in that end of the town, was actually obliged to import his talents into
the city, where he was now happily taken root.

Nor was this success to be wondered at, if we consider that, over and
above his natural genius and education, our adventurer still had the
opportunity of knowing everything which happened among the great, by
means of his friend Cadwallader, with whom he still maintained his
former intimacy, though it was now chequered with many occasional tiffs,
owing to the sarcastic remonstrances of the misanthrope, who disapproved
of those schemes which miscarried with Peregrine, and now took
unseasonable methods of valuing himself upon his own foresight. Nay, he
was between whiles like a raven, croaking presages of more ill-luck from
the deceit of the minister, the dissimulation of his patron, the folly
of the projector, for whom he was bound, the uncertainty of the seas,
and the villainy of those with whom he had entrusted his cash, for
Crabtree saw and considered everything through a perspective of spleen,
that always reflected the worst side of human nature. For these reasons
our young gentleman began to be disgusted, at certain intervals, with
the character of this old man, whom he now thought a morose cynic, not
so much incensed against the follies and vices of mankind, as delighted
with the distress of his fellow-creatures. Thus he put the most
unfavourable construction on the principles of his friend, because he
found himself justly fallen under the lash of his animadversion. Thus
self-accusation very often dissolves the closest friendship. A man,
conscious of his own indiscretion, is implacably offended at the
rectitude of his companion's conduct, which he considers as an insult
upon his failings, never to be forgiven, even though he has not tasted
the bitterness of reproof, which no sinner can commodiously digest. The
friendship, therefore, subsisting between Crabtree and Pickle, had of
late suffered several symptomatic shocks, that seemed to prognosticate
a total dissolution; a great deal of smart dialogue had passed in their
private conversations, and the senior began to repent of having placed
his confidence in such an imprudent, headstrong ungovernable youth.

It was in such paroxysms of displeasure that he prophesied misfortune
to Peregrine, and even told him one morning, that he had dreamed of the
shipwreck of the two East Indiamen, on board of which he had hazarded
his money. But this was no other