THOMAS ASSHETON SMITH. 173 



But the scene suddenly sliifts, a small cracked bell 



in a violent hurry rings, the slight shuffling of a few 



running-away feet is heard, the green curtain which 



scarcely half a minute ago had dropped slowly rises, 



and in the centre of the little stage there now appears, 

 reposing by itself, a white wicker cradle containing a 

 new-born baby, who will rapidly grow before our readers 

 into a character intimately connected with the sayings 

 and doings the scenes and incidents we are endeavourinci- 

 to describe. 



Thomas Assheton Smith, 



Born in Queen Anne Street, Cavendish Square, London, 

 on the 2nd of August, 1776, was the grandson of 

 Thomas Assheton, Esq., of Ashley Hall, near Bowden, 

 in Cheshire, who assumed the name of Smith on the 

 death of his uncle. Captain William Smith, son of the 

 Right Honourable John Smith, Speaker of the House of 

 Commons in the first two Parliaments of Queen Anne, 

 and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the preceding 



reign. 



As Shakspeare, in his immortal history of the Seven 

 Ages of Man, briefly described the first as " the infant, 



