he fly-breeder, alluding
to the pedigree of his antagonist; who, impatient of the affront,
started up with fury in his looks, exclaiming, "'Sdeath! meaning me,
sir?"

Here the patron, perceiving things drawing towards a rupture, interposed
his authority, rebuking them for their intemperance and recommending
to them amity and concord against the Goths and Vandals of the age, who
took all opportunities of ridiculing and discouraging the adherents of
knowledge and philosophy. After this exhortation, they had no pretence
for carrying on the dispute, which was dropped in all appearance, though
the mechanic still retained his resentment; and after breakfast, when
the company broke up, accosted his adversary in the street, desiring to
know how he durst be so insolent as to make that scurrilous reflection
upon his family. The fly-fancier, thus questioned, accused the
mathematician of having been the aggressor, in likening his head to
a light cabbage; and here the altercation being renewed, the engineer
proceeded to the illustration of his mechanics, tilting up his hand
like a balance, thrusting it forward by way of lever, embracing the
naturalist's nose like a wedge betwixt two of his fingers, and turning
it round, with the momentum of a screw or peritrochium. Had they been
obliged to decide the dispute with equal arms, the assailant would have
had great advantage over the other, who was very much his inferior in
muscular strength; but the philosopher being luckily provided with a
cane, no sooner disengaged himself from this opprobrious application,
than he handled his weapon with great dexterity about the head and
shoulders of his antagonist, who, finding this shower of blows very
disagreeable, was fain to betake himself to his heels for shelter, and
was pursued by the angry victor, who chased him from one end of
the street to the other, affording unspeakable satisfaction to the
multitude, as well as to our hero and to his introductor, who were
spectators of the whole scene.

Thus was our adventurer initiated into the society of Yelpers, though
he did not as yet fully understand the nature of his office, which was
explained by the young physician, who chid him for his blunt behaviour
in the case of the medal; and gave him to understand, that their
patron's favour was neither to be gained nor preserved by any man that
would pretend to convict him of a mistake. He therefore counselled him
to respect this foible, and cultivate