136 THE EXETER ROAD 



and fifty years ago that Sir Francis Blake Delaval, a 

 prominent rake and practical humorist of the period, 

 was canvassino; Andover. One voter amid the venal 

 herd was, to all appearance, proof against all tempta- 

 tions. Money, wine, place, flattery had no seductions 

 for this stoic. The baffled candidate was beside 

 himself in his endeavours to discover the man's weak 

 point ; for of course it was an age in which votes 

 were so openly bought and sold that the saying 'Every 

 man has his price ' was implicitly believed. Only 

 what was this particular voter's figure ? Strange to 

 say, he had no weakness for money, but was possessed 

 with an inordinate desire to see a fire-eater, and 

 doubted if there existed people endow^ed with that 

 remarkable power. ' Off" went Delaval to London, 

 and returned wdtli Angelo in a post-chaise. Angelo 

 exerted all his genius. Fire poured from his mouth and 

 nostrils — fire which melted that iron nature, and sent 

 it off" cheerfully to poll for Delaval ! ' 



This was that same Delaval whose attorney sent 

 him the following bill of costs after one of his 

 contests : — 



To being thrown out of the window of the George Inn, 

 Andover ; to my leg being thereby broken ; to surgeon's liill, 

 and loss of time and business; all in the service of Sir Francis 

 Delaval, £500. 



And cheap too. 



They kept this sort of thing up for many years ; 

 not always, however, throwing solicitors out of hotel 

 windows ; although rival political factions often 

 expressed their determination to throw one another's 

 candidate in the Anton, after the fashion of the bills 



