Whether from the spiritual solace Mr. Glennie offered me, or whether from
his pointing out how much cause for thankfulness I had in being loosed
out of prison and saved from imminent death, certain it was I felt some
assuagement of grief, and took pleasure in his talk.
'And though I may by some be reprehended,' he said, 'for presuming to
refer to profane authors after citing Holy Scripture, yet I cannot
refrain from saying that even the great poet Homer counsels moderation in
mourning, "for quickly," says he, "cometh satiety of chilly grief".'
After this I thought he was going, but he cleared his throat in such a
way that I guessed he had something important to say, and he drew a long
folded blue paper from his pocket. 'My son,' he said, opening it
leisurely and smoothing it out upon his knee, 'we should never revile
Fortune, and in speaking of Fortune I only use that appellation in our
poor human sense, and do not imply that there is any Chance at all but
what is subject to an over-ruling Providence; we should never, I say,
revile Fortune, for just at that moment when she appears to have deserted
us, she may be only gone away to seek some richest treasure to bring back
with her. And that this is so let what I am about to read to you prove;
so light a candle and set it by me, for my eyes cannot follow the writing
in this dancing firelight.
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