The benefaction was no sooner made, than the pious mendicant edged off by little and little, till he joined the rest of the company, leaving his generous patron at full liberty to prosecute his purpose. It is not to be doubt

this occasion: he practised a thousand flowers of rhetoric, and actually exhausted his whole address, in persuading her to have compassion upon his misery, and indulge him with another private audience, without which he should run distracted, and be guilty of extravagancies which, in the humanity of her disposition, she would weep to see. But, instead of complying with his request, she chid him severely for his presumption, in persecuting her with his vicious addresses. She assured him, that although she had secured a chamber for herself in this place, because she had no ambition to be better acquainted with the other lady, he would be in the wrong to disturb her with another nocturnal visit; for she was determined to deny him admittance. The lover was comforted by this hint, which he understood in the true acceptation, and his passion being inflamed by the obstacles he had met with, his heart beat high with the prospect of possession. These raptures of expectation produced an inquietude, which disabled him from bearing that share of the conversation for which he used to be distinguished. His behaviour at supper was a vicissitude of startings and reveries. The capuchin, imputing this disorder to a second repulse from his charge, began to be invaded with the apprehension of being obliged to refund, and, in a whisper, forbade our hero to despair.

instructions, came afterwards to the inn, and | but they were attended so closely by her gave them to understand, that the workman father confessor, that he faresaw it would be he had employed could not possibly refit the impracticable to accomplish his aim, without machine in less than six hours, the crafty the connivance of that ecclesiastic. This youth affected to lose all temper, stormed at he was obliged to purchase with another his emissary, whom he reviled in the most purse, which he offered, and was accepted, opprobrious terms, and threatened to cane as a charitable atonement for his criminal for his misconduct. The fellow protested, behaviour during the interview which the with great humility, that their being over-friar had procured for the good of his soul. turned was owing to the failure of the axletree, and not to his want of care or dexterity in driving; though rather than be thought the cause of incommoding him, he would inquire for a post-chaise, in which he might depart for Brussels immediately. This ex-ed that our adventurer made a good use of pedient Pickle rejected unless the whole company could be accommodated in the same manner; and he had been previously informed by the driver, that the town could not furnish more than one vehicle of that sort. His governor, who was quite ignorant of his scheme, represented that one night would soon be passed, and exhorted him to bear this small disappointment with a good grace, especially as the house seemed to be well provided for their entertainment, and the company so much disposed to be sociable. The capuchin, who had found his account in cultivating the acquaintance of the young stranger, was not ill pleased at this event, which might, by protracting the term of their intercourse, yield him some opportunity of profiting still further by his liberality; he therefore joined Mr Jolter in his admonitions, congratulating himself upon the prospect of enjoying his conversation a little longer than he had expected. Our young gentleman received a compliment to the same purpose from the Hebrew, who had that day exercised his gallantry upon the French coquette, and was not without hope of reaping the fruits of his attention, his rival, the painter, being quite disgraced and dejected by the adventure of last night. As for the doctor, he was too much engrossed in the contemplation of his own importance to interest himself in the affair, or its consequences, further than by observing, that the European powers ought to establish public games, like those that were celebrated of old in Greece; in which case every state would be supplied with such dexterous charioteers, as would drive a machine at full speed, within a hair's breadth of a precipice, without any danger of its being overthrown. Peregrine could not help yielding to their remonstrances and united complaisance, for which he thanked them in very polite terms; and, his passion seeming to subside, proposed that they should amuse themselves in walking round the ramparts. He hoped to enjoy some private conversation with his admired Fleming, who had this whole day behaved with remarkable reserve. The proposal being embraced, he (as usual) handed her into the street, and took all opportunities of promoting his suit:

CHAPTER LVI.

The French coquette entraps the heart of the Jew, against whom Pallet enters into a conspiracy; by which Peregrine is again disappointed, and the Hebrew's incontinence exposed.

MEANWHILE, the French syren, baulked in her design upon her English cully, who was so easily disheartened, and hung his ears in manifest despondency, rather than run the risk of making a voyage that should be altogether unprofitable, resolved to practise her charms upon the Dutch merchant. She had already made such innovations upon his heart, that he cultivated her with peculiar

complacency, gazed upon her with a most | to ride into the room, and disturb the lovers libidinous stare, and unbended his aspect in the midst of their mutual endearments; into a grin that was truly Israelitish. The painter saw and was offended at this correspondence, which he considered as an insult upon his misfortune, as well as an evident preference of his rival; and, conscious of his own timidity, swallowed an extraordinary glass, that his invention might be stimulated, and his resolution raised to the extravagance and execution of some scheme of revenge. The wine, however, failed in the expected effect, and, without inspiring him with the plan, served only to quicken his desire of vengeance; so that he cominunicated his purpose to his friend Peregrine, and begged his assistance; but our young gentleman was too intent upon his own affair to mind the concerns of any other person; and declining to be engaged in the project, Pallet had recourse to the genius of Pickle's valet de chambre, who readily embarked in the undertaking, and invented a plan, which was executed accordingly.

but the ass, true to its kind, finding himself bestrid by an unknown rider, instead of advancing, in obedience to his conductor, retreated backwards to the other end of the passage, in spite of all the efforts of the painter, who spurred, and kicked, and pommelled to no purpose. It was the noise of this contention between Pallet and the ass which invaded the ears of Peregrine and his mistress, neither of whom could form the least rational conjecture about the cause of such strange disturbance, which increased as the animal approached the apartment. At length, the bourrique's retrograde motion was obstructed by the door, which it forced open in a twinkling with one kick, and entered with such a complication of sounds as terrified the lady almost into a fit, and threw her lover into the utmost perplexity and confusion. The painter, finding himself thus violently intruded into the bed-chamber of he knew not whom, and dreading the resentment of the possessor, who might discharge a pistol at him, as a robber who had broke into his apartment, was overwhelmed with consternation, and redoubled his exertion to accomplish a speedy retreat, sweating all the time with fear, and putting up petitions to Heaven for his safety; but his obstinate companion, regardless of his situation, instead of submitting to his conduct, began to turn round like a mill-stone, the united sound of his feet and bells producing a most surprising concert. The unfortunate rider, whirling about in this manner, would have quitted his seat, and left the beast to his own amusement; but the rotation was so rapid, that the terror of a severe fall hindered him from attempting to dismount, and, in the desperation of his heart, he seized one of its ears, which he pinched so unmercifully, that the creature set up his throat, and brayed aloud. This hideous exclamation was no sooner heard by the fair Fleming, already chilled by panic, and prepared with superstition, than, believing herself visited by the devil, who was perNevertheless, near as he seemed to be to mitted to punish her for her infidelity to the the happy accomplishment of his desire, his marriage bed, she uttered a scream, and behope was again frustrated with a frightful gan to repeat her pater noster with a loud noise, which, in a moment, awakened his voice. Her lover, finding himself under the Amanda in a fright, and, for the present, en- necessity of retiring, started up, and stung gaged all his attention. His valet de cham- with the most violent pangs of rage and disbre, whom Pallet had consulted as a confede- appointment, ran directly to the spot whence rate in his revenge against the lady of plea- this diabolical noise seemed to proceed. sure and her Jewish gallant, had hired of There, encountering the ass, he discharged certain Bohemians, who chanced to lodge at such a volley of blows at him and his rider, the inn, a jack-ass adorned with bells, which, that the creature carried him off at a round when every body was retired to rest, and the trot, and they roared in unison all the way. Hebrew supposed to be bedded with his mis- Having thus cleared the room of such disatress, they led up stairs into a long thorough-greeable company, he went back to his misfare, from which the chambers were detach-tress, and assuring her that this was only ed on each side. The painter, perceiving some foolish prank of Pallet, took his leave, the lady's door a-jar, according to his expec- with a promise of returning after the quiet tation, mounted this animal, with intention of the inn should be re-established.

The evening being pretty far advanced, and the company separated into their respective apartments, Pickle repaired, in all the impatience of youth and desire, to the chamber of his charmer, and finding the door unbolted, entered in a transport of joy. By the light of the moon, which shone through the window, he was conducted to her bed, which he approached in the utmost agitation, and perceiving her to all appearance asleep, essayed to wake her with a gentle kiss; but this method proved ineffectual, because she was determined to save herself the confusion of being an accomplice in his guilt. He repeated the application, murmured a most passionate salutation in her ear, and took such other gentle methods of signifying his presence, as persuaded him that she was resolved to sleep, in spite of all his endeavours: flushed with this agreeable supposition, he locked the door, in order to prevent interruption, and stealing himself under the clothes, set fortune at defiance, while he held the fair creature circled in his arms.

deprived all one side of his nose of the skin, and would not have left him an eye to see through, if some of the company had not rescued him from her unmerciful talons. Provoked at this outrage, as well as by her behaviour to him in the diligence, he publicly explained his intention in entering her chamber in this equipage; and, missing the Hebrew among the spectators, assured them that he must have absconded somewhere in the apartment. In pursuance of this intimation, the room was immediately searched, and the mortified Levite pulled by the heels from his lurking place; so that Pallet had the good fortune at last to transfer the laugh from himself to his rival and the French inamorata, who accordingly underwent the ridicule of the whole audience.

CHAPTER LVII.

Pallet, endeavouring to unravel the mystery of the treatment he had received, falls out of the frying-pan into the fire. NEVERTHELESS, Pallet was still confounded and chagrined by one consideration, which was no other than that of his having been so roughly handled in the chamber be longing (as he found upon inquiry) to the handsome young lady who was under the capuchin's direction. He recollected that the door was fast locked when his beast burst it open; and he had no reason to believe that any person followed him in his irruption; on the other hand, he could not imagine that such a gentle creature would either attempt to commit, or be able to execute, such a desperate assault as that which his body had sustained; and her demeanour was so modest and circumspect, that he durst not harbour the least suspicion of her virtue.

In the mean time, the noise of the bourrique, the cries of the painter, and the lady's scream, had alarmed the whole house; and the ass, in the precipitation of his retreat, seeing people with lights before him, took shelter in the apartment for which he was at first designed, just as the Levite, aroused at the uproar, had quitted his Dulcinea, and was attempting to recover his own chamber unperceived. Seeing himself opposed by such an animal, mounted by a tall, meagre, lanthorn-jaw'd figure, half naked, with a white nightcap upon his head, which added to the natural paleness of his complexion, the Jew was sorely troubled in mind, and, believing it to be an apparition of Balaam and his ass, fled backward with a nimble pace, and crept under the bed, where he lay concealed. Mr Jolter and the priest, who were the foremost of those who had been aroused by the noise, were not unmoved when they saw such a spectacle rushing into the chamber, from whence the lady of pleasure began to shriek. The governor made a full halt, and the capuchin discovered no inclination to proceed. They were, however, by the pressure of the crowd that followed them, thrust forward to the door, through which the vision entered; and there Jolter, with great ceremony, complimented his reverence with the pass, beseeching him to walk in. The mendicant was too courteous and humble to accept this pre-eminence, and a very earnest dispute ensued; during which the ass in the course of his circuit, showed himself and rider, and in a trice decided the contest; for, struck with the second glimpse, both at one instant sprung backward with such force, as overturned the next men, who communicated the impulse to those that stood behind them, and these again to others; so that the whole passage was strewed with a long file of people, that lay in a line like the sequel and dependence of a pack of cards. In the midst of this havoc, our hero returned from his own room with an air of astonishment, asking the cause of this uproar. Receiving such hints of intelli-imagination, endeavouring to account for gence as Jolter's consternation would permit him to give, he snatched the candle out of his hand, and advanced into the haunted chamber without hesitation, being followed by all present, who broke forth into a long and loud peal of laughter, when they perceived the ludicrous source of their disquiet. The painter himself made an effort to join their mirth; but he had been so harrowed by fear, and smarted so much with the pain of the With these sentiments he retired to his discipline he had received from Pickle, that own room, after the ass had been restored he could not, with all his endeavour, van-to the right owners, and the priest had visitquish the ruefulness of his countenance. His ed and confirmed his fair ward, who had attempt served only to increase the awk-been almost distracted with fear. Silence wardness of his situation, which was not at all mended by the behaviour of the coquette, who, furious with her disappointment, slipped on a petticoat and bedgown, and, springing upon him like another Hecuba, with her nails

These reflections bewildered him in the labyrinth of thought; he rummaged his whole

what had happened. At length he concluded that either Peregrine, or the devil, or both, must have been at the bottom of the whole affair, and determined, for the satisfaction of his curiosity, to wach our hero's motions, during the remaining part of the night, so narrowly, that his conduct, mysterious as it was, should not be able to elude his penetration.

no sooner prevailed again, than he crawled darkling towards her door, and huddled himself up in an obscure corner, from whence he might observe the ingress or egress of any human creature. He had not long remained

in this posture, when, fatigued with this adventure, and that of the preceding night, his faculties were gradually overpowered with slumber; and, falling fast asleep, he began to snore like a whole congregation of presbyterians. The Flemish beauty, hearing this discordant noise in the passage, began to be afraid of some new alarm, and very prudently bolted her door; so that when her lover wanted to repeat his visit, he was not only surprised and incensed at this disagreeable serenade, the author of which he did not know, but when compelled by his passion, which was by this time wound to the highest pitch, be ventured to approach the entrance, he had the extreme mortification to find himself shut out. He durst not knock or signify his presence in any other manner, on account of the lady's reputation, which would have greatly suffered, had the snorer been waked by his endeavours. Had he known that the person who thus thwarted his views was the painter, he would have taken some effectual step to remove him; but he could not conceive what should induce Pallet to take up his residence in that corner; nor could he use the assistance of a light to distinguish him, because there was not a candle burning in the house.

had now for the third time baulked his good fortune.

Enraged at the complicated trespasses of this unfortunate offender, he rushed from his apartment with a horse-whip, and encountering the painter in his flight, overturned him in the passage. There he exerted the instrument of his wrath with great severity, on pretence of mistaking him for some presumptuous cur, which had disturbed the repose of the inn; nay, when he called aloud for mercy in a supplicating tone, and his chastiser could no longer pretend to treat him as a quadruped, such was the virulence of the young gentleman's indignation, that he could not help declaring his satisfaction, by telling Pallet he had richly deserved the punishment he had undergone, for his madness, folly, and impertinence, in contriving and executing such idle schemes, as had no other tendency than that of plaguing his neighbours.

Pallet protested with great vehemence, that he was innocent as the child unborn, of an intention to give umbrage to any person whatever, except the Israelite and his doxy, who he knew had incurred his displeasure. "But, as God is my saviour," said he, "I believe I am persecuted with witchcraft, and It is impossible to describe the rage and begin to think that damned priest is an agent vexation of our hero, while he continued for the devil; for he has been but two nights thus tantalized upon the brink of bliss, after in our company, during which I have not his desire had been exasperated by the closed an eye, but, on the contrary, have circumstances of his two former disappoint- been tormented by all the fiends of hell." ments. He ejaculated a thousand execrations Pickle peevishly replied, that his torments against his own fortune, cursed his fellow- had been occasioned by his own foolish imatravellers without exception, vowed revenge gination; and asked him how he came to against the painter, who had twice confound-howl in that corner; the painter, who did not ed his most interesting scheme, and was think proper to own the truth, said that he tempted to execute immediate vengeance had been transported thither by some preterupon the unknown cause of his present mis-natural conveyance, and soused in water by carriage. In this agony of distraction did he sweat two whole hours in the passage, though not without some faint hopes of being delivered from his tormentor, who, he imagined, upon waking, would undoubtedly shift his quarters, and leave the field free to his designs; but when he heard the cock repeat his salutation to the morn, which began to open on the rear of night, he could no longer restrain his indignation. Going to his own chamber, he filled a basin with cold water, and, standing at some distance, discharged it full in the face of the gaping snorer, who, over and above the surprise occasioned by the application, was almost suffocated by the liquor that entered his mouth, and ran down into his wind-pipe. While he gasped like a person half drowned, without knowing the nature of his disaster, or remembering the situation in which he fell asleep, Peregrine retired to his own door, and, to his no small astonishment, from a long howl that invaded his ears, learned that the patient was no other than Pallet, who

an invisible hand. The youth, in hope of profiting by his absence, advised him to retire immediately to his bed, and by sleep strive to comfort his brain, which seemed to be not a little disordered by the want of that refreshment. Pallet himself began to be very much of the same way of thinking; and, in compliance with such wholesome counsel, betook himself to rest, muttering prayers all the way for the recovery of his own understanding.

Pickle attended him to his chamber, and, locking him up, put the key in his own pocket, that he might not have it in his power to interrupt him again; but in his return he was met by Mr Jolter and the doctor, who had been a second time alarmed by the painter's cries, and come to inquire about this new adventure. Half frantic with such a series of disappointments, he cursed them in his heart for their unseasonable appearance. When they questioned him about Pallet, he told them he had found him stark staring mad, howling in a corner, and wet to the

when he was interrupted by the prescriber, who advised him to use the contents of the chamber-pot, which, being impregnated with salt, would operate more effectually than the pure element. Thus directed, the governor lifted up the vessel, which was replete with medicine, and, with one turn of his hand, discharged the whole healing inundation upon the ill-omened patient, who, waking in the utmost distraction of horror, yelled most hideously, just at the time when Peregrine had brought his mistress to a parley, and entertained hopes of being admitted into her chamber.

Terrified at this exclamation, she instantly broke off the treaty, beseeching him to retire from the door, that her honour might receive no injury from his being found in that place: and he had just enough of recollection left to see the necessity of obeying the order; in conformity to which he retreated, well nigh deprived of his senses, and almost persuaded that so many unaccountable disappointments must have proceeded from some supernatural cause, of which the ideot Pallet was no more than the involuntary instrument.

skin, and conducted him to his room, where | water, which he found in the room, in a basin ; he was now a-bed. The physician, hearing this circumstance, made a merit of his vanity; and, under pretence of concern for the patient's welfare, desired he might have an opportunity of examining the symptoms of his disorder without loss of time; alleging that many diseases might have been stifled in the birth, which afterwards baffled all the endeavours of the medical art. The young gentleman accordingly delivered the key, and once more withdrew into his own chamber, with a view of seizing the first occasion that should present itself of renewing his application to his Amanda's door; while the doctor, in his way to Pallet's apartment, hinted to the governor his suspicion that the patient laboured under that dreadful symptom called the hydrophobia, which, he observed, had sometimes appeared in persons who were not previously bit by a mad dog. This conjecture he founded upon the howl he uttered when he was soused with water, and began to recollect certain circumstances of the painter's behaviour for some days past, which now he could plainly perceive had prognosticated some such calamity. He then ascribed the Meanwhile the doctor, having ascertained distemper to the violent frights he had lately the malady of the patient, whose cries, inundergone; affirmed that the affair of the terrupted by frequent sobs and sighs, he inbastile had made such a violent encroach- terpreted into the barking of a dog, and havment upon his understanding, that his man- ing no more salt water at hand, resolved ner of thinking and speaking was entirely to renew the bath with such materials as altered. By a theory of his own invention, chance would afford. He actually laid hold he explained the effect of fear upon a loose of the bottle and basin; but by this time the system of nerves, and demonstrated the painter had recovered the use of his senses modus in which the animal spirits operate so well, as to perceive his drift; and, starting upon the ideas and power of imagination. up like a frantic bedlamite, ran directly to This disquisition, which was communicat- his sword, swearing, with many horrid imed at the painter's door, might have lasted precations, that he would murder them both till breakfast, had not Jolter reminded him immediately, if he should be hanged before of his own maxim, Venienti occurrite mor- dinner. They did not chuse to wait the isbo; upon which he put the key to immediate sue of his threat, but retired with such preuse, and they walked softly towards the bed, cipitation, that the physician had almost diswhere the patient lay extended at full length located his shoulder, by running against one in the arms of sleep. The physician took side of the entry. Jolter, having pulled the notice of his breathing hard, and his mouth door after him, and turned the key, betook being open; and from these diagnostics de- himself to flight, roaring aloud for assistance. clared that the liquidum nervosum was in- His colleague, seeing the door secured, valutimately affected, and the saliva impregnated himself upon his resolution, and exhorted ed with the spiculated particles of the virus, him to return; declaring, that, for his own howsoever contracted. This sentence was part, he was more afraid of the madman's still farther confirmed by the state of his teeth than of his weapon, and admonishing pulse, which, being full and slow, indicated the governor to re-enter, and execute what an oppressed circulation, from a loss of elas- they had left undone. "Go in," said he ticity in the propelling arteries. He propos-" without fear or apprehension, and if any ed that he should immediately suffer a second aspersion of water, which would not only contribute to the cure, but also certify them beyond all possibility of doubt, with regard to the state of the disease; for it would evidently appear from the manner in which he would bear the application, whether or not his horror of water amounted to a confirmed hydrophobia. Mr Jolter, in compliance with this proposal, began to empty a bottle of

accident shall happen to you, either from his slaver or his sword, I will assist you with my advice, which from this station I can more coolly and distinctly administer, than I should be able to supply, if my ideas were disturbed, or my attention engaged in any personal concern."

Jolter, who could make no objection to the justness of the conclusion, frankly owned, that he had no inclination to try the experi