had many of them of neither an honourable nor a safe tendency) was to gallantry; and they servilely fell in with all his views, that they might draw him into theirs, and be the foremost on his list of favourites, when he should become Lord of the Manor. His mother's female domestics too, either charmed with his person and accomplishments, and vain of the honour of being thought to have captivated his affections, or wishing to establish him in the interest of themselves and connections, allowed and even encouraged him to take liberties, which were far from being innocent ones.. These amours inflamed his appetite, whilst they increased his self-opinion, and natural inconstancy. His acquaintance were indeed, in general, men of superior talents and education; but, as a drawback, they were mostly of debauched manners, and broken fortunes, which they looked up to him to mend. His manners were graceful, easy, dignified, and, at times, frank and condescending; but his disposition was so fickle, that even with his most intimate acquaintance, he would mount up to hauteur and distance, without the least apparent reason. His wit,

like a flash of lightning, was brilliant; but at long intervals, and without solidity. He was a debauchee rather from habit and fashion than constitution; and if his amours ad not produced the most fatal consequences, they might easily have been pardoned to his youth and rank. His connections were not soon broken: but they were ruinous, and those with whom he did not break, were obliged by the length and unevenness of the ground, to break with him. In short, he made his acquaintance the instruments of his pleasures, as they hoped to make him the foundation of their future fortunes. was liberal from ostentation; for if his heart had been susceptible of fine feelings, he would never have acted in the manner, which truth obliges us to represent to the Reader. But we will first give him a description of his particular acquaintance, to prepare him the better for what is to follow.

He

These were Charles Brush, Edmund Quirke, (who have been already mentioned,) Thomas Hareskin and Richard Merryman-all men of very superior talents and abilities; Mr. Howard, Mr. Stanley, and Major Cutlas, men of very

mediocre talents and abilities, but of respectWe shall describe them se

able families. parately.

BRUSH was a younger branch of the illustrious family of Bighose; and to talents, genius, a ready conception, and a classical education, he united a most rapid and brilliant, though rather a vacillating elocution. His words dropped like honey from his lips, as from those of the Grecian Nestor. His fortune was small, and his economy no greater, so that with a violent propensity which his hand had contracted of shaking a dice-box, it was no wonder that he incurred numerous debts, and had his levées always well attended by duns. He was obliged to substitute, and they were compelled to take, ready wit instead of ready money. This medium was not current upon 'Change, but there was no other to be had, or to be forced, as Brush kept within the precincts of the Mansion-house. The many disappointments of his creditors, and his roguish coalition with Boreas, caused his good faith to be much doubted; but, in every other respect, the goodness of his heart was unquestionable. Ambition was cer

tainly the sole aim of his life; but he never enjoyed power long enough to give room to form a judgment, whether he would make a prudent or imprudent use of it.

QUIRKE was an Irish adventurer, on whose birth Fortune had bestowed none of her smiles; but nature had endowed him with an extraordinary genius, and to his own perseverance he was indebted for numerous acquirements. He had no sooner gained footing within the Manor, than he assumed the disguise of an inflexible patriot; but he was only a dish of skimmed milk.' He resided with those who were in opposition to the officers of the household, until there was an opportunity of going about (as the sailors phrase it) to better advantage; he then treated his former friends as enemies, and received a pension for his apostacy.

HARESKIN had been bred up to the sea; but preferring the less dangerous, as well as more lucrative profession of the law, he entered into it, and by dint of eloquence had procured himself the reputation of an able orator. It was shrewdly remarked, however, in the Common

Hall, that he could read only out of his own book, that is, talk only in the line of his own profession, and, even in that, he wanted either the abilities or application to become an acute and deep reasoner. He was of a good Scotch family, and, according to the customs of his country, not so affluent as to be careless about riches. In time, he became the Keeper of the Lord's Court of Conscience; but the Lord only knows what became of his own conscience.—

MERRYMAN was of Irish extraction, and the son of a mountebank doctor, from whom (contrary to strolling custom) he derived a good education; it was not scattered on barren ground, as he had naturally great talents, and a fine flow of elocution; but excessive indolence prevented him from drinking deep of the Piërian stream, for which, however, he made ample amends another way. His wit was shining and keen, but low, probably the effect of his first mumming kind of life. He was sup posed to be possessed of great courage, as he had once received a bloody nose in a contest with a rival. Thus accoutred, with wit for his