always a pen in his fingers when he retires. One of his companions
(confirming his love of writing) has told her, that his thoughts flow
rapidly to his pen:' And you and I, my dear, have observed, on more
occasions than one, that though he writes even a fine hand, he is one
of the readiest and quickest of writers. He must indeed have had
early a very docile genius; since a person of his pleasurable turn and
active spirit, could never have submitted to take long or great pains
in attaining the qualifications he is master of; qualifications so
seldom attained by youth of quality and fortune; by such especially of
those of either, who, like him, have never known what it was to be
controuled.

'He had once it seems the vanity, upon being complimented on these
talents (and on his surprising diligence, for a man of pleasure) to
compare himself to Julius Caesar; who performed great actions by day,
and wrote them down at night; and valued himself, that he only wanted
Caesar's out-setting, to make a figure among his contemporaries.

'He spoke of this indeed, she says, with an air of pleasantry: for she
observed, and so have we, that he has the art of acknowledging his
vanity with so much humour, that it sets him above the contempt which
is due to vanity and self-opinion; and at the same time half persuades
those who hear him, that he really deserves the exultation he gives
himself.'

But supposing it to be true that all his vacant nightly hours are
employed in writing, what can be his subjects? If, like Caesar, his
own actions, he must undoubtedly be a very enterprising and very
wicked man; since nobody suspects him to have a serious turn; and,
decent as he is in his conversation with us, his writings are not