The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-05

same words:
Il have this day received
Both stopped Il interrupt you, Mr.
| Pentecrosse, said the vicar.
Nay, sir; after you
Let us not stand on ceremony, Mr.
Pentecrosse. What have you received?''
II have received letter from London
Mine is from Cambridge. You are
about to speak of your letter.
1T concerns Sam Semple. once my pu-
I phi, now secretary to the Lord Fylingdale
who has his quarters overhead
| What does your correspondent tell you
about Sam? That he is the equal of Mr.
Pope and the superior of Mr.. Addison. OF
that his verses are echoes. sound without
sense, trash, and Dretense2 Cost me a
guinea.
The letter is a reply l addressed to my
! cousin, Zachary Pentecrosse, bookshelf
er in Little Britain. ! asked him to tell
me if he could learn something of the
| present position and reputation of Sam
| Semple. who gives himself. | understand.
great airs at the coffee house a wit of
the first standing and an authority IN
matters of taste. With your permission.
| | will proceed to read aloud the portion
which concerns our poet Here is the pas
| sage:
e You ask me to tell you what know
of the poet Sam Semple. do not know,
| it is true all the wits and poets. but
know some. and they know all those who
| frequent. Dolly's and the Chapter House
and the other coffee houses frequented
| by the poets. None of them at first knew
or had heard of the name. At last one
was found who had seen a volume bear
ing this name and published by subscrip-
trash. A school boy should be turned for
writing such bad verses" But, / ask
ed him. he is said to be received and well
coined by the wits. They, must be, he
cts of Turnagain Lane. The man is not
known anywhere" So with this / had
to be contented for time.
| Then / came across one who knew this
! II,
said. Eat my last guinea when l met Mr.
Samuel Semple. He was in rags, and he
1 penny dinner in cellar, where ! myself
| was dining at the time. He told me that
he had spent the money subscribed for his
! book instead of paying the printer: that he
| was dunned and threatened for the debt:
! that if he was arrested he must go to the
| Fleet to one of the Comptors; that he
must then go to the common side and
| would then starVe-in word, that ne was
| on his last legs. These things he told
me with tears for indeed cold and hunger
| he had no lodging-had brought him low.
! After he had eaten his dinner apd Dor
rowed shilling he went away and | saw
him no more for six months, when | met
| him in Covent Garden. He was now dress
/ ed in broadcloth, fat and in good ease.
At first ne refused to recognize his former
companion in misery, but ! persisted. He
! then told me that he had been so for
| Fylingdale, into whose household he had
entered. He therefore dehed his creditors
| and stood at bed and board at the house
of his noble patron"
! :" Now sir, ii is very well known that
1 any service rendered to this nobleman must
| be of a base and dishonorable nature.
| Such is the character OF this most prof
| ligate of lords. A professed rake and
most notorious gambler he is no longer
admitted into the society of those of his
| own rank. He frequents halls where the
play is high. but the players are doubt
| full. He is said to entertain decoys, one
! of whom is old ruined gamester named
Sir Harry Malyns and another half-pay
| captain, bully, and sharpet, who calls
himself a colonel He is to be seen at the
| house of the Lady Anastasia, the most
notorious woman in London. who every
night keeps the bank at hazard for the
profit of this noble lord and his confeder-
ates. 1t is in the service of such man that
Mr.. Semple has found a refuge. What he
fulfills in the way of duty i know not. |
give you, cousin, the words of my inform
ant. have since enquired of others. and
find confirmation everywhere of the no.
torious character of Lord Fylingdale and
his companions. Nor ! understand
what services a poet can render to a man
of such reputation. living such life.
DO You follow, sir my father asked.
laying down the letter, ''or shall read 1t
again?"
Nay. the words are plain. But. Mr..
Pentecrosse. they are serious words
They concern very deeply certain lady
been with for a month He bears
character. here at least. of the highest
kind. 1t is reported, / know not with
what truth that he Is actually to marry
the captains ward, Molly. There is. how
ever. no doubt that Molly's fortune has
grown so large as to make her match
for anyone. however highly placed
Il fear that II is true.
Then what foundation has this gen
tleman for scandalous repcrt?,
Indeed. do not know. My cousin. the
bookseller. expressly says that he has no
knowledge of Sam Semple.
Mr. Pentecrosse, / am uneasy. ] hear
that the gentlemen Of the company are
circulating ugly rumors about one Colonel
Lanyon, who has been playing hinh and
has won large sums-larger than any of
the company can afford to lose. They have |
resolved to demand and await explana- !
tons There are whispers also which con- |
Germ Lord Fylingdale well. These |
things make one Disguised. Then l also |
have received a letter. 1t is reply to one |
GO NV own addressed to an old friend at |
Cambridge. My questions referred to the |
great scholar and eminent divine who |
takes Greek for Hebrew.
You ask me If I knew anything |
about one Benjamin Pnrden, clerk in |
holy orders There can hardly be two |
persons of that name. both in holy or /
ders. The man whom | know by repute |
is a person of somewhat slight stature, |
his head bigger than BELTS his height; he |
hath a loud and hectoring voice: he as |
sumes. to suit his own purposes, the pos |
session of learning and piety. OF theolo- |
gical learning he has none, so far as l /
know. OF Greek art. combined with mod |
ern manners he Is SAID TO De master. /
''Inglese, Italianato Didvolo Incarnato is |
the proverb. He was formerly tutor on
the grand tour TO the young Lord Flying |
dale, whom he led into the ways of cor
ruption and profiigacy which have made
that nobleman notorious. lie is also the
reputed author OF certain ribald verses
that pass from hand to Inland among the
baser sort of our university scholars. 1
have made enquiries about him with these
results. 1t is said that where Lord Fyling-
dale is found this worthy ecclesiastic is
not far off. There was last year a scan
dal al Bath in which his name was men
toned freely Theretdre also-but this is
enough for one letter. "
The vicar read parts of this letter twice
over so as to lend the words greater force.
THE man says publicly that he was tutor
TO Lord Fylingdale on the grand tour.
have myself heard him. On one occasion
he proclaimed with loud voice the private
virtues of his patron. Sir, | very much |
fear that we have discovered nest or
villains. Pray God we be not too late"
Amen" said my father. But what can
we do?'
Aye, what can we do? To denolnce
Lord Fylingdale on this evidence would be
Impossible. To allow this marriage to take
place without warning the captain would
be a most wicked thing
Let me send you, Jack. said my faith
er. THE boy is only simple sailor, but
he loves the girl. He will now be aboard
his ship.
1t is not far from the Crown to the
quay. nor from the quay to any of the
ships in port. | was sitting in the cabin,
me lancholy enough. about o'clock or so,
just before the sunset gun was fired from
the redoubt, when | heard a shout, Lady
Of Lynn. ahoyi" You may be sure that |
1beyed the summons with alacrity.
No one else had yet arrived at the
Crown. The vicar laid both letters before
me. Then. as when one strikes spark in