debauching a friend's wife or daughter, belying or betraying the
friend himself, or some other such trifling instance. In our hero
there was nothing not truly great: he could, without the least
abashment, drink a bottle with the man who knew he had the moment
before picked his pocket; and, when he had stripped him of
everything he had, never desired to do him any further mischief;
for he carried good-nature to that wonderful and uncommon height
that he never did a single injury to man or woman by which he
himself did not expect to reap some advantage. He would often
indeed say that by the contrary party men often made a bad bargain
with the devil, and did his work for nothing.

Our hero found the captive count, not basely lamenting his fate
nor abandoning himself to despair, but, with due resignation,
employing himself in preparing several packs of cards for future
exploits. The count, little suspecting that Wild had been the sole
contriver of the misfortune which had befallen him, rose up and
eagerly embraced him, and Wild returned his embrace with equal
warmth. They were no sooner seated than Wild took an occasion,
from seeing the cards lying on the table, to inveigh against
gaming, and, with an usual and highly commendable freedom, after
first exaggerating the distressed circumstances in which the count
was then involved, imputed all his misfortunes to that cursed itch
of play which, he said, he concluded had brought his present
confinement upon him, and must unavoidably end in his destruction.
The other, with great alacrity, defended his favourite amusement
(or rather employment), and, having told his friend the great
success he had after his unluckily quitting the room, acquainted
him with the accident which followed, and which the reader, as
well as Mr. Wild, hath had some intimation of before; adding,