The cireumftances of the baronet being in no very flourishing fituation at that time, he thought a journey to Paris, where he had a fifter married to a rich financier, would be the means of recruiting them. He accordingly fet out for France; but in a garb equally as uncouth and outré as his figure. He wore a brown fcratch wig, a fhort riding-coat, together with a pair of jack-boots; and carried in his hand a poftillion's long-lafhed whip. Thus accoutred, he arrived at the gate of the hôtel, where his brother-in-law refided. The Swifs, who opened the door, beholding fuch an extraordinary being, stood aghaft; and, when Sir Thomas would have entered, bluntly told him he could not be admitted, as his lady had company. Though the baronet did not underftand the language in which the prohibition was conveyed, he gueffed the purport of it by the man's countenance, and made shift to utter, in broken French, 'her frere, her frere. The porter hearing this, ran to call the groom of the chambers, who understood a little English; and Sir Thomas having made known to him his affinity to the lady of the house, his arrival, without any more obftruction, was announced. As it happened to be dinner-time when this mirror of knighthood arrived, his fifter, after cordially embracing 3 He bracing him, placed him, habited as he was, at the table, between an Abbé and a Macaroni. was no fooner feated, than the two gentlemen between whom he fat, ftruck with the oddity of his figure, dress, and deportment, ftared at him with marks of the greatest aftonishment. At length the latter, unable to restrain his curiofity, laid down his fork *, and thus addreffed him: "Mon“ fieur, ne feriez vous pas, par hazard, le fameux "Robinson Crufôe de qui on parle dans l'hiftoire." Pray, Sir, are you not the famous Robinfon "Crufoe, of whom we read in hiftory?" The mirth fo fingular and unexpected a question occafioned, is better conceived than defcribed. The fingularity of the baronet's garb, and the whole of his appearance, warranted, in fome measure, fuch a fuppofition; nor could it, had Sir Thomas understood the full force of it, which his ignorance of the French language prevented, have excited his displeasure. G. A. B. * In France, a fork and fpoon are commonly used, inftead of a knife and fork. END OF THE FOURTH VOLUME. |