one sure Card, which is to carry him before
Justice Frolick, who, upon hearing your Ladyship's Name, will commit him without
any farther Questions. As for the dirty Slut, we shall have nothing to do with
her: for if we get rid of the Fellow, the ugly Jade will -« »Take what Measures
your please, good Mr. Scout,« answered the Lady, »but I wish you could rid the
Parish of both; for Slipslop tells me such Stories of this Wench, that I abhor
the Thoughts of her; and tho' you say she is such an ugly Slut, yet you know,
dear Mr. Scout, these forward Creatures who run after Men, will always find some
as forward as themselves: So that, to prevent the Increase of Beggars, we must
get rid of her.« - »Your Ladyship is very much in the right,« answered Scout,
»but I am afraid the Law is a little deficient in giving us any such Power of
Prevention; however the Justice will stretch it as far as he is able, to oblige
your Ladyship. To say truth, it is a great Blessing to the Country that he is in
the Commission; for he hath taken several Poor off our hands, that the Law would
never lay hold on. I know some Justices who make as much of committing a Man to
Bridewell as his Lordship at Size would of hanging him: But it would do a Man
good to see his Worship our Justice commit a Fellow to Bridewell; he takes so
much pleasure in it: And when once we ha' un there, we seldom hear any more o'
un. He's either starved or eat up by Vermin in a Month's time.« - Here the
Arrival of a Visitor put an end to the Conversation, and Mr. Scout having
undertaken the Cause, and promised it Success, departed.
    This Scout was one of those Fellows, who without any Knowledge of the Law,
or being bred to it, take upon them, in defiance of an Act of Parliament, to act
as Lawyers in the Country, and are called so. They are the Pests of Society, and
a Scandal to a Profession, to which indeed they do not belong; and which owes to
such kind of Rascallions the Ill-will which weak Persons bear towards it. With
this Fellow, to whom a little before she would not have condescended to have
spoken, did a certain Passion for Joseph, and the Jealousy and Disdain of poor
innocent Fanny, betray the Lady Booby,