y　fairly　listen　to　what　they　said。

After　several　parallels　between　great　men；　which　appeared　to　me　altogether　groundless　and　chimerical；　I　was　surprised　to　hear　one　say；　that　he　valued　the　Black　Prince　more　than　the　Duke　of　Venoms。　How　the　Duke　of　Vendosme　should　bee　a　rival　of　Black　Prince；　I　couldn’t　conceive；　and　was　more　startled　when　I　heard　a　second　affirm；　with　great　vehemence；　that　if　the　Emperor　of　Germany　was　not　going　off；　he　should　like　him　better　than　either　of　them。　He　added；　that　though　the　season　was　so　changeable；　the　Duke　of　Marlborough　was　in　blooming　beauty。　I　was　wondering　to　myself　from　whence　they　had　received　this　odd　intelligence：　especially　when　I　heard　them　mention　the　names　of　several　other　great　generals；　as　the　Prince　of　Hess　and　the　King　of　Sweden；　who；　they　said；　were　both　running　away。　To　which　they　added；　what　I　entirely　agreed　with　them　in；　that　the　Crown　of　France　was　very　weak；　but　that　the　Marshal　Villars　still　kept　his　colors。　At　last；　one　of　them　told　the　pany；　if　they　would　go　along　with　him；　he　would　show　them　a　chimney…sweeper　and　a　painted　lady　in　the　same　bed；　which　he　was　sure　would　very　much　please　them。　The　shower　which　had　driven　them　as　well　as　myself　into　the　house；　was　now　over；　and　as　they　were　passing　by　me　into　the　garden；　I　asked　them　to　let　me　be　one　of　their　pany。

The　gentleman　of　the　house　told　me；　if　I　delighted　in　flowers；　it　would　be　worth　my　while；　for　that　he　believed　he　could　show　me　such　a　blow　of