Page:The Hind and Panther transvers'd to the story of the country mouse and the city mouse (1709).djvu/39

 Johns.Are you never afraid of a drubbing for that daring of your Noble Genius?

Bayes.Afraid! Why, Lord, you make so much of a Beating, I'gad 'tis no more to me than a Flea biting. No, No, if I can but be witty upon 'em, let 'em 'en lay on, I'faith, I'll ne'er baulk my Fancy to save my Carkass. Well, but we must dispatch, Mr. Smith.

Thus did they merrily carouse all day, And like the gaudy Fly their Wings display; And sip the Sweets, and bask in great Apollo's ray.

Well there's an end of the Entertainment; and Mr. Smith, if your Affairs would have permitted, you would have heard the best Bill of Fare that ever was serv'd up in Heroicks: But here follows a Dispute shall recommend it self, I'll say nothing for it. For Dapple, who you must know was a Protestant, all this while trusts her own Judgment, and foolishly dislikes the Wine; upon which our Innocent does so run her down, that she has not one word to say for her self, but what I put in her Mouth; and I'gad, you may imagine they won't be very good ones, for she has disoblig'd me, like an Ingrate.

Sirrah, says Brindle, Thou hast brought us Wine, Sour to my Tast, and to my Eyes unfine. Says Will, all Gentlemen like it, ah! says White, What is approv'd by them must needs be right. 'Tis true, I thought it bad, but if the House Commend it, I submit, a private Mouse.

Mind that, mind the Decorum, and Defference, which our Mouse pays to the Company.