Little Waddington thought he could get away with selling a seditious and blasphemous book, because he could not be seen by the purchaser. The Magistrate thought differently!
“On Saturday that well-known character, Little Waddington, who has opened a shop for the sale of seditious and blasphemous works on Carlile’s plan by machinery, was arrested and carried before the Magistrates at Bow-street for the sale of some works of that description. He was ordered to find bail, himself in 100l. and two sureties of 50l. each, and to give 24 hours’ notice of the bail offered; and was committed until this should be done. He endeavoured to shield himself behind his contrivance of the book having been sold through a hole, so that the purchaser could not see the person who sold it to him ; and he pleaded that he himself was in the front of the Temple, and of course had nothing to do with the selling of the book. – The Magistrates held that this signified nothing – it was sufficient that his name was over the door of his shop, and he was present when the book was sold. – ‘Little Waddy’ was dumbfounded at this constuction of the matter – it was a complete explosion of his ‘new-inwented inwizzable publisher;’ and for some minutes he remained holding his peace, and ‘wrapped in dismal thinkings.’ until carried off to prison! It was but last week he placarded the town, announcing that he was about to bring out a periodical work, entitles ‘Waddington’s Frying-Pan,’ in which he promised to fry all the contemners* of Radicalism, and ‘serve them up so highly seasoned that they should stimulate the stomachs of his friends even to ecstasy!’ – Truly he is now himself in the frying-pan, and it is a hundred to one that he will tumble out of it into the fire.”
The Stamford Mercury, 10th May, 1822.
*Those held in contempt of court.