444 THE LEARNED FLEAS. 



and then and blows. — Use this glass, Sir. — Go on [to the 

 fleas] — the coachman cracks his whip, and the guard blows 

 his horn. You may see him put it to his mouth, but the 

 sound is so small that you cannot hear it, — there, you see, he 

 drives as straight as a mail-coachman. 



" This is a gig, with a lady and gentleman, drawn by a 

 single flea, — go on. This is a figure of a elephant, with a 

 castle on its back, and a good many men in it, drawn by 

 a single flea ; this is a very great weight for one flea — go on ; 

 — it shews what great strength it possess. There is Welling- 

 ton, — go on, you are sulky, — Blucher, and Napoleon, the 

 three heroes of Waterloo, mounted on fleas ; the figures are 

 of paper, and are all very like ; the Duke of Welhngton is 

 perfect likeness. 



" There are two fleas settling a dispute of honour after the 

 ancient method ; each flea is covered with armour and pro- 

 vided with a lance — go on ; — there, you see them spear one 

 another — they do not hurt each other much. There is a flea 

 with a blue petticoat on, he is drawing up a bucket of water 

 out of a well; the chain and the bucket is gold; if you watch, 

 you will see the bucket come up out of the well. This is a 

 treadmill, in which the fleas are broke in, and cured of leaping; 

 when the flea leaps, he knocks his head against the top, and 

 he does not like that ; there is one in now, when he moves — 

 there ! you see it go round. 



" This is a ball-room : it is the top of a musical snuff-box ; 

 this raised part is the orchestra; there are twenty-one fleas, 

 musicians — seven violins, one violoncello, three French-horns, 

 two bassoons, two key-bugles, four clarionets, one octave, and 

 one harp — all the instruments of music are of gold ; round the 

 room are a great number of fleas, ladies and gentlemen, on 

 chairs ; there are two fleas, lady and a gentleman, flirting ; and 

 there is an old lady in spectacles reading the Times news- 

 paper ; in the middle are some ladies and gentlemen waiting 

 for the music, to begin waltzing ; directly the music begins, 

 the musicians will all play their music, and the dancers begin 

 dancing ; there, now I will touch the key ; there, you see, — 

 take the glass. Miss, and look at the violin-players." " Oh, 

 do look, ma ! they're all fiddling" "Yes, and the waltzers are 

 twirling round and round. I have heard many young ladies 

 say they wish they could waltz so well. Take the glass, 



