Our Athenian took
an early opportunity of adverting to the proposed "cut," and
introduced his newly-acquired learning in the following
terms: "Ah! Measter Fletcher, it's a foine thing a lock;
yo' know'n I loike to look into them theere things; a lock
is a perpendicular slop level, which, being let into the
sea, is revealed into boards, that raises it to the
declivity of the sea above!"--As it is the province and
privilege of the ignorant to laugh at a greater degree of
ignorance than their own, it may be supposed that their
worships enjoyed a hearty laugh at the expense of their
Attic brother.
~257~~whole district of English barbarians by one action, and, what is
more, they have never ventured to trot with any one of our fraternity
since."
The conversation now took a turn relative to the affairs of trade; and
if any one had been desirous of knowing the exact degree of solvency in
which the whole population of the county of Gloucester was held by
these flying merchants and factors, they might easily have summed up the
estimate from the remarks of the company. They were, however, a jovial
party; and my friend Bob and myself had rarely found ourselves more
pleasantly circumstanced, either as regarded our social comforts, or the
continued variety of new character with which the successive speakers
presented us.
Pages:
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825