"lady always allowed me to be very good-natured, " and not to have the least share of harm in me.

"Yet, still I had friends, numerous friends, and "to them I was resolved to apply. O Friendship! "thou fond soother of the human breast, to thee "we fly in every calamity; to thee the wretched "seek for succour; on thee the care-tired son of "misery fondly relies; from thy kind assistance the "unfortunate always hopes relief, and may be ever "sure of-disappointment! My first application "was to a city-scrivener, who had frequently of"fered to lend me money when he knew I did not "want it. I informed him, that now was the time "to put his friendship to the test; that I wanted to "borrow a couple of hundreds for a certain occa"sion, and was resolved to take it up from him. "And pray, Sir, cried my friend, do you want all "this money? Indeed I never wanted it more, re"turned I. I am sorry for that, cries the scrivener, "with all my heart; for they who want money, "when they come to borrow, will always want "money when they should come to pay.

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"From him I flew with indignation to one of the "best friends I had in the world, and made the same request. Indeed, Mr. Dry-bone, cries my friend, "I always thought it would come to this. You "know, Sir, I would not advise you but for your "own good; but your conduct has hitherto been "ridiculous in the highest degree, and some of your "acquaintance always thought you a very silly fel"low. Let me see, you want two hundred pounds. "Do you only want two hundred, Sir, exactly? "To confess a truth, returned I, I shall want three "hundred; but then I have another friend, from "whom I can borrow the rest. Why then, replied my friend, if you would take my advice "(and you know I should not presume to advise

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you but for your own good), I would recommend "it to you to borrow the whole sum from that other "friend; and then one note will serve for all, you "know.

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Poverty now began to come fast upon me; yet "instead of growing more provident or cautious as "I grew poor, I became every day more indolent " and simple. A friend was arrested for fifty pounds; "I was unable to extricate him except by becoming "his bail. When at liberty he fled from his credi"tors, and left me to take his place: in prison I expected greater satisfactions than I had enjoyed at "large. I hoped to converse with men in this new "world simple and believing like myself, but I "found them as cunning and as cautious as those " in the world I had left behind. They spunged up my money whilst it lasted, borrowed my coals, "and never paid for them, and cheated me when I "played at cribbage. All this was done because they believed me to be very good-natured, and "knew that I had no harm in me.

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Upon my first entrance into this mansion, "which is to some the abode of despair, I felt "no sensations different from those I experienced "abroad. I was now on one side the door, and "those who were unconfined were on the other: "this was all the difference between us. At first " indeed I felt some uneasiness, in considering how "I should be able to provide this week for the wants "of the week ensuing; but after some time, if I "found myself sure of eating one day, I never "troubled my head how I was to be supplied ano"ther. I seized every precarious meal with the "utmost good-humour; indulged no rants of spleen

at my situation; never called down Heaven and "all the stars to behold me dining upon an half66 penny worth of radishes; my very companions "were taught to believe that I liked sallad better

H 2

"than

"than mutton. I contented myself with thinking, "that all my life I should either eat white bread or "brown; considered that all that happened was "best; laughed when I was not in pain, took the "world as it went, and read Tacitus often, for "want of more books and company.

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"How long I might have continued in this torpid "state of simplicity I cannot tell, had I not been "rouzed by seeing an old acquaintance, whom I "knew to be a prudent blockhead, preferred to a place in the government. I now found that I "had pursued a wrong track, and that the true way "of being able to relieve others, was first to aim at independence myself; my immediate care, there"fore, was to leave my present habitation, and make "an entire reformation in my conduct and beha"viour. For a free, open, undesigning deport"ment, I put on that of closeness, prudence, and "economy. One of the most heroic actions I ever "performed, and for which I shall praise myself as

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long as I live, was the refusing half-a-crown to "an old acquaintance, at the time when he wanted "it, and I had it to spare; for this alone I deserve "to be decreed an ovation.

"I now therefore pursued a course of uninterrupted frugality, seldom wanted a dinner, and "was consequently invited to twenty. I soon began to get the character of a saving hunks that "had money, and insensibly grew into esteem. "Neighbours have asked my advice in the disposal "of their daughters; and I have always taken care "not to give any. I have contracted a friendship "with an alderman, only by observing, that if we "take a farthing from a thousand pounds, it will "be a thousand pounds no longer. I have been in"vited to a pawnbroker's table, by pretending to "hate gravy; and am now actually upon treaty of "marriage with a rich widow, for only having ob

"served

"served that the bread was rising. If ever I am "asked a question, whether I know it or not, in"stead of answering, I only smile and look wise. "If a charity is proposed, I go about with. the hat, "but put nothing in myself. If a wretch solicits my pity, I observe that the world is filled with impostors, and take a certain method of not being "deceived, by never relieving. In short, I now "find the truest way of finding esteem even from "the indigent, is to give away nothing, and thus have "much in our power to give.

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LETTER XXVII.

TO THE SAME.

LATELY in company with my friend in black, whose conversation is now both my amusement and instruction, I could not avoid observing the great numbers of old bachelors and maiden ladies with

which this city seems to be over run. Sure marriage, said I, is not sufficiently encouraged, or we should never behold such crowds of battered beaux and decayed coquets still attempting to drive a trade they have been so long unfit for, and swarming upon the gaiety of the age. I behold an old bachelor in the most contemptible light, as an animal that lives upon the common stock without contributing his share: he is a beast of prey, and the laws should make use of as many stratagems, and as much force to drive the reluctant savage into the toils, as the Indians when they hunt the rhinoceros. The mob should be permitted to hallo after him, boys might

play

play tricks on him with impunity, every well-bred company should laugh at him, and if, when turned of sixty, he offered to make love, his mistress might spit in his face, or, what would be perhaps a greater punishment, should fairly grant the favour.

As for old maids, continued I, they should not be treated with so much severity, because I suppose none would be so if they could. No lady in her senses would choose to make a subordinate figure at christenings and lyings-in, when she might be the principal herself; nor curry favour with a sister-inlaw, when she might command an husband; nor toil in preparing custards, when she might lie a-bed and give directions how they ought to be made; nor stifle all her sensations in demure formality, when « she might with matrimonial freedom shake her acquaintance by the hand, and wink at a double entendre. No lady could be so very silly as to live single, if she could help it. I consider an unmarried lady declining into the vale of years, as one of those charming countries bordering on China that lies waste for want of proper inhabitants. We are not to accuse the country, but the ignorance of its neighbours, who are insensible of its beauties, though at liberty to enter and cultivate the soil.

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Indeed, Sir," replied my companion," you "are very little acquainted with the English ladies, "to think they are old maids against their will. I "dare venture to affirm that you can hardly select "one of them all, but has had frequent offers of "marriage, which either pride or avarice has not "made her reject. Instead of thinking it a dis"grace, they take every occasion to boast of their "former cruelty; a soldier does not exult more "when he counts over the wounds he has received, "than a female veteran when she relates the wounds "she has formerly given: exhaustless when she begins a narrative of the former death-dealing

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"power