THE our HE well-known subject of our pre

SHAKSPEARE,

in in the year lates, in Exeter 'Change, he immediately

brated instance of that successful industry, which is alike honourable to the individual, and to the country. It is an instance which at once characterizes the commercial habits of our indefatigable ancestors, while it offers a splendid example of that munificent recompence which seldom fails to reward such unbending integrity and unremitting per

severance.

The life of the late Mr. CLARK WAS almost exclusively public, and we have but little to relate that is not very generally known. The journal of twentyfour hours, with but little variation, might form almost a journal of his exist ence, as, with a due respect to the value of time, it was never devoted but to purposes of business, and, consequently, of profit.

Mr. C. was born in the year 1737, at Bossel Common, near Warwick, and brought up with his father, who was a farmer, until after the age of twenty, when he came to London.-Whether accident or enterprise first led him to the metropolis, we are uninformed; but learning that a stall was to let

laid the foundation of that immense fortune which he afterwards realized. We have indeed heard, that the first hundred pounds which enabled him to extend his business, was generously advanced by a gentleman who had acci dentally overheard Mr. Clark deplore the want of such a sum, and who the next day most unexpectedly brought it. While such was his confidence in Mr. C.'s integrity of principle, that every usual form of bond, receipt, or even written acknowledgment, was, in this extraordinary negociation, entirely dispensed with. We need not add, that the debt so honourably contracted, was as honourably and gratefully discharged.

As his stock was thus augmented, his custom proportionably increased. What he sold was good; the price asked, was invariably the price taken; and this excellent rule, added to the moderation of his profits, secured him that rapid retail custom which ultimately enriched him with the golden fruits of fair industry.-But what, perhaps, added to his wealth still more, was the very moderate nature of his ha

bits.

Every day he dined with his plate, not indeed on the bare board, but upon a sheet of paper, in his little closet, and probably the expense of his meal, with a pint of porter included, never reached the sum of one skilling! After dinner he was accustomed to take one glass of spirits in water, at the public-house opposite the end of the "Change, and thence returning, resumed the business of the day. Morning and evening saw him on his old horse, which, with its rider, was as well known at Charing-cross as King Charles himself. Latterly, however, he came to town, from his residence at Pimlico, and returned in his son's carriage.

In 1814, Mr. Clark completed his seventy-seventh year, and then, for the first time, celebrated his birth-day. His visitors were his children and grandchildren; and though the viands resembled those of a feast an hundred years ago, yet the desert possessed some features entirely novel. The cloth being drawn, the old gentleman presented each of his grandchildren, twelve in number, with a five-guinea piece in gold, a Bible, Dodsley's Economy of Human Life, Pope's Essay on Man, and Dr. Franklin's Life and Works. He then addressed his youthful auditors thus:-"My children! sometimes articles of the least value have the strongest powers of attraction.--Gold is a slippery article, it is frequently here to day and gone to-morrow. In moderation, and under the controul of discretion, it is good:-but an abundance of it has proved injurious to more states and families than it has ever mended; an attention to the books that I have presented you with, will do you good, as they will be a pleasant guide through life's short journey, by teaching the adoration you owe to Gon-the duty you owe to your neighbour,-and the advantages which you owe to your selves, by`enabling you to lay down your heads in peace, with a joyful hope of futurity; which, that you may do,—is my earnest prayer to God for you all."

He then called on his eldest granddaughter to read the last chapter of Proverbs, and on his eldest grandson to read the 23d verse in the 4th chapter of the same book.

The whole family having assembled and retired in health and good-humour, the venerable founder of the feast ever

considered this as the most satisfaclory day that he had passed in seventy-seven pleasant years; and it was evident, that neither time nor age had divested him of that inherent cheerfulness, which thus shed its twilight beams even over the confines of the grave.

We have heard many stories of Mr. Clark: some of them founded on his peculiarities, but not one to his discredit. Though addicted to the accumulation of money, it was by honest means; and what appeared to others hard self-privation, was probably to him, who relished few higher pleasures, an enjoyment, because it was a second nature. Nor was he incapable of performing, at times, actions of the most liberal and honourable kind. Among the numerous anecdotes told of him, it is reported, that when the income tax was first imposed, he gave in his schedule at 6000Z. The taxcollector returned it to him for amendment, under the supposition that he had returned (and over-rated too) his whole stock, instead of his annual income. Mr. Clark hitched on another thousand, and assured the collector that he was sure it was the full amount.-" Aye, but," said the other, "I want your income, not your property."-" Are you content "-" Yes !" So am 1," replied the old merchant, and wished the astonished collector a brief good morning. In his will, Mr. C. remembered all his friends and faithful servants in a handsome manner. occasion of his death, on the 6th of September last, Exeter Change was partially shut, and had, from its wonted light and bustle, a strange appearance. Of his person, our likeness conveys an idea at once accurate and striking. His features were by no means of a common cast, and his sagacity and sense were obvious in his conversations on almost every subject. Upon the whole, he was an eccentric mau, but one in whom eccentricity was not vice-odd in his manuers, but upright in his intercourse with the world-and capable of many most beneficent and disinterested acts of humanity and charity. Let the idle imitate his industry, and the avaricious copy his benevolence, then will his life have been not less honourable to himself, than useful to society at large. while the example will not cease to actuate, even when its original is forgotten.

On the

J.

THE PEDLAR OF LAMBETH.

To the Editor of the European Magazine,

SIR,

YOUR

OUR old Correspondent Mr. Moser, has, I believe, in a former number of your Magazine, made some mention of the "Pedlar and his Dog" pourtrayed in the window of the parish church of St. Mary, Lambeth; but as I do not find any satisfactory account of this extraordinary person in the works of any topographer, I write this with a view of calling the attention of some intelligent correspondent to the subject (having no doubt that such a character really existed), and hoping to see his history further elucidated than it appears to have hitherto been.

Ped

Pennant, Lysons, and others, mention it as a tradition, that the parish was indebted to this person (whoever he was) for the bequest of a piece of land, which bears the name of lar's Acre," and which is now likely to be rendered of considerable value and importance, from the circumstance of its proximity to the Strand Bridge; a noble structure, at once an honor and an ornament to the metropolis, and which appears to be approaching fast to a completion.

The latter writer considers the figures above-mentioned to be a Rebus of some benefactor to the church; but I am rather inclined to think it was intended as a portrait of some such person, and that the current tradition respecting this itinerant trader is not altogether void of foundation.

The author of the "New View of London," published in 1708, who appears to have known more of this sub

in

ject than any of his successors, speak ing of Lambeth Church observes, the glass are the effigies of a pedlar and his dog, who gave, besides the following gifts, one acre of land, on condition the said picture be from time to time kept in good repair;" and adds, "there are many pleasant stories of him, which I have not room to insert." The benefactions referred to are given as follows:

a pedlar, (besides

There is moreover, a story of a pedlar, connected with the history of the parish church of Swaffham in the county of Norfolk, who is reported to have

been a considerable benefactor to that

place, and who is said to have acquired great riches, through a very extraor dinary dream. Now, as the following curious relation which I have lately met with among some old MSS. appears connected with one of the above traditions, I think it not improbable, that the insertion of it in your interest-> ing miscellany may call forth some of the "pleasant stories" referred to by the author before mentioned, which I do not recollect to have seen in print. I hope, therefore, you will find it convenient to assign it a place in one of it will in itself contribue to the amuseyour future numbers, having no doubt ment of your readers, if not elicit other communications upon the subject affording more information and entertainment.

I am, Sir, &c. Islington, April 1, 1816.

N.

vel about the country with his pack, There was a pedlar who used to trabut kept a chamber or store-room in town for the depositing and laying up some goods which he had there, and which were too many at a time to carry them all about with him. It happened that this man having been abroad late, himself down upon a stile, resting the and coming home with his pack, sạt pack at the same time for his ease: while he sat here, there came up to him a ghost, in the appearance of a woman, drest all in white; she came

up to him with a smiling countenance,

and when she discovered herself she stept backward, and holding up a fine white hand beckoned to him with a finger to follow her.

The pedlar, frighted as he was, immediately followed the apparition ;the apparition leads him in this mauner going backward, and beckoning with her hand, over two or three fields, till it came to a particular place, where there lay a great stone, aud there giving a stamp with its foot

marks the stone, goes home to carry his pack, and comes out the next night with a spade and a pick-axe, and goes

to work to dig a great pit in the earth. He had not dug far, it seems, but he found a large chest; I say large, for it could not be a small one, by what you shall hear presently. He doubled his diligence when he came to the chest, and with great labour at length got it out of the place, and we may suppose was not long before he found means to split it open and get into the inside of it to see the contents, for he found it very heavy when he laboured to get it out. In a word he found the chest full of silver, that is to say full of money; then keeping his own council, he took care to deposit it so, that by some and some he got the money all safe home, and after that he carried the chest home also.

What the sum was that he found here does not appear; but it seems the bulk was such, that the pedlar thought fit to leave off his travelling about the country as a pedlar, takes a house in the town, furnishes himself a shop, and becomes a settled inhabitant and shopkeeper. During his appearing in this figure, it happened that the parish church being exceeding old and out of repair, the parishioners (whether by order of the diocesan upon a visitation, or by the voluntary act and deed of themselves, the parishioners, I know not) resolved to repair the church. In order to furnish the needful sums for this good work they call a vestry, and propose a subscription of the inhabitants for supporting the expense; so the minister and churchwardens go about from house to house to see what the charitable parishioners would contribute, and among the rest they at length came to the pedlar's (now shopkeeper's) house, and he being told

their business desires them to walk in.

After some discourse, and perhaps treating his neighbours, he asks for their roll or subscription paper, in order to subscribe; looking over the roll he sees Sir Thomas five pounds, another gentleman five pounds, another ten pounds, another forty shillings, and so on. "Come," says he, give a poor pedlar the pen and ink, will your gentry subscribe no more than that?" so he takes the pen and subscribes five-and twenty pounds.

Some time after this, having occasion to make a hatch to his shop door, as in the country is very frequent, it happened, that sending for a workman to make this hatch, and looking about

among his old lumber, he found nothing so proper as the old chest that the money was found in, and accordingly a hatch was made of it.

Awhile after this, as the pedlar was sitting in his shop, he observed an ancient gentleman, who lived in the town, and who had the reputation of a scholar, and particularly of a great antiquary, stood poring very earnestly, with his spectacles on, upon this new hatch: this brought the pedlar to the door, who, after waiting a good while to see what it was the old gentleman had discovered, at last, he asked him what it was he found upon his new hatch that was worth so much of his notice,

66

"Truly, neighbour," says the gentle. man," what I observe is very remarka ble, though I cannot tell the meaning of it; and I suppose 'tis in a character that you cannot easily read, as well as in a language that you may not understand." The pedlar desired he would read it to him. Why," says the gentleman, "you will not understand it when I have read it."-"But, Sir," says the pedlar, "can you not tell the meaning of it in English?"—“Why," says the gentleman, "it is the old Saxon English, in the ancient Gothic charac ter, and it may be read thus,

Where this once stood,

Stands another twice as good. "Hum!" says the pedlar, that's old stuff indeed; what can that signify?" "Nay," says the old gentleman, “ that I don't know, for who can tell where this once stood?"-"Aye, who, indeed," says the pedlar, "and if they did, what can there be in that?"

They had a little more chat of that kind; but, in short the pedlar got rid of his old gentleman as soon as he could, and began to ruminate upon the thing; "Where this stood ! "—" why I know well enough," says he to himself," where this stood; I must go and see, it may be there is some more of the

same.

But then he argued, "why this is so many years ago (six or seven at least), and if it was a ghost or spirit that shewed me the way to it, I'll warrant she has showed somebody else the way to the rest: indeed, I did not deserve it that I did not look further when I was at it;-to be sure, it's all gone by this time."

Thus he argued himself almost out of the thing again, till at length he told his wife of it, who, it seems, had been