THE COURT OF DEATH

Death, the king of terrors, was determined to choose a prime minisler, and his pale courtiers, the ghaslly train of diseases, were ail summoned to attend ; when each preferred his claim to the honour of ihat illustrions office.

Fever urged the numbers he deslroycd; cold Palsy sel forth his pretensions by shaking ail his limbs; and Dropsy, by his swelled unwieldy carcass. Goud hobbled up, and alleged his great power in racking cvery joint: and Asllima's inahilily to speak was a slrong, thongh silenl argument in favour of his claim. Slone and Cholic pleaded their violence; Plague, his rapid progress in destruction ; and Consumption, though slow, insisled that she was sure. In the midsl of Iheir contention the court was dislurbed with Ihe noise of music, dancing, feasling, and reveiry : wheiy immediately entered a iady, wilh a bold lascivious air, a flushed and jovial counienance. She was attended on one hand by a troop of cooks and bacchanals ; and on the other, by a train of w^anlon youlhs and damsels, who danced, halfnaked, to the softest musical instruments : her name was Intempérance. She waved her hand, and thus addressed the crowd of diseases :

« Give way, ye sickly band of prelenders, non dare to vie withmy superior merits in Ihe service of this great monarch. Am not lyour parent, the aullior of your being ? Do ye iiot dérive the power of shorlening human life almosl wlioliy from me ? Who Ihen is so fil as myself for Ihis important office ? n

The grisly monarch grinned a smile of approbation, placed her at his right hand, she immediately became his prime favourile and principal minister. {Dodsley).