bacheloe's hall. 109 



ment put forth, by a Dr. Price, that the population 

 of England and Wales was under five millions, or 

 less, in fact, than it was in the reign of Queen 

 Elizabeth. "Which," added the Squire, "is not 

 correct, according to poor-law and other statistics 

 produced before Parliament, which show that there 

 are from three to four births to one death." 



Mr. Whitmore : "I can readily believe that this 

 is true in your parishes of Willey and Barrow, 

 Forester, where a certain person's amours, like 

 Jupiter's, are too numerous to mention." (Laughter, 

 in which the Squire joined.) 



Mr. Forester : " A truce to statistics and politics, 

 let us have Larry Palmer, our local Incledon, in to 

 sing us some of Dibdin's songs." (General approba- 

 tion.) 



And Larry, who was blind, and who was pur- 

 posely kept in ignorance of Dibdin being present, 

 then gave in succession several of what Incledon 

 called his " sheet-anchors," including " The Quaker," 

 "My Trim-built Wherry," "Tom Bowling," &c., 

 with an effect and force which made the author 

 exclaim that he never heard greater justice done to 

 his compositions, and led to an exhibition of feeling 

 which made the old hall ring again. 



