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go himself secretly to London, and judge by his own eyes how things were going on, as his mind ftrangly mifgave him. He got to Mr. Squeeze's house about eleven at night, and knocked gently, concluding that they muft needs be gone to bed. But what was his astonishment, to find the hall was full of men; he pushed through in spite of them, though to his great surprise they infifted on knowing his name. This affronted him : he refused, faying, I am not ashamed of my name, it will pafs for thousands in any market in the Weft of England. Is this your London manners, not to let a man of my credit in without knowing his name indeed! What was his amazement to fee every room as full of card. tables, and of fine gentlemen and ladies as it would hold; all was fo light, and fo gay, and fo feftive, and fo grand, that he reproached himself for his fufpicions, thought nothing too good for them, and refolved fecretly to give Squeeze another five hundred pounds to help to keep up fo much grandeur and happiness. At length feeing a footman he knew, he asked him where were his mafter and miftrefs for he could not pick them out among the company; or rather his ideas were fo confufed with the fplendor of the scene, that he did not know whether they were there or not. The man faid that his master had juft fent for his lady up ftairs, and he believed that he was not well. Mr. Bragwell faid he would go up himself and look for his daughter, as he could not speak fo freely to her before all

that company. He went up and knocked at the chamber door, and its not being opened made him pufh it with fome violence. He heard a bustling noise within, and again made a fruitless attempt to open the door. At this the noise increased, and Mr. Bragwell was ftruck to the heart at the found of a pistol from within. He now kicked fo violently against the door that it burst open, when the firft fight he saw was his daughter falling to the ground in a fit, and Mr. Squeeze dying by a fhot from a piftol which was dropping out of his hand. Mr. Bragwell was not the only perfon whom the found of the piftol had alarmed. The fervants, the company, all heard it, and all ran up to this fcene of horror. Thofe who had the beft of the game took care to bring up their tricks in their hands, having had the prudence to leave the very few who could be trufted, to watch the ftakes, while thofe who had a profpect of lofing, profited by the confufion and threw up their cards. All was difmay and terror. Some ran for a furgeon, others examined the dying man, while fome removed Mrs. Squeeze to her bed, while poor Bragwell could neither fee nor hear, nor do any thing. One of the company took up a letter which lay open upon the table, addreffed to him, they read it, hoping it might explain the horrid myltery. It was as follows:

"To Mr. Bragwell.

"SIR,

"Fetch home your daughter, I have ruined her, myself, and the child, to which the every hour expects to be a mother. I have loft my contract. My debts are immenfe. You refuse me money: I must die then; but I will die like a man of fpirit. They wait to take me to prifon, I have two executions in my house; but I have ten card tables in it. I would die as I have lived. I invited all this company, and have drank hard fince dinner to get primed for the dreadful deed. My wife refufes to write to you for another thousand, and the must take the confequences. Vanity has been my ruin. It has caused all my crimes. crimes. Whoever is refolved to live beyond his income is liable to every fin., He can never fay to himself, thus far fhalt thou go and no farther. Vanity led me to commit acts of rapine, that I might live in fplendor; vanity makes me commit felf-murder, because I will not live in poverty. The new philofophy fays, that death is an eternal fleep; but the new philofophy lies. Do Do you take heed; it is too late for me. The dreadful gulph yawns to swallow me I plunge into perdition. There is no repentance in the grave, no hope in hell.

Your's

DASHALL SQUEEZE.

The dead body was removed, and Mr. Brag

well remaining almoft without fpeech, or motion, the company began to think of retiring, much out of humor at having their party fo difagreeably broken up; they comforted themselves, however, that as it were fo early, for it was now fcarcely twelve, they could finish their evening at another party or two; fo completely do habits of pleasure, as it is called, harden the heart, and fteel it not only against virtuous impreffions, but against natural feelings. Now it was, that those who had nightly rioted at the expence of those wretched people were the first to abuse them. Not an offer of affiftance was made to this poor forlorn woman; not a word of kindness, or of pity, nothing but cenfure was now heard. Why muft thofe upftarts ape people of quality? though as long as thefe upitarts could fealt them, their vulgarity, and their bad character had never been produced against them. "As long as thou doft weli unto thyfelf, men fhall fpeak good of thee." One guest who, unluckily, had no other houfe to go to, coolly faid, as he walked off,-Squeeze might as well have put off shooting himself till the morning. It was monstrous provoking that he could not wait an hour or two.

As every thing in the houfe was feized Mr. Bragwell prevailed on his miferable daughter weak as fhe was, next morning to fet out with him for the country. His acquaintance with polite life was fhort, but he had feen a great deal in a little time. They had a flow and a

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fad journey. In about a week, Mrs. Squeeze lay-in of a dead child, fhe herself languished a few days and then died; and the afflicted parents faw the two darling objects of their ambition, for whofe fakes they had made too much haft to be rich, carried to the land where all things are forgotten. Mrs. Bragwell's grief, like her other paffions, was extravagant; and poor Bragwell's forrow was rendered fo bitter by felf reproach, that he would quite have funk under it, had he not thought of his old expedient in diftress, that of fending for Mr. Worthy to comfort him. It was Mr. Worthy's way, to warn people of those misfortunes which he faw their faults must needs bring on them, but not to reproach, or defert them when the misfortunes came. He had never been near Bragwell, during the fhort, but flourishing, reign of the Squeezes; for he knew that profperity made the ears deaf, and the heart hard to good counfel; but as foon as he heard his friend was in trouble he fet out to go to him. Bragwell burft into a violent fit of tears when he faw him, and when he could fpeak, faid, This trial is more than I can bear. Mr. Worthy kindly took him by the hand, and when he was a little compofed, faid, I will tell you a fhort ftory. There was in ancient times a famous man who was a flave. His mafter, who was very good to him, one day gave him a bitter melon, and bade him eat it; he eat it up without one word of complaint. How was it pollible, faid the mafter, for you to eat so very naufeous and

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