Well, on looking over the Flare-up
notices to correspondents, I read, one day last April, among the
notices, as follows:--
"'Automodon.' We do not know the precise age of Mr. Baker of Covent
Garden Theatre; nor are we aware if that celebrated son of Thespis is a
married man.
"'Ducks and Green-peas' is informed, that when A plays his rook to B's
second Knight's square, and B, moving two squares with his Queen's pawn,
gives check to his adversary's Queen, there is no reason why B's Queen
should not take A's pawn, if B be so inclined.
"'F. L. S.' We have repeatedly answered the question about Madame
Vestris: her maiden name was Bartolozzi, and she married the son of
Charles Mathews, the celebrated comedian.
"'Fair Play.' The best amateur billiard and ecarte player in England,
is Coxe Tuggeridge Coxe, Esq., of Portland Place, and Tuggeridgeville:
Jonathan, who knows his play, can only give him two in a game of a
hundred; and, at the cards, NO man is his superior. Verbum sap.
"'Scipio Americanus' is a blockhead."
I read this out to the Count and Tagrag, and both of them wondered how
the Editor of that tremendous Flare-up should get such information; and
both agreed that the Baron, who still piqued himself absurdly on his
play, would be vastly annoyed by seeing me preferred thus to himself.
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