ays I: "faith, you have missed already; for I staid at home
and let the girls poach for me. That's my way: I take a fine
woman as some animals do their prey--stand still, and,
swoop, they fall into my mouth."' 'Ah, Tibbs, thou art a
happy fellow,' cried my companion, with looks of infinite
pity; 'I hope your fortune is as much improved as your
understanding, in such company?' 'Improved!' replied the
other: 'you shall know,--but let it go no farther--a great
secret--five hundred a year to begin with--my lord's word of
honour for it. His lordship took me down in his own chariot
yesterday, and we had a _tete-a-tete_ dinner in the country,
where we talked of nothing else.'--'I fancy you forget,
sir,' cried I; 'you told us but this moment of your dining
yesterday in town.'--'Did I say so?' replied he, coolly; 'to
be sure, if I said so, it was so. Dined in town! egad, now I
do remember, I did dine in town; but I dined in the country
too; for you must know, my boys, I ate two dinners. By the
bye, I am grown as nice as the devil in my eating. I'll tell
you a pleasant affair about that: we were a select party of
us to dine at Lady Grogram's,--an affected piece, but let it
go no farther--a secret.--Well, there happened to be no
asafoetida in the sauce to a turkey, upon which, says I,
I'll hold a thousand guineas, and say done, first,
that--But, dear Drybone, you are an honest creature; lend me
half-a-crown for a minute or two, or so, just till ----; but
hearkee, ask me for it the next time we meet, or it may be
twenty to one but I forget to pay you.'"

Returning from those performances to the author of them, we find him a
busy man of letters, becoming more and more in request among the
booksellers, and obtaining recognition among his fellow-writers. He
had moved into better lodgings in Wine Office Court (1760-2); and it
was here that he entertained at supper, as has already been mentioned,
no less distinguished guests than Bishop, then Mr., Percy, and Dr.,
then Mr., Johnson. Every one has heard of the surprise of Percy, on
calling for Johnson, to find the great Cham dressed with quite unusual
smartness. On asking the cause of this "singular transformation,"
Johnson replied, "Why, sir, I hear that Goldsmith, who is a very great
sloven, justifies his disregard of cleanliness and decency by quoting
my p