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pains to split my treatise into forty sections, and having entreated
forty Lords of my acquaintance that they would do me the honour to
stand, they all made it matter of conscience, and sent me their
excuses.



SECTION II.



Once upon a time there was a man who had three sons by one wife {70}
and all at a birth, neither could the midwife tell certainly which
was the eldest. Their father died while they were young, and upon
his death-bed, calling the lads to him, spoke thus:-

"Sons, because I have purchased no estate, nor was born to any, I
have long considered of some good legacies to bequeath you, and at
last, with much care as well as expense, have provided each of you
(here they are) a new coat. Now, you are to understand that these
coats have two virtues contained in them; one is, that with good
wearing they will last you fresh and sound as long as you live; the
other is, that they will grow in the same proportion with your
bodies, lengthening and widening of themselves, so as to be always
fit. Here, let me see them on you before I die. So, very well!
Pray, children, wear them clean and brush them often. You will find
in my will (here it is) full instructions in every particular
concerning the wearing and management of your coats, wherein you
must be very exact to avoid the penalties I have appointed for every
transgression or neglect, upon which your future fortunes will
entirely depend. I have also commanded in my will that you should
live together in one house like brethren and friends, for then you
will be sure to thrive and not otherwise."

Here the story says this good father died, and the three sons went
all together to seek their fortunes.

I shall not trouble you with recounting what adventures they met for
the first seven years, any farther than by taking notice that they
carefully observed their father's will and kept their coats in very
good order; that they travelled through several countries,
encountered a reasonable quantity of giants, and slew certain
dragons.

Being now arrived at the proper age for producing themselves, they
came up to town and fell in love with the ladies, but especially
three, who about that time were in chief reputation, the Duchess
d'Argent, Madame de Grands-Titres, and the Countess d'Orgueil {71}.
On their first appearance, our three adventurers met with a very bad
reception, and soon with great sagacity guessing out the reason,
they quickly began to improve in the good qualities of the town.
They wrote, and rallied, and rhymed, and sung, and said, and said
nothing; they drank, and fought, and slept, and swore, and took
snuff; they went to new plays on the first night, haunted the
chocolate-houses, beat the watch; they bilked hackney-coachmen, ran
in debt with shopkeepers, and lay with their wives; they killed

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