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Yet one of them more hard of heart
Did vow to do his charge,
Because the wretch that hired him
Had paid him very large.

XIII.

The other would not agree thereto,
So here they fell at strife;
With one another they did fight
About the children's life.
And he that was of milder mood
Did slay the other there,
Within an unfrequented wood
While babes did quake for fear.

XIV.

He took the children by the hand
When tears stood in their eye;
And bade them come and go with him,
And look they did not cry.

And two long miles he led them on,
While they for food complain :

Stay here, quoth he, I'll bring you bread
When I do come again.

XV.

These pretty babes with hand in hand
Went wandering up and down,
But never more they saw the man
Approaching from the town.

These pretty babes with black-berries
Were all besmeared and dy'd;

And when they saw the darksome night,
They sat them down and cried.

XVI.

Thus wander'd these two pretty babes
Till death did end their grief,

In one another's arms they died,
As babes wanting relief.

No burial these pretty babes
Of any man receives,

Till Robin-red-breast painfully

Did cover them with leaves.

XVII.

And now the heavy wrath of God
Upon their uncle fell,

Yea, fearful thoughts did haunt his mind,
His conscience felt a hell.

His barns were fired, his goods consumed,
His lands were barren made;

His cattle died within the field,
And nothing with him staid.

XVIII.

And, in the voyage of Portugal,
Two of his sons did die;

And,-to conclude,-himself was brought
To extreme misery:

He pawn'd and mortgag'd all his land,
Ere seven years came about,
And now, at length, this wicked act
Did by this means come out.

XIX.

The fellow that did take in hand
These children for to kill,
Was for a robbery judg❜d to die,
As was God's blessed will;
Who did confess the very truth,
The which is here express'd;
Their uncle died, while he for debt,
In prison long did rest.

XX.

All you that are executors made,.
And overseers ekc,

Of children that be fatherless,
And infants mild and meek:
Take you example by this thing,
And give to each his right;
Lest God in such like misery
Your wicked minds requite.

THE TWO LONDON APPRENTICES;

OR,

INDUSTRY AND IDLENESS.

THE following story has been printed in the "National School Magazine," and though we do not profess to introduce pictures into our work, yet, as we have been allowed the privilege of using the cuts which were prepared for the above little Magazine, we avail ourselves of a permission which will lay the subject of the story more clearly before the minds of some of our young readers.

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"The two London Apprentices," is a very old story, and it is described in a set of pictures *, where the industrious youth is seen going on in such a regular course of prosperity, that he at length comes to be Lord Mayor of London. Though I do not suppose that many of my young readers expect to be Lord Mayors of London, yet, if they come to be apprentices, they may, if they conduct them

By Hogarth.

selves well, expect to be prosperous, and to be respected; though I hope they would try to conduct themselves well, whether such behaviour led to worldly advantage or not. The idle apprentice is seen, too, in this set of pictures, as going on, step by step, in wickedness, till he at last comes to the gallows.

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The first of these pictures shews the two apprentices at their looms. They are bound to the same master, Mr. West, a silk-weaver in Spitalfields. The industrious apprentice is named Francis Goodchild; the other is Thomas Idle. They are at work together in the same shop; the industrious youth is very busy at his loom. Their master had given them both a book, called The Apprentice's Guide.' Goodchild's book is lying open by the side of him, as if he had been lately reading it; but Tom Idle's book lies at his feet all torn to pieces. Tom is himself fast asleep, and his shuttle has dropped from his hand, and a young kitten is making a plaything of it; and there is an empty porter-pot, and a tabacco-pipe near him, which shew pretty clearly what sort of an apprentice he was. When a youth takes to pipes and porter-pots, very little good can be expected to come of him. The industrious youth seems to have some useful verses pasted on the wall, by the side of him; and the idle one has got some foolish and dirty ballads.

The master enters the room, with a stick in his band; and, if we may judge by his looks, he will presently wake Tom Idle from his sleep.

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Francis Goodchild, as we have seen, was an industrious apprentice; he took great pains to improve in his business, and he was happy, contented, and cheerful.

He knew that he had got a good opportunity of improving himself, and he was thankful for it; and he knew that it was very wrong to waste his time, or that of his master. Mr. West was kind to his apprentices, and Goodchild was always thankful for this, and tried all he could to shew his thankfulness, by doing what he knew would please his master. Goodchild was an honest and a sober youth; and he was as careful about his master's property, as if it had been his own and Mr. West soon found out, that he had got a boy that he could trust.

This good apprentice had been well taught at school before he went apprentice; he had there learned to read his Bible, and he had always tried to understand the meaning of what he read; and be had made it his desire, too, to live according to the rules of good instruction, which he found there. He had always been in the habit of going to church, and had been taught how needful it was to give great attention to all the service. When he came

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