24 - thegramellers Nov. 7. . 
Extracts from the journal, containing the opinions and 
observations of FOHNREWILLIAM SPENCER. 
Leiceister. 
A HEAVY fhower chaced me into the tollkeeper’s 
house this morning, where the people were so civil 
that I was pleased the rain furnifhed an excuse for 
prolonging my stay. A greasy fellow of a stocking . 
maker came down stairs to dinner. A very plain 
batter! pudding was all their fare. The good wo- 
man gave me to understand her hufband had gone to 
market, and that they always dined poorly that day. 
She regretted my ill luck, and with much natural 
civility afked me to taste with them. I thanked her, 
and took up aspoon. A beautiful seryant maid sat 
at our backs, 
Notwithstanding that fate has placed me in a very, 
desirable situation, I am sometimes so ungrateful as 
to repine at my lot; but two or three comparisons 
of my situation with that of others, generally recon- 
cile me to my own, and send me home to myself well 
pleased. My heart sickens when I see the Irifhman 
at his potatoes, the Scotsman at his porridge, the 
Englifhman at his batter pudding and his broth, and 
the Frenchman at his brown bread and garlic. The 
rich, in excuse for their want of feeling, say that 
happinefs in this lite is more equally distributed than 
is commonly imagined. If, they add, the rich’ have 
more numerous, and more sensible feelings of plea- 
sure, so have they likewise of pain. .I fhall never 
try to persuade any poor man, who with hard la- 
bour earns a precarious and scanty meal of coarse 
