A Political Romance | Page 9

Apothecary, who sat next the Fire, observ'd, in a

very low Whisper to his next Neighbour) was so much incorporated
into every Particle of it, that it was impossible, under such
Fermentation, it should work its defined Effect.
This, however, no way intimidated a little valiant Gentleman, though
he sat the very next Man, from giving an Opinion as diametrically
opposite as East is from West.
This Gentleman, who was by much the best Geographer in the whole
Club, and, moreover, second Cousin to an Engineer, was positive the
Breeches meant Gibraltar; for, if you remember, Gentlemen, says he,
tho' possibly you don't, the Ichnography and Plan of that Town and
Fortress, it exactly resembles a Pair of Trunk-Hose, the two
Promontories forming the two Slops, &c. &c.--Now we all know,
continued he, that King George the First made a Promise of that
important Pass to the King of Spain:--So that the whole Drift of the
Romance, according to my Sense of Things, is merely to vindicate the
King and the Parliament in that Transaction, which made so much
Noise in the World.
A Wholesale Taylor, who from the Beginning had resolved not to
speak at all in the Debate,--was at last drawn into it, by something very
unexpected in the last Person's Argument.
He told the Company, frankly, he did not understand what Ichnography
meant:--But as for the Shape of a Pair of Breeches, as he had had the
Advantage of cutting out so many hundred Pairs in his Life-Time, he
hoped he might be allowed to know as much of the Matter as another
Man.
Now, to my Mind, says he, there is nothing in all the Terraqueous
Globe (a Map of which, it seems, hung up in his Work-Shop) so like a
Pair of Breeches unmade up, as the Island of Sicily:--Nor is there any
thing, if you go to that, quoth an honest Shoe-maker, who had the
Honour to be a Member of the Club, so much like a Jack-Boot, to my
Fancy, as the Kingdom of Italy.--What the Duce has either Italy or
Sicily to do in the Affair? cries the President, who, by this Time, began
to tremble for his Hypothesis,--What have they to do?--Why, answered

the Partition-Treaty Gentleman, with great Spirit and Joy sparkling in
his Eyes,--They have just so much, Sir, to do in the Debate as to
overthrow your Suppositions, and to establish the Certainty of mine
beyond the Possibility of a Doubt: For, says he, (with an Air of
Sovereign Triumph over the President's Politicks)--By the
Partition-Treaty, Sir, both Naples and Sicily were the very Kingdoms
made to devolve upon the Dauphin;--and Trim's greasing the Parson's
Boots, is a Devilish Satyrical Stroke;--for it exposes the Corruption,
and Bribery made Use of at that Juncture, in bringing over the several
States and Princes of Italy to use their Interests at Rome, to stop the
Pope from giving the Investitures of those Kingdoms to any Body
else.--The Pope has not the Investiture of Sicily, cries another
Gentleman.--I care not, says he, for that.
Almost every one apprehended the Debate to be now ended, and that no
one Member would venture any new Conjecture upon the Romance,
after so many clear and decisive Interpretations had been given. But,
hold,--Close to the Fire, and opposite to where the Apothecary sat,
there sat also a Gentleman of the Law, who, from the Beginning to the
End of the Hearing of this Case, seem'd no way satisfied in his
Conscience with any one Proceeding in it. This Gentleman had not yet
opened his Mouth, but had waited patiently till they had all gone thro'
their several Evidences on the other Side;--reserving himself, like an
expert Practitioner, for the last Word in the Debate. When the
Partition-Treaty-Gentleman had finish'd what he had to say,--He got
up,--and, advancing towards the Table, told them, That the Error they
had all gone upon thus far, in making out the several Facts in the
Romance,--was in looking too high; which, with great Candor, he said,
was a very natural Thing, and very excusable withall, in such a Political
Club as theirs: For Instance, continues he, you have been searching the
Registers, and looking into the Deeds of Kings and Emperors,--as if
Nobody had any Deeds to shew or compare the Romance to but
themselves.--This, continued the Attorney, is just as much out of the
Way of good Practice, as if I should carry a Thing slap-dash into the
House of Lords, which was under forty Shillings, and might be decided
in the next County-Court for six Shillings and Eight-pence.--He then
took the Romance in his Left Hand, and pointing with the Fore-Finger

of his Right towards the second Page, he humbly begg'd Leave to
observe, (and, to do him Justice, he did it in