HINTS of OCCURRENCES , &c.

7

this day; on examining the repofitory of our (lores, we found the bread diffolved to pulp; a flafk of excellent hock,our intended libation to the god of the Rhine, had difappeared; and to compleat our difappointment, we had omit-ted to bring with us either knife, fork, or plate: having therefore no alternative but to do what was pra&ifed beforeknives, forks, and plates were invented, or to wait for our dinner till we reached Strafburg, we made as good ufe ofour fingers as the nature of the repaft would admit. In a very fhort time we were overtaken by another (lorm, whichwetted us to the (kin, and made the reft of our voyage inexpreftibly uncomfortable. The country on both fides wasflat and unintcrefting; and nothing occurred in the whole voyage to afford us a moment’s amufement. We werefrequently (lopped by the colle&ors of a toll, which produces a confiderable revenue to the emperor.

At fix in the afternoon we landed at a public houfe on the margin of the river, about a mile from Strafburg; andI have feldom experienced greater pleafure than in fetting my foot on fhore. Our hoftefs having learnt that we pur-pofed deeping at the Saint Efprit, at Strafburg, informed us the landlord had died that morning, and the houfe wouldconfequently be fhut up; fhe added many other arguments to induce us to pafs the night at her houfe: but truthobliges me to confefs, however difhonorable to my gallantry, that I redded her folicitations, though (he was young,fprightly, and handfome. On fettling with the boatman, he prefled me for a fmall douceur to enable him to drinkmy health. I gave him half a crown in addition to his fare, which I was previoufly aflured would be a liberal dona-tion : but having higher expectations, he exprefled his diflatisfaClion in violent abufe, which would have piqued theemulation of a Thames waterman, or the driver of a hackney coach. The vocabulary of this fpecies of brutes is, Ibelieve, tranflated into all languages. AffeCting to imagine I might have been lefs liberal than I intended, and defiringto examine what I had given; he returned the money without the lead fufpicion of my dedgn. I then gave him theprecife fum I agreed to pay; and referving the half crown for a better occadon, left him to the juft deridon of therabble his clamour had collected. Our fair hoftefs finding us determined to proceed, very civilly aflifted us in pro-curing every thing neceflary to convey us to Strafburg.

We arrived at the Saint Efprit juft before fupper, and took our feats at the table de hotc; meaning to make fullfatisfa&ion to our appetites for their diflappointment on the voyage: but it foon appeared we had reckoned withoutour hod; for the reft of the company in feating themfelves fhoved and jollied us from one place to another, tillevery difh on the table was beyond our reach. Our applications to the waiters were anlwered with infult, or treatedwith contempt; and nothing was brought us that we called for. When the reft of the company were fatisfted, wewere permitted to make a fcanty meal on the fragments. My nephew during this fcene gave me frequent glances,which reproached me for leaving the more hofpitable roof of our fair hoftefs at the water-dde; and I was much

difpofed to reproach mvfelf. I did not learn the caufe of our being treated with fuch rudenefs and infolencc at the

table

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