LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. XXV 



house, left the whole care of the mill to me, and 

 almost starved me for want of victuals ; so that 1 

 was glad when I could have a little oat-rneal mix 

 ed with cold water to eat. I was engaged for a 

 year in that man's service, at the end of which I 

 left him, and returned in a very weak state to my 

 father's. 



Soon after I had recovered my former strength, 

 a neighbouring farmer, who practised as a physi- 

 cian in that part of the country, came to my 

 father's, wanting to have me as a labouring servant. 

 My father advised me to go to Doctor Young, 

 telling me that the Doctor would instruct me in 

 that part of his business. This he promised to 

 do, which was a temptation to me. But instead 

 of performing his promise, he kept me constantly 

 to very hard labour, and never once shewed me 

 one of his books. All his servants complained 

 that he was the hardest master they had ever 

 lived with ; and it was my misfortune to be en- 

 gaged with him for half a year. But, at the end 

 of three months, I was so much overwrought, that 

 I was almost disabled, which obliged me to leave 

 him : and he was so unjust as to give me nothing 

 at all for the time I had been with him, because I 

 did not complete my half-year's service; though 

 he knew that I was not able, and had seen me 

 working for the last fortnight, as much as possible 

 with one hand and arm, when I could not lift the 

 other from my side. And what I thought was 

 particularly hard, he never once tried to give me 



