meet with some that knew me, who would advise him to have a care of me, and not to keep me company, for I was a dangerous person, and in the end would be his ruine. Whereas it was but to little purpose: for when youth is in its full vigour, and height of desire, neither wholesome counsel, nor lamentable examples, will give them warning of their future destruction. Still I continued my seeming respects and kindnesses to him, which I onely intended as the _Præludium_ or Prologue to that Play which was to come after: for my Country _Cock-brain_ being honeyed with these sweet delights, thought that whatever he could return, was notable to give an answerable satisfaction. Watching a fit opportunity, (when he was well warm’d with Wine) then would I perswade him, (which was no difficult matter) to be bound with me for so much, _&c._ which I promised I would repay at the day, without putting him to any inconvenience: but he knew not, that what I borrowed for an hour, I borrowed for an age. When I could squeeze no more juyce out of him, then I left him to the mercy of his Creditors, to be dealt withal as the Popinjay in the Fable, who being summoned to appear with the rest of the winged Tribe, before their King the Eagle, borrowed of all the finer sort of birds feathers to adorn him, and make him appear splendid before his Soveraign. After he was dismiss’d, he proudly flutter’d up and down the woods with his borrow’d gallantry; which made the little Titmouse, Wren and Hedge-sparrow adore him. They to whom he was obliged for his gallantry, hearing thereof, demanded again their own, and so deplum’d him, whereby he seem’d ten times worse then those small birds that lately did admire him. Such Popinjays are they, who borrow of every Citizen, to make themselves shew glorious in the worlds eye; but when the Creditors shall come and claim their own, and get it, they will seem more foul, then lately they did fair. So various and villanous were the pranks I committed every day, that I was forced now, like an Owl, to appear onely by night in the Citie. If I did at any time transgress that custom, I did then like the dogs of _Egypt_, which when they come to drink of the river _Nilus_, lap here and there, not daring to stay long in one place, for fear the Crocodiles that lie lurking within the banks, should pull them into the Current: so did I, skulking here and there, first to one Tavern, and then, not daring to stay longer there, shifting to another. But to proceed. CHAP. XLVIII. _How he could make Ink that would disappear from the Paper, accordingly as he pleased, by the strength or weakness of the composition. His imitating exactly both Hand and Seal. A remarkable Story thereupon._