, in such dreadful weather: the
landlord with pity regarding his destitute appearance, fetched him a
shirt, as he thought, to cover his nakedness; but upon his endeavouring
to put it on, it proved to be a smock belonging to the good woman of the
house, which afforded a great deal of diversion to the good squire and
his benevolent lady, who happened to be looking from their window
enjoying the mistake; when, calling to him, and inquiring from whence he
came, he pretended to have been cast away at Bigbury-bay, during the late
violent tempest, in a vessel belonging to Poole, and he was the only
person on board that had escaped. Squire Rhodes ordered a fine Holland
shirt, and a suit of good clothes to be given to him, as also a hearty
refreshing dram; and then, kindly giving him five shillings, dismissed
him with every mark of commiseration for his unfortunate condition, not
in the least suspecting him to be the poor Lyme man, whom both his lady
and himself had been so generous in relieving his wants in the morning.
Having succeeded so much to his satisfaction in levying two
contributions, in one day, on the benevolent Squire Rhodes and his lady,
he quickly determined on making another trial upon their good-nature: for
which purpose he retired to the nearest house which was frequented by the
members of his community, where he dressed himself as a farmer, and
speedily returned to the squire's, to whose presence he was admitted. He
stated that he had been a tenant on the estate of Squire H---, (a
gentleman between whom and Squire Rhodes he knew there was a disagreement
of long standing,) for many years, where he had reared a numerous and
happy family in respectability: that about three years ago the squire had
seduced his eldest daughter, a handsome girl of eighteen years, who died
in giving birth to a still-born son: that his wife had died shortly after
of a broken heart, and he was left to struggle through the world with a
helpless family of young children: that, through bad crops and bad debts,
he had fallen in arrears of his rent; and his cruel landlord had seized
upon his whole stock, and turned him out of his favourite home, to become
a destitute wanderer--destitute of food, shelter or clothing for himself
and family. The benevolent Squire Rhodes whose ear was ever open to the
tale of pity--whose heart was ever ready to relieve the unfortunate,
after venting many imprecations on the hard-hearted squire, bestowed a
guin