; 1&27.] Letter on Jljff airs in general. 299 



party." This is the statement made in the open office, at twelve o'clock ; 

 and, at one, a hackney coachman who is found with a single " subject" 

 in his vehicle, is compelled to account for: it, and sent -in default of an 

 answer to spend six weeks in the Treadmill. Our neighbours the Pari- 

 sians, by the way, have got hold of this question ; and are gibbeting us in 

 quips, and " particular ballad?," out of number. I will translate one of 

 these effusions as well as I can twist an imitation of French verse 

 which is very badly. 



A doctor there lived in the county of Fife, 



Physic em, tisic em, ho ! 

 And he had a wife, was the plague of his life 



With her squallery, bawlery, ho ! 

 She worried and teased the unfortunate elf, 

 Jf his patients were few, he was patient himself; 

 But at last she fell sick, and was laid on the shelf, 



With her sigh away, die away, ho ! 



Now in sables the doctor had often rehearsed, 



Whine away, groan away, ho ! 

 And he always wore mourning for fear of the worst, 



With his seem to grieve, laugh in sleeve, ho! 

 So a coffin he bought of a friend in the trade, 

 And ma'am under ground very snugly was laid ; 

 And the very next night Bolus married his maid, 



With her fie for shame! change her name, ho! 



Now it happened that night that a gentlemen, bred, 



Dig away, in the clay, ho ! 

 To the grave occupation of raising the dead, 



With his coffin crack, spade and sack, ho ! 

 Rang at one in the morning, the doctor's night bell, 

 And said " Sir I've brought you a subject to sell: 

 But the watchman is near, so be quick or he'll tell ; 



With your cut and slash pay the cash ho ! 



The doctor had scarcely refastened the door, 



With his bolt and chain, lock again, ho ! 



When he thought in the sack he heard somebody snore, 

 With their snoozle em, foozle em, ho ! 



But who shall describe the poor doctor's surprise, 

 ' When he opened the sack to examine his prize : 



For his wife was come back ! and she opened her eyes, 

 With her squall ery, bawlery, ho ! 



Et Monsieur le docteur ! he ron vid his legs away so f 



Notwithstanding the imputed small means of the country just at this 

 time for works of supererogation, the scheme of building new Churches 

 in all quarters of the metropolis continues, I perceive, in active operation. 

 We have three churches now in the parish of Mary-le-bone; one in Port- 

 land-place one at the top of Portland-road and one, about two hundred 

 yards farther west, at the end of High-street all within sight, and within 

 a quarter of a mile as to distance, of each other, and yet they talk of 

 more. I am sure I hope that it is the increasing piety of the country 

 that makes all this expense necessary; but, as far as my own knowledge 

 goes certainly 1 do not understand what the story of " the old churches 

 not being sufficient for the wants of the people" means. I am sure 

 speaking from my own experience / never was refused a seat in a church 

 in all my life. But there are some people who never can find accommo- 

 dation any where. 



Apropos to the subject of Churches, the French Globe of the 5th of 



2 Q 2 



