
street, desiring to know how he durst be so insolent as to make that scurrilous
reflection upon his family: the fly-fancier, thus questioned, accused the
mathematician of having been the aggressor, in likening his head to a light
cabbage; and here the altercation being renewed, the engineer proceeded to the
illustration of his mechanicks, tilting up his hand like a ballance, thrusting
it forward by way of lever, embracing the naturalist's nose like a wedge betwixt
two of his fingers, and turning it round, with the momentum of a screw or
peritrochium. Had they been obliged to decide the dispute, with equal arms, the
assailant would have had a great advantage over the other, who was very much his
inferior in muscular strength; but the philosopher, being luckily provided with
a cane, no sooner disengaged himself from this opprobrious application, than he
handled his weapon with great dexterity about the head and shoulders of his
antagonist, who, finding this shower of blows very disagreeable, was fain to
betake himself to his heels for shelter, and was pursued by the angry victor,
who chased him from one end of the street to the other, affording unspeakable
satisfaction to the multitude, as well as to our hero and his introductor, who
were spectators of the whole scene.
    Thus was our adventurer initiated in the society of Yelpers, tho' he did not
as yet fully understand the nature of his office, which was explained by the
young physician, who chid him for his blunt behaviour in the case of the medal;
and gave him to understand, that their patron's favour was neither to be gained,
nor preserved by any man that would pretend to convict him of a mistake: he
therefore counselled him to respect this foible, and cultivate the old gentleman
with all the zeal and veneration, which a regard to his own character would
permit him to pay. This task was the easier to one of our young gentleman's
pliant disposition, because the virtuoso's behaviour was absolutely free from
that insolent self-conceit, which he could not bear without disgust: the senior
was, on the contrary, mild and beneficient; and Pickle was rather pleased than
shocked at this weakness, because it flattered his vanity with the supposition
of his own superior sense.
    Cautioned in this manner, Peregrine profited so much by his insinuating
qualifications, that, in a very little time, he was looked upon as one of the
chief favourites of the patron, to whom he dedicated a small occasional poem;
and every body believed he would reap the fruits of his attachment, among the
