r the vigour of your body. Upon my soul, Mr. Medlar, you do
generous things with the best taste of any man I know! You extend your
compassion to real objects, and exact only such returns as they are
capable of making. You must know, gentlemen," said he, turning to the
company, "I had been up most part of the night with a friend who is ill
of a fever, and, on my return home this morning, chanced to pass by
a gin shop still open, whence issued a confused sound of mirth and
jollity: upon which, I popped in my head, and perceived Mr. Medlar
dancing bareheaded in the midst of ten or twenty ragged bunters,
who rejoiced at his expense. But indeed, Mr. Medlar, you should not
sacrifice your constitution to your benevolence. Consider, you grow old
apace; and, therefore, have a reverend care of your health, which must
certainly be very much impaired by these nocturnal expeditions." The
testy senior could no longer contain himself, but cried hastily, "'Tis
well known that your tongue is no slanderer." "I think," said the other,
"you might spare that observation, as you are very sensible, that my
tongue has done you signal service on many occasions. You may remember,
that, when you made your addresses to the fat widow who kept a
public-house at Islington, there was a report spread very much to the
prejudice of your manhood, which coming to the ears of your
mistress, you were discarded immediately: and I brought matters to a
reconciliation, by assuring her you had three bastards at nurse in the
country. How you ruined your own affair afterwards, it is neither my
business nor inclination to relate."

This anecdote, which had no other foundation than in Banter's own
invention, afforded a good deal of mirth to everybody present, and
provoked Mr. Medlar beyond all sufferance; so that he started up in a
mighty passion, and, forgetting that his mouth was full, bespattered
those who sat next to him, while he discharged his indignation in a
volley of oaths, and called Banter insignificant puppy, impertinent
jackanapes, and a hundred such appellations; telling the company he had
invented these false and malicious aspersions, because he would not lend
him money to squander away upon rooks and whores. "A very likely story,"
said Banter, "that I should attempt to borrow money of a man who is
obliged to practise a thousand shifts to make his weekly allowance hold
out till Saturday night. Sometimes he sleeps four-and-twenty hours at
a stretch, by