felves out of one place to catch at "another, were it only for the exer"cife of changing a posture. I am defperate quandary how to act; 86 for, as I faid before, two hundred pounds a-year, and a good house, "is an object with almost every man "and woman to whom your Honour. "and Mifs Matilda fent letters. "one score or another, they find rea"fons to baffle all my endeavours to

On

recommend, by their means, the “unfortunate, and intreat my interest 66 on their own accounts. Had I been "a man who liked dirty money as "well as clean money, fir, I could "have made this tour turn out very decently, for several brilliant bribes

66

"have been held up between mine honesty and my avarice. It is two "months

"months fince from day to day I "have been put off by these your

great friends, fir, on the folemn

promise of receiving a catalogue of

proper objects when I next called; "but I am as far off as ever, except "that I have picked up a couple of gentlemen, whom I think may do, "and whom I fhall fend down by "the ftage to Shenstone-Green. You have been forely mistaken, fir, in

your notion of the riches and fitua"tions of those you wrote to; and I "do not think you will be the better efteemed for having thus, as it

were, thrown out a lure, to get at "the bottom of their circumstances. It "was a golden mistake while you "were in ignorance, fir, but having "once caught this fecret, and, to say

"the

the truth, trepanned them out of "it, 'twill be a moot point whether

you keep their good will or lofe it. "Ah! fir, London connexions were

not, I doubt, the proper ones to point out that kind of modest "merit and obfcure virtue which

I

you want for Shenstone-Green. "found all but one man (and of him "I may speak hereafter) in that fort "of dazzling hurry which prevented "either his feeing or hearing. One "of your friends, fir, at the time of

my waiting upon him was bargain

ing for a trinket, which the vender "valued at fifty guineas, and which "the buyer defigned, as he said, for "a present to his miftrefs; while, at "the other end of the room, stood a fellow nippping his hat, and

poor

VOL. I.

M "foliciting

66

foliciting five guineas to pay his lodgings. How doth your Honour "think this matter ended? Why the "gentleman paid down the fifty guiઠંડ neas for the toy, and told the pe"titioner that he was out of cash just "then, but might call next week, or "the week after. Underneath, fir, "are the feveral names of your great "London friends, who are willing to 66 accept of your Honour's protection, your house, land, and money, to "almost any amount.

They infift on my fending down "the lift before I proceed; and as

દ

you will best judge yourself, fir, "how far they are, or are not, ob

cr

jects, I fhall not intrude any re"marks; but beg your Honour's "reply,

reply, as London is too young a "place for the very old

"SAMUEL SARCASM."

N. B. "The lift is of my own "making out; for, though most of "the parties are near and intimate "friends, living in great fplendour,

they all charged me to conceal "their application from all eyes but "thofe of Sir Benjamin Beauchamp; "so that you see how the gay impo"fition paffes here, fir, and that most "of your great friends are in the "road to ruin, because each man is "ashamed to confess that he is jealous "of his neighbour's finery and folly. "Thus, fir, though you receive the application of many, every indivi"dual hugs himself on the fecrecy M 2 " with