They are unable to protest even when Sir Feeble finds that his daughter Diana has married Bredwel instead of Sir Cautious' nephew Bearjest for whom she was designed, whilst the choused fop is wedded to Pert, Lady Fulbank's woman, to whom he had been previously contracted.

Answer me this: Hast thou ever fibbed a chouse quarrons in the Rome pad for the loure in his bung?" I.E., in old beggar's cant, "beaten a man or gallant upon the highway for the money in his purse."

This makes him venture to talk and scribble, as chouses do to play with cunning gamesters until they are cheated and laughed at.

He can do no feats without the co-operating assistance of the chouse, whose credulity commonly meets the impostor half-way, otherwise nothing is done; for all the craft is not in the catching (as the proverb says), but the better half at least in being catched.

If we did not know, for example, the occasion which added the word chouse to the English language, we have little doubt that the twofold analogy of form and meaning would have led etymologists to the German kosen, (with the very common softening of the k to ch,) and that the derivation would have been perfectly satisfactory to most minds.

With which our elder was enrich'd no more Than false Gehazi with the Syrian's store; So poor, that when our choosing-tribes were met, 550 Even for his stinking votes he ran in debt; For meat the wicked, and, as authors think, The saints he choused for his electing drink; Thus every shift and subtle method past, And all to be no Zaken at the last.

Freedom and zeal have choused you o'er and o'er: Pray give us leave to bubble you once more; You never were so cheaply fool'd before: We bring you change, to humour your disease; 30 Change for the worse has ever used to please: Then, 'tis the mode of France; without whose rules None must presume to set up here for fools.

You shall chouse him of horses, cloaths, and money, and I'll wink at it.

And if he will not be choused, shall we beat him out on't? Isa.

I can't but laugh to think how she'll be choused.

He would willingly have made her a present of the difference, but he did not in the least intend to be choused out of it by man nor woman.