Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/163

Rh leſt his deſperate circumſtances ſhould induce him to take ſome violent means of providing for himſelf.

Whether deluded by a real hope of finding out the Philoſopher’s Stone, or from an innate principle of villainy, cannot be determined, but he did not yet ceaſe his purſuit, and ſtill indulged the golden deluſion. He now found means to work upon the credulity of an old miſer, who, upon, the ſtrength of his pretenſions, gave him his daughter in marriage, and embarked all his hoarded treaſure, which was very conſiderable, in the ſame chimerical adventure. In a word, the miſer’s ſtock was alſo loſt, the empyric himſelf, and the daughter reduced to beggary. This unhappy affair broke the miſer’s heart, who did not many weeks ſurvive the loſs of his caſh. The Dr. alſo put a miſerable end to his life by drinking poiſon, and left his wife with two young children in a ſtate of beggary. But to return to Mrs. Thomas.

The poor lady ſuffered on this occaſion a great deal of inward anguiſh; ſhe was aſhamed of having reduced her fortune, and impoveriſhed her child by liſtening to the inſinuations of a madman. Time and patience at laſt overcame it; and when her health, which by this accident had been impaired, was reſtored to her, ſhe began to ſtir amongſt her huſband’s great clients. She took. a houſe in Bloomſbury, and by means of good œconomy, and an elegant appearance, was ſuppoſed to be better in the world than ſhe really was. Her huſband’s clients received her like one riſen from the dead: They came to viſit her, and promiſed to ſerve her. At laſt the duke of Montague adviſed her to let lodgings, which way of life ſhe declined, as her talents were not ſuited for dealing with ordinary lodgers; but added ſhe, ‘if I knew any family who deſired ſuch a conveniency, I would readily accommodate them.’ I take you at your word, replied the duke, ‘I will become your