ghbouring village. My
grandfather was a shopkeeper at Newport, who, by great frugality and
extraordinary application, had raised a fortune of about L160 a year
in lands, and a considerable sum of ready money, all which at his
death devolved upon my father, as his only child; who, being no less
parsimonious than my grandfather, and living upon his own estate, had
much improved it in value before his marriage with my mother; but he
coming to that unhappy end, my mother, after my birth, placed all her
affection upon me (her growing hope, as she called me), and used every
method, in my minority, of increasing the store for my benefit.

In this manner she went on, till I grew too big, as I thought, for
confinement at the apron-string, being then about fourteen years of age;
and having met with so much indulgence from her, for that reason found
very little or no contradiction from anybody else; so I looked on myself
as a person of some consequence, and began to take all opportunities of
enjoying the company of my neighbours, who hinted frequently that the
restraint I was under was too great a curb upon an inclination like
mine of seeing the world; but my mother, still impatient of any little
absence, by excessive fondness, and encouraging every inclination I
seemed to have, when she could be a partaker with me, kept me within
bounds of restraint till I arrived at my sixteenth year.

About this time I got acquainted with a country gentleman, of a small
paternal estate, which had been never the better for being in his hands,
and had some uneasy demands upon it. He soon grew very fond of me,
hoping, as I had reason afterwards to believe, by a union with my
mother to set himself free from his entanglements. She was then about
thirty-five years old, and still continued my father's widow, out
of particular regard to me, as I have all the reason in the world to
believe. She was really a beautiful woman, and of a sanguine complexion,
but-had always carried herself with so much reserve, and given so little
encouragement to any of the other sex, that she had passed her widowhood
with very few solicitations to alter her way of life. This gentleman
observing my mother's conduct, in order to ingratiate himself with her,
had shown numberless instances of regard for me; and, as he told my
mother, had observed many things in my discourse, actions, and turn of
mind, that presaged wonderful expectations from me, if my genius was but
properly