Although I made it a point of honour never to miss a single lesson, and was, consequently, much engaged in my scholastic duties, yet I had still some time for pleasure. As I had been long accustomed to good cheer, and fared but badly at the boarding-house, I generally gave a little entertainment twice or thrice a week, by which I acquired the reputation of a rich and generous man; and what will more surprise you, during almost four years that I lived in this manner, I formed no sort of acquaintance with females, even the most modest. I scarcely knew whether there were any lovely women in the town; in fact, I carefully shunned every opportunity of hearing any thing about them. I took great credit to myself for being thus upon my guard against the fair sex; for I knew by experience how dangerous it was for me, and had the resolution during almost the whole course of my studies to avoid that rock: happy indeed, had I completely finished them without at last splitting upon it! I was now on the point of passing as Bachelor in Divinity; and I was obliged in the first place to take orders, which are only bestowed on persons who possess some cure, chapel, or other living, I was greatly at a loss what to do; for since I had studied at the University I had consumed the better half of my resources. In this dilemma I bethought myself of applying again to the father of expedients, Don Andrea. I had taken care to keep up a correspondence with him, in which I had rendered him an exact account of my success in my studies, which he had always professed himself extremely pleased at. I now wrote and informed him of my present difficulty, and entreated his advice. He answered that he was much pleased to have it in his power to oblige me; that he would with that view make over my wife’s portion to me as if to found some chapel, and that in the deed it should be stipulated, that I should cause a mass to be said every day for the soul of the defunct. But at the same time, I was to declare by another deed, that this property was not a farthing of it my own, and that I would put Don Andrea in possession of it whenever he thought proper. A false conveyance of this description, made for religious purposes, so far from appearing to me to infringe the decrees of the holy councils, did not raise the slightest scruple in my conscience. I grant you I was a man not to be over nice in the business, any more than my father-in-law, who I verily believe had never in his life transacted business less deviating than this from the Ecclesiastical Canons. Be that as it may, however, not being able to do otherwise, this was the gate at which I now fully intended to enter the sanctuary of the ministers of religion.