m finally rescuing
himself from peculiarly miserable circumstances by writing a book, an
original book, within a week, even as Johnson is said to have written his
'Rasselas,' and Beckford his 'Vathek,' and tells how, leaving London, he
betakes himself to the roads and fields.

In the country it shows him leading a life of roving adventure, becoming
tinker, gypsy, postillion, ostler; associating with various kinds of
people, chiefly of the lower classes, whose ways and habits are
described; but, though leading this erratic life, we gather from the book
that his habits are neither vulgar nor vicious, that he still follows to
a certain extent his favourite pursuits--hunting after strange
characters, or analyzing strange words and names. At the conclusion of
the fifth volume, which terminates the first part of the history, it
hints that he is about to quit his native land on a grand philological
expedition.

Those who read this book with attention--and the author begs to observe
that it would be of little utility to read it hurriedly--may derive much
information with respect to matters of philology and literature; it will
be found treating of most of the principal languages from Ireland to
China, and of the literature which they contain; and it is particularly
minute with regard to the ways, manners, and speech of the English
section of the most extraordinary and mysterious clan or tribe of people
to be found in the whole world--the children of Roma. {314b} But it
contains matters of much more importance than anything in connection with
philology, and the literature and manners of nations. Perhaps no work
was ever offered to the public in which the kindness and providence of
God have been set forth by more striking examples, or the machinations of
priestcraft been more truly and lucidly exposed, or the dangers which
result to a nation when it abandons itself to effeminacy, and a rage for
what is novel and fashionable, than the present.

With respect to the kindness and providence of God, are they not
exemplified in the case of the old apple-woman and her son? These are
beings in many points bad, but with warm affections, who, after an
agonizing separation, are restored to each other, but not until the
hearts of both are changed and purified by the influence of affliction.
Are they not exemplified in the case of the rich gentleman, who touches
objects in order to avert the evil chance? This being has great gifts
and