Here he has
encountered many difficulties, often been in gaol for debt, and
passed through various scenes of life, as valet, footman, thief-
taker, and at length, a penny-barber! He has a wife and large
family and lives in a very penurious manner, often lamenting his
early folly.'[11]
[11] 'The Western County Magazine, 1791. By a Society of
Gentlemen.' This well-conducted old magazine was printed and
published at Salisbury, and was decidedly a credit to the town
and county.
PENSIONED OFF BY A GAMING HOUSE.
A visitor at Frascati's gaming house in Paris tells us:--
'I saw the Chevalier de la C--(a descendant of the once
celebrated romance-writer) when he was nearly ninety. The mode
of life of this old man was singular. He had lost a princely
property at the play-table, and by a piece of good fortune of
rare occurrence to gamesters, and unparalleled generosity, the
proprietors of the salon allowed him a pension to support him in
his miserable senility, just sufficient to supply him with a
wretched lodging--bread, and a change of raiment once in every
three or four years! In addition to this he was allowed a
supper--which was, in fact, his dinner--at the gaming house,
whither he went every night at about eleven o'clock.
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