Part 43 (2/2)
”By no means,” answered the Poet; ”nor is it necessary, n.o.body takes the trouble of inquiry, and all is left to the discretion of the writer and the fertility of his invention.”
”On the same theme, does not there exist,” asked Dashall, ”a difficulty in giving it the appearance of variety?”
”Certainly; and that difficulty would seem quite insurmountable when I a.s.sure you, that I have written for a certain Blacking Manufacturer above two hundred different productions on the subject of his unparalleled Jet, each containing fresh incident, and very probably fresh incident must yet be found for two hundred productions more! But the misfortune is, that every thing is left to my invention, and the remuneration is of a very trifling nature for such mental labour: besides, it has frequently happened that the toil has proved unavailing--the production is rejected--the antic.i.p.ated half-crown remains in the acc.u.mulating coffers of the Blacking-manufacturer, and the Author returns, pennyless and despondingly, to his attic, where, if fortune at last befriends him, he probably may breakfast dine and sup, tria juncta in uno, at a late hour in the evening!” ~331~~ ”And,”
exclaimed the feeling Dashall, ”this is real Life in London!”
”With me actually so,” answered the Poet.
The Blacking-maker's Laureat now offered to the perusal of his sympathising friends the following specimen of his ability in this mode of composition:--
PUG IN ARMOUR; OR, THE GARRISON ALARMED.
”Whoe'er on the rock of Gibraltar has been, A frequent a.s.semblage of monkeys has seen a.s.sailing each stranger with volleys of stones, As if pre-determin'd to fracture his bones!
A Monkey one day took his turn as a scout, And gazing his secret position about, A boot caught his eye, near the spot that was plac'd, By w * * * *n's jet; Blacking transcendently grac'd; And, viewing his shade in its brilliant reflection, He cautiously ventured on closer inspection.
The gloss on its surface return'd grin for grin, Thence seeking his new-found acquaintance within, He pok'd in the boot his inquisitive snout, Head and shoulders so far, that he could not get out; And thus he seem'd cas'd--from his head to his tail, In suit of high-burnish'd impregnable mail!
Erect on two legs then, with retrograde motion, It stalk'd; on the Sentry impressing a notion That this hostile figure, of non-descript form, The fortress might take by manoeuvre or storm!
Now fixing his piece, in wild terror he bawls-- ”A legion of devils are scaling the walls!”
The guards sallied forth 'mid portentous alarms, Signal-guns were discharged, and the drums beat to arms; And Governor then, and whole garrison, ran To meet the dread foe in this minikin man!
”A man--'tis a monkey!” Mirth loudly exclaim'd, And peace o'er the garrison then was proclaim'd; And Pug was released, the strange incident backing The merits, so various, of W* * * *n's Jet Blacking.”
~332~~ This trifle, well enough for the purpose, was honoured with approbation.
The two friends, unwilling to offend the delicacy of the Poet by a premature pecuniary compliment at this early stage of acquaintance, took his address and departed, professing an intention of calling upon him at his lodgings in the evening.
”I would not, were I a bricklayer's labourer,” exclaimed Bob, ”exchange situations with this unfortunate literary hack--this poor devil of mental toil and precarious result, who depends for scanty subsistence on the caprice of his more fortunate inferiors, whose minds, unexpanded by liberal feeling, and absorbed in the love of self, and the sordid consideration of interest, are callous to the impression of benevolence!--But let us hope that few such cases of genius in adversity occur, even in this widely extended and varied scene of human vicissitude.”
”That hope,” replied his Cousin, ”is founded on
”The baseless fabric of a vision!”
There are, at this moment, thousands in London of literary merit, of whom we may truly say,
”Chill penury repress their n.o.ble rage, And freeze the genial current of the soul!”
Men unsustained by the hand of friends.h.i.+p, who pine in unheeded obscurity, suffering the daily privations of life's indispensable requisites, or obtaining a scanty pittance at the will of opulent ignorance, and under the humiliating contumely, as we have just been informed, even of Blacking Manufacturers!
”But here is a man, who, during a period of eight years, held a public situation, the duties of which he performed satisfactorily to the last; and yet, on the abolition of the establishment, while the Princ.i.p.al retires in the full enjoyment of his ample salary, this senior Clerk and his fellows in calamity are cast adrift upon the world, to live or starve, and in the dearth of employment suitable to their habits and education, the unfortunate outcasts are left to perish, perhaps by the hand of famine in the streets, or that of despondency in a garret; or, what is worse than either, consigned to linger out their remaining wretched ~333~~ days under the ”cold reluctant charity” of a parish workhouse.{1}
”When the princ.i.p.al of a Public-office has battened for many years on his liberal salary, and the sole duties required of him have been those of occasionally signing a few official papers, why not discontinue his salary on the abolition of the establishment, and part.i.tion it out in pensions to those disbanded Clerks by whose indefatigable exertions the business of the public has been satisfactorily conducted? These allowances, however inadequate to the purpose of substantiating all the comforts, might yet realise the necessaries of life, and, at least, would avert the dread of absolute dest.i.tution.”
A pause ensued--Dashall continued in silent rumination--a few moments brought our Heroes to the Horse Guards; and as the acquirement ”devoutly to be wished” was a general knowledge of metropolitan manners, they proceeded to the observance of Real Life in a Suttling House.
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