[334] Johnson, whose memory was wonderfully retentive [see ante, i. 39], remembered the first four lines of this curious production, which have been communicated to me by a young lady of his acquaintance:—­

’When first I drew my vital breath, A little minikin I came upon earth; And then I came from a dark abode, Into this gay and gaudy world.’  BOSWELL.

[335] The Sessional Reports of the Old Bailey Trials for 1758, p. 278, contain a report of the trial.  The Chief Justice Willes was in the Commission, but, according to the Report, it was before the Recorder that Bet Flint was tried.  It may easily be, however, that either the reporter or the printer has blundered.  It is only by the characters * and that the trials before the Chief Justice and the Recorder are distinguished.  Bet had stolen not only the counterpane, but five other articles.  The prosecutrix could not prove that the articles were hers, and not a captain’s, whose servant she said she had been, and who was now abroad.  On this ground the prisoner was acquitted.  Of Chief Justice Willes, Horace Walpole writes:—­’He was not wont to disguise any of his passions.  That for gaming was notorious; for women unbounded.’  He relates an anecdote of his wit and licentiousness.  Walpole’s Reign of George II, i. 89.  He had been Johnson’s schoolfellow (ante, i. 45).

[336] Burke is meant.  See ante, ii. 131, where Johnson said that Burke spoke too familiarly; and post, May 15, 1784, where he said that ’when Burke lets himself down to jocularity he is in the kennel.’

[337] Wilkes imperfectly recalled to mind the following passage in Plutarch:—­’[Greek:  Euphranor ton Thaesea ton heatou to Parrhasiou parebale, legon tor men ekeinou hroda bebrokenai, tor de eautou krea boeia.]’ ’Euphranor, comparing his own Theseus with Parrhasius’s, said that Parrhasius’s had fed on roses, but his on beef.’ Plutarch, ed. 1839, iii. 423.

[338] Portugal, receiving from Brazil more gold than it needed for home uses, shipped a large quantity to England.  It was said, though probably with exaggeration, that the weekly packet-boat from Lisbon, brought one week with another, more than L50,000 in gold to England.  Smith’s Wealth of Nations, book iv. ch. 6.  Portugal pieces were current in our colonies, and no doubt were commonly sent to them from London.  It was natural therefore that they should be selected for this legal fiction.

[339] See ante, ii.  III.

[340] ’Whenever the whole of our foreign trade and consumption exceeds our exportation of commodities, our money must go to pay our debts so contracted, whether melted or not melted down.  If the law makes the exportation of our coin penal, it will be melted down; if it leaves the exportation of our coin free, as in Holland, it will be carried out in specie.  One way or other, go it must, as we see in Spain....  Laws made against exportation of money or bullion will be all in vain.  Restraint or liberty in that matter makes no country rich or poor.’  Locke’s Works, ed. 1824, iv. 160.