he had it, I suppose he has already lost it; since I could perceive no turn of it in all his conversation.  But with his head I believe it is possible to make him a monk one day and a Turk three days after.  He has a flattering, insinuating manner, which naturally prejudices strangers in his favour.  He began to talk to me in the usual silly cant I have so often heard from him, which I shortened by telling him I desired not to be troubled with it; that professions were of no use where actions were expected; and 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 wise men) you always had a will by