The times., 1901-05-05
II have this day received-''

| 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 receiyed?"
II have received letter from London
Mine is from Cambridge. You are
about to speak of your letter.
1T concerns Sam Sempe. once my pu
pill, 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 MIR
Pope and the superior of Mr.. Addison. OF
that his verses are echoes, sound without
sense, trash, and Dretcnse? Cost me a
! guinea.
The letter is reply l addressed to my
cousin, Zachary PentecTosse, a bookseli-
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 as 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:
-" You ask me to tell you what I 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
ing this name and published by subscrip-
ton Sir he said, tbs the verieSt
trash. 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
| replied. the wits of Wapping or the po-
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
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 six
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 or to one OF the Comptors; that ne
| 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 dinner apd bor-
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
tunate as to be of service TO my Lord
/ Fylingdale, into whose household he had
! entered. He therefore defied his creditors
I
| of his noble patron
Now. sir, il is very well known that
! 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 a
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 deeoys, one
of whom is old ruined gamester named
| ~ lar a nd 4
captain, 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 confeder-
ates. It is in the service of such man that
Mr.. Semple has found a refuge What he
fulflIs in the way of duty ] know not" |
give you, cousin, the words OF my inform
ant. have since enquired of others. and
/ find confirmation everywhere Of the no.
toFious character of Lord Fylingdale and
his companions. Nor can ! understand
what services a poet can render to man
of such a 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, Nr
Pentecrosse, they are serious words.
They concern very deeply a certain lady
whom we love. Lord Fylingdale has
been with US for month. He bears a
character here at least, of the highest
kind. II 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 20 make her a match
for anyone however highly placed
Il fear that it is true.
Then what foundation has this gem
tleman for so scandalous a report?'
Indeed. j 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-
tions There are whispers also which con- |
Germ Lord Fylingdale as well. These /
things make one disgusted Then l also |
have received a letter. 1t is reply to one |
Of my own addressed to an old friend at |
Cambridge. My questions referred TO the I
great scholar and eminent divine who |
takes Greek for Hebrew.
You ask me if ! knew anything |
about one BENJAMIN Purden 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 person of somewhat slight stature. !
his head bigger than BELTS his height; he /
hath d loud and hectoring voice: he as /
sumes. 10 suit his own purposes, the pos |
session of learning and piety. OF theolo- |
gical learning he has none, so fer as | !
know. OF Greek art, combined with mod /
ern manners he is said to be master. |
''Inglese, Italianato DiavOl0 Incarnato IS /
the proVerb. lie was formerly tutor on !
the grand tour to the young Lord Fyiing |
dale whom he led into the ways OF cor
ruptiOn and profiigacy which have made /
that nobleman notorious. He is also the
reputed author Of certain ribald verses
that pass from hand TO hand among the |
baser sort OF our university scholars. |
have made enquiries about him with these
results. ii is said that where Lord Fying-
dale is found this worthy ecclesiastic is
not far off There was last year a scan
dal at Bath in which his name was men
toned freely. Thereiare 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
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 of
villains Pray God we be not too late
Amen said my father But what can
AYE. what can we do? To denounce
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
ar. The boy is only a 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
enough, about O'Clock or SO,
Just before the sunset gun was fired from
Inc redoubt, when | heard a shout, Lady
II Lynn. ahoyi" You may be sure that |
lbeyed the summons with alacrity.
No one else had yet arrived at the
Crown. The vicar laid both letters before
ne Then, as when one strikes a spark in
he tlnder and the match ignites, flaming