, andhadsomereasontobelieveshehadthesameforme; but, asIwasabouttotakealongvoyage, andwewerebothveryyoung, onlyalittleaboveeighteen, itwasthoughtmostprudentbyhermothertopreventourgoingtoofaratpresent, asamarriage, ifitwastotakeplace, wouldbemoreconvenientaftermyreturn, whenIshouldbe, asIexpected, , too, shethoughtmyexpectationsnotsowellfoundedasIimaginedthemtobe.
MychiefacquaintancesatthistimewereCharlesOsborne, JosephWatson, andJamesRalph, , CharlesBrockden; , sensibleyoungman, ofgreatintegrity; theothersrathermorelaxintheirprinciplesofreligion, particularlyRalph, who, aswellasCollins, hadbeenunsettledbyme, , candid, frank; sincereandaffectionatetohisfriends; but, inliterarymatters, , genteelinhismanners, andextremelyeloquent; , , nearSchuylkill, wherewereadtooneanother, andconferr'donwhatweread.
Ralphwasinclin'dtopursuethestudyofpoetry, notdoubtingbuthemightbecomeeminentinit, andmakehisfortunebyit, allegingthatthebestpoetsmust, whentheyfirstbegantowrite, , assur'dhimhehadnogeniusforpoetry, andadvis'dhimtothinkofnothingbeyondthebusinesshewasbredto; that, inthemercantileway, tho' hehadnostock, hemight, byhisdiligenceandpunctuality, recommendhimselftoemploymentasafactor, 'dtheamusingone'sselfwithpoetrynowandthen, sofarastoimproveone'slanguage, butnofarther.
Manypleasantwalkswefourhadtogether.
