A RARE BROAD FARTHING!
To the Editor.
Sir,—In your last very pleasing number, [p. 242], you give an account of a “[Farthing Lord].” As addenda to that article I state, that in the west of England I knew a penurious old gentleman, who, by way of generous reward, used to give the person who performed little services for him a farthing!, with this grateful apostrophe, “Here, my friend; here is a rare broad farthing for thee!—go thy way—call to-morrow; and, if thou earn it, thou shalt have another rare broad farthing!” By the exercise of this liberality, he gained the appellation of “Broad Farthing!” and retained it to the day of his death, when he left immense wealth.
I am, sir, yours, &c.
*, *, *.
Islington, August 25, 1827.
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
The following good-tempered and agreeable letter has been published in illustration of an excellent engraving of Wilkie’s interesting picture of Sir Walter Scott and his family:—
Letter from Sir Walter Scott to Sir Adam Ferguson, descriptive of a Picture painted by David Wilkie, Esq., R.A., exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1818.