."?:8 FOLITrCAr..USES OF BAD HEAt-TH. July 6, 



men of ihc ufes to which it may be applied in private 

 life. 



OF all kinds of debt, the moft burthenfome to fome 

 is a debt of gratitude. It is a vile thing to be ftygma- 

 riled as ungrateful; it blails a perfon's charadler, and 

 makes them be detefted by fociery. Now, when it hap- 

 pens that one has a debt -^'f that kind hanging over his 

 hend, and feels no inclination to difcharge it, that mud 

 doUbrlefi be a happy device which frees him aiikc 

 fronr the burthen of repayment, and fi-om the obloquy 

 of ingratitude. And here had health is juft as conve^ 

 iiient on fome occafions to peifons of moderate rank, 

 as it is in other inftances to people in high life. My 

 illuH ration of this cafe is, as follows : 



A lady, who was a connexion of my own, had the 

 misfortune to be involved feveral years ago in a very 

 difagreeable affair, in which (be was very unjnitlv blam- 

 ed for crimes that 1 was well fatisfied flie never had been 

 guilty of. Appearances however were fo doubtful, 

 that it was probable flie might be flripped of all the little 

 property Ibe had, before llie could get l)crfclf extricat- 

 ed from this difagreenble embarraifment. . On that try- 

 ing occafion, all her friends, niyfelf alone excepted, 

 deferted her; and either reprodched her in very indc 

 cent terms, or dryly declined taking any concern in 

 her affairs, either to advife or affifl in any way. This 

 conduft in them, not lefs than my own natural propen- 

 fitv, induced me toco-operate with her to the ntmoil of 

 my power, to get li^r extricated out of this difagree- 

 able fituation. I fmcerely condoled with her, adviftd 

 •with lier on all trying occafions ; nor did I ever hcfi- 

 tare by night or by day to do every thing that was 

 poilible for her relief, with as much cordial fincerity, 

 astif tlie bufinefs had been my own. Thefe dillicul- 

 ties were at laft overblown : The fortune of the lady 

 wa'j fecured : Her friends have now returned to her ; 

 *nd ii)iiead of maltreatment or dillant civilities, they 

 t.ourt }»ci.- favour by every aflldaityj and flie enjoys 



