FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298   299  
300   301   302   303   304   305   306   307   308   309   310   311   312   313   314   315   316   317   318   319   320   321   322   323   324   >>   >|  
him in a Quarrel, and obliged him to quit this Ingenious Way of Life. Nor can I in this Place omit doing Justice to a Youth of my own Country, who, tho he is scarce yet twelve Years old, has with great Industry and Application attained to the Art of beating the Grenadiers March on his Chin. I am credibly informed that by this means he does not only maintain himself and his Mother, but that he is laying up Money every Day, with a Design, if the War continues, to purchase a Drum at least, if not a Colours. I shall conclude these Instances with the Device of the famous _Rabelais_, when he was at a great Distance from _Paris_, and without Money to bear his Expences thither. This ingenious Author being thus sharp set, got together a convenient Quantity of Brick-Dust, and having disposed of it into several Papers, writ upon one _Poyson for Monsieur_, upon a second, _Poyson for the Dauphin_, and on a third, _Poyson for the King_. Having made this Provision for the Royal Family of _France_, he laid his Papers so that his Landlord, who was an Inquisitive Man, and a good Subject, might get a Sight of them. The Plot succeeded as he desired: The Host gave immediate Intelligence to the Secretary of State. The Secretary presently sent down a Special Messenger, who brought up the Traitor to Court, and provided him at the Kings Expence with proper Accommodations on the Road. As soon as he appeared he was known to be the Celebrated _Rabelais_, and his Powder upon Examination being found very Innocent, the Jest was only laught at; for which a less eminent _Drole_ would have been sent to the Gallies. Trade and Commerce might doubtless be still varied a thousand Ways, out of which would arise such Branches as have not yet been touched. The famous _Doily_ is still fresh in every ones Memory, who raised a Fortune by finding out Materials for such Stuffs as might at once be cheap and genteel. I have heard it affirmed, that had not he discovered this frugal Method of gratifying our Pride, we should hardly have been [able[1]] to carry on the last War. I regard Trade not only as highly advantageous to the Commonwealth in general; but as the most natural and likely Method of making a Man's Fortune, having observed, since my being a _Spectator_ in the World, greater Estates got about _Change_, than at _Whitehall_ or at St. _James's_. I believe I may also add, that the first Acquisitions are generally attended with more Satisfaction, and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298   299  
300   301   302   303   304   305   306   307   308   309   310   311   312   313   314   315   316   317   318   319   320   321   322   323   324   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Poyson

 
Papers
 
Method
 

Fortune

 
Rabelais
 
famous
 

Secretary

 

varied

 

Powder

 

Examination


provided

 

doubtless

 
Celebrated
 

thousand

 
Expence
 

Branches

 

touched

 
Messenger
 

brought

 

proper


appeared

 

eminent

 

Traitor

 

Gallies

 

laught

 
Accommodations
 

Commerce

 

Innocent

 
frugal
 

greater


Estates

 

Change

 

Spectator

 

natural

 
making
 

observed

 

Whitehall

 

Acquisitions

 

generally

 
attended

Satisfaction
 
general
 

Commonwealth

 

genteel

 

affirmed

 

discovered

 

Stuffs

 

Memory

 
raised
 

finding