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of my life have turned, I can hardly believe myself to have been
anything but a puppet in the hands of Fate; which has played its
most fantastic tricks upon me.
The Captain had been a gentleman's gentleman, and his lady of no
higher rank. The society which this worthy pair kept was at a sort
of ordinary which they held, and at which their friends were always
welcome on payment of a certain moderate sum for their dinner. After
dinner, you may be sure that cards were not wanting, and that the
company who played did not play for love merely. To these parties
persons of all sorts would come: young bloods from the regiments
garrisoned in Dublin: young clerks from the Castle; horse-riding,
wine-tippling, watchman-beating men of fashion about town, such as
existed in Dublin in that day more than in any other city with which
I am acquainted in Europe. I never knew young fellows make such a
show, and upon such small means. I never knew young gentlemen with
what I may call such a genius for idleness; and whereas an
Englishman with fifty guineas a year is not able to do much more
than starve, and toil like a slave in a profession, a young Irish
buck with the same sum will keep his horses, and drink his bottle,
and live as lazy as a lord. Here was a doctor who never had a
patient, cheek by jowl with an attorney who never had a client:
neither had a guinea--each had a good horse to ride in the Park, and
the best of clothes to his back. A sporting clergyman without a
living; several young wine-merchants, who consumed much more liquor
than they had or sold; and men of similar character, formed the
society at the house into which, by ill luck, I was thrown. What
could happen to a man but misfortune from associating with such
company?--(I have not mentioned the ladies of the society, who were,
perhaps, no better than the males)--and in a very very short time I
became their prey.
As for my poor twenty guineas, in three days I saw, with terror,
that they had dwindled down to eight: theatres and taverns having
already made such cruel inroads in my purse. At play I had lost, it
is true, a couple of pieces; but seeing that every one round about
me played upon honour and gave their bills, I, of course, preferred
that medium to the payment of ready money, and when I lost paid on
account.
With the tailors, saddlers, and others, I employed similar means;
and in so far Mr. Fitzsimons's representation did me good, for the
tradesmen took him at his word regarding my fortune (I have since
learned that the rascal pigeoned several other young men of
property), and for a little time supplied me with any goods I might
be pleased to order. At length, my cash running low, I was compelled
to pawn some of the suits with which the tailor had provided me; for
I did not like to part with my mare, on which I daily rode in the
Park, and which I loved as the gift of my respected uncle. I raised
some little money, too, on a few trinkets which I had purchased of a
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