racted, till my spirits were quite exhausted, and I was obliged to
throw myself down at the root of a tree, to rest my wearied limbs. Here
my rage forsook me: I began to feel the importunate cravings of nature,
and relapsed into silent sorrow and melancholy reflection. I revolved
all the crimes I had been guilty of and found them too few and venial,
that I could not comprehend the justice of that Providence, which, after
having exposed me to so much wretchedness and danger, left me a prey
to famine at last in a foreign country, where I had not one friend or
acquaintance to close my eyes, and do the last offices of humanity to my
miserable carcass. A thousand times I wished myself a bear, that I might
retreat to woods and deserts, far from the inhospitable haunts of man,
where I could live by my own talents, independent of treacherous friends
and supercilious scorn.

As I lay in this manner, groaning over my hapless fate, I heard the
sound of a violin, and raising my head, perceived a company of men and
women dancing on the grass at some distance from me. I looked upon this
to be a favourable season for distress to attract compassion, when every
selfish thought is banished, and the heart dilated with mirth and social
joy; wherefore I got up, and approached those happy people, whom I soon
discovered to be a party of soldiers, with their wives and children,
unbending and diverting themselves at this rate, after the fatigue of
a march. I had never before seen such a parcel of scarecrows together,
neither could I reconcile their meagre and gaunt looks, their squalid
and ragged attire, and every other external symptom of extreme woe, with
this appearance of festivity. I saluted them, however, and was received
with great politeness; after which they formed a ring, and danced around
me. This jollity had a wonderful effect upon my spirits. I was infected
with their gaiety, and in spite of my dismal situation, forgot my cares,
and joined in their extravagance. When we had recreated ourselves a good
while at this diversion, the ladies spread their manteaus on the ground,
upon which they emptied their knapsacks of some onions, coarse bread,
and a few flasks of poor wine: being invited to a share of the banquet,
I sat down with the rest, and, in the whole course of my life, never
made a more comfortable meal. When our repast was ended, we got up
again to dance, and, now that I found myself refreshed I behaved to the
admiration of eve