The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

126 TOBIAS SMOLLETT
of his caprice. Wat Wyvil, the poet, having made some unsuccess-
ful advances towards an intimacy with S——, at last gave him to
understand, by a third person, that he had written a poem in his
praise, and a satire against his person; that if he would admit him
to his house, the first should be immediately sent to press, but that
if he persisted in declining his friendship, he would publish the
satire without delay. S—— replied, that he looked upon Wyvil’s
panegyrick, as in effect, a species of infamy, and would resent it
accordingly with a good cudgel; but if he published the satire, he
might deserve his compassion, and had nothing to fear from his
revenge. Wyvil having considered the alternative, resolved to
mortify S—— by printing the panegyrick, for which he received
a sound drubbing. Then he swore the peace against the aggressor,
who, in order to avoid a prosecution at law, admitted him to his
good graces. It was the singularity in S——’s conduct on this occa-
sion, that reconciled him to the yellow-gloved philosopher, who
owned he had some genius, and from that period cultivated his
acquaintance.
Curious to know upon what subjects the several talents of my
fellow-guests were employed, I applied to my communicative
friend Dick Ivy, who gave me to understand, that most of them
were, or had been, understrappers, or journeymen, to more
creditable authors, for whom they translated, collated, and com-
piled, in the business of book-making; and that all of them had, at
different times, laboured in the service of our landlord, though they
had now set up for themselves in various departments of literature.
Not only their talents, but also their nations and dialects were so
various, that our conversation resembled the confusion of tongues
at Babel. We had the Irish brogue, the Scotch accent, and foreign
idiom, twanged off by the most discordant vociferation; for, as they
all spoke together, no man had any chance to be heard, unless he
could bawl louder than his fellows. It must be owned, however,
there was nothing pedantic in their discourse; they carefully
avoided all learned disquisitions, and endeavoured to be facetious;
nor did their endeavours always miscarry—some droll repartee
passed, and much laughter was excited; and if any individual lost
his temper so far as to transgress the bounds of decorum, he was
effectually checked by the master of the feast, who exerted a sort of
paternal authority over this irritable tribe.
The most learned philosopher of the whole collection, who had