Page:The London Guide and Stranger's Safeguard.djvu/219

Rh do any dirty work. The employer and employed being' equally bad.

The distillers play an under-game generally, unless where a gin shop has a great trade, and then they are the chief creditors. For more on this subject see under the head "smuggling," "private distillery."

Or useful men, as they are called, abound now more than ever, in consequence of the recently depressed state of our manufactures. They arose out of the latter description of people on the town; for, as a bad trade produced Jobbers and Mock-auctions, with the Duffers and the Barkers, so the whole combined gave life to a race of men hitherto undefined, who ought to be termed "Sycophants," because they are so. These, notwithstanding they seem to have much knowledge of the world, owe their depressed situation in life to the very want of that knowledge being carried into practice; and yet it is by the tender of their services in the way of information and advice, that they prey upon the unsuspecting part of the community. Whatever is to be done, they tender their advice, and offer their assistance, asking in return to fill a glass out of your bowl, or to