remainder　of　his　days　in　rural　ease　and　dignity；　and　all　this　he
  managed　to　accomplish；　he　disposed　of　his　business；　purchased　a
  beautiful　and　extensive　estate　for　fourscore　thousand　pounds；　built
  upon　it　the　mansion　to　which　I　had　the　honour　of　welcoming　you　to…
  day；　married　the　daughter　of　a　neighbouring　squire；　who　brought　him
  a　fortune　of　five　thousand　pounds；　became　a　magistrate；　and　only
  wanted　a　son　and　heir　to　make　him　completely　happy；　this　blessing；
  it　is　true；　was　for　a　long　time　denied　him；　it　came；　however；　at
  last；　as　is　usual；　when　least　expected。　　His　lady　was　brought　to
  bed　of　my　father；　and　then　who　so　happy　a　man　as　my　grandsire；　he
  gave　away　two　thousand　pounds　in　charities；　and　in　the　joy　of　his
  heart　made　a　speech　at　the　next　quarter　sessions；　the　rest　of　his
  life　was　spent　in　ease；　tranquillity；　and　rural　dignity；　he　died　of
  apoplexy　on　the　day　that　my　father　came　of　age；　perhaps　it　would　be
  difficult　to　mention　a　man　who　in　all　respects　was　so　fortunate　as
  my　grandfather：　　his　death　was　sudden　it　is　true；　but　I　am　not　one
  of　those　who　pray　to　be　delivered　from　a　sudden　death。
  'I　should　not　call　my　father　a　fortunate　man；　it　is　true　that　he
  had　the　advantage　of　a　first…rate　education；　that　he　made　the　grand
  tour　with　a　private　tutor；　as　was　the　fashion　at　that　time；　that　he
  came　to　a　splendid　fortune　on　the　very　day　that　he　came　of　age；
  that　for　many　years　he　tasted　all　the　diversions　of　the　capital
  that；　at　last　determined　to　settle；　he　married　the　sister　of　a
  baronet；　an　amiable　and　accomplished　lady；　with　a　large　fortune；
  that　he　had　the　best　stud　of　hunters　in　the　county；　on　which；
  during　the　season；　he　followed　the　fox　gallantly；　had　he　been　a
  fortunate　man　he　would　never　have　cursed　his　fate；　as　he　was
  frequently　known　to　do；　ten　months　after　his　marriage　his　horse
  fell　upon　him；　and　so　injured　him；　that　he　expired　in　a　few　days　in
  great　agony。　　My　grandfather　was；　indeed；　a　fortunate　man；　when　he
  died　he　was　followed　to　the　grave　by　the　tears　of　the　poor　…　my
  father　was　not。
  'Two　remarkable　circumstances　are　connected　with　my　birth　…　I　am　a
  posthumous　child；　and　came　into　the　world　some　weeks　before　the
  usual　time；　the　shock　which　my　mother　experienced　at　my　father's
  death　having　brought　on　the　pangs　of　premature　labour；　both　my
  mother's　life　and　my　own　were　at　first　despaired　of；　we　both；
  however；　survived　the　crisis。　　My　mother　loved　me　with　the　most
  passionate　fondness；　and　I　was　brought　up　in　this　house　under　her
  own　eye　…　I　was　never　sent　to　school。
  'I　have　already　told　you　that　mine　is　not　a　tale　of　adventure；　my
  life　has　not　been　one　of　action；　but　of　wild　imaginings　and　strange
  sensations；　I　was　born　with　excessive　sensibility；　and　that　has
  been　my　bane。　　I　have　not　been　a　fortunate　man。
  'No　one　is　fortunate　unless　he　is　happy；　and　it　is　impossible　for　a
  being　constructed　like　myself　to　be　happy　for　an　hour；　or　even
  enjoy　peace　and　tranquillity；　most　of　our　pleasures　and　pains　are
  the　effects　of　imagination；　and　wherever　the　sensibility　is　great；
  the　imagination　is　great　also。　　No　sooner　has　my　imagination　raised
  up　an　image　of　pleasure；　than　it　is　sure　to　conjure　up　one　of
  distress　and　gloom；　these　two　antagonist　ideas　instantly　commence　a
  struggle　in　my　mind；　and　the　gloomy　one　generally；　I　may　say
  invariably；　prevails。　　How　is　it　possible　that　I　should　be　a　happy
  man？
  'It　has　invariably　been　so　with　me　from　the　earliest　period　that　I
  can　remember；　the　first　playthings　that　were　given　me　caused　me　for
  a　few　minutes　excessive　pleasure：　　they　were　pretty　and　glittering；
  presently；　however；　I　became　anxious　and　perplexed；　I　wished　to
  know　their　history；　how　they　were　made；　and　what　of　…　were　the
  materials　precious？　　I　was　not　satisfied　with　their　outward
  appearance。　　In　less　than　an　hour　I　had　broken　the　playthings　in　an
  attempt　to　discover　what　they　were　made　of。
  'When　I　was　eight　years　of　age　my　uncle　the　baronet；　who　was　also
  my　godfather；　sent　me　a　pair　of　Norway　hawks；　with　directions　for
  managing　them；　he　was　a　great　fowler。　　Oh；　how　rejoiced　was　I　with
  the　present　which　had　been　made　me；　my　joy　lasted　for　at　least　five
  minutes；　I　would　let　them　breed；　I　would　have　a　house　of　hawks；
  yes；　that　I　would　…　but　…　and　here　came　the　unpleasant　idea　…
  suppose　they　were　to　flyaway；　how　very　annoying！　　Ah；　but；　said
  hope；　there's　little　fear　of　that；　feed　them　well　and　they　will
  never　fly　away；　or　if　they　do　they　will　come　back；　my　uncle　says
  so；　so　sunshine　triumphed　for　a　little　time。　　Then　the　strangest　of
  all　doubts　came　into　my　head；　I　doubted　the　legality　of　my　tenure
  of　these　hawks；　how　did　I　come　by　them？　why；　my　uncle　gave　them　to
  me；　but　how　did　they　come　into　his　possession？　what　right　had　he　to
  them？　after　all；　they　might　not　be　his　to　give。　　I　passed　a
  sleepless　night。　　The　next　morning　I　found　that　the　man　who　brought
  the　hawks　had　not　departed。　　〃How　came　my　uncle　by　these　hawks？〃　I
  anxiously　inquired。　　〃They　were　sent　to　him　from　Norway；　master；
  with　another　pair。〃　　〃And　who　sent　them？〃　　〃That　I　don't　know；
  master；　but　I　suppose　his　honour　can　tell　you。〃　　I　was　even
  thinking　of　scrawling　a　letter　to　my　uncle　to　make　inquiry　on　this
  point；　but　shame　restrained　me；　and　I　likewise　reflected　that　it
  would　be　impossible　for　him　to　give　my　mind　entire　satisfaction；　it
  is　true　he　could　tell　who　sent　him　the　hawks；　but　how　was　he　to
  know　how　the　hawks　came　into　the　possession　of　those　who　sent　them
  to　him；　and　by　what　right　they　possessed　them　or　the　parents　of　the
  hawks？　　In　a　word；　I　wanted　a　clear　valid　title；　as　lawyers　would
  say；　to　my　hawks；　and　I　believe　no　title　would　have　satisfied　me
  that　did　not　extend　up　to　the　time　of　the　first　hawk；　that　is；
  prior　to　Adam；　and；　could　I　have　obtained　such　a　title；　I　make　no
  doubt　that；　young　as　I　was；　I　should　have　suspected　that　it　was
  full　of　flaws。
  'I　was　now　disgusted　with　the　hawks；　and　no　wonder；　seeing　all　the
  disquietude　they　had　caused　me；　I　soon　totally　neglected　the　poor
  birds；　and　they　would　have　starved　had　not　some　of　the　servants
  taken　compassion　upon　them　and　fed　them。　　My　uncle；　soon　hearing　of
  my　neglect；　was　angry；　and　took　the　birds　away；　he　was　a　very　good…
  natured　man；　however；　and　soon　sent　me　a　fine　pony；　at　first　I　was
  charmed　with　the　pony；　soon；　however；　the　same　kind　of　thoughts
  arose　which　had　disgusted　me　on　a　former　occasion。　　How　did　my
  uncle　become　possessed　of　the　pony？　　This　question　I　asked　him　the
  first　time　I　saw　him。　　Oh；　he　had　bought　it　of　a　gypsy；　that　I
  might　learn　to　ride　upon　it。　　A　gypsy；　I　had　heard　that　gypsies
  were　great　thieves；　and　I　instantly　began　to　fear　that　the　gypsy
  had　stolen　the　pony；　and　it　is　probable　that　for　this　apprehension
  I　had　better　grounds　than　for　many　others。　　I　instantly　ceased　to
  set　any　value　upon　the　pony；　but　for　that　reason；　perhaps；　I　turned
  it　to　some　account；　I　mounted　it　and　rode　it　about；　which　I　don't
  think　I　should　have　done　had　I　looked　upon　it　as　a　secure
  possession。　　Had　I　looked　upon　my　title　as　secure；　I　should　have
  prized　it　so　much；　that　I　should　scarcely　have　mounted　it　for　fear
  of　injuring　the　animal；　but　now；　caring　not　a　straw　for　it；　I　rode
  it　most　unmercifully；　and　soon　became　a　capital　rider。　　This　was
  very　selfish　in　me；　and　I　tell　the　fact　with　shame。　　I　was
  punished；　however；　as　I　deserved；　the　pony　had　a　spirit　of　its　own；
  and；　moreover；　it　had　belonged　to　gypsies；　once；　as　I　was　riding　it
  furiously　over　the　lawn；　applying　both　whip　and　spur；　it　suddenly
  lifted　up　its　heels；　and　flung　me　at　least　five　yards　over　its
  head。　　I　received　some　desperate　contusions；　and　was　taken　up　for
  dead；　it　was　many　months　before　I　perfectly　recovered。
  'But　it　is　time　for　me　to　come　to　the　touching　part　of　my　story。
  There　was　one　thing　that　I　loved　better　than　the　choicest　gift
  which　could　be　bestowed　upon　me；　better　than　life　itself　…　my
  mother；　…　at　length　she　became　unwell；　and　the　thought　that　I　might
  possibly　lose　her　now　rushed　into　my　mind　for　the　first　time；　it
  was　terrible；　and　caused　me　unspeakable　misery；　I　may　say　horror。
  My　mother　became　worse；　and　I　was　not　allowed　to　enter　her
  apartment；　lest　by　my　frantic　exclamations　of　grief　I　might
  aggravate　her　disorder。　　I　rested　neither　day　nor　night；　but　roamed
  about　the　house　like　one　distracted。　　Suddenly　I　found　myself　doing
  that　which　even　at　the　time　struck　me　as　being　highly　singular；　I
  found　myself　touching　particular　objects　that　were　near　me；　and　to
  which　my　fingers　seemed　to　be　attracted　by　an　irresistible　impulse。
  It　was　now　the　table　or　the　chair　that　I　was　compelled　to　touch；
  now　the　bell…rope；　now　the　handle　of　the　door；　now　I　would　touch
  the　wall；　and　the　next　moment；　stooping　down；　I　would　place　the
  point　of　my　finger　upon　the　floor：