Page:Voyages and travels of a Bible.pdf/2

 VOYAGES AND TRAVELS OF A BIBLE.

remaining a close prisoner for some months in a bookseller's shop, I was liberated, and taken to the eountrycountry [sic], to be a companion to a young gentleman who had latclylately [sic] come of age. The moment I entered the parlour where he sat, he rose up, and took me in his hands, expressing his surprise at the elegance of my dress, which was scarlet embroidered with gold. The whole family seemed greatly pleased with my appearance, but they would not permit me to say one word. After their curiosity was satisfied, they desired me to sit down upon a chair in the corner of the room. In the evening, I was taken up stairs and confined in the family-prison, called by them the library. Several thousand prisoners were under the same sentence, standing in rows round the room; they had their names written upon their foreheads, but none of them were allowed to speak.

We all remained in this silent, inactive posture for some years. Now and then a stranger was admitted to see us; these generally wondered at our number, beauty, and the orderly manner in which we stood, but our young keeper would never allow a person to touch us, or take us from our cell.

A gentleman came in one morning, and spoke in high commcndationcommendation [sic] of some Arabians and Turks who stood at my right side; he said they would afford fine amusement on a winter evening. Upon his recommendation, they were all discharged from prison, and carried down stairs. After they had finished their fund of stories, and had not one word more to say, they were all remanded back to prison, and one who called himself Don Quixote was set at liberty. This man, being extremely witty, afforded fine sport for Mr William, (for that was our keeper’s name.) Indeed, for more than a fortnight, he kept the whole house in what is called good humour. After Quixote had concluded his harangues, Mr William chose a Man of Feeling for his companion, who wrought upon his passions in a way which pleased him vastly. Mr William now began to put a higher value upon his prisoners, and to use them more politely. Almost daily he held a little chit-chat with one prisoner or another. Mr Hume related to him the history of England down to the Revolution, which he intersected with a great many anecdotes about Germany, France, Italy, and various other kingdoms. Dr Robertson then described the state of South America when first discovered, and related the horrid barbarities committed by the Spaniards, when they stole it from the natives. Mr