er would allow. He would not suffer himself to be so much
fettered by his Character as was convenient; he was still starting
out of it, the Power of Nature was too strong for the Dignity of his
Calling, which generally yielded as often as there was a contest.

It was not the best use he made of his _Back-stairs_ to admit Men
to bribe him against himself, to procure a Defalcation, help a
lame Accountant to get off, or side with the Farmers against the
Improvement of the Revenue. The King was made the Instrument to
defraud the Crown, which is somewhat extraordinary.

That which might tempt him to it probably was, his finding that those
about him so often took Money upon those Occasions; so that he thought
he might do well at least to be a Partner. He did not take the Money
to _hoard_ it; there were those at Court who watched those Times, as
the _Spaniards_ do for the coming in of the _Plate Fleet_. The Beggars
of both Sexes helped to empty his Cabinet, and to leave room in them
for a new lading upon the next Occasion. These Negotiators played
double with him too, when it was for their purpose so to do. He _knew
it_, and _went on_ still; so he gained his present end, at the time,
he was less solicitous to enquire into the Consequences.

He could not properly be said to be either _covetous_ or _liberal_;
his desire to get was not with an Intention to be rich; and his
spending was rather an Easiness in letting Money go, than any
premeditated Thought for the Distribution of it. He would do as much
to throw off the burden of a present Importunity, as he would to
relieve a want.

When once the Aversion to bear Uneasiness taketh place in a Man's
Mind, it doth so check all the Passions, that they are dampt into a
kind of Indifference; they grow faint and languishing, and come to be
subordinate to that fundamental Maxim, of not purchasing any thing at
the price of a Difficulty. This made that he had as little Eagerness
to oblige, as he had to hurt Men; the Motive of his giving Bounties
was rather to make Men less uneasy to him, than more easy to
themselves; and yet no ill-nature all this while. He would slide from
an asking Face, and could guess very well. It was throwing a Man off
from his Shoulders, that leaned upon them with his whole weight; so
that the Party was not glader to receive, than he was to give. It was
a kind of implied bargain; though Men seldom kept it, being so apt to
forget the advantage they had received, t