and ftill is, to me, then would I advife thee to lay down this volume, and take up any other that goeth less into the tender parts of the human. character.

Please to intruft me with that fame Henry Hewit's letter, fir, (faid Samuel, the steward) and it shall be read to the workmen as your reply for difmiffing them and their petition.

Do fo, Samuel, I replied, and bring Henry Hewit before me. The fteward fet off fafter than I ever faw him move before.

CHAP.

CHA P. XVIII.

MR. ELIXIR, THE APOTHECARY, RELATES THE HEADS OF HIS STORY.

EW evenings of any life were

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paffed more agreeably than that which fucceeded the receipt of Henry Hewit's well intended letter. The apothecary ftaid the whole night, and enlivened the converfation by fuch fallies as those who do not well know the immenfe variety there is in human character, can form no idea. Sir, faid he, I will not fay you shall make a Shenftonian of me; because, though I do very well to hop over the hills, I am afraid I fhould make a filly figure with a good house and two hundred a-year; unlefs, indeed, you would

would give me the business of the Green in the way of my profeffion; in which cafe, Death fhould not often fhow his ugly face, I warrant him; but, however, as we have half an hour to fpare, I will let you a little into the light of my present fituation.

This was extremely acceptable to us, and Mr. Elixir began:

I had never a regular education, fir, and my parents went to heaven before I commenced the practice of phyfic; otherwife, they might, perhaps, have been living upon earth ftill-but they loft that bleffing for want of my not being born fooner. I was at firft a corn-cutter, and from thence I got the fecret for curing fwelled ancles. White-fwellings in the knee were the things which

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next celebrated me-for away flew the tumours at the touch of my emolient. My next advance was to relieve ladies in certain circumstances, and fome of the finest persons in Wales are of my bringing forth. After this, I formed and invented a medicine which removed all pains of the ftomach, back, and loins; which noftrum was, I foon perceived, equally good for foreness in the breaft. In the next step, I invented a lenient to take wax and cornels from the neck. Then I fent away coughs. Then I conquered the tooth-ach; and, lastly, I found out the invaluable art of making the hair grow. Thus, fir, in regular procefs and progrefs, I mounted, by the mere force of application and strong natural abilities, from the heel to the head; and now, thank

thank God, I am at the head of my profeffion-for I as often prefcribe as make up; not, between ourselves, that I think my genius for phyfic hath half fo good an effect upon my patients as my humour and my good nature; for I am one of thofe, but I must not tell to the world, you know I am one of thofe, who think half the maladies of mankind arife from melancholy, and that nature is, in generous tempers, generally to be laughed out of her megrims. I make it a rule to give innocent things that is to fay, I deal altogether in fimples, and made the patient forget his pain as much as poffible. But there is one part of my character which has always ftood in my way→→ Whenever I fee people in real mifery, I have

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Thus