appeared to advance equal claims
(from the manner it was made and worn), to the several dignities of the
art military and civil, the arma and the toga:--from the neck of the
wearer hung a blue ribbon of amazing breadth, and of a very surprising
assumption of newness and splendour, by no means in harmony with the
other parts of the tout ensemble; this was the guardian of an eye-glass
of block tin, and of dimensions correspondent with the size of the
ribbon. Stuck under the right arm, and shaped fearfully like a sword,
peeped out the hilt of a very large and sturdy looking stick, "in war a
weapon, in peace a support."

The features of the man were in keeping with his garb; they betokened
an equal mixture of the traces of poverty, and the assumption of the
dignities reminiscent of a better day. Two small, light-blue eyes were
shaded by bushy, and rather imperious brows, which lowered from under
the hat, like Cerberus out of his den. These, at present, wore the
dull, fixed stare of habitual intoxication, though we were not long
in discovering that they had not yet forgotten to sparkle with all
the quickness, and more than the roguery of youth. His nose was large,
prominent, and aristocratic; nor would it have been ill formed, had not
some unknown cause pushed it a little nearer towards the left ear, than
would have been thought, by an equitable judge of beauty, fair to the
pretensions of the right. The lines in the countenance were marked as if
in iron, and had the face been perfectly composed, must have given to
it a remarkably stern and sinister appearance; but at that moment, there
was an arch leer about the mouth, which softened, or at least altered,
the expression the features habitually wore.

"Sir," said he, (after a few minutes of silence,) "Sir," said he,
approaching me, "will you do me the honour to take a pinch of snuff?"
and so saying, he tapped a curious copper box, with a picture of his
late majesty upon it.

"With great pleasure," answered I, bowing low, "since the act is a
prelude to the pleasure of your acquaintance."

My gentleman of the gin-shop opened his box with an air, as he
replied--"It is but seldom that I meet, in places of this description,
gentlemen of the exterior of yourself and your friends. I am not a
person very easily deceived by the outward man. Horace, Sir, could not
have included me, when he said, specie decipimur. I perceive that you
are surprised at hearing me quote Latin. Alas! S