Opening
[** Transcriber's Note: The [oe] ligature has been replaced with simply "oe". The cross symbols have been replaced by [cross]. Greek words have been transliterated, and enclosed in square brackets, e.g. [Greek: kala reethra] In the original, the Signs of the Zodiac song on page 397 contains astrological symbols after each mention of the signs of the zodiac. The symbols have been omitted in this text version. ]
BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY
VOL. I.
LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1837.
LONDON: PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY, Dormet Street, Fleet Street.
EDITOR'S ADDRESS ON THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
At the end of a theatrical season it is customary for the manager to step forward, and, in as few words as may be, to say how very much obliged he feels for all past favours, and how very ready he is to incur fresh obligations.
With a degree of candour which few managers would display, we cheerfully confess that we have been fairly inundated with orders during our six months' campaign; but so liberal are we, notwithstanding, that we place many of the very first authors of the day on our free list, and invite them to write for our establishment just as much paper as they think proper.
We have produced a great variety of novelties, some of which we humbly hope may become stock pieces, and all of which we may venture to say have been must successful; and, although we are not subject to the control of a licenser, we have eschewed everything political, personal, or ill-natured, with perhaps as much care as we could possibly have shown, even had we been under the watchful eye of the Lord Chamberlain himself.
We shall open our Second Volume, ladies and gentlemen, on the first day of July, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, when we shall have the pleasure of submitting a great variety of entirely new pieces for your judgment and approval. The company will be numerous, first-rate, and complete. The scenery will continue to be supplied by the creative pencil of Mr. George Cruikshank; the whole of the extensive and beautiful machinery will be, as heretofore, under the immediate superintendence of Mr. Samuel Bentley, of Dorset-street, Fleet-street; and Mr. Richard Bentley, of New Burlington-street, has kindly consented to preside over the Treasury department, where he has already conducted himself with uncommon ability.
The stage management will again be confided, ladies and gentlemen, to the humble individual with the short name, who has now the honour to address you, and who hopes, for very many years to come, to appear before you in the same capacity. Permit him to add in sober seriousness, that it has been the constant and unremitting endeavour of himself and the proprietor to render this undertaking worthy of your patronage. That they have not altogether failed in their attempt, its splendid success sufficiently demonstrates; that they have no intention of relaxing in their efforts, its future Volumes we trust will abundantly testify.
"BOZ." London, June, 1837.
CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. Page
Songs of the Month--January, by "Father Prout;" 1 February, by Dr. Maginn; 105 March, by Samuel Lover; 325 April, by W. H. Ainsworth; 429 May and June, by J. A. Wade 533
Prologue, by Dr. Maginn 2 Opening Chaunt 6 Recollections of the late George Colman, by Theodore Hook 7 The "Monstre" Balloon 17 Handy Andy, by Samuel Lover 20,169,373 Legend of Manor Hall, by the Author of "Headlong Hall" 29 Terence O'Shaughnessy, by the Author of "Stories of Waterloo" 33 The Sabine Farmer's Serenade, by Father Prout 45 Public Life of Mr. Tulrumble, by Boz 49 The Hot Wells of Clifton, by Father Prout 63 The Marine Ghost, by the Author of "Rattlin the Reefer" 65 Old Age and Youth, by T. Haynes Bayly 79 An Evening of Visits, by the Author of "The Pilot" 80 Who are you?--Metastasio, Fontenelle, and Samuel Lover 88 Metropolitan Men of Science 89 Kyan's Patent--the Nine Muses and the Dry-rot 93 The Original of "Not a Drum was heard," by Father Prout 96 A Gossip with some old English Poets, by C. Ollier 98 The Rising Periodical; Mr. Verdant's Account of the last aërial ascent, by T. Haynes Bayly 101 An Italian Anecdote, by the Author of "Hajji Baba" 103 Oliver Twist, or the Parish Boy's Progress, by Boz 105,218,326,430 Richie Barter 116 Plunder Creek, by the Author of "Tales of an Antiquary" 121 The Spectre 131 Authors and Actors, a dramatic sketch 132 A Gossip with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, by Hamilton Reynolds 138 A Lament over the Bannister 151 Theatrical Advertisement Extraordinary 152 The Abbess and Duchess, by T. Haynes Bayly 153 Edward Saville, by C. Whitehead 155 A Fragment of Romance 165 Lines on John Bannister, by Sir George Rose 168 Lines to a Lyric and Artist 177 Biographical Sketch of Richardson, by W. Jerdan 178 Paddy Blake's Echo, by J. A. Wade 186 Recollections of Childhood, by the author of "Headlong Hall" 187 Epigrams 190,409,493,508 540,564,583,590 Family Stories, by Thomas Ingoldsby: No. I. Spectre of Tappington 191 II. Legend of Hamilton Tighe 266 III. Grey Dolphin 341 IV. The Squire's Story 529 V. The Execution, a Sporting Anecdote 561 The Wide-awake Club 208 A Remnant of the Time of Izaak Walton 230 The "Original" Dragon, by C. J. Davids 231 A Passage in the Life of Beaumarchais, by George Hogarth 233 Mars and Venus, by C. F. Le Gros 247 An Evening Meditation 250 The Devil and Johnny Dixon, by the Author of "Stories of Waterloo" 251 A Merry Christmas, by T. Haynes Bayly 260 Nights at Sea, by the Old Sailor: No. I. The Captain's Cabin 269 II. The White Squall 474 III. The Chase and the Forecastle Yarn 621 Remains of Hajji Baba, by the Author of "Zohrab" 280,364,487 The Portrait Gallery, by the Author of "The Bee Hive" 286,442 The Sorrows of Life 290 Stray Chapters, by Boz: No. I. The Pantomime of Life 291 II. Particulars concerning a Lion 515 Memoirs of Samuel Foote 298 The Two Butlers of Kilkenny 306 The Little Bit of Tape, by Richard Johns 313 Hippothanasia, or the last of Tails, a lamentable Tale, by W. Jerdan 319 The Grand Cham of Tartary, by C. J. Davids 339 The Dumb Waiter 340 Friar Laurence and Juliet, by T. Haynes Bayly 354 Unpublished Letters of Addison 356 Sonnet to a Fog, by Egerton Webbe 371 Biography of Aunt Jemima, by F. H. Rankin 382 Scenes in the Life of a Gambler, by Captain Medwin 387 Les Poissons d'Avril; a Gastronomical Chaunt, by Father Prout 397 The Anatomy of Courage, by Prince Puckler Muskau 398 Song of the Cover 402 The Cobbler of Dort 403 Hero and Leander, by T. Chapman 410 The Admirable Crichton 416 Memoirs of Sheridan 419 Summer Night's Reverie, by J. A. Wade 428 Peter Plumbago's Correspondence 448 The Blue Wonder 450 The Youth's Vade Mecum, by C. Whitehead 461 A Visit to the Madrigal Society 465 Love and Poverty 469 Reflections in a Horse-pond 470 Inscription for a Cemetery 473 The Useful Young Man, by W. Collier 485 A London Fog 492 Shakspeare Papers, by Dr. Maginn: No. I. Sir John Falstaff 495 II. Jaques 550 Steam Trip to Hamburgh 509 Legend of Bohis Head 519 Bob Burns and Beranger; Sam Lover and Ovidius Naso; by "Father Prout" 525 Periodical Literature of the North American Indians 534 An Epitaph 540 Darby the Swift, by J. A. Wade 541 The Romance of a Day, by "The Bashful Irishman" 565 The Man with the Tuft, by T. Haynes Bayly 576 The Minister's Fate; from "Recollections of H. T." 577 Love in the City, by the Author of "Stories of Waterloo" 584 Mrs. Jennings 591 Hints for an Historical Play, by Thomas Ingoldsby 597 John Pooledoune, the Victim of Improvements, by W. Jerdan 599 The Legend of Mount Pilate, by G. Dance 608 Glorvina, the Maid of Meath, by J. Sheridan Knowles 614 Ode upon the Birth-day of the Princess Victoria, by J. A. Wade 620
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Portrait of George Colman Frontispiece Handy Andy, No. I. by S. Lover Page 20 Procession at the Inauguration of Mr. Tulrumble as Mayor of Mudfog, by George Cruikshank 49 Who are you? by S. Lover 88 Oliver Twist, by George Cruikshank 105 Handy Andy, No. II. by S. Lover 169 Spectre of Tappington, by Buss 191 Oliver Twist, No. II. by George Cruikshank 218 Portrait of Samuel Foote, by Sir Joshua Reynolds 298 The Little Bit of Tape, by Phiz 313 Oliver Twist, No. III. by George Cruikshank 326 Portrait of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, by Ozias Humphreys 419 Oliver Twist, No. IV. by George Cruikshank 430 Nights at Sea, by George Cruikshank 474 The Romance of a Day, by George Cruikshank 565 Nights at Sea, by George Cruikshank 621
BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.
OUR SONG OF THE MONTH. No. I. January, 1837.
THE BOTTLE OF ST. JANUARIUS.
I. In the land of the citron and myrtle, we're told That the blood of a MARTYR is kept in a phial, Which, though all the year round, it lie torpid and cold, Yet grasp but the crystal, 'twill warm the first trial ... Be it fiction or truth, with your favourite FACT, O, profound LAZZARONI! I seek not to quarrel; But indulge an old priest who would simply extract From your legend, a lay--from your martyr, a moral.
II. Lo! with icicled beard JANUARIUS comes! And the blood in his veins is all frozen and gelid, And he beareth a bottle; but TORPOR benumbs Every limb of the saint:--Would ye wish to dispel it? With the hand of good-fellowship grasp the hoar sage-- Soon his joints will relax and his pulse will beat quicker; Grasp the bottle he brings--'twill grow warm. I'll engage, Till the frost of each heart lies dissolved in the LIQUOR!
Probatum est. P. PROUT.
WATER-GRASS-HILL, Kal. Januarii.