Star.
London, England, 1802-08-12 00:00:00

THE MOST ECCENTRIC CHARACTER IN

LONDON.

This fingular man reticles at near the In-
dia Houfe, confequently in one of the moll con-
fpicuous fituations in the city. His father was
a moll refpesftable and rich hardwareman, lived in
the fame houfe, and died abnut the year 1770 ; he
lived in a Food (tile, kept his carriage, and gave
his fon a liberal education ; he 'peaks the French
and Italian languages fluently, and informed the
writer of this narrative that he (pent a winter at
Rome, and has been feveral times at Paris. Pre
vious to bis father's death,and for tome years after,
he was called 4, the Beau of Leadenhall•ftreet," and
was feen at all public places drefTed as a man of
fafhion. He attended in a molt elegant fuit the
fete at Ranelagh, given by the Spanifh Ambafrador
on the King's Recovery. His manners in com-
pany (till befpeak the Gentleman, whilft his pre-
fent appearance in bufinefs is the molt difgufting
that can be conceived. He who was once diftin-
guifhed for his elegance and taße in drefs, and
whofe favourite fuit in his beauifh days was alight
blue and Giver, with his hair drefred in the extre-
mity of fafhion, Chapeau tie bra:, Ele. is now fo
changed into one of the molt dirty creatures in
exiftence, that he has acquired the nick-name,
amongft even the loweft claire' of people, of DIR-
Tv DICK, and his houfe is called the Dirty Ware-
houfe.

Our correfpendent, having heard of this extraor-
dinary charader, called on him more than once,
under the pretence of purchafing form article, and he
found nothing exaggerated in the accounts he had
heard of him and his fhop; he was as ufual without
a coat, his wailicoat and breeches in value next to
nothing,his fbirt,his face, and hands, as black as his
windows ; his hair flood up " like ehe quills of the
fretful porcupine," all begrimed with exceffive dirt,
and he appeared to have been a determined enemy
to the ufe of combs for feveral years pall. His fhop
was dark and full of various forts of goods packed
in cafes, reaching nearly to the ceiling. The writer
afked him for a penknife, he inftantly produced a
variety from this mighty mafs and unarranged col-
ledion of goods. His cultomer ventured to afk
him why he did not fort his articles better, as it
muff be almoft impollible to come at fome of them
without thealliftance of feveral porters? he acknow-
ledged the truth of the obfcrvation, but replied
" that he had not time fo to do ; he was conftantly
employed, and had not undrefted himfelf for the
left five nights ; he was fo full of thought on the
future management of his affairs, that he could not
unbend his mind to pull off his cloaths."—He was
aficed why he did not get his windows mended and
cleaned ? he replied that " he had thoughts of do-
ing it for feveral years pall, but that he really had
not time, yet he was thinking of doing it !" Why
don't you open your window !butters, Mr. ?
1" Why, Sir, they have not been opened thefe 15
years ; but I am thinking about opening them !"
His houfe appears to be very large, but it is as
dirty in front as it is in the interior ; the windows
are literally as black and as thick of dirt and fmoke
as the back of a chimney grate that had not been
(wept for (even years. The broken windows are
repaired by old tea-trays or waiters, to fill up the
broken vacancy.
The writer found Mr. to be, as was report-
ed of him, with all his eccentricity, a very intelli-
gent, fenfible, and polite man; he might be com-
pared to a diamond begrimed with dirt, which,
though it may conceal its luftre in Inch a Rate, yet
it can eafily recover its original polifh ! Infiead
therefore of being what is called a rough diamond,
he is only an unwafhed one ; but certainly not a
diamond of the firft water I In the adoption of this
dirty fyflem, there is no inconfidetable portion of
pride and vanity in ftrange perverfion of
tab ! yet not altogether unaccountable on the (core
of felfifhnefs and intereft. Experience has allowed
him to prove that this uncommon whim has ac-
quired him public notoriety I He has calculated
that if he was to be clean in his perfon, and wear
a coat, and to have a decent fhop, he fhould then
be only like the generality of other Shopkeepers,
and might be overlooked or negleded amongttfuch
a numerous herd ! "Sir (laid he) a lady came
purpofely from Yorkfhire to fee me, as a very re-
markable charader the had heard of !" _ _

Mr. —'s neighbours have frequently offered
to defray the expence of painting and white-wath-
ing the front of his honfe ; but this he conftantly
refutes, alledging that his (hop is to well known
abroad by the denomination of the Dirty Ware.
houfe, that it would ruin his trade with the Le-
vant! But this ruling principle is avarice, and it
appears to govern him with uncontroulable Tway
in all his anions. He is afraid of being rob-
bed : he therefore keeps no fervants. When
he goes out, he chains up his (hop-door, and
employs an old barrow-woman, who fells fruit and
gingerbread, dote to his houfe, to give a (harp look
out until he returns, and for this fervice he remu-
nerates her with (paring pence I His expenditure
in coals mull be very trifling, for, except when
abfolutely indifpenfible, he confiders fires a& ex-
travagant; but as his feet, from age or other cir-
cumftances, are chilly in the winter feafon, he fills
a box with ftraw and [lands in it ! Ever mindful
of the fame rule, is the reafon of his filling up the
aperture of a broken window with old tea trays
and waiters, remarking that it is the cheapeft me-
thod of repairing the damage ! It is Paid, that his
father left an injunßion in his will, that he was
never to repair his honfe ; that if a brick was to
fall out it was not to be replaced ; if any of the
wood work decayed, not an inch of found timber
was allowed to repair it, and fo with the windows.
If it be fo, there never was a more dutiful fon in
obeying more punctually the will of an odd father !
Bat this is no more probable. than that of his lay-
ing an injunLion on his worthy fon never to wall
his hands and face ; his apology on that (core is
fomewhat curious--he fays—if he did wafh them,
they would want wattling again to-morrow ; and
he was refolved not to de them to exped fuch de.
' licate and expenfive cutloms, for foap was dear,
and towels would want walking alto I
It is likewife Paid, that his father left another
orange injundion in his will, which was to oblige

worth of goods, at the lean, in order that his
fon's mind Ihnuld be always occupied in bufi-
nefs. Hence it may be accounted for, why Mr.
—, has fuch a large flock left on hand at pt c-
fent ; we may fuppofe very jultly, that during the
late long war, his favourite Levant trade has not
proved fo produais c as formerly.
The writer of this :diced him, whether the tea-
trays and waiters put in the apertures of the
broken windows were new goods? The anfwer was,
" Yes, Sir, they were new when I had them, and
they only want varnithing to be new again !"
From filch a confided heap of vations articles fold
by fuch an eccentric charuler people generally
believe that they can get great bargains; and he
is fo polite in his (hop, that if an article be wanted
that might not be worth I.:pence, and he fhuuld
happen not to have it, he would go half over the
town to procure it rather than lore his cuftruner
It is well known that Mr.— has been remark-
ably partial to the Fair dix, and has had midnight
revels in his houfe. At that period he might have
been clean and fair enough himfelf, but now his
dirty figure and dark and dirty Atop Co Shock the
females, that they rarely venture intoit unattended.
The lower dafs of people have a fuperititious no•
tion,that he has a blue room for the fame purpofe as
is told in the old idle Flory of Blue heard ; and that
thofe females who have been Peen to enter his houfe
were never feen to go out of it again! It is true that
he has a locked up room in his houfe that has not
been opened for a great number of years, and which
circumflance has probabl y occafioned fuch an abfurd
report, and whicheredulity delight s to fwallow.The
reafon that this room is fattened, and which he has
not entered into for many years, is owing to the
following circumflance :—Mr. was engaged
to be married to a beautiful young woman ; a few
days before the ceremony was to take place, he in-
vited her and her relations to piattake of an elegant
ddeune. Having prepared all things ready for their
reception, he anxioufty waited for the arrival of
his intended bride, when a meffenger entered the
room and informed him of the melancholy news
of the young lady's fudden death ! This fo affect-
ed him that he whimfically refolved to fallen up the
room, and never to enter it as long as he lived
Every article that was prepared for the entertain.
ment, with the neceffary appurtenances, were left
in the order they were placed ; he nailed up the
windows and door, and in that Rate it has conti-
nued eve, Since.
- --does not teem to wi(h that people Should
think him otherwife thanthat of an eccentric, fingu.
lar mifer : on being alked by our friend, whether
he kept a dog or cat ? " What for, Sir ?" 110
deftroy any vermin you may have in your houfe,
rats, mice, &c. " No, Sir, they only make more
dirt and fpoil more goods titan any fervice they
are of; but as to rats and mice, how can they live
in my houfe ? when I take care to leave them no-
thing to eat !"
Mr. does keep a carriage ! but it is an old
one of his father's, which he keeps in a cellar 1
His filler has an elegant chariot, and often comes
to fee him, but never alights, being as much afraid.
of the filth of his houfe, as the common people are
of his bine room.

Mr. Coosa was to make his firli appeirance on
the Plymouth boards on Monday evening : he is
engaged for (even nights.
Mifs REEVES, the daughter of the Compofer,
fucceeds Mrs. ATKINS, at Covent-GardenTheartre.

We underhand that the reafon of fo many
churches being built in the middle of the noijO
flreets of London was a complaint of the preachers
that their congregations ufed to fall afleep.
Liberty has been (tripped of her old cap in
France, and made, like a nun, to wear a veil, as
an emblem that no man null be allowed to poffefs
her.

STATE LOTTERY.--Fourth Day.—No. 7,105, as
Firfi Drawn, a Prize of zo,oocl.
Yelterday a moil diverting fcene occurred in the
Strand, near Exeter Change. A failor and his
arra fpofa, attended by a numerous cavalcade (af.
ter being united in the bands of Hymen), decked
in bridal favours, flopped at an oyfler.fiand, and
after regaling themfelves till their hofiefs's larder
was quite exhaufled, applied themfelves to the bot-
tle, which was conveniently procured from a pub-
lic houfe. The bumper went quickly round for
one hour, and the bride's health was drank in
copious draughts. After diverting a numerous
concourfe of people, they were obliged to apply
1 for the affiitance of half a dozen coaches to con-
vey them to their refpeaive homes.
Duet. BETWEEN A DUNG AND A FLINT.—.-YeA
terday a refpeetable young man, of the name of
Hill, foreman and manager to a Mr. Goodie'',
taylor, near the London Hofpital, exhibited a coin.
plaint, at the Public Office, Whitechapel, again&
heremiah O'Leary, a taylor, with coming to his
oufe in Buckle-ftreet, Goodman's-fields, late on
Tuefday night, armed with patois, and a challenge
in one hand, to fight him as a man of honour ;
he had three other perfons at his back to fupport
him, whilft the unoffending Hill was fitting in his
parlour with his wife, ready to ly-in : a fcuffie en-
fued, and by eitratmlinary exertion he fecured
him, and fixed him in the watch-houfe, not with-
out receiving fevere blows and kicks, which bore
confpicuous marks before the Magiflrates ; the
challenge was (hewn to them, the following is as
exalt copy of it

" Mr. Hill, your carader of me In Mr. Goodley'a Chop teems
very hodious, therefore I take a proper opertunity of teeing you
to morrow morning at fix o'clock, in the fields oppofite to
Jeans Street, fail not at your Apparil, or I (hall be under the
Defegreable Necefity of affronting yow at the next place that
1 mail meet you at. JILIUMIA O. :.

Three of his brethren of the thimble that were
concerned with him, came to the office to hear the
refult of the fate of their comrade ; when they were
taken into cuftody as acceffaries, and were ordered
to prifon for want of fureties to appear at the Quar-
ter Salons.

Edward .Richardr, who made his efcape from the
Houfe of Correaion tome time ago, was yeiterday
apprehended, concealed under a bed in Spitalfields.
He flood committed for two years, by fentence of
Court, for bulloek-hunting. Being examloo4 and
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