too modest--I
see you are strangers, but you shall give me leave to treat you with a
whet this cold raw morning." I would have declined the invitation,
but Strap whispered to me that the gentleman would be affronted, and I
complied. "Where shall we go?" said the stranger; "I am quite ignorant
of this part of the town." I informed him that we were in the same
situation; upon which he proposed to go into the first public-house we
should find open; and as we walked together, he began in this manner: "I
find by your tongues you are from Scotland, gentlemen; my grandmother by
the father's side was of your country, and I am so prepossessed in its
favour, that I never meet a Scotchman but my heart warms. The Scots are
very brave people. There is scarce a great family in the kingdom that
cannot boast of some exploits performed by its ancestors many hundred
years ago. There's your Douglasses, Gordons, Campbells, Hamiltons. We
have no such ancient families here in England. Then you are all very
well educated. I have known a pedlar talk in Greek and Hebrew as well
as if they had been his mother-tongue. And for honesty--I once had a
servant, his name was Gregor Macgregor, I would have trusted him with
untold gold."

This eulogium of my native country gained my affections so strongly,
that I believe I could have gone to death to serve the author; and
Strap's eyes swam in tears. At length, as we passed through a dark
narrow lane, we perceived a public-house, which we entered, and found a
man sitting by the fire, smoking a pipe, with a pint of purl before him.
Our new acquaintance asked us if ever we had drunk egg-flip? To which
question we answering in the negative, he assured us of a regale, and
ordered a quart to be prepared, calling for pipes and tobacco at
the same time. We found this composition very palateable, and drank
heartily; the conversation, which was introduced by the gentleman,
turning upon the snares that young inexperienced people are exposed
to in this metropolis. He described a thousand cheats that are daily
practised upon the ignorant and unwary, and warned us of them with so
much good nature and concern, that we blessed the opportunity which
threw us in his way. After we had put the can about for some time, our
new friend began to yawn, telling us he had been up all night with a
sick person; and proposed we should have recourse to some diversion to
keep him awake. "Suppose," said he, "we should take a hand at whi