LETTER IV.

MR. THOMAS HEARTFREE, SIR, OUR's received; but as to Sum mentioned therein, does not fuit at

You

prefent

Your humble Servant

PETER POUNCE.

I

SIR,

LETTER V.

AM fincerely forry it does not at prefent fuit me to comply with your Request, especially after so many Obligations received on my Side, of which I fhall always entertain the moft grateful Memory. I am very greatly concerned at your Misfortunes, and would have waited upon you in Perfon, but am not at present very well, and befides, am obliged to go this Evening to Vaux-ball. I am, Sir,

Your moft obliged humble Servant

THERE were more Letters to much the fame Purpofe; but we proposed giving our Reader a Tafte only. Of all thefe, the laft was infinitely the most grating to poor Heartfree, as it came from one to whom, when in Distress, he had himfelf lent a confiderable Sum, and of whofe prefent flourishing Circumstances he was well affured.

In which our Hero carries GREATNESS to an immoderate Height.

L

ET us remove, therefore, as faft as we

can this deteftable' Picture of Ingratitude, and present the much more agreeable Portrait of that Affurance to which the French very properly annex the Epithet of Good. Heartfree had scarce done reading his Letters, when our Hero appeared before his Eyes, not with that Afpect with which a pitiful Parfon meets his Patron, after having opposed him at an Election, or

which

ry;

which a Doctor wears, when fneaking away from a Door, where he is informed of his Patient's Death; not with that down-caft Countenance which betrays the Man, who, after a strong Conflict between Virtue and Vice, hath surrendered his Mind to the latter, and is discovered in his firft Treachebut with that noble, bold, GREAT Confidence with which á Prime Minister affures his Dependent, that the Place he promised him was difpofed of before. And fuch Concern and Uneafiness as he expreffes in his Looks on thofe Occafions did Wild testify on the first Meeting of his Friend. And as the faid Prime Minifter chides you for Neglect of your Interest, in not having asked in Time, fo did our Hero attack Heartfree for his giving Credit to the Count, and, without fuffering him to answer a Word, proceeded in a Torrent of Words to overwhelm him with Abuse; which, however friendly its Intention might be, was scarce to be outdone by an Enemy. By thefe Means Heartfree, who might perhaps otherwife have vented fome little Concern for that Recommendation which Wild had given him to the L4 Count,

Count, was totally prevented from any fuch Endeavour, and, like an invading Prince, when attacked in his own Dominions, forced to recall his whole Strength to defend himself at home. This indeed he did fo well by infifting on the Figure and outward Appearance of the Count and his Equipage, that Wild at length grew a little more gentle, confeffing that he had the leaft Reason of all Mankind to cenfure another for an Imprudence of this Nature, as he was himself the most easily to be imposed upon, and indeed had been fo by this Count, who, if he was infolvent, had, he faid, cheated him of five hundred Pounds.

'

But, for my own Part, faid he, I will not ઠંડ yet despair, nor would I have you. Many Men have found it convenient to retire, or abfcond for a while, and after"wards have paid their Debts, or at least handfomely compounded them. This I am certain of, fhould a Compofition take place, "which is the worst can be apprehended, "I shall be the only Lofer; for I fhall "think myself obliged in Honour to repair

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your Lofs, even though you must confefs it was principally owing to your

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own Folly, Zds! had I imagined it neceffary, I would have cautioned you; "but I thought the Part of the Town "where he lived, fufficient Caution not to "trust him. And fuch a Sum

"The Devil must have been in you certainly!

MRS. Heartfree, who had before vented the most violent Execrations on Wild, was now thoroughly fatisfied of his Innocence, and begged him not to infift any longer on what he perceived fo deeply affected her Husband. She faid, Trade could not be carried on without Credit, and furely he was fufficiently justified in giving it to such a Perfon as the Count appeared to be. Befides, fhe faid, Reflections on what was paft and irretrievable would be of little Service; that their prefent Business was to confider how to prevent the evil Confequences which threatened, and first to endeavour to procure her Hufband his Liberty. Why doth he not procure Bail? faid Wild. Alas! Sir, faid fhe, we have applied to many of our Acquaintance in vain; we have met with Excufes even where we could leaft expect them. "Not Bail! an

"fwered