speak with him, immediately slipped off his apron, and clothed himself in an old night-gown, being the dress in which he always saw his company at home. His wife, who informed him of Mr. Adams's arrival, had made a small mistake, for she told her husband she believed here was a man come for some of his hogs. This supposition made Mr. Trulliber hasten with the utmost expedition to attend his guest. He no sooner saw Adams, than, not in the least doubting the cause of his errand to be what his wife imagined, he told him he was come in very good time; that he expected a dealer that very afternoon; and added, they were all pure and fat, and upward of twenty score apiece.

Adams answered, he believed he did not know him. "Yes, yes," cried Trulliber, "I have seen you often at the fair: why, we have dealt before now, mun, I warrant you. Yes, yes," cries he: "I remember thy face very well, but won't mention a word more till you have seen them, though I have never sold thee a flitch of such bacon as is now in the sty." Upon which he laid violent hands on Adams, and dragged him into the hog-sty, which was indeed but two steps from his parlor window. They were no sooner arrived there than he cried out, "Do but handle them; step in, friend; art welcome to handle them, whether dost buy or no." At which words, opening the gate, he pushed Adams into a pig-sty, insisting on it that he should handle them before he would talk one word with him.

Adams, whose natural complaisance was beyond any artificial, was obliged to comply before he was suffered to explain himself; and, laying hold of one of their tails, the unruly beast gave such a sudden spring that he threw poor Adams all along in the mire. Trulliber, instead of assisting him to get up, burst into a fit of laughter, and, entering the sty, said to Adams, with some contempt,

"Why, dost not know how to handle a hog?" and was going to lay hold of one himself; but Adams, who thought he had carried his complaisance far enough, was no sooner on his legs than he escaped out of the reach of the animals, and cried out, "Nil habeo cum porcis: I am a clergyman, sir, and am not come to buy hogs." Trulliber answered, he was sorry for the mistake, but that he must blame his wife; adding, she was a fool, and always committed blunders. He then desired him to walk in and clean himself; that he would only fasten up the sty and follow him. Adams desired leave to dry his great-coat, wig, and hat by the fire, which Trulliber granted. Mrs. Trulliber would have brought him a basin of water to wash his face, but her husband bid her, be quiet, like a fool, as she was, or she would commit more blunders; and then directed Adams

to the pump.

While Adams was thus employed, Trulliber, conceiving no great respect for the appearance of his guest, fastened the parlor door, and now conducted him into the kitchen, telling him he believed a cup of drink would do him no harm, and whispered his wife to draw a little of the worst ale.

After a short silence, Adams said, "I fancy, sir, you already perceive me to be a clergyman." "Ay, ay," cries Trulliber, grinning, "I perceive you have some cassock; I will not venture to caale it a whole one." Adams answered, it was, indeed, none of the best; but he had the misfortune to tear it about ten years ago in passing over a stile.

Mrs. Trulliber, returning with the drink, told her husband she fancied the gentleman was a traveller, and that he would be glad to eat a bit. Trulliber bid her hold her impertinent tongue, and asked her if parsons used to travel without horses; adding, he supposed the gentleman had

none, by his having no boots on. "Yes, sir, yes," says Adams; "I have a horse, but I have left him behind me." "I am glad to hear you have one," says Trulliber; "for I assure you I don't love to see clergymen on foot; it is not seemly, nor suiting the dignity of the cloth." Here Trulliber made a long oration on the dignity of the cloth (or rather gown), not much worth relating, till his wife had spread the table, and set a mess of porridge on it for his breakfast. He then said to Adams, "I don't know, friend, how you came to caale on me; however, as you are here if you think proper to eat a morsel, you may."

Adams accepted the invitation, and the two parsons sat down together; Mrs. Trulliber waiting behind her husband's chair, as was, it seems, her custom. Trulliber ate heartily, but scarce put anything into his mouth without finding fault with his wife's cookery, all which the poor woman bore patiently. Indeed, she was so absolute an admirer of her husband's greatness and importance, of which she had frequent hints from his own mouth, that she almost carried her adoration to an opinion of his infallibility.

To say the truth, the parson had exercised her more ways than one; and the pious woman had been so well edified by her husband's sermons that she had resolved to receive the bad things of this world together with the good. She had indeed been at first a little contentious; but he had long since got the better; partly by her love for this, partly by her fear of that; partly by her religion; partly by the respect he paid himself, and partly by that which he received from the parish. She had, in short, absolutely submitted, and now worshipped her husband as Sarah did Abraham, calling him not lord, but master. While they were at table her husband gave her a fresh example of his greatness; for as she had just delivered a

cup of ale to Adams, he snatched it out of his hand, and crying out, "I caal'd vurst!" swallowed down the ale. Adams denied it; it was referred to the wife, who, though her conscience was on the side of Adams, durst not give it against her husband. Upon which he said, "No, sir, no, I should not have been so rude to have taken it from you if you had caal'd vurst; but I'd have you know I'm a. better man than to suffer the best he in the kingdom to drink before me in my own house, when I caale vurst."

As soon as their breakfast was ended, Adams began in the following manner: "I think, sir, it is high time to inform you of the business of my embassy. I am a traveller, and am passing this way in company with two young people, a lad and a damsel, my parishioners, toward my own cure; we stopped at a house of hospitality in the parish, where they directed me to you as having the cure." "Though I am but a curate," says Trulliber, "I believe I am as warm as the vicar himself, or perhaps the rector of the next parish, too; I believe I could buy them both." "Sir," cries Adams, “I rejoice thereat. Now, sir, my business is that we are by various accidents stripped of our money, and are not able to pay our reckoning, being seven shillings. I therefore request you to assist me with the loan of those seven shillings, and also seven shillings more, which, peradventure, I shall return to you; but if not, I am convinced you will joyfully embrace such an opportunity of laying up a treasure in a better place than this world affords."

Suppose a stranger who entered the chambers of a lawyer, being imagined a client, when the lawyer was preparing his palm for the fee, should pull out a writ against him. Suppose an apothecary, at the door of a chariot. containing some greater doctor of eminent skill, should, instead of directions to a patient, present him with a potion

for himself. Suppose a minister should, instead of a good round sum, treat my lord or sir or squire with a good broomstick. Suppose a civil companion, or a led captain, should, instead of virtue, and beauty, and parts, and admiration, thunder vice, and infamy, and ugliness, and folly, and contempt, in his patron's ears. Suppose, when a tradesman first carries in his bill, the man of fashion should pay it; or suppose, if he did so, the tradesman should abate what he had overcharged on the supposition of waiting. In short-suppose what you will, you never can nor will suppose anything equal to the astonishment which seized on Trulliber as soon as Adams had ended his speech. Awhile he rolled his eyes in silence, sometimes surveying Adams, then his wife; then casting them on the ground, then lifting them up to heaven. At last he burst forth in the following accents:

'Sir, I believe I know where to lay up my little treasure as well as another; I thank God, if I am not so warm as some, I am content; that is a blessing greater than riches; and he, to whom that is given, need ask no more. To be content with a little is greater than to possess the world; which a man may possess without being so. Lay up my treasure! What matters where a man's treasure is whose heart is in the Scriptures? There is the treasure of a Christian."

At these words the water ran from Adams's eyes; and, catching Trulliber by the hand in a rapture, "Brother," says he, "Heavens bless the accident by which I came to see you! I would have walked many a mile to have communed with you; and believe me, I will shortly pay you a second visit; but my friends, I fancy, by this time wonder at my stay; so let me have the money immediately."

Trulliber then put on a stern look, and cried out. "Thou dost not intend to rob me?" At which the wife, bursting