a passage, and to get safely aboard.

O why was the great friend of all unchained, and permitted to assume so
specious a form, and yet allowed to conceal his feet and his talons, till
with the one he was ready to trample upon my honour, and to strike the
other into my heart!--And what had I done, that he should be let loose
particularly upon me!

Forgive me this murmuring question, the effect of my impatience, my
guilty impatience, I doubt: for, as I have escaped with my honour, and
nothing but my worldly prospects, and my pride, my ambition, and my
vanity, have suffered in this wretch of my hopefuller fortunes, may I not
still be more happy than I deserve to be? And is it not in my own power
still, by the Divine favour, to secure the greatest stake of all? And
who knows but that this very path into which my inconsideration has
thrown me, strewed as it is with briers and thorns, which tear in pieces
my gaudier trappings, may not be the right path to lead me into the great
road to my future happiness; which might have been endangered by evil
communication?

And after all, are there not still more deserving persons than I, who
never failed in any capital point of duty, than have been more humbled
than myself; and some too, by the errors of parents and relations, by the
tricks and baseness of guardians and trustees, and in which their own
rashness or folly had no part?

I will then endeavour to make the best of my present lot. And join with
me, my best, my only friend, in praying, that my punishment may end here;
and that my present afflictions may be sanctified to me.

This letter will enable you to account for a line or two, which I sent to
Wilson's, to be carried to you, only for a feint, to get his servant out
of the way. He seemed to be left, as I thought, for a spy upon me. But
he returning too soon, I was forced to write a few lines for him to carry
to his master, to a tavern near Doctors Commons, with the same view: and
this happily answered my end.

I wrote early in the morning a bitter letter to the wretch, which I left
for him obvious enough; and I suppose he has it by this time. I kept no
copy of it. I shall recollect the contents, and give you the particulars
of all, at more leisure.

I am sure you will approve of my escape--the rather, as the people of the
house must be very vile: for they, and that Dorcas too, did hear me (I
know they did) cry out for help: if the fire had been other than a
v