Porson, as a Mr Charles James of St. John's College said, bet a wager that he could make a rhime to anything: it was proposed that he should make trial of the Latin gerund in dum, when Porson said, Dido found Æneas did not come, Dido wept, and was Di-do-dum[b.] When the great Prince to Dido did not come, She mourned in silence, and was Di-do-dum.* Mr Gilliland says that Lord Hutchinson, afterwards Lord Donoughmore, the successor of Abercrombie in Egypt, wrote all the Letters of the Prince Regent to his father. CVIII. Gilliland, Sheridan, &c. KING'S BENCH PRISON, May 13, 1837. Mr Gilliland did write the RIVAL PRINCES, 2 Vols 8vo, published in the name of Mrs Mary Anne Clarke; in the copy, which he lent to me to read, he had scratched out the name, and substituted his own. He also wrote the DRAMATIC MIRROR, 2 Vols, in which he has inserted many amusing anecdotes, and for the copyright of which he received £300. He says that he was with SHERIDAN, when he fell down drunk in the gutter; people passing by crowded round him, and one of the party enquired his name, when he replied, "Wilberforce, Member of the Society for the Suppression of Vice!" He was with all due honor put into a coach, and * I have seen a much more harmonious couplet, expressing the same idea. When Dido's love to Dido would not come, She mourned in silence and was Di-do-dum [b]. dispatched to Mr Wilberforce's residence at Kensington-Gore. Sheridan was passing along Charing Cross, when a man was standing in the pillory for sodomy; a carriage, containing a lady and her daughter, could not proceed from the pressure of the crowd; they perceived Mr Sheridan, whom they knew, beckoned to him and asked what was the matter. Sheridan hesitated,-was pressed for an answer by the ladies, who pleaded the natural curiosity of women, and at length said that he was put there for doing what he ought not to have done, and for not doing what he ought to have done. A Quaker, who was a single man, had a maid-servant of the same religious fraternity. She was very amorous and anxious to marry her master; he gave no encouragement to her, but her passion increased to such a degree, that she at length lay down on his bed, when he was in it. He was a pure Joseph, and refused: The Society heard of it, and he was called to account; he explained, when one of the Quakers drily said, "He is convicted on his own confession," which produced a smile even among the gravities assembled therein. This anecdote was told to me by George Merrell, a Quaker whom I met in the prison. CIX. Sir F. Burdett, H. Tooke &c. May 27, 1837. In the Globe of to-day it is stated that Horne Tooke distrusted his pupil Sir Francis Burdett, having observed certain aristocratic and Tory tendencies, which have recently developed themselves in an extraordinary manner; he complained of it to his acquaintance. Mr Moore, a surgeon, generally called Dr Moore, who is a prisoner in the Bench, says that the Rev. Dr Shepherd, of Liverpool, was with Horne Tooke at Wimbleton 3 weeks before his death. He had been reading or talking to Tooke about that far distant country, from which no traveller returns. 'Well,' said Horne, 'I do not doubt what you say about that fine country, but I must confess that I had rather be here.' He died three minutes afterwards. The Rev Mr Bowes of Chilwell, (in Lancashire, I think) bet a wager that he could preach extempore to the satisfaction of those, with whom he laid the wager, and of the congregation, on any text, which was handed to him, when he was in the pulpit. Accordingly at the time appointed a text was handed to him, which was something like this: Let him that saveth others, save himself. A ludicrous effect was given to the text because S with Mr Bowes was always pronounced Sh. He preached a most pathetic Sermon about our Saviour, caused one gentleman, whose feelings were too much excited, to leave the Church, and won his wager. This was about 1789, I think. The celebrated Lavater's nephew, John Caspar Lavater, heard of this feat, and told it to his Uncle, who said that he had done the very same thing before the Grand Duke of Baden, from a text handed to him, 'God made the world out of nothing." The Grand Duke was so highly delighted with the Sermon, that he made him a very handsome present, 100 Louis. When the late Mr Rothschild left Manchester in 1800, Mr M. refused to take from him a Bill for £25 at 2 months; yet 6 weeks after he contracted for the Loan of 25 millions. CX. Anna's grave. 1. I wish I was where Anna lies; For I am sick of ling'ring here, And every hour Affliction cries, Go, and partake her humble bier." 2. I wish I could; for, when she died, 3. But who, when I am turn'd to clay, And pluck the ragged moss away, And weeds, that have no bus'ness there? 4. And who with pious hand shall bring The flowers she cherish'd, snow-drops cold, And violets that unheeded spring, To scatter o'er her hallow'd mould ? 5. And who, while mem'ry loves to dwell I did it, and, would fate allow, Should visit still--should still deplore, But health and strength have left me now, And I, alas! can weep no more. 7. Take then, sweet maid, this simple strain, Thy grave must then undeck'd remain, 8. Encompass'd in an Angel's frame Too soon did heaven assert its sway, 9. My Anna's worth, my Anna's charms, To me no more return; What then shall fill these widow'd arms? Ah! me, my Anna's Urn. 10. Each rural scene my Anna lov'd So happy was our lot. 11. But Anna's gone-and sweet content You ne'er will find it, flattering heart, But in my Anna's Urn. 12. Around its base, to deck a sod I'll rifle all my bower, The woodbine, jessamine, myrtle, rose, 13: At eve when Phoebus quits the plain, You'll find me watering with my tears CXI. Spectacles, Orthodoxy. A certain peevish gentleman had lost his spectacles; his host bade him have a good heart, for, if it continued raining all night, he would find them in the morning, Nocte pluit tota, redeunt spectacula mane. |