Memoirs of the Late Thomas Holcroft, Volume 1 |
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accident actor afterwards answer appeared became began believe Berkshire boys called Cannock CHAP character Cockermouth croft daugh David Garrick delight dressed Dunning father favour favourite fear felt fore fortune gallop gave give grooms guinea Gulliver's Travels half happened heard heart heath Holcroft horse Isle of Ely Jack Clarke John Watson kind knew legs letter lived London looked Lord Nugent Macklin manager manner master means merry Andrew miles mind morning never Newmarket night Nottingham obliged occasion pany perform perhaps person play player poor procure recollect remarkable remember repeat replied ride Rugeley scarcely scenes seems shew Shield shillings soon stable stable-boy supposed theatre ther thing THOMAS HOLCROFT thought tion told Tom Watson took town turned walk Walsal Weston wife Woodcock words young
Popular passages
Page 107 - Nothing; perhaps,' can exceed the enjoyment of a stableboy's breakfast: what, then, may not be said of mine, who had so long been used to suffer hunger, and so seldom found the means of satisfying it ?"
Page 109 - I had been exposed to every want, every weariness, and every occasion of despondency, except that such poor sufferers become reconciled to, and almost insensible of suffering, and boyhood and beggary are fortunately not prone to despond. Happy had been the meal where I had enough ; rich to me was the rag that kept me warm ; and heavenly the pillow, no matter what, or how hard, on which I could lay my head to sleep. Now I was warmly clothed, nay, gorgeously, for I was proud of my new livery, and never...
Page 108 - so total and striking was the change which had taken place in my situation, that I could not but feel it very sensibly. I was more conscious of it than most boys would have been, and therefore not a little satisfied. The former part of my life had most of it been spent in turmoil, and often in singular wretchedness. I had been exposed to every want, every weariness, and every occasion of despondency, except that such poor sufferers become reconciled to, and almost insensible of, suffering ; and...
Page 109 - ... voluptuously, not a prince on earth perhaps with half the appetite, and never-failing relish ; and instead of being obliged to drag through the dirt after the most sluggish, obstinate, and despised among our animals, I was mounted on the noblest that the earth contains, had him under my care, and was borne by him over hill and dale, far outstripping the wings of the wind. Was not this a change, such as might excite reflection even in the mind of a boy ! ' Boys, when at full liberty, and thus...
Page 220 - Boys and the Frogs, which entirely turned the tide of popular opinion in her favour. What must the feelings of the same mother have been, when this child, afterwards Mrs.
Page 228 - They appear to be a set of merry, thoughtless beings, who laugh in the midst of poverty, and who never want a quotation or a story to recruit their spirits. When they get any money, they seem in haste to spend it, lest some tyrant, in the shape of a dun, should snatch it from them.
Page 10 - Bible in my hand, a neighbouring farmer, coming to see my father, asked me if I could read the Bible already ? I answered, yes ; and he desired me to let him hear me. I began at the place where the book was open, read fluently, and afterwards told him, that if he pleased, he should hear the tenth chapter of Nehemiah. At this he seemed still more amazed, and wishing to be convinced, bade me read. After listening till he found I could really pronounce the uncouth Hebrew names so much better and more...
Page 9 - He boasted of me to every body; and that I might lose no time, the task he set me was eleven chapters a day in the Old Testament. I might, indeed, have deceived my father by skipping some of the chapters, but a dawning regard for truth, aided by the love I had of reading, and the wonderful histories I sometimes found in the Sacred Writings, generally induced me to go through the whole of my task. One day as I was sitting at the gate with...
Page 189 - I thought so. Well, Sir, I never saw a spouter before, that did not want to surprise the town in Pierre, or Lothario, or some character that demands all the address, and every requisite of a master in the art. But, come, give us a touch of your quality ; a speech : here's a youngster,' pointing to his secretary, 'will roar Jaffier against Pierre, let the loudest take both.
Page 189 - Jaffier began to exalt his voice, he could no longer contain himself ; but, as Nic Bottom says, ' they both roared so, that it would have done your heart good to hear them.' Foote smiled, and after enduring this vigorous attack upon his organs of hearing as long as he was able, interrupted them. " Far from discouraging our new beginner, he told him that with respect to giving the meaning of the words, he spoke much more correctly than he had expected.