1823.]} Asmodeus in 
as I told you, might have saved a for- 
tune ; but he spent his money as fast as 
he got it, till, at last, he spent it faster ; 
and then he went to.a neighbouring 
country banker, who enabled him for 
some years to go on gaily, merely by 
writing bis name to certain strips of, 
paper, called promissory notes and 
bills of exchange; this has enabled 
him to keep corn by him till it was 
spoiled, rather than sell it reasonably ; 
this has enabled him to go on paying 
an enormous rent, which the aforesaid 
good times brought upon him; this has 
enabled him to hunt, and shoot, and 
ride about the country ; but this has, at 
last, burst like a tempest-cloud over his 
head, and overwhelmed him. ‘The 
eountry-banker has failed, and this 
man owes the estate between three and 
four thousand pounds; the assignees 
have just sent bailiffs into his house 
under a judgment, and his landlord 
has sent others in for his rent. ‘Total 
and irremediable ruin is now his bitter 
portion. He, and his family which 
surrounds him, have still their fine 
eloaths upon their backs, but their 
hearts are aching fearfully. There 
stands the grand, upright, piano-forte ; 
but it will soon go into other hands. 
in the stables and outhouses are yet 
remaining the high-spirited hunters 
and dashing gigs; but they will soon be 
for others to enjoy. Call you this hap- 
piness in the country, Londoner?” 
—‘ Alas! no,” said I, with a groan. 
“And yet,” rejoined he, “ this is but 
too common a picture.” I wanted to 
be gone back to my inn, but my senti- 
mental little devil would not allow it; 
he had not done with me yet. “‘ Come,” 
said he, “‘ yonder is the parsonage- 
house, let us just take a peep there ; 
devil as Iam, I have no quarrel! with a 
good priest.” ‘I'he house was nicely 
embowered amongst some beautiful 
trees, the growth of ages ; it was a large 
one, apparently one-third larger than 
the church itself, which stood near it; 
and the gardens and grounds were 
about twice the size of the church-yard: 
so much more room do men require 
when living than when dead. Surely, 
thought J, this reverend gentleman 
must be happy; but, after what I had 
seen, did not like to say any thing. 
“Took,” said Asmodeus, “there he 
is, tumbling and tossing in bed ; he is 
a late riser, and is now woefully rumi- 
nating upon a notice he recently re- 
ceived from the farmers, his parisbion- 
ets, to take his tythes in kind, instead 
ihe Country. 519 
of receiving, as heretofore, 4 good’ 
round sum in lieu of them. The good 
times have nearly ruined him, as wel! 
as the farmer we have just seen; aud, 
he must either alter his style of living 
very much, or he will presently be 
worse off-than the poor fellow his 
curate, whom he hires at thirty pounds 
a-year. He is far from happy, as you 
see, but he has not felt the worst yet; 
he has not yet tried what five or six 
hundred a-year will do for a man whe 
has been spending two thousand ; whem 
he has, I fear his reverence will be no 
happier than his neighbours.” Icould 
not deny an atom of what was said by 
my friend, le diable buiteux; and he 
whisked me at once to some squire’s 
mansion. Here, externally at least, 
nothing was to be seen that could indi- 
cate want or wretchedness; and 
began to think of what I had read, 
when a boy, about country squires, 
and to hope that here, at all events, 7 
should find happiness ; but I was more 
disappointed than ever. The geod 
times had spread their devastating in- 
fluence here, as well as elsewhere. 1 
was surprised to see the windows all 
closed, and expressed a wonder that 
none of the servants should be yet up. 
“You are in error,” said my ecompa- 
nion, “ devil as I am, I shudder, while 
I tell you, that the master of the man- 
sion lies dead in it; he committed sui- 
cide last night. It is a frightful con- 
templation, but itis too true. Like all 
the rest, when the good times came, 
and his rents were quadrupled, he 
added to his establishment servants, 
éarriages, horses, hounds, every thing 
indeed that luxury and splendour 
could suggest. He even went beyond 
his means at the moment of their being 
greatest ; how, then, could he bear a 
reverse when it came? He did not 
try to bear it; he has violently rushed 
out of life to avoid the pointed finger 
of scorn ; he has dared to leave a wife 
and children to meet the bitter taunts’ 
of an unthinking world, rather than 
boldly stand in the gap, and mect the 
coming evil with economy and firm- 
ness. ‘Look at the poor distracted 
wife and her daughters ; look, I say !” 
I did look, and beheld a scene which 
beggars all description ; and which, in 
the glance of a moment so overcame’ 
me, that I fell inscnsible to the ground; 
and, upon recovering, found that I was 
placed by the very hedge where I first) 
met my companion Asmodeus. 
I was completely sickened with my 
search 
