 cold, endangered by a surfeit; but what I place my chief
confidence in, is an hearty pox, a distemper which hath been fatal to his whole
family. Not but that the issue of all these things is uncertain; and expedients
might be found, which would more effectually answer the purpose. I know they
have arts in India, by which a man can secure his own interest, in the
salutation of a friendly shake by the hand; and I don't doubt that you who have
lived in that country, are master of the secret. To be sure, if you was inclined
to communicate such a nostrum, there are abundance of people who would purchase
it, at a very high price.«
    Cadwallader understood this insinuation, and was tempted to amuse him in
such a manner as would tend to his disgrace and confusion; but, considering that
the case was of too criminal a nature to be tampered with, he withstood his
desire of punishing this rapacious cormorant any other way than by telling him,
he would not impart that secret for his whole fortune ten times doubled; so that
the usurer retired, very much dissatisfied with the issue of his consultation.
    The next person who presented himself at this altar of intelligence, was an
author, who recommended himself to a gratis advice, by observing that a prophet
and poet were known by the same appellation among the antients; and that, at
this day, both the one and the other spoke by inspiration. The conjurer refused
to own this affinity, which, he said, formerly subsisted, because both species
of the Vates were the children of fiction; but as he himself did not fall under
that predicament, he begged leave to disown all connexion with the family of the
poets; and the poor author would have been dismissed without his errand, tho' he
offered to leave an ode as security for the magician's fee, to be paid from the
profits of his first third night, had not Cadwallader's curiosity prompted him
to know the subject of this gentleman's inquiry. He therefore told him, that in
consideration of his genius, he would for once satisfy him, without a fee; and
desired him to specify the doubts in which he wished to be resolved.
    The son of Parnassus, glad of this condescension, for which he thanked the
necromancer, gave him to understand, that he had some time before presented a
play in manuscript to a certain great man, at the head of taste, who had not
only read and approved the performance, but also undertaken to introduce and
support it on
