John all this while was listening to this comical dialogue, and laughed heartily in his sleeve at the pride and simplicity of the Esquire, and the sly roguery of his friend Nic. Then, of a sudden, bolting into the room, he began to tell them, that he believed he had brought Lewis to reasonable terms, if they would please to hear them.

Then they all bawled out aloud, "No composition! Long live Esquire South and the law!" As John was going to proceed, some roared, some stamped with their feet, others stopped their ears with their fingers.

Nay, gentlemen, quoth John, if you will but stop proceeding for a while, you shall judge yourselves whether Lewis's proposals are reasonable.

All. Very fine indeed, stop proceeding, and so lose a term !+

J. Bull. Not so neither, we have something by way of advance; he will put us in possession of his manor and Castle of Ecclesdown.

Nic. Frog. What dost thou talk of us? thou meanest thyself.

J. Bull. When Frog took possession of anything, it was always said to be for us, and why may not John Bull be us, as well as Nic. Frog was us? I hope John Bull is no more confined to singularity than Nic. Frog? Or, take it so, the constant doctrine that thou hast preached up for many years, was, That Thou and I are One; and why must we be supposed Two in this case, that

Proposals for cessation of arms and delivery of Dunkirk.

+ When the English envoy at Utrecht proposed a cessation of arms, those of the Allies exclaimed, that they would lose thereby the fairest prospect of a successful campaign, which the war had yet offered.

were always One before? It's impossible that Thou and I can fall out, Nic.; we must trust one another; I have trusted thee with a great many things, prithee trust me with this one trifle.

Nic. Frog. That principle is true in the main, but there is some specialty in this case, that makes it highly inconvenient for us both.

J. Bull. Those are your jealousies, that the common enemies sow between us; how often hast thou warned me of those rogues, Nic., that would make us mistrustful of one another?

Nic. Frog. This Ecclesdown Castle is only a bone of

contention.

J. Bull. It depends upon you to make it so, for my part I am as peaceable as a lamb.

Nic. Frog. But do you consider the unwholesomeness of the air and soil, the expenses of reparations and servants? I would scorn to accept of such a quagmire.

J. Bull. You are a great man, Nic., but in my circumstances, I must be e'en content to take it as it is. Nic. Frog. And you are really so silly, as to believe the old cheating rogue will give it you?

J. Bull. I believe nothing but matter of fact, I stand and fall by that; I am resolved to put him to it.

Nic. Frog. And so relinquish the hopefullest cause in the world, a claim that will certainly in the end make thy fortune for ever!

J. Bull. Wilt thou purchase it, Nic.? thou shalt have a lumping pennyworth; nay, rather than we should differ, I'll give thee something to take it off my hands.

Nic. Frog. If thou would'st but moderate that hasty, impatient temper of thine, thou should'st quickly see a better thing than all that. What should'st thou think

to find old Lewis turned out of his paternal estates, and the mansion-house of Claypool? Would not that do thy heart good, to see thy old friend Nic. Frog, Lord of Claypool ?* that thou and thy wife and children should walk in my gardens, buy toys, drink lemonade, and now and then we should have a country-dance.

*

J. Bull. I love to be plain; I'd as lieve see myself in Ecclesdown Castle, as thee in Claypool. I tell you again, Lewis gives this as a pledge of his sincerity; if you wont stop proceeding to hear him, I will.

CHAP. VII.

The Rest of Nic.'s Fetches to keep John out of Ecclesdown Castle.t

WHEN Nic. could not dissuade John by argument, he tried to move his pity; he pretended to be sick and like to die, that he should leave his wife and children in a starving condition, if John did abandon him; that he was hardly able to crawl about the room, far less capable to look after such a troublesome business as this lawsuit, and therefore begged that his good friend would not leave him. When he saw that John was still inexorable, he pulled out a case-knife, with which he used to snick and snee, and threatened to cut his own throat.

* Claypool,-Paris. Lutetia.

+ Attempts to hinder the cessation, and taking possession of Dunkirk.

Thrice he aimed the knife to his windpipe, with a most determined threatening air. "What signifies life," quoth he, "in this languishing condition? It will be some pleasure, that my friends will revenge my death upon this barbarous man, that has been the cause of it." All this while John looked sedate and calm, neither offering in the least to snatch the knife, nor stop his blow, trusting to the tenderness Nic. had for his own person; when he perceived that John was immovable in his purpose, he applied himself to Lewis.

"Art thou," quoth he, “ turned bubble in thy old age, from being a sharper in thy youth? What occasion hast thou to give up Ecclesdown Castle to John Bull ? his friendship is not worth a rush; give it me, and I'll make it worth thy while. If thou dislikest that proposition, keep it thyself; I'd rather thou should'st have it than he. If thou hearkenest not to my advice, take what follows; Esquire South and I will go on with our lawsuit in spite of John Bull's teeth."

L. Baboon. Monsieur Bull has used me like a gentleman, and I am resolved to make good my promise, and trust him for the consequences.

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 nimblest tumblers or rope-dancers, and fell foul upon John Bull, to snatch the cudgel* he had in his hand, that he might thwack Lewis with it; John held it fast, so that there was no wrenching it from him. At last 'Squire South buckled to, to assist his friend Nic.; John hauled on one side, and they two on the other; sometimes they were like to pull John over;

The Allied Army.

then it went all of a sudden again on John's side; so they went see-sawing up and down, from one end of the room to the other. Down tumbled the tables, bottles, glasses, 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 trusty cudgel; which, by the contrary force of two so great powers, broke short in his hands.* Nic. seized the longer end, and with it began to bastinado old Lewis, who had slunk into a corner, waiting the event of this squabble. Nic. came up to him with an insolent menacing air, so that the old fellow was forced to skuttle out of the room, and retire behind a dung-cart.† He called to Nic.: "Thou insolent jackanapes! Time was when thou durst not have used me so; thou now takest me unprovided; but, old and infirm as I am, I shall find a weapon, by and by, to chastise thy impudence."

When John Bull had recovered his breath, he began to parley with Nic.: "Friend Nic., I am glad to find thee so strong, after thy great complaints: really thy motions, Nic., are pretty vigorous for a consumptive man. As for thy worldly affairs, Nic., if it can do thee any

*The separation of the army, in which the foreign troops, even those in British pay, marched with Prince Eugene, leaving the British forces encamped under the command of the Duke of Ormond, who instantly proclaimed a cessation of arms.

+ Prince Eugene, during the pendency of the negotiation, dispatched a body of troops under the command of General Grovestein, who ravaged Champagne, and spread alarm even to Paris. The King himself was not judged safe at Versailles, with his usual guards, and all the troops about Paris were summoned to defend his person.