ualify many persons of distinction for the university. Under the
tuition of this master, he attained a knowledge of the Latin, Greek,
French, Italian, and Spanish languages, and his exercises were generally
so well performed, that the Dr. was filled with admiration of his parts.
From Newport school he removed to Christ's-Church College in Oxford, and
distinguished himself there for his easy attainments in literature; but
some little irregularities of his life would not suffer him to
continue long at the university. It is probable he became sick of that
discipline, which they who spend their life in the recluseness of a
college, are in some measure obliged to submit to. The father of Mr.
Brown, who intended to have him educated to some profession, was not
made acquainted with his design of quitting the university, and having
remitted him a sum of money, to be appropriated for the promotion of his
studies, his son thought proper to defeat his kind intentions. With this
money, our author plann'd a scheme of going to London, which he soon
after executed, not very advantageously.--'My first business, says he,
was to apply myself to those few friends I had there, who conjecturing
I had left the university, exclusive of my father's knowledge, gave but
slender encouragement to a young beginner. However, no whit daunted (my
first resolution still standing by me) I launched forth into the world,
committing myself to the mercy of fortune, and the uncertain temper of
the town. I soon acquired a new set of acquaintance; and began to have
a relish of what I had only tasted before by hearsay; and indeed, every
thing served to convince me, I had changed for the better, except that
my slender subsistance began to waste extremely; and ruminating upon the
difficulty of obtaining a supply, I was then laid under the necessity
of thinking what course to steer. I knew how justly I had incurred the
displeasure of an indulgent father, and how far I had put myself from
retrieving his favour. Amidst this serious contemplation! I resolved to
go through stitch with my enterprize, let what will come on't: However,
that I might use discretion, to palliate an unforeseen event, I
determined 'twere better to trust to the flexibility of a father's
temper, than to lay too great a stress upon the humanity of fortune,
who would let a man of morals starve if he depended on her favours.
Therefore, without more ado (having taken my sorrowful leave of my last
gui