Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

"from being a fharper in thy youth? What occafion "haft thou to give up Ecclefdown-caftle to John Bull ? "his friendship is not worth a rush; give it me, and I'll "make it worth thy while. If thou diflikeft that pro

66

pofition, keep it thyfelf, I'd rather thou shouldft have "it than he. If thou hearkenest not to my advice, take "what follows; Efquire South and I will go on with "our law-fuit in spite of John Bull's teeth."

L. Baboon. Monfieur Bull has used me like a gentleman, and I am refolved to make good my promise, and truft him for the confequences.

Nic. Frog. Then I tell thee thou art an old doting fool---With that, Nic. bounced up with a spring equal to that of one of your nimbleft tumblers or rope-dancers, and fell foul upon John Bull, to fnatch the cudgel he had in his hand*, that he might thwack Lewis with it: John held it faft, fo that there was no wrenching it from him. At laft 'Squire South buckled too, to affift his friend Nic: John haled on one fide, and they two on the other; fometimes they were like to pull John over; then it went all of a fudden again on John's fide; fo they went feefawing up and down, from one end of the room to the other. Down tumbled the tables, bottles, glaffes, and tobacco-pipes: the wine and the tobacco were all spilt about the room, and the little fellows were almost trod under foot, till more of the tradesmen joining with Nic. and the 'Squire, John was hardly able to pull against them all, yet would he never quit hold of his trufty cudgel: which by the contrary force of two fo great powers broke fhort in his hands+. Nic. feized the longer end, and with it began to baftinado old Lewis, who had flunk into a corner, waiting the event of this squabble. Nic. came up to him with an infolent menacing air, fo that the old fellow was forced to fkuttle out of the room, and retire behind a dung-cart. He called to Nic. "Thou in

folent jackanapes! time was when thou durft not have "ufed me fo, thou now takeft me unprovided, but, old and infirm as I am, I fhall find a weapon by and by to chaftife thy impudence."

*The army.

The feparation of the army.

Wher

[ocr errors]

When John Bull had recovered his breath, he began to parley with Nic. "Friend Nic. I am glad to find thee "fo ftrong after thy great complaints: really thy motions, Nic. are pretty vigorous for a confumptive man. "As for thy worldly affairs, Nic. if it can do thee any "fervice, I freely make over to thee this profitable law"fuit, and I defire all thefe gentlemen to bear witnefs to this my act and deed. Yours be all the gain, as mine "has been the charges; I have brought it to bear finely: however, all I have laid out upon it goes for nothing, "thou fhalt have it with all its appurtenances, I ask no"thing but leave to go home."

[ocr errors]

Nic. Frog. The counfel are fee'd, and all things prepared for a trial, thou shalt be forced to stand the iffue: it hall be pleaded in thy name as well as mine: go home if thou canft, the gates are fhut, the turnpikes locked*,

and the roads barricadoed.

J. Bull. Even these very ways, Nic. that thou toldest me, were as open to me as thyfelf: if I can't pafs with my own equipage, what can I expect for my goods and waggons? I am denied paffage through thofe very grounds that I have purchafed with my own money; however, I am glad I have made the experiment, it inay ferve me in fome ftead.

JOHN BULL was fo overjoyed that he was going to take poffeffion of Ecclefdown, that nothing could vex him." Nic. quoth he, I am juft a-going to leave thee, "caft a kind look upon me at parting."

[ocr errors]

Nic. looked four and grum, and would not open his mouth.

J. Bull. "I wish thee all the fuccefs that thy heart can defire, and that thefe honeft gentlemen of the long robe may have their belly full of law."

Nic. could ftand it no longer, but flung out of the room with difdain, and beckoned the lawyers to follow him.

[ocr errors]

J. Bull. "B'ay, B'uy, Nic. not one poor fmile at parting; won't you fhake your day day, Nic. b'uy "Nic With that John marched out of the common road cross the country to take poffeffion of Ecclefdown.

* Difficulty of the march of part of the army to Dunkirk. VOL. V.

A a

СНАР.

CHA P. XXII.

Of the great joy that John expreffed when he get fefef fion of Ecclefdozen*.

WH

Hen John had get into his caftle, he seemed like Ulyfies upon his plank after he had been weil foufed in falt-water; who, as Homer fays, was as glad as a judge going to fit down to dinner, after hearing a long caufe upon the bench. I dare fay John Bull's joy was equal to that of either of the two; he skipped from room to reom; ran up stairs and down ftairs, from the kitchen to the garrets, and from the garrets to the kitchen; he peeped into every cranny; fometimes he admired the beauty of the architecture, and the vaft folidity of the mafon's work; at other times he commended the fymmetry and proportion of the rooms. He walked about the gardens: he bathed himself in the canal, fwimming, diving, and beating the liquid element, like a milk-white fwan. The hail refounded with the fprightly violin, and the martial hautboy. The family tript it about and capered, like bail-ftones bounding from a marlle floor. Wine, ale, and October flew about as plentifully as kennel-water: then a frolick took John in the head to call up fome of Nic. Frog's penfioners, that had been fo mutinous in his family.

J. Bull. Are you glad to fee your mafter in Ecclefdown-cattle?

All. Yes, indeed, Sir.

J. Bull. Extremely glad?

All. Extremely glad, Sir.

7. Bull. Swear to me, that you are fo.

Then they began to damn and fink their fouls to the loweft pit of hell, if any perfon in the world rejoiced more than they did.

J. Bull. Now, hang me if I don't believe you are a parcel of perjured rafcals; however, take this bumper of October to your mafter's health.

* Dunkirk,

Then

Then John got upon the battlements, and looking over, he called to Nic. Frog:

66

86

[ocr errors]

"How d'ye do, Nic. ?D'ye fee where I am, Nic. ? I "hope the caufe goes on fwimmingly, Nic. When "dost thou intend to go to Clay-pool, Nic.? Wilt thou buy there fome high heads of the neweft cut for my daughters? How comeft thou to go with thy arm "tied up? Has old Lewis given thee a rap over thy fingers-ends? Thy weapon was a good one, when I "wielded it, but the butt-end remains in my hands. "I am fo bufy in packing up my goods, that I have no "time to talk with thee any longer. It would do thy "heart good to fee what waggon-loads I am preparing "for market. If thou wanteft any good office of mine, " for all that has happened, I will ufe thee well, Nic. "B'uy Nic."

[blocks in formation]

282

POST SCRIP T.

T has been difputed among the literati of Grub

I ftreet, whether Sir Humphry proceeded any farther

into the hiftory of John Bull. By diligent inquiry we have found the titles of fome chapters, which appear to be a continuation of it; and are as follow.

Chap. I. How John was made angry with the articles of agreement. How he kicked the parchment through the house, up ftairs and down ftairs, and put himself in a great heat thereby.

Chap. II, How in his paffion he was going to cut off Sir Roger's head with a cleaver. Of the ftrange manner of Sir Roger's efcaping the blow, by laying his head upon

the dreffer.

Chap. III. How fome of John's fervants attempted to fcale his houfe with rope-ladders; and how many unfortunately dangled in the fame.

Chap. IV. Of the methods by which John endeavoured to preferve the peace among ft his neighbours: how be kept a pair of till-yards to weigh them; and by diet, purging, vomiting, and bleeding, tried to bring them to equal bulk and ftrength.

Chap. V. Of falfe accounts of the weights given in by Some of the journeymen; and of the New-market tricks, that were practifed at the ftill-yards.

*

Chap. VI. How John's new journeymen brought him other-guife accounts of the ftill-yards. Chap. VII. How Sir Swain Northy was by bleeding, purging, and a feel-diet, brought into a confumption; and how John was forced afterwards to give him the gold cordial.

Chap. VIII. How Peter Bear † was over-fed, and afterwards refufed to fubmit to the course of phyfic.

Chap. IX. How John pampered Efquire South with titbits, till he grew wanton; how he got drunk with

King of Sweden.

Czar of Mofcovy.

Calabrian

« AnteriorContinuar »