The cheering having subsided, and the parties having resumed their seats, it was his turn to rise, so getting on his legs, he essayed to speak, but finding, as many men do, that his ideas deserted him the moment the “eyes of England” were turned upon him, after two or three hitches of his nankeens, and as many hems and haws, he very coolly resumed his seat, and spoke as follows: 

“Gentlemen, unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I am taken quite aback by this werry unexpected compliment (cheers); never since I filled the hancient and honerable hoffice of churchwarden in the populous parish of St. Botolph Without, have I experienced a gratification equal to the present.  I thank you from the werry bottom of my breeches-pocket (applause).  Gentlemen, I’m no horator, but I’m a honest man (cheers).  I should indeed be undeserving the name of a sportsman—­undeserving of being a member of that great and justly celebrated ’unt, of which Mr. Happerley Nimrod has spun so handsome and flattering a yarn, if I did not feel deeply proud of the compliment you have paid it.  It is unpossible for me to follow that great sporting scholar fairly over the ridge and furrow of his werry intricate and elegant horation, for there are many of those fine gentlemen’s names—­French, I presume—­that he mentioned, that I never heard of before, and cannot recollect; but if you will allow me to run ’eel a little, I would make a few hobservations on a few of his hobservations.—­Mr. Happerley Nimrod, gentlemen, was pleased to pay a compliment to what he was pleased to call my something ’ospitality.  I am extremely obliged to him for it.  To be surrounded by one’s friends is in my mind the ‘Al’ of ’uman ’appiness (cheers).  Gentlemen, I am most proud of the honour of seeing you all here to-day, and I hope the grub has been to your likin’ (cheers), if not, I’ll discharge my butcher.  On the score of quantity there might be a little deficiency, but I hope the quality was prime.  Another time this shall be all remedied (cheers).  Gentlemen, I understand those cheers, and I’m flattered by them—­I likes ’ospitality!—­I’m not the man to keep my butter in a ’pike-ticket, or my coals in a quart pot (immense cheering).  Gentlemen, these are my sentiments, I leaves the flowers of speech to them as is better acquainted with botany (laughter)—­I likes plain English, both in eating and talking, and I’m happy to see Mr. Happerley Nimrod has not forgot his, and can put up with our homely fare, and do without pantaloon cutlets, blankets of woe,[27] and such-like miseries.”

[Footnote 27:  “Blanquette de veau.”]

“I hates their ’orse douvers (hors-d’oeuvres), their rots, and their poisons (poissons); ’ord rot ’em, they near killed me, and right glad am I to get a glass of old British black strap.  And talking of black strap, gentlemen, I call on old Crane, the man what supplies it, to tip us a song.  So now I’m finished—­and you, Crane, lap up your liquor and begin!” (applause).