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further room for objection; the two unbelievers began to gather and
pocket up their mistake as hastily as they could. "Why, truly,"
said the first, "upon more mature consideration"--"Ay," says the
other, interrupting him, "now I have thought better on the thing,
your Lordship seems to have a great deal of reason." "Very well,"
said Peter. "Here, boy, fill me a beer-glass of claret. Here's to
you both with all my heart." The two brethren, much delighted to
see him so readily appeased, returned their most humble thanks, and
said they would be glad to pledge his Lordship. "That you shall,"
said Peter, "I am not a person to refuse you anything that is
reasonable; wine moderately taken is a cordial. Here is a glass
apiece for you; it is true natural juice from the grape; none of
your damned vintner's brewings." Having spoke thus, he presented to
each of them another large dry crust, bidding them drink it off, and
not be bashful, for it would do them no hurt. The two brothers,
after having performed the usual office in such delicate
conjunctures, of staring a sufficient period at Lord Peter and each
other, and finding how matters were like to go, resolved not to
enter on a new dispute, but let him carry the point as he pleased;
for he was now got into one of his mad fits, and to argue or
expostulate further would only serve to render him a hundred times
more untractable.
I have chosen to relate this worthy matter in all its circumstances,
because it gave a principal occasion to that great and famous
rupture {98a} which happened about the same time among these
brethren, and was never afterwards made up. But of that I shall
treat at large in another section.
However, it is certain that Lord Peter, even in his lucid intervals,
was very lewdly given in his common conversation, extreme wilful and
positive, and would at any time rather argue to the death than allow
himself to be once in an error. Besides, he had an abominable
faculty of telling huge palpable lies upon all occasions, and
swearing not only to the truth, but cursing the whole company to
hell if they pretended to make the least scruple of believing him.
One time he swore he had a cow at home which gave as much milk at a
meal as would fill three thousand churches, and what was yet more
extraordinary, would never turn sour. Another time he was telling
of an old sign-post {98b} that belonged to his father, with nails
and timber enough on it to build sixteen large men-of-war. Talking
one day of Chinese waggons, which were made so light as to sail over
mountains, "Z---nds," said Peter, "where's the wonder of that? By
G---, I saw a large house of lime and stone travel over sea and land
(granting that it stopped sometimes to bait) above two thousand
German leagues.
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