The English Spy, page 609 by Bernard Blackmantle
<< Return to Title Details & Download610
as you now do, with pockets in which the devil might dance a saraband without injuring his shins against their contents. Why, man, she is a second Breslaw with a pack; I have known her deal four honours, nine trumps to herself three times in the course of one rubber, and not cut a higher card to her adversary than a three during the whole evening. Sensible of her talents, and of the impropriety of hiding them in a napkin, she chose Bath, independence, and her own skill in preference to a country parsonage, conjugal control, and limited pin-money. Her caro sposomeanwhile retired to his living; and now blesses himself on his escape from false deals, odd tricks, and every honour but the true one." One more sketch, and I have done; but I cannot pass by the admirable portrait of a Bath canonical, "Jolly old Dr. Mixall, rosy as a ripe tomata, and round as his own right orthodox wig,
'With Atlantean shoulders, fit to bear The weight of mightiest monarchies!'
Awful and huge, he treads the ground like one of Bruce's moving pillars of sand! What a dark and deep abyss he carries before him--the grave insatiate of turtle and turbot, red mullet and John Dories, haunches and pasties, claret, port, and home-brewed ale! But his good-humour alone would keep him at twenty stone were he to cease larding himself for a month to come; and when he falls, may the turf lie lightly on his stomach! Then shall he melt gently into rich manure;
'And fat be the gander that feeds on his grave.'"
"But now for the moderns," said Horace; "for the enchanting fair,
'Whose snow-white bosoms fascinate the eye, Swelling in all the pride of nudity;
~311~~
The firm round arm, soft cheek, and pouting lip, And backs exposed below the jutting hip; To these succeed dim eyes, and wither'd face», And pucker'd necks as rough as shagreen cases, But whose kind owners, hon'ring Bladud's ball, Benevolently show their little all.'"<