Yours, &c.
C. WIRE.
* * * * *
The following is the narrative which Cook has given to his acquaintance
with _Parson Church_; and which was taken down from his own dictation by
Mr. E— B—:
In May, 1810, J. Cook was in company with Mr. Yardley and another
young man by the name of Ponder. I found after that the said Ponder
was a drummer in the Guards; but Cook went to call at a house in the
London Road, where I saw Mr. Church the first time in my life; there
was at this house about twelve or fourteen altogether drinking gin,
and Mr. Church handed me a glass of the same, which I took; Church
behaved very polite to me, and said what a fine fellow I was, he
pressed me very much to stop and get tea with them, for he said he
would call and see me when I was settled in the house in Vere-street.
I stopped a little while and was about to leave them when Church said
I should not go before I had tea, and flung down a dollar, and a man
by the name of Gaiscoin took the money and went for the tea and other
things but I would not stay, Church came out of the room with me, and
walked with me as far as the turnpike, there he met another Gentleman
which I never saw before, and I went on and left him for that time, I
think it was 6 or 8 days. I went to live at the Swan, and saw Church
again, he came about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and Mr. Yardley
accosted him, ‘Parson what are you come to see the Chappel?’ he said
‘yes, and to preach too:’ Church asked me how I was, I said I was not
very well, he asked me why I went away in that shy manner, I told him
he was a stranger to me, and I did not like to be intruding on
strange people, he said I was shy, he did not know what to make of
me, he also pressed me very much to take a walk with him, but I
declined it, he said I must go, but I still declined, and did not go
with him, he staid some time and joined the company that was in the
Back Parlour, persons by the name of Miss Fox and Miss Kitty Cambrick
was among them, and the Queen of Bohemia. As Mr. C. was going away,
he came to the bar and spoke to me, and said I must take something to
drink, which I did, and he paid for it, and left the house for that
time. In a few days he called again in the afternoon, and there was
not many people there, he asked if Yardly was at home, I said he was
not, he said he was very sorry for it, I asked him what he wanted, he
said he came on purpose for me to take a walk with him, but I did not
go, he said he would wait until Yardly came in, Church said I should
do him a great favor if I would take a walk with him, I would not go,
he still pressed me very much to go, I said I would if he would wait
till I had cleaned myself, he waited more than two hours for me, I
went to steep because I would not go with him, and in the mean time
he waited so long that he was tired, he sent the waiter to call me,
which he did, and said the Parson wanted me, and had been waiting two
hours for me, I said him wait, for I should not come, he returned and
said if I would but speak to him, he should go away happy. I found I
could not get rid of him, I went down stairs, he said well, Sir, I
hope your nap has done you good, I said I dont know, dont bother me,
he said I was very cross to him, I told him there was other men
without me, if he wanted to preach, not to preach to me about
crossness. He said well if that was the case he was very sorry he
had offended me, I told him he had not offended me nor pleased me,
but as I was not well and the less any one talked to me the better I
liked it. He said if I was but friends with him, and shake hands
with him, he should go away happy. Mr. Yardly said, I never see such
a fellow as I was, for I had affronted every body that came to the
house. I then shook hands with the Parson, for at that time I did
not know his name. He shook hands with me, and we had something to
drink, and Mr. Church paid for it and went away. I never saw him
until I came out of Newgate, I was talking to Mr. and Mrs. Holloway,
and telling them there was a Parson somewhere about St. George’s
Fields, but his name I did not know. He asked me if I should know
him if I saw him, I said I should, by that I went to the Chapel and
saw Mr. Church, and then I asked the people what was the Parson’s
name, they told me his name was Church. I said he ought to be
ashamed of himself to preach there, a *** and rascal, and left the
place, and went home in the greatest pains I ever felt in my life,
and was resolved to see him, which I did the next day, and give him
one of the hand-bills, and the manner he received me, was like a
young man would his sweetheart, I begun my conversation:—Well, Sir, I
suppose you do not know me. He said he did not. I said my name was
Cook, that kept the Swan, in Vere street. He said he thought so, but
was not sure: he said, why did I not call before and shake hands with
a body. I told him I did not know where he lived, nor I did not know
his name until I went to the Chapel and found him out. He told me
not to make it known that he ever came to my house, for he and Roland
Hill had daggers drawn, and that he should be obliged to indite Hill
to clear up his character, and for God’s sake do not expose me.
(_Here the Narrative breaks off_.)