fun, but, like another Phaton, fcorching and blafting every thing round me. I fhall proceed, therefore, to finish my career, and pafs as rapidly as poffible through the remaining viciffitudes of my life. When I first began to be in want of money, I made no doubt of an immediate fupply. The newspapers were perpetually offering directions to men, who feemed to have no other business than to gather heaps of gold for those who place their supreme felicity in scattering it. I pofted away, therefore, to one of thefe advertifers, who by his proposals seemed to deal in thousands; and was not a little chagrined to find, that this general benefactor would have nothing to do with any larger fum than thirty pounds, nor would venture that without a joint note from myself and a reputable housekeeper, or for a longer time than three months. He It was not yet fo bad with me, as that I needed to folicit furety for thirty pounds: yet partly from the greedinefs that extravagance always produces, and partly from a defire of feeing the humour of a petty ufurer, a character of which I had hitherto lived in ignorance, I condefcended to liften to his terms. proceeded to inform me of my great felicity in not falling into the hands of an extortioner; and affured. me, that I should find him extremely moderate in his demands he was not, indeed, certain, that he could furnish me with the whole fum, for people were at this particular time extremely preffing and importunate for money; yet as I had the appearance of a gentleman, he would try what he could do, and give me his answer in three days. At the expiration of the time, I called upon him again; and was again informed of the great demand for for money, and that “ money was money now;" he then advised me to be punctual in my payment, as that might induce him to befriend me hereafter; and delivered me the money, deducting at the rate of five and thirty per cent. with another panegyric upon his own. moderation.. 66 I will not tire you with the various practices of ufurious oppreffion; but cannot omit my tranfaction with Squeeze on Tower-hill, who finding me a young man of confiderable expectations, employed an agent to perfuade me to borrow five hundred pounds, to be refunded by an annual payment of twenty per cent. during the joint lives of his daughter Nancy Squeeze and myself. The negociator came prepared to inforce his proposal with all his art; but finding that I caught his offer with the eagerness of neceffity, he grew cold and languid: " he had mentioned it out of kindness; he would try to serve me: Mr. Squeeze was an honeft man, "but extremely cautious." In three days he came to tell me, that his endeavours had been ineffectual, Mr. Squeeze having no good opinion of my life: but that there was one expedient remaining; Mrs. Squeeze could influence her husband, and her good-will might be gained by a compliment. I waited that afternoon on Mrs. Squeeze, and poured out before her the flatteries which usually gain access to rank and beauty: I did not then know, that there are places in which the only compliment is a bribe. Having yet credit with a jeweller, I afterwards procured a ring of thirty guineas, which I humbly prefented, and was foon admitted to atreaty with Mr. Squeeze. He appeared peevish and backward, and my old friend whifpered me, that he would would never make a dry bargain: I, therefore, invited him to a tavern. Nine times we met on the affairs; nine times I paid four pounds for the fupper and claret; and nine guineas I gave the agent for good offices. I then obtained the money, paying ten per cent. advance; and at the tenth meeting gave another supper, and difburfed fifteen pounds for the writings. Others, who filed themselves brokers, would only trust their money upon goods: that I might, therefore, try every art of expenfive folly, I took a house and furnished it. I amufed myself with defpoiling my moveables of their gloffy appearance, for fear of alarming the lender with fufpicions; and in this I fucceeded fo well, that he favoured me with one hundred and fixty pounds upon that which was rated at feven hundred. I then found that I was to maintain a guardian about me, to prevent the goods from being broken or removed. This was, indeed, an unexpected tax; but it was too late to recede; and I comforted myself, that I might prevent a creditor, of whom I had fome ap-. prehenfions, from feizing, by having a prior execution. always in the house. By fuch means I had fo embarraffed myself, that my whole attention was engaged in contriving excufes, and raising small fums to quiet fuch as words would no longer mollify. It cost me eighty pounds in prefents to Mr. Leech the attorney, for his forbearance of one hundred, which he folicited me to take when I had no need. I was perpetually harraffed, with importunate demands, and infulted by wretches, who a few months before would not have dared to raise their eyes from the duft before me. I lived in continual terror, frighted by every noise at the door, and terrified at the ap proach nish verb, proach of every ftep quicker than common. I never retired to reft, without feeling the juftnefs of the Spa "Let him who fleeps too much, borrow the pillow of a debtor;" my folicitude and vexation kept me long waking; and when I had closed my eyes, I was purfued or infulted by vifionary bailiffs. When I reflected upon the meannefs of the shifts I had reduced myself to, I could not but curse the folly and extravagance that had overwhelmed me in a fea of troubles, from which it was highly improbable that I fhould ever emerge. I had fome time lived in hopes of an estate, at the death of my uncle; but he disappointed me by marrying his houfekeeper; and, catching an opportunity foon after of quarrelling with me for fettling twenty pounds a year upon a girl whom I had feduced, told me that he would take care to prevent his fortune from being fquandered upon prosti tutes. Nothing now remained, but the chance of extricating myself by marriage; a scheme which, I flatterred myfelf, nothing but my present distress would have made me think on with patience. I determined, therefore to look out for a tender novice, with a large fortune at her own difpofal; and accordingly fixed my eyes upon Mifs Biddy Simper. I had now paid her fix or seven vifits; and fo fully convinced her of my being a gentleman and a rake, that I made no doubt that both her perfon and fortune would be foon mine. At this critical time, Mifs Gripe called upon me, in a chariot bought with my money, and loaded with trinkets that I had in my days of affluence lavished on her. Those days were now over; and there was little hope that they would ever return. She was not able able to withstand the temptation of ten pounds that Talon the bailiff offered her, but brought him into my apartment disguifèd in a livery; and taking my fword to the window, under pretence of admiring the workmanship, beckoned him to feize me. Delay would have been expenfive without use, as the debt was too confiderable for payment of bail: I, therefore, fuffered myself to be immediately conducted to jail. Vestibulum ante ipfum primisque in faucibus Orci, Juft in the gate and in the jaws of hell, : VIRG DRYDEN. Confinement of any kind is dreadful; a prison is fometimes able to shock thofe, who endure it in a good cause let your imaginatinn, therefore, acquaint you, with what I have not words to exprefs, and conceive, if poffible, the horrors of imprisonment attended with reproach and ignominy, of involuntary affociation with the refufe of mankind, with wretches who were before too abandoned for fociety, but being now freed from fhame or fear, are hourly improving their vices by con forting with each other.. There are, however, a few, whom like myself imprifonment has rather mortified than hardened with : thefe |