登陆注册
5239300000024

第24章 BILL-STICKING(5)

Once, when Madame' (Vestris, understood) 'was playing in Liverpool, another bill-sticker and me were at it together on the wall outside the Clarence Dock - me with the joints - him on a ladder. Lord! I had my bill up, right over his head, yards above him, ladder and all, while he was crawling to his work. The people going in and out of the docks, stood and laughed! - It's about thirty years since the joints come in.'

'Are there any bill-stickers who can't read?' I took the liberty of inquiring.

'Some,' said the King. 'But they know which is the right side up'ards of their work. They keep it as it's given out to 'em. I have seen a bill or so stuck wrong side up'ards. But it's very rare.'

Our discourse sustained some interruption at this point, by the procession of cars occasioning a stoppage of about three-quarters of a mile in length, as nearly as I could judge. His Majesty, however, entreating me not to be discomposed by the contingent uproar, smoked with great placidity, and surveyed the firmament.

When we were again in motion, I begged to be informed what was the largest poster His Majesty had ever seen. The King replied, 'A thirty-six sheet poster.' I gathered, also, that there were about a hundred and fifty bill-stickers in London, and that His Majesty considered an average hand equal to the posting of one hundred bills (single sheets) in a day. The King was of opinion, that, although posters had much increased in size, they had not increased in number; as the abolition of the State Lotteries had occasioned a great falling off, especially in the country. Over and above which change, I bethought myself that the custom of advertising in newspapers had greatly increased. The completion of many London improvements, as Trafalgar Square (I particularly observed the singularity of His Majesty's calling THAT an improvement), the Royal Exchange, &c., had of late years reduced the number of advantageous posting-places. Bill-Stickers at present rather confine themselves to districts, than to particular descriptions of work. One man would strike over Whitechapel, another would take round Houndsditch, Shoreditch, and the City Road; one (the King said) would stick to the Surrey side; another would make a beat of the West-end.

His Majesty remarked, with some approach to severity, on the neglect of delicacy and taste, gradually introduced into the trade by the new school: a profligate and inferior race of impostors who took jobs at almost any price, to the detriment of the old school, and the confusion of their own misguided employers. He considered that the trade was overdone with competition, and observed speaking of his subjects, 'There are too many of 'em.' He believed, still, that things were a little better than they had been; adducing, as a proof, the fact that particular posting places were now reserved, by common consent, for particular posters; those places, however, must be regularly occupied by those posters, or, they lapsed and fell into other hands. It was of no use giving a man a Drury Lane bill this week and not next. Where was it to go? He was of opinion that going to the expense of putting up your own board on which your sticker could display your own bills, was the only complete way of posting yourself at the present time; but, even to effect this, on payment of a shilling a week to the keepers of steamboat piers and other such places, you must be able, besides, to give orders for theatres and public exhibitions, or you would be sure to be cut out by somebody. His Majesty regarded the passion for orders, as one of the most unappeasable appetites of human nature. If there were a building, or if there were repairs, going on, anywhere, you could generally stand something and make it right with the foreman of the works; but, orders would be expected from you, and the man who could give the most orders was the man who would come off best. There was this other objectionable point, in orders, that workmen sold them for drink, and often sold them to persons who were likewise troubled with the weakness of thirst: which led (His Majesty said) to the presentation of your orders at Theatre doors, by individuals who were 'too shakery' to derive intellectual profit from the entertainments, and who brought a scandal on you. Finally, His Majesty said that you could hardly put too little in a poster; what you wanted, was, two or three good catch-lines for the eye to rest on - then, leave it alone - and there you were!

These are the minutes of my conversation with His Majesty, as I noted them down shortly afterwards. I am not aware that I have been betrayed into any alteration or suppression. The manner of the King was frank in the extreme; and he seemed to me to avoid, at once that slight tendency to repetition which may have been observed in the conversation of His Majesty King George the Third, and - that slight under-current of egotism which the curious observer may perhaps detect in the conversation of Napoleon Bonaparte.

I must do the King the justice to say that it was I, and not he, who closed the dialogue. At this juncture, I became the subject of a remarkable optical delusion; the legs of my stool appeared to me to double up; the car to spin round and round with great violence; and a mist to arise between myself and His Majesty. In addition to these sensations, I felt extremely unwell. I refer these unpleasant effects, either to the paste with which the posters were affixed to the van: which may have contained some small portion of arsenic; or, to the printer's ink, which may have contained some equally deleterious ingredient. Of this, I cannot be sure. I am only sure that I was not affected, either by the smoke, or the rum-and-water. I was assisted out of the vehicle, in a state of mind which I have only experienced in two other places - I allude to the Pier at Dover, and to the corresponding portion of the town of Calais - and sat upon a door-step until I recovered. The procession had then disappeared. I have since looked anxiously for the King in several other cars, but I have not yet had the happiness of seeing His Majesty.

同类推荐
  • The Emerald City of Oz

    The Emerald City of Oz

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 二南密旨

    二南密旨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 人伦大统赋

    人伦大统赋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华严经内章门等杂孔目章

    华严经内章门等杂孔目章

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上清太玄集

    上清太玄集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 轻盈的羽毛

    轻盈的羽毛

    新书《云上仙宫》希望大家前来支持!她是诸天万界的宠儿,是世界的中心,任何人,无论是冷酷无情,还是老谋深算,还是足智多谋,都无法控制的爱上了她。总想把最好的给她,没有限制的宠爱她。她的缺点他们不在意,毕竟这世界上谁没有缺点。她犯了错,他们也不在意,毕竟世界上没有谁不会犯错。她即使背叛了他们也没有关系,即使他们因她穷困潦倒,磨难重重,甚至遇到生死危机,他们也觉得没有关系。她于他们,何来背叛一说?即使有背叛一说,她在背叛之上,所以背叛了也没有什么。只要她好好的。他们不奢望能被爱,只希望不被她讨厌。仅此足矣!
  • 薰衣草物语:刻上的记忆

    薰衣草物语:刻上的记忆

    他原本是被人疼爱,捧在手掌心的美丽小公主,亲眼目睹最亲之人遇害,转瞬间从天堂到地狱。为了复仇,他遗弃小公主身份,抹去之前所有,蜕变重生化作复仇小王子,为复仇不惜任何代价,只要得到金牌保镖的头衔,为复仇添加更大的筹码,也是接近仇人便利通道,他加倍努力朝着目标前行,顺利成为仇人之子贴身保镖,可当见到仇人儿子时,所有一切全被搅乱,内心防线在不断瓦解吞噬,爱恨情仇相互纠葛,宛如薰衣草香气,纠缠难忘却只能默默等待。
  • 商标、专利纠纷处理

    商标、专利纠纷处理

    随着社会主义市场经济体制的建立,改革开放的不断深化,人们不更深刻地体会到文学艺术对精神文明建设的重要意义,对人们的智力成果给予法律保护成为人们的共识。同时,也有一些不和谐音符存在,侵犯知识产权的行为不断出现,急切需要法律对这类行为加以规制。本书主要宣讲《中华人民共和国商标法》(本书简称《商标法》)、《中华人民共和国商标法实施条例》(本书简称《商标法实施条例》)、《中华人民共和国专利法》(本书简称《专利法》)、《中华人民共和国专利法实施细则》(本书简称《专利法实施细则》)等几部与商标、专利密切相关的法律及司法解释。
  • 憨夫培养计划

    憨夫培养计划

    现代孤女魂穿成为古代懒妇身上,还好嫁了一个潜力股相公,且看两人擦出怎样的爱情雪花……神秘的管家,神秘的杀手盟主,神秘的寒门,奇国公主,神医之女等等……一对一对温馨有爱的组合谱写着浪漫的爱情故事……创建学堂,开酒楼,开甜品店,开成衣店……本文温馨,幽默,浪漫,有爱,最主要的是不虐不虐喔,绝对的宠文哟,希望大家多多收藏,多多推荐起来哟。
  • 遼陽聞見錄

    遼陽聞見錄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 创意南广

    创意南广

    何谓创意或指有创造性之想法、构思,或指提出有创造性之想法、构思并付诸实施。本书取“提出创造性想法、构思并付诸实施”之义。为何冠名“创意南广”其内涵有二:其一,乃谓南广是创意之产物。南广系我国高等教育探索新机制新模式之产物。“新”即创意闪烁,另辟蹊径,独具一格;不循前人之足迹,不落旧有之窠臼。其二,意指南广是创意集散之地。南广是教育培训创意人才、传媒人才之基地。南广设置各类创意工作室,吸引国内外传媒创意精英汇集江宁,推出原创影视作品;引进“世界大学女校长论坛”、“私立大学生态环境及发展战略国际论坛”、“国际传媒领袖论坛”落户江宁,使江宁成为影视文化创意和传媒高等教育思想的集散地。
  • 舍不得,再见

    舍不得,再见

    一个对爱情极度执着的男生,一个向往一切的女生,四年之后,还能继续吗?
  • 您的小仙女已上线

    您的小仙女已上线

    【快穿1v1,男主是同一个人】黎安夏作为一只漂泊在大千世界,看尽世间繁华的……小仙女,呸呸呸,是鬼魂阿飘?有朝一日突然被一个自称是‘男神攻略系统’的……坑货系统强行绑定……
  • 落叶的黄昏

    落叶的黄昏

    夏季的一天早上,靳冬骑着他的山地车一路顺风地直奔大江。他这是要到江桥西侧的那个大沙坑里游泳去。他面庞清瘦,精神矍铄。眼角的两边虽说已经出现了鱼尾纹,但浅浅的并不太明显。过了江畔小区上了江桥西侧的堤顶,开始下一道漫坡了。这时候,前面忽然传来一阵清丽的歌声:在那遥远的地方有一位好姑娘人们路过她的帐房都要回头留恋地张望……多么熟悉的一首老情歌啊,靳冬一下子就被勾起许多青少年时的回忆。他不禁抬眼望去,就看到沙坑边上站着一个女人,正面对着远山近水悠着劲唱着呢。女人中等个头,不胖不瘦。
  • X小组探案集

    X小组探案集

    本文涉及所有案件及部门组织、人物纯属虚构但是相关专业知识及文化、历史文物人物等都是翻阅相关专业书籍所得,虽有艺术加工,但尽量以真实为主。