1893 text

Simon Wadlow was the original of “old Sir Simon the king,” the favourite air of Squire Western in “Tom Jones.”

“Hang up all the poor hop-drinkers, Cries old Sim, the king of skinkers.”

Ben Jonson, Verses over the door into the Apollo.


This text comes from a footnote on a diary entry in the 1893 edition edited by Henry B. Wheatley.

3 Annotations

First Reading

Phil  •  Link

L&M suggest his name is John. Wheatley thinks it is Simon.

Second Reading

Bill  •  Link

The Ashmolean Museum Catalogue mentions "Eight verses upon Simon Wadloe, Vintner, dwelling att ye sign of ye Devill and St. Dunstan."—Apollo et Cohors Museum, p. 54.
---Diary and correspondence of Samuel Pepys, the diary deciphered by J. Smith. 1854.

Bill  •  Link

The Simon Wadlow alluded to by Ben Jonson died March 30th, 1627. The Ashmolean Museum Catalogue mentions "Eight verses upon Simon Wadloe, Vintner, dwelling att ye sign of ye Devill and St. Dunstan," commencing "Apollo et cohors musarum." The Wadlow of Pepys was John, apparently the son of Simon. (See "Boyne's Trade Tokens," ed. Williamson, vol. i., 1889, p. 766.)
---Wheatley, 1899.

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References

Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.

1661

1665

1667