An _Italian_ Parson, one Day invited to Dinner _Il Piovano Arlotto_, with many other Parsons; and having a mind to shew his Wit, took these aside and told them, Gentlemen, ’tis my opinion that we should make our selves merry to Day with _Piovano_, who, you know, sets up for a jester, and drolls upon every Body; Being my Clark lies Sick, and that I no Body to wait on us, I will propose to draw Cuts, to see which of us shall go to the Cellar to draw the Wine, and wait on the Rest whilst they are at Dinner: And I will contrive it so, that it shall fall to _Piovano_’s Lot; which being thus concluded amongst them, was put in Execution accordingly. _Piovano_ smoak’d the Plot, and resolv’d to make his Host Repent it. Down he goes to the Cellar to fill the Bottles, whilst the others fell to, and being come up again with the Bottles, _You see, Gentlemen_, said he, _How I have perform’d what I had to do; let’s now draw Cuts to see which of us shall go down into the Cellar to stop the Hogs-heads I left running_. Now the Landlord talk’d no more of casting Lots, and knowing _Piovano_ to be a Man that would as soon do it, as say it, leaves presently his Dinner, and runs to the Cellar, where he finds his Vessels running, and part of his Wine spilt; which as he afterwards expostulated with _Piovano_, _You have no Reason to Complain of me, answer’d he, since I have punctually satisfied the Conditions of the Play, which indeed obliged me to draw the Wine and fill the Bottles, but not to stop the Vessels of a Host who entertains his Guests so scurvily_. 150