of our judges, counsel, and attorneys; new jails must be
built to hold the ruined litigants--and the insolvent court enlarged,
and in constant session throughout the year.

But not _all_ of this body of honorable and valuable men are entitled to
this tribute of praise. There are a few QUIRKS, several GAMMONS, and
many SNAPS, in the profession of the law--men whose characters and
doings often make fools visit the sins of individuals upon the whole
species; nay, there are far worse, as I have heard--but I must return to
my narrative.

On Friday night, the 28th July 18--, the state of Mr. Titmouse's affairs
was this; he owed his landlady L1, 9s.; his washerwoman, 6s.; his
tailor, L1, 8s.--in all, three guineas; besides 10s. to Huckaback, (for
Tittlebat's notion was, that on repayment at any time of 10s., Huckaback
would be bound to deliver up to him the document or voucher which he had
given that gentleman,) and a weekly accruing rent of 7s. to his
landlady, besides some very small sums for coffee, (alias chiccory,)
tea, bread, and butter, &c. To meet these serious liabilities, he had
literally--_not one farthing_.

On returning to his lodgings that night, he found a line from
Thumbscrew, his landlady's broker, informing him that, unless by ten
o'clock on the next morning his arrears of rent were paid, he should
distrain, and she would also give him notice to quit at the end of the
week; that nothing could induce her to give him further time. He sat
down in dismay on reading this threatening document; and, in sitting
down, his eye fell on a bit of paper lying on the floor, which must have
been thrust under the door. From the marks on it, it was evident that he
must have trod upon it in entering. It proved to be a summons from the
Court of Requests, for L1, 8s. due to Job Cox, his tailor. He deposited
it mechanically on the table; and for a minute he dared hardly breathe.

This seemed something really like a _crisis_.

After a silent agony of half an hour's duration, he rose trembling from
his chair, blew out his candle, and, in a few minutes' time, might have
been seen standing with a pale and troubled face before the window of
old Balls, the pawnbroker, peering through the suspended
articles--watches, sugar-tongs, rings, brooches, spoons, pins,
bracelets, knives and forks, seals, chains, &c.--to see whether any one
else than old Balls were within. Having at length watched out a very
pale and wretched-looking woman,