appellation. I had gained, too, some experience during the vicissitudes of my fortune, and in my days of prosperity, had, as I mentioned above, known what it was to receive as well as to offer advice. On this experience, and an attention to my own feelings, I built the system of my future conduct; and by a diligent attention to the feelings of others, I have been able to pursue it with very tolerable success. I still continue my profession of adviser; but I now give advice after a manner perfectly different from that in which I set out, not according to the case in which I am consulted, but according to the inclination of him or her who consults me.

You cannot easily imagine, Sir, how much goodwill this deportment has gained me. Instead of the distant acquaintance and cold reception which in the days of my honest counsel I generally met with, I now find myself surrounded by friends and well-wishers wherever I go. I dine six days in the week at good tables, have frequent invitations to parties of pleasure; nay, I might have even some professional advantage, if I was inclined to lay hold of it, and might be fed for prescribing remedies to people of fashion, of which themselves have first told me the infallibility. I had a present of a gold snuff-box from an old gouty Lord, for listening to his account of the virtues of sulphur-water; and my Lady Notable lately sent me a suit of damask of her own making, for having staid to witness some experiments with her favourite worm-powder.

Not only indeed in medicine, in which I might be supposed to have some knowledge, but in most other arts and sciences, this same echo-counsel has given me the character of being very skilful and well informed. I have acquired a great character for connoisseurship in painting, by advising the great collector, Mr.Tinto, to purchase, as an original Vandyke,

a picture which his ordinary counseller in these matters, had insisted, in spite of his patron's assertion, was but a copy; and an author of great reputation has mentioned me as one of the justest critics of his acquaintance, because I gave it as my opinion, that he should by all means retain a simile in his new tragedy, which an actor would have had him cut out as too long and unnatural. At the theatre my advice is followed, even by that most unadviseable of all professions, the players, ever since I told Mr. that he was an incomparable Macbeth, and adto play Juliet in her grand climac

vised Mrs.

teric.

I sometimes make friends, and establish my reputation for taste, as much by dissuading from what should not, as by advising what should be done. I have eat venison half a dozen times at Lord Visto's country-seat, ever since I begged him not to think of building such a clumsy temple as his neighbour Sir Paul Prospect has lately erected; and have been very much a man à bonnes fortunes in the good graces of Miss Trippet, since one morning that I dissuaded her from wearing a gypsey hat with pink ribbons, which made Lady Bell Airy look so frightful at the assembly a few evenings before.

On one occasion only I recollect my method of giving counsel to have failed of being acceptable: in my young days, when I had the foolish way of advising inconsiderately, I had given a decided opinion against a friend's marrying his maid-servant, who a few days after first shewed his being estranged from me, by leaving me out of the company he invited to the christening of his first child. In my wiser days, I was consulted by another friend on a similar occasion. I advised him by all means to marry. I did not see him till a twelvemonth after; he seemed to bear me no good-will for my advice: and the first token

appellation. I had gained, too, some experience during the vicissitudes of my fortune, and in my days of prosperity, had, as I mentioned above, known what it was to receive as well as to offer advice. On this experience, and an attention to my own feelings, I built the system of my future conduct; and by a diligent attention to the feelings of others, I have been able to pursue it with very tolerable success. I still continue my profession of adviser; but I now give advice after a manner perfectly different from that in which I set out, not according to the case in which I am consulted, but according to the inclination of him or her who consults me.

You cannot easily imagine, Sir, how much goodwill this deportment has gained me. Instead of the distant acquaintance and cold reception which in the days of my honest counsel I generally met with, I now find myself surrounded by friends and well-wishers wherever I go. I dine six days in the week at good tables, have frequent invitations to parties of pleasure; nay, I might have even some professional advantage, if I was inclined to lay hold of it, and might be fed for prescribing remedies to people of fashion, of which themselves have first told me the infallibility. I had a present of a gold snuff-box from an old gouty Lord, for listening to his account of the virtues of sulphur-water; and my Lady Notable lately sent me a suit of damask of her own making, for having staid to witness some experiments with her favourite worm-powder.

Not only indeed in medicine, in which I might be supposed to have some knowledge, but in most other arts and sciences, this same echo-counsel has given me the character of being very skilful and well informed. I have acquired a great character for connoisseurship in painting, by advising the great collector, Mr. Tinto, to purchase, as an original Vandyke,

a picture which his ordinary counseller in these matters, had insisted, in spite of his patron's assertion, was but a copy; and an author of great reputation has mentioned me as one of the justest critics of his acquaintance, because I gave it as my opinion, that he should by all means retain a simile in his new tragedy, which an actor would have had him cut out as too long and unnatural. At the theatre my advice is followed, even by that most unadviseable of all professions, the players, ever since I told Mr. that he was an incomparable Macbeth, and adto play Juliet in her grand climac

vised Mrs.

teric.

I sometimes make friends, and establish my reputation for taste, as much by dissuading from what should not, as by advising what should be done. I have eat venison half a dozen times at Lord Visto's country-seat, ever since I begged him not to think of building such a clumsy temple as his neighbour Sir Paul Prospect has lately erected; and have been very much a man à bonnes fortunes in the good graces of Miss Trippet, since one morning that I dissuaded her from wearing a gypsey hat with pink ribbons, which made Lady Bell Airy look so frightful at the assembly a few evenings before.

On one occasion only I recollect my method of giving counsel to have failed of being acceptable: in my young days, when I had the foolish way of advising inconsiderately, I had given a decided opinion against a friend's marrying his maid-servant, who a few days after first shewed his being estranged from me, by leaving me out of the company he invited to the christening of his first child. In my wiser days, I was consulted by another friend on a similar occasion. I advised him by all means to marry. I did not see him till a twelvemonth after; he seemed to bear me no good-will for my advice: and the first token

appellation. I had gained, too, some experience during the vicissitudes of my fortune, and in my days of prosperity, had, as I mentioned above, known what it was to receive as well as to offer advice. On this experience, and an attention to my own feelings, I built the system of my future conduct; and by a diligent attention to the feelings of others, I have been able to pursue it with very tolerable success. I still continue my profession of adviser; but I now give advice after a manner perfectly different from that in which I set out, not according to the case in which I am consulted, but according to the inclination of him or her who consults me.

You cannot easily imagine, Sir, how much goodwill this deportment has gained me. Instead of the distant acquaintance and cold reception which in the days of my honest counsel I generally met with, I now find myself surrounded by friends and well-wishers wherever I go. I dine six days in the week at good tables, have frequent invitations to parties of pleasure; nay, I might have even some professional advantage, if I was inclined to lay hold of it, and might be fed for prescribing remedies to people of fashion, of which themselves have first told me the infallibility. I had a present of a gold snuff-box from an old gouty Lord, for listening to his account of the virtues of sulphur-water; and my Lady Notable lately sent me a suit of damask of her own making, for having staid to witness some experiments with her favourite worm-powder.

Not only indeed in medicine, in which I might be supposed to have some knowledge, but in most other arts and sciences, this same echo-counsel has given me the character of being very skilful and well informed. I have acquired a great character for connoisseurship in painting, by advising the great collector, Mr. Tinto, to purchase, as an original Vandyke,