Fitzherbert, Maria Anne, 1756-1837; George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830
The same newspaper of September 26 gives the following story, which has
been universally credited to Lord Barrymore: 'A coffin has been borne
about by men, through the streets of Brighton, for several evenings,
in dismal annoyance to the peaceable inhabitant, and valetudinarian
visitant. The _Merry Mourners_ happened, unfortunately, to call at
one, among many other houses, where pregnancy gave a natural increase
of sensibility to the nerves of a poor woman, who opened the door at
their wanton summons, and, soon after, by miscarriage, produced a
premature candidate for a coffin, in melancholy earnest. An Italian,
who, having heard, or, perhaps read, that Thespis, daubed with wine
lees, squeaked his satire from a cart, got into this comic coffin, in
order to _grin_ a death's head moral to mortality. When his horizontal
site got tiresome, Signor Cataletto resigned in favour of another, a
dependent of the same household, who was conveyed in the coffin to
the churchyard, whither, by consent between the parties, one of them,
soon after, conducted a fair companion. On taking their stand near the
coffin, Master _Dead-alive_ rose, and sat up therein. The affrighted
_Rep_, thinking it was some ghost which rose to avenge the profanation
intended, scoured over the tombs with the pace of _Camilla_. Mr. O.
a gentleman, having been honoured, one evening, with a visit by this
drear procession, sallied out with a brace of pistols. They fled--but
the bearers were, at last, obliged to drop their sable burden. The
spirited pursuer soon brought the cased menial to own, that though so
confined, he was yet alive, and belonged to the Wargrave[59] family.'
One who knew him well thus describes him: 'His Lordship was alternately
between the gentleman and the black guard, the refined wit and the most
vulgar bully were equally well known in St. James's and St. Giles's.
He could fence, dance, drive, or drink, box, or bet with any man in
the kingdom. He could discourse slang as trippingly as French, relish
porter after port, and compliment her ladyship, at a ball, with as much
ease and brilliance, as he could bespatter in blood in a cider cellar.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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