or the pot he had rendered useless. He said, he would
pay for nothing but what he had eaten, and bade her be thankful for
his moderation, or else he would prosecute her for damages. Strap,
foreseeing the whole affair would lie at his door, promised to satisfy
the cook, and called for a dram of gin to treat the drummer, which
entirely appeased him, and composed all animosities. After this
accommodation, our landlord and we sat down at a board, and dined upon
shin of beef most deliciously; our reckoning amounting to twopence
halfpenny each, bread and small beer included.

CHAPTER XIV

We visit Strap's friend--a description of him--his advice--we go to Mr.
Cringer's house--are denied admittance--an Accident befalls Strap--his
behaviour thereupon--an extraordinary adventure occurs, in the course of
which I lose all my money

In the afternoon my companion proposed to call at his friend's
house, which, we were informed, was in the neighbourhood, whither
we accordingly went, and were so lucky as to find him at home. This
gentleman, who had come from Scotland three or four years before, kept
a school in town, where he taught the Latin, French, and Italian
languages; but what he chiefly professed was the pronunciation of
the English tongue, after a method more speedy and uncommon than any
practised heretofore, and, indeed, if his scholars spoke like their
master, the latter part of his undertaking was certainly performed to a
tittle: for although I could easily understand every word of what I
had heard hitherto since I entered England, three parts in four of his
dialect were as unintelligible to me as if he had spoken in Arabic or
Irish. He was a middle-sized man, and stooped very much, though not
above the age of forty; his face was frightfully pitted with the
small-pox, and his mouth extended from ear to ear. He was dressed in
a night-gown of plaid, fastened about his middle with a sergeant's old
sash, and a tie-periwig with a foretop three inches high, in the fashion
of King Charles the Second's reign.

After he had received Strap, who was related to him, very courteously,
he inquired of him who I was; and being informed, he took me by the
hand, telling me he was at school with my father. When he understood
my situation, he assured me that he would do me all the service in his
power, both by his advice and otherwise, and while he spoke these
words eyed me with great attention, walking round me several times, and