Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II. Egan Pierce

prompt in his movements, had sprung his rattle. Upon

      this, and feeling himself too heavily laden to secure his

      retreat, the fellow with the dead man perceiving the gate of

      an area open, dropped his burden down the steps, slam'd the

      gate after him, and continued to fly, but was stopped at the

      end of the street; in the mean time the Charley in pursuit

      had knock'd at the door of the house where the stolen goods

      (as he supposed) were deposited.

      1 A cant phrase for money.

      It was kept by an old maiden lady, who, upon discovering the

      dead body of a man upon her premises, had fainted in the

      Watchman's arms. The detection of the running

      Resurrectionist was followed by a walk to the watch-house,

      where his companions endeavoured to make it appear that they

      had all been dining at Wandsworth together, that he was not

      the person against whom the hue and cry had been raised. But

      old Snoosey{l} said it wouldn't do, and he was therefore detained to appear before the Magistrate in the morning. The Comedian, who had minutely watched their proceedings, took care to be at Bow-street in good time; where he found upon the affidavits of two of his comrades, who swore they had dined together at Wandsworth, their pal was liberated. 1 The Constable of the night.

      Bob could not very well understand what was the meaning of this lingo; he was perfectly at a loss to comprehend the terms of deadbody snatching and the resurrection rig. The crowd increased as they went along; and as they did not exactly relish their company, Sparkle led. them across the way, and then proceeded to explain.

      “Why,” said Sparkle, “the custom of dead-body snatching has become very common in London, and in many cases appears to be winked at by the Magistrates; for although it is considered a felony in law, it is also acknowledged in some degree to be necessary for the Surgeons, in order to have an opportunity of obtaining practical information. It is however, at the same time, a source of no slight distress to the parents and friends of the parties who are dragg'd from the peaceful security of the tomb. The Resurrection-men are generally well rewarded for their labours by the Surgeons who employ them to procure subjects; they are for the most part fellows who never stick at trifles, but make a decent livelihood by moving off, if they can, not only the bodies, but coffins, shrouds, &c. and are always upon the look-out wherever there is a funeral—nay, there have been instances in which the bodies have been dug from their graves within a few hours after being deposited there.”

      “It is a shameful practice,” said Bob, “and ought not to be tolerated, however; nor can I conceive how, with the apparent vigilance of the Police, it can be carried on.”

      “Nothing more easy,” said Sparkle, “where the plan is well laid. These fellows, when they hear a passing-bell toll, skulk about the parish from ale-house to ale-house, till they can learn a proper account of what the deceased died of, what condition the body is in, &c. with which account they go to a Resurrection Doctor, who agrees for a price, which is mostly five guineas, for the body of a man, and then bargain with an Undertaker for the shroud, coffin, &c. which, perhaps with a little alteration, may serve to run through the whole family.”

      “And is it possible,” said Bob, “that there are persons who will enter into such bargains?”

      “No doubt of it; nay, there was an instance of a man really selling his own body to a Surgeon, to be appropriated to his own purposes when dead, for a certain weekly sum secured to him while living; but in robbing the church-yards there are always many engaged in the rig—for notice is generally given that the body will be removed in the night, to which the Sexton is made privy, and receives the information with as much ease as he did to have it brought—his price being a guinea for the use of the grubbing irons, adjusting the grave, &c. This system is generally carried on in little country church-yards within a few miles of London. A hackney-coach or a cart is ready to receive the stolen property, and there cannot be a doubt but many of these depredations are attended with success, the parties escaping with their prey undetected—nay, I know of an instance that occurred a short time back, of a young man who was buried at Wesley's Chapel, on which occasion one of the mourners, a little more wary than the rest, could not help observing two or three rough fellows in the ground during the ceremony, which aroused his suspicion that they intended after interment to have the body of his departed friend; this idea became so strongly rooted in his mind, that he imparted his suspicions to the remainder of those who had followed him: himself and another therefore determined if possible to satisfy themselves upon the point, by returning in the dusk of the evening to reconnoitre. They accordingly proceeded to the spot, but the gates being shut, one of them climbed to the top of the wall, where he discovered the very parties, he had before noticed, in the act of wrenching open the coffin. Here they are, said he, hard at it, as I expected. But before he and his friend could get over the wall, the villains effected their escape, leaving behind them a capacious sack and all the implements of their infernal trade. They secured the body, had it conveyed home again, and in a few days re-buried it in a place of greater security.{1}

      Bob was surprised at this description of the Resurrection-rig, but was quickly drawn from his contemplation of the depravity of human nature, and what he could not help thinking the dirty employments of life, by a shouting apparently from several voices as they passed the end of St. Martin's Lane: it came from about eight persons, who appeared to be journeymen mechanics, with pipes in their mouths, some of them rather rorytorious,{2} who, as they approached, broke altogether into the following

      SONG.{3}

      “I'm a frolicsome young fellow, I live at my ease,

      I work when I like, and I play when I please;

      I'm frolicsome, good-natured—I'm happy and free,

      And I care not a jot what the world thinks of me.

      With my bottle and glass some hours I pass,

      Sometimes with my friend, and sometimes with my lass:

      I'm frolicsome, good-natur'd—I'm happy and free,

      And I don't care one jot what the world thinks of me.

      By the cares of the nation I'll ne'er be perplex'd,

      I'm always good-natur'd, e'en though I am vex'd;

      I'm frolicsome, good-humour'd—I'm happy and free,

      And I don't care one d——n what the world thinks of me.

      1 A circumstance very similar to the one here narrated by

      Sparkle actually occurred, and can be well authenticated.

      2 Rorytorious—Noisy.

      3 This song is not introduced for the elegance of its

      composition, but as the Author has actually heard it in the

      streets at the flight of night or the peep of day, sung in

      full chorus, as plain as the fumes of the pipes and the

      hiccups would allow the choristers at those hours to

      articulate; and as it is probably the effusion of some

      Shopmate in unison with the sentiments of many, it forms

      part of Real Life deserving of being recorded in this Work.

      Particular trades have particular songs suitable to the

      employment in which they are engaged, which while at work

      the whole of the parties will join in. In Spitalfields,

      Bethnal-green, &c. principally inhabited by weavers, it is

      no uncommon thing to hear twenty or thirty girls singing,

      with their shuttles going—The Death of Barbary Allen—There

      was