INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A RAT. 543 



race to travel so far to taste it ? I resolutely stopped my nostrils, and 

 approaching the well- side, dabbled my whiskers in it, and being thirsty, 

 took, or attempted to take, " a long pull," but oh, horror of horrors ! 

 I found its smell genteel to its taste, and its effect made me quite poorly; 

 so much so, that it was some time before I recovered sufficient strength 

 to crawl up the gentle ascent, at the top of which stands the famous inn 

 called the Crown. Here I took up my quarters, intending to stop and 

 see the gaieties of this noted place, conceiving rightly, that being so near 

 the springs, I should there see most of the company. I here also found 

 many of my brethren, and soon got a good introduction amongst them. 

 Next morning I went again down to the well, accompanied by an old 

 rat, who proffered to show me all the lions, and describe to me the folks 

 assembled. I was highly amused at the wry faces some made in tippling 

 the water, whilst others appeared to swallow it with the greatest ap- 

 parent gout. I was particularly struck with the manner in which the 

 attentive nurses strove to induce the little masters and misses to drink 

 the " nauseous draught," given them by the equally unprepossessing old 

 women who take it out of the trough or well, and should it prove too 

 cold for their stomachs, mixed a little smoking hot out of a jug, which 

 had been previously boiled : the mixture in this state I can liken to 

 nothing so much as to a broth made of boiled rotten eggs, and drunk 

 warm. In order to induce these young hopefuls to swallow the water, 

 the nurses throw an almond, a mint drop, or some other sweet delicacy, 

 which has such irresistible charms for youth, into the glass ; the young 

 martyr to Harrowgate water then holding the glass to his lips, and 

 viewing with longing eyes the treasure at the bottom, after " screwing 

 his courage to the sticking point," resolutely gulps down the contents, 

 and obtains his reward. This reminded me of diving for pearls, which I 

 have heard of somewhere in my travels. During my residence at the 

 Crown, I lived most royally. It was my habit to go into the ordinary 

 every day, and secreting myself behind the screen until " the tug of 

 war" commenced, I scrambled up the sideboard, and there dipped my 

 whiskers in whatever most took my fancy ; sometimes, however, I used 

 to be a good deal annoyed at the impertinent agility of the waiters, who 

 would remove the dishes so quickly that I could not half satisfy myself 

 with their several contents. I resolved, one day, though to have my fill 

 of a dainty which very much took my fancy, malgre the waiters ; and, in- 

 sinuating myself gently under the cover, absolutely rolled myself in the 

 rich ragout. Soon, however, the waiters hoisted me up, but, nothing 

 daunted, I sipped away. I was not, however, a little disconcerted at one 

 of the fellows, whilst I was being carried down stairs, lifting off the dish 

 cover, in order, perhaps, to help himself, and was obliged to leap in his 

 face to make the best escape I could. The poor devil in his fright let 

 fall the dish, smashing the crockery, and had his wages stopped for 

 three weeks afterwards, besides having abundance of cayenne compli- 

 ments on his awkwardness, from the good landlady. Sometimes I rather 

 exceeded the allowance which a member of the Temperance Society 

 would say was prudent I found so many glasses of champaigne on the side 

 table, and was punished for my sins by a hearty headache next morning ; 

 but I invariably found that a morning's walk to the chalybeate spring 

 (which I found not near so disagreeable as the celebrated water,) set me 



