LETTER XXXIX
MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ.
I am preparing to leave this kingdom. Mowbray and Tourville promise togive me their company in a month or two.
I'll give thee my route.
I shall first to Paris; and, for some amusement and diversion sake, tryto renew some of my old friendships: thence to some of the German courts:thence, perhaps, to Vienna: thence descend through Bavaria and the Tyrolto Venice, where I shall keep the carnival: thence to Florence and Turin:thence again over Mount Cenis to France: and, when I return again toParis, shall expect to see my friend Belford, who, by that time, I doubtnot, will be all crusted and bearded over with penitence, self-denial,and mortification; a very anchoret, only an itinerant one, journeyingover in hope to cover a multitude of his own sins, by proselyting his oldcompanions.
But let me tell thee, Jack, if stock rises on, as it has done since Iwrote my last letter, I am afraid thou wilt find a difficult task insucceeding, should such be thy purpose.
Nor, I verily think, can thy own penitence and reformation hold. Stronghabits are not so easily rooted out. Old Satan has had too much benefitfrom thy faithful services, for a series of years, to let thee so easilyget out of his clutches. He knows what will do with thee. A finestrapping Bona Roba, in the Charters-taste, but well-limbed,clear-complexioned, and Turkish-eyed; thou the first man with her, ormade to believe so, which is the same thing; how will thy frosty face beilluminated by it! A composition will be made between thee and the grandtempter: thou wilt promise to do him suit and service till old age andinability come. And then will he, in all probability, be sure of theefor ever. For, wert thou to outlive thy present reigning appetites, hewill trump up some other darling sin, or make a now secondary onedarling, in order to keep thee firmly attached to his infernal interests.Thou wilt continue resolving to amend, but never amending, till, grownold before thou art aware, (a dozen years after thou art old with everybody else,) thy for-time-built tenement having lasted its allottedperiod, he claps down upon thy grizzled head the universal trap-door: andthen all will be over with thee in his own way.
Thou wilt think these hints uncharacteristic from me. But yet I cannothelp warning thee of the danger thou art actually in; which is thegreater, as thou seemst not to know it. A few words more, therefore,on this subject.
Thou hast made good resolutions. If thou keepest them not, thou wiltnever be able to keep any. But, nevertheless, the devil and thy time oflife are against thee: and six to one thou failest. Were it only thatthou hast resolved, six to one thou failest. And if thou dost, thou wiltbecome the scoff of men, and the triumph of devils.--Then how will Ilaugh at thee! For this warning is not from principle. Perhaps I wishit were: but I never lied to man, and hardly ever said truth to woman.The firs is what all free-livers cannot say: the second what every onecan.
I am mad again, by Jupiter!--But, thank my stars, not gloomily so!--Farewell, farewell, farewell, for the third or fourth time, concludes
ThyLOVELACE.
I believe Charlotte and you are in private league together. Letters, I find, have passed between her and you, and Lord M. I have been kept strangely in the dark of late; but will soon break upon you all, as the sun upon a midnight thief.
Remember that you never sent me the copy of my beloved's will.