assiduity, and will, I doubt not, bring the affair he began and
carried on with so much spirit, while his finances lasted, to a happy
conclusion.

"It would exceed the bounds of my intention, and, perhaps, trespass too
much upon your time, were I to enumerate the low artifices and shameful
quibbles by which the usurper has found means to procrastinate the
decision of the contest between him and his hapless nephew, or to give
a detail of the damage and perplexity which Mr. M-- has sustained, and
been involved in, by the treachery and ingratitude of some who listed
themselves under him in the prosecution of this affair; and by the
villainy of others, who, under various pretences of material discoveries
they had to make, etc., had fastened themselves upon him, and continued
to do all the mischief in their power, until the cloven foot was
detected.

"One instance, however, is so flagrantly flagitious, that I cannot
resist the inclination I feel to relate it, as an example of the most
infernal perfidy that perhaps ever entered the human heart. I have
already mentioned the part which H--n acted in the beginning of M--'s
connection with the unfortunate stranger, and hinted that the said H--
lay under many obligations to that gentleman before Mr. A--'s arrival
in England. He had been chief agent to Lord A--, and, as it afterwards
appeared, received several payments of a secret pension which that
lord enjoyed, for which he either could not or would not account.
His lordship, therefore, in order to compel him to it, took out writs
against him, and his house was continually surrounded with catchpoles
for the space of two whole years.

"Mr. M-- believing, from H--'s own account of the matter, that the poor
man was greatly injured, and prosecuted on account of his attachment to
the unhappy young gentleman, did him all the good offices in his power,
and became security for him on several occasions; nay, such was his
opinion of his integrity, that, after Mr. A-- was cleared of the
prosecution carried on against him by his uncle, his person was
entrusted to the care of this hypocrite, who desired that the young
gentleman might lodge at his house for the convenience of air, M--'s own
occasions calling him often into the country.

"Having thus, by his consummate dissimulation, acquired such a valuable
charge, he wrote a letter to one of Lord A--'s attorneys, offering to
betray Mr. A--, provided his lordship would settle his account