Flinging　the　bones　…　Strange　places　…　Dog…fighting　…　Learning　and
  letters　…　Batch　of　dogs　…　Redoubled　application。
  ONE　evening　I　was　visited　by　the　tall　young　gentleman；　Francis
  Ardry；　whose　acquaintance　I　had　formed　at　the　coffee…house。　　As　it
  is　necessary　that　the　reader　should　know　something　more　about　this
  young　man；　who　will　frequently　appear　in　the　course　of　these　pages；
  I　will　state　in　a　few　words　who　and　what　he　was。　　He　was　born　of　an
  ancient　Roman　Catholic　family　in　Ireland；　his　parents；　whose　only
  child　he　was；　had　long　been　dead。　　His　father；　who　had　survived　his
  mother　several　years；　had　been　a　spendthrift；　and　at　his　death　had
  left　the　family　property　considerably　embarrassed。　　Happily；
  however；　the　son　and　the　estate　fell　into　the　hands　of　careful
  guardians；　near　relations　of　the　family；　by　whom　the　property　was
  managed　to　the　best　advantage；　and　every　means　taken　to　educate　the
  young　man　in　a　manner　suitable　to　his　expectations。　　At　the　age　of
  sixteen　he　was　taken　from　a　celebrated　school　in　England　at　which
  he　had　been　placed；　and　sent　to　a　small　French　university；　in　order
  that　he　might　form　an　intimate　and　accurate　acquaintance　with　the
  grand　language　of　the　continent。　　There　he　continued　three　years；
  at　the　end　of　which　he　went　under　the　care　of　a　French　abbe　to
  Germany　and　Italy。　　It　was　in　this　latter　country　that　he　first
  began　to　cause　his　guardians　serious　uneasiness。　　He　was　in　the
  heyday　of　youth　when　he　visited　Italy；　and　he　entered　wildly　into
  the　various　delights　of　that　fascinating　region；　and；　what　was
  worse；　falling　into　the　hands　of　certain　sharpers；　not　Italian；　but
  English；　he　was　fleeced　of　considerable　sums　of　money。　　The　abbe；
  who；　it　seems；　was　an　excellent　individual　of　the　old　French
  school；　remonstrated　with　his　pupil　on　his　dissipation　and
  extravagance；　but；　finding　his　remonstrances　vain；　very　properly
  informed　the　guardians　of　the　manner　of　life　of　his　charge。　　They
  were　not　slow　in　commanding　Francis　Ardry　home；　and；　as　he　was
  entirely　in　their　power；　he　was　forced　to　comply。　　He　had　been
  about　three　months　in　London　when　I　met　him　in　the　coffee…room；　and
  the　two　elderly　gentlemen　in　his　company　were　his　guardians。　　At
  this　time　they　were　very　solicitous　that　he　should　choose　for
  himself　a　profession；　offering　to　his　choice　either　the　army　or　law
  …　he　was　calculated　to　shine　in　either　of　these　professions　…　for；
  like　many　others　of　his　countrymen；　he　was　brave　and　eloquent；　but
  he　did　not　wish　to　shackle　himself　with　a　profession。　　As；　however；
  his　minority　did　not　terminate　till　he　was　three…and…twenty；　of
  which　age　he　wanted　nearly　two　years；　during　which　he　would　be
  entirely　dependent　on　his　guardians；　he　deemed　it　expedient　to
  conceal；　to　a　certain　degree；　his　sentiments；　temporising　with　the
  old　gentlemen；　with　whom；　notwithstanding　his　many　irregularities；
  he　was　a　great　favourite；　and　at　whose　death　he　expected　to　come
  into　a　yet　greater　property　than　that　which　he　inherited　from　his
  parents。
  Such　is　a　brief　account　of　Francis　Ardry　…　of　my　friend　Francis
  Ardry；　for　the　acquaintance；　commenced　in　the　singular　manner　with
  which　the　reader　is　acquainted；　speedily　ripened　into　a　friendship
  which　endured　through　many　long　years　of　separation；　and　which
  still　endures　certainly　on　my　part；　and　on　his　…　if　he　lives；　but
  it　is　many　years　since　I　have　heard　from　Francis　Ardry。
  And　yet　many　people　would　have　thought　it　impossible　for　our
  friendship　to　have　lasted　a　week　…　for　in　many　respects　no　two
  people　could　be　more　dissimilar。　　He　was　an　Irishman　…　I；　an
  Englishman；　…　he；　fiery；　enthusiastic；　and　open…hearted；　I；　neither
  fiery；　enthusiastic；　nor　open…hearted；　…　he；　fond　of　pleasure　and
  dissipation；　I；　of　study　and　reflection。　　Yet　it　is　of　such
  dissimilar　elements　that　the　most　lasting　friendships　are　formed：
  we　do　not　like　counterparts　of　ourselves。　　'Two　great　talkers　will
  not　travel　far　together；'　is　a　Spanish　saying；　I　will　add；　'Nor　two
  silent　people'；　we　naturally　love　our　opposites。
  So　Francis　Ardry　came　to　see　me；　and　right　glad　I　was　to　see　him；
  for　I　had　just　flung　my　books　and　papers　aside；　and　was　wishing　for
  a　little　social　converse；　and　when　we　had　conversed　for　some　little
  time　together；　Francis　Ardry　proposed　that　we　should　go　to　the　play
  to　see　Kean；　so　we　went　to　the　play；　and　saw　…　not　Kean；　who　at
  that　time　was　ashamed　to　show　himself；　but　…　a　man　who　was　not
  ashamed　to　show　himself；　and　who　people　said　was　a　much　better　man
  than　Kean　…　as　I　have　no　doubt　he　was　…　though　whether　he　was　a
  better　actor　I　cannot　say；　for　I　never　saw　Kean。
  Two　or　three　evenings　after　Francis　Ardry　came　to　see　me　again；　and
  again　we　went　out　together；　and　Francis　Ardry　took　me　to　…　shall　I
  say？　…　why　not？　…　a　gaming…house；　where　I　saw　people　playing；　and
  where　I　saw　Francis　Ardry　play　and　lose　five　guineas；　and　where　I
  lost　nothing；　because　I　did　not　play；　though　I　felt　somewhat
  inclined；　for　a　man　with　a　white　hat　and　a　sparkling　eye　held　up　a
  box　which　contained　something　which　rattled；　and　asked　me　to　fling
  the　bones。　　'There　is　nothing　like　flinging　the　bones！'　said　he；
  and　then　I　thought　I　should　like　to　know　what　kind　of　thing
  flinging　the　bones　was；　I；　however；　restrained　myself。　　'There　is
  nothing　like　flinging　the　bones！'　shouted　the　man；　as　my　friend　and
  myself　left　the　room。
  Long　life　and　prosperity　to　Francis　Ardry！　but　for　him　I　should　not
  have　obtained　knowledge　which　I　did　of　the　strange　and　eccentric
  places　of　London。　　Some　of　the　places　to　which　he　took　me　were　very
  strange　places　indeed；　but；　however　strange　the　places　were；　I
  observed　that　the　inhabitants　thought　there　were　no　places　like
  their　several　places；　and　no　occupations　like　their　several
  occupations；　and　among　other　strange　places　to　which　Francis　Ardry
  conducted　me　was　a　place　not　far　from　the　abbey　church　of
  Westminster。
  Before　we　entered　this　place　our　ears　were　greeted　by　a　confused
  hubbub　of　human　voices；　squealing　of　rats；　barking　of　dogs；　and　the
  cries　of　various　other　animals。　　Here　we　beheld　a　kind　of　cock…pit；
  around　which　a　great　many　people；　seeming　of　all　ranks；　but　chiefly
  of　the　lower；　were　gathered；　and　in　it　we　saw　a　dog　destroy　a　great
  many　rats　in　a　very　small　period；　and　when　the　dog　had　destroyed
  the　rats；　we　saw　a　fight　between　a　dog　and　a　bear；　then　a　fight
  between　two　dogs；　then　。　。　。　。
  After　the　diversions　of　the　day　were　over；　my　friend　introduced　me
  to　the　genius　of　the　place；　a　small　man　of　about　five　feet　high；
  with　a　very　sharp　countenance；　and　dressed　in　a　brown　jockey　coat
  and　top　boots。　　'Joey；'　said　he；　'this　is　a　friend　of　mine。'　　Joey
  nodded　to　me　with　a　patronising　air。　　'Glad　to　see　you；　sir！　…　want
  a　dog？'
  'No；'　said　I。
  'You　have　got　one；　then　…　want　to　match　him？'
  'We　have　a　dog　at　home；'　said　I；　'in　the　country；　but　I　can't　say　I
  should　like　to　match　him。　　Indeed；　I　do　not　like　dog…fighting。'
  'Not　like　dog…fighting！'　said　the　man；　staring。
  'The　truth　is；　Joe；　that　he　is　just　come　to　town。'
  'So　I　should　think；　he　looks　rather　green　…　not　like　dog…fighting！'
  'Nothing　like　it；　is　there；　Joey？'
  'I　should　think　not；　what　is　like　it？　　A　time　will　come；　and　that
  speedily；　when　folks　will　give　up　everything　else；　and　follow　dog…
  fighting。'
  'Do　you　think　so？'　said　I。
  'Think　so？　　Let　me　ask　what　there　is　that　a　man　wouldn't　give　up
  for　it？'
  'Why；'　said　I；　modestly；　'there's　religion。'
  'Religion！　　How　you　talk。　　Why；　there's　myself　bred　and　born　an
  Independent；　and　intended　to　be　a　preacher；　didn't　I　give　up
  religion　for　dog…fighting？　　Religion；　indeed！　　If　it　were　not　for
  the　rascally　law；　my　pit　would　fill　better　on　Sundays　than　any
  other　time。　　Who　would　go　to　church　when　they　could　come　to　my　pit？
  Religion！　why；　the　parsons　themselves　come　to　my　pit；　and　I　have
  now　a　letter　in　my　pocket　from　one　of　them；　asking　me　to　send　him　a
  dog。'
  'Well；　then；　politics；'　said　I。
  'Politics！　　Why；　the　gemmen　in　the　House　would　leave　Pitt　himself；
  if　he　were　alive；　to　come　to　my　pit。　　There　were　three　of　the　best
  of　them　here　to…night；　all　great　horators。　…　Get　on　with　you；　what
  comes　next？'
  'Why；　there's　learning　and　letters。'
  'Pretty　things；　truly；　to　keep　people　from　dog…fighting。　　Why；
  there's　the　young　gentlemen　from　the　Abbey　School　comes　here　in
  shoals；　leaving　books；　and　letters；　and　masters　too。　　To　tell　you
  the　truth；　I　rather　wish　they　would　mind　their　letters；　for　a　more
  precious　set　of　young　blackguards　I　never　seed。　　It　was　only　the
  other　day　I　was　thinking　of　calling　in　a　constable　for　my　own
  protection；　for　I　thought　my　pit　would　have　been　torn　down　by
  them。'
  Scarcely　knowing　what　to　say；　I　made　an　observation　at　random。
  'You　show；　by