d that the only thing could give me
hopes of a good conduct was regularity and truth. He very readily agreed
to all I said (as indeed he has always done when he has not been
hot-headed). I endeavoured to convince him how favourably he has been
dealt with, his allowance being much more than, had I been his father, I
would have given in the same case. The Prince of Hesse, who is now
married to the Princess of England, lived some years at Geneva on L300
per annum. Lord Hervey sent his son at sixteen thither, and to travel
afterwards, on no larger pension than L200; and, though without a
governor, he had reason enough, not only to live within the compass of
it, but carried home little presents for his father and mother, which he
showed me at Turin. In short, I know there is no place so expensive, but
a prudent single man may live in it on L100 per annum, and an
extravagant one may run out ten thousand in the cheapest. Had you (said
I to him) thought rightly, or would have regarded the advice I gave you
in all my letters, while in the little town of Islestein, you would have
laid up L150 per annum; you would now have had L750 in your pocket;
which would have almost paid your debts, and such a management would
have gained you the esteem of the reasonable part of mankind. I
perceived this reflection, which he had never made himself, had a very
great weight with him. He would have excused part of his follies, by
saying Mr. G. had told him it became Mr. W.'s son to live handsomely. I
made answer, that whether Mr. G. had said so or no, the good sense of
the thing was noway altered by it; that the true figure of a man was
the opinion the world had of his sense and probity, and not the idle
expenses, which were only respected by foolish or ignorant people; that
his case was particular, he had but too publicly shown his inclination
to vanities, and the most becoming part he could now act would be owning
the ill use he had made of his father's indulgence, and professing to
endeavour to be no further expense to him, instead of scandalous
complaints, and being always at his last shirt and last guinea, which
any man of spirit would be ashamed to own. I prevailed so far with him
that he seemed very willing to follow this advice; and I gave him a
paragraph to write to G., which I suppose you will easily distinguish
from the rest of his letter. He asked me if you had settled your estate.
I made answer, that I did not doubt (like all other wi