ce, is an infringement
upon the real liberties of the subject. The sounds of liberty,
patriotism, and Britons, have already done much, it is to be hoped that
the true sons of freedom will prevent their ever doing more. I have
known many of those pretended champions for liberty in my time, yet do I
not remember one that was not in his heart and in his family a tyrant.'

My warmth I found had lengthened this harangue beyond the rules of good
breeding: but the impatience of my entertainer, who often strove to
interrupt it, could be restrained no longer. 'What,' cried he, 'then I
have been all this while entertaining a Jesuit in parson's cloaths;
but by all the coal mines of Cornwall, out he shall pack, if my name
be Wilkinson.' I now found I had gone too far, and asked pardon for
the warmth with which I had spoken. 'Pardon,' returned he in a fury:
'I think such principles demand ten thousand pardons. What, give up
liberty, property, and, as the Gazetteer says, lie down to be saddled
with wooden shoes! Sir, I insist upon your marching out of this house
immediately, to prevent worse consequences, Sir, I insist upon it.'
I was going to repeat my rernonstrances; but just then we heard a
footman's rap at the door, and the two ladies cried out, 'As sure
as death there is our master and mistress come home.' It seems my
entertainer was all this while only the butler, who, in his master's
absence, had a mind to cut a figure, and be for a while the gentleman
himself; and, to say the truth, he talked politics as well as most
country gentlemen do. But nothing could now exceed my confusion upon
seeing the gentleman, and his lady, enter, nor was their surprize, at
finding such company and good cheer, less than ours. 'Gentlemen,' cried
the real master of the house, to me and my companion, 'my wife and I are
your most humble servants; but I protest this is so unexpected a favour,
that we almost sink under the obligation.' However unexpected our
company might be to them, theirs, I am sure, was still more so to us,
and I was struck dumb with the apprehensions of my own absurdity, when
whom should I next see enter the room but my dear miss Arabella Wilmot,
who was formerly designed to be married to my son George; but whose
match was broken off, as already related. As soon as she saw me, she
flew to my arms with the utmost joy. 'My dear sir,' cried she, 'to what
happy accident is it that we owe so unexpected a visit? I am sure my
uncle and au