* Complaints of the House of Commons of the unequal burden of the
war.

D. DIEGO.--No doubt Hocus meant all this for the best, but he is a
tender-hearted, charitable man; Frog is indeed in hard
circumstances.

MRS. BULL--Hard circumstances! I swear this is provoking to the
last degree. All the time of the lawsuit, as fast as I have
mortgaged, Frog has purchased: from a plain tradesman, with a shop,
warehouse, and a country hut with a dirty fish-pond at the end of
it, he is now grown a very rich country gentleman, with a noble
landed estate, noble palaces, manors, parks, gardens, and farms,
finer than any we were ever master of.* Is it not strange, when my
husband disbursed great sums every term, Frog should be purchasing
some new farm or manor? so that if this lawsuit lasts, he will be
far the richest man in his country. What is worse than all this, he
steals away my customers every day; twelve of the richest and the
best have left my shop by his persuasion, and whom, to my certain
knowledge, he has under bonds never to return again: judge you if
this be neighbourly dealing.

* The Dutch acquisitions in Flanders.

D. DIEGO--Frog is indeed pretty close in his dealings, but very
honest: you are so touchy, and take things so hotly, I am sure
there must be some mistake in this.

MRS. BULL--A plaguy one indeed! You know, and have often told me of