The Merry Past 



whilst my servant brings up a couple of dozen bottles 

 to take away with us." 



Then turning to his servant, he said significantly : 

 " Go, call a coach immediately, and bring me up a 

 dozen of wine of the blue seal, and a dozen of the r^^." 

 The old corporal took the hint, and repairing to two 

 press-gangs in the neighbourhood, one of which was 

 distinguished by blue ribbons^ and the other by red^ he 

 brought two strong parties, which finding four stout 

 fellows in sailors' dresses, immediately impressed and 

 took them on board a tender. 



A more peaceful character was the Bond Street 

 buck, who being, as he thought, at the point of 

 death, thought it right to settle his worldly affairs. 

 Accordingly he sent for a neighbouring solicitor to 

 make his will. The solicitor, who was a wit as well 

 as a lawyer, having been informed by the sick beau 

 of all his circumstances, said he had a precedent for 

 his will in that of the famous Rabelais, which he 

 should adopt, and which was in these words : " I 

 owe much ; I have nothing ; and I give the rest to 

 the poor ! " 



In spite of penniless bucks and long outstanding 

 accounts, West End tradesmen did very well, far 

 better, probably, than to-day. 



In the early days of the nineteenth century Pall 

 Mall and St. James's Street were crowded with the 

 shops of tailors and of bootmakers, instead of the 

 magnificent palaces which now occupy their site, 

 and the man who lived in the West End led a very 

 different life from that now in vogue. The buck 



175 



