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Beau Nash at Tunbridge Wells
In murmurs who their Monarch's pains deplore; While sickness faints, and pleasure is no more; O let not death, with hasty strides advance, Thou, mildest Charity, avert the lance; His threat'ning power, coelestial maid ! defeat; Nor take him with thee, to thy well-known seat; Leave him on earth some longer date behind, To bless,—to polish,—and relieve mankind : Come then, kind Health ! O quickly come away, Bid Nash revive—and all the world be gay ! "
Nor did Nash's popularity grow less as time passed. His affairs, which, it must be confessed, never at any period of his life were on a satisfactory footing, became more involved than usual in 1754, and a public appeal was made to extricate him from his financial embarrassments. To spare the great man's feelings, all appearance of charity was avoided by the organisers stating that the donations made to the fund were not donations in the usual sense, but subscriptions for copies of a work to be entitled, The History of Bath and Tunbridge for these last Forty Years, by Richard Nash, Esq.; with an Apology for the author's life. A lady, whose identity has not been disclosed, but who, it was stated, was " celebrated for her wit and accomplishments, and lately married to a foreign gentleman," solicited
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