Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

VOL. 4.]

The Hermit in London, No. 2.

21

your barouche or curricle without being because, independent of my preference hustled by the men-milliners, linen-dra- for the Opera, these insects from Cheappers, and shop-boys, who have been side, and so on westward, shut up their serving you all the rest of the week. shops, cheat their masters, and font les Bad horsemen, and pedestrian women, importants about nine o'clock. The pareés a outrance, ultras in conceit and same party crowd the Park on Sunday; in dress, press upon you on every hand; but on black Monday return like schooland yet one cannot be at church all day, boys to their work, and you see them, nor make a prisoner of one's self because with the pen behind their ear, calculatit is Sunday. For my part, I am ennuié ing how to make up for their hebdomadal beyond measure on that day; and were extravagances, pestering you to buy it not for my harp, and a little scandal, twice as much as you want, and offithere would be no getting through it at ciously offering their arm at your all." carriage door."

[ocr errors]

At this juncture Mr. Millefleurs came up to the carriage, perfumed like a milliner, his colour much heightened by some vegetable dye, and resolved neither to blush unseen,' nor to waste his sweetness on the desert air.' His approach was very much like what I have heard of the Spice Islands. Two false teeth in front shamed the others a little in their ivory polish, and his breath savoured of myrrh like a heathen sacrifice, or the incense burned in one of their temples. He thrust his horse's head into the carriage (I thought a little abruptly and indecorously) but I perceived that it gave no offence. He smiled very affectedly, adjusted his hat, pulled a lock of hair across his forehead, with a view of shewing, first, that he had a white forehead, and, next, that the glossiness of his hair must have

The carriage now drew up to the door; and her Ladyship proposed that I should take a corner in it, and go down the Park just once with her and her younger sister, merely, as she said, "to show her friends that she was in town." "What legions of compter coxcombs!" exclaimed she, as we entered Grosvenor Gate; "the Tilbury and Dennet system is a great convenience to these people. Upon the plunder of the till, or by overcharging some particular article sold on the Saturday to a negligeant, who goes a shopping more for the purpose of meeting her favoured swain than for any thing which she wants to purchase, it is so easy for these once-a-week beaux to hire a tilbury and an awkward groom in a pepper-and-salt or drab coat, like the incog. of the Royal Family, and to sport their odious persons in the drive of fashion. Some of owed its lustre to at least two hours' the monsters, too, bow to ladies whom they do not know, merely to give them an air, or pass off their customers for their acquaintance.”

brushing, arranged, perfuming, and unguenting. He now got his horse's head still closer to us, dropped the rein upon his neck, hung half in and half out of the carriage, with his whip stuck under his arm, and violet in the corner of his mouth, a kind of impudent stare in his eyes, and a something half

"There!" continued she," there goes my plumassier, with fixed spurs like a field-officer, and riding as inportantly as if he were one of the Lords of the Treasury. There again is my too familiar, yet half courtly in his banker's clerk, so stiff and so laced up, manner.

that he looks more like an Egyptian "What a beautiful horse!" said mummy than a man. What impudence! Lady Mary. 'Yes,' replied Milehe has got some groom out of place, fleurs, he is one of the best bred with a cockade in his hat, by way of horses in Europe. "I must confess imposing on the world for a beau mili- that I thought otherwise nor did I taire. I have not common patience admire his being so near;" and,' conwith these creatures. I have long since tinued he, the best fencer in the left off going to the play on a Saturday, universe.' This accomplishment I had

[ocr errors]

22

Sketches of English Society.

[VOL. 4 myself excelled in; but I was ignorant his hand, and was out of sight in two of its becoming a part of equine educa- seconds. "A fine young man!" said tion. I urged him to explain, and her Ladyship. I bowed assent, and amused him at my expense very much. offered her some Eau de Cologne, which He, however, was polite enough to in- I had about me, as the well-bred, struct my ignorance; and informed me fencing horse had left an impression that he was a high couraged horse and, of stable smell on her taper fingers. one of the best leapers of fences that he Alas! thought I, this young rake has had ever seen. Lady Mary conde- left a deeper impression elsewhere. scended all this time to caress the horse, Lady Mary has a fine fortune, and I and to display her lovely arm ungloved, am sorry to see her thus dazzled by this with which she patted his neck, and compound of trinkets and of cosmetics, drew a hundred admiring eyes. who, involved to a great degree, will in a short time squander a great part of her property. But Mr. Millefleurs is a complete merveilleux; and that is quite enough for my volatile friend.

The Exquisit all this time brushed the animal gently with a highly scented silk handkerchief, after which he displayed a cambrick one, and went through a thousand little minunderies which would have suited an affected woman better than a Lieutenant in his Majesty's brigade of Guards. Although he talked a great deal, the whole amount of his discourse was, that he gave only seven hundred guineas for his horse; that his groom's horse had run at the Craven; that he was monsterous lucky that season on the turf; that he was a very hold horseman himself; and, that being engaged to dine in three places that day, he did not know how the devil to manage; but that if Lady Mary dined at any one of the three, he would cut the other two.

6

[ocr errors]

At this moment a mad-brained Ruffian of quality flew by, driving four-in hand, and exclaimed, in a cracked but affected tone, Where have you hid yourself of late, Charles?" I have been one of His Majesty's prisoners in the Tower,' said Millefleurs-meaning that he had been on duty there; and, turning to Lady Mary, in a half whisper, he observed, Although you see him in such good form, though his cattle and his equipage are so well appointed, he got out of the Bench only last week, having thrown over the vagabonds his creditors he is a noble spirited fellow, as good a whip as any in Britain, full of life and of humour, and I am happy to say that he has now a dozen of as fine horses as any in Christendom, kept bien entendu, in my name-but there is a wheel within a wheel,'

He now dropped the violet, kissed

Looking after him for half a minute, she perceived a group of women in the very last Parisian fashions. "There," said she, "there is all that taffeta, feathers, flowers, and expensive lace can do ; and yet you see by their loud talking, and their mauvais ton, by their being unattended by a servant, and by the bit of straw adhering to that one's petticoat, that they have come all the way from Fleet Street or Ludgate Hill in a hackney coach, and are now trying unsuccessfully to play women of fashion. See the awkward would-be beau too in a coat on for the first time, and boots which have never crossed a horse."

Mrs. Marvellous now drew up close to us. "My dear Lady Mary," said she, "I am suffocated with dust, and am sickened with vulgarity; but, to be sure, we have every thing in London here, from the House of Peers to Waterloo House and the inhabitants of the catchpenny cheap shops all over the town. I must tell you about the trial, and about Lady Barbara's mortification, and about poor Mrs. O's beir arrested, and the midnight flight to the ontinent of our poor Dandy wdo arrived in an open boat-our borough member ruined, his wife exposed, strong suspicions about the children-young Willoughby called out, thought slack, pretended that he could not get a second, Lavender upon the ground, all a hoax!"

--

Here she lacerated the reputation of almost all her acquaintance, to which I perceived the serving-men attached to

VOL. 4.]

Sketches of London Society.

23

both carriages most particularly attentive. wall, and heard the scandal of the liv When she drove off, I observed to Lady eried tribe. "How does your coat fit Mary, that I thought people of quality you, Sir Jerry?" cried one footman to were not sufficiently cautious of speak- another: "You'll only have to try it ing before their servants, and that they on: I once lived with your mistress, owed to themselves and to polite socie- who was determined that I should not ty more care in this particular: she gave eat the bread of idleness, for I never got a slight toss with her head, and said, a moment's amusement whilst I was in "Oh! they know nothing about amours her service: she sacks the card money; and high life, and can't understand our measures out her provisions like a nipconversation." I was,however, quite of cheese purser of a man of war ; notes a different opinion, in which I was af- down every thing in her d-d account terwards still more confirmed. book; and if you can make a guinea besides your wages, I'll allow you to eat me roasted : but you'll not be long there, though the old man is a goodnatured fool enough, deaf and drunken, snuffy, but never out of temper." Much more was added; but this was quite enough for me. Another scoundrel iņsinuated something concerning a fellow servant of his, and one of high rank, which almost induced me to cane him.

Our Exquisite now came up to the carriage a second time, with some concert tickets, which he wished my fair friend to take; and he looked just as much as to say, "Thou art a happy dog, old gentleman!" A telegraphic signal passed, and he said to me, "I just met Sir Peter Panemar, the nabob, and he swears that there is the most beautiful Spanish woman that ever looked through a veil, just gone into the garden. It is said, by the bye, that she is protected by a certain Peer; but I believe her to be a rich diamond merchant's wife: the whole Park is in a blaze about her." I am a great amateur, I confess. A lovely picture is worthy contemplating; and my designs go no further. I also suspected that this was an adroit manoeuvre to get rid of me for a time. I therefore requested permission to alight, for the purpose of looking into the garden. This was cheerfully agreed to; and Lady Mary promised to wait until I had feasted my eyes on the fascinating incognita. The happy swain then offered to take my place until I returned; and this arrangement seemed to please all three. Our Exquisite entangled his spur in her Ladyship's falbela; but it did not discompose her in the least.. I recommended chevaux de frise in future, at which she laughed; her sister looked insipidly; and the step was let down for me.

Arrived in the gardens, I sought la bellu senora in vain; and am now uncertain whether I was hoaxed or not, although our Exquisite most solemnly protested that the Nabob had seen ber. I sat down for a monent on the low

At my return to the carriage, I deli cately hinted a part of what I had heard; but it had no effect : neither had the tearing of the lace flounce, nor the want of principle of the young four-inhand buck : all seemed to pass with her Ladyship as matters of course in high life. And yet she is virtuous, prudent, and well principled ; but as Mrs. Marvellous calls it, she is far gone, and I am sorry for it.

In

Five o'clock now called us to dress, and a third succession of company arrived, who all appeared to have dined, and on whose cheeks sat the flush of punch and other strong liquors. these groups were children drawn by dogs, or by their papas, in little chairs, others in arms, fat landladies, tall strapping wives, and tame submissive husbands--the emblems of domestic drill and of petticoat subordination. Every insect of fashion flew off on fancy's wing at the appearance of le tiers elat.

And now commenced the pleasureand the labours of the toilette, which I leave my fair friend to indulge in, con vinced at the same time qu'elle aura des distractions.

THE HERMIT IN LONDON.
Lit. Gaz. July 1318.

[blocks in formation]

I now transmit the following account of his last moments, during which he lingered between life and death.

I am, Sir, your's respectfully,
June 3, 1818.
L-shire.

PROMISED to send you some re- the general course of the dissipated flectious of the unhappy young man life that he had led, I represented to in prison, upon his own review of the him how unworthy of a rational being vicious course which he had pursued, such a surrender of his better judgment and which had plunged him into ali and purer convictions must appear to the horrors of despondency, and driv- him, when he reflected on the decepen him to the dreadful act of suicide. tious nature of those vicious gratifications which had led him to the brink of destruction, both of body and soul. I pointed out the fatal certainty with which ruin of character and remorse of W. F. T. conscience-the one irretrievable and the other overwhelming, were always found to follow in the footsteps of the WHEN I entered the wretched youth's rash votary of libertine indulgence ;--room, I was introduced to him by the I brought him to acknowledge the sad worthy man who is the keeper of the truth, that too frequently such an one prison, and whose character has been was left by the treachery of his passions long revered by every one who knows without any possibility of making him, as possessing all those excellent amends to society for the outrages principles which render him an orna- which he had committed upon its prement to society, even in his unenviable scriptive laws and social rights;-I dis and, too often, misrepresented office. played to him the irremediable injury I confess myself to have felt a disposition to think but slightly of the humanity of individuals in his station; but the many evidences of the tender consideration with which this person applied himself, in all cases of human misery, to alleviate the sufferings of his prisoners, have induced me to change my opinion, and acknowledge that all my prejudices against keepers of prisons and jailors, have given way before the generous conduct of this good man; and I perceive that even those whose employment it is to guard the conscience-stricken culprit, can feel for their depraved and degraded fellowcreature, and are anxious to temper the rigors of confinement with Christian sympathy.

After my first introduction, I visited the young man three or four times before I received the letter which you have inserted in your Miscellany for last Month. At these seasons I was anxious to bring him to a just estimation of the moral and religious necessity for repentance.

As I had long been acquainted with

which he had inflicted upon his ill-requited parents;-I dwelt upon the misery, disgrace, and despondency, into which he had plunged a woman, who, whatever might have been the atrocity of her acquiescence in his unprincipled view, certainly did not deserve to be rendered for ever wretched by the man who had been generously made the participator of her husband's unsuspecting confidence, and liberal co-operation to promote his personal advancement in commercial profit and importance ;-1 bade him reflect, that, notwithstanding he had escaped the sentence of death in consequence of the inadequacy of the laws against the enormous crime of duelling to bring the of fenders to condign punishment, the stain of blood was upon his hands, and the guilty deed of depriving a fellow-creature of life was recorded against him in the judgment of an Omniscient God ;--that, in the volume of Retribution, none of those evasions and sophistries wood be found allowed, by which the corruption of the human heart, and the fashion

of a sinful world, sought to justify the

VOL. 4.]

Young Man in Prison.

25

which, he had it in his power to seek that Divine favour and happy immortality, in which he would discover that peace and joy can only bless those who seek the one in this world through the paths of pious obedience; and the other, in the world to come, through the sure mercies of the Most High.

selfish principles of a false and murder- ciety or his own-He was for ever deous honour;-1 concluded by implor- prived of all return to reputation and ing him to consider well, in his own un- credit in this world; notwithstanding happy example, the religious truth of the following inference: that no man can violate the moral obligations which he owes to society, without trangress ing in equal degree those in which he is bound towards God. And, hence, it became him to seek the pardon of his guiltiness at his divine hand; since, as his justice was eternal, so would be his As I felt the desolate misery to which wrath. To the justice of man he had this early victim of ungoverned passions submitted himself; and when the tem- had reduced himself, it was my great porary forfeiture of his personal liberty anxiety, as a Minister of the Word of should be paid, the discharge of the reconciliation, to seize the reflections of penalty exacted would be accomplish- his mind while they were balanced beed; and whether he manifested his tween self-reproach and repentance, penitence or not for the iniquity which and to fix them upon the latter; but I he had done, was not in the contemplation of those laws by which he was punished. It was not so with the justice of God, and the inflictions of his displeasure. The former could only be appeased by a faithful repentance of those trangressions which he had committed; and the latter could no other wise be averted than by such newness of life, as might prove that repentance to be sincere. I advised him, therefore, to retire from the public eye as soon as the period of his sentence should be completed, in order to avoid that contempi and execration with which all who knew him would, out of regard to their own reputation, reject him from their intercourse. In this retirement he might cultivate that hope, which the mercy of Heaven still, held out to him, and which henceforward could be the only consolation and the sole support of his mind.

This I unfolded to him in all its sacred dependencies, and endeavoured to impress him with a Christian trust, that forgiveness might still be obtained through the righteousness of his Redeemer, and this forgiveness might be followed by everlasting blessedness.

By these, and similar reasonings, I probed his wounded conscience; and searched the depths of the wound, by representing to him what he had lost, and what he yet might gain. He no longer possessed the good opinion of soD ATHENBUM. Vol. 4.

found his thoughts wretchedly bewildered between the infidel notions which he had imbibed, and those prospects of eternity which his fears, rather than his hopes shadowed to his foreboding soul. Pleasure, in all its most ruinous pursuits, had been his only object; and clearly perceived that, so vitiated had been his heart, there was still a regret lingering in his bosom, at finding himself, by this last fatal act, cut off at once from all worldly gratification, and doomed to disappointment and disgrace; I, therefore, shewed him the ut ter unprofitableness of the career which he had so inconsiderately run, as well as the criminal impetuosity with which he had persevered in its course, unrestrained by the admonitions and expostulations of his heart-broken parents, and unchecked by the reproaches of his own conscience.

It was my duty to press these salutary truths upon this poor young man's acknowledgment; and my sympathies were too strongly excited, not to blend with my sense of duty, an earnest desire to call him back from the unhallowed paths in which he had wandered far from the moral and religious purity of Christian principle. When I looked at him, and called to mind that he was once the endeared child of an affectionate mother, and the promising hope of an indulgent father-when I saw him sunk in woe and personal privation

« ZurückWeiter »