PERSEVERANCE AGAINSS FORTUNE. Saez

to rack the tenants to the utmost. He asked me ag
much rent for the place as though I had found the gar.
den ready-made to my hands; and when I tcld him it
was impossible for me to pay it, he gave mo notice
to quit immediately. He would neither suffer me to
take away my trees and plants, nor allow me anything
for them. His view, I found, was to putin a favourite
of his own, and set him up at my expense. I remon-
strated against this cruel injustice, but could obtain
nothing but hard words. As I saw it would be the
ruin of me to be turned out in that manner, I deter-
mined, rather hastily, to go up to London, and plead
my cause with my new lord. I took a sorrowful Icave
of my family, and walking to the next market-town, I
got a place on the outside of the stage-coach. When
we were within thirty or forty miles of London, the
coachman overturned the carriage, and I pitched di-
rectly on my head, and was taken up senseless. No-
body knew any thing about me; so I was carried to
the next village, where the overseer had me taken to
the parish workhouse. Here I lay a fortnight, much
neglected, befure [ came to my senses. As soon as ]
became sensible of my condition, I was almost dis-
tracted in thinking of the distress my poor wife, who
was near lying-in, must be under on my account, not
hearing anything of me. I lay another fortnight be-
fore I was fit to travel; for, besides the hurt on my
head, I had a broken collar-bone, and several bruises.
My money had somehow all got out of my pocket, and
I had no other means of getting away, than by being
passed to my own parish. I returned in sad plight
indeed, and found my wife very ill in bed. My chil-
dren were crying about her, and almost starving. We
should now have been quite lost, had I not raised a
littie money by selling our furniture, for I was yet
unable to work. As soon as my wife was somewhat
recovered, we were forced to quit our house. I eried
like a child on leaving my blooming garden and flou-
vishing plantations, and was almost tempted to demolish
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