The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

VERNER HOUSE 19 Furiously did he beat the drum, and with most exemplary perseverance did he blow away at the mouth-organ. Christian was about to pass the group, when something peculiar in the appearance of the gentleman who played the drum and Pandean pipes induced him to glance a second time toward that individual. And now Christian stopped short in perfect amazement, when he recognized in the mountebank musician no less a personage than his lordship Baron Raggidbak, late groom of the stole to that illustrious prince his Royal Highness the Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha! Yes, there was his lordship, beyond all possibility of doubt. Tall, lean, and lank, more hungry-looking than ever, bearded and moustached, and clad in a shabby suit that seemed to have been originally made for a person at least a foot shorter, the ex-groom of the stole to the illustri- ous German prince was beating away at the drum and running his mouth rapidly along the Pandean pipes, as already described. What a vicissitude! What a fall had this great man experienced! Christian looked amongst the mountebanks, thinking it by no means improbable he might see the grand duke himself performing his antics on the summit of a pair of stilts, or standing on his head, or twirling a basin upon the top of a stick, or accomplishing any other feat of gymnastics or jugglery. But for the honour of the German petty sovereigns (if those mean trumpery fellows have any honour worth caring for) his Royal Highness of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha was not in the mountebank category. Christian did not think it worth while to be recognized by Baron Raggidbak, and therefore when he had a trifle re- covered from his amazement, he was moving away. But the stilted mountebank who was especially charged with the duty of collecting the coin with which the public generosity was wont to recompense the authors of these splendid enter- tainments had his eye upon Christian from the very first moment that he had halted near the group, and the fellow had at once singled him out as the likeliest spectator to drop a silver coin into the basin. He therefore strode after him in some such a manner as that which the fairy tale represents the ogre with the seven-league boots as adopting, and stooping down, apparently at the imminent risk of falling head fore- most and breaking his neck, the mountebank balanced him- self on one stilt and presented the basin. Christian dropped EOMINGIOOKS (CO)