r, that every shabby subaltern, every beggarly cadet of
the noblesse, every low retainer to the court, insults and injures them
with impunity. A certain ecuyer, or horsedealer, belonging to the king,
being one day under the hands of a barber, who happened to cut the head
of a pimple on his face, he started up, and drawing his sword, wounded
him desperately in the shoulder. The poor tradesman, hurt as he was,
made an effort to retire, and was followed by this barbarous assassin,
who, not contented with the vengeance he had taken, plunged his sword a
second time into his body, and killed him on the spot. Having performed
this inhuman exploit, he dressed himself with great deliberation, and
going to Versailles, immediately obtained a pardon for what he had done;
triumphing in his brutality with such insolence, that the very next time
he had occasion to be shaved he sat with his sword ready drawn, in order
to repeat the murder, in case the barber should commit the same mistake.
Yet so tamed are those poor people to subjection, that when Peregrine
mentioned this assassination to his own trimmer, with expressions of
horror and detestation, the infatuated wretch replied, that without
all doubt it was a misfortune, but it proceeded from the gentleman's
passion; and observed, by way of encomium on the government, that such
vivacity is never punished in France.

A few days after this outrage was committed, our youth, who was a
professed enemy to all oppression, being in one of the first loges
at the comedy, was eye-witness of an adventure which filled him with
indignation: a tall, ferocious fellow, in the parterre, without the
least provocation, but prompted by the mere wantonness of pride, took
hold of the hat of a very decent young man who happened to stand before
him, and twirled it round upon his head. The party thus offended turned
to his aggressor, and civilly asked the reason of such treatment: but
he received no answer; and when he looked the other way, the insult
was repeated: upon which he expressed his resentment as became a man of
spirit, and desired the offender to walk out with him. No sooner did
he thus signify his intention, than his adversary, swelling with rage,
cocked his hat fiercely in his face, and, fixing his hands in his sides,
pronounced, with the most imperious tone, "Hark ye, Mr. Round Periwig,
you must know that I am a mousquetaire." Scarce had this awful word
escaped from his lips, when the blood forso