Early Habits
THERE was in Wilkes's time a worthy person, who had risen from the
condition of a bricklayer to be an alderman of London. Among other of
his early habits, the civic dignitary retained that of eating everything
with his fingers. One day a choice bit of turbot having repeatedly
escaped from his grasp, Wilkes, who witnessed the dilemma, whispered,
My lord, you had better take your trowel to it.