Characters of filly people, with the proper ufes for which

O

fuch are defigned.

NE reafon why we chofe to end our first book, as we did, with the laft chapter was,

that we are now obliged to produce two characters of a ftamp entirely different from what we have hitherto dealt in. Thefe perfons are of that pitiful order of mortals, who are in contempt called good-natured; being indeed fent into the world by nature, with the fame defign with which men put little fish into a pike-pond, in order to be devoured by that voracious water-hero.

BUT to proceed with our hiftory, Wild having fhared the booty in much the fame manner as before, i. e. taken three fourths of it, amounting to eighteen-pence, was now retiring to rest, in no very happy mood, when by accident he met a young fellow who had formerly been his companion, and indeed intimate friend at fchool. It hath been thought that friendship is ufually nurfed by fimilitude of manners; but the contrary

contrary had been the cafe between thefe lads; for whereas Wild was rapacious and intrepid, the other had always more regard for his skin than his money; Wild therefore had very generously compaffionated this defect in his fchool-fellow, and had brought him off from many fcrapes, into most of which he had first drawn him, by taking the fault and whipping to himself. He had always indeed been well paid on fuch occafions; but there are a fort of people, who, together with the best of the bargain, will be fure to have the obligation too on their fide; fo it had happened here: for this poor lad confidered himself in the highest degree obliged to Mr. Wild, and had contracted a very great efteem and friendship for him; the traces of which an absence of many years had not in the leaft effaced in his mind. He no fooner knew Wild therefore, than he accofted him in the most friendly manner, and invited him home with him to breakfast, it being now near nine in the morning, which invitation our hero with no great difficulty confented to. This young man, who was about Wild's age, had fome time before fet up in the trade of a jeweller, in the materials or stock for which he had laid out the greatest part of a little fortune, and had married a very agreeable woman for love, by whom he then had two children. As our reader is to be more acquainted with this perfon, it may not be improper to open fomewhat of his character, especially as it will ferve as a kind of foil to the noble and great difpofition of our hero, and as the one feems fent into this world as a proper object on which the talents of the other were to be difplayed with a proper and just fuccefs.

.MR. Thomas Heartfree then, for that was his name, was of an honeft and open difpofition. He was of that fort of men, whom experience only, and not their own natures, muft inform, that there are fuch things as deceit and hypocrify in the world; and who, confequently, are not at five and twenty as difficult to be impofed upon as the oldest and most fubtile. He was poffeffed of several great weakneffes of mind; being good-natured, friendly and generous to VOL. V. a great

D.

a great excess. He had indeed too little regard to common juftice, for he had forgiven fome debts to his acquaintance, only because they could not pay him; and had entrusted a bankrupt on his fetting up a fecond time, from having been convinced, that he had dealt in his bankruptcy with a fair and honest heart; and that he had broke through misfortune only, and not from neglect or impofture. He was withal fo filly a fellow, that he never took the least advantage of the ignorance of his customers, and contented himfelf with very moderate gains on his goods; which he was the better enabled to do, notwithstanding his generofity, because his life was extremely temperate, his expences being folely confined to the chearful entertainment of his friends at home, and now and then a moderate glass of wine, in which he indulged himfelf in the company of his wife, who, with an agreeable perfon, was a mean-fpirited, poor, domeftic, lowbred animal, who confined herself mostly to the care of her family; placed her happiness in her husband and her children; followed no expenfive fashions or diverfions; and indeed rarely went abroad, unless to return the vifits of a few plain neighbours, and twice a year afforded herself, in company with her husband, the diverfion of a play, where the never fat in a higher place than the pit.

To this filly woman did this filly fellow introduce the GREAT WILD, informing her at the fame tima of their school acquaintance, and the many obligations he had received from him. This fimple woman no fooner heard her husband had been obliged to her gueft, than her eyes fparkled on him with a benevolence, which is an emanatiou from the heart, and of which great and noble minds, whofe hearts never fwell but with an injury, can have no very adequate idea; it is therefore no wonder that our hero fhould mifconftrue, as he did, the poor, innocent, and fimple affection of Mrs. Heartfree towards her husband's friend, for that great and generous paffion, which fires the eyes of a modern heroine, when the colonel is fo kind as to indulge the city creditor with partaking of his table to-day, and of his bed to-morrow. Wild

Wild therefore inftantly returned the compliment, as he understood it, with his eyes, and prefently after bestowed many encomiums on her beauty, with which perhaps fhe, who was a woman, though a good one, and mifapprehended the defign, was not difpleafed any more than the husband.

WHEN breakfast was ended, and the wife retired to her houshold affairs, Wild, who had a quick difcernment into the weaknesses of men, and who, befides the knowledge of his good (or foolish) difpofition when a boy, had now discovered several sparks of goodness, friendship, and generofity in his friend, began to difcourfe over the accidents which had happened in their childhood, and took frequent occafions of reminding him of those favours which we have before mentioned his having conferred on him; he then proceeded to the moft vehement profeffions of friendship, and to the most ardent expreffions of joy in this renewal of their acquaintance. He at last told him with great feeming pleafure, that he believed he had an opportunity of ferving him by the recommendation of a gentleman to his cuftom, who was then on the brink of marriage, and, if he be not already engaged, "I will, fays he, endeavour to prevail on "him to furnish his lady with jewels at your fhop."

HEARTFREE was not backward in thanks to our hero; and, after many earneft folicitations to dinne which were refused, they parted for the first time.

BUT here, as it occurs to our memory, that our readers may be furprised (an accident which fometimes happens in hiftories of this kind) how Mr. Wild the elder, in his prefent capacity, fhould have been able to maintain his fon at a reputable school, as this appears to have been, it may be neceffary to inform him, that Mr. Wild himself was then a tradesman in good bufinefs; but by misfortunes in the world, to wit, extravagance and gaming, he had reduced himfelf to that honourable occupation which we nave formerly mentioned.

HAVING cleared up this doubt, we will now purfue our hero, who forthwith repaired to the Count, and having first fettled preliminary articles concern

D 2

Ang

ing diftributions, he acquainted him with the scheme which he had formed against Heartfree; and after` confulting proper methods to put it in execution, they began to concert measures for the enlargement of the Count; on which the firft, and indeed only point to be confidered, was to raise money, not to pay his debts, for that would have required an immenfe fum, and was contrary to his inclination or intention, but to procure him bail; for as to his efcape, Mr. Snap had taken fuch precautions that it appeared abfolutely impoffible.

CHA P. II.

Great examples of GREATNESS in Wild, shewn as well by his behaviour to Bagshot, as in a scheme laid firft to impofe on Heartfree by means of the Count, and then to cheat the Count of the booty.

ILD undertook, therefore, to extract some mo

WIL ney from Bagshot, who, notwithstanding the

depredations made on him, had carried off a pretty confiderable booty from their engagement at dice the preceding day. He found Mr. Bagshot in expectation of his bail, and, with a countenance full of concern, which he could at any time, with wonderful art, put on, told him, that all was difcovered; that the Count knew him, and intended to profecute him for the robbery, had not I exerted (faid he) my ut most interest, and with great difficulty prevailed on him in cafe you refund the money" Refund the "money! cry'd Bagfhot, that is in your power: for you know what an inconfiderable part of it fell to my fhare. How! replied Wild, is this your gratitude to me for faving your life? for your own confcience must convince you of your guilt, and with how much certainty the gentleman can "give evidence against you. Marry come up, quoth "Bagfhot, I believe my life alone will not be in "danger. I know those who are as guilty as myfelf. "Do you tell me of confcience? -Yes, firrah! "aufwered our hero, taking him by the collar, and

"fince