rt, desired him
not to be too severe upon the SPECTATOR neither; For, says he, _you find
he is very cautious of giving Offence, and has therefore put two Dashes
into his Pudding. A Fig for his Dash,_ says the angry Politician. _In
his next Sentence he gives a plain Innuendo, that our Posterity will be
in a sweet P-ckle. What does the Fool mean by his Pickle? Why does not
he write it at length, if he means honestly? I have read over the whole
Sentence,_ says I; _but I look upon the Parenthesis in the Belly of it
to be the most dangerous Part, and as full of Insinuations as it can
hold. But who,_ says I, _is my Lady Q-p-t-s? Ay, Answer that if you can,
Sir,_ says the furious Statesman to the poor Whig that sate over-against
him. But without giving him Time to reply, _I do assure you,_ says he,
_were I my Lady_ Q-p-t-s, _I would sue him for_ Scandalum Magnatum.
_What is the World come to? Must every Body be allowed to--?_ He had by
this time filled a new Pipe and applying it to his Lips, when we
expected the last Word of his Sentence, put us off with a Whiff of
Tobacco; which he redoubled with so much Rage and Trepidation, that he
almost stifled the whole Company. After a short Pause, I owned that I
thought the SPECTATOR had gone too far in writing so many Letters of my
Lady _Q-p-t-s'_s Name; _but however_, says I, _he has made a little
Amends for it in his next Sentence, where he leaves a blank Space
without so much as a Consonant to direct us? I mean_, says I, _after
those Words_, The Fleet, that used to be the Terrour of the Ocean,
should be Wind-bound for the sake of a--; _after which ensues a Chasm,
that in my Opinion looks modest enough. Sir_, says my Antagonist, _you
may easily know his Meaning by his Gaping; I suppose he designs his
Chasm, as you call it, for an Hole to creep out at, but I believe it
will hardly serve his Turn. Who can endure to see the great Officers of
State, the_ B--y's _and_ T--t's _treated after so scurrilous a Manner? I
can't for my Life_, says I, _imagine who they are the_ SPECTATOR _means?
No!_ says he,--_Your humble Servant, Sir!_ Upon which he flung himself
back in his Chair after a contemptuous Manner, and smiled upon the old
lethargick Gentleman on his left Hand, who I found was his great
Admirer. The Whig however had begun to conceive a Good-will towards me,
and seeing my Pipe out, very generously offered me the Use of his Box;
but I declined it with great Civility, being obliged to meet