e said if he would not take me with him, I would follow
him; he replied that I must do no such thing, for that if I did, it would
be my ruin. I asked him what he meant, but he made no reply, only saying
that he would go and speak to the farmer. Then taking me with him, he
went to the farmer, and in a very civil manner said that he understood I
had not been very kindly treated by him, but he hoped that in future I
should be used better. The farmer answered in a surly tone, that I had
been only too well treated, for that I was a worthless young scoundrel;
high words ensued, and the farmer, forgetting the kind of man he had to
deal with, checked him with my grandsire's misfortune, and said he
deserved to be hanged like his father. In a moment my father knocked him
down, and on his getting up, gave him a terrible beating, then taking me
by the hand he hastened away; as we were going down a lane he said we
were now both done for: 'I don't care a straw for that, father,' said I,
'provided I be with you.' My father took me to the neighbouring town,
and going into the yard of a small inn, he ordered out a pony and light
cart which belonged to him, then paying his bill, he told me to mount
upon the seat, and getting up drove away like lightning; we drove for at
least six hours without stopping, till we came to a cottage by the side
of a heath; we put the pony and cart into a shed, and went into the
cottage, my father unlocking the door with a key which he took out of his
pocket; there was nobody in the cottage when we arrived, but shortly
after there came a man and a woman, and then some more people, and by ten
o'clock at night there were a dozen of us in the cottage. The people
were companions of my father. My father began talking to them in Latin,
but I did not understand much of the discourse, though I believe it was
about myself, as their eyes were frequently turned to me. Some
objections appeared to be made to what he said; however, all at last
seemed to be settled, and we all sat down to some food. After that, all
the people got up and went away, with the exception of the woman, who
remained with my father and me. The next day my father also departed,
leaving me with the woman, telling me before he went that she would teach
me some things which it behoved me to know. I remained with her in the
cottage upwards of a week; several of those who had been there coming and
going. The woman, after making me take an oath t