_To the Editor._
Dear Sir,--In Roger North’s Life of his brother, Sir Dudley North, (4to.
London, 1744,) occurs the following passage, which, in connection with
the account you gave your readers (_Every-Day Book_, vol. i. p. 176,) of
“Apostle Spoons,” may be acceptable to you.
Mr. North, after some opposition, was elected sheriff of London; and
after stating this, his biographer thus proceeds: “When all the forms of
this shrieval instalment were over, Mr. North received the honour of
knighthood ... and, as the custom of feasting, lately laid aside, was
now resumed, Mr. North took a great hall, that belonged to one of the
companies, and kept his entertainments there. He had diverse very
considerable presents from friends and relations, besides the
compliments of the several companies inviting themselves and wives to
dinner, _dropping their guineys, and taking apostles’ spoons in the room
of them_; which, with what they ate and drank, and such as came in the
shape of wives, (for they often gratified a she-friend or relation with
that preferment,) carried away, made but an indifferent bargain. The
Middle Templars, (because of his relation to the lord chief justice
North, who was of that Society,) came with a compliment, and a purse of
one hundred guineys, and were entertained. The mirth and rejoicing that
was in the city, as well at these feasts as at private entertainments,
is scarce to be expressed.”
In perusing this quaintly written volume, there occur two or three
passages, which deserve to be ranked as aphorisms. For your own reading
I here add them:--
“Better a loss at sea than a bad debt on land. The former has no worse
consequence than itself; but the other draws loss of time and pains,
which might be employed to more profit.”
“Whoever serves a community, and does not secure his reward, will meet
with quarrels instead of thanks, for all the good he may have done it.”
Sir Dudley was wont to remark, “_Lay nothing to heart which you cannot
help._” A most useful principle of life.