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 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

his faculties. The school of Rugby, in which he had, by the rules of its foundation, a right to be instructed, was then in high reputation, under the rer. Mr. Holyock, to wliose care most of the neighbouring families, even of the highest rank, entrusted their sons. He had judgment to discover, and for some time generosity to encourage, the genius of young Cave ; and was so well pleased with bis quick progress in the school, that he declared his resolution to breed him for the university, and recommend him as a servitor to some of his scholars of high rank. But prosperity which depends upon the caprice of others is of short duration. Cave's superiority in literature exalted him to an invidious famili- arity with boys who were far above him in rank and expectations ; and, as in unequal associa- tions it always happens, whatever unlucky prank was played was imputed to Cave. When any mischief, great or small, was done, though per- haps others boasted of the stratagem when it was successful, vet, upon detection or mis- carriage, the fault was sure to fall upon poor Cave. At last, by some invisible means, his mistress lost a favourite cock ; and Cave wasj with little examination, stigmatized as the thief or murderer ; not, indeed, because he was more apparently criminal than others, but because he was more easily reached by vindictive justice. From that time, however, Mr. Holyock with- drew his kindness visibly from him, and treated him with an harshness, which the crime, in its utmost aggravation, could scarcely deserve; and which, surely, be would have forborne, had he considered how hardly the habitual influence of birth and fortune is resisted, and how fre- quently men, not wholly without some sense of virtue, are betrayed into acts more atrocious than the robbery of a henroost, with the view of pleasing their superiors.

Under pretence that Cave obstructed the dis- cipline of the school by selling clandestine assistance, and supplying exercises to idlers, he was oppressed with unreasonable tasks, that there might be an opportunity of quarrelling with his failure ; and even when his diligence had surmounted them, no regard was paid to the performance. Cave bore this persecution awhile, and then left the school, ana the hope of a literary education, to seek some other means of acquiring his living. He was first placed with a collector of the excise. He used afterwards to recotmt, with some pleasure, a journey or two which he rode with nim as his clerk; and relate the victories that he gained over his new master, in grammatical disputa- tions ; but this place he soon left, and was bound apprentice to Mr. Collins, a printer of some repu- tation, and deputy alderman. Printing was a trade for which men were formerly prepared by literaiy education, and Which was plea.sing to Cave, because it furnished some employment for his scholastic attainments. Here, therefore, he resolved to settle; though his master and mistress lived in perpetual discord, and their house presented no very comfortable abode.

From the Inconveniences of these domestic tiunults, he was, happily, soon relieved; having, in only two years, attained so much skill in his art, and acquired such confidence with his mas- ter, that he was sent, without any superintendent, to conducta printing-office at Norwich, and pub- lish a weekly paper. In this undertaking he had to encounter some opposition, which, producing a controversy, ended in conferring tipon young Cave the reputation of an author. His master dying before his apprenticeship was expired, and finding the perveiseness of his mistress to be in- supportable. Cave quitted her house upon a. stipulated allowance, and married a young widow, with whom he lived at Bow. When his time was out, he worked as a journeyman with the famous alderman Barber, who was so much patronized by the Tories, and whose principles had such an ascendency with Cave, just at this time, that he was for some years a writer in MUi't Journal ; which, though he incidentally obtained by his wife's interest a small place in the post-omce, he for some time continued ; but he by degrees inclined to another party, in which, however, he was always moderate, though steady and determined.

He corrected, during this period, the Gradiu ad Parruutum, for which he was liberally re- munerated by the stationers' company. He also wrote an Account of the Criminalt, which had for some time a considerable sale ; and he pub- lished many little pamphlets, which accident brought into his way. He was at length raised to the office of clerk of the franks, in which he acted with great spirit ; often stopping franks, which were given by members of parliament to their friends, because he thought too much ex- tension of this privilege to be illegal. Having in this manner ventured to detain a fiank that had been given to the celebrated duchess of Marlborough by Mr. Walter Plumroer, he was cited before the house of commons ; and accused, however, unjustly, of opening letters to detect them. Cave was here treated with great harsh- ness and severity; but declining their questions, b}r pleading bis oath of secrecy, was at last dis- missed ; and it must be recorded to his honour, that, although he was ejected from his situation, he did not conceive himself to be thereby dis- charged from his trust, but continued to refuse to his nearest friends any information about the management of the office. By his constancy of diligence, and diversity of employment, he in time collected money sufficient for the purehase of a small printing-office, and began his Gentle- man's Magazine; a periodical pamphlet, of which the scheme is known wherever the English language is understood. To this undertaking he owed the affluence in which he passed the last twenty years of his life ; and the fortune he left behind him, though large, had yet been larger, had he not rashly impaired it by numerous ab- surd and unsuccessful projects.

In 1741, his wife died of an asthma. He seemed not, at first, much affected by her loss ; but, in a few days, he forewent both his appetite

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