midden-dub, where both his head and shoulders went ⟨under⟩ dirt and water; but before I could recover my elwand or arms, the wicked wife and her twa ſons were ⟨upon⟩ me in all quarters, the wife hung in my hair, while ⟨the⟩ twa ſons boxed me about and before, and ⟨being⟩ thus overpowered by numbers, I was fairly beat by ⟨this⟩ wicked webſter, his troops being ſo numerous.
The ſame day as I was going up to a country-⟨houſe,⟩ I met on the way a poor beggar with a boy, who ⟨was⟩ both of them bitten in different places by a big ⟨maſtiff⟩ dog; they perſuaded me to turn back, but I ſaid that ⟨I⟩ ſhould firſt ſee him: ſo up I goes to the ſide of a ⟨hedge⟩, and cut a long bramble full of prickles, which I ⟨carried⟩ in my left hand with a ſturdy ſtaff in the right; and ⟨as I⟩ came near the houſe, Mr. Youffer came roaring upon ⟨me⟩ like a lion, he being a tyke of ſuch a monſtrous ſize, frighted me ſo that I ran back; but he purſued me ſo hard, ⟨I⟩ was forced to face about, and holding out the briar ⟨to⟩ him, which he griped in his mouth, and then I ⟨ſtripped⟩ it through his teeth, and gave him a hearty blow ⟨upon⟩ his ear with my rung, which made him go tumbling ⟨towards⟩ his maſter's door, and when he got up, he ⟨could⟩ not fight any, his mouth being ſo full of prickles by ⟨the⟩ biting of the briar, which cauſed him go about ⟨yowling⟩, and rubbing his mouth with his foot: the people ⟨of⟩ the houſe came running out to ſee what was the ⟨matter⟩, I then ſhewed them the briar, and telling them their ⟨dog⟩ came running to bite me, but my briar had bitten him; they then called him in, and fell to picking the pricks out of his tongue.
On the Saturday night hereafter, I was like to be ⟨badly⟩ off for quarters, I travelled until many people ⟨were⟩ gone to bed; but at laſt I came to a farmer's houſe, aſked what they would buy, nameing twenty fine things which I never had, and then aſked for quarters, which they ⟨very⟩
