The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 151: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

128 REYNOLDS’ WORKS marquis, Octavian procured an allowance of five hundred a year. Before he left home, he besought the marquis to use his interest to get him a commission in the army, or to launch him into the sphere of diplomacy, but the old noble- man could not forget that his original plans on behalf of his youngest son had been thwarted by his withdrawal from the university, and faithful to his churlish nature, he positively refused to do anything more for him. Octavian accordingly quitted the paternal home, and took lodgings. He was but little past his majority, and his experiences of life were hitherto bitter enough. His spirit had been chafed, his feelings wounded, his hopes disap- pointed; he had the will, and he felt that he had the intelli- gence, to enter upon some career in which he might dis- tinguish himself and carve out his own fortunes, but the opportunity had been denied him. This was indeed a bad beginning for a young man just entering upon the world, sufficient to demoralize him completely, render him indif- ferent to the good principles which had hitherto for the most part guided him, and prepare the way for his eventual ruin. Octavian did not entirely escape the ull effects of those in- auspicious circumstances. On taking lodgings, he was launched as it were upon the town, and his companions were men in his own sphere of life. He became a favourite with them; his obliging disposition, his polished manners, and his natural intelligence rendered him a desirable guest at their tables, while his own limited means compelled him to accept all these hospitalities as the only condition on which he could obtain any society at all. He was introduced to the Duke of Marchmont, who, from the way in which he was situated with his wife, was fond of giving bachelor dinner-parties and of being sur- rounded with a number of gay, lively young men, as the reader might have gathered from certain remarks made by Mr. Armytage. Thrown into the midst of this society, Octavian gradually found himself being drawn deeper and deeper into the vortex of dissipation. He kept out of debt, but he could not avoid keeping late hours and joining in the pleasures which his companions courted. To abstract him- self from their company at an early hour when what they called “the joviality of the evening’”’ was only just beginning, or to decline forming one of whatsoever party of pleasure Gomichbooks (E(0)