Salmagundi; or, The whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, esq. [pseud.] and others. By William Irving, James Kirke Paulding and Washington Irving. Printed from the original ed., with a preface and notes by Evert A. Duyckinck.

350 SALMAGUNDI.
the air about a flight-shot, and crossing his feet six times, after
the manner of the Hoppingtots, he gave a short partridge-run,
and with mighty vigor and swiftness did bolt outright over the
walls with a somerset. The whole army of Hoppingtots danced
in after their valiant chieftain, with an enormous squeaking of
fiddles, and a horrific blasting and brattling of horns; insomuch
that the dogs did howl in the streets, so hideously were their
ears assailed. The Gothamites made some semblance of defence,
but their women having been all won over into the interest of
the enemy, they were shortly reduced to make most abject submission; and delivered over to the coercion of certain professors
of the Hoppingtots, who did put them under most ignominious
durance, for the space of a long time, until they had learned to
turn out their toes, and flourish their legs after the manner of
their conquerors. And thus, after the manner I have related,
was the mighty and puissant city of Gotham circumvented, and
taken by a coup de pied: or, as it might be rendered, by force
of legs.
The conquerors showed no mercy, but did put all ages, sexes,
and conditions, to the fiddle and the dance; and, in a word,
compelled and enforced them to become absolute Hoppingtots.
" Habit," as the ingenious Linkum Fidelius profoundly affirmeth,
" is second nature." And this original and invaluable observation hath been most aptly proved, and illustrated, by the example of the Gothamites, ever since this disastrous and unlucky
mischance. In process of time, they have waxed to be most
flagrant, outrageous, and abandoned dancers; they do ponder
on naughte but how to gallantize it at balls, routs, and fandangoes; insomuch that the like was in no time or place ever
observed before. They do moreover, pitifully devote their nights
to the jollification of the legs, and their days forsooth to the in