TO BRIGHTON. 215 



These parallel columns can be deciphered by 

 beginning at the last word, " the," on the right hand, 

 and reading up. With rude and sometimes grim 

 humour our forefathers seem to have been delighted. 

 The teapots of our great grandmothers are even more 

 amusingly inscribed and illustrated. At Gretna-green 

 the blacksmith is performing a " Red Hot Marriage," 

 using his anvil for the altar. 



"Oh ! Mr. Blacksmith, ense our pains, 

 And tie us fast in wedlock's chains." 



The china decorated with vessels and alluding to 

 naval matters shows how popular was the navy, and 

 how deeply everything concerning Nelson's men had 

 sunk into the minds of the people. Some of the line 

 of battle ships here represented are most cleverly 

 executed — every sail and rope and gun brought out 

 with a clearness which the best draughtsman could 

 hardly excel. It is a little hard, however, to preserve 

 the time-honoured imputation upon Jack's constancy 

 in this way on a jug : — 



" A sailor's life's a pleasant life, 



He freely roams from shore to shore ; 

 In every port he finds a wife — 

 What can a sailor wish for more ? '* 



Some enamoured potter having produced a master- 

 piece as a present to his lady destroyed the design, so 

 that the service he gave her might be unique. After 

 gazing at these curious old pieces, with dates of 1754, 

 1728, and so forth, the mind becomes attuned to such 

 times, and the jug with the inscription, " Claret, 

 1652," seems quite an easy and natural transition. 



From the Brighton of to-day it is centuries back to 

 1754; but from 1754 to 1652 is but a year or two. 



