Fitzherbert, Maria Anne, 1756-1837; George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830
'"My Lord March has not one, but several devils. He loves gambling,
he loves horse-racing, he loves betting, he loves drinking, he loves
eating, he loves money, he loves women, and you have fallen into bad
company, Mr. Warrington, when you lighted upon his Lordship. He will
play you for every acre you have in Virginia."
'"With the greatest pleasure in life, Mr. Warrington!" interposes my
Lord.
'"And for all your tobacco, and for all your spices, and for all your
slaves, and for all your oxen and asses."
* * * * *
'"Unfortunately, my Lord, the tobacco, and the slaves, and the
asses, and the oxen, are not mine, as yet. I am just of age, and my
mother--scarce twenty years older--has quite as good chance of long
life as I have."
'"I will bet that you survive her. I will pay you a sum now, against
four times the sum to be paid at her death. I will set a fair sum over
this table against the reversion of your estate in Virginia at the old
lady's departure."'
Certainly, it is pleasant to turn from such companions of Florizel's to
another, whose only fault was his conviviality. I mean Captain Charles
Morris, punch-maker and bard to the Beefsteak Society, where he met
with the Prince, at his admission into the society, in 1785; and the
author of the 'Clubs of London' thus describes him:
[Illustration: CAPTAIN MORRIS.]
'But Charles Morris--can anyone think of the Beefsteaks without
including thy revered image in the picture? The faculties of man are
not equal to an abstraction so metaphysical. For many, many years,
during which several of man's autumnal generations have fallen, he has
been faithful to his post. He is the bard of the Society, who, in the
person of this, her favourite disciple, may still boast _non caret vate
sacro_, fortune has not yet struck this old deer of the forest. You
should have seen him, as was his wont at the period I am speaking of,
making the Society's punch, his ancient and rightful office. It was
pleasing to see him at his laboratory at the side board, stocked with
the varied products that enter into the composition of that nectareous
mixture; then, smacking an elementary glass, or two, and giving a
significant nod, the fiat of its excellence; and what could exceed the
extasy with which he filled the glasses that thronged round the
bowl; joying over its mantling beauties with an artist's pride, and
distributing the fascinating draught
'"That flames and dances in its crystal bound."'
Morris's songs, which after his death were published in two volumes,
under the title of 'Lyra Urbanica,' rendered him a welcome guest at
Carlton House and the Pavilion; and, strange to say, he enjoyed the
favour and countenance of Florizel, both as Prince and King, until the
death of his royal patron.
We have a very good portrait of Captain Morris, dated July 1, 1789,
with the lines:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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