Is never absent on the author's night, Knows actreffes, and actors too, by fight; So humble, that with Suett he'll confer,' Or take a pipe with plain Jack Ban. nister; Nay, with an author has been known fa free He once fuggefted a catastrophe! In short, John dabbled till his head was turn'd-: His wife remonftrated, his neighbours mourn'd; His customers were dropping off apace→→ And Jack's affairs began to wear a piteous face! One night his wife began a curtain lec men! No wit, but John the Hatter once again, Vifits his club-When, lo, one fatal night His wife with horror view'd the wellknown fight John's hat, gloves, fnuff-box-Well she guefs'd his tricks ; And Jack decamping at the hour of fix, Jutt at the counter's edge a play-bill lay, Announcing that Pizarro was the play :"Oh, Johnny, Johnny, this is your old doing!" Quoth Jack-"Why, what the devil ftorm's a-brewing? "About a harmless play why all this fright? "I'll go and fee it, if it's but for fpite: "Zounds, woman--Nelfon's to be there to-night!” PROLOGUE PROLOGUE TO THE The scenes where firft our pow'rs of life were known, BLACK PRINCE; OR, THE BAT- All, when our old and dear acquaintance TLE OF POICTIERS. Written by the Rev. J. WISE. And fpoken by a YOUNG GENTLEMAN of Mr. STOCK's Academy at Poplar, December 1800. SUCH are the human race, no deeds grown, OF A ODE TO THE INHABITANT * POETRY. WELL KNOWN DIRTY SHOP IN (With a VIEW. See the FRONTISPIECE.) WHO but has feen (if he can fee at all) 'Twixt Aldgate's well-known pump and Leadenhall, A curious hardware fhop, in general full Of wares from Birmingham and Pontipool ? Begrim'd with dirt, behold it's ample front, With thirty years collected filth upon't: See feftoon'd cobwebs pendant o'er the door, While boxes, bales, and trunks, are ftrew'd around the floor. Behold how whistling winds and driving rain Gain free admiffion at each broken pane, Here fnuffers, waiters, patent-fcrews for There caflors, card-racks, cheefe-trays, knives and forks! Here empty cafes pil'd in heaps on high; There packthread, papers, rope, in wild diforder lie. O fay, thou enemy to foap and towels! Hatt no compaflion lurking in thy bowels? Think what the neighbours fuffer by thy whi Of keeping felf and houfe in fuch a trim? And put thy fhop and thee in quarantine. Behoves us doubly now to keep our dwellings clean. Say, if within the street where thou doft dwell Each houfe were kept exactly like thy cell; O fay, thou enemy to brooms and mops! How long thy neighbours could keep open fhops, If, following thee in tafte, each wretched elf, Unflav'd, unwash'd, and squalid like thyfelf, Refolv'd to live ?-The anfwer's very plain, One year would be the utmost of their reign: Victims to filth, each vot'ry foon would fall, And one grand jail diftemper kill them all. Perfons there are, who fay, thou haft been feen (Some years ago) with hands and face wath'd clean; And would't thou quit this most unfeemly plan, Thou art ('tis faid) a very comely man, Of polish'd language, partial to the fair, Then why not wash thy face, and comb Clear from thy houfe accumulated dirt, * Nathaniel Bentley (son of a respectable hardwareman of that name, who died about 1770) refides at the corner of the old Crown Tavern, Leadenhall-street, and is one of the most eccentric characters this day living. His father, who kept a car、 riage, and lived in ftile, gave him a good education. It is faid, indeed, that he speaks not only French, but Italian, fluently. Previous to his father's death, and for seved ral years after, he was called the Beau of Leadenhall-street, and was feen at all public places dreffed as a Man of Fashion. He attended, in a most elegant fuit, the Fête at Kanelagh, given by the Spanish Ambassador on the King's recovery. His manners in company, in fhort, befpeak the Gentleman; yet his appearance in business is' little fhort of disgusting. + Many anecdotes are, of course, circulated respecting this phenomenon, and many of them, no doubt, illiberal and unfounded: but on the truth of the following cirr cumftances we believe the reader may rely. Mr. Mr. Bentley has not had a female fervant in his houfe for more than twenty years palt. When any of his windows are broken, he places an old japanned waiter against the aperture; remarking, that it is the cheapest method of repairing the damage. His anfwer to a Gentleman who ventured to give him advice for correcting the flovenly appearance of his perfon was, "It is of no ufe, Sir; for if I wash my hands to-day, they will be dirty again to-morrow." It has been faid, that his neighbours, particularly thofe oppofite to his houfe, have frequently offered to defray the expence of painting and white washing the front: but this he conftantly refuses; alleging, that his fhop is fo well known abroad by the denomination of The Dirty Warehouse, that it would ruin his trade with the Levant, &c. &c. His expence in coals must be very trifling; for, except when abfolutely indispensable, he confiders fires as extravagant but as his feet, from age or other circumfiances, are chilly in the winter feason, he fills a box with ftraw, and ftands in it. He keeps no fervant; but when he goes out in the day-time, he faftens the door, and gives a poor woman a trifle to wait outside till his return. His favourite dress in his beauith days was blue and filver, chapeau de bras, &c. We believe the house will foon be pulled down, to make way for India warehouses. Mr. Bentley has had offers from the India Company, who wish to purchase it; what his determination is, has not tranfpired. Each VII. "This gold," faid he, "to our good holt, Who thrice was plunder'd, take.”. Still like a relic have I kept. The brave man's legacy; Has always been with me, At Prague I loft a leg in fight, Yet have I fcarce complain'd; For though I'd hid it in my bootMy pipe had late remained." Old |