ng genuine humour.

An anonymous author who has given the world some account of Mr. Brown,
observes, 'that it was not his immorality that hindered him from
climbing to the top of poetry, and preferment; but that he had a
particular way of sinning to himself. To speak in plain English (says
he) Tom Brown had less the spirit of a gentleman than the rest of
the Wits, and more of a Scholar. Tom thought himself as happy with a
retailer of damnation in an obscure hole, as another to have gone to
the devil with all the splendour of a fine equipage. 'Twas not the
brightness of Caelia's eyes, nor her gaudy trappings that attracted his
heart. Cupid might keep his darts to himself; Tom always carried his
fire about him. If he had but a mouth, two eyes, and a nose, he never
enquired after the regularity of her dress, or features. He always
brought a good stomach with him, and used but little ceremony in the
preface. As of his mistresses, so he was very negligent in the choice of
his companions, who were sometimes mean and despicable, a circumstance
which never fails to ruin a man's reputation. He was of a lazy temper,
and the Booksellers who gave him credit enough as to his capacity, had
no confidence to put in his diligence. The same gentleman informs us,
that though Tom Brown was a good-natured man, yet he had one pernicious
quality, which eternally procured him enemies, and that was, rather to
lose his friend, than his joke.

One of his lampoons had almost cost him a procession at the cart's tail;
nor did he either spare friend or foe, if the megrim of abuse once
seized him. He had a particular genius for scandal, and dealt it out
liberally when he could find occasion. He is famed for being the author
of a Libel, fixed one Sunday morning on the doors of Westminster-abbey,
and many others, against the clergy and quality. As for religion, Brown
never professed any, and used to say, that he understood the world
better than to have the imputation of righteousness laid to his charge:
and the world, to be even with him, really thought him an Atheist. But
though Brown never made any professions of religion, yet it proceeded
more from affectation than conviction. When he came upon his death-bed,
he expressed remorse for his past life, and discovered at that period,
sentiments which he had never before suffered to enter his mind. This
penitential behaviour, in the opinion of some, was the occasion why all
his brethren neglected him, and