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as to put the matter past doubt. Well;⁠—notwithstanding this, I put my fortune into the hands of the one:⁠—and what is dearer still to me, I trust my life to the honest skill of the other. > > “Now let me examine what is my reason for this great confidence. Why, in the first place, I believe there is no probability that either of them will employ the power I put into their hands to my disadvantage;⁠—I consider that honesty serves the purposes of this life:⁠—I know their success in the world depends upon the fairness of their characters.⁠—In a word, I’m persuaded that they cannot hurt me without hurting themselves more. > > “But put it otherwise, namely, that interest lay, for once, on the other side; that a case should happen, wherein the one, without stain to his reputation, could secrete my fortune, and leave me naked in the world;⁠—or that the other could send me out of it, and enjoy an estate by my death, without dishonour to himself or his art:⁠—In this case, what hold have I of either of them?⁠—Religion, the strongest of all motives, is out of the question;⁠—Interest, the next most powerful motive in the world, is strongly against me:⁠⸻What have I left to cast into the opposite scale to balance this temptation?⁠⸻Alas! I have nothing,⁠⸺⁠nothing but what is lighter than a bubble⁠⸻I must lie at the mercy of Honour , or some such capricious principle⁠—Strait security for two of the most valuable blessings!⁠—my property and myself. > > “As, therefore, we can have