The Sun.
London, England, 1837-06-19 00:00:00

A HUIIORIST.

• Mt. Bosville; searcifiv ever quitied the
used to say, that London-iilfrilltr- heYt residence in White
and'that•hekne;,v no Place like it in Sunitmye. yore
when in Yorkshire, Le. made a po;nt of not. visiting h •
own estates, lest he should be involved in the_ carel
and troubles of a landed proprietor. But; though he
seldom really travelled, he sometimes made imaginary
journies. He used to mention, as a grave fact, film
once he visited the Scilly Isles, and , attended a ball
St. Mary's, where he found a young lady giving-herseif
great airs, because her education' had received a " finish"
at the " Land's 'End."• Another of his stories was that,
having been at Rome during the last illness of- Clement
the Fourteenth,-he went daily to the Vatican, to ascertain
what chance he had of enjoying the spectacle of an in-
stallation. The bulletins, according to my ;rand-uncle's
playful imagination, were variously expressed, but each
more alarming than its predeceSsor. " His HOliness
is very. ill ;" next, " his Excellency hi %verse ;" then, " His
Eminence is in a very low state ;" and, at last, the day be--
fore the Pope expired, came forth the startling announce-
" His Infallibility is delirious." This pleasant
original occasionally coined anecdotes at the expense
of his own guests, and related them to their face, •
for the amusement of the company. Parson Este was once
editor of a paper called the World ; and Boss die alleged
of •him, before a large party, that, one day, a gentleman in
deep mourning, came to him at the office, requesting the ir-
sertion of a ready-made- panegyric on his brother, who died
a few days before. " No," answered the Reverend Editor,
" your brother did not choose to die in our newspaper, and
that being the case, I can find no room for eulogies
Upon him." Among Mr. Bosville's liberal friends, was
the noted author of The Political Register.
Cobbctt - was in
.Ne.rgate, my grand-uncle went in
state with 4 horses to his carriage to visit the pri:oner ; and
afterwards presented hini a thousand pounds, in token
of sympathy, as he termed it, with the persecuted
sufferer. The party in AKelbeek-street, as may be sup-
posed, never stood very high in favour of the Govern-
ment. The butler, one day, whispered to Mr. Bosville,
after dinner, that some gentlemen insisted upon seeing him in
the antechamber. Going out to them, he found Townshend,
the police officer, and his myrmidons, in quest of two noted de-
mocrats, then actually seated at the dinner-table. Bosville
.reeeived " the gentlemen" with great civility, and offered
them refreshments if they would -not interrupt the socialities
of the dining-rooM, pledgrig himself to be security for the
'objects of their search. These functionaries appear to

have been almost as accommodating as the bailiffs, who so
obligingly augmented the retinue of Richard Steele, at
his memorable entertainment. Having mad:: this arrange-
ment, Bosvillc returned to table without the slightest
symptom of discomposure, and prolonged the entertain-
ment till the usual hour. While the company were with-
drawin-r, the bailiffs were allowed to ex cute their office,
and carried off the astonished guests to prison. The con-
cluding days of Basviile- are a melancholy evidence of the
force of habit. He wished his dinner-parties to be con-
tinued to the very last. His health declined, and his
convivial powers deserted him ; but the slate hung as usual,
in the hall, and he felt more anxiety, than ever, that the
list of guests upon it should not fail of its appointed
number. Habitually inclined to scepticism, he was not
prepared, amidst increasing infirmities, to seek for comfort in
religion. Even. during his last hours, when he was confined
to his chamber, the hospitable board was regularly
spread below. • He insisted upon reports, from time to
time, of the jocularities calling forth the laughter which
still assailed 'his ear ; and, on the very morning of hiA
death, gave orders for an entertainment punctually at the
usual hour, which he did not live to see. It would be well
fur those who think that religious consolations are easily
attainable on a death-bed, and without habitual preparation,
to take solemn warning from the last moment: of Bosville.
—Life of Sir John Sirc!ceir.