l not employ Lewis Baboon, or else
we will take our remedy at law, clap an action upon you of 20,000
pounds for old debts, seize and distrain your goods and chattels,
which, considering your lordship's circumstances, will plunge you into
difficulties, from which it will not be easy to extricate yourself.
Therefore we hope, when your lordship has better considered on it, you
will comply with the desire of

Your loving friends,

JOHN BULL,

NIC. FROG.

Some of Bull's friends advised him to take gentler methods with the
young lord, but John naturally loved rough play. It is impossible to
express the surprise of the Lord Strutt upon the receipt of this letter.
He was not flush in ready either to go to law or clear old debts,
neither could he find good bail. He offered to bring matters to a
friendly accommodation, and promised, upon his word of honour, that he
would not change his drapers; but all to no purpose, for Bull and Frog
saw clearly that old Lewis would have the cheating of him.

CHAPTER IV. How Bull and Frog went to law with Lord Strutt about the
premises, and were joined by the rest of the tradesmen.

All endeavours of accommodation between Lord Strutt and his drapers
proved vain. Jealousies increased, and, indeed, it was rumoured abroad
that Lord Strutt had bespoke his new liveries of old Lewis Baboon. This
coming to Mrs. Bull's ears, when John Bull came home, he found all
his family in an uproar. Mrs. Bull, you must know, was very apt to be
choleric. "You sot," says she, "you loiter about alehouses and taverns,
spend your time at billiards, ninepins, or puppet-shows, or flaunt about
the streets in your new gilt chariot, never minding me nor your numerous
family. Don't you hear how Lord Strutt has bespoke his liveries at
Lewis Baboon's shop? Don't you see how that old fox steals away your
customers, and turns you out of your business every day, and you sit
like an idle drone, with your hands in your pockets? Fie upon it. Up
man, rouse thyself; I'll sell to my shift before I'll be so used by that
knave."* You must think Mrs. Bull had been pretty well tuned up by Frog,
who chimed in with her learned harangue. No further delay now, but to
counsel learned in the law they go, who unanimously assured them both of
justice and infallible success of their lawsuit.

* The sentiments and addresses of the Parliament at that
time.

I told you before that old Lewis Baboon was a sort of a
Jack-of-all-