the good-natured gentleman seemed to be so much
affected with my misfortune, that I suppressed my concern, and told him
that, although I had not another copy, I should be able to retrieve the
loss by writing another from my memory, which was very tenacious. You
cannot imagine how well pleased Mr. Supple was at this assurance; he
begged I would set about it immediately, and carefully revolve and
recollect every circumstance before I pretended to commit it to
paper, that it might be the same individual play that he had perused.
Encouraged by this injunction, which plainly demonstrated how much he
interested himself in the affair, I tasked my remembrance and industry,
and in three weeks produced the exact image of the former, which was
conveyed to him by my good friend Father O'Varnish, who told me next
day, that Mr. Supple would revise it superficially, in order to judge
of its sameness with the other, and then give his final answer. For
this examination I allotted a week: and, in full confidence of seeing it
acted in a little while, demanded an audience of the manager, when that
term was expired. But, alas! the season had slipped away insensibly. He
convinced me, that if my play had been put into rehearsal at the time,
it could not have been ready for performing until the end of March, when
the benefit nights came on; consequently, it would have interfered with
the interest of the players, whom it was not my business to disoblige.

"I was fain to acquiesce in these reasons, which, to be sure, were
extremely just; and to reserve my performance for the next season,
when he hoped I would not be so unlucky. Although it was a grievous
disappointment to me, who, by this time, began to want both money and
necessaries; having on the strength of my expectation from the theatre,
launched out into some extravagances, by which the sum I brought to
town was already almost consumed. Indeed, I ought to be ashamed at this
circumstance of my conduct; for my finances were sufficient, with
good economy, to have maintained me comfortably a whole year. You will
perhaps be amazed when I tell you that, in six months, I expended not a
farthing less than ten guineas: but, when one considers the temptations
to which a young man is exposed in this great city, especially if he
be addicted to pleasure, as I am, the wonder will vanish, or at least
abate. Nor was the cause of my concern limited to my own situation
entirely: I had written an account of