107 



" We beat them, thougli/' said Mr. Pritchard. 



" So we did/' added the Squire, " but we bad a 

 bard job : begad, I tbougbt our watermen bad 

 pretty well primed me wben I went up to see Pitt 

 on tbe subject ; but I bad not been witb bim five 

 minutes before I found be knew far more about tbe 

 river tban I did : 



" < I am no orator, as Brutus is, 

 But, as you know me all, a plain and honest man.' " 



Several voices : "Bravo, Squire.'* 



To Stephens : " Will you take a flounder ? — * flat 

 as a flounder,' tbey say. I know you bave a sym- 

 pathy witb flats, if not a liking for them." 



*' Tbe Broseley colliers made a flat of bim wben 

 tbey dragged bis own pond for tbe fisb be was so 

 grateftd for," said Hinton. 



Tbe laugb went against tbe parson, wbo somehow 

 missed his share of a venison pasty, wbich was a 

 favourite of his. He bad been helped to a slice 

 from a haunch which stood in the centre of the 

 table, and had had a cut out of a saddle of mutton at 

 one end, but he missed his favourite dish. 



"Is it true," inquired Dibdin, looking round at 

 roast, and boiled, and pasties, "what we hear in 



