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 enjoy life, like a mistress, in the dark, he flow'd his days in all the ease of opulence, without the least parade of it, and rather studying the concealment, than the show of a fortune, looking down on a world he perfectly knew; himself, to his wish, unknown, and unmark'd by it.

But as I propose to devote a letter entirely to the pleasure of retracing to you all the particulars of my acquaintance with this ever, to me, memorable friend, I shall, in this, transiently touch on no more than may serve, as mortar, to cement, or form the connexion of my history, and to obviate your surprise that one of my high blood, and relish of life, should count a gallant of threescore such a catch.

Referring then to a more explicit narrative, to explain by what progressions our acquaintance, certainly innocent, at first, insensibly changed nature, and ran into unplatonic lengths, as might well be expected from one of my condition of life, and above all from that principle of Rh