_How this letter was received by =John=._
Margaret certainly did her brother wrong, if she supposed that he had
ever refused her the privilege of defending herself, or that he was in
any degree averse, to give his consent to whatever might be necessary
for that purpose. The fact was, that he had forgot her altogether, and
never once thought of the question, whether she should be put upon the
same footing with himself in this particular.
When John Bull acted from his own temper, and without reflection, he
never discovered any remains of distrust or antipathy to his sister:
but when any matter came to be seriously considered, and friends, as
John expressed himself, were consulted, then he had, indeed, some
unfavourable maxims relating to her, which he had retained from his
youth, without having ever examined them since; and any ill-disposed
person, putting him in mind of a bit of custard or cheese-cake, which
she had snatched from him in the nursery, could have revived all his
antient prejudices; and then, indeed, from his manner of talking, you
would imagine that his pockets were in perpetual danger. And speaking
of his sister and her family, you would imagine that he had got a
nest of gypsies whom he could not dislodge from his barn, that their
fingers were perfect fish-hooks or harpies claws, perpetually sticking
in his back. There were people enow who found it of use, to put him in
this mood, and they were sure never to neglect it, when any of Peg’s
people whom they did not like, came about the house to sell trinkets,
or asking for service. Then they would ask John, whether he meant to
bring the itch into his family, or go to bed in perpetual fear of
having his throat cut? But if any body came, who was in the use of
flattering, lying, or pimping for themselves, then a lousy fellow who
had been kicked out of Peg’s house, was the most valuable person in the
world, and John could not do too much for him.
You may believe, that if Hubble-bubble or the nurse, had been warned
of a person’s coming with a letter from Peg on this occasion, they
would not have failed to have called, Stop Thief; but by good luck the
letter was delivered into their master’s own hands, and they durst
not for their lives say a word more on the subject at that time. John
had got some bumpers that afternoon; his watermen had met with Lewis
Baboon’s people, and he was gone abroad with Jowler, to see some boats
that had been taken from Lewis, and wrecks that had been driven on
shore. When he had read Peg’s letter: “Ah!” says he, “poor sister here
is mightily afraid indeed. Here is a spot of work now, Jowler. She is
not so much afraid either, but she wants that her young men should
be armed as well as mine.” “Signify to her,” says Jowler, “that the
greatness and importance of the affairs, in which you are now engaged,
must throw all domestic details into a season of more leisure.” “Ay,
ay,” says John, “tell her we are drinking Lewis Baboon’s dirge here,
the fellow’s joints are stiff by this time; tell her to open a new tap
for her boys, let them be merry, that’s all. She shall not see Lewis
Baboon this twelvemonth, I warrant her. However, as to the affair of
getting guns in her house, if my wife and she can agree about it, I
have no objections.”