The Farmers Boy | Page 3

were to use any other. He came from Mr. AUSTIN'S 29 June 1781.
[Footnote: This date of his coming to Town is added by Mr.
BLOOMFIELD himself since the first Edition.]
Mr. G. BLOOMFIELD then lived at Mr. Simm's_, No. 7,
Pitcher's-court, Bell-alley, Coleman-street_. "It is customary," he
continues, "in such houses as are let to poor people in London, to have

light Garrets fit for Mechanics to work in. In the Garret, where we had
two turn-up Beds, and five of us worked, I received little ROBERT."
"As we were all single Men, Lodgers at a Shilling per week each, oar
beds were coarse, and all things far from being clean and snug, like
what Robert_ had left at SAPISTON. _Robert was our man, to fetch all
things to hand. At Noon he fetch'd our Dinners from the Cook's Shop:
and any one of our fellow workmen that wanted to have any thing
fetched in, would send him, and assist in his work and teach him, for a
recompense for his trouble."
"Every day when the Boy from the Public-house came for the pewter
pots, and to hear what Porter was wanted, he always brought the
yesterday's Newspaper. [Footnote: There was then, neither as a
resource for the exigencies of finance, nor as a Principle of supposed
Policy, that unhappy Check which prevails now on the circulation of
Newspapers, and other means of popular Information. L.] The reading
of the Paper we had been us'd to take by turns; but after Robert came,
he mostly read for us,... because his time was of least value."
"He frequently met with words that he was unacquainted with: of this
he often complain'd. I one day happen'd at a Book-stall to see a small
Dictionary, which had been very ill us'd. I bought it for him for 4d. By
the help of this he in little time could read and comprehend the long
and beautiful speeches of BURKE, FOX, or NORTH.
"One Sunday, after an whole day's stroll in the country, we by accident
went into a dissenting Meeting-house_ in the _Old Jewry, where a
Gentleman was lecturing. This Man fill'd Robert with astonishment.
The House was amazingly crowded with the most genteel people; and
though we were forc'd to stand still in the aisle, and were much press'd,
yet Robert always quicken'd his steps to get into the Town on a Sunday
evening soon enough to attend this Lecture.
"The Preacher lived somewhere at the West End of the Town ... his
name was FAWCET. His language," says Mr. G. BLOOMFIELD,
"was just such as the Rambler is written in; his Action like a person
acting a Tragedy; his Discourse rational, and free from the Cant of

Methodism.
"Of him Robert_ learn'd to accent what he call'd _hard words; and
otherwise improv'd himself; and gain'd the most enlarg'd notions of
PROVIDENCE.
"He went sometimes with me to a Debating Society
[Footnote: It is
another of the Constitutional Refinements of these times to have fetter'd,
and as to every valuable purpose, silenc'd, these Debating Societies.
They were at least, to say the lowest of them, far better amusements
than drunkenness, gambling, or fighting. They were no useless Schools
to some of our very celebrated Speakers at the Bar and in Parliament:
and, what is of infinitely more importance, they contributed to the
diffusion of Political Knowledge and Public Sentiment. L.] at
Coachmaker's-hall_, but not often; and a few times to Covent-garden
Theatre_. These are all the opportunities he ever had to learn from
Public Speakers. As to Books, he had to wade through two or three
Folios: an History of England, British Traveller_, and a _Geography.
But he always read them as a task, or to oblige us who bought them.
And as they came in sixpenny numbers weekly, he had about as many
hours to read as other boys spend in play."
"I at that time," proceeds his Brother, "read the London Magazine; and
in that work about two sheets were set apart for a Review ... Robert
seem'd always eager to read this Review. Here he could see what the
Literary Men were doing, and learn how to judge of the merits of the
Works that came out. And I observ'd that he always looked at the
_Poet's Corner_. And one day he repeated a Song which he compos'd to
an old tune. I was much surpris'd that a boy of sixteen [Footnote: He
was probably 17; as appears on the statement from the Author himself.
See N. to p. xvii.] should make so smooth verses: so I persuaded him to
try whether the Editor of our Paper would give them a place in _Poet's
Corner_. And he succeeded, and they were printed. And as I forget his
other early productions, I shall