cian fcratches his elbow; a finical "Cockney scratches his cheek; a tay"lor fcratches his collar; a collector "on the high road, fcratches under "his left ear; a courtier fcratches his "left palm; and my Lord Brute

fcratches his a-: but Johney's "method of scratching was different "from all thefe; Johney fcratched

his words out of his finger ends; "not the ends where the nails grow, " but the upper ends that grow to "the knuckles; at the fides of those "ends, all the time Johney was fpeaking, did he fcratch with fuch

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a glee, that I always thought they "added double fpirit to his words: "but, I hope, you'll give me leave to "fcratch whilft I tell it, though you "won't let me fay that Johney was "fcratching," "No nor that neiI 2 ❝ther,

*ther," fays the gentleman: "mi "micking the foible of any nation may be dangerous, efpecially, if "any irafcible Scotchman fhould be

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"in fight." At this he caft an arch fide glance, upon my owner John, who, to do him juftice, had a true Caledonian afpect, and looked as fharp and as fierce as if the north wind had been his dry nurse.

The attorney's not being able to. tell the story his own way, prevented me from hearing Johney M Bell clapper's account of a good year in that country; for John the Ratcatcher, not liking the fly leer of the gentleman, and being in no humour for another fray, or even an altercation, having fucceeded fo indifferently in his laft trials of fkill that way, he, therefore,

therefore, paid his three pence for his difh of coffee, and was out of the room before I was fenfible he had left his feat, and was ftill liftening for Mr. Bailbond's account of this good year; when, looking about me, I found John and myfelf in the Park, which he quite furrounded, in a gentle trot of about five miles an hour, to cool himfelf: however, the loss of Johney M'Bellclapper's ftory fhall be no lofs to my reader; because I have reafon to think it is much the fame that I have heard fince, from feveral gentlemen of credit and veracity; and they tell you, that what the inhabitants call a good year, is when they have no more than three hundred days rain, and the other fixty five days, moderate bad weather.

Now, reader, if you was a rat, would you leave this country or

not?

A female voice replies, I would, Sir, if I pleased; and if I pleased, I would not..

Madam, I am anfwered.

СНАР.

CHA P. XIV.

Shewing as how John the Ratcatcher carried the author to the q―'s house, and as how the k-g afked John, what made him walk fo ftiff, and make fuch wry faces? and as how John told the k-g, he broke his head and fhins, by tumbling down fairs, inftead of tumbling up; which sheweth, that little rogues, as well as great ones, dare tell lies to kings.

OHN having made up matters

JOH

with Betty, which he always did before he went to fleep, being a true old Chriftian, marched up to bed, where he refted better than I should with two uncured fhins, and a fresh broken

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