82 HISTORY OF A FORTUNATE IDLER. May 25, 



monument of mercy der:ved from the principles of that 

 art, which yonic correfpondent laudably endeavours to 

 explain. 



I was born, Sir, to the fucceflion of a large entailed e- 

 ftate; the pride of my father, and the darling of my mo- 

 ther : I was educated with the greatefl; care, and re- 

 ceived every inftruftion and accompliflimcnt that Great 

 Britain, and the tour of Europe, could afford. When 

 I returned from abroad at two and twenty, I was 

 thought (I may fay without vanity) one of the moft. 

 elegant and accomplifhed young men that had been im- 

 ported from the continent for half a century. After 

 the firll joy of my family on my return was over, and 

 I had received all tlie encomiums of my father, mo- 

 ther, ar,d aunts, and all the admiration of the fquires 

 and miffes in our neighbourhood in the country, I found 

 an irrefi (table defire to leave the barbarity of a provin- 

 cial reiidence, for the elegant amufements of the capi- 

 tal. I went to London for the winter, was prefented 

 at court, drew upon my father, with his approbation, 

 for three thoufand pounds, the price I paid to a broker 

 for a Cornifh borough, got into Brookes's club, and 

 the other fafliionable focieties in town, kept a gixl, 

 fhook my elbow with the beft company, and in the «- 

 legance of conviviality, was able, in confequence of 

 an excellent conftitution, to be at the fame time an e>r- 

 cellent bottle companion. I phyed the violincello at 

 private concerts, fimg a cateh with the beft in tlie club, 

 and finifhed the winter with the reputation of being 

 one of the moft promifing 3 oung men in Englancl. 

 Next fummer was paffed in the country with my fa., 

 ther, who had one of the beft packs ©f fox hounds in 

 the kingdom, with a ftable of firft rate hunters, which, 

 with my other qualities, made me the prince of our 

 fociety. I had not paiTed above a couple of the 

 hunting months after this fummer had elapfed, before I 

 began to feel my diftafte for the rough and uncultivat- 

 ed pro/incials wearing off, and a liking to the chace 

 •*nd the bottle taking polTeffion of my time, to the ex- 



