 round, plump, fresh-coloured face
gave him greatly the look of a Bacchus, had not an air of austerity, not to say
sternness, very unsuitable even to his shape of face, dash'd that character of
joy, necessary to complete the resemblance. His dress was extremely neat, but
plain, and far inferior to the ample fortune he was in full possession of; this
too was a taste in him, and not avarice.
    As soon as Mrs. Cole was gone, he seated me near him, when now his face
changed upon me into an expression of the most pleasing sweetness and good
humour, the more remarkable for its sudden shift from the other extreme, which,
I found afterwards, when I knew more of his character, was owing to a habitual
state of conflict with, and dislike of himself, for being enslaved to so
peculiar a gust, by the fatality of a constitutional ascendant, that render'd
him incapable of receiving any pleasure till he submitted to these extraordinary
means of procuring it at the hands of pain, whilst the constancy of this
repining consciousness stamp'd at length that cast of sourness and severity on
his features: which was, in fact, very foreign to the natural sweetness of his
temper.
    After a competent preparation by apologies, and encouragement to go through
my part with spirit and constancy, he stood up near the fire, whilst I went to
fetch the instruments of discipline out of a closet hard by: these were several
rods, made each of two or three strong twigs of birch tied together, which he
took, handled, and view'd with as much pleasure, as I did with a kind of
shuddering presage.
    Next we took from the side of the room a long broad bench, made easy to lie
at length on by a soft cushion in a callico-cover; and every thing being now
ready, he took his coat and waistcoat off; and at his motion and desire, I
unbutton'd his breeches, and rolling up his shirt rather above his waist, tuck'd
it in securely there: when directing naturally my eyes to that humoursome
master-movement, in whose favour all these dispositions were making, it seemed
almost shrunk into his body, scarce shewing its tip above the sprout of hairy
curls that cloathed those parts, as you may have seen a wren peep its head out
of the grass.
    Stooping then to untie his garters, he gave them me for the use of tying him
down to the legs of the bench: a circumstance no farther necessary than, as I
suppose
