166 EXTEAVAGAXT ASSERTIONS. 



The gift had created some jealousy 

 on the part of his compeers ; but a good 

 understanding seemed to prevail among 

 them the evening they all met prior to the 

 letting, at an hotel in the city, where my 

 friend would have me accompany him after 

 my arrival in London. In the course of 

 the conversation that arose I found he had 

 credit for enlarging or exceeding the truth in 

 matters of both small and great importance, 

 as had another gentleman in the company, 

 who was remarkable for a deep and crafty 

 expression of countenance, and came from 

 Newbury; he was well stricken in years, 

 and did, by the relation of some few dis- 

 crepancies the other had been guilty of, 

 astonish the whole company. 



My friend took it all very good hu- 

 mouredly, and repaid him in the same coin, 

 till each of them, vieing with the other on 

 the palpable absurdity of their stories, and 

 taking credit for their own skill in exag- 



