The Project Gutenberg eBook of The hermit of the forest
    
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.

Title: The hermit of the forest
        or, Wandering infants, a rural tale

Author: Anonymous

Release date: April 4, 2023 [eBook #70462]

Language: English

Original publication: United Kingdom: S. Hodgson, 1809

Credits: Bob Taylor, Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HERMIT OF THE FOREST ***





  Transcriber’s Note
  Italic text displayed as: _italic_




[Illustration: Hermit sitting next to hut]




  THE

  _Hermit of the Forest_;

  OR,

  WANDERING INFANTS.

  A RURAL TALE.

  [Illustration: Decoration]

  EMBELLISHED WITH CUTS.

  [Illustration: Decoration]

  _NEWCASTLE_:

  PRINTED BY AND FOR S. HODGSON,

  1807.


  (_Price One Penny._)




_The Hermit of the Forest._


In the romantic forest of Englewood, which formerly composed a great
part of the county of Cumberland, lived a celebrated hermit, whose
name was Honestus. He was once a very considerable farmer, possessed
of very extensive lands, and of large flocks and herds; but the
perpetual inroads of the Scots, who frequently plundered the northern
parts of England, very much reduced him. At last those plunderers
completely ruined him; for, in the last excursion they made on his
estate, they carried off all his family, drove away his cattle, and
set fire to his barns and houses, he himself escaping with great
difficulty. See the representation of this deplorable scene.

[Illustration: Hiding behind tree]

Coming out of his place of concealment the next day, he had the
melancholy prospect of his premises reduced to ashes, and nothing
left him but a cow, two sheep, and a few farming utensils, which
had escaped the hands of the plunderers; but what affected him most
was the loss of his two children, who were carried he knew not
whither.—Happily for him, however, his wife did not live to see this
sad disaster, she having died two years before.

These misfortunes had so powerful an effect upon his mind, that
he determined to take his leave of the busy world, and spend the
remainder of his days in a cell, far from the commerce of mankind.
He therefore drove his only remaining cow and two sheep into the
thickest part of the forest of Englewood, taking with him his
farming utensils.

Having pitched on the spot most suitable to his wishes, he began
cutting down some trees, in order to make a proper opening for the
admission of the air, and to afford pasturage for his cattle. He then
built himself a hut, and was fortunate enough to meet with a spring,
which afforded him plenty of sweet and wholesome water. See how hard
he is at work cutting down the trees.

[Illustration: Chopping down tree]

He passed ten years in this gloomy and solitary retreat, without
seeing or being seen by any human creature. The birds of the air, and
the animals that moved on the earth, were the only witnesses of his
existence. The skins of the animals served him for cloathing, and
the birds of the air entertained him with their harmonious songs;
for, as no mortal hand had ever disturbed them in these remote
and gloomy shades, they were strangers to fear, and therefore, in
some degree, made themselves a part of his family. The nightingale
would enter his hut in the evening, and lull him to sleep with her
plaintive notes; the lark would wake him in the morning, and the
robins would come and feed out of his hands; the cuckow would remind
him of the approach of spring, and the thrush and the blackbird
exerted themselves to amuse him.

One summer morning, about the tenth year of his retreat, as he lay
in bed, he was surprised with hearing the voice, as he thought, of
some human creature. He started up and went to the door of his hut,
where he saw two sweet infants lying on the ground, hand in hand, and
crying.

[Illustration: Hermit in doorway]

Of these two pretty babes, the one appeared to be about three, and
the other four years of age. Honestus no sooner fixed his eyes on
them, than he was struck motionless with surprise, and the children
on seeing him ceased to cry, and stood up.

As soon as Honestus was a little recovered from his surprise, he
snatched up the children in his arms, tenderly kissed them, and as
soon as he had eased his heart with tears, “My good God, (cried he)
great and impenetrable are thy ways, and it is the duty of us mortals
to submit! What can those two sweet babes have done, to be thus
exposed to famine and death in this wild and dreary wood? Can wicked
men, more savage than the fierce and brutish inhabitants of African
desarts, have brought these children here to perish? My dear babes,
how shall I provide for you? Here is no tender mother to hug you
to her bosom! no food that you have been used to! what must be the
feelings of your parents!” This brought to his mind the fate of his
own children, and a flood of tears interrupted his saying any more at
present.

While this scene was passing, the two infants threw their arms around
the neck of Honestus, put their cheeks to his, and played with his
beard. “My dear children, (said he to them) you must be hungry!” He
then set them down on a seat in his hut, and instantly making a fire,
warmed them some milk, and put into it some brown bread; for he had
found the means of growing a little corn.

It afforded some relief to the throbbing heart of Honestus, to see
how contentedly and heartily the pretty children ate of his homely
fare.—While they were thus refreshing themselves, he made them up the
best bed he was able. It consisted, at bottom, of straw; a few leaves
of trees over that, and the coverlid was composed of hare-skins sewed
together.

As soon as they had finished their repast, Honestus laid them down
on the bed he had made, and they soon fell into a sound sleep, which
appeared to him a proof of their having been much fatigued. He
strewed their bed with wild jessamines and roses, and watched over
them like a guardian angel. “How sweet (said he) is the sleep of
innocence! These dear babes have no stings of conscience to disturb
their repose, nor sins to repent of, no thirst after vanity, pride,
or ambition.”

When they awoke, he endeavoured to learn from them what accident had
brought them to his hut; but they could give him no other account,
than that their uncle had brought them into this wood, and riding
from morn to night with them, gave them a piece of gingerbread, and
then left them, saying he would come again to them presently; that
they sat themselves down by the side of a brook, and there ate what
they had, and drank of the stream; that they wandered all night in
the wood, and in the morning arrived at his hut, laid themselves
down at his door, where he found them.

Though Honestus with great propriety suspected that there was some
treachery in the case, yet a ten years absence from the commerce of
the world had so effectually weaned him of every wish to converse
with mankind, that he could not prevail on himself to leave his hut,
to penetrate the wood, and accompany the children to any inhabited
village.

However, he acted the part of a parent to them: he gave them the
best food he could procure, he instructed them in reading, and
taught them, in particular, to pray to God morning and evening, and
to return him thanks even for the scanty meals they received. He
washed them every morning and evening, at his spring; he taught
them to call every thing by its proper name, whether beast, bird, or
vegetable; and, in that very early period of their lives, made them
acquainted with such important truths, as the children of the great
and powerful seldom attain to. See how he is teaching them to read.

[Illustration: Hermit with two kids]

Honestus would frequently tell them stories to amuse them, and among
the rest, one day, related the following.

“There was a shepherd, (said he) who had two sweet lambs, and it
was the principal object of his care and attention to secure them
from the ravenous paws of the wolf, who took every opportunity to
endeavour to seize them; but the care and attention of the shepherd
prevented the wolf accomplishing his wish.—He never went out, without
either locking up his lambs, or leaving his faithful dog to watch
them, under whose protection they were as safe as if he himself was
present.

“It happened one day, that the lambs, finding themselves perfectly at
liberty, and out of the sight of their guardian, determined to have
a ramble over the delightful meadows unknown to their shepherd, and
return in the evening. But alas! the wolf was on his watch, and the
lambs out of the reach of their protector: he fell on them, tore them
to pieces, and devoured them.

“It will be thus with you, my dear children: should you wander far
from this hut, you may lose yourselves in these woods, and no more
find your way home, when you will die with hunger and thirst, and
thus satisfy an idle curiosity at the expence of your lives.”

They promised Honestus, that they would never leave his hut but in
company with him, and, during the time they were with him, they
punctually kept their word. These sweet little children found
themselves highly delighted with the birds, who were so tame as to
fly round them, and would sometimes even suffer themselves to be
stroked by them, for Honestus had taught his children to believe,
that it was wicked to offend these winged innocents.

Honestus however observed, that notwithstanding the chearfulness and
good temper of his little pupils, he frequently caught them crying,
and repeating to each other, “My dear papa! my sweet mama! shall we
never see them again!” This apparent uneasiness of the children was
the subject of many hours meditation in the bosom of Honestus, who
earnestly wished to restore two such good children to their parents;
but this was not to be done without hazarding the possession of his
present retreat.

As he was one morning turning these things in his mind, he was
surprised with the sound of the horn, the cry of dogs, and the shouts
of huntsmen. In short, it was a company of sportsmen, whom a fox had
led a prodigious chase through the forest. Here they are.

[Illustration: Horse and rider]

The sound regularly approached them; and as Honestus and the two
children were standing at the door of the cottage, the little ones
holding their good friend by the hand, a fox, almost spent and worn
out, rushed between them, and took shelter in the hut. This was an
hospitable habitation, where the distressed were sure of finding
relief and protection. Honestus had scarcely time to shut the door,
when the hounds appeared in view followed only by a few horsemen, as
the greater part of the company had long given up the chase.

The dogs, following the scent, made directly up to the door of the
cottage, which was now shut against them. Honestus was at a loss to
conceive how horsemen could reach that place; and they, on their
side, were no less surprised at finding a cultivated spot and a
habitation, where, they imagined, no human being would exist; but the
sight of two such young children greatly perplexed their imaginations.

Both parties continued looking at each other for some minutes,
without attempting to ask a question; but in the midst of this
profound silence, all on a sudden, the two children cried out
together, as it were with one voice, “My dear papa! my papa! my
papa!” In a moment, one of the gentlemen leaped from his horse, and
catching the two children in his arms, bedewed their cheeks with his
tears, but was incapable of uttering a word.

Though Honestus was by no means pleased with having his retreat
discovered, yet he could not but be happy on finding the sweet
children in the arms of their parent, for such he doubted not but he
was. He desired them to sit down on the body of a tree, which he had
felled and placed near the entrance of his cottage.

Mr Simpson, (for such was the name of the father of the two children)
being a little recovered from the first emotions, which so unexpected
a discovery had raised in his bosom, begged Honestus to inform him,
by what means his dear children came under his protection? Honestus
told him all he knew of the business, which could be nothing more
than what has been already related. Mr Simpson took him by the hand,
pressed it tenderly between his, and returned him a thousand thanks;
but this shall not be all (said he), for I will make you happy.”

See how they are all conversing together.

[Illustration: Four people and a dog]

“It is now a twelvemonth and four days (continued Mr Simpson) since
I missed my dear babes. All my inquiries after them were ineffectual.
On the third day after I was informed, that my brother lay at the
point of death, and wished to speak with me immediately. As I
tenderly loved him, I flew to him with all imaginable speed, when he
almost turned me into stone with the following confession.

“You see here an unworthy brother, whom heaven will soon justly
punish with an untimely death.—But, ah! what will be my punishment
hereafter? Forgetful of the ties of blood, I resolved on enjoying
your estate at your death, which I could not while your children were
living. I carried them clandestinely into the forest of Englewood,
where they now undoubtedly lie dead. On quitting the wood, my horse
stumbled, threw me, and gave me a mortal bruise. I cannot hope for
your forgiveness; and what shall I say for myself, when I shall meet
your children before our Maker, which must be the case in a few
moments!”

“Here his voice failed him, he gave a dreadful sigh, and expired.
Judge what must be the state of my mind at this moment? I flew from
the monster, and hastened to Carlisle, where a company of cavalry
were in quarters. The commanding officer ordered his men immediately
to mount, and penetrate every part of the forest; but they returned
unsuccessful, and I gave myself up to despair.

“I formed hunting parties, with no other view, than that I might
perhaps one day discover the melancholy sight of their remains; but
how great is the bounty of heaven to me this day, in restoring them
alive to my arms! Come, my dear friend, you shall have the pleasure
of presenting them to their disconsolate mother.”

Honestus insisted on not going with them: he begged earnestly that
they would leave him there to bemoan the loss of his daughters, and
die in obscurity. However, all his entreaties were to no purpose;
they forced him on horseback, and carried him first to a neighbouring
village, where they shaved him, and dressed him in new apparel.

Honestus was forced to stay some days at Mr Simpson’s, but he refused
almost every kind of sustenance, and his friend fearing he would
starve himself to death, he permitted him to take his leave, and set
out for his hut.

On his return thither, he determined to pay a visit to his former
habitation, shed a tear over its ruins, and for a moment indulge
himself in bewailing on that spot the loss of his dear children. But
the ruins were no where to be found, the ground was covered with a
new building, the lands were in the highest state of cultivation, and
crowded with sheep and oxen.

He entered the farm-yard, and had there stood some time gazing in
wonder and astonishment, when two young women rushed out of the
house, each seizing on one of his arms.

[Illustration: Three people]

They had no sooner hold of Honestus, than one of them cried out “Yes,
yes, it is my dear father!” He looked at them with bewildered eyes,
and then fainted in their arms. It was a long time after he came to
himself before he could utter a word.

At last he stammered out, “Yes, it is my children, whom heaven has
been graciously pleased to preserve to close my eyes in death!”

He continued some days in almost a senseless state; but, by the care
and attention of his daughters, he at last recovered, and consented
to spend the remainder of his days with them. His daughters told him,
that some of their friends had followed the plunderers, rescued them
and part of their property, and that the neighbouring gentlemen had
rebuilt their house and stocked their lands.


THE END.

[Illustration: Decoration]




  Transcriber’s Notes

  pg 7 Changed: melancholy prospect of his premisses
            to: melancholy prospect of his premises

  pg 26 Changed: my inquiries after them were inefectual
             to: my inquiries after them were ineffectual



*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HERMIT OF THE FOREST ***


    

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.


START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when
you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
    other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
    whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
    of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
    at www.gutenberg.org. If you
    are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
    of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
  
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:

    • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
        the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method
        you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
        to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has
        agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
        within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
        legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
        payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
        Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
        Literary Archive Foundation.”
    
    • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
        you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
        does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
        License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
        copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
        all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
        works.
    
    • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
        any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
        electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
        receipt of the work.
    
    • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
        distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
    

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.