* See Vol.  VI.  Letter XVI.

And is this amiable doctrine the sum of religion?  Upon my faith, believe it is.  For, to indulge a serious thought, since we are not atheists, except in practice, does God, the being of Beings, want any thing of us for himself!  And does he not enjoin us works of mercy to one another, as the means to obtain his mercy?  A sublime principle, and worthy of the Supreme superintendent and father of all things!—­But if we are to be judged by this noble principle, what, indeed, must be thy condemnation on the score of this lady only? and what mine, and what all our confraternity’s, on the score of other women:  though we are none of us half so bad as thou art, as well for want of inclination, I hope, as of opportunity!

I must add, that, as well for thy own sake, as for the lady’s, I wish ye were yet to be married to each other.  It is the only medium that can be hit upon to salve the honour of both.  All that’s past may yet be concealed from the world, and from all her sufferings, if thou resolvest to be a tender and kind husband to her.

And if this really be thy intention, I will accept with pleasure of a commission from thee that shall tend to promote so good an end, whenever she can be found; that is to say, if she will admit to her presence a man who professes friendship to thee.  Nor can I give a greater demonstration, that I am

Thy sincere friend,
J. Belford.

P.S.  Mabell’s clothes were thrown into the passage this morning:  nobody knows by whom.

LETTER XLIX

Mr. Lovelace, to John Belford, ESQ. 
Friday, June 30.

I am ruined, undone, blown up, destroyed, and worse than annihilated, that’s certain!—­But was not the news shocking enough, dost thou think, without thy throwing into the too-weighty scale reproaches, which thou couldst have had no opportunity to make but for my own voluntary communications? at a time too, when, as it falls out, I have another very sensible disappointment to struggle with?

I imagine, if there be such a thing as future punishment, it must be none of the smallest mortifications, that a new devil shall be punished by a worse old one.  And, take that!  And, take that! to have the old satyr cry to the screaming sufferer, laying on with a cat-o’-nine-tails, with a star of burning brass at the end of each:  and, for what! for what!—–­Why, if the truth may be fairly told, for not being so bad a devil as myself.

Thou art, surely, casuist good enough to know, (what I have insisted upon* heretofore,) that the sin of seducing a credulous and easy girl, is as great as that of bringing to your lure an incredulous and watchful one.

* See Vol.  IV.  Letter XVII.