I not been as ready to give up
myself, as others are to condemn me?

What madness, what folly, this!--Who will take the part of a man that
condemns himself?--Who can?--He that pleads guilty to an indictment,
leaves no room for aught but the sentence. Out upon me, for an
impolitical wretch! I have not the art of the least artful of any of our
Christian princes; who every day are guilty of ten times worse breaches
of faith; and yet, issuing out a manifesto, they wipe their mouths, and
go on from infraction to infraction, from robbery to robbery; commit
devastation upon devastation; and destroy--for their glory! And are
rewarded with the names of conquerors, and are dubbed Le Grand; praised,
and even deified, by orators and poets, for their butcheries and
depredations.

While I, a poor, single, harmless prowler; at least comparatively
harmless; in order to satisfy my hunger, steal but one poor lamb; and
every mouth is opened, every hand is lifted up, against me.

Nay, as I have just now heard, I am to be manifestoed against, though
no prince: for Miss Howe threatens to have the case published to the whole
world.

I have a good mind not to oppose it; and to write an answer to it, as
soon as it comes forth, and exculpate myself, by throwing all the fault
upon the old ones. And this I have to plead, supposing all that my worst
enemies can allege against me were true,--That I am not answerable for
all the extravagant consequences that this affair has been attended with;
and which could not possibly be foreseen.

And this I will prove demonstrably by a case, which, but a few hours ago,
I put to Lord M. and the two Misses Montague. This it is:

Suppose A, a miser, had hid a parcel of gold in a secret place, in order
to keep it there, till he could lend it out at extravagant
interest.

Suppose B, in such a great want of this treasure, as to be unable to live
without it.

And suppose A, the miser, has such an opinion of B, the wanter, that he
would rather lend it to him, than to any mortal living; but yet,
though he has no other use in the world for it, insists upon very
unconscionable terms.

B would gladly pay common interest for it; but would be undone, (in his
own opinion at least, and that is every thing to him,) if he
complied with the miser's terms; since he would be sure to be soon
thrown into gaol for the debt, and made a prisoner for life.
Where