The Princeton union., 1901-10-03
CHAPTER XII-Contiuued.


CHAPTER XII-Continued
The master Of the school hung up his
hat and took his usual place. Then he
put his hand into his pocket
Il have this day received'-
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 n letter from Lon
don.''
Mine is from Cambridge You were
about to speak Of your letter."
1T concerns Sam Semple. once my
pupil, now secretary to the Lord Fy-
1ingdale, 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 a guinea"
1.-THE letter is reply l addressed to
my cousin, Zachary Pentecrosse, a
bookseller in Little Britain. l 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, I understand, great airs at the
coffee house as a wit of the first stand
ing and an authority in matters of
taste. With your permission, 1 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. I do not
know, 1t is true, all the wits and poets,
but l 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 volume bearing this name
and published by subscription. "Sir,'
he said, "'tis the veriest trash. A
schOolboy should be turned for writing
such bad verses" "But,'' asked him,
'he 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
ho f0 ho YHt--
came across one who knew this would
be poet. Il was once myself" he said,
"at my last guinea when I met Mr..
Samuel Semple. He was in rags, and
he was we'll nigh starving I gave him
a sixpenny dinner in a cellar. where l
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 a word, that he
was on his last legs. These things he
told me with tears, for indeed cold and
him low. After he had eaten his din
ner and borrowed a shilling be went
away. and I saw him no more for six
months, when l 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 CON-
panion in misery, but persisted. He
then told me that he had been so for
tunate as to be of service to my Lord
tylingdale. into whose household he
had entered. He therefore defed his
creditors and stood at bed and board at
the house Of his noble patron Now,
sir, it is very we'll known that any
service rendered to this nobleman must
be OF a base and dishonorable nature.
such is the character Of this most prof
Hgate 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
where the play is high, but the players
are doubtful. He is said to entertain
decoys, one Of whom is an old ruined
gamester named Sir Harry Malyns and
another a half pay captain, bully and
sharper, 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 confederates,
It is in the service Of such man that
Mr.. semple has found a refuge. What
he fulfills in the way Of duty know
not" I give you, cousin, the words Of
my informant. l have since inquired
OF others, and find confirmation ev-
erywhere of the notorious character of
Lord Tylingdale and his companions.
Nor can I understand what services
poet can render to man Of such a rep.
utation, living such q life.'
DO you follow, SIR" my father ask
ed, laying down the letter, "or shall I
read it again?''
SINoy, tJ,o