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Show ¥ 2Q2 E O U Am Efop. Sir, I reverence you. [Bowing. Gent. Sir, you may reverence as low as you pleafe ; but I fhall fpare none of you. Sir, I am intrufted by m y Country with above T e n Thoufand of their Grie-vances^ and in order to redrefs them, m y Defign is to hang ten thoufand Courtiers. Efop. W h y , 'tis making fhort Work, I muft confefs; but are you fure, Sir, that wou'd do't ? Gent. Sure,. Ay, fure. Bfif* H o w do you know ? Gent. W h y , the whole Country fays fo, and I at the Head of 'em. N o w let m e fee w h o dares fay the con-iary. t.fop. Not I, truly. But, Sir, if you w o n t take it ill, I'll ask you a Queftion or two. Gent. Sir, I fhall take ill what I pleafe. And if you, or e'er a Courtier of you all pretend the contrary, 1 fay, it's a Breach of Privilege Now put your Queftion, if vou think fit. Efop. W h y then, Sir, with all due regard to your Character, and your Privilege too, I wou'd be glad to know what you chiefly complain of? Gent. W h y , Sir, I do chiefly complain, that w e have A great many Ships, and very little Trade \ A great many Tenants, and very little Money ; A great many Soldiers, and very little fighting ; A great many Gazettes, and little good N e w s ; A great many Statefmen, and very little Wifdom; ' A great many Parfons, and not an Ounce of Religion. Efop. W h y truly, Sir, I do confefs thefe are Grievances very well worth your redrefting. I perceive you are truly fenfible of our Difeafes, but I'm afraid you are a little out in the Cure. Gent. Sir, I perceive you take m e for a Country-Phy-fician : But you fhall find, Sir, that a Country-Doctor is able to deal with a Court-Quack ; and to fhew you that I do underftand fomething of the State of the Body Politick, I will tell you, Sir, that 1 have heard a wife M a n fay, The Court is the Stomach of the Na-tion, in which, if the Bufinefs be not thorovvly digefted, 7 the ESOP. 29? the whole Carcafe will be in diforder. Now, Sir, I do find by the Feeblenefs of the Members, and the Vapours that fly into the Head, that this fame Stomach is full of Indigeftions, which muft be remov'd: And therefore, Sir, I am come Poft to T o w n with m y Head full of Crocus Mem. and defign to give the Court a Vomit. Efop. Sir, the Phyfick you mention, tho neceflary fometimes, is of too violent a Nature to be us'd without a great deal of Caution. I'm afraid you are a little too rafh in your Prefcriptions. Is it not poftible you may be miftaken in the Caufe of the Diftemper ? Gent. Sir, I do not think it poftible I fhould be miftaken in any thing. Efop. Have you been long a Senator ? Gent. No, Sir. Efop. Have you been much about T o w n ? Gent. No, Sir. Efop. Have you convers'd much with M e n of Bufinefs ? Gent. N o , Sir. Efop* Have you made any ferious Enquiry into the prefent Diforders of the Nation ? Gent. N o , Sir. Efop. Have you ever heard what the M e n now imf ploy'd in Bufinefs have to fay for themfelves ? Gent. N o , Sir. Efop. H o w then do you know they deferve to be pu-nifh'd for the prefent Diforders in your Affairs ? Gent. I'll tell you how I know. Efop. I would be glad to hear. Gent. W h y , I know by this 1 know it, I fay, by this that I'm fure on't And to give you Demonftration that I'm fure on't, there is not one Man in a good Poft in the Nation but I'd give m y Vote to hang him : N o w I hope you are convine'd. Efop. As for Example: The firft Mimfter of State, why wou'd you hang him ? Gent. Becaufe he gives bad Counfel. Efop. H o w do you know ? Gent. W h y they fay fo. £^ |