weekly stipend
became reduced to 9s., apparently because the office of Scavenger was
again made a distinct office, to which James Shepherd was appointed at
6s. a week. Shortly after this the office became a thing of the past,
and John Ward, Beadle, disappears from our view, to join the company of
the last minstrel, the last fly wagon, the last stage coach, and the
last tinder-box!

For well-a-day! their date was fled,
His pompous brethren all were dead,
And he, neglected and oppress'd,
Wished to be with them and at rest.
* * * *
Old times were changed, old manners gone,
A "Peeler" filled the Beadle's throne!

CHAPTER VI.

THE DARK NIGHT OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY--THE SHADOW OF NAPOLEON.

The gloom which shrouded the night and morning, the death and birth, of
the two centuries, and its terrible consequences to the people of this
country, together form an event which has no parallel in our modern
history, nor, with the possible exception of the famine years in the
fourteenth century, in any known period of our history. The whole of
the last quarter of the eighteenth century has been very well described
as a period of high prices, low wages, and of unparalleled suffering.
The war dragged on, and to make matters worse, the century closed with
a most disastrous run of bad seasons. Prices continued to rise to an
alarming height, and with it popular discontent increased so much that
George III. was mobbed, hooted, and pelted on his way to the House of
Lords! The Bank of England stopped payment in 1797, and among country
banks which did the same was Wisher's Bank at Cambridge. Consols went
down to 47 7/8. With each succeeding bad season prices continued to
rise. Those who could keep corn for the rising market reaped their
reward, not alone of extraordinary prices, but of a storm of popular
indignation, against both farmers and corn dealers, and the farmers
were threatened, and in some cases actually had the precious ricks of
grain burned, because it was alleged they had created an "artificial
scarcity."

{57}

The century closed with one of the most severe winters (1799-1800)
known for many years, and the suffering was intense. In 1800, the
harvest was spoilt by incessant rains, and during the next year wheat
reached 184s. per quarter in Mark Lane, the 4 lb. loaf went up to 1s.
10 1/2d., or about 2s. 6d. of the present money value, and other
articles, including meat, al