The history of Henry Earl of Moreland / [Ed. by J.W].

Henry Brooke

Date:: [1813]

Credit: The history of Henry Earl of Moreland / [Ed. by J.W]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

18/504 page 10

$man beheld all with a pleasure that had long been a stranger to his i breast, and shared in the joys of his young associate. Being arrived near the farm house, nurse, who stood at the door,, saw them approaching, and cried out, Gaffer, Gaffer, here comes our • Harry with the dumb Gentleman. When they were come up. Good people, says the stranger, is this your child ? No, no. Sir, answered the nurse, we are but his fosterers. And pray who is his father ? ' He is second son. Sir, to the earl of Moreland, The earl of More- land ! you amaze me greatly: is this all the notice and care they take of such a treasure ] Sir, replied the nurse, they never sent for him but once; they don't mind him, they take him for a fool. For a fool! cried he, and shook his head. I am sure he has the wisest of all human hearts. I wish it may be so, Sir, said the nurse; but he behaved very sadly, some time ago, at the great house. She then made a recital of all our young hero's adventures in the mansion-par- lour ; whereat the old gentleman for the first time, of some yeais, permitted his features to relax into a smile of cheerfulness. Nurse, said he, every thing that I hear and see of this child serves ! the more to bind me to him. Pray, be so good as to accompany us fi to my house; we will try to equip him better both as to person and I; iinderstanding. As this stranger’s seat made part of the village, they were soon \ there. He first whispered his old domestic, who then looked upon the child with surprize and pleasure. The footman was next sent to [ bring the tailor, and some light stuffs from the town shop. Matters (| being thus dispatched, with respect to our hero’s first coat and H breeches, nurse was kept to dinner; and after the gentleman had i| entertained his young guest with a variety of little childish plays, j toward evening he dismissed him and his nurse, with a request that I she would send him every day, and a promise that he should be re- turned every night, if she desired. Harry, being thus furnished, became an inseparable friend and playfellow to his patron. At times of relaxation, the old gentleman, with the most winning address, endeavoured to open his mind and cultivate his morals, by a thousand little fables ; such as of bold spar- ' rows, and naughty kids, that Avere carried away by the hawk, or de- voured by the wolf; and of good robins, and innocent lambs, that j the very hawks and wolves themselves were fond of. At the times of | such instruction, Harry beheld his patron as his father, would hang upon his knee, look up to his face, and greedily imbibe the sweetness ®f those lessons, Avhose impressions neither age, nor any occurrence.$

The history of Henry Earl of Moreland / [Ed. by J.W].

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