honestly got him, by his Practice, near two Hundred a Year, with which he maintained himself, his Wife and Family very handsomely, till about eighteen Years ago he began to be very Lazy, and much addicted to hanker after the Conversation of the Gentry thereabouts; and being a Person very Facetious, and his Company not disacceptable, he screwed himself into the Society of the best Quality round about, and would be a Month or two a Guest at several Great Mens Houses; more particularly he some time since insinuated himself into the Favor of a Worthy Gentleman near Banbury, viz. Humphry Wickham of Swakely Esq; whose Person and Character he pretended to represent, and in which Imposture he made his last Exit.

But to begin our History in order; From his Conversing with Gentlemen and Herding with Quality, Business began to fall off: His many Rambles from home, soon made his Practice flag; when the Glass and the Bottle came into play, the Salvatory and Playster-box went out. And his Patients could not well stay for the Setting of a Broken Limb, or Tenting a Green Wound, till our Esculapius was to be called, the Lord knows where, and found the Devil knows when. This Trade continuing, the other fell to decay, till at last Poverty began to peep in at his Window, and Duns to hover about his Door. In these little Exigencies and Necessities (for the Gentleman's Tables abroad would not fill the Bellies at home, nor would Hunting or Hawking pay Landlords Rent) his Wants put him upon Shifts and Artifices for his Subsistence; and what with a Natural Wit and a pretty large Talent of Confidence, the pressing Hand of Fortune threw him upon several Tricks and Frauds to hold his Head above-board. But not to trouble you with any of his lesser Diminutive Exploits, the Infancy and Nonage of his Activity, we do not think fit to treat you with these pettier Adventures, but e'en set out in one of his noblest Atchievements, and paint our new German in some of his boldest and fairest Colours.

Accordingly he Equips himself with a Sturdy Young Country Fellow, a Ralpho to our Hudibras, and takes a Knight-Errantry one day to a Fair at Brayls in Warwickshire, his Habit between a Grazier and a plain Country Gentleman; where Santering about with his Man Tom (for so his Squire was titled) at last spying a Knot of good likely Kine (near a Score of them). Ah Master, says Tom, what a parcel of brave Cattle are these. Ay Tom, replies the Master, I am sorry I saw them no sooner; these would do my Business to a T; but as the Devil and ill Luck would have it, I have laid out my whole Stock already, and so I'll e'en set my Heart at Rest. The Country Fellow, the Owner of the Cattle, seeing a Gentleman of his honest Appearance surveying his Beasts, and hearing every word that pass'd between the Man and Master (for they took care to talk loud enough to be heard) thought he had got a good Chapman, and desired the Gentleman to draw nearer and handle the Cattle. Handle, answers Tom, what for? You know, Sir, you have laid out all your Money already, and what should we handle Cattle unless we had Cole to buy 'em. I confess they are for your Turn above any I have zeen in the whole Vair, but that's nothing, the Money Master the Money. The Money, replies the Country-man, Troth that shall make no Difference, nor break Squares between us; if you and I can agree, the Cattle are at your Service: I suppose you are some honest Gentleman hereabouts, and the Money will do my work next Market-day. Pray what may I call your Name? My Name is Walters, replies our Cattle-Merchant, Walters, Master, answers our Country-man, What any Relation to his Worship the Noble Sir William Walters? Ay, Friend, a small Relation, a Brother of his. A Brother of Sir William's! Off goes the Country-man's Bonnet at the next word, and a long Scrape made; for no Respect was too great for a Brother to a Person of such eminent Quality. My Cattle, Noble Squire, Ay with all my Heart. In short after much ado to make the Country-man be covered before him, he fell to treat about the Price of the Cattle, in which he bargained so warily, that they had almost parted for a single Shilling in a Dispute between them. But at last the Bargain and Sale concluded, Tom is commanded to drive home the Cattle, the Money to be paid next Market-day, and the Country-man has the Honor to drink a Pot at parting with his Worshipful Chapman our Sir William's Brother: This Feat performed, he takes a walk round the Fair, and picks up a pretty Country Girl, a Mason's Daughter, at a small Town about four Miles off, and gives her the common Country Civility of a Fair, viz. a Glass of White-wine and Sugar. During this Entertainment of our young Damsel, he is most desperately smitten with her Beauty, insomuch that our Inamorato must wait upon her home to her Father's House, nothing but Death and Despair attending if he cannot have that extraordinary Happiness. The Girl who by this time had learnt his Name and Quality, was not a little confounded at the pressing Importunities of a Person of his Worth to a poor Girl of her little Capacity, and notwithstanding her modest Refusals, felt a secret Pride from so kind an offer, and at last accepted of his Service home. No sooner was she got safe handed home, and Mother and Daddy, were privately whispered what Honor they received from such a Visitant; the best the House could afford was not good enough for him: after the courser Compliments of [Lord, Sir, such a Person of Quality under our poor Roof] and the like; the best welcome that could be made him was not wanting: Nay, for what was deficient at home, the whole Neighborhood was Ransakt to lend help toward the Accommodation. Our new Lover not to baulk a good Cause, openly Professes no less than honourable Matrimonial Affection to his dear Conqueror. Estate he wants none; and Portion or Quality are below his Consideration, the Satisfaction of Love is the only thing in the World he resolves to gratifie.

The Father and Mother are much astonish'd at such an Addressor to their Daughter, nor is the Daughter her self a little surprized at it, though of the two her Wonder is the least; for her Sexes natural Frailty was so apt to make her think it the pure Effect of her own sweet Face, that the power of her Charms, and the Quality of her Captive was not altogether (she fancied) so extraordinary an Adventure. In fine, Our passionate Admirer pushes on his suit with all the Vigour and Application imaginable, and truly you may well conceive so weak a Resistance could not well hold out long against so Puissant an Assailer: The Siege is press'd home, and in three short days the white Flag is hung out, a Parly beat, Articles concluded, and the Fort surrendered. Our Damsel, in short, commits Matrimony; and the whole Family is not a little Transported at such a Noble Alliance. Thus Wedded and Bedded, Our new Couple are all Honey and Sweetness, and though Sir William Walter's House was not above a dozen Miles from thence, his Adopted Brother all safe and secure, sleeps in the soft Arms of his young Bride with all the Rapture of Pleasure and Delight. After three Revelling days were spent in Feasting and Joy, the Father-in-Law and himself enter in a close Cabinet Consult about providing for Family and Settlement. He tells the Old Man, that truly his Brother the Knight will undoubtedly take no little Dudgeon at this Match, not that he cares a Farthing for't. He has Married the only Creature of the World he can Love, and he is resolved to Cherish her accordingly. But however, to manage Affairs with Discretion, he thinks it his best Prudence and Policy, to get his Trunks and the Writings of his Estate safe out of his Brother's Hands, before he publishes the Marriage. And for that purpose he has no better way than for his Father-in-Law to help him to a small Cart and a couple of able Horses, and to drive to his Brothers, and take up his Trunks,