eeches goes through the
world, brave boys, as the song goes--eh!" Though this proposal did not
at all suit my inclination, I was afraid of discovering my aversion to
it, lest I should disoblige the only friend I had in the world; and he
was so much a seaman that he never dreamt I could have had any objection
to his design; consequently gave himself no trouble in consulting my
approbation. But this resolution was soon dropped, by the device of our
usher, who assured Mr. Bowling, it would be a thousand pities to balk my
genius, which would certainly one day make my fortune on shore, provided
it received due cultivation. Upon which, this generous tar determined
(though he could ill afford it) to give me university education; and
accordingly settled my board and other expenses, at a town not many
miles distant, famous for its colleges, whither we repaired in a short
time. But, before the day of our departure, the schoolmaster, who no
longer had the fear of my grandfather before his eyes, laid aside all
decency and restraint, and not only abused me in the grossest language
his rancour could suggest, as a wicked, proffigate, dull, beggarly
miscreant, whom he had taught out of charity; but also inveighed in the
most bitter manner against the memory of the judge (who by the by had
procured that settlement for him), hinting, in pretty plain terms, that
the old gentleman's soul was damned to all eternity for his injustice in
neglecting to pay for my learning. This brutal behaviour, added to the
sufferings I had formerly undergone made me think it high time to be
revenged on this insolent pedagogue. Having consulted my adherents, I
found them all staunch in their promises to stand by me; and our scheme
was this:--In the afternoon preceding to the day of our departure for
the University, I resolved to take the advantage of the usher's going
out to make water (which he regularly did at four o'clock), and shut the
great door, that he might not come to the assistance of his superior.
This being done, the assault was to be begun by my advancing to my
master and spitting in his face. I was to be seconded by two of the
strongest boys in the school, who were devoted to me; their business was
to join me in dragging the tyrant to a bench, over which he was to be
laid, and his bare posteriors heartily flogged, with his own birch,
which we proposed to wrest from him in his struggle; but if we should
find him too many for us all three, we were t