c^. \ »i ;/ I -I DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY The Glenn I of Utopi DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY treasure %oom T^asr # T H L REV ERIE: A FLIGHT T O T H E PARADISE of FOOLS. — All things vai?!^ and all who in vain thiJigs Build their fond hopes of gbry^ or lajling fame^ Or happinefsy in this, cr th^ other life MiLTOIf, Publifhed by the Editor of The Adventures of a Guinea," IN TWO VOLUMES. V O L. I. • 'I II. . I T i jtf LONDON, Printed forT, Becket, and P. A. Da Fondt^ in the Strand. mdcclxiii. v^ TJtr- 7\ THE CONTENTS O F T H E FIRST VOLUME. "! B O O ' K I. M C H A p. I. • it introduSfioTi. Afuddmcxcurfionofanextraordi' '^ nary nature opens an uncommQn view of common > fcenes, I ^ C H A P. II. «^ Fruitlefs refleSflom. Th£ bi/hry of Mr, Sugarcane "IT* is introduced by thai; ^f his illujirious father^ 7 CHAP. III. ' The hero of the tale makes his/ appejrci-iec. The happy fruits of good education^ 1 3 CHAP. IV* Love triumphant over nature^ but foiled by art. Theatrical morality^ 1 5 A 2 CHAP. ^ 18710 CONTENT S. CHAP. V. j^ well-laid fchcme difcippoitited. The greed adwiHr- tage of being, zv ell- read in the drama. The fcene cf ail ion is changed, 20 CHAP. yi. ■Squire Sugarcane arrives in England. An odd -i 7nedliy of high a?id lozv life. Prejudice ,of edu- cation involves hi?n in many difagrceahle circu'm^ fiances, and at length brings him into iinminent danger, 2^ CHAP. VIL Jn hair-h7'eadih efcape. The happinefs of being abfclutely difcngaged in life. An unexpe£ied piece of news fiews the perverfenefs of the huma^- heart, 27 CHAP. VIII. The pleafures of theatrical fociety. The fquire cofn- ?nences critic and patron : he a5ls the part of h- ion, a?id embraces a cloud injlead of a goddefs, 32 C H A P. 1>C. lylr. Sugarcane commences flat cf man. Signal tn^ Jlances of nuniflerial confidence and favour. A common change. The conduof of a patriot, 38 C H A P. X. 'The hijiory of a cobler, who zvould correct the times^. The bejl way to zvin the hearts of the mob. Tie over-a^s his part, and is turned out as d tvr angler, '" 45 C HA P, XI. He^rifes in life, but cannot leave off his old tricks, Arepulfe overturns his patriotifm^ zvhich is again renezved by anothenr. ■ The: great advantage of a certain qimlifyj generally d^friedy^.b.ut as generally CONTENTS. CHAP. XIL Luck h alL Me returns home^ and tr'imnphs over his enemies. Great difcoverics in philofophy. His Jlory concluded^ and Imnfelf left in a fog^ ^ ^ CHAP. xiir. An odd way of exprejfing favour or difike. The Hi/iory of the Co bier matched by that of A Crier ^ 6o CHAP. XIV. ^et one knave to catch another. An inflame of 7no~ deration as 7?iuch out of courfe as in chara^ler. The parfon fivalloivs a [ugar- plumb ^ and does ivhat he is bidy like a good child ^ 65 CHAP. XV. A game of football. A falfe fiep gives the c?-icr the better of the match. lie kicks the ball in his majlers face \ hut makes all up, and comes off" with flying colours^ ' 70 CHAP. XVI. li'Iuzzle a hear, or he II bite you. Three rc?narkablg charaSJcrs. , Boys that play tricks Jhould beware of tell-tales, 76 CHAP. xvir. A bad excufe better than none. The advantage of a friend in court* A maxim in law folvcs /^//, ^1 CHAP. XVIIT. Modern mode/iy mid gratitude. Companions oi'e odious. ' A good metnory often makes a bad com- panion. It is prudent to make hay vohile the fim Jhines, ^ "85 Q^H A P.\X%^. Signal, in/lani^es gf greatnefs of Jpptt^ /' Conji/lcncy '■ ■^" •'^■■'t' - ^* A3 ^'-- ' ' (3 1 C O N T E N T S. $f chara5ler maintained, A fcene of uncommon, tendernefs, 91 CHAP. XX. 57;i? opening of a new fcene gives occafion for feme reflexions ^ which will probably be leafl agreeable to thofe who have mofi occafion for them^ 97 C H A P. XXI. A life concluded in charaXer. An uncommoji legacy of love and gratitude. A particular circumftance neceffary to be attended to through the lourfe of this curious work^ is explained ^ 102 CHAP. XXII. An account of an iiniverfal genius. Some curious fecrets in the trade of an author ; with a new way of replying to impertinent remarks^ 1 09 CHAP. XXIII. Extraordinary inflames of one author s regard for the reputatioJi of another ; with a Jhort jnethod of filenclng competitors for literary fa-me^ 117 CHAP. XXIV. A rare example of mod^efty and refpe£l^ on a inofi trying occafion. A Jure way of getting a good chara5ier \ zvith feme Jhort reflections on literary ambition^ and other more ferlous matters^ 122 CHAP. XXV. The pleafures of bei?ig a great man. Ii or re- linquiflied the pradices iri which they had been fo early trained ; but alfo frequently purchafmg the prizes which they had fo gallantly taken at the hazard of their lives, and fo faving them jB from- 12 THE REVERIE. from the additional danger of offering iliem to idle to ftrangers, In return for which fervices they generally gave him fuch cheap bargain?, that the profit over- weighed his fears, and con- firmed his hopes of making an eafy fortune in a fliort time. " But this happy profpecl was foon overcafl. Some of his moil intimate friends having the bad luck not to come oft fo cleverly in their en- terprizes as ufual, his zeal for the public good prompted him to turn evidence againftthem ; by which precaution alfo, he prevented their mak- ing difcoveries to his difadvantage. But though he faved his life by this prudence, circumftances appeared fo ftrong againft him, upon the whole, as the original contriver, and principal manager of the fcheme, that he was ordered to take a voyage to the IFeft- Indies, to aiHft in civilizing the favage natives, and improve the interefts of an infant colony, by his fuperior abilities and addiefs." ** I have been fo particular in this afFair, ivhich happened when the perfon before us was about three years old, becauie it laid the foun- datfon of his prefent fortune. His father natu- rally took him with him ; and as his prudence had made him be always upon his guard, he was able to make fuch provifion for his voyage, that it was neither fo uncomfortable, n'or his profpc6l fo defperate as is ufual with perfons in his circumftances. " The firft thing he did on his arrival, was to purchafe a plantation, which he was able to flotk fo well, that in a very (tw years, be- tween the profits which he reaped from that, and the advantages his fuperior knowledge gave hii:n THE REVERIE. 13 him in other dealings, he not only acquired a fortune beyond his moft fanguine expedtations, but allb arofe to the higheft honours and power in that part of the world to which the ignomi- nious manner »of his going there was no ob- ftrudion, as it had been the general cafe. CHAP, HI. TJoe htro of the tale makes his appearance. The happy fruits of good education. ** T T may be judged that his worfhip's mind JL was too intent upon matters of more mo^ ment to permit his taking much thought about the education of his fon. Indeed, the notions he had formed of fuch affairs, from the educa- tion he had received himfelf, made him think any great trouble or expence about fach a trifle quite unnecelTary. He therefore had him taught to read and write a little by an attorney, who had unluckily carried the pradlice of his profef- fion rather too far in his own country, by fign- ing a client's name to receipts for money, with- out his knowledge, for which he had been com- pelled to travel hither, where he now ferved his worfhip in the capacity of his clerk ; and the politer accomplifliments of dancing, mufick, fencing, he. he. he was inftru6led in'by a young gentleman from the theatre, w^ofe intenfe ap- plication to the bufmefs of his profeflion had fo entirely wrapped him up in perfonated charac- ttTvS, that he had unfortunately forgot to lay them 14 THE REVERIE; them afide, and re-afTume his own in the com- mon affairs of life ; but had gone in many dif- ferent ones, according to the parts he meant to play, to different tradefmen with whom he had a defirc to have dealings, who, upon the difco- very of the miftake, were fuch illiberal difcou- ragers of merit, as to impute it to a fraudulent defign, and lay him alfo under the neceflity of making the fame voyage. " As the young fquire's parts were lively, he foon made a happy proficiency under fuch eminent mafters. Before he was quite fifteen, he could dance, fing, and play on the guittar almofl as well as his mafter •, and repeat feveral fpeeches out of plays, which he had learned by rote from him, to the great delight and furprize of all who heard him : and by eighteen, he could make a fhift to read a play himfelf, and write a billet-doux, as well as was neceffary for a gen- tleman of his rank and fortune. " Nor was the care of his tutors confined to the accojHplifhments of his perfon only : tbey alfo formed his mind in proper principles, dvil, fecial, moral, and religious. Accord- ingly, to open his way of thinking, and free him from the narrow prejudices of vulgar edu- cation, he was taught, that religion was a cheat ; virtue, want of fpirit, and law a bug- bear, fit only to reftrain and terrify the ignorant and poor : and thefe opinions, far from being merely fpeculative, ruled the conftant pra6lice of hisjtfe. . Bred up among a crowd of flaves, who 'trembled at his nod, he looked upon him- felf as entitled to treat every one with haughti- ^nefs and tyranny. He indulged every pailion with which youth and flattery could inflame his heart. THE REVERIE. 15 heart, laughed at every thing that was called facred, and enquired what was law, only for the pleafure of tranfgrefling it. " While his pleafures affecSled only hlmfelf, he was fafe from interruption or reftraint from his father; but at length, feme confequences happening to attend them, which interfered with his bufmefs, fuch as the difabling and deaths of fome of his Haves, whom the fquire had diverted himfelf with proving his ftrength and dexterity at his weapons upon ; and the flight of others, for rapes committed on their wives and daugh- ters, he refolved to fend him over to England^ to polifli his manners, and complete his educa- tion. " Nor were thefe, weighty as they were, the only motives for his forming this refolution. An affair of another nature made him alfo think his fon's abfence necefTary, at leafl, for fome time. CHAP. IV. Love triumphant over nature^ hut foiled by art, Theatrical morality, " 'nr^ HERE lived in the neighbourhood of Jl his worftiip a clergyman, who had been obliged to leave his native country, to avoid being thrown into jail for a debt he had con- trad^ed by going to law, to defend a living which had been given him by a nobleman, to whom he had been tutor, and whofe right of prefenta-r i6 THE REVERIE. prefcntation was difputed by the b;ihop of the diocefe. " His lawyers had encouraged him to carry on the fuit by the moft confident afllirances of fiiccefs, and his patron promifed him to defray the expence of it ; but, on his being caftby the bifhop, his lordfhip denied his having ever given him fuch a promife ; and his lavv^yers abfolutely refufed to make even the leaft abatement in the bill of cofts, virhich they immediately brought him, and which was fo entirely beyond his ability to difchargc, that he had no way of pre- ferving his liberty but by flight. " It muft be thought, that the converfation of fuch a perfon could not be much in the tafte of his new neighbours ; but the inofFenfivenefs of his condudt, and the convenience of the in- fluence v/hich his virtues foon obtained him over the ignorant favages, infenfibly reconciled them to him, and even gained him fome degree of their efteem and refpeft. " E uphrafior ' {th?x was the clergyman's name) had a daughter much about the age of our young fquire, who was blefTed with every beauty of mind and body. Neighbourhood na- turally introduced an acquaintance between their families, which was foon improved into, a ten- derer connection between the young pair. *' Nor was this to be wondered at I Her it v/as impoflible for man to behold iinmoved ; and in the gifts of fortune, and the external advan- tages of form, he had a confeffed fuperiority over all the young men in that part of the world. As to the defeats of his mind, they feemed to pro- ceed rather from want of proper education than from any natural propenfity to vice | and there- fore* THE REVERIE. i> fore, as he was ftill (o young, might eafily be removed. " From the time he became acquainted with Maria, (fo Euphranors daughter was called) his heart felt fenfations which it had ever been a ftranger to before. He was unhappy every moment he was from her, yet when in her fight, there was a majeftic delicacy in her whole be- haviour, that humbled him in his own eyes, and held him in a ftate of diftant awe and almoit adoration. *' This necefTarily had an immediate efFecl upon his whole conduct. Fie grew thoughtful, difcontented, andrefervedj complained of the deficiencies .of his education, which her accom- plifhments of every kind fhewed him in the moft mortifying light, and avoided the company, and exprefTed an abhorrence of the pleafures he had always been fo fond of before. " Such a change foon alarmed his theatrical" tutor, (the other had been long difmifl'ed from his care of him) as he faw'that it threatened the fubverfion of his afcehdency over him. To obviate fuch a misfortuijc required his immedi- ate care ; in which he was fo far from doubting of fuccefs, that he even hoped to turn it to his advantage, by his experience and addrefs, and make it a foundation for a firmer power than he yet enjoyed. " Accordingly he threw himfelf one evening in his way, a^ he was returning from Eiiphra- nor's', and obferving him more than ufually thoughtful, " What is the matter, (faid he) clapping him familiarly on the fhoulder ; Has Dulcinea frowned upon her love-fick fwain ? Hah ' hah ! hah ! Gome chear up ! we will find i8 THE REVERIE. find fome way to' appeafe her wrath ! What, figh for a woman ? for fhame, let no fuch thing be faid : it is beneath you, quite beneath you. Who'd he that fordid fooU/h thing calPd man."- ■ The lordly bull ranges thro* all the fields And from the herd fingling his female out^ Enjoys her^ and abandons her at zvilL ** There's an example for you to imitate; fol^ low the didates of nature, unfophifticated by prieftcraft, and be happy. What mifchief have priefis done in the world ? If it were not for the writings of poets, and the practice of players, to open the eyes of mankind, there would be no fuch thing as happinefs or pleafure. Before men were made fools of by religion, the fexes converfed without reftraint, and variety gave a relilh to enjoyment : and fo it does ftill in my country. Dear Lcndon f thou paradifeof plea- fure ! there is opportunity for indulging every paffion : opportunity, that is not negle61:ed. There the wife world laughs at every foolifh no- tion which inte. feres with delight. Beauty is not kept only to be looked at ; it meets defire half way, and courts the ufe it was defigned for ; and fo it would here, if men would manage right, and not raife obftacles to their own hap- pinefs." '' This elaborate fpeech had the defired ef- fe6^. The awe in which the fquire had been kept by his miftrefs, had already begun to fit very uneafy upon him, and his own inclinati- ons confirmed his tutor's arguments. Accord- ingly he refolved to follow his directions for the THE REVERIE. 19 the attainment of a pleafure, which he faw no other profpe^t of enjoying. " He no fooner fignified this refolution, than it filled his tutor with the higheft joy. He em- braced him in rapture ; and, in the fullnefs of his heart, difclofed a variety of fchemes for ac- complifliing their defign ; all objetSlions to the juftice of which he eafily removed ; proving by the unerring morality of modern comedy, that woman is hut a creature made for mans pleafure^ and therefore that every method for making her fuh- ferziient to this original end of her creation^ is lawful for him to ufe. " This do£i:rine he confirmed both by the prac- tice of the finefl gentlemen, and by the implicit confefiion of the fineft ladies of the age, who would never go to fee the plays, in which thofe principles are openly inculcated, with fuch ea- gernefs, nor encourage the players, whofe greateft merit confifts in giving them all the force and graces of expreflion and adlion, and whofe own lives are invariably formed upon them, with fuch diftinguifhcd marks of their favour, if they could difpute the truth, or dif- approved the practice of them. " This reafoning appeared fo conclufive, that it removed every fhadow of fcruple ; and they diredlly entered into confultation upon the means for putting their fchemes in execution ; which they fettled without any foolifh reftraint from the miftaken prejudices of honour, virtue, or religion. CHAP* ao THE REVERIE, C H A P. V. A well-laid fcheme dtfappoinied. The great advan- tage of being well-read in the drama. The fcene of a^io?i is {hanged. « T>URSUANT to their plot the fquire A went next morning to vifit Alaria^ as ufual ; when he declared his paffion with the moil folemn aflurances of fincerity ; as an in- contcftible proof of which, he propofed an im- mediate marriage, but to be kept fecret from both their fathers, till they fliould find fome happy opportunity jof gaining their approbation of it. " At the former part of this propofal, a mo- defl blufh overfpread Maria\ face; and fhewed that her heart had no obje£iion to it \ but the firft mention of fecrecy reilored her to herfelf. She thanked him politely for the favourable opinion he profefled to have of her, but afTured him, at tke fame time, that die never, indulged even a thought which {he imagined improper for her father's immediate knowledge, much lefs would venture upon the moft important allien of life, without his advice and approba- .^^tion, . ■ '' The determined manner in which fhefaid thisj-^^convinced her lover, that it was in vain to prefs 1^ farther. He, therefore, returned, to his tutor, greatly dejefted at the difappoint- ment : for ^^ ^he confented, the tutor was to have THE REVERIE. 2t have dlfguired himfelf, and personated the chaplain of a man of war that happened to lie upon the coaft at that time, to marry them ; which his theatrical talents enabled him to do, without danger of dete(Stion5 and then, when his pupil's pafTion was gratified, it was only confeffing the ftratagem, (and all flratagems are lawful in love and war) and parting with her zft once ', or, if fhe fhould prove refraiflory, and difcover the whole, his worfhip's power, which would not fail to be exerted on fuch an occa- fion, was fufficient to bear them through tri- umphant. " But unexpected as this difappointment was, the tutor foon found refources in the fertility of his own genius to remedy it. After a paufe of a few moments, *' Calijia ! (faid he, fpeaking to himfelf as if in deep confideration) Callfla I and then prove a criminal correfpondence, both before and after her marriage, with fomc faft friend who would * not deny the charge ! Yes ! that might do ; but ftay l-'-Monhfua! Aye ! Monlmia is the thing. — Then fpeaking to the fquire, as if he did not know that he had over-heard him : " Well then (faid he) if fhe will preclude herfelf from the poor confolation of pity, let her blame herfelf. My bow is not trufling to one ftring. Yes ! you fhallhave her, my friend ; you fiiill have her as long as you pleafe ; and vv^hen your defires are fatiated, you fhall set rid of her without reproach. My plot, it is tme, is deeply laid ; but I have precedents enough in dnamatic Writ to juftify it. You (hall marry l^r publicly, ' (leave me to reconcile your father to it !) and then what iseafier at any time than to catch fome faithful 22 THE REVERIE. faithful friend in bed with her, which may be brought about by your itealing from her in her lleep, and letting me, for inftance, take your place ; after which a divorce will be obtained without difficulty. *' Then pluming himfelf in his fagacity, and ftrutting a ftep or two back and forward with an air of importance, " I have not ftudied the drama fo long (faid he) to be at a lofs now for a fcheme to fupplant the virtue of a girl, or elude the vigilance of a bookifh doating father ; let her therefore tell him her ftory, as foon as fhe pleafes, I am prepared for both. As for his worfhip, I know that he will readily join in any thing to pull down the pride of that parfon, in revenge for his having the afTurance to arraign his conduct by preaching up to others, and pradtifing himfelf, a courfe of life, in all re- i'pedls, fo oppofite to his own.'* " But deeply as this defign was laid, it met with the fame fate, and from the fame motive, with the former. The moment her lover left her, Maria informed her father of his propofal, who in the uprightnefs of his heart went directly, and difclofed it to his worfliip. It is impofdble to defcribc the rage into which fuch a ftory threw him. He immediately fent ofF his fon to England^ to prevent the difgrace of his mak- ing fo unworthy a match : and, far from being obliged to Euphranor foranaking the difcovery, bore him ever after the moft implacable hatred, for being father to the objedt of his fon's paflion. *' As for the tutor, the time appointed for his travels not being yet expired, he was obliged to flay behind, and truft his pupil to his own ma- nagement." CHAP. THE REVERIE. i^ »S2< CHAP. VI. Squire SuGARCANE arrives in England. An odd medley of high and low life. Prejudice of edu- cation involves hi?n in many difagreeable circwn^ Jiances^ and at length brings him into imminent danger, ** /^ U R hero arrived in England without \J any accident. His father, it may be judged, did not burthen him with much advice. Two things only he cautioned him a2;ainft^ which were extravagance, for his pride had prompted him to give him unlimited credit, and matrimony without his exprefs approbation. In every thing elfe, he left him to his own go- vernment, or indeed, more properly fpeaking, to chance. " But he might have fpared himfelf the trou- ble even of this much. The moment his fon was out of his fight, he fcorned all ref.raint, however eafy and juft ; and if his father's advice .had any influence upon him, it was only to raife a defire of oppofition to it. " Accordingly, as foon as he got to London^ he ran into every fafhionable cxpence, with an cagernefs that feemed to court ruin. He had houfes fumptuoufly furnifhed at all places of pleafurable refort ; he fct up equipages which vied in magnificence with thofe of a fovereign prince, kept runnirtg-horfes, hounds, and whores ; and, to complete his charader, played deeply 24 THE REVERIE. deeply at every game, in which art and experi- ence could give his antagonifls an advantage over his ignorance. " All this he did, from an abfurd vanity of following the faftiion ; to indulge his own tafte, which the manner of his education had fixed upon the moll vulgar pleafurcs, and grofTefl fen- fualities, he ran into the oppofite extreme of low life. Thus he oftener flept in fome filthy brothel, than in any of his own elegant houfes ; while his equipage waited whole mornings at his door, he was in a dirty difguife driving an hackney coach ; he got drunk with his grooms, and rode his own races 5 and the converfation of his dog-boys was the greateft pleafure he reaped from his hounds. The miftrefi^s whom he kept at the moft profufe expence, he feldom even faw; his amours rarely foaring higher than the humble patrollers of the flreets ; and while he was throwing away thoufands among gam- blers of fafnion, his heart knguiflied for a game of put, or all-fours, for a pint of beer, or a dram of gin ; and he often ftole away, from the mofl elegant entertainments which luxury could devife, to caroufe and riot among chair- men and porters in a night cellar. " Such a cpurfe of lif^ neceflarily involved him in numberlefs fcrapes and troubles. Accuf- tomed to converfe with none but dependants, and lord it over flaves, who dared not even murmur at his cruelty and abufes, he could not bear to be treated as an equal by perfons whofe - more moderate expences made him think them of inferior fortunes -, and on the flightett con- tradiction to his will, inhis fervants, or any Others of the lower ilations of life, would fly 4 out THE REVERIE. 25 out into hisufual outrages, beating and wound- ing them in the moft cruel manner. " The confequences of this conduct were al- ways difao-reeable. The former returned the infblence of his behaviour with the moft morti- fying contempt ; or with perfonaj affronts, which pride and cowardice equally prevented his refenting in the only manner that could put an end to them ; and the harpies of the law ex- torted ample iatisfadlion from his purfe for the injuries to the latter, and that often after he had fuffered fufficiently before from the fuperior ftrength of thofe who complained of him. " Such an hurricane of riot and debauchery was too violent to laft long. An accident that happened in one of his nocturnal exploits low- ered his fpirits for a time, and gave his pleafure a lefs tumultuous turn. " A party, among whom he was, having Tallied out one night from the tavern in the madnefs of inebriation, to fcour the ftreets, and fignalize their bravery on all v/ho fhould be io unfortunate as to fall in their way, ftunibled upon a watchman afleep upon his {land, l^he figure of the wretch would have befpoke com- paflion from any human creatures un^'er the di- redtion of reafon. He was worn out with a'^e, and appeared an object much more proper to receive, than give prote6tion. But the mifery of his appearance only raifed their mirth ; anJ one of them of uncommon wit and humour .faying what a furprize it would be to the old fellow to awake in the other world, our hero, who was the moft drunk in the company, and perhaps moft accuftomed to fuch feats, diredlly drew his fword, and plunged it into bis bodv." Vol. I. C^ '^ SGch 26 T HE REVERIE. " Such an a£lion ftruck them all with hor- ror. 7 hey inftantly took to flight, in which he attempted to ibllow them ; bur confcrous af- fri^'^ht deprived him of the little ftrength which liquor had left, and he fell at his length in the fticet, where he lay unable to rife, though not infcnfible of the danger that hung over his head, his apprehenfions of which were far from be-' in<> leflened by hearing the wretch cry out mur- der ; as he thought it impoilible for him to out- Jive fuch a wound, though the joke he- had de- iic^ned was difappointed, and it happened not to put him to immediate death. *' The firlt cry of murder brought a number of the nei2;hboui ing watchmen to the place, who found the fquire with his drawn fword lying on the ground by him, and every circumftance of his appearance confirming his guilt. But if this .had not been fu'fncient, there wanted not direct proof of it ; for fome of his compani- ons confidering theconfequences of having been known to have been in his company, and aware of the danger that might attend his impeaching them, returned immediately to the place, and charged him diredly with the fa6l. " On this he was dragged away to the round-houfci wdicre his fright foon r-ecovered him fiom his drunkennefs, and (hewed him all the horrcrs of his fitnation. In vain did he of- " for immenfc fums for liberty to make -his efcape ; the aiTair was now public, and the watchman's Vv'ound was declared mortal, by a furgeo'n 'who -had been called up to drefs him. • ' '-<■ Accordiniily, after iufiering the iiifults- of the watch ; and the revilings (;f his companions, I-who f£i:ov:e-to,lhcw their own innocence by -' " - ' ■ aggravating THE REVERIE. 27 aggravating his guilt, for the remainder of the night, he was taken before a magiftrate next morning, where the circumftances of his crime were examined into with themoft excruciating minutenefs, and the confequenccsof it I lazoncd in fuch terrifying colours as were fufficient to ftrike the boldeft heart with dcfpair ; and when thus properly prepared, he was committed to the common prifon, to wait the fentence of the Jaw, among the vileft malefactors who difgrace the human name. CHAP. VII. An hair -breadth cjcapc. The happinefs of being ahfohdtely difengaged in^ life. An unexpe£ied piece of news Jhevus the perverfenefs of thd-human hearth . '^ T"^ H E news of the fquire's misfortune JL was immediately i'pread over the whole town, and of courfe foon came to the ears of his father's correfpondent ; who, though he was highly diAatisfied with his manner of life, thought it his duty not to defcrt him in fuch a dreadful condition. He therefore went directly to. the magiftrate, and learning the cireum- il^nccs pt the affjir from him, found reafon to lufpect that it. was not fo bad as was rcprefented ; but was a'^-o-ravatcd with a defiija of extortins> money from the tcrrilied criminal. *-*,Iii confequenee of this fufpicion, he feijt for a furgcon of character, and going to the C 2 .place 28 THE REVERIE. place where the watchiiran lay (an attorney's houfe) infifted on feeing his wound opened ; when it appeared fo far from being mortal, that thefurgeon declared it was not even dangerous, with the lead care, the fword having happily hit upon a rib, and fo only glanced between that and the fkin. *' On this difcovery, the merchant demanded his friend's being admitted to bail ; and on the magiftrate's confcnting, becaufe he did not dare to refufe, went himfelf to the prifon, with the joyful tidings : where he found the defponding wretch furrounded by a gang of follicitors, and knights of the poft, who were planning fchemes for his efcape by perjury and chicane, and at the fame time exaggerating his danger to en- hance the price of their owndamnation ; in ear- neft of which, and to quicken their invention, they had already received all the money in his pocket, which amounted to a confiderable fum. " At the firft Tight of the merchant, thefe harpies vanifhed like owls at the appearance of the fun. The good man faw the fquire's dif- trefs, and judging that it might be a proper time to work upon him, foftened thus by fear, he fat down, and entered into a friendly expof- tulation with him on the folly, vice, and dan- ger of fuch a life as he had led ; and concluded by wifliing, that his prefent almoft miraculous efcape mi^ht make a proper impreiTion upon him, for the remainder of his life. " The fquire heard the former part of his difcourfe with lif'clcfs inattention j but at the mention of his efcape, he fell upon his knees, ■a^llv" "eagerly kifling his friend's hand, conjured hiiri'tG cuhfirm the happy word. • v '^ '2 " It THE R E V E R I E. 29 '' It is impollible to defcribe his fituation on being fatisficd that his danger was over. His fpirits, ever in extream, were raifed as high as they had been dejedted before ; {o fudden a tranfition from defpair to happinefs (for fo his joy for that moment might juftly be called) aU nioft depriving him of his fenfes. He broke out into fuch inconfiftent extravagancies of ex- ultation, that he made his friend for fome time fear he ihould utterly lofe his reafon. But his l^rength foon failing under fuch accumulated fatigue, his fpirits funk into a fettled calm ; and he left the prifon in the moft rational ftate of mind he had been in fmce he came to Efjg > kind, " The horrors he had endured in this affair made an impreflion on his mind, which influenced the remainder of his life. His danger determined him for ever againft fuch exploits as that which drew hini into it ; and the behaviour of his companions gave him fo ftrong an averfion to fuch fociety, that he refufed their vifits of corgi atulation on his return to his own houfe, and never would mix with them more. " He was now in fuch a ftate of (ufpence, for the choice of his future life, that had any principles of virtue been inculcated in his mind by education, he might moft probably have fol- lowed their direction. But when the voice of pleafure, the tuT.ults of diflipation, and vice, were filenced, all was a wretched void within him,, and he was really obliged to give into the firft fchemeof a6i:ive idlenefs which chance fug- gefted for want of knowing what clfe to do. " Juft in this critical time, he happened-to, receive a packet of letters from home. That C 3. , ..of 30 THE REVERIE. of his father he threw careleHrly by, fcarce hal' read throuoh : but the fight of his tutor's hand raifing an expectation of fomenews concerning A'laria^ his pailion for whom he had never been able entirely to fubdue, he opened it with ea- gernefs, though he had no reaibn to expe6l' any account particularly interefting to him. *' His tutor informed him, that his father looking upon her as the caufe of his being obliged to fend his fon to England^ the moment he was gone (hewed the moft rancorous ha- . tred to her and Euphranor^ "wWxch his power gave him fo many opportunities of wreaking, that he made their lives quite miferable : they refolved, therefore, to leave that country, and feek feme happier retreat elfewhere ; but as they Were juift: ready to go, Euphranor received a letter from the brother of the lord to whom . he bad >been tutor, to inform him of his lord* , ihip'-^ death,- and defi re that, he would return to ; lingland 'vis^oon 2iS poffible, to take pofTe/Iion of - - k',A*eiV)?. confiderable \Wm^ juft then become va- I ,j|j^t plttc<^«.ri.^ii«fQ the Thortification of his father'^ • -at'»t:Jieir'^^^)p^;' fortufic and efcape from .vhis^^- : poWfeu.',** ■ jS''^.';^tv\.- „ ,-■'-'>■■■■';*: i::i-; -y^riS^/ >' )i^l)iV aidc^tiJ^^thiJew kipi^ in^ a Vlalengjfc- •confli£t :'^;^fg Jf^^^^lf^t^tlie ftrcj/fedl emotioks^ • at the-^i8<>u-ghraf^^?vteng in^tj^e^mex^uft^'; ;. • .try with him> .-^e'at W^i^{4v^-^0 fiaWer^^ ^'putj'-and pielfcd hkjiiSff >it«^*t"^5li^ Tht>\g a^i'e^^ - * ■ '■ '•■•''■ -^^ Brr^i^'Mt^'il^r ; ^& THE REVERIE. 31. ably {he mufl be furprifevl at the great iaiprove- ments flie woulvl lee in his appearance and ad- drefs, which he did not doubt would make fuch an imprclTion on her in his favour, as fhould greatly facilitate his d( fires. '' But a moment's ret^jclion overthrew all the e fiattering hopes ; ?,p.d Ibcwcd him the ut- ter i.i probability of her ever lillening to tlie adJreilcs, or even receiving the vifits of a man by whom (lie had been treated in fo bale a man- ner ; for to n. it!. -ate the fevcrity of his father's n-e, and wipe off" the difgrace of having pro- posed marriage to one (o much beneath him, he had openly declared the defigns he had formed for her ruin. ** But this was not what gave him the greateft pain. The advantageous change in her father's affairs removing the only obje^lion ^ which he thought could be'made to her, it ira- - mediately occurred to him, that fome perfon of . diftin<5tion would moft probably be. captivated by her charms, at her return to England, and marry her ;^. arid it was death to him to thmjfe that .fhe. -fhould make any other man haufp;^ ■though he had lofl all hopes of ever obtaiSinS herhimiVIf; • , ■ y^ l^' ■ ", '^ But thefe difagreeable re9e<5fions f<)(5j)fe^V'c l^lace to thoughtsof another;riature.^^;||is»5twtxd' .,^.,c\tM been in fiich a continiied a^t'^t^ofi* e^.er ■;^it^;;^»is 'coming to Lmdon,, lltgit^hej^^'jiot ^||^:^c^;remeo':ber^^d the" many 'fii^^ :^^|^r'had fb ofteri^toltl. h imioT jwiin?thea]:resv ^or "' , ■ plea,f«res^<9;^&c!fpwr^^^ laajiCFs jol^^ of 32 T H E R E V E R I E. them in tliis letter had an immediate effe<5\ up- on him, in his prefent undeterniined ilatc ; and Jie rcfolv^ d to look there for that happinel's which he had mifieu of hitherto." CHAP. VIII. The pleofures of theatrical fociety. Tloe fquire com- mences critic and patron. He a^ts the part of lA.icn, and embraces a cloud injlead of a goddefs* " T N purfuance of this refolution he dire(5):ly JL became almoft an inhabitant of the play- houfe. He made acquaintances with all the .players ; he attended rehearfals, drank tea in the green-room ; and in a very little time had all the terms of theatrical criticifm at his fingers ends. " He now thought himfclf an happy man. The mirth and wit of the a6^ors, the freedom and eatb of the acShrefTes, and the obfequioul- nels and flattery of both quite charmed him. His table v/as conflantly filled with them; while they in return for his hofpitality con- vinced hi:r, that he had overlooked his own abilities, ai,d was really endowed with the moft refilled tade, ajid exquifite judgement of • the age. ^ . ' - *' Asfoon as he had made this difcovery, he • afTumfed all the, coniequence of this new cha- ra<^kr. He retailed the'pbrafes of criticifm, M^hich. he liiaft lately picked wp> 9»^ all occafions yvnh,'tiie cidft: decifiYJeviair f /poke v/ith».c6n-/. ^'"^'^ THE reverie: 33 tempt of authors whofe names he fcarcely knew, and praifed thole of eftablifhed reputa- tion ; but all in general terms, and merely as an echo to the town. " It may be thought that this courfe of life, idle and infignificant as it was, muft be more harmlefs at leafl than that which he had led before ; but ftill it was not free from its incon- vcniencies alfo. ♦ " Such a fet of company neceflarily precluded him from that of all perfons v/hofe converfa- tion miijht have been either an advantage or an honour to him ; befides^ to fupport the dig- nity of his charadter, he was obliged to fet up for a patron of the polite arts, which laid him open to the impofitions of every ignorant pre- tender to them ; as he was utterly deftitute of the leafl: degree of judgment to direct him in the diftribution of the rev/ards which their flattery and importunities extorted from his ig- norance and vanity ; fo that, though he had re- trenched mod of his former expences, on his entering into his prefent way of life, he found but very little advantage from his oeconomy ; the cra\'ings of his new dependents proving as eft'edtual a drain to his money as all his mure fhewy extravagancies had been before. •■^ijut this'was only a trifle," in comparifon ■ of other conrecjijences which attended this con-" neflioii. Siich a fortune as he poireffed was a lure to every fcheaiing genius, to try their abi- lities upon him ; the adlrelTes, in particular, . ipread open all their nets, to talce him in for*a ^ fei^ilement j at .leaft-, if lio't even-, entrap hxui iiV - • jh'e pn^rriage noofe, ak'^h^ wa^'-a-.batc'helor.. ' ♦ " This, was the Yecret rt^arofi^\£^*ihi^jiffi.ciGufnefs >*,-•., 34 THEREVERIE. topleafe him, which has been obfervcd before; but his attention was too much taken up with the add rcfles paid to his underftanding, to admit his minding thofe offered to his perlon.- *' At length, however, one of the female ad- venturers of the llage hit upon a plan, in which her experience promifed her fuccefs. She faw that vanity gliCered through his fhallow heart, and was the ruling principle of all his actions : to catch this, therefore, a gilded bait was all that was neceflary. For this purpofe, fhe contrived to convey him a letter, glowing with the warmed profeflions of love, but lamenting the rcftraint which a fuperior ftation laid her under from making herfelf known, or gratifying the paflion that preyed upon her heart. " The receipt of this letter threw him into the higheft perplexity -, he ran over every fcene of his life, to try if he could, from any circumftance, find out who this enamoured fair could be; but all in vain. However, his ignorance by no means cafed him of his anxiety ; he had too good an opinion of himfelf to doubt the truth of what foe faid j and his darling vanity was too ftrongly flattered by the thought, to admit his flighting fuch an honour, could he poilibly difcover by whom it was done him. " The fair one, who faw him every day, foon had an opportunity of obferving his diftrefs, which was the fignal fhe wanted to convince her that the lure {he threw had taken. Accord- ingly, in a day or two after fhe wrote him ano- ther letter, ia which fhe appointed him a place of meeting) biit under the mofl folemn adjura- ' tipns of fccreAy and honour, when fhe availed "^herfelf .fq well of her theatrical art of varying ■^/ her THE REVERIE. 35 her appearance, and perfonating a ficlitious chara6ter, that, with the afliftance of the play> houlecloaths, and a good quantity of paint, fhe pailed upon him for a beautiful young lady of the firft quality, who had accidentally been fmitten with the charms of his perfon. " The delicacy and modeft referve with which (lie revealed her own paflion, and re- ceived his addrefles^ gained fo complete a con- queft over his intoxicated heart, that he out- went her moft ("anguine expe«5tations, and made diftant propofals of marriage, at the very firft interview ; but thefe the charadler fhe a(Sted would not permit her to underftand too readily ; and his refpeft prevented his fpeaking plainer, on fofhort an acquaintance. " But an accident foon removed this diffi- culty, which was equally diftrefling to them both, though from fo diftcrent motives. Going to the play the next evening as ufual, he was furprifed to fee Maria glittering in all the pride of drefs in one of the ftage boxes; the fight of her put him fo much ofF his guard, that, hap- pening to catch 'her eye, he bowed to her di^ . redly in the moft familiar manner: but what was his confufion, to find, that inftead of ac- knowledoino; his falute, (he turned from him with a look of ineffable contempt. *' Such an aflro»tt, in fo public a place, could n:ot efcape notjce. The eyes of every one were immediately fixed upon him, in fo-fignificant a manner, that he could not ftand it ; but vi'as forced to retire, burlting with^refentment,. be- hind tiiG fcene.s-, where he had the additional. niQjrtification to learn, that ftie was^above ev.ei^y ' attack he could make upon; herVybfeing latel^ C. 6 "niariiet?" ss. '^.h;b_;r.e V E R I E. married >to th<;!yoUfJg nobleman who was fitting Withher, 3qJ was the fame who had recalled her father 'ajict her from the place of their ba- Hlfhment. '' It is impoflible to defcribc the malignant pafTions which tore his heart at this news : his love was inftantly turned to the moft rancorous hatred ; and envy prompted him to ruin an hap- pinefs which he had not been able to prevent, " While he was revolvino; various fchemes for this purpofe, his unlucky genius blundered upon one, which drew that mortification ten thoufand fold upon his own head which he de- figned for her. He thought that the fafeft way he could take to humble her pride (for his courage was cooled from any attempts which might poiribly endanger his dear perfon) was to fhcw her, that he had been as great a gainer as file by not being married to her, and to return her contempt in kind. " Accordingly, at the very next meeting his enamourea fair one indulged him with, he propofed an immediate marriage, which he pre lied with fuch unfeigned ardor, that, after fome few ftruggles between her love for him, and her regard to the dignity of her rank, flie confented, her fear of being prevented by her nobh: friends and family palliating the precipitancy of fuch a ftep. *' The exultations of two perfons, happy thus in the fuccels of their defigns, well fupplied the place of pomp, and ceremony at the wedding ; but what was the "bridegrcom's afloniihment next niorning,_ to find a , faded veteran of the lUge in his armsv imlead pf a dutchefs in all Tlie pride of bjCaaty, rank, and fortune ; for the ■ V.V ; ' i- . ■- • warmth THE REV E R rE; 32* warmth of the night had irielted?: the ^inted bloom upon her cheeks, and re-ftocfetl'faer to her natural appearance, which day -light diiplayed in no very favourable light. " He ftarted from her in horror ; and as foon as he had recovered the ufe of fpeech, which fuch a fight for fome time deprived him of, flew into the moft outrageous fury, and fwore he would be revenged, in the dreadfulleft manner,, for fuch an infamous piece of deceit. '' But his bride was too well acquainted with the world to be terrified at his threats. She arofe with all the expedition, that her delicate regard to decency would permit, and throwing herfelf at his feet, alledged the violence of her paflion as an excufe for her ftratagem ; (and all ftra- tagems, fhe faid, were lawful in love) befought his forgivenefs in the tenderell terms, and vowed the moft exemplary duty, love, and vir- tue for the reft of her life, promifmg to make ample amends for the imaginary difparity of rank; (for his own fortune placed him above regard to mercenary confiderations) by her ia- eeftant attention to his pleafurc *' Well as fhe a6led her part, the abufed huf- band remained inflexible, vowing to purfue her with the utmoft feverity ; a refolution which the remembrance of his own treatment of Maria, now retorted in fuch a fignal manner . on himfelf, enforced with every motive of hatred and revenge. " But his wrath had aslittle. efFe£l upon her as her entreaties poffibly could. have upon him.. She arofe from his feet v^ith an air oifdifdain; and telling him, that if he did not Is'np^ vvhat • .. was due to the chara^er of his wife, ihe^would. 'i.. 33 THE REVERIE; foon inform him,drefled herfelfwith thegrcatefV compofure, and wifhing him a good morning, left him to go to breakfaft with what appetite he could. '* Nor were her threats in vain ; fhe went dirc6lly to a lawyer, by whofe advice fhe took fuch meafures as obliged her hufband to com- pound matters with her, and give her fuch a iettlement (as he did not chule cohabitation) as enabled her to pay the debt of gratitude, and keep thofe now who had kept her in former days. '* This affair broke ofF all his theatrical con- nections, and left him as much atalofswhat to do with himfelf as he had been when he firft entered into them. But the death of his father, , of which he received the account jufl: as he had. concluded this tranfa<5tion, freed him from this uncertainty, and engaged him in^purfuits of a quite different nature from thofc he had hi* therto followed. CHAP. IX. . JT/r. Sugarcane co?n?7icnces Jiatefman* Sipial inftances cf mhiijierial conjidenct: (md favour, A coniTiion change, The condu^ of a patriot. << 'T^H E death of his father put Mr. Sugar." J_ cmte (ior he muit no longer be called by the familiar title of fquire) in poilelTion of fuch an immenfe fortune, that he immediately .cpnfi(i«*ed himfelf as one of the pillars of the riatVi and lookiiig on every thing elfe as be- ' ". neath THE REVERIE. 39 neath his dignity and importance, devoted him- ielf entirely to the care of nations. " In purfuance of this refolution, he waited dirc6tly on the minifter, and difplayinghis own confequence in the ftrongeft colours, informed him of his defire to become a member of the fcnate, and offered him hisTerrice in the moft unlimited terms. '' The minifter, whom long experience had taught to read the human heart, immediately faw what ufe he might make of fuch an offer, from fo fanguine a volunteer. Accordingly he thanked him for the honour of his friendfliip in the moft polite manner, encouraged him in fo laudable a defign, and treated him with fuch a refpeclful intimacy, as quite won his ftiallow heart. " As foon therefore as he was fatisfied that he had him fecure, he told him one day, with an air of the higheft fatisfa6lion, that he now had an opportunity of fhewing him the confi- dence he had in him, and at the fame time pro- curing him that rank in the ftate which he de- ferved, by getting him returned for one of his boroughs. " Mr. Sugarcanis joy at this news may eafily be conceived ; he thanked him in the warmeft terms of gratitude for (o great a favour ; and on the minifter's exprefling fome concern for the expcnce which might poflibly attend an op- pofition that was defigned againft his intereft, declared the ftrongeft contempt for fuch paultry confiderations, and infifted on the honour -of defraying the whole himfelf. " Accordingly he went dite«5lly down to the borough, where he entered on the complicated ■ tuiinefs 40 THE reverie: bufinefs of elecftioncering with fuch fplrlt, and carried it on at To procure an expence, that his opponents were glad to fubmit to the miniftcr's terms, which they had abfoliitcly rejected be- fore, to avoid the vexation and difgrace of beinir foiled by a Itratagem. " It may be thought that his being made a property of in fo notorious a manner, would have made him fee his folly ; but it was no fuch thing. Far from being oftended, he took it as an inftance of the higheft confidence in his friendfhip, on the minifler's reprefenting to him, that the bufinefs of the ftate could not have been carried on without giving him up for that time, and promifmg to make him ample amends on a more favourable occafion. *' Grofs as this impofition was he blindly fub- mitted to it feveral times fuccefiively, cajoled by alFurances of friendfhip and artful hints of having bis fervices rewarded in the end by a peerage. " He lived thus upon air for feveral yeais, fquandering more in purfuit of a fhadow than the acquiiltion of the fubftance could ever pofu- bly refund him. At length, hovv-evcr, his eyes were opened ; and hefavv the abufche had fuf- fered in the molt mortifying light : but inlUad of being cured of his madiiefs, it only gave it .another turn. 'He dircdlly commenced patriot, in the prefent fenfe of the word, declaiming a^ainfl the minifler and his niCiifures, with as •much vehemence and hear as he had declaimed for them before; and laviHiing his fortune as prdfufcly, inopnofition lo his intereft, as he had formerly done to fupport it. «' Evident as ihemotivcs of this change were, the giddj m latitude lufFered themfelves to be deceived THE REVERIE. 41 deceived by it ; or rather indeed, they received it as a colour to palliate the abfurdity of their confiding in him, and juftify their taking the ' bribes with which he buys them. " On this fyftem he proceeds now, undif- couraged by the many difappointments he has met with, and the difficulties into which fuch complicated diffipation of his fortune, immenfely great as it was, has thrown his affairs. In his prefent attempt, it is true, he has a profpeft of I'uccefs ; but how far this will anfwer his ex- pectation of making him happy, or what ufe even he will make of it, the leaft experience of human life fufficiently fhews. — But I fee an un- eafmefs in your looks. If I have faid any thing that you do not comprehend, fpeak your doubt with freedom, and 1 will refolve it with pleafure", " Thiscondefcenfion (anfv/ered I) O moft be-' nevolent fpirit ! is agreeable to the excellence of thy nature ; and I were unworthy of the fa- vour you offer, if I let a falfe modeily, a proud reluctance to (hew my ignorance, prevent my accepting it. It is mofl true, that you have faid Ibme things which I cannot underfland the meaning of. You fay he commenced a patriot, in the prefent fenfe of the word. Can any word be plainer? Or what fenfe but the obvious na- tural one can it be taken in ?'* " Your inexperience,in the ways of the world, (replied he with a fmile) leads you into ^|s i?5i|^ difficulty. Your notions are all merely fpecu- "^ Jative, formed on reflection and not on obfer- \ation. You confider things as they ought to be, fuppofmg man to aCt upon the principles of reafon, not as they are, under fo contrary a di- rection ; and this miftake of the merely-learned, ' . . is 42 THE REVERIE. is the caufe of the very litde fervice which thci^ works do in the world. " A patriot, in the original and proper meaning of" the word, is tiie nobl.-ll: title wiiich can be given to man ; and includes every virtue, moral, ibcial, and civil. But fo entirely is the ufe of words changed with the courfc of things, that llrippcd of every idea which can dcfcrve refpeft, it iniplicij only a faciious oppoftr of the meafjircs or" the court, who pretends a re- gard to the public welfare, to gain the confi-* dence of the people, abd make himfelf of fuffi- cient confecjuence to be admitted to a fhare of the fpoil which he declaims againft. (You are to obferve that I fpeak in the general. That there are fometimes men who really de- krve the title in its moft exalted fenfe, and poflefs every virtue which they make profeliion ©f, 1 will Hot deny ; but they are too few to place in oppofition to the multitude ; and the exception only proves the rule.) You heard with what vehemence Mr. Sugarcane harangued againft the minifler, accifrng him of betraying the intereds, and over-turning the conftitutioji of his country, and founding his own prcten- fions to merit with the public on the effe6lual means he defigned to make ufe of, to defeat fuch pernicious defigns. Thefe profeffions you fee have been fuccefsful ; how far they were fincere, there is a fcene juft opening which will inform you." The crowd by this time was difperfed, fatis- fied with what they had got, or expecSling no more then ; and the candidate was retired to enjoy his luccefs with a few fclecl friends. But fcarce was he featcd, when he received word, that THE REVERIE. 43 that a flrange gentleman wanted to fpeak with him in private that moment. Mr. Sugarcane imagined that it was one of his opponents, who was coming over to him, a nd wanted to make terms ; and therefore gave dfrc(5^ions to have him fliewn into his clofet, whi- ther he foon followed him ; but what was his fur- prize to fee that it was a friend of the minifler's, whom he well knew to be in the greateft confi- ,dcncc with him. As foon as the common compliments of civility were paid, " You wonder probably. Sir, (faid the llranger) at this vifit from me, but the motive of it will excufe the abruptnefs. I come to propofe an accommodation between you and the minifter. The neceflity of aftairs obliged him to treat you with an appearance of unkindnefs^ but that is now over, and he is willing to make you amends." " Amends, Sir I (anfwered Mr. Sugarcane^ with an haughty air) I do not underftand you. I have difcovered the iniquity, the danger of the minifter's defigns, and am determined to de- feat them. I icorn any accommodation with the enemy of my country." " This way of talking. Sir, (interrupted the other) may do very well amongft a crowd of drunken voters, but to me it is nonfenfe. If you will deferve the minifter^s friendfhip, it is offered to you j if not, he is not afraid of you. He is futliciently acquainted with the practices by whicJi you have carried youj- point here ; und you kn9w what an appearance they will have before the committee upon a petition." The mention of a petition threw yir.Sugar^ catie into evident confufion, as he was confcious of 44 THE REVERIE. of the illegality of his proceedings. This the gentleman inftantly obfcrvcd, and refolving to take, the advantage of it, *' My mefl'age, Sir, (faid he in a peremptory tone) requires not a moment's con fide ration. In a word, will you, or will you not, be the minifter's fiiend ? This is the laft time you will be aflced." " On what terms? (anfwered Mr. Sugar- cane faultering, and even blufliing at his own bafenefs)" " On the term.s you have fo often propofed, (replied the flranger)" " How Sir I I propofe terms to the minifter !" (interrupted Sugarcane with an air of furprize and difdain) I do not underftand you, Sir. I would have yoa to know. Sir" " Look you. Sir, (faid the flranger dryly) this way of talking ligniiies no- thing, as I obferved to you before j nor have I much time to ftay. You have folicited, fre- quently and earneftly folicited for a particular place : pray. Sir, what was this, but implicitly offering your fervice to the minifter, if he would give you that place ? Now, Sir, that very place is vacant, and at your fervice, pro- yided you will write the minifter word, ex- prefsly and pofitively, to prevent miftakes, that you will fupport his intereft, in every thing re- quired of you, without referve : and I would recommend it to you to confider, whether you- are like to get lb much by oppofing him. In the mean time, to fecure your intereft with- your electors, he confents that you fhall abufe him as much and as grofsly as you pleafe.'* Mr. Sugarcane feemed to hefitate for a f^w moments, and then reaching his hand to the gentleman, '' Give my compliments to our fe;nd, (faid he) and tell him he may depend UgOU' THE REVERIE. 45 upon me. I never was his enemy, farther than my intereft required, and now he has gained that to his fide, he has gained me alfo." He then fat down to write the letter required of him, to prevent his forgetting that he had made terms ; as foon as he had finifhed which the flranger departed, to avoid fufpicion, and Mr. Sugarcane returned to his company, where he profeflcd patriotifm, and railed at the mini- fter with greater rage and vehemence than ever. CHAP. X. The htjhry of a cohler^ who would correSi the times. The hejl way to win the hearts of the mob. He over-aSis his part^ and is turned out as a zvrangler. SO glaring a reprefentation of human folly overwhelmed me with confufion. I was afhamed of participating, in a common nature, with fuch monfters of abfurdity, and turned away difgufted from the odioufiy ridiculous fcene. The Spirit read the fentiments of my heart, and fmiling with ineffable contempt, refumed his difcourfe in thefe words : " Your vanity is offended at this flory, as if it refle(Sted any difgrace upon yourfelf. This is another inflance of the folly of man, to think his. confequence fo extenfive, as to be affe6ted by any thing not immediately levelled at him. Carelefs of deferving praife himfelf, t^is pride is piqued at the reproof offered to others-; but 46 THE R f: V E R I E. but ill this he only betrays his own infirmities. No man was ever hurted at hearing: a fault re- proved of which he was not guilty himfelf. The confcious heart is eafily alarmed. His too ready fenfibility takes the imputation that was never meant, and turns general iatire into par- ticular reproach. As for me, think not that I take plcafure in painting things worfc than they really are. If the picture is difagrceable, the fault is in the original ; I copy nature, and am equally above flattery and abufe. You mult therefore drop this review, if you are diflatisfied with truth in its genuine colours.'* " Have compaffion, gracious Spirit, (an- fwered I, with a molt refpcdful obeifance) on the weaknefs of my nature, nor impute to pride the effc<5l of fhame. I felt the force of that ridicule, to which you held up fuch egre- gious follies, and hope to receive this advantage from it, that I fhall never fall into the like myfclf. Continue therefore the inltrui5tive pic- ture, and your fervant fliall join in the honeft laugh you raife, even though it be againft himfelf." The humility and candour of this declara- tion removed the Spirit's difpleafurc, and he proceeded. " Nothing fhews folly in a more contemptible light, (f..id he) than its being re- peatedly duped by the fame deceit. Of all tire pretences which have impofcd upon the credu- lity of mankind, this of patriotifm has been ofteneft ufed. The reafon is evident ; the whole fyftem of human politics is fuch a med- ley of folly and corruption, even ujuier the wifeft admin libations, that if a fupcrior power did THE REVERIE. 47 did not conllantly interpofe, to difappoint the deepeft defigiis of man, and obviate the efFe<5^s of his wiTdom, the very face of nature would be changed, and all her works overwhelmed in confufion and ruin. '' Obfervation of this uninterrupted feries of errors and misfortunes, without attention to the fource of them, gives weight to the cla- mours of every felf-ele6led reformer, againft thofe in power, and makes the giddy multitude Jiften to bis fpecious promifes of redrefs, as a drowning perfon catches even at a firaw ; their conftant difappointments not in the leaft abating their credulity. " Nor is affectation of reformino; confined to the higher ranks of life, where affluence may feem to give a title to idlenefs, and flatter am- bition wirh a profpc6t of fuccefs. The meanefi -mechanic will undertake to mend the ftate; and if he can but harangue with noife and vi- rulence, will find fools of all denominations to liilen to what he fays. " An inftance of this may be worth attending to ; and yonder little village, at this very time, affords one of a mofl flriking nature. Obferve that man, fitting in all the mimic pomp of flate, and haranguing to the gaping croud around him, with all the afrecied agitation and vehe- mence of voice and gefture of a rantiiig player, 'tearing a paflion to pieces on the (luge. Lifren to him but a moment, and you Vv-ill find him utterrly ignorant of every rule of fpt^ech, as well as every principle of reafoning, conti- nually comrr.ittino; blundi^rs in each beneath a man of (enfe to utter, and which none but. per- fons under the ftrongefl degree of intbxi-cation could 4S THE REVERIE. could hearken to, without difguft and contempt. Yet by thefe very harangues, frothy, extrava- gant, and blundering as they arc, has he arifcn to the ftate of confequence in v^'hich you now behold him. '' He was bred a cobler, and worked at his trade for fome years in that very village with tolerable credit: but nature having unluckily given him fome vivacity of parts, without any prudence to dire£l them, he foon grew weary of working, and fpent all his time in railing at the parifh-officers, and accufmg them of num- berlefs abufes in the performance of their fevc- ral duties. *' This naturally drew a crowd every mar* ket-day about his ftall, to whom he fet forth the public grievances in fo pathetic a manner, and with fuch ftrong intimations of his own integrity and ability to redrefs them, if they would put the power In his hands, that they promifed to chufe him churchwarden at the next veftry. " Intoxicated with this fuccefs, he imme- diately enlarged his plan, and ventured to at- tack the fteward of the manor, for having (as he alledged) encroached upon the common, and extorted exorbitant fees in the courfe of his office. Nor did he (hew greater refpe*5t to the lord himfelf, but had the aflurance to charge him direclly with countenancing his fteward's oppreflions, and defigning to deflroy the court- rolls and turn all the tenants out of their farms ; and for fear thefe charges (hould be re- futed, he involved in them every one in the parifh who had any opportunity of knowing the truth ; and to invalidate their teftimony, and THE REVERIE. 4^ and deprive them of all refpetSl, branded theai aijd their families with the moft atrocious crimes, publifhing every private calumny that malice had ever invented, and raking up the afhes of the dead for fcandal and defamation. " Such a condu6t foon won the hearts of the mob, as it pulled down thofe above them to their ov/n level. Accordingly he became their idol to fuch a degree, that they implicitiv be- lieved every word he faid, and refolved unani- mouily to fupport him at the approaching vefcry. " But he had ovcr-a6ied his part, knd in the warmth of his paffion pro'/oked the better part of the pariiliionerS'fo much, by his perfonal re- flexions and abufe, that before he could be elecSled, he was prefentcd in the court- leet as a common difturber, and condemned to be fet in the fcocks for a public example. " Though in the heat of his patrlotifm he had often braved danger, and boailed that he would bear any pcrfccution, rather than de.'ert his friends, in fuch a glorious caufe ; when it came to the teft, his refolution failed him, and he manfully ran away to the County-town, where, as he was out of the pow^r of his perfe- cutors, whofe fubordinate jurifdiction was con- fined to their own pariui, and could not reach ' him there, he gallantly bade them defiancj?', and renewed his abufe, railing at them with' all the rancour of impotent refentment. Vol. I. D G H A P. ii*:> 50 THE REVERIE. 5c^^i^^»c£^g^i;g£^g5^; C PI A P. XL He r'lfes hi Vife^ but cannot leave off his old tricks, A repulje overturns his pairiot'ifjn^ which is again renewed by another. The great advantage of a certai?!' quality^ generally decried^ but as generally pra£lifed, *' AS he had nothing to fupport him but jfx what he earned by his trade, which he had alfo greatly neglected ever fince he had turned reformer, to the no fmall embarrafl'ment of his private affairs, he had reafon to ap- prehend all the miferies of want, on his remo- val into a ftrangc place. " But his friends relieved him from his fears, and generoufly fubfcribed. their fhillings a-piece to buy him a new fuit of cloaths, and fet him up in a ihoe-maker's fhop ; for he was above cobling any longer, and h-..d been made free of the gentle craft for a. pot of beer, and a- fine fpeech or two, in one of the little corporation- town's he paffed through in his travels. ' " The racket that had been made about him .^ ' dj;JE|W fo Jiiany cuilomers to his fliop, that he ;:; •W'jls ni . a fair way of earning honeft bread, if ;? fei?.courd,have kept himfelf quiet, and applied :*'■ -diligently to his work ; but the itch of reform- '..j[ii^ had tak^n fuch fail hold of him, that he /*^©Uld, not help meddling 'with other people's 'QphcqrnSy every where he Went. ^■'■^■- *'.yZ- '■\.: " Accordingly THE REVERIE. 51 «' Accordingly in fome little time after he was fettled in the county-town, he took an op- portunity one day, when the principal inhabi- tants were met together at a charity-feaft, to prefent them with a full account of all the great things he had promifed and propofcd do- ing in his own parifh, had he not unluckily been driven out of it, which he had got aa attorney's clerk to write out fair for hiin, in a fair hand, and on gilt paper, and kindly offer- ed his fervice in the fame manner to them. *' But they had heard his character before, and judging that they could get nothing but trouble by admitting f ;ch a wrangler among them, prudently declined his offer, and return- ed him his paper. " It muft be imagined that fuch an indignity provoked his wrath to the highelt degree; but he thought proper to fupprefs it, in a great meafure, for fear of difobliging fome of his culfomers ; and fo only expoftulated mildly with them, inftead of flying out into fcurrllity and abufc, as he had done on the former occauon. " This rebuff damped the ardour of his pub- lic fpirit fo far^ that there happening to be a law-fuit at that time between that town and the next, about the bounds of their feveral com- mons on a barren heath, and all the" inhabitants not agreeing ih their opinions of the town-' • " clerk's manner of carrying it on, and arvplying. • f > the revenu>.s of the corporation, as is .aiway#', -, J the cafe, in fuch alfairs, he refolvecj to chartgef.-'''^^:*:* fides, as all great men have d'onev'ahd.'p'^cf^^t^^^^^ him that alfiftance which the plhersfiad'/Ji^.-..*'* • fore refufed to take, againlt^him. > ',1 • '• '""*•'. * •' D ?cv' >,"•■•' '■■•*t To • " ■•.■•'.'.■. • . ■ • * 52 THE REVERIE. " To this purpofe he drew up a pompous cpiflle, which he got the .ichoolmaftcr of the town to write out iair, and coirecSl the fpelling pt"; and putting on his Sunday coat, went to deliver it himfclF, as the fureft meflenger: but the town-clerk not being at home, he was forced to leave it with his maid, faying he would call next morning for an anfwer. *' He went accordingly in the highefl: ex- pectation ; but you may judge what was his ciifappointmcnt, when he was told, that it was impcffible for him to fee his worfliip, his flioes being jufl: then carried to the cobler's to be mended, fo that he could not come down flairs to him. - " A wife man is never dejecled at a difap- pointment,and often turns a misfortune to his ad- vantage in the end. Our hero thought this an ex- cellent opportunity for getting his worfhip's cuf- tcffh in the way of his trade 5 from which he pro- inifed himfelf more folid advantage, than any he could expert from his firft fcheme. As foon ;^.s.he received this account therefore, he went ^^irctfily home, and prepared another epifllc, in ^"\vhich he informed hisv/orfhip, that hearing he bad had the misfortune the day befoit to have ' one of his fliocsjip, he thought it his duty to . ■ inform him, that he had difcovered a method of rricnding fhoes, that effeilualjy fecurcd them - •£romfuch accidents -everlafter, which he was r$dy toprapiife u^pn his ivorfnip's, or even to ^V• -.communicate. to-Hi'scobler, whenever he plcafed *:/ to confuit with him upon the aflair. And as a' ' j^-jproof c^ thecxcelltnce of this invention, he *>.rgtr.ti>er toJii.hiiTi, that he had tried it with great fV^&^&:^ iC^'fVn ■ ^^^ own fl^ioes, v/hich had been ". ■'.^■■■^^j<»:^*'-:.'^'/'' '■ mad«^ THE R E V E Pv I E. 53 made of fuch bad ftufF originally, that they were burfting out 'every moment; fo that he was generally confined two days in the week, patching them up, before he had the good for- tune to make this difcovery ; llnce which they flood fo well, that he did not fear but they would lait out their time with fatisfacSlion : and laflly, to enhance the value of this ofrer, be added in a poftfcript, that he was the cobler who had been driven out of fuch a village, by the malice of a parcel of fcoundrels, and no^ kept a fhoemaker's fliop in that town, where he did not doubt but his talent of fpcakijig would be as fei-viceable to his worfhip, by bringing over the mob to his fide, as it had been terrible to the others. " This letter alfo he carried himfelf, as he had done the former ; and to encourage the maid to deliver it carefully to her mafter, gave her a pinch of fnuftoutof his own box, teUing her, as before, that he would call again for an anfwer. " But cunningly as this fchemev/as laid, the .fuccefs fell quite fliort of his expectation ; for, the next time he called, the maid returned hir.i both his letters, telling him that her malkr thanked him for his kind offers, but had no oc- ' cafion for them at that time.i and was befide ict* very bufy juft then, that he^gould nat haye.th'^-'. pleafure of taking a cup of ale with him,.;ibtt!;v iliould be glad of his comjpapyfcJnie: other xJa^fv " It is impoilible to- tixprerss/thc. rage int:(^5V-\;; which this aftronting repulfij thre-'^'"ihim.' B^!' retLTTued diredlly to his fofrrier p'rincipies of-g^ai - 'Triotifm, and railed at the. tow.ii't4)t,v.k;;'W^^ much virulence as the moft in|:e<^;|l^;jdl'\his enemies, . -/ •'•^"■j^-i^hCitJgh 54 THE REVERIE. ** Though niodefty is a virtue pralfcd by every body, the quality dire(Slly oppofite to it is much oftener lucceJsful in the world. This was exa(Slly the cafe with this pcrfon. There was nothing, however defperate, in the vt^ay of his trade, that he would not undertake, and promift^ to perform with the greateft confidence, not in the leaft difcouraged or abaflied by the many mifcarriages he met with. It muft be acknowledged, at the fame time, that by thus indifcriminately undertaking every thing, he fometimes happened to cobble up a breach, which much abler hands would never have at- tempted. ** But this was far from provinghis having any real merit, any fuperior fki^l in his trade, or recommending him to the cuftom ot- perfons of prudence and confideration ; as among fuch a number of attempts, it was next to impofTible but rome fhculd fucceed. However, he plumed himfelf upon every accidental inltance of fuc- cefs, as if he was the only one who underflood any thing of his bufinefs ; and though he was no better than an interloper, as one may fay, himfelf, and had never ferved a regular appren- tlcefhip to the (raJc, he treated all his brethren with the utm(. ft contempt and abufe, calling them ignorant pret-^nders, and blundering fools, who knew nothing of the bufinefs they pro- fcfTcd. " Though this condu6t naturally difgufted jcvery perfoii of fenfe, the unthinking fhallow ■crowd vta«; pleafed with it ; and taking his ■^. abufe of the reft of the craft, for a proof of vhis own lUperior fkill, fo many of them brought ^ 'thcii ihoes-to hi5 fiiop to be mended, that he * made THE REVERIE. 55 made a fhift to live tolerably well ; which was more than he could have expe6Led, had he mo- deilly waited to be recommended by his merit, and not proclaimed his own praifes in this manner*" CHAP. xir. Luck IS all. He retur?is homey and irtufnphs over bis ene?nies. Great difcoveries in philofophy. Hisjiory concluded, and bimjelf left in a fog, *' TT is an old obfervation, that one lucky A hit, no matter hov/ accidental or impro- bable, oftener makes a man's fortune, than the beft concerted fcheme or greateft merit. Oi" this the hero of our tale had the happinefs t cafe is fially defperatc, and that the only hope he can have of ciciiping is to fiy ence more to the county town, and follow his trade. His ambition mufl: be pretty well cooled fey this timCj and therefore he will be able to apply THE REVERIE. 6i apply diligently to his work, and may pofTibly earn an honeft and comfortable livelihood." " To unexperienced reafon (anfwered the fpirit) your remark appears juft. But better knowledge of the ways of man (hews that fuch fear is quite unneceflary. Did the people ex- prefs their refentment in the manner you men- tion, it is moft certain that they would not be io often abufed as they are by pretended patri- ots. An example or two of the kind would efle£lually put a ftop to that trade, how lucra- tive foever it is, which would be a real advan- tage to the community in general. But the re- medy might be attended with confequejiees nibre d:4ngerous than the difeafe. Would the m.ob, if once permitted to take the power thus into their own hai.ds, never rife but on fuch occafi- ons ? would they lay it down when their end is anfvv^ered, j\nd go no farther ? would not the beft members of the ftate be involved in ths fame danger, on every mifcarriage in their mea- lures, though impoffible to have been prevented by human means. The mob is a many headed monftcr, that mull be kept in fubjeclion, or it •will become the moft infupportable of all ty- rants. It knows no mean, and therefore muft not be trufted with 'power. " But as to thefe people, they have been fo often impofed upon in this manner before, that the abufe is become familiar to them, and they will not even feel it after the firft moment, and then too their refentment will fpend itfelf in fcurrility and invectives, levelled oftener ngainft fi^uhs in the perfon's private character, than his abufe of them. ^ Indeed ..'% 62 THE REVERIE. '^ Indeed nothing can be more ridiculous than the manner in which they exprefs theiV fentimcnts on fuch occafions. IVhile a 7nan , is their favourite^ they are cont'uiually getting drunk with drifiking his healthy zvhen he is dut ^ ,^>. cf favour zvith thenl they get drunk with drink' « ^ ': ing his confufion\ a bumper toaft in either caAf- .J; being the higheft, and often the only mark of ; ^ their approbation or diflike. " "* *' Nay fo far are they from harbouring a dan- .• ' gerous refentment, even forthegrofl'eft ill-ufage • of this kind, that, if the party has procured ^- _; money enough to give them plfenty of drink. '^ by the very fale of themfclves, the]^ forget alj that has happened, and flock to him, with as • much pleafure as if he were their greateft bene- c faftor. ;^ " Strange as this conduct may appear, every Si day's experience furnilhes inftances of it ;. but ^* of the many which mark thechapaifler of the •;' prefent age, the moft glaring is that of the*. ..^ perfon whom you fee in yonder cloiet, fpurning •; the enfigns of grandeur from ^ him, with aa ■ air of diflatisfacSlion, that fhews their infuffici- ; ency to procure their owlier happinefs. His whole life is fo flrong a fatire on th'is partiGuIar^ folly of patriotifm, that a (hort view of 'it can not be improper. " He was born in this manor, where his an- CcftorSj-who were but'peafants, acquired fb con"- fidcrAble a property by their honeft induftry, as enabled them to make- a better appearance" than, manj^lof' the "gentry. " -'•._" •<<3^^n he Came into pofTtiTian of .his for- turte,Vhe^ lived in fo hofpitable and •genteel Ji manner^.that he w^s greatly liked by his nei^h- '*'..■■ '■* «l(>urA T H E R E V E R I E. 63 |)Ours of all ranks, who never fufpedted that his . g^neroJity was ultimately fubfervicnt to the moft .♦.cnterprizing ambition ; but a lucky event fecured "ir l)is hopes before they difcovered, and could ■^f ti!1ce any meafures to defeat them. k ,' " '* There happened to be at that time a vaga- ' ^irond-fellow in the next county, who pretended [ -a claim to the lord of this manor's whole eftate, which he talked of going to law to recover, as ' jfoon as* he could raife money to fupport the fuit, ' for he was himfelf very poor^- and lived upon .. the charity ^of one or two great folks, who • maintained* h'im rather to plague the lord, than •from any^perfonal regard to himfelf, or opinion of the juftice of his claim. *' The* lord was convinced of his own right, and very we.ll able to fupport it. However, to . prevent trouble, he gave notice to all his te- ,• nants not to give his adverfary any affiftance on pain of. fotfeitlng their" leafes, in which there was a claufe exprefly to that purpofe. ."' • " But this did not hinder fome defperate fel- lows, who had ran out their fortunes in whoring and gaming, or were upon their keeping for ^eer-ftealiqg, and Tuch illegal pra£lices, from , ^ joining- with him underhand, in' hopes that if he fhould recover the eftate, he might be eafily, . prevailed upon, in return for their fervices, not only to forgive their offences, but alfo to rein- . iia^e them in their farms, of grant them leafes of thofe which belonged to the friends.pi his .• opponent. '>.•'" '/? V^' ".- "Such a combination naturllly alarthcd ^ir thofe who were in the interefl: of tl|e:"prefcnt lord, efpecialJy as it was headed by a-ve^y-bold- fpiritcd. turbulent fellow, one of,. the^ principal * ■ !" * gentry 64 THE REVERIE. gentry of the parifli, who had juft before ran away v/ith the wife of one of his neighbours ; and therefore, though he bullied the hulband in- to compliance, could not expe^l to live in qui- et under a landlord who was remarkably ftri(5l in the execution of the laws. " This was a fair opportunity for one of fuch an enterprizing fpirit as this perfon before us, to ingratiate himfelf efFe6lually with the lord of the manor. Nor did he fail to improve it ; for putting himfelf at the head of his family, and all thofe whom his hofpitality had attached to him, he drove that gentleman, great a bully as he was,, quite put of the paridi. ''rSp'fignal a piece. of fervice did not remain long uiirewarded. The crier of the court-kct happening to die juft then, he was unanimoufly choien into his place the next court-day j and the lord thought him fo firm in his intereft, that he not only approved of his tenant's choice, but alfo made him clerk of his own kitchen the very next vacancy. '' In this fituationofcricr he conducted himfelf with fuch addrefs,that he was able to put only thofe he plcafed on the grand-jury, and by that means frequently to oppofe the fteward himfclF in things which he knev/ to be difagrceable to the parifti : at the fame time managing matters fo artfully, that he never abfolutcly broke with him, nor gave him reafon fulficicnt to juftjfy his turning him out of his clerkfliip; having al- ways fome plaufible excufe to palliate what he did; and profcffing the highell fidelity and at- tachment to the lord's fjrvice, which he took every, occafion of promoting, that he thought would not injure him, in the opinion of the "^oplc. .5 " The THE REVERIE. 65 *' The popularity and power which he ac- quired by this conduct was far from being agreeable to many of his neighbours, particu- huly of the better fort, who did not like to fee a man whom they looked upon as their inferior rife over their heads in fuch a manner, that they were become no better than mere cyphers in the parifh, not being able to make a petty confia- ble, or get a prefentment for mending a road, or even making a ftile, without being firft obliged to cringe to him for his confent. C H A P.'XlV^li'if' .iji.., Sd one knave to catch another. Jn.wjldhic of mo-^ ^yg deration as much out of coi{ffi las in charade r. The parfon fwalloivs a fti^ar-plurnh^ and does what he Is bid like a sood chihL AT length one of the gentry, a cunning old fellow, who knew the world and all its ways well, refolved to try if he could not fupplant him in the favour of the people, by making him appear a favourite of the lord's ;. after which he knew it would not be difficult to do his bufmefs with him alfo, who was already far from being well pleafed with his condudf. " Accordingly he employed emifTaries to in-r finuate to the parifhioncrs, when their heads were hot with liquor at fares and wakes, that it was imprudent in them, to put thcm^felves fo much in the power of a perfon who- held fo proiitable a place under th^ldrd of th^ manor " ■ as 66 THE REVERIE. as clerk of the kitchen, as he would not fail to give up their intcreft, on any ^^^reat occa- fion, for fear of being turned out of h.scmploy- meiit. " Thcfe infinuations foon came to the crier's ea^-s, v'.'ho, wit out waiting to let tht people ruminate upon the matter, went among them dire6lly, as if he knew nothing of whnt had pafl'ed J and took occafion to tell them, in rhe courfe of his conver anon, that he had accepted' of the clerkfhip, only that he might be able ta ferve them more effetSiually, by takmg care that the provifions, which they were obliged by their tenures, to fupplv for the fupport of the lord's houfe, were not embezzled privately by the fer- vants, and they put to the expence of more ; and, as a proof of the advantage of this care, he aflured them, that many a time, when the lord had given fomeof his hungry followers a letter to him, to get a bafket of broken victuals, he had returned for anfwer, that there was fcarce enough for the family, and fo fent the beggars away with empty bellies. " This artful turn gave the afFair quite ano- ther look. They implicitly believed every word he faid ; fo that he foiled his enemy, cunning as he was, at his own weapons, and made the attack, defigned to have over-turned him, fervc to eftablifh his intereft more firmly. " But this difappointment did not difcourage the other, who now had new motives for driving to get him out of favour ; for having married two of his fons to the fleward's daughters, he judged that if he could contrive to have the crier turned out, it would not be difficult for him to get the younger, who was a fine pro- mifin^- THE REVERIE. 67 mifing lad, and fond of living at home among his friends, chofen in his Head ; by which means the management of the whole manor would come into the hands of his family, feve- ral of his relations, who all depended upon him, having good employments under the fteward already. *' But how to efFe£l: this was the queflion j for the crier's popularity feemed fo firmly eftab- liflied, that it appeared dangerous even to at- tempt any thing agalnft him. After much de- liberation, he refolved, as the method moft likely to fucceed, to fet up a rival againft him for the people's favour ; and then he did not doubt, but their own ficklenefs would foon make them quit their old engagements and jeadily enter into new. .. " Nor was he long at a lofs whom to fix upon as mod proper for his defign. The old parfon of the parifh dying fuddenly one day juft after eating an hearty dinner of pork and peafe- pudding, the lord gave the living to a young man who had lately come into the parifh with the fteward. " A particular circumftance made this choice very difagreeable to many of the principal pa- rifhioners. The greateft part of the income of the living confifted in the rents of a large quan- tity of glebe land, which was let out in parcels to feveral people for a certain number of years. " The leafes, by which thefe farms were held, were never fufPered to run out ; for as the parfons^were only tenants for life, thev had no great regard to their fuccelTors i and had there- fore come into a method of renewing the leafes at 68 THE REVERIE. at particular times, in confideration of a ftateJ fum of money, which was clear gain to them. By thefe means the tenants looked upon the Jands as their ov/n inheritance; and had built houfes, and fettled themfelvcs upon them ac- cordinulv. " But the late parfon, thinking they had too great bargains, refufed to renew their leafes at the ufual time, unlefs they would give him much higher lines than they had ever given to any of his predeceflbrs ; which they refolved not to do, imagining that as he v/as very old as well as very avaritious, the fear of dying with- out getting any thing would make him abate of his demarnj. " In thiif manner things ftood for fome years, neither party chufmg to comply, v.'hen the death of the old parfon, and his being fucceeded by one whofe youth gave him a reafbnable ex- pe(Si:ation of feeing their leafes determined, when it would be in his power either to turn them out, or raife their rents to the full value, alarmed them all in the higheft degree. *' To prevent fuch a misfortune therefore^ tHey dire(5tly agreed to offer their new parfon the fum which had been demanded by his pre- deceflbr, and which they had always fo pofi- tively refufed to give him. But what was their adonifhment when, inftead of accepting their offer, he cooly told them, he thought the in- come of the living, as fettled by the incumbent immediately before the laff, was fufficient, wherefore he defired no more ; and prayed to God to enable him to make as good ufe of that as he had done. " Suck THE REVERIE. 69 " Such an a6t of true generofity, not only won the hearts of thofe who reaped the benefit of it, but alfo gained him the general efteem of „the whole parifh ; efpecially as he lived entirely amongft them, and fpent 'his income in the raoft unbounded hofpitality ; not hoardino- it up, or laying it out in other places, as m oft of his prcdeceflbrs had been accuftomed to do. " On him the crier's enemy pitched, as a proper perfon to rival him in the favour of the people ; accordingly, having gained his good opinion by going conftantly to church, and be- having there with a grcat'appearance of devo- tion, he took an opportunity one day to in- fmuate to him, that he ought to exert himfelf more than he did in the affairs of the parifh, and not tamely fubmit to the ufurpations of the crier, who was for engroiung all the power into his own hands, without ever regarding whofe right he invaded. " Thefeinfmuations were not without efFeit. The parfon's heart, though above avarice, was not infenfible to ambition. He readily took the bait; and, as he was quite unexperienced in fuch affairs, fubmitted himfelf i.mplicitly to the government of his advifer, w^o, while he pretended to have nothina; but to reftore him to the confequencedue to his ftation and virtues, in view, really made a property of him to promote his own fchemes. C H A P. 70 THE REVERIE. CHAP. XV. A game cf football. A falfejlep gives the crier the better of the match. He kicks the ball in his maf" tersfacc^ but makes all up, and comes off with fy^ ing colours, *' ' I ^ H E regard with which the parfon be- X. gan to be fpoken of by the whole pa- rifh icon gave the crier the alarm ; which was confirmed by his op ofmg him in two or three trifling things in the veftry ; in which his opi- nion was received with fuch deference, that it was probable he would have rifen fairly above him in a little time, had not fortune, the cricr*s conftant friend, ftood by him efte6lually on this occafion. " A friend of the parfon's had been appointed by thefteward, to repair and fet up a parcel of fcarecrows, to frighten their neighbours cattle from trefpalfing en their common ; for which purpofe, the court-leet had ordered him a fum of money out of the parifh ftock. " Such comniiiTiuns had ufually been given as a plaufible colour for beftowing io much money, without any defign of their being exe^ cuted. In this fenfc, did this pcrfon under- fland his; and accordingly gave himlelf no trouble about the performance of it. ' " The crier, who had connived at many things of the kind before, immedi ii his criers place, in confideration of being made an efquire, and getting a falary to fupport him fuitably to his new dignity. " It is impoffible to exprefs the rage of the mob, at feeing that they had been fo long the dupes of his defigns. They got drunk for a week together with drinking to his confufion, made fcurrilous ballads againft him and his fa- mily, and loaded him, in his turn, v/itli exe- crations and abufe. " But a new patriot ftanding forth to engage their attention, they forgot the crier, and went on in their old way with as much eagernefs and credulity, as if they had never been deceived. " As for the parfon, his polite friend ferved him nearly in the fame manner as the crier did the mob. As foon as his turn was ferved, and his fon chofen into the crier's place, chiefly by the afiiftance of the parfon*s friends, he not only dropped his acquaintance, but even gave him irp to the crier's refentment; who had privately made it apart of his bargain that he fhould be flruck out of the quorum^ in revenge for the trouble and expcnce he had put him to in the courfe of this aftair. ••' As the old crier has been fo fuccefsful in all his fchemes, 1 fee you wonder how he came intx> this place ; but if you confider that vanity and an abfurd ambition of being made a gentle- man, were the original, the leading motives of E 2 ;<]] 76 THE REVERIE. all hi;; labourr, ycu will acknowledge that tHe e2;rcgious follv of the end, takes off all meHt from the means, and makes his fiiccel's ridiculous. " Nor is he infcnfible of this hiinlelf now that it is too late. Though the unthinking mean Ipirited mob have forgot his abufe of them, and croud to his table to eat his meat and drink his wine, with as much readinefs and pleafure as if their own and their family's intereft had not been fold by him to purchafe them ; the re- proaches of his ov.'n heart embitter his enjoy- ment of their company, and make their profef- fions of refpect naulcous. He pines for his former popularity ; and, unhappy in the accomplifh- nient of his hopes, finds too late, that the end of all his labours is vanity." CHAP. XVI; Muzzle a hear^ or hell bite you. Three rernarkable charaSlers. Beys that play tricks jlould beware of tell-tales. I WAS, by this time, fo fick of patriotifm and public fpirit, that, as foon as my guide flopped, i refolvcd to beg that he would change the fubje(SI:, to fomething more deferving of the obfervation of a rational being. " Enough, moil judicious fpirit ! (faid I) enough haft thou faid to prove the jullice of thy remark, in every rank of life, 1 fee the fame caufes produce the fame efiedis. Coblers and criers diiier but in name : but furely it muft- be otherwife in hightr fcenes, where the great affairs THE REVERIE. 77 affairs of nations are tranfa^ted. The mind muft be extended in proportion to the greatnelb of the rubjciSls upon which it is employed, and can never look down to the trifles which en- grofs the attention of paultrv villaoers. Let us therefore turn away fron this fccne of drunk- ennefs and folly, and feek for matter more wor* thy of our obfervation elfewhere. " 1 will indulge you j (anfwered my guid ) but you will find little advantage in the change of place. Folly reigns every where alike, and more exalted ftationb only make it more ridicu- lous : and luckily a fcene prcfents itfelf toour view, which fhews this in the moil iiiik;ing light. " Turn your eye this way. — Yen fee thofc three perfons yonder. They arc juft entering; into a conference upon one of the moft extra- ordinary fubje^ls that ever (hewed the incvon- fiftency of human notions. We will hear i; from themfelves ; but firfl, while they make the common preface of empty cornplimenis, and unmeaning queftions, which arc made the introduftion to converfation even on the moil: important fubjecls, I will give you a fliort fketch of their lives as far as is neceflary to make you underftand what they fay. " They were born in different manors be- longing to the lord who owns that in v/hich the crier made fuch a figure ; but their being- educated together at the fame free-fchool gave rife to an intimacy which has grown up with them through life. " When they were taken from fchcol they were put to different profeffions, as interefl or jiclinaiion directed. 'He on the right 'chore E 3 the yS THE REVERIE. the law, in which the acutcnefs of his genius enabled hin> to make fuch a proficiency, that in time he was entrufted to fearch for informations iigainft fuch perfons as trefpafl'cd on the lord's jlemefne, or killed his game, and to fue them and the tenants who did not pay their rents puncl:ua]ly. *' This employment was not only very profi- table in itfclf, but alfo gave him an appearance of fo great cdr.-fequence in the court-leet, that he was generally on one fide or the other in every private difpute that arofe in the manor, " The next, as you fee by his habit, was bred to the church, in v/hich he laboured fo fuccefsfully, that he got a good vicarage before he was very old, imd, having the character of being a great fcholar, was alfo prefered to the honourable employment of teaching the lord of the manor's fon and heir his letters. ^' As for the third, he was too idle to take to any particular profefiion : but, by the intcrefl ci his friends he got into the fleward's ofRce,, Vv'here he had feveral petty employments, whicli brought him in a good penny in the whole. " Jjut this war. not all. Having always fhewji a remarkable turn for making bawbles and nick-nacks, and being a perfedt mafter of the puncS^ilics of drefs and addrefs, and all the other accomplifliments of a fmall genius, he was chofen as a proper perfon to provide rat- tles and paper-kites for his young mafter, and to teach him to cock his hat, and ride his hobby horfe with a good grace. *' As they were all known to be very well qualifed for thefe important places, there was no obje£tion mad'e to their being honoured with them. THE REVERIE. 79 them 5 and they executed their feveral charges with proper dignity and care. But an unlucky afFair foon happened, that threatened not only the lofs of their prefent employments, but alio to prevent their being ever entrufted with any other. " You may remember I told you there was a fellow who pretended a right to all the ef- tates of this lord. His family came originally from the manor in which the lawyer was born, and where moft of the inhabitants had a flrong attachment to him, both as they were natu- rally very proud, and thought it would be a great honour to them to have their townfman made lord of the manor, and alfo that they flattered themfekes with the hopes of getting good farms from him, in fome of his other manors, in cafe he could make good his pretenfions ; for they were alias poor as they were proud. " Befide, there was another- reafon for their defiring to change their land-lord. Before the eflate came into the pofleiTion of the piefent lord, they had been accuftomed to have their landlord live among them, and hold his courts and receive fuit and fervice in this manor. But this lord, having many better houfes to live in, had removed his habitation j and of courfe dif- continued thofe ceremonies, fo that they loil ail that parade of grandeur in which their pride had taken fuch pleafure. " Now, as this fellow founded his preten- fions on being defcendcd from the family of their old lords they expelled that he would come and live among them, as they had done ; or at leaft reftore them their court-leets, and all their ceremonies and perquifites again, never confider- ing that the employments and placesof honour and E 4. protit. '^0 THE R E V E R I E. profit, which they held in the other eft.ues of tlie prcfent lord yielded them more than the en- tire income of their manor. *' It is not ftrange therefore that the lawyer Aiould have received an early biafs in his fa- vour ; which was alfo cotifirmed by his being educated at that free-fchool, the mafter and uHiers of which were all notorious for the fame principles, and^ took all pollible pains to inftil t'i^em into their pupils, in which they were not unfuccefsful, with the lawyer's two friends as well as with many others, • '^ It happened in. fome little .time after they v/ere preferred to thofe employments above-men- tioned, that a pcrfon who had formerly been very intimate with them all three, having been- educated at the fame fchool along with them, faid,, among a mixt company in the unguarded cpennefs of converfation, when wine removes all referve, that he had once little thought of their beiiio; ever put into places of fuch confi- dence under the lord of the manor, as he had often feer> them, on their bare knees, drink con- i'/fufion to hin> and all his friends, and fuccefs to "the hopes of his enemy. . . *^ There was fomcthing fo fingular in this •fpeech, that: it flfuck all the company with fur- fnzQy but ouQ gentleman in. particular, who i .. was warmly attached to tHe lord's inti-refl, de- r- Tued all prcfent to- take notice of what this per- ['/'fon h^d laid, as' he was refolved to put him to '" rhc proof of it, it being as bafe in him to throw . thofe afperfions on the characters of pcrfons of ■ft i-ch' note, -if they were innocent, as it would be criminal in all who heard him to conceal an affair of fuch ^, without *' being called in queftion for it ; for if it were *' otherwife, and lawyers made anfvverable for *' v/hat they faid, there would be an end to the £ 6 bufinefs 84 T H E REVERIE, *' bufincfs at once, as the great art and m) {lcr3?' **' of it coiifilled in faying any thing that might "^ any way conduce to carrying the point, vvith- *' out regard to decency, truth, or any fuch '' immaterial confidcrations : whereas if o-entle- *• men of the law were to be called to account " for what they faid in the wayof their bufmefs, '' and fortheirfee, no one would ever undertake '^ aweakcaufe, and fo the profelTion would fall " to the ground. Befide, it was a point agreed *' upon, in all the books, that what a lawyer fays ^^ for his fee, is never to be confidered as his pri- " vatefcntimentoropinion; elfe how could law- ** yers rail at, and abufe their moft intimate '' friends, in she rnannerthey do every day, for "*' aflrangertheyknow nothingof, andinacaufe "•' they tire ito'nvi need to be wrono;, Vv'ithout ■^* breaking V/ith' them, or giving them the leaf!: '' offence; as an inRance of which, he added that *■' he had himfelf often gone dire£ily from court "to dine with the man whom he had fpent the '*^ whole mornini^ in abufino-; therefore no man " was to be called to account for what he faid " for his fee: and this opinion he fupported by *' a firing of quotations from all the grave and " learned fages of the law ^ and by the con- " rtant and uniform praftice of the profeflioa 5"^ from time immemorial, to this very day." '"^ So learned a defence faved the delinquents. Tor it would have been unjuft to have made a diiLin6lion between them. The majority of "the fervants (as I faid) therefore gave it as their opinion, that the accufation, ibGugh not filje^ ■was malicious, frivolous, and unworthy of far- ther notice. " Thus blew over a florm, in which their very friends expelled they v^ouid have lank. On THE REVERIE. 85 On the contrary, the lawyer was foon after made a juflice of the peace and deputy to the fenefchal of the principal manor, the parfoa e-ot a better living, and the hobby-horfe-man on his pupil's growing too big for his care, was prefered by his beft friend the fleward to be his head clerk, which places they all enjoy at pre- fent ; while the poor informer drew upon him- felf fuch univerfal conrempt for his indifcretion, that he was never able to fhew his face after." CHAP. XVIII. Jlaoderfi modejiy and gratitude. Compmiions ai'e odious. A good nmnory often t?iakes a bad cojn^ pamon. It is prudent to make hay while the Jim Jhines. '' T T might be imagined that after fuch an af- fair their prefent preferment fhould fatisfy iheir ambition. But far from it, emboldened by that efcape, they think there is nothing which they may not do, and the favour that has h&cn jfhcwn them fince, inftead of making them contented and grateful, has given them fuch an high opinion of their own merit, which they modeftly judge to have been the reafon far it, that they reckon all they have got as nothing while there is any thing elfe for them to defire, and look upon thcmfclves as ill-treated, if they .are refufed whatever they pleafe to afk.— — — But foft 1 Their conference at length be- gins, Let us attend.- 2 ^'^ I faj 86 T FI E REVERIE: " I fay, fir (faid the lawyer, firefparkllng in his eyes) that I am ill-ufed. Had there been any obje6tion to my abilities to fill fuch an employment, or could it have been even pre- tended that the perfon who is put over my head, was fuperior to me in any refpedl, it would have been another cafe^ but, to be conti- nued a deputy, where I had (o good a right to be made principal, is not to be borne. Nor will I bear it. No man provokes me with im- punity. " '^ Really, fir (anfwered the parfon) I can- not but own you have fome reafon to com- plain. But what would you fay, if you were in my place ? To be taken no notice of where there were fo many opportunities ! fo many - better livings vacant ! it is enough to provoke the patience of Job, After all the pains I have taken to teach him to read, and my care in chufmg out fuch leflbns as were proper for him, that he might not receive wrong notions of things, to be flighted in this manner; it is too much ! He could not have ferved his former tutor worfe, who was turned ofF for teaching him to fpell in that profane ballad. But there is no fuch thing as gratitude, no regard to paft fervices, to be found in this world !" " Indeed, gentlemen (added the third, while his reverence flopped to take a pinch of fnafF, and the lawyer was walking about the room in a violent chafe) w^e are all extremely ill-ufed. But you mult both allow, that I have much the greatefl reafon to complain. You have got places which aflbrd you a comfortable fubfiflencc, and if they are not quite fo good as you could wifh, you have this fatisfadion that they can- not be. taken from you. " But THE REVERIE. Sy *' But that is not my cafe. I may be turned out of the poor pittance I have got, without a moment's warning, as it is moft probable I fhall foon find to my forrow, whenever the old flew- ard dies. And this is all the reward I have re- ceived for the many weary hours I have fpent at chuck and pufti-pin with the young heir, and teaching him to buckle his fhoes right, and put on his hat with an air. Wc have all rea- fon to complain, but my cafe is certainly the hardefl." " Your cafe, (replied the lawyer, with a fmile of indignant contempt) pray what is your cafe, good fir ? The paultry menial fervices you did about his perfon have been fufficiently re- warded. Common fervants fhould not aflume fuch airs, nor pretend to put themfelves on a level with their fuperiors." — " Paultry menial fervices ! (interrupted the other, kindling into a rage) I'd have you to know, fir, that my fervices were not paultry; and perhaps they give me abetter right to expe6l favour than any which fome others can boaft of, highly as they may think of themfelves. But I fhould be glad to know in what your great merit has confided, that you are fo ready to call that of another in queftion." '' My merit, fir, (anfwered the lawyer, taking fire) my merit, fir, has confifted and does confift, in my ability in my profeffion, which has ena- bled me to do the moft eilential fervice." *^ Service !— To whom ? (interrupted the o- ther dryly) to yourfelf only. Your abilities, were they ten times greater than they are, have been amply rewarded by the place you enjoy, and the large fums of money they have brought yoii 88 THE REVERIE. you in from your deluded clients. But pray, iage fir, what important fervice have your great abilities been of to his iordlliip, that he fhould be under fuch obligations to you f I fhould be glad to know that." " What fervice ! (replied the lawyer haftily, being almoft put off his guard, by iuch a crofs queftion) what fervice do you afl<, fir ! Sir, I think, it beneath me to anfwer tt<^ueftion that betrays fuch ignorance. But, if you do not know, they did who gave me the employments 1 hold ; and they knew befide that my promo- tion fecured my whole family. A'ly countrymen always ftick fall by one another." " Hah! hah! hah I great fervices ! very great fervices, truly (faid the other) I am really aihamed to hear a man who fhould know bet- ter, mention fuch things. I am indeed. But you muft be blinded, quite blinded by your opinion of yourfelf, or you would never attempt to put them in competition with the fervices I have done his lordlhip, in the inftruction of his fon's tender youth." — — ** How, fir \ (interrup>ted the parfon, who had hitherto liftcncd to their difpute as unmoved as if it had been a vifitation-fermon, where fome country curate pretends to teach his betters thei,r ' -duty) you inftrud his tender youth ! Pray, fir, have more regard to truth m what you fay. The mftrudtion of his jouth was committed to other kind of hands, xhiin yours. It is well -knov/n" '' That I got you the little {hare you had in his education (faid the ether, catciiing the word ..,,out of his mouth) by mforming of your pre- ' '^y-.-iieGeflbr's auttin?^ that ballad into his hands.; . . . V Y" • • and THE REVERIE. 89 and that you pofitively agreed to be guided by me, in every thing you fhould attempt to teach him, before you were admitted to come near him. So that if you have any merit in what you did, you owe it all to me. But fome peo- ple have very bad memories in things done to ferve them. " But do you think that teaching him to read was fuclr a mighty matter ? The clerk of the parifli, though he was good for nothing elfe, could have done that much well enough. That is the leaft part of a young gentleman's educa- tion, the very leaft part, and what many a one makes a very good figure without. It is fuffi- cicnt for people who have their fortunes to make to mind fuch things, gentlemen are above them. They can keep fervants to read and write too for them, without their taking fuch a trouble ; and let me tell you, fir, the world thinks the living you got a fufRcient reward for all you were able to teach him. " But, gentlemen, I muil remind you both of fomething which you feem to have forgot. There are other material rcafons which *not only prevent your getting the preferments you look for at prefent, but will alfo moft probably prevent your ever getting them, and indeed make what you have already gotten be looked upon with furprize and difcontent. " You muft have forgot the alfair of drink- ing thofe difaffeSled toafts certainly, or you would never give yourfelves fuch airs as thefc. How can you, ftr, expe6l that the real friends of his lordlhip, if they think at all about the mat- ter, can like to fee the court-rolls ii.trufted in iwch hands as yours r Or the parilh-regifters in yours,,. 90 THE REVERIE. yours, fir ?— No ! no ! gentlemen ! you may both reft fatisfied where you are. You will never rife higher, take my word for it. I know what defence you made, and how you came to efcape fo eafily. But your bufinel's is done, take my word for it ; your bufuiefs is done." The mention of the toajis was fo unex- pe6tcd, that it ftruck them both dumb. They hung down their heads, and heard him out as convided criminals do their fentence. But the lawyer, foon recovering his natural prefence of mind, " The toafts, fir ! (faid he) I wonder how you can mention that affair to us, in fuch a manner ! Were not you as deeply concerned in it as we r" "; I wifh I had, (replied the other) and then 1 fhould have been as well rewarded ; for to be fure you got a good fee^ and lazvyers may fay any thing for their fee Well, it is an old fay- ing, that it is good to have a friend in court. Your brother brought you off with flying co- lours ; and we too had good luck to be in fuch good company, or I know not how we fhould have efcaped. You brought us off', as well as you drew us into the danger. '' However, that efcape has not made me fo vain as to think I was not in fault. I have not the affurance to raife my expectations fo high as you do, and am humbly content with what they pleafe to give me, confcious that any thing is an extraordinary favour, and more than I fhould have received in any other lord's fa- mily in the kingdom ; for which reafon I fhall flrive to make hay while the fun fhines ; and as foon as a fhower comes, retire into a fnug cor- ner, and enjoy my good fortune with thanks. « As r* '•::. THE REVERIE. 91 *' As for you, gentlemen, who afpire to highe^ honours, )^ou will find, perhaps, when it is too late, that you had better have followed my ex- ample. And fo, mod worfhipful Mr. Senefchal, and moil: reverend Mr. Redlor, I wiih you both a good morning. Paultry, menial fervices ! * With thefe words, he flung out of the room, leaving his two friends flaring at each ether in a fituation whimfical enough. CHAP. XIX. Signal Injlanas of greatnefs of fpirit. Confijlency of charaSfsr maintained, A fcene of uncommon tt'ndemefs, TH E parfon was the firfl who broke fi- lence. " Indeed, my friend, (faid he, fnufHng up his pinch, and fhaking his head in. a melancholy manner) I fear there is too much truth in v/hat he fays, and that v/e ftiall never be able entirely to get over the confequences of that unlucky difcovery ; for which reafon I will e'enftrive to make myfelf eafy, and not lofe the enjoyment of what I have, by fruitlefs attempts - for more." " You are to do as you pleafe, Sir, (anfwer- ed the lawyer peeviflily) but I fhall not ftoop to be guided by the advice of fuch a mean fpi- rited fellow. We fhould never have been for- given, had they dared to fliew refcntment againft us 5 and the fame motive will make theni 9-2 THE REVERIE. them not chiife to provoke us too far by thdi^ refufals. I know how to deal with them, I will fpeak to all my friends. They are not baftifiil in afking, nor eafy to be repulfed; and if their intereft fhould be unfuccei'sful, I will take another courfe, which feldom fails. I fhall not fiibmit tamely, I promife them." *' And pray, my dear friend, (replied the parfon) may 1 afk what courfe that is?" " I will oppofe all the meafures of the lord's fervantsin thecourt-leet, ('returned the lawyer) and that in fuch a manner, that they fliall not be able to make any objections to my condudf, but what will add to my confequence in the opinion of the people, i have a whimfical thought jufl come into my head. What would 3'ou fa.y, if I fhould turn painct upon the occa- fion ? I have precedents enough to juflify me. And then the variety of fuch a fcheme will be highly entertaining. 1 like the humour of the thing much. *' As for the Senefchal, I'jl foon make him fick of his fuperiority. I'll contradict every fyl- lable he fays in the court-leet. My word there is as good as his, and my friends will ftand by me, right or wrong ; fo that I'll make them forry for what they have done for me, if they v/ill not do more ; and that will gratify my re- fentment at lead-, if my ambition is difappoint- ed. *No on'e ever provokes .me wiih impunity." .*' N^, far that matter, (replied the parfon, fett;ing.his hands a kimbo, and putting on a look'of Hni)orta-nce) I do not mean to be quite -palliye nellber, I allure you. I feek peace, it is true, =-biit' then it muft be on my own terms, I promife them. ■ ■ • ^ •• ■ - - " Nor THE REVERIE. 9g '' Nor fhall I long want an opportunity of letting them know my mind. The veftry will foon meet on fome extraordinary affairs, when I will obje£l to every thing the re6lor propofes ; and that will vex them all not a little, for to my knowledge they have fome things in view, which they will not like to be oppofcd in; fuch as making fome alterations itt the old fur- plice and cajjhcks^ and enlarging the churchy and widening the approaches xo the com?nun'i on- table ; but I will not confent to the ftir- ring a ftick or ftonc, or clipping oiF the moft ragged fhred ; all things fhall remain as they are, merely to difappoint them ; and then how fiily will they look in the eyes of the crowds, whom they have promifed to make room for? " They {hould not have let me know their fecrets, if they defigned to break with me in this manner* No ! no ! I do not mean to be quite pafiive neither, I affure you. Our cloth has never been noted for tamenefs and fubmif- fion. I will feel^ peace, but it fliall be on my own terms, I can tell them.'* The two friends then (hook hands, and ap- plauding each other's ''pirit, parted for that time, to prepare for putting their virtuous refo- lutions in execution. *' What fay you now, (faid the Spirit- with a fmile) to modern modefty and gratitude ?z-— But it is unnecefTary to make any reflexions on fuch a fcene as this. They occur. tJiT them- felves, with force fuflicient to-^nake ^ rational being fick of the world, and aJKits^'way-is jarui 1 lK)pe you are convinced, that changing the fcene makes no efiential change injthe'pro('pe6l. P'olly reigns every where alike* 1^\\q palace-is no ^4 THE REVERIE. no more exempt from it than the cottage: — — But (bft ! — I feelbmething yonder, which will be worth attending to. You have hitherto been principally engaged in viewing the folly of am- bition ; I will now fhew you the efFefts of love, its potent rival in the human heart.'* Saying this, he direded my eye to a cham- ber, where lay a woman languifhing under a general decay of nature. Much as fuch a ftat^e muft necefTarily weaken the force of beauty, there was a fymmetry in her whole figure, 'a foftnefs and delicacy in her looks, which even thus in ruin charmed the beholder, and fhewed how refiftlcfs they muft have been when the warm glov/ of health infpired their bloont. But ftill an air of debauchery fullied all thefe charms ; and her whole appearance befpoke a life worn out in vicious pleafures, which had taken fuch deep root in her heart, that when- ever (he opened her eyes, a feeble glance of loofe defire glimmered through all the horrors of her prefent ftate. Every thing around her fliewed the higheft affluence and moft tender care ; and the moft elegant accommodations ftrove to make ficknefs .tolerable^ and compenfate, as far as poflible, for the want of health. ' But what particularl.y ftruck me was the ten- der,;- anxious affiduity with which flie was waited? , upon by a pcrfon, whofe appearance fhewtd 'Tiim to have been bred to a profefTion, /.and on '4n clement, neither of them very re- ■ riiarkable for foftening the manners, and giving the mind fuch a compaflionate humane turn. Fie was kneeling at the foot of her bed, 'chaling her clay- cold feet with his hands, to * . try THE REVERIE. 95 try if they could communicate any warmth to them. She feemed not infenfible of fuch an acSt of tendernefs, and raifmg her head from the pillow, '' How fhall I reward my hero, (faid fhe, with a feebly- wanton leer) for all his care ? Will this poor perfon of mine ever be in a condition to repay his pains and trou- ble with pleafure?" ' " Let me but once more fee my deareft girl well, (anfwered he, with a look of fondncfs and pity) and I fhall think myfelf amply over- paid for all. Is there any thing that I can do, to give you cafe or fatisfa6lion ? Command my fortune; command my life; myklfy and all in my pofTeffion, are folely yours." " I want nothing, (replied fhe) while I have you. Stay but always with me, and I have no other wifh. But why fhould I defire this ! What pleafure can you find in the com- pany of a poor fick creature, who is incapable of feeling any herfelf ? I blame you not for fecking that fatisfaction elfewhere, which it is no longer in my power to give you." " Why will my dearefl life (returned he, with an air of concern) think fo meanly of me, as that I can have pleafure in. any othei* company but hers. I never leave you arnb*- ment, but when my duty indifpenfibly calls me ; and as foon as that is. over, I fly back to- you again with all the impatience o£,.a youth- ful bridegroom." ■. :":'.' '■ " And when will that hateful duty call yba again ? (added fhe) Hov/ long may I promife myfelf your company now, without^ucb- pain- ful interruption ?" . • ^^^ My / « 4^ THE REVERIE. ** My love, (returned he) I am this very moment under a neceflity of waiting on the admiral. I have had notice that my fnip is ready for fea ; but I will forego all my hopes of honour and advantage rather than leave my dearcft love, till 1 fee you better. I iiave framed an cxcufe to evade my going this voyage ; and by that time my fliip returns, I promifc myfelf that you will be able to take a trip with me in her to Lifbon, where the warmth of the climate will eftc6lually reftore yo-ur health." " And how long will it be (faid file) before you return from the admiral ? I infill: upon knowing to a minute, that I may not be tor- tured by any unexpected delay." " I fear, my love, (anfwercd he) that it will be impoflible for me to leave him before dinner. He has fo often afked me, that it will look like dilVepedl to refufe him always. Bc- fides, as I go to fue for a favour, it would be ill-judged to give him offence. But you may be afl'ured I will not flay a moment that 1 can avoid. By fevcn at fartheft." *' By feven ! (exclaimed flie) and mufl I ! Can I live fo long without you ! — Well ! fince it mull be fo, go ; but do not be iurprized to i^nd me dead, when you come back." " My dearcfl: love ! (replied he,cmbracing her mod tenderly) thib is the laft time 1 Ihall leave you. 1 defign to tell the admiral that I a;ii go- ing out of town i fo that nothing fliall inter- fere with my care of you. Adieu ! my love: Jet me iind you in better fpiilts at my return. C H A P. THE REVERIE. 97 #####-t#**#*#t #####*#**##*#*§# CHAP. XX. The opening of a neiv fcene gives cccafion for fame refcofions, which will probably be leaji agreeahh U thofe who have rnoji occafion for the?n. I STRESSED as the difconfolate fair one feemed at his departure, the moment he left the room opened a new fcene. " Now is the time ! (faid (he, raifnig hcrfelf up Vi^ith a ipirit that could not have been expected from her looks) now is the time to put my defign in execution ! If I mifs this opportunity, I don't deferve to find another." Then turnina; to an elderly woman who waited upon her, "•' Fly, nurfe, (continued fhe) bid my fifter come to me inftantly, and obferve the laft directions I 2;ave her.*' The woman obeyed v/ithout delay ; and the Udy being left to her meditations, '' Now fhall I be happy ! (refumed file in a tranfport) Now fhall I be in fome meafure revenged on that ob- jeft of my foul's averlion, man ! O ! ttiat I could treat the whole perfidious fex in the fame manner, expofmg them equally to the ri- dicule of the world, and the reproaches of their own confcious hearts ! But, as that is impolii- ble, let this mean fpirited, doating fool, bear the weight for all. If I fall a vidVim to the vice of m,an thus in the prime of life, it is fome confolation, thatT can wreak my refent- ment upon him, who fecms alone to merit Vol. I. F better 98 THE REVERIE. better from me. The world will attribute what I do to other motives ; but I difclaiin them all, and aft only from the principle of re- venge." — Saving this, fhe funk back upon her pillow, waiting with the utmoll impatience for the return of her meiTenger. There was fomething fo fuperlatively bale and wicked in thefe fentiments, and the hy- pocrify which preceded them, that 1 could not avoid expreffing the pain, they gave me to my guide. As foon as flie had iinifhcd her medi- tations therefore, " O gracious fpirit ! (faid J) what life muft this vile woman have led, to harden her thus againft: every fenfe of virtue and humanity ? and what uncommon injuries can {he have fuftered, to fire her foul with fuch an implacable pafiion for revenge ?" ^^ Her life (anfvv'eied he) has been thaLof a common proflitute ; a life that neceflarily ef- jaces every tcndernefs, of nature, as well as every principle of virtue : and the injuries which ftimiilatc her to thefe more than lavage jcntiments have been no other than the ufual unavoidable occurrences of her wret-.hed pro- tcfiion." " flow! (exclaimed I) does proftitution work fuch a total change in woman's nature? bad, too bad I am fenfible its efFefts are j but 1 have always thought, that fomc, and thefe not the lead amiable of the virtues, were not quite inconfillent with it; I thought I had leen in- ilances of benevolencee, charity, and filial duty, exerted by fome of thofe unhappy crea- tures, which would have been an honour to the chaftcfi: of the fex. But I find I have been in aj.1 error." " Charity THE R £ V E R I P:. 99 '' Chaility (replied^ he) is irot the only vir- tue of woman j but Hill, it is fo efientially ne- cc/TaryJto the pcrfeilion of her nature, that the want of it, if it does not abfolutely incapaci- tate her from every other, dcbafes any feeble inftances flie happens to exert of them." " Nor can it be other wiie. The moment a woman is known to violate this virtue, fhe is looked upon as a diTgrace to her fex, and given up to infamy, even by the very perfons who firil: feduced her to, and IHII participate in, the crime they perfecute." "• Debarred thus from the benefits of fociety, Vi'hcre virtue is confirmed and enforced to imitation by example, fhe is ob1i<7ed to con- ' fort with her fillers in vice, who to fiJence t'he voice of confciencc, and keep up their fpirits to purfue th-eir miferable trade, vie with each other in wickednefs; and, glorying in their fhame, profefs to deny the truth, and ridicule the pravitice of thofe principles from which they have departed, till they harden each other in their iniquity, and become incapable of re- formation.'"' " In fuch an abandoned ftate of reproba- tion, what merit can there be in a fmsile ad of virtue, that contradids the conHant tenour of their lives, and owes its rife perhaps to acci- dent, vanity, or caprice? how light will it be found in the balance, when placed oppofite tothc innumerable vices among which it llands, and which always contaminate it in fome circucii- fiance or other? " But this even is not all. The moll: pro- fligate of the n fees the neceffity of putting on the appearance of fome virtues, to palliate E 2 the 100 THE REVERIE. the horror of her profefiion. This is the reafon of the error in which you may have been. Man requires but weak proof to convince him of what he wiflies to be true j and therefore rea- dily believes the reality of this appearance, and receives it as a fufficient atonement for the vice which gives him pleafure." *' Think me not too fevere in what I fay. There may perhaps be fome inftances to the contrary; but they are too few, in comparifon with the others, to draw a more favourable conclufion from : and the dan2:er which would attend fuch a conclufion is fufnciently great to juftify (o prudential and falutary a fcveritv-" " The only fafe rule to direct the judgment by, in all fuch cafes, is this, that a petjon wht perftjis in the wilful breach of any one moral vir- tne^ cannot he fmcere in the prcfeffton of any other ; as a proper conviction of the duty of any muft iiecetrarily and invariably enforce the practice of all J that is, with allowance for the unpre- meditated lapl'es of human infirmity. " Nor is there a more dangerous error than this, of thinking that vice and virtue can be fo far reconciled as'to inhabit the fame breafl; or, that it is poffihle to compound for the ohjlinat^^^^ habitual tranfgrejjion of one cluiy^ by the occa- fional perforinance of another \ the mean mercc" Jiary motive to fuch a performance taking away every fliadow of merit from it, and con- tradicling the unalterable eilence of virtue, which is pure obedience." The fpirit's reflections were interrupted here by the return of the nurfe, [;with the perfons for whom fhe had been fent. The moment they entered the room, the fick lady forgot THE REVERIE. loi forgot her ailments, and raifmg herfelf up, " Well, fifter (laid fhe, looking at them witii eagcrnefs and delight) I fuppofe thefe gentle- men have been informed on what occafion thev have been brought here. The moments arc precious. Let us therefore do our bufmefs without delay ; and thcji we may enjoy our- feJvcs." As loon as Cm faid this, one of the gen- tlemen drtw out pen, ink, and paper, and i'^t down directly to write her will, which flie didated v/ith a readinefs, that fhewed fhe had long ftudied it. "When he had finifhed, flie read it over carefully, and fi^-ned it, inthedut3 form of law, before the other gentlemen, who were brought on purpofe to atteft this extra- ordinary tranfaction. The moment this important affair was end- ed, the lawyer received his hire, and then he and th(5 witnefles departed, to prevent furprize; when fhe immediately funk- into a ilate of weakncfs, that fhewed her end -was approach- ing very fafl, the extraordinary effort (lie had made on this ocafion having quite exhaufled her ftrength and fpirits. "^^ Dreadful as fuch an alarm mufl naturally be, it fhook not her refolution. On notice of her friend's return, fhe difmifled her fifler, without the leaft mark of tendernefs or reo-ret, thou-ih the only relation fhe had in the v/orld, and prepared to go through with her defigri with a fonitancy worthy of a better caufe. CHAP, 102 THE REVERIE. C H A P. XXI. A life concluded in chara^er. An uncommon legaci of love mid gratitude, A f articular c'lrcuynflanc^ neccjjary to he attended to through the courfe of this curious work^ is explained, AS foon as he entered the room, he ran to her bedhde with the .utmoil: inipatiencc, where he found her lanrniiiliin]:* in the arCiS of o o death. ivach a fiiiht awoke his tendcrnefs. He fell upon her neck, and wept over her in bitter- iici's of heart. So genuine an expreflion of ■eve operated as it were mechanically upon }ier, Vv^ho had ]oii.{ been accuftomed to return the cr.rclFes flis received, however infipid or loathfomcto her. She opened her eyes; and, forcing a faint frnile of fondnef*^, " How could ycu think ('faid Hie) that i could live fo many tedious hours without you? It is v/ell, that you are come at lengih, to blefs my eyes with one view more of all that thty delight in. Take care of this poor body ; fee, that it is laid with decency in the grave ; and fomctimes beftow a thought on one whofe heart's laft wifli was to give you pleafurc. I have a fifter Vv'ho would perform that melancholy duty ; but I have long broke all connection witii her for your fake. You are the world to me ; and every tender tie of nature is fummed up in TOur love." — With thefe words, flie fainted in his THE REVERIE. 103 his arms : nor ever recovered ftrength to utter another. As loon as her difconfolate lover recovered from the firfl tranfports of his grief, he gave orders for h^r burial, with a magnificence that far exceeded the prefent llnte of his own affairs ; but this he thou^rht liimlelF under an obliiration to do, in return for her whole fortune, v/hicK Ihe bad bequeathed to him, by a will made in the beginning of her Dlnefs; and which nmouiit- ed to avery confiderable fum, though all earned by vice and infamy. The next morning, after this laft token or his regard was paid, he was furprifed at ic- ceiying a vifit from a perfon to whom he was an utter ftranger. After the common compliments of mcciing, the gentleman told him, that he v/as come from the filter of the deceafed lady, totakepofleffion of fuch effects of her*s as might be in his hands. " I am forry, fir, (anfwered the widowed lover, with a fmile) that (he fhould have given you this unnecefiary trouble. My dcareft girl's efFecfis and fortune are all in my pofieiiion 5 nor fhall I part with them to any one." " How, fir ! (replied the ftranger) Not part: with them to the heir at law ! Pray by what right do you claim to keep them :" "And pray, fir, (returned the captain, fone- what offended at the manner in v^-hicli the other fpoke) bv what rio;ht do you afk me that aue- ftion ? " ' ^ " Sir, (faid the ftranger) I am employed by her fifter, to make a legal demand of her un- doubted right ; and if you do not chufe to com- ply with it in this amicable manner, I know F 4 how 104 THE REVERIE. how to apply in another, that may be more cf- fec):ual, though perhaps not quite fb agreeable." " That is to lay, (retorted the captain) you are the lady's lawyer. Well then, good Mr. lawyer, as I defire to have as little converfation as pofTible with you, and all the worthy gentle- men of your profelTion, I will fliew you my right." -Saying this, he unlocked a bureau, and taking out a paper, " Here, fiv, ((aid he) is the lady's will, by v/hich fne has bequeathed to me every thing in her pofieiEon, If you pleafe, I will read it to you." " Very poilible, fir,- (anfwered the lawyer, with a fignificant fmile) I do not doubt but it may be a will of her's ; and therefore dial] not give you that trouble. But, pray fir, v.'ill you give me leave only juft to look at the date of tiiatwill?" *' The date ! Yes, fir, (replied the captain) here it is. It bears date about a year ago, yAl in the beginning of her illnefs." " i fee, fir j (added the lawyer) and In re- turn for your readinefs to fhew me that, will now fliew you my client's title for making her demand. Here, fir, is a will made the very day before the lady died, by which fhe cancels that, and every other wilHhe may have made, and leaves her whole fortune, real and perfonaI,to her fiiler, charged only with a few legacies to her particu- lar friends : and though you may not be much converfant with fuch affairs, you muft certain- ly know, fir, that the laft will takes place. As you are one of the principal legatees, I will read it over to you, if you pleafe ; at leaft that part in which your legacy is mentioned." The THE REVERIE. lo^ The captain's furprize at this piece of news was fo great, that he liad not power immediate- ly to make any reply ; accordingly the Javvyer, taking his filencc for an afient to his propofal, opened the will with great deliberation, and clearing his voice, with an hem or two, pro- ceeded to read : " Item, in return for the great " expencc and trouble which my dearly be- " loved friend captain Lovcjacle has been at,^ in " taking care of me, during this painful and *' tedious illnefs, I give and bequeath to him " a lock of my hair, which I deiire he will have " put into a locket, and v/ear next his hearty " for my fake." " Holvl, fir! (interrupted the captain, rouzed by Aich a cutting infult) let me fee that will. Why, villain, this is not her hand ! I knew it was not poirible. This is a bafc and impu- dent forgery, for which you fliall all be punilhed with the utmoft feverity." " Pray, fir, ( anfwered the lawyer coolly) fufpend fuch an injurious opinion for a mo- ment. Look at.-the paper again, and you will fee that it is not an original will, but an at- teiled copy of one, regularly proved this very morning in the Commons, v/here you may fee the original any time you pleafe. As you may think proper to take advice in a matter of this confequencc, I (hall wait for your anfv/er to my client's demand till to-morrow morning, when I will call upon you for it; if you do noc chufe to fave us both that trouble, by fending all the lady's efFc(5ls to her filler's houfe this evening; to prevent any miftake in which, here is a copy of a fchedule of them, which v/e have figncd by the deceafed, and bearing equal date F 5.;. . ' . with io6 THE REVERIE. with her will : and To, fir, I wifli you a good iTiorning.'* " Pray flay a moment, fir, (faid the cap- tain, a good deal cooled by fuch an unexpected flroke) and give me leave to afk you a few qucftions. Though file has played me Tuch a bafe trick, I prefume 1 have a right to demand a reimburfement of the very great expences which her long illnefs and buiial have coll: me ; and for which, you muft be fenfible I have re- ceived no confideration. You appear to be a perfon of character, and as fuch I expert a direct and candid anfwer from you." '^ I am glad, fir, (anfwered the lawyer) that you lee rcafcn to entertain a better ©pinion of me, than you were pleafed to exprefs a- little while' ago ; but I cannot give you fuch an an- fwer as will be very plcafmg to you. You fay you have received no. confideration ; pray, fir, did not the lady cohabit with you, both before andduring her illnefs? Now, fir, light as you jTjay "rnake of < fuch a matter, the law^ admits (if fuch cpbabitation as a valuable confidera- tion;. not oiily for whatever expences a man .raaybe. at while it continues, but alfo for the Tf^cdyei'y -af. a promiftd maintenance, after it tcif^p.;*:" and therefore you can have no right to t'>ipe(^ •|.fayirfent, cfpeciaMy as'you buried her of ydui' owk*^'t^..VviH'r-snd. without confulting her iiWiji'-llf ypuVfi5,. aj^'d ." yet (lie was one of the nio{Vrerna.!:kableVf,,lhcm , all for the virtues you mc^ntipne^i ^"iAs,. to her lover, bafe as her treatment- of j^ii1i'wAs,'he^, • drew it upon himfelf, by liisinfal"u;^ted dot?.|^y.%^ F 6 .,aM^ ic« T HE REVERIE. and deferved to be deceived tor placing confi- dence in a woman whoi'c whole life he knew to have been a feries of deceit. What is the mat- ter ? You feem fuiprifed at fomething.'* " O gracious fpirit, (anlvvercd I) what can this mean ? We have attended the progrefs of this laft fcene through a feries of many days ; and yet I fee all the other obje6ls round me exactly in the fame fituation as when it began. How can this be? Have their aftions been fuf- pended, till wc fliould hz at leifure to attend to them ?" " Your fur^rize (replied he) is natural. You judge according to the mode of man's concep- tion, whofe limited faculties are incapable of comprehending things at, once ; and therefore are obliged to receive them in a flow fuccefHon, which you call time. But beings of a fuperior nature are not under that dii'ad vantage. Our powers arc more extenfive ; and the Ihdrteft glance fnews us the whole progrefs of the moft complicated tranfa6tion, bringing all its parts together in one view before us* This power I have for the prefent communicated to you, as I could, not otherwife attend to give you the information vou defire in the tedious courfe of -human comprehenfion. But you will under- lland this better, when I tell you, that what ,. ieemed to you a 'eries of many days, in reality was not a minute^ according to your manner of fpcaking. Attention to this will prevent a like fu'-Driz-c on future occafions." C H A P. THE REVERIE. 109 CHAP. XXII. An account of an univerfal genius, Sofne curious farets in the trade of an author ; ijuith a new way of replying to impertinent remarks, WHILE I was refl'ecling on what my guide had juft faid, " Turn your eye this way, (confined he) and obferve that perfon yonder. He is one of the ftrongeft inftances of the danger of indulging an indiscriminate defire of praife j and being feduced by the firfl fmiles of fuccefs to form Ichemes for acquiring even the moft imaginary pre-eminence over the reft of mankind. " To underftand the nature of the dirtrefs,' which, as you fee, corrodes his heart, and makes him incapable of enjoying the favours fortune has heaped upon him, it will be ne- cefiiuy to take a fhort viev/ of his life. **- He was born in one of the lower ranks of the people, where neceffity iilcnces thevoice 'of aiTibiii n,. and obliges men to have recourfe: ' to the more immediately ufeful arts, of induflry.v and labour, to fupply their ov/n wants, and mi*- nifler to the ccnvenience of thofe above them^ But though the poverty of his parents pre-. vented their extending their views beyond their own fphere, in the way of life they propofed for him, a. dawn of genius, which marked the • opening of his youth, prompted them to exert the utrroil of their abilities in giving him the firl} rudiments of a good" educatioa. "Such no THE REVERIE. " Such care, when didlated by prudence, and not the fond refult of injudicious partial vani- ty, is feldom unfuccefsful ; thoun-h for a while it feemed to counter-a6t their principal defign, by leading him into purfuits of a different na- ture from thoTe marked out for him, and mak- ing him defpife and negle6l the low illiberal profefiion he was bred to. " But one of thofe lucky accidents which govern life, and (liew the infignificancy of hu- man forecaft and vvifdom, effected what their moft fanguine fondnefs could never have fug- gefted the remoteft hope of. " After he had languifhcd for fome years in obfcurity and indignant d/f'content at the fe- verity of his fate, he happened one day, in a mixed company, which had met upon fome public occafion, to fit next to one of the mofl ingenious perfons of the age. *' Trie converfation in fuch places general- ly turns on fubjedts the leai'l agreeable to men of reafon j and is carried on with fuch noife and confufion, that; in their own defence, they are obliged to enter into private chat with thofe next them, to avoid being applied to, if they appeared difengaged. " Accordingly, the gentleman afl^ied hlai fome of the common queilions which lead in- to difcourfe, defigned only to confume time ; but he, ambitious of appearing to advantage in the eyes of a perfon of his chara61:er, foon took an opportunity to divert the converfation to thofe fubje£ls which he knew would be moft pleafmg to him; in which he difplayed fuch ex- tenfive reading, fuch delicacy of taftc, and' depth of judgment, with fo modeft a diffidence in T H E R E V E R I E. m in his own, and fubmiflive deference for the opinion of the other, that he politely invited him to his houfe, for the pleafure of improving their acquaintance. " From that day, his profpecSls began to brighten. The gentleman, pleafed with the thought of having refcued a man of fuch abili- ties from obfcurity, not only received him in- to the clofeft intimacy, but alfo introduced him to the knowledge of i'uch of the great as were inoft eminent tor patronizing literary merit, whofe favours in a manner prevented his very wifhcs. *' The firfl advantage he took of this happy change was to quit the mean profeflion he had been educated in, and enter into the moft re- putable in which the abilities of the human mind can be exerted j where the intereft of his new friends foon crov/ned his fame with the folid reward of an honourable and afHuent efl:a- blifliment.- *' During the life of his friend he preferved his efteem by the moft artful and delicate ad- drefi. Senfible of the implacability of Jite- ra-y rivalfliip, he carefully avoided the -par- ticular paths the other had advanced in to that envied eminence he now enjoyed, and to which he afTertcd a kind of exclufive ri?ht, diredlina: his ftudies fo diikrent a way, that far from being jealous of an emulation, his friend gave the fandlion of his own moft fanguine appro- bation, toeftablifh his fame; and at his death gave the ftrongeft proof of his confidence in his abilities and integrity, by entrufting him with the Care of Ibme of hisvYorks, which were nut \et publiihcd. '* So 112 THE REVERIE. *' So honourable a teftimony eftabliflied hi's reputation in the higheft efteem ; but a vain ambition of appearing in the abfurd character of an imiverjal genius foon precipitated him from this envied height. " For the reafon of the rcferve v^^hich had hitherto kept him within his proper bounds being now removed, he refolved to give his parts their full fcope ; and to fliew that his tafte for the works of imagination was equal to his judgment in the abftrufer purfults of fciencc, he publiflied a colle<5lion of old ballads^ with yiotes end emendaticns^ criticnl and explanatory ; in the courfe of which he difcovered fuch a contempt for the opinions of all other writers, and ob- truded his own with fuch an air of authority, without deigning even to give any reafons in their fupport,- that he provoked the univerfal indignation of that irritable race ; one of whom, in particular, levelled the canons of ridicule againft his work, in fuch a fpirited, .poi2;nant manner, that, in defpite of his confidence in his own opinion, and contempt for that of others, he was obliged to fupprefs it, at a very confi- derable expence. " The leaft flip on the fummit of a precipice is dangerous. The firlt difgriice he met in this affair gave his reputation^i deep wound ; and another work, publilhed foon after, in which he advanced opinions contrary to the general fenfe of mankind, and undertook to fupport thcrn, by arguments either trifling, or evident- ly fubverfive of them, entirely ruined it for ever ; and he became of no more confequence in the literary world than if he was adually dead. «< How- THE REVERIE. 113 " However, that very opinionated confidence which drew him into this difgrace, prevented his finking under the weight of it ; and enables him to look down with dildain upon all who prefume to differ with him, without even vouchfafing to take the leaft notice of their ob- jections. " But under this appearance of unconcern, his heart is a conftant prey to the pangs of dif- appointed ambition, and the moll rancorous envy ; and he fecretly defcends to the meaneil artifices, to reflore his loll credit, and deflroy that of his hated rivals." . Juft as my guide had concluded his ac- count of this extraordinary perfonage, a man entered to him, whom he Teemed to have ex - peeled for fome time. " I fuppofe, fir, (faid he, without deigning to take the leall notice of the profound refpedt with which the other ap- proached him) you miflook the time when I let you know I (liould be at leifure to fee you ; or you would not have made me wait this half hour,'"' " I mofl humbly beg your pardon, fir, (an- fw^rcd the other) but I was delayed by an un- expeiled affair. A particular friend of mine called at my fhop, juft as I was coming to wait upon you, to inform me, 'that there was a very fmart pamphlet to come out in a day or two againft your laft book. As I happen to have connections with the printer, I went to him di- rectly, and by much intreaty prevailed upon him to let me have one of them in fheets, which I have here brought with me, in or- der that you may have an anfwer to it ready, be[ore it can have done us much mifchief. Here 114 THE REVERIE. Here it is ! — Will you pleafe to look in^o it?" '* No, fir ! not I ! (replied he) I am not at leifure to read Jmart pamphlets at this time'' "But, fir, (returned the other) confider what a prejudice it may do your book." — " A prejudice ! — No, fir, that is impoffible ; (interrupted he peeviflily) quite impoiTible, that a thoufand pamphlets, though never fo fmart^ in your e.xprcfTive phrafe, fhould do any prejudice to that book. Nothing can do a pre- judice to that book in the opinion of the learned and judicious." " If they cannot do the book a prejudice, fir (faid the bookfeller, as he nowsppearcd to b^) I know to my cod, that they can prejudice the Tale of it; which is fo heavy alreadv, that I am like to be at a confiderable lofs, if fome- thing cannot be don£ to pufh it on. And for this purpofe, 1 have here brought, you all the books and pamphlets Vv'hich have been writ- ten againft it ; and fhall take it as a favour, if you Vv'ill write a general anfwcrto them all to- gether; in which it will not be amifs, to throw in fome perfonal reflecffions a'gainft the au- thors, that may provoke them to reply; by which means a controvcrfy may be fet on foot, that may raife a curiofity to read the book. " Many a book is helped ofFthis way, that t\{Q, would have lain long enough upon hands. Nay, I know an author of eminence who al- ways anfwers his own books, and then replies to the anfwers again, and both with fuch ani- mofity, fuch ripping and tearing, thaf one- would fwear they were written by the bittcrefl: enemies .j by which management, he not only fells THE REVERIE. 115 fells his book, but alfo makes a good penny orthe controverfy too." " Well, and pray good fir (anfwered the author, who had liftened to him all this while with the greateft appearance of indifference) what do you tell me this fine ilory for ? do you want me to imitate the practice of your eminent authors?" *' Pardon me, fir! (replied the bookfeller) I would by no means give you that trouble. I am fenfible your time is too valuable to be fpent that way. But I hope you will think proper to anfwer the objections which h?.ve been made by others. Your own reputation, as well as my intercft are concerned. You knew I paid you an high price for the copy, and have printed the book in the moll: ele- gant and expenfive manner, and it would be hard to let me lofe by it now." *' I have told you often, (returned the au- thor haughtily) there can be no danger of your Iofin2;. Such a book muft necefiarily fell; and the attacks of thofe infignlhcant fcribblers only prove its merit, ' Envy is always the fha- dow of excellence. However, as you feem to be alarmed at thefe anfwers, or whatever they are called, to fatisfy you I will reply to them." " Sir, I am much obliged to you (faid the b okf>:;ller, putting a parcel of books and pam- phlets out of his bofom and pockets) here they are. You fee there have been a good many nibbling at you." " Pray, fir, (faid the author, with an air of difguft) do not give yourfelf the trouble of taking them out. I have no manner of occa- iion ior them. "I ii6 THE REVERIE. " I beg pardon, fir, (anfwered the bookfeller) I did not know you had them. Then I will only leave this laf}, which you have not feen." " Sir, I have not feen any of them (replied the author) nor do I dcfire to fee them. Pray be fo good as to take them all away together." — " Plow, fir ! I thoujrht you faid you would anlwer them." — '* True, fir. But I did not fay alio that I would read them, I hope."' — <'Sir,— 1 do not underftand you, fir. How can you an- fvver books, without reading them?" " Sir, you ailc a great many queftions.Why, fir, I know that any thing written againft that book muft be nonfenfe, which I will lay in the preface to another book I am now ''A\M-iting : and this will be a fufHcient anlwer." — " And in the mean time, before that book comes out, they will have damned the other eternally. Sir, — Sir, — ■! beg pardon; but I cannot help fpeak- ing. I am much afraid that luch an anfwer will not be fufHcient. That — that— -that is only giving your opinion of } our own book," — " And pray, fir, whofe opinion is better ? who is a better judge?" — *' 1 do not fay any die is a better judge, fir. But, fir, the public may require a — a — a more particular anfwer. If that v/ould do, any author would fay fo much in defence of the worfl book that ever ■was written," " Well, fir, (faid the author, putting on a look of offended dignity) as I do not think that book the worfl that ever was written, I fhall not fay any more in defence of it, let the public expe6t what they will. I am pofi- tive it rnuft work its way, in fpite of a thou- fand THE REVERIE. 117 fand fuch ignorant cavillers. But, to make you cafy, if it fliould not fell, I will make good the lofs to you. You fhall not fufFer by it." '' I am much obliged to you, fir (anfwercd the bookfeller, making a moft profound re- verence) That is fufficient, full fufficient. I hope you are not ofFended at, my anxiety. I would by no means." — '* Pray, fir, (replied the author) let me hear no more of it. If you are fatisfied, I hope that is enough." CHAP. XXIII. Extraordinary inftances of one author s regard for t^oe reputation of another ; with a Jhort method^ of fikncing competitors for literary fatne. TH E adjufting of this delicate affair dif- pelled the cloud that hung upon their brows, and reftored their mutual complaifancy and good humour. "T imagined, fir ('faid the author, reaching the bookfeller his fnuff-box, as a pledge of perfect amity) you muft have had fome parti- cular bufmefs with me, by the earneftnefs with . which you defired to fee me." " Sir (anfwered hej I wanted to beg your opinion of that manufcript which I took the liberty to fend you laft week. The author called upon me ycfterday ; and infifts upon having my definitive anfwer this afternoon." — " And pray what does he aft^: for that fine arFair?" — *' Sir, he fays he will not ^bate of 3 the ii8 THE REVERIE. the price I wrote you word ; which, high as it is, I think I had better give him, as his name will not fail to fell the book." " Sir, you know your own bufmefs bcfl ; but I am fatisfied it can never fell, and vvill certainly ruin the gentleman's reputation : to prevent which, as I have a great regard for him, if I thought my interfering in it could never come to his knowledge, I would even buy it myfelf, and burn it i by which means his neceffities would he fupplied, and his cha- rafter favcd." " You are very good, fir. There are few who would be at fuch an ex pence, to ferve a friend now a-days. As to h-is.knowii^g any thing of the matter, I hope you a.re fenfible you can depend upon me." " Then, fir, here is the rnDneytQ'.giv.e him." — " The money, fir I yes, fir^ th^t js. juft the author's money. But pray what' Jdo }'ou defign to let me have, for my profit on it. You cannot expect that I fhould buy and fell, with- out fome profit :" " Profit, fir ! I did. not imagine you could defire profit in fuch/an afl^iir as this, where you have no trouble, nor run any rifk of lofs." " No trouble, fir ! Dear fir, you little think what trouble I fhall have with this gentleman about the publication of this book ; nor how many evafions and lying cxcufes I muft invent, to put him, off. The generality of authors, it is true, give themfelves no farther trouble about a book the 'moment they receive tlieir copy- mo- ney. It is eq;ual to them, whether it is burned or publifllcd. Butthis is a difFerent cafe. This gentlctnan CApCiSls to efiablilh a charader bv his wprics." ' . • ■ " Well, THE REVERIE. 119 <' Well, fir, and what profit do you ex- pea ? " «' Why, fir, every thing being confidered, I cannot pofTibly let you have it for lefs than as much more as the author gets." *' How, fir ! as much more as the author gets ! is not that a very unreafonable de- mand ?" " Not at all, fir. Not in the lead. But if you think, it is, I am far from preiling you to give it. It is paying very dear, to be fure, for doing a man a piece of fervicc; and I fhall lofe confiderably alfo, by obliging you. Whv> fir, there is fuch an expecSlation of this book, that the. common number of a firft edition is befpoke by the trade already. In fliort, I do not know xvhat r may lofe by parting with it. As to. its being double what the author gets, that; is no rule.' , What authors get is but a trifle^'in* c?6fr>]iapifon of the profits of a good book. Th? gentleman had but an hundred forthat atheiftical book you -anfvycred ; but the book- feller madca good- thoufand of it; I was very unlucky in miffing, that book.** " I hope, fir, the.anfwer made you amends. You paid no fuch price for that ; and chriftian charity will not let me doubt its felling better than fuch a vile book. The age, bad as it is, cannot be fo depra\'ed as to prefer that book to the anfwer." " Alack a day, my dear fir. The anfwer was quite another fort of things It never fold at all. *No body bad the leaft defire to read the-, anfv/er." " That is very odd! very odd indeed! Well,-, fir, I fliall not difputc with. .-y.ou. Here is the , money." '",.•'<■''•• '^'Sirjn-^ /.-.■'lA T20 THE REVERIE. *' Sir, I thank you. But that is right ! Have you heard, fir, that the gentleman who wrote that other book, the iirft edition of which I bought up for you, along with the right of co- py, from the publifhcr, and fold again for your account, to the paftry-cooks and chand- lers fhops as wafte paper, has written ano- ther on one of the moft interefling fubjetS^s that can be conceived, which he defigns to publifh himfelf ; as the trade, prejudiced by the fup- pofed mifcarriage of the former, have refufed to give him his price for it." " Obftinate, fhamelefs wretch ! To write again, after fufi'ering fuch a difgrace ! But is there no way to prevent his expofing himfelf in this manner ?" *' No, fir, but by buying his books from hiin, which, as I faid before, is a very dear way of doing him fervice ; elpecially as his pride - makes him hold it at a very high price, to fhew that he is not confcious of any demerit to have deferved the former difgrace." " Opiniated coxcomb ! However, I will dif- appoint his vanity, at leaft for this time ; fo even buy it for me as cheap as you can : and I hope you will not defire any profit in this affair." '* Only, the allowed profit of the trade. Ten per cent, no more ; though you muft be fen- lible, that as the failure of the former book pro- ceeded not from any want of merit in it, I might reafonably cxpecSl: to make much ^more by publifhing this myfelf. There is another' affair, that gives me a great deal of uncafinefs, . The author of that book in which you made, the alterations called at my (hop yellerday, and abufed . . T H E R E V E R I E. 121 abufed me in the grofTeft manner, charging the mifcarriage of the book entirely on them, and threatening to take perfonal revenge of me, if I did not difcover who had fcrved him in fo bafe a manner. I put him off for that time as well as I could, by declaring that I knew nothing of the matter, and would make the ftriiSlefi: en- quiry about it ; but what to fay to him when he calls next I know not, as I imagine you would not have your name mentioned." " Ignorant blockhead ! The only merit in the book is in thofe alterations. No ! my name mufl not be mentioned by any means ; and your beft way is to infift that you know nothing of the matter ; and if he gives you any abufe, or offers to threaten you, put him into the hands of a lawyer, and he will foon make *" him quiet." " Indeed, I believe that is the only method of getting rid of him. Sir, I v/ifh you a good morning. I fhall obferve every thing you have faid to me." As foon as he was gone, the other began t > refle<5l upon the trania6tions of the morning. ^* Well, (faid he, after mufing for fome mo- ments) if [ do pay fomething dear for thofc ■ . books, I remove two formidable rivals with- .•'■out any more trouble; and n.)t that only, 1 r- -.can alfo take what I like out of them, and in- V fcrt it in my own works ; in doing which there is Jiothing unfair, as my buying them has made them abfolutely my own property. As to an- swering thofe pamphlets, it is bv no means worth my v/hile. I will not imir.*:)rta]ize fuch '-Vpaulcry Icriblei's, by taking any notice of them, ^.ad Virgil treated Bavius and M^vvius with Vol. 1. . G . proper 122 THE R EV E R I E. proper contempt, their names had periflicd with themfclves, and not been handed down to lateft pofterity, in his woiks." CHAP. XXIV. A rare example of modcjly and refpeSiy on a mofi trying occajion. A fure way of getting a good character j voith fo?ne JJjort refc£iions on literary ambition^ and other ?nore feriaus matters. AS he was in the midft of this modefl me- ditation, a fervant came to let him know that a particular gentleman was come to wait upon him. " Shew him into the parlour (faid he) I am engaged at prefent. When I am at leiiure to fee him, I will ring." *' He is come (continued Jhe, as foon as he was alone) to infult me with the fuccefs of his infignificant, trifling book. But, 1 will mor- tify his pride ; he fhall fee that I am not in the number of his foolilh admirers.^' Saying this, he fell Into a filent conte/npla- tion of his own confequcnce, which he in- dulged fo lonp^, that his vifitorfkcwed the heiQ;ht of complaifance, in waiting for him. At Icjigth, however, the important bell rung, and he was admitted ; when advancing with a profound reverence, *'l have made bold to wait upon you, fir, (faid he) to impart an affair that 1 hope wilj not be unpleafing." " Pray^ firl, v.hat may that be r' (anfwered the plher, without defccnding from his dignity, by niaking any return to his falute.) '* Sir, tHE REVERIE. 123 ■" Sir, (replied he, rubbing his handsj and •looking at them, as if to admire their white- nefs) 1 have a very advantageous o/ler made me, to write a fecond part to my laft book. ; I fhould be glad to know in what particular manner you would have memention you in it.'* — " Mention me, Sir ! I do not undcrftand you." " 1 mean, Sir, what you would have me fay of your v/orks, as I defign to take notice of all the eminent writers of the times.'* " Sir, I am obliged to you for your inten- tion to pay me a compliment ; but I had much rather you would let it alone. I have no am- bition to be clafTcd among your embunt writers^ nor even mentioned in their works. 1 would gladly have excufed it before." " I hope you do not think it a difcredit, fir, to be fpoken of in a work that has ran through "fifteen edition's V " The number of editions is moil: certainly an excellent proof of the merit of a book ; wit- nefs Onania^ and the Filgrhn\ Progrefs. In- deed, my friend, I muft be candid v/ith you. I had much rather that boo-k had never been pub- liflied, for your own fake. I know the breath of prpfent approbation is apt to intoxicate i but if you will make anejlhnate of the 77ianners and principles of the times, you will own that it implies a difcredit to pleafe fuch an effeminate -debauched tafte as reigns at prefent ; and that no work which fucceeds now can poilibly meet the approbation of pofterity. And who would be at the pains of writing, if it vi'ere not for the hope of making his name immortal ?'* " All, fir, have not the fame fublime way of thinking) nor the abilities to execute it, G 2 which 124- THE REVERIE. which you arc blefl'ed with ; but that mufl not make us jiegledl to improve the talent given us. Prefent fame in fuch matters as thefe is prefent profit J and that is the firft ohje6l to be defired in my humble flate. For the opinion of pofte- rity, I muft rely upon the manner in which you fhall pleaie to mention me in your works: but there is one thing in which I mufl have ex- prefTed myfelf imperfc6lly, as you fcem to have miftaken my meaning. When I mentioned eminent writers, I was far from defigning to rank you in a clafs with any other. There are degrees in eminence; the firft of which, I am I'enfible, you poficls alone, and that in fo dif- tinguiihed a maimer, that your writings only are fufEcicnt to vindicate the age from the re- proach of ignorance and barbariim. The emi- nence of other writers is only in comparifon to the common herd of mankind, and raifes them not to a level with you, " there fitting where they dare not foar." " Well, fir, if you think my name will be of Jervice to your book, I am laiisfied that you Ihould infert it ; and, to fave you, trouble will write that part myfeif, as I did on the former occafion. But, pray fir, do you not think it iieccifary to anfwer the objections made to your Jail book before you write another on the lame •lubject ?" *•'• No, fir, not in the leaft ; I intend to fol- low your example, and take no notice of them." " But — fn— )our cafe and mine are quite tliiferent. My works are dcfigncd for future ages, and therefore cannot be affctlted by fuch feeble attacks. But yours, which are but the blollbms of a day, are liable to be blafled by by THE REVERIE. 125 every breath of wind. The deep-rooted oak feels not the breeze that overturns the gawdy tulip." *' Pardon me, fir, I prefume not to make any comparifon. I am juftly fenfible of the dif- ference. Plowever, as I do not find that thev have been able to do me any prejudice, 1 fliafl take no trouble about them. You vi'ill oleafc V to let me have 3'our account of vour own works as foon as vou can, as I ihall fend the book to preis directly. Sir, your moft humble fervant.'* There was fomething fo defpicably mean and difrngenuous in thefe lall: fcenes, that 1 was really glad when they were ended. " You fee (faid my guide fmiling) how low ambition can ftoop. Of all the palfions which actuate the human heart, the ftrongcft and moft univerfal is the love of fame, next to thofe of felf-prefervation and continuing the fpecles j both of which even it often furmounts. '* To this in fome, however miftaken {qvx^q^ may every purfuit of man be traced. The fe- lon who fired the temple had the fame defire of an immortal name with him whofe better ge- nius prompted him to build it ; and moft of the atrocious crimes which difgrace the hiftory of mankind, may in fome meafure be deduced from the fame principle. " But of all the inftances of the tyranny of this paflion, the moft violent and at the faine time the moft abfurd in its effe6is, is literary ambition. " The obvious motive of a perfon's under- taking the laborious talT<: of writing to the pub- lick, is a benevolent defire to promote their happinefs, either by informing the underftand- ^ 3 i"g^ 126 THE REVERIE; ing, or alleviating the cares and anxiety of life by rational entertainment. — I mention not thofe whom neceflity drives to this n:iethod of lupply* ino; their wants. *' But there are very few who write from this motive alone ; and even of thofe who may hiive originally fet out with it, fcarce one perfevercs, without yielding to biafl'es of a nature directly contrary, and facrificing the moft facred prin- ciples of ftri6t and moral virtue to a vain luft of popular admiration, and a jealous envy of his competitors ; the virulence of which not only poifons the enjoyment of that fame which ho has already acquired, but alfo precipitates hira into fchemes for engroffing more, which dif- appoint his defign, and deprive him of what he really deferves." " Of the juftice of tliefe obfervations (faid I) tills perfon is a fufficient proof; but there is one thing 'the rcafon of which I cannot com- prehend, and that is the fervile complaifance with which the other author bore his haughti- ncfs, and the fulfome adulation he paid him in return ofhisinfults and contme particular cir- cumftances in the tenure of which oblige him to indulge the tenants with all the pagea7ury of G 4 power, / 128 T H K REVERIE. power, all the formalities of liberty, though without any of the real advantages of either. " Nor is the power entruftcd to their tem- porary governors more folid. 7 lie fcrvant of the fuperior fervants of his mafter, he goes with his hands tied up ; and aOs a part prc- fcribed for him, in which the lealf departure from his orders is immediately over-ruled, and hi? prefumption cheeked with a leverc repri- mand. " Such a mockery of command is the moft painful aggravation of fervitude. It is an in- fult that makes even wretchednefs more wretch- ed. Yet fo llrong is the vanity of the human heart, that the ineftimable advantages of inde- pendence are daily facriHced to this wcrthJers, empty fliew. *'How this mimic flate is fupported by thofc monarchs of a day, and what pleafure it af- fords to balance the pain of fuch a tantalizing iituatlon, you will foon fee. But that you may mere dillin(5ily underftand the fcene, which is juft ready to open, it is necefTary to give you a general flcetch of the principal things upon which it turns. " I obferved to you, that there are fome particular circumftances in the tenure of this manor. The chief of thefe, and that on which all the reft depend is, that " though ^'' fubordinate to^ and dependent on the principal ** manor y in ivhich the lord rrfides^ it is Jl ill a di- ^^ JlinSl manor in itfelf, with a right to hold *•• courts^ and make laws, for its oiun government \ *' but that thefe laws are not to be of force y till '' they are approved of by the courts of the prin-r '' cipal THE REVERIE, 129 " c'lpal inanor^ which courts have alfo a right to '* make laws to hind this^ " The perplexity and contradifllons in this complicated affairare too evident to require being pointed out ; yet, far from ftriving to remove them, in the proper management of this very perplexity confifts the w^hole myftery of the po- liticks of this manor. " For the ftewards, and thofe whom they can attach to their party by lucrative employ- ments, always make a pretext of the articles of fubordination and dependence^ to oppofe every at-- tcmpt made in the court-leet by the apparent friends of the manor, to promote its feparar.e intereft ; as, on the other hand, thofe friends eagerly catch at and infifl on the oppoiite ones, of its being a diJiiuSi manor ^ and having a right of making its own laws, to embarrafs the ordi- nary courfe of the government, and embroil the ftewards with the people, bypropofing laws in their confequences deilructive of that depen- dence ; 'till, wearied out by finding that their labour is in vain, or ("as is much oftener the cafe) obtaining fome place or penfion, the real objects which they had in view, they at length drop their oppolition, juft in the critical mo- ment when it might have been expelled to pro- duce fome important confequences. " Thus all thhigs remain in their former flate of uncertainty and confufioii ; each party thinking they have done enough in baffling the attempts of the other, and not abfolutely givinii; up the caufe of contention, but leaving the field open for future difputants, to try their fortunes on a more favourable occalion." G 5 "It 130 THE REVERIE. " It muft appear ftr.inge to you, that the fteward fhould be ordered to obftfuiSl the in- tereft of a manor belonging to his lord. The whole fyftem of human politicks is incompre- henfible. The reafon for this conduft is this : The fituation of that manor is fo convenient for commerce, and the other natural advantages of it fo many, that they apprehend if it was not kept under by every difcouragcment and reflric- tion pofTibly reconcilable with the fainteft fha- dow of liberty, it would foon rival, if not run away with the trade of the principal manor, in. which its wealth almoft wholly confifts ; and confequently, as wealth- is the foundation of power, in time arife above its fubordination^^ and perhaps fhake ofF its dependence." '* One thing, by the way, I muft obferve to you, which makes this conteft ftill more ex- oradinary ; this is, that it fubfilKs entirely be- tween the manors themfelves, the inhabitants. being all connecflcd by every tie of nature, thofc of this manor, or their anccftors, having all removed from the principal one thither. " Such difcouragements and reftritflions are not fubmitted to without great relu6tancebythe inhabitants, who cannot fee themfelves cut oiT from making the proper advantages of the blcf- fings of nature, and languifliing in unneceflary poverty without repining, and indignation at a treatment vvhich appears to them equally in-' grateful andunjult; as they have always pre- ferved theii fdial duty to their mother-country untainted, and on all occafions difpla\ed the ileadiefl: attachment to its general intereft, and to the family of the prefent lord." ^•' Thefe THE REVERIE. j^t *' Thefe natural fentiments of the people are on every occafion inflamed to a degree of niad- iiefs, by a fet of men for that time called pa- triots, (I have told you the import of this word as it is ufed at prefenr) who, by pathetick- harar.gues on fo favourite a fubjcdt and pro- mifes of redrefTing thofe grievances, gain their confidence fo far as to be put at the head of a plaufible oppofiuon to the raeafurcsof the ftcw- ard, which they perfift in 'till their zeal is cured by a prcper application, and they obtain the objeds which they had all along in view. ^ " Thus, you fee, 'the whole fecret of thefe difputes confifts in pelting each other with a fet of words which have no determinate meaning, and are therefore ufed in different fenfes by the oppofite parties, as occafion requires ; and that the controverfy may not be improperly be com- pared to a game of draughts, where a number of men are facrificed to raife one to power ; and when the game is ended all are promifcuoufiy throv^n by, and the antagoniiii, part as good friends as ever. *' But there is nothing in thefe difputes more unaccountable to inexperienced rcafon, than the manner in which they are carried on. As the event of the game is always forefeen, it fhould be imagined that they might play their cards coolly, and without wrangling about tricks which can make no alteration in the fuc- cefs. But the connary is always the cafe ,- and no fooner are they engaged, than, forget- ting that they are only playing booty on both fides, they fall together by the ears with "the moll virulent animoiity ; and dropping the mat- • ter originally in difpute, break out into the G 6 groflcH; 132 THE REVERIE. groffeft outrages of pcrfonal refledlion and abufe, as if the folc point to be gained was only who fhould make their antagonifts appear in the blackeft light. " Horrid as this more than brutal ferocity appears, it arifes from that fource of all evils, jnterefted defign. The worthy patriots are fen- lible that every ftroke they give the fuppofed opprelFors, affords the malignant pleafure of re- venge to thofe who think themfelves opprefied ; witn whom it alfo confirms their intereft, by lefiening their fears of a reconciliation, which they know by fad experience is always made at iheir cypence; as the oppofite party retort the ibufe thrown upon them with equal eagernefs.^ to obviate the defign of the others, and gratify a natural defire of revenge, and all without the lead regard to truth or juftice. '* Thus jfre the moft facrcd bands of fociety broken, to ferve a deteftable purpofe ; and wounds given often to the pureft charadters impoflible ever to be healed. "• You now fee what a defirable obje£^ this fliadow of power is. Indeed the difagreeable circumrtances which attend it arc fo many, and fo foon diiTipate the intoxication of vanity, that very few would groan under them for the ap- pointed time, if their refolution v/r.s not fup- riorted by a profpcdt of gain, of which, though none ever ftood in lefs need, not one ever was more greedy than this perfon before us, whofe <->wn private condu6l has alfo aggravated all the unavoidable inconveniences of hi-i fituation, and made it many times more difagreeable than it need to be. (( For THE REVERIE. 133 *' For as the nature of his office neceflarily embroiled him with the greater part of the te- nants, fo the haughtinef's of his behaviour has given fuch offence even to thofe whofe intereft it is to be upon good terms w^ith him, that moft of them have dropt all friendly intercourfe. Nay, fome have gone ftill farther, and, in the warmth of their refentment, threatened to call him to a fevere account for fome flights < they apprehend he has offered to their privileges, of the honour of which they are jealous to a degree of madnefs, as foon as he ihall be di- verted of his aflumed character, and defcend in- to his own : a threat equally difagreeable to the delicacy of his honour and his conftitu- tion." @0@€*®^^#®© and tell us what has happened to you." The knight of the halter at this went to the door, and clapping his ear to the key-hole, to liften whether there was any noife, bolted it laft, and then returned to the fteward, who had by this time recovered himfelf i-o far, as to make a fliift to repeat the defire of the other gen'tle- man, that he fhould tell what had happened. '' As foon as I left you, fir (fiudhe, throw- ing his eye every moment towards the door) I went diredly to the court-leet, where I took the firft opportunity to do as I had faid ; for one of the jury-men happening juft then to drop fome expreffions of diflike at your manner of doing bufmefs, I took him up fliort j and faid, that he deferved to be well drubbed for his in- folence, in prefunjing to find fault with his mailer; and that if they did not do their duty they {hould be made to do it; or their courts ihould be taken away from them* and their manor THE REVERIE. 143 manor governed by the laws of the principiU manor, without all this fufs and trouble. " At thefe words the whole court took fire, every one calling out to me at the fame in- ftant for fatisfadb'on. But I was prepared for this, and therefore, to go through with my I'cheme, I roared out as loud as they, that 1 was ready to fight the beft man among them, in fupport of what I had faid, and for a guinea by, if they pleaied, and inftantly began to ftrip. '* But they foon let me know that this was not the way of fighting they chofej for, like a parcel of blood-thiifly villains, they in^lantly clapped their hands to their fwords, faying, they fcorncd that vulgar manner, and expelled the fatisfa<5lion due to a gentleman, which I might take my choice of fword or piflol, to give, as I liked. " But I begged their excufc there. I liked neither: for, though I could give and take as hard knocks as the befi: of them, I knew nothing of their damneads i6o THE R E V E R I E- made up matters between the mob and the fteward before, and happened to be one of the company j *' What can this mean, madam ? (faid he, thinking that his former mediation gave him a right to interfere) I hope there was no foundation for fuch a report." " What report, fir ? (anfwered fhe) I do not underftand you" " Why, madam, (replied he) the fcandalous report of your defigning to play at cards this evening." " I do not know what you call a fcandalous report (returned fhe, with a look ofdifdain) my neighbour, Mrs. Tofspot^ came yefterday ta tell me that fhe had got a keg of choice old rum, and as fhe knows I am very fond of a glafs of good punch, invited my hufband and me, to meet half a dozen other neighbours at her houfe to play a game at cards, and fpend the evening. This is all I know of the mat- ter.'^ " And really madam (faid the gentleman) this is a great deal more than I am glad to hear ; as I was in hopes I had convinced Mr^ Steward of the impropriety of this before." " Well, my dear (faid fhe, turning to her hufband, without deigning to make any reply to the gentleman) what do you defign to do } it is almofl time. Will you go ? *' Not-I indeed (anfwered he, flirugging up his fhoulders) I have no defire to meet fuch company, I allure you." " And fo we fhall mifs our fhare of the punch (returned flic, whifpering him) this is hard ! very hard ! and after I have fet my mind upon it fo, too.." THE f[ E V E R I E. i6i " I cannot help it (replied he) I will not run the hazard." " Then get rid of thefe people as foon as you can (whifpered fhe again j after a little paufe) I have a thought in my head that will do as well as going." And then fpeaking aloud, " Well my dear, I fubmit to you; but as we do not go there, I think it would not be amifs if we went to church, the bell rings." " And prav, madam (added the gentleman) give me leave to advife you not only to deny your having had any fuch appointment upon your hands, if the affair fliould take wind; but alfo never to attempt a thing of the kind again Vi'hile you are here; for 1 can tell you, this new correfpondcnt of your's, the mob of this manor, is particularly whimfical fometimes, and may unluckily do fomething that would make you cut a very ridiculous figure." To this, the gentlewoman did not think it worth her while to make any anfwer, but turning up her nofe with an air of contempt, went out of the room. As foon as flie was gone the gentleman be- gan to read the lie ward a ledure on his breacYi of promife, to which I gave no more heed than himfelf, my attention being diverted to a more entertaining objedl. '' You heard the genthman fay (faid my guide) that the mob of this manor is fome- times whimfical : look yonder, and you will fee a proof of it. On his faying this, I turned my eye to the next ftreet, where I faw half a dozen ihabby fellows following a gentlewoman's chair care- U^Yi and as if they were llrolling without any parti- i62 THE REVERIE. Particular defign, till it flopped at the door of ^n houfe which I found to be Mrs. Tcfspofs, when in an inftant two or three hundred of them rufhed out of the bye lanes, and alleys, where they had been lurking for the purpofe, and furrounding the chair juft as the chairmen were going to carry it into the houfe, one of them flopped it, and lifting up the head, dcfired the gentlewoman very civilly to walk uut. ^' What Is the matter? (faid flie, with an air of authority, as if flie thought to intimidate them) what do the fellows mean?" " Only to give you a little good advice, ma- dam (anfwered he that fpoke before.) And therefore I hope you will pleafe to come out of your chair quietly, and not oblige us to be fo rude as to pull you out! never fear, madam I. we do not defign to do you any hurt.'* As it might be dangerous to difobey fo abfo- Jute an authority, the gentlewoman complied dire^lly, amazed and terrified as (he was ; and {landing in the midfl of them, the fame fellow who appeared to be the orator of the mob, pro- ceeded: *' We underfland, madam (faid he, making her a low bow, and holding his hat in his hand, which he had very politely pulled ofFj when he firfl fpoke to her) that you are com- ing here to fpcnd the evening at cards : now', as we know that to be a very profane, wicked^ and pernicious cuflom, and what has brought many an one of our companions to the gal- lows,, we think it our duty not only to prevent you this time; but alfo to take care that you iiiall never be guilty of the like again. We fiberefore .humbly infifl, that you give us your oath THE REVERIE: 163 ^ath here, in the fight of all thefe good people, that, from this bleffed moment, you will never play at cards, dice, or any other game, on the fahbath'day^ while you live. Here is the book ; obferve, it is the Bible ! You muft fwear with* out any equivocation, or mental refervation whatfoever. Come ! it is for the good of your foul." The gentlewoman was by this time fo terri- fied, that flie would have fworn to impoffibili- ties, to get out of fuch hands. She therefore obeyed them without hefitation ; upon which the whole mob gave three huzza's, that made the flreet ring; and then the orator, addrefling himfelf to her again, " We are glad, madam, (faid he) that you complied fo readily with our requeft, as we fhould have been very forry to ufe any violence \ and we hope your example will be followed by the reft of your party, for we defign to make a general reformation; but, firft, we will do ourfelves the honour to fee you fafe home, as you can have no bufmefs in that houfe now." With thefe words, the whole mob began to move; and the gentlewoman judging rightly, that it would be in vain to make any words with them, was obliged to turn about, walk iiome with them, and liften with an appear- ance of attention to the pious exhortations of the orator, who walked clofe by her fide all the way, with his hat under his arm, and handed her every now and then over the kennel, with as many fantaftic airs as a firfi-rate fop. . It is impollible to conceive a droller figure sthan (he made on this occafion, walking fo far ihiough the dirty Greets, (for they took care to lead i64 THE REVERIE. lead her the longeft way about) in the midft of fuch a (habby crcA', in all the frippery fullneis of drefs, powdered, frizzed, and furbelowed to the very tip of the mode ; and confequently without any thing on her head to hide her fhame, and fave her from the rain, which fell plentifully all the time. As foon as the procefTion arrived at her door, the orator made her another fpecch ; and then the mob, giving her three chears more, left her to her meditations, and retired to iinifh their pious work. But they were too late now ; the birds were flown. For, as theyit;f^77;?z^partof the fcene had pafled under Mrs. Tofsporfs window, (lie, and fuch of her company as were come, had a full view of it, and none of them being pioully enough inclined to perform fuch a penitential ceremony, as foon as ever the mob moved ofF with the gentlewo- man, they all flipped out at the back-door, and made the beft of their way home ; and Mrs. Tofspot herfelf, juft then receiving a card from the fleward's wife, to let her know, " that fhe " had been taken fo very ill of the cholick^ that *' fhe could not poffibly w'ait upon her that *' -evening, but lliould be glad of a glafs of her '' rum, as fhe imagined it might do her good,*' took a couple of bottles in her lap, and hurried away to her, to tell her the news, and congra- tulate her on having efcaped fuch a ridiculous (lifgrace as had*befallen their friend, at the cir- cumft^nces' of which they had many an hearty laugh over their punch. "You fee, frefumed my guide) the vulgar fometinusfees n^/;/,,;though their method of pro- ceeding is rathi^r- irregular. But this example. THE REVERIE. 165 notorious and ftriking as it is, will have no ef- fedt. The pra6tice againft which it was le- velled is become a failiion, and, like every other fafliion, muft have its run, 'till fome- thing elfe, perhaps equally improper, fuper- fedes it." From that day the fteward never enjoyed a moment's happinefs, being continually appre- henfive of fome fuch infult from the mob, as he could not refolve to defift from the praftices which gave them offence; accordingly, when the time of his departure arrived foon after, he hugged himfelf on his efcape, and laid down his grandeur with ten times greater pleafure than he had felt on taking pofTe/fion of it ; and in return for the uneafinefs he had drawn upon himfelf, carried away an heart invenomed with the moft rancorous hatred againft the whole manor, the effeds of which he refolved never to mifs any opportunity of making them feel. The End of the First Book, ( i66 ) BOOK II. C H A p. I. ^he happlnefs of having more money than a man knows what to do with. The extenfeve know* ledge of the lovers ofN\^i:\2y accoicnted for. Poets not judges of painting, BEFORE I had time to make any re- flections on the ridiculous inconfiftency in the condu6t and chambers of all the adtors in this laft fcene, a perfon caught my eye, who feemed to promife more pleafing entertainment than I had hitherto met with. Hewas juft entering into the prime of life, and ^p|>j^ared to be in pofleflion of every advantage that, could enhance the enjoyment of that fea- foh of delight. " So bright a profpe£^ filled my heart with joy. " At .length, O gracious fpirit ! (exclaimed I in an extafy) at length I have found a man '^whofe life affords another view befide wretched- ; .'."J^nefs and folly, and reconciles me to humanity. ^*>jrfet us obferve him for a moment, and fhare in ' ablifs that feems to be fo pure." *' The joy you exprefs (anfwered my guide) ^'\'i*rg- the genuine emanation of exalted virtue, which, rifmg above the malignity of envy, finds its own happihefs in that of others, I fhall there- THE REVERIE. 167 therefore comply with your requeft with plea- fure, and leave you to form your own judgment on (o interefting a fubje'•■■■ ■•-^ THE REVERIE. 169 reclly, and fhall be glad of their company. And tell Rackimi I want him. 1 have never leeu that horfe run yet, though, he coft me (o high a price : and this is the lift king's plate iif this year. I muft not mifs feeing him now, by'affy means."'* *' My lord, (continued the fervant) here is a meiTenger from his Grace's gentlernan of^he horfe, to acquaint your lordfhip that the fale of the ftud is fixed for to-morrow, and cannot be put off as was intended. He fays, they are ail to go without referve.'* " All, does he fay ? then I muft be there. There are feveral tip top things among them, which I would not mifs of on any accoupt. You need not order the coach ; and fend the groom word, that he may do as he fees proper^ about the mare. I can't be there myfelf." " My lord, (faid another fervent, who en- tered jud then) Mr. Connoijfeur is below ; he fays, your lordfhip ordered him to fend up his name. And ^x. Stanza I would have de- nied him, but he fays he has bufmefs of im- portance.'* " Aye ! of importance to him, .1 doubt not. — Let them come up. As I have nothing elfe to do, their nonfenfe may divert me." — Then flretching again, and giving a long yawn, he arofc from the table, which was dire coiifider What elfe could (he do ? " > " And your lordfhip may add, that monfieur Frippeau i-s a man of parts, and mafter of pre- vailing arg^uments. I fee he has condudled his fcheme cleverly." '' Eh ! I do not underfland you. His fcheme ! No. It was my propofal, not his." *' Yes, my lord, 1 perceive the propofal was your's ; but the plan I have good reafon to think was his." '' His! No, no; not at all. It was his Grace's. Fiippeau knew nothing of the mat- ter, till I informed him of it." <^' Notdire£lly of this I grant you, my lord; but that he had formed fome plan of the kind I am very clear ? " How could that be ? What (liould make you think fo ? " '' Becaufe, my lord, he and this lady, to my certain knowledge, had a very good under- ilanding long before the time you fay you firft made your addrefies to her." " A good underflanding ! What do you mean .'' Prithee fpeak plainer." '' I mean, my lord, that monlieur and ma- dam had had an amour ; and that, inflead of his marrying your lordfhip's whore, and fathering your baftard, by a prudent participation of what he could well fpare he has had the addrefs to take in your lordfhip to provide for him and his hopeful family. That is all I mean, my lord." 6 "An THE R E V E R I B. igt " An amour with her ! ImpoiHbJe ! I am fure it could be no fuch thing. What can have put this nonfenfe into your head ! " " My lord, it was put into my head by my happening to catch the fond pair clafped in the folds of love one evening, in the arbour at the bottom of the gardem." " 'Sdeath ! v/hen was this?'*——' — " The very evening after wq went into the country. It would have done you good to fee how lovingly the turtles billed. The joy they exprefled at meeting fhewed that they had been well acquainted before." " Damn their joy ! But how the devil came you not to tell me of this ?" " Becaufe, my lord, fhe bribed me to fecrccy by the fame favour. Bcfides, I could never fufped: that your lordfhip would have been made fuch a dupe of by a country-girl." " Infamous bitch ! And to pretend fo much love for me all the while ! But I will be re- venged. I will have the fcoundrel turned out directly, and let the whore's father know of all her tricks." " And he will give you all the vexation he can in your affairs, in return for the fhare you have had in them. Nor is it in your power to turn out Frippcau now. He has a patent for his place, and defies you." " Confufion ! What muft I do? *' Why, my lord, you muft even go and re- turn your thanks to his Grace for his great fa- vour fo worthily beftowed, and fubmit patient- ly to the abufe you have received, becaufe it is not in your power to redrefs it." Saying 192 THE REVERIE. Saying this he took his leave, fomewhatcon- foled for the ill treatment he had met with from his Grace, by thinking that his lordlhip, who thought he had received the benefit of it, was ftill more abufed than he. CHAP. V. Misfortunes ?tinltiply, A neiu method of engaging the affijiance of the great. Cornmon occurrences. Cham^lion breaks with his great friends rather unpolitely. His hijiory concluded with fome odd refeSfions. SEVERELY as he felt this ftroke, It was but a trifle to the misfortunes which began now to pour In upon him. From his lordfhip's he went on his ufual errand, to the perfon who had hitherto fupplied him with money on a mortgage of his eftate ; but, to his unfpeak- able furprize, Infbead of complying with his de- mand, theifcrivener told him very gravely, that he could not advance any more upon that fecu- rity ; and defired; he would take meafures for ' .P^y'^o ^^"^ off without delay, or he muft fore- t^lofe the morto;af{e. ■'•>•. It j&.nnpoflible to exprefs the aftoniftiment '. In fo;: Which this fpee.ch threw him. As foon as •'hei.recoi'ered himfelf a little, " Surely, fir, (•faiid-he) that eftate muft be worth confiderably naVfi^than my debt to you. The clear rent Is eight hundred pounds' a year; and the laft time we fettled, I uwed you but fourteen thoufand pounds, T H E . R E V E R I E. 193 pounds, intereft and principle, fince which I have not had any more from you; fo that you niuft certainly be miftakcn. The cflatc is worth fcveral thoufands more." " Look you, fir, (anfwered the fcrivcner) as you have always dealt with me like a gentle- man, I will Itrain a point fo far as to give ore thoufand pounds more; but that is on condi- tion, that you execute a Tale of that eftate to me direcSlly; and that is by five hundred more than I would give any other man I deal with." '* I am much obliged to you for your fiiend- fliip, fir; but think that fifteen thoufandpound.i is rather too little for eight hundred a year." " Why, there it is now. You gentlemen who haveeflates in land think there is nothing like them ; hut we know the contrary. Money, money, fir, is the thing. Sir, I can honefily make ten percent, or perhaps more, of my mo- ney, every day I live now; and this without being plagued with tenants breaking, and re- pairs, and taxes, and I do not know how ma- ny vexations which attend landed eflatcf. No ! No I Money, Money is the thing." ^ *' Ten per cent ! Aye, that you can, and more to my certain knowledge, or my debt could never have amounted fo; hig^li by fo;ne thoufands. But this kind of tallying fignifics nothing. Tell rne diredlly,.. yvhat is tlie mofl that you will give me ?" . " Sir, I cannot give any more than I Have*.', faid ; and out of that you'm.uii pay all-the cbfts;;. * of making the conveyance'tob.". ,. ^ .. N .s « " . "Then, fir, you never ftialllrsA't'^rnj^ eJJa'tei,- you may be afi!ured. 1 am 'not. reduced, to A^^* mit to fuch iniquitous extortiafis yet.^'-^-^WJfa Vol. I. K ' " ■'*-'-^^- 194 THE REVERIE. which words he turned about and left the room, lenfible that it was to no purpofe to attempt ufing any arguments with one of his profef- fion. He was well enough acquainted with the world, to know that the fcrivener would never have made Tuch a declaration till he had every- thing prepared to put it in executioii, and con- iequently that his own fituation admitted not , garden, and conceal himfelf near the fcene of Li, Jp .appointment, foas to be able to dete(51: them in ■£uch a manner aslhould deprive them of every CQlQ,ur of defence or extenuation, and juftify th#ifeyerity of his meditated revenge: and for feair THE REVERIE. an fear the lofs of the letter fliould alarm her, he laid it exaclly in the place he found i; . ^nd turning (liort into another walk, had not gone many fteps, when he faw her running with the utmoft anxiety in her looks in queft of it, as he alfo perceived by the joy that fparkled in her eyes when fhe returned to the company, that Ihe had found it. '* The next p^^rt of his plot fucceeded without difficulty: he readily got admittance indifguife at the back-door of the garden, as if to gratify common curiofity ; and had not been many minutes in his concealment, when he faw her haften to the place of affignation with all the eagernefs and impatience of love. " His difappointment then was the fame as yours. He heard her hold her imaginary con* verfation in the lame manner ; and as it was impofTible for him to comprehend what it meant, that very circumftance only doubled his anxiety to develope fuch a dark and unaccountable fcene, " But thou2:h he had not detedted her in the flagrant manner he defigned, his fcheme was not entirely difappointed, as (he had made the difcovery he wanted, by her frequent repetition of her lover's name in thecourfe of herconver- fation. As foon therefore as fhe retired, he re- folved to go directly to him, and require an ex- planation of the whole affair: but w«hat was his furprife to find that he had been confined to his room for many months by the gout, nor had a profped: of quitting it foon ! He therefore thought that he fhould only make himfelf ridi- culous by mentioning the motive of his vifit, and fo pafied it oft' under the appearance of common ceremony. C HAP, 212 THE REVERIE. CHAP. VIII. Continued. — Perplexity ivorfe perplexed. A Jlight prejudice of education opens a newfcene of confufion. A curious accoun t of a Juggler. lie foils the Devil at his own ivcapons \ but is furprifed him- ff in the midji of his triumph. *''' I ""HIS naturally encreafed his perp]exlt3\ JL He now confide red the affiiir as a maf- ter-piece of intrigue ; the niyftery of which he was determined, if poffible to difcover. With this defign he diredly difpatched a trufty fer- vant to try if he could find out among the fer- vants of the other, whether there was any intercourfe between them and that lady ; who immediately returned with an account, that fcarce a day pafl'ed in which they fent not let- ters to each other in the moflpublick manner ; and particularly, which was the principal point of his enquiry, that her footman had received one for her that very morning. " Theaftonifnment into which this accdunt threw him may be eafily conceived. The avowed libertinifm of this gentleman's charac- ter gave him too juft reafon to form the word opinion of any intercourfe with him ; at the fame time that the manner in which it was car- ried on feemed to contradidl its being of an improper nature : but, as this might alfo be only a finefle, he refolved to try if he could not make ufe of it to confirm that very fufpicioa which it was devifed to eludes " Accordingly THE REVERIE. 213 *' Accordingly he employed the fame fer- vant to corrupt the gentleman's porter, by a confiderable bribe, to let him have a fight of the next letter he received to fend to her, which he folemnly promifed to return fo foon, that it fliould not be miffed . " The porter had had too much conne£lion with the great to be proof to fuch a temptation. He gave the letter, and the nobleman had the farther aftonifliment to find, that it con- tained not only another aflignation, but even fpokein raptures of the pleafures of the laft. " This involved him in tenfold darknefs. He fcarce knew how to believe his fenfes ; and began to confider whether the whole might not poffibly be a dream. As foon as he recovered a little from his adonifliment, he returned the let- ter ; and prepared in the fame manner as before to be a witnefs of this mofi: furprifmg fcene, when upon feeing her former incomprehenfible extra- vagancies, he direcSlly concluded fhe was under the delufion of ibme fafcination, and that the gentleman ufed more than natural means to bring her into this flate, to fervefome bafe pur- pofcs of his own. " Full of this notion, which an unhappy prejudice of education, his imagination having been filled in his infancy with fuch terrors of withcraft and incantation, as it was im- pofTible for reafon ever abfolutely to get the better of, made him more readily give into, he flipped away unperceived by her, and running to the houfe, alarmed the whole family with a dreadful account of her being, at that very in- flant, under the dominion of an evil fpirit. " It 214 THE REVERIE. *' It is impoilible to defcrice the confterna- tlcn into which this ftcry threw them all ; efpe- cially the lady's mother, who, in the vveaknefs of extreme age, had refigned herfelf to the iUu- fions of a fet of pretended reformers, whofe method was to fill the minds of their infatuated followers with imaginary terrors, that they might the more eafily mould them to their own iniquitous purpofes. They ftared at each other for fome time, in all the ghaftlinefs of affright, unable to fpeak a word : but he knowing that the time of her pojfeffion would foon be at an end, and having obferved before that no traces of it remained after the expiration of the ap- pointed hour, defired that they would come out with him diredly, and be witnefies of the truth of what he told them. ** On this, fome of the boldeft ventured with him, while the reft went pioufly to prayers, and coming upon her unperceived, over-heard her in high difcourfe, which they readily be- lieved his lordfhip's opinion to be with an evil fpirit, whofe voice even fome of them confi- dently aflerted they heard talking to her, though he did not appear to their fight. *' As foon, therefore, as her taking leave of her imaginary companion made them think the fpirit was withdrawn, and that they might approach her without danger, they all rufhed upon her, and holding her faft, while her fur- prize deprived her of power to afk the reafon of fuch treatment, hurried her directly into the houfe. ^ " It had happened, that while theywere out upon this important expedition, her mother's ghoitly guide had called in as ufual, to enquire into the ftate THE REVERIE. 215 flate of her confcience, and to exchange fpiri- tual for bodily comforts. The fight of him filled them all with joy. " ODo6tor, faid the good old lady, you are come in a lucky mo- ment." — Ar.d then wringing her hands, *' my poor unhappy daughter ! O doctor, the enemy has furpriied lier ; the foul fiend has taken pofleflion of her body ! O my daughter, my daughter !" As it was impoflible to conceive what fhe meant, the do6tor turned to another of the company, whole grief and affright had not (o far overpowered her reafon; who in a few words informed hini of the whole affair. Though upon all occafions, he affumed an appearance o[ the highoft .refolution which his pretended fantStity of life could infpirc, his foul was fe- cretly a flave to every terror which confcious guilt could raife to Itartle the moft bigottcd luperflition. Such a ftory, therefore, was far from beiog agreeable to him : however, as it bore not the leaft appearance of probability, and cfpecially as it was impoffible for him to retreat now, without forfeiting his credit for ever, he rcfolved to hide his fears, and a6t his part in defiance to his confcience, as he had often done in other cafes, be the confcquence what it would. " While he was forming this refolution, he Hood with his hands and half-clofed eyes raifed to heaven, as if wrapt in mental adoration and prayer^ to invoke the divine aififtance : an atti- tude which he had practifedfo often, whenever he wanted time to confider how he fliould ex- tricate himfelf out of any difficulty, or carry joa any glaring impofuion, that he now fell into 2i6 THE REVERIE. into it mechanical^. Then turning to the trem'blin^ matron, " Fear not madam," faid he, in a flow folemn voice, and with an air of importance, "the prayers of the faithful are able to prevail oyer all the powers of Satan. Thy daughter ftiall be reftored: my fpirit hath received, aflurancc, and longs to undertake the conteft. Now fhall thou behold the prince of darknefs put to flight, and all his ftrength de- feated by tfce word of feeble man : but faith does all." " Juft as he faid this, he heard them forcing the fuppofed demoniack into the room, and fummoning up all his courage -and effrontery, prepared *p exorcife her accord- ing to a ritual of his own invention : the terror, that W fpiteof all his efforts to conceal it glared in his eyes aflifting his impofition, and palling upon all prefent for the emanation of enthufia- iHck rapture. " All defcription falls fliort of fuch a fcene. 'tlhe aflonifhed patient was obljged to undergo the whole ceremony, without heing permitted to afk the meaning of it, every ,time flie at- tempted to fpeak her voice being drowned by a general exclamation of- affright and folemn adjuration to filence^ which her amazement made her the more eafily "comply with. " As file fat.therefore in filent wonder, with- out any appearance of diflradtion, during the Jafl acl of the farce, the ^Ji^ggler^ asfoon as it was finifhed, addreiling iiimfejf to her mother, " I tqld you madam (faid he with an air of * -SeeViCAVi^Hcirmonies and religioui cujiomi. . VoJ. Ill, ■' . triumph), ^i^:^4'^C^ THE R E V E R I E. 217 triumph), that my method .v/?^ infallible : it vj'as partly invented by that fage and pious-^prince jfames I. to whom the policy of Satan's kingdom was as well known V that of his own ; the reft is an addition of mine, in which the fuccefs tcftifies that my (pirit was not denied divine af- fiftance : fcepticks and infidels may fcefF and doubt ; but to pious faith is given demonftra- tion." Then turning to his patient, " And you, my daughter, fhould repent of all your evil ways, and turn your heart to rightcoufnefs, left the evil one fliould not only come again and take pofTeflion of his. former habitation, but alfo bring others more wicked than himfelf with him; fo that your laft eftate would be v^ovi'c than the firft. Open your heart therefore- to the entrance of faith, and^obey the- tv?// of grace." This edifying addrcfs had an eflecl very contra-: ry to what v/as intended. The authoritative air • with which he delivered it, and the infmuations o{' fome iccrct guilt in hi^ exhortation to repen- tance, provoked her fpiiif, naturally high, to fuch a degree, that her anger .getting the better of her aftonifnmer.t, " I defire to know, fir, (faid file, with a look of indignation and contempt) by what right you prefume fo fpeak to mc in this infolcnt manner?. Overpowered by vio- lence, and out of refpeiji to a perfon vvhomiL am forry to fee join in fuch an unnatural com- bination, I have fubmitted to lifren to th^ incom-. prehenfible nonfenfe, by which the facred'namq^'; of the Deity has been profaned in-.the ridicuJoiif^ • farce, which you have juft been a£ting : .but Xaiir not under the fame obligation to bear with you.'' ' Vol. I. L 'The ii9 THE REVERIE. " The refentment that flafhed from her eyes," when fhe began to fpeak, had railed the ap- prehenfions of the company, that flie had not been fufficiently exorcifed, which were too flrongly confirmed by what file faid : refpe^f, however, if not perhaps fear, prevented their interrupting her, till a tame jack-daw that had got up to the top of the houfe happening to chatter as he fell down the chimney, juft as (lie faid thefe laft words, they all thought the Jugg^ lers prophetick fears fulfilled ; and that a legion of devils was coming to take pofTeflion of her, and falling upon their knees at the fame inftant, the Jiigg^er began to run his lore over again in the moft violent agitation ; his fuperflitious imaginationtaking the general alarm, while the reft hung down their heads, nor dared to raife their eyes for fear of feeing fom'e horrible fight. CHAP. IX. ^he Hifiory o/Cjelia and Strephon concluded* The Ju G G LER juggled 5 and the myjlery cleared up at lafi. Habit too powerful for convidion, The advantage of making the firji Jiory good. c«r-j-N{^j5 doubled her diftrefs, and almofi: X communicated the infedion to her. The terror glaring in all their ghaftly looks_ convinced her that there was fomething in their conduct more than fhe could comt-rchend, and that they did not a6l thus meerly to infult and ridicule her as flie had imagined. Unable there- fore THE REVERIE. 2i| ^Tore to refift her impatience to be informed in the meaning of it, fhe ftepped up to her nobl6 lover, for no one dared to hold her any longer, and addrefling him with an earneftnefs thatfliew- ed the anxiety and aflonifhment of her foul, and added not a little to the affright of his, *' To you, my lord, (faid flie) I apply for re- lief from an amazement and perplexity whichi torture me alm.oft to madnefs. What means the violence which has been offered to me ? What means this incomprehenfible behaviour of all prefent ? You have given me reafon to ima- gine I held fome place in your efteem ; by that 1 adjure you not to let me burft in igno- rance." "Though his iordfhip's fright was little infe- rior to that of the oldcft woman prefent, and fcarce left him power to comply with her re- cjueft, there was fomcthing fo alFeding in this application, that hexould not refift it. " Ma- dam (faid he, looking earneftly at her as he arofe fi'om his knees) I hardly know how to obey your commands, for fear of giving you of- fence." " Fear not, my lord, (anfwered (lie, impa- tiently) I a(l<: for information, and defire to be told the truth." " Then, madam, I am forry'to tell you that you were feized in the garden on an opinion of your being at that inftant under the power of witchcraft, if not actually poffeffed by fome evil .' fpirit ; and to deliver you from fo dreadful a fituation was and is the motive of that beha- viour at v/hich you feem to be fo much fur- prifed." L 2 ' " Be- 120 THE REVERIE. *' Bewitched ! Poflefled ! Patience. Kind heaven, grant me patience ! What can have given occafion to an opinion (o bafely infamous and abfurd?" " Before he had time to reply, the unlucky jackdaw hopped from the chimney, and, with- out giving him any warning, perched upon the Juggler^s head, who happened to kneel very near with his back toward it, and at the fame inftant repeating the tremendous chatter, caught him by the nofe, which was thrown up in his ufual attitude, as he muttered over his incoherent eja- culations. " Such an attack was too dreadful to be borne. The affrighted wretch threw himfelf forward on the ground, and in the guilty terrors of his imagination, thinking all the devils of hell had laid hold on him to revenge the infolence of his pretending to an authority over them, roared cut with all his might, " O fpare me ! Spare your poor fervant, and I will never give you the leaft difturbance more ! Never prefume to offend you by mimicking a power which I too well know I am not poffeffed of! Do what you pleafe with all the world befide, but fpare your faithful indefatigable flave ! Spare me at leaft for this time, and take me wholly when I die." '' His lordfliip, who by his having rifen to an- fwer the adjuration of his miftrefs, had an op- portunity of feeing thecaufe of thepoory^^o-^/^r'i fright, the ridiculoufnefs of which opened his eyes to the abfurdity of the whole fcene, burft out into an immoderate fit of laughter, in which fhe joined him with all her power. As foon as he was able to fpeak, '* Never fear, doctor, (faid he) I'll infure you, for this time j THE REVERIE. 221 time : vour mafter has given ycu the reprieve you cJcfire, and left this honeft jack-dhvv to witnefs the bargain." " It is impoflible to exprefs the effect which this fpeech had upon all prefent. They in- ibntly raifed their heads, and turning their eyes to the proftrate Juggler^ Taw thejack-daw bulled in tearing his wig, which had unluckily tangled about his claws. " This fight inftantly put an end to all their fears : they raifed a peal of laughter that (hook the room, which fufficiently informed the un- fortunate juggler of his dif2;race, Vv'ho, rifing from the ground in the utmofl: confufion, flunk away without daring to fliew his face, efpecially as he had made fuch a fatal dilcovery of his ia- ' true: and though he did not di redely tell tl|«,.;-' perfons names, he, as if without defign, gav* ; L 5 fuch 226 T H E R E V E R I E. fuch a defcription of them, that no one could be at lofs to know whom he meant. *' This ftory, as he intended, was induftri- oufly propagated, with the advantage of fuch circumflances as every relater thought proper to add -y in conieqence of which not only the lady was afhamed to fhew her face, but there w^as alfo fuch a prejudice raifed againft her friendy that for a long time he was infulted and reviled by the mob in the moft opprobrious manner whenever he ftirred out, and more than once was in danger of having his innocence put to the teft of a dippiTig ; the deformity of his perfon ' unhappily agreeing with the idea which the vulgar entertained of witches, and confirming their prejudice againft him;- v/hlle by this addrefs of making good the firft ftory, the fecret by which he had fo long fup- ported himfelf againft the force of numberlefs dete6lions of the blackeft nature, the Juggler haj the fatisfacStion to fee his enemies over- whelmed with a ftroke which he had fo dex* teroully fl:iifted from his own head/' CHAP. THE REVERIE. ^^^. CHAP. X. Different appearances of the fame ohjc5l fecn In different lights, A whiinfical reprefentation . of the laj} efforts of gallantry^ with other no lefs curious ?natters, *' ^7 O U may perhaps have a curiofity (con- X tinued the fpirit) to fee one who has a6led a part in every rcfpec^t fo extraordinary as tliis gentleman. Behold him yonder; and acknovi'lege the power of a wit able to conquer the antipathies of nature, and make fuch a per- fon the obje6l of a tender paflion." The aftonifhment with which the fight of him ftruck me is not to be conceived. Though I was prepared to cxpecl an appearance re- markably difagreeable, my imagination had ne- ver framed an idea of fuch abfolute deformity as now met my eyes. The defcription would be too difgufting. Turning from him haftily, " Is it polTible, O my guide, (faid I) that this can have been the objedl for whom that beau- teous creature facrificed her happinefs ? 1 have feen too many inftances of the frailty and ca- pricioufnefs of the female heart ; but never did I tnink they could life fo high as this be- fore.'' '' View him again, (faid he, touching my eyes with his wand) and then let me hear your fcntiments," . ' L 6 « O i2S ' THE R E V E R I ]g, *' O gracious fpirit ! (exclaimed I, in a tranf- port) what lovely creature can this be ? Such beauty never did my eyes behold before this moment. What grace! what elegance 1-^ And then the unbounded generous benevo- lence! That fpirited fenfibility and fire! — Sure he mufb be the mafter-piece of nature 1 Some favourite work of heaven, to fhew man- kind an inftance of perfection." " Such is the light! (anfv^ered he with a fmile, as he touched my eyes again with the ■wand, and reftored the gentleman to his former sppearance) fuch is the light in which his writings reprefent him ; and fo does the brilli- ancy of his wit dazzle the delighted imagina- tion, and make his very defeats appear perfec- tions. I have given you this view of him, to convince you of the error of judging too haf- tily from the firfl: appearance. Not that you are to give too i:iiplicit credit to this either. To form a proper judgm.ent of a man, his ac- tions muft be confidered ; and though the mo- tive may in reality often alter the intrinfick merit even of thefe, the error will be pardon- able. Obferve his prefent employment, and it "will give you a juft idea of his chara6ter. Such parts of his paft life as may illuftrate this, and afford inftru6live entertainment, I will afterwards draw a fhort fketch of." On turning my eyes then to the gentleman, I faw him in the moil whimfical fituation pof- fible to be conceived. Pie was fitting up in his bed, wrapped in fiannels, and fupported by • boliier.^, with a writing-table before him, fixed upon a frame that fiood acrofs the bed, to pre- vent its bearing on his feebls knees. Vi\ THE REVERIE. 22^ On this lay an hqap of love-letters, odes, and fonnets, the fubjedts of which were fo ill fuited to his condition, that they almoft fecmed to be a fatire on it, at the fame time that he perufed them with an appearance of pleafure, which made his very infirmities ridiculous, every at- tempt at laughter being echoed by a groan, every feeble fmile followed by a frown of agony. As foon as he had read them through with attention, he reclined his head upon his fhoul- der, and, (hutting his eyes, fell into a medita- tion on the manner in which he ftiould anfwer them. When he had mufed for fome moments in this pofture, *' Sylvia! (faid he, thinking aloud) Sylvia! — Aye, fhe begins. Raptures and fire for her ! — Damon muft prefs her home. Youth and luxuriant health require a bold ad- drefs. The thought will warm me, elevate my fancy! — O my (houlderf — My back too!" Then calling to a fervant, " Fetch me another blanket. The cold (hoots through me. There ! That will do! So much for Sylvia! (conti- nuing his former foliloquy) Who comes next? — Corinna, — Wanton baggage! — Amoret muft wooe in double entendre ! Lewdnefs fcarce wrapt in gauze muft be his cue. — Thischolic — Oh! — Some cordial ! Fill the glafs. O my bowels \ — So. Now I'm better. Then {qx Pamela. I'm tired of Mufidcrus, I mufl: drop her. That * unimpafiioned fentimental ftrain gives me the hip. Fd fooncr write a fermon. — Chloe ! — Luanda! — Phillis! Aye. They'll come of courfe I I need not ftudy much for them." Having 0.2O THE REVERIE. Having ran over the lift of his correfpondents in this manner, he directly began to anfwer them, as faft as the frequent interruptions of his various pains and aches w^ould permit. It is inconceivable with what addrefs and fpirit he afllimed all thefe different characters, in fpite of the repugnancy of nature, in his en- feebled tortured ftate to every fenfation of plea- fure. Gay, grave, or loofely light, cold, amorous, pious, or profane, he was every thing to every one, according to the part he under- took. The fatigue of fuch a tafk was too great. As foon as it was finifhed, his fpirits failed him, and he funk back upon the bed, where he lay in m.ore than infant imbecility, while his fervant removed the writing-table, and locked up his works. " What think you now (faid my guide) of the volubility of human genius? — Of the power of imagination to create its ov/n happinefs?" '' It is impoffible (anfwered I) not to admire fuch abilities, though the ufe they are put to almoft takes off their merit : for, what can be conceived more ridiculous and difgufting than to fee old age mimicking the levities of youth, and pretending pafllons which it can no longer feel ; pafHons too powerful of themfelves with- Odt fuch irritation^ and to which nature that makes their impulfe irrefiftible prefcribes myf- terious privacy and reftraint." '' Yet fuch (replied the fpirit) has been the conftant bufmefs of his life, and to this foolifli vicious vanity have abilities been proftituted, which proper application would have made an honour to himlelf, and an advantage to his 4 country* THE REVERIE. 231 country. Sometimes, it is true, he has broke the chains of this infatuation, and given in- flances of the moft exalted powers and virtues of the human mind ; but the force of habit foon funk him down again to his former folly, and the glory of thefe fhort emerfions, like lighten- ing flafhing through the darknefs of the nighty feemed only to (hew his indolence in a more flriking light. " You have feen the number of fonnets and epiftles he has now wrote in varied chara6tersy and to various perfons, and juftly reprehended the folly of an amufement fo inconfrftent with his prefent ftate, fo much beneath his better reafon. " But how much higher ftill will your indig- nation rife when you know, that of all thofe in writing to whom he thus confumes the few re- maining moments of his life, two only have any exigence out of his own imagination, Calia whom you have juft now feen, and one more, whofe vices have been a difgrace to her fex ; though, to indulge his abfurd vanity, he fhews thefe labours of his folly as the genuine pro- duce of a real correfpondence. " The hiftory of the former you already •know ; that of the other, though not fomuch out of common life, is filled with incidents which would afford abundant matter of enter- tainment, were they not foreign to our prefent purpofe. One. only in which this gentleman was concerned I will relate, as it illuflrates his charader in the ftrongeft light." CHAP, S13Z THE REVERIE. CHAP. XI. 'j§necdotes of a celebrated female. A fencer foileS at his ozun iveapons.] Secret of a correfpondence _ not fo unco?nfnon as unaccountable j with ajlrik-' ifig injlance of vicious vanity, A neiu fcene, *' ^TT^ HIS celebrated female was one whom JL her vices of every kind had reduced to the neceffity of ftriving to fubfift by ftratagem, when debauchery had anticipated old age, and worn ofF the bloom of thofe beauties which had been the firft caufe of her fall, and the price of whofe proftitution had fmce afforded her a wretched fupport. " In the promifcuous acquaintance of fuch a life, fhe happened to fall into the company of this gentleman, and, readily forming an idea of his characSler, judged that he was a proper fub- je(Si: for her to try her talents on. " Accordingly fhe wrote him a letter, pro- feiling a paflion, the extraordinarinefs of which for fuch an objeil: fhe palliated by praifing the charms of his mind, and turning the imaginary advantages of external beauty into the moft de- licate and poignant ridicule ; and propofing a corrcfpondence, on condition of his giving her an inviolable afiurance, that he never would take ariy methods to find her out, as it was ab- folutely impolTible for them to have any perfonal iniercourfe whatfoever, gave him an addrefs, by which fhe took care ic fiiould not be in his pQV/er to trace her. . '. "This THE REVERIE. 233 *' This was attacking him at his own wea- pons. The vivacity and wit difplayed in her letter, for nature had been as liberal to her in the cndowmenrs of mind as in the beauties of forin, and her way of life, which had worn out the latter, ferved only to polifh and give a keennefs to the former, furprifed and charmed him beyond exprcffion. Befide, niyftery doubles the plt-afure of intrigue, by giving fcope to the- imagination incelTantly to frame new fchemcs of delight, and keeping the attention always hxtd. He therefore readily accepted her offer, and begun a correfpondence, in the courfe of which ihe raifed his defires fo high, for he was not then quite funk into his piefent ftate of de- crepitude, and played with them io artfully,- fometimes feeming to difcover an inclination,, and then darting difficulties as from virtue, and giving equivocal hints of dependence in her circumflances, that (he led him infenfibly ta jnake her moft liberal offers, if fhe would only indulge him with an interview on terms of the ftridlcft honour ; and, to remove every doubt of the fincerity of his intentions, figned his pro- pofal regularly with his own name, the corre- spondence between them having been till then carried on under the fiditious ones of Corydon and J^hillis, " Though this was direftly what fhe aimed at, fhe ffill affeded difficulties, and expreffed doubts to preferve appearances, and draw him to explain and confirm his propofals beyond a poffibility of retraction or evalion ; and then at length complied with his defire of an interview, with all the diffidence of virgin mgdefly, tJd& 234 THE REVERIE. coy^ relu^ant^ amorous delay of unexperienced young defire. '* Raifed to the higheft pinnacle of expecta- tion by this management, his aflonifamcnt may be eafily conceived, when he met an old ac- quaintance at the place of afTignation. His dif- appointment was {o great, that he ftared af her for fome moments before he could believe his fenfes. " But fhe foon convinced him that he was no longer under a mifiake. Throwing herfclf at his feet, fhe conjured him to pardon a deception which necefTity and hopelefs love equally fug- gefted; and, wretched as he muft know her circumftances to be, offered to return him all his letters, and depend entirely on his genero- fity, if he would only allow her to enjoy per- fonally that place in his efteem which he had honour, d her correfpondence with ; and ap- pealed to all her letters, if flie had been guiltjr of any other deceit than that tacite one of not revealing herfelf diredtly ; or had given him juft reafon to form any particular expe(5tation from this meeting, in which he could fay he was dif- - appointed, *' She was fufficiently acquainted with him to be convinced of her fafety, in making this offer. His ample fortune raifed him above re--' gard to money; and no human heart ever glowed with a more benevolent readinefs to difpenfe it to the relief of the diftrefled. Be- fide, fhould he fhew any defign to take sjin' un- generous advantage of this confidence, the're was a material difference between actually giv- ing' up his letters, and making fuch an offer;^ which ftie could eafily retra6t. *"i|V -^ THE REVERIE. 22s . *' It was fome time before he recovered him- felf fufficiently to give her an anfwer. At length, having weighed every circumftance dif- pafTionately, he railed her from the ground, and fmiling, with a beneficence that diflipated all her doubts, '^ Make no apology, madam, (fahd he) for a device that has aftorded me the higheft pleafure 1 have ever enjoyed. All man- kind wears a mafk ; and happy are they to whom the pulling it ofF proves no greater dif- advantage. li 1 have fhewn any furprize at feeing you, it was only at my own inattention, that had not before difcovered the beauties of your mind in fo much converfation as we have had together." *' He then afTured her of his friendfhip, and in return for the ^enerous offer (lie had made him of reftoring his letters, gave her a conn-. derable fum of money, to fettle her affairs; which (he preferred to an annuity, that might prove precarious." " Since that time {he has been, though pri^ vately, his principal correfpondent in diff^erent chara(Slers, which fhe aflumes with as much eafe as himfelf, to give variety and afford mat- ter for agreeable furprize, the pleafure of which he never fails to reward liberally on the difco- very : thus fhe is the Cynthia, Chloe, Conjlan- tia, Phryne, Phillis, Sec. of his mufe ; and in- deed fends him all the letters he fiiews with fuch oftentation as from diff'erent perfons, ex- cept thofe he often does himfelf the honour of writing to hfmfelf, Calia's being in general too particular for publick infpedlion. •'' In one inftance only has their correfpon-i ^^ . ndi^lli^ been made public, which was by her ad-v ^/^V dreflin^'^- &i *iZb THE REVERIE. drclTing to him a fpecious apology for the par- ticular vice of her profe/Hon, in which (he lef- iens the merit, if not denies the ncceflity, of the oppofite virtue that has ever been efteemed the indifpenfibie teft of female honour. His ac- cepting fuch an addrefs at a time of life when the fubje^l of it was mecr matter of fpeculatioa to him, is a ftrong though not uncommon in- ftance of the force of vicious habit, which can thus influence old age to a ridiculous vanity of inhnuating a tafte for the moli reprehenilble pleafures of youth, by countenancing them in theory, after the practice is become impof- liblc. '' But the greateft danger of this infatuation is, when it fixes upon a particular objedl:. Its force, v/hich before was weakened by difperfion, is then colled^i^d into one point, and the extra- vagance of its efledts encreafes in proportion as the abilities for its gratification fail." *' Obferve that perfon walking in deep me- ditation, by the fide of yonder ftream. The fituation he is in at this very moment is one of the -moft ftriking inftances nature has ever fliewn of the difEculty of fhaking ofF the afcen- dency which loofe, lafcivious blandifliments and female artifice will infenfibly gain over the heart, in fpite of the ftrongeft admonitions of reafon and virtue. " While he is forming a refolution, on his fteadinefs, in which depends the crifis of his fate, I'll give you a few general fketches of his pad: life, as far as is necciTary to explain his prefent perplexity." CHAP. THE REVERIE. 23; CHAP. XII. Account of a remarkable p erf on. Common confg^ quences of a co77mion connexion, TJje feme cha?7ged, A good partner often helps out a bad game, *' J-T^^ y^^^^ openea with every profpcfl X X of happincl's and glory, which an ex- alted rank and the moft promifing abilities of mind could prefent ; nor did his rifing years difappoint the moft fanguine hopes formed of him, till an unlawful paffion, after his fhadow had begun to lengthen in the vale of life, poi- foned his domeftic peace, and gave his mind a loofer turn. '^Happening to go to one of the fcenes of public entertainment with which this place abounds, he was ftruck with fomething in the appearance of one of the female performers. Curiofity to know whether her converfatioji was equally agreeable with her looks prompted him to intimate a defire of fitting half an hour in her company, after her performance was ended. His rank raifed him above refufal ; flie received his invitation as an honour, and ex- erted her powers of pleafing to fuch advantage, that, though he had not the leaft intention'^of ^ entering into any particular conne6lion with her when he defired this interview, before they parted he propofed to her to quit her prefent precarious occupation, and live with him. The 238 THE REVERIE. " The beauties of fuch perfons, as well as their talents, are too often venal. She com- plied with joy; and fafliion, if not abfolutely juftifying fuch indulgencies, at leaft making them pafs uncenfured, he not only received her publickly in the charader of his miilrefs, but alfo, to remove every obftacle to his plea- sure, procured her profligate hufband an em- ployment in one of the diftant colonies ; who readily made the infamous though advantageous exchange of an abandoned wife, for an inde- pendent fubfiftence. " When a woman of this caft once gets ad- miilion into a man's heart, (he leaves no artifice untried to gain the abfolute dominion of it. Hers were too fuccefsful. By her infmuating addrefs fhe foon improved the influence of her charms to fuch a degree, as to be an over-match for rea- fon in all his refolves, and in fome meafure to become the foverei2;n arbitrefs of his fate. " Virtue makes many ftruggles before it will entirely give up an heart of which it once has had pofieffion ; of this the perplexity in which you behold him at prefent is a fignal proof. Surfeited "with the tumultuous gratification of loofe de- fire he languifhes for the pure tranquil happi- nefs of connubial love. On this important oc- cafion prudence and inclination have gone hand in hand in directing his choice, of the fuccefs of which reafon fees no room to doubt. The only difficulty is, to break the chains of his pre- fent unhappy connection, as the generous deli- cacy of his heart will not permit him to put on an appearance of diflike, or exert an authority over )ne abfolutely in his power, and who has al\v. '^een fubfervient to his pleafure j and fhe is THE REVERIE. 239 IS too firmly attached to her own intereft to un- derftand the milder hints of rejedion which he has of late given her. The throws of fuch an heart in this trying conflicl may be worthy -of attention." Juftas the fpirit faid this, theperfon of whom he fpolce flopped fliort, and knitting his brow, as if in the a6l of forming fome important re- folution, " It {hall befo! (faid he, with vehe- mence, and flapping his right hand upon his heart) Itfhallbefo; T'll fhake otF this difgrace- ful infatuation, and return once more to the deferted paths of virtue and of glory." -At thefe words a blufh of confcioiis indic^natioA overfpread his face -, and his eyes fparkled with the ardour of a refolution which inflantly enlivened all his fame. He was prevented from purfuing his medita- tions any farther by the approach of a perfon, the fight of whom feemcd to double his emotion. This was he to whom the education of his youth had been moft worthily entrulled, and who had for fome time felt the mofl poij^nant grief, at feeing the fruits of all his anxious care blafted by the baleful influence of this pafTion, though refpe6l for his fuperior flation had hi- therto kept him filent on io delicate a fubjec!:. But he was no longer able to contain him- felf. A fenfe of duty over-ballanced all ret»;ard to forms, and he refolved to acquit himfelf of the facred office of a friend, by fhewino; fo deftru^tive an error in its proper light, ber'the confcquence never fo difagrteable to him. With this refolution he had followed him hither,' when the gentleman advancing to mrj .; him, anticipated the painful attempt. " ,j ^vaTiend' (faid ^^40 T H E R E V E R IE, (faid he, embracing him with ardour,) my friend is come in an happy moment to confirm the refolution of my foul : I fee at length the faral error into which" I have unwarily fallen, and am determined to avoid its fnares for the future. That wretched woman ihall no longer lead my heart aftray." — *' Hear, gracious heaven 1 (faid the good old man, dropping upon his knees and raifing his hands and eyes in extafy), and ratify that re- folution." — Then catching his hand, and pref- fmg it eagerly to his lips, *' O my friend ! — my fon ! " — fobbed he, while the big tears rol- led down his reverend cheeks, and choaked his utterance. Such eloquence was not toberefifted. ^^}Ay friend ! — my father !" anfwered the gentleman, falling infenfibly on the good man's nsck, and mingling tears of piety and joy in the honeft over-flowing of his heart. After forr.e moments fpent in this filent rap- ture, " Infatuated wretch that I was (faid the gentleman, raifing the other tenderly in his arms) to flight the friendly admonitions which my confcious foul read in thy troubled looks: bow could I give that worthy heart fuch pain !" " Name it not, my fon (anfvv^ered he, in a voice of extafy) think not of any thing that I have fufrered. This blefTed account of thy re- turn to virtue has amply overpaid it all. May heaven enable you to keep this facred refolution fo worthy of your truly-noble heart ; and I have nothing more to wifh for in this life." " Fear not! (replied the gentleman) your •friend (hall neveraftunworthy of himfelf again ! ihall never more difgrace your virtuous carc.^ This THE REVERIE. 24r This is not a fudden guft of paflion. Reafon and virtue, which have infpired the thought, will bear me through the execution. Never will I enter yonder monument of my folly, (pointing to a fumptuous houfe which he had built for his miftrefs) till the forcerefs is rcmoT- ed. The enchantment under which fhe held me is at laft diflblved, and I am my own maf- ter again: nor is this all ; I will go this mi- nute, and offer my heart and hand to one who will do honour to my choice : you fliall accom- pany me, plead for your friend, and be furety for the immoveable firmnefs of my refolution, my truth, and honour. A fervant can deliver a mandate of my difmifTion to tliat unhappv creature." r; *' Saying this, he fleppcd into his chariot, which he had ordered to attend him there ; and taking th-e venerable old man with him, drove to the lady's houfe, on whom he had in fccret fixed to be the partner of his life, where he urged his fuit fo powerfully, and was fo well afliftcd by his advocate, that as reafon could fuggcft no objection to the fair one, and her beartreally felt none from inclination; fhe fliewed her aflent to his propofal as far as was confiftent with the forms obferved on fuch deli- cate occafions. " Fluihed with this fuccefs,as foon as ever he went to hisvown houfe, he fcnta peremptory mef- fage to his miftrefs, to quit her prefent habitation dire£tly, and retire to fome other better fuited to her condition, promifing to make fuch a pro- vifion for her future fupport as fhould place her above the temptations of neceflity, in which he' found her, if her ready obedience, to.thi's order. Vol. I. ' M --^ = and \:i4i THE REVERIE. and regular condmS: Tor the remainder of her life fhould merit fuch a favour. In a cooler moment, he would have found it difHcult to lend fo harfli a melTage ; but his fpirits were now up, and he could think of nothing but the happinefs he had in view in his intended mar- riage. " This was a ftroke for which his miflrefs was quite unprepared. Her aftonifhment there- fore at receiving fuch an order may be eafily conceived. At lirflH^e doubted the authenticity of it, and threatened the fervant with his maf- ter's feverefl: wrath for fuch an infolentabufe of his nam.e: but when his perfifling in it con-- vinced her of the fallacy of fuch an hope, flic refolved to try all poffible means to avert the misfortune ; and as flie was free from every at- tachment of perfonal regard that might have made grief difturb her mind, her ready genius foon fu2;s;efled the moft effe6tual one to her. *' Accordingly, the firfl thing fhe did was to gain the fervant to. her intereft by a con- fiderable bribe, and promifes of farther favour, when this ftorm fhould blow over; the fudden, and groundlefs violence of which, Ihewed, fhe faid, that it could not laft ; and then giving him inftrudiions what to fay to his mafter, prepared to a6l her own part in this important fcene, according to the fuccefs he met with. " The gentleman, as foon as the fervant re- turned, naturally enquired how file had received his melllige: " Sir, (faid the fellow, who had put on a rr.elancholy look, and now fighed as ?rom the bottom of his heart) fhe at firfl: could fcarce believe what i faid ^ but when 1 had re- mpved The REVERIE; . ■-.^ Trioved her doubt, fne lifted up her eyes for fome moments without fpeaking a word, and then fell into a lit, from which I thou2;ht (lie •never would recover : hov/ever, me came to ■herfclf at lall ; and when a fhower of tears had g\ven her heart fome eafe, and fhe was able to ?peak, " Tell your mafter, faid the dear lady, as The fat upon the fioor^ that it is my duty to obey his orders, be they what they will ; thoui^h I little thou^yht ever to have received fuch as thefe, and in fo fcornful and cruel a manner. Sure he might have fpoke to me him- (elf, without cxpofmg me to fervants ! But I have no right to complain : God blefs him and profper him in all his ways;" — and then fli3 wept again, and wrung her hands in fuch agony it would have melted an heart of ftone. — Saying this, the fellow wiped his eyes ^hich had been well onioned for the purpofe, and hung down his head, as if he was overcome with grief. "It is impoflile to defcribe the gentleman's fituation when he received this account. He' was affeiled by herdiftrefs in the fevered: man- ner. The generous humanity of his heart would haveiliared in the fufferin^rsof his ijreatef?: enemy, what then mud he have felt at tho("e of one whom he had fo lately been accuftomed to think of with the tendereil reoard! His delica- cy alfo was hurted at having font fuch a meilage in fuch a manner, and he difdained the thought of exerting authority with rigour, where relif- tance was imgoflible. In a word, though his refolution was not abfolutely overtufijcd, he fecretly began to wifh, that he had Jiot been Co precipitate in puttins it iu gxecutiwi* M 2 The 244 THE REVERIE. " The fervant faw the confli^St in his heart; and, faithful to the truft he had bafely under- taken, as Toon as he was difmiired from his pre- sence, flew to acquaint her with it. CHAP. XIII. J^ooking hack often dangerous* Female arttpce in- u?nphant over reajon and virtue. The natural cQ'tifequences of this. A remarkable injlance of the effe£i of coinplying with the fajhion, ^' ^ s ^ H I S account confirmed her wavering A hopes J flie refolved not to lofe a mo- ment, but ftrive to improve the imprelHon which her afibciate had thus fortunately made in her favour, before the unknown motive of her diff2:race (hould have time to counteract it. Accordingly fhe went directly to his houfe, and as he had not taken the precaution to for- bid her admiliion, rufhed into the room where he was, in a well-imitated phrenzy, threw her« ielf at his feet, and embraced his knees, in all the apparent agony of heart v/hich the fondeft defpair could dictate, before he could poffibly prevent her. '^ 7>erc is nothing more dangerous than look- ing back to former fcenes of pleafure ; it fof- tens the mind, and makes it long for a repeti- tion of them. The account of her diftrefs had awakened his compaffioa, and he v/as unde- signedly running over all the engaging qualities yr.d fuft endearments which had given him fuch THE REVERIE. 245 fuch delight the very moment fhe entered the room. If the defcriptlon could afTe^^him fo flrcnglr, what then nuill he not feel from the fight? He was not proof to fuch an attack. All his refolir- tion vanifhed, in an inftant; he raifed her from the ground, and, embracing her tenderly, rc- flored her to the empire of his heart with ten- fold the authority fhe had pofT^ficd before. '•The only difficulty that remained v/ashow to break off his engagements wiih the lad\', whom he had juft paid his addreffes to in fo ferious and public a manner: as for his friend, he concluded rightly, that after this rclapfe he fhould never fee him more. " He was not long at a lofs. Even in fo delicate- ly diftreifing an affair as this, his foul detefled dTf- ingenuity, and he refolved to make her admire his candour at leaft, though fhe might blame his ficklenefs. Accordingly he wrote her a letter next morning, to tell her, that upon examin- ing his heart more nearly, he found another had taken fuch ftrong poffeffion of ft, that it was not in his power to give it with his hand ; wherefore he thought the latter alone unwor- thy of her acceptance, nor (hould prefumc to prefs the offer of it any farther. " The lady's indignation was equal to her furprize, at fo defpicable an inftance of levity : fhe thought it beneath her to return an anfwer to fuch a letter, or take any notice of the wri- ter ; to fliew her perfect indifference and con- tempt for whom fhe foon after liftened to the addreffes of another. ** As for him, his condition became worfe than ever. According to the common though mif- M 3 take* 246 THE REVERIE. taken notion of over-bearing contempt, he gloried in his difgraceful folly, which he car- ried to ten times more extravagant excefles than before; while fhe, convinced that he had now faftcned his chains top ftrongly ever to be fliakcn off, returned his fondnefs with indifference, and at the very time that flie was making him the -dupe of her mercenary defigns, took every oc~ cafion of treating him with infolence and ty- ranny. '* The conCequence of this was natural. De,- flitute of domeftic peace, robbed of the approba- tion of his own raind, and confcious of ths contempt of every man of fenfe and virtue, he grew carelefs of himfelf, his affairs ran to con- fuflon and ruin, and his name became a by-word- among all his acquaintances.'* " O my guide, (faid I, fhocked at fo deplor* able a fall) how powerful are the wiles of wo- man! How dangerous is it for a man to let her get an afcendency over him ? If once he refigns the reins which nature wifely put into his^ hands, I fee that it is impolTxble for him ever to refume them again, and affert the juft preroga- tives of his fuperior ftation !" '^ It may perhaps be too much to fay that itP is abfolutely impoffible ; (anfweredhe) though- jnany_ circumfiances concur to make the at-. t€mpt moft difficult, Prefuming on his greater, strength, man thinks it beneath hisn to be up- en his guard againft her, till flic has taken fuch firm poffeffion of her authority, that it appears- lefs painful to fuffer, than ftruggle to fliake off a tyranny whofe chains are riveted fo faft.. Or, fhould he venture on the attempt, fhc tf^akes her very weaknefs a. defence,, and ex- THE REV E R I E. 247 pe^ls to be let conquer, becaufe fhe Is unable to refill:, throwing herfelf upon a generofity to which her own heart is a ftranger. The event rs generally more favourable than (lie deferves ; and a falfe tendernefs permits her to retain a ■power which falfe fecurityfnfl gave her an op- portunity to ufurp. " But the fevered cafe is to be governed by a woman who is herfeif a flave to any pariicu- lar vice, or folly. To break the double chain is a difficulty few have refolution to attempt; and fewer have attempted with fuccefs. " Of this you may behold a ftriking inftance in yonder houfe, which prefcnts you with a fcene of fuch confufion. That gentleman whom you fee in all the apparent agitation of the moft determined wrath, gave his heart and hand to- gether to the lovely woman who fits befide him melted into tears. The advantage of the match, according to the mercenary maxim which prevails at prefent, was on her fide ; but love overlooked fuch mean confiderations, and he thought his elevated rank received honour from her participation. " Her heart felt all the ardour of (o generous a paflion; fhe devoted herfclf entirely to his happinefs, and, by her obfequious attention to every motion of his will, gained fuch an in- fluence over him, that he foon forgot he'had any will of his own, and refigned hi.nfelf abfo- lutelv and folely to her direction, pleafed with a yoke which fondnefs would not let him feel the weight of. " From the flrfl: dawn of reafon in her mind, fhe had ever exprefled the ftrongeft diflike to the idle drudgery of play ; but now the tyran- ^ M- 4, Dy^' 248 THE REVERIE. ny of fafhion obliged her to give into a prac- tice which was become the cement of fociety, the general bufinefs of genteel life. Example can foften prejudice, and habit even reconcile antipathies. The reluctance with which (he complied with this cuftom foon wore ofr, and file entered into the very fpirit of gaming with an avidity that exceeded her former averfion. '* Her hufband, whofe heart happily was un- tainted with this fatal vice, was alarmed at a madnefs which he faw in all its dreadful con- fequenccs. He knew the rich mufl: always lofe; the numbers who are deftrtute of any other means of fubliftence, befide their expertnefs in the myfteries of play, making a property of their folly^ and experience had Aewn him to what black expedients women will have recourfe to repair their lofTes, how debts of honour are too often paid Vv'ith honour itlelf. He refolved therefore to 'take the iirft opportimity to warn her againfl: indulging a pafTion, the apprehen- fion of whofe confequences gave him fo much pain ', judging that his advice would have more weight when it fhould feem to arife from fome immediate caufe, than if obtruded abruptly, or oft'ered only in cool fpeculation. *♦ Nor did he long wait for the occafion he ^efired. Obferving an uncommon uneafmefs in his wife's looks one morning as they fat alone at breakfaft, he enquired what was the caufe of it, with all the tender anxiety of love. A guilty blufh overfpread her face ; flie hung down her head in the utmoft confufion, and could fcarce iind fpirit to fay, on the moft earncft entreaty, that fhe had loft a fum of money at • play the night before, which fhe coirid not pay with* THE REVERIE. 249 without his afllftance, her private ftipend, am- ple as his love had made it, having ail funk, in the fame gulph before. " The pain fhe evidently felt at making; this difcovery, flattered him with an hope that fhe would for ever after avoid the occafion of it. He therefoie w^ould not aggravate her concern by faying any thing juil then ; but giving her the money (he had loll, and an additional fup- ply for her own necefl'ary occafions, told her, with a look of inexpreflible tendernefs, that fhe fhould never feel any uneafmefs in his power to remove. *' However, not entirely to mifs fo favour-? able an opportunity, he took occafion next morning, from fome late occurrences of a fimilar kind among his own acquaintances, to exprels his difapprobation of that pernicious pra6tice in the flrongeft terms, and drew the confcquences of it in lo black a light, that, unable to bear the reproaches of her own confcience, (he burft into tears, and, falling on her knees, itnplored his pardon in the molt affecting manner. '* Rejoiced at this behaviour, which he thought a proof of her concern for what fhe had informed him of the day before, and an happy aflurance of her never falling into the fame error any more, he raifed her from the ground, and, embracing her tenderly, told her he had not fpoken in allufion to any thing paft, which he had thought no moi^e of fmce, and hoped that no future inllance of thekindfhould ever recal it to his remembrance. *' This was more than fhe was able to bear. She funk down upon her knees again, and, as foon as a flood of tears had given her utterance > ^ Ms o\vii<^. «/■/ 2^0- THE Ri: V E R ^Er owned in terms of thewarmeft contrition, that',/ tempted by an hope of recovernig her former lofs, fhc had ventured to play again the night before, but with the fame fuccefs, having not only loft all the money he had given her, but' added confiderably to her debt alfo. C II A P. XIV. IVorfe luck^ and fnore of it. A new nicthod fof ' breaking a bad habit. Travellers often return: without their errand, «< npHE hufband's aftonifhment and diftrefs X at this unexpected news may be eafily conceived. He ftood fome moments before he had power to fpeak. At length, raifing her Irom the ground, though not with the fame emotions as before, " I had flattered myfelf, my-^ dear, (faid he with a ferious look, and accent of reproof) that the concern you fliewed yefter- day fecured me from any more follies of this kind ; but I fee I was miftaken. However, I will pay your debts once more; but rerrtember,. I tell you, this is the laft time I fliall dofo.. My fortune^ though fufficient v/ith prudence and ceconomy to fupport the dignity of my rank, is not equal to fuch boundiefs diflipation, by ji^yhich I may be ruined befbre I am aware. Nor "^ is this all ; other confequences too often follow f • ihis paflion, the remoteft apprebenfions of which i.camiot bear* T HE R E V rR IE. 251 " Diftant as this infinuation was, it ftruck her to the foul. Though ihe was confident of 'her own virtue, too many melancholy inftances Ihewed that in the general it was not unjuftly founded. She begged that he would have a more favourable opinion of her, implored again his pardon for what was paft, and prom i fed in the ftrongeft terms never to £»ive him the fame caufe of difpleafurc more. This was all he de- fired ; he directly gave her the money ; and, throwing his arms around her neck, fealed her forgivencfs with a kifs of rapture. *' It is a juft obfervation, that vices take the deepeft root in weakeft minds. This accounts for the common remark that woman, when once fhe goes aflray, is more profligate and harder to be reclaimed than man. Of all the paflions which mark the chara<£ler cf the prefent age, that which runs into the moft extravagant and incorrigible excefs, even in the ableft minds, is • this of gaming ; what havock then muft fuch a tyrant make where it fcarce meets any oppofi- tion from reafon ? How difficult mufi: it be to break its chains ? '• She had promifed more than (he was able to perform. The love of play had taken too (ad hold of her heart ever to be entirely expelled, and in a very little time drew her into the fame diilrefs again, with this additional aggravation, . that {}\e knew not hov/ to apply to her hufband for relief, as (lie had formerly done. But fuch an affair could not long remain concealed from his knowledge. Her creditor, oh two or three breaches of promife, applied to him direx^^Iy fpr • it by letter. What he felt on receiving fuch at demand is not to be defcFibed, He anfwercd'. 252 THE REVERIE. Coldly, that he would enquire into the affair, *ind then went to his wife's father to aik his ad- vice, how he fhould wean her from fo dangerous an habit, telling him the preceding circum- Itances without exaggeration or excufe. ••' The father's wrath arofe almoft to mad- nefs at fuch an account. He propofed me- thods which were not only improper, but even impOiTible to be purfued ; and treated her huf- band's propofal of removing her from the temp* tation, as there was no probability of reclaim- ing her otherwife from the folly, as an inflance of unmanly weaknefs rather than the effe6i of . prudent moderation and tender afFedtion : how- ever, as his paflion cooled, he was obliged to •yield to the juftice of his arguments ; and he undertook to enforce her obedience by his au- thority, (liould fhe attempt to oppofe her hufband, whofe love made him diffident of his own refolution in ib delicate a ftruggle. *' To avoid a contefl that mult be equal- ly difagreeable to them all, they judged it woulJ be the bcft way to give her the firfV in- timation of the defign, in fuch a manner as ihould convince her that it mufl be in vain for her to oppofe it. Accordingly, as her hufbnnd and (he were fitting at breakfait next morning, when the news-paper was brought in as ufual, the firfl: glance fhe caft on it prefented her with "ail advcrtifement, (placed in the mofk confpi- cuous part of it for that purpofe) giving notice of a fpeedy fak of all her hull)and's coaches, horfes, furniture, &c. wiio intended to go .and rcfide abroad with his whole family for . faiirc years:'^ ' ' *' Stactir^ '■-x THE REVERIE. 253 *' Starting in aftonifliment, " Good God", my dear, (faid (he ) look: here ! what can thb mean ? « " To pay this demand," (faid he {iernly, pulling her creditor's letter out of his pocket, and reaching it to her.) " It is impoflible to defcribe her fituation at this fight. Confcious guilt deprived her of power to fpeak or move. She ftood petrifkd with (hame and horror." " I am forry, madam, (continued ke) that you have driven me to this extremity ; but I will not facrifice my fortune, if not perhaps worfe, by ftaying any longer in this place." " O, forgive me ! Try me ! Try me but once more ! I promile " She was unable to fay any more, a gufli of tears choaked her utterance; which he waited for her to give full vent to before he would purfue his pur- pofe any farther. In this critical fituation you behold them at prefent, your own obfervatioA of their condutSl in which will be more fatif- fa^tory than any defcription. Take notice on- ly, that his wrath is worked up ta this height by ait, and tha his refolution is fcarcely proof to the fight of her diftrefs ; while, on the other hand, vexation glillens through her tears, and (hews that (he is lefs grieved for the caufe than alarmed for the confequence of his difpleafure^ which fhe is this very moment cafting about how to evade." When my guide had concluded this account, I fixed my attention on the fcene which had given occafion to it. The firft violence of ^he lady's grief had begun by this time to fubfide, ■which her hulband thinking the proper moment 254 THE R E V E R J E. to make an impreflion on her : " Mad^m, (('aid he, replying to her laft words) my refo- lution is unalterably fixed ; you know what- faith I ought to place in promifes." The reproach implied in thefe words ftung her pride. She had been too long accuf- tomed to receive implicit obedience to every thing fhe faid, to bear fuch an affVontive infi- nuation pailively, and refolved to (hew that Ihe would not give up her authority io eafil}^ Ri- fing therefore in an inflant above her fuppliant Tnood, " I know too, fir^ (faid (he, with an in- dignant air) that I am not your fl$^e, nor to be forced to any thing againft mywill. You may keep your refolution, and go if you pleafe, mine is io flay ; nor fhall you find it lefs un- alterable than, your own." ,i|' *' Madam! madam ! this falfe fpirit ill be- comes you j nor think it will avail. Your tears were far more powerful j but all are now in vain; and I will be ob.eycdi" With thefe words he left the room, proud of having fup- poited his refolution fo manfully, and went to .give orders for the immediate execution of his delign., ;, But {lie was far from thinking of obedience yet. Her heart was fo wedded to the pleafures .of her pj-efentway of life, that (he looked on .leaving it as the fevereft puniftiment. Befide, her. .pride w^s 'pjqued' by ithe authority with which he-fpoI^^'X ^^^ J^.^. '^'^^^^^^^ '^^ fufFer the worfl fubmit to a effectually ij;*r;t»*^?pv^: Whj *:my:. '* * I»#f-'^'-'- T-HE R EV E R I E. 255- . When fhe had formed this refolutlon, the next, diiliculty was how to execute it. The firft thought that occurred to her was, to throw her- {€,lt upon the fondnefs of her father, vvhofe in- dulgence fhe had ever experienced in the moft unlimited degree, and did not doubt but fhe fliould find equally on the prefent occafion. She accordingly flew to him directly, and, pouring out the anguifli of her heart before him, im- plored his piotevSlion againft her huiband's iaw- lefs tyranny. Not to appear prejudiced by any former mif- reprefentatjc^, he beared her flory with th§ greateft attention ; and then, condemning her from her own mouth, flew into a rage a thou- fand fold feverer even than her huiband's, up- braiding her \«ith ingi^titude to his love, and dif- obedience tohisjuft authority; and drawing her crime, and the too probable confequcnces of it HI fuch dreadful hghts, that, terrified at the ' horrid reprefentation,-fhe gave up all farther thoughts of oppofition, and only befought her father to mediate a peace, on condition of her abfolute obedience in every action of her future- life. Such a reconciliation was eafily efFecied ; he defireu no more, but paid her debt dire6lly:- and ■ all things being prepared for their r'eparturc a.s foon as polTible, he fet out- on- -his intended exile, taking his whole 'fSnDily^wid. 'him^, hi^ hope that a paiiioir which -had gfyeiV'jtim .To But, likc;.»t%e;^'iy5\iRi(qdr4^a«,^ t^-*- deadly arfi9W;il(;^^e-|>'^j|#V 'aiM, though ftie qoii^*' " plied, b^eff&li^r^Siil^l^*^ ■'■''^<^^ **!&' ' formatio;* 256 T H E R E V E R I E: formation intended by this harfh expedient was far From being probable. The poifon had taken too faft hold to be cured by any change of cli- mate, and flie languifhed to return .to her own country, only that (he might return to her be- loved plealure ; while her hufband thus facri- ficed to a vain hope the flower of a life which bis exalted rank and abilities might have made an honour to himfelf, and an advantage to hh country. v^^'M^m^^^^^^kWMim^: CHAP. XV. Jnecdotes of a profejjed wit, A lucky hit made the mofi of. Too much of one thing won^t do A rough retort of a coarfe jejl ; with other curious Tiwtters of the fame kind, « \7'OU fee (faid my guide) the confequence X of indulging a pailion, till the gratifica- tion of it becomes an habit ; though there may be but few acSlually (o fatal as this of gaming, the excefs of aiay other will be attended by ef- fects far from defuable, and end in ridicule a leaft, if not in ruin. " Obferve that man who ftands in yonder coffee-houie, pumping his brain for pleafantry, and labouring for wit to entertain the fneering^ croud around himi vvhofe fuhome compliments and ironical -applaufe pafs upon his vanity for a tribute juftly due to his merit. He is one of your profelTed wits, whofe good opinion of ihera- THE REVERIE. 257 ihemfelves makes them think every one obliged to admire what they fay. *' He was raifecl to this eminent ftation by the fuccefs of a ballad he wrote fome time ago, of which it may be difficult to determine whe- ther its merit lay in its oddity, its obfceniry, or its profanenefs. However, the thing took with the public tafte in (o extraordinary a manner, that the happy author not only got the price of a new coat by the fale of it, but was alfo ad- mitted to the tables of all thofe who liked fuch buffoonery, to entertain them, and their compa- ny ; where, having an eye to bufinefs, he al- ways took the opportunity when they were in high fpirits and could refufe nothing, to follicit fubfcriptions for a collecSlion of eld faws which he had picked up and tagged fome how together, by which artifice he contrived to make a good penny of them alfo. " Elevated with this fuccefs, he thought he had nothing more to do but publifh a fecond part of the fame tune^ to make his fortune at once ; but, to his great mortification, he found himfelf miftaken ; for, the novelty that rccommendea the former being now worn off, there w^as little or no notice taken of it : befide, he lud ex- haufted the fpiritof obfcenity and profanenefs fo thoroughly in the firfl: pai t, that there remained nothing for him now but dregs, too coarfe for the groffeft tafte, though he ftrove to make up for the quality by the quantity, of which he gave mqft plentiful meafure. " Severe as this difappointment was to him in every refpe£t, he affected not to feel it; but, . modeftly imputing it to the badnefs of the public tafte, takes the liberty, by way of rep'rifal, to turn 258 T H E R E V E R I E. turn every thing that it approves into ridicule, with a petulance little fliort of fcurriJity; and, to Tupport thecharadter of a privileged wit, ne- ver milTes an opportunity of being'impertinent to every perfon he converfes vi'ith. *' Such a conduft cannot always efcape re- proof; fome, and thofe fevere flrokes of it, he frequently meets from thofe who have not a tafte for his jokes, or do not think that a pre- tence to wit gives a privilege for ill manners.. An inftance or two may not be unentertaining, and may alfo give you a notion of the dangers which attend fuch a pra6lice. '' Talking away the other evening at his ufual rate, in a mixed company, one of his random-ihots happened to hit the profeiTion of a gentleman prefent. As there was nothing in- what he faid more than common cant,, the other, who was a man of years and character, would not have thought it worthy of his notice, had not our hero at the fame inftant looked him full in the face, and burft out into a loud laugh., " As this was fixing the ftroke rather too clofe to be overlooked, the gentleman gravely afked him what he laughed at, as he really could not fee the wit of what he faid. " Not lee it, fir, ( faid the other, ftarting from his feat and going up clofe to him) then, fir, you may fmell it, if your nofe is not as dull as your ap- prehenfion^" and letting a great f 1, rai»- fed a louder laugh than before. '' This was an infult too grofsly perfonal to be borne. The gentleman rofeup, and, without; faying a word, gave him a kick on theoff'ending ^artj that drove him to the other fide of the , • room,. THE REVERIE- 259. yoom, and then, ringing the bell, coolly or- dered the waiter to turn that ftlnking cur down flairs. This naturally turned the laugh to the. other fide. The unfortunate wit had occafion^ for all his afllirance, to ftand it; and the poor efforts he made to turn it off with a joke on- ly fhewed his impotent vexation, and made him appear, if pofJible, ftill more ridiculous. '^The proper province of wit is, to difcover and point out a relation and refemblancc in Tome particular circumftances, between ideas obvioufly inconnedted and unlike ; and by that means fhew them in a light the novelty and oddity of v/hich may give a pleafmg furprize. To do this, the mind muft be endowed with a power of viewing a variety of things in all their fliapes and fituations at the fame inftant, and a readinefs at catching thofc fugitive refem- blances, and (hewing them in obvious and flriking colours. " Thus far reafon can trace the origin and effe£ls of a faculty, equally mifunderftood and mifapplied 5 or, I might rather fay, indeed, whofe name is ufurped by another of the moft contrary nature : for inftead of this fpecula- tive manner of exertion, and the inoffcnfive and delicate entertainment arifmg from it, the em- ployment of what is at prefent called wit, is to difcover and invent perfonal misfortunes and defeds, and difplay them in the grofTeft lights- o( ridicule and infult, as the pleafure which it gives arifes from the bafcft and moft malignant motive, that of a man's feeling a fecret fatif- fadion on feeing that others are as bad as him- felf, or perhaps fuffer a, difgrage which he efcapes,. "But. 26o THE R E V E.R I E. *' But generally as this pleafure is enjoyeJ, the authors of it always meet a juft return of averfion and contempt for that proftitution of their abilities, by which they afford it. This is not fo ftrange or ingrateful as it may appear. As thofe who can have a tafte for fuch enter- tainment are confcious that they themfelvcs are liable to be made the lubjeds of it to others, they naturally fear and hate the perfons who may polTibly bring them into fo difagreeable a fituation. *' Thus the moment a man profefles himfelf a Witt he, as it were, declares war with all the it:^ of the world : as in return everv one lies on the watch to pull down and punifh fo invi- dious a prefumption. Of this he continually meets the moft mortifying inftances, to which the means he is obliged to make ufe of to fup- port fuch a character, lay him conflantly and defencelefsly open. *' Befide this kind of wit, which preys upon particulars, there is another more malignant in its eiFects, becaufc more extenfive ; though motives of the fame ungenerous nature with thofe which recommend the other, make itpafs almoft uncenfured even by the injured objects of it, who are afraid to complain for fear their feeming to feel its force fhould be taken for an acknowledgment of itsjuftice, and fo make the injury irremediable. This is turning frofejio'tu into ridicule; by which means individuals are precluded from the fruits of their honeft in- duilry, and the community robbed of their contribution towards the general flock : for, however abfurd a prejudice raifed in that man- ner may appear to reafon, experience fhews T H E R E V E R I E. 261 too many unhappy inftances of its influence to admit its being doubted. " But though the fufferers do not think pro- per to complain, they never mifs an opportu- nity of returning an attack they fo feverely fed ; and many a wit has paid 'dearly for his pleafantry, when he has happened to come in- to the power of thofe whom he has fo irrecon- cileably offended. 0( this the perfon before us lately experienced an inftance, difagreeable enough to furfeit him of this his very favourite pra<5tice as long as he lives. " Of the many profcflions which he has wantonly fallen upon, the medical art has felt the fcvereft fallies of his uncommon turn for ridicule. As he was riding one day to pay a vilit to a nobleman, who had dcfired him to come in that manner, that he might take a view of the extenfive and grand improvements about his feat, the heat of the day, and his be- ing unufed to that method of travelling, expo- led him to fome injuries which made his fitting X)n a faddle very painful to him. *' While he was in this diftrefs, he happened to go by the houfe of an apothecary on whom he had exerted his unlucky talents with the moft injurious fuccefs, having fixed his general ridicule of the profeflion upon him, by a par- ticular defcription of his perfon irrefiitibly ri- diculous. Without thinking of this, or dread- ing any retaliation from a refentmcnt fo juftly provoked, he called upon him, and, making known his complaint, defired his a/Tiftance. " The apothecary, whofe difpofition was equally fpiteful and droll, refolved not to mifs fuch an opportunity of taking a fignal revenge -31:62 T H E R E V E R I E, for all the mortifications which the other had brought upon him. Accordingly he defired him to alight for a moment, with all the pla- 'cid politenels of his profeflion, and made him ■up two plaifters, one of which he himfelf moft officioufly applied to the part affected, dire6tlnp- hifii to put on the other when thatlhould come ■ofF; and, refufrng to take any return for a piece of fervice which he allured him the pleafure of conferring amply overpaid, wifhed him an agreeable ride. " The plaifter had the defired effecSl:, and he felt no farther pain during the red: of his jour- ney ; at the end of which, finding that the motion of the horfe had rubbed it off, he took , an opportunity to flep afide, juft before he went to dinner, and pvit on the other, as he had been directed. The firft application of this was at- tended with fenfations far from pleafmg ; how- ever, he thought that muft proceed from his "being more chafed than before, and concluding that they would foon go off, went dire<5ily in to dinner, where, as if fortune combined with his foe, he was placed betv/een tv\^o young ladies, equally fprightly and arch. " He had not been feated long before the plaifter began to operate, in a manner that made him fincerely fick of his honourable fitua- tion He was in torture impoffible to be fup- ported; and v/hat added to his diflrefs, he knew not how to get away to remove the caufe of it, confcious that the difcovery of a trick he was now fufficiently fenfible had been played him, would fix a ridicule upon him, which he fhould never be able to fhake off, as he had had too many proofs of the plea- fure THE REVERIE. 263 fiire every body took in every thing .that gave him the leaft vexation ordifgrace. This made Jii 11 rclblve to fit it out, intolerable as the pain he fiificrcd was. " But he had more plagues to encounter than his utmoft rorccaft could provide afrainfl. The ladies between whom he fat fooii fav/ that he was in fome uneafmefs, and refolved with the ufual good-nature of the fex, to ag- gravate it, for their own entertainment, by every teazing trick they could devife. Accord- ingly, winking to each other to ad in concert ihcy drew their chairs clofer to him. To as to make it impolTjble for him to ftir, whi h ne- ceHicywas now beginning to make him think of, in rpite of all his refolutions, and made the moft malicious conjectures at his want of his ufual rnirth and fpirit ; to awake which they puflied him from fide to fide with their elbows, though every time he moved upon his chair pierced him to the foul. " The effeds of the plaifler were by this time become fo violent, that nature was no longer able to fupport them. He fainted away in the midll: of the company, and was removed to another room, to undergo a fcene of raille- rie and ridicule, if pofiible more fevere than his pain. CHAP; 264 TH E REVERIE. CHAP. XVI. Injlances of the companion common on fuch occa- Jions. The praSiical joker i7ijoys a double triumph over the wit. Other worje conjequences of the projiitution of genius. ** np^HE firft thing that ftruck him when X he came to himfelf was the ridiculouf- nefs of his fituation. He was laid on his face, acrofs a bed, in the midft of a number of fer- vants, who, in undrelling him, had difcovered his ailment, fome of the confcquences of which they were bufied in removing with wet cloths, in the fame manner as a nurfe cleanfes an in- fant. It was fome minutes after he recovered his fenfes before he was able to fpeak, during which time he had the mortification to hear the uafeeling wretches round him cracking their Coarfe jefls at his misfortune. At length too rough an application to the part afFedted ex- torted an, involuntary roar, which (hewing them that he was come to his fenfes, they in- •ilantly changed their feoffs for a curiofity equal- ly difagreeable, all opening upon him at once to enquire v/hat had thrown him into that con- dition. *' It maybe tbouo-ht he had no jjreat inclina- tion to anfwer their queflions. He tnanked them for thetr care, and, dcfiring they would let the chaplain know he wanted to fpeak to him as foon as he had-doue 6,\n\x^Xy begged to be left alone. « His THE REVERIE. 265 ** His meditations in fuch a fituation could not be very pleaflng. He was not nt a lofs to difcovcr the caufe of what had happened ; and curfino; his own foolifh confidence for putting himfclf any way in the power of one whom he might naturally fuppofe to be. his enemy, re- folved to take the fevcreft revenge which the law could procure him, for fo painful an injurv, without making any allowance for the pfovo- cation that had prompted it. He comforted himfelf with thefe thoughts as well as he could, till the arrival of the chaplain, whofe refent- ment for fomc laflies of wit made him in no hzile to come, had not the curiofity of the reft of the company, which was raifed by the repre- fcntation of the fervants, accelerated his mo- tion. •" *As foon as he entered the chamW, the poor (ufferer, whofe pain was far from 4:>cing entirely removed, exclaimed in the anguiili of his heart, '* O my friend, 1 have fent for you to implore your a/Tiftancc to inflicl-'a proper prtnifliment upon the villain who has brought me to this difgrace and torture." — He then re- counted the affair of the plaiflcr, as I have relat- ed it to you, and concluded with conjuring tho^ chaplain to ufe his influence Vv'ith his lordlhiji, t>i do hicn jullicc for an outrage which, accord- ing to the laws of hofpitality, afFcded hifnftl^V -3 it was offered to his guc(t. . " His reverence ht picking his tee'h in th'e _preate{l compofure while he was 'telling his ■ tale, at the end of which, " Pray fir, (faid he; with an air of the moft infulting indifference) v/hat would you have me do f"—" Do fir, -(an-, fwered the wit, provoked bevond his patiertce Vol. I. N ' ' a< 266 THE REVERIE. at the other's behaviour) chew the cud of your laft meal till you are To happy as to get another, that you may not iofe a moment's enjoyment of that pleafure which feems to be the foie end of your exigence.''' — " Stung by the feverity of this reproach, the chaplain diredlly left him without making any reply, and returning to the company told them, that the violence of the pain had difordered the poor man's head, and made him ilark mad. Such a reprefentation afforded matter for many curious remarks, in which the affinity between wit and madnefs was moft learnedly difcufied, while they were finifhing their wine, without c-ver thinking of procuring the fubjeft of their fpeculation any relief. " At length curiofity prompted his lordfhip to fee fo ftrange a fight, in hopes of confirming hy his behaviour fome nice obfervations he had been making on the nature of madnefs, evident iVmptoms of which he declared he had per- ceived the moment he faw him that morning ; but he v/as difagreeably difappointed to find the chaplain's account without foundation, and the fnan in his fenfes, fo that he was deprived of the merit of his judicious difcovery, on which ]ie had plumed himfelf not a little, and his theo- ry was left unfupported by the proof he had ap- pealed to. However, he concealed his chagrin, ^nd, enquiring into the particulars offb extraor- dinary an affair, for the chaplain's account was Jar from being fatisfactory, revenged himfelf ibr his difappointment by laughing in the moft rnortifying manner at every ridiculous circum- ilance 5 a behaviour that aggravated the other's diflrefs, as he was rcftrained, by refpecl, from making any reply. *' When THE REVERIE. 267 ** When they had fufficient'v enjoyed the fccne, one of the coirtpany, more compafljonate than the reft, bethought himfeJf that it mieht not be improper to do fomething for the relief of the poor fuffcrer, whofe appearance fhewed that his pain was not much abated. Accordino-- ]y, upon confultation, it was agreed to bethebeft way to fend for the apothecary who had made up the plaifter, as he mufl neceflarily kjunv what was proper to remove its effejfls,' better than anyone elfe. The diftrefied patient would gladly have avoided fuch an interview, if only to diCappoint his enemy cf the plcafure of tri- umphing in the fuccefs of his trick : but per- haps for that very rcafon his lordfliip infifted on it, and he was lent for direc}-lv% ** This exceeded the apothecary's hopes. He obeyed the fummons with the greateft pjeafure; and on his arrival, having firll: prudently ex- prefTcd his furprize, and afTerted his innocence of any evil intention in what he had done, was fhewn up to his patient, who no fooner fixed his eyes upon him, than burfting into the moll violent rage, " Villain ! (faid he) what bafc trick is this you have played me ? }>ut be af- fured that I will have the moft exemplary fa- tisfad^ion ! I'll make you know" — " Sir, (anfv/ered the apothecary, with a fly grin) have a little patience, and alJ will fooii be well. I am forry that an innocent joke (hould give you fuch cfFence." — '' A joke, wretch ! Do you call putting me to fuch torture and difgrace'a joke?" *' Nothing more, 1 allure you, fir; and if you will give me leave to apply this liniment to the place where your complaint is, I'll en- iN 2 <^?^c iJtC8 THE P. E V E R I E. ^a2;e to remove it in a few minutes ; and as for the difgrace, there is nothing in it ; it is only matter for a few days laughter, and it will then be no more thought of.'' — *' No more thought of! Yes, it will be al- ways thought of J and I fnall never be able to {hew my face again after the ridiculous figure I have made by your curfed means ; but if I foro-ive you, may I be the laughing-flock of every fool I meet." — " Surely, fn-, a man of your reafon and be^ nevolence cannot harbour fuch an implacable refentment ! What would you do if you were in my cafe ? Unprovoked by the leaft offence^ you wantonly /ell on my uncouth figure, on the profeffion by which I earn bread for myfelf and my family, till you have made both fo ridi- culous, that children hoot at me as I gp slonankind. " It has been obferved, that from a clofe at- tention to the firft eflays of the openin-; mind, a prefage may be formed of the fi;ture life. The diftin-^uifhing charaflers of h^s youth were a fated indifference to every thiii'^ in his poflil- fnm i an inconflancy even more than chiidilli in all his puifuits, he feldom pcififting in any to the attaiimient of its object. As the afiluence of his fortune made any particular application not abfolutely neceflary to him, this fluctuating im- becillity of difpofition pafled unnoticed, and his inattention to every prudential regard in all his actions, was extolled as generofiry and magnifi- cence of fpirit. But the event has proved the error of this judgment, the famewcaknefs hav- ing ruled the conduct of his riper years, and made him an eafy prey to every idle paflion ol his own, to every mean defign of his more in- digent companions. To recapitulate every in- ttance of this would be to make an hiftory of his whole life. It will be fuflicicnt juft ta touch upon one or two, to fupport the charac- ter I have here drawn, and as they fo (trong- ly illuftrate the inconfillency of the human heart. " On his arriving at that period of life, when men are concluded to be capable of condu6ting themfelves^ the firfl thing which the care of his N 4 friends.. .Vfi. 272 THE REVERIE. friends iuggefted to fecure his happincfs, i\yr their eyes at length began to be opened to the dangers attending fiich a difpofition, was to find out a female, whofe prudence might be a ihield to his levity, and prevent its worfi: el^^- fedts ; and whom reafon and inch'nation fhould go hand in hand, in recommending to his choice as a partner for his life. In this deli- cate and important fearch they were not long undetermined. They fixed upon one to whom envy herfejf could make no poflible objedion. Born in an exalted rank, and rich in every fa- vourite gift of heaven, ihe feemed defigned to crown the bleHings of an happy life. The moment iliQ v/as nsentioned to him he received the hint with rapture. Jn the intercourfe of a general acquaintance his heart had not been infcnfible of her charms, and on the nearer at- tep.tion of fuch a defign, he foon perceived the more valuable beauties of her mind. By the alliftance of his friends, he preferved his refolu- lion i'o long as to make his addredes acceptable, and received, in her hand, a feal of the moil: perfeil felicity which this life is capable of en- joying. " But fcarce was he In polTeflion of this jufl object of every rational defire, when the natu- ral inconflancy of his temper prevailed, and he flighted an happinefs for which all others fighed, only becaufe it was in his poilefHon. Accord- ingly he foon relapfed into all the licentioufnefs qf his former life, and vainly fought in loofe .'' variety for that pleafure, which his pervcrfe in- '.;•* vfenfibility prevented his enjoying at home. ^'f j" *' Such pleafure is always purchafed with >r^|exation and pain. As he was prowling about •-*4^»?-''>- •■ ..' one THE REVERIE. 27? one evening for his ufual game in the galle- ries of the theatre, he happened to fee a female whofe appearance had fomething in it more than commonly pleafmg to him. He imme- diately addrefled her in the familiarity of fuch places, and was not lefs ftruck. with the fpright- linefs of her converfation than he had been be- fore with her beauty. Encouraged by her free- dom, and confiding in the fuperiority of his rank, at the end of the play he hehtated not to propofe retiring to one of the nighbouring ta- verns, to improve fo agreeable an acquaintance. This file pofitively refufed, though in termi* which implied not any refcntmcnt at the pro- pofal, nor prevented his preiTing her at lead to give him another meeting at the play-houfe, which {lie at length confcntcd to do. " In two or three interviews of this kind, which file let herfelf be pcrfuadcd to indulge him uithjflie pla)cd hcfr part with fuch addrels, that (he gained an abfolute conquefl: over him, removing by her well-a6led modcfly every fuC- picion of her real chara(Slcr. At length, v/hen he had brought her blufhingly to confefs a re- turn of his paflion, and filenced every other fcruple, file ftarted the lad diflkulty, of the danger of being detected by her hufband, as {he unhappily was a married woman. This difco- verv was far from beino; ao-reeable to him. He loved his plcafures ; but he was far from de- firing to have them enhanced by any appear- ance of danger. However, he had gone too • far to retreat now j and therefore, putting the beft face upon the affair, he prevailed uponlier * to run the hazard of this difcovery, by promiv ■ Ting toprotc6l her againft her hufband's refeht-/ mcnt,' 274 THE REVERIE. ment, fliould any fuch thing happen, and to make a provifion for her that fliould fave her from any difagreeable confequences of it. *' His ability to perform fuch a promife, which file was no ftrangerto, and the perfua- fiv.e argument of feveral very valuable prefents, in the end prevailed upon her. Accordingly one evenin^r, when her hufband was cnza>- THE REVERIE. 275 ar;^uments his ffear could fuggeft. *' Think not of a revenge (faiii he) which muft prove as fa- tal to yourlelf as to us ; but name any repara- tion yo'j- pleafe tf) require, and it fhall be in- ftantly made. My fortune is fufficient" — " Reparation? — No. Nothing but blood can make me reparation, (anfvvered the huf- band, rifmg to tenfold rage after the paufe) my honour, my love for that ungrateful woman will hear of no other reparation. — As to myfelf,*my life I value not at a pin*s fee ; all that is dear to me is now loft."- Then fmking, as it were, into foftnefs, *' And can I wound that breafl: fairer than monumental alaballcr r i) wo- man ! wom.an I" " At thc^t words he held his hand to his eyes, to hide his tears, and fobbed aloud as in the anguifh of his foul. The lovers thought this fit of foftnefs favourable to their fears, and, flipping out of bed, naked as thty were, threw themfelvcs at his feet, and'befought his mercy in the moft moving terms. After futFering a conflict of fome moments, he funk backwards into a chair, and, bidding them put c:.i their cloaths, fat as deliberating how to a that the lover fhould make a feparate provifion for his miflrefs, the hufband's delicate fenfe of honour not permitting him to have any farther intercourfe with her. CHAP, THE REVERIE. CHAP, xxiir. 277 A new motive for turning fildicr ; • with a ficrt view of the military profejfion. The fcene is changody and a more extenftve profpeci opened. *' t? VERY circumftance of this tranfailion jlLj bore fuch glaring marks of impofition, that any other perlon would have {Q.zn through, and avoided the deceit; or at lead, v/hen that vi^as too late, have fhewn a proper refcntmenc of it, by dropping all farther commerce u^ith the bafe woman who drew him into fuch a fnare, and was evidently an accomplice in the whole. But, blijid to aJl convi£lion, he grew fonder of ber than before, and, feeming to have changed his very nature, proved conttant to her longer than he had ever been to any other object ; tho' far from driving to retain him by any appearance of regard, any obfequioufnefs in her behaviour, now that her independence, #ie firft obj zQ. of her defigns, was eftalplifhed, flic aftecled on all oc- cafions to treat him v/ith the moll infolent con- tempt, and openly beflowed upon others thofe favours which had coft him fo dear. " While he indulged every vicious pafllon in this profiigate manner, the condition of his de- ferted wife deferved the highell companion. Sen- sible of the danger of"expoitulating on i'o delicate a fubjeiSI, ilie feemcd not to fee the fliglits which he hourly fliewed her, but, drying up her tears whenever he approached her, always met him with a fmile of tenderncfs and refpsdf. Smo- thered grief preys with double violence upon the heart. Though flie did not complain, fbe could not avoid feeling ihc pain of fuch treatment un- der ^7B THE REVERIE. der which fae pined infenfibly away, like a flower cankered at the root. *-' But that which reafon could not do, was efte6led by the natural inconftancy of his tem- per, and a new whim fupplanted his profligate miltrefs in his thoughts. His country happened to be engaged in war; the noife of drums and trumpets turned his head, and he muft needs be a ibldier, for want of fomething elfe to give him employment. As foon as this caprice took pof- leflion of him, he bought a commifTion in the army diredtly, and fet about learning the milita- ry trade v^'ith as much eagernefs as if he was obliged to follow it for bread ; and, to fliew his proficiency in tafticks, even went fo far as to write an elaborate treatlfeon the mighty advan- tages of a foldier's turning out his toes in his marching. " When he had with infinite pains got his company trimmed and difciplined to his mind, contrary to the e?^ethe fatigue of a moment's reflection; an evil to avoid which he has ever had recourfe to iome new fcheme of a^Slive idJenefs." '' I THE REVERIE. 279 ^' I thought it impoflible, (faid I) O my guide, that the heart of man could he (o ablurd- Iv perverfe ! The general motives for embracing the military life are necefTity, an enthufiaftic pafTion for tame, and perhaps, in a very iew in-^ llances, a difinterefted fpirit of patriotifm. But here none of thefe can be alledged; for the laft his temper is too indift'erent ; too lilUefs and un- fteady for the purfuit of fame; and his afHuence raifes him above necciTity, which is the moft univerfal of all : fo that he literally facrilices the moft folid advantages of life for nothing, and runs into danger and diitrefs, becaufehe is in- capable of enjoying the oppofite blciTings." " To the motives which vou have affig;ned (returned the fpirit) you might have added ava- rice and ambition, from both of v/hich he is al- fy conftitutionally exempt. As to the dangers and diftrcfles in which you imagine he muft have involved himfelf, though fufficicnt to de- ter any man of reafon frorfl plunging wantonly into them ; in fuch cafes as his, they aic far fhort of what inexperienced apprehenfion may rcprefent. The private centincl who hourly cx- pofes his life for a morfel of bread to fupport it, and the fubaltern officer who leads that foldier to fight, ftruggle witH difficulties, and encounter dangers, which nature fhudders at tlie thought of; but afcend to the higher ranks, and a great part of thofe terrors vanifh. Their carriages lave them from fatigue, their tables are heaped with delicacies, and luxury reigns in their tents. The day of battle, in which alone they are ex- pofed to danger, is in fome meafure a day of reft to 'the others ; the motions and manoeuvres, in which the modern art of war moftly confifls, 3 >Jar. 28o THE REVERIE. harrafling the unhappy foldier with greater hard- fliips, and expofing him to more dangers than -any general engagement. But of this you will he a better judge when you have taken a view of yonder fcene of war. We have dwelt too long upon the minute concerns of private life, of individuals, however ftrongly marked out for obfervation, by titles, w^ealth, or folly. We will now enlarge our view, and fee whether the con- duel of nations is more rational ; whether the clouds of folly and vice which overcaft the cot- tage, and produce domeftic unhappinefs in lower life, may hot, when raifed into the higher regi- ons, burft into florms and thunder, and make an univerfal wreck of all the works of nature. The End of the First Volume, 0ct25'37 Oct 26'99 W?^K**% «*«, 827.69 J72R V.l 19710