SIR,

Fleet, March 24.

I NOW send you the sequel of my story, which had

not been so long delayed, if I could have brought

myself to imagine, that any real impatience was

felt for the fate of Misargyrus; who has travelled no

unbeaten track to misery, and consequently can

present the reader only with such incidents as occur

in daily life.

You have seen me, Sir, in the zenith of my glory,

not dispensing the kindly warmth of an all-cheering

sun: but, like another Pha<eton, scorching and blasting

every thing round me. I shall proceed, therefore,

to finish my career, and pass as rapidly as possible

through the remaining vicissitudes of my life.

When I first began to be in want of money, I

made no doubt of an immediate supply. The newspapers

were perpetually offering directions to men,

who seemed to have no other business than to

gather heaps of gold for those who place their

supreme felicity in scattering it. I posted away,

therefore, to one of these advertisers, who by his proposals,

seemed to deal in thousands; and was not a little

chagrined to find, that this general benefactor would

have nothing to do with any larger sum than thirty

pounds, nor would venture that without a joint note

from myself and a reputable house keeper, or for a

longer time than three months.

It was yet not so bad with me, as that I needed

to solicit surety for thirty pounds: yet partly from

the greediness that extravagance always produces,

and partly from a desire of seeing the humour of a

petty usurer, a character of which I had hitherto

lived in ignorance, I condescended to listen to his

terms. He proceeded to inform me of my great

felicity in not falling into the hands of an

extortioner; and assured me, that I should find him

extremely moderate in his demands: he was not,

indeed, certain that he could furnish me with the

whole sum, for people were at this particular time

extremely pressing and importunate for money:

yet, as I had the appearance of a gentleman, he

would try what he could do, and give me his answer

in three days.

At the expiration of the time, I called upon him

again; and was again informed of the great demand

for money, and that, "money was money now:" he

then advised me to be punctual in my payment, as

that might induce him to befriend me hereafter;

and delivered me the money, deducting at the rate

of five and thirty per cent. with another panegyrick

upon his own moderation.

I will not tire you with the various practices of

usurious oppression; but cannot omit my transaction

with Squeeze on Tower-hill, who, finding me a

young man of considerable expectations, employed

an agent to persuade me to borrow five hundred

pounds, to be refunded by an annual payment of

twenty per cent. during the joint lives of his

daughter Nancy Squeeze and myself. The negociator

came prepared to enforce his proposal with all his

art; but, finding that I caught his offer with the

eagerness of necessity, he grew cold and languid;

"he had mentioned it out of kindness; he would

try to serve me: Mr. Squeeze was an honest man,

but extremely cautious." In three days he came

to tell me, that his endeavours had been ineffectual,

Mr. Squeeze having no good opinion of my

life; but that there was one expedient remaining:

Mrs. Squeeze could influence her husband, and

her good will might be gained by a compliment.

I waited that afternoon on Mrs. Squeeze, and

poured out before her the flatteries which usually

gain access to rank and beauty: I did not then

know, that there are places in which the only

compliment is a bribe. Having yet credit with a

jeweller, I afterwards procured a ring of thirty guineas,

which I humbly presented, and was soon admitted

to a treaty with Mr. Squeeze. He appeared peevish

and backward, and my old friend whispered me,

that he would never make a dry bargain: I therefore

invited him to a tavern. Nine times we met on

the affair; nine times I paid four pounds for the

supper and claret; and nine guineas I gave the

agent for good offices. I then obtained the money,

paying ten per cent. advance; and at the tenth

meeting gave another supper, and disbursed fifteen

pounds for the writings.

Others who styled themselves brokers, would

only trust their money upon goods: that I might,

therefore, try every art of expensive folly, I took a

house and furnished it. I amused myself with

despoiling my moveables of their glossy appearance,

for fear of alarming the lender with suspicions: and

in this I succeeded so well, that he favoured me

with one hundred and sixty pounds upon that

which was rated at seven hundred. I then found

that I was to maintain a guardian about me to

prevent the goods from being broken or removed.

This was, indeed, an unexpected tax; but it was too

late to recede: and I comforted myself, that I might

prevent a creditor, of whom I had some apprehensions,

from seizing, by having a prior execution always

in the house.

By such means I had so embarrassed myself, that

my whole attention was engaged in contriving excuses,

and raising small sums to quiet such as words

would no longer mollify. It cost me eighty pounds

in presents to Mr. Leech the attorney, for his

forbearance of one hundred, which he solicited me to

take when I had no need. I was perpetually harassed

with importunate demands, and insulted by

wretches, who a few months before would not have

dared to raise their eyes from the dust before me.

I lived in continual terrour, frighted by every noise

at the door, and terrified at the approach of every

step quicker than common. I never retired to rest

without feeling the justness of the Spanish proverb,

"Let him who sleeps too much, borrow the pillow

of a debtor:" my solicitude and vexation kept me

long waking; and when I had closed my eyes, I

was pursued or insulted by visionary bailiffs.

When I reflected upon the meanness of the shifts

I had reduced myself to, I could not but curse the

folly and extravagance that had overwhelmed me

in a sea of troubles, from which it was highly

improbable that I should ever emerge. I had some

time lived in hopes of an estate, at the death of

my uncle; but he disappointed me by marrying

his housekeeper; and, catching an opportunity soon

after of quarrelling with me, for settling twenty

pounds a year upon a girl whom I had seduced,

told me that he would take care to prevent his

fortune from being squandered upon prostitutes.

Nothing now remained, but the chance of

extricating myself by marriage; a scheme which, I

flattered myself, nothing but my present distress would

have made me think on with patience. I determined,

therefore, to look out for a tender novice, with a

large fortune, at her own disposal; and accordingly

fixed my eyes upon Miss Biddy Simper. I had now

paid her six or seven visits; and so fully convinced

her of my being a gentleman and a rake, that I

made no doubt that both her person and fortune

would soon be mine.

At this critical time, Miss Gripe called upon me,

in a chariot bought with my money, and loaded

with trinkets that I had, in my days of affluence,

lavished on her. Those days were now over; and

there was little hope that they would ever return.

She was not able to withstand the temptation of

ten pounds that Talon the bailiff offered her, but

brought him into my apartment disguised in a livery;

and taking my sword to the window, under pretence

of admiring the workmanship, beckoned him to

seize me.

Delay would have been expensive without use,

as the debt was too considerable for payment or

bail: I, therefore, suffered myself to be immediately

conducted to gaol.

Vestibulum ante ipsum, primisque in faucibus Orci,

Luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia cureae:

Pallentesque habitant morbi, tristisque senectus,

Et metus, et malesuada fames, et turpis egestas.

VIRG. AEn. vi. 273.

Just in the gate and in the jaws of hell,

Revengeful cares and sullen sorrows dwell;

And pale diseases, and repining age;

Want, fear, and famine's unresisted rage. DRYDEN.

Confinement of any kind is dreadful; a prison is

sometimes able to shock those, who endure it in a

good cause: let your imagination, therefore, acquaint

you with what I have not words to express, and

conceive, if possible, the horrours of imprisonment

attended with reproach and ignominy, of involuntary

association with the refuse of mankind, with

wretches who were before too abandoned for society,

but, being now freed from shame or fear, are hourly

improving their vices by consorting with each other.

There are, however, a few, whom, like myself,

imprisonment has rather mortified than hardened:

with these only I converse; and of these you may,

perhaps, hereafter receive some account from

Your humble servant,