having an opportunity of chastising both Mortimer and Hamilton, Clump standing at the window, informed him that an opportunity was arrived, for they both were entering the house. “I will go down, don’t say a word against it, Clump.” “I, please your honour, I am saying nothing against it.” “However you may go down first, to see what is going on.”--Clump in a few minutes returned, bearing in his hand a paper to the following effect:-- “Whereas, a peasant and clown named Bartholomew Blossom, cow-keeper and horse-jocky, of Docktail-Place, near Richmond, impudently and falsely calling himself a gentleman, did audaciously, in a vulgar and ribaldrous letter, send me a challenge. I hereby declare, that I will not accept a challenge from the said Bartholomew Blossom, peasant and clown as aforesaid; but I come prepared to chastise the presumptuous insolence of the fellow, by caning him in the public room, or streets of Northallerton, or wherever else I may have the good fortune to find him. At the same time believing him to be a poltroon and a coward, I shall forbear beating him if he confines himself to the kitchen or stables, without arrogating to himself the privilege of making one of a company of gentlemen. _August 29._ 1789. JOHN MORTIMER.” Blossom having perused this paper, declared his resolution of inflicting a most severe vengeance on the traducer of his honour, but thought it would be wisest to suspend the execution of his valourous projects, till after his recovery.--The wound which had thus respited the courage of Mr. Blossom, in the course of the evening so quickly healed, that though it rained hard, he set off in the dark for Docktail-place. There he consulted an attorney, who not without thoughts of _six and eightpence often repeated_, strongly urged a prosecution for assault, battery, and wounding; and not doubting but in such a case the adversary would prosecute for a challenge; he hoped on the one hand “Bartholomew Blossom, esquire, of Docktail-place, in the parish of Richmond, in the North Riding of the county of York, plaintiff; and John Mortimer, esquire, younger, of Oak Grove, in the parish of Northallerton, in the aforesaid North Riding, of the aforesaid county of York, defendant; and on the other hand, John Mortimer, esquire, younger, of Oak Grove, in the parish of Northallerton, in the North Riding of the county of York, plaintiff, and Bartholomew Blossom, esquire, of Docktail-place, in the parish of Richmond aforesaid, in the North Riding of the aforesaid county of York, defendant, carried through all the process of declarations, replies, rejoinders, and demurs, and abundantly interspersed with the vacation after Trinity term, being on the 29th day of August, in the year of our Lord 1789, and in the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and Arch Treasurer of the Holy Roman Empire,” would help materially to fill paper and swell the bill.