Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/362

 I was so bewitched with the fancy of my own wisdom, that even these miseries did not open my eyes enough to make me engage in an honester way of life. "'I took another lodging, with a design of laying some new plot to get money by; and the next scheme I pursued was to talk very religiously, and try what that sort of hypocrisy would do. Now I chiefly frequented old women, as I thought keeping company with the young ones would be an injury to the character I then affected. I got some small matter, which was given me by people who were really charitable, to dispose of to poor families, which I made up dismal stories of, and this money I put in my own pocket. But this did not last long; for my propensity to all manner of vice was so strong, it broke out on all occasions; and as I could not forbear my bottle, which sometimes brought out truth in spite of me, I was soon found out; and then there was so general an outcry set up against me, I was obliged to fly from the clamour. "'The next character I appeared in was that of a moralist; that is, I cried down all religion, calling it superstition, in order to set up morality. By this means I imposed on several ignorant people, who were so glad to catch hold on anything that they thought could give them any reputation of sense that they were quite happy in this distinction. There was a set of us used to meet every night at a tavern, where, when we were half drunk, we all displayed our parts on the great beauties of morality, and in contempt of the clergy; for we were sure we could be very good without any of their teaching. And then we raked together all the stories which reflected scandal on their order. My conversation turned chiefly on the great meanness of treachery, and that all men should have that honour in their dealings towards each other that their words