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away Leper, says Mess John, I hear a bad
report of you; me Sir, I am sure they were
not my friends that told you that.---Indeed,
I am informed you are a drunkard.---I a
drunkard you have not a soberer man in
your parish: stop Sir, I will tell you how
I lead my life---in the morning I take a
choppin of ale and a bit of bread, that I call
my morning; for breakfast I generally
take a herring and a choppin of ale, for
cannot sup brose like my lads; the herring
makes me dry, so at eleven hours I take a
pint, and sometimes three choppins; at
supper I take a bit of bread and cheese and
a pint, and so go to bed. Mess John says,
its extravagant Sir, its excessive drinking;
I allow you one half of it for a quarter of a
year. Says Leper, I'll try it, Sir, and
come back and tell you. At the end of the
quarter he draws out his account, and goes
to Mess John, who was sitting with his
elders in the Session-house, and says; Sir
I have a demand on you; on me, Sir;
Yes, on you, Sir; don't you remember you
allowed me so much drink for a quarter of a
year and I want the money. Am I to pay
your reckoning, Sir. You allowed it, and
if you wont pay it I'll take you before the
Provost. The elders advised him to pay
it or he would be affronted; so Leper got
the money. When he was at the door,
