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two　children。　　These　indeed　I　kept　frugally　enough；　for　I　half

starved　them；　but　I　kept　a　mistress　in　a　finer　way；　for　whom　I

had　a　country…house；　pleasantly　situated　on　the　Thames；　elegantly

fitted　up　and　neatly　furnished。　　This　woman　might　very　properly

be　called　my　mistress；　for　she　was　most　absolutely　so；　and　though

her　tenure　was　no　higher　than　by　my　will；　she　domineered　as

tyrannically　as　if　my　chains　had　been　riveted　in　the　strongest

manner。　　To　all　this　I　submitted；　not　through　any　adoration　of

her　beauty；　which　was　indeed　but　indifferent。　　Her　charms

consisted　in　little　wantonnesses；　which　she　knew　admirably　well

to　use　in　hours　of　dalliance；　and　which；　I　believe；　are　of　all

things　the　most　delightful　to　a　lover。



〃She　was　so　profusely　extravagant；　that　it　seemed　as　if　she　had

an　actual　intent　to　ruin　me。　　This　I　am　sure　of；　if　such　had　been

her　real　intention；　she　could　have　taken　no　properer　way　to

accomplish　it；　nay；　I　myself　might　appear　to　have　had　the　same

view：　　for；　besides　this　extravagant　mistress　and　my

country…house；　I　kept　likewise　a　brace　of　hunters；　rather　for

that　it　was　fashionable　so　to　do　than　for　any　great　delight　I

took　in　the　sport；　which　I　very　little　attended；　not　for　want　of

leisure；　for　few　noblemen　had　so　much。　　All　the　work　I　ever　did

was　taking　measure；　and　that　only　of　my　greatest　and　best

customers。　　I　scare　ever　cut　a　piece　of　cloth　in　my　life；　nor　was

indeed　much　more　able　to　fashion　a　coat　than　any　gentleman　in　the

kingdom。　　This　made　a　skillful　servant　too　necessary　to　me。　　He

knew　I　must　submit　to　any　terms　with；　or　any　treatment　from；　him。



He　knew　it　was　easier　for　him　to　find　another　such　a　tailor　as　me

than　for　me　to　procure　such　another　workman　as　him：　　for　this

reason　he　exerted　the　most　notorious　and　cruel　tyranny；　seldom

giving　me　a　civil　word；　nor　could　the　utmost　condescension　on　my

side；　though　attended　with　continual　presents　and　rewards；　and

raising　his　wages；　content　or　please　him。　　In　a　word；　he　was　as

absolutely　my　master　as　was　ever　an　ambitious；　industrious　prime

minister　over　an　indolent　and　voluptuous　king。　　All　my　other

journeymen　paid　more　respect　to　him　than　to　me；　for　they

considered　my　favor　as　a　necessary　consequence　of　obtaining　his。



〃These　were　the　most　remarkable　occurrences　while　I　acted　this

part。　　Minos　hesitated　a　few　moments；　and　then　bid　me　get　back

again；　without　assigning　any　reason。〃





CHAPTER　XXIII



The　life　of　alderman　Julian。



〃I　now　revisited　England；　and　was　born　at　London。　　My　father　was

one　of　the　magistrates　of　that　city。　　He　had　eleven　children；　of

whom　I　was　the　eldest。　　He　had　great　success　in　trade；　and　grew

extremely　rich；　but　the　largeness　of　his　family　rendered　it

impossible　for　him　to　leave　me　a　fortune　sufficient　to　live　well

on　independent　of　business。　　I　was　accordingly　brought　up　to　be　a

fishmonger；　in　which　capacity　I　myself　afterwards　acquired　very

considerable　wealth。



〃The　same　disposition　of　mind　which　in　princes　is　called　ambition

is　in　subjects　named　faction。　　To　this　temper　I　was　greatly

addicted　from　my　youth。　　I　was；　while　a　boy；　a　great　partisan　of

prince　John's　against　his　brother　Richard；　during　the　latter's

absence　in　the　holy　war　and　in　his　captivity。　　I　was　no　more　than

one…and…twenty　when　I　first　began　to　make　political　speeches　in

public；　and　to　endeavor　to　foment　disquietude　and　discontent　in

the　city。　　As　I　was　pretty　well　qualified　for　this　office；　by　a

great　fluency　of　words；　an　harmonious　accent；　a　graceful

delivery；　and　above　all　an　invincible　assurance；　I　had　soon

acquired　some　reputation　among　the　younger　citizens；　and　some　of

the　weaker　and　more　inconsiderate　of　a　riper　age。　　This；

co…operating　with　my　own　natural　vanity；　made　me　extravagantly

proud　and　supercilious。　　I　soon　began　to　esteem　myself　a　man　of

some　consequence；　and　to　overlook　persons　every　way　my　superiors。



〃The　famous　Robin　Hood；　and　his　companion　Little　John；　at　this

time　made　a　considerable　figure　in　Yorkshire。　　I　took　upon　me　to

write　a　letter　to　the　former；　in　the　name　of　the　city；　inviting

him　to　come　to　London；　where　I　assured　him　of　very　good

reception；　signifying　to　him　my　own　great　weight　and　consequence；

and　how　much　I　had　disposed　the　citizens　in　his　favor。　　Whether

he　received　this　letter　or　no　I　am　not　certain；　but　he　never　gave

me　any　answer　to　it。



〃A　little　afterwards　one　William　Fitz…Osborn；　or；　as　he　was

nicknamed；　William　Long…Beard；　began　to　make　a　figure　in　the

city。　　He　was　a　bold　and　an　impudent　fellow；　and　had　raised

himself　to　great　popularity　with　the　rabble；　by　pretending　to

espouse　their　cause　against　the　rich。　　I　took　this　man's　part；

and　made　a　public　oration　in　his　favor；　setting　him　forth　as　a

patriot；　and　one　who　had　embarked　in　the　cause　of　liberty：　　for

which　service　he　did　not　receive　me　with　the　acknowledgments　I

expected。　　However；　as　I　thought　I　should　easily　gain　the

ascendant　over　this　fellow；　I　continued　still　firm　on　his　side；

till　the　archbishop　of　Canterbury；　with　an　armed　force；　put　an

end　to　his　progress：　　for　he　was　seized　in　Bowchurch；　where　he

had　taken　refuge；　and　with　nine　of　his　accomplices　hanged　in

chains。



〃I　escaped　narrowly　myself；　for　I　was　seized　in　the　same　church

with　the　rest；　and；　as　I　had　been　very　considerably　engaged　in

the　enterprise；　the　archbishop　was　inclined　to　make　me　an

example；　but　my　father's　merit；　who　had　advanced　a　considerable

sum　to　queen　Eleanor　towards　the　king's　ransom；　preserved　me。



〃The　consternation　my　danger　had　occasioned　kept　me　some　time

quiet；　and　I　applied　myself　very　assiduously　to　my　trade。　　I

invented　all　manner　of　methods　to　enhance　the　price　of　fish；　and

made　use　of　my　utmost　endeavors　to　engross　as　much　of　the

business　as　possible　in　my　own　hands。　　By　these　means　I　acquired

a　substance　which　raised　me　to　some　little　consequence　in　the

city；　but　far　from　elevating　me　to　that　degree　which　I　had

formerly　flattered　myself　with　possessing　at　a　time　when　I　was

totally　insignificant；　for；　in　a　trading　society；　money　must　at

least　lay　the　foundation　of　all　power　and　interest。



〃But　as　it　hath　been　remarked　that　the　same　ambition　which　sent

Alexander　into　Asia　brings　the　wrestler　on　the　green；　and　as　this

same　ambition　is　as　incapable　as　quicksilver　of　lying　still；　so

I；　who　was　possessed　perhaps　of　a　share　equal　to　what　hath　fired

the　blood　of　any　of　the　heroes　of　antiquity；　was　no　less　restless

and　discontented　with　ease　and　quiet。　　My　first　endeavors　were　to

make　myself　head　of　my　company；　which　Richard　I　had　just

published；　and　soon　afterwards　I　procured　myself　to　be　chosen

alderman。



〃Opposition　is　the　only　state　which　can　give　a　subject　an

opportunity　of　exerting　the　disposition　I　was　possessed　of。　

Accordingly；　king　John　was　no　sooner　seated　on　his　throne　than　I

began　to　oppose　his　measures；　whether　right　or　wrong。　　It　is　true

that　monarch　had　faults　enow。　　He　was　so　abandoned　to　lust　and

luxury；　that　he　addicted　himself　to　the　most　extravagant　excesses

in　both；　while　he　indolently　suffered　the　king　of　France　to　rob

him　of　almost　all　his　foreign　dominions：　　my　opposition　therefore

was　justifiable　enough；　and　if　my　motive　from　within　had　been　as

good　as　the　occasion　from　without　I　should　have　had　little　to

excuse；　but；　in　truth；　I　sought　nothing　but　my　own　preferment；　by

making　myself　formidable　to　the　king；　and　then　selling　to　him　the

interest　of　that　party　by　whose　means　I　had　become　so。　　Indeed；

had　the　public　good　been　my　care；　however　zealously　I　might　have

opposed　the　beginning　of　his　reign；　I　should　not　have　scrupled　to

lend　him　my　utmost　assistance　in　this　struggle　between　him　and

pope　Innocent　the　third；　in　which　he　was　so　manifestly　in　the

right；　nor　have　suffered　the　insolence　of　that　pope；　and　the

power　of　the　king　of　France；　to　have　compelled　him　in　the　issue；

basely　to　resign　his　crown　into　the　hands　of　the　former；　and

receive　it　again　as　a　vassal；　by　means　of　which　acknowledgment

the　pope　afterwards　claimed　this　kingdom　as　a　tributary　fief　to

be　held　of　the　papal　chair；　a　claim　which　occasioned　great

uneasiness　to　many　subsequent　princes；　and　brought　numberless

calamities　on　the　nation。



〃As　the　king　had；　among　other　concessions；　stipulated　to　pay　an

immediate　sum　of　money　to　Pandulph；　which　he　had　great　difficulty

to　raise；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　for　him　to　apply　to　the

city；　where　my　interest　and　popularity　were　so　high　that　he　had

no　hopes　without　my　assistance。　　As　I　knew　this；　I　took　care　to

sell　myself　and　country　as　high　as　possible。　　The　terms　I

demanded；　therefore；　were　a　place；　a　pension；　and　a　knighthood。　

All　those　were　immediately　consented　to。　　I　was　forthwith

knighted；　and　promised　the　other　two。



〃I　now　mounted　the　hustings；　and；　without　any　regard　to　decency

or　modesty；　made　as　emphatical　a　speech　in　favor　of　the　king　as

before　I　had　done　against　him。　　In　this　speech　I　justified　all

those　measures　which　I　had　before　condemned；　and　pleaded　as

earnestly　with　my　fellow…citizens　to　open　their　purses；　as　I　had

formerly　done　to　prevail　with　them　to　keep　them　shut。　　But；　alas！

my　rhetoric　had　not　the　effect　I　proposed。　　The　consequence　of　my

arguments　was　only　contempt　to　myself。　　The　people　at　first

stared　on　one　another；　and　afterwards　began　unanimously　to

express　their　dislike。　　An　impudent　fellow　among　them；　reflecting

on　my　trade；　cried　out；　'Stinking　fish；'　which　was　immediately

reiterated　through　the　whole　crowd。　　I　was　then　forced　to　slink

away　home；　but　I　was　not　able　to　accomplish　my　retreat　without

being　attended　by　the　mob；　who　huzza'd　me　along　the　street　with

the　repeated　cries　of　'Stinking　fish。'



〃I　now　proceeded　to　court；　to　inform　his　majesty　of　my　faithful

service；　and　how　much　I　had　suffered　in　his　cause。　　I　found　by　my

first　reception　he　had　already　heard　of　my　success。　　Instead