The fact is, the Muse was revelling in the boy's soul, and destroying all relish for graver and more solid pursuits. Had the true state of his mind been elicited, understood, sympathised with, and gently guided, many bitter hours, and much valuable and misspent time, would have been saved. Unfortunately, in the mind of his parents and the authorities at Fulneck, the youth had been predestinated to the Christian Ministry, and this was the capital source of error. He had no inclination for the sacred office, and utterly refused to entertain the thought of taking upon him its solemn obligations. When this cherished hope was driven to the winds by the boy's erratic course, there was a strong desire to retain him in the seminary as one of the tutors. But he had no more disposition for tutorial than for ministerial duties; and the next entry in the "Diary" opens up a new course, and points to another destiny:-" As James Montgomery, notwithstanding repeated admonitions, has not been more attentive, it was resolved to put him to a business, at least for a time.” He It ought to be known, however, that Fulneck always held a high place in the heart of Montgomery. looked upon it as "the dearest place on earth;" and for many years he paid an annual pilgrimage to the favoured scenes of his boyhood. I should indeed like to pay a visit to Manchester, and the Moravian Settlement at Fairfield, in the neighbourhood. There are some there who were my companions for many years at School, and some who have been my teachers. But I can spare very little time from home. I steal a few days once a year to visit Fulneck, where I was educated; the dearest place to me on earth."* III. The "decree of the watchers" has gone forth, and the sensitive, poetic, and ambitious youth must turn out into the world and try his hand at business, "at least for a time." Here again, his wishes were either not consulted, or otherwise he had no preferences: all trades being alike to his unsophisticated mind. An opening soon offered, and, without any regard to the theory about "the right boy in the right place," he was sent to the neighbouring village of Mirfield, to learn the romantic and. highly intellectual profession of a "fine-bread baker." Instead of becoming enthusiastic in his "honourable calling," he added to his poetic mania a passion for music; or, to use his own amusing description, he became music-mad, and used to blow his brains out with a hautboy." He misspent much of his time in musical composition, and several of his pieces were duly performed by a juvenile choir, of which he was the head and leader. 66 There was little for him to do behind the counter, and still less inclination to do it. At the end of eighteen months his restless genius prompted him to another change. Dissatisfied with his calling, he resolved to quit his master's service secretly, and look out for himself. On a fine Sabbath morning, in June, 1789, with his old * Letter to Aston, January 30, 1803.-Holland, ii., 26. suit of clothes on his back,* a change of linen tied up in a bundle, "three and sixpence in his pocket," and all his poetry under his arm, he " ran away," and set out to begin the world." This act he regarded as deeply criminal, and avowed in after life that, however much a gracious Providence had overruled his waywardness for good, he "did wrong in running away." And let me take this opportunity of saying to you youths, never wander through the world branded with the stigma of a "runaway apprentice." Such a step has ruined its thousands, and will, in all likelihood, ruin you. If you are engaged for a term of years, whether by indenture or agreement, take care that your engagement is honourably fulfilled or honourably disannulled. IV. With a vague idea of "going south," Montgomery trudged along, like the ancient patriarch, "not knowing whither he went." The night of his second day's ramble brought him to a small public house in the village of Wentworth. Here he met with another lad, and, as boys usually do, they soon fell into conversation. Finding Montgomery at a loose end," the youth from Wath told him that his father, Mr. Hunt, wanted an assistant in his grocer's shop, and would very likely engage him. He sought an interview with Mr. Hunt, who agreed to take *"I had just got a new suit of clothes," he says, "but as I had only been a short time with my good master, I did not think my little services had earned them. I therefore left him in my old ones."-Holland, i., 76. him into his service on condition that he obtained a certificate of character from his former master. Conscious that no moral guilt could be laid to his charge, and that in all his dealings he had served his employer at Mirfield "with the strictest integrity," Montgomery wrote for the required recommendation. Meanwhile his " three and sixpence had been exhausted by his four days' journeyings, and his finances needed recruiting. His poetry was his only stock in trade, and having heard of the affable and generous character of the noble owner of Wentworth, he resolved on a desperate venture. Writing out a fair copy of one of his pieces, he hastened into the Park, where he had the good fortune to meet with Earl Fitzwilliam. With great difficulty he mustered courage enough to hand his Lordship a copy of his verses, who "read them on the spot, and immediately presented the gratified author with a golden guinea." This was the first profit of our young writer's pen, and the first patronage his poetry ever received. The "golden guinea" tided him over his present difficulties, and in a few days his old master, who had made hard search for him, arrived. He had laid Montgomery's letter before the managing council at Fulneck, and they unanimously agreed to write any recommendation he might require if he persisted in not returning to Mirfield. It demanded all his resolution to resist the earnest and tender entreaties of his former employer to return to his service. When the good man could not succeed, he gave him a handsome written character, supplied him with money, and parted from him with a most affectionate farewell, promising to send his clothes and other things as soon as he returned. Duly installed in Mr. Hunt's "general store," at Wath, he became very diligent in selling flour and shoes, cloth and sugar, fine-flavoured tea and whitening, and 66 every description of hard and soft ware" which the villagers required. In the light of after years he was accustomed to regard the events of this one week with peculiar feelings. "Had I taken the right instead of the left-hand road at Wakefield," he has been heard to say; "had I not crossed over, I knew not why, to Wentworth, and had not Joshua Hunt noticed me there, it is quite certain that not a single occurrence of my future being, perhaps not a single thought, would have been the same. The direction of life's after-current would have been entirely changed; whether for the better or the worse, who can tell? I only know that I did wrong in running away." While steady and industrious in his worldly calling, his thirst for knowledge and improvement became more ardent than ever. He rarely consorted with any of the villagers, but spent his leisure hours in reading, study, and the composition of poetry. He soon formed an acquaintance with Mr. Brameld, the village bookseller, to whom he submitted several of his poems. At the end of a year, he resolved on a journey to London, in search of literary distinction and fame. His friend Brameld, forwarded a volume of his poetry, accompanied by a letter, to Harrison, a bookseller in Paternoster-row; and in a few days the poet himself set out for the metropolis in |