 or place; - so that when
mention was made of a pitiful or an ungenerous proceeding, - he never gave
himself a moment's time to reflect who was the Hero of the piece, - - what his
station, -- or how far he had power to hurt him hereafter; - but if it was a
dirty action, -- without more ado, -- The man was a dirty fellow, - and so on: -
And as his comments had usually the ill fate to be terminated either in a bon
mot, or to be enliven'd throughout with some drollery or humour of expression,
it gave wings to Yorick's indiscretion. In a word, tho' he never sought, yet, at
the same time, as he seldom shun'd occasions of saying what came uppermost, and
without much ceremony; - - he had but too many temptations in life, of
scattering his wit and his humour, - his gibes and his jests about him. -- They
were not lost for want of gathering.
    What were the consequences, and what was Yorick's catastrophe thereupon, you
will read in the next chapter.
 

                                   Chap. XII.

The Mortgager and Mortgagée differ the one from the other, not more in length of
purse, than the Jester and Jestée do, in that of memory. But in this the
comparison between them runs, as the scholiasts call it, upon all-four; which,
by the bye, is upon one or two legs more, than some of the best of Homer's can
pretend to; -- namely, That the one raises a sum and the other a laugh at your
expence, and think no more about it. Interest, however, still runs on in both
cases; - the periodical or accidental payments of it, just serving to keep the
memory of the affair alive; till, at length, in some evil hour, - pop comes the
creditor upon each, and by demanding principal upon the spot, together with full
interest to the very day, makes them both feel the full extent of their
obligations.
    As the reader (for I hate your ifs) has a thorough knowledge of human
nature, I need not say more to satisfy him, that my Hero could not go on at this
rate without some slight experience of these incidental mementos. To speak the
truth, he had wantonly involved himself in a multitude of small book-debts of
this stamp, which, notwithstanding Eugenius's frequent advice, he too much
disregarded; thinking, that as not one of them was
