e ever so little needful Rest and Refreshment. When she was not
ministering to the sufferer's wants, she was Praying, although it did
scandalise Mr. Hodge a little to see her tell her Beads; and when Mr.
Pinchin was well enough to eat his first slice of chicken, and sip his
first beaker of white wine, she Clapped her Hands for joy, and sang a
little Latin Hymn. When it came to her dismissal, this Excellent Nun
(the whole of whose Behaviour was most touchingly Edifying) at first
stoutly refused to accept of any Recompense for her services (which,
truly, no Gold, Silver, or Jewels could have fitly rewarded); and I am
ashamed to say that my Master, who had then his Parsimonious Nightcap
on, was at first inclined to take the Good Sister at her Word. Mr.
Hodge, however, showed him the Gross Ingratitude and Indecorum of such a
proceeding, and, as was usual with him, he gave way, bellowing, however,
like a Calf when the Chaplain told him that he could not in Decency do
less than present a sum of Fifty Ducats (making about Forty Pounds of
our Money) to the convent; for personal or private Guerdon the Nun
positively refused to take. So the Money was given, to the great
delectation of the Sisterhood, who, I believe, made up their minds to
Sing Masses for the bountiful English Lord as they called him, whether
he desired it or not.

Sorry am I to have to relate that so Pleasant and Moving an Incident
should have had anything like a Dark side. But 'tis always thus in the
World, and there is no Rose without a Thorn. My master, thanks to his
Chaplain, and, it may be, likewise to my own Humble and Respectful
Representations while I was a-dressing of him in the Morning, had come
out of this convent and sick-nurse affair with Infinite credit to
himself and to the English nation in general. Everywhere in Ratisbon was
his Liberality applauded; but, alas! the publicity that was given to his
Donation speedily brought upon us a Plague and Swarm of Ravenous Locusts
and Bloodsuckers. There were as many convents in Ratisbon as plums in a
Christmas porridge; there were Nuns of all kinds of orders, many of
whom, I am afraid, no better than they should be; there were Black Monks
and Gray Monks and Brown Monks and White Monks, Monks of all the colours
of the Rainbow, for aught I can tell. There were Canons and Chapters and
Priories and Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods and Ecclesiastical Hospitals
and Priors' Almonries and Saints' Guilds without end. Neve