not yet enquired after, could be delivering the addrefs,

Eager, however, to partake of the honor, at the fame time that he was defirous of refreshing himself, he began fupping the caudle while fo extremely hot, that he had no fooner got some of it in his mouth, than unable either to retain it, or fuffer it to go down his throat, he immediately fpurted it all about, not only on his waistcoat and laced frill, but even upon the lady in waiting, and the maids of honor. It was in vain that he thought of apologizing. All was chaos and confufion! The ladies stared, and poor Gilpin blushed, and at laft, was upon the point of at

tempting

tempting an explanation, from which, however, he was happily relieved by the return of the Lord-mayor and aldermen, from the presence chamber, who expressed a great deal of fatisfaction at the pleasure of feeing him ; but informed him, at the fame time, that they had presented the address, and had been graciously received.

This fo exceedingly chagrined poor Gilpin, that he immediately got into the hackney coach that brought him, and ordered the coachman to drive him to his house as faftas poffible, which he was no fooner known to be approaching, from his fervant being behind it,

than Mrs. Gilpin immediately concluded, he had received the honor of Knighthood, and the Sheriff had scarcely entered the room, than he was faluted by the title of Sir John Gilpin! and congratulated on the honor he had received. An expla-. nation, however, taking place, Mrs. Gilpin immediately fell into fits, and was put to bed; upon her getting the better of them, fhe continued extremely ill, refufing to take any kind of refreshment, or confolation, whatever.

CHAP

CHAP. XIII.

HOW HE THOUGHT OF

་

LIVING

MANY YEARS, AND DIED VERY

SOON AFTERWARDS.

NOTHING

OTHING could poffibly have more deeply affected John Gilpin, than his being disappointed of the honor of Knighthood, and. that in a manner fo very unexpected, and unfortunate; and it was for a confiderable time, that he shut himself up, fequeftered from the world, at his country feat, as though no such person had really existed.

Time, however, that enables us to get the better of our misfortunes, at length relieved him from his diftress, and fohn Gilpin was again feen, like the fun that only feems the more replendent from its having been hid a while behind a cloud. In fhort, he was determined to put himself once more in the way of being Knighted, and for that purpose upon a vacancy happening, was chosen ALDERMAN of Portfoken Ward.

As if a strange fatality, however, was to accompany him through life, he had scarcely entered upon this new office, before he rendered himself, through it, a subject of cer.fure and

derifion