Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.: Or, The Rambles and Adventures of Bob Tallyho, Esq., and His Cousin, the Hon. Tom Dashall, Through the Metropolis; Exhibiting a Living Picture of Fashionable Characters, Manners, and Amusements in High and Low Life (1821)Badcock, John, active 1816-1830
General
Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.: Or, The Rambles and Adventures of Bob Tallyho, Esq., and His Cousin, the Hon. Tom Dashall, Through the Metropolis; Exhibiting a Living Picture of Fashionable Characters, Manners, and Amusements in High and Low Life (1821)
Badcock, John, active 1816-1830
London (England) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
2 Old Jiles--A person who has had a long course of
experience in the arts of fraud, so as to become an adept in
the manouvres of the town, is termed a deep file--a rum
file, or an old file.
3 Conk--The nose.
4 Charley--A watchman.
~93~~only knows. Upon finding this, I made no resistance, but marched
boldly along with the scouts{1} to St. Martin's watch-house, where we
arrived just as a hackney coach drew up to the door.
“Take her in, d----n her eyes, she shall _stump up the rubbish_{2}
before I leave her, or give me the address of her _flash covey_,{3}
and so here goes.” By this time we had entered the watch-house, where
I perceived the awful representative of justice seated in an arm chair,
with a good blazing fire, smoking his pipe in consequential ease.
A crowd of Charleys, with broken lanterns, broken heads, and other
symptoms of a row, together with several casual spectators, had gained
admittance, when Jarvis entered, declaring--By G----he wouldn't be
choused by any wh----re or cull in Christendom, and he would make 'em
come down pretty handsomely, or he'd know the reason why: “And so please
your Worship, Sir”--then turning round, “hallo,” said he, “Sam, what's
becom'd of that there voman--eh--vhat, you've been playing booty eh, and
let her escape.” The man to whom this was intended to be addressed did
not appear to be present, as no reply was made. However, the case was
briefly explained.
“But, by G----, I von't put any thing in Sam's vay again,” cried
Jarvey.{4} For my own part, as I knew nothing of the occurrences
adverted to, I was as much in the dark as if I had gone home without
interruption. The representations of the Charleys proved decisive
against me--in vain I urged the cause of humanity, and the necessity
I felt of protecting a defenceless female from the violence of
accumulating numbers, and that I had done no more than every man ought
to have done upon such an occasion. _Old puff and swill_, the lord
of the night, declared that I must have acted with malice
afore-thought--that I was a pal in the concern, and that I had been
instrumental in the design of effecting a rescue; and, after a very
short deliberation, he concluded that I must be a notorious rascal, and
desired me to make up my mind to remain with him for the remainder of
the night. Not relishing this, I proposed to send for bail, assuring him
of my
1 Scouts--Watchmen.
3 Stump up the rubbish--Meaning she (or he) shall pay, or
find money.
3 Flash covey--A fancy man, partner or protector
4 Jarvey--A coachman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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