At the moment, to make bad worse, it was known that Sandwich had some personal animus against Wilkes, arising out of a quarrel at an orgy at which Sandwich when very drunk had invoked the devil, and Wilkes had thereupon let loose a monkey and nearly scared his fellow reprobate out of his wits. What the public thought of the part Sandwich took in this affair was not long afterwards made manifest at a performance at Covent Garden Theatre of "The Beggar's Opera," when, in the third act, Macheath exclaims, "That Jemmy Twitcher should peach me I own surprised me. 'Tis a proof that the world is all alike, and that even our gang can no more trust each other than other people," there were cries from all parts of the house of "Jemmy Twitcher! Jemmy Twitcher!" and for the rest of his life by that sobriquet was Sandwich known, even, as Horace Walpole says, to the disuse of his own name. "Extremes in nature prove the same, The profligate is dead to shame, No conscious pangs ensue; Satire can't wound the virtuous heart, Nor _Savile_ fell her venom'd dart, No more, my lord, than you. "To peach the accomplice of one's crimes, A gracious pardon gains sometimes, When treachery recommends; For you, my lord, is clearly seen, For close the sacred tie between King's evidence and friends."[260] [260] _Lines addressed to the Earl of Sandwich._ Parliament met on November 15, 1763; and Lord Sandwich, before the Address was taken into consideration, placed on the table the "Essay on Woman," and denounced it as a "most blasphemous, obscene, and abominable libel," in a speech which drew from Lord le Despencer the remark that never before had he heard the devil preach. Bishop Warburton's language on this occasion was, perhaps, such as no divine has ever before or since employed in public--"the blackest fiends in Hell would not keep company with Wilkes," he declared, and then apologised to Satan for comparing them. This intemperance of attack coupled with the underhand methods employed by the Ministry, brought forth a remonstrance from Pitt; while later Churchill avenged Wilkes by some lines of terrible ferocity on the Bishop: "He drank with drunkards, lived with sinners, Herded with infidels for dinners; With such an emphasis and grace Blasphemed, that Potter kept not pace: He, in the highest reign of noon, Bawled bawdy songs to a Psalm tune; Lived with men infamous and vile, Truck'd his salvation for a smile; To catch their humour caught their plan, And laughed at God to laugh with man; Praised them, when living, in each breath, And damn'd their memories after death."[261] [261] _The Duellist._