As. But, Mr. King, if you’ll please to permit me, who am but a Peasant, to speak of regal Matters, I’ll tell you something that comes into my Mind, by hearing your Story, concerning the same Lewis.  For as one Link of a Chain draws on another, so one Story draws on another.  A certain Servant seeing a Louse crawling upon the King’s Coat, falling upon his Knees and lifting up his Hand, gives Notice, that he had a Mind to do some Sort of Service; Lewis offering himself to him, he takes off the Louse, and threw it away privately; the King asks him what it was; he seem’d ashamed to tell him, but the King urging him, he confess’d it was a Louse:  That’s a very good Sign, says he, for it shews me to be a Man, because this Sort of Vermin particularly haunts Mankind, especially while they are young; and order’d him a Present of 40 Crowns for his good Service.  Some Time after, another Person (who had seen how well he came off that had perform’d so small a Service) not considering that there is a great Difference between doing a Thing sincerely, and doing it craftily, approached the King with the like Gesture; and he offering himself to him, he made a Shew of taking something off his Garment, which he presently threw away.  But when the King was urgent upon him, seeming unwilling to tell what it was, mimicking Abundance of Modesty, he at last told him it was a Flea; the King perceiving the Fraud, says to him, What do you make a Dog of me? and orders him to be taken away, and instead of 40 Crowns orders him 40 Stripes.

Phily. I hear it’s no good jesting with Kings; for as Lions will sometimes stand still to be stroaked, are Lions again when they please, and kill their Play-Fellow; just so Princes play with Men.  But I’ll tell you a Story not much unlike yours:  not to go off from Lewis, who us’d to take a Pleasure in tricking Tricksters.  He had receiv’d a Present of ten thousand Crowns from some Place, and as often as the Courtiers know the King has gotten any fresh Money, all the Officers are presently upon the Hunt to catch some Part of it; this Lewis knew very well, this Money being pour’d out upon a Table, he, to raise all their Expectations, thus bespeaks them; What say you, am not I a very rich King?  Where shall I bestow all this Money?  It was presented to me, and I think it is meet I should make Presents of it again.  Where are all my Friends, to whom I am indebted for their good Services?  Now let ’em come before this Money’s gone.  At that Word a great many came running; every Body hop’d to get some of it.  The King taking Notice of one that look’d very wishfully upon it, and as if he would devour it with his Eyes, turning to him, says, Well, Friend, what have you to say?  He inform’d the King, that he had for a long Time very faithfully kept the King’s Hawks, and been at a great Expence thereby.  One told him one Thing, another another, every one setting out his Service to the best Advantage, and