10 MEMOIR. 



the passage, " Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby 

 some have entertained angels unawares ; " for while this old 

 man thought he was sheltering a poor, friendless boy, who could 

 never make him any return, yet by it he eventually made friends 

 who saved him from starvation, and enabled him to end his days 

 in comfort. We jogged on together till he brought me to the 

 Cheshire Cheese, a small public in St Clement Danes, where he 

 had a garret, and, like the Irish bard who burnt his harp to cook 

 his guest's supper, so my poor host pawned some of the last 

 articles of his furniture (including his poker, which fetched a 

 halfpenny) to procure a supper. Next day was Sunday, and 

 being very tired, I remained at home with my friend, old S. 

 He was a singular old man ; he had seen better days, and had 

 manners worthy of a gentleman, but now, alas ! he was struggling 

 to support existence as a journeyman tailor. He was very 

 loquacious, and, being an astrologer, he cast my horoscope and 

 told me my fortune. He was a bit of an antiquary also, and 

 said that this narrow lane, St Clement Danes, was so called from 

 the Danes, when they invaded England, landed from the Thames ; 

 and entered London through this street. On Monday my adven- 

 tures were brought to an abrupt termination, for, proceeding to 

 Tower Hill and inquiring at the Naval Kendezvous, with a 

 swagger, for a billet 011 board a man-of-war, the landlord, who 

 had been put on the look-out by iny friends, immediately pinned 

 me, and carried me back in triumph in his gig to Coombe 

 Wood. As I afterwards learned, old S. was very unhappy at my 

 not returning. Some days after my father saw him. He had 

 not even ventured to examine a small bundle which I had tied 



