my word, and hope with your assistance to retain the one and inhabit the other, for many

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years to come.' 'I wish ye may,' replied the alderman, with all my heart; but you know, Mr. Sheridan, there are some old bills standing.' And there they must stand for the

present,' I replied, for I can do nothing for you now in the way of cash, as I have not received a farthing yet from my office.' 'True, true, Mr. Sheridan,' returned the alderman,

we can hardly expect payment yet; but you surely won't forget your promise to provide your friends with good places, now you have got into a snug birth yourself.' "Oh, certainly not,' I replied; as soon as the necessary arrangements are completed, I mean to put half a hundred of you into the excise, as many more into the public offices as clerks, and the rest, I suppose, may be comfortably provided for as officers, either in the army or navy. I have only to regret that I can do nothing for the ladies; but I suppose they will be pretty well pleased when they see their husbands and taken care of. Certainly, certainly,

sons

your right honourable worship,' replied the other man, who was a master shoemaker; and we hope you will show no favour, but treat us all alike.' I, of course, assured them that there should be no partiality manifested in the distribution of my favours: and so, sending my respects to the whole corporation, I bowed my visitors to the drawing-room door, and with a most patronizing smile, and a hearty shake of the hand, wished them a pleasant journey. back to Stafford: and I assure you, gentlemen, I was glad enough to have got off so easily, for I expected a rumpus with the alder man, to whom, by the by, I happened to owe a small score for wine and beer furnished to my committee."

"I dare say you did, Sherry," said Sir Thomas Stepney; "I have little doubt but you dived to the bottom of the alderman's cellar, before he had time to look about him.-How many pipes did you drink among you ?"

"My dear Tom," returned Sheridan, "if you interrupt me, you will lose the best part of my story."

"Why, I thought you had packed them off to Stafford ?" observed the Earl of Sefton,

"So thought I, my dear Lord," replied Sheridan, "but in a few seconds one of them, -the shoemaker,-without being observed by his companion, returned into the room to get a frank, for the purpose of enclosing a letter to his wife, as he did not intend to leave town for a few days. His friend, the alderman, had nearly got to the bottom of the stairs before he missed him; when, turning his head, he instantly suspected foul play, and rushing back up the stairs, he met his companion at the door, just at the moment that he was putting the frank into his pocket. This was enough--the enraged wine-merchant dashed into my apartment, and with clenched fists, and eyes sparkling with fury, exclaimed, ‘D—n me, if I didn't always think you were a scamp, Sheridan!'

"I was struck with astonishment, as you may well imagine, and hastily inquired what was amiss? Amiss!' roared out my constituent; didn't you say you would treat us all

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alike? What have you been giving to him there?'' Giving to him! I answered with

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surprize; why nothing but a frank for his wife.' 'Well, then,' replied the alderman, ' if that be really the case, give me one too, and let it be just like his.'-This demand I immediately complied with, and he took his leave perfectly satisfied."

This anecdote greatly amused the party to whom it was related; and Mr. Sheridan was several times afterwards requested to repeat it to those gentlemen who had not heard it on the first narration; and this he did with inimitable humour.

* As a set-off to the reputation of not fulfilling his promises to his constituents, which Mr. Sheridan gave to himself in the above anecdote, it ought to be mentioned to his honour, that on one occasion, he actually did keep his word with the natives of Stafford. Numbers of those who voted for him, or their friends and relatives, were appointed to various offices in Drury-lane Theatre and the Opera House. In a short time, however, he found opportunities of obliging new friends; for, alas! more than four-fifths of his first corps of protegées were compelled to relinquish their situations, from receiving no pay!

XIX.

PITT, R-E, AND DUNDAS.

Or this celebrated trio, several curious anecdotes were, on one occasion, related at Brookes's. Mr. Sheridan commenced the series, by the following laughable account of

MR. PITT'S MIDNIGHT REHEARSALS.

It must be premised, that, during the whole of Mr. Pitt's political career, he was a complete slave to business; indeed, so much was his mind occupied with affairs of state, that, generally speaking, he went to bed at night only to dream of the labours of the day. He took little recreation; and when prevailed upon to go to a fashionable party, he seldom stayed