FISHES AND FISHING. 15 



dress. He was fortunate in the invention and sale of 

 other articles, of colours, magic lanterns, &c., and 

 through industry and integrity he became wealthy, 

 highly esteemed as a tradesman, and by observation 

 acquired a perfect knowledge of the world. "We 

 became intimately acquainted, and I regarded him as 

 a friend. 



Near his residence were several old houses, whose 

 inhabitants paid no rent to any one, and whose only 

 title was possession, the property being said to belong 

 to a young lad then at sea. This property he ob 

 tained for a mere trifle, pulled down the old houses, 

 and built a small theatre (which he named the Sans 

 Pareil) upon the site, where he exhibited a variety of 

 most ingenious divertisements, and at last obtained a 

 license for theatrical performances. A few years 

 previous to this period, some excise officers lodged 

 information against the owners of most of the theatres, 

 for not stamping their scenery, and paying a duty of 

 threepence halfpenny a yard. The proprietors of the 

 scenes then pleaded that it was an old act, and that 

 they had erred through ignorance. The Attorney- 

 General said that he would not press for convictions 

 for the penalties, upon the understanding that the 

 scenery should be stamped, and pay the duty in 

 future ; and the judges considered that the proprietors 

 of theatres had been treated very leniently, by being 



