nder
of the day with me. We ordered our horses at three, and our dinner at
seven, and I left him till the former were ready, in order to allow him
time for his toilet.

During our ride we talked principally on general subjects, on the
various differences of France and England, on horses, on wines, on
women, on politics, on all things, except that which had created our
acquaintance. His remarks were those of a strong, ill-regulated mind,
which had made experience supply the place of the reasoning faculties;
there was a looseness in his sentiments, and a licentiousness in his
opinions, which startled even me (used as I had been to rakes of all
schools); his philosophy was of that species which thinks that the best
maxim of wisdom is--to despise. Of men he spoke with the bitterness of
hatred; of women, with the levity of contempt. France had taught him its
debaucheries, but not the elegance which refines them: if his sentiments
were low, the language in which they were clothed was meaner still:
and that which makes the morality of the upper classes, and which no
criminal is supposed to be hardy enough to reject; that religion which
has no scoffers, that code which has no impugners, that honour among
gentlemen, which constitutes the moving principle of the society in
which they live, he seemed to imagine, even in its most fundamental
laws, was an authority to which nothing but the inexperience of the
young, and the credulity of the romantic, could accede.

Upon the whole, he seemed to me a "bold, bad man," with just enough of
intellect to teach him to be a villain, without that higher degree which
shews him that it is the worst course for his interest; and just enough
of daring to make him indifferent to the dangers of guilt, though it was
not sufficient to make him conquer and control them. For the rest,
he loved trotting better than cantering--piqued himself upon being
manly--wore doe-skin gloves--drank port wine, par preference, and
considered beef-steaks and oysters as the most delicate dish in the
whole carte. I think, now, reader, you have a tolerably good view of his
character.

After dinner, when we were discussing the second bottle, I thought it
would not be a bad opportunity to question him upon his acquaintance
with Glanville. His countenance fell directly I mentioned that name.
However, he rallied himself. "Oh," said he, "you mean the soi-disant
Warburton. I knew him some years back--he was a poor silly youth