[Footnote 4:  See post, the poems on Dan Jackson’s Picture.—­W.  E. B.]

GEORGE-NIM-DAN-DEAN’S INVITATION TO THOMAS SHERIDAN

Gaulstown, Aug. 2, 1721.

Dear Tom, this verse, which however the beginning may appear, yet in the end’s good metre, Is sent to desire that, when your August vacation comes, your friends you’d meet here.  For why should you stay in that filthy hole, I mean the city so smoky, When you have not one friend left in town, or at least not one that’s witty, to joke w’ ye?  For as for honest John,[1] though I’m not sure on’t, yet I’ll be hang’d, lest he Be gone down to the county of Wexford with that great peer the Lord Anglesey.[2] O! but I forgot; perhaps, by this time, you may have one come to town, but I don’t know whether he be friend or foe, Delany:  But, however, if he be come, bring him down, and you shall go back in a fortnight, for I know there’s no delaying ye.  O!  I forgot too:  I believe there may be one more, I mean that great fat joker, friend Helsham, he That wrote the prologue,[3] and if you stay with him, depend on’t, in the end, he’ll sham ye.  Bring down Longshanks Jim[4] too; but, now I think on’t, he’s not yet come from Courtown,[5] I fancy; For I heard, a month ago, that he was down there a-courting sly Nancy.  However, bring down yourself, and you bring down all; for, to say it we may venture, In thee Delany’s spleen, John’s mirth, Helsham’s jokes, and the soft soul of amorous Jemmy, centre.

POSTSCRIPT

I had forgot to desire you to bring down what I say you have, and you’ll believe me as sure as a gun, and own it; I mean, what no other mortal in the universe can boast of, your own spirit of pun, and own wit.  And now I hope you’ll excuse this rhyming, which I must say is (though written somewhat at large) trim and clean; And so I conclude, with humble respects as usual
  Your most dutiful and obedient
          
                       GEORGE-NIM-DAN-DEAN.

[Footnote 1:  Supposed to mean Dr. Walmsley.—­F.]

[Footnote 2:  Arthur, Earl of Anglesey.—­Scott.]

[Footnote 3:  It was customary with Dr. Sheridan to have a Greek play acted by his head class, just before they entered the university; and, accordingly, in the year 1720, the Doctor having fixed on Hippolytus, writ a prologue in English, to be spoken by Master Thom.  Putland, one of the youngest children he had in his school.  The prologue was very neat and elegant, but extremely puerile, and quite adapted to the childhood of the speaker, who as regularly was taught and rehearsed his part as any of the upper lads did theirs.  However, it unfortunately happened that Dr. King, Archbishop of Dublin, had promised Sheridan that he would go and see his lads perform the tragedy.  Upon which Dr. Helsham writ another prologue, wherein he laughed egregiously at Sheridan’s;