DOI Heft:
January to June, 1850
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16605#0057
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
49
GENEROUS REDUCTION OE RENT.
Mr. John O'Connell held his meeting of tenants in Dublin last
week. It was not very numerously assembled, for we doubt if the
number of his tenants exceeded ten. Mr. John O'Connell said he
would detain them but a few minutes. He then began a speech which
lasted two hours. In the course of it he said, " He had heard a great
deal of the hardness of the times, and he must say they were particu-
larly hard upon him, for let him work as hard as he would, he could
hardly make a decent penny. As for Repeal, it was fairly reduced to
its last penny. What did he make last week ? Why only tenpence-
halfpenny! And the week before ? Why, nothing but a dirty fourpenny-
bit! He should like to reduce their rents, but, in the face of such
terrible truths, how could he do it ? However, he was the last man to
tax their good-nature, and so he would leave the matter entirely to their
generosity. As for himself, he didn't ask for anything ! They might
give exactly what they pleased." {Tremendous cheering, which lasted
tzoeral mi?iutes.)
After this the Meeting separated, and we are happy to state that in
consequence of the liberal proposal of Mr. John O'Connell, everyone
availed himself of it; and as the rent was left entirely to them, they
thought the best thing was to leave it alone. The amount of " Rent,"
therefore, collected at the doors did not exceed a penny postage stamp,
and there aie some strong doubts whether that has not been used
before !
THOUGHTS ON A NEW COMEDY.
(Being a Letter from, Mr. J—s Pltjsh to a Friend?)
" Whell of Fortune, Barr,
) " My Dear Rincer, " Jenyoury twenty-fith.
"Me and Mary Hann was very much pleased with the box
of feznts and woodcox, which you sent us, both for the attention
which was dellygit, and because the burds was uncommon good and
full of fiaviour. Some we gev away: some we hett: and I leave you
to emadgin that the Mann as sent em will holways find a glass of
somethink comforable in our Barr; and I hope voull soon come back
to London, Rincer, my boy. Your acount of the Servants' all festiv-
vaties at Pitzbattleaxe Castle, and your dancing Sir Rodjydycovvly (I
dont know how to spell it) with Lady Hawguster, emused Mary
Hann very much. That sottathing is very well—oust a year or so:
but in my time I thought, the fun didnt begin until the great folks had
none away. Give my kind suvvices to Mrs. Lupin, and tell Mtjnseer
Beshymell with my and Mary Hann's best wishes, that our little
Fanny can play several tunes on his pianner. Comps to old
Coachy.
" Till parly mint nothink is stirring, and theres no noose to give you
or fill my sheat—igsept (and I dessay this will surprize you)—igsept I
talk about the new Play.
" Although Im not genly a pafternizer of the Drammer, which
it interfears very much with my abbits and ixpeshly is not plesnt
dareckly after dinner to set hoff to a cold theayter for a middle-
Hage Mann, who likes to take things heazy; yet, my dear feller,
I do from time to time step in (with a border) to the walls of the
little Ay market or Old Dewry, sometimes to give a treat to Mrs.
Jeames and the younguns, sometimes to wild away a hidle hour when
shes outatown or outatemper (which sometimes will ocur m the best
reglated famlies you know) or when some private mellumcolly or sorrer
of my own is a hagitating hof me-
" Tesdy evening it was none of these motifs which injuiced me to go
to the theayter—I had heard there was a commady jest brought out,
inwolving the carrickter of our profession—thaf. profeshn which you
and me Mr. Rincer, did onst belong to—I'm not above that profeshn.
I ave its hintarests and Honor at art: and of hevery man that wears
the Plush, I say that Mann is my Brother—(not that I need be phonder
of him for that, on the contry, I recklect at our school where 1 lunt
the fust rules of athography and grammer, the Brothers were holwis a
pitchen into heach other)—but in fine, I love the Plush of hold days,
and hah ! I regret that hold Father Time is doing somethink to my
Air, which wightns it more pumminantly than the Powder which once
I war!
\ "A commady, Sir, has been brought out, (which Im surprized it aint
been mentioned at my Barr, though to be sure mose gents is keeping
Grismass Olydays in the Country) in which I was creddably informmed
—one of bus—one of the old Piushe^—why should I ezitate to say, a
Footman, forms the prinsple drammitis-pursony. _ How is my horder
represented on the British Stage I hast myself ? Are we spoke of
respeckful or otherwise ? Does anybody snear at our youniform or
purfeshn ? I was determingd to see ; and in case of hanythink inslant
being said of us, I took a key with me in horder toiss propply; and
bought sevral horringers jest to make uce of em if Isor any nesessaty.
"My dear Rincer. 1 greave to say, that though there was nothink
asainst our purfeshn said in the pease—and though the most delligit
and sensatif footman (and Ive known no men of more dellixy of feelin
and sensabillaty than a well reglated footman is wheiher hin or bout of
hvry^could find folt with the languidgc of the New Commady of "Leap
Fear," yet its prinsples is dangerous to publick maralaty, as likewise to
our beloved purfeshn.
''The plot of the Pease is founderd upon a hancient Lor, which the
Hauther, Mr. Buckstone, discovvred in an uncommon hold book, and
by which it epears that in Lip-Year (or whats called Bissixdiie in
Istronnamy) it is the women who have the libbaty of choosing their
usbands, and not as in hornary times, the men who choose their wives
(I reckmend you old feller who are a reglar hold Batchylor, to look out
in the Ormnack for Lip Year, and kip hout of the way that year) and
this pragtice must be common anough in Hengland, for a commady is a
reprasentation of natur, and in this one, every one of the women asts
every one of the men to marry: igsept one, and she asts two of em.
"Onst upon a time there was an old genln.n by the name, of
Flowerdew as married a young woman, who became in consquince
Mrs. Flora Flowerdew. She made this hold buck so Appy during
the breaf coarse of his meddrimonial career, that he left a will, border-
ing her to marry agin before three years was over, failing vich, hevary
shillin of his proppaty should go to his nex Hair. Aving maid these
destimentry erangements hold Flowerdew died. Peace be to his
Hashes!
"His widder didnt cry much (for betwigst you and me F. must have
been rayther a silly old feller), but lived on in a genteal manner in a
house somewhere in the drecshonof AmstidI should think, entertaining
her frends like a lady : and like a lady she kep her coachman and groom :
had her own maid, a cook & housemaid of coarse, a page and a MANN.
" If /had been a widder I would have choas a Man of a better Ithe,
than Mrs. Flowebjew d'd. Nothink becomes a footman so much as
Ithe. Its that which dixtinguidges us from the wulgar, and I greave to
say in this pedicklar the gentleman as hacted Villiam Talker, Mrs. F's
man, was sadly defishnt. He was respeckble, quiet, horderly, hactive
—but his figger I must say was no go. You and me Rincer ave seen
footmen and know whats the proper sort,—seen em ? Hah, what
men there was in hour time ! Do you recklect Bill the Maypole as
was with us at Lord Ammersmiths ? What a chap that was ! what
a leg he ad ! The young men are not like us, Tom Rincer,—but I am
diwerging from my tail, which I reshume.
''I diddnarive at the comniensment of the drammer (for their was a
Purty a settling his skower in my Barr which kep me a cumsederable
time), but when I hentered the theaytre I town myself in presnts of
Mr. & Mrs. C. Kean in a droring-roomb, Mrs. K. at a tabble pertend-
ing to right letters, or to so ankystiuffs, or somethink, Mr. K. a elapsing
his &s, a rowling his his, and a quoa'ing poatry &Byrom and that sort
of thing like anythink.
"Mrs. Kean, she was the widdo, and Mr. K. he was Villiam the man.
He wasnt a Buttler dear Rincer like U. He wasnt groom of the
Chimbers like Mr. Mewt at my Lords (to whomb my best, com-
plymince), he wasnt a mear footman, he wasnt a paze : but he was
a mixter of all 4. He had trowzies like a page with a red strip; he had a
coat like a Hunndress John ; he had the helegant mistary of Mr. Mewt,
and there was a graceful abanding and a daggijay hair about him which
I whish it was more adopted in our puifeshn.
" Halilio in hour time, dear Rincer, we didn quoat BrROM and
Shikspyer in the droring-room to the ladies of the famly, praps things
is haltered sins the marge of hintalect, and the young Jeamess do talk
po'ry.—Well, for sevral years, during which he had been iu Mrs. F.'s
service, Walker had been goin on in this manner, and it. was heasy at
once to see at the very hopening of the pease, from the manner of miosis
and man, that there was more than the common sewillafies of a lady and
a genlman in livary goin on between em, and in one word that they
were pashintly in love with each other. This wont surprize you.
Rincer, my boy; and in the coarse of my expearance I might tell a
story or two—0 Lady Harabellar ! but Honor forbids, and Im
mumm.
" Several shutors come to whoo the widow; but none, and no great
wonder, have made an impreshn on her heart. One she takes as a
husband on trial—and he went out to dinner on the very fust day of
his apprentiship, and came home intogsicated. Another whomb she
would not have, a Captain in the Harmy, pulls out a bill when she
refuses him, and requestes her to pay for his loss of timr, and the
clothes he has bordered in horder to captiwate her. Finely the piece
hends by the widdo proposing to William Walker, her servant, and
marrying that pusson.
" I don't hask whether widdos take usbands on trial. I do not pores
to inquier whether Captings send in bills of costs for courtship, or
igsamming other absuddaties in this Commady. I look it purfeshnly,
and I look at it gravely, Rincer. Hand, I cant help seeing that is
dangerous to our horder, and subwussive of domestic maralaty.
" I say theres a Prinsple in a honist tootman which should make
him purtest and rewolt aginst such doctorings as these. A fatle pashn
may hapn bany day to hany Mann; as a chimbly-pott may drop on his
head, or a homnibus drive hover him. We cant help tailing in love
with a fine woman—we are men : we are fine men praps ; and praps
49
GENEROUS REDUCTION OE RENT.
Mr. John O'Connell held his meeting of tenants in Dublin last
week. It was not very numerously assembled, for we doubt if the
number of his tenants exceeded ten. Mr. John O'Connell said he
would detain them but a few minutes. He then began a speech which
lasted two hours. In the course of it he said, " He had heard a great
deal of the hardness of the times, and he must say they were particu-
larly hard upon him, for let him work as hard as he would, he could
hardly make a decent penny. As for Repeal, it was fairly reduced to
its last penny. What did he make last week ? Why only tenpence-
halfpenny! And the week before ? Why, nothing but a dirty fourpenny-
bit! He should like to reduce their rents, but, in the face of such
terrible truths, how could he do it ? However, he was the last man to
tax their good-nature, and so he would leave the matter entirely to their
generosity. As for himself, he didn't ask for anything ! They might
give exactly what they pleased." {Tremendous cheering, which lasted
tzoeral mi?iutes.)
After this the Meeting separated, and we are happy to state that in
consequence of the liberal proposal of Mr. John O'Connell, everyone
availed himself of it; and as the rent was left entirely to them, they
thought the best thing was to leave it alone. The amount of " Rent,"
therefore, collected at the doors did not exceed a penny postage stamp,
and there aie some strong doubts whether that has not been used
before !
THOUGHTS ON A NEW COMEDY.
(Being a Letter from, Mr. J—s Pltjsh to a Friend?)
" Whell of Fortune, Barr,
) " My Dear Rincer, " Jenyoury twenty-fith.
"Me and Mary Hann was very much pleased with the box
of feznts and woodcox, which you sent us, both for the attention
which was dellygit, and because the burds was uncommon good and
full of fiaviour. Some we gev away: some we hett: and I leave you
to emadgin that the Mann as sent em will holways find a glass of
somethink comforable in our Barr; and I hope voull soon come back
to London, Rincer, my boy. Your acount of the Servants' all festiv-
vaties at Pitzbattleaxe Castle, and your dancing Sir Rodjydycovvly (I
dont know how to spell it) with Lady Hawguster, emused Mary
Hann very much. That sottathing is very well—oust a year or so:
but in my time I thought, the fun didnt begin until the great folks had
none away. Give my kind suvvices to Mrs. Lupin, and tell Mtjnseer
Beshymell with my and Mary Hann's best wishes, that our little
Fanny can play several tunes on his pianner. Comps to old
Coachy.
" Till parly mint nothink is stirring, and theres no noose to give you
or fill my sheat—igsept (and I dessay this will surprize you)—igsept I
talk about the new Play.
" Although Im not genly a pafternizer of the Drammer, which
it interfears very much with my abbits and ixpeshly is not plesnt
dareckly after dinner to set hoff to a cold theayter for a middle-
Hage Mann, who likes to take things heazy; yet, my dear feller,
I do from time to time step in (with a border) to the walls of the
little Ay market or Old Dewry, sometimes to give a treat to Mrs.
Jeames and the younguns, sometimes to wild away a hidle hour when
shes outatown or outatemper (which sometimes will ocur m the best
reglated famlies you know) or when some private mellumcolly or sorrer
of my own is a hagitating hof me-
" Tesdy evening it was none of these motifs which injuiced me to go
to the theayter—I had heard there was a commady jest brought out,
inwolving the carrickter of our profession—thaf. profeshn which you
and me Mr. Rincer, did onst belong to—I'm not above that profeshn.
I ave its hintarests and Honor at art: and of hevery man that wears
the Plush, I say that Mann is my Brother—(not that I need be phonder
of him for that, on the contry, I recklect at our school where 1 lunt
the fust rules of athography and grammer, the Brothers were holwis a
pitchen into heach other)—but in fine, I love the Plush of hold days,
and hah ! I regret that hold Father Time is doing somethink to my
Air, which wightns it more pumminantly than the Powder which once
I war!
\ "A commady, Sir, has been brought out, (which Im surprized it aint
been mentioned at my Barr, though to be sure mose gents is keeping
Grismass Olydays in the Country) in which I was creddably informmed
—one of bus—one of the old Piushe^—why should I ezitate to say, a
Footman, forms the prinsple drammitis-pursony. _ How is my horder
represented on the British Stage I hast myself ? Are we spoke of
respeckful or otherwise ? Does anybody snear at our youniform or
purfeshn ? I was determingd to see ; and in case of hanythink inslant
being said of us, I took a key with me in horder toiss propply; and
bought sevral horringers jest to make uce of em if Isor any nesessaty.
"My dear Rincer. 1 greave to say, that though there was nothink
asainst our purfeshn said in the pease—and though the most delligit
and sensatif footman (and Ive known no men of more dellixy of feelin
and sensabillaty than a well reglated footman is wheiher hin or bout of
hvry^could find folt with the languidgc of the New Commady of "Leap
Fear," yet its prinsples is dangerous to publick maralaty, as likewise to
our beloved purfeshn.
''The plot of the Pease is founderd upon a hancient Lor, which the
Hauther, Mr. Buckstone, discovvred in an uncommon hold book, and
by which it epears that in Lip-Year (or whats called Bissixdiie in
Istronnamy) it is the women who have the libbaty of choosing their
usbands, and not as in hornary times, the men who choose their wives
(I reckmend you old feller who are a reglar hold Batchylor, to look out
in the Ormnack for Lip Year, and kip hout of the way that year) and
this pragtice must be common anough in Hengland, for a commady is a
reprasentation of natur, and in this one, every one of the women asts
every one of the men to marry: igsept one, and she asts two of em.
"Onst upon a time there was an old genln.n by the name, of
Flowerdew as married a young woman, who became in consquince
Mrs. Flora Flowerdew. She made this hold buck so Appy during
the breaf coarse of his meddrimonial career, that he left a will, border-
ing her to marry agin before three years was over, failing vich, hevary
shillin of his proppaty should go to his nex Hair. Aving maid these
destimentry erangements hold Flowerdew died. Peace be to his
Hashes!
"His widder didnt cry much (for betwigst you and me F. must have
been rayther a silly old feller), but lived on in a genteal manner in a
house somewhere in the drecshonof AmstidI should think, entertaining
her frends like a lady : and like a lady she kep her coachman and groom :
had her own maid, a cook & housemaid of coarse, a page and a MANN.
" If /had been a widder I would have choas a Man of a better Ithe,
than Mrs. Flowebjew d'd. Nothink becomes a footman so much as
Ithe. Its that which dixtinguidges us from the wulgar, and I greave to
say in this pedicklar the gentleman as hacted Villiam Talker, Mrs. F's
man, was sadly defishnt. He was respeckble, quiet, horderly, hactive
—but his figger I must say was no go. You and me Rincer ave seen
footmen and know whats the proper sort,—seen em ? Hah, what
men there was in hour time ! Do you recklect Bill the Maypole as
was with us at Lord Ammersmiths ? What a chap that was ! what
a leg he ad ! The young men are not like us, Tom Rincer,—but I am
diwerging from my tail, which I reshume.
''I diddnarive at the comniensment of the drammer (for their was a
Purty a settling his skower in my Barr which kep me a cumsederable
time), but when I hentered the theaytre I town myself in presnts of
Mr. & Mrs. C. Kean in a droring-roomb, Mrs. K. at a tabble pertend-
ing to right letters, or to so ankystiuffs, or somethink, Mr. K. a elapsing
his &s, a rowling his his, and a quoa'ing poatry &Byrom and that sort
of thing like anythink.
"Mrs. Kean, she was the widdo, and Mr. K. he was Villiam the man.
He wasnt a Buttler dear Rincer like U. He wasnt groom of the
Chimbers like Mr. Mewt at my Lords (to whomb my best, com-
plymince), he wasnt a mear footman, he wasnt a paze : but he was
a mixter of all 4. He had trowzies like a page with a red strip; he had a
coat like a Hunndress John ; he had the helegant mistary of Mr. Mewt,
and there was a graceful abanding and a daggijay hair about him which
I whish it was more adopted in our puifeshn.
" Halilio in hour time, dear Rincer, we didn quoat BrROM and
Shikspyer in the droring-room to the ladies of the famly, praps things
is haltered sins the marge of hintalect, and the young Jeamess do talk
po'ry.—Well, for sevral years, during which he had been iu Mrs. F.'s
service, Walker had been goin on in this manner, and it. was heasy at
once to see at the very hopening of the pease, from the manner of miosis
and man, that there was more than the common sewillafies of a lady and
a genlman in livary goin on between em, and in one word that they
were pashintly in love with each other. This wont surprize you.
Rincer, my boy; and in the coarse of my expearance I might tell a
story or two—0 Lady Harabellar ! but Honor forbids, and Im
mumm.
" Several shutors come to whoo the widow; but none, and no great
wonder, have made an impreshn on her heart. One she takes as a
husband on trial—and he went out to dinner on the very fust day of
his apprentiship, and came home intogsicated. Another whomb she
would not have, a Captain in the Harmy, pulls out a bill when she
refuses him, and requestes her to pay for his loss of timr, and the
clothes he has bordered in horder to captiwate her. Finely the piece
hends by the widdo proposing to William Walker, her servant, and
marrying that pusson.
" I don't hask whether widdos take usbands on trial. I do not pores
to inquier whether Captings send in bills of costs for courtship, or
igsamming other absuddaties in this Commady. I look it purfeshnly,
and I look at it gravely, Rincer. Hand, I cant help seeing that is
dangerous to our horder, and subwussive of domestic maralaty.
" I say theres a Prinsple in a honist tootman which should make
him purtest and rewolt aginst such doctorings as these. A fatle pashn
may hapn bany day to hany Mann; as a chimbly-pott may drop on his
head, or a homnibus drive hover him. We cant help tailing in love
with a fine woman—we are men : we are fine men praps ; and praps