The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

THE EXPEDITION OF HUMPHRY CLINKER 303
dear boy, compose thyself (resumed the knight); consider the
mercy of heaven is infinite; thou can’st not have any sins of a very
deep dye on thy conscience, or the devil’s in’t.’ ‘Name not the
devil (exclaimed the terrified Frogmore), I have more sins to
answer for than the world dreams of.—Ah! friend, I have been
sly—sly—damn’d sly!—Send for the parson without loss of time,
and put me to bed, for I am posting to eternity.’—He was accord-
ingly raised from the couch, and supported by two servants, who
led him back to his room; but before he quitted the parlour, he
intreated the good company to assist him with their prayers.—He
added, ‘Take warning by me, who am suddenly cut off in my prime,
like a flower of the field; and God forgive you, sir Thomas, for
suffering such poisonous trash to be eaten at your table.’
He was no sooner removed out of hearing, than the baronet
abandoned himself to a violent fit of laughing, in which he was
joined by the greatest part of the company; but we could hardly
prevent the good lady from going to undeceive the patient, by
discovering, that while he slept his waistcoat had been straitened
by the contrivance of the surgeon; and that the disorder in his
stomach and bowels was occasioned by some antimonial wine,
which he had taken over night, under the denomination of plague-
water.—She seemed to think that his apprehension might put an
end to his life: the knight swore he was no such chicken, but a
tough old rogue, that would live long enough to plague all his
neighbours.—Upon enquiry, we found his character did not intitle
him to much compassion or respect, and therefore we let our land-
lord’s humour take its course.—A glyster was actually adminis-
tered by an old woman of the family, who had been sir Thomas’s
nurse, and the patient took a draught made with oxymel of squills
to forward the operation of the antimonial wine, which had been
retarded by the opiate of the preceding night. He was visited by the
vicar, who read prayers, and began to take an account of the state
of his soul, when those medicines produced their effect; so that the
parson was obliged to hold his nose while he poured forth spiritual
consolation from his mouth. The same expedient was used by the
knight and me, who, with the doctor, entered the chamber at this
juncture, and found Frogmore enthroned on an easing-chair, under
the pressure of a double evacuation. The short intervals betwixt
every heave he employed in crying for mercy, confessing his sins,
or asking the vicar’s opinion of his case; and the vicar answered,