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it might be granted that a grave way of fatire was fometimes no improfitable way of reproof; yet they, who used it only out of fpite, and mixed lies with truth, fparing nothing that might adorn their poems or gratify their revenge, could not excuse that way of reproach by which the innocent often fuffer; fince the most malicious things, if wittily expreffed, might stick to and blemish the best men in the world; and the malice of à libel could hardly confift with the charity of an admonition. To this he answered, a man could not write with life unless he were heated by revenge; for, to write a fatire, without resentments, upon the cold notions of philofophy, was as if a man would in cold blood cut men's throats who had never offended him; and he faid the lies in thefe libels came often in as ornaments that could not be fpared without fpoiling the beauty of the poem.

For his other studies, they were divided between the comical and witty writings of the ancients and moderns, the Roman authors, and books of phyfic, which the ill ftate of health he was fallen into made more necessary to himself, and which qualified him for an odd adventure which I fhall but juft mention. Being under an unlucky accident, which obliged him to keep out of the way, he disguised himself fo that his nearest friends could not have known him, and fet up, in Tower-ftreet, for an Italian mountebank,

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mountebank, where he practifed phyfic for fome weeks not without fuccefs. In his latter years he read books of history more. He took pleasure to disguise himself as a porter, or as a beggar; fometimes to follow fome mean amours, which for the variety of them he affected. At other times, merely for diverfion, he would go about in odd fhapes, in which he acted his part fo naturally, that even thofe, who were in the fecret, and faw him in these fhapes, could perceive nothing by which he might be difcovered.

I have now made the description of his former life and principles as fully as I thought neceffary to answer my end in writing, and yet with those referves that I hope I have given no just cause of offence to any. I have faid nothing but what I had from his own mouth, and have avoided the mentioning of the more particular paffages of his life, of which he told me not a few: but, fince others were concerned in them, whofe good only I defign, I will fay nothing that may either provoke or blemish them. It is their reformation, not their difgrace, I defire. This tender confideration of others has made me fupprefs many remarkable and useful things he told me; but, finding that, though I fhould name none, yet I muft at least relate fuch circumstances as would give too great occafion for the reader to conjecture concerning the perfons in

tended,

tended, right or wrong, either of which were inconvenient enough, I have chosen to pass them quite over. But I hope thofe, that know how much they were engaged with him in his ill courfes, will be fomewhat touched with this tenderness I exprefs towards them, and be thereby the rather induced to reflect on their ways, and to confider, without prejudice or paffion, what a fenfe this noble lord had of their case, when he came at last seriously to reflect upon his own.

I now turn to thofe parts of this narrative wherein I myself bore fome fhare, and which I am to deliver upon the obfervations I made after a long and free converfation with him for fome months. I was not long in his company when he told me. he should treat me with more freedom than he had ever used to men of my profeffion; he would conceal none of his principles from me, but lay his thoughts open without any disguise; nor would he do it to maintain debate, or fhew his wit, but plainly tell me what stuck with him; and protested to me, that he was not fo engaged to his old maxims as to refolve not to change, but that, if he could be convinced, he would choose rather to be of another mind. faid he would impartially weigh what I fhould lay be-fore him, and tell me freely when it did convince and when it did not. He expreffed this difpofition of mind to me in a manner fo frank, that I could not

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He

but

1

but believe him and be much taken with his way of discourse fo we entered into almost all the parts of natural and revealed religion, and of morality. He feemed pleased, and in a great measure fatisfied, with what I faid upon many of thefe heads; and, though our freeft conversation was when we were alone, yet upon feveral occafions other perfons were witneffes to it. I underftood from many hands that my company was not diftafteful to him, and that the fubjects about which we talked moft were not unacceptable; and he expreffed himself often not ill pleased with many things I faid to him, and particularly when I vifited him in his laft ficknefs; fo that I hope it may not be altogether unprofitable to publish the fubftance of thofe matters about which we argued fo freely, with our reasoning upon them; and perhaps what had fome effects on him may be not altogether ineffectual upon others. I followed him with fuch arguments as I faw were moft likely to prevail with him; and my not urging other reafons proceeded not from any diftrust I had of their force, but from the neceffity of using those that were moft proper for him. He was then in a low state of health, and feemed to be flowly recovering of a great disease. He was in the milk diet, and apt to fall into hectical fits; any accident weakened him, fo that he thought he could not live long; and, when he went from London, he faid he believed he should

never

never come to town more. Yet, during his being in town, he was fo well, that he went often abroad, and had great vivacity of fpirit; fo that he was under no fuch decay as either darkened or weakened his understanding; nor was he any way troubled with the fpleen or vapours, or under the power of melancholy. What he was then, compared to what he had been formerly, I could not fo well judge, who had feen him but twice before. Others have told me they perceived no difference in his parts. This I mention more particularly, that it may not be thought that melancholy, or the want of fpirits, made him more inclined to receive any impreffions: for indeed I never discovered any fuch thing in him.

Having thus opened the way to the heads of our difcourfe, I fhall next mention them. The three chief things we talked about were morality, natura} religion, and revealed religion, Chriftianity in particular. For morality, he confeffed he faw the neceffity of it, both for the government of the world, and for the preservation of health, life, and friendfhip; and was very much afhamed of his former practices, rather because he had made him felf a beast, and had brought pain and fickness on his body, and had fuffered much in his reputation, than from any deep fenfe of a Supreme Being or another ftate. But fo far this went with him, that he refolved firmly to change the courfe of his life, which he thought

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