"The Play-house is the first place of resort, which from the frequency of his visits, instead of being an instructive amusement, or a moral lesson, turns out a rendezvous of intrigue, and intemperance, where he soon acquires an intimacy with the idle, the profligate, the gambler, and the prostitute, who eye him as their lawful prey, and with all that ease, dexterity, and artifice, which a knowledge of the town, and its vicissitudes, has furnished them with, they imperceptibly lead him from one crime to another, till at length he becomes extravagant, and irregular, callous, and abandoned. Bagnios, gaming-tables, horses, and black-legs, are now his only wish, theme, and delight, and, so long as his pocket will endure the burden, so long, and no longer, is he duped, flattered, caressed, and encouraged, by those who surround him. But everything must have an end, and enormous expenditures cannot keep pace with that income which should be managed with care and frugality. The young Gentleman _runs short_, as it is termed, and, on his first embarrassment, is advised to apply for the assistance of some _friendly advertising money lender_, who, upon proper security, has the _modesty_ to procure him from time to time, sums of money, at the _equitable premium of 100 per cent_. A repetition so involves him, that, by degrees, his estate falls into the hands of Mr. Usurer, who takes an _absolute assignment of his estate_, for a consideration less than half its true value: and reflection never once enters his head, but he unfortunately squanders the last shilling: but it is, now, he conceives, a folly to repent, or retreat: consequently he gets into debt, is arrested, carried to a spunging house, and from thence is removed to the King's Bench, or Fleet Prison. "Far be it from me to throw any odium on an unfortunate class of people immured in the walls of either of those places, there are no doubt, imprisoned, as worthy, and as good a set of people, as any in society. But the young spark I am speaking of, being mortified at his late companions standing aloof, and resigning him to his fate, becomes loaded with obloquy, associates with characters equally as vicious as himself, smoaks, swears, and carouses, and, all at once, is wholly lost, as it were to himself, and to the world. "R. K--y." --(_Times, Dec. 31, 1795._) * * * * *