service, I freely make over to thee this profitable lawsuit, and I desire all these gentlemen to bear witness 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 shalt have it with all its appurtenances; I ask nothing but leave to go home."

Nic. Frog. The counsel are feed, and all things prepared for a trial; thou shalt be forced to stand the issue; it shall be pleaded in thy name as well as mine; go home if thou canst; the gates are shut, the turn'pikes locked, and the roads barricadoed.*

J. Bull. Even these very ways, Nic., that thou toldest me were as open to me as thyself? If I can't pass with my own equipage, what can I expect for my goods and waggons? I am denied passage through those very grounds that I have purchased with my own money; however, I am glad I have made the experiment, it may serve me in some stead.

[John Bull was so overjoyed that he was going to take possession of Ecclesdown, that nothing could vex him. Nic.," quoth he, "I am just a-going to leave thee; cast a kind look upon me at parting."

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Nic. looked sour and grum, and would not open his mouth.]

J. Bull. I wish thee all the success that thy heart can desire, and that these honest gentlemen of the long robe may have their bellyful of law.

[Nic. could stand it no longer; but flung out of the

* Difficulty of the march of part of the army to Dunkirk, owing to their being refused passage through the towns garrisoned by the Dutch and allied forces.

room with disdain, and beckoned the lawyers to follow him.]

J. Bull. B'uy, b'uy, Nic.; not one poor smile at parting? won't you shake your day-day, Nic.? b'uy, Nic. With that, John marched out of the common road, 'cross the country, to take possession of Ecclesdown.*

CHAP. VIII.

Of the great Joy that John expressed when he got Possession of Ecclesdown.

WHEN John had got into his castle, he seemed like Ulysses upon his plank, after he had been well soused in salt water: who (as Homer says) was as glad as a judge going to sit down to dinner, after hearing a long cause upon the bench. I dare say John Bull's joy was equal to that of either of the two; he skipped from room to room; ran up stairs and down stairs, from the kitchen to the garrets, and from the garrets to the kitchen; he peeped into every cranny; sometimes he admired the beauty of the architecture, and the vast solidity of the mason's work; at other times he commended the symmetry and proportion of the rooms. He walked about the gardens; he bathed himself in the canal, swimming, di

* The Duke of Ormond having indicated a resolution to make his way through Flanders by force, and having actually possessed himself of Ghent, the Dutch thought proper to apologize for the interruption offered to his march.

swan.

ving, and beating the liquid element, like a milk-white The hall resounded with the sprightly violin, and the martial hautboy. The family tript it about and capered, like hailstones bounding from a marble floor. Wine, ale, and October flew about as plentifully as kennel-water :* then a frolic took John in the head to call up some of Nic. Frog's pensioners, that had been so mutinous in his family.

J. Bull. Are you glad to see your master in Ecclesdown Castle?

All. Yes, indeed, sir.

J. Bull. Extremely glad?

All. Extremely glad, sir.

J. Bull. Swear to me, that you are so.

Then they began to damn and sink their souls to the lowest pit of hell, if any person in the world rejoiced more than they did.

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

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

"How d'ye do, Nic.? D'ye see where I am, Nic.? I hope the cause goes on swimmingly, Nic. When dost thou intend to go to Claypool, Nic.? Wilt thou buy

Upon the arrival of Colonel Disney at court, with an account that Mr Hill had taken possession of Dunkirk, a universal joy spread over the kingdom; this event being looked on as the certain forerunner of a peace: besides, the French faith was in so ill a reputation among us, that many persons, otherwise sanguine enough, could never bring themselves to believe that the town would be delivered, till certain intelligence came that it was actually in our hands.”

there some high heads of the newest cut for my daughters? How comest thou to go with thy arm tied up? Has old Lewis given thee a rap over the fingers-ends ?* Thy weapon was a good one, when I wielded it, but the butt-end remains in my hands. I am so busy in packing up my goods, that I have no time to talk with thee any longer. It would do thy heart good to see what waggon-loads I am preparing for market. If thou wantest any good office of mine, for all that has happened, I will use thee well, Nic. B'uy, Nic."

* After the separation of the British forces from the allied army, the French defeated the latter before Denain.

POSTSCRIPT.

IT has been disputed among the literati of GrubStreet, whether Sir Humphry proceeded any farther into the history of John Bull. By diligent inquiry we have found the titles of some 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 stairs, and down stairs, and put him-' self in a great heat thereby.*

CHAP. II. How in his passion he was going to cut off Sir Roger's head with a cleaver. Of the strange manner of Sir Roger's escaping the blow, by laying his head upon the dresser.†

CHAP. III. How some of John's servants attempted to scale his house with rope-ladders; and how many unfortunately dangled in the same.‡

CHAP. IV. Of the methods by which John endeavoured to preserve peace among his neighbours; how he . kept a pair of steel-yards to weigh them; and by

* After the death of Queen Anne, the treaty of Utrecht was declared contrary to the interests of Britain, and the managers were impeached.

The Earl of Oxford, after two years imprisonment in the Tower, was brought to trial for high treason in 1717, when a difference arising between the Lords and Commons, the latter failed to appear to support the impeachment, and Oxford was of course unanimously acquitted.

The rebellion in 1715, and execution of the leaders.