Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-10-16

l1lS Tie dluuSeueQCH
pr looking on. The coffee house at
racted some of the members, the tav-
ern others, the gardens or the long
room others. 1t must be confessed that
the irregularities of attendance and the
absences and the many new topics of
discourse caused the evenings to be
much more animated than of old, when
there would be long periods of silence
broken only by some reference to the
arrival or departure of ship, the de-
cease of townsman or the change in
the weather.
This evening the meeting consisted
Mt first of the vicar and the master of
the school only.
Eve are the faithful remnant" said
the vicar, taking his chair. 'sThe may
or, no doubt is at the coffee house,
the aldermen at the tavern and the
doctor in the long room. The captain,
2 take it, is at the elbow of his noble
friend.'
= The master Of the school hung up his
hat and took his usual place. Then he
put his hand into his pocket.
IS II have this day receiyed"-4 .ts
At the same moment the vicar put
his hand into his pocket and began in
the same words:
II have this day received
Both stopped. II interrupt you, Mr..
Pentecrosse," said the vicar.
"Nay, sir; after you"
''Let us not stand on ceremony, Mr..
Pentecrosse. What have you receiv-
ed?"
II have received letter from Lon.
don"
mine is from Cambridge. You were
about to speak of your letter."
"It concerns Sam Semple, once my
pupil, now secretary to the Lord Fly
iingdale, who has his quarters over
head"
"What does your correspondent tell
you about Sam? That he is the equal
of Mr.. Pope and the superior of Mr..
Addison, or that his verses are echoes,
sound without sense, trash and pre-
tense? Cost me guinea"
) 'The letter is reply addressed to
my cousin, Zachary Pentecrosse, q
bookseller in Little Britain. asked
him to tell me If he could learn some
thing Of the present position and repu-
tation of Sam Semple, who gives him
self, understand, great airs at the
coffee house as n wit of the first stand
6 ang and an authority in matters of
taste. With your permission, I will
proceed to read aloud the portion which
concerns our poet. Here Is the pas
sage:
You ask me to tell you what know
of the poet Sam semple. 1 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
4 Chapter House and the other coffee
houses frequented by the poets. None
of them ut first knew or had heard Of
the name. At last one was found who
had seen volume bearing this name
land published by subscription. "Sir."
The said, "'tis the veriest trash. A
.schoolboy should be turned for writing
tsuch bad verses" Butt asked him,
she is said to be received and well
coined by the wits" 'They must be-"
he replied, ''the wits of Mapping or the
poets of Turnagain lane. The man is
not known anywhere" So with this I
had to be contented for time. Then
came across one who knew this would
be poet. II was once myself" he said.
"at my last guinea when met Mr..
Samuel Semple. He was in rags, and
he was well nigh starving. gave him
a sixpenny 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 pay
Ing the printer; that he was dunned
and threatened for the debt; that If he
was arrested he must go to the Fleet
or to one Of the Comptors; that he
must then go to the common side and
would then starve-in word, that he
was on his last legs. These things he
told me with tears, for indeed cold and
hunger-heh had no lodging-had brought
him low. After he had eaten his din
ner and borrowed shilling he went
away, and saw him no more for six
months, when met him In Covent
Garden. He was now dressed in broad
cloth, fat and in good ease. At first he
refused to recognize his former COM
panion in misery, but persisted. He
then told me that he had been so for
tunate as to be of service to my Lord
Fylingdale, into whose household he
had entered. He therefore defied his
creditors and stood at bed and board ut
the house of his noble patron. Now.
sir, it is very well known that any
service rendered to this nobleman must
be Of base and dishonorable nature.
Such is the character of this most prof
ligate Of lords. A professed rake and a
most notorious gambler, he is no lon
ger admitted into the society Of those
Of his own rank. He frequents halls
Mhere the play is high. ntthe Dlayefs