"fatisfactory: If I throw the means away, I "can no longer compafs the end; this is felf"evident; I perceive therefore that I must not "game; for though I like play, I do not like to "lose that, which alone can purchase every

pleasure I propofe to enjoy, and I do not fee "that the chance of winning other people's (c money can compenfate for the pain I muft "fuffer if I lofe my own: An addition to my "fortune can only give fuperfluities; the lofs of "it may take away even neceffaries; and in the "mean time I have enough for every other gra"tification but the defperate one of deep play: It is refolved therefore that I will not be a gamefter: There is not common sense in the thought, and therefore I renounce it.

"But if I give up gaming, I will take my "fwing of pleasure; that I am determined upon. "I must therefore afk myself the question, what "is pleasure? Is it high living and hard drink"ing? I have my own choice to make, there"fore I must take fome time to confider of it. "There is nothing very elegant in it I must "confefs; a glutton is but a forry fellow, and à "drunkard is a beaft: Befides I am not sure my "conftitution can ftand against it: I fhall get "the gout, that would be the devil; I fhall grow

out of all fhape; I fhall have a red face full of "blotches,

"blotches, a foul breath and be loathfome to the "women: I cannot bear to think of that, for I "doat upon the women, and therefore adieu to "the bottle and all its concomitants; I prefer the "favours of the fair fex to the company of the foakers, and fo there is an end to all drinking; "I will be fober, only because I love pleasure.

"But if I give up wine for women, I will reI pay myself for the facrifice; I will have the "fineft girls that money can purchase-Money, "did I fay? What a found has that!-Am I to "buy beauty with money, and cannot I buy "love too? for there is no pleafure even in "beauty without love. I find myself gravelled "by this unlucky queftion: Mercenary love! "that is nonfenfe; it is flat hypocrify; it is dif"gufting. I fhould loath the fawning careffes

of a diffembling harlot, whom I pay for falfe "fondnefs: I find I am wrong again: I cannot "fall in love with a harlot; she must be a modeft

woman; and when that befals me, what then? "Why then, if I am terribly in love indeed, "and cannot be happy without her, there is no "other choice left me; I think I muft even marry her! nay I am fure I muft; for if plea “fure leads that way, pleafure is my object, and "marriage is my lot: I am determined therefore "to marry, only because I love pleasure.

"Well! now that I have given up all other "women for a wife, I am refolved to take pleasure "enough in the poffeffion of her; I must be cau"tious therefore that nobody elfe takes the fame "pleasure too; for otherwife how have I bettered << myself? I might as well have remained upon "the common. I fhould be a fool indeed to pay "fuch a price for a purchase, and let in my "neighbours for a fhare; therefore I am deter"mined to keep her to myself, for pleasure is my "only object, and this I take it is a fort of plea"fure, that does not confift in participation.

"The next queftion is, how I must contrive "to keep her to myfelf.-Not by force; not by

locking her up; there is no pleasure in that "notion; compulfion is out of the cafe; in"clination therefore is the next thing; I muft "make it her own choice to be faithful: It "feems then to be incumbent upon me to make "a wife choice, to look well before I fix upon a "wife, and to use her well, when I have fixed; "I will be very kind to her, because I will not "destroy my own pleafure; and I will be very "careful of the temptations I expose her to, "for the fame reafon. She fhall not lead the "life of your fine town ladies; I have a charm"ing place in the country; I will pass moft of my time in the country; there fhe will be fafe

"and

and I fhall be happy. I love pleafure, and "therefore I will have little to do with that' *curft intriguing town of London; I am deter"mined to make my houfe in the country as. pleafant as it is poffible.

"But if I give up the gaieties of a town life,

and the club, and the gaming-table, and the "girls, for a wife and the country, I will have "the ports of the country in perfection; I will "keep the beft pack of hounds in England, and "hunt every day in the week.-But hold a mo"ment there! what will become of my wife all

the while I am following the hounds? Will "The follow nobody; will nobody follow her? "A pretty figure I fhall make, to be chacing a " ftag and come home with the horns. At leaft "I fhall not rifque the experiment; I shall not like to leave her at home, and I cannot take "her with me, for that would fpoil my pleasure; "and I hate a horfe-dog woman; I will keep

no whipper-in in petticoats. I perceive there"fore I muft give up the hounds, for I am de"termined nothing fhall ftand in the way of my "pleasure.

"Why then I must find out fome amusements that my wife can partake in; we must "ride about the park in fine weather; we must "vifit the grounds, and the gardens, and plan

❝out improvements, and make plantations; it "will be rare employment for the poor people "That is a thought that never struck me "before; methinks there must be a great deal "of pleasure in setting the poor to work—I shall "like a farm for the fame reafon; and my wife "will take pleasure in a dairy; fhe shall have "the most elegant dairy in England; and I will "build a confervatory, and the fhall have such "plants and fuch flowers!-I have a notion I "fhall take pleasure in them myself-And then « there is a thousand things to do within-doors; "it is a fine old manfion that is the truth of it: "I will give it an entire repair; it wants new "furniture; that will be very pleasant work "for my wife: I perceive I could not afford to "keep hounds and do this into the bargain. "But this will give me the most pleasure all to "nothing, and then my wife will partake of it "And we will have mufic and books-I re"collect that I have got an excellent library"There is another pleasure I had never thought "of-And then no doubt we shall have children, " and they are very pleasant company, when they

can talk and understand what is faid to them; "and now I begin to reflect, I find there is a " vast many pleasures in the life I have chalked 4.out, and what a fool fhould I be to throw

6C away