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Article THE COLLECTOR. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Collector.
to Islington , in the purlieus of Clerkenweli-bridewell , not very distant from the New River head , where at that time it wasusuaifor the scavengers to leave the cleansiiigs of the streets , and the priests of Cloacina to deposit , the offerings from the tempies of that all-worshi pped Power . The night preceding a heavy rain had fallen , which rendered this extraordinary seat of the Muses almost inaccessible , so . that in our approach we got our white stockings enveloped with mud
. up to . the very calves , which furnished an appearance much in the present fashionable style of half boots . We knocked at the door , ( not attempting to pull the latch string ) which was opened by a tall , meagre , ragged figure , with a blue apron , indicating , what else we might have doubted , the feminine gender ; a perfect model for the-Copper Captain ' s tattered landlad— -thatdeplorable exhibition of the fair
y , sex in the comedy of Rule a Wife . She , with a torpid voice and hungry smile , desired " us to walk in . The first object that presented itself was a dresser , clean , it must be confessed , and furnished with three or four coarse delf plates , two brown platters , and underneath an earthen pipkin , and a black pitcher with a snip out of it . To the right we
perceived and bowed to the mistress of the mansion , sitting on a maimed chair , under the mantle-piece , by a fire , merely sufficient to put us in mind of starving . On one hob satamonkey , which , byway of welcome , chattered at our going in , on the other a tabby cat ; of melancholy aspect ; and at our author ' s feet , on the flounce of her dingy petticoat , reclined a dog , almostaskeleton ; he raised his shagged head , and eagerly staring with- his bleared eyes , saluted us with a snail . doneFidele ! these friends
' Have , are . ' The tone of her voice was not harsh ; it had something in it humbled and disconsolate , a mino-ied effort of authority and . pleasure . Poor soul ! few were her visftors of that description ; no wonder the ' creature barked ! A magpie perched on the top rung of her chair , not an uncomel y ornament ! and on her lap was placed a mutilated pair of bellows ; the pipe was gone , an advantage in their present office , as they served for a succedaueumfor a writing desk , on which lay displayed her hopes and treasure , the manuscript of her novel . Her ink-stand was a broken
teacup , the pen worn to a stump ; she had but one ! A rough deal board , with three hobbling supporters , was brought for our convenience , on which , without further ceremony , we contrived to sit down , and ' eutered upon business . The work was read , remarks made , alterations agreed to , and thirty guineas demanded for the copy . - The squalid hand-maiden , who had been an attentive listener , stretched forward her tawny length of neck with an eye of anxious expectation ! The bookseller offered five
I . Ourauthoress did not appear hurt , disappointments having rendered-her . mind- callous ; however some altercation ensued . This was the writer ' s first initiation into the mysteries of bibhopolism and the state of authorcraft . He . seeing both parties pertinacious ,, at length interposed , and at his instance the wary haberdasher of literature doubled his first proposal , with this saving proviso , that his friend present would pay a moiety , anu ' run one . haif the Ask ; which was- agreed- to . Thus matters were accommodated
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Collector.
to Islington , in the purlieus of Clerkenweli-bridewell , not very distant from the New River head , where at that time it wasusuaifor the scavengers to leave the cleansiiigs of the streets , and the priests of Cloacina to deposit , the offerings from the tempies of that all-worshi pped Power . The night preceding a heavy rain had fallen , which rendered this extraordinary seat of the Muses almost inaccessible , so . that in our approach we got our white stockings enveloped with mud
. up to . the very calves , which furnished an appearance much in the present fashionable style of half boots . We knocked at the door , ( not attempting to pull the latch string ) which was opened by a tall , meagre , ragged figure , with a blue apron , indicating , what else we might have doubted , the feminine gender ; a perfect model for the-Copper Captain ' s tattered landlad— -thatdeplorable exhibition of the fair
y , sex in the comedy of Rule a Wife . She , with a torpid voice and hungry smile , desired " us to walk in . The first object that presented itself was a dresser , clean , it must be confessed , and furnished with three or four coarse delf plates , two brown platters , and underneath an earthen pipkin , and a black pitcher with a snip out of it . To the right we
perceived and bowed to the mistress of the mansion , sitting on a maimed chair , under the mantle-piece , by a fire , merely sufficient to put us in mind of starving . On one hob satamonkey , which , byway of welcome , chattered at our going in , on the other a tabby cat ; of melancholy aspect ; and at our author ' s feet , on the flounce of her dingy petticoat , reclined a dog , almostaskeleton ; he raised his shagged head , and eagerly staring with- his bleared eyes , saluted us with a snail . doneFidele ! these friends
' Have , are . ' The tone of her voice was not harsh ; it had something in it humbled and disconsolate , a mino-ied effort of authority and . pleasure . Poor soul ! few were her visftors of that description ; no wonder the ' creature barked ! A magpie perched on the top rung of her chair , not an uncomel y ornament ! and on her lap was placed a mutilated pair of bellows ; the pipe was gone , an advantage in their present office , as they served for a succedaueumfor a writing desk , on which lay displayed her hopes and treasure , the manuscript of her novel . Her ink-stand was a broken
teacup , the pen worn to a stump ; she had but one ! A rough deal board , with three hobbling supporters , was brought for our convenience , on which , without further ceremony , we contrived to sit down , and ' eutered upon business . The work was read , remarks made , alterations agreed to , and thirty guineas demanded for the copy . - The squalid hand-maiden , who had been an attentive listener , stretched forward her tawny length of neck with an eye of anxious expectation ! The bookseller offered five
I . Ourauthoress did not appear hurt , disappointments having rendered-her . mind- callous ; however some altercation ensued . This was the writer ' s first initiation into the mysteries of bibhopolism and the state of authorcraft . He . seeing both parties pertinacious ,, at length interposed , and at his instance the wary haberdasher of literature doubled his first proposal , with this saving proviso , that his friend present would pay a moiety , anu ' run one . haif the Ask ; which was- agreed- to . Thus matters were accommodated