town；　or　country；　to　whom　Alexander　Bendo　wished　health　and　prosperity。　　He　had　come　amongst　them　because　the　great　metropolis　of　England　had　ever　been　infested　by　numerous　quacks；　whose　arrogant　confidence；　backed　by　their　ignorance；　had　enabled　them　to　impose　on　the　public；　either　by　premeditated　cheats　in　physic；　chymical　and　galenic；　in　astrology；　physiognomy；　palmistry；　mathematics；　alchymy；　and　even　government　itself。　　Of　which　latter　he　did　not　propose　to　discourse；　or　meddle　with；　since　it　in　no　way　belonged　to　his　trade　or　vocation；　which　he　thanked　God　he　found　much　more　safe；　equally　honest；　and　more　profitable。　　But　he；　Alexander　Bendo；　had　with　unswerving　faithfulness　and　untiring　assiduity　for　years　courted　the　arts　and　sciences；　and　had　learned　dark　secrets　and　received　signal　favours　from　them。　　He　was　therefore　prepared　to　take　part　against　unlearned　wretches；　and　arrant　quacks；　whose　impudent　addresses　and　saucy　pretences　had　brought　scandal　upon　sage　and　learned　men。
  However；　in　a　wicked　world　like　this；　where　virtue　was　so　exactly　counterfeited；　and　hypocrisy　was　generally　successful；　it　would　be　hard　for　him；　a　stranger；　to　escape　censure。　　But　indeed　he　would　submit　to　be　considered　a　mountebank　if　he　were　discovered　to　be　one。　　Having　made　which　statement；　he　proceeded　to　draw　an　ingenious　comparison　between　a　mountebank　and　a　politician；　suitable　to　all　ages　and　dimes；　but　especially　to　this　century　and　country。　　Both；　he　intimated；　are　fain　to　supply　the　lack　of　higher　abilities　to　which　they　pretend；　with　craft；　and　attract　attention　by　undertaking　strange　things　which　can　never　be　performed。　　By　both　the　people　are　pleased　and　deluded；　the　expectation　of　good　in　the　future　drawing　their　eyes　from　the　certainty　of　evil　in　the　present。
  The　sage　Alexander　Bendo　then　discoursed　of　miraculous　cures　which　he　could　effect；　but　he　would　set　down　no　word　in　his　bill　which　bore　an　unclean　sound。　　It　was　enough　that　he　made　himself　understood；　but　indeed　he　had　seen　physicians'　bills　containing　things　of　which　no　man　who　walked　warily　before　God　could　approve。　　Concerning　astrological　predictions；　physiognomy；　divination　by　dreams；　and　otherwise；　he　would　say；　if　it　did　not　look　like　ostentation；　he　had　seldom　failed；　but　had　often　been　of　service；　and　to　those　who　came　to　him　he　would　guarantee　satisfaction。　　Nor　would　he　be　ashamed　to　avow　his　willingness　to　practise　rare　secrets；　for　the　help；　conservation；　and　augmentation　of　beauty　and　comeliness；　an　endowment　granted　for　the　better　establishment　of　mutual　love　between　man　and　woman；　and　as　such　highly　valuable　to　both。　　The　knowledge　of　secrets　like　this　he　had　gathered　during　journeys　through　France　and　Italy；　in　which　countries　he　had　spent　his　life　since　he　was　fifteen　years　old。　　Those　who　had　travelled　in　the　latter　country　knew　what　a　miracle　art　there　performs　in　behalf　of　beauty；　how　women　of　forty　bear　the　same　countenance　as　those　of　fifteen；　ages　being　in　no　way　distinguished　by　appearances；　whereas　in　England；　by　looking　at　a　horse　in　the　mouth　and　a　woman　in　the　face；　it　was　possible　to　tell　the　number　of　their　years。　　He　could；　therefore；　give　such　remedies　as　would　render　those　who　came　to　him　perfectly　fair；　clearing　and　preserving　them　from　all　spots；　freckles；　pimples；　marks　of　small…pox；　or　traces　of　accidents。　　He　would；　moreover；　cure　the　teeth；　clear　the　breath；　take　away　fatness；　and　add　flesh。
  A　man　who　vouched　to　perform　such　wonders　was　not　long　without　patients。　　At　first　these　were　drawn　from　his　immediate　neighbourhood；　but　soon　his　fame　reached　the　heart　of　the　city。　Accordingly；　many　ladies　of　whose　hospitality　he　had　partaken；　and　of　whose　secrets　he　had　become　possessed；　hurried　to　consult　him；　and　the　marvellous　insight　he　betrayed　regarding　their　past；　and　strange　predictions　he　pronounced　concerning　their　future；　filled　them　with　amazement；　and　occasionally　with　alarm。　　And　they；　proclaiming　the　marvels　of　his　wisdom；　widened　the　circle　of　his　reputation；　until　his　name　was　spoken　within　the　precincts　of　Whitehall。
  Curiosity　concerning　so　remarkable　a　man　at　once　beset　the　minds　of　certain　ladies　at　court；　who　either　feared　or　expected　much　from　the　future；　and　were　anxious　to　peer　into　such　secrets　as　it　held　concerning　themselves。　　But　dreading　the　notoriety　their　presence　would　naturally　cause　in　the　vicinity　of　Tower　Street；　a　spot　to　them　unknown；　they；　acting　with　a　prudence　not　invariably　characteristic　of　their　conduct；　sent　their　maids　to　ascertain　from　personal　experience　if　the　astrologer's　wisdom　was　in　truth　as　marvellous　as　reported。　　Now；　when　these　appeared　in　fear　and　trembling　before　the　great　Alexander　Bendo；　the　knowledge　he　revealed　concerning　themselves；　and　their　mistresses　likewise；　was　so　wonderful　that　it　exceeded　all　expectation。　　Accordingly；　the　maids　returned　to　court　with　such　testimonies　concerning　the　lore　of　this　star…reader；　as　fired　afresh　their　mistresses'　desires　to　see　and　converse　with　him　in　their　proper　persons。
  It　therefore　came　to　pass　that　Miss　Price　and　Miss　Jennings；　maids　of　honour　boththe　one　to　the　queen；　the　other　to　the　Duchess　of　Yorkboldly　resolved　to　visit　Doctor　Bendo；　and　learn　what　the　future　held　for　them。　　Miss　Price　was　a　lady　who　delighted　in　adventure；　Miss　Jennings　was　a　gentlewoman　of　spirit；　both　looked　forward　to　their　visit　with　excitement　and　interest。　　It　happened　one　night；　when　the　court　had　gone　to　the　playhouse；　these　ladies；　who　had　excused　themselves　from　attending　the　queen　and　the　duchess；　dressed　as　orange　girls；　and　taking　baskets　of　fruit　under　their　arms；　quickly　crossed　the　park；　and　entered　a　hackney…coach　at　Whitehall　Gate。　　Bidding　the　driver　convey　them　to　Tower　Street；　they　rattled　merrily　enough　over　the　uneven　streets　until　they　came　close　to　the　theatre；　when；　being　in　high　spirits　and　feeling　anxious　to　test　the　value　of　their　disguise；　they　resolved　to　alight　from　their　conveyance；　enter　the　playhouse；　and　offer　their　wares　for　sale　in　presence　of　the　court。
  Accordingly；　paying　the　driver；　they　descended　from　the　coach；　and　running　between　the　lines　of　chairs　gathered　round　the　theatre；　gained　the　door。　　Now；　who　should　arrive　at　that　moment　but　the　beau　Sidney；　attired　in　the　bravery　of　waving　feathers；　fluttering　ribbons；　and　rich…hued　velvets。　　And　as　he　paused　to　adjust　his　curls　to　his　greater　satisfaction　before　entering　the　playhouse；　Miss　Price　went　boldly　forward　and　asked　him　to　buy　her　fine　oranges；　but　so　engaged　was　he　in　his　occupation；　that　he　did　not　deign　to　make　reply；　but　passed　into　the　theatre　without　turning　his　glance　upon　her。　　Miss　Jennings；　however；　fared　somewhat　differently；　and　with　less　satisfaction　to　herself；　for；　perceiving　another　courtier；　none　other　than　Tom　Killigrew；　a　rare　wit　and　lover　of　pleasure；　she　went　up　to　him　and　offered　her　fruit　for　sale。　　These　he　declined　to　buy；　but　chucking　her　under　the　chin；　and　glancing　at　her　with　an　air　of　familiarity；　invited　her　to　bring　her　oranges　to　his　lodgings　next　morning。　　On　this　Miss　Jennings；　who　was　as　virtuous　as　lovely；　pushed　him　away　with　violence；　and　forgetting　the　character　she　assumed；　commenced　rebuking　his　insolence；　much　to　the　amusement　and　surprise　of　the　bystanders。　　Fearing　detection　of　their　identity；　Miss　Price　pulled　her　forcibly　away　from　the　crowd。
  Miss　Jennings　was　after　this　incident　anxious　to　forego　her　visit　to　the　astrologer；　and　return　to　Whitehall；　but　her　companion　declaring　this　would　be　a　shameful　want　of　spirit；　they　once　more　entered　a　hackney…coach；　and　requested　they　might　be　driven　to　the　lodgings　of　the　learned　Doctor　Bendo。　　Their　adventures　for　the　evening　were　unfortunately　not　yet　at　an　end；　for　just　as　they　entered　Tower　Street　they　saw　Henry　Brinker；　one　of　the　gentlemen　of　the　bedchamber　to　the　Duke　of　York。　　Now　it　happened　this　courtier　had　been　dining　with　a　citizen　of　worth　and　wealth；　whose　house　he　was　about　to　leave　the　moment　the　maids　of　honour　drove　by。　　They；　knowing　him　to　be　a　man　remarkable　for　his　gallantries；　were　anxious　to　avoid　his　observation；　and　therefore　directed　the　driver　to　proceed　a　few　doors　beyond　their　destination；　but　he；　having　caught　sight　of　two　pretty　orange　wenches；　followed　the　coach　and　promptly　stepping　up　as　they　alighted；　made　some　bold　observations　to　them。　　On　this　both　turned　away　their　heads　that　they　might　avoid　his　gaze；　a　proceeding　which　caused　him　to　observe　them　with　closer　scrutiny；　when　he　immediately　recognised　them；　without　however　intimating　his　knowledge。　　He　therefore　fell　to　teasing　them；　and　finally　left　them　with　no　very　pleasant　remarks　ringing　in　their　ears；　concerning　the　virtue　which　obtained　among　maids　of　honour；　for　he　did　not　doubt　their　disguise　was　assumed　for　purposes　of　intrigue。
  Overwhelmed　with　confusion；　they　walked　towards　the　goldsmith's　shop；　over　which　the　oracle　delivered　wisdom；　but　being　no　longer　in　a　humour　to　heed　his　words；　they　presently　resolved　on　driving　back　to　Whitehall　with　all　possible　speed。　　But　alas！　　on　turning　round　they　beheld　their　driver　waging　war　with　a　crowd　which　had　gathered　about　his　vehicle；　for　having　left　their　oranges　in　the　coach；　some　boys　had　essayed　to　help　themselves；　wh