"and bring me the money. I am apt to "think, he will lend to you, tho' he will "not pay me. Perhaps we may extort "from his generofity, what I have failed "to receive from his juftice." His friend obeys, and going to Mr. Nah, affured him, that, unless relieved by his friendship, he should certainly be undone; he wanted to borrow twenty pounds; and had tried all his acquaintance without fuccess.

Mr. Nah, who had but fome minutes before, refused to pay a just debt, was in raptures at thus giving an inftance of his friendship, and instantly lent what was required. Immediately upon the receipt, the pretended borrower goes to the real creditor, and gives him the money, who met Mr. Nash the day after: our heroe upon seeing him, immediately began his usual excuses, that the billiard room had ftript him, that he was never fo damnably out of cash, but that in a few daysMy dear Sir, be under no uneafinefs, replied the other, I would not interrupt your tranquillity for the world, you lent twenty pounds yesterday to our friend of the back ftairs, and

he

and

he lent it to me, give him your receipt, you shall have mine. “ perdition feize thee, cried Nash, thou haft been too << many for me. You demanded a debt, " he asked a favour; to pay thee, would "not encrease our friendship, but to lend

him, was procuring a new friend, by conferring a new obligation.

Whether men at the time I am now talking of, had more wit than at present, I will not take upon me to determine; but certain it is, they took more pains to fhew, what they had. In that age, a fellow of high humour would drink no wine, but what was ftrained through his mistreffes fmock. He would eat a pair of her fhoes toffed up in a fricafee. He would fwallow tallow-candles instead of toasted cheese, and even run naked about town, as it was then faid, to divert the ladies. In short, that was the age of fuch kind of wit as is the moft diftant of all others from wisdom.

Mr. Nah, as he fometimes played tricks with others, upon certain occafions, received very fevere retaliations. Being at York, and having loft all his money; fome of his companions agreed to equip him with fifty guineas, upon this provifo, that he would ftand at the great door of the Minfter, in a blanket, as the people were coming out of church. To this propofal he readily agreed, but the Dean paffing by unfortunately knew him. What, cried the Divine, Mr. Nah in mafquerade? Only a Yorkshire penance, Mr. Dean, for keeping bad company, says Nash, pointing to his companions.

Some time after this, he won a wager of still greater confequence, by riding naked through a village upon a cow. This was then thought an harmless frolic, at present it would be looked upon with deteftation.

He was once invited by fome gentlemen of the navy, on board a man of war, that had failing orders for the medi

terranean.

terranean.

This was foon after the affair of the revels, and being ignorant of any defign against him, he took his bottle with freedom. But he foon found, to use the expreffion then in fashion, that he was abfolutely bitten. The fhip failed away before he was aware of his fituation, and he was obliged to make the voyage in the company where he had spent the night.

Many lives are often paffed without a single adventure, and I do not know of any in the life of our hero, that can be called fuch, except what we are now relating. During this voyage, he was in an engagement, in which his particular friend was killed by his fide, and he himself wounded in the leg. For the anecdote of his being wounded, we are folely to trust to his own veracity; but most of his acquaintance were not much inclined to believe him, when he boafted on those occafions. Telling one day of the wound he had received for his country, in one of the public rooms at Bath, (Wiltshire's

1

if I don't forget) a lady of diftinction, that fat by, faid it was all falfe. I proteft, Madam, replied he, it is true, and if I cannot be believed, your Ladyship may, if you please, receive farther information and feel the ball in my leg.

Mr. Nah was now fairly for life entered into a new courfe of gaiety and diffipation, and steady in nothing but in purfuit of variety. He was thirty years old, without fortune, or useful talents to acquire one. He had hitherto only led a life of expedients, he thanked chance alone for his fupport, and having been long precariously supported, he became, at length, totally a stranger to prudence, or precaution. Not to disguise any part of his character, he was now, by profeffion, a gamefter, and went on from day to day, feeling the viciffitudes of rapture and anguish, in proportion to the fluctuations of fortune.

At this time, London was the only theatre in England, for pleasure, or intrigue.

A