is whole, and the eager Inclination they have for it, when, by its being cut up, the Shape which had affected them is altered.  From hence they passed to Eels, then to Parsnips, and so from one Aversion to another, till we had work’d up our selves to such a pitch of Complaisance, that when the Dinner was to come in, we enquired the name of every Dish, and hop’d it would be no Offence to any in Company, before it was admitted.  When we had sat down, this Civility amongst us turned the Discourse from Eatables to other sorts of Aversions; and the eternal Cat, which plagues every Conversation of this nature, began then to engross the Subject.  One had sweated at the Sight of it, another had smelled it out as it lay concealed in a very distant Cupboard; and he who crowned the whole set of these Stories, reckon’d up the Number of Times in which it had occasion’d him to swoon away.  At last, says he, that you may all be satisfy’d of my invincible Aversion to a Cat, I shall give an unanswerable Instance:  As I was going through a Street of London, where I had never been till then, I felt a general Damp and Faintness all over me, which I could not tell how to account for, till I chanced to cast my Eyes upwards, and found that I was passing under a Sign-Post on which the Picture of a Cat was hung.

The Extravagance of this Turn in the way of Surprize, gave a stop to the Talk we had been carrying on:  Some were silent because they doubted, and others because they were conquered in their own Way; so that the Gentleman had Opportunity to press the Belief of it upon us, and let us see that he was rather exposing himself than ridiculing others.

I must freely own that I did not all this while disbelieve every thing that was said; but yet I thought some in the Company had been endeavouring who should pitch the Bar farthest; that it had for some time been a measuring Cast, and at last my Friend of the Cat and Sign-post had thrown beyond them all.

I then consider’d the Manner in which this Story had been received, and the Possibility that it might have pass’d for a Jest upon others, if he had not labour’d against himself.  From hence, thought I, there are two Ways which the well-bred World generally takes to correct such a Practice, when they do not think fit to contradict it flatly.

The first of these is a general Silence, which I would not advise any one to interpret in his own behalf.  It is often the Effect of Prudence in avoiding a Quarrel, when they see another drive so fast, that there is no stopping him without being run against; and but very seldom the Effect of Weakness in believing suddenly.  The generality of Mankind are not so grossly ignorant, as some over-bearing Spirits would persuade themselves; and if the Authority of a Character or a Caution against Danger make us suppress our Opinions, yet neither of these are of force enough to suppress our Thoughts of them.  If a Man who has endeavoured to amuse