Volume 3

Wonderful characters : comprising memoirs and anecdotes of the most remarkable persons of every age and nation. / collected from the most authentic sources by Henry Wilson.

  • Wilson, H. (Henry), 1864-1934.
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Wonderful characters : comprising memoirs and anecdotes of the most remarkable persons of every age and nation. / collected from the most authentic sources by Henry Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    earn, in the gardens of any people who would give him employment. In conversation with a friend who had known Sidney in his better days, and who was trying to get a few shillings from Cooke for his support, Cooke ob- served that Tom could not want money now; nay, he was in a situation to sa?;e money now, as he could and did earn a shilling or eighteen-pence a week, by work- ing in the gardens of the parishioners. Ink was an article of which Cooke was very fond of, and this he used to obtain in large quantities by begging. His way was, to carry a strong phial about him, that held something more than half a pint; and whenever he could get into the counting-house of any of those whom he was in the habit of calling on, he was always sure to ask for a little ink in his bottle ; and if his friend chose to fill it for him he made no objection. What, it will be asked, did he do with such a large quantity of ink, as he must by this means have accumulated ?—Why, it is true, he wrote a great deal; but he did not use it all in writing. No : To employ a poor person to clean his shoes would cost money ; and to have ihem cleaned at home, by his maid, could not be done without ex- pense, as the ingredients for making blacking would cost something in a year. The ink he contrived to get Jornothing; and he blacked his shoes with that! After he had retired from business, and went to reside in Wmchester-place, Pentonville, he hit upon a notable expedient for supplying himself with his favourite ve getable in high perfection, at a very easy charge Annexed to his house was a spot of ground, which* when he first took the premises, was laid out prettily f'; the culture of flowers ; but Cooke despised the foppery of flowers, and therefore lost no time in rooting them aU P, for the purpose of making a cabbage-gafden he erefore dug the ground himself to avoid paTi^. . cabbage seed all over ,t: he mdustriously applied him-