FROM the little window at my bed-head, I noticed all the varying seasons
of the year; and, when the spring put in, I felt charmed with the music
of birds, which strained their little throats to proclaim it. The chief
business imposed upon me as a task, at this season, was my being set to
work to “scale” the pastures and meadows; that is, to spread the
mole-hills over the surface of the ground. This, with gardening, and
such like jobs, was very hungry work, and often made me think dinner was
long in coming; and, when at last it was sent to me, be it what it
might, I sat down on the “lown” side of a hedge and eat it with a relish
that needed no sauce.
As soon as the bushes and trees began to put forth their buds, and make
the face of nature look gay—this was the signal for the angler to
prepare his fishing tackle. In doing this I was not behind hand. Fishing
rods, set gads, and night lines were all soon made fit for use, and with
them, late and early, I had a busy time of it, during the summer months,
until the frosts of autumn forbid me to proceed. The uneasiness which my
late evening wadings by the waterside gave to my father and mother, I
have often since reflected upon with regret. They could not go to bed
with the hopes of getting to sleep, while haunted with the apprehension
of my being drowned; and well do I remember to this day my father’s
well-known whistle, which called me home. He went to a little distance
from the house, where nothing obstructed the sound, and whistled so
loud, through his finger and thumb, that in the still hours of evening
it might be heard echoing up the vale of the Tyne, to a very great
distance. This whistle I learned to imitate, and answered it as well as
I could, and then posted home.
From early in the morning till night, I was scarcely ever out of an
action either good or bad; or, when not kept close at school, or in
doing jobs such as those I have described, I was almost constantly
engaged in some mischievous prank or other; but with a detail of these
it would be wearisome to load my narrative: they were occasioned by the
overflowings of an active, wild disposition. At one time, in imitation
of the savages described in “Robinson Crusoe,”—or some other savages,—I
often, in a morning, set off _stark naked_ across the fell, where I was
joined by some associates, who, in like manner, ran about like mad
things, or like Bedlamites who had escaped. Climbing the tall trees at
Eltringham for rook nests, at the hazard of breaking our necks or our
bones, was another piece of business which employed our attention. I was
also engaged in another equally dangerous. Having formed the resolution
of curing a vicious, “runaway” horse belonging to my father, which no
one durst mount, I, however, took the opportunity, when out of sight of
any of the family, to do so. With my hand entwined in his mane, and
bare-backed, I set him a-going, and let him run over “sykes” and burns,
up hill and down hill, until he was quite spent. In a short time I
discovered that, to make him run at all, he must be whipt to it. At
other times I swam him in the river. This, and such like treatment, made
him look ill, and quite tamed him.
I have often since shuddered at the thoughts of doing these and such
like desperate acts, and wondered how I escaped; but neither caution nor
fear had at that time taken a place in the mind; on the contrary, any
uncommon or frightful exploit had charms in it that I could not resist.
One of these pranks, however, attracted the attention of the
neighbourhood, brought me into a great dilemma, and occasioned me a
severe beating. I engaged a constant associate, who was ever ready at my
command to help me, as soon as I communicated any design to him. I had
discovered two oxen in a little savannah, or bit of grazing ground,
surrounded with hazel and other bushes, near the brink of the river.
Thither we went in order to enjoy so tempting a sight as to see them
plunge overhead into the flood. When all was ready, we suddenly, with
long branches in our hands, sprang upon them from the bushes overhanging
the precipice, the danger of which they did not see; and they were
plunged, with such a _delightful dash_, overhead into the river! They,
however, happened to be no worse for it; for they were driven down by
the rapid current of the flood, and landed safely at a distance below.
This exploit, happening on a Sunday forenoon, was an aggravation of the
crime.
After this my father mostly took me with him to church, where I
frequently employed myself in drawing figures upon the soft, painted
book-board with a pin. In doing this, no one noticed me, especially as I
held down my head; and, having got the church service off, I repeated it
the same as the congregation. This apparently regular behaviour was not,
however, of long duration, and was broken in upon at last. Sunday after
Sunday a clownish fellow had obtruded himself into our pew. I did not
think this quite right, and wished to put an end to it; and this
happened in a very rude way in the end. A dumb man (“Dummy, of Wylam”),
a constant church-goer, had a seat in a pew before ours, where,
regularly during the service, he fell fast asleep. When in that state,
and sitting right before our obtruder, I reached aside, and gave “Dummy”
a smart blow on the head, and instantly, as if I knew nothing of the
matter, I seemed to be quite grave, and intent on looking on my prayer
book, while the obtruder was putting on a broad grin. At this poor Dummy
was enraged, and with a distorted countenance, he kept thumping the man
on the face and head, at the same time making a hideous noise, which was
heightened by the fellow’s shouting, and calling him “fool,” at the same
time assuring him that it was I who gave the blow, and not he. To the
deaf man this was a waste of words. It need not be added that the
congregation was greatly disturbed, while perhaps none knew or suspected
the cause except my father and my preceptor in the pulpit.
Sometimes the lads in the same class I belonged to, when we had been
doing amiss, were sent to cut birch rods to whip us with. At other times
we were locked into the belfry, where we often amused ourselves by
drawing each other up by the bell ropes to the first floor; but one of
our comrades having (by the rope slipping through the hands of those who
held it), been precipitated to the ground, by which he was a good deal
hurt, that mode of punishment was altogether dropped. The parson, poor
man, had a troublesome time of it with one or other of us; and I
remember, once in particular, of putting him into very great pain and
distress of mind. After a great flood, a large piece of ice, about the
size of the floor of a room, had been left in a place called “Ned’s
Hole,” by the side of the river. This I got upon, and persuaded several
others to do the same, and we then set to work with a “boat stower” to
push it off shore; and, in this manner, we got some distance up the
river, opposite to the parsonage garden, where our master happened to
be, and saw us. I could see by his agitated motions, and his uplifted
hands, that he was put into a state much easier to be felt than
described. After having been guilty of misdemeanors of this kind, I did
not go back to school for the remainder of the day; but waded, or
otherwise crossed, the river, and sat down or amused myself among the
bushes, on the water banks, until the rest of the scholars left school,
when I joined them and went home. But as it would not have been safe for
me to go to bed (if conscious of guilt, or if otherwise betrayed) for
fear of a visit from my father, I always took up my abode for the night
in the byer loft, among the hay or straw, knowing well that, when his
passion subsided, I should escape a beating from his hands.
The first cause of my preceptor beginning a severe system of flogging
(beside the quantum I received for mischievous acts), was for not
getting off my Latin tasks. When this was not done to his mind, he, by
way of punishment, gave me another still worse to do, and still longer,
till at length I gave up even attempting to get through them at all, and
began to stand a flogging without being much put about by it. I think
(at this day) my very worthy preceptor, in following this rather
indiscriminate system of severe punishments, was wrong. He often beat
his own son,[4] a youth of an uncommonly mild, kind, and cheerful
disposition, whom I felt more distressed at seeing punished than if it
had been myself; for I mostly considered that I richly deserved the
stripes inflicted upon me, and that he did not.
Footnote 4:
Christopher Greason, of Apothecaries Hall, London. He died 181—, and
was buried at Ovingham.
There was a misdemeanor for which, above all the rest, I was more
severely punished, both at school and at home, than for any other fault;
and that was for fighting with other boys. To put a stop to this
practice, was the particular request of my mother. To her it was odious
in the extreme. Her reasons I do not forget. She quoted Scripture in
support of them. Therein, she said, we were directed “if we were struck
on one cheek, to turn the other also,” (I forget the exact words): it is
a portion of Scripture I did not obey. She also maintained that the
business of fighting was degrading to human nature, and put a man that
practised it on a level with dogs. I am conscious that I never sought a
quarrel with any one; but I found an insult very bad to bear, and
generally in the most secret manner contrived “to fight it out.”
When the floggings inflicted upon me had in a great measure begun to
lose their effect, another mode of punishment was fallen upon; and that
was, after the school hours were over, to lock me into the church, where
I was kept till the dusk of the evening. This solitary confinement was
very irksome to me; as I had not at that time got over a belief in
ghosts and boggles, for the sight of which I was constantly upon the
look out. Oppressed with fear, I peeped here and there into every
corner, in dread of seeing some terrible spirit. In time, however, this
abated, and I amused myself, as well as I could, in surveying the
surrounding objects, and in climbing up the pillars, with the help of a
rope or a handkerchief, as I used to do in getting up large trees. It
happened one evening, when my master, as usual, came to let me out, that
I was sitting astride upon the capital of one of the pillars, where he
did not see me. He called on me, but I made no answer, and he then
posted off to see if the door was fast, and having ascertained that it
was, he marched along the aisles in great perturbation of mind,
frequently exclaiming “God bless me!” &c. When he was gone, I slipped
down, and found the choir door only bolted on the inside, so I waded the
river and posted home, and slept in my old asylum the hay loft. I have
frequently bitterly repented of having given a man I afterwards so
highly respected through life so much pain and trouble.
I have before noticed that the first time I felt compassion for a dumb
animal, was upon my having caught a hare in my arms. The next occurrence
of the kind happened with a bird. I had no doubt knocked many down with
stones before, but they had escaped being taken. This time, however, the
little victim dropped from the tree, and I picked it up. It was alive,
and looked me piteously in the face; and, as I thought, could it have
spoken, it would have asked me why I had taken away its life. I felt
greatly hurt at what I had done, and did not quit it all the afternoon.
I turned it over and over, admiring its plumage, its feet, its bill, and
every part of it. It was a bullfinch. I did not then know its name, but
I was told it was a “little Matthew Martin.” This was the last bird I
killed; but many, indeed, have been killed since on my account.
I had been at man-fights, dog-fights, and cock-fights, without feeling
much compassion. Indeed, with the last of these exhibitions, I was more
entertained at seeing the wry faces, contortions, and agitations of the
clowns who surrounded the cock-pit, or circle, than I was with the cocks
fighting. It was long before I felt disgusted at seeing men fight. This,
however, happened at last. A travelling merchant, or respectable
pedlar,—a slim-made, genteel-looking man,—had perhaps forgotten himself
over a glass, and not minded what company he was in. He could not,
however, be long in such society without being insulted; but, be that as
it might, a fight ensued, in which the stranger was over-matched. I saw
only the concluding part, and was extremely shocked; for the stranger
was sitting propped up with his arms behind him, quite spent and
speechless, and looked like a corpse. After sitting a short time in this
helpless state, his opponent walked coolly up to him, and with a blow on
the face or head laid him flat on the ground. I thought he was killed,
at which I became so frantic with rage and indignation, that I believe,
at the moment, if I had had a pistol at hand, I would have shot the
sturdy barbarian.
In going along with my narrative, I have noticed some of the first
impressions which produced a change, and left a strong effect on my
mind. In some of these, the change was quick and decisive; in others of
a more tardy nature; and prejudices which were early rooted were not
easily removed. Among the worst, was that of a belief in ghosts,
boggles, apparitions, &c. These wrought powerfully upon the fears of the
great bulk of the people at that time, and, with many, these fears are
not rooted out even at this day. The stories so circumstantially told
respecting these phantoms and supernatural things, I listened to with
the dread they inspired, and it took many an effort, and I suffered
much, before it could be removed. What helped me greatly to conquer
fears of that kind was my knowing that my father constantly scouted such
idle, or, indeed, such pernicious tales. He would not allow me to plead
fear as any excuse, when he had to send me an errand at night; and,
perhaps, my being frequently alone in the dark might have the effect of
enabling me greatly to rise superior to such weakness.
I have known men, both old and young, who dared to encounter almost any
danger, yet _were afraid of their own shadows_; and I remember well of
trying the experiment, one night, upon a servant man of my father’s, who
was a kind of village Cæsar, and feared not to stand the most desperate
battles with others of the same cast, upon any occasion. I began by
sneering at his courage, and then bet him a penny that I durst do what
he dared not. All I intended to do I set about rather deliberately, and
then rose to perform _my feat_, which was to walk along the dark passage
to the back door, and to repeat something (rather ominous, indeed) about
“Silky” and “Hedley Kow.” After performing my task, I returned with
apparent agitation and fear, and sat down in silence close beside him
for some time, and then asked him if he durst do the like. I, however,
saw, by his hesitation, that the performance by him was given up, and he
only remarked that “one may soon get what one’ll never cast.”
At another time, in broad day light, I took it into my head to make
another trial of this kind upon my father’s pitmen. For this purpose I
detained our cur dog, until I buckled him up in a pair of old “sods,”
which covered him beyond both head and tail, and set him off to the pit,
knowing well that he would go straight there; for he was accustomed
every day to leave the pit lodge, and go home, where he waited until he
saw that dinner was ready, and then his reappearance at the pit was as
good as telling my father and his servants to come home. I durst not
have thus amused myself if I had not known that my father was out of the
way. I set off on the inside of the hedge, keeping pace with the dog all
the way up to the pit heap, near which I stopped, and peeped to see the
effect that would be produced; and this was really curious. One of the
men, seeing the odd appearance of something alive, with a long body,
without either legs, head, or tail, moving straight forward towards him,
knew not what to make of it; and, after rubbing his eyes, he ran off to
his companions, who, when they had taken a peep, all set off, with
speed, on their way home.
In a business of a similar kind, which happened not long after, it was
my lot to be the sufferer. A few companions used to come at nights to
our house to play at cards with me, and I, in turn, visited them for the
same purpose. We were, however, taken to task by a bigotted old woman in
the neighbourhood, who called the cards the “devil’s books.” She told me
one night before setting off to play with my companions, as usual, that,
if I looked under the table, I would see the devil; and I recollect that
I several times peeped to see if he were indeed there. When we were done
playing, two of the gamesters, as was customary, set me across part of
the fell towards home. I was, however, much surprised at their suddenly
leaving me without saying good night, or making any reply to my shouting
after them, and they were soon out of sight. This was at a place called
the “Sand Holes,” which I then left, and was turning towards home, when,
behold! to my utter amazement, I saw the devil! It was a clear moonlight
night; I could not be mistaken—his horns—his great white, goggle eyes,
and teeth, and tail—his whole person stood fairly before me! As I gazed,
I thought the hair lifted the hat on my head. He stood, and I stood, for
some time; and, I believe, if he had then come up to me, I must have
dropped down. Certain it is, however, that desperation succeeded fear. I
moved aside, and he did the same. I involuntarily got my “jackleg
knife,” and, if he had then approached me, he to a certainty would have
been stabbed. I slipped off my clogs, made a start in a bending
direction, and at full speed ran home. He pursued me nearly to the door,
but I beat him in the race. I had always understood that any person who
had seen a ghost, or evil spirit, would faint on coming into a house
with a fire in it. I feared this, but I fainted none! and when my father
asked me what was the matter, I told him I had seen the devil. He,
perhaps without thinking, gave me a slap on the head. It was not long,
however, till the following affair transpired. The man who personated
the devil, when he met me, had been on his way to a “kirn supper,” and
was going “a guising.” When my father heard the whole transaction, he
wrought himself up into a great rage; and very shortly after, meeting
the man, in the street at Corbridge, who had frightened me, he instantly
paid him off by giving him a sound beating. When the people, who always
considered my father as a remarkably peaceable man, saw him thus
engaged, they expressed their surprise; but, as soon as they heard the
reason for what had been done, they were also exasperated, and, I was
given to understand, the man was obliged to leave the village.
The first time I took notice of any of my female school-fellows arose
from a reproof I met with, and the manner it was given, from one of
them. The amiable person alluded to, was Miss Betty Gregson, my
preceptor’s daughter, and somewhere about my own age. She kept a messet
dog, and the sleek, fat, useless animal was much disliked by me as well
as by some of the other boys. When it made its appearance in the
churchyard, which it sometimes did, we set about frightening it; and,
for this purpose, some of us met it at every gate and outlet, and
stopped its retreat till it became quite distressed. The last time that
this kind of sport was practised on her little dog, I happened to be the
only actor. Having met with it at a little distance from its home, I had
stopped it from entering the house, and had pursued it about and about,
or met it at the end of every avenue, till it was put into great “bodily
fear!” This behaviour towards her little favourite, was very offensive
to Miss Gregson. She could endure it no longer, and she called me to
account for it. I can never forget her looks upon the occasion. She no
doubt intended to scold me, but the natural sweetness of her disposition
soon showed itself in its true colours. She did not know how to scold;
for, after some embarrassing attempts at it, and some hesitation, she
put me in mind of my being related to her, and of her uniform kindness
to me, and with irresistible arguments and persuasions made me see the
impropriety of my conduct. With me this left its mark; for from that
time forward I never plagued any of the girls at school, nor did any
thing that might give them offence; nor has this impression ever been
effaced from my mind, but has been there fostered through life and
settled into a fixed respect and tender regard for the whole sex.
Hitherto my life at school and at home might be considered as a life of
warfare, and punishments of various kinds had been inflicted upon me
apparently with little effect. As a cure for my misdeeds, my worthy
master, however, at length found out a better and more effectual way. He
one day invited me to dine with him, and after showing me the greatest
kindness, he followed this up in a friendly, plain, and open way, by
remonstrating with me on the impropriety of my past conduct, the evil
tendency of it, and the pain and trouble it had given him; urging me, at
the same time, in such a persuasive tone, instantly to desist from it,
that I felt quite overpowered with his discourse, and fell into a flood
of tears. The result was, I never dared to encounter another of these
friendly meetings; and, while I remained at his school, he never again
had occasion to find fault with me.
The transactions in which I afterwards became engaged, afforded me more
real enjoyment. As silent time stole away, in the varied seasons of the
long-measured years, changes gradually took place in many of the
erroneous notions I had formed of things. As the mind became more
expanded, curiosity led me to enquire into the nature of the objects
which attracted my attention. Among the first was that of birds, their
nests, their eggs, and their young. These to me were long a source of
great delight, and many a spring morning I watched and looked after
them. I also spent many a summer evening, on my way home from school,
lost in wonder in examining the works going forward among a nation of
ants. The place they occupied was on the top of the “Boat Hill,” near
Eltringham, and the colony was the largest I had ever seen. From it
their narrow roads, through the grass, radiated in various directions to
a great distance. These were like as many turnpike roads, and as busily
crowded as any among men, leading to or from a great fair. I have
sometimes with a stick overturned their accumulated gatherings, when it
was curious to observe the effect produced. The greatest bustle and
confusion ensued; and yet I have observed with surprise, that next
morning every thing was restored to the same order as before. I noticed
that they had other enemies that broke in upon them, and which perhaps
injured them more than I did; and these were the turkeys from the
village, where great numbers were bred every year. As soon as the young
brood were able to walk abroad, the mother led them every day to this
great ant hill, were they no doubt made terrible havoc among the
inhabitants and their works.[5]
Footnote 5:
The history and economy of these very interesting insects are, I
think, not well known. They appear to manage their affairs with as
much forethought and industry as mankind; but to what degree their
reasoning and instinctive powers extend is yet a mystery. After they
have spent a certain time toiling on earth, they get wings, and soar
aloft into the atmosphere. What change they undergo before they assume
this new character, or what becomes of them afterwards, seems
doubtful.
Bees also attracted much of my attention. I could not see into the
interior of their works, but I made every inquiry of those who had long
kept them, and gathered, in this way, as good a knowledge of their
history and economy as I could. One of my morning jobs was to sit before
the hives, with a stick like a spatula, to kill the wasps as they
alighted to enter and rob them. I could see the bees enter, loaded with
what they had culled from every flower, but never could see them attack
or repel their enemies.
I frequently amused myself in observing the murders of a large spider,
which had placed its web in a corner of the little window at my bed
head. Being wishful to see how it managed its affairs, I prevented the
servant girl from brushing the web away. Its proceedings did not excite
in me any favourable opinion. Having seen it seize every innocent fly
that set foot upon its snares, I had a mind to try how it would conduct
itself towards a more powerful opponent. For this purpose, I caught a
wasp, which I held by its wings upon the web until its feet got
entangled, when out came the hitherto unthwarted tyrant; and, after some
apparent hesitation, it at length was tempted to pounce upon the
obtruder. The struggle was, however, very short. I soon perceived the
wasp double itself up and dart its sting into the body of its enemy,
which instantly retired, and never afterwards returned. This is only one
experiment, but further trials of the kind might be made to come at
truth.
[Illustration]
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