tions of the busy part of mankind, your ancestors will be found infinitely more gross, servile, and even dishonest, than you. If, forsaking history, we only trace them in their hours of amusement and dissipation, we shall find them more sensual, more entirely devoted to pleasure, and infinitely more selfish.

The last hostess of note I find upon record was Jane Rouse. She was born among the lower ranks of the people; and by frugality and extreme complaisance contrived to acquire a moderate fortune : this she might have enjoyed for many years, had she not unfortunately quarrelled with one of her neighbours, a woman who was in high repute for sanctity through the whole parish. In the times of which I speak two women seldom quarrelled, that one did not accuse the other of witchcratt, and she who first contrived to vomit crooked pins was sure to come off victorious. The scandal of a modern tea-table differs widely from the scandal of former times: the fascination of a lady's eyes at present is regarded as a compliment; but if a lady formerly should be ac cused of having witchcraft in her eyes, it were much better both for her soul and body that she had no eyes at all.

In short Jane Rouse was accused of witchcraft; and though she made the best defence she could, it was all to no purpose; she was taken from her own bar to the bar of the Old-Bailey, condemned, and executed accordingly. These were times indeed when even women could not scold in safety.

Since her time the tavern underwent several revolutions, according to the spirit of the times, or the disposition of the reigning monarch. It was this day a brothel, and the next a conventicle for enthusiasts. It was one year noted for harbouring whigs, and the next infamous for a retreat to tories. Some years ago it was in hign vogue, but at present it seems declining

declining. This only may be remarked in general, that whenever taverns flourish most, the times are then most extravagant and luxurious.---" Lord' "Mrs. Quickly," interrupted I, " you have really "deceived me; I expected a romance, and here you have been this half hour giving me only a description of the spirit of the times: if you have nothing but tedious remarks to communicate, seek "some other hearer; I am determined to hearken only to stories."

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I had scarcely concluded, when my eyes and ears seemed open to my landlord, who had been all this while giving me an account of the repairs he had made in the house; and was now got into the story of the cracked glass in the dining-room.

ESSAY VI.

I AM fond of amusement in whatever company it is to be found; and wit, though dressed in rags, is ever pleasing to me. I went some days ago to take a walk in St. James's Park, about the hour in which company leave it to go to dinnner. There were but few in the walks, and those who stayed seemed by their looks rather more willing to forget that they had an appetite than gain one. I sat down on one of the benches, at the other end of which was seated a man in very shabby clothes.

We continued to groan, to hem, and to cough, as usual upon such occasions; and at last ventured upon conversation. "I beg pardon, sir,” cried I, "but I think I have seen you before; your face is "familiar to me." "Yes, sir," replied he, "I have a good familiar face, as my friends tell me. I am

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"as

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"as well known in every town in England as the dromedary, or live crocodile. You must under"stand, sir, that I have been these sixteen years Merry Andrew to a puppet-show; last Bartholo"mew fair my master and I quarrelled, beat each other, and parted; he to sell his puppets to the "pincushion-makers in Rosemary-lane, and I to "starve in St. James's Park."

"I am sorry, sir, that a person of your appear"ance should labour under any difficulties. "O "sir," returned he, "my appearance is very much "at your service; but, though I cannot boast of

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eating much, yet there are few that are merrier : "if I had twenty thousand a year I should be very "merry; and, thank the Fates, though not worth a "groat, I am very merry still. If I have three "pence in my pocket, I never refused to be my "three halfpence; and if I have no money, I never "scorn to be treated by any that are kind enough "to pay my reckoning. What think you, sir, of a "steak and a tankard? You shall treat me now; " and I will treat you again when I find you in the "Park in love with eating, and without money to 66 pay for a dinner."

As I never refuse a small expence for the sake of a merry companion, we instantly adjourned to a neighbouring ale-house, and in a few moments had a frothing tankard, and a smoaking steak spread on the table before us. It is impossible to express how much the sight of such good cheer improved my companion's vivacity. "I like this dinner, sir," says he,

for three reasons: first, because I am naturally "fond of beef; secondly, because I am hungry; "and, thirdly and lastly, because I get it for no"thing: no meat eats so sweet as that for which we "do not pay."

He

He therefore now fell-to, and his appetite seemed to correspond with his inclination. After dinner was over, he observed that the steak was tough; "and yet sir," returns he, "bad as it was, it "seemed a rump-steak to me. O the delights of "poverty and a good appetite! We beggars are the "very foundlings of nature; the rich she treats like "an arrant step-mother; they are pleased with no

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thing; cut a steak from what part you will, and "it is insupportably tough; dress it up with pickles, "and even pickles cannot procure them an appetite. "But the whole creation is filled with good things "for the beggar; Calvert's butt out-tastes Champagne, and Sedgeley's homebrewed excels Tokay. "Joy, joy, my blood, though our estates lie no where, we have fortunes wherever we go. If an "inundation sweeps away half the grounds of Corn"wall, I am content; I have no lands there: if the "stocks sink, that gives me no uneasiness; I am no "Jew." The fellow's vivacity, joined to his poverty, I own, raised my curiosity to know something of his life and circumstances; and I entreated, that he would indulge my desire. "That I will, sir," said he, " and welcome; only let us drink to prevent our "sleeping; let us have another tankard while we "are awake; let us have another tankard; for, ah, “how charming a tankard looks when full!

"You must know then, that I am very well de"scended; my ancestors have made some noise in "the world; for my mother cried oysters, and my "father beat a drum: I am told we have even had "some trumpeters in our family. Many Many a noble"man cannot show so respectful a genealogy: but "that is neither here nor there; as I was their only "child, my father designed to breed me up to his "own employment, which was that of a drummer "to a puppet-show. Thus the whole employment "of my younger years was that of interpreter to

"Punch

"Punch and king Solomon in all his glory, But "though my father was very fond of instructing "me in beating all the marches, and points of war, "I made no very great progress, because I naturally had no ear for music; so at the age of fifteen, I "went and listed for a soldier. As I had ever hated beating a drum, so I soon found that I disliked carrying a musquet also; neither the one trade "nor the other were to my taste, for I was by na"ture fond of being a gentleman; besides, I was "obliged to obey my captain; he has his will, I "have mine, and you have yours: now I very "reasonably concluded, that it was much more "comfortable for a man to obey his own will than "another's.

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"The life of a soldier soon therefore gave me the "spleen; I asked leave to quit the service; but as "I was tall and strong, my captain thanked me for my kind intention, and said, because he had a "regard for me, we should not part. I wrote to my father a very dismal penitent letter, and desired "that he would raise money to pay for my dis"charge; but the good man was as fond of drink"ing as I was (Sir, my service to you), and those "who are fond of drinking never pay for other peo"ple's discharges: in short he never answered my "letter. What could be done? If I have not mo"ney, said I to myself, to pay for my discharge, "I must find an equivalent some other way; and "that must be by running away. I deserted, and "that answered my purpose every bit as well as if "I had bought my discharge.

"Well, I was now fairly rid of my military em"ployment; I sold my soldier's clothes, bought worse, and, in order not to be overtaken, took the "most unfrequented roads possible. One evening "as I was entering a village, I perceived a man,

"whom