benefactions, Esmond was constantly
poor; whilst 'twas a wonder with how small a stipend from his father Tom
Tusher contrived to make a good figure. 'Tis true that Harry both spent,
gave, and lent his money very freely, which Thomas never did. I think he
was like the famous Duke of Marlborough in this instance, who, getting
a present of fifty pieces, when a young man, from some foolish woman
who fell in love with his good looks, showed the money to Cadogan in a
drawer scores of years after, where it had lain ever since he had sold
his beardless honor to procure it. I do not mean to say that Tom ever
let out his good looks so profitably, for nature had not endowed him
with any particular charms of person, and he ever was a pattern of moral
behavior, losing no opportunity of giving the very best advice to his
younger comrade; with which article, to do him justice, he parted very
freely. Not but that he was a merry fellow, too, in his way; he loved a
joke, if by good fortune he understood it, and took his share generously
of a bottle if another paid for it, and especially if there was a young
lord in company to drink it. In these cases there was not a harder
drinker in the University than Mr. Tusher could be; and it was edifying
to behold him, fresh shaved and with smug face, singing out "Amen!"
at early chapel in the morning. In his reading, poor Harry permitted
himself to go a-gadding after all the Nine Muses, and so very likely had
but little favor from any one of them; whereas Tom Tusher, who had
no more turn for poetry than a ploughboy, nevertheless, by a dogged
perseverance and obsequiousness in courting the divine Calliope, got
himself a prize, and some credit in the University, and a fellowship
at his college, as a reward for his scholarship. In this time of Mr.
Esmond's life, he got the little reading which he ever could boast of,
and passed a good part of his days greedily devouring all the books on
which he could lay hand. In this desultory way the works of most of the
English, French, and Italian poets came under his eyes, and he had
a smattering of the Spanish tongue likewise, besides the ancient
languages, of which, at least of Latin, he was a tolerable master.

Then, about midway in his University career, he fell to reading for the
profession to which worldly prudence rather than inclination called him,
and was perfectly bewildered in theological controversy. In the course
of his reading (which was neither pu