"Mrs. Arne, Mrs. Arne,
It gives me concern," &c.]
[Footnote 2: This stanza and, I rather think, the next were by Lord John
Townshend.]
There are about as many more of these stanzas, written at different intervals, according as new victims, with good names for rhyming, presented themselves,—the metre being a most tempting medium for such lampoons. There is, indeed, appended to one of Sheridan's copies of them, a long list (like a Tablet of Proscription), containing about fifteen other names marked out for the same fate; and it will be seen by the following specimen that some of them had a very narrow escape:
"Will C—rt—s…."
"V—ns—t—t, V—ns—t—t,—for little thou fit art."
"Will D—nd—s, Will D—nd—s,—were you only an ass."
"L—ghb—h,—thorough."
"Sam H—rsl—y, Sam H—rsl—y, … coarsely."
"P—ttym—n, P—ttym—n,—speak truth, if you can."
But it was not alone for such lively purposes [Footnote: As I have been mentioning some instances of Sheridan's love of practical jests, I shall take this opportunity of adding one more anecdote, which I believe is pretty well known, but which I have had the advantage of hearing from the person on whom the joke was inflicted.