Mr. Pierce

“ I pitied him. 'It will set ye all right!' says I, 'it'll take the fogyism all out, warm up yer inards, and make yer ideas come out with the philosophy of a Mara beau. Mr. Pierce loves to traffic in the language of war, but like all little creatures, makes his noise and stops.'
"'Well, in obedience to my friendship for you, Smooth—and with the knowledge that you are going into business with Uncle Sam—appreciating the 'Young American' party as I do, I don't care if I take. ”

“ Sheply staying below all this time for me we went thence and met Mr. Pierce,
[Pepys had two friends named Pierce, one the surgeon and the other the purser; he usually (but not always) distinguishes them. The one here alluded to was probably the surgeon, and husband of pretty Mrs. Pierce. After the Restoration James Pearse or Pierce became Surgeon to the Duke of York, and he was also Surgeon-General of the Fleet.]
so at the Harp and Ball drank our morning draft and so to Whitehall where I met with Sir Ant. ”

“ There's a fellow here from down Mississippi I've spoke to—a number one pole and a letter A oar—Captain Burke Pierce by name—and he'll manage her for you, Mr. Burr, and provide his own crew."
"Where can I find this Captain Pierce?"
"I'll take you to him right away. He's down on the boat now. A mighty good hand is Burke, tough as a bull, swims like a muskrat, but he has one failing—only one so far as I know—he will drink, and when he's drunk he's vicious. But they all take their whiskey, these boatmen, and so does almost every landsman, for that matter—and Pierce is no worse than the rest. ”

“ All the announcements from Paternoster Row were of books, great and small, depicting life in London; dramatists at once turned their attention to the same subject, and tailors, bootmakers, and hatters, recommended nothing but Corinthian shapes, and Tom and Jerry patterns. [29]
Immediately Messrs. Sherwood and Co. issued the first shilling number of Mr. Pierce Egan’s work, out came Jones and Co., of Finsbury Square, with the following in sixpenny numbers:—
REAL LIFE IN LONDON;
or, The Rambles and Adventures of Bob Tallyho, Esq., and his Cousin, the Hon. Tom Dashall, through the Metropolis. ”

“ Enter TOM, JERRY, and LOGIC.
Tom. Ha! ha! ha! was there ever such a flat as that Mr. Green?—we can buy no prad to-day, Jerry; we must go when some gentlemen’s stud is selling; and while the dealers are running down the cattle, we can get a prime good one for a song. But now for Almack’s—the highest Life in London! and see what game Cupid has sprung up for us in that quarter. ”

“ Pierce became very sick of hearing from his guardian, at least once a term and more often during the holidays, that he had no prospects, and must look to himself for his future. "I'm a self-made man," the merchant would say proudly; and Pierce, when he was a public school-boy and began to have ideas of his own, would think: "A precious bad job you made of it."
Mr. Errington's oldest friend was a fellow merchant in Shanghai. John Burroughs was a plodder. He might never be so rich as Errington, but certainly he would never be so poor. ”

“ Tat. For forty pounds, have you all done at forty? last time at forty—forty—going for forty! going—going—gone! Mr. Green, he’s yours.
Green. I’ve bought him!
Tat. You have indeed, Sir!
Green. Here’s your money, Sir—Mr. Green, from Tooley Street—you’ll find two twenties! and I’m wery much obliged to you for your serwility.
Cope. You don’t want a civil honest lad to lead him home for your honour, do you, Sir?
Green. No thank’ye, I’m not going to trust an hanimal like that with nobody but myself. Can nobody have the goodness to lend me a bit of rope, to get him along vith? ”

“ Pierce, she being somewhat old and handsome, and painted and fine, and had a very handsome maid with her, which we take to be the marks of a bawd. But Mrs. Pierce says she is a stranger to her and met by chance in the coach, and pretends to be a dresser. Her name is Eastwood. So to sleep in a bad bed about one o'clock in the morning. This afternoon after dinner comes Mr. Stephenson, one of the burgesses of the town, to tell me that the Mayor and burgesses did desire my acceptance of a burgess-ship, and were ready at the Mayor's to make me one. ”

“ The sea was now breaking in at the fore-part of the ship, and reached as far as the mainmast. Captain Pierce gave Mr. Rogers a nod, and they took a lamp and went together into the stern-gallery, where, after viewing the rocks for some time, Captain Pierce asked Mr. Rogers if he thought there was any possibility of saving the girls; to which he replied, he feared there was none; for they could only discover the black face of the perpendicular rock, and not the cavern which afforded shelter to those who escaped. ”

“ Mr. Grahame stayed away from London longer than was expected. Freed from embarrassments, he played the lord in his haughtiest and worst aspect. His harshness and his despotic tyranny had obtained for him an outward show of slavish deference, with a fierce under-current of mortal hatred. This bowing down and worshipping had re-inflated him, and he returned to his London mansion, swelled in feeling to the dimensions of a mighty noble. ”

“ Vincent Dowling, the Editor, was well known in the Sporting World and in him the Fancy found a sincere friend. He is a most excellent companion; cheerful, witty, and satirical at all times, but, in the latter display of his talents, the feather appears more than the razor—he tickles his adversaries, rather than wounds their feelings”—Pierce Egan.—A service of plate value 100 gs. was presented to Mr. Vincent Dowling, at the Castle Tavern, Holborn, July 18, 1833. ”

“ Well, Jerry, after our last night’s divertisement at Almack’s, the set-to I gave you this morning at the great Commissary-General Jackson’s rooms cannot be better followed up than by a turn in the sporting parlour of honest Tom Cribb.
Cribb. Thank’ye, Mr. Corinthian; I’ll always do my best to satisfy you in any way.
Tom. There is one way, Tom, in which you would very soon satisfy us.
Jerry. Yes, and I’m thinking not a little to our dis-satisfaction. I am of opinion that every gentleman should practice the art of self defence, if it were only to protect him from the insults of vulgar ignorance ”

“ The talented, spirited George Cruikshank was himself, in all the better points, the Tom—of the Corinthian Order; he is so admirably delineated; his very clever brother Isaac Robert, then perhaps less experienced, condescended to pass for Jerry, and the downey Pierce Egan—“‘None but himself can be his parallel’ [14] —was his own Logic—the Oxonian in green specs—gig-lamps!” Mr. Moncrieff continues—“they having tria juncta in uno produced the admirable foundation of this Piece. ”

“ Bill Lampeter nodded, munching his bread.
“They’ll not be back afore the dawning, them troopers,” he said. “They’ve limed the twig, ye see; the bird is made fast. If Mr. Cope do hear the country’s up, he’ll bide where he be there at Goodrest, reckoning ’tis safest to keep still. Between now and the first streak as shows over the Black Scaur, mistress, you can do as you will.”
“Eh, Mistress Beatrice, you can’t never go,” said Patty, trembling. “You couldn’t dare to do it. And this here boy,” she whispered, standing close to Mistress Beatrice, “is a very proverb for 356 wicked story-telling. ”

“ She never can be yours. Now, Mr. Vivian, I am not unmindful of your past services; I appreciate them warmly, and am most unlikely to forget them by any breach of the laws of hospitality, but you must see this can no longer be a place for you to visit. I must, therefore, take my farewell of you. I shall be happy to hear of your future welfare and of your fame, for I have always entertained an opinion that a high destiny awaits you. At any time that I can be of service”——
Hal made an impatient, indignant gesture. Mr. Wilton bowed.
“I understand the feeling,” he said, “and I honour it. ”

“ My happiness is all invested in you; if you love me, yours is equally centred in me. I have enough to keep us both in comfort and happiness, and some day I shall be as wealthy as my father now is. Oh! Lotte, we will live with each other and for each other, you, my dear little wife, thinking of and caring only for your faithful husband, and I—I, Lotte, exhausting every plan to complete and perfect for you a peaceful, happy existence.”
“But, dear Mark, what said Mr. Wilton?” persisted Lotte, looking grave and even sad. ”

“ LIFE IN A SPREE.
A Spree’s the thing, with potent port made merry,
“Go it Bob Logic,” “Keep it up,” cries Jerry.
[Pg 91] The Upper Story all abroad—Mr. Lushington at Work; and when the Wine is in, the Wit is out—Ripe for any thing—How to make a Stop—Watch go—And getting the best of the Timekeepers—Must make a noise in the World:—
No way but this left to obtain renown,
Kick up a Row, and knock the Charlie’s down!
LIFE IN THE EAST.
All-Max ...... A bit of good Truth! ”

“ What happiness to have her dwelling at his home, her eyes to greet him when he returned at night, and follow him when he departed in the morning, her sweet-toned voice to welcome him and to speed him on his way, her delicious presence to smoothe down the fatigues of his daily labour, and to wile away imperceptibly hours which otherwise might drag their slow length tediously along.
Harry Vivian, overflowing with Mr. Harper’s instructions and his own emotions of delight, one morning by arrangement entered the room in which Flora was seated alone, and advanced towards her shyly and slowly. ”

“ Its consequences to me are of vital importance, and it is impossible to describe the joy, the happiness, it has brought to a man bowed down by a succession of dire misfortunes.”
“Mr. Wilton, I am unprepared to hear such expressions from your lips; believe me, it affords me especial gratification,” rejoined Colonel Mires, casting his eyes craftily upon Flora, to observe what effect her father’s words, in his praise, would have upon her. ”

“ I require a gentle counsellor, one fond enough of me to make my home to me the centre of paradise on earth, while I endeavour to make her life as free from care and as full of unalloyed happiness as it is possible for such an one as myself to accomplish. You, Lotte, are the pure and loving woman upon whom my heart settles like the dove on the ark; mere worldly distinctions I despise. You have centred in your sweet self all I desire to possess.”
“I am very grateful to you, Mr. Wilton,” she responded.
He interrupted her.
“Mark! my name is Mark! do call me Mark!” he exclaimed earnestly. ”

“ Land. Egad, I think there’s devils enough to it. (Aside) . Gentlemen, the deficiencies shall be supplied directly. (He is hunted off) .
Mr. J. Hit him; he’s got no friends.
Jemmy. We must go to some hother tavern, if we’re neglected in this here manner.
Mr. J. You may do as you please, gemmen, but for my part, I shall certainly use some other hotel.
Billy. You perfectly right, Massa Jenkins, we must use some other hot-hell.
Jerry. (To Sue, she having attracted his attention) . And so you sell ballads, eh?
Sue. Yes, Sir, three a penny; but if you like to take twelve, I’ll make you an allowance. ”

“ Bear.
Skinny didn't like it because Mr. Richmond killed the bear. He wanted to tame it and give a show [179] in our barn. He was bound to take it home, anyhow, so as to save the skin.
It took a lot of pulling and hauling to get the cub out to the road, and Mary had to help before they could lift him into the wagon.
"Jump in," said Mr. Richmond, when everything was ready. "It is time that I was getting home."
"I can't," said Skinny. "You see, I am doing a stunt for the Scouts and I have to walk." ”

“ He was a born cripple, and in every respect a most miserable object of charity. Moncrieff imported him into his Adelphi version of “Tom and Jerry; or, Life in London,” as “Little Jemmy,” and there figures in the Scene: Back Slums in the Holy Land: in company with Mr. Jenkins, Soldier Suke, Dingy Bet, Creeping Jack, Billy Waters, Ragged Dick, and other well-known characters.—Vide page 46. ”

“ At Pierce's words, Bryce sharpened his eyes on the face across the table. There was a touch of seriousness in those words; more like a statement than a suggestion.
Pierce smiled wryly and took a vial out of his pocket and poured it into his drink. He spun the empty bottle between thumb and fingers.
“We owe ourselves some fun,” Pierce repeated. “We've nothing on the fire tonight, nothing to do that's crucial. It's a good night to experiment.” ”

“ There was a movement in the crowd, whereupon the speaker cried, warningly: "Boosters, stand back! Don't try to give us the elbow, or I'll close up this game!" To Pierce he murmured, confidentially: "We've got him right. Don't let anybody edge you out." He put more weight upon Phillips' hand and forced the young man closer to the table.
Pierce had no intention of surrendering his place, and now the satisfaction of triumphing over these crooks excited him. He continued to cover the walnut-shell while with his free hand he drew his own money from his pocket. ”

“ A foot like a cat, a tail like a rat.
Grimaldi, Joseph. Vulgo, Joey Grimaldi, the renowned clown, 1779-1837.
Grog.—Rum and water cold without. Admiral Vernon was called “Old Grog” by his sailors, because he was accustomed to walk the deck in rough weather in a “grogram cloak,” as he was the first to serve water in the rum on board ship, the mixture went by the name of Grog. Tom, Jerry and Bob [Pg 177] Logic found out its use and abuse not only in the Back Slums in the Holy Land, but at Mr. Mace’s Crib in the East.
Grub.—It is scarcely necessary to explain the meaning of grub ”