" "Heaven forgive you, Blackmantle, for the sins you have
laid upon that old man's back! You are not content with working him hard
in the 'Annals' every month, but you must make him mount the box
of some of the short stages, and drive over the rough roads of the
metropolis, where he is in danger of having his wheel locked, or meeting
with a regular upset at every turn." Though Bob has given sufficient
proofs of his spirit in danger, I certainly never suspected him to be
possessed of the spirit of divination, and yet his prophetic address
had scarcely concluded before Boots announced a parcel for Bernard
Blackmantle, Esq. forwarded from London, per favour of Mr. Williams.
And, Heaven preserve me from the charge of imposing upon my reader's
credulity! but, as I live, it was his very hand--another sketch by my
attendant sprite, "the Spirit in the Clouds," and to the very tune of
Transit's anticipations, and my wishes.
A FAMILIAR EPISTLE TO BERNARD BLACKMANTLE, ESQ.,
HUMOROUS DESCRIPTION OF DONCASTER
RACES, THE GREAT ST. LEGER, HORSES,
AND CHARACTERS, IN 1825.
BY AN HONEST REVIEWER,
ALIAS "The spirit in the clouds."{1}
"All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come
To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly,
To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride
On the curl'd clouds; to thy strong bidding, task
Ariel, and all his quality.
Pages:
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840