The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 239: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE KING’S BENCH © 219 invariably stood from morning to night a most dreadful- looking old man, with his face twisting itself up into all ‘kinds of malignant, spiteful, and ferocious expressions. He ‘wore upon his head a great fur cap which gave him, when viewed from a considerable distance, a false air of the lord ‘mayor’s swordbearer. This nasty-looking veteran prisoner was called Old Sims, and he posted himself in that sentry- ‘box that he might obtain alms from visitors entering the ‘place, to attract whose notice he was wont to shake a few ‘pence in a great tin box with a hole in the top to receive ‘any additional pence which the hand of benevolence might drop in. Several other remarkable characters were there; and to ‘a newcomer entering the place as a prisoner, as well as to ‘every one having business there as a visitor, were all the “above local features and human curiosities duly pointed out. ‘Of the latter species we must not forget to observe that ‘there were several rare specimens in the shape of gentlemen ‘who had been there for ten, twenty, or even thirty years, and who could get out at any moment they chose, but “who unaccountably preferred dwelling within those spike- crowned walls. Such was the King’s Bench in the time of which we are writing; and indeed, the description would hold good down to a period of about eight or ten years ago. But, as we have ‘above hinted, the ruthless hand of official authority sud- -denly annihilated all indulgences and liberties with one ‘fell swoop. Were an equally sweeping reform to be applied to all the great institutions of this country, incalculable ‘advantages would be the speedy result. On being arrested at the suit of Mr. Emmerson, the ‘-bill-broker, for the sum of five thousand guineas, Colonel ‘Malpas was borne off to the sponging-house of Mr. Moses ‘Ikey in Fetter Lane. There he remained :for nearly three weeks, in the hope of being able to come to a settlement with his creditor; but vainly did he apply to his wife’s Telations; they sent him no answer. Vainly also did he address himself to some of his fashionable friends. The affair at the banquet and the chastisement he received from Captain Tash had got whispered abroad, and the colonel found himself cut accordingly. The propositions which he made to Mr. Emmerson were likewise treated CONIC OOO (CO