Jones, the journeyman tailor who was charged before Sir Peter Laurie with
being drunk and disorderly in Fleet-street, escaped the penalty of his
frolic by an extraordinary whim of justice. The young schneider, it
appears, sported a luxuriant crop of hair, the fashion of which not
pleasing the fancy of the city Rhadamanthus, he remitted the fine on
condition that the delinquent should instantly cut off the offending
hairs. A barber being sent for, the operation was instantly performed; and
Sir Peter, with a spirit of generosity only to be equalled by his
_cutting_ humour, actually put his hand in his breeches-pocket and handed
over to the official Figaro his fee of one shilling. The shorn tailor left
the office protesting that Sir Peter had not treated him handsomely, as he
had only consented to sacrifice his flowing locks, but that the Alderman
had cabbaged his whiskers as well.
* * * * *