Ant. What Country was it?

Adol.  Holland.

Ant. There’s no Nation more human, altho’ they are encompass’d with such fierce Nations.  I fancy you won’t be for going to Sea again.

Adol. No, unless God shall please to deprive me of my Reason.

Ant. I would rather hear such Stories than feel them.

DIVERSORIA.

The ARGUMENT.

This Colloquy shews the various Customs of Nations and their Civility in treating Strangers.  An Inn at Leyden where are nothing but Women.  The Manners of the French Inns, who are us’d to tell Stories, and break Jests.  The Germans, far more uncivil in treating Travellers, being rude, and wholly inhospitable:  The Guests look after their own Horses:  The Method of receiving them into the Stove:  They provide no Supper, till they know how many Guests they shall have:  All that come that Night, sit down to Supper together:  All pay alike, tho’ one drinks twice as much Wine as another does.

BERTULPH and WILLIAM.

Bert. I wonder what is the Fancy of a great many, for staying two or three Days at Lyons?  When I have once set out on a Journey, I an’t at Rest till I come to my Journey’s End.

Will. Nay, I wonder as much, that any Body can get away from thence.

Bert. But why so?

Will. Because that’s a Place the Companions of Ulysses could not have got away from.  There are Sirens.  No Body is better entertain’d at his own House, than he is there at an Inn.

Bert. What is done there?

Will. There’s a Woman always waiting at Table, which makes the Entertainment pleasant with Railleries, and pleasant Jests.  And the Women are very handsome there.  First the Mistress of the House came and bad us Welcome, and to accept kindly what Fare we should have; after her, comes her Daughter, a very fine Woman, of so handsome a Carriage, and so pleasant in Discourse, that she would make even Cato himself merry, were he there:  And they don’t talk to you as if you were perfect Strangers, but as those they have been a long Time acquainted with, and familiar Friends.

Bert. O, I know the French Way of Civility very well.

Will. And because they can’t be always with you, by Reason of the other Affairs of the House, and the welcoming of other Guests, there comes a Lass, that supplies the Place of the Daughter, till she is at Leisure to return again.  This Lass is so well instructed in the Knack of Repartees, that she has a Word ready for every Body, and no Conceit comes amiss to her.  The Mother, you must know, was somewhat in Years.

Bert. But what was your Table furnish’d with?  For Stories fill no Bellies.

Will. Truly, so splendid, that I was amaz’d that they could afford to entertain their Guests so, for so small a Price.  And then after Dinner, they entertain a Man with such facetious Discourse, that one cannot be tired; that I seemed to be at my own House, and not in a strange Place.