100 FRIARY COURT. 



his shop in George Street, that morning ; and, to 

 supply the libations at dinner, each guest was pro- 

 vided with a pewter pot of XXX. 



The feasters had no doubt read something of the 

 manners and customs of foreigners, for they eat, in 

 the fashion of Turks and Persians, without the aid of 

 knives and forks, and poured the last remaining drop 

 of gravy out of their plates into a pursed-out lower 

 lip, as the orang-outang does its draught of brandy 

 and water at the Zoological gardens. Each operator 

 proved himself game to the back-bone, in the article 

 of tucking-out ; devouring at least twice as much 

 as a Caffre or a Chipawa Indian. After supper, 

 came the brandy, the best that ever was smuggled 

 from *' Guarnsy island." 



And towards midnight, the revelry became fast 

 and furious ; Tom Hynes slipped off his chair under 

 one of the tables, where he remained snoring most 

 triumphantly ; Jack O'Diamonds and Billy Brown 

 turned too for a bruising match, the rest of the com- 

 pany pairing off as accessories in the fray, whereupon 

 we thought it fit to evaporate into thin air. 



The reader may be somewhat surprised to know 

 that such good living can be done in Friary Court ; 

 we will therefore give some insight into the ways and 

 means of the worthies spoken of. 



No. I. Dealers in cabbage nets and matches. 

 The ostensible calling of this class would seldom 

 afford sufficient means for supporting the respect- 

 ability of its members ; the cabbage nets and matches 

 are often blinds to cover the more lucrative occupation 

 of thieving. 



No. 2. Bellows makers, knife grinders, and um- 

 brella renovators. These men are generally gipsies. 

 During the summer and pleasant part of the year 

 they care little for exercising their professed vocation, 

 and subsist almost wholly by country plunder, which 

 they commit all over the kingdom, roosting at night 

 in the open fields. On the approach of winter they 

 find " good dry lodgings" more commodious, and 



