He continued to write frequently, sending me large specimens of an epic poem which he was then composing, and desiring my remarks and corrections.These I gave him from time to time, but endeavor'd rather to discourage his proceeding.One of Young's Satires was then just published.I copy'd and sent him a great part of it, which set in a strong light the folly of pursuing the Muses with any hope of advancement by them.All was in vain; sheets of the poem continued to come by every post.In the mean time, Mrs.T----, having on his account lost her friends and business, wasoften in distresses, and us'd to send for me, and borrow what I could spare to help her out of them.I grew fond of her company, and, being at that time under no religious restraint, and presuming upon my importance to her, I attempted familiarities (another erratum) which she repuls'd with a proper resentment, and acquainted him with my behaviour.This made a breach between us; and, when he returned again to London, he let me know he thought I had cancell'd all the obligations he had been under to me.So I found I was never to expect his repaying me what I lent to him, or advanc'd for him.This, however, was not then of much consequence, as he was totally unable; and in the loss of his friendship I found myself relieved from a burthen.I now began to think of getting a little money beforehand, and, expecting better work, I left Palmer's to work at Watts's, near Lincoln's Inn Fields, a still greater printing-house.Here I continued all the rest of my stay in London.
At my first admission into this printing-house I took to working at press, imagining I felt a want of the bodily exercise I had been us'd to in America, where presswork is mix'd with composing.I drank only water; the other workmen, near fifty in number, were great guzzlers of beer.On occasion, I carried up and down stairs a large form of types in each hand, when others carried but one in both hands.They wondered to see, from this and several instances, that the Water-American, as they called me, was stronger than themselves, who drank strong beer! We had an alehouse boy who attended always in the house to supply the workmen.My companion at the press drank every day a pint before breakfast, a pint at breakfast with his bread and cheese, a pint between breakfast and dinner, a pint at dinner, a pint in the afternoon about six o'clock, and another when he had done his day's work.I thought it a detestable custom; but it was necessary, he suppos'd, to drink strong beer, that he might be strong to labor.I endeavored to convince him that the bodily strength afforded by beer could only be in proportion to the grain or flour of the barley dissolved in the water of which it was made; that there was more flour in a pennyworth of bread; and therefore, if he would eat that with a pint of water, it would give him more strength than a quart of beer.He drank on, however, and had four or five shillings to pay out of his wages every Saturday night forthat muddling liquor; an expense I was free from.And thus these poor devils keep themselves always under.
Watts, after some weeks, desiring to have me in the composing-room, I left the pressmen; a new bien venu or sum for drink, being five shillings, was demanded of me by the compositors.I thought it an imposition, as I had paid below; the master thought so too, and forbad my paying it.I stood out two or three weeks, was accordingly considered as an excommunicate, and bad so many little pieces of private mischief done me, by mixing my sorts, transposing my pages, breaking my matter, etc., etc., if I were ever so little out of the room, and all ascribed to the chappel ghost, which they said ever haunted those not regularly admitted, that, notwithstanding the master's protection, I found myself oblig'd to comply and pay the money, convinc'd of the folly of being on ill terms with those one is to live with continually.
I was now on a fair footing with them, and soon acquir'd considerable influence.I propos'd some reasonable alterations in their chappel laws, and carried them against all opposition.From my example, a great part of them left their muddling breakfast of beer, and bread, and cheese, finding they could with me be suppli'd from a neighboring house with a large porringer of hot water-gruel, sprinkled with pepper, crumbl'd with bread, and a bit of butter in it, for the price of a pint of beer, viz., three half-pence.This was a more comfortable as well as cheaper breakfast, and kept their heads clearer.Those who continued sotting with beer all day, were often, by not paying, out of credit at the alehouse, and us'd to make interest with me to get beer; their light, as they phrased it, being out.I watch'd the pay- table on Saturday night, and collected what I stood engag'd for them, having to pay sometimes near thirty shillings a week on their account.This, and my being esteem'd a pretty good riggite, that is, a jocular verbal satirist, supported my consequence in the society.My constant attendance (I never making a St.Monday) recommended me to the master; and my uncommon quickness at composing occasioned my being put upon all work of dispatch, which was generally better paid.So I went on now very agreeably.
"A printing-house is always called a chapel by the workmen, theorigin of which appears to have been that printing was first carried on in England in an ancient chapel converted into a printing-house, and the title has been preserved by tradition.The bien venu among the printers answers to the terms entrance and footing among mechanics; thus a journeyman, on entering a printing-house, was accustomed to pay one or more gallons of beer for the good of the chapel; this custom was falling into disuse thirty years ago; it is very properly rejected entirely in the United States."--W.T.F.
