Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/526

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SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

ai7

" Mf Mber— Milter Father— Gentlemen— li TOUT pennlulon 1*11 begin a^iaio, t TDesdaj •Aemoon, at half-past fonr-

■with;

" It mlKfat be aomewhat leaa, or lomewhat mor»— " Defendant Green (as I suppose) espied

    • An empty letter-board at my friune side,

•' And speedtly auUdted me to

- Permit liis nainc it a day or so.

" This I— at all times willing to oUeeg^

Here plaintifrs bead sastaln'd a Tt^'rous nweae, Which droTe the heels of diapeloniana near Upon the toes collected in their rear. And cans'd some growiings— endi as, ' Cnt the line I"

- Dismiss Ilia eaa«, that I may go to mine I

" I wish that Brown and Green were black and bloe,

  • ' For hind'ring business with this much ado;"

With more, which it Is needless here to note i When the loud " rilence I" of the ihther's throat Bsalls our bang-up speaker to his theme. Kindles liis Are, and generates his steam.

" Wen— to condnde— to Mr. Green I lent "This board— the suhlect of my discontent | " Bnt if chopp'd up,— or cast into that tenriw

  • ■ From whence, alas! no letter-boards return-

" Or seir'd by qaoln-dimwer overseer, to bear " Ita load of standing matter for a year "(Fast bound in his queer closet* s potent spell], '* To me *twere qnite as utt'eome-ai-aiU. " Therefore, I pray ye, make my cause your own, « And let this worthy chapel*s will be done."

He ceas'd— and, with a self-approTing smUe, L>ook*d round upon the partners of his toil i Then prick'd his earq up and compos'd his mien. To learn what might proceed from Mr. Green.

He, with Ann front and a decided tone. Admits at ooce the damage he has done. ■* I make not, gentlemen, a vain defence " Against our chapel's laws and common sense. " I am the worm which lerell'd Joaah*s gourd I " I saw— I borroVd— end I kept his board. " TUt \»tbe head and front of my offence i " For UUi the chapel flue la trnnim-ptnai •' Which I (in duty bouod) will freely pay— " Bnt yet I haTe a word or two to say. "I hate the curst aristocratic crow " Of an <a»<r<itai ill <aw«ria .'— "Had Mr. Brown. whUe claiming of his right, " BdiaT*d towards me In a way polite, « And not pcrfarm*d the parts of Batmee and SwM— "Which (though he acts them tolerably well)

    • To me are hatefbl as the fiends of hell —
  • ■ I should have kept my temper and my word,

" And long ere this retum'd his letter-board."

So saying, on liis cash his hand he laid. As one who thought— why, damme, who*s afraid ) Which when the father and the chapel saw, Tbe err was—'* Messrs. Brown & Green, withdraw f" This while they did, the chapel langh'd outright: Green stalk'd like AJaz born the Held of fight > While little Brown— (like dog who fears the gale May aepaimte his body from his tail. And therefore draws it close his legs between}— alow creeping o'er the office fioor was seen. At length the door shuts after them— and now, O Muse I asaist me to describe — (A« rsv.

To aid your Tiew (I should liare said before) Imagine, reader, thirty men, or more. Assembled near a long impotirng'ttone; Some more than tUtf, some but (lom^r-mc— Of each complexion, disposition, taste— lmbn*d with virtue, or by vice debas'd. 80BM strictly steady, fram'4 to penerere. Pursue thii course throughout the varying year:— From bed to BiMmrin't, and from BaUwMt back Tb bed— in one oontintt*d beaten track: Deducting Sundays, walking, eating, sleeping. Thro' their whole lives at work they're dosdykeqiing. Others, erratic from their mother's breast. Are by some untsm'd devil still poasest— These are your harum-scarum joUy boys. Who love Scotch ale, and glory in their noise 1 Who, if their object were the soul's salvation. Would strive to carry that — by acclamation I TUs latter class (well knowing how to screen) lataitiTeiy take the part of Oreen. The former — not wluout abundant cause — Support Stml Brown, the chapel, and its laws.

And now— let looaa awlille eadi Typo^a ton(a»— Conftislon reign'd, which cannot here be sung. Take, then, this single sample for the iriiole— A glass of punch wUi show wliaf a in the bowt— " 1 say Tom Green has spoken like a man!" Loud cries of ** Order I" tliroogh the chsMl ran; gone from the father's lungs, and sonu from those Tdept the Smmti, the Xav-wormt, uA the Crtrn. At length the ftttaer — " Gentlemen, forb«u'! " While an are talking, nobody can bear.

    • Into ahort m»tUmM cnt your long wrAoiss t

" For teaUy this too much our time engrosses. " And time, if weU employ'd, is cash, my boys 1 " TlMTCfiire save an you can, and— spare your Jaws,',

Anon, like Antwerp's dtadd, appears Thb Motion — filling many breasts with fears; But soon th' AHNDMaNT's quick eqilodlng mine Compels its stent commander to resign. " I move that we remit the fine on Green," Was leveU'd to the ground a* soon as seen (Howe'er secure, dctermin'd. or nnwiiling). By moving — " that Green's line be made a abOUog." Thus showing, though the chapel's laws tttey guard. No Mah on indlvldnaU to be hard 1 While the piopoaers cf entire remissloB Hold out immunity for crime's commission.

At length the chapel's meaaenger goes down Below— to fetch up Messrs. Oreen and Brown. ArriVd the chapel's organ — L e. dad — Breathes forth this solemn dirge, so slow and aad: —

" My painful duty, Mr. Green, is now " (In chapel, where aU typographers bow) " The chapd's awful mandate to reveal,

    • And show you how your brother members feeL

"You have been guilty of a great transgression: " We^re had the prse/e— we^re got a ttring tmui tmtcH " Of aU your siaMer— gnUt, remorse, confession I "We feel this latter feature in your case Gives It at once a better-ftvoor'd Ihcej " It tbUa tikt qfcl, and it shows a aaind " Not totaUy deprav'd, diaeas'd, and hUnd: " TUt almost sav'd you from impending fhte, " And qnite inclin'd us all to mitigate. " One solemn portion now alone remains " Of this black bill of penalties and pains: —

  • ' Tou know the chapel's fine is IwaUjMieme*;

"And thus— in me— tiie chapel shows its seiu*: '*Take right from iwentft twelve remains behhid—

  • • Our Judgment is— that you one beb be fin'd."

nese were his words— but my description's weak; No one but those who saw and heard them speak. Can form an adequate idea of these Diverting, weU suatain'd, solemnities.

But ere the memben to their fiiimai return- To think how much they need, how little eain— Towards the derk I see the Ihther look. And hear him ask—" What stands upon your book?" The derk replies—" Ours are Indeed hard Unet 1 " Dry is the chapd, scanty are the fines. " I fear ere long we shaB have no * eSects,' " Hie bump of dreumapeetion so projects. " However, there's six shillings now In hand— " Then let the chapd issue its command " To ipend or not to jpcdd— as that's dedded, " The liquor will or win not be provided."

And now at once to th' vote tkit question goes; O LiwA-ingtons! and cannot ye compose The diffbiencea of the Afa and Noet t WeU knowing (as ye do) good liquor illpa Betwixt those partiea, as 'twixt cups and Ups. Cannot your partners— Clamour, Heat, and Nobe— Mix up a bev^age Ibr your pardied Jaws f May not your win and theirs, at least, be done By holding up fwo hands instead of ew/ No 1 — on dMaUm ev'ry Crow insists) Where nought is gain'd by hamdf extra IMS: And (though ye teU their numbers o'er and o'er) , Thef stlU have a majority tt—fmr. Alas! your fHends are smotber'd In the dust lliej rala'd— with nothing to assuage their tfaint I

Go on, bnva Typos I ever flius outvote An motions Ikiwlng frmn a fiery throat. Fools, like soft stones, yidd to the force of irvpe; But men of mind may more than master Afo^ /

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