CHARACTERS. 



267 



he was nearly intoxicated, he could 

 \)e very coarse and vulgar, sparing 

 no epithets of abuse, and indulging 

 himself in all the extravagancies of 

 passion. Had he attended at an 

 earlier age to take the proper- ad- 

 vantages of his education and ta- 

 lents, there were many situations, 

 probably he might have Keen lit 

 for J for instance, a schoolmasjler, a 

 physician, ora translator. In saying 

 this, however, v e must presuppose 

 industry, sobriety, &c. ; but his 

 conduct was such, that he let all 

 his pov.ers run to seed, and only 

 roused them, like the beasts of the 

 forest, to hunt inr daily prey, which, 

 Jikethem, sometimes, we are afraid, 

 he obtained either by stratagem or 

 t)y fraud. 



He liad many pecuUanties, which 

 to those wlio knew him ultimately, 

 formed the pleasantest part ot his 

 character. One was, and which 

 we before remarked, the inviolable 

 secrecy he observed about the p ace 

 of his lodging. Mqny scliemes used 

 to be devised among his friends to 

 find this out ; but his vigilance, 

 whether drunk or sober, always 

 ■prevented the discovery. How far 

 he carried this whimsical idea, may 

 be seen from the following anec- 

 dote : 



Beino; one nijrht in a mixed com- 

 pany at old Slaughter'scoffee house, 

 among the rest .was a Mr. Dossie, 

 secretary to the late duke of 

 Northumberland, a man of a lite- 

 rary turn, but who loved late hours 

 at night, and late rising in the morn- 

 ing to an excess. He liad another 

 habit more peculiar than thcformer, 

 which was, that whoever he sat 

 last with, he made it a point of 

 seeing him home. Such a coinci- 

 dence of characters as Hitternan 

 and he formed, could scarcely fail 



of producing some whimsical event. 

 On their leaving the coffee-house, 

 about one o'clock in the morning, 

 Mr. D. asked the doctor permission 

 to see him home. This was a ques- 

 tion of all others the doctor was 

 least willing to answer ; how ever, 

 after pausing for some time, " he 

 thanked him for his civilityj butas 

 he li\ed in the city, he could not 

 think of giving him that trouble." 

 — " None in thewoild, sir (said 

 the other) ; on the -contrary, it af- 

 fords me the highest satisfaction." 

 To this the doctor was obliged to 

 sub.scribe, and they walked on arm 

 in arm until they came to St. Paul's 

 church-yard : " Pray, doctor, (ar- 

 riving at this point)" says Mr. D. 

 " do you live much farther ?" — 

 " Oh, yes, sir (.says the doctor), 

 and on that account, I told you it 

 would be given you a great deal 

 of trouble." Ihis revived the 

 other's civility, and on they march- 

 ed till they reached the Royal Ex- 

 change. Here the question was 

 asked again, wl.ei. the doctor, who 

 found him lagging, and thought he 

 could ventuie to name someplace, 

 replied, •' he lived at Bow." This 

 answer decided the contest; Mr. D. 

 confessed he v/as not able to walk 

 so far, particularly as he had busi- 

 ness in the morning which required 

 his attendance at two o'clock, and 

 wished the doctor a good night, 

 am! walk'/d back to his lodgings near 

 Charing-cTuss witji great compc- 

 sure. 



The doctor lived upon some 

 terms of intimacy with most of the 

 literati of his tirtie, viz. I'oote, 

 Gar»;ck, Murphy, Goldsmith, Kel- 

 ly, Pickerstarie, Ike. and occi.^ ion- 

 ally felt their p;;tronage and bene- 

 ticence. He had other houses i>f 

 call, as he used to express himself, 



where 



