The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-29 00:00:00

JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

FOR A DINNER.

BY A POET.
N.B. The following Journal was lately discovered
(together with a pair of buff pantaloons, far advanced
" in the autumn of their lives," two tragedies, and
an epic poem), by the owner of 'a lodging-house in
May s-buildings, on the table of one of his attics,
where they are supposed to have been left by some
eccentric genius, who, with characteristic absence of
mind, had quitted his lodgings, forgetting, in the
hurry' of his departure, the slight circumstance of pay-
ment. As the present is the age of. discoveries, we
,give the following unsuccessful one entire, premising
that it.was left this morning at our office, by an elderly
gentleman of superb dimensions, in a brown wig and
gaiters.—" I decus, noitrum, melioribus utere fatis I"
At half-past three o'clock this afternoon (it being
clean-shirt day) started off from May's-buildings on a
" voyage of discov'ery" for a dinner ; my own establish-
ment—a very unusual thing by the bye—being some,
what inadequate to supply that article. Sounded in
my breeches pockets, and. found the exact sum of four-
pence half-penny, exclusive of one Queen Anne's
farthing. At four P.M. cast anchor opposite a ham
and beef shop -in Coventry-street : went ashore and
asked for tick; article unknown in that quarter; Tacked
to leeward and dropped gently down with the current
(of passers by) towards my publisher's shop in the
Haymarket. Advanced with smiling face but empty
stomach towards him, and enquired after bis wife and
the little ones, also after the tuecess of myast volume,
Sentimental Lyrics." Answered with an emphatic
'point of the forefinger towards the unsold copies, lying
thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks of
Valambrosa," on the shelf. Looked majestically inde-
pendent : hinted that four o'clock was a good hour
for dinner, and that if not engaged, should be happy
to take pot-luck with him :at the same time letting off'
a pun by way of fore-taste of my after-dinner wit.
Happiness declined by the bibliopole, with infinite re-
gret and so forth. Unfurled my top-Mast sail (viz.
my hat) and tacked towards Long,Acre, where my
kind patron Joseph Digging, coach-maker, vegetates.
Stepped ashore ; enquired if the family were at- home
and replied to in the negative. Stood off for the
Strand with a stiff breeze, (exceedingly annoying to a
keen appetite,) dropped anchor at a second ham and
beef shop, and put the same question respecting
tick. Answer same as before. Mein.--' ick is
as difficult to find as the longitude, and if Captain
Parry experience equal difficulty in finding the
Pole, God help him ! At a quarter past four
o'clock, P.m., with the wind (would that I could
raise it 1) due south, steered right a-head for Girard's
Chop-house—my own chops being in a lamentable
condition ;—anchored in the coffee-room and called
aloud for soup meagre (meagre enough !) priced at
fourpence. Discussed it with surprising celerity :
helped the waiter to the odd copper, and returned
forthwith to my attic, in order to put the finishing joke
to my new volume of " Attic Fragments."—so much
for poetry !! !
(Siasel) IMPRANSUS HOMERUS.