would scorn to accept of
such a quagmire.

JOHN 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?

JOHN 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.

JOHN 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 wouldst but moderate that hasty, impatient temper
of thine, thou shouldst quickly see a better thing than all that. What
shouldst thou think to find old Lewis turned out of his paternal estates
and mansion-house of Claypool?* Would not that do thy heart good, to see
thy old friend, Nic. Frog, Lord of Claypool? Then 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.

* Claypool, Paris--Lutetia.

JOHN BULL.--I love to be plain: I'd as lief see myself in Ecclesdown
Castle as thee in Claypool. I tell you again, Lewis gives this as a
pledge of his sincerity; if you won't stop proceeding to hear him, I
will.

CHAPTER XXI. The rest of Nic.'s fetches to keep John out of Ecclesdown
Castle.*

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

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
snicker-snee, and threatened to cut his own throat. 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 st