physicking his patients. In his lectures he advocated the system of
research, and admired deduction; and this I, among many others, had
reason, at last, to know. It was very odd, but so it was, that some two
or three hundred per annum, subscribed by the members of the society,
vanished into the worthy treasurer's pocket, as it were a Moskoestron,
and then disappeared for ever.

"Another of the Socratics was called Epictetus Moonshine, Esquire. This
gentleman was a tall spider-like man, with lantern jaws, hatchet face,
and a mouth--the chief characteristic of which was, that it made a
diagonal line from the bottom of the face to the eyebrow. He was a
great speculator, and had taken it into his head, that beyond the
blue mountains in New South Wales, was the real El Dorado. But as he
possessed, according to the usual phrase, more wit than money, and no
one will discount a check from the aforesaid wit on change, the zeal
of Epictetus Moonshine, some time after the breaking up of the Socratic
institution for benefitting the human race, so much got the better of
self-love, that he committed several petty larcenies in hopes of being
transported thither; but whether his courage or his luck failed him,
certain it is that he never reached the proper degree of criminality,
and only succeeded in visiting by turns the various penitentiaries in
London and its vicinity.

~~412~~~ "'You mistake greatly, Sir,' said he, to one of the visiting
governors of Bridewell, who condoled with a man of his talents in such a
position, 'if you think a residence in this sequestered haunt a subject
of regret. The mind, as Milton says, is its own seat, and able of itself
to make--

'A heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.'

And now I am on the subject of stoicism, permit me to shew you a picture
which I have just chalked out, wherein I prove that there is no such
thing as pain in the world. That all which we now feel is imagination;
that the idea of body is deception. I have had it printed, --written in
fourteen languages, and presented to all the sovereigns of Europe, with
a new code of laws annexed to it. I'll bring it in a minute, if you'll
excuse me.' So saying, the pupil of Zeno disappeared, wrapping his
blanket round him; but other speculations of 'matters high' no doubt
attracted him from the remembrance of his promise, (just as he forgot to
pay some score pounds he borrowed of me) for the visitor saw no more of
him.

"The mention