intend to make the
drawing-room a dancing saloon, and the garden a skittle alley. I have
engaged an old warehouseman to manage the business for me, and if we
don't do a roaring business, I hope to make enough to pay your rent, and
become free from loss." The intense anger of the landlord may be
imagined; and he left the house uttering threats of the utmost vengeance
of the law; but on an interview with his attorney he found there was no
redress--a beer-shop was "not in the bond." He, therefore, went again to
his refractory tenant, for it was clear that if the house was once opened
as a beer-shop, the adjoining property would be deteriorated. He was
smilingly greeted, and his tenant regretted that he had not tapped his
ale, or he would have offered him a glass. "Come, Mr. ---," said the
landlord, "let us see if we cannot arrange this matter. I am now willing
to accept your offer of half a year's rent, and a tenant." "No," said
Mr. ---, "I cannot think of such terms now." "Well, then, suppose you
give me a quarter's rent, and find me the tenant." "No!" "Then the rent
without the tenant." "No!" "Then a tenant without the rent." "No; but
I will tell you what I'll agree to, my good sir--you see, I have been put
to some expense. I made you a fair, and, as I think, a liberal offer,
which you would not accept. Now, if you will reimburse me all the
expense I have been put to, and pay 10 pounds to the town charities, I
will abandon my beer-house scheme, undertake to give up the key, and
close the account between us." With these terms the landlord eventually
complied, thus having "the tables fairly turned" upon him.

Cock-fighting was at one time a favourite sport in Liverpool, amongst the
lower orders, and, indeed, amongst all other classes too. In a street
leading out of Pownall-square (so called after Mr. William Pownall, whose
death was accelerated during his mayoralty in 1708, in consequence of a
severe cold, caught in suppressing a serious riot of the Irish which
occurred in the night-time in a place near the Salthouse Dock, called the
Devil's acre), there was a famous cock-pit. The street is now called
Cockspur-street. Where the cock-pit stood there is a small dissenting
chapel, and the entrance to it may be found up a court. This cock-pit
was the resort of all the low ruffians of the neighbourhood. In
consequence of the disturbances which continually took place, it was
suppressed as the neighbourhood i