, and strengthened his resolution of leaving him to misery and want. -
But people of judgment treated this insinuation as an idle chimera; because had
my relations been so wicked as to consult their interest by committing such an
atrocious crime, the fate of my father would have extended to me too, whose life
was another obstacle to their expectation. - Mean while, I grew apace, and as I
strongly resembled my father, who was the darling of the tenants, I wanted
nothing which their indigent circumstances could afford: but their favour was a
weak resource against the jealous enmity of my cousins; who, the more my infancy
promised, conceived the more implacable hatred against me; and before I was six
years of age, had so effectually blockaded my grandfather, that I never saw him
but by stealth; when I sometimes made up to his chair as he sat to view his
labourers in the field: on which occasions, he would stroak my head, bid me be a
good boy, and promise he would take care of me. - I was soon after sent to
school at a village hard by, of which he had been dictator time out of mind: but
as he neither paid for my board, nor supplied me with clothes, books, and other
necessaries I required, my condition was very ragged and contemptible, and the
school-master, who through fear of my grandfather taught me gratis, gave himself
no concern about the progress I made under his instruction. - In spite of all
these difficulties and disgraces, I became a good proficient in the Latin
tongue; and as soon as I could write tolerably, pestered my grandfather with
letters to such a degree, that he sent for my master, and chid him severely for
bestowing such pains on my education, telling him, that if ever I should be
brought to the gallows for forgery, which he had taught me to commit, my blood
should lie on his head. - The pedant, who dreaded nothing more than the
displeasure of his patron, assured his honour that the boy's ability was more
owing to his own genius and application, than to any instruction or
encouragement he received; that, although he could not divest him of the
knowledge he had already imbibed, unless he would impower him to disable his
fingers, he should endeavour, with G-d's help, to prevent his future
improvement. And indeed, he punctually performed what he had undertaken: for, on
pretence that I had wrote impertinent letters to my grandfather, he caused a
board to be made with five holes in it
