"fatisfactory: If I throw the means away, I "can no longer compafs the end; this is felf"evident; I perceive therefore that I muft not

game; for though I like play, I do not like to "lose that, which alone can purchase every

pleasure I propose to enjoy; and I do not see "that the chance of winning other people's "money can compenfate for the pain I must "fuffer if I lose 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 sorry fellow, and a "drunkard is a beaft: Befides I am not fure my "-conftitution can stand 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 loathsome 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 re"pay myself for the facrifice; I will have the "finest girls that money can purchase-Money, "did I fay? What a sound has that !—Am I to "buy beauty with money, and cannot I buy "love too? for there is no pleasure even in "beauty without love. I find myself gravelled

by this unlucky queftion: Mercenary love! "that is nonsense; it is flat hypocrify; it is dif

gufting. I should loath the fawning careffes "of a diffembling harlot, whom I pay for false "fondness: I find I am wrong again: I cannot "fall in love with a harlot; fhe must be a modeft (c 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 must even

marry her! nay I am fure I muft; for if plea"fure leads that way, pleasure 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 else takes the fame "pleasure too; for otherwise how have I bettered "myfelf? 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 sort of pleasure, that does not confift in participation.

"The next question is, how I must contrive "to keep her to myself.-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 66 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 expofe her to, "for the fame reason. She fhall not lead the "life of your fine town ladies; I have a charm"ing place in the country; I will pass most of "my time in the country; there fhe will be fafe

" and

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

cr

"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 sports of the country in perfection; I will << keep the best pack of hounds in England, and "hunt every day in the week.-But hold a mois ment there! what will become of my wife all "the while I am following the hounds? Will "fhe follow nobody; will nobody follow her? "A pretty figure I fhall make, to be chacing a "ftag and come home with the horns. At least "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 spoil my pleasure; "and I hate a horfe-dog woman; I will keep

no whipper-in in petticoats. I perceive there“fore I must 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 amuse"ments 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

દ

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; she shall have "the most elegant dairy in England; and I will "build a confervatory, and the fhall have fuch

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 mansion 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 music 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 pleafant company, when they

çan talk and understand what is faid to them; "and now I begin to reflect, I find there is a "vaft many pleasures in the life I have chalked 36 out, and what a fool fhould I be to throw

"away