_The frolic; its consequences--Windsor Castle--St. Paul's--College of
Physicians--Undertakers, sextons, &c., almost ruined--Industry of the
apothecaries._
THE FROLIC.
This famous sling makes the possessor equal to any task he is desirous
of performing.
I made a balloon of such extensive dimensions, that an account of the
silk it contained would exceed all credibility; every mercer's shop and
weaver's stock in London, Westminster, and Spitalfields contributed to
it: with this balloon and my sling I played many tricks, such as taking
one house from its station, and placing another in its stead, without
disturbing the inhabitants, who were generally asleep, or too much
employed to observe the peregrinations of their habitations. When the
sentinel at Windsor Castle heard St. Paul's clock strike thirteen, it
was through my dexterity; I brought the buildings nearly together that
night, by placing the castle in St. George's Fields, and carried it
back again before daylight, without waking any of the inhabitants;
notwithstanding these exploits, I should have kept my balloon, and its
properties a secret, if Montgolfier had not made the art of flying so
public.
On the 30th of September, when the College of Physicians chose their
annual officers, and dined sumptuously together, I filled my balloon,
brought it over the dome of their building, clapped the sling round the
golden ball at the top, fastening the other end of it to the balloon,
and immediately ascended with the whole college to an immense height,
where I kept them upwards of three months. You will naturally inquire
what they did for food such a length of time? To this I answer, Had
I kept them suspended twice the time, they would have experienced no
inconvenience on that account, so amply, or rather extravagantly, had
they spread their table for that day's feasting.
Though this was meant as an innocent frolic, it was productive of
much mischief to several respectable characters amongst the clergy,
undertakers, sextons, and grave-diggers: they were, it must be
acknowledged, sufferers; for it is a well-known fact, that during
the three months the college was suspended in the air, and therefore
incapable of attending their patients, no deaths happened, except a few
who fell before the scythe of Father Time, and some melancholy objects
who, perhaps to avoid some trifling inconvenience here, laid the hands
of violence upon themselves, and plunged into misery infinitely greater
than that which they hoped by such a rash step to avoid, without a
moment's consideration.
If the apothecaries had not been very active during the above time, half
the undertakers in all probability would have been bankrupts.