62 EARLY LIFE. 



half his eyes. He throws up a little of his wine, and 

 as soon as his head is a little clear, he sends his 

 servant to the Receiver-General for money to pay his 

 particular friends. He is told that his debtor had 

 that morning broke fraudulently, to the alarm of half 

 the families in town. Memnon, quite beside himself, 

 sets off for court, with a patch on his eye, and peti- 

 tion in his hand, to demand justice of the king against 

 the bankrupt. He meets in the drawing-room several 

 ladies, who sported, with an easy air, hoops of twenty- 

 four feet in circumference. One of these, Avho knew 

 him a little, muttered (eyeing him askance), ' How 

 horrid ! ' Another, who was better acquainted with 

 him, accosted him with a ' How do, Mr Memnon ? But, 

 indeed, Mr Memnon, I'm prodigious glad to see you. 

 By the by, Mr Memnon, how do you happen to have 

 lost an eye I ' And so she trifled on, without waiting 

 for an answer. Memnon hid himself in a corner, 

 and waited for the moment when he might throw 

 himself at the monarch's feet. The moment came, 

 and he kissed the ground three times, presenting his 

 petition. His most gracious Majesty of all the Nine- 

 yells received it very favourably, and handed it to 

 one of his satraps to make a report of its substance. 

 The satrap took Memnon aside, and said to him, 

 grinning bitterly, and with a contemptuous air, 

 ' You're a pleasant sort of a blinkard, truly, to 

 address the king rather than me, and still more 

 pleasant to dare to demand justice against an honest 

 bankrupt whom I honour with my protection, and 



