Biographical Sketches of Dick En-l-d.

Sir John Webb's br. colt, by King
Fergus, dam (Mary Ann) by

Biographical Sketches of Dick E-gl-d.

or ten days at Scarborough. Our herd, with one in his train, obse. ✓ing a chaife drive through the town, dispatched a courier to inquire the gentleman's name, where he came from, and what stay he would make, &c. The meffenger returned with every requifite information, and the next thing was, how to get at D-n before he went to the affembly rooms. E-gl-d's inventive faculties were never idle; he waited till he came out of the inu, and modeftly fell into chat with him, and accompanied him to the rooms. The affembly over, the company formed themselves into parties, as ufual; unfortunately for Mr. D-n, there was but one perfon there he knew, and they were not on good terms: he, therefore, accepted of E-gl-d's invitation to fup with him and two of his friends, at the coffee-house. After fupper the glafs was circulated brifkly, and about three in the morning, Mr. D-n was completely drunk: they had tried every effort to make him play, but in vain. The triumvirate, to fave appearances, left any improper questions were afked the waiter, played for five or fix minutes, and then they each marked a card thus: "Da-n owes me a hundred guineas;" "Da-n owes me eighty guineas:" E-gl-d being the principal, marked his card thus I owe Dan thirty guineas.' The waiter touched five guineas for huth-money, and the party broke up.

The next morning, or noon rather, Dick accofted Mr. Da-n upon the cliff, "Well, fir, how do you do after your night's regaleupon my confcience we were all very merry.""Yes," replied the dove," we were indeed, fir, and I hope I did nothing to offend," for what with the fatigue of travelling, and your good company, Bacchus prevailed too powerfully, and banished the little reafon that I have VOL. VII. No. XLII.

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entirely from me, but if no gentleman was offended, I am happy."

E-gl-d prefented him with a thirty-guinea banker's note, payable to R-b-d E-gl-d, Efq. fay ing, "I loft this fum to you laft night, put it in your pocket, and I hope I fhall have better luck another time."-Da-n ftared, and po fitively denied having played for a fhilling; but E-gl-d affured himi upon his honour he had, obferving that he had paid hundreds to gentlemen when in liquor, that knew nothing at all of the inatter till he fhewed them his account. Mr. Da-n thus fell into the trap laid for him, and, being a novice, put the note in his pocket, thinking E-gl-d the most upright man he ever met with. Shortly after, Mr. E-gl-d's friends prefented their cards. Mr. Da-n, thunderstruck with their demand, averred he never played with them, and indeed he did not know of his playing at all, but that Capt. E-gl-d, very much to his credit, had paid him thirty guineas, though he did not remember a circumftance of a card or dice being in the room. George Bre-ton replied, with great warmth, <6 Sir, it is the first time my honour was ever doubted; Capt. E-gl-d, and the waiter, will tell you, I won a hundred guineas of you, though I was a great lofer by the night's play." Mr. Da-1, with his ufual moderation, faid, "Sir, I fhall have the pleasure to fee you at the coffee-houfe to-morrow morning, and I make no doubt but every thing will be amicably fettled."

The morning proved a propitious one for Mr. Da-n, for the preceding evening arrived fome of his friends, perfons of great worth, who knew the world well. Mr. Da-n opened his mind to them, and, after ten minutes converfation, and one of the gentlemen crofs-examining the

honest

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Biographical Sketches of Dick E-gl-d.

honest waiter, the waiter prevaricated fo much, that he got rid of the bufinefs, and, having received a promife of five guineas more, if he told the truth, he affured the friend of Mr. Dan, that E-gl-d and his companions were notorious black legs, and that Mr. Da-n did not play at all; or, if he did, it could not be for five minutes, as they were conftantly ringing and making punch in their own way.

The gentlemen then advifed Da-n not to pay a fhilling; but he proposed to them, that he would fend E-gl-d the thirty-guinea banker's draft, and five guineas to pay the expences of the fupper, which he immediately did, accom. panied by a letter, by the contents of which E-gl-d finding his practices blown, to fave appearances, left Scarborough the next morning.

We have before observed, that E-gl-d, when in town, during the winter feason, was conftant in attendance at the public billiard tables and tennis courts; at one of the latter places he became acquainted with an officer on half pay, nephew to an Irish Earl, and, this young man's circumstances being very low, and his principles not very elevated, a junction offenfive and defenfive was foon formed between them, and Lieut. Ro-h-d won many confiderable bets by laying against his friend, whofe oftenfible loffes were always profitable from the private gains of his affociate.

With this gentleman, Mr. E-g1-d determined upon a trip to Spa, and every article neceffary for the purposes of play was accordingly prepared. At Spa, however, they found that the dice of Germa ny were much larger than those of England; of courfe the latter, to which they had been used, could not be introduced at the tables; and, as little could be made by

throwing equal main and chance, even by those to whom the odds were known fpecifically, Mr. E-gI-d refolved to raise contributions on the company at Spa, by a coup de niain.

Walking with his friend, the Lieutenant, towards the hazardtable, he picked up two fmall stones, which he carried to the place of action, where, taking the dice when circulated to his turn, and throwing out, he affected a fudden rage, and threw the box against the window, which made its way through the glafs, accompanied by the two Imali ftones he had picked up, after which he played with variety of fortune.

The next evening, his winnings were very confiderable; he won every bet he made, fo did bis friend, and they immediately left Spa fome thousands of pounds heavier than they entered it, but not with. out leaving an opinion behind them that they owed more to theer cunning than to good fortune, for a pair of dice were miffed by the groom-porters,

Soon after his return to London, a quarrel took place between Mr. E-gl-d and the Lieutenant, when the latter took many liberties with the character of his co-adjutor, to whom, however, he owed his very existence, for Mr. E-gl-d had conferred many pecuniary favours on him, and had actually kept him and his wife from starving; but R-h-d having obtained a com miffion in the militia, began to refume the pride of family, and, though he could not forget, yet he denied, the obligations he owed his benefactor.

Capt. O'Kelly had long been at enmity with Mr. E-gl-d, and with O'Kelly, Lieut. Rh-d had become extremely intimate. They were fitting one night in a public coffee-room, when a gentleman,who

had

Biographical Sketches of Dick E-gl-d

had fupped in the houfe with Mr. E-gl-d, overheard them abufe him with the fouleft language; in confequence of which, he returned to his company, and, mentioning what he had heard, E-gl-d immediately defcended to the coffee-room, and, without any ceremony of addrefs, or expoftulation, knocked the heads of his old affociates against each other, and then, attacking them feparately, beat them till they both fled for fhelter under the tables.

The confequence of this adventure was, that O'Kelly and the Lieutenant, indicted Mr. E-gl-d for the affault, who very prudently moved the cause into the Court of King's Bench, and pleaded guilty; in confequence of which, the court, on hearing the affidavits on both fides, declared, the provocation was fo great on the part of the profecutors, that, though no words could juftify an affault, yet the afperity and nature of the calumny, in the prefent cafe, was fuch as confiderably mitigated the offence against the crown, by breaking the peace, and accordingly fined the defendant one Shilling.

This verdict was a triumph to Mr. E-gl-d; on his profecutors, it brought fhame and difgrace: they were every where ridiculed, and even their courage called in queftion. The Lieutenant vindicated himself upon the prefumption, that, being of a noble family, and having had the honour of ferving his Majesty, Mr. E-gl-d was not upon a level with him, and therefore he was forced to have recourse to law; but this excufe only raised the contempt of thofe who knew the intimacy that had subsisted beBetween him and his adverfary, and the many ferious obligations he had received from him. Irritated by thefe obfervations, he determined on revenge, and having, as we re

327

lated before, obtained a commiffion in the militia, which was at that time in camp, he unfortunately mentioned the anecdote we have already ftated, of procuring dice at Spa, from which inftant a combination was formed against him by the whole corps of black-legs. Not a day paffed but he received an infult; he lived in continual dread, and, at last, was hot through the head by a brother officer, who was one of the party.

We now come to the moft material and ferious incident in Mr. E-gl-d's life; to that incident. which forced him to flv this country, become a fugitive in a foreign land, and at prefent a prifoner.

Mr. E-gl-d had been long in habits of intimacy with Mr. R-wl-s, a brewer at Kingston, from whom he had won a fum of money at the game of hazard, but from whom he found it impoffible to ob. tain his winnings without adopting very unpleasant means; but at laft, being peremptory, Mr. R-wl-s declared his inability to pay for a very confiderable time, unless the money could be borrowed. Mr. E-gl-d, in confequence of this declaration, recommended Mr. R-ul-s to the noted Jack T-ng

ton, well known on the turf, who advanced the cash on the fingle bond of Mr. R-wl s, and it was immediately paid over to Mr. E-gl-d.

When the bond became due, the payment was repeatedly put off, till at laft R-wl-s was arrested; and R-wi-s put in a plea for the purpofe of avoiding the bond, which induced the lender, by advice of his counfel, to accept of half of the debt, and give a difcharge for the whale. E-gl-d was of courfe obliged to make good the moiety of the debt to his friend, and infifted that R-wl-s fhould reimburse him, which he refufed, though, after Sf.2 pafling

66

who

THE rage for private theatricals the gallang Edward, (in Prformed

ΤΗ

was never more

than

at the prefent time; it feems an epidemic diforder among the young ladies and gentlemen of this day. If emulation ftrikes a park in the breaft of the ftage-ftruck hero, he inftantaneously windles, and burfis put in a conflagration of enthufiafm. Reafon and admonition are feldom liftened to; for vanity has fo deafened her votary, as to make the tympanum impregnable to friendly counfel.

66

the trage dy) poffeffes great power and elegance of action; in his interview with the Cardinal, he ftrongly reminded us of the immortal Garrick, when the Cardinal was alfo ably fuftained."

Upon reading these impartial remarks, I was ftruck with wonder unspeakable! certainly no fpectator could fo belye his feelings as to dictate fuch falfity; and to bring the immortal Garrick in competition, is impudence in a fuperlative degree. It must be partiality or bribery, thought I, that put this paragraph in print; in either cafe, it deferves the fevereft reprehenfion.

Tis ftrange, 'tis paffing trange," to fee an infatuated young nan, fo blind to his own defect-to fuffer vanity-fo to hoodwink reafon, as to attempt the most difficult tragic characters, in defiance of criticism, or confpicuous marks of To particularize each refpectable contempt and ridicule fhewn by for- performer, would be almoft tautorounding auditors; yet fo it fre.logy. In the tragedy, I may, with quently is. Each one vainly ima- propriety, proceed in an auctioneer. gines himself a fecond Garrick, and like manner, and put them up in to attempt any thing below the first two or three lots, descant a little on line of characters, would be degrad-each, and knock them down in the ing to his ambitious foul: poor lump: according to which plan, I young man thy cafe is defperate, fhall place the gallant Edward, the and requires powerful altera-ives to refpeatable Cardinal, and the reveeradicate the imbibed contagion. rential Bishop, for

I was led into these reflections upon a retrospective furvey of obfervations I had made upon fome private plays I have lately feen, and converfations I have been witnefs to between fome young candidates of the fock and bufkin. What induced me more particularly to

See our laft Number, p. 266.

Lot 1. Ladies and gentlemen obferve this lot, pray be fpirited, as very probably you may never have fuch an opportunity again: the gallant Edward poffeffes a beautiful monotony of Speech-a fine fiff uniformity of action: yet he plays tragedy, and is a fine figure. The Cardinal, and Bifhop, are curiofities worthy the attention of the con

noiffeur;