with reason, that to all persons some proportion of
fortune is necessary, according to their several qualities, and though
it is not required that one should tie oneself to just so much, and
something is left for one's inclination, and the difference in the
persons to make, yet still within such a compass,--and such as lay more
upon these considerations than they will bear, shall infallibly be
condemned by all sober persons. If any accident out of my power should
bring me to necessity though never so great, I should not doubt with
God's assistance but to bear it as well as anybody, and I should never
be ashamed on't if He pleased to send it me; but if by my own folly I
had put it upon myself, the case would be extremely altered. If ever
this comes to a treaty, I shall declare that in my own choice I prefer
you much before any other person in the world, and all that this
inclination in me (in the judgment of any persons of honour and
discretion) will bear, I shall desire may be laid upon it to the
uttermost of what they can allow. And if your father please to make up
the rest, I know nothing that is like to hinder me from being yours. But
if your father, out of humour, shall refuse to treat with such friends
as I have, let them be what they will, it must end here; for though I
was content, for your sake, to lose them, and all the respect they had
for me, yet, now I have done that, I'll never let them see that I have
so little interest in you and yours as not to prevail that my brother
may be admitted to treat for me. Sure, when a thing of course and so
much reason as that (unless I did disclose to all the world he were my
enemy), it must be expected whensoever I dispose of myself he should be
made no stranger to it. When that shall be refused me, I may be justly
reproached that I deceived myself when I expected to be at all valued in
a family that I am a stranger to, or that I should be considered with
any respect because I had a kindness for you, that made me not value my
own interests.

I doubt much whether all this be sense or not; I find my head so heavy.
But that which I would say is, in short, this: if I did say once that my
brother should have nothing to do in't, 'twas when his carriage towards
me gave me such an occasion as could justify the keeping that distance
with him; but now it would look extremely unhandsome in me, and, sure, I
hope your father would not require it of me. If he does, I must conclude
he has