At length, turning about, he took hold of my bottle,
instead of his own, and, filling a large glass, drank to the
health of Mrs Tabitha. It had scarce touched his lips, when he
perceived the change which had been put upon him, and was at
first a little out of countenance. He seemed to retire within
himself, in order to deliberate, and in half a minute his
resolution was taken; addressing himself to our quarter, 'I give
the gentleman credit for his wit (said he); it was a gude
practical joke; but sometimes hi joci in seria ducunt mala -- I
hope for his own sake he has na drank all the liccor; for it was
a vara poorful infusion of jallap in Bourdeaux wine; at its
possable he may ha ta'en sic a dose as will produce a terrible
catastrophe in his ain booels --'
By far the greater part of the contents had fallen to the share
of a young clothier from Leeds, who had come to make a figure at
Harrigate, and was, in effect a great coxcomb in his way. It was
with a view to laugh at his fellow-guests, as well as to mortify
the lawyer, that he had emptied the bottle, when it came to his
turn, and he had laughed accordingly: but now his mirth gave way
to his apprehension -- He began to spit, to make wry faces, and
writhe himself into various contorsions -- 'Damn the stuff! (cried
he) I thought it had a villainous twang -- pah! He that would cozen
a Scot, mun get oope betimes, and take Old Scratch for his
counsellor --' 'In troth mester what d'ye ca'um (replied the
lawyer), your wit has run you into a filthy puddle -- I'm truly
consarned for your waeful case -- The best advice I can give you,
in sic a delemma, is to send an express to Rippon for doctor
Waugh, without delay, and, in the mean time, swallow all the oil
and butter you can find in the hoose, to defend your poor stomach
and intastines from the villication of the particles of the
jallap, which is vara violent, even when taken in moderation.
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