owner took the risk of a domiciliary visitation, and lay snug in
bed, trusting its glimmer might, without further inquiry, be
received as sufficient evidence of his vigilance. And now, upon
this the third morning after your departure, things are but
little better; for though the lamp burns in my den, and VOET ON
THE PANDECTS hath his wisdom spread open before me, yet as I only
use him as a reading-desk on which to scribble this sheet of
nonsense to Darsie Latimer, it is probable the vicinity will be
of little furtherance to my studies.

And now, methinks, I hear thee call me an affected hypocritical
varlet, who, living under such a system of distrust and restraint
as my father chooses to govern by, nevertheless pretends not to
envy you your freedom and independence.

Latimer, I will tell you no lies. I wish my father would allow
me a little more exercise of my free will, were it but that I
might feel the pleasure of doing what would please him of my own
accord. A little more spare time, and a little more money to
enjoy it, would, besides, neither misbecome my age nor my
condition; and it is, I own, provoking to see so many in the same
situation winging the air at freedom, while I sit here, caged up
like a cobbler's linnet, to chant the same unvaried lesson from
sunrise to sunset, not to mention the listening to so many
lectures against idleness, as if I enjoyed or was making use of
the means of amusement! But then I cannot at heart blame either
the motive or the object of this severity. For the motive, it is
and can only be my father's anxious, devoted, and unremitting
affection and zeal for my improvement, with a laudable sense of
the honour of the profession to which he has trained me.