Chap. I. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 63 



fides at prefent, on purpofe to inquire about him, and converfed 

 with feveral perfons there, who had known him for many years. 



It was in the beginning of June 1782 that I faw him, in a farm- 

 houfe called Broadvuay, within about a mile, as I have faid, of 

 Berkhamjlead^ kept there upon a penfion, which the King pays. 

 He is but of low ftature, not exceeding five feet three inches ; and, 

 though he muft be now about 70 years of age, has a frefh, healthy 

 look. He wears his beard ; his face is not at all ugly or dlfagree- 

 able ; and he has a look that may be called fenfible and fagacious for 

 a favage. About twenty years ago, he was in ufe to elope, and to 

 be amiffing for feveral days ; and once, as I was told, he wandered 

 as far as Norfolk : But, of late, he has been quite tame, and either 

 keeps the houfe, or faunters about the farm. He has been, the thirteen 

 laft years, where he lives at prefent ; and, before that, he was twelve 

 years with another farmer, whom I faw and converfed with. This far- 

 mer told me that he had been put to fchool fomewhere in Hertford- 

 fhire,but had only learned to articulate his own name, Peter, and the 

 name of King George ; both which I heard him pronounce very di- 

 ftindly. But the woman of the houfe where he now is, (for the man 

 happened not to be at home\ told me that he underftood every 

 thing that was faid to him concerning the common affairs of life ; and 

 I faw that he readily underftood feveral things that ftie faid to him 

 while I was prefent. Among other things, fhe defired him to fing 

 Nancy Daivfon^ which accordingly he did, and another tune that flie 

 named. He never was mifchievous, but had always that gentlenefs 

 of nature, which I hold to be charaderiftical of our nature, at leaft 

 till we become carnivorous, and hunters or warriours. He feeds at 

 prefent as the farmer and his wife do ; but, as I was told by an old 

 woman, (one Mrs Gallop, living at a village in the neighbourhood, 

 called Hempfteed, who remembered to have {q.^\\ him when he firft 

 came to Hertfordfhire, which flic computed to be ^^ years before the 



time 



