ned that I fhould become a merchant. My brother, Sir George, generously discharged all the debts I had contracted; for, notwithstanding my father's liberality while he was living, I had contracted feveral; and I was bound apprentice to an eminent trader. He was a fober induftrious thriving man; but I foon found it impoffible to accommodate myself to his frugal and economical ideas; and my inclination for amufement and pleafure, which he used to call diffipation and idleness, could not give way to his habits of industry and attention.

Accordingly, before the term of my apprenticeship was elapfed, my mafter wrote to Sir George, informing him, that I had taken up with bad company; that I had neglected my business; that I had not profited by his instructions; and recommending to him to try me in fomething elfe, and, in all events, to remove me to fome other place.

After a good deal of deliberation, it was refolved to try to fet me up as a farmer; and I entered upon the management of a confiderable farm. But in this bufinefs I found I did not fucceed any better than in my former. Notwithstanding the good inftructions I recei

ved

ved at a club of very honeft fellows, at which we met every week to talk about farming and improvements, fome how or other, my crops never paid for the expence of raising them; and, in a few years, I found that I had improved away every fhilling of my capital. Sir George then propofed to me, that I should quit all thoughts of business, and take up my refidence in his houfe; I chearfully accepted his propofal, and have lived with him for fourteen years past.

In his houfe I find every thing provided for me, and I am perfectly contented, having nothing to care for. Sir George, who is beloved and refpected by all the neighbourhood, has frequently crowds of company who refort to his houfe; but, as he does not drink himself, whenever the company wish to drink a little more than ufual, he deputes me to act his part as a landlord. In that capacity I do not fail to push about the bottle; and I find myself in a fituation perfectly to my wish. As I am a good fhot, I spend great part of my time in fhooting; and Mr Jofeph, for that is the name I go by, is made a welcome guest at all the gentlemen's houfes in the neighbourhood, the more fo, as I feldom make a vifit without

carrying

carrying along with me fome of the game I I never fail to make one at all

have killed. the sports in the neighbourhood. At a villagewedding I am a confiderable perfonage; and there is not a country-girl who does not think it an honour to dance with Mr Jofeph. When Lady Fielding makes a vifit, I generally attend her in the absence of Sir George. The only part of my employment which I find difagreeable is, that fometimes, in the winter-evenings, I am fet a reading to my Lady; and, among other publications, I have read over to her most of the MIRRORS. My Lady likes them exceedingly; fo do I too, but not for the fame reasons that she does; I like them, -because they are fhort.-In the courfe of this employment, I read S. M.'s letter, and have already given you my reafons for being much diffatisfied with what he writes.

I can make no doubt, that, were the in my fituation, he would think fhe had much reafon to be vexed. She would, perhaps, complain that her brother was fo rich and fhe fo poor; fhe would fay that it was an employment below her to act as toaft-mafter to her brother's drunken company; that it was defpicable to be known only by the name of Mr VOL. II. Сс Fofeph;

Jofeph; that he could not but confider herfelf as in a contemptible fituation, being unfit for any employment, or to act any higher part than that of a sportsman, a dancer at a country-wedding, or an humble attendant on my Lady Fielding. But I am of a very different opinion. I certainly neither have the fortune, nor do I meet with the fame respect that my brother Sir George does ;-but what does that fignify?—I eat, drink, and am merry, enjoy good health, and good fpirits; and I have neither the trouble of managing a great eftate, nor am I obliged to be circumfpect in my conduct, in order that I may act up, as I hear my brother and fome of his friends exprefs it, to a certain dignity of character. In a word, I am happy enough, and I think Madam S. M. might have been fo too, if fhe had had a mind.

I am, &c.

JOSEPH FIELDING.

The

The fituation which is defcribed in the a bove letter is not, I believe, altogether an uncommon one. I fhould be very unwilling to make Mr Jofeph difpleafed with it; on the contrary, I think his chearfulness and good humour are to be envied. At the fame time, without expreffing thofe fentiments which, I doubt not, will occur to many of my readers upon the perufal of his letter, I cannot but obferve, that I have fometimes felt regret, that, in certain circumstances, a more equal diftribution of fortune were not made among the children of fome great landed proprietors, or that care were not taken to moderate their education to that ftyle of life in which their circumftances are likely to place them. young man who is left a fmall patrimony, ought not furely to be accustomed to habits of extravagance and diffipation, but ought to be early inured to economy, and be qualified for fome bufinefs. Without this (though accident fometimes may conduct fuch young men to fortune or to eminence) there muft always be great danger of their proving unfit for any valuable purpofe in life, of their deferving no higher appellation than that of Mr Joseph.

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