n hand (allowing for the
difference of the language) the best receipt now in England both for an
hasty-pudding and a white-pot.

"If you please to fall back a little, because 'tis necessary to look at
the three next pictures at one view; these are three sisters. She on
the right hand, who is so very beautiful, died a maid; the next to her,
still handsomer, had the same fate against her will; this homely thing
in the middle had both their portions added to her own, and was stolen
by a neighbouring gentleman, a man of stratagem and resolution, for
he poisoned three mastiffs to come at her, and knocked down two
deer-stealers in carrying her off. Misfortunes happen in all families:
the theft of this romp and so much money, was no great matter to our
estate. But the next heir that possessed it was this soft gentleman,
whom you see there: observe the small buttons, the little boots, the
laces, the slashes about his clothes, and above all the posture he is
drawn in (which to be sure was his own choosing); you see he sits with
one hand on a desk writing and looking as it were another way, like an
easy writer, or a sonneteer. He was one of those that had too much wit
to know how to live in the world; he was a man of no justice, but great
good manners; he ruined every body that had any thing to do with him,
but never said a rude thing in his life; the most indolent person in the
world, he would sign a deed that passed away half his estate with his
gloves on, but would not put on his hat before a lady if it were to save
his country. He is said to be the first that made love by squeezing the
hand. He left the estate with ten thousand pounds debt upon it; but,
however, by all hands I have been informed that he was every way the
finest gentleman in the world. That debt lay heavy on our house for one
generation, but it was retrieved by a gift from that honest man you see
there, a citizen of our name, but nothing at all akin to us. I know Sir
Andrew Freeport had said behind my back, that this man was descended
from one of the ten children of the maid of honour I shewed you above;
but it was never made out. We winked at the thing indeed, because money
was wanting at that time."

Here I saw my friend a little embarrassed, and turned my face to the
next portraiture.

Sir Roger went on with his account of the gallery in the following
manner. "This man (pointing to him I looked at) I take to be the honour
of our house. Sir Humphrey de Co