The Works of Henry Fielding Esq Amelia Author:Henry Fielding Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. CONTAINING CERTAIN ADVENTURES WHICH BEFELL MR. BOOTH IN THE PRISON. THE remainder of the day Mr. Booth spent in melancholy contemplation on his... more » present condition. He was destitute of the common necessaries of life, and consequently unable to subsist where he was; nor was there a single person in town to whom he could, with any reasonable hope, apply for his delivery. Grief for some time banished the thoughts of food from his mind ; but, in the morning, nature began to grow uneasy for want of her usual nourishment: for he had not eat a morsel during the last forty hours. A penny loaf, which is, it seems, the ordinary allowance to the prisoners in Bridewell, was now delivered him; and while he was eating this, a man brought him a little packet, sealed up, informing him, that it came by a messenger, who said it required no answer. Mr. Booth now opened his packet, and after unfolding several pieces of blank paper successively, at last discovered a guinea, wrapt with great care in the inmost paper. He was vastly surprised at this sight, as he had few, if any friends, from whom he could expect such a favour, slight as it was; and not one of his friends, as he was apprised, knew of his confinement. As there was no direction to the packet, nor a word of writing contained in it, he began to suspect that it was delivered to the wrong person ; and being one of the most untainted honesty, he found out the man who gave it him, and again examined him concerning the person who brought it, and the message delivered with it. The man assured Booth that he had made no mistake; saying, " If your name is Booth, sir, I am positive you are the gentleman to whom the parcel I gave you belongs." The most scrupulous honesty would perhaps, in such a situation, have been well enough sa...« less