brought it home all this Night. looked frequently be-hid it- refolved to of it in Plate-beprepared my Fire-arms not one Wink of Sleep Thursday, 26. Looked a little paler To-day than usual but not much concerned at that, fince it was mifinterpreted by my Friends for the Effects of hard Study. invited abroad to Dinner went fat down to Table, but in that dreadful Moment recollected that my Clofet, where my whole Treasure was depofited, was left openwas observed to change Colour and look terrified. not Macbeth so startled when he faw the Ghost of murdered Banquo at the Feast Memorandum, Money a perpetual Apparition to the covetous Mind. Ran distractedly Home found all safe, but returned too late for Dinner fafted fret ted well faith St. Paul-Money is the Root of all Evil. Thursday Night, 12 o' Clock. Hired a Watchman to guard my Doors -went to Bed - but no Sleep- the fame Mindplaguing Riches floated uppermoft in my Thoughts - methinks they cried Sleep no more! Wealth has murder'd Sleep! - flumbered however a little towards Morning-dreamt of nothing but Robbers, Affaffins, Spectres, Flames, Hurricanes, -waked in great Terror. Dear Doctor, it would be too tedious to purfue the dreadful Narration any farther, every Day adminiftred new Caufe of Uneafinefs, nor did my Concern Concern forfake me even in the midst of Company and Wine. Till I had the Plate fent Home I was uneafy, left after I had ordered it to be made I should be robbed of my Money, and then not be able to pay for it, and when I had it once in my Poffeffion, I trembled every Inftant for fear of lofing it for ever. When at Home I was afraid of being murdered for my Subftance, and when Abroad I was much terrified with the Apprehenfion that either my Servants might poffibly be difhoneft, and fo contrive to deprive me of it while I was guarding it, or else that by Careleffness they might fet fire to my House, and destroy it all at once. Every Bell I heard ring I immediately imagin'd to be a Fire-bell; and every Fire-bell alarmed me with a Belief that my own Houfe was in a Blaze ; fo that I was plagued without Interruption. Since I have recovered myself a little, I have made an exact Calculation of the Quantity of Pleasure and Pain which I endured, and I fhall fhew you the juft Balance, the more fully to convince you. A faithful Account of the Happiness and Mifery of Matthew Pilkington Clerk, for the Space of eleven Days, on receiving fifty Pounds from his Excellency the Lord Carteret. HAPPY. During the whole Time of be- K Days Hours Min. }} } 00 03 01 By Days Hours Min Brought over 00 04 01 By receiving the Sum from Mr. T-- By obtaining the new Bill for that which was torn, and pacifying 00 03 00 my Wife Total of Happiness. 00 07 04 MISERABLE. Days Hours Min. 10 16 56 All the Remainder To conclude all, to keep my Mind as calm and quiet as it was in the Days of Poverty; I have expended thirty two Pounds in Plate, to be a Monument of his Excellency's Generofity to me; and that Plate I have lodged at a rich Neighbour's House for its Security. About ten Pounds I have expended in fortifying my House, against the next Money Misfortune may happen to me, of which however at prefent there appears no great Danger: and if providentially my Fortune be advanced, I hope to bear it with greater Refolution, and to be in a better Condition to preferve it. I am Dear Doctor, Your affectionate Friend and Servant, MAT. PILKINGTON. LET LETTER C. To Colonel Rs, in Spain. BEFORE this can reach the best of Huf bands and the fondeft Lover, those tender Names will be no more of Concern to me. The Indifpofition in which you, to obey the Dictates of your Honour and Duty, left me, has increafed upon me; and I am acquainted, by my Phyficians, I cannot live a Week longer. At this time my Spirits fail me; and it is the ardent Love I have for you that carries me beyond my Strength, and enables me to tell you, the most painful thing in the Profpect of Death is, that I muft part with you; but let it be a Comfort to you that I have no Guilt hangs upon me, no unrepented Folly that retards me; but I pass away my last Hours in Reflection upon the Happiness we have lived in together, and in Sorrow that it is fo foon to have an End. This is a Frailty which I hope is fo far from being criminal, that methinks there is a kind of Piety in being fo unwilling to be feparated from a State which is the Inftitution of Heaven, and in which we have lived according to its Laws. As we know no more of the next Life, but that it will be an happy one to the Good, and miferable to the Wicked, why may we not please ourselves at least, to alleviate the Difficulty of refigning this Being, in imagining that we fhall have a Sense of what paffes below, and may poffibly be employed in guiding the Steps of thofe with whom we walked with Innocence when mortal? Why may I not hope to go on in my ufual Work, and, though unknown K & unknown to you, be affiftant in all the Conflicts of your Mind? Give me leave to fay to you, O beft of Men! that I cannot figure to myself a greater Happiness than in fuch an Employment; to be present at all the Adventures to which human Life is exposed; to adminifter Slumber to thy Eye-lids in the Agonies of a Fever; to cover thy beloved Face in the Day of Battle; to go with thee a guardian Angel, incapable of Wound or Pain, where I have longed to attend thee, when a weak, a fearful Woman. Thefe, my Dear, are the Thoughts with which I warm my poor languid Heart; but indeed I am not capable, under my present Weakness, of bearing the ftrong Agonies of Mind I fall into, when I form to myself the Grief you must be in upon your first hearing of my Departure. I will not dwell upon this, becaufe your kind and generous Heart will be but the more afflicted, the more the Perfon, for whom you lament, offers you Confolation. My laft Breath will, if I am myfelf, expire in a Prayer for you. I fhall never fee thy Face again. I Sir, Farewel for ever. LETTER CI. Do not queftion but that you have for this Month expected a Letter from me, and that perhaps with a little Impatience, fince this is a Time which may afford Variety of News; of which, who must not now be defirous?, But all the |