"I'll not shwear no more, so help me"Hold," said Watkin Waller, placing his hand before the Jew's mouth; "if thou dost not forbear I'll have no more dealings with thee, thou remorseless sinner."

"Strichke me- -Vell, I vont. But vot in the varld ish the prayer book to me, good Master Waller? It ish not any religion at all of mine. But I will not have no words with mine

good customer. How moche vosh it you'll give for the lot? Only ten left; all as cheap as dirt, so help

"What! again?" exclaimed the bookseller. "O! mine dear, vot a good man you vosh!" said the accommodating Jew. "It ish a bad custom-vot I learned as I vosh a little boy. Mine grandfather, Rabbi Moses, vosh swear, and mine grandmother, Rabbi Moses, vosh swear; mine blessed father vosh swear; and mine blessed mother vosh swear, so mine broders and sister all swear; and sister Rachel vosh swear most of all; but Rachel ish an apostate, and a Christian, and married a Muggletonian shoemaker, and he has cured her of cursing with his leathern strap. Blow me down dead, but he

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is a pretty villain for his part." Here the Jew placed his finger on his nose, and raising his wrinkling brow, with a shrug of the shoulders, added, "for he is a resheiver of stolen goods!" Wheugh," whistled the old bibliopolist, "a notable genealogy of cursers and swearers. I pity thee, Master Mordecai-I pity thee indeed -I pity thee from my heart. Ah, Mordecai, examining the bindings of the common prayer books," if thou would'st read the holy precepts inclosed in these covers, thou would'st forbear the sinful habit, and become a fair trader, and upright in all thy dealings-as I am, Master Mordecai. Look here, open this, and read the Lord's Prayer, and be a Christian."

The Jew shut his eyes, and rejected the book with outstreched hands. "I vosh not read not at all; I vosh not buy the books to read; I vosh buy the books to sell-all in the way of business. Come, vot say you to forty shilling each quarto come, take the two at thirty-eight; fine type, fine paper, peautiful binding—the silver clasp shall melt for as moche; great pargain, so help me Vell, vell, I vont swear

no more. Schmite me to the dust, but it is as cheap as dirt."

"Let us see. Humph! money is money now-a-days; never knew it so scarce. So, then -two quartos at twenty-five shillings each, five octavos at eight, three duodecimos at four-that makes a hundred and two shillings. Come, Master Mordecai, there is no business stirring; I'll be plain with you," said old Waller, who was a notorious skin-flint," I'll count you out four pounds ten shillings at a word, and one farthing more I will not give. Every body can vouch

for my open dealings."

"Christ! vot a Jew you vosh, in making the pargain. Schmite me tead and dark in your shop-Vot! do you think I stole them? Vy every copy is of the value of twice as much money. Give me the other twelve shilling-five pound two shilling, by your own reckoning, Master Waller. I just parted with a quarto to as big a villain as ever vosh, one money schrivener in Paul's-Walk, for five and forty shilling, as I hope to be shaved."

"Thou hope to be saved! I'll warrant me

thou❜lt not meet another shop that will deal as liberally as the Black Eagle, within the city walls. The copies are all perfect, I suppose. I have no time now to collate them; but call tomorrow, or the next day, and you shall have the money."

"O! vot this is your manner of doing business, Master Waller. You vosh very liberal in your conscience. Give me the books.

I could find a score of chapmen in PaternoshterRow. The article shall rise you a matter of fifty per shent in a week. Blister me all over, if I stole the books if I vosh sell 'em for von shilling less."

The wily, over-reaching old Waller, knew the growing demand for common prayers; he could lay his finger on twenty customers for every copy. "Well, well," said Waller, again looking at the title page and final leaf; "I suppose I may take your word," twirling the leaves once more; "so cut off the ten shillings, and I'll post you three pounds. Never was there such scarcity of ready cash, to be sure, since I have done business."

"Schmite my father's bones if I vosh do any

such thing." The Jew saw the old pike was eager to swallow the bait. "Vell! you are too hard, Master Waller; come, we vosh split the difference. Hand me the half of twelve shilling -is six. Cheap as dirt, and I vosh make a better pargain some other time." Old Waller fought hard for the reduction, but Mordecai was stout; so going to his till, and taking a bowl of silver, he selected the sum in Oliver Cromwell crowns, as he had heard they were to be called in by proclamation, and many weak people were parting with these coins from their hoards at a loss of five per cent. So he counted them out with seeming reluctance, whilst the Jew chinked each upon the counter, to prove that they were no counterfeits; and taking up his empty bag, shook his head, saying, as he opened the hatch, "Ah! you vosh cruel hard at making a pargain; so fare you well, Master Waller.”

No sooner had Mordecai turned the corner, than old Sly-boots, as he was designated in the Row, began to polish the clasps with a piece of chamois leather, singing and whistling by turns the old ditty of Pierce Plowman and the Cheats of London, chuckling at his bargain with the