BACHELORS' BLESSEDNESS. 199 



their husbands for wandering in naughty ways ; you 

 say, " May Theobald never have to regret the want of 

 such ratings;" i. e. in plainer English, (for I suppose 

 you would not consider Theobald's bringing his basket 

 home full offish to sell for his, intended , wife and children, 

 in prospect, naughtiness) you would be glad to see him 

 ever and anon, up to the neck in some very especial 

 devilry ; however he will keep himself clear if it, were 

 it only for the sake of having a good humoured shake- 

 hands with not " kick at" your lucubrations here- 

 after to be published. Wherein it is my design always 

 to admit of your beiogjr$f best, since you have so 

 kindly intimated that I shall come off only second best. 



You seem to turn restive and a little pathetic withal 

 when you allude to a certain mode of drawing inferences ; 

 but, my dear fellow, do you not think, that you have 

 shown considerable ingenuity that way yourself: who- 

 ever gives a joke ought to be able to take one. I 

 suppose that your well known and much to be admired 

 modesty never so far deserted you as to allow of your 

 indulging in the delusion that your "bevy of destruc- 

 tion ists," your "burning his papers "to make them 

 look tidy, your "deluge," the "delights," the "beauti- 

 ful fable for the Arabian nights," together with two or 

 three little inferences in your last paper very pretty, 

 and very respectable bounces would be considered by 

 any of the S. D. M. readers as matters of sober earnest. 



As you tell us in very sentimental and touching terms 

 that the propensity of philoprogenitiveness is within 

 your head, and the corresponding developement with- 

 out; I hope you will acknowledge my right to the hil- 

 lock of benevolence when I state that I will give you 

 the benefit which you claim on the score of being in 

 want of a carpet, and I will also admit your superior 

 judgment as to the mode of cleansing a floor; but the 

 " Deluge" my dear fellow, the " DELUGE," do not make 

 it universal for the sake of 



THEOBALD. 

 Tavistock. 



