112 Kington St. Michael. [^John Brit ton. 



in the cellar or associating with the workmen, Mr. Britfon alwajs 

 looked back, as he well might, with utter abhorrence. He learned 

 nothing from the business, not even in what part of the world 

 Oporto or Madeira were, lost his health, was afraid of complaining, 

 and was only upheld through the period of legal imprisonment by 

 the smiles of a young person in the establishment, with whom of 

 course he fell in love. But even this cordial failing to restore him, 

 his master at length gave up about half a year of his services, pre- 

 sented him with two guineas instead of twcntj^ promised, and turned 

 him out into the world to provide for himself. He had then two 

 uncles in London, to whom he had been taught to look for friendly 

 assistance. Both were living in genteel comfort, but at neither of 

 their houses could he obtain even shelter from the weather, or a 

 meal. 



Before his first visit to London he had never seen a Dictionarj^, 

 and knew nothing of geography or history : though as a boy he 

 had been fond of books whenever he coidd get them. His self- 

 education was continued underground and clandestinely. He would 

 take an occasional half hour in the morning between seven and 

 eight o'clock to look at the sky, breathe a little fresh air and visit 

 two book stalls in the neighbourhood. His purchases were chiefly 

 medical works, and those of Dr. Dodd, Ray, Smollett, Fielding and 

 Sterne, &c. These he read by candle-light in the cellar at half 

 hours abstracted from official duties, so that the tale of bottles to 

 be corked had to be made up afterwards all the faster. One of the 

 few acquaintances formed at this time was a Mr. Essex father of the 

 present painter in enamel. From him books were borrowed, and 

 at his house Britton first met his future friend and coadjutor in 

 many literary undertakings, Mr. E. W. Brayley, then apprenticed 

 as an enameller to Mr. Essex. In a memoir of his colleague 

 published in the Gent. Mag. Dec. 1854, Mr. Britton says ; " From 

 this unpromising association and from fortuitous circumstances, 

 ultimately sprang a crop of literary works which cannot fail to 

 astonish the reader who calculates their amount in volumes, pages, 

 variety of sixbjects, extent of labour in research, travel, embellish- 

 ment and manual writing." As may reasonably be supposed they 



