That drew th’ essential form of grace,
That saw the manners in the face,
and four of his friends. “Some few copies of the Tour,” says Horace
Walpole, “were printed by Mr. Nichols. It was a party of pleasure down
the river into Kent, undertaken by Mr. Hogarth, Mr. Scott, and three of
their friends, in which they intended to have more humour than they
accomplished, as is commonly the case in such meditated attempts. The
Tour was described in verse by one of the company, and the drawings
executed by the painters, but with little merit, except the views taken
by Mr. Scott.”
Walpole’s account is an incorrect and contemptuous flout of “a merry,
and a very merry” party, consisting--besides Hogarth, and his friend
Scott, a landscape painter--of Thornhill, (son of sir James, whose
daughter Hogarth married;) Tothall, a woollendraper at the corner of
Tavistock-court, Covent-garden, who, being a member of the club at the
Bedford coffee-house, became intimate with Hogarth; and Forrest, another
of Hogarth’s friends. They “accomplished” much “humour,” as their
journal shows; though not to the understanding of Walpole, who was only
a fine gentleman, a wit, and an adept in artificial knowledge.
A few months ago, I heard from the lips of the kindest and most
exquisite humourist of the age, what seems to me a perfect
definition--“Humour is Wit steeped in Mannerism.” Walpole could never
say, because he never thought, or felt, any thing like it. He was
skilled in imitative matters alone: he brought himself up to Art, and
there stopped; his good breeding would not permit him to deviate towards
Nature. He talked of it as people of fashion do of trade--a vulgar
thing, which they are obliged to hear something about, and cannot help
being influenced by.
The “some few copies of the Tour,” which Horace Walpole says “were
printed by Mr. Nichols,” and which he represents as having been
“described in verse by one of the company,” Mr. Nichols certainly
printed in 1781; but that gentleman acquaints us, that it “was the
production of the ingenious Mr. W. Gostling, of Canterbury,” who was not
of the party. Mr. Nichols reprinted it at the request of some friends,
on account of its rarity, in his “Biographical Anecdotes of Hogarth.”
The account of the “Tour,” really written “by one of the company,” was
in prose; and this, which certainly Walpole had not seen, was edited,
and given to the world, by Mr. R. Livesay, in 1782, on nine oblong folio
pages, with etchings of the same size.
The Tour in question was not “meditated.” The party set out at midnight,
at a moment’s warning, from the Bedford Arms tavern, each with a shirt
in his pocket. They had particular departments to attend to. Hogarth and
Scott made the drawings; Thornhill (Hogarth’s brother-in-law) the map;
Tothall faithfully discharged the joint office of treasurer and caterer;
and Forrest wrote the journal. They were out five days only; and on the
second night after their return, the book was produced, bound, gilt, and
lettered, and read at the same tavern to the members of the club then
present. A copy of the journal having been left in the hands of the Rev.
Mr. Gostling, (author of “A Walk in and about Canterbury,”) he wrote an
imitation of it in Hudibrastic verse, of which Mr. Nichols printed
twenty copies as a literary curiosity.[345]
The original Tour by Mr. Forrest, and the versified version of it, are
placed on the ensuing pages, from the before-mentioned editions;
beginning with Forrest’s from the title-page, viz.
AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT SEEMED MOST REMARKABLE IN THE FIVE DAYS’
PEREGRINATION OF THE FIVE FOLLOWING PERSONS; VIZ. MESSRS. TOTHALL,
SCOTT, HOGARTH, THORNHILL, AND FORREST. Begun on Saturday, May 27th,
1732, and finished on the 31st of the same Month. “ABI TU, ET FAC
SIMILITER.”--_Inscription on Dulwich College Porch._ LONDON: Printed
for R. Livesay, 1782.
Saturday, May the 27th, we set out with the morning, and took our
departure from the Bedford Arms Tavern, in Covent Garden, to the tune of
“Why should we quarrel for riches?” The first land we made was
Billingsgate, where we dropped anchor at the Dark House.
There Hogarth made a caracatura of a porter, who called himself the Duke
of Puddle Dock.[346] The drawing was (by his grace) pasted on the cellar
door. We were agreeably entertained with the humours of the place,
particularly an explanation of a Gaffer and Gammer, a little gross,
though in presence of two of the fair sex. Here we continued till the
clock struck one.
Then set sail in a Gravesend boat we had hired for ourselves. Straw was
our bed, and a tilt our covering. The wind blew hard at S.E. and by E.
We had much rain and no sleep for about three hours. At Cuckold’s Point
we sung St. John, at Deptford Pishoken; and in Blackwall Reach eat hung
beef and biscuit, and drank right Hollands.
At Purfleet we had a view of the Gibraltar, the Dursley Galley, and
Tartar Pink, men of war, from the last of which we took on board the
pilot who brought her up the channel. He entertained us with a
lieutenant’s account of an insult offered him by the Spaniards, and
other affairs of consequence, which naturally made us drowsy; and then
Hogarth fell asleep, but soon awaking, was going to relate a dream he
had, but falling asleep again, when he awaked forgot he had dreamed at
all.
We soon arrived at Gravesend, and found some difficulty in getting
ashore, occasioned by an unlucky boy’s having placed his boat between us
and the landing-place, and refusing us passage over his vessel; but, as
virtue surmounts all obstacles, we happily accomplished this adventure,
and arrived at Mr. Bramble’s at six. There we washed our faces and
hands, and had our wigs powdered; then drank coffee, eat toast and
butter, paid our reckoning, and set out at eight.
We took a view of the building of the New Church, the unknown person’s
tomb and epitaph, and the Market place, and then proceeded on foot to
Rochester.
Nothing remarkable happened in that journey, except our calling and
drinking three pots of beer at an evil house, (as we were afterwards
informed,) known by the sign of the Dover Castle, and some small
distress Scott suffered in travelling through some clay ground moistened
by the rain; but the country being extremely pleasant alleviated his
distress, and made him jocund, and about ten we arrived at Rochester.
There we surveyed the fine Bridge, the cathedral, and the Castle; the
last well worth observing. It is a very high building, situate on the
river Medway, strong built, but almost demolished. With some difficulty
we ascended to the top of the battlements, and took a view of a most
beautiful country, a fine river, and some of the noblest ships in the
world. There is a very curious well cut in the middle wall from the top
of the Castle, a considerable depth below its foundation, as we
believed: we saw a little boy go down towards the bottom of it by small
holes cut in the sides, wherein he placed his hands and feet, and soon
returned, bringing up with him a young daw he had taken out of a nest
there.
We afterwards traversed the city, saw the Town-house, Watts’s Hospital
for relief of six travelling persons, by entertaining them with one
night’s lodging, and giving to each fourpence in the morning, provided
they are not persons contagiously diseased, rogues, or proctors.
We saw on the front of a house four figures in basso relievo after the
antique, done by some modern hand, representing the Seasons; and then
came to the Crown inn at twelve. From that time till dinner most of our
company slept on several chairs in the dining-room. From one o’clock
till three we were at dinner on a dish of soles and flounders, with crab
sauce, a calf’s heart stuffed and roasted, the liver fried, and the
other appurtenances minced, a leg of mutton roasted, and some green
peas, all very good and well drest, with good small beer and excellent
port. The boy of the house cleaned all our shoes, and we again set out
to seek adventures.
Hogarth and Scott stopped and played at hop-scotch in the colonnade
under the Town-hall; and then we walked on to Chatham, bought shrimps
and eat them, and proceeded by a round-about way to the king’s
store-houses and dock-yard, which are very noble. We went on board the
Marlborough and the Royal Sovereign, which last is reckoned one of the
finest ships in the navy. We saw the London, the Royal George, and Royal
Anne, all first-rate men of war. At six we returned to our quarters at
Rochester, and passed the time agreeably till nine, and then, quite
fatigued with pleasure, we went to bed.
Sunday at seven awaked. Hogarth and Thornhill related their dreams, and
we entered into a conversation on that subject in bed, and left off no
wiser than we begun. We arose and missed Scott, who soon came, and
acquainted us that he had been on the bridge drawing a view of some part
of the river, (vide Drawing the 2d,) and wondered at the people staring
at him, till he recollected it was Sunday. We asked him to produce the
drawing; and he told us he had not drawn any thing. We were all desirous
to have him reconcile this contradiction; but other affairs intervening,
prevented our further inquiry.
At nine we breakfasted, and set out over the bridge, through part of
Stroud, and by the Medway side. Going through the fields, we were
attacked by a severe shower of rain; to escape which Scott retired under
a hedge, and lying down had the misfortune to soil the back of his
coat----. Uneasy at this, and requiring assistance to be cleaned----, he
missed a white cambric handkerchief, which he declared was lent him by
his spouse; and though he soon found it, yet was his joy at that
success again abated by his fear that it was torn; but being soon
convinced that he was more afraid than hurt, we all proceeded merrily to
Frendsbury.
We there viewed the church and church-yard, pleasantly situated. There
are some bad epitaphs, and in the church is hung up a list of
benefactions to the parish, at the bottom of which there is wrote,
“Witness our hands,” and subscribed with the name of “William Gibbons,
Vicar,” only. This seemed a little odd; but being in such a place we
imagined there might be some mystery in it, so inquired no further.
At ten we walked on, and calling a council among ourselves, it was
proposed, that if any one was dissatisfied with our past proceedings, or
intended progress, he might depatriate, and be allowed money to bear his
charges. It was unanimously rejected, and resolved to proceed to Upnor.
We viewed, and Hogarth made a drawing of the castle, and Scott of some
shipping riding near it (vide Drawing the 3d). The castle is not very
large, but strong, garrisoned with twenty-four men, and the like number
of guns, though no more than eight are mounted. I went and bought
cockles of an old blind man and woman, who were in a little cock-boat on
the river. We made a hurry-scurry dinner at the Smack at the ten-gun
battery, and had a battle-royal with sticks, pebbles, and hog’s dung. In
this fight Tothall was the greatest sufferer, and his cloaths carried
the marks of his disgrace. Some time this occasioned much laughter, and
we marched on to the bird’s-nest battery; and, keeping the river and
shipping still in view, passed over the hills, and came to Hoo
church-yard, where, on a wooden rail over a grave, is an epitaph,
supposed to be wrote by a maid-servant on her master, which, being
something extraordinary, I shall here transcribe verbatim:
And. wHen. he. Died. you. plainLy. see.
Hee. freely. gave. al. to. Sara. passa. Wee.
And. in. Doing. so. if. DoTh. prevail.
that. Ion. him. can. Well. besTow. this Rayel.
On. Year. I. sarved. him. it. is. well. None.
BuT. Thanks. beto. God. it. is. al. my. One.
* * * * *
At four we left Hoo and an agreeable widow landlady, who had buried four
husbands. As we travelled along this charming country, the weather was
exceeding pleasant, and Scott (according to custom) made us laugh by
attempting to prove, a man might go over but not through the world;
and, for example, pointed to the earth, and asked us to go through that
element. Our fixed opinion was, that his argument had less weight than
his coat-pockets, which were, by some of the company, filled with
pebble-stones, unperceived by him, and he carried them some time; but at
last discovering the trick, and being thereby in a condition to knock
down all opposition to his argument, we acquiesced.
At five we took a view of Stoke Church, and passed through the
church-yard, but saw nothing worth observation till we came to a
farm-house not far distant; where, on an elm-tree at the door was placed
a high pole, with a board that moved with the wind, painted in form of a
cock, over which was a fane weather-cock, and above that a shuttle-cock.
This variety of cocks afforded much speculation.
At North-street, a little village we passed through, we all agreed to
quarrel; and being near a well of water full to the brim, we dealt about
that ammunition for some time, till the cloaths and courage of the
combatants were sufficiently cooled; and then, all pleased, travelled on
to the town of Stock, and took up our quarters at the Nag’s Head.
At six, whilst supper was getting ready, we walked out to take a view of
the low countries thereabouts; and, on an adjacent plain, another sharp
engagement happened, in which Tothall and Scott both suffered, by their
cloaths being daubed with soft cow-dung.
At seven we returned back and cleaned ourselves; supped, and adjourned
to the door; drank punch, stood and sat for our pictures drawn by
Hogarth, for which see Drawing the 3d. Night coming on, we drew cuts who
should lie single, there being but three beds, and no night-caps. The
lot fell to Tothall, and he had the satisfaction of lying alone.
At ten went to bed, and had much laughter at Scott and I being forced to
lie together. They threw the stocking, fought perukes, and did a great
many pretty tricks in a horn, and then left us. At eleven we arose
again, without a candle, and dressed ourselves, our sheets being very
damp; then went to bed again in our cloaths, and slept till three.
Monday at three, awaked and cursed our day; our eyes, lips, and hands,
being tormented and swelled by the biting of gnats. Notwithstanding
this, the God of Sleep being powerful, we soon forgot our miseries, and
submitted to be bound fast again in his leaden chains, in which
condition we remained till six; then arose, had our shoes cleaned, were
shaved, and had our wigs flowered, by a fisherman in his boots and shock
hair, without coat or waistcoat, vide Drawing the 4th. We had milk and
toast for breakfast, paid our reckoning, and set out for Sheerness at
eight.
We passed down Stock Marshes, being directed to keep the road-way, which
being heavy walking (much rain having fallen the preceding night) I
prevailed on the company to follow me over a style, which led along the
beach by a creek side, imagining it as near and a better way; but was
deceived, and led the company about two miles astray; but getting into
the right road, we soon entered the Isle of Grain, (so called from its
fruitfulness, as I conjecture,) and near the church there, we stopped at
the Chequer ale-house, kept by Goody Hubbard, who entertained us with
salt pork, bread, butter, and buns, and good malt liquor. Here Scott
left and lost his penknife, value five shillings. We expected to have
got a boat here to carry us over to Sheerness; but the ferry-man did not
care to go, and another person we would have employed for that purpose
sent us word, that the wind blew too hard. But our landlady put us into
a method by which we might possibly get a passage; and that was, to go
down the marshes towards the salt-houses, and endeavour to hail the
ships in ordinary, and by that means get one of their boats. We
accordingly went down to the shore, which was covered with variety of
shells, and accidentally espied a little boat coming on our side the
water below us, which Thornhill and Tothall went down to meet, and
brought up to us, and with some difficulty took us in (the manner of our
embarking is delineated in the 5th drawing); and we set sail for
Sheerness. The sea ran high the wind blowing hard at S.W. and by S. In
our passage we had the pleasure of seeing and hearing the guns fired
from the fort and the men of war, and about twelve we landed. We
traversed the fort, went round the lines, saw all the fortifications and
batteries, and had a delightful prospect of the sea and the island of
Sheppy. Scott was laughed at for smelling to the touch-holes of some of
the guns lately discharged; and so was Hogarth, for sitting down to cut
his toe-nails in the garrison. At one we set out for Queenborough, to
which place we walked along the beach, which the spray flew over in many
places. Thornhill fell down, and slightly hurt his leg; yet we all
perambulated merrily, and arrived at Queenborough about two.
The town is but one street, situate on the east side of a creek, called
after the town’s name, and branching out of the Medway near the town.
The street is clean and well paved (for a more exact description see the
6th drawing), and answers the description I have had of a Spanish town,
viz. there is no sign of any trade, nor were many human creatures to be
seen at our first arrival. The church is low and ill built: among many
tomb-stones there are but few epitaphs worth noting, and the most
material I take to be the following one, viz.
Henry Knight Master of a Shipp to Greenland and
Herpooner 24 Voyages
In Greenland I whales Sea horses Bears did Slay
Though Now my Body is Intombe in Clay
The town-house or clock-house (as it is called) stands in the middle of
the street, supported by four piers, which form four arches, and (it
being holiday) was decorated with a flag, in which is delineated the
arms of the corporation. We took up our quarters at the Red Lion (which
the people call the Swans) fronting the river, and met with a civil,
prating landlady; but she being unprovided with beds, we applied to a
merry woman at a private house, who furnished us with what we wanted. We
then took another walk up the town, had a view of the inside of the
church, and a conference with the grave-digger, who informed us of the
state of the corporation. Among other things we were told, that the
mayor is a custom-house officer, and the parson a sad dog. We found, to
our sorrow, that although the town has two market-days, yet there was
not one piece of fresh meat of any sort, nor any poultry or fish, except
lobsters, to be got; with which, and some eggs and bacon, we made our
supper.
We walked up the hill behind the town, to a well of very good water;
over which (we were informed) a palace formerly stood, built by King
Edward the Third for his Queen Philippa. Whilst we were at the well, two
sailors came and drew a bucket of water to drink, and told us, that they
and four more, belonging to the Rose man of war, were obliged the day
before to attend one of their midshipmen, a son of General S----, in a
yawl up the creek, and run the vessel ashore, where the midshipman left
them, (without any sustenance, but a few cockles, or one penny of money
to buy any,) and went to Sheerness, and was not yet returned, and they
half-starved. We gave the fellows six-pence, who were very thankful,
and ran towards the town to buy victuals for themselves and their
companions, who lay asleep at some distance. We going to view their boat
that stuck fast in the mud, one of the sailors returned hastily, and
kindly offered us some cockles; this seemed an act of so much gratitude
that we followed the fellows into the town, and gave them another
sixpence; and they fetched their companions, and all refreshed
themselves, and were very thankful and merry.
About seven we passed through the town, and saw and conversed with
several pretty women, which we did not expect, not having seen any at
our arrival, and returned to our quarters. We got a wooden chair, and
placed Hogarth in it in the street, where he made the Drawing No. 6, and
gathered a great many men, women, and children, about him, to see his
performance. Having finished his drawing, we again walked up town, and
at the mayor’s door saw all the sailors before mentioned, who informed
me, (with “your worship” at every word) that the midshipman was lately
returned from Sheerness, and had been up the creek to see how the boat
lay; and coming back, had met a sailor in company with a woman whom the
midshipman wanted to be free with, and the sailor opposed, insisting she
was his wife, and hindered him from being rude; which the midshipman
resenting, was gone to the mayor to redress his grievance. We thought
this a very odd affair, but did not stay to see the result of it.
About nine we returned to our quarters, drank to our friends as usual,
and emptied several cans of good flip, and all sung merrily; but were
quite put out of countenance by some Harwich men, who came with
lobsters, and were drinking in the next room. They sung several
sea-songs so agreeably, that our St. John could not come in competition,
nor could Pishoken save us from disgrace; so that after finishing the
evening as pleasantly as possible, we went out of the house the back-way
to our lodgings, at near eleven.
When we came there, our landlady had provided a bed for Scott in the
garret, which made him grumble, and us laugh: this provoked him so far,
that he absolutely refused to lie there; and Tothall, out of pure
good-nature, offered him his bed at the house we came from, and that he
would lie in the garret. This Scott accepted, and went away; and Tothall
going up stairs, found he was to lie on a flock bed, without curtains;
so came down again immediately, and went after Scott, at which we were
very merry, and slept upon it till six in the morning.
Tuesday morning, at six, Hogarth called me up, and told me, the good
woman insisted on being paid for her bed, or having Scott before the
mayor; which last we did all in our power to promote, but to no effect;
so coming to the public-house where Scott and Tothall lay, we found the
doors open (a thing common in this town,) and nobody up. However,
Hogarth soon roused them; and then Scott related another distress he had
the last night, viz. when he left us, and was going to bed, he perceived
something stir under the bed-cloaths, which he (collecting all his
courage) was resolved to feel; at which something cried out, (seemingly
affrighted,) and scared him out of his wits; but, resuming courage
enough to inquire into the nature of affairs, he found it to be a little
boy of the house, who had mistook the bed. This relation, according to
custom, made us very merry, and Tothall provided some breakfast; after
which we left the Swans, and went up town, where our shirts were sent to
be washed; but not having time to dry, we took them wet, and had them
dried and ironed at the next town.
About ten we quitted Queenborough: the morning was delightful, the
country very pleasant, through which we passed very agreeably up to
Minster, a little village on the highest part of the island. We laboured
hard to climb the hill to the church-yard, it being very steep. We saw
there, on a wooden rail over the grave, the following epitaph in verse:
Here Interr’d George Anderson Doth Lye
By fallen on an Anchor he did Dye
In Sheerness Yard on Good Friday
ye 6th of April, I do say
All you that Read my Allegy: Be alwaies
Ready for to Dye--Aged 42 Years
Our landlord at the George procured us a key of the church, which we
entered, and saw there the monuments of Lord Cheyne, of a Spanish
Ambassador, and of the Lord Shorland. Scott made a drawing of the
Ambassador, (vide Drawing the 7th,) and Hogarth of Lord Shorland (see
Drawing the 8th). The legend of the last being remarkable, I shall
relate it with all its circumstances. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth,
this lord having been to visit a friend on this island, and passing by
this church in his way home to Shorland, about two miles off, he saw a
concourse of people gathered together in the church-yard; and inquiring
the reason, was informed, that the parson who stood by there, refused to
bury the corpse brought for that purpose, because there was no money to
pay the burial fees. His lordship, being extremely moved at the parson,
ordered the people to throw him into the grave, and bury him quick;
which they accordingly did, and he died. My lord went home; and there
reflecting on what he had done, and fearing to forfeit his life for the
offence, he wrote a petition, setting forth the nature of his offence;
and hearing the queen was on board one of the ships at the Nore, (to
which place she came to take a view of her fleet designed to oppose the
Spanish armada,) he took a horse, and rode directly into the sea, and
swam to the Nore, above three miles off, and coming to the ship’s side,
begged to see her majesty; who came immediately, and he presented his
petition. The queen received, read, and granted it; and he, without
quitting his horse, swam back again to the island; and coming on the
shore met an old woman, who told him, that though the horse had then
saved his life, he would be the cause of his death. His lordship fearing
(and in order to prevent) the accomplishment of the old woman’s
prophecy, alighted from his horse, drew his sword and killed him, and
left him there; and his carcass was, by the force of the sea, thrown
some little way on the land.
Some years after this, my lord, walking with some of his friends near
the sea-side, espied the skull and some other bones of the horse lying
there, and relating the foregoing account, happened to kick the skull
and hurt one of his toes, which mortified and killed him; and he lies in
Minster Church, and a monument is erected over his grave, on which he is
figured with a horse’s head (supposed to be in the waves) placed by him.
(Vide Drawing the 8th.) This story is so firmly believed in that parish,
that a horse’s head, finely gilt, is placed as a weather-cock on the
church steeple, and the figure of a horse is struck upon the spindle
above that weather-cock, and the church is commonly called the Horse
Church. We were so well satisfied of the people’s belief that all they
told us was true, that we did not dare to declare our disbelief of one
tittle of the story.
We dined at the George, staid till four, then left Minster, and walked
to Sheerness; hired a small vessel, (vulgarly called a bomb-boat,) and
about five set sail for Gravesend.
The wind blew a fresh gale at E. and by S. Scott grew very sea-sick,
and did what was natural in such cases. Soon after, Hogarth grew sick,
and was consequently uneasy, which was augmented by our stopping; and
Tothall going on board Captain Robinson, in one of the custom-house
sloops, riding in Holy Haven, who furnished him with some milk punch,
and us with some fire to light our pipes, which was greatly wanted.
It rained hard all the voyage. We saw several porpoises rolling in
pursuit of their prey; and one in particular was got so near shore, that
we thought he must remain there; but he deceived our expectation, and
got off again.
About seven, our sick passengers being recovered, we sailed merrily, and
sung St. John, Pishoken, and several other songs and tunes ourselves,
and our cockswain entertained us with several sailors’ songs; but our
notes were soon changed by our vessel running on, and sticking fast in,
the Blye sand, though we were almost in the middle of the channel. It
was the tide of ebb, and within about an hour of flood, which gave us
some concern, believing we should be forced to continue there some time,
and bear the beating of the wind and waves; yet, by the industry of our
mariners, and the skilful assistance of Tothall, we got off again in a
little time (though with some difficulty); and the wind proving
favourable, we arrived safe at Gravesend about ten.
We supped, and drank good wine, and thought our adventures and
extraordinary mirth ended, but found otherwise: for a great coat Scott
had borrowed for this journey, and left at Gravesend, and travelled
without it, we found, on our arrival here, could not be found. This,
though grief to him, was sport to us; and he soon got the better of his
uneasiness, and grew as merry as we. Thus we continued till pretty late,
and then went to bed.
Wednesday, at eight, we arose, breakfasted, and walked about the town.
At ten went into a boat we had hired, with a truss of clean straw, a
bottle of good wine, pipes, tobacco, and a match. The wind was
favourable at S.E. and a mackerel gale. Our passage was very pleasant to
all till we came into Eriff Reach, when Scott, being without his great
coat, (for the reason above-mentioned,) taking a drawing of some
shipping, a flurry of wind caused our vessel to ship a sea, which washed
him from head to foot, and nobody else. He, greatly surprised, got up,
and drawing the fore-tail of his shirt from out of his breeches, (which
were also well soused with salt water,) he held it in both hands opposed
to the windward; and the sun shining warm, he was soon dry; and,
recovering his surprise, joined with us in laughing at the accident.
We came merrily up the river; and quitting our boat at Billingsgate, got
into a wherry that carried us through bridge, and landed at Somerset
Water-gate; from whence we walked all together, and arrived at about two
at the Bedford Arms, Covent Garden, in the same good-humour we left it
to set out on this very pleasant expedition.
I think I cannot better conclude than with taking notice, that not one
of the company was unemployed; for Mr. Thornhill made the map, Mr.
Hogarth and Mr. Scott the drawings, Mr. Tothall was our treasurer, which
(though a place of the greatest trust) he faithfully discharged; and the
foregoing Memoir was the work of