The Merry Past 



fashioned tar when ashore that he was often made 

 the medium of all sorts of jokes, to which his some- 

 what convivial habits were particularly suited. 



A party of dandies in Leicestershire were once 

 served a fine trick by a gentleman who, whilst at an 

 inn, opened a door by mistake, and caught a glimpse 

 of the convivial party wrapped in slumber. They 

 had returned tired after a fox-chase, and in the place 

 "of fighting the battle over again," in conversation, 

 had quietly sunk into the arms of repose. The gentle- 

 man in question had observed a drunken sailor at the 

 bar, who had come on the top of a coach, likewise fast 

 asleep, covered with snuff and tobacco : with the 

 help of his servant, he contrived to get the man into 

 the room and place him amongst the sporting and 

 snorting dandies, unperceived and unheard, and left 

 him there. After sleeping some time very comfort- 

 ably together, the sailor was awakened by the nasal 

 music of one of the company, on which, stretching 

 a dirty and fat paw over the soft countenance of a 

 sleeping exquisite, he exclaimed : " What ho ! brother 

 messmate ! What ho ! if you do not stop the piping of 

 your nose, we must tumble out of our hammocks, and 

 go aloft." This sudden exclamation awakened the 

 party, who, starting from their chairs, called out to 

 know who had brought " this horrid monster amongst 

 them." No one could tell, nor could the sailor give any 

 account of the transaction. On being obliged to quit 

 the room, he swore "they were the most uncivillist 

 gentry he had ever slept with in his life." 



Many of these men had very humorous turns of 



lOI 



