terruptions and severe struggles of conscience, the great monitor of the human heart; and it is only by the many repetitions of the smaller crimes that he at last blunts the stings of conscience, and is thereby enabled to advance to more criminal actions; for, when he has completely set to rest every feeling of scruple, he goes on as in a smooth path, from one degree of vice to another, until he at last reaches the height of depravity.

The first step is not unfrequently an introduction to men of dissipated habits, commonly called jolly fellows; by them he is invited to a social bottle. He feels a little reluctance on his entry into this new society; but, if he shews a shyness in the outset, they exert all their ingenuity to make things agreeable to him, and, by and by, he acquires a relish for their society; at next meeting they propose an additional bottle, and begin to get merry; this, if he is a good natured man, works wonders, and he now enters a little more into the spirit of the company, and thinks it no unpleasant way of spending an evening. He is now considered a sort of initiate, and a proposal is made that he should become a member of

the club; this, he thinks, is conferring a high honour upon him: He continues to frequent the club, and at first keeps good hours; and should he, at any time, stop beyond his usual time, he feels rather a disagreeable sensation next morning, and resolves to keep better hours in future; but, next night, the same mistake is again committed; and, altho' new resolutions are formed, they are alas soon broken through; so that after a few repetitions he becomes quite reconciled to the modes of the club.

The next step is to get their victim, of whom they are now pretty sure, into his cups, in which situation he is dragged to the bagnio; this new scene, on cool reflec tion, occasions no small uneasiness to the initiate, but he resolves to take care of himself in time to come; these resolutions are soon broke through, and the same scene is again acted at next meeting. The unhappy man soon throws off all restraint, and absolutely feels unhappy unless in the midst of his jolly companions, who at last lead him into every species of crime; this disables him from attending his lawful af fairs, and ultimately brings ruin on himself and family.

The above account by no means applies to every one who has fallen a victim to vice and dissipation; but, in large societies, and with young men, it is the usual mode adop ted, altho' many acquire these habits with out such powerful aids. This last, however, applies, in a greater degree, to those who have been neglected in their education, and who, at an early period of life, have acquired bad habits; or who, as it is term ed, altho' improperly, had wicked inclinations from the cradle.-The memoirs of Jerom Mercator will sufficiently illustrate the first mode here mentioned; who, from being one of the steadiest young men, be came the most depraved of human beings.

JEROM MERCATOR was born of very respectable parents, and got a good education: He was initiated, at an early period of life, into all the branches of trade in some of the first houses in the metropolis; and, when very young, was, by his friends, set up in business on his own account, under their own eye. He was a young man of amiable qualities, possessing a warm and generous heart, and allowed to be entirely

master of his business. Jerom, for a good number of years, paid great attention to his affairs; and being generally beloved and esteemed by all who knew him, he succeeded beyond his most sanguine expectations, and made various profitable speculations to a considerable extent. Having extended his wholesale transactions on too extensive a scale, he repeatedly experienced pretty severe losses, which, in some degree, tended a good deal to alter his former mild disposition, and in some measure to induce him to circumscribe his usual operations, and not only to intimidate, but even to paralyse his otherwise active and aspiring spirit for trade.

At this time Jerom was still unmarried ; and notwithstanding his many good quali ties, it must be confessed that being unincumbered with a wife and family, he shewed himself rather too much inclined to social company, and being unfortunately surrounded with a pretty extensive circle of what are denominated " good fellows," chiefly his former school companions, he too frequently joined their festivities in the tavern to a late hour, altho' he did not for long allow these nightly meetings to divert

his attention from his more important concerns. But here it may be remarked, that the main danger lies in indulging the first propensities to vice, which, if not checked in their origin, seldom fail, ultimately, to plung their victims into unfathomable misery and destruction, and to change what was at first meant as a relaxation from business, into utter ruin.

Jerom seemed to anticipate something of what is above noticed, and drew back from these social meetings, and soon thereafter paid his respects to, and married an amiable young woman, with whom he lived happy for several years, until he became unfortunate in some farther speculations, when he immediately reverted to his former irregular conduct, and joined his old companions

and the last step of Jerom was worse than the first. It may now be said, that he, in good earnest joined the social band; and so true was he to his contract, that he never after deserted his post; he was always the first to meet in the evening, and the last to leave his chair: business began to be completely neglected, for Jerom, not satisfied with attending his bottle companions all night, had for some time been in