w, sir; she would not let the ale
take its natural course, sir; she was for qualifying
it every now and then with a dram, as the saying
is; and an honest gentleman that came this way
from Ireland, made her a present of a dozen bottles
of usquebaugh--but the poor woman was never
well after: but, howe'er, I was obliged to the
gentleman, you know. {66}

_Aim_. Why, was it the usquebaugh that killed her?

_Bon_. My Lady Bountiful said so. She, good lady, did
what could be done; she cured her of three
tympanies, but the fourth carried her off. But
she's happy, and I 'm contented, as the saying is.

_Aim_. Who 's that Lady Bountiful you mentioned?

_Bon_. 'Ods my life, sir, we'll drink her health.--[Drinks.]
My Lady Bountiful is one of the best of women.
Her last husband, Sir Charles Bountiful, left her
worth a thousand pound, a year; and, I believe,
she lays out one-half on't in charitable uses for the
good of her neighbours. She cures rheumatisms,
ruptures, and broken shins in men; green-sickness,
obstructions, and fits of the mother, in women; the
king's evil, chincough, and chilblains, in children:
in short, she has cured more people in and about
Lichfield within ten years than the doctors have
killed in twenty; and that's a bold word. {84}

_Aim_. Has the lady been any other way useful in her
generation?

_Bon_. Yes, sir; she has a daughter by Sir Charles, the
finest woman in all our country, and the greatest
_fortune_. She has a son too, by her first husband,
Squire Sullen, who married a fine lady from London
t' other day; if you please, sir, we 'll drink his health.

_Aim_. What sort of a man is he? {92}

_Bon_. Why, sir, the man 's well enough; says little, thinks
less, and does--nothing at all, faith. But he's a
man of a great estate, and values nobody.

_Aim_. A sportsman, I suppose?

_Bon_. Yes, sir, he's a man of pleasure; he plays at
whisk and smokes his pipe eight-and-forty hours
together sometimes.

_Aim_. And married, you say? {100}

_Bon_. Ay, and to a curious woman, sir. But he's a--he
wants it here, sir. [_Pointing to his forehead_.

_Aim_. He has it there, you mean?

_Bon_. That's none of my business; he's my landlord,
and so a man, you know, would not--But--ecod, he's
no better than--Sir, my humble service to you.--
[_Drinks_.] Though I value not a farthing what he
can do to me; I pay h