 George, »What Answer shall I make to Madam?« »I
don't know what Answer,« says she, »You are always bringing your Family into one
Quandary or other. Do you remember when you shot the Partridge, the Occasion of
all our Misfortunes? Did not I advise you never to go into Squire Western's
Manor? Did not I tell you many a good Year ago what would come of it? but you
would have your own headstrong Ways; yes, you would, you Villain -«
    Black George was, in the main, a peaceable kind of Fellow, and nothing
choleric, nor rash, yet did he bear about him some thing of what the Antients
called the Irascible, and which his Wife, if she had been endowed with much
Wisdom, would have feared. He had long experienced, that when the Storm grew
very high Arguments were but Wind, which served rather to increase than to abate
it. He was therefore seldom unprovided with a small Switch, a Remedy of
wonderful Force, as he had often essayed, and which the Word Villain served as a
Hint for his applying.
    No sooner, therefore, had this Symptom appeared, than he had immediate
Recourse to the said Remedy, which though, as it is usual in all very
efficacious Medicines, it at first seemed to heighten and inflame the Disease,
soon produced a total Calm, and restored the Patient to perfect Ease and
Tranquility.
    This is, however, a kind of Horse-medicine, which requires a very robust
Constitution to digest, and is therefore proper only for the Vulgar, unless in
one single Instance, viz. where Superiority of Birth breaks out; in which Case,
we should not think it very improperly applied by any Husband whatever, if the
Application was not, in itself so base, that, like certain Applications of the
Physical Kind which need not be mentioned, it so much degrades and contaminates
the Hand employed in it, that no Gentleman should endure the Thought of any
Thing so low and detestable.
    The whole Family were soon reduced to a State of perfect Quiet: For the
Virtue of this Medicine, like that of Electricity, is often communicated through
one Person to many others, who are not touched by the Instrument. To say the
Truth, as they both operate by Friction, it may be doubted whether there is not
something analogous between them, of which Mr. Freke would do well to enquire
before he publishes the next Edition of his Book.
    A Council was now called, in which, after many Debates, Molly still
persisting that
