along
inspecting the goods that lay exposed to view, he saw a bookstand, at
which he stopped, and with greedy eye devoured each title-page. An odd
volume of Harris's Hermes caught his fancy, and after having pondered
for some time on the alternative, whether he should postpone legs in
favour of head, or _vice versa_, he concluded on the former, saying to
himself that _Hermes_ would be snatched up by the first person who saw
it; but that the second hand silk stockings could be got at any time.
The volume was eighteen pence; yet so restricted was our hero's
finances, that this little sum deranged his stocking plan for a week.

His friend the prompter, seeing the book with him, took it out of his
hand, and looking at it, told him he had thrown away his money in buying
such stuff, and exhorted him not to waste his time in reading it. On
coming to an explanation with him, the good man finding the boy intent
upon improvement, benevolently told him that he should neither want
proper books, nor instructions how to make use of them. He then lent him
Lowth's grammar, and pointed out the most useful places. H. read it
diligently, and though he seldom forgot any thing he once read, he
perused Lowth three or four times over. The literary knowledge of H. was
one of the most astonishing circumstances about him. It is doubtful
whether on the day he died, he left a more perfect orthoepist living
behind him. Indeed his attainments, particularly in poetry and critical
science were so great, considering his early privation of means, that
with all the aid derived from his frequent and free communications, the
writer of this has often found it difficult to account for them
satisfactorily.

From this period of H's life all is an hiatus till his connexion with
the celebrated James Whiteley, manager of the most extensive midland
circuit ever known in England; viz. Worcester, Wolverhampton, Derby,
Nottingham, Retford and Stamford theatres. Why, how, or when he left
Bath and Bristol--or whether he was intermediately employed at any other
theatre, the writer is not in possession of a single fact to enable him
to determine. Of one Miller, a manager, he has heard H. speak, but not
with any interest. James Whiteley was the theme on which he most liked
to dwell. Whiteley was perhaps the greatest oddity on the face of the
earth; but of a heart sound, and benevolent beyond the generality of
mankind. Violently passionate, and in his passions vulgar, rud