LIFE OF MYTTON. 185 



where the bill was signed, Mr. Mytton and his friend 

 sallied forth to a " finish," and somewhere about 

 midnight returned to the hotel ; and now comes the 

 climax. 



But, reader, one word with you first. You have 

 heard, no doubt, of many memorable deeds performed 

 by fire. You have read that somebody set fire to 

 Troy, Alexander to Persepolis, Nero to Rome, a 

 baker to London, a rascally Caliph to the treasures 

 of Alexandria, and the brave Mutius Scaevola to his 

 own hand and arm, to frighten the proud Porsenna 

 into a peace ; but did you ever hear of a man 

 setting fire to his own shirt, to frighten away the 

 hiccup ? Such, however, is the climax I have 

 alluded to ; and this was the manner in which it 

 was performed. " D — n this hiccup," said Mytton, 

 as he stood undressed on the floor, apparently in 

 the act of getting into his bed; "but V\\ frighten 

 it away ; " so, seizing a lighted candle, he applied 

 it to the tail of his shirt, and, it being a cotton one, 

 he was instantly enveloped in flames. 



Now, how was his life saved ? is the next question 

 that might be asked. Why, by the active exertions 

 of his London customer, and of another stout and in- 

 trepid young man that happened to be in the room, 



