"Providence. He has permitted you to "experience want and distress, that you "might acknowledge his hand in your pre"fent comfort and profperity. Above all, you must bless his goodness in fending

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you to me, not only because I have been "of ufe to you in your worldly affairs, but "because he has enabled me to fhew you "the danger of your ftate from fin and ig"norance, and to put you in a way to know "his will and to keep his commandments, "which is eternal life."

How Betty, by industry and piety, rose in the world, till at length fhe came to keep that handsome sausage-shop near the Seven Dials, and was married to that very hackney-coachman, whofe history and honest character may be learned from that ballad of the Cheap Repofitory which bears his name, may be fhewn hereafter.

BLACK GILES

THE POACHER;

CONTAINING

Some Account of a Family who had rather live by

their Wits than their Work.

PART I.

POACHING GILES lives on the borders of one of those great moors in Somersetshire. Giles, to be fure, has been a fad fellow in his time; and it is none of his fault if his whole family do not end their career either at the gallows or at Botany Bay. He lives. at that mud cottage with the broken windows, stuffed with dirty rags, juft beyond the gate which divides the Upper from the Lower

Lower Moor. You may know the house at a good distance by the ragged tiles on the roof, and the loofe ftones which are ready to drop out from the chimney; though a fhort ladder, a hod of mortar, and half an hour's leisure time, would have prevented all this, and made the little dwelling tight enough. But as Giles had never learnt anything that was good, fo he did not know the value of fuch ufeful fayings, as, that a "a tile in time faves nine."

Befides this, Giles fell into that common mistake, that a beggarly looking cottage, and filthy ragged children, raised most compaffion, and of course drew moft charity. But as cunning as he was in other things, he was out in his reckoning here; for it is neatness, housewifery, and a decent appearance, which draw the kindness of the rich and charitable, while they turn away dif gufted from filth and lazinefs; not out of pride, but because they see that it is next to impoffible to mend the condition of those who degrade themfelves by dirt and floth;

and

and few people care to help those who will not help themselves.

The common on which Giles's hovel ftands, is quite a deep marsh in a wet winter but in fummer it looks green and pretty enough. To be fure it would be rather convenient when one paffes that way in a carriage, if one of the children would run out and open the gate: but instead of any one of them running out as foon as they hear the wheels, which would be quite time enough, what does Giles do, but fet all his ragged brats, with dirty faces, matted locks, and naked feet and legs, to lie all day upon a fand-bank hard by the gate, waiting for the flender chance of what may be picked

up

from travellers. At the found of a carriage, a whole covey of thefe little fcarecrows ftart up, rufh to the gate, and all at once thruft out their hats and aprons; and for fear this, together with the noise of their clamorous begging, fhould not fufficiently frighten the horfes, they are very apt to let the gate flap full against you, before you are

half

half-way through, in their eager fcuffle to fnatch from each other the halfpence which you may have thrown out to them. I know two ladies who were one day very near being killed by these abominable tricks.

Thus five or fix little idle creatures, who might be earning a trifle by knitting at home, who might be useful to the public by working in the field, and who might affift their families by learning to get their bread twenty honeft ways, are fuffered to lie about all day, in the hope of a few chance halfpence, which, after all, they are by no means fure of getting. Indeed, when the neighbouring gentlemen found out that opening the gate was the family trade, they foon left off giving anything. And I myfelf, though I used to take out a penny ready to give, had there been only one to receive it, when I fee a whole family established in fo beggarly a trade, quietly put it back again in my pocket, and give nothing at all. And fo few travellers pass that way, that sometimes, after the whole family have

loft