The steward， accordingly， brought a dozen physicians to examine Sir Habeas. After consultation， they reported that he was in a very bad way， and ought not， on any account， to be allowed to stir out for several months. Fortified with this authority， the parish officers put him to bed， closed his windows， and barred his doors. They paid him every attention， and from time to time issued bulletins of his health. The steward never spoke of him without declaring that he was the best gentleman in the world； but excellent care was taken that he should never stir out of doors.
When this obstacle was removed， the Squire and the steward kept the parish in excellent order； flogged this man， sent that man to the stocks， and pushed forward the law-suit with a noble disregard of expense. They were， however， wanting either in skill or in fortune. And everything went against them after their antagonists had begun to employ Solicitor Nap.
Who does not know the name of Solicitor Nap？ At what alehouse is not his behaviour discussed？ In what print-shop is not his picture seen？ Yet how little truth has been said about him！ Some people hold that he used to give laudanum by pints to his six clerks for his amusement. Others， whose number has very much increased since he was killed by thegaol distemper， conceive that he was the very model of honour and good- nature.I shall try to tell the truth about him.
He was assuredly an excellent solicitor. In his way he never was surpassed. As soon as the parish began to employ him， their cause took a turn. In a very little time they were successful； and Nap became rich. He now set up for a gentleman； took possession of the old manor-house； got into the commission of the peace， and affected to be on a par with the best of the county. He governed the vestries as absolutely as the old family had done. Yet， to give him his due， he managed things with far more discretion than either Sir Lewis or the rioters who had pulled the Lords of the Manor down. He kept his servants in tolerable order. He removed the steel traps from the highways and the corners of the streets. He still left a few indeed in the more exposed parts of his premises； and set up a board announcing that traps and spring guns were set in his grounds. He brought the poor parson back to the parish； and， though he did not enable him to keep a fine house and a coach as formerly， he settled him in a snug little cottage， and allowed him a pleasant pad-nag. He whitewashed the church again； and put the stocks， which had been much wanted of late， into good repair.
With the neighbouring gentry， however， he was no favourite. He was crafty and litigious. He cared nothing for right， if he could raise a point of law against them. He pounded their cattle， broke their hedges， and seduced their tenants from them. He almost ruined Lord Caesar with actions， in every one of which he was successful. Von Blunderbussen went to law with him for an alleged trespass， but was cast， and almost ruined by the costs of suit. He next took a fancy to the seat of Squire Don， who was， to say the truth， little better than an idiot. He asked the poor dupe to dinner， and then threatened to have him tossed in a blanket unless he would make over his estates to him. The poor Squire signed and sealed a deed by which the property was assigned to Joe， a brother of Nap's， in trust for and to the use of Nap himself. The tenants， however， stood out. They maintained that the estate was entailed， and refused to pay rents to the new landlord； and in this refusal they were stoutly supported by the people in St George's.
About the same time Nap took it into his head to match with quality， and nothing would serve him but one of the Miss Germains. Lord Caesar swore like a trooper； but there was no help for it. Nap had twice put executions in his principal residence， and had refused to discharge the latter of the two till he had extorted a bond from his Lordship which compelled him to comply.
THE END OF THE FIRST PART.
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第一章A CONVERSATION BETWEEN MR ABRAHAM COWLEY AND MR JOHN MILTON， TOUCHINGTHE GREAT CIVIL WAR.
SET DOWN BY A GENTLEMAN OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE(August 1824)
"Referre sermones Deorum et Magna modis tenuare parvis."--Horace. I have thought it good to set down in writing a memorable debate，wherein I was a listener， and two men of pregnant parts and great reputation discoursers； hoping that my friends will not be displeased to have a record both of the strange times through which I have lived， and of the famous men with whom I have conversed. It chanced in the warm and beautiful spring of the year 1665， a little before the saddest summer that ever London saw， that I went to the Bowling Green at Piccadilly， whither， at that time， the best gentry made continual resorts. There I met Mr Cowley， who had lately left Barnelms. There was then a house preparing for him at Chertsey； and till it should be finished， he had come up for a short time to London， that he might urge a suit to his Grace of Buckingham touching certain lands of her Majesty's， whereof he requested a lease. I had the honour to be familiarly acquainted with that worthy gentleman and most excellent poet， whose death hath been deplored with as general a consent of all Powers that delight in the woods， or in verse， or in love， as was of old that of Daphnis or of Callus.
