"Half-a-guinea!"
cried he, staring at me; then paused a little, and said, he had no
occasion for my service at present. I found my error, and, resolving
to make amends, fell one-half in my demand; upon which he stared
at me and told me his hands were full. I attempted others without
finding employment, and was actually reduced to a very uncomfortable
prospect, when I bethought myself of offering my talents to the
printers of half-penny ballads and other such occasional essays,
as are hawked about the streets. With this in view I applied to
one of the most noted and vociferous of this tribe, who directed
me to a person whom I found entertaining a whole crowd of them with
gin, bread, and cheese; he carried me into a little back parlour,
very neatly furnished, where I signified my desire of being
enrolled among his writers; and was asked what kind of composition
I professed. Understanding that my inclination leaned towards
poetry, he expressed his satisfaction, telling me one of his poets
had lost his senses, and was confined in Bedlam, and the other was
become dozed with drinking drams; so that he had not done anything
tolerable these many weeks. When I proposed that we should enter
into terms of agreement, he gave me to understand that his bargains
were always conditional, and his authors paid in proportion to the
sale of their works.
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