He complains, thou sayest, that we all run away from him.  Why, after all, Belford, it is no pleasant thing to see a poor fellow one loves, dying by inches, yet unable to do him good.  There are friendships which are only bottle-deep:  I should be loth to have it thought that mine for any of my vassals is such a one.  Yet, with gay hearts, which become intimate because they were gay, the reason for their first intimacy ceasing, the friendship will fade:  but may not this sort of friendship be more properly distinguished by the word companionship?

But mine, as I said, is deeper than this:  I would still be as ready as ever I was in my life, to the utmost of my power, to do him service.

As once instance of this my readiness to extricate him from all his difficulties as to Thomasine, dost thou care to propose to him an expedient, that is just come into my head?

It is this:  I would engage Thomasine and her cubs (if Belton be convinced they are neither of them his) in a party of pleasure.  She was always complaisant to me.  It should be in a boat, hired for the purpose, to sail to Tilbury, to the Isle Shepey, or pleasuring up the Medway; and ’tis but contriving to turn the boat bottom upward.  I can swim like a fish.  Another boat shall be ready to take up whom I should direct, for fear of the worst:  and then, if Tom. has a mind to be decent, one suit of mourning will serve for all three:  Nay, the hostler-cousin may take his plunge from the steerage:  and who knows but they may be thrown up on the beach, Thomasine and he, hand in hand?

This, thou’lt say, is no common instance of friendship.

Mean time, do thou prevail on him to come down to us:  he never was more welcome in his life than he shall be now.  If he will not, let him find me some other service; and I will clap a pair of wings to my shoulders, and he shall see me come flying in at his windows at the word of command.

Mowbray and Tourville each intend to give thee a letter; and I leave to those rough varlets to handle thee as thou deservest, for the shocking picture thou hast drawn of their last ends.  Thy own past guilt has stared thee full in the face, one may see by it; and made thee, in consciousness of thy demerits, sketch out these cursed out-lines.  I am glad thou hast got the old fiend to hold the glass* before thy own face so soon.  Thou must be in earnest surely, when thou wrotest it, and have severe conviction upon thee:  for what a hardened varlet must he be, who could draw such a picture as this in sport?

* See Letter XXVI. of this volume.

As for thy resolution of repenting and marrying; I would have thee consider which thou wilt set about first.  If thou wilt follow my advice, thou shalt make short work of it:  let matrimony take place of the other; for then thou wilt, very possibly, have repentance come tumbling in fast upon thee, as a consequence, and so have both in one.