awaked; for entering the tavern, where we met every evening, I found the waiters remitted their complaifance, and, instead of contending to light me up stairs, suffered me to wait for fome minutes by the bar. When I came to my company I found them unusually grave and formal, and one of them took a hint to turn the converfation upon the misconduct of young men, and enlarged upon the folly of frequenting the company of men of fortune, without being able to support the expence, an obfervation which the reft contributed either to enforce by repetition, or to illustrate by examples. Only one of them tried to divert the difcourfe, and endeavoured to direct my attention to remote queftions, and common topicks.

A man guilty of poverty easily believes himself fufpected. I went, however, next morning to a breakfaft with him who appeared ignorant of the drift of the conversation, and by a series of enquiries, drawing still nearer to the point, prevailed on him, not, perhaps, much against his will, to inform me, that Mr. Dash, whofe father was a wealthy attorney near my native place, had, the morning before, received an account of my uncle's refentment, and communicated his intelligence with the utmost industry of grovelling infolence.

It was now no longer practicable to confort-with my former friends, unless I would be content to be used as an inferior guest, who was to pay for his wine by mirth and flattery; a character which, if I could not escape it, I refolved to endure only among those who had never known me in the pride of plenty. I changed my lodgings, and frequented the coffee-houses in a different region of the town; where I was very quickly distinguished

by

by feveral young gentlemen of high birth, and large eftates, and began again to amuse my imagination with hopes of preferment, though not quite fo confidently as when I had less experience.

The first great conqueft which this new scene. enabled me to gain over myself was, when I fubmitted to confefs to a party, who invited me to an expenfive diverfion, that my revenues were not equal to fuch golden pleasures; they would not fuffer me, however, to stay behind, and with great reluctance I yielded to be treated. I took that opportunity of recommending myself to fome office or employment, which they unanimously promised to procure me by their joint interest.

I had now entered into a ftate of dependence, and had hopes, or fears, from almost every man I faw. If it be unhappy to have one patron, what is his mifery who has many? I was obliged to comply with a thoufand caprices, to concur in a Ithoufand follies, and to countenance a thousand errors. I endured innumerable mortifications, if not from cruelty, at leaft from negligence, which will creep in upon the kindeft and moft delicate minds, when they converfe without the mutual awe of equal condition. I found the spirit and vigour of liberty every moment finking in me, and a fervile fear of displeasing, stealing by degrees upon all my behaviour, till no word, or look, or action, I was my own. As the folicitude to please increased, the power of pleafing grew lefs, and I was always clouded with diffidence where it was most my intereft and wifh to fhine.

My patrons, confidering me as belonging to the community, and, therefore, not the charge of any O particular perfon, made no fcruple of neglecting

any

any opportunity of promoting me, which every one thought more properly the business of another. An account of my expectations and disappointments, and the fucceeding viciffitudes of my life, I fhall give you in my following letter, which will be, I hope, of use to fhew how ill he forms his fchemes, who expects happiness without freedom.

I am, &c.

NUMB. 27. TUESDAY, June 19, 1750.

——————————-Pauperiem metuens potiore metallis

Libertate caret.

So he, who poverty with horror views,
Who fells his freedom in exchange for gold,

(Freedom for mines of wealth too cheaply fold)
Shall make eternal fervitude his fate,

And feel a haughty master's galling weight.

Mr. RAMBLER,

A

HOB

FRANCIS

S it is natural for every man to think himself of importance, your knowledge of the world will incline you to forgive me, if I imagine your curiofity fo much excited by the former part of my narration, as to make you defire that I should proceed without any unneceffary arts of connection. I fhall, therefore, not keep you longer in fuch fufpence, as perhaps my performance may not compenfate.

In the gay company with which I was now united, I found thofe allurements and delights, which the friendship of young men always affords; there was that opennefs which naturally produced con

fidence,

fidence, that affability which, in some measure, foftened dependence, and that ardour of profeffion which incited hope. When our hearts were dilated with merriment, promises were poured out with unlimited profufion, and life and fortune were but a fcanty facrifice to friendship; but when the hourcame, at which any effort was to be made, I had generally the vexation to find that my interest weighed nothing against the flightest amusement, and that every petty avocation was found a fufficient plea for continuing me in uncertainty and want. Their kindness was indeed fincere; when they promised they had no intention to deceive, but the fame juvenile warmth which kindled their be-. nevolence, gave force in the fame proportion to every other paffion, and I was forgotten as foon as any new pleasure seized on their attention.

Vagario told me one evening, that all my perplexities should be soon at an end, and defired me, from that instant, to throw upon him all care of my fortune, for a poft of confiderable value was that day become vacant, and he knew his interest fufficient to procure it in the morning. He defired me to call on him early, that he might be dreffed foon enough to wait on the minifter before any: other application should be made. I came as he, appointed, with all the flame of gratitude, and was told by his servant, that having found at his lodgings, when he came home, an acquaintance who was going to travel, he had been perfuaded to accompany him to Dover, and that they had taken poft-horfes two hours before day..

I was once very near to preferment, by the kindnefs of Charinus, who, at my request, went to beg a place, which he thought me likely to fill with

great

great reputation, and in which I fhould have many opportunities of promoting his interest in return; and he pleased himself with imagining the mutual benefits that we should confer, and the advances that we should make by our united strength. Away therefore he went, equally warm with friendship and ambition, and left me to prepare acknowledgments against his return. At length he came back, and told me that he had met in his way a party going to breakfast in the country, that the ladies importuned him too much to be refufed, and that having paffed the morning with them, he was come back to drefs himself for a ball, to which he was invited for the evening.

I have fuffered feveral difappointments from tailors and periwig-makers, who by neglecting to perform their work withheld my patrons from court; and once failed of an establishment for life by the delay of a fervant, fent to a neighbouring fhop to replenish a fnuff-box.

At laft I thought my folicitude at an end, for an office fell into the gift of Hippodamus's father, who being then in the country, could not very speedily fill it, and whose fondness would not have fuffered him to refufe his fon a lefs reasonable requeft. Hippodamus therefore fet forward with great expedition, and I expected every hour an account of his fuccefs. A long time I waited without any intelligence, but at last received a letter from Newmarket, by which I was informed, that the races were begun, and I knew the vehemence of his paffions too well to imagine that he could refuse himself his favourite amusement.

You will not wonder that I was at laft weary of the patronage of young men, especially as I found