ptoms of that lazy, indolent disposition which attended him
so flagrantly and was justly the occasion of all the misfortunes of his
succeeding life. Learning was of all things his aversion. It was with
difficulty that he was taught to read and write. As to employment, his
father brought him up to husbandry and the business of a rural life.

When he was of age his father gave him an estate of twenty pounds _per
annum_, freehold, and got him into a very good farm. He procured for him
also a wife, who had ten pounds a year more of her own, and settled him
in such a manner that no young man in the country had a better prospect
of doing well than himself. But, alas! to what purpose are the
endeavours of others, where a man studies nothing so much as to compass
his own ruin? On a sudden he took a love to card-playing, and addicted
himself to it with such earnestness that he neglected his business and
squandered his money. Want was what of all things he hated, except work,
and therefore rather than labour to retrieve, he bethought himself of an
easier way of getting money, and that was to steal.

His first attempt was upon his father, whom he robbed of a considerable
sum of money. He not being in the least suspected, a poor maid who lived
in the house bore the blame for about six months, and nobody in all that
time being charged with it but her, there was at last a design in the
old man's head to prosecute her. This reaching young Polson's ear, he
resolved not to let an innocent person suffer, which was indeed a very
just and honourable act, whereupon he wrote an humble letter to his
father, acknowledging his fault, begging pardon for his offences, and
desiring that he would not prosecute the poor woman, or suffer her to be
any longer under the odium of a fact of which she had not the least
knowledge. This, to be sure, had its effect on his father, who was a
very honest and considerate man. He took care to restore the wench to
her good character and his favour, though for a while he with just
reason continued to frown upon his son. At last paternal tenderness
prevailed, and after giving him several cautions and much good advice,
he promised, on his good behaviour, to forgive him what had past. The
young man promised fairly, but falling quickly into necessities, want of
money had its old effect upon him again, that is, impatient to be at his
old practices, tired with work, and yet not knowing how to get money,
he at length reso