"My good friend, Artopolus, I have "really a regard for you: You serve "me extremely well. How do you 66 66 manage to make fuch good bread as દ you fend me? 'Tis excellent; there 66 can be no fault found with fuch "bread. Let me fee what it is I owe you? Two thousand three hundred "and forty-fix livres-That's just what "I owe you. Well, I fhall not exa"mine your account; I don't question "but it is right. Two thousand three "hundred and odd livres. I fhall be "able to pay you.-Well, Mr. Arto ઃઃ polus, the first money I receive shall "be yours. You fhall not be at the "trouble of coming for it; 'tis not "reasonable you fhould ;-why man, 'tis 66 you who keep me alive. : "So, here is my wine merchant :— "I have longed for an opportunity, my "friend, to take you to task. ~ You "know full well, Mr. Vintner, that 66 you have a pleasure in poisoning me "with your wine. wine. What the devil is "it you put into it? I cannot drink "three bottles but it deprives me of 66 my understanding; and yet it is mo66 ney you want-Go about your bufinefs-go; people who expect to be 66 paid never ferve their cuftomers in "that manner. You fhall have no 66 money till every body else is paid, if "it were only to teach you to fell good ❝ wine. "As for you, Monfieur Guillaumet, "I am quite afhamed to have been fo "long without paying you. I am fen"fible of all the complaints you have "against me. You have cloathed me "and my whole family thefe five years, " and I have not as yet paid you a sous. "I promised to pay you towards the "end of the last year, but I difappoint"ed you. Is not that all you have to "fay to me? You know me very well, "Monfieur * Monfieur Guillaumet; do you ima • gine I could be fo cruel as to let you "be all this time out of your money, "after you had difburfed fuch confi"derable fums for my ufe, if my tenants did but pay me? I must be a 26 great villain if I could behave after ઃઃ that manner: But they will pay me "by and by, and then you shall have 66 your money. Your fervant,-—Give "GOOD morrow, Mrs. Pernelle, I fuppofe you are come to demand 66 your money for thofe thirty pieces "of linen which I had of you two years ago? Well, I cannot pay you e EC very foon. You fee what a number of people I have promised already. "But you can afford to wait a little. You are well to pafs!"-" No, Sir, દ મંદ you are mistaken, my circumftances. *are very indifferent."" Oh, so much "the τσ "the worfe, my good miftrefs: when people cannot afford to give credit, "they should never pretend to fell. “As to the rest of you, my good "friends," fays Mifochriftis, addreffing himself to thofe creditors who had not as yet received audience: "I fancy I "don't owe you any great matters. "You fee I am endeavouring to regu "late my affairs. Give me a little more "time; and if I can do no better at prefent, I will at least look over and "fettle your accounts." As foon as Mifochriftis had finished these words, the flew from them like lightening, leaving his creditors fo aftonished at his impudence, that he was quite out of their hearing before they had recollected themselves fufficiently to make him a reply. BUT if men of honor have been bad pay-masters, because punctuality was unfashionable, they have been found equal ly ly fo in thofe happy play-times, when their good old mafter, the LAW, fell drowfy, and took no notice of his pupils actions. YOUNG Adraftus, hard run for money, determines to try his friends. He goes to Agathocles, and in the bated breath and whispering humbleness of a borrower, begs the loan of a thoufand guineas. A good round fum! But the benevolent Agathocles, a stranger to fufpicion, grants the loan. Adraftus pockets the money and rides off, the happiest man in the world. For three years the good Agathocles got nothing from Adraftus but empty promises and forrowful details of disappointments and lofes. At length a war breaks out, and the country wanting money, the prefs is converted into a mint, and paper dollars are ftruck off by the ream. These the legiflator pronounces to be of equal value with gold and filver, |