“‘Bresto! be quick,’ said Handel; he knew it was Arne; ’fifteen minutes of dime is butty well for an ad libitum.’

“‘Mr. Arne,’ said my great-uncle’s man.

“A chair was placed, and the social party commenced their dejeuner.

“‘Well, and how do you find yourself, my dear sir?’ inquired Arne, with friendly warmth.

“’Why, by the mercy of Heaven, and the waders of Aix-la-Chapelle, andt the addentions of mine togders andt physicians, and oggulists, of lade years, under Providence, I am surbrizingly pedder—­thank you kindly, Misder Custos.  Andt you have also been doing well of lade, as I am bleased to hear.  You see, sir,’ pointing to his plate, ’you see, sir, dat I am in the way for to regruit mine flesh wid the good viands of Misder Zachary Hardgasdle.’

“’So, sir, I presume you are come to witness the trial of skill at the old round church?  I understand the amateurs expect a pretty sharp contest,’ said Arne.

“‘Gondest,’ echoed Handel, laying down his knife and fork.  ’Yes, no doubt; your amadeurs have a bassion for gondest.  Not vot it vos in our remembrance.  Hey, mine friendt?  Ha, ha, ha!’

“’No, sir, I am happy to say those days of envy and bickering, and party feeling, are gone and past.  To be sure we had enough of such disgraceful warfare:  it lasted too long.’

“’Why, yes; it tid last too long, it bereft me of mine poor limbs:  it tid bereave of that vot is the most blessed gift of Him vot made us, andt not wee ourselves.  And for vot?  Vy, for nod-ing in the vorldt pode the bleasure and bastime of them who, having no widt, nor no want, set at loggerheads such men as live by their widts, to worry and destroy one andt anodere as wild beasts in the Golloseum in the dimes of the Romans.’

“Poor Dr. Pepusch during this conversation, as my great-uncle observed, was sitting on thorns; he was in the confederacy professionally only.

“‘I hope, sir,’ observed the doctor, ’you do not include me among those who did injustice to your talents?’

“’Nod at all, nod at all, God forbid!  I am a great admirer of the airs of the ‘Peggar’s Obera,’ andt every professional gendtleman must do his best for to live.’

“This mild return, couched under an apparent compliment, was well received; but Handel, who had a talent for sarcastic drolling, added: 

“’Pute why blay the Peggar yourself, togder, andt adapt oldt pallad humsdrum, ven, as a man of science, you could gombose original airs of your own?  Here is mine friendt, Custos Arne, who has made a road for himself, for to drive along his own genius to the demple of fame.’  Then, turning to our illustrious Arne, he continued, ’Min friendt Custos, you and I must meed togeder some dimes before it is long, and hold a tede-a-tede of old days vat is gone; ha, ha!  Oh! it is gomigal now dat id is all gone by.  Custos, to nod you remember as it was almost only of yesterday dat she-devil Guzzoni,