errants obliging and compelling
the next person they met to cross their shoulders, and dub them knights.
I myself would undertake to be your godfather; and I have interest enough
to procure the keys of the parish church that stands hard by; besides,
this is the eve of St. Martin, who was himself a knight-errant, and
therefore a proper patron to a novitiate. I wish we could borrow Sir
Launcelot's armour for the occasion."

Crowe, being struck with this hint, started up, and laying his fingers
on his lips to enjoin silence, walked off softly on his tiptoes, to
listen at the door of our knight's apartment, and judge whether or not
he was asleep. Mr. Fillet took this opportunity to tell his nephew that
it would be in vain for him to combat this humour with reason and
argument; but the most effectual way of diverting him from the plan of
knight-errantry would be, to frighten him heartily while he should keep
his vigil in the church; towards the accomplishment of which purpose he
craved the assistance of the misanthrope as well as the nephew. Clarke
seemed to relish the scheme; and observed, that his uncle, though endued
with courage enough to face any human danger, had at bottom a strong fund
of superstition, which he had acquired, or at least improved, in the
course of a sea-life. Ferret, who perhaps would not have gone ten paces
out of his road to save Crowe from the gallows, nevertheless engaged as
an auxiliary, merely in hope of seeing a fellow-creature miserable; and
even undertook to be the principal agent in this adventure. For this
office indeed he was better qualified than they could have imagined. In
the bundle which he kept under his greatcoat, there was, together with
divers nostrums, a small vial of liquid phosphorus, sufficient, as he had
already observed, to frighten a whole neighbourhood out of their senses.

In order to concert the previous measures without being overheard, these
confederates retired with a candle and lantern into the stable; and their
backs were scarce turned, when Captain Crowe came in loaded with pieces
of the knight's armour, which he had conveyed from the apartment of Sir
Launcelot, whom he had left fast asleep.

Understanding that the rest of the company were gone out for a moment, he
could not resist the inclination he felt of communicating his intention
to the landlady, who, with her daughter, had been too much engaged in
preparing Crabshaw's supper, to know the purport of the