In spite of all this, I became a good proficient in the Latin tongue; but the contempt which my appearance produced, the continual wants to which I was exposed, and my own haughty disposition, involved me in a thousand troubles and adventures.  I was often inhumanly scourged for crimes I did not commit; because having the character of a vagabond in the village every piece of mischief whose author lay unknown, was charged upon me.  Far from being subdued by this infernal usage, my indignation triumphed, and the more my years and knowledge increased, the more I perceived the injustice and barbarity of the treatment I received.  By the help of our usher, I made a surprising progress in the classics and arithmetic, so that before I was twelve years old I was allowed by everybody to be the best scholar in the school.

Meanwhile, I took the advantage of every playday to present myself before my grandfather, to whom I seldom found access, by reason of his being closely besieged by a numerous family of his grandchildren, who, though they perpetually quarrelled among themselves, never failed to join against me, as the common enemy of all.  His heir, who was about the age of eighteen, minded nothing but fox-hunting, and never set eyes on me, without uncoupling his beagles, and hunting me into some cottage or other, whither I generally fled for shelter.

About this time, my mother’s only brother, who had been long abroad, lieutenant of a man of war, arrived in his own country; where, being informed of my condition, he came to see me, and, out of his slender finances, not only supplied me with what necessaries I wanted for the present, but resolved not to leave the country until he had prevailed on my grandfather to settle something handsome on me for the future.  To this end he set out with me for my grandfather’s house, and after a few minutes’ pause he was admitted.  When we came into the judge’s presence (through a lane of my relations), my uncle, after two or three sea bows, expressed himself in this manner:  “Your servant—­your servant, what cheer?—­I suppose you don’t know me—­mayhap you don’t.  My name is Tom Bowling; and this here boy—­you look as if you did not know him neither, ’tis like you mayn’t.  ’Tis my nephew, d’ye see, Roderick Random—­your own flesh and blood; and, if you have any conscience at all, do something for this poor boy, who has been used at a very un-Christian rate.  Come—­consider, old gentleman, you are going in a short time to give an account of your evil actions.  Remember the wrongs you did his father, and make all the satisfaction in your power before it be too late.  The least thing you can do is to settle his father’s portion on him.”

The judge in reply told my uncle he had been very kind to the boy, whom he had kept to school seven or eight years, although he was informed he made no progress in his learning, but was addicted to all manner of vice.  However, he would see what the lad was fit for, and bind him apprentice to some honest tradesman or other, provided he would behave for the future as became him.