Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-09-19

or looking on. The coffee house at
tracted some of the members, the tav-
ern others. the gardens or the long
room others. II 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 he long periods of silence,
broken only by some reference to the
arrival or departure of ship, the de-
cease of a townsman or the change in
the weather.
This evening the meeting consisted
at first of the vicar and the master OF
the school only.
I'VE are the faithful remnant said
the vicar, taking his chair. The may
or, no doubt, is at the coffee house,
the aldermen at the tavern and the
doctor in the long room. The captain.
| 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.
bhN' NiliN va i''' N "
At the same moment the vicar put
his hand into his pocket and began in
the same words:
Il have this day received
Both stopped. II interrupt you. Mr.
Pentecrossc, said the vicar.
Nay, sir: after YOU
Let us not stand on ceremony, Mr..
Pentecrosse. What have you recciv-
ed?"
81 have received letter from Lon
don"
Mine is from Cambridge. You We're
about to speak of your letter."
st concerns Sam Somplc, once my
pupil, now secretary to the Lord Fly
lingdale, 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, Il guinea
THE letter is reply l addressed to
my cousin. Zachary PpntecrosSe. n
bookseller in Little Britain. asked
him to tell me if he could learn some
thing of the present position and repu-
taton of sam Scmple, who gives him
self, | understand, great airs nj the
coffee house as wit Of the first stand
ing and an authority in matters Of
taste With your permission. l will
proceed to read aloud the portion (which
concerns our poet. Here is the pas
sage:
"'You ask me to tell you what I know
Of the poet Sam Semple. | do not
know II is true. all the wits and poets,
but | know some. and they know all
those who frequent Dollys and the
Chapter House and the other coffee
houses fraQuented by the poets. None
of them at first knew or had heard Of
che 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 wei
Voulcl ny Nil' WIS ili'S must w.
he replied, "the wits Of Mapping or the
poets of Turnagan lane The man is
not known anywhere" SO with this
had to be contented for time. Then
! came across one who knew this would
be poet. II was once myself" he said,
Samuel Semplc. He was in rags. and
he was well nigh starving. | gave him
sixpenny dinner in n 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 70 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-he had no lodging had brought
him low. After he had eaten his din
ncr and borrowed n 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 recognizes his former com
panion in misery, but | persisted, He
then told me that he had been so for
tunatc as to be Of service to my Lord
Tylingdale, 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, it is very well known that any
service rendered to this nobleman must
be Of base and dishonorable nature
lignte of lords. A profcssed rake and a
most notorious gambler. he is no Ion
ger admitted into the society Of those
of his own rank. lie 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 half pay captain, n bully and
a 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,
II Is in the service OF such a man that
Mr.. Semple has found a refuge. What
he fulfills In the way OF duty | know
not" | give you. cousin, the words OF
nv informant | have since incurred