CHAP. V.
Nic. Frog's Letter to John Bull; wherein he en|deavours to vindicate all his Conduct, with re|lation to John Bull and the Law-Suit.
NIC. perceiv'd now that his Cully had elop'd, that John intended henceforth to deal without a Broker; but he was resolv'd to leave no Stone unturn'd to recover his Bub|ble: Amongst other Artifices, he wrote a most obliging Letter, which he sent him Printed in a fair Character.
Dear Friend,
When I consider the late ill Usage I have met with from you, I was reflecting what it was that could provoke you to it; but upon a narrow Inspection into my Con|duct, I can find nothing to reproach my self with, but too partial a Concern for your Interest. You no sooner set this Composition a-foot, but I was ready to comply, and prevented your very Wishes; and the Affair might have been ended be|fore now, had it not been for the greater Concerns of Esq South, and the other poor Creatures, embark'd in the same Common Cause, whose Safety touches me to the Quick. You seem'd a little jealous that I bad dealt unfairly with you in Money-mat|ters, Page 24 till it appear'd by your own Ac|counts, that there was something due to me upon the Ballance. Having nothing to answer to so plain a Demonstration, you began to complain as if I had been fami|liar with your Reputation; when it is well known, not only I, but the meanest Ser|vant in my Family, talk of you with the utmost Respect. I have always, as far as in me lies, exhorted your Servants and Tenants to be dutiful; not that I any ways meddle in your domestick Affairs, which were very unbecoming for me to do. If some of your Servants express their great Concern for you in a manner that is not so very polite, you ought to impute it to their extraordinary Zeal, which deserves a Reward rather than a Reproof. You can|not reproach me for want of Success at the Salutation, since I am not Master of the Passions and Interests of other Folks. I have beggar'd my self with this Law-Suit, undertaken merely in Complaisance to you; and if you would have had but a little Pa|tience, I had still greater things in Reserve that I intended to have done for you. I hope what I have said will prevail with you to lay aside your unreasonable Jealousies, and that we may have no more Meetings at the Salutation, spending our Time and Money to no Purpose. My Concern for your Welfare and Prosperity, almost makes Page 25 me mad. You may be assur'd I will con|tinue to be
Your affectionate Friend and Servant, NIC. FROG.
John receiv'd this with a good deal of Sang froid; Transeat (quoth John) cum caeteris erroribus: He was now at his Ease; he saw he could now make a very good Bargain for himself, and a very safe one for other Folks. My Shirt (quoth he) is near me, but my Skin is nearer: Whilst I take care of the Welfare of other Folks, no body can blame me, to apply a little Balsam to my own Sores. It's a pretty thing, after all, for a Man to do his own Business: a Man has such a tender Concern for himself, there's nothing like it. This is somewhat better, I trow, than for John Bull to be standing in the Market, like a great Dray-horse, with Frog's Paws upon his Head, What will ye give me for this Beast? Serviteur Nic. Frog, you may kiss my Backside if you please. Though John Bull has not read your Aristotles, Plato's, and Machiavels, he can see us far into a Milstone as another: With that John began to chuckle and laugh, till he was like to burst his Sides.
