Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/487

PROVINCIAL BOOKSELLERS. 445 morning as my shoes were japanning by a little boy at the end of the lane, there came Mr. John Hoyle. ' Mr. Gent/ said he, ' I have been at York to see my parents, and am but just as it were returned to Lon- don. I am heartily glad to see you, but sorry to tell you that you have lost your old sweetheart ; for I as- sure you that she is really married to your rival, Mr. Bourne.' I was so thunderstruck that I could scarcely return an answer." In this grief he betook himself to the Muse, and as he had formerly earned the title of the Bell- man's Poet, he indicted the " Forsaken Lover's Letter to his Former Sweetheart," to a tune " much in request, and proper for the flute ;" and not caring that his master should know of his great disappointment, he gave the copy to Mr. Dodd, " who, printing the same, sold thousands of them, for which he offered me a price ; but as it was on my own proper concern, I scorned to accept of anything except a glass of comfort or so." " Proper concerns" in the shape of heartaches, disappointments, and miseries, have been traded in to better purpose by less modest singers, but Gent's mental anguish seems sincere ; he " was then worn down to a shadow," and weary of his endless and now purposeless struggle. Work, however, a pallia- tive if not a cure, was again eagerly resorted to, and Gent found employment first with Mr. Samuel Rich- ardson, and afterwards, and more permanently, with Mrs. Dodd. Here he continued till on another " Sunday morning Mr. Philip Wood, a quondam part- ner of Mr. Midwinter's, entering my chambers 'Tommy,' said he, 'all these fine material of yours must be moved to York,' at which, wondering, ' What mean you ?' said I. ' Ay,' said he,' ' and you must