 nothing could be more agreeable to him, than the prospect of
having such fellow-travellers; and they immediately appointed a day for setting
out on that tour.
 

                                 Chapter XLVII

He introduces his new Friends to Mr. Jolter, with whom the Doctor enters into a
Dispute upon Government, which had well nigh terminated in open War
 
Mean while, he not only made them acquainted with every thing worth seeing in
town, but attended them in their excursions to all the king's houses within a
day's journey of Paris; and in the course of these parties, treated them with an
elegant dinner at his own apartments, where a dispute arose between the doctor
and Mr. Jolter, which had well nigh terminated in an irreconcileable animosity.
These gentlemen, with an equal share of pride, pedantry and saturnine
disposition, were by the accidents of education and company, diametrically
opposite in political maxims; the one, as we have already observed, being a
bigotted high churchman, and the other a rank republican. It was an article of
the governor's creed, that the people could not be happy, nor the earth yield
its fruits in abundance, under a restricted clergy and limited government:
whereas, in the doctor's opinion, it was an eternal truth, that no constitution
was so perfect as the democracy, and that no country could flourish, but under
the administration of the mob.
    These considerations being premised, no wonder that they happened to
disagree in the freedom of an unreserved conversation, especially as their
entertainer took all opportunities of encouraging and inflaming the contention.
The first source of their difference was an unlucky remark of the painter, who
observed that the partridge of which he was then eating, had the finest relish
of any he had ever tasted. His friend owned that the birds were the best of the
kind he had seen in France; but affirmed that they were neither so plump nor
delicious as those that were caught in England. The governor considering this
observation as the effect of prejudice and inexperience, said with a sarcastical
smile, »I believe, sir, you are very well disposed to find every thing here
inferior to the productions of your own country.« »True, sir, (answered the
physician with a certain solemnity of aspect) and not without good reason I
hope.« »And pray, (resumed the tutor) why may not the partridges of France be as
good as those of England?« »For a very plain reason, (replied the other) because
they are not so well fed. The iron hand of oppression is extended to
