ney-piece. My handkerchief was soaked through with wiping my eyes
and blowing my nose, before the scene was over. My brother Tom, with a
kindness which did honour to his heart, exchanged his for mine, saying,
with fraternal regard, "Here, Peter, take mine, it's as dry as a bone."
But my father would not wait for a second handkerchief to perform its
duty. He led me away through the hall, when, having shaken hands with
all the men, and kissed all the maids, who stood in a row with their
aprons to their eyes, I quitted the paternal roof.

The coachman accompanied me to the stage. Having seen me securely
wedged between two fat old women, and having put my parcel inside, he
took his leave, and in a few minutes I was on my road to London.

I was too much depressed to take notice of any thing during my journey.
When we arrived in London, they drove to the Blue Boar (in a street, the
name of which I have forgotten). I had never seen or heard of such an
animal, and certainly it did appear very formidable; its mouth was open
and teeth very large.

The coachman threw his whip to the ostler, and the reins upon the
horses' back; he then dismounted, and calling to me, "Now, young
gentleman, I'se waiting," he put a ladder up for me to get down by; then
turning to a porter, he said to him, "Bill, you must take this here
young gem'man and that ere parcel to this here direction.--Please to
remember the coachman, sir." I replied that I certainly would, if he
wished it, and walked off with the porter; the coachman observing as I
went away, "Well, he is a fool--that's sartain." I arrived quite safe
at St. Clement's Lane, when the porter received a shilling for his
trouble from the maid who let me in, and I was shown up into a parlour,
where I found myself in company with Mrs Handycock.

Mrs Handycock was a little meagre woman, who did not speak very good
English, and who appeared to me to employ the major part of her time in
bawling out from the top of the stairs to the servants below. I never
saw her either read a book or occupy herself with needlework, during the
whole time I was in the house. She had a large grey parrot and I really
cannot tell which screamed the worst of the two--but she was very civil
and kind to me. Before I had been there ten minutes, she told me that
she "hadored sailors--they were the defendiours and preserviours of
their kings and countries," and that Mr Handycock would be home by four
o'clock, and th