MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE, 361 



lowing ftratagem : I then lived in Oxendon- 

 flreet ; and almoft oppofice to me lodged Lord 

 (then the honourable Mr.) Semple, who bore 

 a commiflion in the Guards ; the fimilarity of 

 names, as both were called Captain Semple, 

 had occafioned many miftakes ; but though our 

 names were alike, our circumftances differed 

 widely ; for he owed nobody a farthing, and I 

 owed every body who would give me credit. 

 As foon as thefe vultures of the law entered the 

 room, they, with the ufual etiquette, made mc 

 acquainted with the purport of their vilit, and 

 concluded, by giving me a very prefling invi- 

 tation to a houfe kept by one of them. As I 

 wifhed to decline this honour, I affed^ed much 

 furprize, and told them they muft needs be 

 miftaken, as I was in debt to nobody ; they 

 aflved me if I was not Captain Semple ? " Then, 

 " gentlemen," faid I, *' the whole is cleared 

 " up, there is another Captain Semple lives in 

 '* this flreet, I fee him now," pointing at his 

 lodgings, " locking through the window ; and 

 " this is not the firft, nor hardly the twentieth 

 time, that I have been arrefted for him ; in 

 fhort, his attornies, his duns, and his bailiffs, 

 " will force me to quit this ftreet." I then 

 profeffed myfelf perfedly ready to go with them, 

 if they infifted upon it ; but that I was quite 

 \vearied with fuch inceffant vifits of that nature ; 



anti 





