ing pale.

"You may say that," says Uncle, "but you must alsoe try to save
yourselves. For my Part, I see not what shoulde keep you in Town. Come
down to us at _Ipswich_; my Brother and you shall have the haunted
Chamber; and we can make plenty of Shakedowns for the Girls in the
Atticks. Your Maids can look after Matters here. By the way, you have a
Merlin's Head sett up in your Neighbourhood; I saw your black-eyed Maid
come forthe of it as I passed."

Mother bit her lip; but Father broke forthe with, "What can we expect but
that a judiciall Punishment shoulde befall a Land where the Corruption of
the Court, more potent and subtile in its Infection than anie Pestilence,
hath tainted every open Resorte and bye Corner of the Capital and
Country? Our Sins cry aloud; our Pulpits, Counters, and Closetts alike
witness against us. 'Tis, as with the People soe with the Priest, as
with the Buyer soe with the Seller, as with the Maid soe with the
Mistress. Plays, Interludes, Gaming-houses, Sabbath Debauches,
Dancing-rooms, Merry-Andrews, Jack Puddings, Quacks, false Prophesyings--"

"Ah! we can excuse a little Bitternesse in the losing Party now," says
Uncle; "but do you seriously mean to say you think us more deserving of
judiciall Punishment under the glorious Restoration than during the
unnatural Rebellion? Sure you have had Time to cool upon that."

"Certainly I mean to say so," answers Father. "During the unnatural
Rebellion, as you please to call it, the Commonwealth, whose Duration was
very short--"

"Very short, indeed," observes Uncle, coughing. "Only from _Worcester_
Fight, Fifty-one, to _Noll's_ Dissolution of the Long Parliament,
Fifty-three; yet quite long enough to see what it was."

"I deny that, as well as your Dates," says Father. "We enjoyed a
Commonwealth under the Protector, who, had he not assumed that high
Office which gave him his Name, would have lacked Opportunity of showing
that he was capable of filling the most exalted Station with Vigour and
Ability. He secured a wise Peace, obtained the respectfull Concurrence
of foreign Powers, filled our domestick Courts with upright Judges, and
respected the Rights of Conscience."

"Why, suppose I admitted all this, which I am far from doing," says
Uncle, "what was he but a King, except by just Title? What had become,
meantime, of your Commonwealth?"

"Softly, _Kit_," returns Father. "The Commonwealth was progressing,
meantime, like a little