mpanion, instantly seconded the defence. The mob, who never descry any
difference between impudence and truth, gave way; a constable came up,
took part with the friend of two gentlemen so unexceptionally dressed;
our friends walked off; the crowd repented of their precipitation, and
by way of amends ducked the gentleman whose pockets had been picked. It
was in vain for him to defend himself, for he had an impediment in his
speech; and Messieurs the mob, having ducked him once for his guilt,
ducked him a second time for his embarrassment.

In the interim Clifford had withdrawn his quondam Mentor to the asylum
of a coffee-house; and while MacGrawler's soul expanded itself by wine,
he narrated the causes of his dilemma. It seems that that incomparable
journal "The Asinaeum," despite a series of most popular articles upon
the writings of "Aulus Prudentius," to which were added an exquisite
string of dialogues, written in a tone of broad humour, namely,
broad Scotch (with Scotchmen it is all the same thing), despite these
invaluable miscellanies, to say nothing of some glorious political
articles, in which it was clearly proved to the satisfaction of
the rich, that the less poor devils eat the better for their
constitutions,--despite, we say, these great acquisitions to British
literature, "The Asinaeum" tottered, fell, buried its bookseller, and
crushed its author. MacGrawler only,--escaping, like Theodore from the
enormous helmet of Otranto,--MacGrawler only survived. "Love," says Sir
Philip Sidney, "makes a man see better than a pair of spectacles."
Love of life has a very different effect on the optics,--it makes a
man wofully dim of inspection, and sometimes causes him to see his own
property in another man's purse! This deceptio visus, did it impose upon
Peter MacGrawler? He went to Ranelagh. Reader, thou knowest the rest!

Wine and the ingenuity of the robbers having extorted this narrative
from MacGrawler, the barriers of superfluous delicacy were easily done
away with.

Our heroes offered to the sage an introduction to their club; the offer
was accepted; and MacGrawler, having been first made drunk, was next
made a robber. The gang engaged him in various little matters, in which
we grieve to relate that though his intentions were excellent, his
success was so ill as thoroughly to enrage his employers; nay, they were
about at one time, when they wanted to propitiate justice, to hand him
over to the secular power, w