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JOH

entered into the matrimonial ftate, than he inftantly dispatched a special meffenger with the news thereof to the justice, thinking that his having taken to himself a wife, would afford fuch an earnest of his future good conduct, as to bring about a reconciliation; but the

justice, so far from approving of

the

the match he had made, or indeed, of his marrying at all, became more incensed than ever, and wrote him in the most express and pofitive terms, that he would never forgive him for what he had done; and furely nothing could have proved more unfortunate for John Gilpin, than his giving him fresh cause of offence juft at this time; for in lefs than a month afterwards, the juftice was taken ill, and carried off in a few days by a putrid fever.

The death of the juftice, whofe fon John Gilpin had always been taught to believe he was, raifed every emotion in his breast of con

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cern and furprise, but his bequeathing him no more than a legacy of five hundred pounds, and adding a note thereto, that he had the fatiffaction of reflecting at his death, that he was no fon of his, absolutely threw him into a fit of sickness, which for fome time confined him to his bed.

Having obtained a re-establishment of his health, he began to reflect a little on his fituation. His wife had not yet feen her thirtieth year, and had a very confiderable value in ready money by her. The fhop too, was in full bufinefs, fo that John Gilpin determined upon conti

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nuing the trade, and all things confidered, did not look either upon his present state, or future profpects, in quite fo defponding a point of view, as he had at firft confidered them.

And here, indeed, the extraordinary whim of John Gilpin exhibited an additional proof of there being certain revolutions in man, as well as in empires; for fcarcely had he applied himself to business fix months, before his hair was exchanged for a wig, his fword for a yard measure, and his fhort frock and tambour waistcoat, for a good plain brown fuit of cloaths, which he had brushed clean every morning before he came into the shop.

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But even here only a glimmering of hope presented itself, for the fact was, that he had only given up one fpecies of puppyifm for another. His fhoes were now nicely fhined every day, with the true patent blacking, juft then brought into ufe, and his looking glafs was fixed as faft in the most confpicuous part of the fhop, as a bad fhilling to the compter. But inftead of attending upon the customers with his goods, and defcanting for half an hour together on the fineness of a piece of muslin, his time was wholly employed in entertaining the ladies in the back parlour, and treating at large, of the excellency of his coffee, and chocolate!

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