FIFTY YEARS OF A SHOWMAN'S LIFE 



me to feel that I was riding a hobby without any 

 undue risk of coming a financial cropper in conse- 

 quence. I had no reason for thinking my pur- 

 chases would yield any particular treasures, but 

 I looked forward to their affording me a pleasant 

 hour or two in their company. The letters them- 

 selves had the stamp of a respectable old age 

 plainly impressed upon them, for the mellowing 

 hand of time had turned the paper yellow and the 

 ink brown. Neither did they lack that pleasant 

 aroma pleasant at least to delvers in antiquarian 

 depths suggestive of so many possibilities, but 

 which those who care not for such things prefer 

 to describe as " a musty fusty smell." 



On examining my purchase at leisure, I had a 

 pleasant surprise, for what should I find but a 

 letter written by Nehemiah Bartley, one of my 

 predecessors in the office of Secretary of the Bath 

 and West Society, and addressed from the old 

 headquarters of the Society, Hetling House, 

 Bath. This fine old Tudor mansion, which housed 

 the Society and its belongings in its early days, 

 is still devoted to worthy objects, being now the 

 Abbey Church House, I ' may add that in the 

 same bundle of old letters were several others of 

 considerable interest referring to social matters 

 occupying attention during the latter part of the 

 eighteenth century. 



The letter in question, which bears the date 

 January 7th, 1802, is addressed to the fifth Earl 

 of Berkeley, who was Lord Lieutenant of 

 Gloucestershire and of the Cities of Bristol and 

 Gloucester, and, in view of the interest mani- 

 fested of late in everything relating to the 



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