8 GRAZIERS 



speech had elicited ; but seemed to be considering what 

 he should say in retaliation. What was our surprise, 

 then, when, gently raising his head from his hands, and 

 looking round the room with a complacent smile, he said 

 — " Gentlemen, I'll pay the bet." 



The next day the majority of the company, myself 

 included, for he insisted on my remaining in town — sat 

 down to as good a dinner as the city of London could 

 provide, and no expense was spared in the variety or 

 quality of the wines. The winner and the loser sat at 

 each end of the table, and to my great surprise no 

 reference whatever was made to the subject of the bet. 

 All passed off in the greatest good-humour, heightened, 

 no doubt, by the success that one and all had met with 

 at Somerset House in the mornino-. The bill was called 

 for and cheerfully paid by my friend, without a syllable 

 being said by the company ; and when they dispersed, 

 and I retired to bed, I might have said. This man has 

 made mankind his study to some purpose. 



In those sturdy and useful sons of the soil whose 

 company I generally had up on the Saturday or Sunday, 

 and down oh the Tuesday, I met with little variety of 

 character, and nothing to call for any particular notice, 

 except that with them I found myself quite at home, 

 both on the box and on the Monday evening at their inn, 

 after their day's work in Smithfield, when enveloped in 

 one cloud of smoke, imbibing strong potations, and 

 making display of as many acquirements as their vocation 

 required. These they all seemed to know how to apply. 

 Although their conversation would not extend beyond 

 the breed of oxen, I listened with attention when they 



