Page:Pleasing art of money-catching (4).pdf/10

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the poor buteher was terrified. The Justiee thenaddressed himself to the Esquire, and begged his pardon for using him in such a manner, imputing it to his not knowing his quality. The Esquire, with a smile, replied that he must also beg his pardon for throwing him and his chair over. The Justiee answered, there was no offenee.

Thus we may see the misery of wanting money. The buteher could certainly have punished Percy for killing his dog in such an unprovoked manner, and would have obtained it, had not the Justice discovered Percy's family, and let justice wink rather than offend the brother of a favourite of his Majesty's. The poor butcher must not only content himself with the loss of his dog, but be glad he eseaped so well. It is just so, generally speaking, in every state of life; if a man be ever so virtuous and of the best principles, if he wants that principle of principles, money, he wants every thing, and is looked upon as a mean pitiful fellow: on the contrary, if a man be possessed of that, he has every thing, though otherwise of the most consummate ignoranee, debauehed life, and insignificant eonversation. I confess, if we look backward into the better and wiser ages of the world, virtue, though cloathed in rags, was more esteemed than the trappings of the gold ass; it is in these last and worst of days that viee has got such an ascendant in the world, as to make men think all that are poor are miserable; for in the primitive times, poverty was the badge of religion and piety; and well it might, for not many great, nor many noble were called; and the study of wisdom, and eontempt of the world was then in esteem among the wisest philosophers in the earliest ages. But as Ovid,