24.8 Tom Moore. 
Among their most intimate friends in the neighbourhood at this 
time may be mentioned—in addition to Lord and Lady Lansdowne 
Jacilé principes—the Phipps family, then of Wans ; the Starkys, of 
Spye; the Lockes, of Rowdeford; the Hughes, of Buckhill; the 
Talbots, of Lacock ; the Moneys, of Whetham; Watson Taylor, of 
Erlestoke; Clutterbuck, of Hardenhuish ; Serope, of Castlecombe ; 
Merewether, of Castlefield ; the Awdrys; Henry Drury, in charge 
of Bromham; and Canon Bowles, that most eceentrie poet and 
divine, who, on being asked by Mrs. Moore to write her name in a 
bible he had given her, complied in these terms :—“ Bessy Moore, 
from the Author”!!! We may not omit the Fieldings and the 
Scotts, near Devizes—of whom Fanny Scott (the sister of the wit 
~ Luttrell) was never without her pet dog. On one oecasion, to in- 
dulye her fancy, Moore gave her a toy spaniel, made of Dutch 
pottery. The following accompanied the gift :— 
“Here humbly to your care commends himself,— 
Dear Fanny, treat him well,—this dog of delf. 
Unlike all other dogs of flesh and blood 
- He silently obeys, in silence ever good: 
In fact, he’s good as mortal hands can make him! 
But, unlike other dogs, he’s ruined if you break him,” 
1Tt need searcely be said that Tom Moore was in the greatest request at all 
the dinner parties in the neighbourhood, both for his brilliant conversation and 
for his inimitable singing. That was in my youthful days, so that though I 
often saw him, I never met him at. dinner, or heard him sing; but from my 
father and mother, who were accustomed to meet him at some of the houses 
mentioned above, I used to hear much of this brilliant and charming guest : and 
I recollect that on one occasion, after a dinner party (I think at Rowdeford), we 
were much amused by hearing that when Moore had delighted the company with 
one of his beautiful songs (and I believe he could seldom be prevailed on to sing 
more than once, or at most twice, of an evening), some other gentleman present 
was asked in his turn for a song, when, with inconceivably bad taste, he had the 
presumption to sing one of Moore’s own well-known songs. Whilst this was 
going on the company sat round aghast with dismay at the folly of the per- 
former, and with terror as to the result. At the conclusion Moore walked up to 
the offender, and in a severe voice said, “ Pray, Sir, may I ask what was the 
name of that song, and who was it by?” and then, without waiting for an- 
answer, turned upon his heel and called for his carriage. We may be sure that 
the unhappy delinquent was never again invited to dinner to meet Tom Moore ! 
LEb.] 
