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SAMPLE OF SOME GENTLEMAN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 



[Ma. EDITOR. Some gentleman he does not mention his name has recently 

 sent me the enclosed sample of his Autobiography, entreating me, if possible, to 

 get it inserted in what he terms your " respectable miscellany." Should it be well 

 received, he seems to think of imparting to the public, in some attractive form, 

 much of what has occurred to him. If I comply with his request, he begs me to 

 believe, that I shall be adding materially to a debt, of which he feels sure it would 

 pain me to be reminded. VVhat the man means, I know not. 



Yours, respectfully, W. C.] 



WITH regard to Thornhose, I remember our becoming acquainted neither 

 of us subsequently knew how at Doncaster. What tact what consum- 

 mate nous, he displayed! With much justice he prided himself on being 

 invulnerable to the thousand-and-one little arts to which so many fall a 

 prey. He had never discounted a bad bill, bought an unsound horse, 

 or taken a smoky house in his life. No man had seen him at a meeting 

 of creditors; no begging- impostor knocked at his door , no human being 

 could persuade him to become bail. To an inexperienced young man 

 like me, as be remarked, but without vanity, his acquaintance was likely 

 to prove valuable. To cultivate it was my interest, my duty ; and I did 

 so with such success, that after tbe races and a few days' loitering, we 

 returned to London together, on an understanding that he should favour me 

 with his drawing-room floor, for which be had no particular use his par- 

 lours being double, and very spacious furnish my table handsomely, and 

 supply me with such cash as I might require, until I became twenty-five. 

 On attaining such age, as he could, and did shortly after ascertain, by a 

 perusal of my respected uncle's will in the Commons, I was entitled to 

 touch a legacy of 5000/.; out of this he was to be paid in full, with interest 

 and a bonus, which, though liberal, fell short of what would bave been 

 enforced by the regular money-lenders ; from whose toils, on account of 

 my ingenuousness, inexperience, the interest which he felt as to my 

 welfare, he bad no objection, notwithstanding the inconvenience, to 

 preserve me. "My dear young friend," said tbis worthy man, three 

 days after I had been domiciled under bis roof, " I have got an office- 

 copy of your uncle's will in my pocket, for one must look out and 

 depend on it, I will be a father to you !" Now, it would be an act of 

 injustice on my part I abhor injustice in any sbape not to declare 

 that during tbe twelve months which I passed in his house, be was tbe 

 very mirror of kindness. If I wanted money, he would even put him- 

 self to the inconvenience of selling wines from his private cellar at a 

 loss, for the purpose of raising it ; such loss, however, I must do myself 

 the justice to say, I insisted on bearing. He let me have a horse and gig 

 which he had bought a bargain, at cost price ; sold me an original Wou- 

 vermans, and two Claudes, for next to nothing ; and did all in his power to 

 gain me the heart and hand of his lovely daughter. In Betsy, however, the 

 hereditary caution of her family was aggravated into downright cunning : 

 for though she had no objection to my person, or manners, she peremp- 

 torily refused our united entreaties to become my wife, until I should 

 actually touch my uncle's legacy on no other pretence than some old 

 proverb, about slips and lips. 



Well ! to my deep indignation, and even horror, after I had been with 

 him a year, and was about 600Z. in his debt, he burst into my room one 

 morning, and dared to call me impostor ! 



M.M. New Series. VOL. XIV. No. 79. C 



