 bed-fellow, by whom he enjoyed a son
and daughter; and that Morgan had received in a present from him, a piece of
very fine linnen of his wife's own making, several kits of salmon, and two casks
of pickled pork, the most delicate he had ever tasted; together with a barrel of
excellent herrings for salmagundy, which he knew to be his favourite dish.
    This topick of conversation being discussed, the Italian was desired to
exhibit a specimen of his art, and in a few minutes conducted the company into
the next room, where to their great astonishment and affright, they beheld a
thousand serpents winding along the cieling. Morgan struck with this phænomenon,
which he had not seen before, began to utter exorcisms with great devotion, Mr.
Jolter ran terrified out of the room, Gauntlet drew his hanger, and Peregrine
himself was disconcerted. The operator perceiving their confusion, desired them
to retire, and calling them back in an instant, there was not a viper to be
seen. He raised their admiration by sundry other performances, and the
Welchman's former opinion and abhorrence of his character began to recur, when
in consideration of the civility with which he had been treated, this Italian
imparted to them all the methods by which he had acted such wonders, that were
no other than the effects of natural causes curiously combined; so that Morgan
became a convert to his skill, asked pardon for the suspicion he had
entertained, and invited the stranger to pass a few days with him at Canterbury.
The scruples of Godfrey and Jolter were removed at the same time, and Peregrine
testified his satisfaction by an handsome gratuity which he bestowed upon their
entertainer.
    The evening being spent in this sociable manner, every man retired to his
respective chamber, and next morning they breakfasted together, when Morgan
declared he would stay till he should see our hero fairly embarked, that he
might have the pleasure of Mr. Gauntlet's company to his own habitation; mean
while, by the skipper's advice, the servants were ordered to carry a store of
wine and provision on board in case of accident; and as the packet-boat could
not sail before one o'clock, the company walked up hill to visit the castle,
where they saw the sword of Julius Cæsar and Queen Elizabeth's pocket pistol,
repeated Shakespear's description, while they surveyed the chalky cliffs on each
side, and cast their eyes towards the city of Calais, that was obscured by a
thick cloud which did not much regale their eyesight, because it seemed to
portend foul
