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A Biography of Percy Bolingbroke St.John
The Odd Fellow
The ‘Era” of Sunday, December 9, 1838 , reviewed a very early publication of Percy.B.St John, in it’s ‘Literature and Art’ section.
The Young Naturalist’s Book of Birds; Anecdotes of the Feathered Creation. By Percy B.St.John. With designs by Landseer. Rickerby.
This pretty little book, by a very young author, deserves commendation, both for it’s design and execution. It contains a great many anecdotes of a great many birds related in a very agreeable way, and well fitted to form the taste for the study of natural history in the youthful mind. The designs being executed by Landseer, in his usual style, require no praise from us. If a second should be called for, we would recommend Mr st.John to consult the veracious columns of the Dumfries Courier, which was long, and may be still, an amusing repertory of anecdotes of beasts, birds and creeping things. Many of them were excellent.
This pretty little book, by a very young author, deserves commendation, both for it’s design and execution. It contains a great many anecdotes of a great many birds related in a very agreeable way, and well fitted to form the taste for the study of natural history in the youthful mind. The designs being executed by Landseer, in his usual style, require no praise from us. If a second should be called for, we would recommend Mr st.John to consult the veracious columns of the Dumfries Courier, which was long, and may be still, an amusing repertory of anecdotes of beasts, birds and creeping things. Many of them were excellent.
Perhaps , following a family tradition, Percy recycled his material and an extract appeared in the ‘ODD FELLOW”[1] on Saturday, August 21, 1841 and it is odd that the earlier critic had assured his readers that the book would be ‘well fitted to form the taste for the study of natural history in the youthful mind.”
A LOW PARROT
During the voyage home, parrots are often taught by the sailors the vilest and most abominable language, the most tremendous oaths, and the coarsest blackguardism, so that it is impossible ofttimes to keep them in any decent family. I have been told that a gentleman in Cannon-street, Commercial Road, received from a friend one which had just been landed, and it turned out to be one which the sailors
had completely spoiled, proving the truth of the assertion, that ' evil communications corrupt good ma manners.' No man or woman did he suffer to pas along under the window, but he assailed them with the vilest and most opprobrious epithets, using words which no decent woman could hear without a blush. One day when he was so situated as to see all that passed without being seen, a gentleman and lady happened unfortunately to pass by.
“How d 'ye, my dears?” said he, “Kiss the pussy. Oh la! oh dear!'
“Impudent rascal!” said the gentleman, turning round; "if you were not within, under the protection of that roof, I would chastise your insolence.”
“Would he? A rope, a rope!” continued pretty Polly; “hold her tight!”
“Confound bim!'“ exclaimed the gentleman hastily. “I will go in and demand an explanation from the scoundrel of his insolence.”
Accordingly, in spite of the remonstrances of the young lady who was with him, who, terrified at the consequences of a collision, though a coalition would have been worse, endeavoured to hold him back, he knocks at the door, and a servant maid appearing, he informed her, somewhat angrily, of the insult he had received. She assured him there was no man in the house - he sill persisted that there was>
“Ha! ha! ha! you fool! Old nigee come ‘ere!”
”Oh,” exclaimed the girl, laughing heartily, ‘I know now, it’s old Poll.”
“A parrot!" replied the other, “then allow me to speak to him.” He was introduced, and approaching him, shook his cane over his head.
“Now, you rascal, I have a good mind to give it you well!"
“No, no! please your highness; no beat Poll!”
The gentleman laughed, and having bowed to the aggressor, left his card and retired. The next day his master having heard the adventure of the day, thought it get rid of him soon as possible, which he effected. (Percy St John’s Book of Birds).
“How d 'ye, my dears?” said he, “Kiss the pussy. Oh la! oh dear!'
“Impudent rascal!” said the gentleman, turning round; "if you were not within, under the protection of that roof, I would chastise your insolence.”
“Would he? A rope, a rope!” continued pretty Polly; “hold her tight!”
“Confound bim!'“ exclaimed the gentleman hastily. “I will go in and demand an explanation from the scoundrel of his insolence.”
Accordingly, in spite of the remonstrances of the young lady who was with him, who, terrified at the consequences of a collision, though a coalition would have been worse, endeavoured to hold him back, he knocks at the door, and a servant maid appearing, he informed her, somewhat angrily, of the insult he had received. She assured him there was no man in the house - he sill persisted that there was>
“Ha! ha! ha! you fool! Old nigee come ‘ere!”
”Oh,” exclaimed the girl, laughing heartily, ‘I know now, it’s old Poll.”
“A parrot!" replied the other, “then allow me to speak to him.” He was introduced, and approaching him, shook his cane over his head.
“Now, you rascal, I have a good mind to give it you well!"
“No, no! please your highness; no beat Poll!”
The gentleman laughed, and having bowed to the aggressor, left his card and retired. The next day his master having heard the adventure of the day, thought it get rid of him soon as possible, which he effected. (Percy St John’s Book of Birds).
Percy.B.S.John was seventeen years of age when he wrote of pretty Polly (Percy was born at Plymouth, on March 4, 1821)
- ↑ The ‘Odd Fellow’ might have been ‘The Odd Fellow” a working man’s magazine published by a Manchester movement called the : ‘MANCHESTER UNITY OF TНE INEPENDENT ORDER.”