The Fortunes of Nigel

Note XIII. p. 145.—CUCKOO'S NEST

The quarrel in this chapter between the pretended captain and the citizen of London, is taken from a burlesque poem called The Counter Scuffle, that is, the Scuffle in the Prison at Wood street, so called. It is a piece of low humour, which had at the time very considerable vogue. The prisoners, it seems, had fallen into a dispute amongst themselves 'which calling was of most repute,' and a lawyer put in his claim to be most highly considered. The man of war repelled his pretence with much arrogance.

   ''Wer't not for us, thou swad,' quoth he, 
    'Where wouldst thou fay to get a fee? 
    But to defend such things as thee 
            'Tis pity;

    For such as you esteem us least, 
    Who ever have been ready prest 
    To guard you and your cuckoo's nest, 
            The City''

The offence is no sooner given than it is caught up by a gallant citizen, a goldsmith, named Ellis.

  ''Of London city I am free, 
    And there I first my wife did see, 
    And for that very cause,' said he, 
            'I love it.

    And he that calls it cuckoo's nest, 
    Except he say he speaks in jest, 
    He is a villain and a beast,— 
            'I'll prove it!

    For though I am a man of trade, 
    And free of London city made, 
    Yet can I use gun, bill, and blade, 
            In battle.

    And citizens, if need require, 
    Themselves can force the foe retire, 
    Whatever this low country squire 
             May prattle.''

The dispute terminates in the scuffle, which is the subject of the poem. The whole may be found in the second edition of Dryden's Miscellany, 12mo, vol. iii. 1716.

Note XIV. p. 150.—BURBAGE

Burbage, whom Camden terms another Roscius, was probably the original representative of Richard III., and seems to have been early almost identified with his prototype. Bishop Corbet, in his Iter Boreale, tells us that mine host of Market Bosworth was full of ale and history.

  'Hear him, See you yon wood? there Richard lay 
   With his whole army; look the other way, 
   And lo, where Richmond, in a field of gorse, 
   Encamp'd himself in might and all his force.

   Upon this hill they met. Why, he could tell 
   The inch where Richmond stood, where Richard fell; 
   Besides, what of his knowledge he could say, 
   He had authentic notice from the play, 
   Which I might guess by's mustering up the ghosts 
   And policies not incident to hosts;

   But chiefly by that one perspicuous thing, 
   Where he mistook a player for a king, 
   For when he would have said, that Richard died, 
   And call'd, a horse! a horse! he Burbage cried.'

RICHARD CORBET'S Poems, Edition 1815, p. 193.

Note XV. p. 323.—MHIC-ALLASTAR-MORE

This is the Highland patronymic of the late gallant Chief of Glengarry. The allusion in the text is to an unnecessary alarm taken by some lady, at the ceremonial of the coronation of George IV., at the sight of the pistols which the Chief wore as a part of his Highland dress. The circumstance produced some confusion, which was talked of at the time. All who knew Glengarry (and the author knew him well) were aware that his principles were of devoted loyalty to the person of his sovereign.