as I should never meet with again; and I never did!

Being seated, I inquired into the state of the bargeman's affairs, and was informed, that he passed for a very honest, worthy man; and that he had a wife and five children, whom he found it very difficult to maintain. This was sufficient. Our wine being finished, I desired to see the man who had first picked me up, and saved my life-(so they imagined, and I did not undeceive them.) He came-I made him a present of five hundred guineas, and fifty to the landlord; with this they appeared completely satisfied, and overwhelmed me with a profusion of thanks. Then seating myself in one of the Greenwich stages, I was soon conveyed to London. My host said it was very pleasant going by water; but I had quite enough of aquatic excursions, and preferred the more comfortable one I have just mentioned.

In London I soon established myself, and found it in every shape the proper sphere of my action. Here I perceived that every man passed his life just as he pleased, and nobody cared one farthing how he managed to do it. My way of living, owing to my secret, was without any apparent resources; and I saw with pleasure, that in London one half of the people lived exactly in the same manner. That being the case, I was sure there would be no scrutiny.This," cried I exultingly, "is the true element of the possessor of the philosopher's stone!" According to Propertius, here the

most honour was paid to him who possessed (no matter how) the most gold; and I rejoiced within myself, at existing in what the poet therefore calls the true golden age.

Having taken up my residence in one of the squares, and resumed my family name, (which might now be done with perfect safety) I began, as I did many years before at Paris, to give splendid entertainments of all sorts, and was visited by people of all conditions. The scum of the nobility and fashionables flocked round me in multitudes.-This Dutchess begged to preside at my table; that countess requested me to let her have the direction of my balls, and her lord the superintendance of my music and masquerades. Their beautiful daughters were thrown in my way, and left with me by their shameless mothers in situations dangerous to us both. All this was done without knowing any thing more of me, than that I appeared to be rich, and seemed to squander away my money like an ideot.—And I heartily believe, that a baboon dressed in my clothes, and invested with my property, would have received all the homage they bestowed on me. Knowing this, I could not, when I saw them gather round me thus from all quarters, help comparing them to the foul flies that assemble on a heap of offal, not heeding the means, so that their appetites are pampered and their stomachs filled.

I was soon disgusted with this abominable crew of mothers exposing their daughters, and husbands their wives to prostitution, through

the adoration of riches. I launched out in this manner for the purpose of witnessing the effect it would produce; and it gave me no little reason to exult in my being an immortal, and not of that nature, which would make me ashamed of my species.

My companies were now less numerous, and my expenses more contracted. I did not, however, indulge much in family parties, for several reasons; but from what I saw of such as may be justly termed families, I perceived many in the highest rank of life, who were not more distinguished and ennobled by their birth, than by the possession of honour and innocence, and the cultivation of all those social virtues and charities, that sweeten life, and give a secret charm to social intercourse.

But these lovely qualities, though I might admire, I was not born to enjoy.-My spirit was for ever restless, and aiming at something that no other living creature could, or perhaps would, perform. How could a man of my infinite wealth (I won't say worth) find pleasure in playing for hours, with dowagers, at sixpenny whist? To me it was painfully mortifying; and whenever I wanted such relaxation, I repaired to the gaming-house at which the greatest sums were staked. In one of my visits to a rendezvous of this description, a circumstance occurred, which led to a deed, the only good one of any note, which I recollect ever doing. I will relate it.

The play was exceedingly high, when a.

young gentleman entered the room and joined us. I was prodigiously fortunate that night, and threw, after he had began to set, fifteen mains without intermission. He had constantly increased his stake, and lost a large sum of money. He became impatient, watched me narrowly, and seemed to suspect foul play. Continuing to lose, he suddenly seized my hand as I was about to throw, and insisted on breaking the dice to examine whether they were fair. To this, conscious of my innocence, I readily agreed; saying, however, that I thought his suspicion very ungentlemanly. He made no reply, but being satisfied they were not false, proposed to play with me at one throw for the amount of what he had lost. He appeared much vexed at his crosses, and rather demanded that I should give him this chance of winning it back. I won he seemed almost in despair-doubled it again-'twas mine. He had no more.-I had won about 30,000l. in money, and his estate, which he said, giving me his address, he would make over to me the next morning-he withdrew.

There was something about the youth so ingenuous and honest, (things I had seldom met with even in gentlemen at the gaming table,) that I resolved to inspect his character more closely, and not to keep his money unless I found him so attached to gambling, as to be determined not to keep it himself.

The information I collected, was of the most favourable kind.-I learned that his name was

Mr. De Courcey, a young gentleman of uncom mon integrity and private worth; and who was not attached to, but of late, had become a frequent visiter of the gaming-table.-I waited on him the next day according to his appointment, and was instantly introduced into the breakfastroom. It was two o'clock-He was lying on a sopha with his hair dishevelled and his clothes disordered. His wife, a beautiful young woman, sat at the further end of the room, weeping over two fine boys, their children,-and the breakfast-things stood untouched in the middle.

The moment I entered, he started up, assum ed an air of consequence, and desired his wife in rather a severe tone, to take the children away. He then turned to me and said, "You are, I apprehend, Sir, come to make the transfer-We'll proceed about it immediately."

I should have been surprised at his coolness, if I had not been convinced that it was affected. "Yes sir," I replied, "I am here, according to your desire, but in no hurry to be made master of your estate. Indeed I wish not to have it."

"Not have it!" he exclaimed. "I have no equivalent to give you, and you must have it.". "Not so," said I. "You have an equivalent that I will accept, instead."

"Name it!" he ejaculated.

But," added

he, seriously, "beware, sir, how you propose any thing dishonourable to me!"