The Merry Past 



Mr. Pope abroad was removed from his friends and 

 customers ; and his money being idle, which was 

 always considered by him as a great misfortune, 

 he resolved to come home, and to show his resent- 

 ment against the supposed injustice he submitted 

 to imprisonment rather than pay the money. This 

 he did most heroically, suffering the long imprison- 

 ment of eleven years and three months. 



Throughout the whole of this time (nearly twelve 

 years) Pope never had a joint of meat on his table. 

 His greatest luxury was a groat plate from the cook's 

 shop, and that served him for two meals generally ; 

 but in these points he was not much at a loss, for 

 his family, though living at a great distance, knowing 

 of his penurious disposition, sent to him frequently 

 a very comfortable and proper supply ; and on these 

 occasions he was actually known, occasionally, to 

 give some leavings to his errand girl or other dis- 

 tressed person. 



To do justice to so eccentric a character as Pope, 

 it is but right to state that, while in trade, he had 

 early begun the benevolent practice of giving away, 

 every week, a stone, and more, of meat among his 

 workmen and poor neighbours. This practice he 

 never abandoned, not even when he was every day 

 weighing his candle or looking after the measure of 

 his small beer. 



During his residence in the Fleet Mr. Pope was 

 occasionally the victim of hoaxes played upon him 

 by individuals with whom he had had dealings. 



One winter's day he was delighted at receiving 



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