ge from so many millions of souls, who, if I might judge
by this poor savage, would make a much better use of it than we did.
From hence, I sometimes was led too far, to invade the sovereignty of
Providence, and as it were arraign the justice of so arbitrary a
disposition of things, that should hide that light from some, and reveal
it to others, and yet expect a like duty from both; but I shut it up,
and checked my thoughts with this conclusion: first, That we did not
know by what light and law these should be condemned; but that as God
was necessarily, and, by the nature of his being, infinitely holy and
just, so it could not be, but if these creatures were all sentenced to
absence from himself, it was on account of sinning against that light,
which, as the Scripture says, was a law to themselves, and by such rules
as their consciences would acknowledge to be just, though the foundation
was not discovered to us; and, secondly, That still, as we all are the
clay in the hand of the potter, no vessel could say to him, "Why hast
thou formed me thus?"

But to return to my new companion:--I was greatly delighted with him,
and made it my business to teach him every thing that was proper to make
him useful, handy, and helpful; but especially to make him speak, and
understand me when I spoke: and he was the aptest scholar that ever was;
and particularly was so merry, so constantly diligent, and so pleased
when he could but understand me, or make me understand him, that it was
very pleasant to me to talk to him. Now my life began to be so easy,
that I began to say to myself, that could I but have been safe from more
savages, I cared not if I was never to remove from the place where
I lived.

After I had been two or three days returned to my castle, I thought
that, in order to bring Friday off from his horrid way of feeding, and
from the relish of a cannibal's stomach, I ought to let him taste other
flesh; so I took him out with me one morning to the woods. I went,
indeed, intending to kill a kid out of my own flock, and bring it home
and dress it; but as I was going, I saw a she-goat lying down in the
shade, and two young kids sitting by her. I catched hold of
Friday;--Hold, said I; stand still; and made signs to him not to stir:
immediately I presented my piece, shot, and killed one of the kids. The
poor creature, who had, at a distance, indeed, seen me kill the savage,
his enemy, but did not know, nor could imagine, how it wa