he old fellow would needs have
us drink a bottle of his champagne, and so one after another, till my
friend Nic. and I, not being used to such heady stuff, got very drunk.
Lewis all the while, either by the strength of his brain or flinching
his glass, kept himself sober as a judge. "My worthy friends," quoth
Lewis, "henceforth let us live neighbourly; I am as peaceable and quiet
as a lamb of my own temper, but it has been my misfortune to live among
quarrelsome neighbours. There is but one thing can make us fall out,
and that is the inheritance of Lord Strutt's estate: I am content, for
peace' sake, to waive my right, and submit to any expedient to prevent
a lawsuit; I think an equal division* will be the fairest way." "Well
moved, Old Lewis," quoth Frog, "and I hope my friend John here will
not be refractory." At the same time he clapped me on the back, and
slabbered me all over from cheek to cheek with his great tongue. "Do as
you please, gentlemen," quoth I, "'tis all one to John Bull." We agreed
to part that night, and next morning to meet at the corner of Lord
Strutt's park wall, with our surveying instruments, which accordingly
we did. Old Lewis carried a chain and a semicircle; Nic., paper, rulers,
and a lead pencil; and I followed at some distance with a long pole. We
began first with surveying the meadow grounds, afterwards we measured
the cornfields, close by close; then we proceeded to the woodlands, the
copper and tin mines.** All this while Nic. laid down everything exactly
upon paper, calculated the acres and roods to a great nicety. When
we had finished the land, we were going to break into the house
and gardens, to take an inventory of his plate, pictures, and other
furniture.

* The Partition Treaty.

** The West Indies.

MRS. BULL.--What said Lord Strutt to all this?

JOHN BULL.--As we had almost finished our concern, we were accosted by
some of Lord Strutt's servants. "Heyday! what's here? what a devil's
the meaning of all these trangrams and gimcracks, gentlemen? What in the
name of wonder, are you going about, jumping over my master's hedges,
and running your lines cross his grounds? If you are at any field
pastime, you might have asked leave: my master is a civil well-bred
person as any is."

MRS. BULL.--What could you answer to this?

JOHN BULL.--Why, truly, my neighbour Frog and I were still hot-headed;
we told him his master was an old doting puppy, that minded nothing of
his