Not much I assure you,' said Charles.
'Well, well, said Ego, it must be raised. I have it: I am the man to serve my friends: it will make your fortune better than bailiff's business. Lord, Mr. Hazard, how could you think of being a merciful bailiff! If I were a bailiff, I would be the cruelest rascal that ever existed.'
'And, in that case,' said Charles, 'you would be more in character than I was; but what is your expedient?'
'I will tell you,' said Ego: 'you will laugh: I am the man for making people laugh: I would have a new newspaper. There is a plan!'
'A very good one,' said Charles, 'if a man had a thousand pounds to spare, and could stand in the concern without partners.'
'Yes, yes,' said Ego, 'but people must not, now a-days, stand upon niceties. Do you know any thing of editing? I am the man for an editor: I would have my paper full of good essays: I would stick to my party: I would maintain tooth and nail the principles of that side I decidedly took. If it was the ministerial side, I would not, like some papers I could name, creep, and cringe, and be fulsome. I would chuse that part of their measures that could

be deduced from meritorious motives; for all conduct has its favourable sides. In short, there is nothing but may be represented upon some principle or other apparently worthy, without the wretched necessity of having recourse to spatter and vilify others. On the contrary, if I decidedly took up the part of opposition, I would expatiate on the noble passion of patriotism, and let the generous disinterested dictates of that glorious inducement tell generally against ministers, without handing up their names to the public, and call upon my countrymen to execrate them in the lump.'

'Nobly distinguished,' said Charles, 'but in my opinion, Mr. Ego, you are yet wide of the mark. Why take a decided part at all, unless indeed the part of truth. What do you think of a paper that should watch the impositions of all the rest; expose them to public view; detect all their misrepresentations; strip them alike of adulation to ministers, and factious cavilling against them; expose the source from whence the corruption flows which poisons public peace?'
'Zounds, the very thing in the world,