1827.] . Notes for the Month. 63 



street, who ' make up" the cadets for India, have a pleasant notion of 

 " purveying in general." From a saddle to a soap-box a sword to cut one's 

 fingers with, to sticking plaster to heal them every appliance that " frail 

 humanity" (we would think) could want, comes within the limit of their 

 ministry. But we never (proverbially) can tell when we have reached the 

 north ! there are a set of constituted authorities, who, in their providence, 

 beat these calculators of man's necessities hollow. The overseers' contracts, 

 for the parish of St. Mary, Rotherhithe, advertised last week to be taken u by 

 the lowest bidder," request that " tenders" may be made for the supply 

 (for the benefit and consolation of the inhabitants of the workhouse of the 

 said parish) of the following commodities. To wit, " good ox beef, at per 

 pound." "' Salt butter duly wired and scraped at per cwt." " Glo'ster 

 cheese or ditto of equal quality." " Small beer, worked clear of yeast." 

 " Coffins and wool shrouds, from two to four feet each at per C. and S. !" 

 '* Ditto from four to six feet at per ditto /" 



There is a delicacy in this style of giving a hint to people in a work- 

 house ordering in their small beer and their coffins at the same time ? 

 But manner in the present day is every thing. We speak now, " for our 

 grace," as Master Stephen did, when he termed the cudgelling with which 

 Downright threatened him, <( the bastinado." So, a journeyman artisan 

 becomes, by courtesy, an Operative. A fellow who teaches greater fools 

 than himself to play at leap-frog, or climb up a pole, is a " Professor of 

 Gymnastics." An Irishman making speeches in a public-house is a 

 " Defender of his country's rights." And a flea is a practitioner of phle- 

 botomy. A Sunday paper, now, for further example, before us, contains 

 the following parabolical advertisement, under the head of " Newspaper 

 chat :" ( 



" Pistrucci and some Italian Refugees have been getting up a dramatic 

 representation at the King's Concert-room ; and we are glad to see men in 

 their unhappy, but yet honourable situation, occupying, by so elegant and 

 agreeable an amusement, some of that time which must hang heavily upon 

 their hands. Italian literature has become fashionable of late it is lucky 

 that fashion, in this instance, has taken so useful a turn ; and we recom- 

 mend all those who wish to take the most agreeable kind of lesson in the 

 language, to attend these exhibitions. There are three more, and they 

 take place on the Wednesday evenings." 



Now we have not the slightest objection to the success of Signor Pistrucci, 

 and think him on the contrary rather an entertaining exhibitor; but people 

 who perform in a theatre for hire, are not in general spoken of as seeking 

 an agreeable amusement to occupy the time which might hang heavy on 

 their hands ! 



But again, in the advertisement of a rehearsal of some music at St. Paul's, 

 on the occasion of" The Festival of the Sons of the Clergy," we find 



" The Committee, with the view of promoting the benefit of this charity, 

 respectfully beg leave to express their hope that, for admission into the 

 church and choir, no person will contribute less than half-a-crown." 

 " Contributions of gold will admit each person to the galleries and 

 closets, &c." 



This expedient of fixing the amount of an alms is decidedly a modern 

 invention. Our ancestors would certainly have said ' Admission to the 

 body of the church, half-a-crown : to the galleries, closets, &c., half-a- 



