My father's collection was not great, but to make amends, it was curious;and consequently he was some time in making it; he had the great good fortune hewever, to set off well, in getting Bruscambille's prologue upon long noses, almost for nothing--for he gave no more for Bruscambille than three half-crowns; owing indeed to the strong fancy which the stall-man saw my father had for the book the moment he laid his hands upon it.--There are not three Bruscambilles in Christendom--said the stall-man, except what are chain'd up in the libraries of the curious. My father flung down the money as quick as lightning--took Bruscambille into his bosom--hied home from Piccadilly to Coleman-street with it, as he would have hied home with a treasure, without taking his hand once off from Bruscambille all the way.
To those who do not yet know of which gender Bruscambille is--inasmuch as a prologue upon long noses might easily be done by either--'twill be no objection against the simile--to say, That when my father got home, he solaced himself with Bruscambille after the manner in which, 'tis ten to one, your worship solaced yourself with your first mistress--that is, from morning even unto night: which, by-the-bye, how delightful soever it may prove to the inamorato--is of little or no entertainment at all to by-standers.--Take notice, I go no farther with the simile--my father's eye was greater than his appetite--his zeal greater than his knowledge--he cool'd--his affections became divided--he got hold of Prignitz--purchased Scroderus, Andrea Paraeus, Bouchet's Evening Conferences, and above all, the great and learned Hafen Slawkenbergius; of which, as I shall have much to say by-and-bye--I will say nothing now.
