Star.
London, England, 1826-04-13 00:00:00

A DUTCH FOST-BOY.

The sullenness of the Dutch drivers is such that it is
with the utmost difficulty you can procure an answer
to any question you may ask. This humour in the
lower orders of Mynheers is truly characteristic. A
Dutchman is always wrapt up in himself, whatever may
happen to be
.his condition. He is smoking his pipe,
and you disturb him; he is meditating upon his own
business, and you interrupt him. It is true you hired
his chaise at a certain rate, to transport you from this
place to that, which he will faithfully perform. There
ends your contract: you did not hire him to be your
gazetteer or interpreter. Curiosity is sure to be baffled
by such a fellow ; he will either be deaf to the question,
or surly if repeated, or ignorant touching the matter
questioned, or unsatisfactory in his answer. How many
leagues, honest friend, do you count it to Gircum ?
" Ugh r says mynheer, "how many did you say ?
ugh ! ugh! ug'4!"—which is as much as to say, you
might have inquired that before you set out. "
we be there by dinner time think you ?" "Ic verstaa u
niet." " I don't know what you mean ; what fine castle
is that ?" " I gaat my hitt aan r—Tilat's no bread and
butter of mine, says the Dutchman—you may make
use of your own eyes and welcome, thinks he, but
Satan may be your decipherer for me. He takes upon
himself the whole command, and is, to all ap-
pearance no leas the master than the driver.—No
man, he thinks, has any sight to direct him in his
business, which he knows and will execute upon the
mere principle of duty. He sits in the front of the car-
riage, under the. awning, and consequently interrupts
your prospect. He lights his pipe, and fumigates you
at pleasure, without ever inquiring whether such incense
be grateful to you, especially before breakfast: if you
like it, so much the better ; if you dislike it, you will
not have a whiff the less. His perfect serenity, and
total disregard of his company is such, that you would
almost be induced to think his business was to recreate
himself rather than serve you. When he is tired of
sitting, he stops the horses and dismounts, walks them
leisurely, and marches by their side. When he has
stretched his legs he stops them again, re-mounts, and
resumes the reins. He has his regular houses of call,
at each of which he is presented with a dram, and a
fresh pipe ready charged with tobacco : he takes the
glass from the attendanr, drinks one-half of its contents,
and returns it. He next takes the pipe in one hand,
-and the fire-pan in the other: he is sure to have his
pipe well lighted. He then swallows the remainder of
his liquor. Between whiles he takes from his pocket a
parcel, neatly wrapped up. He begins to unfold it.
'You perceive several clean paper wrappers, and begin
to wonder what they are: they are so dis!inct as not to
interfere with each other. In the one thereis bread, in
another cheese, and in another, ham, or hung beef, or
it may be a pickled herring; and lastly, (in a small pot
or saucer) is butter. He spreads his butter upon his
bread, lays his strata of hung beef and cheese, and
clasps on it its farin recasts cover; these he eats with
great composure, driving his horses accordingly. His
meal finished, he thiults a little walk would not be amiss,
so dismounts as before, by way of aiding digestion.
An English coachman, post-boy, or waterman, ge-
nerally expects some grace from the passengers, over
and above his fare; neitlwr is it an easy matter to con-
tent hiin on that score. A Dutchman has no such ex-
pectwion. Is it his modesty, think you, that prevents
his asking? No. What then? Perhaps he has been
taught that it is unmanly to beg,. and that the stated
price of his labour is sufficient to support his rank. I
believe there is something in that. It it comes without
begging, says he, well and good, I shan't refuse it ; but
have no title to ak. After all, it may arise from a
consciousness that he has not deserved any-thing. His
sorry behaviour to his passengers, in my opinion, indi-
cates no less..—Literary Magnet.

The skeleton of a female has been discovered in a
house of ill fame in the rue de Richelieu, at Paris, under
very extraordinary circumstances. It was found by a
foreigner who lodgeJ in the house ; as he was nailing
up a picture the panel gave way, and exposed the ske•
lawn: the people of the house are in custody.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE:

G Ut LDHALL

The StewattlS of the Fair Prospect Society, held in Fetter-lania
appeared to she* cadse why they bad excluded John Eldridge, whd
had been a hieMbet 31 years, and was now 77 years of age. The
cause now alleged was, that, being at the time on the box, as sick
he was found following his ordinary calling, by handing a pair dr
second-hand shoes, which were exposed to sale in his window, td
la young man who came In and asked the price. This eircunlstanee
'being reported to the Society by the Assistant who witnessed it;
Eldridge was immediately and unanimously expelled, according td
their 10th Article, for assisting at work. He was not heard iu hii
defence, nor informed of the,charge. Mr. Beresford, the clerk;
thought the ground on which they proceeded to expel was instil&
dent. In a Benefit Society case that lately got into Chancery the
Master struck out all the evidence given by the Members, as being
interested, and therefore incompetent. The old man said, his calling
was a cobbler, and he did not sell a pair of old shoes in a month.
Mr. Alderman TnostemoN thought the man should be reinstated;
because he was not detected in any act which a really proper object
for relief from•the sick fund might not have done. Mending, ndt
vending, shoes, was his ordinary work; and the manner of his sr •
pul,ion, without a hearing, and on the statement of an interested
party, was improper.
Sir JOHN PIRKING, on the contrary, thought Eldridge era,
perly expelled, because so old a member must know the strict p, to_
bitiuns to the sick to earn any thing in any manner while on the boh.
As there was nu chance of the Aldermen agreeing, Mr. Alderman
Atkins was made umpire, and decided for the reinstatement of
Eldridge.
MARLBOROUGH Sl'itEET.

Joseph Lancaster, jun. the proprietor of the " Atlas steam-packet.
royal mail, coach, van and waggon booking-office," at the corner of
the Regent's Circus, Piccadilly, was again brought bef'sre Sir
Gamma FARRANT, yesterday, for further examination on various
charges of losing or embezzling the parcels and packages committed
to his care; and again the justice-room was crowded to an over-
flow, by fresh troops of clamorous complainants against him. Among
them were some persons who stated that they had booked a parcel
at the prisoner's office, containing a sum of money which bad been
raised by subscription in London, for the use of a distressed widow
in the country; which parcel had not reached its destination, and
I they had no doubt its contents had been embezzled by the prisoner
or some of his people. Of this, however, they had at present no
proof, and, for any thing they were preparedl to show to the con-
trary, the parcel might have been "bet in a regular way," in
which case they would have no remedy but by. civil action. This
appeared to be the case, too, with all the other complainants; and
therefore no evidence was gone into with respect to any of them.
Throughout the inquiry the prisoner's father vehemently pro:
tested, as at the first examination, that his son had been mad: the
dupe and the " &cape goat " of his book-keeper, Abbot, who, it
will be recollected, has been a principal witness for the prosecution ;
and, in proof of this protestation, the father said he was now ready
to prove that one of the ten pound bank notes stolen out of Mr.
Addison's parcel had been paid away by Abbot. He therefore
meant to charge hint with the felony.
Ulm this charge Abbot was now placed at the bar by the side of
his master; and evidence was given to show that he (Abbot) had
received change for the note in question, from a butcher living in
Jermyn-street. _

Abbot, in his defence, readily.admitted having changed a 101.
note as described; but he solemnly denied having stolen it, or
knowing th?t it had been stolen. He wasin the habit of going out
for change for notes, whenever change was wanted ; and he well
recollected, with respect to this particular note, that his master
called him into the office, and, pointing to the note which then lay
on the counter, told Wm to go out and get it changed, as lie wanted
to give change to a Gentleman who was there, booking himself by
one of the western coaches. Accordingly he ran out with the note,
and havi►►g applied at several shops without success, be at last pro-
'cured ten sovereigns for it at Mr. Wakentan's butcher's shop in
Jermyn.street ; and his master afterwards sent him back to get mo-
d the sovereigns exchanged for silver.
After some further discussion, master and man were both cow.
witted for further examination on Saturday next, at one o'clock.