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source of litigation is furnished by the river Ruse, whose 

 channel is studded with a number of islands, called Stro- 

 phades, which, by reason of the impetuosity of the stream, 

 are continually changing their form and dimensions, so that 

 one man's property is very often enlarged at the expense of 

 another man's farm on the neighbouring island. Most of 

 the Natives labour under a complaint called the Golden- 

 quinsey, which however they neither conceal nor desire to be 

 healed of. For these persons possess the remarkable pro- 

 perty of attracting to themselves the precious metals, just 

 as the loadstone attracts iron. 



The other street called Frippery,* is much occupied 

 by money-scriveners, (in league with the Lawyers and 

 Shopkeepers), and by the vendors of every description of 

 wares, which they force upon passengers, with clamorous 

 puffing ; such as copper chains, said by them to be of the 

 purest gold, false jewellery of every description, and artificial 

 pearls, which they swear are the finest that the ocean can 

 produce — nay, they shew the very shells in which they 

 grew. There is an abundance of Quacks, whose tricks in 

 changing and compounding medicines, it would require a 

 volume to expose. As detection would be followed by 

 severe punishment, they are constantly on their guard, 

 altering their appearance, their garments, and their voice 

 perpetually. "In the Suburbs there is a famous public 

 "school, in which lessons are daily given in the Art of 

 " Transferring Property. Instead of the Koran, their text- 

 " book, is an ancient history of Mercury, f shewing how 

 " adroitly that Deity — even when an infant — contrived to 

 " purloin from Neptune his trident, from Mars his sword, 

 " from Apollo his bow and arrows, from Vulcan his pin- 

 " cers, from Venus her girdle ; and who (as Lucian ex- 

 ' presses it) must have been planning theft even in his 



* A well-known street at Paris, at that limo so called. 

 \ The God of Thieves. 



