by shubstitute then; my old friend, Mark Supple
here, vill give you the history of Tom Tick." To this Echo assented, on
account of the allusions it bore to the Albanians, some of whom were of
the party. Old Mark, mounted on the chair at the upper end of the table,
proceeded with the tale.

[Illustration: page233]

THE OXFORD RAKE'S PROGRESS.

Tom was a tailor's heir,
A dashing blade,
Whose sire in trade
Enough had made,
By cribbage, short skirts, and little capes,
Long bills, and items for buckram, tapes,
Buttons, twist, and small ware;
Which swell a bill out so delightfully,
Or perhaps I should say frightfully,

~234~~

That is, if it related to myself.
Suffice it to be told
In wealth he roll'd,
And being a fellow of some spirit,
Set up his coach;
To 'scape reproach,
He put the tailor on the shelf,
And thought to make his boy a man of merit.
On old Etona's classic ground,
Tom's infant years in circling round
Were spent 'mid Greek and Latin;
The boy had parts both gay and bright,
A merry, mad, facetious sprite,
With heart as soft as satin.
For sport or spree Tom never lack'd;
A _con_{21} with all, his sock he crack'd
With _oppidan_ or gownsman:
Could _smug_ a sign, or quiz the _dame_,
Or row, or ride, or poach for game,
With _cads_, or Eton townsmen.
Tom's _admiral_ design'd,
Most dads are blind
To youthful folly,
That Tom should be a man of learning,
To show his parent's great discerning,
A parson rich and jolly.
To Oxford Tom in due time went,
Upon degree D.D. intent,
But more intent on ruin:
_A Freshman_, steering for the _Port of Stuff's_,{22}
Round _Isle Matricula_, and _Isthmus of Grace_,
Intent on living well and little doing.
Here Tom came out a dashing blood,
Kept Doll at Woodstock, and a stud
For hunting, race, or tandem;
Could _bag_ a proctor, _floor a raff_,
Or stifle e'en a _hull-dog's gaff_,
Get _bosky_, drive at random.

21 Eton phraseology--A friend.

22 Oxford phraseology--All these terms have been e