The Sun.
London, England, 1827-12-20 00:00:00

WOODVILLE SEGAR S.

(Copy.)
HAVING appointed Mr. J. D. NIEM ANN
of London, my sole AGENT in England, for the
SALE of SEGARS of my Manufactory, I beg to assure
all those who may become Purchasers at his Warehouse,
that it shall be my constant endeavour to supply ions but
of the very best quality ; and trust that these Scgars Will
soon enjoy in England the same high reputation for which
they have so long been distinguished in every other part of
the wprld.
Is.iIEMANN has entered into an engagement to sell
no other than the WOODVILLE SEGARS, supplied to
him direct Rom my Manufactory, which will be a guarantee •
to all who favor him with their orders, that they obtain the
article genuine.
Bavannali, Oct. 13, 1826.
(Signed) MARINA WOODVILLE.
In consequence of the above appointment, I beg leave to
state, that I have opened a Warehouse, at No. 221,
Regent-street, the corner of Maddox-street, for the exclu-
sive SALE of the WOODVILLE SEGARS, for ready
money only.
Orders addressed to No. 33, Winchester-street, where
samples may be seen, will be duly attended to.
N. B. A liberal Discount allowed to the Trade.
33, Great Winchester-street, Broad-
street, City. .1, D. NIENANN.

THE CLUBS OF LONDON.
Vols. 1827.
There is no place in the world so famous for
the number, variety, and peculiar character of its
clubs as England. Under different denomina-
tions, these truly indigenous assemblies may be
tracked through its domestic history for cen-
turies ; but first, we believe, assumed something
like a decided sociality in the earlier parts of the
18th century. At that period, or rather we
should say, towards the close of the 17th cen-
tury, the famous Kit-Cat Club first started into
existence, and numbered among its members the
names of all the wits and sages about town, who
held their periodical Meetings at a tavern some-
where in the neighbourhood of Highgate. This
was foilowed by the Scriblerus Club, consisting
of Swift—that prince of grave irony, Arbuthnot,
whose John Bull and Sister Peg will alone be
sufficient to immortalize him—Pope, whose ex-
cellencies we need not here enumerate—Gay,
the author of these two complimentary lines to
Swift (the most so of any we ever read) :
" Thro' the long Strand together let us stray,
With thee conversing I forget the way."
Parnell, a clergyman, moral, but prosy—Mr.
Secretary Craggs—and Harley, the politician and
the patron. This Club possessed every excel-
lence, but that of easy gracefulness. There
was abundance of information afloat among its
associates, but little or no nature. Wit in those
days; like dress, was somewhat stiff and formal,
it savoured powerfully of the schools, and-perpe-
tually wore a drag-chain. We draw this con-
clusion from the few glimpses we have boon on_
armed to obtain the recorded conversations .of
the Scriblerus Club ; as well as from Hawkes-
worth's edition of Swift, in which what is meant
to be the familiar correspondence and easy
badinage of its members, turns ant a very serious
and elaborate affair. On the death of these
noted wits, a new era •in literature, of which
Johnson was the head—sprung up, and under
his auspices an assembly was organized at the
Essex Head, where Burke, Reynolds, Lord
Charlemont, GoldsMith (the gem of Boswell's
Biography), Fox, Sheridan, and Gibbon--the
sententious, . sarcastic Gibbon, whom Johnson
never forgave for calling
.him an " ugly dog"—
put their minds into dishabille, and gave
unrestrained vent to their fancy. This, by
all accounts, must have been the most
delightful club ever instituted. Every depart-
ment of intellect—law, romance, divinity, CO-
medy, poetry, the fine arts, history, satire, phi.
losophy, oratory—all lent their strength to the
convivial board, untrammelled by the learned
and cumbrous character of the former
,club.
With Johnson, however, its glories in some
degree expired ; he was the moving spirit—the
Coryphzeus of the assembly, and when he died, the
chain that had bound it together snapped and
was never afterwards united. Politics called off
Burke, the beauties of Lausanne protracted the
absence of Gibbon, law bound Lord Stowell
hand and foot, Reynolds became deaf and prosy,
Sheridan fashionable, and Fox indifferent.—
Shortly afterwards a new club, which, by way
of stimulus, partook of a political character, was
instituted, and continues- even to the present
day, when there are scarcely a dozen great
names left to give it lustre. Of this club,
well known by the name of Brookes's, our
author has given a truly animated account. He
has ushered us into its very semctum sanc-
torum, has shown us its members seated at
their different boards, and bade us listen to the
varieties of their chit-chat. Strictly speaking,
however, his book is any thing but a.history of
clubS; it is in fact a mere rambling collection of
anecdotes ; some of which he has picked up
from hear-say, others from personal recollection
of the great men of the past and passing gene-
ration. Rogers—Sir James M'lntosh (of whose
prolific prowess a most diverting story is told)
Curran—Erskine—Sheridan—Lord Ashburton
—and above all, fighting Fitzgerald, figure with
particular eclat in his pages. The execution
of this last bully, who was convicted of the mur-
der of an attorney, is thus ably related :
The scaffolding erected before the new gaol, which was
then building, was fixed upon as a gallows for Fitzgerald
and his companions; for, the authorities were afraid of
taking time in the construction of any other. The rope
was accordingly fastened round a flat board, and the
ladder placed under it. As soon as Fitzgerald arrived, he
was surrounded by no less than four clergymen, each of
different persuasion ; and all, of course, anxious for the
conversion of so great a sinner. Though terribly hurried
in his devotions,—for until sentence was passed he never
thought of such a thing,—the poor fellow contrived, after
his arrival, to go through Dr. Dodd's Thoughts in Prison,
his Last Player, &c. and answered some questions on spi-
ritual subjects as caltuly as circumstances would permit ;
but he became terribly agitated when the executioner made
preparations for pushing him off the ladder. When he per-
ceived this, he earnestly entreated the sheriff to grant him
but five minutes longer to live; which being, granted, he
pulled the cap over his face, and resigned himself to silent
prayer. Being et length told that the time was elapsing
fast, he replied, " Sure, Sir, it is not so long !—Stop!
stop ! I have just collected myself—for God's sake, let me
die in peace !-4way grant me just one min --." Before
he had finished this last petition, the executioner threw
him off the ladder !
bparreceduweedd
up it, an
the
a
As if the last scene of this singular man's life was des-
tined
accident
newbe s
occurreds ngular
which
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