rman butcher;
while his handsome brass pestle
~57~~
and mortar, with the gilt Galen's head annexed, have been waggishly
transferred to the house of some Eton Dickey Gossip, barber and dentist.
Mr. Index, the bookseller, changes names with old Frank Finis, the
sexton. The elegant door plate of Miss Caroline Cypher, spinster, is
placed on the right side of Nicodemus
Number, B.A., and fellow of Eton, with this note annexed: "New rule of
Addition, according to Cocker." Old Amen, the parish clerk, is united to
Miss Bridget Silence, the pew opener; and Theophilus White, M.D. changes
place with Mr. Sable, the undertaker. But we shall become too grave if
we proceed deeper with this subject. There is no end to the whimsical
alterations and ludicrous changes that take place upon these occasions,
when scarce a sign or door plate in Eton escapes some pantomimic
transformation.*
* Representations to the masters or authorities are scarcely
ever necessary to redress these whimsical grievances, as the
injured parties are always remunerated. The next day the
spoils and trophies are arranged in due form in a certain
snug sanctum sanctorum, the cellar of a favorite inn, well
known by the name of the _Oppidan's_ Museum; for a view of
which see the sketch made on the spot by my friend Bob
Transit. Here the merry wags are to be found in council,
holding a court of claims, to which all the tradesmen who
have suffered any loss are successively summoned; and after
pointing out from among the motley collection the article
they claim, and the price it originally cost, they are
handsomely remunerated, or the sign replaced. The good
people of Eton generally choose the former, as it not only
enable them to sport a new sign, but to put a little profit
upon the cost price of the old one. The trophies thus
acquired are then packed up in hampers, and despatched to
Oxford, where they are on similar occasions not unfrequently
displayed, or hung up, in lieu of some well-known sign, such
as the Mitre, &c. which has been removed during the night.
~58~~
[Illustration: page058]
The following jeu-d'esprits issued upon the interference of the
authorities at the conclusion of the last Election. The "dance of thirty
sovereigns" is an allusion to the fine imposed, which was given to the
poor.
A Ladder Dance.
A moving golden Fis
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