: affectation where other people ftood, he fat; where they fat, he stood; when he went to court, he used to kick away the ftate, and fit down by his prince cheek by jole; Confound thefe ftates, fays he, they are a modern invention: when he spoke to his prince, he always turned Lis br-ch upon him: if he was advised to falt for his health, he would eat roast-beef; if he was allowed a more plentiful diet, then he would be fure that day to live upon water gruel; he would cry at a wedding, laugh. and make jefts at a funeral. He was no lefs fingular in his opinions; you would have burft your fides to hear him talk of politics*:"Allgovernment, fays he, is founded upon the right diftri bution of panifhments; decent executions keep the "world in awe; for that reafon the majority of mankind "ought to be hanged every year. For example, I fup"pole, the magiftrate ought to pafs an irrevertible fen. "tence upon all blue eyed children from the cradle † : "but that there may be fone fhew of juftice in this pro"ceeding, thefe children ought to be trained up by ma ❝fters, appointed for that purpofe, to all forts of villai ny; that they may delerve their fate, and the execu"tion of them may ferve as an object of terror to the "reft of mankind." As to the giving of pardons, he had this fingular method ‡, that when thefe wretches had the rope about their necks, it should be enquired, who believed they fhould be hanged, and who not? The fift were to be pardoned, the laft hanged out right. Such as were once pardoned, were never to be hanged after. wards for any crime whatfoever 4. He had fuch skill in phyfiognomy, that he would pronounce peremptorily up. on a man's face, That fellow, fays he, do what he will, cannot avoid hanging; he has a hanging look. By the fame art he would prognofticate a principality to a fcoun drel. He was no lefs particular in the choice of his studies ; they were generally bent towards exploded chimeras, the perpetuum mobile **, the circular hot, philofopher's * Abfolute predestination. + Reprobation. Saving faith; a belief that one shall certainly be saved, 4 Election. ftone, filent gun-powder, making chains- for fleas, nets for flies, and inftruments to unravel cobwebs and split hairs. Thus, I think, I have given a distinct account of the methods he practiled upon Peg. Her brother would now and then afk her, "What a devil doft thou fee in that pragmatical coxcomb to make thee fo in love with "him? he is a fit match for a tailor or a fhoemaker's "daughter, but not for you that are a gentlewoman." "Fancy is free quoth Peg: I will take my own way, "do you take yours. I do not care for you flaunting "beaus, that gang with their breafts open,, and their "farks over their waistcoats; that accoft me with set "Speeches out of Sidney's Arcadia, or the Academy of "Compliments. Jack is a fober, grave, young man ;though he has none of your ftudied harangues, his meaning is fincere: he has a great regard to his fa"ther's will; and he that fhewn himself a good fon, will "make a good husband; befides, I know he has the o"riginal deed of conveyance to the fortunate islands; the others are counterfeits." There is nothing so obfiante as a young lady in heramours; the more you cross her, the worle the is. CHA P. IV. How the relations reconciled Jahn and his fifter Pegi and what return Peg made to John's message *. OHN BULL, otherwife a good-natured man, was very hard-hearted to his fifter Peg, chiefly from an averfion he had conceived in his infancy. While he flourished, kept a warm houfe, and drove a plentiful trade, poor Peg was forced to go bawking and peddling about the streets, felling knives, fciffars, and fhoe-buckles; now and then carried a basket of fish to the market; fewed, fpun, and knit for a livelihood, till her fingers ends were fore; and when fhe could not get bread for her family, fhe was forced to hire them out at journey-work *The treaty of Union between England and Scotland. to to her neighbours. Yet in these her poor circumftances fhe ftill preferved the air and mein of a gentlewoman, a certain decent pride, that extorted refpect from the haughtieft of her neighbours; when he came into any full af fembly, he would not yield the pas to the best of them. If one asked her, are not you related to John Buli? "Yes, fays fhe; he has the honour to be my brother." So Peg's affairs went, till all the relations cried out shame upon John for his barbarous ufage of his own flesh and blood; that it was an eafy matter for him to put her in a creditable way of living, not only without hurt but with advantage to himself, being fhe was an industrious perfon, and might be ferviceable to him in his way of business. "Hang her, jade, quoth John; I cannot endure her, as long as he keeps that rafcal Jack's company.' They told him the way to reclaim her was to take her into his houfe; that by converfation the childish humours of their younger days might be worn out. Thefe argu ments were inforced by a certain incident. It happened that John was at that time about making his will *,” and entailing his eftate, the very fame in which Nic, Frog is named executor. Now, his fifter Peg's name being in the entail, he could not make a thorough fettlement without her confeat. There was, indeed, a malicious story » went about, as if John's wife had fallen in love with Jack as he was eating cuftard on horfeback † ; that she perfuaded John to take his fifter into the houfe, the bet ter to orive on the intrigue with Jack, concluding he would follow his miftrefs Peg. All I can infer from this ftory, is, that when one has got a bad character in the world, people will report and believe any thing of one, true or falfe. But to return to my ftory; when Peg received John's meffage, the huffed and stormed like the *The fucceffion to the crown having been fettled by act of parliament in England, upon the houfe Hanover, and no fuch act having paffed in Scotland, then a feparate kingdom, it was thought a proper time to complete the union which had been often attempted, and which was recommended to the Scots by ! K. William III. A Prefbyterian Lord Mayor of London. devil: "My brother John, quoth fhe, is grown won"derous kind-hearted all of a fudden, but I meikle "doubt, whether it be not mair for his own conveniency "than for my good; he draws up his writs and his deeds, forfooth, and I muft fet my hand to them, unfight un"feen. I like the young man he has fettled upon well enough, but I think Lought to have a valuable confi "deration for my confent. He wants my poor little "farm, because it makes a nook in his park wall: ye may e'en tell him, he has mair than he makes good: "ufe of; he gangs up and down drinking, roaring, and quarrelling, through all the country markets, "making foolish bargains in his cups, which he repents " when he is fober; like a thriftiefs wretch, fpending "the goods and gear that his forefathers won with the fweat of their brows; light.come, light go, he cares not a farthing. But why fhould I ftand furety for his "contracts? the little I have is free, and I can call it my 1 am awn; hame's hame, let it be never fo hamely. I ken "him well enough, he could never abide me, and when he "has his-ends, he'll e'n ufe me as he did before. "fure I fhall be treated like a poor drudge; I shall be set 66 to tend the bairns, dearn the hofe, and mend the linen, "Then there's no living with that old carlin his mother; "The rails at Jack, and Jack's an honefter man than any "of her kin: I fhall be plagued with her spells aud her "Pater nofers, and filly old world ceremonies; Imun 46 never pare my nails on a Friday, nor begin a journey ❝on Childermas day; and I mun ftand becking and binging, as I gang out and into the hall. Tell"him he may e'en gang his get; I'll have nothing to do " with him; I'll ftay, like the poor country moufe, in 66 my awn habitation." So Peg talked; but for all that, by the interpofition of good friends, and by many a bon. ny thing that was fent, and many more that were prʊmfed Peg, the matter was concluded, and Teg taken into the houfe upon certain articles: one of which was, that fhe might have the freedom of Jack's converfation †, and *The Scots expreffd their fears for the Prefbyterian government, and of being burdened with the English national debts. The act of toleration. ་ might take him for better and for worfe, if the pleased; provided always, he did not come into the houle at unfeafonable hours, and disturb the reft, or the old woman,John's mother, CHAP. V. Of fome quarrels, that happened after Peg was taken in to the family * T is an old obfervation, that the quarrels of relations are harder to reconcile than any other; injuries from friends fret and gall more, and the memory of them is not fo eafily obliterated. This is cunningly reprefented by one of your old fages, called fop, in the ftory of the bird, that was grieved extremely at being wounded with an arrow feathered with his own wing; as alfo of the oak, that let many a heavy groan, when he was cleft with a wedge of his own timber. There was no man in the world lefs fubject to rancour than John Bull, confidering how often his good-nature had been abused; yet I do not know, but he was too apt to hearken to tattling people, that carried tales between him and his lifter Peg, on purpose to fow jealoufies, and fet them together by the ears. They fay that there were fome hardships put upon Peg, which had been better let alone; but it was the bufinefs of good people to restrain the injuries on one fide, and moderate the refentments on the other; a good friend acts both parts; the one without the other will not do. The purchase money of Peg's farm was ill paid t then Peg loved a little good liquor, and the fervants fhut up the wine-cellar; but for that Peg found a trick, for fhe made a falfe key ‡. Peg's fervants complained that * Quarrels about fome of the articles of union, particularly the peerage. By the 15th article of the treaty of union, it was agreed that Scotland fhould have an equivalent for feveral customs and excifes to which he would become liable, and this equivalent was not paid.. Run wine. they |