CHAPTER XII.
O what a town, what a wonderful Metropolis! Sure such a town as this was never seen; Mayor, common councilmen, citizens and populace, Wand'ring from Poplar to Turnham Green.
Chapels, churches, synagogues, distilleries and county banks-- Poets, Jews and gentlemen, apothecaries, mountebanks-- There's Bethlem Hospital, and there the Picture Gallery; And there's Sadler's Wells, and there the Court of Chancery.
O such a town, such a wonderful Metropolis, Sure such a town as this was never seen! O such a town, and such a heap of carriages, Sure such a motley group was never seen; Such a swarm of young and old, of buryings and marriages, All the world seems occupied in ceaseless din.
There's the Bench, and there's the Bank--now only take a peep at her-- And there's Rag Fair, and there the East-London Theatre-- There's St.James's all so fine, St.Giles's all in tattery, Where fun and frolic dance the rig from Saturday to Saturday.
O what a town, what a wonderful Metropolis, Sure such a town as this was never seen! A SHORT time after this day's ramble, the Hon.

Tom Dash all and his friend Tallyho paid a visit to the celebrated Tattersall's.
[Illustration: page160 Tattersall's] "This," said Tom, "is a great scene of action at times, and you will upon some occasions find as much business done here as there is on 'Change; the dealings however are not so fair, though the profits are larger; and if you observe the characters and the visages of the visitants, it will be found it is most frequently attended by Turf-Jews and Greeks.{1} Any man indeed who dabbles in horse-dealing, must, like a gamester, be either a rook or a pigeon; {2} for horse-dealing is a species of gambling, in which as many 1 Turf-Jews and Greeks--Gamblers at races, trotting- matches, &c.
2 Rooks and Pigeons are frequenters of gaming-houses: the former signifying the successful adventurer, and the latter the unfortunate dupe.
~161~~depredations are committed upon the property of the unwary as in any other, and every one engaged in it thinks it a meritorious act to dupe his chapman.

Even noblemen and gentlemen, who in other transactions of life are honest, will make no scruple of cheating you in horse-dealing: nor is this to be wondered at when we consider that the Lord and the Baronet take lessons from their grooms, jockeys, or coachmen, and the nearer approach they can make to the appearance and manners of their tutors, the fitter the pupils for turf-men, or gentlemen dealers; for the school in which they learn is of such a description that dereliction of principle is by no means surprising--fleecing each other is an every-day practice--every one looks upon his fellow as a bite, and young men of fashion learn how to buy and sell, from old whips, jockeys, or rum ostlers, whose practices have put them up to every thing, and by such ruffian preceptors are frequently taught to make three quarters or seventy-five per cent, profit, which is called turning an honest penny.

This, though frequently practised at country fairs, &c.

by horse-jobbers, &c.