CHAPTER I.
Giving an account of the author's birth and family--The fondness ofhis mother--His being put to an academy at sixteen by the advice of hisfriend--His thoughts of his own illiterature
I was born at Penhale, in the county of Cornwall, on the 21st day ofDecember 1685, about four months after my father, Peter Wilkins, whowas a zealous Protestant of the Church of England, had been executedby Jeffreys, in Somersetshire, for joining in the design of raising theDuke of Monmouth to the British throne. I was named, after my father andgrandfather, Peter, and was my father's only child by Alice his wife,the daughter of John Capert, a clergyman in a neighbouring village. Mygrandfather was a shopkeeper at Newport, who, by great frugality andextraordinary application, had raised a fortune of about L160 a yearin lands, and a considerable sum of ready money, all which at hisdeath devolved upon my father, as his only child; who, being no lessparsimonious than my grandfather, and living upon his own estate, hadmuch improved it in value before his marriage with my mother; but hecoming to that unhappy end, my mother, after my birth, placed all heraffection upon me (her growing hope, as she called me), and used everymethod, in my minority, of increasing the store for my benefit.
In this manner she went on, till I grew too big, as I thought, forconfinement at the apron-string, being then about fourteen years of age;and having met with so much indulgence from her, for that reason foundvery little or no contradiction from anybody else; so I looked on myselfas a person of some consequence, and began to take all opportunities ofenjoying the company of my neighbours, who hinted frequently that therestraint I was under was too great a curb upon an inclination likemine of seeing the world; but my mother, still impatient of any littleabsence, by excessive fondness, and encouraging every inclination Iseemed to have, when she could be a partaker with me, kept me withinbounds of restraint till I arrived at my sixteenth year.
About this time I got acquainted with a country gentleman, of a smallpaternal estate, which had been never the better for being in his hands,and had some uneasy demands upon it. He soon grew very fond of me,hoping, as I had reason afterwards to believe, by a union with mymother to set himself free from his entanglements. She was then aboutthirty-five years old, and still continued my father's widow, outof particular regard to me, as I have all the reason in the world tobelieve. She was really a beautiful woman, and of a sanguine complexion,but-had always carried herself with so much reserve, and given so littleencouragement to any of the other sex, that she had passed her widowhoodwith very few solicitations to alter her way of life. This gentlemanobserving my mother's conduct, in order to ingratiate himself with her,had shown numberless instances of regard for me; and, as he told mymother, had observed many things in my discourse, actions, and turn ofmind, that presaged wonderful expectations from me, if my genius was butproperly cultivated.
This discourse, from a man of very good parts, and esteemed by everybodyan accomplished gentleman, by degrees wrought upon my mother, and moreand more inflamed her with a desire of adding what lustre she could tomy applauded abilities, and influenced her so far as to ask his advicein what manner most properly to proceed with me. My gentleman then hadhis desire, for he feared not the widow, could he but properly disposeof her charge; so having desired a little time to consider of a matterof such importance, he soon after told her he thought the most usefulmethod of establishing me would be at an academy, kept by a very worthyand judicious gentleman, about thirty, or more, miles from us, inSomersetshire; where, if I could but be admitted, the master taking inbut a stated number of students at a time, he did not in the least doubtbut I should fully answer the character he had given her of me, andoutshine most of my contemporaries.
My mother, over-anxious for my good, seeming to listen to this proposal,my friend (as I call him) proposed taking a journey himself to theacademy, to see if any place was vacant for my reception, and learn theterms of my admission; and in three days' time returned with an engagingaccount of the place, the master, the regularity of the scholars, of anapartment secured for my reception, and, in short, whatever else mightcaptivate my mother's opinion in favour of his scheme; and indeed,though he acted principally from another motive, as was plainafterwards, I cannot help thinking he believed it to be the best way ofdisposing of a lad sixteen years old, born to a pretty fortune, and who,at that age, could but just read a chapter in the Testament; for he hadbefore beat my mother quite out of her inclination to a grammar-schoolin the neighbourhood, from a contempt, he said, it would bring uponme from lads much my juniors in years, by being placed in the firstrudiments of learning with them.
Well, the whole concern of my mother's little family was now employedin fitting me out for my expedition; and as my friend had been soinstrumental in bringing it about, he never missed a day inquiringhow preparations went on; and during the process, by humouring me,ingratiated himself more and more with my mother, but without seeming inthe least to aim at it. In short, the hour of my departure arrived; andthough I had never been master of above a sixpence at one time, unlessat a fair or so, for immediate spending, my mother, thinking to make myheart easy at our separation (which, had it appeared otherwise, wouldhave broke hers, and spoiled all), gave me a double pistole in gold, anda little silver in my pocket to prevent my changing it.
Thus I (the coach waiting for us at the door), having been preached intoa good liking of the scheme by my friend, who now insisted upon makingone of our company to introduce us, mounted the carriage with morealacrity than could be expected for one who had never before been beyondthe smoke of his mother's chimney; but the thoughts I had conceived,from my friend's discourse, of liberty in the academic way, and theweight of so much money in my pocket, as I then imagined would scarceever be exhausted, were prevailing cordials to keep my spirits on thewing. We lay at an inn that night, near the master's house, and the nextday I was initiated; and, at parting with me, my friend presented mewith a guinea. When I found myself thus rich, I must say I heartilywished they were all fairly at home again, that I might have timeto count my cash, and dispose of such part of it as I had alreadyappropriated to several uses then in embryo.
The next morning left me master of my wishes, for my mother came andtook her last (though she little thought it) leave of me, and smotheringme with her caresses and prayers for my well-doing, in the height ofher ardour put into my hand another guinea, promising to see me againquickly; 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 mefarewell.
I shall not trouble you with the reception I met from my master, or hisscholars, or tell you how soon I made friends of all my companions, bysome trifling largesses which my stock enabled me to bestow as occasionrequired; but I must inform you that, after sixteen years of idleness athome, I had but little heart to my nouns and pronouns, which nowbegan 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 timesdespaired of ever making a scholar at my years; and was ashamed tostand like a great lubber, declining of _haec mulier_ a woman, whilstmy schoolfellows, and juniors by five years, were engaged in the lovestories of Ovid, or the luscious songs of Horace. I own these thoughtsalmost overcame me, and threw me into a deep melancholy, of which I soonafter, by letter, informed my mother; who (by the advice, as I suppose,of my friend, by this time her suitor) sent me word to mind my studies,and I should want for nothing.
Life And Adventures Of Peter Wilkins, Vol. I. (of II.) Page 5
