would not let him apply, now became his greatest
benefactors, as the perfect account he gave of the country engaged them
to give credit to all he asserted, and made them very liberal in his
favour.

It was about this time our hero became sensible of the power of love; we
mean of that sort which has more of the mind than the body, and is
tender, delicate and constant; the object of which remains constantly
fixed in the mind, and will not admit of any partner with it. It was in
the town of Newcastle, so famous for its coal-works, which our hero
visited out of curiosity, appearing there undisguised and making a very
genteel appearance, that he became enamoured with the daughter of Mr.
Gray, an eminent surgeon there. This young lady had charms perhaps equal
to any of her sex; and we might in that style, which one, who calls
himself an author of the first rate, calls the sublime, say, "Here was
whiteness, which no lilies, ivory, nor alabaster could match. The finest
cambric might be supposed from envy to cover that bosom, which was much
whiter than itself;" but we must confess we always feel a cold horror
shoot through our limbs at the reading of this puerile sublime, and we
make no doubt but many other readers do the same, as it greatly tends to
make our hearts ache by putting us in mind of what our posteriors have
suffered for us at school. We shall therefore content ourselves by
saying, this lady had charms sufficient to captivate the heart of any man
not unsusceptible of love; and they made so deep an impression upon our
hero, that they wholly effaced every object which before had created any
desire in him, and never permitted any other to raise them afterwards;
and, wonderful to tell, we have after about thirty years enjoyment, seen
him lament her occasional absence almost with tears, and talk of her with
all the fondness of one who had been in love but three days. Our hero
tried all love's soft persuasions with his fair one in an honourable way;
and, as his person was very engaging, and his appearance genteel, he did
not find her greatly averse to the proposals. As he was aware that his
being of the community of the gipseys might prejudice her against him
without examination, he passed with her for the mate of a collier's
vessel, in which he was supported by Captain L---n of Dartmouth, an old
acquaintance of our hero's, who then commanded a vessel lying at
Newcastle, and acknowledged him for his mate. These asser