The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-01-15 00:00:00

THE POOR GENTLEMAN.

The poor gentleman has a clear £lOO a-year, and prefers
living on his income to being employed in trade or business
of any kind, save peddling a little in the penny a-line way,
to gain a few additional guineas for his pleasures. He is a
bachelor, a lodger, and a breakfaster and diner at the coffee-
shops and eating-houses. He never lends; he never bor-
rows; he never gets into debt; he pays ready money; he
makes good bargains; be has no friend, no confidant, no
home, no hope; and were he to fall into the river, or be
burked in going to his lodgings, no one would miss him save
his landlady, to whom he pays Bs. a-week for her rooms. His
place at the coffee-shop and eating-house would speedily be
filled up by some other customer. The loungers in the Parks,
the bazaars, auctions, British Museum, National Gallery,
&c., where he found his gratis amusements, would never
miss his presence; and his seat in the various churches and
chapels, where he finds an open door every morning and
evening of the week, would be occupied by some other poor
gentleman or gentlewoman, who thinks the Gospel shottld
be freely given.
But, if any small annuitant should make up his mind to
the idle, " loveless, joyless, unendearing" life of the poor
geittleman, and fix upon London as his head-quarters, very
good counsel and directions are given him, by an " old-used
hand," how to get the most for his money. Lodgings are
the first consideration ; and these the poor gentleman may
have as comfortable as at the West End, and much cheaper,
by keeping to such localities as the Edgeware-road, City-
road, Clapham, Brixton, &c.; and, as he has no particular
business, a walk of a few miles will do him good, and kill
an hour or two of those of which he has plenty to spare.
'rhe necessity of going abroad to breakfast, foul day or
fair day, seems severe to family-men; but then, for fivepence,
the poor gentleman may have a buttered roll and a cup of
coffee, and plenty of newspapers, up stairs; or, for three-
pence-halfpenny below; and one penny to the female waiter
gives her full contentment with the gentleman customer. It
will, however, be best to give part of his tables, which con-
tain so important an error in arithmetic, that many will
doubt the soundness of his economical knowledge, which,
however, seems unimpeachable. His one dress coat a year,
lasts the year out, and costs four guineas— last year's coat
serves him for ordinary occasions; two pair of trowsers, three
guineas: and one waistcoat, fifteen shillings; making, in all,
£8 25.; and, as £l2 are to clothe the poor gentleman, £3 18s.
remain for hats, hose, boots, shoes, and gloves, and keeping
up his dozen cotton shirts with "Irish fronts." His lodgings
cost Bs., and two more to the maid servant and for cleaning
shoes, or £26 per annum. His dinners, averaging at Is. 3d.
a-day, afford a plate of the best meat, roast or boiled; pudding
or tart, bread and vegetables, with 2d. for porter, and Id. to
the waiter. If he will have wine, he may want the porter
and pudding, and have only a sd. plate of meat, which will
allow him occasionally a half-pint of wine. If he long for
fish, he must go to the Billingsgate Tavern, and have the
best fish dinner for ls.; if for soup, he may have it at 6d. a
basin, "at the Cock, or any of the chop-shops near the Royal
Exchange." The general account stands-
-365 breakfasts, at 6d. each . £9 2 6
365 dinners, at Is. 2d. each.. 22 16 3
365 teas, at 6d. 9 2 6 ..
Wearing apparel
Lodging, boots, and servants 26 0 0

£79 1 3

There is still a surplus of £2O 18s. 9d. of the £lOO, appli-
cable to the uses and pleasures of the poor gentleman—which,
by an enormous blunder, he states at 15s. a-week—for coals
in the winter, washing, library, an occasional treat, and all
the necessities and contingencies not specified in this table;
while, in fact, it is but Bs., which makes an important dif-
ference. Although we cannot think the self centered cau-
tious poor gentleman a model for any man, he gives excel-
lent advice to those who choose to remain as poor, single
gentlemen, instead of becoming. hard working, energetic
men, small philosophy to be despied by those for whom he
writes. The poor gentleman is directed—
Keep your circumstances to yourself. Never ask an im-
portant favour. Always pay ready money. Never claim
acquaintance in the street with richer people: let them pass,
do not see them, if they do not see you first.
Accept not every invitation, even from your best friends;
it is making yourself too cheap,
Spend as little as possible in cabs or omnibuses.
Waste no money in purchasing trifles you do not want,
always bearing in mind that £6 per year is only a groat aday.
Close your pockets against pastry-cooks' cakes and soups.
Never accept invitations from other young men to dine at
hotels ; for, if you do, courtesy requires, that you invite in
return, which is very expensive.
Never borrow of your rich friends. Pay cash to your
tailor, for which he will give a liberal discount, which will
bring the first-rate tradesman to a level with the butcher.
Never buy clothes of advertising puffing tailors, who
always make up inferior materials.
Frequent not taverns and hotels, for they are very expen-
sive; the waiters frequently expect half as much as will pay
for a comfortable meal at an eating orcoffee house. * *
Let us, looking to wealth, take any one gentleman whom
you so much envy, for instance, in his cab, or taking a can-
ter at five or so in the Park. Where, in the twenty-four
hours, shall we begin? He has, possibly, £3,000 a-year.
The poverty of fashionable families, with a carriage, on
£3,000, is pitiable. Does tbis make him pass his time one
-bit more delightfully from its own weight? Not a jot, I
suspect. He is tired of his cab, and horribly annoyed on
seeing Booby Botherem with a more splendid turn-out than
his; his reins were wrong, and his tiger was not so smart !
He got home at seven to dress, tedious again; dines at
home : they sit down very formally with some humble invite,
asit is not one of their intimate days; how wearisome this
formal politeness. He wishes the fellow (his wife's cousin,
or sonic scribbling critic) far away : they fly for refuge to the
opera; too late for Pasta, Grist, Nlalibran, Tamburini ;
Taglioni still pleases for a moment, spite of the tedium of
repetition. The charm has lost its spring from being over-
stretched: he yawns; nods across, and is bored by lookers-in,
in souse way or other: or ha go.: round hinasolf to cny
"How d'ye do?" to people he sees every hour! But sup-
pose he passes a pleasing hour in a sly flirtation with
a friend's young wife, or some girl, whose eagerness for
admiration 'does not care for his being married, as she hates
his wife—perhaps an old flirt: this. ended, he puts her in her
carriage, and drops in at C—'s, St. James-street. where be
loses a hundred, and goes home perhaps very philosophically,
or swearing all the way; gets up the next day at one or two,
the weather heavenly; ay, but he knows nothing of the fresh
mornings; ail is now dusty, noise and bustle—the very thing
fora town life. His wife persuades him to go and snake a
call or two with her; they see some pleasant people, and talk
of music possibly, and get into a hot argument on Church
Reform Away he comes, and gives his wife the slip at
Howell and James's, for a lounge at the Alfred or U.S. club;
ta,4es up the papers; sees himself quizzed, perhaps abused;
goes home in a rage, resolves not to notice it; dresses for a
large dinner-party without curiosity, interest, or appetite.
And thus his days rlrag on. Ihsw are they better than yours?
His wealth has none vot;iing whatever for him. Yes; it has
made him thinner and paler; there is nothing new for him.

Do you long for two hundred pounds a-year ? the pleasure
of asking a few friends to a coffee-house dinner now and
then: or a better room where you could ask them? and more
cash in your pocket for cakes, jellies, arid ices? Al: this
would not increase your enjoyments one tittle; nor would I
advise you to alter your rigid economy as to "food, fire, and
clothes,' if you have two hundred. On three hundred you
can make no appearance more than on one. On four hun-
dred, if you kept a horse and groom, you would be still the
poorer; and so on.. Always, in short, say to yourself, this
and this is, after all, a great plague to those who sport them;
a servant's a plague, housekeeping's a plague; a carriage is
a great plague, and looking after horses; a wife is (I'm
afraid) often a plague; children another; many friends often
a plague; parties the greater number plagues; and the
jealousy, shifts, envy, of those just above (on another thou•
sand more !) and . all the longing and heart-burnings for
show in the fashionable world, the ne plus ultra of plagues in
this life! compared with which, if you are still not content,
wish yourself a Welsh curate on forty pounds a year!—if
this- fails of making you comfortable, set yourself down as
INCURABLE.—How to Live in London, 4c.

HA RD Ttsias.—ln an application made on Saturday week
to the civil tribunal of Paris, the Princess de Hoban Roche-
fort represented that although she has an income of EWA),
she is compelled to borrow from '£looo to £l5OO every year
in order to live decently!
SPECIMEN OF AMERICAN ELoQuEricE.—The following
article of exquisite eloquence gives one an idea of the manner
of doing things in the west. The orator has the floor, and
says :—" MI. Cheerman, I have lisnt contentively for a long
time to the judicial cencervabilities of the member who has
last distressed you; and I freely very much declines to offer
any uncertain quantity of remarks in refutation of my former
dissertations, and also, likewise, command an explanation

from the gentleman who last distressed the meetina on what,
authority he grounded his manifold adversities. lle tells us
that the motion passed nemia contra dictionary. I would
require of the chair, or of the very worthy members of this
club, orNsociety, or association, or whatever name nosy ha
onproper to call it, who this Mr. Neminy are? What are
the principles of his contra dictionary ? Whether he are
opposed to the present administrations ?"--American paper. •

SUNDAY, JAN. 13.—Wind W. fresh.
ARRIVED—Marwood, Stott, from Paraiba—Adriana, Cocks, from
Berbice ; sailed sth Dec —Niagara, Cole, from New Orleans ; sailed
9th Dec.—Eliza Saunders, Bullev. from Odessa—Highlander, Bot-
tomley, from Trieste—Margaret •Iliglifield, Thom, from Leghorn—
La Vela Luise, Lugera, from Naples—Ann, Storr, from St. Peters-
bur h—Mlalvina, , from Alexandria, Egypt—Los Ninos,
Sierzeoir, Capetaine, Peyote, and Le Loin, from Havana.
SAILED—Swift, Edwards, from Gibraltar.

Tory's Wife. Kelly, hence for Halifax, at Antigua, with loss of
topmasts, and short of provisions, out 63 days
Mary Jones, Vishley, from Chesme, at Cuxhaven
Wilhelin:na. lienrietta, Kruse, hence at Narestre
Ocean, Campii,n, hence for Whitby, at Yarmouth, with loss of
anchor and boats

Black Eyed Susan, Wa;kins, hence for Constantinople, at Fal
mouth

Penelope, Cafiero from Gallipoli, for this port, at Plymouth
Jndustrie, Van Duin, hence for Amsterdam, at Helvoet, leaky
HOLYHEAD, Jan. 11.—The Hindoo, M'liny, from Pictou, for
Glasgow. was driven on shore last evening in Carnarvon Bay,
and bilged: cr..w saved

HAMBRO', Jan. 3.—The Triton. Bingstorn, from Liverpool, for
Stockholm, was totally wrecked 13th December. off Bornholm
ELSIXORE, Dec. 30.—The Loyalist, Newborn, from St. Peters-
burg, for Liverpool, was stranded about three weeks since off
Gothland ; crew saved znd arrived here

LIMERICK, Jan. B.—The Cheshire Witch, of Liverpool, is on
shore near Bolan's Rock, but not much damaged
CAMPBELTOWN, Jan. 9.—The Barbara, Mundie, from Dundee,
for Liverpool, drove on shore during the late gale, but is expected
to he got .off next springs, without discharging
Bowmonn. (IsLAY) Jan. 7.—The Ruby, Graves, from Liverpool,
for Clare, was driven on shore this morning during the gale. The
Leslie, Gault, of Londonderry, is also on shore
Jan. B.—The Anne, Sloan, from Liverpool, for Donegal, was
driven on shore early this morning

Current IMPORTS.
SALES OF THE WEEK. Prices. ThisWk this Year
---
130 T Sea Island 2od a 36d
10 I 0 Stained
3890 ' Bowed Georgil
{ 4150 Mobile 7—94 1 .
Alabama and Tennessee 61' 8 3626 4712
23180 New Orleans 7 —ll
Pernambuco Sz Paraiba. 91 101
700 t Aricati and Ceara 94
..... 01 5 1781 1 1781
550 Bahia and Mageio 8 91 .. , , 1007
f Sawginned Maranham . 81 —lO
360 • 7.4
__B4 i .... 1912
.
Minas
—:: 7.: .... 1 ••• •
Para
Demerara, Surinam, Sae. 9 121
430 0 Egyptian l2 17 •• • . 1731
Barbados Bl —9; 61 61
250 Peruvian 8 —Si 1 1
Bahama
40 Laguayra
Common West India, Si:x.l 7 9 ). 1618 } 1656
,
20 Carthagena. ..
20 Smyrna
Manilla
1264 1 Surat 5l 64 .... t •• • •
I
•• • • • • I
Madras 5l 61 1 276 i 276
Bengal 5l 6
35730 bales I 12430 18833

On Saturday there was a good de.
bags, one-halt of which were on sr
been a very limited inquiry, and th
bags. The market has closed heavi]

JANUA:
!mand, and the sales w,
peculation. To-day tl
he sales only amount
ly at rather easier rate

rere 5,000
:here has
to 2,000