Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.
Bob was for moving onward.
“Hold,” said Dash all, “it is two to one but you will see some fun
here.”
He had scarcely said the word, when a brawny Porter in a fustian jacket,
with his knot slung across his shoulder, manifested dislike to the
manner in which the Irish _jontleman_ was pursuing his amusement.
“D----n your Irish eyes,” said he, “don't throw your water here, or
I'll lend you my _bunch of fives_.” {l}
“Be after being off, there,” replied Pat; and, without hesitation,
continued his employment.
The Porter was resolute, and upon receiving an additional salute, jumped
over the railings, and re-saluted poor Pat with a _muzzier_,{2} which
drew his claret in a moment. The Irishman endeavoured to rally, while
the crowd cheered the Porter and hooted the Labourer. This was the
signal for hostilities. The man who had plugg'd up the broken pipe let
go his hold, and the fountain was playing away as briskly as ever--all
was confusion, and the neighbourhood in alarm. The workmen, with spades
and pick-axes, gathered round their comrade, and there was reason to
apprehend serious mischief would occur; one of them hit the Porter with
his spade, and several others were prepared to follow his example; while
a second, who seem'd a little more blood-thirsty than the rest, raised
his pickaxe in a menacing attitude; upon perceiving which, Dashall
jump'd over the rail and
1 Bunch of fives--A flash term for the fist, frequently made
use of among the lads of the Fancy, who address each other
some-times in a friendly way, with--Ha, Bill, how goes it?--
tip us your bunch of fives, my boy.
2 Muzzier--A blow on the mouth.
~229~~arrested his arm, or, if the blow had been struck, murder must
have ensued. In the mean time, several other persons, following Tom's
example, had disarmed the remainder. A fellow-labourer, who had been
engaged at a short distance, from the immediate scene of action,
attacked the man who had raised the pickaxe, between whom a pugilistic
encounter took place, the former swearing, 'By Jasus, they were a set
of cowardly rascals, and deserved _quilting_.'{1} The water was flowing
copiously--shovels, pickaxes, barrows, lanterns and other implements
were strewed around them--the crowd increased--Tom left the combatants
(when he conceived no real danger of unfair advantage being taken was to
be apprehended) to enjoy their rolling in the mud; while the Porter,
who had escaped the vengeance of his opponents, was explaining to
those around him, and expostulating with the first aggressor, upon
the impropriety of his conduct. The shouts of the multitude at the
courageous proceedings of the Porter, and the hootings at the shameful
and cowardly manner of defence pursued by the Labourers, roused
the blood of the Irishmen, and one again seized a spade to attack a
Coal-heaver who espoused the cause of the Porter--a disposition was
again manifested to cut down any one who dared to entertain opinions
opposite to their own--immediately a shower of mud and stones was
directed towards him--the spade was taken away, and the Irishmen armed
themselves in a similar way with the largest stones they could find
suitable for throwing. In this state of things, the houses and the
windows in the neighbourhood were threatened with serious damage. The
crowd retreated hallooing, shouting, hissing, and groaning; and in this
part of the affray Bob got himself well bespattered with mud. Tom again
interfered, and after a few minutes, persuaded the multitude to desist,
and the Irishmen to drop their weapons. The Porter made his escape, and
the men resumed their work; but, upon Dashall's return to the
1 Quilting--To quilt a person among the knowing Covies, is
to give another a good thrashing; probably, this originated
in the idea of warming--as a quilt is a warm companion, so a
set-to is equally productive of heat; whether the allusion
holds good with respect to comfort, must be left to the
decision of those who try it on, (which is to make any
attempt or essay where success is doubtful.)
~230~~spot where he had left Tallyho, the latter was not to be found; he
was however quickly relieved from suspense.
“Sir,” said a stout man, “the neighbourhood is greatly indebted to
your exertions in suppressing a riot from which much mischief was to be
apprehended--your friend is close at hand, if you will step this way,
you will find him--he is getting his coat brushed at my house, and has
sustained no injury.”
“It is a lucky circumstance for him,” said Tom: “and I think
myself fortunate upon the same account, for I assure you I was
very apprehensive of some serious mischief resulting from the
disturbance.”~231~~
CHAPTER XVI
“Blest be the pencil which from death can save
The semblance of the virtuous, wise and brave,
That youth and emulation still may gaze
On those inspiring forms of ancient days,
And, from the force of bright example bold,
Rival their worth, and be what they behold.”
“.....I admire,
None more admires the painter's magic skill,
Who shews me that which I shall never see,
Conveys a distant country into mine,
And throws Italian light on British walls.”
AS they entered the house, a few doors up Newman Street, Tallyho met
them, having divested himself of the mud which had been thrown upon his
garments by the indiscriminating hand of an enraged multitude; and after
politely thanking the gentleman for his friendly accommodation, they
were about to proceed to the place of their original destination; when
Dashall, perceiving an elegantly dressed lady on the opposite side of
the way, felt, instinctively as it were, for the usual appendage of a
modern fashionable, the quizzing-glass; in the performance of this he
was subjected to a double disappointment, for his rencontre with the
Hibernians had shivered the fragile ornament to atoms in his pocket,
and before he could draw forth the useless fragments, the more important
object of his attention was beyond the power of his visual orbs.
“It might have been worse,” said he, as he survey'd the broken bauble:
“it is a loss which can easily be repaired, and if in losing that,
I have prevented more serious mischief, there is at least some
consolation. Apropos, here is the very place for supplying the defect
without loss of time. Dixon,” {1} continued he, looking at
1 This gentleman, whose persevering endeavours in his
profession entitle him to the patronage of the public,
without pretending to second sight, or the powers that are
so frequently attributed to the seventh son of a seventh
son, has thrown some new lights upon the world. Although he
does not pretend to make “Helps to Read,” his establishment
at No. 93, Newman Street, Oxford Road, of upwards of thirty
years' standing, is deservedly celebrated for glasses suited
to all sights, manufactured upon principles derived from
long study and practical experience. Indeed, if we are to-
place any reliance on his Advertisements, he has brought
them to a state of perfection never before attained, and not
to be surpassed.
~232~~the name over the door--“aye, I remember to have seen his
advertisements in the papers, and have no doubt I may be suited here to
a _shaving_”
Upon saying this, they entered the house, and found the improver of
spectacles and eye-glasses surrounded with the articles of his trade,
who, in a moment, recognized Tom as the chief instrument in quelling the
tumult, and added his acknowledgments to what had already been offered
for his successful exertions, assuring him at the same time, that as he
considered sight to be one of the most invaluable blessings “bestowed
on mankind, he had for many years devoted the whole of his time and
attention to the improvement of glasses--put into his hand a short
treatise on the subject, and on the important assistance which may be
afforded by a judicious selection of spectacles to naturally imperfect
or overstrained eyes. Bob, in the mean time, was amusing himself with
reading bills, pamphlets, and newspapers, which lay upon the counter.
Dashall listened with attention to his dissertation on sight,
spectacles, focusses, lens, reflection, refraction, &c.; but, as he
was not defective in the particular organs alluded to, felt but little
interested on the subject; selected what he really wanted, or rather
what etiquette required, when, to their great gratification, in came
Sparkle. After the first salutations were over, the latter purchased
an opera-glass; then, in company with Tom and Bob, proceeded to Oxford
Street, and upon learning their destination, determined also to take a
peep at the Exhibition.
“Come along,” said Tom, catching hold of his arm, and directing him
towards Soho Square. But Sparkle recollecting that he had appointed to
meet Miss Mortimer, her Brother, and Merry well, to accompany them to
Somerset House, and finding time had escaped with more ~233~~rapidity
than he expected, wished them a good morning, hoped they should meet
again in the course of the day, and departed.
“You see,” said Tom, “Sparkle is fully engaged in the business of love;
Miss Mortimer claims all his attention for the present.”
“You appear to be very envious of his enjoyments,” replied Bob.
“Not so, indeed,” continued Tom; “I am only regretting that other
pursuits have estranged him from our company.”
On entering the Exhibition at Soho, Tom, whose well-known taste for
science and art, and particularly for the productions of the pencil and
graver, had already rendered him conspicuous among those who knew him,
made the following remarks: “I am really glad,” said he, “to find that
the eminent engravers of our country have at length adopted a method of
bringing at one view before the public, a delineation of the progress
made by our artists in a branch so essentially connected with the
performance and durability of the Fine Arts. An Exhibition of this
kind is well calculated to dispel the vulgar error, that engraving is a
servile art in the scale of works of the mind, and mostly consigned to
the copyist. An Establishment of this kind has long been wanted, and is
deserving of extensive patronage.”
Having secured Catalogues, they proceeded immediately to the gratifying
scene.{1} The disposition and arrangement
1 The major part of the 405 subjects and sets of subjects,
consisting of about 800 prints, are of moderate size, or
small engravings for descriptive or literary publications,
&e. They are the lesser diamonds in a valuable collection of
jewellery, where there are but few that are not of lucid
excellence, and worthy of glistening in the diadem of
Apollo, or the cestus of Venus. So indeed they have, for
here are many subjects from ancient and modern poetry, and
other literature, and from portraits of beautiful women.
Among the first class, the exquisitely finishing graver of
Mr. Warren gives us many after the designs of Messrs.
Westall, Wilkie, Smirke, Cooke, Uwins, and Corbould; as do
the lucid gravers of Messrs. Englehart and Rhodes, the
nicely executing hands of Messrs. Mitan, Romney, Finden,
Robinson, &c. Among the latter class, are _Anna Boleyn_, &c.
by Mr. Scriven, who marks so accurately the character of the
objects, and of the Painter he works from, in his well
blended dot and stroke; Mrs. Hope, by Dawe; many lovely
women, by Mr. Reynolds; a Courtship, by Mr. Warren, from
Terburg, in the Marquis of Stafford's Collection; two Mary
Queen of Scots, by Messrs. Warren and Cooper.----From