yet touched upon. A young gentleman who sat next me (for I had the
curiosity of seeing this entertainment), in a tufted gown, red
stockings, and long wig (which I pronounce to be tantamount to red heels
and a dangling cane[441]) was enraged when Punchinello disturbed a soft
love-scene with his ribaldry. You would oblige us mightily by laying
down some rules for adjusting the extravagant behaviour of this
Almanzor[442] of the play, and by writing a treatise on this sort of
dramatic poetry, so much favoured, and so little understood, by the
learned world. From its being conveyed in a cart after the Thespian
manner, all the parts being recited by one person, as the custom was
before AEschylus, and the behaviour of Punch as if he had won the goal,
you may possibly deduce its antiquity, and settle the chronology, as
well as some of our modern critics. In its natural transitions, from
mournful to merry; as, from the hanging of a lover, to dancing upon the
rope; from the stalking of a ghost, to a lady's presenting you with a
jig; you may discover such a decorum, as is not to be found elsewhere
than in our tragi-comedies. But I forget myself; it is not for me to
dictate: I thought fit, dear cousin, to give you these hints, to show
you that the Beadlestaffs don't walk before men of letters to no
purpose; and that though we do but hold up the train of arts and
sciences, yet like other pages, we are now and then let into our
ladies' secrets. I am,

"Your most

"Affectionate Kinsman,

"BENJAMIN BEADLESTAFF.

"From Mother Gourdon's, at Hedington,[443] near Oxon, _June 18_."

From my own Apartment, July 22.

I am got hither safe, but never spent time with so little satisfaction
as this evening; for you must know, I was five hours with three Merry,
and two Honest Fellows. The former sang catches; and the latter even
died with laughing at the noise they made. "Well," says Tom Belfrey,
"you scholars, Mr. Bickerstaff, are the worst company in the world."
"Ay," says his opposite, "you are dull to-night; prithee be merry." With
that I huzzaed, and took a jump across the table, then came clever upon
my legs, and fell a-laughing. "Let Mr. Bickerstaff alone," says one of
the Honest Fellows, "when he's in a good humour, he's as good company as
any man in England." He had no sooner spoke, but I snatched his hat off
his head, and clapped his upon my own, and burst out a-laughing again;
upon which