632 The Chronologer... - EDec. 
_ Yet sometimes Dick would become suspicious,,and if he thought you 
were playing on him, would become restive. In these moods. ie would 
remember nothing. If you asked him then, on what. time “of he year 
Christmas fell, he would say, with a face of the most modest. avity, 
that he could not tell—having the worst memory in the world, anc 
being particularly unable to remember a date. And if old habits pre- 
vailed over caution, and in one of these fits the old phrase . “ A Te- 
member on the 3d of July 1816,” came out, he would smile, and say, “it 
is odd how I happen to remember that one date ; but aparticular circum- 
stance put it into my head; for that was the very day on which the 
Red Lion stage was started by my friend Tom Crompton,” 
Poor Dick! Light lie the turf upon you—for you were a guileless. ‘and 
good-hearted fellow. And if your ghost should ever walk, I am sure it 
will not regret the circumstance, whatever it may be that occasions it, 
if it be thereby afforded an opportunity for re-perusing the dates upon 
the tomb-stones. Ad 4 i i re 
LETTER UPON AFFAIRS IN GENERAL, FROM A GENTLEMAN IN, 
LONDON TO A GENTLEMAN IN THE COUNTRY. 
THERE has been fierce legislation at the “‘ Surrey Sessions” since my 
last, about the annual “ licenses” for some of the dancing houses and 
tea-gardens about town. And the magistrates have gained immortal 
credit to their independance, by treating Mr. Gye, of Vauxhall—mem- 
ber of parliament and ex-printer, - and present public exhibitor—with 
as little favour as they would have shewn to “ Mr. Cabbage—or who- 
ever he is—the manager of the “ Royal Circus.’ I, think myself 
however—though I love impartiality—that Mr. Gye was a little hardly 
treated in this affair. And I hope that their Worships were not ostenta- 
tiously incorruptible—as a hero here and there hangs his own son—upon 
slighter grounds than usual—to shew all the world that he)is|a patriot:— 
marry, I don’t recollect that ever one hanged himself forthe sake of the 
same demonstration ;*—because, though “* Vauxhall.’ is, unequivocally, 
the vilest of all the places; mis-called places of « amusement,” .to which 
people resort in London, I don’t see any particular sin there was, tuphoms 
it which called for magisterial interference. nigel 
For, as, to its being a “ Nuisance,” there is nothing very new in that! 
No doubt it is a very horrible “ nuisance ;’—but what then ? Bond 
What a horrible nuisance—if we are to talk of “ nuisances ””—~is every 
Theatre about town. What an indictable “ nuisance’ will the “ New 
London University” be to all the heretofore decent region of Gower 
Street and Bedford Square! What an unbearable: nuisance”; is.a 
public house—or a hackney-coach stand—or a caricature shop, ‘to have 
—and yet somebody must have them—opposite one’s window? And 
what a very particular ‘‘ nuisance” is every “fashionable party,” given=- 
say by these very Surrey magistrates—Mr. Sumner or Mr. Palmier-—in 
Portman or Bryanstone Square : which collects four hundred quadrupeds 
in harness, and five hundred bipeds in: lace, to crash, and,kiek, sand 
* This is wrong. There was one bishop, who, struck with a sense. of. own 
enormities, prosecuted himself, and demanded leave to make reparation at “th a 
And sentence being accordingly pronounced, the reverend martyr was actua’ url 
and afterwards canonized. The words of the historian are clear: ** Judiea Suit; et 
crematus fuit, et fuit sancius.” I recollect Mr, Brougham’s referring to the fact. | 99) 0 
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