“Oh! do not be such an idiot as to take what I have said as a compliment. The feet is, Quality, you want either heart or wit enough to capture a fly; Batter, luckily for the Hundred, sins a little on the opposite side to you, Onesiphorus: all is fish that comes near his net; for one real offender, he brings at least fifty innocent people before me. To say the truth, I do not believe another brace of such ignorant blockheads have flourished in one parish, since the days of Dogberry and Verges. Batter, I am sure _you_ have taken these people:--what have they done? To begin with this good man, who has the appearance of a pedlar;--what do either of you know of him?” “Why,” said Quality, with a shake of the head and an odd sort of frown which he intended to be very significant; “why, your worship, I can't say that I know any good of him.” “You utterly incomparable ninny, do you know any evil of him?” “For that matter,” quoth Quality, to the baronet, “I refer to Batter.” Batter drew up his chin and replied to this appeal, “I say nothing, your worship; but--a--that is to say--” “Go to the devil!” cried the enraged magistrate; “this is what I have to go through, daily, brother Reginald.” “Ay, but, brother Waldron--” “I know, I know!” exclaimed Sir Waldron, interrupting Reginald; “I know what you are going to say; but my patience has been long exhausted with these boobies.--What did you bring the men before me for?” shouted the magistrate in a thundering tone. “Well, then, your worship,” said Quality, no whit moved, “ask Batter.” Batter, with great gravity, declined the honour, and protested against taking precedence of his senior, Onesiphorus Quality; who, he vowed, had bestirred himself as principal in the affair, and laudably exerted himself to the utmost extent of his mental and bodily powers, to bring the delinquents before his worship.