ck over it) was held to be a most Heinous and Unpardonable Sin.

Next to Ratisbon, where Mr. Pinchin was Laid up with a Fever brought on
by High Living, and for more than Five Weeks remained between Life and
Death, causing both to Mr. Hodge and myself the Greatest Anxiety; for,
with all his Faults and absurd Humours, there was something about the
Little Man that made us Bear with him. And to be in his Service, for all
his capricious and passing Meannesses, was to be in very Good Quarters
indeed. He was dreadfully frightened at the prospect of Slipping his
Cable in a Foreign Land, and was accustomed, during the Delirium that
accompanied the Fever, to call most piteously on his Mamma, sometimes
fancying himself at Hampstead, and sometimes battling with the Waves in
the Agonies of the cramp, as I first came across him at Ostend. When he
grew better, to our Infinite Relief, the old fit of Economy came upon
him, and he must needs make up his mind to Diet himself upon Panada and
Mint Tea, taking no other nourishment, until his Doctor tells him that
if he did not fall to with a Roast chicken and a flask of White Wine, he
would sink and Die from pure Exhaustion. After this he began to Pick up
a bit, and to Relish his Victuals; but it was woful to see the
countenance he pulled when the Doctor's Bill was brought him, and he
found that he had something like Eighty Pounds sterling to pay for a
Sickness of Forty Days. Of course he swore that he had not had a tithe
of the Draughts and Mixtures that were set down to him,--and he had not
indeed consumed them bodily, for the poor little Wretch would have
assuredly Died had he swallowed a Twentieth Part of the Vile Messes that
the Pill-blistering Gentleman sent in; but Draughts and Mixtures had all
duly arrived, and we in our Discretion had uncorked them, and thrown the
major part of their contents out of window. We were in league forsooth
(so he said) with the Doctor to Eat and Ruin him, and 'twas not till the
latter had threatened to appeal to the Burgomaster, and to have us all
clapped up in the Town Gaol for roving adventurers (for they manage
things with a High Hand at Ratisbon), that the convalescent would
consent to Discharge the Pill-blisterer's demands; and, granting even
that all this Muckwash had been supplied, the Doctor must have been
after all an Extortioner, and have made a Smart Profit out of that said
Fever; for he presses a compliment of a silver snuff-box on the
Chaplai