time, a servant opened the door, and asked me what I wanted! I told him Mr. *****. He replied, "his master had company, but he would see if he could be spoken with." In the mean time, I was left in the entry. Presently Mr. ***** came, who, a little mortified, began to reprove the servant; but it appeared in the sequel he was perfectly right, for on telling Mr. ***** "I knocked but once," he burst into a laugh, and said he would explain that at dinner.

Should an honest fellow, ignorant of the consequence of these raps, come to London in search of a place, and unfortunately knock at a gentleman's door, after the manner of a nobleman, it might prejudice him as much as a prayer book once prejudiced a certain person in Connecticut. The anecdote is this:

A young adventurer, educated Church-of-England-wise, on going forth to seek his fortune, very naturally put his prayer book in his pocket. Wandering within the precincts of Connecticut, he offered his services to a farmer, who, after asking him a thousand questions, (a New England custom) gave him employment; but in the evening, the unlucky prayer book being discovered, he fairly turned the poor wight out of doors to get a lodging where he could. You know the Connecticut Blue

K

Laws* made it death for a priest, meaning a clergyman of the Church of England, to be found within that state! Thank heaven, those days are passed: "God, liberty and toleration," whether a man prefers a prayer book to the missal, or the koran to a prayer book, or a single rap at a door, to the noise of a dozen.

Adieu.

N. B. You must keep this letter a profound secret, as we have certain gentlemen on our side of the Atlantic who would, in imitation of the noblemen here, disturb their neighbours.

* So called from their being stitched in blue paper.

LETTER XI.

I

LONDON, NOVEMBER 19th.

WAS in Rosemary Lane yesterday, in other words at Rag Fair. They take the liberty of addressing every one that passes; and not unfrequently come into the street, take you by the arm and lead you, half forcibly, into their shops. Those who are most clever, that is, most troublesome to passengers, are called barkers. I was accosted not less than fifteen times, in passing through Rosemary Lane. Telling one I was in no want of old clothes, "Then," said he, as though he thought I meant to be witty, "you have a wardrobe to dispose of." I asked another, what he saw in my appearance which led him to suspect I wanted to purchase old clothes? "O," said he, "we don't judge by appearances here; many a man comes into Rosemary Lane to change his dress: some return better, but most, worse dressed." A third asked me to walk into his shop, if it was only to see an assortment, which, for variety; was not to be equalled in London. Another of the trade, who was standing by, observed, he was sure I could not ask for an article

which he could not produce.

After thinking a

moment what would be least likely in New England to find its way to Rag Fair, I asked for a pair of

Cape Cod trowsers. Ah," said the other, "you

never knew a Cape Cod man to sell his trowsers." I then asked the other, "How he happened to know so much of me?"-"Why, there is not a man in Rosemary Lane, who does not know, you came from New England." They must be extremely clever in their way, to distinguish so quickly, those who speak the same language, have the same complexion, and dress like you." "It looks a little like instinct, to be sure, but the people in this business are, perhaps, the most clever of any in the world." "Then the history of Rag Fair must be very entertaining, and would much assist one in learning a little of low life?" "Why yes, it is an extensive school, the stock exchange affords nothing equal to it, whether you wish to overreach your fellow, or to become acquainted with the sad vicissitudes to which trade is liable. Here are bankruptcies, sometimes, not less unexpected, than those which happen at the Royal Exchange and the bankrupt as frequently rises again in sudden impor

* Clever, in New England, means honest, conscientious: but we do not use the word as defined in the dictionaries. Nor is it used here exactly in its proper sense: a very clever fellow, nobody will trust.

tance, to the surprise of the whole Fair." "You must have an abundance of anecdotes respecting the knowing ones and the flats, of those who have triumphed over simplicity, and of those who have come to London in a waggon. * Pray give us an instance how far a knowing one is capable of outwitting a man of common caution." "Why, there is a story sometimes mentioned, at the Fair, that Sir Matthew Hale, in passing through Rosemary Lane, was made prize of by a shopman, who, from Sir Matthew's slovenly appearancef and threadbare coat, thought him a good speculation. The shopman led him by the arm up stairs into a dark room, and told him he was resolved to sell him a new coat, for his was no longer decent. Sir Matthew submitted to try on several coats, but insisted no one would fit him, and at length was going away without purchasing, when the clothesman said he had one more which he was sure would fit him, and brought one which Sir Matthew said fitted him as well as his old one, the difference between which being paid, Sir Matthew went away." "Well, where is the wit of all this?" "Why, Sir Matthew wore the same coat out that he wore in." "But this is an

* A waggon load of fools are said to come to London every day.

+ It is hardly necessary to mention the anecdote of Sir Matthew's being taken up by a press gang and carried on board a tender, whence he was obliged to write to the Secretary of the Navy, before he was liberated.