least, we had the ascendancy over them. Upon other points, our
advantages were more equally balanced. Mr Pleggit had two large coloured
bottles in his windows more than we had; but then we had two horses, and
he had only one. He tied over the corks of his bottles with red-coloured
paper; we covered up the lips of our vials with delicate blue. It
certainly was the case--for though an enemy, I'll do him justice--that,
after Mr Brookes had left us, Mr Pleggit had two shopmen, and Mr
Cophagus only one; but then that one was Mr Japhet Newland; besides, one
of his assistants had only one eye, and the other squinted horribly, so
if we measured by eyes, I think the advantage was actually on our side;
and, as far as ornament went, most decidedly; for who would not prefer
putting on his chimney-piece one handsome, elegant vase, than two
damaged, ill-looking pieces of crockery? Mr Pleggit had certainly a
gilt mortar and pestle over his door, which Mr Cophagus had omitted when
he furnished his shop; but then the mortar had a great crack down the
middle, and the pestle had lost its knob. And let me ask those who have
been accustomed to handle it, what is a pestle without a knob? On the
whole, I think, with the advantage of having two fronts, like Janus, we
certainly had the best of the comparison; but I shall leave the
impartial to decide.

All I can say is, that the feuds of the rival houses were most
bitter--the hate intense--the mutual scorn unmeasurable. Did Mr Ebenezer
Pleggit meet Mr Phineas Cophagus in the street, the former immediately
began to spit as if he had swallowed some of his own vile adulterated
drugs; and in rejoinder, Mr Cophagus immediately raised the cane from
his nose high above his forehead in so threatening an attitude as almost
to warrant the other swearing the peace against him, muttering, "Ugly
puppy--knows nothing--um--patients die--and so on."