, unless
at a fair or so, for immediate spending, my mother, thinking to make my
heart easy at our separation (which, had it appeared otherwise, would
have broke hers, and spoiled all), gave me a double pistole in gold, and
a little silver in my pocket to prevent my changing it.

Thus I (the coach waiting for us at the door), having been preached into
a good liking of the scheme by my friend, who now insisted upon making
one of our company to introduce us, mounted the carriage with more
alacrity than could be expected for one who had never before been beyond
the smoke of his mother's chimney; but the thoughts I had conceived,
from my friend's discourse, of liberty in the academic way, and the
weight of so much money in my pocket, as I then imagined would scarce
ever be exhausted, were prevailing cordials to keep my spirits on the
wing. We lay at an inn that night, near the master's house, and the next
day I was initiated; and, at parting with me, my friend presented me
with a guinea. When I found myself thus rich, I must say I heartily
wished they were all fairly at home again, that I might have time
to count my cash, and dispose of such part of it as I had already
appropriated to several uses then in embryo.

The next morning left me master of my wishes, for my mother came and
took her last (though she little thought it) leave of me, and smothering
me with her caresses and prayers for my well-doing, in the height of
her ardour put into my hand another guinea, promising to see me again
quickly; and desiring me, in the meantime, to be a very good husband,
which I have since taken to be a sort of prophetic speech, she bid me
farewell.

I shall not trouble you with the reception I met from my master, or his
scholars, or tell you how soon I made friends of all my companions, by
some trifling largesses which my stock enabled me to bestow as occasion
required; but I must inform you that, after sixteen years of idleness at
home, I had but little heart to my nouns and pronouns, which now
began to be crammed upon me; and being the eldest lad in the house,
I sometimes regretted the loss of the time past, and at other times
despaired of ever making a scholar at my years; and was ashamed to
stand like a great lubber, declining of _haec mulier_ a woman, whilst
my schoolfellows, and juniors by five years, were engaged in the love
stories of Ovid, or the luscious songs of Horace. I own these thoughts
almost overcame me, and threw m