The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-04-27 00:00:00

• • $ 7.1^. •
once so oplessaet spggiaien or this icrupUlous the most scrupulous exactness ; n handsome suit of
punctilio, Seise/ only. C.A. he appeared in • long black, and • a clean ruffled shire, were carefully
'leered gown at his diocesates visitation. This did placed upon the maideu before the valour fire ; his
not pass by unnoliced his clerical associate'; sonic ; black silk stockings, and brightly polished Ames,
of whom were logging to take him to task. The were put in requisition ; and ere the first bell tolled'
subject of this memoir soon after entered the church, I for morning service, be issued from his door, closely
and was not home in ignorance of the circumstance. enveloped in his silken robes, u three-cornered
One whispered, " Stremolet ! there's Monson is a beaver perched upon his head, soul Iseuutifully
silk gown !"—Another, " Streamlet ! beg only white heeds pendant from his cravat. The duties
B.A. !" He needed not much prompting. Forcing of his calling performed, the coat and waistcoat.
his way through the clustered hierarchy, clears, h were exchanged for a large blue dressing-gown,
rectors, curates, and incumbents, to the spot where and carefully laid upon the sofa ; the leathern
his intended victim awaited the Bishop's salutation, shoes were superseded by the list ; the cravat alto-
he twitched him by the sleeve, sod significantly I gether discarded as cumbrous or extravagant, and
wished him joy of his degree. The other was aware the Sunday spectacles deposited in the case.
of the meaning,. and confusedly replied, that he Happy would it have been for the Rector of
had been fifteen or sixteen years ou the college Ellwood had he been introduced to the old gentle-
hooks, and could take it any time. " What dues miss in this holy-day attire. The usual hour for
that signify ?" rejoined Streamlet ; " you are only suarliage at the parish church was twelve at tinlen,
B.A. in the last caleurlar." and the latter, on urriving as usual about that time,
When in the humour, too, the traits of private was surprised to find the parties already at the altar,
character which he would record, particularly of and an entire stranger performing the ceremony. In
predecessors in the collegiate body, said the stories him, however, he speedily recognised au old ac-
which he retailed immediately from his parents, of quaiutauce, to whom a valuable preferment had early
local occurences at the time of the last rebellion, devolved, and, when the service was performed, he
in which M--r took so conspicuous a part, were accosted him with, " Well, Nette ! what, in thenatne
highly humorous and amusing. One is too laugh- of goodness, brings you here ?" at the same time
able to be passed over, although its repetition may presenting his heed. The beneficed rector no longer
require aii apology. It was or • little dumpy recognised s former cotnate in the shabby little
man, by profession a Barrister, who had a huge um- figure that so familiarly claimed his notice, and
pediment in his speech. He went by the name of haughtily retorted—" My bow, Sir, to Le sure."
Counsellor Lowe; and being a rank Jacobite, when This was not to lee borne. " What, Sir, what I"
the Pretender was in M--1, lie was privately in- exclaimed the astonished chaplain, "do you not
traduced at the Palace Imi, and kissed his hand. know this is the collegiate church, and 1 the
This circunistance, some how or ether, was con- chaplain of it ? My name is Josiah Streamlet ;
municated to Governinent ; and one morning, very your name is Nette ; you are rector of Arbureham,
early, when walking in his flannel gown upon Ridge. in Derbyshire :we were ordained together, Sir, in
field Flags, where he resided, and smokimr, as was 1781, July, and drank tea together in the evening.
his practice, he was arrested by a party or military You have usurped my office; I marry here, Sir:
nu a charge of highs treason. He was hurried up to that's my surplice, Sir ; pray, Sir, walk iuto the
London, and when taken before the Privy Council, chapter-home and strip it directly ; my horse !
was asked, amongst other questions, if' ire had not indeed !"—Tbru posting down the cliancel—" As-
kissed the Pretender's hand ? " Yes ! by G—," pinwall, Aspinwall. Aspinaull !" vociferated lie,
slid he, " I did ; and I, I, I'd ha, ha, have k— 1— "go and take that surplice; what made pan let
kissed his a— a— a— a--, to get quit of him !" that mail take my surplice ? you don't know what
The device was successful ; and his steminering kind of peraims put it on !"
saved his neck. In vain did the now toile...turned rector deprecate
Even whilst cultivating the Muses in a cloistered the clisplain's wrath :in vain plead ignorance, sur-
seclusion, the siegularities of the worthy gentle- prise and regret. " Strip the surplice, Sir," was
man's life were no less the object of attention than the only reply, and when it was deposiited in the
the resources of his mind, which, at this early pe- chapter house, the chaplain banged the door,
rind, lie turned to sonic account, by assisting throe turned the key, put it in has pocket, and hurried
who were leas happy in their acquirements. Nor home, muttering, "My horse, leder(' !" for the
can it be condemned in one who had barely the next two hours.
means of subsistence, and yet, by personal denial The cuinlurt of his declining years was painfully
and exertion, contributed not • little to the console. interrupted by the infirmities of age. Yet, although
tion and assistance of indigent and infirm parents. bending beneath the weight of accumulated disor-
To his latest years did he delight in retracing the der, with one fuot literally in the grave, the same un-
circumstances of this era, and in narrating the va- shaken zeal, the same uncompromising decision, the
rious naanosuvres by which lie prevented deficieu- some fervid vehemence of manner, continued to
cies in his limited finances. Conscious, therefore., distinguish hint. Occasionally, it is true, the • d
of the station to which, at least, his acquirements seemed to participate in the weaknesses of its
as a scholar, and his situation in the churches° justly early tenement, and to betray the petulant dis-
entitled him, may it seem surprising if the rids- satisfactions of second childishness. But these mis-
cult excited by his peculiarities in time produced giv ugs were rare itteraccidental—the effect of ace
an asperity of speech, painful in a great degree to cute suffeeing or temporary debility. Never, indeed,
some, and little less thee insulting to others. Erie- whilst be could drag his uttletbled members to its
mice., it is believed, lie had none; for though the threshold, did he neglect the place which had
old smiled, mid the young jeered, both old and been through life the object of his offer:lion, and
young were ready to serve him with alacrity and the never-ending subject of his boast. Nay, to.
real. If he had enemies indeed, it was amongst wards the last, when the service has been concluded,
those who are equally the enemies of all good men ; and the attendants have all been retired, he has hu-
mid who could expect no compromise in the stern gyred alone within its venerable walls, as if there
severity of his reproof. were in the place a secret influence which be loved
For his interferences in matters which did not to cherish—a link of affection between it and his
concern him, any apology would be foolish, be- heart, which he was conscious must shortly be se-
cause they were unpierdoisable ; and, indeed, they vered. And there must have berm something—in
carried with them their own antidote, as a hearty the o!neurity which gradually enveloped the lefty
laugh, mid " Well done, Jersey !" were generally arches and spacious recesses of the edifice, in-
the salutations returned: But in those instances, creasing their vastness by the indefinite image pre-
where lie considered the sanctity of his order in- served to the imagination, as the remittent of day
waded, or the proprieties of decorum violated, the failed from the walls—in the wind occasionally
diameter alone of his rebuke was reprehensible, sweeping through the heavy-fretted canopy of the
the object never. All acknowledged his usefulness chancel—in the simple melody of the chimes, rudely
and vigilance, though none approved of the spirit performing the accustomed clutunt—in the recol-
with skids he evinced it. He might not have lectiou of the days and years that laid been de-
known that a soft answer turned) away wrath, or voted to the Almighty in that holy ill•ce—of
that an unruly race-- the attacks it had withstood, rind the souls it had
" Pietate aravens,acmeritissi forte viremeetem, gained—of those that had triumphed within its
Conspexere, silent lib. I. sanctuaries, and the many then at peace within its
His appeal was never to the reason, and invec- vaults—of the joys that it had hallowed, and the
live is a feeble argument. Once, in the market- sorrows that it had healed, which would present to a
place, whilst reading a bill of a black and white mind tempered, us was his, by age, mud humiliated
spaniel that was missing, a plain, clumsy-locking by infirmity, no unapt subjects for contemplation.
fellow, similarly engaged, as coolly us impudently, Could one dive into the recesses of a imul, amid
and just loud enough to catch his ear, read the the reveries of such a moment, or pursue its un-
bill thus :—" Lost, a black- and white coloured earthly flight whilst indulging iii such meditation,.
parson : answers to the urine of Jossy," &c. &Cr it might perhaps be perceived how intimate was
—Silence would have been the most prudent the connexion between the weather-beaten turrets
course ; but, regardless of the time, the place, and mouldering columns of this antiquated pile,
and the insignificance of the offender, he burst and the shattered form of the infirm hoary-headed
upon him with a torrent of sarcastic and angry re- old man, that loved it to the lust.
proach ; and thus, instead of 'wisely " pocketting"
an unavoidable insult. rashly involved himself in a
personal and degrading quart' with a contempti-
ble blackguard. These uccurrences were not un-
frequent ; and, by them, lie forfeited that little
reverence, which, in • populous maisufacturing
district, is assigned to the clergy.
The Rev. Gentleman was somewhat diminutive
in person, and age had sidded to his corpulence.
Ills gait was broken and imperfect; a kind of situ&
Oleg amble, latterly assisted by a stick. Long and
impeeding eye-brows, the partial flash in his cheeks,
a shrill, mimelodious voice, and rapid utter-
move, gave a tartness and pungency to Lis address,
by no means prepossessing. His hahilimrulr, upon
common occasions, were but a degree better than a
common mechanic's. He wore a hat with very
large brims; a square cut coat, whose jet had
Yielded to a dusky brown ; small-eludes of the
same tinge. aide plain worsted stockings and that k
shoes. When without a stick, his left hand was

MEETINGS OP ERR DITORS AT GUILDHALL
TO-MORROW.
M. M.
VV. Reid, jun. Clerkeowell-close, walch-nsaker .... 0 11
J. Porter, Leading Roothing, farmer
G. R. Johnson, ariswelbstreet, oilman
R. Burbury, Coventry, silk-manufacturer . . 3 10
Louie Stang, late of Fore-street, merchant 2 12
E. Ovendon, Carey-street, jeweller ........ 1 10
H. Cux, Lambeth, lituber•inerchani 2 /I
J. Bishop, Bloomsbury, bone-dealer
J. White, Lambeth-road, merchant . .. 2 12
C. Cope, Berkeley-mews, job roaster ••• /
Lawledge, Harley-street, upholsterer 1 12
T. Curri, Gulden-square, inusic•dealer
M. Essex, Cuveutry, Warwick, sod Wood-orees
Cheapaide, silk•neanufecrirrer . .•• 1 1
W. htllick, Cheam, cuabaserchaut
J. Ileushaw, Gloucester-place, bookseller .. 1 11
DIVIDENDS.
J. Peter., Darting, lime-burner ll.
A. Kelly, Pull-will, jeweller
K. Varier, Cueapside, warehouseman
J. Blackburn, Witham, corn-factor
J. Warren, Cre.ceni, merchant
W. Grid...trilby, Sun Taverri•fieldr, rope-maker 11.•
W. Pull.yn, Leadenh.ll street, goldsurith I I
G. and S. Robinson, Paternosier•ron, booksellers • ••• • It.
CERTI Fl ES.
J. Tureens, of Cooler bury, Kent, hoeu•draper.—J.
ger, late of Itching's% ell, Soutliumpion, tanner.—J. H. Red.
dell, of Baleen Heath, Moseley, King's•NorCoo. saved-
cutler.-1. Latham, of Abingdon, Berko, grocer.—G. Grit-
SON, of Curaitor•atrret, Ltiodun, Puecluek, ut,
Andover, Haute, cuaclansaker.—W. Hodges, of
causeway, Surr.y, straw•bat.inanisfaciurei —T. Sieurnunda,
of blaidatcne, Kent, wine-merchant.—N'. Rupee the elder.
I. Roper, and W. Kuper the younger, all of Denim", sear
Keigldey, York, cuttunsprianers —3l. Berry, of Necirsume-
crow, Alniundbury, York, clothier.—A. Trmbrill, pie of
Old South Sea House, Laudon, and Suutbasneteu•ruw, Rus-
sell-square, Middlesex, merchant.

generally crummed into his outer cost-pocket. and
Irons the corms' ling one, so old book or two
regularly peeped ; whilst his right, if not I idrei
with the same co ttttt today, was carefully jammed
into the pocket of his wilier:o, where his spectu-
chi lay. Indeed, had it nut been for the air of
dependence, inseparable from ease sod plenty, add-
ed to some certain groins of powder, which lingered
on his cost collar, he would have passed for a re-
spectable petty shopkeeper, or the bustling verger
of a cathedral church. Yet so familiar hail 11. is
limuthuess become to his neighbours and acquaint-
:thee, that any deviation from it would base created
surprise.
On the Sabbath-day, however, the contrast was
great. His hair was combed and powdered with