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world, and to encourage the opinion that his affairs were not so desperate as they had been represented. With these ideas, she joined her company; and Belfont and his misfortunes escaped her memory.
And now, gentle reader, let us attend the steps of Belfont; whom, hereafter, we shall distinguish by that of Trueman. Having spent a few days at Norwich, he left that city, and continued his excursion, till he found himself, for the first time, in the midst of his tenantry.
Totally unknown to his tenants and his steward, he had an opportunity of informing himself of the oppression which the former bore, and the abuses which the latter committed It was near sun-set when he arrived at a pleasant village on the borders of the sea, which contained, what is there called, an inn. Having deposited his bundle in the room where he was to sleep, he repaired to the kitchen; and, seating himself among the rustics assembled over their evening gotch of nog[1], joined in their discourse.
The conversation chiefly turned on the transactions of the village; and, among a variety of anecdotes detailed of the inhabitants, the recent misfortunes of their worthy curate most attracted the notice of Trueman. The incident dwelt strongly on his mind; and he determind to make himself acquainted with the narrative of a man of whom his parishioners spoke in such high terms of approbation. He invited the landlord to partake of his beverage; who, being a communicative sort of
- ↑ The earthen jugs, out of which the people in Norfolk drink, are called gotches; and their strong beer is known by the name of nog.
