Chapter 2

The young Fellows are mostly sure to be their Followers and Admirers,
as esteeming it a great Favour to be admitted amongst their _Seniors_
and _Betters_, thinking to _learn to know the World and themselves_.
One constant Topick of Conversation, is the _Civility of the People,
the diligent Attendance_, together with the _Goodness of the Wines,
and Cheapness of the Eatables_; with a Side-wind Reflection on another
House. And if at any time, when the Wine is complain'd of, it is
answer'd with _Peoples Palates are not at all times alike; my Landlord
generally hath as good, or better, than any one in the Town_. And
oftentimes the poor innocent _Bottle_, or else the Cork, falls under a
false and heavy Accusation.

In a Morning there is no passing thro' any part of the Town, without
being _Hemm'd_ and _Yelp'd_ after by these Locusts from the Windows of
Taverns, where they post themselves at the most convenient Views, to
observe such Passengers as they have but the least knowledge of; and
if a Person be in the greatest haste, going upon extraordinary
Occasions, or not caring to vitiate his Palate before Dinner, and so
attempts an Escape, then, like a Pack of Hounds, they join in full Cry
after him, and the Landlord is detach'd upon his Dropsical Pedestals,
or else a more nimble-footed Drawer is at your Heels, bawling out,
_Sir, Sir, 'tis your old Friend Mr. Swallow, who wants you upon
particular Business_.

The Sums which are expended daily by this Method, are realy
surprizing. I knew a Clerk to a Vestry, a Half-pay Officer, a Chancery
Sollicitor, and a broken Apothecary, that made a tolerable good
Livelihood, by calling into a Tavern all their Friends that passed by
the Window in this manner. Their Custom was to sit with a Quart of
White-_Port_ before them in a Morning; every Person they decoy'd into
their Company for a Minute or two, never threw down less than his
Six-pence, and few drank more than one Gill; and if two or three
Glasses, he seldom came off with less than one Shilling. The Master of
the House constantly provided them with a plain Dinner, _gratis_. All
Dinner-time they kept their Room still, in full view of the Street,
and so sate _catching Gudgeons_, (as they used to call it) from
Morning till Night; when, besides amply filling their own Carcasses,
and discharging the whole Reckoning, they seldom divided less than
seven or eight Shillings a Man _per Diem_.

Some People, unacquainted with this _Fellow-feeling_ at Taverns, often
wonder how such a one does to hold it; that he spends a confounded
deal of Money, is seldom out of a Tavern, and never in his Business:
when, in reality, he is thus never out of his Business, and so helps
to run away with the chief Profits of the House.

Nor are these all the Hardships many of the Vintners lie under; for
besides, their Purses must too often stand a private Examination
behind the Bar, when any of these sort of Customers Necessities shall
require it.

'Tis such Dealings drive the poor Devils to all the little Shifts and
Tricks imaginable. I went one day into a Tavern near _Charing-Cross_,
to inquire after a Person whom I knew had once us'd the House: The
Mistress being in the Bar, cry'd out, _What an unfortunate thing it
was, Mr. ---- being that instant gone out of the House, and was
surprized I did not meet him at the Door; but that he had left Word he
expected a Gentleman to come to him, and would return immediately._ I
staid the sipping of two or three Half-pints, and begun to shew some
uneasiness that he did not come according to her Expectation; when she
again _wonder'd at it_, saying, _it was just one of his Times of
coming; for that he was a worthy good Gentleman, and constantly
whetted four or five times in a Morning_. At length, being out of all
patience, I paid, and went to my Friend's House, about twenty Doors
farther; where his Wife inform'd me, _he had been gone about three
Months before to_ Jamaica.

The Bankruptcies so frequently happening among the Sons of _Bacchus_,
are doubtless to be attributed chiefly to such Leeches as I have been
describing, lying so closely upon them; and then an innocent
industrious Man is to be call'd forsworn Rogue, Villain, and what not;
and to be told that he hath affected a Failure, to sink a dozen or
fourteen Shillings in the Pound upon his Creditors, when, in reality,
he hath not a single Shilling left in the World; and shall oftentimes
be oblig'd to become a common Waiter to a more fortunate Fellow, and
one perhaps too, that he once had thoughts of circumventing in his
Business and Trade, by no other means, than a more humble and
tractable Behaviour.

A Vintner, who has been look'd upon by all Mankind to have been a
20,000_l._ Man at least, hath died not worth Eighteen-pence; and then
the poor Wretch has been worried to his Grave, with the Character of a
private Whore-master or Gamester.

A few Years since _Peter Dapper_ came into a naked and ruin'd
Bawdy-House Tavern in the heart of the City; he resolv'd upon a
thorough Reformation of its Customs and Manners, and when a Male and
Female came in together, he order'd his Servants to shew them into the
open Kitchen. He declar'd that he would make no difference or
distinction in the Price of his Wines, but would be above-board with
all Mankind. He redress'd the exorbitant Grievances of the _Gridiron_
and the _Spit_, and protested his Heart and his Larder free and open
to all that should vouchsafe to visit either. He invited all the
single Mercers, Druggists, and Drapers, that lived within sight of his
_Bush_, to eat a piece of Mutton with him every Day at Noon, and upon
the removal of the Cloth, _Peter_ proclaim'd a free general Indemnity
and Oblivion for all the Mischief their Forks and Knives had done to
two or three substantial Dishes that stood before them. By these, and
other uncommon Acts of Generosity, he rais'd the Reputation of his
House to a greater pitch than any other in the Neighbourhood, and
reap'd the Fruits of his own Labours and Ingenuity. _Peter_, in a few
Years, having laid hands on a good number of Acres, and got an
Equipage about his Ears, has now very fairly turn'd his A--se upon all
the Taverns in the Kingdom.

A certain great BANKER, whose Name it is altogether needless to
mention, (the Fact being too well known to many Peoples Misfortune)
having by some indiscreet Management greatly hurt his Reputation, and
several Stories of a suspicious nature, tending to depreciate his
Character, being whisper'd about; which coming in time to his
knowledge, he thought of a notable Device to prevent the Consequences
that generally ensue on those occasions to Persons in his way of Life.
His first step was to order Glaziers and Painters to new-ornament his
House in the most genteel manner. He next hurried to the _Pool_, and
order'd in about a hundred Chaldrons of Coals, tho' it was the warm
Season of the Year. These _Circumstances_ seem'd to _demonstrate_ a
Continuance in his House, and for three or four Days together, when
the People came either to draw, or bring their Cash, their was scarce
a possibility of getting into the Shop, for a number of dirty Fellows
who were incessantly carrying Sacks of Coals on their Backs to the
Cellars. The Stratagem succeeded even beyond expectation; the
Creditors Apprehensions clear'd up, and one ridicul'd another for
their _foolish_ and _ill-grounded_ Fears. The _Run_ that was begun to
be made, not only ceased, but numbers of Strangers now thought fit to
constitute him the _Custode_ of their Fortunes; and the Man was look'd
upon to be one of the most flourishing of his Business in the City,
and his Credit equal to that of the _Bank of England_. This went on
for about a Fortnight or three Weeks longer, when this pains-taking
Tradesman thought fit to shut up his Shop, and rub off with
100,000_l._ of his Creditors Money to _Antwerp_.

Another time a young Fellow, with a pitiful Patrimony, open'd a
LINNEN-DRAPER'S Shop in the heart of the City; his Stock was equal to
his Fortune, and, like most raw unexperienc'd Persons, his Soul vastly
bigger than both. Tho' he set out with great Ambition, he condescended
to bow to all the Fair-Sex who pass'd his Door in Coaches or on Foot;
his Success was humble, for he bowed to little purpose. Revolving
Quarters, with Rent and Taxes, were his principal Customers. These,
together with the apprehensions of his being soon named with other of
his Majesty's loving Subjects in the _London Gazette_, gave him great
Pain and Anxiety. One Morning he bless'd himself for a lucky Dog,
having arose from his Pillow with the most happy Thought that had ever
enter'd his Head. He call'd for Pen, Ink, and Paper, and enjoining his
Journeyman Secrecy, went to his Compting-House, and drew up a Paper to
the Effect following: _viz._ "_Whereas there was, on the 10th Day of
this Instant October, dropp'd in the Shop of Mr._ Probity,
Linnen-Draper, _at the ...... in_ Cheapside, London, _a green Silk
Purse, in which was contain'd a large Rose Diamond Ring, a great
number of pieces of Foreign Gold, together with sundry Notes,_ &c. _of
great value; whoever will apply to the said Mr._ Probity, _and prove
their Property to the same, shall have it restor'd them, on paying
only the Charge of this Advertisement._"

This he caused to be printed in all the publick News-Papers, and
although there was no such Purse lost, and consequently no Claim
made, the Action was cry'd up through the Town as the most just and
laudable that was ever done by a Citizen, and particularly by a young
Beginner; some saying, _How many were there in the World that would
have been silent enough on such an occasion?_ And others, _Ay, Ay; if
it were not for some such honest People left amongst us, the World
would never stand._ Trade and Business now flow'd in so fast upon him,
that he was scarce able to undergo the Fatigue of his Shop; which was
constantly crouded with _Women_ of all Ranks and Conditions, who, they
said, _were sure to meet with fairer Usage there, than in any other in
the City_. His barely _averring, upon the Word of an honest Man, that
the Goods in dispute lay him in more prime-cost than was bid him_,
would go further than the Oaths of a dozen Witnesses in _Guild-hall_;
and when he was urged to say, as _I'm a Christian_, or, _if one living
Soul may believe another_, it would satisfy the most Judicious and
Thrifty, and remove from his Shop the worst of Goods at the most
extravagant Prices.

The great Dealer in _India_ Goods is to sell as much China, Silks, and
Muslins, _&c._ as he can, by which he shall get what he proposes to be
reasonable, according to the customary Profits of his Business. As to
a Lady, what she would be at, is to please her Fancy, and buy cheaper
by a Shilling or two in the Pound, than the Things she wants are
commonly sold at. Upon the approach of her Chariot to one of these
Magazines of Trifles, up steps a Gentleman-like Man, that has every
thing clean and fashionable about him; who, in low obeisance, pays
her homage; and as soon as her pleasure is known that she has a mind
to come in, hands her into the Shop; where immediately he slips from
her, and in half a Moment, with great Address, entrenches himself
behind the Compter. Here facing her, with a profound Reverence and
modish Phrase, he begs the favour of knowing her Commands. Let her say
and dislike what she pleases, she can never be directly contradicted.
She deals with a Man in whom consummate Patience is one of the
Mysteries of his Trade; and whatever Trouble she creates, she is sure
to hear nothing but the most obliging Language; and has always before
her a chearful Countenance, where Joy and Respect seem to be blended
with Good-Humour, and all together make up an artificial Serenity,
more ingaging than untaught Nature is able to produce.

When two Persons are so well met, the Conversation must be very
agreeable, as well as extremely mannerly, tho' they talk about
Trifles. Whist she remains irresolute what to take, he seems to be the
same in advising her, and is very cautious how to direct her Choice:
but when once she has made it, and is fix'd, he immediately becomes
positive that it is the best of the sort; extols her Fancy, and the
more he looks upon it, the more he wonders he should not before have
discovered the pre-eminence of it over any thing he has in his Shop.
By Precept, Example, and great Application, he has learn'd and
observ'd to slide into the inmost Recesses of the Soul, found the
Capacity of his Customers, and discover'd their blind side unknown to
them: By all which he is instructed in fifty other Stratagems, to
make her overvalue her own Judgment; as well as the Commodity she
would purchase. The greatest Advantage he has had over her, lies in
the most material part of the Commerce between them, the Debate about
the Price, which he knows to a Farthing, and she is wholly ignorant
of: therefore he no where more egregiously imposes on her
Understanding: and tho' here he has the liberty of telling what Lyes
he pleases, as to the _Prime-Cost_, and _the Money he has refused_,
yet he trusts not to them only; but attacking her Vanity, makes her
believe the most incredible things in the World, concerning his own
Weakness, and her superior Abilities. _He had taken a Resolution_, he
says, _never to part with that_ Piece _or_ Set _under such a Price,
but she has the power of talking him out of his Goods beyond any body
he ever sold to_: He _protests, that he loses by what she offers; but
seeing that she has a fancy for it, and is resolv'd to give no more,
rather than disoblige a Lady he has such an uncommon value for, he'll
let her have it; and only begs, that another time she will not stand
so hard with him._ In the mean time the Buyer, who has a voluble
Tongue, and imagines herself no Fool, is easily persuaded that she has
a very winning way of Talking; and thinking it sufficient, for the
sake of Good Breeding, to disown her Merit, and in some witty Repartee
retort the Compliment, he makes her swallow very contentedly the
substance of every thing he tells her. The upshot is, that with the
satisfaction of having bought, as she thinks, according to her
expectation, she has paid exactly the same Price as any body else
would have done; and give much more than, rather than not have sold
his Goods, he would have taken.

Those who have never minded an Accident that once happened to a spruce
Mercer on _Ludgate-Hill_, have neglected a Scene of Life that is very
entertaining. A genteel young Lady, very richly apparelled, made a
full stop, in a Hackney-Coach, at the Door of this sharp-sighted
Citizen; who, with his wonted Civility, conducted her into his Shop.
After she had spent two or three Hours in tumbling over his Goods, and
exclaiming against his _frightful Prices_, and after divers _Doubts_
and _Hesitations_, she fix'd her Determination on Silks and Brocades
to the value or amount of 100_l._ and then, with a handsome Apology
for Women's seldom gadding abroad with such a Sum of Money in their
Pockets, desires he would do her the honour to wait upon her, with the
Goods, to her Husband's House, naming a very eminent Surgeon at St.
_James's_. In the _interim_ Dinner is gone up, and the Mercer invites
his fair Customer to take a Family Morsel with him, before they went
to St. _James's_. At Dinner many Excuses pass'd on the side of the
Mercer and his Wife, for the _indifferent Fare_; and on the Lady's
side as many Declarations, _that all was mighty good and well_; and
faithfully promis'd, that if his Goods answer'd her expectation, she
would never quit his Shop, but would also procure most of her Friends
and Acquaintance to deal with him. She was seiz'd with a fainting Fit
or two, with other pretty affected Symptoms of a _breeding Lady_,
which led on a great deal of good humour upon the subject of Marriage.
When Dinner was over, a Coach was call'd, the Lady and her Purchase
were handed in with the greatest alacrity, and order'd to go to Mr.
---- a _Surgeon's_. All the way, a great deal of obliging Discourse
pass'd on both sides; and the Mercer, not a little proud of his pretty
Customer, and the large Roll of Silk that lay in sight, took care to
bow to all his Acquaintance as he pass'd along. When the Coach
stopp'd, she very pertly ask'd the Servant that open'd the Door, if
his Master was in the Surgery; and being answer'd he was, she says,
take care, put that Parcel by carefully, and shew this Gentleman into
the Parlour. In the mean time, herself went up to the Master, and
addresses herself to the following purpose; _viz._ "That about two
years since, her too indulgent Parents," _naming a Family of good
account in the Country_, "had unfortunately married her to Mr. ---- a
Mercer on _Ludgate-Hill_; but that his Life, since their Marriage, had
been so scandalous and dissolute, that, in short, he had not only
ruin'd her Fortune, but she fear'd her Constitution, by his
Conversation with Scrumpets; and that her Condition was such, she knew
not what to do with herself, nor how to make her Case known to any
living Creature." He was going directly to examine her, but that she
desired he would desist, and talk first with Mr. ----, her Husband,
naming the Mercer, who, she said, was below stairs waiting for that
purpose. She begg'd not to be present, for she could scarce bear the
sight of a Wretch who had used her so cruelly. She being withdrawn,
the Surgeon went down stairs, and invited the Mercer into the
Surgery; and began with asking, _How he found himself?_ The Mercer
answer'd, _truly he could not boast of a large share of Health, but
that he made a shift to rub on_; but adds he, _Sir, your Lady had a
sudden Disorder this Day, as she was at Dinner at my House_; then,
with a Smile, _we once thought we must have made her your Patient, by
sending for you to her assistance_. _Zounds_, says the Surgeon in a
surprize, _what, my Wife dine at your House! I knew she went into the
City_. Replies the Mercer, _We had but a sorry Entertainment for her;
however, she hath made herself amends in her Bargain_; and then
presents him with a Bill of Parcels for 100_l._ for Silks sold and
delivered. The Surgeon, in a violent agony, rang the Bell for his
Servants, bidding them run all over the City, and find their Mistress.
_Sir_, says the Mercer, _you need not give your self that trouble, to
be sure she's in the House, for the Lady came with me in a Coach from
the City_. This put him into a greater fury; _D--mn ye, Sir, your own
pocky Slut, you mean; I'd have ye know, my Wife keeps no such Rascals
company_. To blows they went, and the Bones of the Skeletons rattled
as fast in the Glasses, as those of the Combatants. A Constable was
call'd, and charged with the Mercer, for endeavouring to defraud the
Surgeon of 100_l._ by false Tokens and Pretences. And both the Men
continued so hot and outrageous, and such Scurrilities pass'd between
them, that the Mistake was vastly far from being clear'd up, and the
Cheat set to rights. The Mercer was carried in Custody to a Tavern, in
order to go before a Magistrate, cursing and reviling all the Surgeons
as he went along; saying, _if those were their Tricks, it was time to
give over Trade_; and what still vex'd him more, to have his poor
innocent Wife call'd pocky B--ch, and himself all the debauch'd
Villains into the Bargain. The Surgeon, on the other hand, cries out,
_A new piece of Villany, a Fellow brings a Whore, and a Bill of
Parcels, to rob my House, and has withal the Impudence to boast of a
Conversation he has truly had with my Wife in a Hackney-Coach_. The
Surgeon's Wife had been found over a Dish of Tea at a Relation's House
in _Crutched-Fryars_, where she had dined, and had hurried home in
such a manner, that the Horses stood in a dropping Sweat at the Door.
Soon after comes the Mercer's Wife, almost frighted to death,
accompanied with half her Relations, and finds a Mob of a thousand
People about the House where her Husband was kept Prisoner. An Hour
more past before the Fraud was discover'd by either Party, and the
Affair set in a true light; when, upon enquiring, the _Fair Cheat_ it
seems had, so soon as the Mercer was invited out of the Room he was
placed in, given the Servant half a Crown, and went off with the
Silks, and it has not been known who she was to this day.

While the State-Lottery was Drawing at the _Guild-hall_ in _London_,
an _Irishman_ stood amongst the Croud, meditating upon Ways and Means
to procure a Meal's Meat; his Belly, it seems, having been a Bankrupt
for many Days before. At length, hearing a Prize of 1000_l._
proclaimed, he fell into an Exstacy, crying out, the Ticket was his,
which drew the Eyes of all the People present upon him: he ran up to
the _Hustings_ among the Managers, and for better Satisfaction,
desired to be inform'd of the principal Clerks whether the Number he
had heard in the _Hall_ was entitled to the 1000_l._ Prize. They
assured him it was, and gave him Joy on his Success. He told the
Clerks and Proclaimers, that when the Wheels were clos'd, and the
Day's Drawing concluded, he should be glad of their Company to eat a
bit of something or other with him at a neighbouring Tavern. When the
Lottery-Men had done their Business, they accordingly came, like so
many Millers, powdering every one that brush'd against them to the
Tavern, where the Spits, Boilers and Stew-pans were all a going
Tantivy; the Master of the House sent privately to the Ringers, to
tell them he had a Gentleman, his Guest, whom Fortune had favour'd in
the Lottery, that if his Vanity was touch'd up with a Peal or two, he
would warrant them a Pair of Pieces for the Complement. St.
_Lawrence's_ Bells were at it in an instant, and when the Ringers came
to pay their Respects to _his Honour_, he order'd them three Guineas
at the Bar. The Landlord, when he was paying the Money, was not a
little proud of his own Foresight, saying, _Gentlemen, did not I tell
you how it would be?_

Dinner was served up, when the Vintner and all his Servants were at
their Stations, in close and diligent Attendance upon the Company. The
Discourse turn'd chiefly upon the niggardly Dispositions of some, whom
Fortune had favour'd in the same Manner, and the various Humours and
Tempers of Mankind: what unaccountable Successes attended on some
People, and the Misfortunes that others were visibly destin'd to. In
the Evening, the Reckoning was call'd for, together with three or
four peremptory Bottles: the Bill came to five Pounds; the _Master_ of
the _Feast_, perusing it, excepted to one of the _Articles_, as being
an exorbitant Charge; and as he said, _making a Property of
Good-Nature_. All the Company join'd with much Warmth in the
Complaint; upon which, he said he would go down and _give_ it the
Landlord in his Bar. When he was got below Stairs, in a careless
Manner, with a Pipe in his Mouth, and without his Hat; he saunter'd
about for a Minute or two, and then found an Opportunity to slip away,
leaving the Reck'ning to be paid by his Companions above stairs. The
Master of the House had the more reason to be shock'd when he heard of
the Imposture, because he had not only paid the three Guineas for the
Steeple-Musick, but had lent him ten Guineas more out of his Pocket
for pretended Exigencies. The Gentlemen could not afterwards pass
through the Hall without being insulted; one unlucky Rogue bawling
out, _What was the Reck'ning at the Tavern?_ and another answering,
FIVE POUNDS _principal Money_.

We have had instances of Jurymen, who have had their Pockets pick'd
when they have been sitting upon Trials of Life and Death; and whilst
a Prosecutor has been giving Evidence against one Rogue, another has
at that very instant robb'd him of his Snuff-Box and Handkerchief.

There are eight Sessions of _Oyer_ and _Terminer_ and Jail-Delivery
usually holden in _London_ in a Year, many of which, through the great
Number of Prisoners try'd, continue four or five Days successively;
during which time, the _Old-Bailey-Yard_ is crouded with an idle
disorderly Crew of Persons of both Sexes, who have no other Business
but to obstruct those who have any unwish'd for Avocation to the
Place----In one Corner stands a Circle, compos'd of, perhaps, a
Baker's-Boy, a Journeyman-Shoemaker, a Butcher's-'Prentice, and a
Bailiff's-Follower, telling _how it was_; By what _means such a Robber
was taken_; _Who his Relations are_; One boasting of _being his near
Neighbour_; and another of an intimate _Acquaintance with him_,
&c.----In another, a heap of Earthen-ware Women, with Straw Hats, and
their black and blue Eyes and swoln Faces, lamenting the Fate of _poor
Bob_, or _Jemmy_, _hoping the L--d will deliver him out of the Hands
of his Adversaries_; meaning the Laws of his Country----In a third, is
a row of _Spittle-field Weavers_, with the Lice passing in Review over
their Shoulders, before two or three lazy Silver-button'd Alehouse
Fellows at their Elbows; near whom, are four or five old Women,
shaking their Heads _at the Wickedness of the Times_, and what _a
likely young Fellow pass'd just now to his Trial_, wondering _that
Youth won't take warning_, &c.----A Yard farther, two or three
Grenadiers together, with a red-faced Serjeant or Corporal of the Foot
Guards, ready to rap a Reputation for some offending Brother. These,
together with two or three Dozen of Whores and Thieves from
_Rosemary-lane_ and St. _Giles's_, and a Company of idle Sailors from
_Wapping_, resolve themselves into Committees of threes, fours, and
fives, all over the Sessions-house-yard, and there debate on the Fates
and Circumstances of the Criminals, till the latest Hour of the
Court's sitting, be the Season ever so rigorous, or their Affairs at
home ever so pressing. But sometimes, by the sudden and hasty turning
in of a Coach, these Committees are all suspended, and squeez'd up
against the Walls, or else oftentimes, through their being a little
too verbose and vociferous; the Court, by their Officer upon the
Leads, calls them to Peace and Order.

Nor are the Taverns, Ale-houses, and Brandy-shops in the Neighbourhood
less fill'd with idle Spectators: for, besides the Prosecutors and
their Witnesses, (which must necessarily attend) there are infinite
Numbers of _Watch-makers_, _Barbers_, _Poulterers_, _Engravers_, and
other Artizans and Handicraft Tradesmen, who have no other Business
there, but to hearken to the Stories of the _Newgate_ Solicitors and
their Companions, and so neglecting their Callings and Families at
home, sit tippling one half Pint after another, till they become as
fuddled as a _Beef-Eater_ at a _Tavern_ on a _Sunday_ Morning, and go
home mightily edified with the particulars of a Trial for a Rape, or a
Highway Robbery.

That Figure which the _Sextons_ of Parishes has made in the World of
late Years, is an evident Token of the flourishing State of the
_Worshipful Corporation_ of _Corps-stealers_. There seldom passes a
Night, but we hear of some Defunct _Plebeian_ eloping out of one
Church-yard or other: nor are those of _better Blood_ more secure, for
all their Bolts and Barricadoes. This felonious _Commodity_, I am told,
is sold by _Weight_, and that the _Purchasers_ generally consider and
weigh well what they are about, before they strike a Bargain. The Corpse
of a plain _Milk-Maid_ is said to fetch at least 7_d._ in the Pound
more than that of a _Countess_; and, notwithstanding the highest feeding
and fattening, a common _Joiner_'s has had vastly the preference of a
_Major General_'s in the Market. But, however, this _Calling_ is liable
to many Hazards and Losses as well as others, for oftentimes the Dealers
meet with _Crosses_, which they are oblig'd, though very unwillingly, to
_bear on their Backs_.

I must say something to those People who have introduced a kind of
Fraud of late Years, which now and then runs through the Town like a
Contagion: It is call'd _Auctioneering_, or vending various kinds of
Goods by way of Cant or Auction. Soon after a Man of any Note has
obtained a _Mors Janua Vitae_ against his Wife, and publish'd it over
his Door, or a Woman has done the same thing by her Husband; a Gang of
People, call'd _Bughunters_, take possession of the House, by
displaying their Standard, a huge rotten Carpet, and wage War against
all the good Housewives in the Town.