can scarce conceive the astonishment and mortification that appeared,
when the attorney pronounced aloud, the young squire sole heir of all
his grandfather's estate, personal and real, and that there were no
legacies.

My uncle at once decided, though he could ill afford it, to give me
university education; and accordingly settled my board and other
expenses at a town not many miles distant, famous for its colleges,
whither we repaired in a short time.

In a few days after, my uncle set out for his ship, and I began to
consider my precarious situation; that my sole dependence was on the
generosity of one man.

I at once applied myself with great care to my studies, and in the space
of three years I understood Greek very well, and was pretty far advanced
in mathematics.

Then one day my landlady's husband put two letters in my hand, from my
uncle. The first was to my landlord, explaining that he had fought a
duel with his captain, and in consequence had been obliged to sheer off
from his ship.

The second was to me, assuring me that all would be well some day.

My landlord only shook his head and desired me to provide myself with
another lodging; which I promptly did, and for a time I took service
under a drunken surgeon named Crab. When I deemed myself sufficiently
master of my business, I decided to go to London. "You may easily get on
board of a King's ship in quality of a surgeon's mate," said Crab;