f this
nation. To this he added, that for his part, he could not wish to see
the Turk driven out of Europe, which he believed could not but be
prejudicial to our woollen manufacture. He then told us, that he looked
upon those extraordinary revolutions which had lately happened in these
parts of the world, to have risen chiefly from two persons who were not
much talked of; "and those," says he, "are Prince Menzikoff and the
Duchess of Mirandola." He backed his assertions with so many broken
hints, and such a show of depth and wisdom, that we gave ourselves up to
his opinions.

The discourse at length fell upon a point which seldom escapes a knot of
true-born Englishmen, whether in case of a religious war, the
Protestants would not be too strong for the Papists? This we unanimously
determined on the Protestant side. One who sat on my right hand, and, as
I found by his discourse, had been in the West Indies, assured us, that
it would be a very easy matter for the Protestants to beat the Pope at
sea; and added, that whenever such a war does break out, it must turn to
the good of the Leeward Islands. Upon this, one who sat at the end of
the bench, and, as I afterwards found, was the geographer of the
company, said, that in case the Papists should drive the Protestants
from these parts of Europe, when the worst came to the worst, it would
be impossible to beat them out of Norway and Greenland, provided the
Northern crowns hold together, and the Czar of Muscovy stand neuter.

He further told us for our comfort, that there were vast tracts of land
about the Pole, inhabited neither by Protestants nor Papists, and of
greater extent than all the Roman Catholic dominions in Europe.

When we had fully discussed this point, my friend the upholsterer began
to exert himself upon the present negotiations of peace, in which he
deposed princes, settled the bounds of kingdoms, and balanced the power
of Europe, with great justice and impartiality.

I at length took my leave of the company, and was going away; but had
not been gone thirty yards, before the upholsterer hemmed again after
me. Upon his advancing towards me, with a whisper, I expected to hear
some secret piece of news which he had not thought fit to communicate to
the bench; but instead of that, he desired me in my ear to lend him half
a crown. In compassion to so needy a statesman, and to dissipate the
confusion I found he was in, I told him, if he pleased, I would give him