laying violent hands upon the cook, whom he ordered to attend him the next morning with fome of his friends down the marshes, for the purpose of convincing them, that the fellow had endeavoured to cover his audacity, by a most notorious falfhood.

Accordingly the next morning they proceeded to the marshes, and were no fooner there, than they perceived fome ten or twenty quails, fitting on one leg. "There (cried "the cook, pointing to them) you "find they have but one leg:" "very well (faid his mafter) we'll fee that presently," and directly cried,

away.

cried, "whew!" which fo frightened the birds, that they immediately dropped the other leg, and run "There! (continued John Gilpin, looking at the cook) I told " you that a quail had two legs." "Yes, Sir, (replied the cook) but your Worship never cried whew "to the quail I laid before you yesterday, or it would presently "have put out the other leg...

CHAP. XII.

HOW HE THOUGHT OF BEING

KNIGHTED, AND WAS CRUEL

LY DISAPPOINTED.

OHN GILPIN having been pre

JOHN

vailed upon to accept of the Lord-mayor's nomination for one of the sheriffs, entered upon his office with an eclat, that his friends little expected; he built himself a most elegant chariot, dreffed his fervants in the richest liveries, and gave his public entertainments in a

Ayle

style inferior to none of his predeceffors.

Mrs. Gilpin, however, had her views in this, and would never have fuffered him to have gone to fuch an expence, had the not hoped to be a Lady before the expiration of his herivalry; and an event foon happened to give her every reafon to suppose, that the fhould have that honour, when the Lord-mayor and Aldermen waited on his Majesty with an addrefs from the City on the birth of a Prince, it having ever been ufual for the two Sheriffs to be knighted on those oc

cafions.

K 3

Affuring

Affuring himself of this honour, Mr. Sheriff Gilpin, the morning of going up with the address, put himfelf in his best attire, and caused his horfes to be dreffed up in new blue ribbons. Mrs. Gilpin, in the mean time, got her friends about her, anxiously waiting the return of her husband from Saint James's, and amusing herself in writing complimentary cards in the name of Lady: Gilpin, two or three hundred of which the actually fent out.

Previous to the Sheriff's leaving home, he tenderly faluted Mrs. Gilpin, telling her, that he should,. the moment he was knighted, take a. backney