal office was’ supplied by 
my aunt, Mrs, Catharine Porten; 
at whose name I feel a tear of gra 
titude trickling down my check. A 
life of celibacy transferred her va. 
eant affection to her sister’s first 
child : my weakness excited her 
pity ; her attachment was fortified 
by labour and success: and if there 
be any, as I trust there are some, 
who rejoice that I live, to that dear 
and excellent woman they must 
hold themselves indebted. Many 
anxious and solitary days did she 
consume in the patient trial of 
every mode of relief and amuse- 
ment. Many wakeful nights did 
she sit by my bed-side in trembling 
expeClation that, each hour would 
be my last. Of the various and 
frequent disorders of my childhood 
my own recollection is dark; nor 
do I wish to expatiate on so dis. 
gusting a topic. Suffice it to say, 
that while every pra¢titioner, from 
Sloane and Ward to the chevalier 
Taylor, was successively summon. 
ed to torture or relieve me, the 
care of my. mind was too frequent 
ly neglected for that of my health ; 
compassion always suggested an ex- 
cuse for the indulgence of the 
master, or the idleness of the pupil ; 
and the chain of my education was 
broken, ‘as often as I was recalled 
from the school of learning to the 
bed of sickness. 
As socn as the use of speech 
had prepared my infant reason for 
the admission of knowledge, I was 
taught the arts of reac_ng, writing, 
and arithmetic. So remote is the 
date, so vague is the memory of 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1706. 
their origin in myself, that, were 
not th: error cotreéted by analogy, 
I should be tempted to conceive 
them as innate. In my childhood 
I was praised for the readiness 
with which E couid multiply and 
divide, by memory alone, two sums 
of severa! figures: such praise enz 
couraged my growing talent; and 
had I persevered in this line of aps 
plication, | might have acquired 
some fame in mathematical studies. 
After this previous institution 
at home, or at a day-school at Put- 
ney, I was delivered at the age of 
seven into the hands of Mr. John 
Kirkby, who exercised about eigh. 
teen months the ofice of my do- 
mestic tutor. His own words, 
which I shall here transcribe, in- 
spire in his favour a sentiment of 
pity and esteem.— During my’ 
abode in my native county. of 
Cumberland, in quality of an ins 
digent curate, I used now-and- 
then in a summer, when the: plea< 
santness of the season invited, te” 
take a solitary walk to the sea, 
shore, which lics about two’miles 
from the town where I lived. 
Here I would amuse myself, one 
while in viewing at large the as 
greeable prospect which surrounded 
me, and another while (confining 
my sight to nearer objeéts) in 
admiring the vast variety of beau- 
tiful shells, thrown upon. the 
beach; some of the choicest of 
which I always picked up, to di. | 
vert ny little ones upon my re- 
turn. One time among the rest, 
taking such a journey in my head, 
I sat down upon the declivity of 
the beach with my face to the 
sea, which was ‘now come up 
within a few. yards of my feet; 
when immediately the sad thoughts 
of the wretched condition of my 
family, 
