ke up your night's lodging in the
middle of the road, or in the ditch of the city-wall." I fired inwardly
at these sarcasms, to which, however, I made no reply; and my wife was
almost dead with fear. In the road from hence to the boat, we met with
an ill-looking fellow, who offered his service to conduct us into the
city, and such was our situation, that I was fain to accept his
proposal, especially as we had two small boxes in the chaise by
accident, containing some caps and laces belonging to my wife, I still
hoped the postilion had exaggerated in the distance between the boat
and the city gate, and was confirmed in this opinion by the ferryman,
who said we had not above half a league to walk. Behold us then in this
expedition; myself wrapped up in a very heavy greatcoat, and my cane in
my hand. I did not imagine I could have walked a couple of miles in
this equipage, had my life been depending; my wife a delicate creature,
who had scarce ever walked a mile in her life; and the ragamuffin
before us with our boxes under his arm. The night was dark and wet; the
road slippery and dirty; not a soul was seen, nor a sound was heard:
all was silent, dreary, and horrible. I laid my account with a violent
fit of illness from the cold I should infallibly catch, if I escaped
assassination, the fears of which were the more troublesome as I had no
weapon to defend our lives. While I laboured under the weight of my
greatcoat which made the streams of sweat flow down my face and
shoulders, I was plunging in the mud, up to the mid-leg at every step;
and at the same time obliged to support my wife, who wept in silence,
half dead with terror and fatigue. To crown our vexation, our conductor
walked so fast, that he was often out of sight, and I imagined he had
run away with the boxes. All I could do on these occasions, was to
hollow as loud as I could, and swear horribly that I would blow his
brains out. I did not know but these oaths and menaces might keep other
rogues in awe. In this manner did we travel three long miles, making
almost an intire circuit of the city-wall, without seeing the face of a
human creature, and at length reached the gate, where we were examined
by the guard, and allowed to pass, after they had told us it was a long
mile from thence to the house of Vanini, where we proposed to lodge. No
matter, being now fairly within the city, I plucked up my spirits, and
performed the rest of the journey with such ease, that I