de, laying himself gently down, with
his face towards the table. The marquis, in imitation of this pattern
(though he would have much rather fasted three days than run the risk of
discomposing his dress by such an attitude), stretched himself upon the
opposite place, reclining upon his elbow in a most painful and awkward
situation, with his head raised above the end of the couch, that the
economy of his hair might not suffer by the projection of his body. The
Italian, being a thin limber creature, planted himself next to Pickle,
without sustaining any misfortune but that of his stocking being torn
by a ragged nail of the seat, as he raised his legs on a level with the
rest of his limbs. But the baron, who was neither so wieldy nor supple
in his joints as his companions, flounced himself down with such
precipitation, that his feet, suddenly tilting up, came in furious
contact with the head of the marquis, and demolished every curl in a
twinkling, while his own skull, at the same instant, descended upon the
side of his couch, with such violence, that his periwig was struck off,
and the whole room filled with pulvilio.

The drollery of distress that attended this disaster entirely vanquished
the affected gravity of our young gentleman, who was obliged to
suppress his laughter by cramming his handkerchief in his mouth; for the
bare-headed German asked pardon with such ridiculous confusion, and
the marquis admitted his apology with such rueful complaisance, as were
sufficient to awake the mirth of a quietist.

This misfortune being repaired as well as the circumstances of
the occasion would permit, and every one settled according to the
arrangement already described, the doctor graciously undertook to give
some account of the dishes as they occurred, that the company might be
directed in their choice: and with an air of infinite satisfaction thus
began: "This here, gentlemen, is a boiled goose, served up in a sauce
composed of pepper, lovage, coriander, mint, rue, anchovies; I wish
for your sakes, gentlemen, it was one of the geese of Ferrara, so much
celebrated among the ancients for the magnitude of their livers, one
of which is said to have weighed upwards of two pounds; with this food,
exquisite as it was, did the tyrant Heliogabalus regale his hounds. But
I beg pardon, I had almost forgot the soup, which I hear is so necessary
an article at all tables in France. At each end there are dishes of the
salacacabia of the Ro