necessity of eating in public, and helping
himself from the kitchen fire of some paltry ale-
house in the country.''

His advertisements show that he was before
the public from 1718 to 1780. One of his later
advertisements runs as follows:

SUM SOLUS


Please observe that there are two
different performances the same evening,
which will be performed by the famous

MR. POWELL, FIRE-EATER, FROM
LONDON:

who has had the honor to exhibit, with
universal applause, the most surprising
performances that were ever attempted by
mankind, before His Royal Highness
William, late Duke of Cumberland, at
Windsor Lodge, May 7th, 1752; before
His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester,
at Gloucester House, January 30th,
1769; before His Royal Highness the
present Duke of Cumberland, at Windsor
Lodge, September 25th, 1769; before Sir
Hans Sloane and several of the Royal