At _Challons sur la Soane_, (for there is another town of the same name
in _Champaigne_) I had the _honor_ of a visit from _Mons. le Baron
Shortall_, a gentleman of an ancient family, _rather in distress at this
time_, by being _kept out_ of six and thirty thousand a year, his legal
property in Ireland; but as the Baron made his visit _ala-mode de
capuchin Friar_, without knocking, and when only the female part of my
family were in the apartment, he was dismissed _rather abruptly_ for a
man of _his high rank_ and _great fortune in expectation_. This
dismission, however, did not dismay him; he rallied again, with the
reinforcement of _Madame la Baroness_, daughter, as he positively
affirmed, of _Mons. le Prince de Monaco_; but as I had forbad his being
_shewn up_, he desired me to _come down_, a summons curiosity induced
me to obey. Never, surely, were two people _of fashion_ in a more
pitiable plight! he was in a _russet brown black_ suit of cloaths;
Madame _la Baroness_ in much the same colour, wrapt up in a tattered
black silk capuchin; and I knew not which to admire most, their folly or
their impudence; for surely never did an _adventurer_ set out with less
_capabilities_ about him; his whole story was so flagrant a fib, that in
spite of the _very respectable certificates of My Lord Mayor, John
Wilkes, and Mr. Alderman Bull_, I was obliged to tell him plainly, that
I did not believe him to be a gentleman, nor his wife to be a relation
of the Prince of _Monaco_. All this he took in good part, and then
assured me they were both very hungry, and without meat or money; I
therefore ordered a dinner at twenty _sols_ a head; and, as I sat by
while they eat it, I had reason to believe that he told me _one plain
truth_, for in truth they eat as if they had never eaten before. After
dinner the Baron did me the honour to consult with me _how_ he should
get down to _Lyons_? I recommended to him to proceed by _water_; but,