When some decay in the draw-bridge on London-bridge had rendered it necessary to prevent the passage of persons and vehicles, in order to its repair in April 1722; the silence and desolate appearance of a place so much frequented at all other times attracted the attention of some wealthy tradesmen, who entered into the whimsical resolution to have a table set in the midst of the street, where they sat drinking for an afternoon, that they might be enabled to say at a future period, "however crowded the bridge is at present, I have drank punch on it for great part of a day." An extraordinary method was adopted by a Brewer's servant in February 1723 to prevent his liability for the payment of the debts of a Mrs. Brittain whom he intended to marry. The lady made her appearance at the door of St. Clement Danes habited in her shift; hence her enamorato conveyed the modest fair to a neighbouring Apothecary's, where she was completely equipped with clothing purchased by him; and in these Mrs. Brittain changed her name at the church. Eccentricity is generally a source of ridicule, but rarely one of profit. An instance of the latter is recorded in the London Journal: a Mr. Morrisco, an eminent Weaver, and a man of vast possessions, resident in Spital-fields, had a bill drawn on him from abroad of 80,000_l._ which was held by an Ambassador at our Court, and sent for acceptance. When the old gentleman made his appearance, the messenger was appalled at his figure, which exhibited penury personified; he therefore hurried back to the Ambassador, full of doubts and fears whether it could be possible such a man should be capable of raising even 800_l._ The representative of Sovereignty, terrified at the idea of his probable loss, resolved to satisfy himself by personal inspection; which he had no sooner done than Morrisco divined his thoughts, and to ease them, and turn his doubts to present profit, he offered to pay the bill immediately for a valuable consideration; the offer was gladly accepted, and Morrisco fairly pocketed 4000_l._ the _produce of his shabby habiliments_. The name of Don Saltero, the odd collector and exhibitor of natural and artificial curiosities at Chelsea, made its first appearance in the newspapers June 22, 1723, whence the following whimsical account of himself and his rarities are extracted: