,
who dearly loved his Pipe of Virginia. The Chaplain always called me
John D.; and indeed by this time I seemed to be fast losing the
character as well as the name of Dangerous. My life was passed in the
Plenitude of Fatness; and I may say almost that I was at Grass with
Nebuchadnezzar, and had one Life with the beasts of the field; for my
days were given up to earthly indulgences, and I was no better than a
stalled ox. But the old perils and troubles of my career were only
Dormant, and ere long I was to become Jack Dangerous again.

A year passed away in this eating and drinking, dozy, lazy kind of life.
I was past seventeen years of age, and it was the autumn of the year
'29. We were resting for a time--not that Master, Chaplain, or Man ever
did much to entitle them to repose--at the famous watering-place of Spa,
close to the German Frontier. We put up at the Silver Stag, where we
were entertained in very Handsome Style. Spa, or the Spaw, as it was
sometimes called, was then one of the most Renowned Baths in Europe, and
was attended by the very Grandest company. Here, when we arrived, was my
Lord Duke of Tantivy, an English nobleman of the very Highest Figure,
accompanied by my Lady Duchess, the Lord Marquis of Newmarket, his
Grace's Son and Heir, who made Rare Work at the gaming tables, with
which the place abounded; the Ladies Kitty and Bell Jockeymore, his
daughters; and attended by a Numerous and sumptuous suite. Here also did
I see the famous French Prince de Noisy-Gevres, then somewhat out of
favour at the French Court, for writing of a Lampoon on one of his
Eminence the Cardinal Minister's Lady Favourites; the Great Muscovite
Boyard Stchigakoff, who had been here ever since the Czar Peter his
master had honoured the Spaw with his presence; and any number of
Foreign Notabilities, of the most Illustrious Rank, and of either sex.
Money was the great Master of the Ceremonies, however, and he who had
the Longest Purse was bidden to the Bravest Entertainments. The English
of Quality, indeed (as is their custom, which makes 'em so Hated by
Foreigners), kept themselves very much to themselves, and my Lord Duke
of Tantivy's party, with the exception of the Marquis of Newmarket, who
was good enough to Borrow a score of gold pieces from us, and to Rook us
at cards now and then, took not the slightest notice of my poor little
Master, who was dying to be introduced into Polite Society, and spread
abroad those fictions of h