Taken from the Monmouthshire Merlin in 1843, a description of publicans renewing their licenses at the Newport Town Hall.
Monday, Sept. 4.
Before the Mayor, and Thomas Prothero, Thos. Hughes, Esqrs.
Here was a scene, worthy to be illustrated by the pencil of Hogarth!
About forty-four worthy Bonifaces presented their "sevens and sixpences" for a renewal of license to "victual" the thirsty denizens of Newport with wines, spirits, ale, cider, and porter; and "bonny faces" they exhibited ! while there were not wanting the fat rubicond cheeks and mulberry-tipped nasal organs that so generally distinguish the high priests of Bacchus.
Teetotalism had apparently sent no ravaging decay of business among these. There they were—a host of merry-hearted Falstaffs, putting to shame the cloud of Cold-stream Guards who sometimes "hold forth" in the same hall where Justice was cow "administering" the seven-and-sixpenny "pledge." It would be a curious scene, if each had brought with him the "subject matter" of his sign.
Here were the royal representatives of our late Sailor King, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert. and the Iron Duke, standing forward cheerfully to I support the "Union," and rested familiarly upon the brawny Blacksmiths' Arms, Joiners' Arms, and Butchers' Arms while Neptunes nodded to Vulcans; Hares and Greyhounds were running around the Globe; Albion made Salutations with uplifted Crowns to Kings' Heads; the Rose and Thistle bended gracefully to the Royal Oak; Heath cocks, Blue Boars, White Lions and Black Lions, Old Bulls, St. Georges and Dragons, Lambs, Ploughs, and Anchors, and other "game," were heteregenously scampering from the portly Noah's Ark, and transmitting requests of leave to be off, through the Post Office to Mr Hopkins, the "receiver-general" of the blindfolded God.
Owners of Shipwrecks were looking miserably upon Ships-a-Ground, and enviously on Ships-on Launch, while the puffing and blowing Steam Packet went "a head" of each; Royal Ann looked curiously up into the bushy Old Bush; Cross Keys jingled their good metal on the tintinnabulary Six Bells; and better music than all, Crowns rattled harmoniously down upon the table as the 'due and legal cost," with half crowns, shillings, and sixpences, even to the close of the chapter.
The scene is over; the chief actors who played their parts on this stage, have one by one departed to begin another 'season" on their own stage and then, we may observe, for the satisfaction of the curious, those 'lesser stars," in the beer line, who had sought to obtain a more 'spirited' elevation, 'hid their diminished heads," when they were desired to shine on in their present orbits, for a brief while, albeit they might "shoot" up again on the twenty-fifth day of the present* month; and then these "stars" went out.
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