 himself but indifferently paid for his attention, when he shared the
vast discovery of Pythagoras, and understood that the square of the hypothenuse
was equal to the squares of the other two sides of a right-angled triangle. He
was ashamed, however, to fail in his undertaking, and persevered with great
industry, until he had finished the first four books, acquired plain
trigonometry, with the method of algebraical calculation, and made himself well
acquainted with the principles of surveying. But no consideration could prevail
upon him to extend his inquiries farther in this science; and he returned with
double relish to his former avocations, like a stream which being dammed,
accumulates more force, and bursting o'er its mounds, rushes down with double
impetuosity.
    Mr. Jolter saw with astonishment and chagrin, but could not resist the
torrent. His behaviour was now no other than a series of licence and effrontery;
prank succeeded prank, and outrage followed outrage with surprising velocity.
Complaints were every day preferred against him; in vain were admonitions
bestowed by the governor in private, and menaces discharged by the masters in
publick; he disregarded the first, despised the latter, divested himself of all
manner of restraint, and proceeded in his career to such a pitch of audacity,
that a consultation was held upon the subject, in which it was determined that
this untoward spirit should be humbled by a severe and ignominious flogging for
the very next offence he should commit; and in the mean time that Mr. Jolter
should be desired to write in the master's name to the commodore, requesting him
to remove Tom Pipes from the person of his nephew, the said Pipes being a
principal actor and abettor in all his malversations; and to put a stop to the
monthly visitations of the mutilated lieutenant, who had never once failed to
use his permission, but came punctual to a day, always fraught with some new
invention. Indeed, by this time, Mr. Hatchway was as well known, and much better
beloved by every boy in the school than the master who instructed him, and
always received by a number of the scholars who used to attend Peregrine when he
went forth to meet his friend, and conduct him to his lodging with public
testimonies of joy and applause.
    As for Tom Pipes he was not so properly the attendant of Peregrine, as
master of the revels to the whole school. He mingled in all their parties, and
superintended the diversions, deciding between boy and boy, as if he acted by
commission under the great seal. He regulated their motions by his whistle,
instructed the young boys
