SIR,

Fleet Prison, Feb. 24.

TO a benevolent disposition, every state of life

will afford some opportunities of contributing to

the welfare of mankind. Opulence and splendour are

enabled to dispel the cloud of adversity, to dry up the

tears of the widow and the orphan, and to increase

the felicity of all around them: their example will

animate virtue, and retard the progress of vice. And

even indigence and obscurity, though without power

to confer happiness, may at least prevent misery,

and apprize those who are blinded by their passions,

that they are on the brink of irremediable calamity.

Pleased, therefore, with the thought of recovering

others from that folly which has embittered my

own days, I have presumed to address the ADVENTURER

from the dreary mansions of wretchedness

and despair, of which the gates are so wonderfully

constructed, as to fly open for the reception of

strangers, though they are impervious as a rock of

adamant to such as are within them:

----Facilis descensus Averni:

Noctes atque dies patet atri janua Ditis.

Sed revocare gradum, superasque evadere ad auras,

Hoc opus, hic labor est.-------- VIRG. AEn. vi. 126.

The gates of hell are open night and day;

Smooth the descent, and easy is the way:

But to return and view the cheerful skies;

In this the task and mighty labour lies. DRYDEN.

Suffer me to acquaint you, Sir, that I have

glittered at the ball, and sparkled in the circle; that I

have had the happiness to be the unknown favourite

of an unknown lady at the masquerade, have been

the delight of tables of the first fashion, and envy

of my brother beaux; and to descend a little lower,

it is, I believe, still remembered, that Messrs.

Velours and d'Espagne stand indebted for a great part

of their present influence at Guildhall, to the

elegance of my shape, and the graceful freedom of my

carriage.

----Sed quae praeclara et prospera tanti,

Ut rebus laetis par sit mensura malorum? JUV. Sat. x. 97.

See the wild purchase of the bold and vain,

Where every bliss is bought with equal pain!

As I entered into the world very young, with an

elegant person and a large estate, it was not long

before I disentangled myself from the shackles of

religion; for I was determined to the pursuit of

pleasure, which according to my notions consisted

in the unrestrained and unlimited gratifications of

every passion and every appetite; and as this could

not be obtained under the frowns of a perpetual

dictator, I considered religion as my enemy; and

proceeding to treat her with contempt and derision,

was not a little delighted, that the unfashionableness

of her appearance, and the unanimated uniformity

of her motions, afforded frequent opportunities for

the sallies of my imagination.

Conceiving now that I was sufficiently qualified

to laugh away scruples, I imparted my remarks to

those among my female favourites, whose virtue I

intended to attack; for I was well assured, that pride

would be able to make but a weak defence, when

religion was subverted; nor was my success below

my expectation: the love of pleasure is too strongly

implanted in the female breast, to suffer them scrupulously

to examine the validity of arguments designed

to weaken restraint; all are easily led to

believe, that whatever thwarts their inclination must

be wrong: little more, therefore, was required, than

by the addition of some circumstances, and the

exaggeration of others, to make merriment supply the

place of demonstration; nor was I so senseless as to

offer arguments to such as could not attend to them,

and with whom a repartee or catch would more

effectually answer the same purpose. This being

effected, there remained only "the dread of the

world:" but Roxana soared too high, to think the

opinion of others worthy her notice; Laetitia seemed

to think of it only to declare, that "if all her hairs

were worlds," she should reckon them "well lost

for love;" and Pastorella fondly conceived, that she

could dwell for ever by the side of a bubbling fountain,

content with her swain and fleecy care; without

considering that stillness and solitude can afford

satisfaction only to innocence.

It is not the desire of new acquisitions, but the

glory of conquests, that fires the soldier's breast; as

indeed the town is seldom worth much, when it has

suffered the devastations of a siege; so that though

I did not openly declare the effects of my own

prowess, which is forbidden by the laws of honour, it

cannot be supposed that I was very solicitous to

bury my reputation, or to hinder accidental discoveries.

To have gained one victory, is an inducement

to hazard a second engagement: and though the

success of the general should be a reason for increasing

the strength of the fortification, it becomes, with

many, a pretence for an immediate surrender, under

the notion that no power is able to withstand so

formidable an adversary; while others brave the danger,

and think it mean to surrender, and dastardly to fly.

Melissa, indeed, knew better; and though she could

not boast the apathy, steadiness, and inflexibility of a

Cato, wanted not the more prudent virtue of Scipio,

and gained the victory by declining the contest.

You must not, however, imagine, that I was,

during this state of abandoned libertinism, so fully

convinced of the fitness of my own conduct, as to be

free from uneasiness. I knew very well, that I might

justly be deemed the pest of society, and that such

proceedings must terminate in the destruction of

my health and fortune; but to admit thoughts of this

kind was to live upon the rack: I fled, therefore, to

the regions of mirth and jollity, as they are called,

and endeavoured with Burgundy, and a continual

rotation of company, to free myself from the pangs

of reflection. From these orgies we frequently sallied

forth in quest of adventures, to the no small terrour

and consternation of all the sober stragglers that

came in our way: and though we never injured, like

our illustrious progenitors, the Mohocks, either life

or limbs; yet we have in the midst of Covent Garden

buried a tailor, who had been troublesome to

some of our fine gentlemen, beneath a heap of

cabbage-leaves and stalks, with this conceit,

Satia te caule quem semper cupisti.

Glut yourself with cabbage, of which you have always been

greedy.

There can be no reason for mentioning the common

exploits of breaking windows and bruising the

watch; unless it be to tell you of the device of

producing before the justice broken lanterns, which have

been paid for an hundred times; or their appearances

with patches on their heads, under pretence of being

cut by the sword that was never drawn: nor need I

say any thing of the more formidable attack of

sturdy chairmen, armed with poles; by a slight stroke

of which, the pride of Ned Revel's face was at once

laid flat, and that effected in an instant, which its

most mortal foe had for years assayed in vain. I shall

pass over the accidents that attended attempts to

scale windows, and endeavours to dislodge signs

from their hooks: there are many "hair-breadth

'scapes," besides those in the "imminent deadly

breach;" but the rake's life, though it be equally

hazardous with that of the soldier, is neither

accompanied with present honour nor with pleasing

retrospect; such is, and such ought to be, the difference

between the enemy and the preserver of his country.

Amidst such giddy and thoughtless extravagance,

it will not seem strange, that I was often the

dupe of coarse flattery. When Mons. L'Allonge

assured me, that I thrust quart over arm better than

any man in England, what could I less than present

him with a sword that cost me thirty pieces? I was

bound for a hundred pounds for Tom Trippet,

because he had declared that he would dance a minuet

with any man in the three kingdoms except myself.

But I often parted with money against my inclination,

either because I wanted the resolution to refuse,

or dreaded the appellation of a niggardly fellow;

and I may be truly said to have squandered

my estate, without honour, without friends, and

without pleasure. The last may, perhaps, appear

strange to men unacquainted with the masquerade

of life: I deceived others, and I endeavoured to

deceive myself; and have worn the face of pleasantry

and gaiety, while my heart suffered the most

exquisite torture.

By the instigation and encouragement of my

friends, I became at length ambitious of a seat in

parliament; and accordingly set out for the town

of Wallop in the west, where my arrival was

welcomed by a thousand throats, and I was in three

days sure of a majority: but after drinking out one

hundred and fifty hogsheads of wine, and bribing

two-thirds of the corporation twice over, I had the

mortification to find that the borough had been

before sold to Mr. Courtly.

In a life of this kind, my fortune, though

considerable, was presently dissipated; and as the

attraction grows more strong the nearer any body

approaches the earth, when once a man begins to

sink into poverty, he falls with velocity always

increasing; every supply is purchased at a higher and

higher price, and every office of kindness obtained

with greater and greater difficulty. Having now

acquainted you with my state of elevation, I shall, if

you encourage the continuance of my correspondence,

shew you by what steps I descended from a

first floor in Pall-Mall to my present habitation[e].