but morally cowardly, as to what would be thought of him by others, and dreading the Evil of the present Moment, and fo forth; which Men don't think so bad a kind of Cowardice as the other, but I do.

But his Temper was most sweet: his Manners moft engaging. Oh! how much he came to be thought of, at length, all along the Bridge! I have no other Fault to find in him befides those already reckoned; unless it were a general Want of Principle, which was lefs apparent than it would have been, had it not been covered rather than supplied by good Feeling. But 'tis ill reckoning the Faults of one's Friends.

Of my Mother, how fhall I fay enough? She was tall, flender, and comely to look upon, with fweet and quick grey Eyes. She was naturally of a high Spirit, which

had

had been brought under a Curb by Divine Grace. She was kind and obliging to all, stirring and thrifty, yet not niggardly; foft-hearted to the Poor, of wonderful Propriety without the least Priggishness, loved by her Friends, and especially in her own Family. Now I have counted up the whole House except our Lodger, Master Blower, and Dolly, the Cook.

My Father's Shop was on the east Side of London Bridge. Over his Door hung his Sign of "The "Lock of Hair;" and over the Shopfront was painted in yellow Letters the following Inscription,

"PETER CURLING sells all Sorts of Hair, "Curled or Uncurled, Roses, Braids, Cauls, "Ribbons, Weaving, Sewing-silk, Cards, "and Blocks. Together with Combs, Crisp"ing-pins, Perfumery, and all other Goods "made use of by Tonsors and Hairdressers, "at the Lowest Prices."

On

1633.

On the opposite Side of the Way, was a Vintner's, by the Name of Abel, who had humorously set up a Bell for his Sign, and painted beneath it, "Quoth the Wag, I am "Abel."

Next Door to us on one Side, lived a Bookfeller and Stationer named Benfkin, whofe Sign was the Bible and Star; and next Door to us on the other Side was a Glover named Hugh Braidfoot, a jolly, goodtempered Bachelor, black-haired, fresh-coloured, and fix Feet high, whose Sign was the Roebuck.

A few Weeks after my Birth, which was in February, 1633, in the Midft of a notable hard Froft, there broke out a moft dreadful Fire at the north End of the Bridge, which confumed all the Houses on both Sides, from St. Magnus' Church to the first open Space on the Bridge.

Bridge. There was, I have heard tell, much bodily Hurt as well as Destruction of Property; Property; many Persons in precipitating themselves from upper Stories, getting their Limbs broken. "Water! Water!" was the Cry, and all in vain, for though the Thames lay right under the Houses, 'twas one great Cake of Ice, and the only Refource was to break the Conduit Pipes that ran through the Streets leading to the Bridge, and fweep the Water down with Brooms, to fupply the three Engines that every one had thought would be fuch Helps in Time of Need, but which proved very forry Helps indeed. In the Midft of the Tumult and Danger, fome Neighbours of ours that were burned out of House and Home, took Refuge with us; to wit, the Wife and infant Daughter of Mafter Samuel Armytage,

Armytage, Haberdasher of small Wares; the Infant being, like myfelf, a Nurfling of only a few Weeks old. These homeless Strangers did my Mother hofpitably and Chriftianly entertain, bestirring herself more in her Care for them than in her tender Cafe it was fit she should have done, and putting us two Infants into one and the fame Cradle. With our little Arms locked about one another, in an Atmosphere of Christian Love, 'twas no Wonder that little Violet and I conceived a Tenderness for each other, e'en while Sucklings, that grew with our Growth, and ftrengthened with our Strength. As for the elder Parties, Hospitality on the one Side and Thankfulness on on the other caufed a more than common Friendlinefs to fpring up between them from that Time forth. And when

the