LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. 19 



far distant countries, where you will be exposed to many dangers. 

 There is only one way for you to escape them. Promise me that, 

 from this day forward, you will never put your lips to wine, or to 

 spirituous liquors.' ' The sacrifice is nothing,' added he ; l but, in 

 the end, it will prove of incalculable advantage to you/ I agreed 

 to his enlightened proposal; and from that hour to this, which is 

 now about nine-and-thirty years, I have never swallowed one glass 

 of any kind of wine or of ardent spirits. 



" At Stonyhurst there are boundaries marked out to the students, 

 which they are not allowed to pass ; and there are prefects always 

 pacing to and fro within the lines to prevent any unlucky boy from 

 straying on the other side of them. Notwithstanding the vigilance 

 of these lynx-eyed guardians, I would now and then manage to 

 escape, and would bolt into a very extensive labyrinth of yew and 

 holly trees close at hand. It was the chosen place for animated 

 nature. Birds, in particular, used to frequent the spacious inclosure, 

 both to obtain food and to enjoy security. Many a time have I 

 hunted there the foumart and the squirrel. I once took a cut 

 through it to a neighbouring wood, where I knew of a carrion crow'a 

 nest. The prefect missed me ; and, judging that I had gone into 

 the labyrinth, he gave chase without loss of time.- After eluding 

 him in cover for nearly half an hour, being hard pressed, I took 

 away down a hedgerow. Here (as I learned afterwards) he got a 

 distant sight of me ; but it was not sufficiently distinct for him to 

 know to a certainty that I was the fugitive. I luckily succeeded in 

 reaching the outbuildings which abutted on the college, and lay at a 

 considerable distance from the place where I had first started. I 

 had just time to enter the postern-gate of a pig-sty, where, most 

 opportunely, I found old Joe Bowren, the brewer, bringing straw 

 into the sty. He was more attached to me than to any other boy, 

 for I had known him when I was at school in the North, and had 

 made him a present of a very fine terrier. ' I Ve just saved myself, 

 Joe,' said I ; ' cover me up with litter.' He had barely complied 

 with my request, when in bounced the prefect by the same gate 

 through which I had entered. l Have you seen Charles Waterton?' 

 said he, quite out of breath. My trusty guardian answered, in a 

 tone of voice which would have deceived anybody, ' Sir, I have not 



