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diff --git a/old/50507-0.txt b/old/50507-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d55080b..0000000 --- a/old/50507-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,12798 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Eighteenth Century Waifs, by John Ashton - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Eighteenth Century Waifs - -Author: John Ashton - -Release Date: November 20, 2015 [EBook #50507] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EIGHTEENTH CENTURY WAIFS *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -EIGHTEENTH CENTURY WAIFS. - - - - - EIGHTEENTH CENTURY WAIFS - - - BY - - JOHN ASHTON - - AUTHOR OF - “SOCIAL LIFE IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE,” - ETC., ETC. - - _IN ONE VOLUME._ - - - LONDON: - HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, - 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. - - 1887. - - _All Rights Reserved._ - - - - -PREFACE. - - -It was probably Solomon, who, in Ecclesiastes, cap. 12, v. 12, said, -‘Of making many books there is no end.’ But, if this book had to have -been written by him, he might, probably, have modified his opinion. - -I have read some books in my life-time, _re_ the sixteenth, -seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, and therefore was not taken -aback when I was advised by a learned friend, whom I consulted as to -the subject of a new book, to try the ‘Musgrave Tracts,’ in the British -Museum. I thanked him, and wrote for them, when I was politely asked, -‘Did I want them all?’ ‘Of course,’ was my reply; when I was told, with -the courtesy that particularly distinguishes the establishment, that I -had better come into an inner room, and have them down shelf by shelf. - -The books came in a continuous stream, until I asked if there were -any more. ‘Oh, yes,’ was the reply; and, when I had finished my job, -I found I had gone through more than 1760 volumes. Add to this over -200 other books and newspapers used for reference, &c., and that will -represent some amount of the labour employed in writing a book. - -I have strung together a series of chapters of different phases of -social life and biography of the last century, none of which have (as -far as I am concerned) appeared in any magazine, but which have all -been specially written for this book. And this I have done so that the -book may be taken up at any time, and laid down again at the end of -an article; and perhaps the best reason for my publishing this book -is, that it gives the reader a brief _resumé_ of each subject treated, -taken from sources, thoroughly original, which are usually inaccessible -to the general public, and known but to few students. - -They are diverse, to suit all tastes; and if this, my venture, is -successful, I may bashfully hint that my store is not yet exhausted. - - JOHN ASHTON. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - A FORGOTTEN FANATIC 1 - - A FASHIONABLE LADY’S LIFE 17 - - GEORGE BARRINGTON 31 - - MILTON’S BONES 55 - - THE TRUE STORY OF EUGENE ARAM 83 - - REDEMPTIONERS 112 - - A TRIP TO RICHMOND IN SURREY 131 - - GEORGE ROBERT FITZGERALD 135 - - EIGHTEENTH CENTURY AMAZONS 177 - - ‘THE TIMES’ AND ITS FOUNDER 203 - - IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT 227 - - JONAS HANWAY 254 - - A HOLY VOYAGE TO RAMSGATE ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO 278 - - QUACKS OF THE CENTURY 287 - - CAGLIOSTRO IN LONDON 333 - - - - -EIGHTEENTH CENTURY WAIFS. - - - - -A FORGOTTEN FANATIC.[1] - - -One of the most curious phases of religious mania is that where the -patient is under the impression that he is divinely inspired, and has -a special mission to his fellow-men, which he is impelled to fulfil at -all costs and under all circumstances. - -From the earliest ages of Christianity _pseudo-Christoi_, or false -Christs, existed. Simon Magus, Dositheus, and the famous Barcochab were -among the first of them, and they were followed by Moses, in Crete, in -the fifth century; Julian, in Palestine, _circa_ A.D. 530; and Serenus, -in Spain, _circa_ A.D. 714. There were, in the twelfth century, some -seven or eight in France, Spain, and Persia; and, coming to more modern -times, there was Sabbatai Zewi, a native of Aleppo, or Smyrna, who -proclaimed himself to be the Messiah, in Jerusalem, _circa_ 1666. -The list of religious fanatics is a long one. Mahomet, Munzer, John -of Leyden, Brothers, Matthews, Joanna Southcott, ‘Courtenay,’ or -Thomas, and Joe Smith are among them, and are well-known; but there -are hundreds of others whose work has not been on so grand a scale, or -whose influence has not been of the national importance of the above; -and it is of one of these forgotten fanatics that I now treat. - -Well out in the Atlantic Ocean, far west, indeed, even of the Western -Isles, stands the lonely island of St. Kilda, or Hirta, as it used to -be called, from _h-Iar-tir_, the Gaelic for West land, or West country. -Its rocky sides are inaccessible, except at one landing-place, at a bay -on the south-east, and it is the home and breeding-place of millions of -sea-birds, whose flesh and eggs form the main supply of food for the -inhabitants, and whose feathers, together with a few sheep and cattle, -and what little barley can be grown, or butter can be made, pay the -trifling rent required, and help to provide the bare necessaries of -civilized existence. - -The inhabitants are not healthy, so many dying, as young children, of -a disease locally known as the ‘eight day sickness,’ a disease which -generally attacks them on the eighth or ninth day after birth, and -mostly proves fatal in the course of a day or two. From this and other -causes, including falls from cliffs, the population has remained nearly -stationary, as is evidenced by the fact that for the last hundred years -the inhabitants have averaged under a hundred. Indeed, at one time, in -1724, small-pox attacked the islanders, being imported by one of them -on his return from a visit to Harris, and all the adults died except -four, who were left to take care of twenty-six orphans, all that were -left of twenty-four families. - -Lying out of the ordinary track of boats, even of yachts, it is, even -now, seldom visited, and in the last century no one except the steward -of Macleod (whose family have been the possessors of St. Kilda for -hundreds of years), who made an annual pilgrimage to collect the rent, -ever came near the place. Its loneliness was proverbial, so much so -that it was an article of faith that the arrival of strangers brought -with them a kind of influenza called boat-cough, which was sometimes -fatal. This singular disease does not seem to be confined to St. Kilda, -for Bates, in ‘The Naturalist on the River Amazon,’ mentions certain -tribes near Ega who are gradually becoming extinct from a slow fever -and cold, which attacks them after they have been visited by civilised -people. And in the ‘Cruise of H.M.S. Galatea,’ in 1867-68, it says, -‘Tristran d’Acunha is a remarkably healthy island; but it is a singular -fact that any vessel touching there from St. Helena invariably brings -with it a disease resembling influenza.’ - -This belief is amusingly illustrated in Boswell’s ‘Journal of a Tour -to the Hebrides.’ ‘This evening he (Dr. Johnson) disputed the truth -of what is said as to the people of St. Kilda catching cold whenever -strangers come. “How can there,” said he, “be a physical effect without -a physical cause?” He added, laughing, “The arrival of a ship full of -strangers would kill them; for, if one stranger gives them one cold, -two strangers must give them two colds, and so on in proportion.” I -wondered to hear him ridicule this, as he had praised McAulay for -putting it in his book,[2] saying that it was manly in him to tell -a fact, however strange, if he himself believed it. They said it -was annually proved by Macleod’s steward, on whose arrival all the -inhabitants caught cold. He jocularly remarked, “The steward always -comes to demand something from them, and so they fall a-coughing. I -suppose the people in Skye all take a cold when----” (naming a certain -person) “comes.” They said he only came in summer. _Johnson_--“That is -out of tenderness to you. Bad weather and he at the same time would be -too much.”’ - -The first printed account of this poor lonely island is, probably, in a -little book by Donald Monro, High Dean of the Isles,[3] 1594. He there -says, ‘The inhabitants therof ar simple poor people, scarce learnit in -aney religion, but McCloyd of Herray,[4] his stewart, or he quhom he -deputs in sic office, sailes anes in the zeir ther at midsummer, with -some chaplaine to baptize bairns ther, and if they want[5] a chaplaine, -they baptize their bairns themselfes.’ - -At the end of the seventeenth century, when Roderick, the religious -impostor, or fanatic, lived, things spiritual were somewhat improved, -although they only had the annual clerical visit. There were three -chapels on the island, to serve a population of one hundred and -eighty. One was called Christ’s Chapel, hardly discernible from one of -their dwellings, being built and thatched in a similar manner; but it -contained one of their chief treasures, a brass crucifix, which lay -upon an altar therein. They paid no adoration or worship to this, but -it was their most precious possession, being used, as are the gospels -elsewhere, for the purpose of solemn asseveration, and it was also made -use of at marriages and the healing of strife. - -The people observed as Holy-days Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, St. -Columba’s Day, and All Saints. They ceased all work at midnight on -Saturday, and kept the Sabbath, in this respect, very strictly, only -resuming their ordinary avocations on Monday morning. They believed in -the Trinity, and in a future state of happiness and misery, and that -God ordains all things. They took great care with their churchyard, -which they fenced round with stone, so that no cattle should desecrate -God’s Acre, and they had a peculiar belief in the embodiment of -spirits, and fancied that they could, at will, incorporate themselves -with the rocks, hills, etc. - -Of the three chapels, one only seems to have been used, and this, not -being large enough to accommodate the islanders, the whole of the -inhabitants would assemble, on every Sunday morning, in the churchyard, -and there devoutly say the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten -Commandments. This form of worship was simple enough; but it seems to -have been of recent introduction--_i.e._, about the beginning of the -seventeenth century; when, somehow or other, there was a man upon the -island who passed for a Roman Catholic priest, but who was so ignorant -that he did not know the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, or the Decalogue -correctly; and, consequently, he taught the poor people an incorrect -version, but to him they owed the crucifix, and the observance of the -Holy-days before mentioned, and with this teacher they were content -until the year 1641, when one Coll McDonald, or Ketoch, fled from -Ireland, and, with a few men, landed at St. Kilda, where he lived in -amity with the inhabitants for nearly a year. He rebuked the so-called -priest for his ignorance, and he taught the poor simple folk the -correct version of the text of their very primitive worship--in fine, -he was considered so far superior to the priest, that the natives would -fain have deposed the latter; but this McDonald would not suffer. - -Martin Martin,[6] writing in 1698, describes the happy condition of the -islanders at that date. ‘The Inhabitants of St. Kilda are much happier -than the generality of Mankind, as being almost the only People in -the World who feel the sweetness of true Liberty: What the Condition -of the People in the Golden Age is feign’d by the Poets to be, that -theirs really is; I mean, in Innocency and Simplicity, Purity, Mutual -Love, and Cordial Friendship, free from solicitous Cares and anxious -Covetousness; from Envy, Deceit, and Dissimulation; from Ambition and -Pride, and the Consequences that attend them. They are altogether -ignorant of the Vices of Foreigners, and governed by the Dictates of -Reason and Christianity, as it was first delivered to them by those -Heroick Souls whose Zeal moved them to undergo danger and trouble, to -plant Religion here in one of the remotest Corners of the World.’ - -This Eden, however, was doomed to have its Serpent, and these simple -folk were fated to be led into error by a man who seems to have been -physically above the average of the islanders, for he is described as -‘a Comely, well-proportioned fellow, Red-hair’d, and exceeding all -the Inhabitants of St. Kilda in Strength, Climbing, &c.’ Naturally he -was illiterate, for the means of culture were altogether lacking in -that lonely isle; but he was above his fellows, inasmuch as he was a -poet, and, moreover, he claimed to have the gift of ‘second sight,’ a -pretension which would naturally cause him to be looked up to by these -Gaelic islanders. These qualifications which Roderick (for such was his -name) claimed, naturally pointed to his becoming a leader of some sort; -and he seems to have entered upon his vocation early in life, for, when -we first hear of him in his public capacity, he was but eighteen years -of age. - -We have read how strictly the islands kept the Sabbath, and Roderick -seems to have been the first to break through their customs--by going -fishing on that day. As, according to all moral ethics, something -dreadful will surely overtake the Sabbath breaker, it is comforting -to know that Roderick formed no exception to the rule. One Sunday he -committed the heinous and, hitherto, unknown sin of fishing--and, on -his return, he declared that, as he was coming home, a ‘Man, dressed in -a Cloak and Hat,’ suddenly appeared in the road before him. Needless to -say, this apparition frightened him, and he fell upon his face before -the supernatural being, but the Man desired him not to be afraid, -for he was John the Baptist, who had come specially from Heaven, the -bearer of good tidings to the inhabitants of St. Kilda, and with a -divine commission to instruct Roderick in religious matters, which -instruction he was to impart to his neighbours for their spiritual -welfare. - -Roderick diffidently objected to thus being made a medium, and alleged -his incapacity to receive such revelations and act upon them; but the -pseudo-saint cheered him, and bade him be of good courage, declaring -that he would immediately make him fit for his predestined purpose, -and, according to the poor fanatic’s account, gave him the following -instructions: - -It was to be of primary importance, and as a visible sign of their -belief, that his followers should observe Friday as a strict fast--so -strict, indeed, that not a particle of food of any description must -pass their lips on that day, nor might they even indulge in a pinch of -snuff--a small luxury which they dearly loved. He next promulgated the -comforting assurance that many of the deceased islanders were Saints in -Heaven, and there interceded for those living; that everyone had his -own particular advocate, and, on the anniversary of the day peculiar -to each Saint, his _protégé_ on earth was to make a feast to his -neighbours of the very best of his substance, such as mutton, fowls, -&c., Roderick, of course, to be the chief and honoured guest on the -occasion. - -A sheep was to be sacrificed on the threshold of each house by every -family (presumably only once a year), and this was to be done in a -specially cruel manner, for no knife was to touch it, but its throat -was to be hacked with the crooked spades they used in husbandry, whose -edges were about half-an-inch thick. This was to be done at night, -but no one might partake of the mutton that night under penalty of -similarly slaughtering a sheep the next day for every person that -had eaten of it. It is difficult to see what was his object in these -ordinances--except to make sure of good living at the expense of -his poor dupes, who, if they turned refractory, and disobeyed his -injunctions, were threatened with the most awful Judgment to come. - -That he was keen enough in his own interests is exemplified in one of -his promulgations. He picked out a bush upon a rising ground, which he -christened ‘John the Baptist’s Bush,’ for there, he declared, the Saint -had appeared to him; and this he ordered should be holy ground, which -must never be defiled by the tread of sheep or cattle. He also built a -wall--certainly not a high one--round it: and should, by chance, any -unhappy sheep, in the lightsomeness of its heart, or succumbing to the -temptation of the herbage, overleap this wall, and dare to browse upon -the sacred soil, it was staightway to be slain--and Roderick and its -owner were to eat its carcase. But, as the Saint evidently foresaw that -some stiff-necked, and not properly-converted proselyte, might object -to this disposition of his personal property and might refuse to have -the sheep slaughtered, he commanded that such a recusant should be -ANATHEMA, cast out, and excluded from all fellowship, until such time -as he saw the error of his ways, recanted, and expiated his sin by -permitting the sacrifice. - -For discipline must be maintained in a religious body, as well as in -a purely secular society; and Roderick had no intention of having his -authority disputed. For minor offences he had a cheerful penance. No -matter what was the weather, the sinner must strip, and forthwith walk -or jump into the water, there to stand until the divinely-inspired -one chose to release him, and, if more than one were thus punished at -the same time, they were to beguile the moments, and somewhat increase -their penance, by pouring cold water upon each other’s heads. - -He was for no half-measures. This new Divine revelation must thoroughly -supersede and root out the old superstitions; so he forbade the use -of the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments--the whole -formulary of the islanders’ simple faith--and substituted forms of his -own. His prayers are described as rhapsodical productions, in which, in -spite of the abolition of the old form of worship, he introduced the -names of God, our Saviour, and the immaculate Virgin, together with -words unintelligible either to himself or his hearers, but which he -declared to have received direct from the Baptist, and delivered to his -hearers, as in duty bound. - -He kept up his connection with St. John, and used to assert that every -night, when the people were assembled, he heard a voice, saying, -‘Come you out, and then he lost all control over himself, and was -constrained to go. Then would the Baptist meet him, and instruct him -in what he was to say to the people. St. John evidently expected his -disciple to exercise all his intelligence, for he would only say his -message once, and never could be got to repeat it. On one occasion, -Roderick could not understand it, or hardly remember a sentence; so -he naturally inquired of the Saint how he was to behave. He got no -comfort, however, only a brusque, ‘Go, you have it,’ with which he was -fain to be content, and, wonderful to relate, on his return to his -flock, he remembered every word he had been told, and could retail it -fluently--but, as a rule, his discourses were discursive, and apt to -send his auditors to sleep. - -Naturally the women flocked to him, and he took them specially (some -said too specially) under his protection. To them he revealed that, if -they followed him faithfully, eternal bliss should be their portion, -and that they should go to heaven in glorious state, riding upon -milk-white steeds. For them he exercised his poetic talents (for he -composed long, rhapsodical rhymes, which he called psalms, and which -were sung by his flock), and he taught them a devout hymn, called the -‘Virgin Mary’s,’ which he declared she had sent specially to them, and -that it was of such wonderful efficacy, that whoever could repeat it -by heart would not die in child-bearing; but, of course, so valuable a -gift could not be imparted gratis, so every scholar was mulcted in a -sheep before she was instructed in the potent hymn. - -Yet, as with many another, a woman was the primary cause of his -downfall. It was his behaviour to a woman that first opened the eyes of -his deluded followers, and showed them that their idol was fallible, -and that his feet were ‘part of iron, and part of clay.’ The wife -of Macleod’s representative found favour in his sight; but, being a -virtuous woman, she told her husband of the Prophet’s wicked advances; -and these two laid a little trap, into which the unsuspecting, but -naughty, Roderick walked. - -It was very simple: the husband hid himself until he judged proper to -appear--confronted the guilty man--spoke burning words of reproof to -him--thoroughly disorganised him, and brought him very low--made him -beg his pardon, and promise he would never so sin again. But although -a hollow peace was patched up between them, and the injured husband -even gave the greatest sign of friendship possible, according to their -notions (_i.e._, taking Roderick’s place as sponsor at the baptism -of one of his own children), yet the story leaked out. The Prophet’s -father plainly and openly told him he was a deceiver, and would come -to a bad end; and the thinking portion of the community began to have -serious doubts of the Divine origin of his mission. - -These doubts were further confirmed by one or two little facts which -led the people to somewhat distrust his infallibility, especially in -one case in which his cousin-german Lewis was concerned. This man had -an ewe which had brought forth three lambs at one time, and these -wicked sheep actually browsed upon the sacred bush! Of course we -know the Baptist had decreed their slaughter, and Lewis was promptly -reminded of the fact--but he did not see it in that light. His heart -was hard, and his sheep were dear to him. He argued that, from his -point of view, it was unreasonable to kill so many animals, and inflict -such serious damage to their proprietor, for so trivial a fault--and, -besides, he would not. Of course there was nothing to be done with such -an hardened sinner but to carry out the law, and excommunicate him; -which was accordingly done--with the usual result. The poor simple -folk, in their faith, looked for a speedy and awful judgment to fall -upon Lewis and his sheep. - - ‘But what gave rise - To no little surprise, - Nobody seem’d one penny the worse!’ - -And then they bethought them that, if it were their own case, they -might as well treat the matter as Lewis had done--seeing he was none -the worse, and four sheep to the good; and so his authority over them -gradually grew laxer and laxer: and, when the steward paid his annual -visit in 1697, they denounced Roderick as an impostor, and expressed -contrition for their own back-slidings. - -The chaplain who accompanied the steward, and who was sent over from -Harris by Macleod, purposely to look into this matter, made the Prophet -publicly proclaim himself an impostor, compelled him to commence with -his own hands the destruction of the enclosure round the sacred bush, -and scatter the stones broadcast--and, finally, the steward, whose -word was absolute law to these poor people, took him away, never to -return. The poor credulous dupes, on being reproved for so easily -complying to this impostor, with one voice answered that what they did -was unaccountable; but, seeing one of their own number and stamp in all -respects endued, as they fancied, with a powerful faculty of preaching -so fluently and frequently, and pretending to converse with John the -Baptist, they were induced to believe in his mission from Heaven, and -therefore complied with his commands without dispute. - -Of his ultimate fate nothing is known, the last record of him being -that, after having been taken to Harris, he was brought before the -awful Macleod, to be judged, ‘who, being informed of this Fellow’s -Impostures, did forbid him from that time forward to Preach any -more on pain of Death. This was a great mortification, as well as -disappointment, to the Impostor, who was possessed with a fancy -that _Mack-Leod_ would hear him preach, and expected no less than -to persuade him to become one of his Proselytes, as he has since -confessed.’ He was sent to Skye, where he made public recantation of -his errors, and confessed in several churches that it was the Devil, -and not St. John, with whom he conversed--and, arguing from that fact, -he probably was docile, and lived the remainder of his life in Skye--a -harmless lunatic. - - * * * * * - -In October, 1885, public attention was particularly directed to St. -Kilda, and the story cannot be better told than by reproducing some -contemporary newspaper paragraphs. - -_Morning Post_, October 9, 1885.--‘A letter has been received by -Principal Rainy, Edinburgh, and has been forwarded to the Home -Secretary from St. Kilda. The letter was found on the shore of Harris, -having been floated from St. Kilda in a little boat made of a piece -of plank. The letter was written by the clergyman of St. Kilda, by -direction of the islanders, asking that the Government should be -informed that their corn, barley, and potatoes were destroyed by -a great storm, in the hope that Government would send a supply of -corn-seed, barley, and potatoes, as the crop was quite useless.’ - -_Ibid_, October 21, 1885.--‘The steamer from Glasgow, carrying supplies -to the starving people of St. Kilda, reached the island on Monday, -and safely landed the stores. The islanders were in good health, but -their crops have been swept away, and, but for the supplies sent by -the steamer, they would have been in very perilous straits for food. -Intelligence of the distress of St. Kilda was first made known by -bottles thrown into the sea.’ - -_Times_, April 8, 1886.--‘A Parliamentary paper has been issued -containing a report of Mr. Malcolm McNeill, inspecting officer of the -Board of Supervision, on the alleged destitution in the island of St. -Kilda, in October, 1885, with supplementary reports by Lieutenant -Osborne, R.N., commanding officer, and by the medical officer of H.M.S. -_Jackal_. The report shows that, news from St. Kilda having reached -Harris by means of letters enclosed in a small boat a yard long, found -on the shore, to the effect that the corn, barley, and potatoes of -the inhabitants had been destroyed by a great storm that had passed -over the island early in September, and that, in consequence, the -crofters of St. Kilda were suffering great privations, a steamer, the -_Hebridean_, was despatched from Glasgow to the island with stores on -the 13th of October, and, by arrangement with the Admiralty, H.M.S. -_Jackal_, conveying Mr. McNeill, left Rothesay Bay for St. Kilda on -Wednesday, October 21, 1885. Mr. McNeill reported that, so far from -being destitute, the inhabitants of the island were amply, indeed -luxuriously, supplied with food, and in possession of sums of money -said to average not less than £20 a family. Dr. Acheson, of H.M.S. -_Jackal_, reported that the inhabitants of St. Kilda were well-clad and -well-fed, being much better off in these respects than the peasants in -many other parts of Great Britain.’ - -Another newspaper paragraph not only confirms this, but adds to our -knowledge of the island and its inhabitants. ‘Mr. Malcolm McNeill -... reported on the 24th of October that the population of St. -Kilda--seventy-seven souls in all--were amply, “indeed, luxuriously,” -supplied with food for the winter. The supplies included sheep, fulmar, -solan geese, meal, potatoes, milk, fish, tea, and sugar; and a large -sum of money, said to average not less than £20 a family, was known to -be hoarded in the island--a large profit being derived from tourists. -Mr. McNeill states that a former emigrant, who returned from Australia -for a few months in 1884, spread discontent among the people, who now -showed a strong desire to emigrate, and in this he suggested that the -Government should assist them. Dr. Acheson of the _Jackal_, reporting -on visits paid both then and in 1884, notes that the people seemed -to be better clad and fed than the peasants of many other parts of -Great Britain. He was struck by the comparatively large number of -infirm persons--by the large number of women compared with men, and -by the comparatively small number of children. The food was abundant, -but lacked variety; was rather indigestible, and was nearly devoid -of vegetables for six months each year. He saw no signs of vinegar, -pepper, mustard, pickles, or other condiments, but there was a great -liking for tobacco and spirits. The diet he pronounces quite unfit for -children, aged persons, or invalids; and, to remedy this, he suggests -that an endeavour should be made to grow cabbages, turnips, carrots, -and other vegetables on the island; that fowls should be introduced, -and that pressed vegetables and lime juice might be issued when no -fresh vegetables are procurable. Judging from the amount of clothing -worn, the doctor thinks the people are more likely to suffer from -excess than from the other extreme, for, on September 14th, 1884, with -the thermometer sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit in the shade, he found a -healthy adult male wearing “a thick tweed waistcoat, with flannel back -and sleeves, two thick flannel undervests, tweed trousers, a flannel -shirt, flannel drawers, boots, and stockings, Tam o’ Shanter cap, and a -thick, scarlet worsted muffler around his neck.” The furniture he found -scanty, and very rough, and the houses very dirty. St. Kilda is not a -desirable retreat, for Dr. Acheson reports that at present there are -no games nor music in the island, and--strangest fact of all in this -official document--“whistling is strictly forbidden.”’ - - - - -A FASHIONABLE LADY’S LIFE. - - -There is a little poem by Dean Swift, published by him in Dublin, in -1728, and reprinted in London, in 1729. Its price was only fourpence, -and it is called, ‘The Journal of a Modern Lady, in a Letter to a -Person of Quality.’ It is so small, that it is absolutely lost in -the Dean’s voluminous works, yet it is very amusing, and, as far as -I can judge (having made an especial study of the Social Life of -the Eighteenth Century), it is not at all exaggerated; and for this -reason I have ventured to reproduce it. It is borne out in similar -descriptions both in the early and latter portions of the century; as, -for instance, in ‘The English Lady’s Catechism,’ 1703, of which the -following is a portion: - - -HOW DO YOU EMPLOY YOUR TIME NOW? - -‘I lie in Bed till Noon, dress all the Afternoon, Dine in the Evening, -and Play at Cards till Midnight.’ - -‘How do you spend the Sabbath?’ - -‘In Chit-Chat.’ - -‘What do you talk of?’ - -‘New Fashions and New Plays.’ - -‘How often do you go to Church?’ - -‘Twice a year or oftener, according as my Husband gives me new Cloaths.’ - -‘Why do you go to Church when you have new Cloaths?’ - -‘To see other People’s Finery, and to show my own, and to laugh at -those scurvy, out-of-fashion Creatures that come there for Devotion.’ - -‘Pray, Madam, what Books do you read?’ - -‘I read lewd Plays and winning Romances.’ - -‘Who is it you love?’ - -‘Myself.’ - -‘What! nobody else?’ - -‘My Page, my Monkey, and my Lap Dog.’ - -‘Why do you love them?’ - -‘Why, because I am an English lady, and they are Foreign Creatures: my -Page from Genoa, my Monkey from the East Indies, and my Lap Dog from -Vigo.’ - -‘Would they not have pleased you as well if they had been English?’ - -‘No, for I hate everything that Old England brings forth, except it be -the temper of an English Husband, and the liberty of an English Wife. I -love the French Bread, French Wines, French Sauces, and a French Cook; -in short, I have all about me French or Foreign, from my Waiting Woman -to my Parrot.’ - -‘How do you pay your debts?’ - -‘Some with money, and some with fair promises. I seldom pay anybody’s -bills, but run more into their debt. I give poor Tradesmen ill words, -and the rich I treat civilly, in hopes to get further in their debt.’ - -Addison, in the _Spectator_ (No. 323, March 11th, 1712), gives -Clarinda’s Journal for a week, from which I will only extract one day -as a sample. - -‘WEDNESDAY. _From Eight to Ten._ Drank two Dishes of Chocolate in Bed, -and fell asleep after ’em. - -‘_From Ten to Eleven._ Eat a Slice of Bread and Butter, drank a Dish of -Bohea, read the _Spectator_. - -‘_From Eleven to One._ At my Toilet, try’d a new Head.[7] Gave orders -for _Veney_[8] to be combed and washed. _Mem._ I look best in Blue. - -‘_From One till Half an Hour after Two._ Drove to the Change. Cheapened -a couple of Fans. - -‘_Till Four._ At Dinner. _Mem._ Mr. Frost passed by in his new Liveries. - -‘_From Four to Six._ Dressed, paid a visit to old Lady Blithe and her -Sister, having heard they were gone out of Town that Day. - -‘_From Six to Eleven._ At Basset.[9] _Mem._ Never sit again upon the -Ace of Diamond.’ - -Gambling was one of the curses of the Eighteenth Century. From Royalty -downwards, all played Cards--the men, perhaps, preferred dice, and -‘Casting a Main’--but the women were inveterate card-players, until, -in the latter part of the century, it became a national scandal, owing -to the number of ladies who, from their social position, should have -acted better, who kept Faro-tables, and to whom the nickname of _Faro’s -Daughters_ was applied. There were Ladies Buckinghamshire and Archer, -Mrs. Concannon, Mrs. Hobart, Mrs. Sturt, and others, whose houses -were neither more nor less than gaming-houses. The evil was so great, -that Lord Kenyon, in delivering judgment in a trial to recover £15 -won at card-playing, said that the higher classes set a bad example -in this matter to the lower, and, he added, ‘They think they are too -great for the law; I wish they could be punished. If any prosecutions -of this kind are fairly brought before me, and the parties are justly -convicted, whatever be their rank or station in the country--though -they be the first ladies in the land--they shall certainly exhibit -themselves in the pillory.’ - -The caricaturists got hold of his Lordship’s speech, and depicted -Lady Archer and others in the pillory, and Lady Buckinghamshire being -whipped at a cart’s-tail by Lord Kenyon. With the century this kind of -play died out; but some mention of it was necessary in order to show -that Swift’s description of ladies gambling was not exaggerated. - - -THE JOURNAL OF A MODERN LADY. - - SIR, - - It was a most unfriendly Part - In you who ought to know my Heart; - And well acquainted with my Zeal - For all the Females’ Common-weal. - How cou’d it come into your Mind - To pitch on me of all Mankind, - Against the Sex to write a Satire, - And brand me for a Woman-Hater? - On me, who think them all so fair, - They rival Venus to a Hair: - Their Virtues never ceas’d to sing, - Since first I learn’d to tune a String. - Methinks I hear the Ladies cry, - Will he his Character belye? - Must never our Misfortunes end? - And have we lost our only Friend? - Ah! lovely Nymph, remove your Fears, - No more let fall those precious Tears, - Sooner shall, etc. - -(_Here several verses are omitted._) - - The Hound be hunted by the Hare, - Than I turn Rebel to the Fair. - - * * * * * - - ’Twas you engaged me first to write, - Then gave the Subject out of Spite. - The Journal of a Modern Dame, - Is by my Promise what you claim; - My Word is past, I must submit, - And yet perhaps you may be bit. - I but transcribe, for not a Line - Of all the Satire shall be mine. - Compell’d by you to tag in Rhimes - The common Slanders of the Times, - Of modern Times, the Guilt is yours - And me my Innocence secures: - Unwilling Muse, begin thy Lay, - The Annals of a Female Day. - By Nature turn’d to play the Rake well, - As we shall shew you in the Sequel; - The modern Dame is wak’d by Noon, - Some authors say not quite so soon; - Because, though sore against her Will, - She sat all Night up at Quadrill.[10] - She stretches, gapes, unglues her Eyes, - And asks if it be time to rise. - Of Head-ach and the Spleen complains; - And then to cool her heated Brains, - Her Night-gown![11] and her Slippers brought her, - Takes a large Dram of Citron Water. - Then to her Glass; and, Betty, pray - Don’t I look frightfully to-Day? - But, was it not confounded hard? - Well, if I ever touch a Card; - Four Mattadores, and lose Codill; - Depend upon’t I never will! - But run to Tom, and bid him fix - The Ladies here to-Night by Six. - Madam, the Goldsmith waits below, - He says his Business is to know - If you’ll redeem the Silver Cup - You pawn’d to him. First, shew him up. - Your Dressing Plate he’ll be content - To take for Interest Cent. per Cent. - And, Madam, there’s my Lady Spade - Hath sent this Letter by her Maid. - Well, I remember what she won; - And hath she sent so soon to dun? - Here, carry down those ten Pistoles - My Husband left to pay for Coals: - I thank my Stars they are all light; - And I may have Revenge to-Night. - Now, loitering o’er her Tea and Cream, - She enters on her usual Theme; - Her last Night’s ill Success repeats, - Calls Lady Spade a hundred Cheats. - She slipt Spadillo in her Breast, - Then thought to turn it to a Jest. - There’s Mrs. Cut and she combine, - And to each other give the Sign. - Through ev’ry Game pursues her Tale, - Like Hunters o’er their Evening Ale. - Now to another Scene give Place, - Enter the Folks with Silks and Lace; - Fresh Matter for a World of Chat, - Right Indian this, right Macklin that; - Observe this Pattern; there’s a Stuff, - I can have Customers enough. - Dear Madam, you are grown so hard, - This Lace is worth twelve Pounds a Yard - Madam, if there be Truth in Man, - I never sold so cheap a Fan. - This Business of Importance o’er, - And Madam, almost dress’d by Four; - The Footman, in his usual Phrase, - Comes up with: Madam, Dinner stays; - She answers in her usual Style, - The Cook must keep it back a while; - I never can have time to Dress, - No Woman breathing takes up less; - I’m hurried so, it makes me sick, - I wish the dinner at Old Nick. - At Table now she acts her part, - Has all the Dinner Cant by Heart: - I thought we were to Dine alone, - My Dear, for sure if I had known - This Company would come to-Day, - But really ’tis my Spouse’s Way; - He’s so unkind, he never sends - To tell, when he invites his Friends: - I wish ye may but have enough; - And while, with all this paultry Stuff, - She sits tormenting every Guest, - Nor gives her Tongue one Moment’s Rest, - In Phrases batter’d stale and trite, - Which modern Ladies call polite; - You see the Booby Husband sit - In Admiration at her Wit. - But let me now a while Survey - Our Madam o’er her Ev’ning Tea; - Surrounded with her Noisy Clans - Of Prudes, Coquets, and Harridans; - When frighted at the clamorous Crew, - Away the God of Silence flew; - And fair Discretion left the Place, - And Modesty with blushing Face; - Now enters over-weening Pride, - And Scandal ever gaping wide, - Hypocrisy with Frown severe, - Scurrility with gibing Air; - Rude Laughter seeming like to burst, - And Malice always judging worst; - And Vanity with Pocket-Glass, - And Impudence, with Front of Brass; - And studied Affectation came, - Each Limb and Feature out of Frame; - While Ignorance, with Brain of Lead, - Flew hov’ring o’er each Female Head. - Why should I ask of thee, my Muse, - An Hundred Tongues, as Poets use, - When, to give ev’ry Dame her due, - An Hundred Thousand were too few! - Or how should I, alas! relate, - The Sum of all their Senseless Prate, - Their Inuendo’s, Hints, and Slanders, - Their Meanings lewd, and double Entanders.[12] - Now comes the general Scandal Charge, - What some invent, the rest enlarge; - And, Madam, if it he a Lye, - You have the tale as cheap as I: - I must conceal my Author’s Name, - But now ’tis known to common Fame. - Say, foolish Females, Old and Blind, - Say, by what fatal Turn of Mind, - Are you on Vices most severe, - Wherein yourselves have greatest Share? - Thus every Fool herself deludes, - The Prudes condemn the absent Prudes. - Mopsa who stinks her Spouse to Death, - Accuses Chloe’s tainted Breath: - Hircina, rank with Sweat, presumes - To censure Phillis for Perfumes: - While crooked Cynthia swearing, says, - That Florimel wears Iron Stays. - Chloe’s of ev’ry Coxcomb jealous, - Admires[13] how Girls can talk with Fellows, - And, full of Indignation, frets - That Women should be such Coquets. - Iris, for Scandal most notorious, - Cries, Lord, the world is so censorious; - And Rufa, with her Combs of Lead,[14] - Whispers that Sappho’s Hair is Red. - Aura, whose Tongue you hear a Mile hence, - Talks half a day in Praise of Silence: - And Silvia, full of inward Guilt, - Calls Amoret an arrant Jilt. - Now Voices over Voices rise; - While each to be the loudest vies, - They contradict, affirm, dispute, - No single Tongue one Moment mute; - All mad to speak, and none to hearken, - They set the very Lap-Dog barking; - Their Chattering makes a louder Din - Than Fish-Wives o’er a Cup of Gin; - Not School-boys at a Barring-out, - Raised ever such incessant Rout: - The Shumbling (_sic_) Particles of Matter - In Chaos make not such a Clatter; - Far less the Rabble roar and rail, - When Drunk with sour Election Ale. - Nor do they trust their Tongue alone, - To speak a Language of their own; - Can read a Nod, a Shrug, a Look; - Far better than a printed Book; - Convey a Libel in a Frown, - And wink a Reputation down; - Or, by the tossing of the Fan, - Describe the Lady and the Man. - But, see the Female Club disbands, - Each, twenty Visits on her Hands: - Now, all alone, poor Madam sits, - In Vapours and Hysterick Fits; - And was not Tom this Morning sent? - I’d lay my Life he never went: - Past Six, and not a living Soul! - I might by this have won a Vole. - A dreadful Interval of Spleen! - How shall we pass the Time between? - Here, Betty, let me take my Drops, - And feel my Pulse, I know it stops: - This Head of mine, Lord, how it Swims! - And such a Pain in all my Limbs! - Dear Madam, try to take a Nap: - But now they hear a Foot-Man’s Rap; - Go, run, and light the Ladies up; - It must be One before we Sup. - The Table, Cards, and Counters set, - And all the Gamester Ladies met, - Her Spleen and Fits recover’d quite, - Our Madam can sit up all Night; - Whoever comes, I’m not within, - Quadrill the Word, and so begin. - How can the Muse her Aid impart, - Unskill’d in all the Terms of Art? - Or, in harmonious Numbers, put - The Deal, the Shuffle, and the Cut? - The Superfluous Whims relate, - That fill a Female Gamester’s Pate: - What Agony of Soul she feels - To see a Knave’s inverted Heels; - She draws up Card by Card, to find - Good Fortune peeping from behind; - With panting Heart and earnest Eyes, - In hope to see Spadillo rise; - In vain, alas! her Hope is fed, - She draws an Ace, and sees it red. - In ready Counters never pays, - But pawns her Snuff-Box, Rings, and Keys. - Ever with some new Fancy struck, - Tries twenty Charms to mend her Luck. - This Morning when the Parson came, - I said I could not win a Game. - This odious Chair, how came I stuck in’t? - I think I’ve never had good Luck in’t. - I’m so uneasy in my Stays: - Your Fan, a Moment, if you please. - Stand further, Girl, or get you gone, - I always lose when you look on. - Lord! Madam, you have lost Codill; - I never saw you play so ill. - Nay, Madam, give me leave to say - ’Twas you that threw the game away; - When Lady Tricksy play’d a Four, - You took it with a Matadore; - I saw you touch your Wedding-Ring - Before my Lady call’d a King. - You spoke a Word began with H, - And I know whom you mean to teach, - Because you held the King of Hearts; - Fie, Madam, leave these little Arts. - That’s not so bad as one that rubs - Her Chair to call the King of Clubs, - And makes her Partner understand - A Matadore is in her Hand. - Madam, you have no Cause to flounce, - I swear I saw you twice renounce. - And truly, Madam, I know when - Instead of Five you scor’d me Ten. - Spadillo here has got a Mark, - A Child may know it in the Dark: - I Guess the Hand, it seldom fails, - I wish some Folks would pare their Nails. - While thus they rail, and scold, and storm, - It passes but for common Form; - Are conscious that they all speak true, - And give each other but their due; - It never interrupts the Game, - Or makes ’em sensible of Shame. - Time too precious now to waste, - The Supper gobbled up in haste: - Again a-fresh to Cards they run, - As if they had but just begun; - Yet shall I not again repeat - How oft they Squabble, Snarl, and Cheat: - At last they hear the Watchman Knock, - _A frosty Morn ... Past Four a-clock_. - The Chair-men are not to be found, - Come, let us play the t’other Round. - Now all in haste they huddle on - Their Hoods, their Cloaks, and get them gone; - But first, the Winner must invite - The Company to-morrow Night. - Unlucky Madam left in Tears, - Who now again Quadrill forswears, - With empty Purse and aching Head, - Steals to her sleeping Spouse to Bed. - - - - -GEORGE BARRINGTON. - - -There is much and curious food for reflection, in the tendency that -mankind has ever shown to sympathise with the daring and ingenious -depredators who relieve the rich of their superfluity, which may -possibly be owing to the romantic adventures and hair-breadth escapes -which the robbers, in their career, have undergone. But, be the cause -what it may, it is certain that the populace of all nations view with -admiration great and successful thieves: for instance, what greater -popular hero, and one that has been popular for centuries, could be -found than Robin Hood? - -Almost every country in Europe has its traditional thief, whose -exploits are recorded both in prose and poetry. In England, Claude -Duval, Captain Hind, Dick Turpin, Jonathan Wild, and Jack Sheppard have -each in their turn occupied a prominent place in the annals of crime; -whilst in France, amongst the light-fingered heroes that have, from -time to time, extorted respect from the multitude, Cartouche and Vidocq -take first rank. Germany is proud of its Schinderhannes, the Robber of -the Rhine, the stories of whose generosity and courage still render -his memory a favourite on the banks of that river, the travellers -on which he so long kept in awe. In Italy and Spain, those homes of -brigands and banditti, the inhabitants have ever-ready sympathy for the -men whose names and exploits are as familiar among them as ‘household -words.’ - -Cartouche, however, is the only rival to Barrington in their particular -line, and Barrington, certainly, was no mere common pick-pocket, only -fit to figure in the ‘Newgate Calendar,’ but he possessed talents -which, had they been properly directed on his first setting out in -life, might have enabled him to have played a distinguished part either -in literature or in business. But, unfortunately, very early in his -youth, poverty led him to adopt theft as his professed vocation; and, -by his ingenuity and constant practice, he contrived to render himself -so expert, as almost to have conducted his depredations on systematic -rules, and elevated his crime into a ‘high art.’ Barrington, too, by -his winning manners, gentlemanly address, and the fair education he -contrived to pick up, was a man eminently fitted (if such an expression -may be allowed) for his profession! his personal appearance was -almost sufficient to disarm suspicion, and this, in all probability, -contributed greatly to the success which he met with in his career. - -George Barrington, or Waldron (for it is not known which was his right -name), was born on the 14th of May, 1755, at the village of Maynooth, -county Kildare, in Ireland, now famous for the Royal College of St. -Patrick, which is there situated. His reputed father was Henry Waldron, -who was a working silversmith, and his mother, whose maiden name was -Naish, was a dressmaker, or mantua-maker, as it was then called (also -occasionally acting as midwife), in the same village; but, whether they -had ever been legally united, is a matter open to doubt. - -To have their parentage disputed is a fate which the great ones of the -earth have frequently to undergo, and George Barrington, or Waldron, is -an instance of this, for more than one of his historians assert that he -was the son of a Captain Barrington, an officer in a marching regiment -quartered at Rush, and the date of his birth is given as 1758; but the -most trustworthy evidence places it on record as above stated. - -His parents’ characters stood high among their neighbours for integrity -and industry, but they were, unfortunately, always behindhand with -the world, and never able to extricate themselves from the state of -abject poverty in which they were sunk, in consequence of unsuccessful -litigation with a wealthy relation. This want of means prevented them -from giving George any education until he was seven years of age, when -he was sent to the village school, and there was taught to read and -write. A benevolent surgeon in the neighbourhood afterwards instructed -him in arithmetic, geography, and grammar; but, if the anecdote related -of him is true, he repaid the kindness by the blackest ingratitude in -stealing some coins from his benefactor’s daughter. - -Young Waldron was lucky enough to attract the notice of the Rev. -Dr. Westropp, a dignitary of the Church of Ireland, who placed him, -when he was sixteen years of age, at a grammar-school in Dublin, and -this patron proposed that he should fit himself for the university. -But fate had decreed otherwise and he enjoyed the benefits of this -gentleman’s kindness but a short time, for, in a moment of passion, -when quarrelling with another boy, he stabbed his antagonist with a -pen-knife, wounding him severely. Instead of making the matter one -for legal investigation, the boy received a thorough good flogging, a -degradation he could by no means forgive, and he resolved to run away -from school, and leave family, friends, and all his fair prospects -behind him. But, previous to carrying his plan of escape into action, -he found means to appropriate ten or twelve guineas belonging to -the master of the school, and a gold repeating-watch, which was the -property of his master’s sister. Not content with this booty, he took a -few shirts and pairs of stockings, and safely effected his retreat, one -still night in 1771, starting off for Drogheda. - -There happened to be staying at the obscure inn at which he put up, -on his arrival at Drogheda, a set of strolling players, whose manager -was one John Price, who had once been a lawyer’s clerk, and had been -convicted of some fraud at the Old Bailey. He soon wormed the boy’s -whole story out of him, and persuaded him to join the theatrical -company, which he did, and he applied himself to study so diligently -that he was cast for the part, and played, four days after his -enrolment, Jaffier in Otway’s tragedy of ‘Venice Preserved,’ in a barn -in the suburbs of Drogheda. Both he and Price were of opinion that it -would be dangerous for him to remain so near the scene of his late -depredations, but were unable to move for want of money. To overcome -this difficulty, Waldron, who had assumed the name of Barrington, gave -Price the gold repeater he had stolen, which was sold for the benefit -of the company, and they set out for Londonderry. - -But it was found that the expenses of travelling for so numerous a -body, with their _impedimenta_, were too great to be balanced by the -receipts of rural audiences, and, on their arrival at Londonderry, -their finances were found to be at a very low ebb indeed. Under these -circumstances, Price insinuated that Barrington, with his good address -and appearance, could easily introduce himself to the chief places of -resort in the city, and, by picking pockets, might refill their empty -exchequer. This scheme he at once put into practice, with such success -that, at the close of the evening, he was the possessor of about forty -guineas in cash, and one hundred and fifty pounds in Irish bank-notes. - -The picking of pockets being a crime almost unknown in that part of -Ireland, the town took the alarm, and a great stir was made over the -matter; but it being fair-time, and many strangers in the city, neither -Barrington nor Price were suspected; still they thought it but prudent -to leave as soon as they could with propriety, and, after playing a few -more nights, they moved to Ballyshannon. For some time he continued -this vagabond life, travelling about the North of Ireland, acting every -Tuesday and Saturday, and picking pockets every day in the week, a -business which he found more lucrative and entertaining than that of -the theatre, where his fame was by no means equal to the expectation he -had raised. - -At Cork, Price and he came to the conclusion never to think any more -of the stage, a resolution which was the more easily executed, as -the company to which they originally belonged was now broken up and -dispersed. It was settled between them that Price should pass for -Barrington’s servant, and that Barrington should act the part of a -young gentleman of large fortune and of noble family, who was not yet -quite of age, travelling for his amusement. They carried out their -scheme well, purchasing horses and dressing up to their parts, and, -during the summer and autumn of 1772, they visited all the race-courses -in the South of Ireland, making a remarkably successful campaign. -Pocket-picking was a novel experience to the Irish gentry, and their -unsuspicious ways made them an easy prey to Barrington’s skill and -nimble fingers; so much so that when, at the setting-in of winter, they -returned to Cork, they found themselves in possession of a large sum -of money (over £1,000), having been fortunate enough to have escaped -detection or even suspicion. - -At length their partnership was rudely dissolved, as, at the close of -winter, Price was detected in the very act of picking a gentleman’s -pocket at Cork, and for this offence he was sentenced to be transported -to America (as was customary then) for seven years. Barrington -immediately converted all his moveable property into cash, and beat -a precipitate flight to Dublin, where, for a time, he lived a very -private and retired life, only stealing out occasionally of a dark -night to visit some gaming-house, where he might pick up a few guineas, -or a watch, etc., a mode of life which was by no means congenial to -his ambitious nature, and he again frequented the race-courses. He -met with his first check at Carlow, where he was detected in picking -a nobleman’s pocket. It was a clear case; the stolen property was -found on his person, and immediately restored to its owner, who did not -prosecute, preferring to let the rascal receive the treatment known as -‘the discipline of the course,’ a punishment very similar to that meted -out to ‘Welchers’ at the present day. But Ireland was getting too warm -for him, and, having realised his property, he set sail for London, -where he arrived in the summer of 1773, a remarkably precocious youth -of eighteen. - -On his voyage across the Channel, he became acquainted with several -persons of respectability, with one of whom he travelled post to -London, having gulled him with a specious tale about his family and -fortune; and, having gained his confidence, he procured by his means -introductions into the politest circles, from whom, for a long time, he -extracted abundant plunder. But, in order to do this, he had to dress -well, and live extravagantly, so that he very soon had to cast about -for the means wherewith to supply his needs. Among the earliest visits -he paid, after his arrival in London, and in his friend’s company, -was, of course, Ranelagh, where he found two of his acquaintance on -the Irish packet talking to the Duke of Leinster. Bowing to them, and -stationing himself near them, he soon eased the duke of above eighty -pounds, a baronet of five-and-thirty guineas, and one of the ladies of -her watch; and, with this plunder, he rejoined his party as if nothing -had happened out of the ordinary course of things. - -But his proceedings had been watched by another member of the thieving -fraternity, who was in the gardens, and who took a speedy opportunity -of letting Barrington know that he had witnessed his crime, and -threatened to denounce him to the plundered parties, unless a division -of the spoil was made between them. His manner being very impressive, -left Barrington no alternative but to comply; and the lady’s watch -and chain, with a ten-pound note, fell to his share. The two supped -together, and it ended with their entering into a mutual alliance, -which, for the time, suited Barrington well, as his companion knew -town much better than he did, and was especially well-informed in the -knowledge of those places where the plunder could be disposed of: but -this partnership only continued for a short time, in consequence of -their quarrels, there being nothing in common to bind these two rogues -together save their crime. - -In the course of his depredations, he visited Brighton, or, as it was -then called, Brighthelmstone, which was beginning to be the resort of -the wealthier classes, but, as yet, had not dreamed of the rise it was -to take under George the Magnificent--and no conception could have been -formed of the present ‘London-on-the-Sea.’ Here, thanks to his pleasant -manners and address, as well as to the company he frequented, he became -acquainted, and intimate, with the Duke of Ancaster, Lord Ferrers, -Lord Lyttleton, and many other noblemen, who all considered him as a -man of genius and ability (which he certainly was), and were under the -impression that he was a gentleman of fortune and family. - -His manners were good, and he had a pleasant wit--so that it is not -difficult to imagine that his society was welcome. As a specimen of -his wit, I may relate an anecdote told of him when on a visit to -Chichester from Brighton. In company of several noblemen, he was -shown the curiosities and notable things in the town and cathedral. -In the latter, their attention was directed to a family vault for the -interment of the Dukes of Richmond, which had been erected by the late -duke, and which was inscribed ‘Domus ultima’ (the last house). On this -inscription he is said to have written the following epigram: - - ‘Did he, who thus inscribed this wall, - Not _read_, or not _believe_, St. Paul? - Who says, “There is, where e’er it stands, - _Another_ house, not made with hands;” - Or shall we gather, from the words, - That _House_ is not a _House_ of Lords.’ - -After living at the expense of the pockets of his new-found friends -as long as he deemed it prudent, he returned to London, and began a -dissolute and profligate career; but, though his time was pretty well -employed between his infamous occupation and his amusements, he yet -found opportunity for intervals of study and literary pursuits, and -composed several odes and poems, which are said to have been not devoid -of merit. - -As before stated, he broke with his partner, who retired to a -monastery, where, in all probability, he ended his days in penitence -and peace. But, in the winter of 1775, Barrington became acquainted -with one Lowe, whom he first employed in the useful capacity of -receiver of stolen goods, and afterwards went into partnership -with. This Lowe was a singular character. Originally he had been a -livery-servant, and after that he kept a public-house for some time, -when, having saved some money, he turned usurer or money-lender, in -which business he accumulated a small fortune, when he assumed the -character of a gentleman, and lived in a genteel house near Bloomsbury -Square, then a fashionable neighbourhood. Here he passed for a very -charitable and benevolent person, and was appointed treasurer or -manager of a new hospital for the blind in Kentish Town, in which -capacity, it is said, he contrived to become possessed of some five -thousand pounds, when he set fire to the institution. Being suspected -thereof, he was apprehended at Liverpool, in 1779, when he committed -suicide by taking poison, and was buried at a cross-road, in the -neighbourhood of Prescott in Lancashire. - -On forming his partnership with Lowe, it was resolved on between -them that Barrington should repair to Court on the Queen’s birthday, -disguised as a clergyman, and there endeavour not only to pick the -pockets of the company, but, what was a far bolder and more novel -attempt, to cut off the diamond stars of the Knights of the Garter, -Bath, or Thistle, who on such days generally wore the ribands of their -respective orders over their coats. In this enterprise he succeeded -beyond the most sanguine expectations that could have been formed, -either by himself or his partner; for he managed to take a diamond star -from a nobleman, and to get away from St. James’s unsuspected. But this -prize was too valuable to dispose of in England, and it is said to have -been sold to a Dutch Jew, who came over from Holland twice a year on -purpose to buy stolen goods, for eight hundred pounds. This haul only -whetted his appetite for yet more profitable plunder, and a chance of -his skill shortly presented itself. - -In the course of the winter of 1775, Prince Orloff, a Russian nobleman -of the first rank and consequence, visited England. The splendour in -which he lived, and the stories of his immense wealth, were frequently -noticed and commented on in the public prints, and attention was -particularly drawn to a gold snuff-box, set with brilliants, which was -one of the many marks of favour showered upon him by Catherine, Empress -of Russia, and which was generally valued at the enormous sum of -between thirty and forty thousand pounds. This precious trinket excited -Barrington’s cupidity in an extraordinary degree, and he determined to -exert himself, in order, by some means or other, to get it into his -possession. - -A favourable opportunity occurred one night at Covent Garden Theatre, -where he contrived to get near the prince, and dexterously conveyed -the treasure from his excellency’s waistcoat pocket (in which, -according to Russian custom, it was usually carried) into his own. -This operation was not, however, performed with sufficient delicacy to -escape detection, for the prince felt the attack that was so impudently -made upon his property, and, having reason to entertain some suspicion -of Barrington, he immediately seized him by the collar. During the -confusion that naturally ensued upon such an unusual scene, Barrington -slipped the box into the hand of the prince, who, doubtless, was only -too rejoiced to recover it with so much ease. The thief, however, was -secured, and committed to Tothill Fields Bridewell.[15] - -When examined before Sir John Fielding, Barrington trumped up a story -that he was a native of Ireland, of an affluent and respectable family; -that he had been educated for the medical profession, and had come to -England to improve himself by means of his connections. This story, -which was told with extreme modesty and many tears, induced the prince -to think of him more as an unfortunate gentleman than a guilty culprit, -and he declined to proceed against him, so that he was dismissed, -with an admonition from Sir John to amend his future conduct; and he -must have left the court congratulating himself on his narrow, but -lucky, escape. The publicity which was given to this attempt lost him -the society of most of his friends, as he was held up to view in the -disgraceful light of an impostor; and it also was the means of giving -him a further taste of prison discipline. - -In the pursuit of his peculiar industry, he frequented both Houses of -Parliament, where he acquired considerable plunder. Some weeks after -the Covent Garden affair, he was in the House of Lords during an -interesting debate that attracted a great number of people, amongst -whom was a gentleman who recognised Barrington, and who informed the -Deputy Usher of the Black Rod of his probable business there. That -official promptly ejected him, though, perhaps, not with the gentleness -that he considered his due, and he uttered such threats of vengeance -against his accuser that the latter made application to a magistrate, -who granted a warrant to take Barrington into custody, and to bind him -over to keep the peace. But his credit was now sunk so low that none of -his former companions would come forward with the necessary sureties, -and Barrington, in default, was relegated to his former place of -detention, Tothill Fields Bridewell, where he remained a considerable -time before he was released. - -During his incarceration, the story of his misdeeds was industriously -circulated, and his character as _bon camarade_ was completely -destroyed, so that the entry to all decent company was absolutely shut -against him, and from this time forward he was obliged to abandon -the _rôle_ of a ‘gentleman’ pickpocket, and descend to all the mean -artifices of a common pilferer. Even in this humble branch of his -infamous industry, his good fortune seems to have deserted him, for he -was detected in picking the pocket of a low woman at Drury Lane Theatre -in December, 1776, and, though he made a remarkably clever speech in -his defence, he was sentenced to three years of ballast-heaving, or -hard labour in the hulks at Woolwich. Here, herded with the vilest -of the vile, he kept as much as possible from them, and, by his good -conduct, attracted the attention of the superintendents of convicts, -and by their intervention he was set free, after having sustained an -imprisonment of somewhat less than twelve months. - -On his liberation, he lost no time in re-commencing his vicious -occupation, under various disguises, sometimes as a quack doctor, or -as a clergyman; or he would assume the character of a grave commercial -traveller, only to appear, a few days later on, as the keeper of a -gambling-house, and he had many a narrow escape from capture. - -Justice, however, again laid her hands upon him, for, less than six -months after his liberation, he was detected in picking the pocket of -one, Elizabeth Ironmonger, of a watch, was convicted on the clearest -evidence, and, in spite of the very eloquent and skilful defence he -made, he was a second time sentenced to the hulks with hard labour, -this time for five years. His speeches to the court, which were -remarked in the public prints, as well as the letters that he wrote -seeking mitigation of his punishment, display such talent that it is a -matter of great regret that it was not turned to more honest account. -On one occasion, when tried for stealing Sir G. Webster’s purse at the -opera, in February, 1784, he was able, by his eloquence, to influence -the jury to return a verdict of not guilty; and a similar piece of good -fortune was vouchsafed to him a year after, when arraigned for the -robbery of a gentleman’s watch at Drury Lane Theatre, when his most -ingenious and well-chosen address to the jury resulted in his acquittal. - -He could not stand his second imprisonment on the hulks, and to end -it he attempted suicide by stabbing himself in the breast with a -pen-knife. Medical aid was at hand, and the wound slowly healed, but -he still continued to linger in a miserable state, until he came -under the notice of a gentleman of position, who used his influence -with the government so successfully that he obtained Barrington’s -release, subject to the condition that he should leave the country. -His benefactor also gave him money for that purpose, and he was -soon on the Chester coach, _en route_ for Ireland. When he arrived -in Dublin, he found his character had preceded him, and he was so -closely watched that it was not long before he was again arrested, -and acquitted only from want of evidence. The judge admonished him -most seriously, which gave Barrington an opportunity of airing his -eloquence, and he delivered an oration on the unaccountable force of -prejudice that existed against him; but, when once he got away, he came -to the conclusion that the Irish capital was not a desirable place of -residence for him, so he travelled northwards, and ultimately reached -Edinburgh. - -However, the police of that city knew all about him, and were more -vigilant than their _confrères_ in London and Dublin, so that -Barrington, finding himself both suspected and watched, came to the -conclusion that the air of Scotland was not good for him, and turned -his face southward. Unmindful of the terms of his liberation, or -careless as to the result of his return, he again sought London, -where, once more, he frequented the theatres, the opera-house, and the -Pantheon, for some little time, with tolerable success--but he was now -too notorious to be long secure; he was closely watched, and well-nigh -detected at the latter of these places; and, such strong suspicions of -his behaviour were entertained by the magistrates, he was committed to -Newgate, though on his trial he was acquitted. - -But he only escaped Scylla to be engulphed in Charybdis, for one of -the superintendents of convicts had him detained for violating the -conditions under which he was liberated, and the consequence was that -he was made what was called ‘a fine in Newgate,’ that is, he had to -serve out his unexpired term of imprisonment there. This punishment -he duly suffered, and when he was once more set free, he at once -re-commenced his old practices, and lived a life of shifts and roguery, -until, in January, 1787, he was detected in picking the pocket of a -Mrs. Le Mesurier, at Drury Lane Theatre, and was at once apprehended. -He was given in charge of a constable named Blandy, but by some means, -either by negligence of his custodian, or by bribing him, he made his -escape. - -For this he was outlawed, and, whilst the offended majesty of the law -was thus seeking to vindicate itself, he was making a progress of the -northern counties under various disguises, sometimes appearing as a -quack doctor, or a clergyman, then in connection with a gaming-table, -and occasionally playing the _rôle_ of a rider (as commercial -travellers were then called) for some manufacturing firm. Although -frequently meeting with people who knew him, he was never molested -by them, until he was recognised at Newcastle (whilst being examined -in the justice-room there, regarding a theft he had committed) by a -gentleman from London as being ‘wanted’ for the robbery at Drury Lane -Theatre, and he was promptly despatched to Bow Street once more. On -his arrival, he was committed to Newgate as an outlaw, and, miserable -and dejected, his spirits sank within him. His friends, however (for -even he had friends) made up a purse of a hundred guineas for his -defence. His trial took place in November, 1789, when he conducted his -own defence, as usual, with extraordinary ability, arguing the various -points of law with the judge with surprising acuteness and elegant -language, till, eventually, being aided by the absence of a material -witness, he made such an impression upon the court that a verdict of -acquittal was recorded. - -All these escapes, however, seem to have had no deterrent effect upon -him, and he again set off for Ireland, where he joined an accomplice -named Hubert, who was speedily apprehended, in the act of picking a -pocket, and sentenced to seven years transportation. Dublin after this -was far too hot for Barrington, so he adroitly made his escape to -England, where, after rambling about the country for some time, he -re-appeared in London. But he had not been in the metropolis very long -before he was apprehended, as his indictment says, for ‘stealing on -the 1st of September, 1780, in the parish of Enfield, in the county of -Middlesex, a gold watch, chain, seals, and a metal key, the property of -Henry Hare Townsend.’ The case was very clear, but Barrington defended -himself very ingeniously, and with a certain amount of oratory, of -which the following is a sample: - -‘I am well convinced of the noble nature of a British Court of Justice; -the dignified and benign principles of its judges, and the liberal and -candid spirit of its jurors. - -‘Gentlemen, life is the gift of God, and liberty its greatest blessing; -the power of disposing of both or either is the greatest man can -enjoy. It is also adventitious that, great as that power is, it cannot -be better placed than in the hands of an English jury; for they will -not exercise it like tyrants, who delight in blood, but like generous -and brave men, who delight to spare rather than destroy; and who, -forgetting they are men themselves, lean, when they can, to the side -of compassion. It may be thought, gentlemen of the jury, that I am -appealing to your passions, and, if I had the power to do it, I would -not fail to employ it. The passions animate the heart, and to the -passions we are indebted for the noblest actions, and to the passions -we owe our dearest and finest feelings; and, when it is considered, the -mighty power you now possess, whatever leads to a cautious and tender -discharge of it, must be thought of great consequence: as long as the -passions conduct us on the side of benevolence, they are our best, our -safest, and our most friendly guides.’ - -But all his eloquence was thrown away on a jury of practical men, and -they found him guilty. His trial took place on the 15th of September, -1790, and on the 22nd of September he received his sentence, which was -seven years’ transportation. He took his leave dramatically, and made a -speech lamenting his hard fate throughout life. - -‘The world, my Lord, has given me credit for abilities, indeed much -greater than I possess, and, therefore, much more than I deserved; but -I have never found any kind hand to foster those abilities. - -‘I might ask, where was the generous and powerful hand that was ever -stretched forth to rescue George Barrington from infamy? In an age -like this, which, in several respects, is so justly famed for liberal -sentiments, it was my severe lot that no nobleminded gentleman stepped -forward and said to me, “Barrington, you are possessed of talents which -may be useful to society. I feel for your situation, and, as long as -you act the part of a good citizen, I will be your protector; you will -then have time and opportunity to rescue yourself from the obloquy of -your former conduct.” - -‘Alas, my Lord, George Barrington had never the supreme felicity of -having such comfort administered to his wounded spirit. As matters -have unfortunately turned out, the die is cast; and, as it is, I bend, -resigned to my fate, without one murmur or complaint.’ - -Thus ended his life in England, which he was never to see again, and it -is with pleasure that we can turn to a brighter page in his history. - -In his account of his voyage to New South Wales, he says that it was -with unspeakable satisfaction that he received orders to embark, -agreeably to his sentence; and it is pleasing to observe that, under -his adverse circumstances, the friends he had made in his prosperity -did not forsake him in his adversity, for many of them came to bid him -adieu, and not one of them came empty-handed; in fact, their generosity -was so great, that he had difficulty in getting permission to take all -their gifts on board. - -His account of their embarkation gives us an extremely graphic -description not only of the treatment of convicts, but of the unhappy -wretches themselves. - -‘About a quarter before five, a general muster took place, and, -having bid farewell to my fellow-prisoners, we were escorted from the -prison to Blackfriars Bridge by the City Guard, where two lighters -were waiting to receive us. This procession, though early, and but -few spectators, made a deep impression on my mind, and the ignominy -of being thus mingled with felons of all descriptions, many scarce a -degree above the brute creation, intoxicated with liquor, and shocking -the ears of those they passed with blasphemy, oaths, and songs, the -most offensive to modesty, inflicted a punishment more severe than the -sentence of my country, and fully avenged that society I had so much -wronged.’ - -And there is little doubt but that the moral repugnance to his -miserable, and vicious companions was mainly the cause of the -reformation which took place in him. - -The condition of convicts at that day was not enviable. There were two -hundred and fifty of them in the ship with Barrington, all packed -in the hold, their hammocks being slung within seventeen inches of -each other: being encumbered with their irons, and deprived of fresh -air, their condition was soon rendered deplorable. To alleviate their -sufferings as much as possible, they were permitted to walk the deck -(as much as was consistent with the safety of the ship), ten at a time; -and the women, of whom there were six on board, had a snug berth to -themselves. But, in spite of this humane and considerate treatment, -thirty-six of them died on the voyage. - -Barrington, however, was not in such evil case, for a friend had -accompanied him on board, and, by his influence and exertions, had -not only procured stowage for his packages, but also liberty to walk -the deck unencumbered with irons. Nor did his help stop here, for -he prevailed upon the boatswain to admit him into his mess, which -consisted of the second mate, carpenter, and gunner, on condition that -he paid his proportion towards defraying the extra requisites for the -mess during the voyage. The boatswain, too, had his hammock slung next -to his own, so that his life was made as comfortable as it could be, -under the circumstances, and he had not to herd with the convicts. - -Soon after leaving the Bay of Biscay, these gentlemen began to give -trouble. The captain, very humanely, had released many of the weaker -convicts of their galling chains, and allowed them to walk on deck, ten -at a time. Two of them, who were Americans, and had some knowledge of -navigation, prevailed upon the majority of their comrades to attempt to -seize the ship, impressing upon them that it would be an easy task, -and that when captured, they would sail to America, where every man -would not only obtain his liberty, but receive a tract of land from -Congress, besides a share of the money arising from the sale of the -ship and cargo. - -The poor dupes swallowed the bait, and the mutineers determined that -on the first opportunity, whilst the officers were at dinner, those -convicts who were on deck should force the arm-chest, which was kept -on the quarter-deck, and, at the same time, would make a signal to -two of them to attack the sentinels, and obtain possession of their -arms, while word was passed for those below to come on deck. And, as -they planned, so they carried out the mutiny: when the captain and -officers were below examining the stowage of some wine--a cask, in the -spirit-room, being leaky--and the only persons on deck were Barrington -and the man at the helm. - -Barrington was going forward, but was stopped by one of the Americans, -followed by another convict, who struck at him with a sword, which -luckily hit against a pistol that the American had pointed at him. -Barrington snatched up a handspike, and felled one of them, and the -steersman left his wheel and called up the captain and crew. For a few -moments Barrington kept the mutineers at bay, when assistance came--and -a blunderbuss being fired amongst the convicts, wounding several, they -retreated, and were all driven into the hold. An attempt of this kind -required the most exemplary punishment; and two of the ring-leaders, -with very short shrift, were soon dangling at the yard-arm, whilst -others were tasting the cat-o’-nine-tails at the gangway. - -The mutiny having been thus quelled, and the convicts re-ironed, the -captain had leisure to thank Barrington, and to compliment him on his -gallant behaviour in the emergency. He assured Barrington that, when -they arrived at the Cape, he would reward him, and that, meanwhile, -he was to have every liberty; and orders were given to the steward to -supply him with anything he might have occasion for during the voyage. -As Barrington observes: - -‘I soon experienced the good effects of my late behaviour; as seldom -a day passed but some fresh meat or poultry was sent to me by the -captain, which considerably raised me in the estimation of my -messmates, who were no ways displeased at the substitution of a sea-pie -of fowl or fresh meat to a dish of lobscouse, or a piece of salt-junk.’ - -On the ship’s arrival at the Cape, the captain gave Barrington an order -on a merchant there for one hundred dollars, telling him he might at -any time avail himself of the ship’s boat going ashore, and visit the -town as often as he pleased, if he would only tell the officers when -he felt so inclined. It is needless to say he fully availed himself of -his privilege, and laid out his money in the purchase of goods most in -demand in New South Wales. - -On reaching Port Jackson, in consequence of the captain’s report, he -had a most gracious reception from the governor, who, finding him a -man of ability and intelligence, almost immediately appointed him -superintendent of the convicts at Paramatta: his business being chiefly -to report the progress made in the different works that were carried -on there. Here he had ample leisure and opportunities of studying -the natives and their habits and customs, and in his ‘History of New -South Wales,’ he gives an interesting account of the aborigines of -Australia, now so rapidly approaching extinction. The governor, Philip, -made unceasing efforts to win their friendship, and even went to the -extent of forcing his acquaintance on them, by the summary method -of capturing a few, and keeping them in friendly durance; hoping -thus to gain their good-will, so that, on their release, they might -report to their friends that the white man was not so bad as he was -represented. But it was all in vain; for, beyond a very few converts to -civilisation, the savage remained untameable. - -By the purchases which Barrington had made at the Cape, as well as the -presents he had brought from England, he was enabled to furnish his -house in a rather better style than his neighbours, and, moreover, -he managed to collect around him a few farm-yard animals, which, -together with his great love for horticulture, made his life far from -unendurable. His position, as peace-officer of the district, was no -sinecure; for the criminal population over whom he had jurisdiction -gave him very considerable trouble, more especially after the -introduction into the settlement, by some American vessels, of New -England rum, the baneful effects of which were very soon apparent: the -partiality of the convicts for it being incredible, for they preferred -receiving it as the price of their labour to any other article, either -of provisions or clothing. - -Barrington’s tact and good management in the numerous disturbances -that arose, as more convicts were poured into the station, were very -conspicuous, and his conduct was altogether such as compensated, in a -great measure, for his former misdeeds. His domestic matters improved -by degrees, so that his situation was equal, if not preferable, to -that of most of the settlers there, and, to crown all, in September, -1799, the Governor--Hunter--presented him with an absolute pardon, -complimenting him on his faithful discharge of the duties which had -been entrusted to him, and the integrity and uniform uprightness of -his conduct, and, furthermore, said that his general behaviour, during -his whole residence, perfectly obliterated every trace of his former -indiscretions. - -Barrington was further appointed a principal superintendent of the -district of Paramatta, with a permanent salary of £50 per annum (his -situation having been, hitherto, only provisional) and, eventually, -the confidence he inspired was such that he was raised to the office -of Chief of the constabulary force of the Colony, on the principle, it -may be presumed, of ‘setting a thief to catch a thief.’ In this post he -gave great satisfaction, and died, much respected by all who knew him, -at Botany Bay. - -He wrote ‘The History of New South Wales,’ &c. London, 1802; a most -valuable and interesting book. ‘An Account of a Voyage to New South -Wales,’ London, 1803. ‘The History of New Holland,’ London, 1808; and -a book was published with his name as author, ‘The London Spy,’ which -went through several editions. - - - - -MILTON’S BONES. - - -In the first series of _Notes and Queries_, vol. v. p. 369 (April 17, -1852), is a note from which the following is an extract: ‘In vol. v, -p. 275, mention is made of Cromwell’s skull; so it may not be out of -place to tell you that I have handled one of Milton’s ribs. Cowper -speaks indignantly of the desecration of our divine poet’s grave, -on which shameful occurrence some of the bones were clandestinely -distributed. One fell to the lot of an old and esteemed friend, and -between forty-five and fifty years ago, at his house, not many miles -from London, I have often examined the said rib-bone.’ - -The lines of Cowper’s to which he refers were written in August, 1790, -and are entitled - - -STANZAS - -_On the late indecent Liberties taken with the remains of the great -Milton. Anno 1790._ - - ‘Me too, perchance, in future days, - The sculptured stone shall show, - With Paphian myrtle or with bays - Parnassian on my brow. - - But I, or ere that season come, - Escaped from every care, - Shall reach my refuge in the tomb, - And sleep securely there.’[16] - - So sang, in Roman tone and style, - The youthful bard, ere long - Ordain’d to grace his native isle - With her sublimest song. - - Who then but must conceive disdain, - Hearing the deed unblest, - Of wretches who have dared profane - His dread sepulchral rest? - - Ill fare the hands that heaved the stones - Where Milton’s ashes lay, - That trembled not to grasp his bones - And steal his dust away! - - O ill-requited bard! neglect - Thy living worth repaid, - And blind idolatrous respect - As much affronts thee dead. - -Leigh Hunt possessed a lock of Milton’s hair which had been given to -him by a physician--and over which he went into such rhapsodies that he -composed no less than three sonnets addressed to the donor--which may -be found in his ‘Foliage,’ ed. 1818, pp. 131, 132, 133. The following -is the best:-- - - -TO ---- ---- MD., - -_On his giving me a lock of Milton’s hair_. - - It lies before me there, and my own breath - Stirs its thin outer threads, as though beside - The living head I stood in honoured pride, - Talking of lovely things that conquered death. - Perhaps he pressed it once, or underneath - Ran his fine fingers, when he leant, blank-eyed, - And saw, in fancy, Adam and his bride - With their heaped locks, or his own Delphic wreath. - There seems a love in hair, though it be dead. - It is the gentlest, yet the strongest thread - Of our frail plant--a blossom from the tree - Surviving the proud trunk;--as if it said, - Patience and Gentleness is Power. In me - Behold affectionate eternity. - -How were these personal relics obtained? By rifling his tomb. -Shakespeare solemnly cursed anyone who should dare to meddle with his -dead body, and his remains are believed to be intact. - - ‘Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear - To dig the dust inclosed here: - Blest be the man who spares these stones, - And cursed be he who moves my bones.’ - -But Milton laid no such interdict upon his poor dead body--and it -was not very long after his burial, which took place in 1674, that -the stone which covered it, and indicated his resting-place, was -removed, as Aubrey tells us in his ‘Lives’ (vol. iii, p. 450). ‘His -stone is now removed. About two years since (1681) the two steppes to -the communion-table were raysed, Ighesse, Jo. Speed,[17] and he lie -together.’ And so it came to pass that, in the church of St. Giles’, -Cripplegate, where he was buried, there was no memorial of the place -where he was laid, nor, indeed, anything to mark the fact of his burial -in that church until, in 1793, Samuel Whitbread set up a fine marble -bust of the poet, by Bacon, with an inscription giving the dates of -his birth and death, and recording the fact that his father was also -interred there. - -It is probable that Mr. Whitbread was moved thereto by the alleged -desecration of Milton’s tomb in 1790, of which there is a good account -written by Philip Neve, of Furnival’s Inn, which is entitled, ‘A -NARRATIVE of the DISINTERMENT of MILTON’S coffin, in the Parish-Church -of ST. GILES, Cripplegate, on Wednesday, August 4th, 1790; and the -TREATMENT OF THE CORPSE during that and the following day.’ - -As this narrative is not long, I propose to give it in its entirety, -because to condense it would be to spoil it, and, by giving it _in -extenso_, the reader will be better able to judge whether it was really -Milton’s body which was exhumed. - - -A NARRATIVE, &c. - -Having read in the _Public Advertiser_, on Saturday, the 7th of August, -1790, that _Milton’s_ coffin had been dug up in the parish church of -St. Giles, Cripplegate, and was there to be seen, I went immediately -to the church, and found the latter part of the information to be -untrue; but, from conversations on that day, on Monday, the 9th, and on -Tuesday, the 10th of August, with Mr. Thomas _Strong_, Solicitor and -F.A.S., Red Cross Street, _Vestry-Clerk_; Mr. John _Cole_, Barbican, -Silversmith, _Churchwarden_; Mr. John _Laming_, Barbican, _Pawnbroker_; -and Mr. _Fountain_, Beech Lane, Publican, _Overseers_; Mr. _Taylor_, of -Stanton, Derbyshire, _Surgeon_; a friend of Mr. _Laming_, and a visitor -in his house; Mr. William _Ascough_, Coffin-maker, Fore Street, _Parish -Clerk_; Benjamin _Holmes_ and Thomas _Hawkesworth_, journeymen to Mr. -Ascough; Mrs. _Hoppey_, Fore Street, _Sexton_; Mr. _Ellis_, No. 9, -Lamb’s Chapel, comedian of the Royalty-theatre; and John _Poole_ (son -of Rowland Poole), Watch-spring maker, Jacob’s Passage, Barbican, the -following facts are established: - -It being in the contemplation of some persons to bestow a considerable -sum of money in erecting a monument, in the parish church of _St. -Giles_, Cripplegate, to the memory of _Milton_, and the particular -spot of his interment in that church having for many years past been -ascertained only by tradition, several of the principal parishioners -have, at their meetings, frequently expressed a wish that his coffin -should be dug for, that incontestable evidence of its exact situation -might be established, before the said monument should be erected. The -entry, among the burials, in the register-book, 12th of November, -1674, is ‘_John Milton_, Gentleman, consumption, _chancell_.’ The -church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, was built in 1030, was burnt down -(except the steeple) and rebuilt in 1545; was repaired in 1682; and -again in 1710. In the repair of 1782, an alteration took place in the -disposition of the inside of the church; the pulpit was removed from -the second pillar, against which it stood, north of the chancel, to -the south side of the present chancel, which was then formed, and -pews were built over the old chancel. The tradition has always been -that _Milton_ was buried in the chancel, under the clerk’s desk; but -the circumstance of the alteration in the church, not having, of late -years, been attended to, the clerk, sexton, and other officers of the -parish have misguided inquirers, by showing the spot under the clerk’s -desk, in the present chancel, as the place of _Milton’s_ interment. -I have twice, at different periods, been shown that spot as the place -where _Milton_ lay. Even Mr. _Baskerville_, who died a few years -ago, and who had requested, in his will, to be buried by _Milton_, -was deposited in the above-mentioned spot of the present chancel, in -pious intention of compliance with his request. The church is now, -August, 1790, under a general repair, by contract, for £1,350, and Mr. -_Strong_, Mr. _Cole_, and other parishioners, having very prudently -judged that the search would be made with much less inconvenience to -the parish at this time, when the church is under repair, than at any -period after the said repair should be completed, Mr. _Cole_, in the -last days of July, ordered the workmen to dig in search of the coffin. -Mr. _Ascough_, his father, and grandfather, have been parish clerks -of _St. Giles_ for upwards of ninety years past. His grandfather, -who died in February, 1759-60, aged eighty-four, used often to say -that _Milton_ had been buried under the clerk’s desk in the chancel. -John _Poole_, aged seventy, used to hear his father talk of Milton’s -person, from those who had seen him; and also, that he lay under the -common-councilmen’s pew. The common-councilmen’s pew is built over -that very part of the old chancel, where the former clerk’s desk -stood. These traditions in the parish reported to Mr. _Strong_ and -Mr. _Cole_ readily directed them to dig from the present chancel, -northwards, towards the pillar, against which the former pulpit and -desk had stood. On Tuesday afternoon, August 3rd, notice was brought -to Messrs. _Strong_ and _Cole_ that the coffin was discovered. They -went immediately to the church, and, by help of a candle, proceeded -under the common-councilmen’s pew to the place where the coffin lay. -It was in a chalky soil, and directly over a wooden coffin, supposed -to be that of _Milton’s_ father; tradition having always reported that -_Milton_ was buried next to his father. The registry of the father of -_Milton_, among the burials, in the parish-book, is ‘_John Melton_, -Gentleman, 15th of March, 1646-7.’ In digging through the whole space -from the present chancel, where the ground was opened, to the situation -of the former clerk’s desk, there was not found any other coffin, which -could raise the smallest doubt of this being _Milton’s_. The two oldest -found in the ground had inscriptions, which Mr. _Strong_ copied; they -were of as late dates as 1727 and 1739. When he and Mr. _Cole_ had -examined the coffin, they ordered water and a brush to be brought, that -they might wash it, in search of an inscription, or initials, or date; -but, upon its being carefully cleansed, none was found. - -The following particulars were given me in writing by Mr. _Strong_, and -they contain the admeasurement of the coffin, as taken by him, with a -rule. ‘A leaden coffin, found under the common-councilmen’s pew, on -the north side of the chancel, nearly under the place where the old -pulpit and clerk’s desk stood. The coffin appeared to be old, much -corroded, and without any inscription or plate upon it. It was, in -length, five feet ten inches, and in width, at the broadest part, over -the shoulders, one foot four inches.’ Conjecture naturally pointed out, -both to Mr. _Strong_ and Mr. _Cole_, that, by moving the leaden coffin, -there would be a great chance of finding some inscription on the wooden -one underneath; but, with a just and laudable piety, they disdained to -disturb the sacred ashes, after a requiem of one hundred and sixteen -years; and having satisfied their curiosity, and ascertained the fact, -which was the subject of it, Mr. _Cole_ ordered the ground to be -closed. This was on the afternoon of Tuesday, August the 3rd; and, when -I waited on Mr. _Strong_, on Saturday morning, the 7th, he informed -me that the coffin had been found on the Tuesday, had been examined, -washed, and measured by him and Mr. _Cole_; but that the ground had -been immediately closed, when they left the church;--not doubting that -Mr. _Cole’s_ order had been punctually obeyed. But the direct contrary -appears to have been the fact. - -On Tuesday evening, the 3rd, Mr. _Cole_, Messrs. _Laming_ and _Taylor_, -_Holmes_, &c., had a _merry meeting_, as Mr. _Cole_ expresses himself, -at Fountain’s house; the conversation there turned upon _Milton’s_ -coffin having been discovered; and, in the course of the evening, -several of those present expressing a desire to see it, Mr. _Cole_ -assented that, if the ground was not already closed, the closing of it -should be deferred until they should have satisfied their curiosity. -Between eight and nine on Wednesday morning, the 4th, the two overseers -(_Laming_ and _Fountain_) and Mr. _Taylor_, went to the house of -_Ascough_, the clerk, which leads into the church-yard, and asked for -_Holmes_; they then went with _Holmes_ into the church, and pulled the -coffin, which lay deep in the ground, from its original station to the -edge of the excavation, into day-light. Mr. _Laming_ told me that, to -assist in thus removing it, he put his hand into a corroded hole, which -he saw in the lead, at the coffin foot. When they had thus removed it, -the overseers asked _Holmes_ if he could open it, that they might see -the body. _Holmes_ immediately fetched a mallet and a chisel, and cut -open the top of the coffin, slantwise from the head, as low as the -breast; so that the top, being doubled backward, they could see the -corpse; he cut it open also at the foot. Upon first view of the body, -it appeared perfect, and completely enveloped in the shroud, which was -of many folds; the ribs standing up regularly. When they disturbed -the shroud, the ribs fell. Mr. _Fountain_ told me that he pulled hard -at the teeth, which resisted, until some one hit them a knock with a -stone, when they easily came out. There were but five in the upper -jaw, which were all perfectly sound and white, and all taken by Mr. -_Fountain_; he gave one of them to Mr. _Laming_; Mr. _Laming_ also took -one from the lower jaw; and Mr. _Taylor_ took two from it. Mr. _Laming_ -told me that he had, at one time, a mind to bring away the whole -under-jaw, with the teeth in it; he had it in his hand, but tossed it -back again. Also that he lifted up the head, and saw a great quantity -of hair, which lay straight and even behind the head, and in the state -of hair which had been combed and tied together before interment; but -it was wet, the coffin having considerable corroded holes, both at -the head and foot, and a great part of the water with which it had -been washed on the Tuesday afternoon having run into it. The overseers -and Mr. _Taylor_ went away soon afterwards, and Messrs. _Laming_ and -_Taylor_ went home to get scissors to cut off some of the hair: they -returned about ten, when Mr. _Laming_ poked his stick against the head, -and brought some of the hair over the forehead; but, as they saw the -scissors were not necessary, Mr. _Taylor_ took up the hair, as it lay -on the forehead, and carried it home. The water, which had got into -the coffin on the Tuesday afternoon, had made a sludge at the bottom -of it, emitting a nauseous smell, and which occasioned Mr. _Laming_ to -use his stick to procure the hair, and not to lift up the head a second -time. Mr. _Laming_ also took out one of the leg-bones, but threw it in -again. _Holmes_ went out of church, whilst Messrs. _Laming_, _Taylor_, -and _Fountain_ were there the first time, and he returned when the two -former were come the second time. When Messrs. _Laming_ and _Taylor_ -had finally quitted the church, the coffin was removed from the edge -of the excavation back to its original station; but was no otherwise -closed than by the lid, where it had been cut and reversed, being bent -down again. Mr. _Ascough_, the clerk, was from home the greater part of -that day, and Mrs. _Hoppey_, the sexton, was from home the whole day. -Elizabeth _Grant_, the grave-digger, who is servant to Mrs. _Hoppey_, -therefore now took possession of the coffin; and, as its situation -under the common-councilmen’s pew would not admit of its being seen -without the help of a candle, she kept a tinder-box in the excavation, -and, when any persons came, struck a light, and conducted them under -the pew, where, by reversing the part of the lid which had been cut, -she exhibited the body, at first for sixpence, and afterwards for -threepence and twopence each person. The workers in the church kept the -doors locked to all those who would not pay the price of a pot of beer -for entrance, and many, to avoid that payment, got in at a window at -the west end of the church, near to Mr. _Ascough’s_ counting-house. - -I went on Saturday, the 7th, to Mr. _Laming’s_ house, to request a -lock of the hair; but, not meeting with Mr. _Taylor_ at home, went -again on Monday, the 9th, when Mr. _Taylor_ gave me part of what hair -he had reserved for himself. _Hawkesworth_ having informed me, on the -Saturday, that Mr. _Ellis_, the player, had taken some hair, and that -he had seen him take a rib-bone, and carry it away in paper under his -coat, I went from Mr. _Laming’s_ on Monday to Mr. _Ellis_, who told me -that he had paid 6^d. to Elizabeth _Grant_ for seeing the body; and -that he had lifted up the head, and taken from the sludge under it a -small quantity of hair, with which was a piece of the shroud, and, -adhering to the hair, a bit of the skin of the skull, of about the size -of a shilling. He then put them all into my hands, with the rib-bone, -which appeared to be one of the upper ribs. The piece of the shroud was -of coarse linen. The hair which he had taken was short; a small part of -it he had washed, and the remainder was in the clotted state in which -he had taken it. He told me that he had tried to reach down as low as -the hands of the corpse, but had not been able to effect it. The washed -hair corresponded exactly with that in my possession, and which I had -just received from Mr. _Taylor_. _Ellis_ is a very ingenious worker -in hair, and he said that, thinking it would be of great advantage to -him to possess a quantity of Milton’s hair, he had returned to the -church on Thursday, and had made his endeavours to get access a second -time to the body; but had been refused admittance. _Hawkesworth_ took -a tooth, and broke a bit off the coffin; of which I was informed by -Mr. _Ascough_. I purchased them both of _Hawkesworth_, on Saturday the -7th, for 2^s.; and he told me that, when he took the tooth out, there -were but two more remaining; one of which was afterwards taken by -another of Mr. _Ascough’s_ men. And _Ellis_ informed me that, at the -time when he was there, on Wednesday, the teeth were all gone; but the -overseers say they think that all the teeth were not taken out of the -coffin, though displaced from the jaws, but that some of them must have -fallen among the other bones, as they very readily came out, after the -first were drawn. _Haslib_, son of William _Haslib_, of Jewin Street, -undertaker, took one of the small bones, which I purchased of him, on -Monday, the 9th, for 2^s. - -With respect to the identity of the person; anyone must be a skeptic -against violent presumptions to entertain a doubt of its being that -of _Milton_. The parish traditions of the spot; the age of the -coffin--none other found in the ground which can at all contest with -it, or render it suspicious--_Poole’s_ tradition that those who had -conversed with his father about _Milton’s_ person always described -him to have been thin, with long hair; the entry in the register-book -that _Milton_ died of consumption, are all strong confirmations, -with the size of the coffin, of the identity of the person. If it be -objected that, against the pillar where the pulpit formerly stood, and -immediately over the common-councilmen’s pew, is a monument to the -family of _Smith_, which shows that ‘near that place’ were buried, in -1653, _Richard Smith_, aged 17; in 1655, _John Smith_, aged 32; and in -1664, _Elizabeth Smith_, the mother, aged 64; and in 1675, _Richard -Smith_, the father, aged 85; it may be answered that, if the coffin -in question be one of these, the others should be there also. The -corpse is certainly not that of a man of 85; and, if it be supposed -one of the first named males of the _Smith_ family, certainly the -two later coffins should appear; but none such were found, nor could -that monument have been erected until many years after the death of -the last person mentioned in the inscription; and it was then placed -there, as it expresses, not by any of the family, but at the expense of -friends. The flatness of the pillar, after the pulpit had been removed, -offered an advantageous situation for it; and ‘_near this place_,’ -upon a mural monument, will always admit of a liberal construction. -_Holmes_, who is much respected in that parish, and very ingenious and -intelligent in his business, says that a leaden coffin, when the inner -wooden-case is perished, must, from pressure and its own weight, shrink -in breadth, and that, therefore, more than the present admeasurement of -this coffin across the shoulders must have been its original breadth. -There is evidence, also, that it was incurvated, both on the top and -at the sides, at the time when it was discovered. But the strongest of -all confirmations is the hair, both in its length and colour. Behold -_Faithorne’s_ quarto-print of _Milton_ taken _ad vivum_ in 1760, five -years before _Milton’s_ death. Observe the short locks growing towards -the forehead, and the long ones flowing from the same place down the -sides of the face. The whole quantity of hair which Mr. _Taylor_ took -was from the forehead, and all taken at one grasp. I measured on Monday -morning, the 9th, that lock of it which he had given to Mr. _Laming_, -six inches and a half by a rule; and the lock of it which he gave to -me, taken at the same time, and from the same place, measures only -two inches and a half. In the reign of _Charles_ II. how few, besides -_Milton_, wore their own hair! _Wood_ says _Milton_ had light-brown -hair, the very description of that which we possess; and, what may -seem extraordinary, it is yet so strong that Mr. _Laming_, to cleanse -it from its clotted state, let the cistern-cock run on it for near a -minute, and then rubbed it between his fingers without injury. - -_Milton’s_ coffin lay open from Wednesday morning, the 4th, at 9 -o’clock until 4 o’clock in the afternoon of the following day, when the -ground was closed. - -With respect to there being no inscriptions on the coffin, _Holmes_ -says that inscription-plates were not used, nor invented at the time -when _Milton_ was buried; that the practice then was to paint the -inscription on the outside wooden coffin, which in this case was -entirely perished. - -It has never been pretended that any hair was taken except by Mr. -_Taylor_, and by _Ellis_ the player; and all which the latter took -would, when cleansed, easily lie in a small locket. Mr. _Taylor_ -has divided his share into many small parcels; and the lock which I -saw in Mr. _Laming’s_ hands on Saturday morning, the 7th, and which -then measured six inches and a half, had been so cut and reduced by -divisions among Mr. _Laming’s_ friends, at noon, on Monday, the 9th, -that he thus possessed only a small bit, from two to three inches in -length. - -All the teeth are remarkably short, below the gums. The five which -were in the upper jaw, and the middle teeth of the lower, are perfect -and white. Mr. _Fountain_ took the five upper jaw teeth; Mr. _Laming_ -one from the lower jaw; Mr. _Taylor_ two from it; _Hawkesworth_ one; -and another of Mr. _Ascough’s_ men one; besides these, I have not been -able to trace any, nor have I heard that any more were taken. It is -not probable that more than ten should have been brought away, if the -conjecture of the overseers, that some dropped among the other bones, -be founded. - - * * * * * - -In recording a transaction which will strike every liberal mind with -horror and disgust, I cannot omit to declare that I have procured -those relics which I possess, only in hope of bearing part in a pious -and honourable restitution of all that has been taken; the sole -atonement which can now be made to the violated rights of the dead; to -the insulted parishioners at large; and to the feelings of all good -men. During the present repair of the church, the mode is obvious and -easy. Unless that be done, in vain will the parish hereafter boast a -sumptuous monument to the memory of _Milton_; it will but display their -shame in proportion to its magnificence. - -I collected this account from the mouths of those who were immediate -actors in this most sacrilegious scene; and before the voice of charity -had reproached them with their impiety. By it those are exculpated -whose just and liberal sentiments restrained their hands from an act of -violation, and the blood of the lamb is dashed against the door-posts -of the perpetrators, not to save, but to mark them to posterity. - - PHILIP NEVE. - - Furnival’s Inn, - 14th of August, 1790. - -This Mr. Neve, whose pious horror at the sacrilegious desecration of -the poet’s tomb seems only to have been awakened at the eleventh hour, -and whose restitution of the relics he obtained does not appear, was -probably the P.N. who was the author, in 1789, of ‘Cursory Remarks -on some of the Ancient English Poets, particularly Milton.’ It is a -work of some erudition, but the hero of the book, as its title plainly -shows, was Milton. Neve places him in the first rank, and can hardly -find words with which to extol his genius and intellect, so that, -probably, some hero-worship was interwoven in the foregoing relation -of the discovery of Milton’s body; and it may be as well if the other -side were heard, although the attempt at refutation is by no means as -well authenticated as Neve’s narrative. It is anonymous, and appeared -in the _St. James’s Chronicle_, September 4-7th, 1790, and in the -_European Magazine_, vol. xviii, pp. 206-7, for September, 1790, and is -as follows: - - -MILTON. - - _Reasons why it is impossible that the Coffin lately dug up in - the Parish Church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, should contain the - reliques of_ MILTON. - -_First._ BECAUSE _Milton_ was buried in 1674, and this coffin was found -in a situation previously allotted to a wealthy family, unconnected -with his own.--See the mural monument of the _Smiths_, dated 1653, &c., -immediately over the place of the supposed MILTON’S interment.--In -the time that the fragments of several other sarcophagi were found; -together with two skulls, many bones, and a leaden coffin, which was -left untouched because it lay further to the north, and (for some -reason, or no reason at all) was unsuspected of being the _Miltonic_ -reservoir. - -_Secondly._ The hair of MILTON is uniformly described and represented -as of a light hue; but far the greater part of the ornament of his -pretended skull is of the darkest brown, without any mixture of -gray.[18] This difference is irreconcilable to probability. Our hair, -after childhood, is rarely found to undergo a total change of colour, -and MILTON was 66 years old when he died, a period at which human -locks, in a greater or less degree, are interspersed with white. Why -did the Overseers, &c., bring away only such hair as corresponded with -the description of _Milton’s_? Of the light hair there was little; of -the dark a considerable quantity. But this circumstance would have been -wholly suppressed, had not a second scrutiny taken place. - -_Thirdly._ Because the skull in question is remarkably flat and small, -and with the lowest of all possible foreheads; whereas the head of -MILTON was large, and his brow conspicuously high. See his portrait so -often engraved by the accurate _Vertue_, who was completely satisfied -with the authenticity of his original. We are assured that the surgeon -who attended at the second disinterment of the corpse only remarked, -‘that the little forehead there was, was prominent.’ - -_Fourthly._ Because the hands of MILTON were full of chalk stones. -Now it chances that his substitute’s left hand had been undisturbed, -and therefore was in a condition to be properly examined. No vestige, -however, of cretaceous substances was visible in it, although they -are of a lasting nature, and have been found on the fingers of a dead -person almost coeval with MILTON. - -_Fifthly._ Because there is reason to believe that the aforesaid -remains are those of a young female (one of the three Miss _Smiths_); -for the bones are delicate, the teeth small, slightly inserted in the -jaw, and perfectly white, even, and sound. From the corroded state -of the pelvis, nothing could, with certainty, be inferred; nor would -the surgeon already mentioned pronounce _absolutely_ on the sex of the -deceased. Admitting, however, that the body was a male one, its very -situation points it out to be a male of the _Smith_ family; perhaps -the favourite son _John_, whom _Richard Smith_, Esq., his father, so -feelingly laments. (See Peck’s ‘_Desiderata Curiosa_,’ p. 536).[19] -To this darling child a receptacle of lead might have been allotted, -though many other relatives of the same house were left to putrefy in -wood. - -_Sixthly._ Because MILTON was not in affluence[20]--expired in an -emaciated state, in a cold month, and was interred by direction of his -widow. An expensive outward coffin of lead, therefore, was needless, -and unlikely to have been provided by a rapacious woman who oppressed -her husband’s children while he was living, and cheated them after he -was dead. - -_Seventhly._ Because it is improbable that the circumstance of MILTON’S -having been deposited under the desk should, if true, have been so -effectually concealed from the whole train of his biographers. It was, -nevertheless, produced as an ancient and well-known tradition, as soon -as the parishioners of Cripplegate were aware that such an incident -was gaped for by antiquarian appetence, and would be swallowed by -antiquarian credulity. How happened it that Bishop _Newton_, who urged -similar inquiries concerning MILTON above forty years ago in the same -parish, could obtain no such information?[21] - -_Eighthly._ Because Mr. _Laming_ (see Mr. _Neve’s_ pamphlet, second -edition, p. 19) observes that the ‘sludge’ at the bottom of the coffin -‘emitted a nauseous smell.’ But, had this corpse been as old as that -of MILTON, it must have been disarmed of its power to offend, nor -would have supplied the least effluvium to disgust the nostrils of -our delicate inquirer into the secrets of the grave. The last remark -will seem to militate against a foregoing one. The whole difficulty, -however, may be solved by a resolution not to believe a single word -said on such an occasion by any of those who invaded the presumptive -sepulchre of MILTON. The man who can handle pawned stays, breeches, -and petticoats without disgust may be supposed to have his organs of -smelling in no very high state of perfection. - -_Ninthly._ Because we have not been told by _Wood_, _Philips_, -_Richardson_, _Toland_, etc., that Nature, among her other partialities -to MILTON, had indulged him with an uncommon share of teeth. And yet -above a hundred have been sold as the furniture of his mouth by the -conscientious worthies who assisted in the plunder of his supposed -carcase, and finally submitted it to every insult that brutal vulgarity -could devise and express. Thanks to fortune, however, his corpse -has hitherto been violated but by proxy! May his genuine reliques -(if aught of him remains unmingled with common earth) continue to -elude research, at least while the present overseers of the poor of -Cripplegate are in office. Hard, indeed, would have been the fate of -the author of ‘Paradise Lost’ to have received shelter in a chancel, -that a hundred and sixteen years after his interment his _domus ultima_ -might be ransacked by two of the lowest human beings, a retailer of -spirituous liquors, and a man who lends sixpences to beggars on such -despicable securities as tattered bed-gowns, cankered porridge-pots, -and rusty gridirons.[22] _Cape saxa manu, cape robora, pastor!_ But an -Ecclesiastical Court may yet have cognisance of this more than savage -transaction. It will then be determined whether our tombs are our own, -or may be robbed with impunity by the little tyrants of a workhouse. - - ‘If charnel-houses, and our graves, must send - Those that we bury back, our monuments - Shall be the maws of kites.’ - -It should be added that our Pawnbroker, Gin-seller, and Company, by -deranging the contents of their ideal MILTON’S coffin, by carrying away -his lower jaw, ribs, and right hand--and by employing one bone as an -instrument to batter the rest--by tearing the shroud and winding-sheet -to pieces, &c., &c., had annihilated all such further evidence as might -have been collected from a skilful and complete examination of these -nameless fragments of mortality. So far, indeed, were they mutilated -that, had they been genuine, we could not have said with Horace, - - ‘Invenies etiam disjecti membra Poetæ.’ - -Who, after a perusal of the foregoing remarks (which are founded on -circumstantial truth), will congratulate the parishioners of St. Giles, -Cripplegate, on their discovery and treatment of the imaginary dust -of MILTON? His favourite, _Shakespeare_, most fortunately reposes at -a secure distance from the paws of Messieurs _Laming_ and _Fountain_, -who, otherwise, might have provoked the vengeance imprecated by our -great dramatic poet on the remover of his bones. - -From the preceding censures, however, Mr. _Cole_ (Churchwarden), and -Messrs. _Strong_ and _Ascough_ (Vestry and Parish Clerks), should, -in the most distinguished manner, be exempted. Throughout the whole -of this extraordinary business, they conducted themselves with the -strictest decency and propriety. It should also be confessed, by those -whom curiosity has since attracted to the place of MILTON’S supposed -disinterment, that the politeness of the same parish officers could -only be exceeded by their respect for our illustrious author’s memory, -and their concern at the complicated indignity which his nominal ashes -have sustained.’ - -Now it was hardly likely that Mr. Neve, with the extremely plausible -case that he had, would sit still and see his pet theory knocked on the -head, so he issued a second edition of his pamphlet with this - - -POSTSCRIPT. - -As some reports have been circulated, and some anonymous papers have -appeared, since the publication of this pamphlet, with intent to induce -a belief that the corpse mentioned in it is that of a woman, and as -the curiosity of the public now calls for a second impression of it, -an opportunity is offered of relating a few circumstances which have -happened since the 14th of August, and which, in some degree, may -confirm the opinion that the corpse is that of _Milton_. - -On Monday, the 16th, I called upon the overseer, Mr. _Fountain_, when -he told me that the parish officers had then seen a surgeon who, on -Wednesday the 4th, had got through a window into the church, and who -had, upon inspection, pronounced the corpse to be that of a woman. -I thought it very improbable that a surgeon should creep through a -window, who could go through a door for a few half-pence; but I no -otherwise expressed my doubts of the truth of the information than by -asking for the surgeon’s address. I was answered ‘that the gentleman -begged not to have it known, that he might not be interrupted by -enquiries.’ A trifling relic was, nevertheless, at the same time -withholden, which I had expected to receive through Mr. _Fountain’s_ -hands; by which it appeared that those in possession of them were, -still tenacious of the spoils of the coffin, although they affected to -be convinced they were not those of _Milton_. These contradictions, -however, I reserved for the test of an inquiry elsewhere. - -In the course of that week I was informed that some gentlemen had, on -Tuesday, the 17th, prevailed on the churchwardens to suffer a second -disinterment of the coffin, which had taken place on that day. On -Saturday, the 21st, I waited on Mr. _Strong_, who told me that he had -been present at such second disinterment, and that he had then sent -for an experienced surgeon of the neighbourhood, who, upon inspection -and examination of the corpse, had pronounced it to be that of a man. -I was also informed, on that day, the 21st, by a principal person of -the parish, whose information cannot be suspected, that the parish -officers had agreed among themselves that, from my frequent visits and -inquiries, I must have an intention of delivering some account of the -transaction to the world; and that, therefore, to stop the narrative -from going forth, they must invent some story of a surgeon’s inspection -on the 4th, and of his declaration that the corpse was that of a woman. -From this information it was easy to judge what would be the fate of -any personal application to the parish officers, with intent to obtain -a restitution of what had been taken from the coffin I, therefore, on -Wednesday, the 25th, addressed the following letter to Mr. _Strong_:-- - - * * * * * - -‘DEAR SIR, - -‘The reflection of a few moments, after I left you on Saturday, -clearly showed me that the probability of the coffin in question being -_Milton’s_ was not at all weakened, either by the dates, or the number -of persons on the _Smiths’_ monument; but that it was rather confirmed -by the latter circumstance. By the evidence which you told me was given -by the surgeon, called in on Tuesday, the 17th, the corpse is that of a -male; it is certainly not that of a man of eighty-five; if, therefore, -it be one of the earlier buried _Smiths_, all the later coffins of that -family should appear, but not one of them is found. I, then, suppose -the monument to have been put there because the flat pillar, after -the pulpit was removed, offered a convenient situation for it, and -“_near this place_” to be open, as it is in almost every case where it -appears, to very liberal interpretation. - -‘It is, therefore, to be believed that the unworthy treatment, on the -4th, was offered to the corpse of _Milton_. Knowing what I know, I must -not be silent. It is a very unpleasant story to relate; but, as it has -fallen to my task, I will not shrink from it. I respect nothing in -this world more than truth, and the memory of _Milton_; and to swerve -in a tittle from the first would offend the latter. I shall give the -plain and simple narrative, as delivered by the parties themselves. -If it sit heavy on any of their shoulders, it is a burthen of their -own taking up, and their own backs must bear it. They are all, as I -find, very fond of deriving honour to themselves from _Milton_, as -their parishioner; perhaps the mode, which I have hinted, is the only -one which they have now left themselves of proving an equal desire -to do honour to him. If I had thought that, in personally proposing -to the parish officers a general search for, and collection of, all -the spoils, and to put them, together with the mangled corpse and old -coffin, into a new leaden one, I should have been attended to, I would -have taken that method; but, when I found such impertinent inventions -as setting up a fabulous surgeon to creep in at a window practised, I -felt that so low an attempt at derision would ensure that, whatever I -should afterwards propose, would be equally derided, and I had then -left no other means than to call in the public opinion in aid of my -own, and to hope that we should, at length, see the bones of an honest -man, and the first scholar and poet our country can boast, restored to -their sepulchre. - -‘The narrative will appear, I believe, either to-morrow or on Friday; -whenever it does, your withers are unwrung, and Mr. _Cole_ has shown -himself an upright churchwarden. - -‘I cannot conclude without returning you many thanks for your great -civilities, and am, &c.’ - -The corpse was found entirely mutilated by those who disinterred it -on the 17th; almost all the ribs, the lower jaw, and one of the hands -gone. Of all those who saw the body on Wednesday, the 4th, and on -Thursday, the 5th, there is not one person who discovered a single hair -of any other colour than light brown, although both Mr. _Laming_ and -Mr. _Ellis_ lifted up the head, and although the considerable quantity -of hair which Mr. _Taylor_ took was from the top of the head, and that -which _Ellis_ took was from behind it; yet, from the accounts of those -who saw it on the 17th, it appears that the hair on the back of the -head was found of dark brown, nearly approaching to black, although all -the front hair remaining was of the same light brown as that taken on -the 4th. It does not belong to me either to account for or to prove the -fact. - -On Wednesday, September the 1st, I waited on Mr. _Dyson_, who was the -gentleman sent for on the 17th, to examine the corpse. I asked him -simply, whether, from what had then appeared before him, he judged it -to be male or female? His answer was that, having examined the pelvis -and the skull, he judged the corpse to be that of a man. I asked what -was the shape of the head? He said that the forehead was high and -erect, though the top of the head was flat; and added that the skull -was of that shape and flatness at the top which, differing from those -of blacks, is observed to be common and almost peculiar to persons -of very comprehensive intellects. I am a stranger to this sort of -knowledge, but the opinion is a strong confirmation that, from all the -premises before him, he judged the head to be that of _Milton_. On a -paper, which he showed me, enclosing a bit of the hair, he had written -‘_Milton’s hair_.’ - -Mr. _Dyson_ is a surgeon, who received his professional education under -the late Dr. _Hunter_, is in partnership with Mr. _Price_, in Fore -Street, where the church stands, is of easy access, and his affability -can be exceeded only by his skill in an extensive line of practice. - -Mr. _Taylor_, too, who is a surgeon of considerable practice and -eminence in his county, judged the corpse, on the 4th, to be that of a -male. - -A man, also, who has for many years acted as grave-digger in that -parish, and who was present on the 17th, decided, upon first sight of -the skull, that it was male; with as little hesitation, he pronounced -another, which had been thrown out of the ground in digging, to be that -of a woman. Decisions obviously the result of practical, rather than -of scientific knowledge; for, being asked his reasons, he could give -none, but that observation had taught him to distinguish such subjects. -Yet this latter sort of evidence is not to be too hastily rejected; it -may not be understood by everybody, but to anyone acquainted with those -who are eminently skilled in judging of the genuineness of ancient -coins, it will be perfectly intelligible. In that difficult and useful -art, the eye of a proficient decides at once; a novice, however, who -should inquire for the reasons of such decision, would seldom receive -a further answer than that the decision itself is the result of -experience and observation, and that the eye can be instructed only by -long familiarity with the subject; yet all numismatic knowledge rests -upon this sort of judgment. - -After these evidences, what proofs are there, or what probable -presumptions, that the corpse is that of a woman? - -It was necessary to relate these facts, not only as they belonged to -the subject, but lest, from the reports and papers above mentioned, I -might, otherwise, seem to have given either an unfaithful or a partial -statement of the evidences before me; whereas now it will clearly be -seen what facts appeared on the first disinterment, which preceded, and -what are to be attributed to the second, which succeeded the date of -the narrative. - -I have now added every circumstance which has hitherto come to my -knowledge relative to this extraordinary transaction, and conclude with -this declaration, that I should be very glad if any person would, from -facts, give me reason to believe that the corpse in question is rather -that of _Elizabeth Smith_, whose name I know only from her monument, -than that of _John Milton_. - - P. N.’ - - ‘8th of September, 1790.’ - - - - -THE TRUE STORY OF EUGENE ARAM. - - -The only knowledge which very many people possess of the life and crime -of Eugene Aram has been derived from the popular romance bearing his -name, written by the late Lord Lytton. And this nobleman, influenced -by his individual bias, has so woven fiction with a small modicum of -fact, as to render the story, as a history of a celebrated crime, -totally unreliable. Stripped of the gloss Lord Lytton has given it, -and revealed in its bare nakedness, it shows Eugene Aram in a very -different light from the solitary scholar, surrounded by books, with -high, romantic aspirations and noble thoughts, winning the love of a -pure and lovely girl; it shows us instead a poor country school-master, -clever, but self-taught, married to a common woman, whose very faith -he doubted, struggling with poverty, and heavily weighed down with -several children; it paints him as a man whose companions were sordid -and dishonest, whilst he himself was a liar, a thief, and a murderer, -a selfish man who scrupled not to leave wife and children to shift for -themselves, a man untrustworthy in his relations of life. - -Eugenius, or Eugene Aram was born in the year 1704,[23] at Ramsgill, a -little village in Netherdale, Yorkshire, and his father was a gardener, -as he says, of great abilities in botany, and an excellent draughtsman, -who served Dr. Compton, Bishop of London, and, afterwards, Sir Edward -Blackett, of Newby, and Sir John Ingilby, of Ripley. When he was five -or six years of age, the family removed to Bondgate, near Ripon, his -father having purchased a little property there. Here he was sent to -school, and was taught in a purely elementary manner to be capable of -reading the New Testament, and this was all the education his parents -gave him, with the exception of about a month’s schooling some long -time afterwards with the Rev. Mr. Alcock of Burnsal. - -When about thirteen or fourteen, he joined his father at Newby, till -the death of Sir Edward Blackett, and, his father having several -books on mathematics, and the boy being of a studious turn of mind, -he mastered their contents, and laid the foundation of his future -scholarship. When about sixteen years of age, he went to London to -be in the counting-house of Mr. Christopher Blackett as bookkeeper; -but he had not been there more than a year or two when he caught -the small-pox, and, on his recovery, went home into Yorkshire. His -native air soon restored him to health, and he studied hard at poetry, -history, and antiquities. He thus fitted himself for keeping a school, -which he opened in Netherdale, and continued there for many years -teaching and studying. There he married, as he says, ‘unfortunately -enough for me, for the misconduct of the wife which that place afforded -me has procured for me this place, this prosecution, this infamy, and -this sentence.’ - -During these years he read the Latin and Greek authors, and obtained -such a name for scholarship that he was invited to Knaresborough to -keep a school there. He removed thither in the year 1734, and continued -there until about six weeks after the murder of Daniel Clark. In the -meantime he had mastered Hebrew, and when he went to London he got a -situation to teach Latin, and writing, at a school in Piccadilly, kept -by a Monsieur Painblanc, who not only gave him a salary, but taught -him French. There he remained over two years, then went to Hays as a -writing-master, after which he wandered from situation to situation, at -one time earning his living by copying for a law-stationer. At last, -somehow, he found himself an usher at the Free School at Lynn, where he -lived until he was arrested for the murder of Daniel Clark. - -This man was a shoemaker at Knaresborough, and was an intimate visitor -at Aram’s house--too intimate, indeed, Aram thought, with his wife, -hence the reference to his wife previously quoted. He was a man of -bad character, and was more than suspected of having, in company of -another vagabond named Houseman, murdered a Jew boy, who travelled the -country for one Levi as a pedlar, carrying a box containing watches and -jewellery. The poor lad was decoyed to a place called Thistle Hill, -where he was robbed, murdered, and buried. This was about the year -1744, and his bones were not found until 1758. - -Richard Houseman, who was born the same year as Aram, was a near -neighbour of the latter’s--in fact, he lived next door, and his -occupation was that of a heckler of flax, when he gave out to the women -of the village to spin for him. But, according to his own statement, he -was a most unscrupulous black-guard. - -Another intimate of Aram’s was a publican, named Terry, but he only -played a subsidiary part in the drama, and nothing was ever brought -home to him. - -In January, 1745, Clark married a woman with a small fortune of about -two hundred pounds, and, immediately afterwards, this little nest of -rogues contrived and carried out the following swindle. Clark, as he -was known to have married a woman of some little money, was to obtain -goods of any description from whomsoever would part with them on -credit; these goods were to be deposited with, and hidden by, Aram and -Houseman, and, after plundering all that was possible, Clark was to -decamp, and leave his young wife to do the best she could. This was the -scheme in which the noble and refined Eugene Aram of Lord Lytton was -to, and did, bear his full part. - -Velvet from one man, leather from another, whips from a third, table -and bed linen from a fourth, money lent by a fifth--all was fish that -came to their net; and, when obtained, they were hidden on the premises -either of Aram or Houseman, or else in a place called St. Robert’s -Cave, which was situated in a field adjoining the Nid, a river near -Knaresborough. When this source was thoroughly exploited, a new scheme -was hit on by this ‘long firm.’ Clark should pretend to be about to -give a great wedding-feast, and he went about gaily, borrowing silver -tankards, salvers, salts, spoons, &c., from whoever would lend them. -Indeed, so multifarious were his perquisitions, that, according to one -contemporary account, he got, among other goods, the following: ‘three -silver tankards, four silver pints, one silver milk-pot, one ring set -with an emerald, and two brilliant diamonds, another with three rose -diamonds, a third with an amethyst in the shape of a heart, and six -plain rings, eight watches, two snuff-boxes, Chambers’ Dictionary, two -vols. folio, Pope’s “Homer,” six vols., bound.’ - -Having got all that could be got, it was now high time that Clark -should disappear. He was last seen on the early morning of the 8th -February, 1745, and from that time until August 1, 1758, nothing -was heard of him. He was supposed to have gone away with all his -booty--and yet not all of it, for suspicion was aroused that both Aram -and Houseman, from their intimacy with Clark, were accomplices in his -frauds. And so it clearly proved, for, on Aram’s house being searched, -several articles were found the produce of their joint roguery, and -in his garden were found buried, cambric and other goods, wrapped -in coarse canvas. Still, neither he, nor Houseman, nor Terry were -prosecuted,[24] but Aram thought it prudent to change his residence; -so one fine day he left his wife and family, and wandered forth. We -have seen the roving life he led, restless, and always changing his -abode; yet, during those thirteen years of shifting exile, it must be -said, to his credit, that no breath of scandal attached to him; he was -studious, somewhat morose, yet he was so liked by the boys at the -grammar-school at Lynn, that, when he was taken thence by the officers -of justice, they cried at losing him. - -Whilst at Lynn, he was recognised in June, 1758, by a horse-dealer, -and this recognition eventually led to his apprehension; for, during -that summer, a labourer, digging for stone or gravel at a place -called Thistle Hill, near Knaresborough, found, at the depth of two -feet, a skeleton, which appeared to have been buried doubled up. The -remembrance of Clark’s disappearance was at once awakened, and the body -was set down as being his. - -A country town has a keen recollection of anything which has occurred -disturbing its equal pace, and the connection of Aram and Houseman -with Clark was duly remembered. Aram was away, but Houseman still -lived among them, and he was ordered by the coroner to attend the -inquest. The principal witness was Anna Aram, Eugene’s wife, and she -had frequently, since her husband’s departure, dropped hints of her -suspicion that Clark had been murdered. Her evidence is clear. She -said that Daniel Clark was an intimate acquaintance of her husband’s, -and that they had frequent transactions together before the 8th of -February, 1744-5, and that Richard Houseman was often with them; -particularly that, on the 7th of February, 1744-5, about six o’clock -in the evening, Aram came home when she was washing in the kitchen, -upon which he directed her to put out the fire, and make one above -stairs; she accordingly did so. About two o’clock in the morning of the -8th of February, Aram, Clark, and Houseman came to Aram’s house, and -went upstairs to the room where she was. They stayed about an hour. -Her husband asked her for a handkerchief for Dickey (meaning Richard -Houseman) to tie about his head; she accordingly lent him one. Then -Clark said, ‘It will soon be morning, and we must get off.’ After which -Aram, Houseman, and Clark all went out together; that, upon Clark’s -going out, she observed him take a sack or wallet upon his back, which -he carried along with him; whither they went she could not tell. That -about five o’clock the same morning her husband and Houseman returned, -but Clark did not come with them. Her husband came upstairs, and -desired to have a candle that he might make a fire below. To which she -objected, and said, ‘There was no occasion for two fires, as there was -a good one in the room above, where she then was.’ To which Aram, her -husband, answered, ‘Dickey’ (meaning Richard Houseman) ‘was below, -and did not choose to come upstairs.’ Upon which she asked (Clark not -returning with them), ‘What had they done with Daniel?’ To this her -husband gave her no answer, but desired her to go to bed, which she -refused to do, and told him, ‘They had been doing something bad.’ Then -Aram went down with the candle. - -She, being desirous to know what her husband and Houseman were doing, -and being about to go downstairs, she heard Houseman say to Aram, - -‘She is coming.’ - -Her husband replied, ‘We’ll not let her.’ - -Houseman then said, ‘If she does, she’ll tell.’ - -‘What can she tell?’ replied Aram. ‘Poor simple thing! she knows -nothing.’ - -To which Houseman said, ‘If she tells that I am here, ‘twill be -enough.’ - -Her husband then said, ‘I will hold the door to prevent her from -coming.’ - -Whereupon Houseman said, ‘Something must be done to prevent her -telling,’ and pressed him to it very much, and said, ‘If she does not -tell now, she may at some other time.’ - -‘No,’ said her husband, ‘we will coax her a little until her passion be -off, and then take an opportunity to shoot her.’ - -Upon which Houseman appeared satisfied and said, ‘What must be done -with her clothes?’ Whereupon they both agreed that they would let her -lie where she was shot in her clothes. - -She, hearing this discourse, was much terrified, but remained quiet, -until near seven o’clock in the same morning, when Aram and Houseman -went out of the house. Upon which Mrs. Aram, coming down-stairs, and -seeing there had been a fire below and all the ashes taken out of the -grate, she went and examined the dung-hill; and, perceiving ashes of -a different kind to lie upon it, she searched amongst them, and found -several pieces of linen and woollen cloth, very near burnt, which had -the appearance of belonging to wearing apparel. When she returned into -the house from the dung-hill, she found the handkerchief she had lent -Houseman the night before; and, looking at it, she found some blood -upon it, about the size of a shilling. Upon which she immediately went -to Houseman, and showed him the pieces of cloth she had found, and said -‘she was afraid they had done something bad to Clark.’ But Houseman -then pretended he was a stranger to her accusation, and said ‘he knew -nothing what she meant.’ - -From the above circumstances she believed Daniel Clark to have been -murdered by Richard Houseman and Eugene Aram, on the 8th of February, -1744-5. - -Several witnesses gave evidence that the last persons seen with Clark -were Aram and Houseman, and two surgeons gave it as their opinion that -the body might have lain in the ground about thirteen or fourteen years. - -During the inquiry Houseman seemed very uneasy: he trembled, turned -pale, and faltered in his speech; and when, at the instigation of the -coroner, in accordance with the superstitious practice of the time, -he went to touch the bones, he was very averse so to do. At last he -mustered up courage enough to take up one of the bones in his hand; -but, immediately throwing it down again, he exclaimed: ‘This is no more -Dan Clark’s bone than it is mine!’ He further said he could produce a -witness who had seen Clark after the 8th of February; and he called on -Parkinson, who deposed that, personally, he had not seen Clark after -that time, but a friend of his (Parkinson’s) had told him that he had -met a person like Daniel Clark, but as it was a snowy day, and the -person had the cape of his great-coat up, he could not say with the -least degree of certainty who he was. - -Of course, this witness did not help Houseman a bit, and then the -suspicion increased that he was either the principal, or an accomplice -in Clark’s murder. Application was made to a magistrate, who granted a -warrant for his apprehension. At his examination he made a statement, -which he would not sign, saying, ‘He chose to waive it for the present; -for he might have something to add, and therefore desired to have time -to consider of it.’ This confirmed former suspicions, and he was -committed to York Castle. - -On his way thither he was very uneasy, and, hearing that the magistrate -who committed him was at that time in York, he asked him to be sent -for, and he made the following statement: - - -_The examination of Richard Houseman, of Knaresbrough, flax-dresser._ - -‘This examinant saies that true it is that Daniel Clark was murdered by -Eugene Aram, late of Knaresbrough, schoolmaster, and, as he believes, -it was on Friday morning, the 8th of February, 1744, as set forth by -other informations, as to matter of time; for that he, and Eugene Aram -and Daniel Clark were together at Aram’s house early in the morning, -when there was snow on the ground, and moonlight, and went out of -Aram’s house a little before them, and went up the street a little -before them, and they called to him to go a little way with them; and -he accordingly went with them to a place called St. Robert’s Cave, near -Grimble Bridge, where Aram and Clark stopt a little; and then he saw -Aram strike him several times over the breast and head, and saw him -fall, as if he was dead, and he, the examinant, came away and left them -together, but whether Aram used any weapon or not to kill him with, he -can’t tell, nor does he know what he did with the body afterwards, but -believes Aram left it at the Cave’s mouth; for this examinant, seeing -Aram do this, to which, he declares, he was no way abetting, or privy -to, nor knew of his design to kill him at all. This made the examinant -make the best of his way from him, lest he might share the same fate; -and got to the bridge-end, and then lookt back, and saw him coming from -the Caveside, which is in a private rock adjoining the river; and he -could discern some bundle in his hand, but does not know what it was. -On which he, this informant, made the best of his way to the town, -without joining Aram again, or seeing him again till the next day, and -from that time to this, he has never had any private discourse with -him.’ - -After signing this statement, Houseman said that Clark’s body would be -found in St. Robert’s Cave, in the turn at the entrance of the cave, -its head lying to the right; and, sure enough, in the spot described, -and in that position, was a skeleton found, with two holes in its -skull, made apparently with a pickaxe or hammer. - -A warrant was at once issued for the apprehension of Aram, and duly -executed at Lynn. When first questioned, he denied ever having been at -Knaresborough, or that he had ever known Daniel Clark; but when he was -confronted with the constable from Knaresborough, he was obliged to -retract his words. On the journey to York, Aram was restless, inquiring -after his old neighbours, and what they said of him. He was told -that they were much enraged against him for the loss of their goods. -Whereupon he asked if it would not be possible to make up the matter? -and the answer was, perhaps it might be, if he restored what they had -lost. He then said that was impossible, but he might, perhaps, find -them an equivalent. - -On his arrival at York, he was taken before a magistrate, to whom he -made a statement, which was a parcel of lies. He was committed to York -Castle, but had not gone more than a mile on his way thither when he -wished to return and make a second statement, which was as follows: - -‘That he was at his own house on the 7th of February, 1744-5, at night, -when Richard Houseman and Daniel Clark came to him with some plate; -and both of them went for more, several times, and came back with -several pieces of plate, of which Clark was endeavouring to defraud his -neighbours; that he could not but observe that Houseman was all night -very diligent to assist him to the utmost of his power, and insisted -that this was Houseman’s business that night, and not the signing any -note or instrument, as is pretended by Houseman; that Henry Terry, -then of Knaresborough, ale-keeper, was as much concerned in abetting -the said frauds as either Houseman or Clark; but was not now at Aram’s -house, because as it was market-day--his absence from his guests might -have occasioned some suspicion; that Terry, notwithstanding, brought -two silver tankards that night, upon Clark’s account, which had been -fraudulently obtained; and that Clark, so far from having borrowed -twenty pounds of Houseman, to his knowledge never borrowed more than -nine pounds, which he paid again before that night. - -‘That all the leather Clark had--which amounted to a considerable -value--he well knows was concealed under flax in Houseman’s house, with -intent to be disposed of by little and little, in order to prevent -suspicion of his being concerned in Clark’s fraudulent practices. - -‘That Terry took the plate in a bag, as Clark and Houseman did the -watches, rings, and several small things of value, and carried them -into the flat, where they and he’ (Aram) ‘went together to St. Robert’s -Cave, and beat most of the plate flat. It was thought too late in the -morning, being about four o’clock, on the 8th of February, 1744-5, for -Clark to go off, so as to get to any distance; it was therefore agreed -he should stay there till the night following, and Clark, accordingly, -stayed there all that day, as he believes, they having agreed to send -him victuals, which were carried to him by Henry Terry, he being judged -the most likely person to do it without suspicion; for, as he was a -shooter, he might go thither under the pretence of sporting; that the -next night, in order to give Clark more time to get off, Henry Terry, -Richard Houseman, and himself went down to the cave very early; but he’ -(Aram) ‘did not go in, or see Clark at all; that Richard Houseman and -Henry Terry only went into the cave, he staying to watch at a little -distance on the outside, lest anybody should surprise them. - -‘That he believes they were beating some plate, for he heard them make -a noise. They stayed there about an hour, and then came out of the -cave, and told him that Clark was gone off. Observing a bag they had -along with them, he took it in his hand, and saw that it contained -plate. On asking why Daniel did not take the plate along with him, -Terry and Houseman replied that they had bought it of him, as well as -the watches, and had given him money for it, that being more convenient -for him to go off with, as less cumbersome and dangerous. After which -they all three went into Houseman’s warehouse, and concealed the -watches, with the small plate, there; but that Terry carried away with -him the great plate; that, afterwards, Terry told him he carried it to -How Hill, and hid it there, and then went into Scotland and disposed of -it; but as to Clark, he could not tell whether he was murdered or not, -he knew nothing of him, only they told him he was gone off.’ - -Terry, being thus implicated, was arrested and committed to gaol; but -the prosecutors for the crown, after the bills of indictment were -preferred against all three, finding their proof insufficient to obtain -a conviction at the coming assizes, prevailed on the judge to hold -the case over until the Lammas Assizes. There was not enough outside -evidence to convict them all; evidence, if any, could only be furnished -by the criminals themselves. There was sufficient to convict either -Aram or Houseman singly, if one or other would tell the truth, and all -he knew; so after many consultations as to the person whom it was most -advisable and just to punish, it was unanimously agreed that Aram, -who from his education and position was the worst of the lot, should -be punished, and in order to do so it was necessary to try to acquit -Houseman, who would then be available as evidence against Aram. The -case against Terry was so slight, that he was, perforce, let go. - -On Friday, 3rd of August, 1759, the trials took place, and Houseman -was first arraigned, but there being no evidence against him he was -acquitted, to the great surprise and regret of everyone who was not -behind the scenes. - -Then Aram was put in the dock to stand his trial, and deep, indeed, -must have been his disgust, when he found his accomplice, Houseman, -step into the witness-box and tell his version (undoubtedly perjured) -of the murder. His evidence was, except in a few minor particulars, -similar to his previous statement. Sweet innocent! When he saw Aram -strike Clark, he made haste home, and knew nothing of the disposal of -the body until the next morning, when Aram called on him, and told him -he had left it in the cave, and dire were his threats of vengeance -should Houseman ever disclose the dread secret of that eventful night. - -After this sensational evidence the other witnesses must have seemed -very tame. Clark’s servant proved that his master had just received -his wife’s little portion, and that Aram was perfectly cognizant -thereof. Another witness deposed to seeing Houseman come out of Aram’s -house about one o’clock in the morning of the 8th of February. A -third deposed to the recovery of some of his own goods of which Clark -had defrauded him, and which were found buried in Aram’s garden. The -constable who arrested him had a few words to say, and the skull was -produced in Court, when a surgical expert declared that the fractures -must have been produced by blows from some blunt instrument, and could -not possibly proceed from natural decay. - -Aram was then called upon for his defence, and he produced a manuscript -of which the following is a copy. It is, as will be perceived, a -laboured and casuistical defence, not having a true ring about it, and -not at all like the utterance of a perfectly innocent man. - - * * * * * - -‘MY LORD, - -I know not whether it is of right or through some indulgence of your -Lordship that I am allowed the liberty at this Bar and at this time to -attempt a defence, incapable, and uninstructed as I am to speak. Since, -while I see so many eyes upon me, so numerous and awful a concourse, -fixed with attention, and filled with I know not what expectancy, I -labour, not with guilt, my Lord, but with perplexity. For having never -seen a Court but this, being wholly unacquainted with law, the customs -of the Bar, and all judiciary proceedings, I fear I shall be so little -capable of speaking with propriety in this place, that it exceeds my -hope, if I shall be able to speak at all. - -I have heard, my Lord, the indictment read, wherein I find myself -charged with the highest crime, with an enormity I am altogether -incapable of, a fact to the commission of which there goes far more -insensibility of heart, more profligacy of morals, than ever fell to my -lot. And nothing, possibly, could have admitted a presumption of this -nature, but a depravity not inferior to that imputed to me. However, as -I stand indicted at your Lordship’s Bar, and have heard what is called -evidence induced in support of such a charge, I very humbly solicit -your Lordship’s patience, and beg the hearing of this respectable -audience, while I, single and unskilful, destitute of friends, and -unassisted by counsel, say something, perhaps like an argument, in my -defence. I shall consume but little of your Lordship’s time; what I -have to say will be short, and this brevity, probably, will be the best -part of it. However, it is offered with all possible regard, and the -greatest submission to your Lordship’s consideration, and that of this -honourable Court. - -_First._ My Lord, the whole tenor of my conduct in life contradicts -every particular of this indictment. Yet I had never said this, did -not my present circumstances extort it from me, and seem to make it -necessary. Permit me here, my Lord, to call upon malignity itself, -so long and cruelly busied in this prosecution, to charge upon me -any immorality, of which prejudice was not the author. No, my Lord, -I concerted not schemes of fraud, projected no violence, injured no -man’s person or property. My days were honestly laborious, my nights -intensely studious. And I humbly conceive my notice of this, especially -at this time, will not be thought impertinent or unreasonable, but, at -least, deserving some attention. Because, my Lord, that any person, -after a temperate use of life, a series of thinking and acting -regularly, and without one single deviation from sobriety, should -plunge into the very depth of profligacy, precipitately, and at once, -is altogether improbable and unprecedented, and absolutely inconsistent -with the course of things. Mankind is never corrupted at once; villainy -is always progressive, and declines from right, step after step, till -every regard of probity is lost, and all moral obligation totally -perishes. - -Again, my Lord, a suspicion of this kind, which nothing but malevolence -could entertain, and ignorance propagate, is violently opposed by my -very situation at that time, with respect to health. For, but a little -space before, I had been confined to my bed, and suffered under a very -long and severe disorder, and was not able, for half a year together, -so much as to walk. The distemper left me, indeed, yet slowly, and in -part; but so macerated, so enfeebled, that I was reduced to crutches, -and was so far from being well about the time I am charged with this -fact, that I never to this day perfectly recovered. Could, then, a -person in this condition take anything into his head so unlikely, so -extravagant? I, past the vigour of my age, feeble and valetudinary, -with no inducement to engage, no ability to accomplish, no weapon -wherewith to perpetrate such a fact; without interest, without power, -without motive, without means. - -Besides, it must needs occur to everyone that an action of this -atrocious nature is never heard of, but, when its springs are laid -open, it appears that it was to support some indolence or supply some -luxury, to satisfy some avarice or oblige some malice, to prevent some -real, or some imaginary want; yet I lay not under the influence of any -one of these. Surely, my Lord, I may, consistent with both truth and -modesty, affirm thus much; and none who have any veracity, and knew me, -will ever question this. - -In the second plea, the disappearance of Clark is suggested as an -argument of his being dead; but the uncertainty of such an inference -from that, and the fallibility of all conclusions of such a sort, from -such a circumstance, are too obvious and too notorious to require -instances; yet, superseding many, permit me to produce a very recent -one, and that afforded by this castle. - -In June, 1757, William Thompson, for all the vigilance of this -place, in open daylight, and double-ironed, made his escape, and, -notwithstanding an immediate inquiry set on foot, the strictest search, -and all advertisements, was never seen or heard of since. If, then, -Thompson got off unseen, through all these difficulties, how very -easy was it for Clark, when none of them opposed him? But what would -be thought of a prosecution commenced against any one seen last with -Thompson? - -Permit me next, my Lord, to observe a little upon the bones which have -been discovered. It is said, which, perhaps, is saying very far, that -these are the skeleton of a man. It is possible, indeed it may; but is -there any certain known criterion which incontestably distinguishes -the sex in human bones? Let it be considered, my Lord, whether the -ascertaining of this point ought not to precede any attempt to identify -them. - -The place of their deposition, too, claims much more attention than is -commonly bestowed upon it. For, of all places in the world, none could -have mentioned anyone wherein there was greater certainty of finding -human bones than an hermitage, except he should point out a churchyard. -Hermitages, in times past, being not only places of religious -retirement, but of burial, too, and it has scarce or never been heard -of, but that every cell now known, contains, or contained, these relics -of humanity, some mutilated and some entire. I do not inform, but give -me leave to remind, your Lordship, that here sat solitary sanctity, and -here the hermit, or the anchoress, hoped that repose for their bones, -when dead, they here enjoyed when living. - -All this while, my Lord, I am sensible this is known to your Lordship, -and many in this Court, better than I. But it seems necessary to my -case, that others, who have not at all, perhaps, adverted to things -of this nature, and may have concern in my trial, should be made -acquainted with it. Suffer me, then, my Lord, to produce a few of many -evidences that these cells were used as repositories of the dead, -and to enumerate a few, in which human bones have been found, as it -happened in this in question, lest, to some, that accident might seem -extraordinary, and, consequently, occasion prejudice. - -1. The bones, as was supposed, of the Saxon, St. Dubritius, were -discovered buried in his cell at Guy’s Cliff near Warwick, as appears -from the authority of Sir William Dugdale. - -2. The bones, thought to be those of the anchoress Rosia, were but -lately discovered in a cell at Royston, entire, fair, and undecayed, -though they must have lain interred for several centuries, as is proved -by Dr. Stukeley. - -3. But our own country, nay, almost this neighbourhood, supplies -another instance; for in January, 1747, was found by Mr. Stovin, -accompanied by a reverend gentleman, the bones in part of some recluse, -in the cell at Lindholm, near Hatfield. They were believed to be those -of William of Lindholm, a hermit, who had long made this cave his -habitation. - -4. In February, 1744, part of Woburn Abbey being pulled down, a large -portion of a corpse appeared, even with the flesh on, and which bore -cutting with a knife, though it is certain this had lain above two -hundred years, and how much longer is doubtful, for this abbey was -founded in 1145, and dissolved in 1558 or 1559. - -What would have been said, what believed, if this had been an accident -to the bones in question? - -Further, my Lord, it is not yet out of living memory that a little -distance from Knaresborough, in a field, part of the manor of the -worthy and patriotic baronet who does that borough the honour to -represent it in Parliament, were found, in digging for gravel, not one -human skeleton alone, but five or six, deposited side by side, with -each an urn placed at its head, as your Lordship knows was usual in -ancient interments. - -About the same time, and in another field, almost close to this -borough, was discovered also, in searching for gravel, another human -skeleton; but the piety of the same worthy gentleman ordered both pits -to be filled up again, commendably unwilling to disturb the dead. - -Is the invention[25] of these bones forgotten, then, or industriously -concealed, that the discovery of those in question may appear the -more singular and extraordinary? whereas, in fact, there is nothing -extraordinary in it. My Lord, almost every place conceals such remains. -In fields, in hills, in highway sides, and in commons lie frequent -and unsuspected bones. And our present allotments for rest for the -departed, is but of some centuries. - -Another particular seems not to claim a little of your Lordship’s -notice, and that of the gentlemen of the jury; which is, that perhaps -no example occurs of more than _one_ skeleton being found in _one_ -cell, and in the cell in question was found but _one_; agreeable, in -this, to the peculiarity of every other known cell in Britain. Not -the invention of one skeleton, then, but of two, would have appeared -suspicious and uncommon. - -But then, my Lord, to attempt to identify these, when even to identify -living men sometimes has proved so difficult--as in the case of Perkin -Warbeck and Lambert Symnel at home, and of Don Sebastian abroad--will -be looked upon, perhaps, as an attempt to determine what is -indeterminable. And I hope, too, it will not pass unconsidered here, -where gentlemen believe with caution, think with reason, and decide -with humanity, what interest the endeavour to do this is calculated to -serve, in assigning proper personality to those bones, whose particular -appropriation can only appear to eternal omniscience. - -Permit me, my Lord, also, very humbly to remonstrate that, as human -bones appear to have been the inseparable adjuncts of every cell, even -any person’s naming such a place at random as containing them, in this -case, shows him rather unfortunate, than conscious prescient, and that -these attendants on every hermitage only accidentally concurred with -this conjecture. A mere casual coincidence of _words_ and _things_. - -But it seems another skeleton has been discovered by some labourer, -which was full as confidently averred to be Clark’s as this. My -Lord, must some of the living, if it promotes some interest, be made -answerable for all the bones that earth has concealed, and chance -exposed! and might not a place where bones lay, be mentioned by a -person by chance, as well as found by a labourer by chance? Or, is it -more criminal accidentally to _name_ where bones lie, than accidentally -to _find_ where they lie? - -Here, too, is a human skull produced, which is fractured; but was -this the _cause_ or was it the consequence of death--was it owing to -violence, or was it the effect of natural decay? If it was violence, -was that violence before or after death? My Lord, in May, 1732, the -remains of William, Lord Archbishop of this province, were taken up by -permission, in this cathedral, and the bones of the skull were found -broken; yet certainly he died by no violence offered to him alive, that -could occasion that fracture there. - -Let it be considered, my Lord, that upon the dissolution of religious -houses, and the commencement of the Reformation, the ravages of those -times affected the living and the dead. In search after imaginary -treasures, coffins were broken up, graves and vaults broken open, -monuments ransacked, and shrines demolished; your Lordship knows -that these violations proceeded so far, as to occasion parliamentary -authority to restrain them; and it did, about the beginning of the -reign of Queen Elizabeth. I entreat your Lordship, suffer not the -violence, the depredations, and the iniquities of these times to be -imputed to this. - -Moreover, what gentleman here is ignorant that Knaresborough had a -castle, which, though How a ruin, was once considerable, both for its -strength and garrison. All know it was vigorously besieged by the arms -of the Parliament. At which siege, in sallies, conflicts, flights, -pursuits, many fell in all the places around it; and where they fell -were buried. For every place, my Lord, is burial-earth in war; and -many, questionless, of these yet rest unknown, whose bones futurity -shall discover. - -I hope, with all imaginable submission, that what has been said will -not be thought impertinent to this indictment, and that it will be -far from the wisdom, the learning, and the integrity of this place to -impute to the living what zeal, in its fury, may have done; what nature -may have taken off, and piety interred; or what war alone may have -destroyed, alone deposited. - -As to the circumstances that have been raked together, I have nothing -to observe; but that all circumstances whatsoever are precarious, -and have been but too frequently found lamentably fallible; even -the strongest have failed. They may rise to the utmost degree of -probability, yet they are but probability still. Why should I name -to your Lordship the two Harrisons, recorded in Dr. Howel, who both -suffered upon circumstances, because of the sudden disappearance of -their lodger, who was in credit, had contracted debts, borrowed money, -and went off unseen, and returned again a great many years after their -execution. Why name the intricate affair of Jaques du Moulin under King -Charles II., related by a gentleman who was counsel for the Crown. -And why the unhappy Coleman, who suffered innocent, though convicted -upon positive evidence, and whose children perished for want, because -the world uncharitably believed the father guilty. Why mention the -perjury of Smith, incautiously admitted king’s evidence; who, to screen -himself, equally accused Fainlotte and Loveday of the murder of Dunn; -the first of whom, in 1749, was executed at Winchester; and Loveday was -about to suffer at Reading, had not Smith been proved perjured, to the -satisfaction of the court, by the surgeon of Gosport Hospital. - -Now, my Lord, having endeavoured to show that the whole of this -process is altogether repugnant to every part of my life; that it is -inconsistent with my condition of health about that time; that no -rational inference can be drawn that a person is dead who suddenly -disappears; that hermitages were the constant repositories of the bones -of the recluse; that the proofs of this are well authenticated; that -the revolution in religion, or the fortunes of war, has mangled, or -buried, the dead; the conclusion remains, perhaps no less reasonably, -than impatiently, wished for. I, last, after a year’s confinement, -equal to either fortune, put myself upon the candour, the justice, and -the humanity of your Lordship, and upon yours, my countrymen, gentlemen -of the jury.’ - -It will be seen from this elaborate defence that it must have been -written long before his trial, and before his hopes of acquittal were -crushed by the appearance of Houseman in the witness-box to give -evidence against him; for he did not attempt to discredit his evidence, -nor did he attempt to shake his testimony by cross-examination, and -he must have anticipated the result. The judge summed up carefully; -he recapitulated the evidence, and showed how Houseman’s testimony -was confirmed by the other witnesses; and, taking Aram’s defence, he -pointed out that he had alleged nothing that could invalidate the -positive evidence against him. The jury, without leaving the court, -returned a verdict of ‘Guilty,’ and the judge pronounced the awful -sentence of the law. Aram had behaved with great firmness and dignity -during the whole of his trial, and he heard his conviction, and his -doom, with profound composure, leaving the bar with a smile upon his -countenance. - -In those days the law allowed but little time for appeal. Aram was -tried, convicted, and sentenced on Friday, the 3rd of August, 1759, -and he had to die on the following Monday--only two whole days of -life being allowed him. Those days must have been days of exquisite -torture to him, when he thought of the upturned faces of the mob, all -fixing their gaze upon him, yelling at, and execrating him, and we can -scarcely wonder at his attempting to commit suicide. On the Monday -morning, when the clergyman came to visit him, and at his request -to administer the Sacrament to him, he was astonished to find Aram -stretched on the floor of his cell in a pool of blood. He had managed -to secrete a razor, and had cut the veins of his arms in two places. -Surgeons were sent for, and they brought him back to life, when he was -put into the cart and led to execution. Arrived at the gallows, he was -asked if he had any speech to make, and he replied in the negative. He -was then hanged, and, when dead, his body was cut down, put in a cart, -taken to Knaresborough, and there suspended in chains, on a gibbet -which was erected on Knaresborough forest, south or south-east of the -Low Bridge, on the right hand side going thence to Plumpton. It was -taken down in 1778, when the forest was enclosed. - -He left his latest thoughts in writing, for, on the table in his cell, -was found a paper on which was written, - -‘What am I better than my fathers? To die is natural and necessary. -Perfectly sensible of this, I fear no more to die than I did to be -born. But the manner of it is something which should, in my opinion, be -decent and manly. I think I have regarded both these points. Certainly -nobody has a better right to dispose of man’s life than himself; and -he, not others, should determine how. As for any indignities offered to -anybody, or silly reflections on my faith and morals, they are (as they -were) things indifferent to me. I think, though, contrary to the common -way of thinking; I wrong no man by this, and I hope it is not offensive -to that eternal being who formed me and the world; and as by this I -injure no man, no man can be reasonably offended. I solicitously -recommend myself to the eternal and almighty Being, the God of Nature, -if I have done amiss. But perhaps I have not, and I hope this thing -will never be imputed to me. Though I am now stained by malevolence, -and suffer by prejudice, I hope to rise fair and unblemished. My life -was not polluted, my morals irreproachable, and my opinions orthodox. - -‘I slept soundly till three o’clock, awak’d, and then writ these lines. - - ‘“Come, pleasing Rest, eternal Slumber fall; - Seal mine, that once must seal the eyes of all; - Calm and compos’d my soul her journey takes, - No guilt that troubles, and no heart that aches. - Adieu! thou sun, all bright like her arise; - Adieu! fair friends, and all that’s good and wise.”’ - -Aram never made any regular confession of his guilt--but in a -letter he wrote to the vicar of Knaresborough, in which he gives -his autobiography, he says, ‘Something is expected as to the affair -upon which I was committed, to which I say, as I mentioned in my -examination, that all the plate of Knaresborough, except the watches -and rings, were in Houseman’s possession; as for me, I had nothing at -all. My wife knows that Terry had the large plate, and that Houseman -himself took both that and the watches, at my house, from Clark’s own -hands; and, if she will not give this in evidence for the town, she -wrongs both that and her own conscience; and, if it is not done soon, -Houseman will prevent her. She likewise knows that Terry’s wife had -some velvet, and, if she will, can testify it. She deserves not the -regard of the town, if she will not. That part of Houseman’s evidence, -wherein he said I threatened him, was absolutely false; for what -hindered him, when I was so long absent and far distant? I must need -observe another thing to be perjury in Houseman’s evidence, in which he -said he went home from Clark; whereas he went straight to my house, as -my wife can also testify, if I be not believed.’ - -The contemporary accounts of his trial, whether published in York or -London, have the following: - -‘Aram’s sentence was a just one, and he submitted to it with that -stoicism he so much affected; and the morning after he was condemned, -he confessed the justness of it to two clergymen (who had a licence -from the judge to attend him), by declaring that he murdered Clark. -Being asked by one of them what his motive was for doing that -abominable action, he told them, ‘he suspected Clark of having an -unlawful commerce with his wife; that he was persuaded at the time, -when he committed the murder, he did right, but, since, he had thought -it wrong.’ - -‘After this, pray,’ said Aram, ‘what became of Clark’s body, if -Houseman went home (as he said upon my trial) immediately on seeing him -fall?’ - -One of the clergymen replied, ‘I’ll tell you what became of it. You -and Houseman dragged it into the cave, stripped and buried it there; -brought away his clothes, and burnt them at your own house.’ - -To which he assented. He was asked whether Houseman did not earnestly -press him to murder his wife, for fear she should discover the business -they had been about. He hastily replied, - -‘He did, and pressed me several times to do it.’ - -Aram’s wife lived some years after his execution; indeed, she did not -die until 1774. She lived in a small house near Low Bridge, within -sight of her husband’s gibbet; and here she sold pies, sausages, &c. -It is said that she used to search under the gibbet for any of her -husband’s bones that might have fallen, and then bury them. - -Aram, by his wife, had six children, who survived their -childhood--three sons and three daughters. All these children, save -one, Sally, took after their mother; but Sally resembled her father, -both physically and mentally. She was well read in the classics, and -Aram would sometimes put his scholars to the blush, by having Sally in -their class. Her father was very fond of her, and she was living with -him at Lynn when he was arrested, and she clung to him when in prison -at York. On his death, she went to London, and, after a time, she -married, and, with her husband, kept a public-house on the Surrey side -of Westminster Bridge. - -Houseman went back to Knaresborough, where he abode until his death. -He was naturally mobbed, and never dared stir out in the day time, but -sometimes slunk out at night. Despised and detested by all, his life -must have been a burden to him, and his punishment in this world far -heavier than Aram was called upon to bear. - - - - -REDEMPTIONERS. - - -Slavery, properly so called, appears to have been from the earliest -ages, and in almost every country, the condition of a large portion -of the human race; the weakest had ever to serve the strong--whether -the slave was a captive in battle, or an impecunious debtor unable to -satisfy the claims of his creditor, save with his body. Climate made -no difference. Slavery existed in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in our -own ‘right little, tight little island,’ our early annals show that -a large proportion of the Anglo-Saxon population was in a state of -slavery. These unfortunate bondsmen, who were called theows, thrœls, -and esnes,[26] were bought and sold with land, and were classed in the -inventory of their lord’s wealth, with his sheep, swine, and oxen, and -were bequeathed by will, precisely as we now dispose of our money, or -furniture. - -The condition of the Anglo-Saxon slaves was very degraded indeed; -their master might put them in bonds, might whip them, nay, might even -brand them, like cattle, with his own distinguishing mark, a state of -things which existed until Alfred the Great enacted some laws, whereby -the time of the servitude of these unhappy people was limited to six -years, and the institution of slavery received such a blow, that it -speedily became a thing of the past. They were no longer slaves, but -redemptioners, _i.e._, they had the hope of redemption from servitude, -and the law gave them the power to enforce their freedom. - -We have only to turn to the pages of holy writ to find slavery -flourishing in rank luxuriance in the time of the patriarchs, and -before the birth of Moses. Euphemistically described in Scripture -history as servants, they were mostly unconditional and perpetual -slaves. They were strangers, either taken prisoners in war or purchased -from the neighbouring nations; but the Jews also had a class of -servants who only were in compulsory bondage for a limited time, and -they were men of their own nation. - -These were men who, by reason of their poverty, were obliged to -give their bodies in exchange for the wherewithal to support them, -or they were insolvent debtors, and thus sought to liquidate their -indebtedness, or men who had committed a theft, and had not the means -of making the double, or fourfold, restitution that the law required. -Their thraldom was not perpetual, they might be redeemed, and, if not -redeemed, they became free on the completion of their seventh year of -servitude. - -Exodus, chap. 21, vv. 2-6. ‘If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years -shall he serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If -he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he were married, -then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a -wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her -children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. And -if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my -children: I will not go out free: then his master shall bring him unto -the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; -and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall -serve for ever.’ - -Here, then, we have a redemptioner, one whose servitude was not a -hopeless one, and we find this limited bondage again referred to in -Leviticus, chap. 25, vv. 39, 40, 41. - -‘And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold -unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond servant: but as -an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall -serve thee unto the year of jubilee. And then shall he depart from -thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own -family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.’ - -Here in England we are accustomed to look upon the slave from one point -of view only, as an unhappy being of a different race and colour to -ourselves, few of us knowing that there has been a time (and that not -so very long ago) when members of our own nation, so utterly forlorn -and miserable from the rude buffetings Fortune had given them in their -way through the world, have been glad to sell their bodies for a time, -to enable them to commence afresh the struggle for existence, in -another land, and, perchance, under more favourable circumstances. - -In ‘his Majesty’s plantations’ of Virginia, Maryland, and New England, -and in the West Indies, these unfortunates were first called servants, -and as such are officially described; but in America in later times -they received the appellation of redemptioners, a name by which they -were certainly called in the middle of this century, for in Dorsey’s -‘Laws of Maryland,’ published in 1840, we find an Act[27] (cap. 226) -was passed in 1817 to alleviate the condition of these poor people. -The preamble sets forth, ‘Whereas it has been found that German and -Swiss emigrants, who for the discharge of the debt contracted for their -passage to this country are often obliged to subject themselves to -temporary servitude, are frequently exposed to cruel and oppressive -impositions by the masters of the vessels in which they arrive, and -likewise by those to whom they become servants,’ &c. - -It is impossible to fix any date when this iniquitous traffic -first began. It arose, probably, from the want of labourers in the -plantations of our colonies in their early days, and the employment -of unscrupulous agents on this side to supply their needs in this -respect. A man in pecuniary difficulties in the seventeenth and -eighteen centuries was indeed in woeful plight: a gaol was his certain -destination, and there he might rot his life away, cut off from all -hope of release, unless death came mercifully to his relief. All -knew of the horrors of a debtor’s prison, and, to escape them, an -able-bodied man had recourse to the dreadful expedient of selling -himself into bondage, for a term of years, in one of the plantations, -either in America or the West Indies, or he would believe the specious -tales of the ‘kidnappers,’ as they were called, who would promise -anything, a free passage, and a glorious life of ease and prosperity in -a new land. - -Thoroughly broken down, wretched, and miserable, his thoughts would -naturally turn towards a new country, wherein he might rehabilitate -himself, and, in an evil hour, he would apply to some (as we should -term it) emigration agent, who would even kindly advance him a trifle -for an outfit. The voyage out would be an unhappy experience, as -the emigrants would be huddled together, with scant food, and, on -his arrival at his destination, he would early discover the further -miseries in store for him; for, immediately on landing, or even before -he left the ship, his body would be seized as security for passage -money, which had, in all probability, been promised him free, and for -money lent for his outfit; and, having no means of paying either, -utterly friendless, and in a strange country, he would be sold to -slavery for a term of years to some planter who would pay the debt for -him. - -Having obtained his flesh and blood at such a cheap rate, his owner -would not part with him lightly, and it was an easy thing to arrange -matters so that he was always kept in debt for clothes and tobacco, -&c., in order that he never should free himself. It was a far cry to -England, and with no one to help him, or to draw public attention to -his case, the poor wretch had to linger until death mercifully released -him from his bondage; his condition being truly deplorable, as he would -be under the same regulations as the convicts, and one may be very sure -that _their_ lot was not enviable in those harsh and merciless times. -It was not for many years, until the beginning of this century, that -the American laws took a beneficial turn in favour of these unhappy -people; and it was then too late, for the institution of redemptioners -died a speedy death, owing to the influx of free emigration. - -One of the earliest notices of these unfortunates is in a collection -of Old Black letter ballads, in the British Museum, where there is one -entitled, ‘The Trappan’d Maiden, or the Distressed Damsel,’ (c. 22, e. -2)/186 in which are depicted some of the sorrows which were undergone -by these unwilling emigrants, at that time. The date, as nearly as can -be assigned to it, is about 1670. - - The Girl was cunningly trapan’d, - Sent to Virginny from England; - Where she doth Hardship undergo, - There is no cure, it must be so; - But if she lives to cross the main, - She vows she’ll ne’er go there again. - - Give ear unto a Maid - That lately was betray’d, - And sent into Virginny, O: - In brief I shall declare, - What I have suffered there, - When that I was weary, O. - - When that first I came - To this Land of Fame, - Which is called Virginny, O: - The Axe and the Hoe - Have wrought my overthrow, - When that I was weary, O. - - Five years served I - Under Master Guy, - In the land of Virginny, O: - Which made me for to know - Sorrow, Grief, and Woe, - When that I was weary, O. - - When my Dame says, Go, - Then must I do so, - In the land of Virginny, O: - When she sits at meat - Then I have none to eat, - When that I was weary, O. - - The cloathes that I brought in, - They are worn very thin, - In the land of Virginny, O: - Which makes me for to say - Alas! and well-a-day, - When that I was weary, O. - - Instead of Beds of Ease, - To lye down when I please, - In the land of Virginny, O: - Upon a bed of straw, - I lay down full of woe, - When that I was weary, O. - - Then the Spider, she - Daily waits on me, - In the land of Virginny, O: - Round about my bed - She spins her tender web, - When that I was weary, O. - - So soon as it is day, - To work I must away, - In the land of Virginny, O: - Then my Dame she knocks - With her tinder-box, - When that I was weary, O. - - I have played my part - Both at Plow and Cart, - In the land of Virginny, O; - Billats from the Wood, - Upon my back they load, - When that I was weary, O. - - Instead of drinking Beer, - I drink the waters clear, - In the land of Virginny, O; - Which makes me pale and wan, - Do all that e’er I can, - When that I was weary, O. - - If my Dame says, Go, - I dare not say no, - In the land of Virginny, O; - The water from the spring - Upon my head I bring, - When that I was weary, O. - - When the Mill doth stand, - I’m ready at command, - In the land of Virginny, O; - The Morter for to make, - Which made my heart to ake, - When that I was weary, O. - - When the child doth cry, - I must sing, By-a-by, - In the land of Virginny, O; - No rest that I can have - Whilst I am here a slave, - When that I was weary, O. - - A thousand Woes beside, - That I do here abide, - In the land of Virginny, O; - In misery I spend - My time that hath no end, - When that I was weary, O. - - Then let Maids beware, - All by my ill-fare, - In the land of Virginny, O: - Be sure thou stay at home, - For if you do here come, - You will all be weary, O. - - But if it be my chance, - Homeward to advance, - From the land of Virginny, O: - If that I once more - Land on English shore, - I’ll no more be weary, O. - -Some of these complaints would seem to us to be rather of the ‘crumpled -rose-leaf’ order, but probably there was enough humanity left in their -owners to treat their female ‘servants’ more tenderly than the male, -whose sorrows were genuine enough. - -Ned Ward, in his ‘London Spy,’ 1703, gives a most graphic account of -the sort of men who enticed these human chattels to the plantations. He -was pursuing his perambulations about the City, exercising those sharp -eyes of his, which saw everything, and was in the neighbourhood of the -Custom-house, when he turned down a place called Pig Hill (so called, -he says, from its resembling the steep descent down which the Devil -drove his Hogs to a Bad Market). - -‘As we walked up the Hill, as Lazily as an Artillery Captain before -his Company upon a Lord Mayor’s Day, or a Paul’s Labourer up a Ladder, -with a Hod of Mortar, we peeped in at a Gateway, where we saw two or -three Blades, well drest, but with Hawkes’ Countenances, attended with -half-a-dozen Ragamuffingly Fellows, showing Poverty in their Rags and -Despair in their Faces, mixt with a parcel of young, wild striplings, -like runaway ‘Prentices. I could not forbear enquiring of my Friend -about the ill-favoured multitude, patched up of such awkward Figures, -that it would have puzzled a Moor-Fields Artist,[28] well-read in -physiognomy, to have discovered their Dispositions by their Looks. - -‘“That House,” says my Friend, “which they there are entering is -an Office where Servants for the Plantations bind themselves to be -miserable as long as they live, without a special Providence prevents -it. Those fine Fellows, who look like Footmen upon a Holy day, crept -into cast suits of their Masters, that want Gentility in their -Deportments answerable to their Apparel, are Kidnappers, who walk the -‘Change and other parts of the Town, in order to seduce People who -want services and young Fools crost in Love, and under an uneasiness -of mind, to go beyond the seas, getting so much a head of Masters -of Ships and Merchants who go over, for every Wretch they trepan -into this Misery. These young Rakes and Tatterdemallions you see so -lovingly hearded are drawn by their fair promises to sell themselves -into Slavery, and the Kidnappers are the Rogues that run away with the -Money.”’ - -And again, when he goes on ‘Change, he further attacks these villains. - -‘“Now,” says my Friend, “we are got amongst the Plantation Traders. -This may be call’d Kidnapper’s Walk; for a great many of these -Jamaicans and Barbadians, with their Kitchen-stuff Countenances, are -looking as sharp for servants as a Gang of Pick-pockets for Booty.... -Within that Entry is an Office of Intelligence, pretending to help -Servants to Places, and Masters to Servants. They have a knack of -Bubbling silly wenches out of their Money; who loiter hereabouts upon -the expectancy, till they are pick’d up by the Plantation Kidnappers, -and spirited away into a state of misery.”’ - -And yet once more Ward, in his ‘Trip to America,’ says, - -‘We had on board an Irishman going over as Servant, who, I suppose, was -Kidnapped. I asked him whose Servant he was, “By my Fait,” said he, “I -cannot tell. I was upon ’Change, looking for a good Master, and a brave -Gentleman came to me, and asked me who I was, and I told him I was myn -own self; and he gave me some good Wine and good Ale, and brought me on -Board, and I have not seen him since.”’ - -Then, as since, the emigration from Great Britain was mostly fed by the -poorer classes of Ireland; and, in the latter part of William III.‘s -reign, such was the numbers that were sent over to the plantations as -‘servants,’ or in other words, slaves, that it was found necessary to -enact special laws, in Maryland, to check the excessive importation, -it being considered a source of danger to the State, as tending to -introduce Popery. Accordingly, several acts were passed, placing a -duty of twenty shillings per head on each Irish person landed; which, -proving insufficient for the purpose, was further increased to forty -shillings a few years afterwards. - -In 1743, there was a _cause célèbre_, in which James Annesley, Esq., -appeared as the plaintiff, and claimed the earldom of Anglesey from his -uncle Richard, who, he maintained (and he got a verdict in his favour), -had caused him to be kidnapped when a lad of thirteen years of age, and -sent to America, there to be sold as a slave. That this was absolutely -the fact, no one who has read the evidence can possibly doubt, and -the hardships endured by the ‘servants’ at that time are plaintively -alluded to in a little book, called, ‘The Adventure of an Unfortunate -Young Nobleman,’ published 1743. ‘Here the Captain repeating his former -Assurances, he was sold to a rich Planter in Newcastle County called -Drummond, who immediately took him home, and entered him in the Number -of his Slaves. - -‘A new World now opened to him, and, being set to the felling of -Timber, a Work no way proportioned to his Strength, he did it so -awkwardly, that he was severely corrected. Drummond was a hard, -inexorable Master, who, like too many of the Planters, consider their -Slaves, or Servants, as a different Species, and use them accordingly. -Our American Planters are not famous for Humanity, being often Persons -of no Education, and, having been formerly Slaves themselves, they -revenge the ill-usage they received on those who fall into their Hands. -The Condition of European Servants in that Climate is very wretched; -their Work is hard, and for the most part abroad, exposed to an -unwholesome Air, their Diet coarse, being either Poul or bread made of -Indian Corn, or Homine or Mush, which is Meal made of the same kind, -moistened with the Fat of Bacon, and their Drink Water sweetened with a -little Ginger and Molasses.’ - -Although, as before stated, Mr. Annesley won his case with regard -to his legitimacy and property, for some reason or other he never -contested the title with his usurping uncle, who continued to be -recognized as Earl of Anglesey until his death. - -Defoe, writing in 1738 in his ‘History of Colonel Jack,’ makes his -hero to be kidnapped by the master of a vessel at Leith, and carried -to Virginia, where he was consigned to a merchant, and disposed of -as he saw fit--in fact, treated with the same _nonchalance_ us an -ordinary bale of goods would be. He was sold to a planter for five -years, and had three hard things to endure, viz., hard work, hard -fare, and hard lodging. He describes the arrival of a ship from -London with several ‘servants,’ and amongst the rest were seventeen -transported felons, some burnt in the hand, and some not, eight of whom -his master purchased for the time specified in the warrant for their -transportation, so that the unfortunate men were in no better position -than, and were under the same severe laws as, the convict. Their ranks -were recruited by many gentlemen concerned in the Rebellion, and taken -prisoners at Preston, who were spared from execution and sold into -slavery at the plantations, a condition which must often have made them -dissatisfied with the clemency extended to them. In many cases, with -kind masters, their lot was not so hard, and when their time of bondage -was expired they had encouragement given them to plant for themselves, -a certain number of acres being allotted to them by the State; and, if -they could get the necessary credit for clothes, tools, &c., they were -in time enabled to put by money, and, in some rare instances, became -men of renown in the colony. - -The usage these poor people endured on their passage to the plantations -was frequently abominable, and a writer in 1796 describes the arrival, -at Baltimore, of a vessel containing three hundred Irish ‘passengers’ -who had been nearly starved by the captain, the ship’s water being sold -by him at so much a pint, and this treatment, combined with other -cruelties too shocking to relate, caused a contagious disorder to break -out on board, which carried off great numbers, whilst most of these -unhappy folk who were spared at that time, subsequently died whilst -performing quarantine in the Delaware. - -The redemptioners mainly sailed from the northern ports of Ireland, -Belfast or Londonderry, though this country by no means enjoyed the -unenviable monopoly of this traffic: Holland and Germany sending -their wretched quota of white slaves. The particular class of vessels -employed in this iniquitous trade were known by the name of ‘White -Guineamen,’ and belonged to the ‘free and enlightened’ citizens of the -sea-ports in America, who had their kidnappers stationed at certain -parts of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and also in Holland, to provide -them with human cargoes. Seduced by the glowing descriptions of a -trans-Atlantic paradise, with bright and alluring visions of American -happiness and liberty, the miserable, the idle, and the unwary among -the lower classes of Europe were entrapped into the voyage, the offer -of gratuitous conveyance being an additional bait, which was eagerly -accepted; but we have seen how, on their arrival at the promised land, -they were speedily disillusioned. The difficulty of hiring tolerable -servants was so great, that many persons were obliged to deal with -their fellow-creatures in this way, who would otherwise have utterly -abhorred the thought of being slave-dealers. - -Some of the laws for their regulation in the colonies are curious. For -instance, in Virginia, after they had served their time, they were -obliged to have a certificate from their master to say that they had -done so, and if any person should entertain any hired servant running -away without such a certificate, he had to pay the master of such -servant thirty pounds weight of tobacco for every day and night he -should so harbour him. - -Pursuit after runaway servants was made at the public expense, and, if -caught, they had to serve for the time of their absence, and the charge -disbursed. In case the master refused to pay the charge, the servant -was sold, or hired out, until by their services they had reimbursed -the amount expended in capturing them, after which they were returned -to their master to serve out their time. Whoever apprehended them was -to have as reward two hundred pounds weight of tobacco, if the capture -took place about ten miles from the master’s house, or one hundred -pounds weight if above five miles, and under ten. This reward was to be -paid by the public, and the servant had to serve some one four months -for every two hundred pounds weight of tobacco paid for him. - -‘Every Master that hath a Servant that hath run away twice, shall keep -his Hair close cut, and not so doing, shall be fined one hundred pounds -weight of Tobacco for every time the said Fugitive shall, after the -second time, be taken up.’ - -If they ran away in company with any negro, then they had to serve the -master of that negro as long as the negro was at large. If any servant -laid violent hands on his master, mistress, or overseer, and was -convicted of the same in any court, he had to serve one year longer at -the expiration of his term. - -‘A Woman-servant got with Child by her Master, shall, after her time of -indenture or custom is expired, be, by the Church-wardens of the Parish -where she lived, sold for two Years, and the Tobacco employed for the -use of the Parish.’ - -‘No Minister shall publish the Banns, or celebrate the Contract of -Marriage between any Servants, unless he hath a Certificate from both -their Masters that it is with their consent, under the Penalty of -10,000 lbs. of Tobacco. And the Servants that procure themselves to be -married without their Masters’ consent, shall each of them serve their -respective Master a year longer than their time; and if any person, -being free, shall marry with a Servant without the Master’s Licence, he -or she so marrying shall pay the Master 1500 lbs. of Tobacco, or one -year’s service.’ - -In Maryland, the laws respecting servants were somewhat milder, but, if -they ran away, they had to serve ten days for every one day’s absence. -In this colony, however, ‘Every Man-Servant shall have given him at -the time of the expiration of his Service, one new Hat, a good Cloath -Suit, a new Shift of White Linnen, a pair of new French full Shooes -and Stockings, two Hoes, and one Axe, and one gun of 20s. price, not -above four foot Barrel, nor less than three and a half. And every -Woman-Servant shall have given her, at the expiration of her Servitude, -the like Provision of Cloaths, and three Barrels of Indian Corn.’ - -In New England they dealt still more tenderly and fairly by their -servants. If a servant fled from the cruelty of his or her master, he -or she was to be protected and harboured, provided that they fled to -the house of some free man of the same town, and ‘If any Man or Woman -Hurt, Maim, or Disfigure a Servant, unless it be by mere Casualty, -the Servant shall go free, and the Master or Mistress shall make -such recompense as the Court shall award. Servants that have serv’d -diligently, and faithfully, to the end of their Times, shall not be -sent away empty; and such as have been unfaithful, negligent, or -unprofitable shall not be sent away unpunished, but shall make such -satisfaction as Authority shall direct.’ - -In Jamaica the laws were pretty fair, and in Barbadoes there was a very -just enactment. ‘Whatever Master or Mistress shall turn off a Sick -Servant, or not use, or endeavour, all lawful means for the recovery -of such servant, during the time of Servitude, he or she shall forfeit -2,200 lbs of Sugar. To be levyed by Warrant of a Justice of Peace, and -disposed towards the maintenance of such Servant, and the said Servant -so neglected, or turned off, shall be Free.’ - -In the last few years of the eighteenth century, it was no uncommon -thing to meet with advertisements in the American papers, couched in -the following strain: ‘To be disposed of, the indentures of a strong, -healthy Irishwoman; who has two years to serve, and is fit for all -kinds of house work. Enquire of the Printer.’ - - -‘STOP THE VILLAIN! - -‘Ran away this morning, an Irish Servant, named Michael Day, by trade -a Tailor, about five feet eight inches high, fair complexion, has a -down look when spoken to, light bushy hair, speaks much in the Irish -dialect, &c. Whoever secures the above-described in any gaol, shall -receive thirty dollars reward, and all reasonable charges paid. -N.B.--All masters of Vessels are forbid harbouring or carrying off the -said Servant at their peril.’ - - * * * * * - -The laws which regulated them were originally framed for the English -convicts before the Revolution, and were not repealed. They were, -of necessity, harsh and severe, so much so that, towards the end of -the eighteenth century, several societies sprang up, both Irish and -German, whose members did all in their power to mitigate the severity -of these laws, and render their countrymen, during their servitude, as -comfortable as circumstances would permit. These societies were in all -the large towns south of Connecticut. - -When the yellow fever was raging in Baltimore in the year 1793, but -few vessels would venture near the city, and every one that could do -so fled from the doomed place. But a ‘White Guinea-man,’ from Germany, -arrived in the river, and, hearing that such was the fatal nature of -the infection that for no sum of money could a sufficient number of -nurses be procured to attend the sick, conceived the philanthropic -idea of supplying this deficiency from his redemption passengers, and, -sailing boldly up to the city, he advertised his cargo for sale thus: -‘A few healthy Servants, generally between seventeen and twenty-one -years of age; their times will be disposed of by applying on board the -brig.’ It was a truly generous thought to thus nobly sacrifice his own -countrywomen _pro bono publico_! - -As the eighteenth century drew to a close a more humane state of things -came into existence; and in Maryland, in 1817, as before stated, a law -was passed for the relief of the German and Swiss redemptioners. It -was enacted that there should be, in every port, a person to register -the apprenticeship, or servitude, of these emigrants, and, unless -drawn up or approved by him, no agreement to service was binding. -Minors, under twenty-one, were not allowed to be sold, unless by their -parents or next-of-kin, and the indentures covenanted that at least two -months schooling must be given, annually, to them by their masters. No -emigrant was bound to serve more than four years, except males under -seventeen, and females under fourteen, who were to serve, respectively, -till twenty-one and eighteen. There were many other clauses that -related both to their better treatment on board the vessels and on -land, and, if this law had been strictly acted up to, the condition of -these poor people would have been much ameliorated. - -But, happily, in course of years, as the prosperity of the United -States of America grew by ‘leaps and bounds,’ attracting labour in -abundance from all parts of Europe, there was no longer any need for -the traffic in human flesh and blood, and the redemptioner became a -thing of the past. - - - - -A TRIP TO RICHMOND IN SURREY. - - -The following _morceau_ gives so quaint an account of a day’s outing in -the last century that I have thought it a pity to let it remain buried. -It is by J. West, and was published in 1787: - - From London to Richmond I took an excursion, - For the sake of my health and in hopes of diversion: - Thus, walking without any cumbersome load, - I mark’d ev’ry singular sight on the road. - - In Hyde Park I met a hump-back’d macarony - Who was pleased I should see how he manag’d his pony. - The Cockney was dresst in true blue and in buff, - In buckskin elastic, but all in the rough; - He wore patent spurs on his boots, with light soles, - And buttons as big as some halfpenny rolls; - His hair out of curls, with a tail like a rat, - And sideways he clapt on his head a round hat; - His cravat was tied up in a monstrous large bunch, - No wonder the ladies should smile at his hunch. - - The next figure I saw, ’twas a milliner’s maid, - A high cap and pink ribbons adorning her head, - Which was made to sit well, but a little fantastic, - With a hundred black pins and a cushion elastic. - She stalked like a peacock when waving her fan, - And us’d an umbrella upon a new plan; - Her elbows she lean’d on her hoop as on crutches, - And wagg’d her silk gown with the air of a duchess. - Now forward I stept to behold her sweet face; - She ogled and smil’d with a seeming good grace; - However, there was no dependence upon it, - Although her eyes sparkled from under her bonnet, - I question’d her love, so I wished her farewel; - But something more clever I’m ready to tell. - - From yon spot in the Park, just where the Parade is, - Approach’d a grand sportsman, attended by ladies - On bay horses mounted; they swift tore the ground, - Escorted by servants and terriers around; - I guess’d that my Lord went to sport with his Graces - To Windsor’s wide forest or Maidenhead races. - - Through Kensington passing I saw a fine show - Of chaises, gigs, coaches, there all in a row! - When I came to a well where a girl stood close by, - Who ask’d to what place do these folk go? and why? - I, smiling, replied, ‘They, my dear, go to Windsor, - To see king and queen,’--but could not convince her. - On tiptoe the titt’ring girl ran off the stand, - And broke half the pitcher she had in her hand. - - In Hammersmith’s parish I stopp’d for a minute; - A stage-coach here halted--I saw who was in it, - A grave-looking man with a long nose and chin, - Two sparks and three damsels were laughing within; - The outside was crowded, good Lord! what a rabble! - Some Cits from Fleet Market, some Jews from Whitechapel, - Some sailors from Wapping, and other such crew; - But now in the basket[29] I took a short view, - Two wenches, one jolly, the other but lean, - With barrels of oysters and shrimp-sacks between. - The spirited coachman, o’ercharg’d with stout ale, - When he started, drove faster than Palmer’s[30] new mail; - He smack’d his long whip--and zounds! what a flight! - His six horses running were soon out of sight; - A lad standing by, cried (as if in a swoon), - ‘By Jove! they fly up like Lunardi’s[31] balloon.’ - - Much pleas’d with my path when I march’d on apace, - I reach’d Turnham Green; on that sweet rural place - I stopp’d at an inn near a lane down to Chiswick, - I call’d for some ale, but it tasted like physick. - As good luck would have it, I could not drink more, - When, seeing Jack Tar and his wife at the door, - Join’d close arm-in-arm like a hook on a link, - I reach’d him my mug and invited to drink; - Jack, pleased with the draught, gave me thanks with an echo, - And cramm’d in his jaw a large quid of tobacco. - - Again I set off on my way to Kew Bridge, - Some boys and some girls came from under a hedge; - They jump’d and they tumbled headforemost around, - Each vied with the other to measure the ground; - For halfpence they begg’d, and I gave ’em a penny, - When I found that I’d left myself without any - To pay toll at the bridge and to buy a few plumbs; - My silver I chang’d for a handful of Brums.[32] - - But, my sight being struck with the beauty of Kew, - I forgot my expenses, when, having in view - The new Royal Bridge[33] and its elegant Arches - There o’er the bright Thames, where the people in barges - And pleasure-boats sail!--how delightful the scene! - ‘Twixt the shades of Old Brentford and smiling Kew Green. - - Now forward for Richmond, and happy my lot! - I soon reach’d that lofty and beautiful spot - Which is called Richmond Hill--what a prospect amazing! - Extensive and pleasant; I could not help gazing - On yonder fine landscape of Twick’nam’s sweet plains, - Where kind Nature its thousandfold beauty maintains. - To trace all its pleasures too short was the day; - The dinner-bell ringing, I hasten’d away - To a cheerful repast at a Gentleman’s seat, - Whose friendship vouchsaf’d me a happy retreat. - - - - -GEORGE ROBERT FITZGERALD, - -COMMONLY CALLED ‘FIGHTING FITZGERALD.’ - - -Should anyone wish for a graphic account of Irish life in the -later portion of the eighteenth century, he should read Sir Jonah -Barrington’s ‘Personal Sketches of Ireland,’ and he will find -afterwards that Lever’s novels afford but a faint reflection of -the manners and customs existing in the west and south of Ireland. -Ignorance, idleness, and dissipation were the characteristic of -the wealthier classes, and a meeting of the ‘gentry’ could seldom -take place without quarrelling and bloodshed. At races, fairs, and -elections, the lower class enjoyed themselves likewise, after their -kind, in breaking of heads and drunkenness. It was a singular state -of things, but it must be borne in mind, whilst reading the following -memoirs, as, otherwise, the facts therein related would scarcely be -credited.[34] - -The Fitzgeralds of County Mayo come of an ancient stock, from no -less than the great Geraldine family, through the Desmond branch, -and George, the father of George Robert Fitzgerald, had a very good -property at Turlough, near Castlebar. It probably had some influence -in his future career that ‘Fighting Fitzgerald’ should have had for -his mother Lady Mary Hervey, who had been maid-of-honour to the -Princess Amelia, and who was the daughter of one, and the sister of -two, Earls of Bristol. The family from which she sprang was noted for -eccentricity, so much so, that it passed into a saying that ‘God made -Men, Women, and Herveys.’ She did not live long with her husband, his -lax morality and dissipated manners could not be borne, and she left -him to his own devices and returned to England. By him she had two -sons, George Robert (born 1749), and Charles Lionel. The elder, in due -time, was sent to Eton, where he seems to have learnt as much Latin -and Greek as was requisite for a gentleman of those days, and he used -occasionally in after life to write a little poetry now and again, of -which one piece, ‘The Riddle,’ was printed after his execution. - -From Eton he, in 1766, being then in his seventeenth year, was -gazetted to a lieutenancy in the 69th regiment, and was quartered at -Galway, a nice place for a newly-emancipated schoolboy, and a red-hot, -wild Irishman to boot. Here he soon got into a scrape, owing to his -conduct with a shop-girl, which ended in a duel, in which neither -the combatants were hurt. He next managed to pick a quarrel with a -young officer of his own regiment, named Thompson, who was a quiet -and inoffensive man, and they met. The first round was fired by -both without injury, but Lieutenant Thompson’s second bullet struck -Fitzgerald’s forehead, and he fell. The surgeons, after examination, -came to the conclusion that the only way to save his life was by -performing upon him the operation of trepanning, or cutting a round -piece out of the skull in order to relieve the pressure on the brain. -It was an operation that was very risky, but in this case it was -successful. Still, one cannot help thinking, judging by his after -career, that his brain then received some permanent injury which -deprived him of the power of reasoning, and of control over his actions. - -He now left the army, and went home to live with his father. Here he -lived the regular Irishman’s life of the period: hunting, shooting, -cock-fighting, &c., until he fell in love with a lady of good family, a -Miss Conolly of Castletown; but even here he could not act as other men -do. He could not be married quietly, but ran away with his bride, and -an incident in their elopement is amusingly told, it being put in the -mouth of his servant. - -‘But hoo did the Captain mak’ it up again wi’ the Square? Ye omadhaun, -it was with the young misthress he med it up; and she took Frinch lave -with him, wan fine moonlight night soon afther. It was mysel’ that -had the chaise an’ four waitin’ for them; an’ a divilish good thing -happened at the first inn we stopt at. The Captain in coorse ordhered -the best dhrawin’-room for the misthress; an’ sure, if it was goold, -she was worthy ov it. But the beggarly-lookin’ waither sed it was taken -up with some grand Englishmen. - -‘“Request thim,” sis the Captain, “to accommodate a lady that’s -fatigued, with the apartment.” - -‘Well an’ good, the waither delivered the message, when one of the -Englishers roars out, “Damn the fellow’s cursed insolence, we shan’t -give up the room to any rascal.” - -‘“Here,” sis one of thim, “show Paddy this watch, an’ ax him to tell -what o’clock it is.” - -‘So the waither brings the watch with the message in to where the -Captain and mysel’ was--the misthress had gone with her maid to another -room to change her dhress. - -‘“Very well,” sis the Captain, “I think I can show them what o’clock -it is.” So he dhraws his soord, and puts the point through his chain; -“Channor,” thin says he to me, “attend me.” - -‘With that we went in among them, an’ the Captain sthretched over the -watch at the sword’s point to ache of them, beggin’, with a polite bow, -to know to which o’ thim it belonged. But little notions, ye may swair, -they had ov ownin’ it _theirs_. Every wan o’ the cowardly rascals swore -it did not belong to himsel’! - -‘“Oh, I was thinkin’, jintlemen, it was all a bit ov a mistake,” sis -the Captain, “so I think you must have it, Channor, for want of a -betther owner.” So with that he hands it over to mysel’. It was a fine -goold watch, an’ here I have it still.’ - -Not only was young Mrs. Fitzgerald reconciled to her relations, but an -arrangement was made with old Fitzgerald that, on payment of a certain -sum of money down, he would give his son a rent charge of £1,000 a -year on his estate, and he had a very handsome fortune with his wife -besides. - -The young couple thereupon went to France, and, having introductions -to the best society in Paris, enjoyed themselves immensely. He dressed -splendidly, and he astonished the Parisians, who asked each other, -‘Qui est ce seigneur? d’où vient il? Il n’est pas Français,--Quelle -magnificence! Quelle politesse! Est-il possible qu’il soit étranger?’ -In his hat he wore diamonds, and the same precious stones adorned -his buckles and his sword-knot; indeed, all through his life he was -fond of such gewgaws, and when his house at Turlough was wrecked by -the mob--no one preventing--he estimated his loss in jewellery, &c., -at £20,000. They must have been costly, for he enumerates among the -stolen collection: ‘A casquet containing a complete set of diamond -vest buttons, two large emeralds, a hat-band with five or six rows -of Oriental pearls, worth £1,500, a large engraved amethyst, a gold -watch and chain studded with diamonds, several other gold watches and -seals, a great number of antique and modern rings, gold shoe and knee -buckles, silver shaving apparatus, several pairs of silver shoe and -knee buckles, with £6,300 worth of other jewels.’ - -He joined eagerly in the dissipations of the gay French capital, -especially in gaming, and the twenty thousand pounds he had with his -wife soon came to an end; and among other people to whom he was in -debt was the Comte d’Artois, afterwards Charles X., to whom he owed -three thousand pounds. One evening afterwards he offered a bet of one -thousand pounds on the prince’s hand of cards, which the Comte d’Artois -overhearing, he asked Fitzgerald for payment, and, being told that -it was not then convenient, the prince took the Irishman by the arm, -led him to the top of the stairs, and then, giving him one kick, left -him to get downstairs as quickly as he could. This indignity was one -which it was very hard on the hot-blooded Irishman to be obliged to -endure, for he might not challenge with impunity a prince of the blood, -and from the public nature of the insult he naturally lost his place -in society. It was certain he must leave France; but before he left -he must somehow distinguish himself. And he did it in this wise. The -king was hunting at Fontainebleau, and Fitzgerald, regardless of the -etiquette which always allowed the foremost place to the king and royal -family, took the hunting of the pack upon himself, riding close to the -hounds, cheering and encouraging them. But for some time the stag kept -well in the open, and gave Fitzgerald no opportunity of showing off his -horsemanship, until it suddenly turned off towards the river Seine, on -the banks of which a wall had been built. This it leaped, and, to use a -hunting phrase, ‘took soil’ in the river. Over streamed the hounds, and -over flew Fitzgerald, reckless of a drop of fourteen feet on the other -side, going plump into the river. The hunt stopped at that wall, none -daring to take it, and watched with amazement Fitzgerald emerge, his -feet still in the stirrups, and, swimming the river, climb the opposite -bank and ride away. - -He went to London, where he was well received in society, -notwithstanding that his fame as a duellist was well known, he having -fought eleven duels by the time he was twenty-four years of age. -Whether it was then that he forced his way into Brookes’ Club I know -not, but it is certain that he did, and as I cannot tell the story as -well as it is told in that most amusing but anonymously written book, -‘The Clubs of London,’ I extract it. - -‘Fitzgerald having once applied to Admiral Keith Stewart to propose -him as a candidate for “Brookes’s,” the worthy admiral, well knowing -that he must either fight or comply with his request, chose the -latter alternative. Accordingly, on the night in which the balloting -was to take place (which was only a mere form in this case, for even -Keith Stewart himself had resolved to _black-ball_ him), the duellist -accompanied the gallant admiral to St. James’s Street, and waited in -the room below, whilst the suffrages were taken, in order to know the -issue. - -‘The ballot was soon over, for without hesitation every member threw -in a _black ball_, and, when the scrutiny took place, the company were -not a little amazed to find not even _one_ white one among the number. -However, the point of rejection being carried _nem. con._, the grand -affair now was as to which of the members had the hardihood to announce -the same to the expectant candidate. No one would undertake the office, -for the announcement was sure to produce a challenge, and a duel -with Fighting Fitzgerald had in almost every case been fatal to his -opponent. The general opinion, however, was that the proposer, Admiral -Stewart, should convey the intelligence, and that in as polite terms as -possible; but the admiral, who was certainly on all proper occasions a -very gallant officer, was not inclined to go on any such embassy. - -‘“No, gentlemen,” said he; “I proposed the fellow because I knew you -would not admit him; but, by G--d, I have no inclination to risk my -life against that of a madman.” - -‘“But, admiral,” replied the Duke of Devonshire, “there being no _white -ball_ in the box, he must know that _you_ have black-balled him as well -as the rest, and he is sure to call you out, at all events.” - -‘This was a poser for the poor admiral, who sat silent for a few -seconds amidst the half-suppressed titter of the members. At length, -joining in the laugh against himself, he exclaimed, - -‘“Upon my soul, a pleasant job I’ve got into! D----n the fellow! No -matter! I won’t go. Let the waiter tell him that there was _one_ black -ball, and that his name must be put up again if he wishes it.” - -‘This plan appeared so judicious that all concurred in its propriety. -Accordingly the waiter was a few minutes after despatched on the -mission. - -‘In the meantime Mr. Fitzgerald showed evident symptoms of impatience -at being kept so long from his “dear friends” above stairs, and -frequently rang the bell to know _the state of the poll_. On the first -occasion he thus addressed the waiter who answered his summons: - -‘“Come here, my tight little fellow. Do you know if I am _chose_ yet?” - -‘“I really can’t say, sir,” replied the young man, “but I’ll see.” - -‘“There’s a nice little man; be quick, d’ye see, and I’ll give ye -sixpence when ye come with the good news.” - -‘Away went the _little man_; but he was in no hurry to come back, -for he as well as his fellows was sufficiently aware of Fitzgerald’s -violent temper, and wished to come in contact with him as seldom as -possible. - -‘The bell rang again, and to another waiter the impatient candidate put -the same question: - -‘“Am I chose yet, waither?” - -‘“The balloting is not over yet, sir,” replied the man. - -‘“Not over yet!” exclaimed Fitzgerald. “But, sure, there is no use of -balloting at all when my dear friends are all unanimous for me to come -in. Run, my man, and let me know how they are getting on.” - -‘After the lapse of another quarter-of-an-hour, the bell was rung so -violently as to produce a contest among the poor servants, as to whose -turn it was to visit the lion in his den! and Mr. Brookes, seeing no -alternative but resolution, took the message from the waiter, who was -descending the staircase, and boldly entered the room with a coffee -equipage in his hand. - -‘“Did you call for coffee, sir?” - -‘“D--n your coffee, sur! and you too,” answered Mr. Fitzgerald, in a -voice which made the host’s blood curdle in his veins--“I want to know, -sur, and that without a moment’s delay, sur, if I am _chose_ yet.” - -‘“Oh, sir!” replied Mr. Brookes, who trembled from head to foot, but -attempted to smile away the appearance of fear, “I beg your pardon, -sir; but I was just coming to announce to you, sir, with Admiral -Stewart’s compliments, sir, that unfortunately there was one black ball -in the box, sir; and, consequently, by the rules of the club, sir, no -candidate can be admitted without a new election, sir; which cannot -take place, by the standing regulations of the club, sir, until one -month from this time, sir!” - -‘During this address Fitzgerald’s irascibility appeared to undergo -considerable mollification; and, at its conclusion, the terrified -landlord was not a little surprised and pleased to find his guest -shake him by the hand, which he squeezed heartily between his own two, -saying, - -‘“My dear Mr. Brookes, _I’m chose_; and I give ye much joy: for I’ll -warrant ye’ll find me the best customer in your house! But there -must be a small matter of mistake in my election; and, as I should -not wish to be so ungenteel as to take my sate among my dear friends -above-stairs, until that mistake is duly rectified, you’ll just step -up and make my compliments to the gentlemen, and say, as it is only -a mistake of _one_ black ball, they will be so good as to waive all -ceremony on my account, and proceed to re-elect their humble servant -without any more delay at all; so now, my dear Mr. Brookes, you may put -down the coffee, and I’ll be drinking it whilst the new election is -going on!” - -‘Away went Mr. Brookes, glad enough to escape with whole bones, for -this time at least. On announcing the purport of his errand to the -assembly above-stairs, many of the members were panic-struck, for they -clearly foresaw that some disagreeable circumstance was likely to be -the finale of the farce they had been playing. Mr. Brookes stood silent -for some minutes, waiting for an answer, whilst several of the members -whispered, and laughed, in groups, at the ludicrous figure which they -all cut. At length the Earl of March (afterwards Duke of Queensbury) -said aloud, - -‘“Try the effect of _two_ black balls; d----n his Irish impudence; if -two balls don’t take effect upon him, I don’t know what will.” This -proposition met with unanimous approbation, and Mr. Brookes was ordered -to communicate accordingly. - -‘On re-entering the waiting-room, Mr. Fitzgerald rose hastily from his -chair, and, seizing him by the hand, eagerly inquired, - -‘“Have they elected me right now, Mr. Brookes?” - -‘“I hope no offence, Mr. Fitzgerald,” said the landlord, “but I am -sorry to inform you that the result of the second balloting is--that -_two_ black balls were dropped in, sir.” - -‘“By J----s, then,” exclaimed Fitzgerald, “there’s now _two_ mistakes -instead of one. Go back, my dear friend, and tell the honourable -members that it is a very uncivil thing to keep a gentleman waiting -below-stairs, with no one to keep him company but himself, whilst -they are enjoying themselves with their champagne, and their cards, -and their Tokay, up above. Tell them to try again, and I hope they -will have better luck this time, and make no more mistakes, because -it’s getting late, and I won’t be chose to-night at all. So now, Mr. -Brookes, be off with yourself, and lave the door open till I see what -despatch you make.”’ - -Away went Mr. Brookes for the last time. On announcing his unwelcome -errand, everyone saw that palliative measures only prolonged the -dilemma: and General Fitzpatrick proposed that Brookes should tell him: -“His cause was hopeless, for that he was _black-balled all over_ from -head to foot, and it was hoped by all the members that Mr. Fitzgerald -would not persist in thrusting himself into society where his company -was declined.” - -‘This message, it was generally believed, would prove a sickener, as -it certainly would have done to any other candidate under similar -circumstances. Not so, however, to Fitzgerald, who no sooner heard the -purport of it, than he exclaimed, - -‘“Oh, I perceive it is _a mistake altogether_, Mr. Brookes, and I must -see to the rectifying of it myself; there’s nothing like dealing with -principals, and so I’ll step up at once, and put the thing to rights, -without any more unnecessary delay.” - -‘In spite of Mr. Brookes’s remonstrance that his entrance into the -club-room was against all rule and etiquette, Fitzgerald found his -way up-stairs, threatening to throw the landlord over the bannisters -for endeavouring to stop him. He entered the room without any further -ceremony than a bow, saying to the members, who indignantly rose up at -this most unexpected intrusion, - -‘“Your servant, gentlemen! I beg ye will be sated.” Walking up to the -fire-place, he thus addressed Admiral Stewart: “So, my dear admiral, -Mr. Brookes informs me that I have been _elected_ three times.” - -‘“You have been balloted for, Mr. Fitzgerald, but I am sorry to say you -have not been chosen,” said Stewart. - -‘“Well, then,” replied the duellist, “did you black-ball me?” - -‘“My good sir,” answered the admiral, “how could you suppose such a -thing?” - -‘“Oh, I _supposed_ no such thing, my dear fellow, I only want to know -who it was dropped the black balls in by accident, as it were.” - -‘Fitzgerald now went up to each individual member, and put the same -question _seriatim_, “Did you black-ball me, sir?” until he made the -round of the whole club; and it may well be supposed that in every -case he obtained similar answers to that of the admiral. When he -had finished his inquisition, he thus addressed the whole body, who -preserved as dread and dead a silence as the urchins at a parish school -do on a Saturday when the pedagogue orders half-a-score of them to be -_horsed_ for neglecting their catechism, which they have to repeat to -the parson on Sunday: - -‘“You see, gentlemen, that as none of ye have black-balled me, _I -must be chose_; and it is Misthur Brookes that has made the mistake. -But I was convinced of it from the beginning, and I am only sorry -that so much time has been lost as to prevent honourable gentlemen -from enjoying each other’s good company sooner. Waither! Come here, -you rascal, and bring me a bottle of champagne, till I drink long -life to the club, and wish them joy of their unanimous election of a -raal gentleman by father and mother, and--” this part of Fitzgerald’s -address excited the risible muscles of everyone present; but he soon -restored them to their former lugubrious position by casting around -him a ferocious look, and saying, in a voice of thunder--“_and who -never missed his man_! Go for the champagne, waithur; and, d’ye hear, -sur, tell your masthur--Misthur Brookes, that is--not to make any more -mistakes about black balls, for, though it is below a gentleman to -call him out, I will find other means of giving him a bagful of broken -bones.” - -‘The members now saw that there was nothing for it but to send the -intruder to Coventry, which they appeared to do by tacit agreement; for -when Admiral Stewart departed, which he did almost immediately, Mr. -Fitzgerald found himself completely cut by all “his dear friends.” The -gentlemen now found themselves in groups at the several whist-tables, -and no one chose to reply to his observations, nor to return even -a nod to the toasts and healths which he drank whilst discussing -three bottles of the sparkling liquor which the terrified waiter -placed before him in succession. At length, finding that no one would -communicate with him in either kind, either for drinking or for -fighting, he arose, and, making a low bow, took his leave as follows: - -‘“Gentlemen, I bid you all good night; I am glad to find ye so -_sociable_. I’ll take care to come earlier next night, and we’ll have a -little more of it, please G--d.” - -‘The departure of this bully was a great relief to everyone present, -for the restraint caused by his vapouring and insolent behaviour was -intolerable. The conversation immediately became general, and it was -unanimously agreed that half-a-dozen stout constables should be in -waiting the next evening to lay him by the heels and bear him off -to the watch-house if he attempted again to intrude. Of some such -measure Fitzgerald seemed to be aware, for he never showed himself -at “Brookes’s” again, though he boasted everywhere that he had been -unanimously chosen a member of the club.’ - -He lived the life of a man about town, and not a very reputable one, -either a bully whom everyone feared and no one liked, until the summer -of 1773, when he appeared before the public in a dispute of which -there is a long account in a contemporary pamphlet, ‘The Vauxhall -Affray, or Macaronies defeated.’ The Rev. Henry Bate (afterwards Sir -H. B. Dudley), the proprietor and editor of the _Morning Post_, was -at Vauxhall in company with Mrs. Hartley, the actress, her husband, -Mr. Colman, and a friend, when Fitzgerald, accompanied by the Hon. -Thomas Lyttleton, Captain Croftes, and some others, all more or less -intoxicated, behaved so rudely to Mrs. Hartley that she could stand it -no longer, and complained. Parson Bate was a notable ‘bruiser,’ and he -took her part, and struck Croftes a blow. Cards were exchanged, and -next morning an interview was arranged, at which the clergyman and -officer were reconciled, when in bounced Fitzgerald, and declared, in a -most insolent manner, that Mr. Bate should give immediate satisfaction -to his friend, Captain Miles, whom, he said, the former had grossly -insulted the evening before. Miles was introduced, and declared that -he had been affronted by the clergyman, and if he did not immediately -strip and fight with him, he (Miles) would post him as a coward, and -cane him wherever he met him. - -Mindful of his cloth, Mr. Bate hesitated; but Miles, saying something -about cowardice, the parson threw all consideration of his calling to -the winds, a ring was formed, and Captain Miles received the handsomest -thrashing he ever had. Soon afterwards it transpired that Captain Miles -was Fitzgerald’s own servant, who had been compelled by his master so -to behave. Mr. Bate very properly exposed the affair in the _Morning -Post_. - -We next hear of him engaged in a duel with Captain Scawen of the -Guards, which was fought at Lille, and twice he fired before his -adversary. Luckily he missed him, and the second time the captain, -having fired in the air, the affair ended. - -He was concerned in another duel, which made some stir at the time -(1775). There was a young fellow named Walker, the son of a plumber -and painter, whose father left him a large fortune, and Daisy Walker, -as he was called, became a cornet in Burgoyne’s Light Dragoons. His -fortune soon went in gambling, and he had to retire from the service, -whilst his guardians looked into his affairs. At that time Fitzgerald -held a bill of his for three thousand pounds, and pressed for payment. -It was ultimately compromised, and, on receipt of five hundred pounds, -he gave up the bill. Subsequently Daisy Walker made some lucky bets, -and Fitzgerald at once became clamourous for payment of two thousand -five hundred pounds. Walker denied his liability, saying the matter was -settled by the payment of five hundred pounds and the return of the -bill; but this was not Fitzgerald’s view of the matter, and he dunned -young Walker whenever he met him, and at last, at Ascot races, he cut -him across the face with his cane. - -Of course, in those days, there could be but one course to be taken, -and a challenge was sent, and accepted. Walker, as being the insulted -party, should fire first. They duly met, and the distance was fixed -at ten paces, but the second who measured the ground took such -strides that it was virtually twelve paces. Walker fired, and his -antagonist was unhurt. Fitzgerald, who had the whole etiquette of the -duello at his finger’s ends, then stepped forward and apologised for -having struck Walker--which apology was accepted. But, as soon as -this ceremony was finished, Fitzgerald again began dunning for his -£2,500, and, when he was told that it was not owing, he prepared to -take his shot, offering to bet £1,000 that he hit his adversary. The -pistol missed fire, and he calmly chipped the flint, reiterating his -offer to bet. He fired, and the ball grazed Walker in the arm just -below the shoulder, but did not wound him, and they left the field. -Subsequently, however, Fitzgerald declared that Walker was ‘papered,’ -_i.e._, protected in some way, and published an account of the duel in -a pamphlet, addressed to the Jockey Club. To this Walker replied, and -Fitzgerald followed up with another pamphlet, in which he says:-- - -‘I should most certainly have fixed it at _six_ instead of _ten_ paces. -My predilection for that admeasurement of ground is founded upon the -strictest principles of humanity. For I know, from trials successively -repeated, twenty times one after the other, I can, at that distance, -hit any part of the human body to a _line_, which, possibly you may -know, is only the _twelfth part of an inch_.’ - -And he again refers to his pistol-practice. ‘So, then, you had one -Surtout on; are you certain you had not half-a-dozen? If no more than -one Surtout, pray how many coats and waistcoats? You give us no account -of your under-garments. I ask these questions, Sir, because, after -reading your pamphlet, I took the same pistol, charged it with the same -quantity of powder, used a bullet cast in the same mould, measured out -twelve good paces with a yard wand, and then fired at a thick stick, -which I had previously covered over with two waistcoats lined, one coat -lined, and one double-milled drab Surtout. What think you, Sir, was the -result? Why, Sir, the ball penetrated through the Surtout, the coat, -two waistcoats, and lodged itself an inch deep in the stick. There -is nothing like experimental philosophy for a fair proof, it beats -your _ipse dixits_ all halloo. You see how ingeniously I pass away my -private hours--I am always hard at study.’ - -This affair made London too hot for him, and he went over to France -with an old brother officer named Baggs, and they picked up a living -by horse-racing and gambling--which led to a duel between the two, for -Baggs had fleeced a young Englishman named Sandford, and there was a -quarrel as to the division of the spoil, which ended in Fitzgerald -drawing his gloves across Baggs’ face, and Baggs returning the -compliment by dashing his hat in his partner’s face. Of course the -outcome of this was a duel, which is graphically described by Hamilton -Rowan in his ‘Autobiography.’ - -‘They fired together, and were in the act of levelling their second -pistols, when Baggs fell on his side, saying, - -‘“Sir, I am wounded.” - -‘“But you are not dead!” said Fitzgerald. - -‘At the same moment he discharged his second pistol at his fallen -antagonist. - -‘Baggs immediately started on his legs and advanced on Fitzgerald, -who, throwing the empty pistol at him, quitted his station, and kept a -zig-zag course across the field, Baggs following. I saw the flash of -Bagg’s second pistol, and, at the same moment, Fitzgerald lay stretched -on the ground. I was just in time to catch Baggs as he fell, after -firing his second shot. He swooned from intense pain, the small bone of -his leg being broken. Mr. Fitzgerald now came up, saying, - -‘“We are both wounded; let us go back to our ground.”’ - -But this could not be allowed, and the wounded were carried home. -Fitzgerald’s wound was in the thigh, and rendered him slightly lame -ever after. - -When he got well, he returned to Ireland, and, thanks to his uncle, -the Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry, he lived in very fair style, -either in Merrion Street, Dublin, or at Rockfield, near Turlough. While -living in Dublin he fought a duel with John Toler (afterwards Lord -Norbury), fired a pistol at Denis Browne, Lord Altamont’s brother, -in Sackville Street, in broad daylight, and insulted and struck John -Fitzgibbon, afterwards Lord Chancellor Clare. - -Death now took away his guardian-angel, his amiable and patient wife, -leaving him a little daughter. His grief for her loss was extravagant, -and amounted to little short of frenzy. After the funeral he behaved -more than ever like a madman. He took to hunting by night, and hunted -anything that was about after dark. In this wild chase he was always -accompanied by a band of mounted servants, carrying torches, and, when -the peasants were roused from their slumbers by the noise of hounds, -and the cries of men, they knew that Mad Fitzgerald was abroad. - -When he hunted by day, he would peremptorily order home anyone to whom -he had even a fancied dislike. He would tell one man to go home for he -was more fitted to follow the plough than the hounds; another would be -bidden to go and mind his sheep, and a third would be told to quit the -field, as he was too fat for the sport. And they had to go, for their -monitor would not have scrupled to have used his whip, and, if that had -been objected to, there was always the _ultima ratio_ of a duel, and -men were rather shy of meeting ‘Fighting Fitzgerald.’ - -He had a particular dislike to the family of Lord Altamont, and -behaved in a most high-handed and outrageous manner towards them. For -instance, he heard that a relation of my lord’s, a Mr. Browne, was out -shooting on a bog near Westport, so he got together his men and dogs, -and went in quest of him. When Mr. Browne saw him enter on the scene, -he retired; Fitzgerald pursued, Mr. Browne increased his pace, so did -Fitzgerald, until he literally hunted the offending sportsman home. -Another time he rode over to Lord Altamont’s house, and asked to see -the wolf-dog, which, for its size and fierceness, was the admiration -and terror of the neighbourhood. No sooner was he shown the dog than -he shot it, charging the servants to tell their master that, until he -became more charitable to the poor, who only came to his door to be -barked at and bitten, he should not allow such a beast to be kept, but -that he had no objection to the three ladies of the family each keeping -a lap-dog. - -After a time, his grief at the loss of his wife subsided, and he -fell in love with the only child and heiress of a Mr. Vaughan, of -Carrowmore, County Mayo, and singularly, although she well knew his -reckless character, she returned his affection. We know how he ran away -with his first wife; the story of his wedding with his second is yet -more romantic. - -Mr. Vaughan was, not unnaturally, averse to Fitzgerald marrying his -daughter, but, at the same time, he did not forbid him the house. So -one night Fitzgerald was suddenly attacked by a very acute illness, -writhing about in great agony, and at last begged to be allowed to -remain there that night. In the morning he was much worse, and at -death’s door, lamenting the iniquity of his past life, and begging -that a priest should be sent for. Of course one soon came, but, in the -midst of his spiritual exercises, Fitzgerald sprang out of bed, and, -presenting a pistol to the head of the priest, swore he would blow out -his brains if he did not instantly marry him to Miss Vaughan, and the -terror-stricken priest had no option but to comply. Mr. Vaughan had to -bow to the inevitable, and the new Mrs. Fitzgerald never had reason to -complain of her husband’s treatment of her, as he was uniformly kind -and affectionate to her. - -When Fitzgerald returned to Ireland, he found his father, a weak, -false, vicious old man, almost in his dotage, and entirely under the -control of his younger son Lionel, a low woman whom he had taken as -his mistress, and an unscrupulous pettifogger named Patrick Randal -MacDonnell. Charles Lionel, the younger son, was his brother’s enemy, -because he saw nothing but poverty before him if his father paid -George Robert the £1,000 a year to which he was entitled, for the old -spendthrift was always in debt. The mistress had every reason to keep -things as they were, and MacDonnell did not like to see his pickings -done away with. It is questionable whether Fitzgerald had ever received -any portion of his settlement--at all events, it was £12,000 in arrear. -He saw the estate that was ultimately to come to him being wasted, his -father getting more hopelessly into debt, and spending his substance -on an immoral and greedy woman, and he was determined to put a stop to -it. He had a difficulty to get a solicitor in Dublin to undertake his -case, but at last he found one, and arranged with him to accompany him -in his carriage to Mayo. The story of that ride is told by Sir Jonah -Barrington (vol. iii, p. 170, ed. 1832) as follows: - -‘Mr. Fitzgerald sent for the attorney, and told him that, if his -going down was previously known, there would be several of the -tenants and others, under the adverse influence of his father and -brother, who would probably abscond, and that, therefore, since spies -were watching him perpetually, to give notice in the county of his -every movement, it was expedient that he should set out two or three -hours before daybreak, so as to have the start of them. That his own -travelling-carriage should be ready near the gate of the Phœnix Park to -take up Mr. T----, who might bring his trunk of papers with him in a -hack-carriage, so that there should be no suspicion. - -‘All this was reasonable and proper, and accordingly done. Mr. -Fitzgerald’s carriage was on the spot named, near the wall of the -Phœnix Park. The attorney was punctual, the night pitch dark, and the -trunk of papers put into the boot; the windows were all drawn up. Mr. -T---- stepped into the carriage with as great satisfaction as ever he -had felt in his whole lifetime, and away they drove cheerily, at a good -round pace, for the county of Galway. - -‘Mr. T---- had no idea that anybody else was coming with them, Mr. -Fitzgerald not having mentioned such a thing. He found, however, a -third gentleman in a travelling-cloak sitting between himself and -his client, who was dozing in the far corner. The stranger, too, he -found not over-courteous; for, though the carriage was not very roomy, -and the gentleman was bulky, he showed no disposition whatever to -accommodate the attorney, who begged him, with great suavity and -politeness, to “move a little.” To this he received no reply, but -a snoring both from the strange traveller and Mr. Fitzgerald. Mr. -T---- now felt himself much crowded and pressed, and again earnestly -requested “the gentleman” to allow him, if possible, a little more -room; but he only received a snore in return. He now concluded that his -companion was a low, vulgar fellow. His nerves became rather lax; he -got alarmed, without well knowing why; he began to twitter--the twitter -turned into a shake, and, as is generally the case, the shake ended -with a cold sweat, and Mr. T---- found himself in a state of mind and -body far more disagreeable than he had ever before experienced. - -‘The closeness and pressure had elicited a hot perspiration on the -one side, while his fears produced a cold perspiration on the other, -so that (quite unlike the ague he had not long recovered from) he -had hot and cold fits at the same moment. All his apprehensions -were now awakened; his memory opened her stores, and he began to -recollect dreadful anecdotes of Mr. Fitzgerald, which he never before -had credited, or indeed had any occasion to remember. The ruffians -of Turlow passed as the ghosts in “Macbeth” before his imagination. -Mr. Fitzgerald, he supposed, was in a fox’s sleep, and his bravo in -another, who, instead of receding at all, on the contrary, squeezed the -attorney closer and closer. His respiration now grew impeded, and every -fresh idea exaggerated his horror; his untaxed costs, he anticipated, -would prove his certain death, and that a cruel one. Neither of his -companions would answer him a single question, the one replying only by -a rude snore, and the other by a still ruder. - -‘“Now,” thought Mr. T----, “my fate is consummated. I have often -heard how Mr. Fitzgerald cut a Jew’s throat in Italy, and slaughtered -numerous creditors while on the grand tour of Europe. God help me! -unfortunate solicitor that I am, my last day, or rather night, has -come!” - -‘He thought to let down the window and admit a little fresh air, but it -was quite fast. The whole situation was insupportable, and at length he -addressed Mr. Fitzgerald, most pathetically, thus: - -‘“Mr. Fitzgerald, I’ll date the receipt the moment you choose, and -whenever it’s your convenience I have no doubt you’ll pay it most -honourably--no doubt, no doubt, Mr. Fitzgerald--but not necessary at -all till perfectly convenient, or never, if more agreeable to you and -this other gentleman.” - -‘Fitzgerald could now contain himself no longer, but said, quite in -good humour, - -‘“Oh, very well, Mr. T----, very well, quite time enough; make yourself -easy on that head.” - -‘The carriage now arrived at Maynooth, where the horses were instantly -changed, and they proceeded rapidly on their journey, Mr. Fitzgerald -declaring he would not alight till he reached Turlow, for fear of -pursuit. - -‘The attorney now took courage, and, very truly surmising that the -other gentleman was a foreigner, ventured to beg of Mr. Fitzgerald to -ask “his friend” to sit over a little, as he was quite crushed. - -‘Mr. Fitzgerald replied, “That the party in question did not speak -English, but when they arrived at Killcock the matter should be better -arranged.” - -‘The attorney was now compelled for some time longer to suffer the hot -press, inflicted with as little compunction as if he were only a sheet -of paper; but, on arriving at the inn at Killcock, dawn just appeared, -and Mr. Fitzgerald, letting down a window, desired his servant, who -was riding with a pair of large horse-pistols before him, to rouse -the people at the inn, and get some cold provisions and a bottle of -wine brought to the carriage. “And, Thomas,” said he, “get five or -six pounds of raw meat, if you can--no matter of what kind--for this -foreign gentleman.” - -‘The attorney was now petrified; a little twilight glanced into the -carriage, and nearly turned him into stone. The stranger was wrapped -up in a blue travelling cloak with a scarlet cape, and had a great -white cloth tied round his head and under his chin; but when Mr. -Solicitor saw the face of his companion he uttered a piteous cry, and -involuntarily ejaculated, “Murder! murder!” On hearing this cry, the -servant rode back to the carriage window and pointed to his pistols. -Mr. T---- now offered up his soul to God, the stranger grumbled, and -Mr. Fitzgerald, leaning across, put his hand to the attorney’s mouth, -and said he should direct his servant to give him reason for that cry, -if he attempted to alarm the people of the house. Thomas went into the -inn, and immediately returned with a bottle of wine and some bread, but -reported that there was no raw meat to be had; on hearing which, Mr. -Fitzgerald ordered him to seek some at another house. - -‘The attorney now exclaimed again, “God protect me!” Streaming -with perspiration, his eye every now and then glancing towards his -mysterious companion, and then, starting aside with horror, he at -length shook as if he were relapsing into his old ague; and the -stranger, finding so much unusual motion beside him, turned his -countenance upon the attorney. Their cheeks came in contact, and -the reader must imagine--because it is impossible adequately to -describe--the scene that followed. The stranger’s profile was of -uncommon prominence; his mouth stretched from ear to ear, he had -enormous grinders, with a small twinkling eye, and his visage was all -be-whiskered and mustachioed--more, even, than Count Platoff’s of the -Cossacks. - -‘Mr. T----’s optic nerves were paralysed as he gazed instinctively at -his horrid companion, in whom, when he recovered his sense of vision -sufficiently to scrutinize him, he could trace no similitude to any -being on earth save a bear! - -‘And the attorney was quite correct in this comparison. It was actually -a Russian bear, which Mr. Fitzgerald had educated from a cub, and which -generally accompanied his master on his travels. He now gave Bruin a -rap upon the nose with a stick which he carried, and desired him to -hold up his head. The brute obeyed. Fitzgerald then ordered him to -“kiss his neighbour,” and the bear did as he was told, but accompanied -his salute with such a tremendous roar as roused the attorney (then -almost swooning) to a full sense of his danger. Self-preservation -is the first law of Nature, and at once gives courage, and suggests -devices. On this occasion, every other kind of law--civil, criminal, -or equitable--was set aside by the attorney. All his ideas, if any he -had, were centred in one word--“escape”; and as a weasel, it is said, -will attack a man if driven to desperation, so did the attorney spurn -the menaces of Mr. Fitzgerald, who endeavoured to hold and detain him. - -‘The struggle was violent, but brief; Bruin roared loud, but -interfered not. Horror strengthened the solicitor. Dashing against the -carriage-door, he burst it open, and, tumbling out, reeled into the -public-house--then rushing through a back-door, and up a narrow lane -that led to the village of Summer Hill (Mr. Roly’s demesne), about -two miles distant, he stumbled over hillocks, tore through hedges and -ditches, and never stopped till he came, breathless, to the little -alehouse, completely covered with mud, and his clothes in rags. He -there told so incoherent a story, that the people all took him for -a man either bitten by a mad dog, or broken loose from his keepers, -and considered it their duty to tie him, to prevent his biting, or -other mischief. In that manner they led him to Squire Roly’s, at the -great house, where the hapless attorney was pinioned and confined in a -stable for some hours, till the squire got up. They put plenty of milk, -bread, butter, and cheese into the manger, from the cock-loft above, to -prevent accidents, as they said.’ - -Fitzgerald, finding the estate going to the dogs--for his father was -letting the lands at absurdly low prices to his favourites; as, for -instance, he let his son Charles Lionel a valuable tract of land worth -fifteen shillings an acre at one shilling and sixpence, and the deer -park at the same price--took the necessary legal proceedings to protect -himself; and, whilst they were pending, his father was arrested for -a debt of £8,000, and taken to a Dublin sponging-house. Although his -father had been trying to injure him by all the means in his power, yet -Fitzgerald paid the debt, and became responsible for the other debts of -his father, who, in return, ratified the settlement which had been in -abeyance so long. - -Fitzgerald then applied to the Lord Chancellor for possession of the -estate, on the grounds that, under its present management, the property -was deteriorating, and as security for the money his father owed him, -which amounted to £20,000--£12,000 of which were arrears of his income -of £1,000 per annum, and £8,000 lent to obtain his release; and, in -1780, the Chancellor made the order as prayed. Had Fitzgerald gone with -bailiffs, and demanded possession, there would have been bloodshed, -in all probability; for the King’s writs did not run easily in that -part of Ireland. So he waited until one day, when his father went over -to Turlough, and he then made a forcible entry into Rockfield, with a -troop of armed dependants, and dislodged the servants then in the house. - -Naturally his father did not take this quietly, and possession was -not held peacefully. There were many collisions; and old Fitzgerald -indicted his son for having headed a riotous mob, one of whom, he -alleged, had, at his son’s instigation, attempted to take away his -life, by firing a loaded musket at him. The charge could not be -sufficiently proved, and Fitzgerald was acquitted. - -He now turned his attention towards improving his estate, and imported -some Scotch Presbyterians, a sober and industrious set of men, to whom -he gave five hundred pounds towards building a meeting-house, and -settled fifty pounds per annum on their minister; but his father’s -party were always annoying him, and, in consequence, he refused to -give maintenance to his father, who, thereupon, had recourse to the -law-courts in Dublin to compel him so to do; and a writ was issued -empowering the father to secure the body of his son until a maintenance -was granted him. It would have been perfectly useless to have served -the writ upon him at Turlough: it is probable no man could have been -found bold enough to attempt it. So they waited until the next assizes -at Balinrobe; and then, when they thought they had him safe in the -grand jury room, they made application to the judge to arrest him -there. Leave was granted, but Fitzgerald got wind of it, and when they -went to capture him, lo! he was not to be found. - -He evidently thought two could play at that game, and he determined to -get the old man into his power. In those days, in that part of Ireland, -law was not much regarded, especially by men of Fighting Fitzgerald’s -stamp; and he speedily put his plan into execution. As his father was -going from Balinrobe to Dublin, he was waylaid by his son and a party -of armed men, and carried off _vi et armis_ to George Robert’s house at -Turlough. - -This open violation of the law could not be submitted to tamely, and -his younger brother went to Dublin, and stated his case before the -judges, who granted him a writ of _habeas corpus_. But no one would -serve that at Turlough, so they waited, as of aforetime, until he was -at the grand jury room, and, leave having been given, his brother, who -was bigger and stronger than he, went in, and, literally collaring -him, dragged him out, spite of all his protests that he was a grand -jury man, and could not be touched while in the exercise of his -functions. He was at once put on his trial, and the grand jury found a -true bill against him, unanimously: nay, more, they publicly addressed -the judge in court, expressing their abhorrence of the charge made -against Fitzgerald. After the finding of a true bill, his trial at -once took place, in despite of all efforts to postpone it to the next -assizes, and it lasted from nine in the morning until nearly twelve at -night, when, the judge having summed up, the jury found him guilty, and -he was fined £1,000, to be imprisoned for three years, and until he -should pay the fine. - -What happens next in this man’s extraordinary career is almost -difficult to believe, and shows the lawless state of the country. -Fitzgerald was committed to Castlebar prison, but he seems to have been -at large therein, for, four days after his committal, he calmly walked -out of gaol, armed with a brace of pistols, and scattering a bag of -silver to be scrambled for by the gaolers. The doors were all open, a -horse was in readiness, and off he went, tantivy, for Turlough, where -he was welcomed by his people with volleys of small arms and discharge -of cannon. These latter Fitzgerald had procured from a ship, under -the pretext that they would be useful for his volunteers, of which he -was the colonel. These he mounted as a regular battery, and it was -garrisoned in a perfectly military manner by his volunteers. - -But an escape from prison was, by the law of Ireland, deemed a capital -felony, and the sheriff of the county issued proclamations and rewards -for his apprehension, at which Fitzgerald only laughed, for he could -rely on his men, and he had his father still in his custody, as the old -man did not go away when his son was, as he thought, safely imprisoned. -He was some fifteen months at large before the majesty of the law -asserted itself. Then a little army, consisting of three companies of -foot, a troop of horse, and a battery of artillery, under the command -of Major Longford, was sent to reduce this rebel. But, when they got -to Rockfield, they found the cannon spiked, and the birds flown to -Killala, whither they were followed by Charles Lionel, at the head of -the Castlebar volunteers. But many people gathered round Fitzgerald, -and he soon had a party which was too strong for them to attack. But, -a large reinforcement arriving, he had to flee, and, with his father, -and two or three attendants, he put to sea in an open boat, landing on -a small island in the bay of Sligo. - -Here his father offered him terms, that if he would give him £3,000 to -clear off his debts, and pay him a small annuity, he would give him up -the estate, and completely exonerate him of all blame in his capture -and detention. To these terms Fitzgerald assented, and set off with his -father through bye, and unfrequented roads to Dublin. But no sooner had -the old man got into his old lodging, than he refused to ratify his -bargain, and set his son at defiance. - -Fitzgerald, although there was a reward out of £300 for his -apprehension, took no pains to conceal himself, and, consequently, -had not been long in Dublin, before Town-Major Hall heard of his -whereabouts, and, taking twelve soldiers of the Castle guard with him, -arrested Fitzgerald, and safely lodged him in the Castle, where he was -confined in the officer’s room; and there he abode till the general -election, when, through the influence of his powerful friends, he was -released. During his incarceration he wrote an appeal to the public on -his case, although some say the author was one Timothy Brecknock, a -somewhat unscrupulous lawyer whom Fitzgerald employed. - -The first use he made of his newly-acquired liberty was to revenge -himself on a man who he fancied had done him some grievous injury, a -somewhat eccentric gentleman named Dick Martin, and he determined to -insult him in the most public manner. He met him at the theatre, struck -him with his cane, calling him the bully of the Altamonts, and walked -away. Of course, in those days a gentleman so insulted could but do one -thing, and that was to send a challenge--and Martin did send Fitzgerald -one by the hand of a cousin of the latter, a Mr. Lyster. While he was -explaining the object of his visit, Fitzgerald rang the bell, and -requested his footman to bring him his cudgel ‘with the green ribbon.’ -This being brought, he walked up to his cousin, and ferociously asked -how _he_ dared to deliver such a message to _him_: then, not waiting -for a reply, he belaboured him most unmercifully, with such violence -indeed, as to break a diamond ring from off his finger. When he -considered him sufficiently punished, he made him pick up his ring and -present it to him--but he did not keep it, he wrapped it up in paper, -and returned it, telling his cousin not to go about swearing that he -had robbed him of it. - -Martin could get no satisfaction out of Fitzgerald in Dublin, the -object of the latter being to let his adversary have the reputation of -being an insulted man. But, afterwards, they met at Castlebar, and a -meeting was arranged. Martin was hit, and his bullet struck Fitzgerald, -but glanced off: according to some it hit a button; according to -others, Fitzgerald was _plastroné_, or armoured. - -His behaviour was more like that of a lunatic than of a sane man. Take -the following example, for instance. He had a house and grounds near -Dublin, and his neighbours all fought shy of him--nay, one of them, a -retired officer, Captain Boulton, would neither accept his invitations -nor invite him to his mansion. This conduct galled Fitzgerald, and he -devised a novel method of avenging himself of the insult. He would -shoot on the captain’s grounds without leave. So he went down with -his man and dogs and began killing the game in fine style. This soon -brought out the steward, who began to remonstrate with the trespasser. -Fitzgerald’s answer was a bullet, which whizzed close to the head of -the poor steward, who turned, and ran for his life, Fitzgerald after -him with a second gun, with the certain determination of shooting him. -Luckily the man got safely into the mansion. Baffled of his victim, -Fitzgerald began abusing Captain Boulton, calling on him to come out, -and give him satisfaction for his man’s behaviour. But the captain, not -seeing the force of the argument, refrained, and Fitzgerald fired his -gun at the dining-room window. As this, however, did not bring out the -captain, he fired at the windows as fast as his man could load, and -only left off when he had smashed every one of them. - -Another time he waged war against all the dogs in Castlebar, shooting -them whenever he got a chance; but the people did not stand it tamely; -they rose, visited his kennels, and shot his dogs. - -His father died; but his brother, his father’s mistress, and -MacDonnell, took advantage of every circumstance in their power to -maliciously vex him. Law-suits were stirred up against him, and had to -be met with the assistance of Timothy Brecknock, who was Fitzgerald’s -legal adviser, and the followers of both parties were not particular in -exchanging a shot or two, one with the other. - -At length MacDonnell kidnapped one of Fitzgerald’s servants, and kept -him prisoner for twenty days. Then the man escaped, and Fitzgerald -applied for, and obtained warrants against, MacDonnell and two other -men, named Hipson and Gallagher. To execute these warrants personally -must have been a congenial task to Fitzgerald, and he set out for that -purpose, followed by a large body of men. On their approach, MacDonnell -fled to the neighbouring village of Ballivary, and his friends did the -best they could to defend themselves, firing on his party and wounding -six or seven of them. They then went after MacDonnell, and, after more -firing, succeeded in apprehending MacDonnell, Hipson, and Gallagher. -These unfortunate men begged to be taken before the nearest magistrate; -but Fitzgerald had them bound, and taken to his house, where they -remained all night. - -Early the next morning they were sent, guarded by a man of his, one -Andrew Craig, and about eighteen or twenty more, all well armed, to be -examined by the magistrates. Before their departure Fitzgerald gave the -guard strict instructions to kill the prisoners should they attempt to -escape. When they had gone about three-quarters of a mile a shot was -fired, and one of the escort was laid low. But very little was wanted -to rouse their wild blood, and it was at once considered that a rescue -was intended. Remembering the instructions given them by Fitzgerald, -they fired on their prisoners, killing Hipson, who fell into a ditch, -dragging Gallagher with him, wounded with three bullets in his arm. -MacDonnell, by the same volley, had both his arms broken, but he was -soon afterwards despatched. Gallagher was then discovered, and they -were about to kill him, only Fitzgerald ordered him to be taken to his -house. - -News was sent to Castlebar of what had taken place, and Fitzgerald -calmly awaited the result. Fully aware of the dangerous character they -had to deal with, the authorities sent a large body, both of regular -troops, and volunteers, to Turlough, and these were accompanied by an -immense mob of people. What happened is best related in the following -graphic account: - -‘Brecknock was for remaining, as with the calmness of conscious -innocence, and boldly demanding a warrant against Gallagher and -others. This opinion, however, did not agree with Fitzgerald’s own, -who justly dreaded the fury of the volunteers and the populace, with -whom MacDonnell had been so popular. Neither did it coincide with that -of the Rev. Mr. Henry, the Presbyterian clergyman of Turlough, who had -been latterly a resident in the house, and was now wringing his hands -in wild alarm for what had occurred. This gentleman’s horse was at the -door, and he strongly urged George Robert to mount, and ride for his -life out of the country altogether, till the powerful intercession he -could command might be made for him. In compliance with this advice, -which entirely coincided with his own opinion, it is stated that he -made several attempts to mount; but that, splendid horseman as he was, -whether through nervous excitement, guilty terror, or the restiveness -of the animal, he was unable to attain the saddle, and, in consequence, -obliged to fly into the house again, as the military were announced to -be approaching near. It is also generally asserted that the Rev. Mr. -Ellison, who headed the soldiers, sent them on to Gurth-na-fullagh, -without halting them at Turlough, where he himself stopped. - -‘Were this circumstance even true, however, Fitzgerald gained but a -short respite by it, as the volunteers, with many of the populace, came -furiously up immediately after; and, some of them being placed about -the house, the remainder entered to search and pillage it. Brecknock -and Fulton were immediately captured, but, after ransacking every -corner and crevice more than once without finding him, the volunteers -were beginning to think that Fitzgerald must have effected his escape -before their arrival, when one of them, forcing open a clothes-chest in -a lower apartment, discovered him among a heap of bed-clothes in his -place of concealment. - -‘“What do you want, you ruffian?” he said, on finding himself detected. - -‘“To dhrag ye, like a dog’s head, to a bonfire,” replied another -volunteer, named Morran, a powerful man, who seized him at the same -time by the breast, and drew him forth by main force. - -‘A pistol was now presented at him by a third to take summary -vengeance; but a comrade snapped it from his hands, asking if there was -not murder enough already. - -‘“What mercy did himself or his murdherers show to those every way -their betthers?” - -‘“Well, let them pay for that on the gallows, but let us be no -murdherers; let us give him up to the law.” - -‘He was, accordingly, hauled out to the front of the house, where, -perceiving Mr. Ellison, he exclaimed, - -‘“Ellison, will you allow me to be handled thus by such rabble?” - -‘Mr. Ellison’s response to this saved him from further molestation for -a time, and exertions were then made to withdraw the pillagers from the -wholesale plundering they were practising within. One fellow had girded -his loins with linen almost as fine as Holland--so fine that he made -some hundred yards fit round his body without being much observable. -Another, among other valuables, made himself master of the duellist’s -diamond-buttoned coat; while a third contrived to appropriate to -himself all the jewels, valued at a very high amount. In short, so -entire were the spoliation and destruction that, before sunset, not a -single pane of glass was left in the windows. - -‘The remainder of those implicated in the murders were speedily -apprehended, except Craig, who escaped for the time, but was taken soon -after near Dublin. - -‘We must now pause to sustain our character as an accurate chronicler -to relate an act as unprecedented, as lawless, and as terrible as the -most terrible of Fitzgerald’s own. He was alone, on the night of his -capture, in the room assigned to him in the gaol. It was not a felon’s -apartment, but was guarded on the outside by two armed soldiers, lest -he should make any desperate attempt to escape. It was some hours after -nightfall that Clarke, the then sub-sheriff, removed one of those -sentinels to another portion of the prison, where he stated he required -his presence. They had scarcely disappeared, when the remaining -soldier, McBeth (according to his own account), was knocked down, and -his musket taken from him, while the door was burst open, and a number -of men, all armed with pistols, sword-canes, and the sentinel’s musket, -commenced a furious and deadly attack on Fitzgerald, who, though -totally unarmed, made a most extraordinary defence. Several shots were -discharged rapidly at him, one of which lodged in his thigh, while -another broke a ring on the finger of one of his hands, which he put up -to change the direction of the ball. - -He was then secured by John Gallagher, one of the assailants, and -a powerful man, and, whilst struggling in his grip, thrust at -with blades and bayonets, one of the former of which broke in the -fleshy part of his arm. The latter, too, in forcing out two of his -teeth, had its point broken, and was thereby prevented from passing -through his throat. After having freed himself, by great exertions, -from Gallagher’s grasp, he was next assaulted with musket-stock, -pistol-butts, and the candlestick, which had been seized by one of the -assailants, who gave the candle to a boy to hold. By one of the blows -inflicted by these weapons he was prostrated under the table, and, -while lying there, defending himself with unimpaired powers against -other deadly-aimed blows, he exclaimed, - -‘Cowardly rascals, you may now desist; you have done for me, which was, -of course, your object.’ - -The candle had by this time been quenched in the struggling, and the -gaol and streets thoroughly alarmed, so that the assailants, fearing to -injure one another, and deeming that their intended victim was really -dispatched, retreated from the prison, leaving Fitzgerald, though -wounded, once more in security. - -In consequence of this outrage, his trial was postponed for two -months, and the government ordered his assailants to be prosecuted, -but on trial they were acquitted. Fitzgerald himself was tried the -same day (June 8, 1786), the chief witnesses against him being his own -man, Andrew Craig, and Andrew Gallagher, the latter of whom deposed -that when he, Hipson, and MacDonnell, were confined in Fitzgerald’s -house, there was a pane broken in the window, and ‘At day he saw a -number of men regularly drawn up, to the number of twenty or thirty. -He saw Andrew Craig and James Foy settling them. Mr. Fitzgerald and -Mr. Brecknock came to the flag of the hall-door; through the broken -pane he heard them conversing; they spoke in French for some time, and -afterwards in English, but he could not hear what they said, but the -names of himself, MacDonnell, and Hipson were severally mentioned. He -heard at that time nothing more than their names. Mr. Fitzgerald called -over James Foy and Andrew Craig, who were settling the guard, and -ordered them to move a little higher, about ten or twelve yards above -the house. There was some other conversation which he did not hear. -As soon as the guard were settled, Mr. Fitzgerald gave them--Foy and -Craig--orders “If they saw any rescue, or colour of a rescue, be sure -they shot the prisoners, and take care of them.” - -‘When these orders were given, Mr. Fitzgerald said to Mr. Brecknock, - -‘“Ha! we shall soon get rid of them now.” - -‘Mr. Brecknock replied: “Oh, then we shall be easy indeed.” - -‘After the guard was settled, Mr. Fitzgerald called back Andrew Craig, -and when Craig came within ten yards of him, he, Mr. Fitzgerald, said, - -‘“Andrew, be sure you kill them. Do not let one of the villains escape.” - -‘Andrew answered: “Oh, never fear, please your honour.”’ - -At his trial he had a bitter enemy both in the judge, Yelverton, and -the prosecuting counsel, Fitzgibbon. Nor could he reckon the high -sheriff, Denis Browne, among his friends, so that it was scarcely -possible that it should have but one issue, and the jury returned -a verdict of guilty against both him and Brecknock, and the judge -sentenced them to immediate execution. Fitzgerald begged for a little -delay, so that he might settle his worldly affairs; it was denied him, -and, at six in the evening, he walked forth to his doom. Brecknock had -already suffered. Fitzgerald dreaded the scene of the scaffold and the -journey thither along the high road, in a cart, and asked, as a last -favour from the sheriff, to be allowed to walk and go by a by-way. It -was granted, and he went to his doom preceded by the hangman, who wore -a large mask. He walked very fast, and was dressed in a ragged coat of -the Castletown hunt, a dirty flannel waistcoat and drawers, both of -which were without buttons, brown worsted or yarn stockings, a pair of -coarse shoes without buckles, and an old round hat, tied round with a -pack-thread band. - -When he jumped off the ladder the rope broke, although he was but -a slightly-built man and a light weight, and he had to wait until -another, and a stronger, one was procured. After forty minutes’ hanging -his body was cut down, and was waked by the light of a few candles in -a barn at Turlough; it was interred, the next morning, in the family -tomb, situated in a ruined chapel adjoining a round tower, but his -remains were disturbed some years afterwards at the burial of his -brother in the same tomb. He was thirty-eight years of age. - -His daughter had a portion of £10,000 left her by him, and she was a -very gentle and interesting girl. She mostly resided with her uncle at -Castletown, and was unaware, for a long time, of her father’s fate. But -it so happened that, being one day alone in the library, and looking -over the upper shelves, she lit upon a copy of his trial. She read it, -and from that time never lifted up her head, nor smiled--she could not -bear her position as the daughter of a felon, and she gradually pined -away, and died at an early age. - - - - -EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY AMAZONS. - - -Pugnacity is not confined to the male sex, as everyone well knows, and -none better than the police-force, but in these latter and, presumably, -degenerate days, the efforts, in this direction, of the softer sex -are confined to social exhibitions, there being, as far as is known, -no woman serving in Her Majesty’s force either by land or by sea. -Indeed, with the present medical examination, it would be impossible; -and so it would have been in the old days, only then all was fish that -came to the net. His, or Her Majesty, as the case might be, never had -enough men, and ‘food for powder’ was ever acceptable, and its quality -never closely scrutinised. It is incredible, were it not true, that -these women, whose stories I am about to relate, were not discovered -to be such--they were wounded, they were flogged, and yet there was no -suspicion as to their sex. - -We get the particulars of the life of the first of that century’s -Amazons in a book of one hundred and eighty-one pages, published -(second edition) in 1744, entitled, ‘The British Heroine: or, an -Abridgment of the Life and Adventures of Mrs. Christian Davis, commonly -called Mother Ross.’ She was born in Dublin, A.D. 1667, and was the -daughter of a maltster and brewer, named Cavanagh, who occupied a -small farm about two miles from Dublin. Here Miss Christian resided -with her mother, and, although her education was not neglected, for -she learned to read and sew, yet the charms of physical exertion were -more attractive, and she took greater delight in using the flail, or -following the plough, than in sedentary occupations. She was a regular -tomboy, bestriding bare-backed horses and, without saddle or bridle, -scampering about, taking hedges and ditches whenever they came in her -way. - -After the abdication of James II. her father sold all his standing -corn, &c., and with the produce, and the money he had by him, he raised -a troop of horse and joined the king’s army. He was wounded at the -battle of Aghrim, and soon afterwards died of fever. His wife had very -prudently negotiated a pardon for him, but, as soon as he was dead, the -government confiscated all his goods; yet still the mother and daughter -managed to get along somehow or other. - -She grew up to be a buxom and sprightly lass, when it was her -misfortune to meet with her cousin, the Reverend Thomas Howell, a -Fellow of Dublin University, who first seduced and then abandoned -her. Her grief at this told upon her health, and her mother sent her -for a change of air to Dublin, there to stop with an aunt, who kept a -public-house. With her she lived for four years, when her aunt died and -left her all she had, including the business. She afterwards married -a servant of her aunt’s, one Richard Welch, and lived very happily -with him for four years, when her husband one day went out, with fifty -pounds in his pocket, to pay his brewer, and never returned. - -For nearly twelve months she heard no tidings of him, but one day came -a letter, in which he told her he had met a friend, and with him had -too much drink, went on board ship, and had more drink; and when he -recovered from the effects of his debauch, found himself classed as a -recruit for his Majesty’s army, sailing for Helvoetsluys. The receipt -of this letter completely upset his wife, but only for a short time, -when she took the extraordinary resolution of entering the army as a -recruit, in order that she might be sent to Flanders, and there might -possibly meet with her husband. She let her house, left her furniture -in charge of her neighbours, sent one child to her mother’s, and put -the other out to nurse. She then cut her hair short, put on a suit of -her husband’s clothes, hat and wig, and buckled on a silver-hilted -sword. There was a law then in existence by which it was an offence to -carry out of the kingdom any sum exceeding five pounds, but this she -evaded by quilting fifty guineas in the waistband of her breeches. - -She then enlisted in a foot regiment under the name of Christopher -Welch, and was soon shipped, with other recruits, and sent to Holland. -She was, with the others, put through some sort of drill, but much -time could not then be wasted on drill, and then they were sent to the -grand army, and incorporated in different regiments. Almost directly -after joining, she was wounded by a musket-ball in the leg, at the -battle of Landen, and had to quit the field. This wound laid her up for -two months, and when she rejoined her regiment they were ordered into -winter quarters. Here she, in common with the other British soldiers, -helped the Dutch to repair their dykes. - -In the following campaign she had the ill-luck to be taken prisoner by -the French, and was sent to St. Germains en Laye, where Mary of Modena, -the wife of James II. paid particular attention to the wants of the -English prisoners, having them separated from the Dutch, and allowing -each man five farthings for tobacco, a pound of bread, and a pint of -wine daily. She was imprisoned for nine days, when an exchange of -prisoners took place, and she was released. - -Once more the troops went into winter quarters, and Mrs. Welch must -needs ape the gallantry of her comrades. She made fierce love to -the daughter of a rich burgher, and succeeded so well that the girl -would fain have married her. Now it so happened that a sergeant of -the same regiment loved the same girl, but with other than honourable -intentions, and one day he endeavoured to gain her compliance by force. -The girl resisted and in the scuffle got nearly all the clothes torn -off her back. When Mrs. Welch heard of this affair she ‘went for’ that -sergeant, and the result was a duel with swords. Mrs. Welch received -two wounds in her right arm, but she nearly killed the sergeant, and -afterwards, dreading his animosity when he should have recovered, she -exchanged into a dragoon regiment (Lord John Hayes) and was present at -the taking of Namur. - -When the troops again went into winter quarters a curious adventure -befell her, which goes to prove how completely masculine was her -appearance. She resisted the advances of a woman, who thereby was so -angered that she swore she would be revenged, and accordingly, when a -child was born to her, she swore that the trooper, Christopher Welch, -was its father. This, of course, could have been easily disproved, -but then good-bye to her hopes of meeting with her husband; so, after -mature deliberation, she accepted the paternity of the child, who, -however, did not trouble her for long, as it died in a month. - -After the peace of Ryswick in 1697, the army was partially disbanded, -and Mrs. Welch returned home to Dublin. She found her mother, children, -and friends all well, but finding that she was unrecognized, owing to -her dress and the hardships of campaigning, she did not make herself -known, but re-enlisted in 1701 in her old regiment of dragoons, on the -breaking out of the War of Succession. She went through the campaigns -of 1702 and 1703, and was present at many of the engagements therein, -receiving a wound in the hip, at Donawert, and, although attended -by three surgeons, her sex was not discovered. She never forgot her -quest, but all her inquiries after her husband were in vain. Yet -she unexpectedly came upon him, after the battle of Hochstadt in -1704, caressing and toying with a Dutch camp-follower. A little time -afterwards she discovered herself to him. Having seen what she had, she -would not return to her husband as his wife, but passed as a long-lost -brother, and they met frequently. - -At the battle of Ramilies, in 1705, a piece of a shell struck the back -of her head, and fractured her skull, for which she underwent the -operation of trepanning, and then it was, whilst unconscious, that her -sex was discovered, and her husband came forward and claimed her as his -wife. Her pay went on until she was cured, when the officers of the -regiment, who, naturally, were interested in this very romantic affair, -made up a new wardrobe for her, and she was re-married to her husband -with great solemnity, and many and valuable were her marriage-presents. -She could not be idle, so she turned sutler, and, by the indulgence of -the officers, she was allowed to pitch her tent in the front, whilst -all the others were sent to the rear, but she was virtually unsexed by -the rough ways of the camp, although a child was born to her amongst -the din and confusion of the campaign. - -Her husband was killed at the battle of Malplaquet, in 1709, and then -this rough woman could not help showing that she possessed some of the -softer feelings of her sex. Her grief was overpowering. She bit a great -piece out of her arm, tore her hair, and then threw herself upon the -corpse in an ecstasy of passion, and, had any weapon been handy, she -would, undoubtedly, have killed herself. With her own hands she dug his -grave, and with her own hands would she have scraped the earth away, -in order to get one more glimpse of her husband’s face, had she not -been prevented. She refused food; she became absolutely ill from grief, -and yet, within eleven weeks from her husband’s death, she married a -grenadier named Hugh Jones! Her second married life was brief--for her -husband was mortally wounded at the siege of St. Venant. - -After her husband’s death, she got a living by cooking for the -officers, and went through the whole campaign, till 1712, when she -applied to the Duke of Ormond for a pass to England--which he not only -gave her, but also money enough to defray her expenses on the way. On -her arrival in England, she called on the Duke of Marlborough, to see -whether he could not get some provision made for her; but he was not -in power, and, however good his will towards her might have been, he -had not the means. She then tried the Duke of Argyle, who advised her -to have a petition to the Queen drawn up, and take it to the Duke of -Hamilton, and he himself would back it up. - -She did so, and took it to the duke, who, when he was assured she was -no impostor, advised her to get a new petition drawn up, and present -herself to the Queen. So, the next day, she dressed herself in her -best, and went to Court, waiting patiently at the foot of the great -staircase, and when Queen Anne, supported by the Duke of Argyle, came -down, she dropped on one knee, and presented her petition to the Queen, -who received it with a smile, and bade her rise and be of good cheer, -for that she would provide for her; and, perceiving her to be with -child, she added, ‘If you are delivered of a boy, I will give him a -commission as soon as he is born.’ Her Majesty also ordered her fifty -pounds, to defray the expenses of her lying-in. She lived some little -time in London, being helped very materially by the officers to whom -she was known; and it was during this time, on Saturday morning, the -15th of November, 1712, she was going through Hyde Park, and was an -eye-witness of the historical duel between Lord Mohun and the Duke of -Hamilton. - -A natural longing came upon her to see her mother and her children, and -she wrote to her to say she would be in Dublin by a certain date. The -old woman, although over a hundred years of age, trudged the whole ten -miles to Dublin, to see this daughter whom she had so long given up as -dead; and the meeting was very affecting. When she came to inquire -after her children, she found one had died at the age of eighteen, and -the other was in the workhouse, where it had very speedily been placed -by the nurse in whose charge it had been left. She went to look after -the furniture and goods which she had housed with her neighbours; but -there was only one who would give any account of them. A man had taken -possession of her freehold house, and refused to give it up; and, -having lost the title-deeds, she could not force him, besides which she -had no money to carry on a lawsuit. - -These misfortunes did not dishearten her; she always had been used to -victualling. So she took a public-house, and stocked it, and made pies, -and altogether was doing very well, when she must needs go and marry -a soldier named Davies, whose discharge she bought, but he afterwards -enlisted in the Guards. - -Queen Anne, besides her gift of fifty pounds, ordered Mrs. Davies a -shilling a day for life, which Harley, Earl of Oxford, for some reason -or other, cut down to fivepence, with which she was fain to be content -until a change of ministry took place. Then she applied to Mr. Craggs, -and she got her original pension restored. - -She did not do very well in her business, but she found plenty of -friends in the officers of the Army who knew her. She once more bought -her husband’s discharge, and got him into Chelsea Hospital, with the -rank of sergeant. She also was received into that institution; and -there she died on the 7th of July, 1739, and was interred in the -burying-ground attached to Chelsea Hospital, with military honours. - -HANNAH SNELL’S grandfather entered the Army in the reign of William -III. as a volunteer, and, by his personal bravery, he earned a -commission as lieutenant, with the rank of captain. He was wounded at -Blenheim, and mortally wounded at Malplaquet. Her brother was also a -soldier, and was killed at Fontenoy; so that she may be said to have -come of a martial race. Her father was a hosier and dyer, and she was -born at Worcester on St. George’s Day, 23rd of April, 1723. - -According to a contemporary biography of her,[35] ‘Hannah, when -she was scarce Ten Years of Age, had the seeds of Heroinism, as it -were, implanted in her nature, and she used often to declare to -her Companions that she would be a Soldier, if she lived; and, as -a preceding Testimony of the Truth, she formed a Company of young -Soldiers among her Playfellows, and of which she was chief Commander, -at the Head of whom she often appeared, and was used to parade the -whole City of Worcester. This Body of young Volunteers were admired all -over the Town, and they were styled young “Amazon Snell’s Company”; and -this Martial Spirit grew up with her, until it carried her through the -many Scenes and Vicissitudes she encountered for nigh five Years.’ - -Her father and mother being dead, she, in 1740, moved to London, where -she arrived on Christmas Day, and took up her abode with one of her -sisters, who had married a carpenter named Gray, and was living at -Wapping. Two years afterwards she was married, at the Fleet, to a -German or Dutch sailor named James Summs, on the 6th of January, 1743; -but he was a worthless fellow, and as soon as he found she was with -child by him, having spent all her money, he deserted her. She heard of -his death subsequently; he was at Genoa, and, in a quarrel, he killed a -Genoese. For this he was condemned to death, sewn up in a sack with a -quantity of stones, and sunk in the sea. Her child survived its birth -but seven months, and she was left a free woman. - -Up to this time her story presents nothing of particular interest; -but, like ‘Long Meg of Westminster,’ she was a _virago_, more man -than woman, and, with the hope of some day meeting with her husband, -she donned male attire, and set forth on her quest. She soon fell in -with a recruiting party at Coventry, whither she had walked, and where -she found her funds exhausted. A little drink, the acceptance of a -shilling, a visit to a magistrate, were the slight preliminaries to her -military career, and the 27th of November, 1743, found her a private -in the army of King George II. The guinea, and five shillings, her -little ‘bounty money,’ had to follow the fate of all similar sums, in -treating her comrades. There was scant time for drills, and she was, -after about three weeks’ preparation, drafted off to Carlisle to join -her regiment. There were no railway passes in those days, so the weary -march northward took twenty-two days. - -She had not been long in Carlisle before her sergeant, named Davis, -requested her aid in an intrigue he was endeavouring to establish with -a young woman of that town; but, instead of helping him, she warned the -young person of his intentions, and absolutely won the girl’s heart. -Davis’s jealousy was excited, and to punish Jemmy Gray (which was the -name under which Hannah Snell had enlisted), he reported her for some -neglect of duty, and, as commanding officers then were rather severe -than lenient in their punishments, she was sentenced to receive six -hundred lashes, five hundred of which she absolutely received, and -would have taken the whole had not some officers interfered. It seems -marvellous that her sex, when she was tied up and partially stripped, -was not discovered, and in a romance it would be a weak spot; but, as a -matter-of-fact, no one suspected she was a woman, and when her back was -healed she returned to her duty. Flogging was common enough in those -days. - -But a worse danger of exposure threatened her, for a fellow-townsman -from Worcester enlisted in the same regiment, and so she determined to -desert. The female friend on whose account she had suffered such severe -punishment, found some money, and Hannah Snell fled towards Portsmouth, -surreptitiously changing coats in a field by the way. She stopped but -little time in Portsmouth, and then she enlisted in the Marines, in -which corps she was certain to be sent abroad on service, and might -have greater opportunities of meeting with her husband. - -Scarce three weeks after her enlistment had elapsed when a draft was -made to join Admiral Boscawen’s fleet for the East Indies, and she was -sent on board the sloop of war, the _Swallow_. Here she soon became -very popular with her mess-mates, her skill in cooking, washing, and -mending their shirts made her a general favourite, and she did her -duty with the best of her comrades, being especially noted for her -smartness, so much so, indeed, that she was made an officer’s servant. - -Those old ships were not very good sailors in a gale. The French beat -us hollow at ship-building, and we much improved by studying the make -of the prizes we were constantly taking, so it is not to be wondered -at if that rolling old tub, the _Swallow_, came to grief. The marvel -would have been had it not occurred. Twice, before the Cape was made, -they had to repair and refit. They were then ordered to the Mauritius, -and eventually they went to the Coromandel coast, where they landed and -laid siege to and took Areacopong. They then besieged Pondicherry (in -September, 1748); but that town was not fated to fall into the hands of -the British until 1760. In all the hardships of the siege Hannah Snell -bore her full part, fording rivers breast high, sleeping in and working -at the trenches, &c., until at last she was desperately wounded, -receiving six shots in her right leg, five in her left, and a bullet in -her groin. Anyone would think that thus wounded, and in hospital, her -sex would have been discovered; but it was not. She managed to extract -the ball from her groin, and with the connivance of an old black nurse, -she always dressed the wound herself, so that the surgeons did not know -of its existence. - -Three months she lay in hospital, going back to her duty as a Marine on -her discharge. But her comrades bantered her on her somewhat feminine -appearance, her smooth cheeks not being in accordance with her age. -Besides, she was somewhat quiet, and different from the rollicking -Jack Tars by whom she was surrounded, and so she earned the name of -Miss Molly Gray. A continuance of this quiet _rôle_ might have led to -discovery, so when they came to Lisbon, and the ‘liberty men’ went on -shore, she was as racketty as any of them, and ‘Miss Molly’ was soon -lost, and in her place was ‘Hearty Jemmy.’ From Lisbon they sailed for -home, and on her arrival at Spithead, she was either discharged, or -sent on furlough; at all events, there ended her military and naval -career, for she went straight to her sister at Wapping, and was at once -recognized. - -Campaigning had made her restless, and, although many of the officers -who had known her assisted her pecuniarily, it was light come, light -go, and the money was soon spent. So her friends advised her to -petition the Duke of Cumberland, pointing out her services, and also -dilating upon her wounds. On the 16th of June, 1750, she found a very -favourable opportunity of presenting her memorandum to the duke, and, -after full inquiry, she was awarded a pension of a shilling a day. -This, however, would not keep her, and finding that, as an Amazon, she -had a market value, she engaged with the proprietor of the New Wells in -Goodman’s Fields (the Royalty Theatre, Wellclose Square) to appear on -the stage as a soldier. In this character she sang several songs, and -‘She appears regularly dress’d in her Regimentals from Top to Toe, with -all the Accoutrements requisite for the due Performance of her Military -Exercises. Here she and her Attendants fill up the Stage in a very -agreeable Manner. The tabor and Drum give Life to her March, and she -traverses the stage two or three times over, Step by Step, in the same -Manner as our Soldiers march on the Parade in St. James’s Park. - -‘After the Spectators have been sufficiently amused with this formal -Procession, she begins her Military exercises, and goes through the -whole Catechism (if I may be allowed the Expression) with so much -Dexterity and Address, and with so little Hesitation or Default, that -great Numbers even of Veteran Soldiers, who have resorted to the Wells -out of mere curiosity only, have frankly acknowledged that she executes -what she undertakes to Admiration, and that the universal Applause -which she meets with is by no means the Result of Partiality to her -in Consideration of her Sex, but is due to her, without Favour or -Affection, as the Effect of her extraordinary Merit. - -‘As our Readers may be desirous of being informed in what Dress she -now appears, we think it proper to inform them that she wears Men’s -Cloaths, being, as she says, determined so to do, and having bought new -Cloathing for that Purpose.’ - -This theatrical performance, of course, could not last long; so, with -her savings, she took a public-house at Wapping, which she christened -‘The Widow in Masquerade,’ and on one side of the sign she was -delineated in her full regimentals, on the other in plain clothes. - -She afterwards married, for in the _Universal Chronicle_ (November -3/10, 1759, p. 359, col. 3) may be read: ‘Marriages. At Newbury, in the -county of Berks, the famous Hannah Snell, who served as a marine in the -last war, and was wounded at the siege of Pondicherry, to a carpenter -of that place.’ His name was Eyles. In 1789 she became insane, and was -taken to Bethlehem, where she died on the 8th of February, 1792, aged -sixty-nine. - -The examples quoted of women joining the army are by no means singular, -for in 1761 a lynx-eyed sergeant detected a woman who wished to enlist -under the name of Paul Daniel, in the hope that she might be sent to -Germany, where her husband was then serving in the army. And in the -same year a woman named Hannah Witney was masquerading at Plymouth -in man’s attire, and was laid hold of by a press-gang and lodged in -Plymouth gaol. She was so disgusted at the treatment she received -that she disclosed her sex, at the same time telling the astonished -authorities that she had served as a marine for five years. - -There is a curious little chap-book, now very rare, of the ‘Life and -Adventures of Maria Knowles ... by William Fairbank, Sergeant-major of -the 66th Regiment of Foot,’ and, as it is very short, it may be as well -to give its _ipsissima verba_. - -‘The heroine of the following story is the only daughter of Mr. John -Knowles, a reputed farmer,[36] of the parish of Bridworth, in the -county of Cheshire, where Maria was born, and was her father’s only -daughter. At an early age she lost her mother, and was brought up under -the care of a mother-in-law, who treated her with more kindness than is -usually done to motherless children. Her father having no other child, -his house might have proved a comfortable home for one of a more sober -disposition. At the age of nineteen she was so very tall that she was -styled the ‘Tall Girl.’ She had a very handsome face, which gained her -plenty of sweethearts. Many young men felt the weight of her fists for -giving her offences. She refused many offers of marriage, and that from -persons of fortune. - -‘Being one day at the market in Warrington, she saw one Cliff, a -sergeant of the Guards on the recruiting service, with whom she fell -deeply in love; he in a short time was called to join the regiment, -and she, not being able to bear her love-sick passion, eloped from -her father’s house, immediately went up to London, disguised in man’s -apparel, and enlisted in the same regiment with her sweetheart, in -which she made a most martial appearance in her regimentals; her height -covered the deception. As a red coat captivates the fair sex, our -female soldier made great advances, being a lover of mirth and a smart -girl.... - -‘A part of the Guards were ordered to Holland, with whom sailed Maria -and her sweetheart. The British troops were stationed at Dort, and a -party was sent in gunboats to annoy the French, who were then besieging -Williamstadt. From Holland they were ordered to French Flanders, where -Maria was at several desperate battles and sieges. At Dunkirk she was -wounded in three different parts, in her right shoulder, in her right -arm, and thigh, which discovered her sex, and, of course, her secret. - -‘After being recovered from her wounds, and questioned by her -commanding officer, she related to him the particulars of her life, and -the reason of her being disguised, and entering for a soldier, which -was to seek her fortune, and share the fate of the man on whom she had -irrevocably fixed her affection. - -‘The news soon reached her lover, who flew to the arms of so faithful -a girl, whom he embraced with the most ardent zeal, vowing an eternal -constancy to her; and, in order to reward such faithful love, the -officers raised a handsome subscription for them, after which they -were married by the chaplain of the regiment, to their great joy.... - -‘But this was not all, for the adjutant of the 66th Regiment of Foot -dying of his wounds, Sergeant Cliff was promoted to that berth, and -Sergeant Fairbank to sergeant-major, as Cliff and him were always -comrades together. In a little time the regiment was sent to Gibraltar, -where they stayed most part of the year, during which Mrs. Cliff was -delivered of a fine son, after which the regiment was sent to the West -Indies, and, after a passage of twenty-eight days, landed safely on the -island of St. Vincent, where they remained some time; but, the yellow -fever raging among the troops, Mr. Cliff died, to the great grief of -his disconsolate wife and her young son. She was still afraid of the -raging distemper, but, happily for her and her son, neither of them -took it. - -‘Great indulgence was given her, and also provisions allowed them -both; but this did not suffice, for Mrs. Cliff, losing the man she -had ventured her life so many times for, was now very unhappy, and -made application to the commanding officer for her passage to England; -and a great many men, unfit for duty, coming home, she was admitted -a passenger. I, being unfit to act as sergeant-major, on account of -a wound that I received in my left leg, the same day Mrs. Cliff was -wounded, and although it was cured, as soon as I came into a hot -country it broke out again, and I, being unfit for duty, was sent -home, and recommended.[37] So I came home in the same ship, with this -difference, that she was in the cabin, and I among the men. We sailed -in the _Eleanor_ on the 25th of January, 1798, and, after forty days’ -sail, we reached Spithead, and, after performing a short quarantine, we -landed at Portsmouth on the 16th of March, where I left Mrs. Cliff to -pursue her journey to her father’s, and I came to London.’ - -I have been unable to trace the fate of this heroine any further. - -There is yet another woman of the eighteenth century, who acted the -part both of soldier and sailor; and we read of her in the _Times_, 4th -of November, 1799. - -‘There is at present in the Middlesex Hospital a young and delicate -female, who calls herself Miss T--lb--t, and who is said to be related -to some families of distinction; her story is very singular:--At an -early period of her life, having been deprived, by the villainy of a -trustee, of a sum of money bequeathed to her by a deceased relation -of high rank, she followed the fortunes of a young naval officer to -whom she was attached, and personated a common sailor before the mast, -during a cruise in the north seas. In consequence of a lover’s quarrel -she quitted the ship, and assumed, for a time, the military character; -but her passion for the sea prevailing, she returned to her favourite -element, did good service, and received a severe wound on board Earl -St. Vincent’s ship, on the glorious 14th of February,[38] and again -bled in the cause of her country in the engagement off Camperdown. On -this last occasion her knee was shattered, and an amputation is likely -to ensue. This spirited female, we understand, receives a pension of -£20 from an illustrious lady, which is about to be doubled.’ - -_Voilà comment on écrit l’histoire!_ This newspaper report is about -as truthful as nine-tenths of the paragraphs now-a-days; there is a -substratum of truth, but not ‘the whole truth and nothing but the -truth.’ But this can be read in a little tractate entitled, ‘The Life -and Surprising Adventures of Mary Ann Talbot, in the name of John -Taylor. Related by herself.’ London, 1809. This pamphlet is extracted -from ‘Kirby’s Wonderful Museum of Remarkable Characters, &c.,’ and -professes to be an autobiography. It is highly probable that it is so, -as she was a domestic servant in Mr. Kirby’s house for three years -before her death. - -According to this relation she was the youngest of sixteen natural -children whom her mother had by Lord William Talbot, Baron of Hensol, -steward of his Majesty’s household, and colonel of the Glamorganshire -Militia. She was born the 2nd of February, 1778, and her mother died -on giving her birth. She was put out to nurse in the country, until -she was five years of age, when she was placed in a boarding-school at -Chester, where she remained nine years, being looked after by a married -sister who lived at Trevalyn, county Denbigh. At her death a man named -Sucker, living at Newport, county Salop, became her guardian, and he -behaved to her with such severity that she cordially hated him. He -introduced her to a Captain Bowen, of the 82nd Regiment of Foot, who -took her to London in January, 1792, where, friendless and alone, she -soon became his victim. - -His regiment was ordered to embark for Santo Domingo, and he had -so thoroughly subjugated her to his will, and she was so utterly -helpless, that she accompanied him on board as his ‘little foot page.’ -Captain Bowen made John Taylor (for such was the name Miss Talbot then -took) thoroughly act up to her assumed character, and she had to live -and mess with the lowest of the ship’s company, and, what was more, had -to do her turn of duty with the ship’s crew. - -After a stormy voyage, with short provisions, they arrived at -Port-au-Prince, but stayed there a very short time, as orders came for -them to return to Europe, and join the troops on the Continent, under -the command of His Royal Highness the Duke of York. Then it was that -Captain Bowen made her enrol herself as a drummer in his regiment, -threatening her unless she did so he would sell her up-country for -a slave. There was nothing for her but to comply, so she put on the -clothes and learned the business of a drummer-boy, having, besides, -still to be the drudge of her paramour. - -At the siege of Valenciennes she received two wounds, neither of them -severe enough to incapacitate her from serving, and she cured them, -without going into hospital, with a little basilicon, lint, and Dutch -drops. In this siege Captain Bowen was killed, and she, finding the key -of his desk in his pocket, searched the desk and found several letters -relating to her, from her quondam guardian, Sucker. - -Being now released from her servitude, she began to think of quitting -the service, and, having changed her military dress for one she had -worn on ship-board, she deserted, and, after some wandering, reached -Luxembourg, but, it being in the occupation of the French, she was not -permitted to go further. Being thus foiled in her design of reaching -England, and destitute of every necessary of life, she was compelled -to engage on board a French lugger, a cruiser. In the course of their -voyage, they fell in with the British fleet under the command of Lord -Howe. The French vessel made a show of fighting, and John Taylor -refused to fight against her countrymen, for which she received a -severe thrashing from the French captain. - -After a very faint resistance the lugger was captured, and she, -as being English, was taken on board the _Queen Charlotte_ to be -interrogated by Lord Howe. Her story, being backed up by the French -captain, gained her release, and she was allowed to join the navy, a -berth being found for her on board the _Brunswick_ as powder-monkey, -her duty being to hand powder, &c., for the guns when in action. -Captain Harvey, of the _Brunswick_, noticed the pseudo lad, and -straightly examined her as to whether she had not run away from school, -or if she had any friends; but she disarmed his suspicions by telling -him her father and mother were dead, and she had not a friend in the -world; yet the kindly captain took such a friendly interest in her that -he made her principal cabin-boy. - -In the memorable fight off Brest, on the ‘Glorious First of June,’ -Captain Harvey was killed, and our heroine severely wounded both in the -ankle by a grape-shot and in the thigh a little above the knee. She -was, of course, taken to the cockpit; but the surgeon could not extract -the ball in the ankle, and would not venture to cut it out; nor, when -they arrived home, and she was taken to Haslar Hospital, could they -extract the ball. Partially cured, she was discharged, and shipped on -board the _Vesuvius_ bomb, belonging to Sir Sydney Smith’s squadron, -where she acted as midshipman, although she did not receive the pay -which should have accompanied the position; and, while thus serving, -a little anecdote she tells give us a fair idea of what stuff she was -made. - -‘It was necessary for some one on board to go to the jib-boom to catch -the jib-sheet, which in the gale had got loose. The continual lungeing -of the ship rendered this duty particularly hazardous, and there was -not a seaman on board but rejected this office. I was acting in the -capacity of midshipman, though I never received pay for my service in -this ship but as a common man. The circumstance I mention only to show -that it was not my particular duty to undertake the task, which, on the -refusal of several who were asked, I voluntarily undertook. Indeed, -the preservation of us all depended on this exertion. On reaching the -jib-boom I was under the necessity of lashing myself fast to it, for -the ship every minute making a fresh lunge, without such a precaution -I should inevitably have been washed away. The surges continually -breaking over me, I suffered an uninterrupted wash and fatigue for six -hours before I could quit the post I occupied. When danger is over, a -sailor has little thought or reflection, and my mess-mates, who had -witnessed the perilous situation in which I was placed, passed it off -with a joke observing, “that I had only been sipping sea broth”; but it -was a broth of a quality that, though most seamen relish, yet few, I -imagine, would like to take it in the quantity I was compelled to do.’ - -By the fortune of war the _Vesuvius_ was captured, and the crew were -conveyed to Dunkirk, where they were lodged in the prison of St. -Clair, and the rigour of their captivity seems to have been extreme, -especially in the case of Mary Anne Talbot, who perhaps partially -deserved it, as she attempted, in company with a mess-mate, to escape. -‘We were both confined in separate dungeons, where it was so dark that -I never saw daylight during the space of eleven weeks, and the only -allowance I received was bread and water, let down to me from the top -of the cell. My bed consisted only of a little straw, not more than -half a truss, which was never changed. For two days I was so ill in -this dreadful place that I was unable to stir from my wretched couch -to reach the miserable pittance, which, in consequence, was drawn up -in the same state. The next morning, a person--who, I suppose, was the -keeper of the place--came into the dungeon without a light (which way -he came I know not, but I suppose through a private door through which -I afterwards passed to be released), and called to me, “Are you dead?” -To this question I was only able to reply by requesting a little water, -being parched almost to death by thirst, resulting from the fever which -preyed on me. He told me he had none, and left me in a brutal manner, -without offering the least relief. Nature quickly restored me to -health, and I sought the bread and water with as eager an inclination -as a glutton would seek a feast. About five weeks after my illness, an -exchange of prisoners taking place, I obtained my liberty.’ - -She then shipped to America as steward, and from thence to England, and -was going on a voyage to the Mediterranean, when she was seized by a -press-gang, and sent on board a tender. But she had no wish to serve -His Majesty at sea any more, and, discovering her sex, she was examined -by a surgeon, and of course at once discharged. - -Her little stock of money getting low, she applied at the Navy -pay-office, in Somerset House, for the cash due to her whilst serving -in the _Brunswick_ and _Vesuvius_, as well as her share of prize-money, -arising from her being present on the ‘glorious 1st of June.’ She was -referred to a prize-agent, who directed her to call again; this not -being to her taste, she returned to Somerset House, and indulged in -very rough language, for which she was taken off to Bow Street. She -told her story, and was ordered to appear again, when a subscription -was got up in her behalf; and she was paid twelve shillings a week, -until she received her money from the Government. - -Her old wound in the leg became bad again, and she went into St. -Bartholomew’s Hospital, and on her discharge, partially cured, she -petitioned the King and the Duke of York for relief. The latter gave -her five pounds. Then she cast about for the means of earning a -livelihood, and bethought her that, when she was a prisoner at Dunkirk, -she had watched a German make little ornaments out of gold-wire, which -he sold at a good profit; and she did the same, working at the shop -of a jeweller in St. Giles’s, and so expert was she that she made the -chains for a gold bracelet worn by Queen Charlotte. But the old wound -still broke out, and she went into St. George’s Hospital for seven -months. When she came out, she led a shiftless, loafing existence, -always begging for money--of Mr. Dundas, of the Duke of York, or -anyone else that might possibly be generous. - -At last these kind friends got her case introduced in the very highest -quarters, and she kissed the Queen’s hand at Buckingham House, as it -was then called; and soon afterwards she was directed to apply at the -War Office, in her sailor’s dress, to receive a half-year’s payment of -a pension the Queen had granted her, in the name of John Taylor. Still -her wound kept breaking out, and twice she had to go into Middlesex -Hospital. She had some idea of going on the stage, and performed -several parts at the Thespian Society in Tottenham Court Road, but she -gave it up, finding begging a more profitable business; but even then -she had to go to Newgate for a small debt. She took in washing, but the -people did not pay her, and misfortune pursued her everywhere. - -One night, in September, 1804, she was thrown from a coach into a hole -left by the carelessness of some firemen, in Church Lane, Whitechapel, -and she broke her arm, besides bruising herself badly. The fire office -would give her no compensation, but many people were interested in -her case, among them a Mr. Kirby, a publisher in Paternoster Row, who -employed her as a domestic servant. In 1807, she fell into a decline, -doubtless induced by the very free life she had led; and she died on -the 4th of February, 1808, having just completed her thirtieth year. - -It is not to be thought that England enjoyed the monopoly of these -viragos--the country of Jeanne d’Arc was quite equal to the occasion, -and Renée Bordereau affords an illustration for the last century. She -was born, of peasant parents, in 1770, at the village of Soulaine, near -Angers; and at the time of the insurrection in La Vendée, when the -royalists were so cruelly punished, she lost forty-two relations in the -struggle, her father being murdered before her eyes. - -This crushed out of her any soft and feminine feelings she might -have possessed, and she vowed vengeance on the hated Republicans. -She obtained a musket, taught herself how to use it, learned some -elementary drill, and then, donning man’s attire, joined the royalists. -Among them she was known by the name of Langevin, and where the -fight was fiercest, there she would be, and none suspected that the -daring trooper was a woman. On horseback, and on foot, she fought in -above two hundred battles and skirmishes, frequently wounded, but -seldom much hurt. Such was the terror with which she inspired the -Bonapartists, that, when the rebellion was put down, Napoleon specially -exempted Langevin from pardon, and she languished in prison until the -Restoration. She died in 1828. - - - - -THE ‘TIMES’ AND ITS FOUNDER. - - -A discursive book anent the eighteenth century, as this is, would be -incomplete without a mention of one of the greatest powers which it -produced. This marvellous newspaper, whose utterances, at one time, -exercised a sensible influence over the whole of the civilised world, -and which, even now, is the most potent of all the English press, was -founded by Mr. John Walter, on January 1, 1788. - -This gentleman was born either in 1738 or 1739, and his father followed -the business of a ‘coal buyer,’ which meant that he bought coals at -the pit’s mouth, and then shipped them to any desired port, or market. -In those days almost all coals came, by sea, from Newcastle, and its -district, because of the facility of carriage; the great inland beds -being practically unworked, and in many cases utterly unknown: it -being reserved for the giant age of steam to develop their marvellous -resources. - -His father died in 1755, John Walter then being seventeen and, boy -though he was, he at once succeeded to his father’s business. In it -he was diligent and throve well, and he so won the confidence and -respect of his brother ‘coal buyers’ that when a larger Coal Exchange -was found necessary, in order to accommodate, and keep pace with -its increasing business, the whole of the arrangements, plans, and -directions were left in his hands. When the building was completed, he -was rewarded by his brethren in trade with the position of manager, and -afterwards he became Chairman to the Body of Coal Buyers. - -He married, and, in 1771, things had gone so prosperously with him -that he bought a house with some ground at Battersea Rise, and here he -lived, and reared his family of six children, until his bankruptcy, -when it was sold. He also took unto himself partners, and was the head -of the firm of Walter, Bradley, and Sage. For some time all went well, -but competition arose, and the old-fashioned way of doing business -could not hold its own against the keenness, and cutting, of the new -style. Let us hear him tell his own story.[39] - -‘I shall forbear relating the various scenes of business I was engaged -in prior to my embarking in Lloyd’s Rooms; sufficient it is to remark -that a very extensive trade I entered into at the early age of -seventeen, when my father died, rewarded a strong spirit of industry, -and, for the first ten or twelve years, with a satisfactory increase -of fortune; but a number of inconsiderable dealers, by undermining the -fair trader, and other dishonourable practices, reduced the profits, -and made them inadequate to the risque and capital employed. It -happened unfortunately for me, about that time, some policy brokers, -who had large orders for insurances on foreign Indiamen and other -adventures, found their way to the Coal Market, a building of which I -was the principal planner and manager. - -‘I was accustomed, with a few others, to underwrite the vessels -particularly employed in that trade, and success attended the step, -because the risque was fair, and the premiums adequate. This was my -temptation for inclining to their solicitations of frequenting Lloyd’s -Rooms.[40] With great reluctance I complain that I quitted a trade -where low art and cunning combated the fair principles of commerce, -which my mind resisted as my fortune increased; but from the change I -had to encounter deception and fraud, in a more dangerous but subtle -degree. - -‘The misfortunes of the war were of great magnitude to the -Underwriters, but they were considerably multiplied by the villainy and -depravity of Mankind. In the year 1776, at a time when they received -only peace premiums, American privateers swarmed on the seas, drove -to desperation by the Boston port act passing at the close of the -preceding year, to prohibit their fisheries, and our trade fell a -rapid prey before government had notice to apply the least protection. -Flushed with success, it increased the number of their armed vessels, -and proved such a source of riches as enabled them to open a trade with -France, who had, hitherto, been only a silent spectator, and produced -the sinews of a war which then unhappily commenced.’ - -He then details the causes which led to his bankruptcy--how the -wars with the French, Spaniards, and Dutch, all of whom had their -men-of-war and privateers, which preyed upon our commerce, ruined the -underwriters, and continues, - -‘In two years only of the war I lost, on a balance, thirty-one thousand -pounds, which obliged me, in 1781, to quit the Coal Trade, after -carrying it on so many years, when I had returned’ (? turned over) -‘above a Million of money, the profits of which have been sunk as an -Underwriter, that I might have the use of my capital employed in it, -to pay my unfortunate losses.... Last year, I was obliged to make a -sacrifice of my desirable habitation at Battersea Rise, where I had -resided ten years, and expended a considerable sum of money, the fruits -of many years of industry, before I became acquainted with Lloyd’s -Rooms. - -‘These reserves, however, proved ineffectual, and I found it necessary, -on examining the state of my accounts early in January last, to call -my Creditors together; for, though some months preceding I found my -fortune rapidly on the decline, I never suspected my being insolvent -till that view of my affairs, when I found a balance in my favour of -only nine thousand pounds, from which was to be deducted a fourth part -owing me by brokers, who, unfortunately for me as well as themselves, -were become bankrupts. This surplus, it was clear, would not bear me -through known, though unsettled, losses, besides what might arise on -unexpired risques. I therefore, without attempting to borrow a shilling -from a friend, resorting to false Credit, or using any subterfuge -whatever, after depositing what money remained in my hands, the -property of others, laid the state of my affairs before my Creditors. - -‘This upright conduct made them my friends; they immediately invested -me with full power to settle my own affairs, and have acted with -liberality and kindness. They were indebted for the early knowledge I -gave them of my affairs to the regularity of my accounts; for, had I -rested my inquiry till after the broker’s yearly accounts were chequed, -in all probability a very trifling dividend would have ensued. Had the -merchant been obliged to stand his own risque during the late war, few -concerned on the seas would have been able to withstand the magnitude -of their losses. - -‘The only alleviation to comfort me in this affliction has arose from -the consideration that I have acted honourably by all men; that, -neither in prosperity nor adversity, have I ever been influenced -by mean or mercenary motives in my connections with the world, of -which I can give the most satisfactory proofs; that, when in my -power, benevolence ever attended my steps; the deserving and needy -never resorted to me in vain, nor has gratitude ever been wanting to -express any obligations or kindnesses received from those I have had -transactions with by every return in my power. I have the further -consolation of declaring that, in winding up my affairs, I have acted -with the strictest impartiality in every demand both for and against my -estate; that I have (unsolicited) attended every meeting at Guildhall -to protect it against plunder. A dividend was made as soon as the -bankrupt laws would permit, and the surplus laid out in interest for -the benefit of the estate, till a fair time is allowed to know what -demands may come against it. I am fully convinced that it will not be -£15,000 deficient; above double that sum I have left in Lloyd’s Rooms -as a profit among the brokers. - -‘No prospect opening of embarking again in business for want of -Capital to carry it on, I was advised to make my case known to the -administration, which has been done both by public and private -application of my friends, who kindly interceded in my behalf for some -respectable post under Government, and met with that kind reception -from the Minister which gave me every prospect of success, which I -flatter myself I have some natural claim to, from the consideration -that, as trade is the support of the nation, it could not be carried on -without Underwriters. - -‘And as the want of protection to the trade of the Country, from -the host of enemies we had to combat, occasioned by misfortunes, -whom could I fly to with more propriety than to Government? as, by -endeavouring to protect commerce, I fell a martyr on the conclusion -of an unfortunate war. I was flattered with hopes that my pretensions -to an appointment were not visionary, and that I was not wanting in -ability to discharge the duties of any place I might have the honour to -fill. The change of administration[41] which happened soon after was -death to my hopes, and, as I had little expectation of making equal -interest with the Minister who succeeded, I have turned my thoughts to -a matter which appeared capable of being a most essential improvement -in the conduct of the Press;[42] and, by great attention and assiduity -for a year past, it is now reduced from a very voluminous state and -great incorrectness to a system which, I hope, will meet the public -approbation and countenance. - -‘Such is the brief state of a Case which I trust humanity will consider -deserving a better fate. Judge what must be my sensations on this -trying occasion: twenty-six years in the prime of life passed away, -all the fortune I had acquired by a studious attention to business -sunk by hasty strides, and the world to begin afresh, with the daily -introduction to my view of a wife and six children unprovided for, -and dependent on me for support. Feeling hearts may sympathise at the -relation, none but parents can conceive the anxiety of my mind in such -a state of uncertainty and suspense.’ - -From an unprejudiced perusal of this ‘case,’ the reader can but come -to the conclusion that Mr. John Walter was not overburdened with that -inconvenient commodity--modesty; and that his logic--judged by ordinary -rules--is decidedly faulty. But that he did try to help himself, is -evidenced by the following advertisement in the _Morning Post_ of July -21, 1784: - - _‘To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and - Common-councilmen of the City of London._ - -‘MY LORD AND GENTLEMEN, - -‘The Office of Principal Land Coal Meter of this City being at present -vacant by the death of Mr. John Evans, permit me to solicit the honour -of succeeding him. My pretensions to your countenance on this occasion -are the misfortunes in which (in common with many other respectable -Citizens) I have been involved by the calamities of the late war, and -an unblemished reputation, which has survived the wreck of my fortune. -Having been a Liveryman twenty-four years, during which time I carried -on an extensive branch of the coal trade, my fellow-citizens cannot -well be unacquainted with my character; and my having been greatly -instrumental in establishing the very office which I solicit your -interest to fill, will, I hope, be deemed an additional recommendation -to your patronage. - -‘If my pretensions should meet your approbation, and be crowned with -success, I shall ever retain a lively sense of so signal an obligation -on, - - ‘My Lord and Gentlemen, - ‘Your most obedient, devoted, humble servant, - - ‘JOHN WALTER. - - ‘Printing House Square, Blackfriars.’ - -We hear of him again in connection with this situation, which he did -not succeed in obtaining, in an advertisement in the _Morning Post_, -30th of July, 1784. - - - ‘_To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, &c._ - -‘The Report, which a few days ago was credited by few, is now confirmed -by many, and believed by all men, that a Coalition has been formed for -the purpose of forcing you to bestow the emoluments of the Principal -Land Coal Meter Office on two Aldermen, and it has been agreed that, -on the day of the Election, one of them shall decline the Contest, -and make a transfer to the other of the votes which some of you were -pleased to engage to him.... - -‘My pretensions I submit to the Corporation at large, and I strongly -solicit the assistance of the merchants and traders of the Metropolis -to join their efforts, and endeavour to wrest the power of appointment -from the hands of a Junto, and restore the freedom of Election. Assert -your independence, and consequence, in time; with your breath you can -blast the Coalition in its infancy; but, if you suffer it to conquer -you in its present state, it will become a Hydra that will swallow up -your Franchises, and leave you, like a Cathedral Chapter, the liberty -of obeying a _congé d’èlire_ sent to you by a self-constituted faction. - - ‘I am, &c., &c., - - ‘JOHN WALTER. - - ‘Printing House Square, Blackfriars.’ - -How did he come to this (to us) familiar address? It was by a chance -which came in his way, and he seized it. In 1782 he, somehow, became -acquainted with a compositor named Henry Johnson, who pointed out the -trouble and loss of time occasioned by setting up words with types of -a single letter, and proposed that at all events those words mostly -in use should be cast in one. These were called ‘Logotypes’ (or word -types), and printing, therefore, was called ‘Logography.’ Caslon at -first made the types--but there is evidence that they quarrelled, for -in a letter of August 12, 1785, in the _Daily Universal Register_ of -that date, which he reprinted in broadside form, he says, ‘Mr. Caslon, -the founder (whom I at first employed to cast my types), calumniated my -plan, he censured what he did not understand, wantonly disappointed me -in the work he engaged to execute, and would meanly have sacrificed me, -to establish the fallacious opinion he had promulgated.’ - -People had their little jokes about the ‘Logotypes,’ and Mr. Knight -Hunt, in his ‘Fourth Estate,’ writes, ‘It was said that the orders to -the type-founder ran after this fashion, “Send me a hundred-weight -of heat, cold, wet, dry, murder, fire, dreadful robbery, atrocious -outrage, fearful calamity, and alarming explosion.”’ That he obtained -not only literary, but royal recognition of his pet type, is shown by a -foot-note to the letter above quoted (respecting Mr. Caslon), - -‘Any gentleman who chuses may inspect the Logographic Founts and Types, -at the Printing-office, or at the British Museum, to which place they -have been removed from the Queen’s Palace.’ - -Where he got his money from he does not say, but on the 17th of May, -1784, he advertised that ‘Mr. Walter begs to inform the public that -he has purchased the printing-house formerly occupied by Mr. Basket -near Apothecaries Hall, which will be opened on the first day of next -month for printing words entire, under his Majesty’s Patent;’ and he -commenced business June 1, 1784. - -Printing House Square stands on the site of the old Monastery of -Blackfriars. After the dissolution of the monasteries, in Henry the -Eighth’s time, it passed through several hands, until it became the -workshop of the royal printer. Here was printed, in 1666, the _London -Gazette_, the oldest surviving paper in England; and, the same year, -the all-devouring Great Fire completely destroyed it. Phœnix-like, it -arose from its ashes, more beautiful than before--for the writer of ‘A -New View of London,’ published in 1708, thus describes it: _Printing -House Lane_, on the E side of Blackfryars: a passage to the _Queen’s -Printing House_ (which is a stately building).’ - -‘Formerly occupied by Mr. Basket,’ a printer, under the royal -patent, of Bibles and Prayer-books. To him succeeded other royal and -privileged printers. Eyre and Strahan, afterwards Eyre, Strahan, and -Spottiswoode, now Spottiswoode and Co., who, in 1770, left Printing -House Square, and moved to New Street, Fleet Street, a neighbourhood of -which, now, that firm have a virtual monopoly. - -John Walter could not have dreamed of the palace now built at Bearwood; -for, like most mercantile men of his day, he was quite content to -‘live over the shop’; and there, in Printing House Square, his son, -and successor, John (who lived to build Bearwood), was born, and there -James Carden, Esq., received his bride, John Walter’s eldest daughter, -who was the mother of the present venerable alderman, Sir Robert -Carden. There, too, died his wife, the partner of his successes and his -failures, in the year 1798. - -The first work printed at this logographic printing establishment -was a little story called, ‘Gabriel, the Outcast.’ Many other slight -works followed; but these were not enough to satisfy the ambitions -of John Walter, who, six months after he commenced business, started -a newspaper, the _Daily Universal Register_, on the 1st of January, -1785.[43] Even at that date there was no lack of newspapers, although -our grandfathers were lucky to have escaped the infliction of the -plague of periodicals under which we groan; for there were the _Morning -Post_, the _Morning Chronicle_, the _General Advertiser_, _London -Gazette_, _London Chronicle_, _Gazetteer_, _Morning Herald_, _St. -James’s Chronicle_, _London Recorder_, _General Evening Post_, _Public -Advertiser_, _Lounger_, _Parker’s General Advertiser_, &c. So we must -conclude that John Walter’s far-seeing intelligence foretold that a -good daily paper, ably edited, would pay. It was logographically -printed, and was made the vehicle of puffs of the proprietor’s hobby. -The _Times_ was also so printed for a short period, but, eventually, -it proved so cumbersome in practice, as absolutely to hinder the -compositors, instead of aiding them. - -On the 1st of January, 1788, was born a baby that has since grown into -a mighty giant. On that day was published the first number of THE -TIMES, _or Daily Universal Register_, for it had a dual surname, and -the reasons for the alteration are given in the following ‘editorial.’ - - -‘THE TIMES. - -‘Why change the head? - -‘This question will naturally come from the Public--and _we_, the -_Times_, being the PUBLIC’S most humble and obedient Servants, think -ourselves bound to answer:-- - -‘All things have _heads_--and all _heads_ are liable to _change_. - -‘Every sentence and opinion advanced by Mr. _Shandy_ on the influence -and utility of a well-chosen surname may be properly applied in showing -the recommendations and advantages which result from placing a striking -title-page before a book, or an inviting HEAD on the front page of a -_Newspaper_. - -‘A HEAD so placed, like those _heads_ which once ornamented _Temple -Bar_, or those of the _great Attorney_, or _great Contractor_, -which, not long since, were conspicuously elevated for their _great -actions_, and were exhibited, in wooden frames, at the _East_ and -_West_ Ends of this Metropolis, never fails of attracting the eyes of -passengers--though, indeed, we do not expect to experience the lenity -shown to these _great exhibitors_, for probably the TIMES will be -pelted without mercy. - -‘But then, a _head_ with a _good face_ is a harbinger, a -gentleman-usher, that often strongly recommends even DULNESS, FOLLY, -IMMORALITY, or VICE. The immortal Locke gives evidence to the truth -of this observation. That great philosopher has declared that, though -repeatedly taken in, he never could withstand the solicitations of -a well-drawn title-page--authority sufficient to justify _us_ in -assuming a _new head_ and a _new set of features_, but not with a -design to impose; for we flatter ourselves the HEAD of the TIMES will -not be found deficient in _intellect_, but, by putting a _new face_ on -affairs, will be admired for the _light of its countenance_, whenever -it appears. - -‘To advert to our first position. - -‘The UNIVERSAL REGISTER has been a name as injurious to the -_Logographic Newspaper_, as TRISTRAM was to MR. SHANDY’S SON. But OLD -SHANDY forgot he might have rectified by _confirmation_ the mistakes of -the _parson_ at _baptism_--with the touch of a _Bishop_ have changed -TRISTRAM to Trismegistus. - -‘The UNIVERSAL REGISTER, from the day of its first appearance to the -day of its _confirmation_, has, like TRISTRAM, suffered from unusual -casualties, both laughable and serious, arising from its name, which, -on its introduction, was immediately curtailed of its fair proportion -by all who called for it--the word _Universal_ being _Universally_ -omitted, and the word _Register_ being only retained. - -‘“Boy, bring me the _Register_.” - -‘The waiter answers: “Sir, we have not a library, but you may see it at -the _New Exchange Coffee House_.” - -‘“Then I’ll see it there,” answers the disappointed politician; and he -goes to the _New Exchange_, and calls for the _Register_; upon which -the waiter tells him he cannot have it, as he is not a subscriber, -and presents him with the _Court and City Register_, the _Old Annual -Register_, or, if the Coffee-house be within the Purlieus of Covent -Garden, or the hundreds of Drury, slips into the politician’s hand -_Harris’s Register_ of Ladies. - -‘For these and other reasons the parents of the UNIVERSAL REGISTER have -added to its original name that of the - - -TIMES, - -Which, being a _monosyllable_, bids defiance to _corrupters_ and -_mutilaters_ of the language. - -‘THE TIMES! What a monstrous name! Granted, for THE TIMES _is_ a -many-headed monster, that speaks with an hundred tongues, and displays -a thousand characters, and, in the course of _its_ transformations in -life, assumes innumerable shapes and humours. - -‘The critical reader will observe we personify our _new name_; but as -we give it no distinction of sex, and though _it_ will be _active_ in -_its_ vocations, yet we apply to _it_ the _neuter gender_. - -‘THE TIMES, being formed of materials, and possessing qualities of -opposite and heterogeneous natures, cannot be classed either in the -animal or vegetable _genus_; but, like the _Polypus_, is doubtful, -and in the discussion, description, dissection, and illustration will -employ the pens of the most celebrated among the _Literati_. - -‘The HEADS OF THE TIMES, as has been said, are many; they will, -however, not always appear at the same time, but casually, as public -or private affairs may call them forth. - -‘The principal, or leading heads are-- - - The Literary; - Political; - Commercial; - Philosophical; - Critical; - Theatrical; - Fashionable; - Humorous; - Witty, &c. - -‘Each of which are supplied with a competent share of intellects for -the pursuit of their several functions; an endowment which is not in -_all times_ to be found even in the HEADS of the _State_, the _heads_ -of the _Church_, the _heads_ of the _Law_, the _heads_ of the _Navy_, -the _heads_ of the _Army_, and though _last_, not least, the great -_heads_ of the _Universities_. - -‘The _Political Head_ of THE TIMES, like that of _Janus_, the Roman -Deity, is doubly faced; with one countenance it will smile continually -on the friends of _Old England_, and with the other will frown -incessantly on her _enemies_. - -‘The alteration we have made in our _head_ is not without precedents. -The WORLD has parted with half its CAPUT MORTUUM, and a moiety of -its brains. The HERALD has cut off half its head, and has lost its -original humour. The POST, it is true, retains its whole head and -its old features; and, as to the other public prints, they appear as -having neither _heads_ nor _tails_. On the PARLIAMENTARY HEAD every -communication that ability and industry can produce may be expected. -To this great _National object_, THE TIMES will be most sedulously -attentive, most accurately correct, and strictly impartial in its -_reports_.’ - -The early career of the _Times_ was not all prosperity, and Mr. -Walter was soon taught a practical lesson in keeping his pen within -due bounds, for, on July 11th, 1788, he was tried for two libellous -paragraphs published in the _Times_, reflecting on the characters -of the Duke of York, Gloucester, and Cumberland, stating them to be -‘insincere’ in their profession of joy at his Majesty’s recovery. It -might have been an absolute fact, but it was impolitic to print it, and -so he found it, for a jury found him guilty. - -He came up for judgment at the King’s Bench on the 23rd of November -next, when he was sentenced by the Court to pay a fine of fifty pounds, -to be imprisoned twelve months in Newgate, to stand in the pillory at -Charing Cross, when his punishment should have come to an end, and to -find security for his good behaviour. - -He seems to have ridden a-tilt at all the royal princes, for we next -hear of him under date of 3rd of February, 1790, being brought from -Newgate to the Court of King’s Bench to receive sentence for the -following libels: - -For charging their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Duke of -York with having demeaned themselves so as to incur the displeasure -of his Majesty. This, doubtless, was strictly true, but it cost the -luckless Walter one hundred pounds as a fine, and another twelve -months’ imprisonment in Newgate. - -This, however, was not all; he was arraigned on another indictment -for asserting that His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence returned -from his station without leave of the Admiralty, or of his commanding -officer, and for this he was found guilty, and sentenced to pay another -hundred pounds. - -Whether he made due submission, or had powerful friends to assist him, -I know not,--but it is said that it was at the request of the Prince of -Wales--at all events, he received the king’s pardon, and was released -from confinement on 7th of March, 1791, after which time he never wrote -about the king’s sons in a way likely to bring him within the grip of -the Law. - -From time to time we get little _avisos_ as to the progress of the -paper, for John Walter was not one of those who hide their light -under a bushel. Contrast the printing power then with the magnificent -‘Walter’ machines of the present day, which, in their turn, will -assuredly be superseded by some greater improvement. - -The _Times_, 7th of February, 1794. ‘The Proprietors have for some -time past been engaged in making alterations which they trust will be -adequate to remedy the inconvenience of the late delivery complained -of; and after Monday next the TIMES will be worked off with three -Presses, and occasionally with four, instead of TWO, as is done in -all other Printing-offices, by which mode two hours will be saved -in printing the Paper, which, notwithstanding the lateness of the -delivery, is now upwards of FOUR THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED in sale, daily.’ - -The following statement is curious, as showing us some of the interior -economy of the newspaper in its early days. From the _Times_, April 19, -1794: - - -‘TO THE PUBLIC. - -‘It is with very great regret that the Proprietors of this Paper, -in Common with those of other Newspapers, find themselves obliged to -increase the daily price of it ONE HALFPENNY, a measure which they have -been forced to adopt in consequence of the Tax laid by the _Minister_ -on _Paper_, during the present Session of Parliament, and which took -place on the 5th instant. - -‘While the Bill was still pending, we not only stated in our Newspaper, -but the Minister was himself informed by a Committee of Proprietors, -that the new Duty would be so extremely oppressive as to amount to a -necessity of raising the price, which it was not only their earnest -Wish, but also their Interest, to avoid. The Bill, however, passed, -after a long consideration and delay occasioned by the great doubts -that were entertained of its efficacy. We wish a still longer time -had been taken to consider it; for we entertain the same opinion as -formerly, that the late Duty on Paper will not be productive to the -Revenue, while it is extremely injurious to a particular class of -Individuals, whose property was very heavily taxed before. - -‘In fact, it amounts either to a Prohibition of printing a Newspaper at -the present price, or obliges the Proprietors to advance it. There is -no option left; the price of Paper is now so high that the Proprietors -have no longer an interest to render their sale extensive, as far as -regards the profits of a large circulation. The more they sell at the -present price, the more they will lose; to us alone the _Advance_ on -Paper will make a difference of £1,200 sterling per Annum more than it -formerly cost us--a sum which the Public must be convinced neither can, -nor ought to be afforded by any Property of the limited nature of a -Newspaper, the profits on the sale of which are precisely as follows: - - -‘SALE. - - 2,000 Newspapers sold to the Newshawkers at 3½d., with a - further deduction of allowing them a Paper in every Quire - of 24 £26 18 6. - - - ‘COST OF 2,000 PAPERS. - - - A Bundle of Paper containing 2,000 Half-sheets, or 2,000 Newspapers - at Four Guineas per Bundle, which is the price it will - be sold at under the new Duty is £4 4 0. - - £4 4 0 £26 18 6 - 2,000 Stamps at 2d., deducting discount 16 0 0 20 4 0 - ------- - Profits £6 14 6 - ======= - -‘This is the whole Profit on the sale of two thousand Newspapers, out -of which is to be deducted the charges of printing a Newspaper (which, -on account of the Rise in Printers’ Wages last year, is £100 a year -more than it ever was before), the charges of Rent, Taxes, Coals, -Candles (which are very high in every Printing-office), Clerks, general -Superintendance, Editing, Parliamentary and Law Reports, and, above -all, the Expenses of FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE, which, under the present -difficulties of obtaining it, and the different Channels which must -be employed to secure a regular and uninterrupted Communication, is -immense. If this Paper is in high estimation, surely the Proprietors -ought to receive the advantage of their success, and not the Revenue, -which already monopolises such an immense income from this property, no -less than to the amount of £14,000 sterling during last year only. We -trust that these reasons will have sufficient weight with the Public -to excuse us when we announce, though with very great regret, that on -Monday next the price of this Paper will be _Fourpence Halfpenny_.’ - -Occasionally, the proprietor fell foul of his neighbours; vide the -_Times_, November 16, 1795: - -‘All the abuse so lavishly bestowed on this Paper by other Public -Prints, seems as if designed to betray, that in proportion as our sale -is _good_, it is _bad_ TIMES with them.’ - -In the early part of 1797, Pitt proposed, among other methods of -augmenting the revenue, an additional stamp of three halfpence on every -newspaper. The _Times_, April 28, 1797, groaned over it thus: - -‘The present daily sale of the TIMES is known to be between four and -five thousand Newspapers. For the sake of perspicuity, we will make our -calculation on four thousand only, and it will hold good in proportion -to every other Paper. - -‘The Newsvendors are now allowed by the Proprietors of every Newspaper -two sheets in every quire, viz., twenty-six for every twenty-four -Papers sold. The stamp duty on two Papers in every quire in four -thousand Papers daily at the old Duty of 2d., amounts to £780 a year, -besides the value of the Paper. An additional Duty of 1½d. will -occasion a further loss of £585 in this one instance only, for which -there is not, according to Mr. PITT’S view of the subject, to be the -smallest remuneration to the Proprietors. Is it possible that anything -can be so unjust? If the Minister persists in his proposed plan, it -will be impossible for Newspapers to be sold at a lower rate than -sixpence halfpenny per Paper.’ - -Pitt, of course, carried out his financial plan, and the newspapers had -to grin, and bear it as best they could--the weaker going to the wall, -as may be seen by the following notices which appeared in the _Times_, -July 5: - - -‘TO THE PUBLIC. - -‘We think it proper to remind our Readers and the Public at large that, -in consequence of the heavy additional Duty of Three Half-pence imposed -on every Newspaper, by a late Act of Parliament, which begins to have -effect from and after this day, the Proprietors are placed in the very -unpleasant position of being compelled to raise the price of their -Newspapers to the amount of the said Duty. To the Proprietors of this -Paper it will prove a very considerable diminution of the fair profits -of the Trade; they will not, however, withdraw in the smallest degree -any part of the Expenses which they employ in rendering the TIMES an -Intelligent and Entertaining source of Information: and they trust with -confidence that the Public will bestow on it the same liberal and kind -Patronage which they have shown for many years past; and for which the -Proprietors have to offer sentiments of sincere gratitude. From this -day, the price of every Newspaper will be Sixpence.’ - -July 19, 1797. ‘Some of the COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS have actually given up -the Trade, rather than stand the risk of the late enormous heavy Duty: -many others have advertised them for Sale: some of those printed in -Town must soon do the like, for the fair profits of Trade have been so -curtailed, that no Paper can stand the loss without having a very large -proportion of Advertisements. We have very little doubt but that, so -far from Mr. Pitt’s calculation of a profit of £114,000 sterling by the -New Tax on Newspapers, the Duty, the same as on WINE, will fall very -short of the original Revenue.’ - -July 13, 1797. ‘As a proof of the diminution in the general sale of -Newspapers since the last impolitic Tax laid on them, we have to -observe, as one instance, that the number of Newspapers sent through -the General Post Office on Monday the 3rd instant, was 24,700, and on -Monday last, only 16,800, a falling off of nearly _one-third_.’ - -Once again we find John Walter falling foul of a contemporary--and -indulging in editorial amenities. - -July 2, 1798. ‘The _Morning Herald_ has, no doubt, acted from _very -prudent motives_ in declining to state any circumstances respecting -its sale. All that we hope and expect, in future, is--that it will not -attempt to injure this Paper by insinuating that it was in a declining -state; an assertion which it knows to be false, and which will be taken -notice of in a different way if repeated. The _Morning Herald_ is at -liberty to make any other comments it pleases.’ - -Have the _Daily Telegraph_ and the _Standard_ copied from John Walter, -when they give public notice that their circulation is so-and-so, as -is vouched for by a respectable accountant? It would seem so, for this -notice appeared in the _Times_: - - * * * * * - -‘We have subjoined an Affidavit sworn yesterday before a Magistrate of -the City, as to the present sale of the TIMES. - -‘“We, C. Bentley and G. Burroughs, Pressmen of the _Times_, do make -Oath, and declare, That the number printed of the _Times_ Paper for the -last two months, has never been, on any one day, below 3 thousand, and -has fluctuated from that number to three thousand three hundred and -fifty.” - -‘And, in order to avoid every subterfuge, I moreover attest, That the -above Papers of the TIMES were paid for to me, previous to their being -taken by the Newsmen from the Office, with the exception of about a -dozen Papers each morning which are spoiled in Printing. - - ‘J. BONSOR, Publisher. - - ‘Sworn before me December 31, 1798. - - ‘W. CURTIS.’ - -From this time the career of the _Times_ seems to have been prosperous, -for we read, January 1, 1799, - - -‘THE NEW YEAR. - -‘The New Year finds the TIMES in the same situation which it has -invariably enjoyed during a long period of public approbation. It -still continues to maintain its character among the Morning Papers, as -the most considerable in point of sale, as of general dependence with -respect to information, and as proceeding on the general principles of -the British Constitution. While we thus proudly declare our possession -of the public favour, we beg leave to express our grateful sense of the -unexampled patronage we have derived from it.’ - -Mr. John Walter was never conspicuous for his modesty, and its absence -is fully shown in the preceding and succeeding examples (January 1, -1800): - -‘It is always with satisfaction that we avail ourselves of the return -of the present Season to acknowledge our sense of the obligation we lay -under to the Public, for the very liberal Patronage with which they -have honoured the TIMES, during many years; a constancy of favour, -which, we believe, has never before distinguished any Newspaper, and -for which the Proprietors cannot sufficiently express their most -grateful thanks. - -‘This Favour is too valuable and too honourable to excite no envy in -contemporary Prints, whose frequent habit it is to express it by the -grossest calumnies and abuse. The Public, we believe, has done them -ample justice, and applauded the contempt with which it is our practice -to receive them.’ - -As this self-gratulatory notice brings us down to the last year of -the eighteenth century, I close this notice of ‘The _Times_ and its -Founder.’ John Walter died at Teddington, Middlesex, on the 26th of -January, 1812. - - - - -IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. - - -Imprisonment for debt has long ceased to exist in England; debtors now -only suffering incarceration for contempt of Court: that is to say, -that the judge has satisfied himself that the debtor has the means to -pay, and will not. But, in the eighteenth century, it was a fearful -fact, and many languished in prison for life, for most trifling sums. -Of course, there were debtors _and_ debtors. If a man had money or -friends, much might be done to mitigate his position; he might even -live outside the prison, in the Rules, as they were called, a limited -district surrounding the prison; but for this advantage he must find -substantial bail--enough to cover his debt and fees. But the friendless -poor debtor had a very hard lot, subsisting on charity, going, in turn, -to beg of passers-by for a coin, however small, rattling a box to call -attention, and dolorously repeating, ‘Remember the poor prisoners.’ - -There were many debtors’ prisons, and one of the principal, the Fleet, -was over-crowded; in fact, they all were full. Newgate, the Marshalsea, -the Gate House, Westminster, the Queen’s Bench, the Fleet, Ludgate, -Whitecross Street, Whitechapel, and a peculiar one belonging to St. -Katharine’s (where are now the docks). - -Arrest for debt was very prompt; a writ was taken out, and no poor -debtor dare stir out without walking ‘beard on shoulder,’ dreading -a bailiff in every passer-by. The profession of bailiff was not an -honoured one, and, probably, the best men did not enter it; but they -had to be men of keen wit and ready resource, for they had equally -keen wits, sharpened by the dread of capture, pitted against them. -Some rose to eminence in their profession, and as, occasionally, there -is a humorous side even to misery, I will tell a few stories of their -exploits. As I am not inventing them, and am too honest to pass off -another man’s work as my own, I prefer telling the stories in the -quaint language in which I find them. - -‘_Abram Wood_ had a Writ against an _Engraver_, who kept a House -opposite to _Long Acre_ in _Drury Lane_, and having been several times -to serve it, but could never light on the Man, because he work’d at -his business above Stairs, as not daring to shew his Head for fear of -being arrested, for he owed a great deal of Money, Mr. _Bum_ was in -a Resolution of spending no more Time over him; till, shortly after, -hearing that one _Tom Sharp_, a House-breaker, was to be hang’d at -the end of _Long Acre_, for murdering a Watchman, he and his Follower -dress’d themselves like Carpenters, having Leather Aprons on, and Rules -tuck’d in at the Apron Strings: then going early the morning or two -before the Malefactor was to be executed, to the place appointed for -Execution, they there began to pull out their Rules, and were very -busie in marking out the Ground where they thought best for erecting -the Gibbet. This drew several of the Housekeepers about ’em presently, -and among the rest the _Engraver_, who, out of a selfish humour of -thinking he might make somewhat the more by People standing in his -House to see the Execution, in Case this Gibbet was near it, gave -_Abram_ a Crown, saying, - -‘“_I’ll give you a Crown more if you’ll put the Gibbet hereabouts_;” at -the same time pointing where he would have it. - -‘Quoth _Abram_: “_We must put it fronting exactly up_ Long Acre; -_besides, could I put it nearer your door, I should require more Money -than you propose, even as much as this_” (at the same time pulling it -out of his pocket) “_Writ requires, which is twenty-five Pounds._” So, -taking his prisoner away, who could not give in Bail to the Action, he -was carried to Jayl, without seeing _Tom Sharp_ executed.’ - - * * * * * - -‘_William Browne_ had an Action given him against one _Mark Blowen_, -a Butcher, who, being much in debt, was never at his Stall, except on -_Saturdays_, and then not properly neither, for the opposite side of -the way to his Shop being in the Duchy Liberty[44] (with the Bailiff -whereof he kept in Fee) a Bailiff of the Marshal’s Court could not -arrest him. From hence he could call to his Wife and Customers as there -was occasion; and there could _Browne_ once a week see his Prey, but -durst not meddle with him. Many a Saturday his Mouth watered at him; -but one Saturday above the rest, _Browne_, stooping for a Purse, as if -he found it, just by his Stall, and pulling five or six guineas out of -it, the Butcher’s Wife cry’d “Halves;” his Follower, who was at some -little distance behind him, cry’d out, “Halves” too. - -‘_Browne_ refused Halves to either, whereupon they both took hold of -him, the Woman swearing it was found by her Stall, therefore she would -have half; and the Follower saying, As he saw it as soon t’other, he -would have a Share of it too, or he would acquaint the Lord of the -Mannor with it. _Mark Blowen_, in the meantime, seeing his Wife and -another pulling and haling the Man about, whom he did not suspect to be -a Bailiff, asked, “What’s the Matter?” His wife telling him the Man had -found a Purse with Gold in it by her Stall, and therefore she thought -it nothing but Justice but she ought to have some of it. - -“‘_Ay ay_,” (quoth the Butcher), “_and nothing but Reason, Wife_.” - -‘So, coming from his privileged side of the Way, he takes hold of -_Browne_ too, bidding his Wife look after the Shop, for he would take -care of him before they parted. - -‘_Browne_, being thus hemm’d in by his Follower and the Butcher, quoth -he: - -‘“_Look’ee here, Gentlemen, I have Six Guineas here, ’tis true, but, -if I should give you one half of it, why, then there is but a quarter -Share of the other two._” - -‘“_No, no_”, (replyed they), “_we’ll have Man and Man alike, which is -Two Guineas apiece_.” - -‘“_Well_,” (quoth Browne), “_if it must be so, I’m contented; but, -then, I’ll tell you what, I’ll have the odd Eighteen Pence spent_.” - -‘“_With all my heart_,” said Blowen. “_We’ll never make a dry Bargain -on’t._” - -‘They are all agreed, and _Browne_ leads them up to the _Blackmore’s -Head_ Alehouse, in _Exeter Street_, where a couple of Fowls are -ordered to be laid down, and Stout and Ale is called for by wholesale. -At last they went to Dinner, and, afterwards, _Browne_, changing his -Six Guineas for Silver, gave his Follower (to carry on the jest) Forty -Shillings, and put the rest in his pocket. _Mark Blowen_, seeing that, -began to look surly, and asked for his Share. - -‘Said _Browne_: “_What Share, friend?_” - -‘Quoth _Mark Blowen_: “_Forty Shillings, as you gave this Man here._” - -‘_Browne_ reply’d: “_Why, truly, Sir, I shall have an urgent Occasion -to Night for what Sum I have about me, and if you’ll be pleas’d to lend -me your Share but till_ Monday _Morning, I’ll come and pay you then at -this House without fail, and return you, with infinite thanks, for the -Favour._” - -‘Quoth _Mark_ (who was a blundering, rustical sort of a Fellow): -“_D---- me, Sir, don’t think to Tongue-Pad me out of my Due. I’ll have -my Share now, or else he that’s the best Man here of us three shall -have it all, win it, and wear it._” - -‘“_Pray, Sir_,” (said _Browne_), “_don’t be in this Passion. I’ll leave -you a sufficient Pledge for it till_ Monday.” - -‘Quoth _Mark_: “_Let’s see it._” - -‘Hereupon _Browne_ pulls out his Tip-Staff, and lays it on the Table; -but the Butcher, not liking the Complexion of it, began to be moving, -when the Follower, laying Hands on him, they arrested him in an Action -of Eighteen Pounds, and carried him to the _Marshalsea_, where, after a -Confinement of Nine Months, he ended his Days.’ - -There is another famous bailiff on record, named Jacob Broad; and -of him it is narrated that, ‘being employed to arrest a Justice of -the Peace living near _Uxbridge_, he went down there very often, -and had us’d several Stratagems to take him, but, his Worship being -very cautious in conversing with any of _Jacob’s_ Fraternity, his -Contrivances to nap him prov’d always abortive. However, a great deal -of Money was proffer’d by the Creditor to take the worshipful Debtor; -so one Day _Jacob_, with a couple of his Followers, took a Journey in -the Country, and, being near the end of their Journey, _Jacob_ alights, -and flings his Bridle, Saddle, and Boots into a Thick Hedge, and then -puts a Fetlock[45] on his Horse. The Followers tramp’d it a-foot, to -one of whom giving the Horse, he leads it to a Smith at _Uxbridge_, -and, telling him he had lost the Key of the Fetlock, he desir’d him -to unlock it, whilst he went to a neighbouring Alehouse, where he -would give him a Pot or two of Drink for his Pains. Accordingly the -Smith unlockt it, and carried the Horse to the Alehouse; and, after he -had drank Part of half-a-dozen of Drink, return’d to his Work again. -Shortly after, came the other Follower to the Smith, inquiring if he -did not see such a Horse come by that way, describing at the same time -the Colour and Marks of it, and how his Master had lost him out of his -Grounds that Morning. The Smith reply’d, that such a Horse was brought -to him but a little before, to have a Fetlock taken off, and that he -did imagine the Fellow to be a Rogue that had him; but, however, he -believ’d he was still at such an Alehouse hard by, and might be there -apprehended. Hereupon the Smith and Follower went to the Alehouse, -where they found the Horse standing at the Door, and the other Follower -in the House, whom they call’d a thousand Rogues, and charg’d with a -Constable for a Thief. In the meantime, came _Jacob Broad_, who own’d -the Horse to be his, and the Town-People, being all in a hurly-burly, -they carried him before the Justice whom _Jacob_ wanted; but no sooner -were _Jacob_, the supposed Thief, and the other Follower entered the -House, but charging the Constable to keep the Peace, they arrested his -Worship, and brought him forthwith to _London_, where he was forc’d -to pay the Debt of two hundred and thirty-four Pounds before he could -reach home again.’ - -Another story is related of Jacob Broad. - -‘A certain Gentleman who liv’d at _Hackney_, and had been a Collector -of the late Queen’s Duties, but cheated her of several thousands of -Pounds, goes home, and pretends himself sick. Upon this he keeps his -Bed, and, after a Fortnight’s pretended Illness, it was given out that -he was Dead. Great preparations were then made for his Funeral. His -Coffin, which was filled with Bricks and Saw-Dust, was covered with -black Velvet, and his Wife, and Six Sons and Daughters, all in deep -Mourning, follow’d it to the Grave, which was made in St. _John’s_ -Church, at _Hackney_. This sham Funeral was so well carried on, that -all the People of the Town would have sworn the Collector was really -Dead. About a Week after his supposed Interment, _Jacob Broad_ had -an Action of one hundred and fifty Pounds against him. He went to -_Hackney_ to serve the Writ, but, enquiring after the Person he was to -arrest, and being told that he was dead and buried, he return’d home -again. - -‘About Seven Years afterwards, the Creditor being certainly inform’d -that the Collector was alive and well in his own House, he employed -_Jacob_ again to arrest him, and accordingly he and another went to -execute the Writ. _Jacob_ planted himself in an Alehouse adjacent to -the long-supposed Deceased’s Habitation, and, while his Aid-de-Camp, -or Follower, was doing something else, he told a Woman, coming by with -a great Load of Turnips on her Head, that the People of such a House -wanted some, which was the House where the Seven Years dead Man dwelt. -She went forthwith and knockt at the Door, which was open’d to let -her in, and the Follower, who was close at her Heels, rush’d in after -her, and ran into a Back Parlour, where he saw the Person (according -to the Description of him) whom he wanted sitting by the Fire Side. -It happening then to be a festival Day, for the Entertainment of the -Collector’s Children, and Grand Children, the Table was spread with -Variety of Dainties; the Follower leapt over the Table, overthrowing -the Viands on it, and laying hold of the Prisoner, all their Mirth was -spoilt at once. In the mean Time came _Jacob Broad_, and, taking out -the supposed dead Man, he seem’d to be overjoy’d at his Resurrection -from a Seven Years’ Confinement and for tasting the fresh Air. _Jacob_ -brings him to _London_, whence he remov’d himself by a Writ of _Habeas -Corpus_ to the King’s Bench Prison in _Southwark_, where he died again -in a Week’s time, for he was never heard of till he was seen about -Three Years after in _Denmark_. - -‘_Jacob Broad_ was always very happy in having Followers as acute -as himself in any sort of Roguery, especially one _Andrew Vaughan_, -afterwards a Bailiff himself on Saffron Hill, and one _Volly Vance_, -otherwise call’d _Glym Jack_ from his having been a Moon Curser,[46] -or Link Boy ... From a Link Boy _Glym Jack_ came to be _Jacob Broad’s_ -Follower, who, together with _Andrew Vaughan_, he once took into the -Country along with him to arrest a Justice of Peace, who was one of the -shyest cocks that ever _Jacob_ had to take by Stratagem. In order to -accomplish this Undertaking, _Jacob_, _Andrew_, and _Glym Jack_ were -very well drest in Apparel, and mounted on good Geldings, having fine -Hangers on their Sides, and Pistols in their Holsters, beside Pocket -Pops sticking in their Bosoms. Being thus accoutred they rid into an -Inn in the Town where the Justice of Peace they wanted dwelt, and, -putting up their Horses, they ask’d the Landlord for a private Room, -which, being accommodated with, they refresh’d themselves with a good -Dinner, and afterwards set to play. - -‘Whilst they were shaking their Elbows at 7 or 11 nick it, a great -deal of Money and three or four Watches lying on the Table, when at -last one of ’em cry’d, this Watch is my Snack, for I’m sure I first -attackt the Gentleman from whom we took it; another swore such a Purse -of Gold was his, which they had taken that Morning from a Gentlewoman, -and, in short, everyone of ’em was swearing such a Prize was his, all -which the Landlord (who listened at the Door) overhearing, thought to -himself they were all Highwaymen. Hereupon he goes and acquaints the -shy Justice of Peace with the matter, who ask’d _If he were sure they -were Rogues_. - -‘“_Nothing,_” (quoth the Innkeeper), “_is more certain, for they are -all arm’d with more Pistols than ordinary,_ _swearing, damning, -cursing, and sinking every Word they speak, and falling out about -dividing their Booty.”_ - -‘“_Ay, ay_,” (reply’d the Justice), “_they are then certainly -Highwaymen_,” and so order’d him to secure them. - -‘The Innholder went for a Constable, who, with a great many Rusticks, -arm’d with Pitch Forks, long Poles, and other Country Weapons, went -with the Landlord to the Inn, suddenly rush’d into the Room, and -surpriz’d _Jacob_ and his Followers, with Money and Watches lying -before them. - -‘“_So_,” (says the Constable), “_pretty Gentlemen, are not ye, that -honest people can’t travel the Country without being robb’d by such -villains as you are?--Well_,” (quoth the Constable to _Jacob_), -“_what’s your Name?_” - -‘His answer was _Sice-Ace_.[47] - -‘“_A fine Rogue, indeed!_” said the Constable, at the same time asking -_Andrew_ his Name, whose answer was, - -‘“_Cinque-Duce_.” - -‘“_Another Rogue in Grain!_” quoth the Constable; and then ask’d _Glym -Jack_ what his Name was, who reply’d, - -‘“_Quater-Tray_.” - -‘“_Rogues! Rogues all!_” said the Constable; “_ay, worse than all, they -are mear Infidels, Heathens, for I never heard such names before in a -Christian Country. Come, Neighbours, bring ’em away before Mr. Justice, -his Worship will soon make them change their Notes._” - -‘Accordingly the Rusticks haled them along the Town to his Worship’s -House, into which they were no sooner enter’d but he began to revile -_Jacob_ and his Brethren for Highwaymen, and asking them their Names, -they still were in the same Tone of _Sice-Ace_, _Cinque-Duce_, and -_Quater-Tray_, at which the Justice, lifting up his Hands and Eyes to -the Ceiling, cry’d out, _Such audacious Rogues as these were never seen -before_. - -‘“_Here, Tom,_” (quoth his Worship to his Clerk), “_write their_ -Mittimus, _for I will send them everyone to_ Newgate.” - -‘Whilst their Commitment was writing, _Jacob_ pulls a Bit of Parchment -out of his Pocket, and, asking the Constable if he could read it, he -put on his Spectacles, and posing and mumbling over it a Minute or two, -said, - -‘“_I cannot tell what to make of it. It is Latin, I think._” - -‘“_Well, then,_” (quoth Jacob), “_I’ll tell you what it is, it is the -King’s Process against this Gentleman that is going to commit us to_ -Newgate; _therefore, in my Execution of it, I require you, as you are a -Constable, to keep the Peace._” - -‘This turn of the Dice made the Magistrate, the Peace Officer, and all -the Rusticks stare at one another as if they were out of their Senses. -However, _Jacob_ brought his Prisoner to _London_, and oblig’d him to -make Satisfaction before he got out of his Clutches.’ - -The above anecdotes illustrate the humorous side of a bailiff’s life, -but sometimes they met with very rough treatment, nay, were even -killed. On the 4th of August, 1722, a bailiff named Boyce was killed -by a blacksmith, who ran a red-hot iron into him; and the book I have -quoted from thus speaks of bailiffs as ‘such Villains, whose Clan is -suppos’d to descend from the cursed Seed of _Ham_, and therefore -stinks in the Nostrils of all honest Men. Some of them have been paid -in their own Coyn, for Captain _Bew_ kill’d a Sergeant of one of the -Compters. Shortly after, a Bailiff was kill’d in _Grays-Inn_ Walks; -another Bailiff had his Hand chopt off by a Butcher in _Hungerford_ -Market, in the _Strand_, of which Wound he dyed the next Day, and -another Man kill’d two Bailiffs at once with a couple of Pistols in -_Houghton Street_, by _Clare Market_, for which he was touch’d with a -cold iron[48] at the Sessions House at the _Old Baily_, besides several -others of that detestable Tribe have deservedly suffer’d the same -fate.... - -‘But, by the way, we must take Notice that a Bailiff is Universally -hated by Man, Woman, or Child, who dearly love to see them duckt -(Pick-pocket like) in the _Muse_ Pond,[49] or the cleanly Pond of -the Horse Guards, at _Whitehall_, and sometimes well rinsed at the -_Temple_, or _Grays-Inn_ Pump; and if any of these napping Scoundrels -is taken within the Liberty of the _Mint_, the enraged Inhabitants -of this Place tye him fast with Ropes in a Wheelbarrow; then they -trundle him about the Streets, with great Shouts and Huzzas.... After -he is convey’d in the like Order to a stinking Ditch, near _St. -George’s_ Fields, where he is plunged over Head and Ears, _à la mode -de Pickpocket_; and then, to finish the Procession, he is solemnly -convey’d to a Pump, according to the antient Custom of the Place, -where he is sufficiently drench’d for all his dirty Doings.’ - -This, as I have said, shows the humorous side of imprisonment for -debt. An unimpeachable and veracious authority, one who only gave dry -statistics, and did not draw upon his imagination for his facts, was -John Howard, the philanthropist, who published, in 1777, ‘The State of -the Prisons in England and Wales.’ From his report we learn that the -allowance to debtors was a penny loaf a day--and when we consider that, -during the French war, bread at one time rose to a price equivalent -to our half-crown per quartern loaf, it could hardly be called a -sufficient diet. But the City of London, generous then, as ever, -supplemented this with a daily (? weekly) supply of sixteen stone, or -one hundred and twenty-eight pounds, of beef, which, as Howard gives -the average of debtors in two years (1775-6) at thirty-eight, would -be more than ample for their needs--and there were other charities -amounting to fifty or sixty pounds a year--but, before they were -discharged, they were compelled to pay the keeper a fee of eight -shillings and tenpence. - -In the Fleet Prison they had no allowance, but, if they made an -affidavit that they were not worth five pounds, and could not subsist -without charity, they had divided amongst them the proceeds of the -begging-box and grate, and the donations which were sent to the prison. -Of these, Howard says, at the time of his visit, there were seventeen. -But the other prisoners who had any money had every facility afforded -them to spend it. There was a tap, at which they could purchase -whatever liquor they required; there was a billiard-table, and, in the -yard, they could play at skittles, Mississippi, fives, tennis, &c. -On Monday nights there was a wine club, and on Thursday nights a beer -club, both of which usually lasted until one or two in the morning; and -pretty scenes of riot and drunkenness took place. The prisoners were -allowed to have their wives and children to live with them. - -Ludgate had ceased to exist, and the debtors were transferred to New -Ludgate, in Bishopsgate Street. It was a comparatively aristocratic -debtors’ prison, for it was only for debtors who were free of the City, -for clergymen, proctors, and attorneys. Here, again, the generosity -of the City stepped in; and, for an average number of prisoners of -twenty-five, ten stone, or eighty pounds of beef, were given weekly, -together with a daily penny loaf for each prisoner. The lord mayor and -sheriffs sent them coals, and Messrs. Calvert, the brewers, sent weekly -two barrels of small beer, besides which, there were some bequests. - -The Poultry Compter was in the hands of a keeper who had bought the -place for life, and was so crowded that some of the prisoners had to -sleep on shelves over the others, and neither straw nor bedding was -allowed them. The City gave a penny loaf daily to the prisoners, and -remitted for their benefit the rent of thirty pounds annually; the -Calverts also sent them beer. At Howard’s visits, eight men had their -wives and children with them. - -Wood Street Compter was not a pleasant abode, for Howard says the place -swarmed with bugs. There were thirty-nine debtors, and their allowance -was a daily penny loaf from the City, two barrels of beer weekly from -the Calverts; the sheriffs gave them thirty-two pounds of beef on -Saturdays, and for some years a benevolent baker sent them, weekly, a -large leg and shin of beef. - -At Whitechapel was a prison for debtors, in the liberty and manor of -Stepney and Hackney, but it was only for very small debtors, those -owing above two pounds, and under five. Howard’s story of this prison -is a very sad one, the occupants being so very poor: - -‘The Master’s-side Prisoners have four sizeable chambers fronting the -road--_i.e._, two on each storey. They pay two shillings and sixpence a -week, and lie two in a bed; two beds in a room. The Common-side Debtors -are in two long rooms in the Court Yard, near the Tap-room. Men in one -room, women in the other: the Court Yard in common. They hang out a -begging-box from a little closet in the front of the House, and attend -it in turn. It brings them only a few pence a day, and of this pittance -none partake but those who, at entrance, have paid the keeper two -shillings and sixpence, and treated the Prisoners with half a gallon of -beer. The last time I was there, no more than three had purchased this -privilege.... - -‘At my first visit there were, on the Common-side, two Prisoners in -Hammocks, sick and very poor. No chaplain. A compassionate Man, who -is not a regular Clergyman, sometimes preaches to them on Sunday, and -gives them some small relief. Lady Townsend sends a Guinea twice a -year, which her Servant distributes equally among the Prisoners. - -‘As Debtors here are generally very poor, I was surprised to see, -once, ten or twelve noisy men at skittles; but the Turnkey said they -were only visitants. I found they were admitted here as at another -public-house. No Prisoners were at play with them.’ - -At St. Catherine’s, without the Tower, was another small debtors’ -prison. This parish was a ‘_peculiar_,’ the Bishop of London having no -jurisdiction over it, and the place was under the especial patronage -of the Queens of England ever since the time of Matilda, the wife -of Stephen, who founded a hospital there, now removed to Regent’s -Park. It was a wonderful little parish, for there people could take -sanctuary--and there also were tried civil and ecclesiastical cases. -Howard says that the prison for debtors had been rebuilt seven years -before he wrote. It was a small house of two storeys; two rooms on -a floor. In April, 1774, there was a keeper, but no prisoners. ‘I -have since called two or three times, and always found the House -uninhabited.’ - -No notice of debtors’ prisons would be complete without mention of the -King’s Bench, which was in Southwark. Howard reports: - -‘The Prisoners are numerous. At more than one of my visits, some had -the Small Pox. It was so crowded this last summer, that a Prisoner paid -five shillings a week for half a bed, and many lay in the chapel. In -May, 1766, the number of Prisoners within the Walls was three hundred -and ninety-five, and, by an accurate list which I procured, their wives -(including a few only called so) were two hundred and seventy-nine, -children seven hundred and twenty-five--total, one thousand and four; -about two-thirds of these were in the Prison.’ - -The prisoners had, as in the Fleet, their weekly wine and beer clubs, -and they also indulged in similar outdoor sports. The Marshalsea and -Horsemonger Lane gaol complete the list of London debtors’ prisons. - -Howard’s description of the county prisons is something appalling. -Gaol-fever, distemper, or small-pox being recorded against most of -them. At Chelmsford there had been no divine service for above a year -past, except to condemned criminals. At Warwick the debtors’ common -day-room was the hall, which was also used as a chapel. At Derby a -person went about the country, at Christmas-time, to gentlemen’s -houses, and begged for the benefit of the debtors. The donations were -entered in a book, and signed by each donor. About fourteen pounds were -generally collected in this manner. - -Chesterfield gaol was the property of the Duke of Portland, and Howard -describes it thus: - -‘Only one room, with a cellar under it, to which the Prisoners -occasionally descend through a hole in the floor. The cellar had not -been cleaned for many months. The Prison door had not been opened for -several weeks, when I was there first. There were four Prisoners, who -told me they were almost starved; one of them said, with tears in his -eyes, “he had not eaten a morsel that day,”--it was afternoon. They -had borrowed a book of Dr. Manton’s; one of them was reading it to the -rest. Each of them had a wife, and they had, in the whole, thirteen -children, cast on their respective parishes. Two had their groats from -the Creditors, and out of that pittance they relieved the other two. -No allowance: no straw: no firing: water a halfpenny for about three -gallons, put in (as other things are) at the window. Gaoler lives -distant.’ - -At Salisbury gaol, just outside the prison gate, a round staple was -fixed in the wall, through which was passed a chain, at each end of -which was a debtor padlocked by the leg, who offered for sale to -the passers-by, nets, laces, purses, etc., made in the prison. At -Knaresborough the debtors’ prison is thus described: - -‘Of difficult access; the door about four feet from the ground. Only -one room, about fourteen feet by twelve. Earth floor: no fireplace: -very offensive: a common sewer from the town running through it -uncovered. I was informed that an Officer confined here some years -since, for only a few days, took in with him a dog to defend him from -vermin; but the dog was soon destroyed, and the Prisoner’s face much -disfigured by them.’ - -The gaolers were not always the most gentle of men, as may be seen by -the trial of one Acton, deputy-keeper and turnkey of the Marshalsea, -for the murder of a prisoner named Thomas Bliss. The indictment will -briefly tell the story: - -‘That the said _William Acton_, being Deputy Keeper, under _John -Darby_, of the said prison, being a person of inhuman and cruel -disposition, did, on the 21st of October, in the Year of our Lord, -1726, cruelly, barbarously, and feloniously Beat, Assault, and Wound -the said _Thomas Bliss_ in the said Prison, _viz._, in the Parish of -Saint George’s-in-the-Fields, in the Borough of _Southwark_, in the -County of _Surrey_, and did put Irons and Fetters of great and immense -weight upon his legs, and an Iron Instrument, and Engine of Torture, -upon the Head of the said _Thomas Bliss_, called the Scull-cap, and -also Thumb-screws upon his Thumbs; and the said _Thomas Bliss_ was -so wounded, fettered, tortured and tormented in the Strong Room of -the said Prison (which is a dangerous, damp, noisome, filthy, and -unwholesome place) did put, and him did there detain several days; by -means of which excruciating Tortures, close Confinement, Duress, and -cruel Abuses, the said _Thomas Bliss_ got so ill an Habit of Body, that -he continued in a languishing Condition till the 25th Day of _March_ -following, and then died.’ - -Although the facts of the indictment were fully borne out by the -evidence, the jury acquitted Acton. I should mention that Bliss had -twice attempted to escape from the prison. - -Let us pass to a pleasanter theme, and see what was the inner life of a -debtor’s prison about 1750, the story of which is told in a little book -undated.[50] The foot-notes are taken from the book. - - * * * * * - - Close by the Borders of a slimy Flood, - Which now in secret rumbles through the Mud; - (Tho’ heretofore it roll’d expos’d to light, - Obnoxious to th’ offended City’s Sight).[51] - - Twin Arches now the sable Stream enclose, - Upon whose Basis late a Fabrick rose; - In whose extended oblong Boundaries, } - Are Shops and Sheds, and Stalls of all Degrees, } - For Fruit, Meat, Herbage, Trinkets, Pork and Peas. } - A prudent City Scheme, and kindly meant; - The Town’s oblig’d, their Worships touch the Rent. - Near this commodious Market’s miry Verge, - The Prince of Prisons stands, compact and large; - Where by the Jigger’s[52] more than magick Charm, - Kept from the Power of doing Good--or Harm, - Relenting Captives inly ruminate - Misconduct past, and curse their present State; - Tho’ sorely griev’d, few are so void of Grace, - As not to wear a seeming cheerful face: - In Drink or Sports ungrateful Thoughts must die, - For who can bear Heart-wounding Calumny? - Therefore Cabals engage of various Sorts, - To walk, to drink, or play at different Sports, - Here oblong Table’s verdant Plain, - The ivory Ball bounds and rebounds again[53]; - There at Backgammon two sit _tête-à-tête_, - And curse alternately their adverse fate; - These are at Cribbage, those at Whist engag’d, - And, as they lose, by turns become enrag’d; - Some of more sedentary Temper, read - Chance-medley Books, which duller Dulness breeds; - Or Politick in Coffee-room, some pore - The Papers and Advertisements thrice o’er; - Warm’d with the Alderman,[54] some sit up late, - To fix th’ Insolvent Bill, and Nation’s fate: - Hence, Knotty Points at different Tables rise, - And either Party’s wond’rous, wond’rous wise; - Some of low Taste, ring Hand-Bells, direful Noise! - And interrupt their Fellows’ harmless Joys; - Disputes more noisy now a Quarrel breeds, - And Fools on both Sides fall to Loggerheads; - Till, wearied with persuasive Thumps and Blows, - They drink, are Friends, as tho’ they ne’er were Foes. - Without distinction, intermixed is seen, - A ‘Squire dirty, and Mechanick clean: - The Spendthrift Heir, who in his Chariot roll’d, - All his Possessions gone, Reversions sold, - Now mean, as one profuse, the stupid Sot - Sits by a Runner’s Side,[55] and shules[56] a Pot. - - Some Sots, ill-mannered, drunk, a harmless Flight! - Rant noisy thro’ the Galleries all Night; - For which, if Justice had been done of late, - The Pump[57] had been three pretty Masters’ Fate, - With Stomach’s empty, and Heads full of Care, - Some Wretches swill the Pump, and walk the Bare.[58] - Within whose ample Oval is a Court, } - Where the more Active and Robust resort, } - And glowing, exercise a manly Sport. } - (Strong Exercise with mod’rate Food is good, - It drives in sprightful Streams the circling Blood;) - While these, with Rackets strike the flying Ball, - Some play at Nine-pins, Wrestlers take a Fall; - Beneath a Tent some drink, and some above - Are slily in their Chambers making Love; - Venus and Bacchus each keeps here a Shrine, - And many Vot’ries have to Love and Wine. - - Such the Amusements of this merry Jail, - Which you’ll not reach, if Friends or Money fail; - For e’er it’s threefold Gates it will unfold, - The destin’d Captive must produce some Gold; - Four Guineas at the least for diff’rent Fees, - Compleats your _Habeas_, and commands the Keys; - Which done, and safely in, no more you’re led, - If you have Cash, you’ll find a Friend and Bed; - But, that deficient, you’ll but ill betide, - Lie in the Hall,[59] perhaps on Common Side.[60] - - But now around you gazing Jiggers swarm,[61] - To draw your Picture, that’s their usual Term; - Your Form and Features strictly they survey, - Then leave you (if you can) to run away. - - To them succeeds the Chamberlain, to see } - If you and he are likely to agree; } - Whether you’ll tip,[62] and pay you’re Master’s Fee.[63] } - Ask him how much? ‘Tis one Pound, six, and eight; - And, if you want, he’ll not the Twopence bate; - When paid, he puts on an important Face, - And shows Mount-scoundrel[64] for a charming Place; - You stand astonish’d at the darken’d Hole, - Sighing, the Lord have Mercy on my Soul! - And ask, Have you no other Rooms, Sir, pray? - Perhaps inquire what Rent, too, you’re to pay: - Entreating that he would a better seek; - The Rent (cries gruffly) ‘s Half-a-Crown a Week. - The Rooms have all a Price, some good, some bad, - But pleasant ones, at present, can’t be had; - This Room, in my Opinion’s not amiss; } - Then cross his venal Palm with Half a Piece,[65] } - He strait accosts you with another face. } - - How your Affairs may stand, I do not know; - But here, Sir, Cash does frequently run low. - I’ll serve you--don’t be lavish--only mum! - Take my Advice, I’ll help you to a Chum.[66] - A Gentleman, Sir, see--and hear him speak, - With him you’ll pay but fifteen Pence a Week,[67] - Yet his Apartments on the Upper Floor,[68] - Well-furnished, clean and nice; who’d wish for more? - A Gentleman of Wit and Judgement too! - Who knows the Place,[69] what’s what, and who is who; - My Praise, alas! can’t equal his Deserts; - In brief--you’ll find him, Sir, a Man of Parts. - - Thus, while his fav’rite Friend he recommends, - He compasses at once their several Ends; - The new-come Guest is pleas’d that he shou’d meet - So kind a Chamberlain, a Chum so neat; - But, as conversing thus, they nearer come, - Behold before his Door the destin’d Chum. - Why he stood there, himself you’d scarcely tell, - But there he had not stood had Things gone well; - Had one poor Half-penny but blest his Fob, } - Or if in prospect he had seen a Job, } - H’ had strain’d his Credit for a Dram of Bob.[70] } - But now, in pensive Mood, with Head downcast, - His Eyes transfix’d as tho’ they look’d their last; - One Hand his open Bosom lightly held, - And one an empty Breeches Pocket fill’d; - His Dowlas Shirt no Stock, nor Cravat, bore, - And on his Head, no Hat, nor Wig he wore, - But a once black shag Cap, surcharg’d with Sweat; - His Collar, here a Hole, and there a Pleat, - Both grown alike in Colour, that--alack! - This neither now was White, nor was that Black, - But matched his dirty yellow Beard so true, - They form’d a threefold Cast of Brickdust Hue. - Meagre his Look, and in his nether Jaw - Was stuff’d an eleemosynary Chaw.[71] - (Whose Juice serves present Hunger to asswage, - Which yet returns again with tenfold Rage.) - His Coat, which catch’d the Droppings from his Chin, - Was clos’d, at Bottom, with a Corking Pin; - - * * * * * - - Loose were his Knee-bands, and unty’d his Hose, - Coax’d[72] in the Heel, in pulling o’er his Toes; - Which, spite of all his circumspective Care, - Did thro’ his broken, dirty Shoes appear. - - Just in this hapless Trim, and pensive Plight, - The old Collegian[73] stood confess’d to Sight; - Whom, when our new-come Guest at first beheld, - He started back, with great Amazement fill’d; - Turns to the Chamberlain, says, Bless my Eyes! } - Is this the Man you told me was so nice? } - I meant, his Room was so, Sir, he replies; } - The Man is now in Dishabille and Dirt, - He shaves To-morrow, tho’, and turns his Shirt; - Stand not at Distance, I’ll present you--Come, - My Friend, how is’t? I’ve brought you here a Chum; - One that’s a Gentleman; a worthy Man, - And you’ll oblige me, serve him all you can. - - The Chums salute, the old Collegian first, - Bending his Body almost to the Dust; - Upon his Face unusual Smiles appear, - And long-abandon’d Hope his Spirits cheer; - Thought he, Relief’s at hand, and I shall eat; } - Will you walk in, good Sir, and take a seat? } - We have what’s decent here, though not compleat. } - As for myself, I scandalize the Room, - But you’ll consider, Sir, that I’m at Home; - Tho’ had I thought a Stranger to have seen, - I should have ordered Matters to’ve been clean; - But here, amongst ourselves, we never mind, - Borrow or lend--reciprocally kind; - Regard not Dress, tho’, Sir, I have a Friend - Has Shirts enough, and, if you please, I’ll send. - No Ceremony, Sir,--You give me Pain, - I have a clean Shirt, Sir, but have you twain? - Oh yes, and twain to boot, and those twice told, - Besides, I thank my Stars, a Piece of Gold. - Why then, I’ll be so free, Sir, as to borrow, - I mean a Shirt, Sir--only till To-morrow. - You’re welcome, Sir;--I’m glad you are so free; - Then turns the old Collegian round with Glee, - Whispers the Chamberlain with secret Joy, - We live To-night!--I’m sure he’ll pay his Foy; - Turns to his Chum again with Eagerness, - And thus bespeaks him with his best Address: - - See, Sir, how pleasant, what a Prospect’s there; - Below you see them sporting on the Bare; - Above, the Sun, Moon, Stars, engage the Eye, - And those Abroad can’t see beyond the Sky; - These Rooms are better far than those beneath, - A clearer Light, a sweeter Air we breathe; - A decent Garden does our Window grace - With Plants untainted, undisturb’d the Glass; - In short, Sir, nothing can be well more sweet; - But I forgot--perhaps you chuse to eat, - Tho’, for my Part, I’ve nothing of my own, - To-day I scraped my Yesterday’s Blade-bone; - But we can send--Ay, Sir, with all my Heart, - (Then, very opportunely, enters Smart[74]) - Oh, here’s our Cook, he dresses all Things well; - Will you sup here, or do you chuse the Cell? - There’s mighty good Accommodations there, - Rooms plenty, or a Box in Bartholm’[75] Fair; - There, too, we can divert you, and may show - Some Characters are worth your while to know. - Replies the new Collegian, Nothing more } - I wish to see, be pleas’d to go before; } - And, Smart, provide a handsome Dish for Four. } - - * * * * * - - But I forget; the Stranger and his Chum, - With t’other two, to Barth’lomew Fair are come; - Where, being seated, and the supper past, - They drink so deep, and put about so fast, - That, e’re the warning Watchman walks about, - With dismal tone Repeating, Who goes out?[76] - Ere St. Paul’s Clock no longer will withold - From striking Ten, and the voice cries--All told;[77] - Ere this, our new Companions, everyone - In roaring Mirth and Wine so far were gone, - That ev’ry Sense from ev’ry Part was fled, - And were with Difficulty got to Bed; - Where, in the Morn, recover’d from his Drink, - The new Collegian may have Time to think; - And recollecting how he spent the Night, - Explore his Pockets, and not find a Doit. - - Too thoughtless Man! to lavish thus away - A Week’s support in less than half a Day, - But ’tis a Curse attends this wretched Place, - To pay for dear-bought Wit in little Space, - Till Time shall come when this new Tenant here, - Will in his turn shule for a Pot of Beer, - Repent the melting of his Cash too fast, - And Snap at Strangers for a Night’s Repast. - - - - -JONAS HANWAY. - - -If Jonas Hanway had lived before Fuller, he certainly would have been -enshrined among his ‘Worthies;’ and it is astonishing to find how -comparatively ignorant of him and his works are even well-read men. -Ask one about him, and he will reply that he was a philanthropist, -but he will hardly be able to say in what way he was philanthropic: -ask another, and the reply will be that he was the man who introduced -umbrellas into England--but it is very questionable if he could tell -whence he got the umbrella to introduce. But in his time he was a -man of mark, and his memory deserves more than a short notice in -‘Chalmers,’ the ‘Biographie Universelle,’ or any other biographical -dictionary. - -He was born at Portsmouth on the 12th of August, 1712, in the reign -of ‘good Queen Anne.’ History is silent as to his pedigree, save and -except that his father was connected with the navy, and was for some -years store-keeper to the dockyard at Portsmouth, and his uncle by -the father’s side was a Major John Hanway, who translated some odes -of Horace, &c. His father died whilst Jonas was still a boy, and Mrs. -Hanway had much trouble to bring up her young family, who all turned -out well, and were prosperous in after life: one son, Thomas, filling -the post of commander-in-chief of his Majesty’s ships at Plymouth, and -afterwards commissioner of the dockyard at Chatham. - -On his father’s death, his mother removed to London, where, somehow -or other, she brought up her children by her own exertions, and with -such care and affection that Jonas never spoke, or wrote, of his mother -but in terms of the highest reverence and gratitude. He was sent to -school, where he was not only educated commercially, but classically. -Still, he had his bread to win, and, when he was seventeen years of -age, he was sent to Lisbon, which he reached June, 1729, and was -bound apprentice to a merchant, under whose auspices he developed the -business qualities which afterwards stood him in good stead. At the end -of his apprenticeship he set up in business for himself in Lisbon, but -soon removed to the wider field of London. What pursuit he followed -there, neither he, nor any biographer of his, has told us, but in 1743 -he accepted the offer of a partnership in Mr. Dingley’s house at St. -Petersburg. - -What a difference in the voyage from London to St. Petersburg, then and -now! Now, overland: it only takes two days and a half. - -Then, in April, 1743, he embarked on the Thames in a crazy old tub, -bound for Riga, and got to Elsinore in May. As everything then was -done in a leisurely manner, they stopped there for some days, arriving -at Riga by the end of May, having taken twenty-six days to go from -Elsinore to Riga, now done by steam, under fair conditions, in two days. - -Here he found, as most people do, the Russian spring as hot as he ever -remembered summer in Portugal, and was most hospitably entertained by -the British factors. But Russia was at war with Sweden, and, although -he had plenty of letters of recommendation, the Governor of Riga would -not allow him to proceed on his journey, until he had communicated with -the authorities at St. Petersburg, thus causing a delay of a fortnight, -and he did not leave until the 7th of June. His sojourn at Riga, -however, was not lost, for he kept his eyes open, and looked about him. - -Travelling by post in Russia, even now, is not a luxury; it must -have been ten times worse then, when he started on his journey in -his sleeping-wagon, which was ‘made of leather, resembling a cradle, -and hung upon braces,’ and his report of his journey was that ‘the -post-horses are exceedingly bad, but as the stages are short, and the -houses clean, the inconvenience is supportable.’ He made the journey in -four days. - -On his arrival, he soon set to work on the business that he came out -to execute, namely, the opening of trade through the Caspian Sea to -Persia, a journey which involved crossing Russia in Europe from the -north-west to the south-east. This route had already been trodden -by a sailor named Elton, who had spent some years among the nomadic -Tartar tribes, and had, in 1739, descended the Volga with a cargo of -goods, intending to go to Mesched; but he sold them before he reached -there, at Resched, for a good price, and obtained leave to trade for -the future. He returned to St. Petersburg, went again to Persia, and -remained there in the service of Nadir Shah. It was to supply his -defection that Jonas Hanway went out to Russia. - -On the 10th of September, 1743, he set out on his veritably perilous -journey, and it is really worth while to describe the despatch of -goods in Russia at that day. ‘In Russia carriages for merchandize are -drawn only by one horse. These vehicles are nine or ten feet long, and -two or three broad, and are principally composed of two strong poles, -supported by four wheels, of near an equal size, and about as high as -the fore wheels of our ordinary coaches, but made very slight, many of -the rounds of the wheels are of a single piece of wood, and open, in -one part, for near an inch, and some of them are not shod with iron. - -‘The first care is to lay the bales as high as the cart will admit on a -bed of mats of the thickest sort. Besides the original package, which -is calculated to stand the weather, the bales are usually covered with -very thick mats, and over these other mats are laid to prevent the -friction of the ropes; lastly, there is another covering of mats, in -the want of raw cowhides, which are always best to defend goods from -rain, or from the snow, which, when it melts, is yet more penetrating. -Each bale is sealed up with a leaden seal, to prevent its being opened -on the road, or any of the goods vended in the Country, that is, when -they are intended for Persia.... - -‘The Caravans generally set out about twelve, both in the night -and day, except in the heat of summer. In the winter, between St. -Petersburg and Moscow, they usually travel seventy wersts[78] (about -forty-seven English miles) in twenty-four hours, but from Moscow -to Zaritzen only forty or fifty wersts: in summer their stages are -shorter. Great part of the last-mentioned road being through an -uninhabited country, makes the Carriers cautious not to jade their -horses. Every time they set out, the conductors ought to count the -loads. When necessity requires that the Caravan should be drawn within -fences, or into yards, the heads of the waggons ought to stand towards -the door in regular order, and a guard, who will keep a better watch -than an ordinary carrier, should be set over it: for want of this -precaution, whole Caravans in Russia have been sometimes consumed by -fire. It is most eligible to stop in the field, where the usual method -is to form the Carriages into a ring, and bring the horses, as well as -the men, within it, always observing to keep in such a position as best -to prevent an attack, or repulse an enemy. - -‘The Khalmucks on the banks of the Volga are ever ready to embrace -an opportunity of plundering and destroying passengers; therefore, -when there is any occasion to travel on those banks, which should be -avoided as much as possible, an advance guard of at least four Cossacks -is of great use, especially to patrole in the night; it is not often -practised, but I found it indispensably necessary when I travelled on -those banks.... - -‘A hundred carriages take up two-thirds of a mile in length, so that, -when no horseman is at hand to spread the alarm, the rear might be -easily carried off. They have not even a trumpet, horn, or other -instrument for this purpose; they trust in providence, and think any -care of this kind unnecessary, though the neglect has sometimes proved -of fatal consequence.’ - -In this primitive style he set forth on his trading venture to Persia, -taking with him a clerk, a Russian, as menial servant, a Tartar boy, -and a soldier, by way of guard. He had ‘a convenient sleeping-waggon’ -for himself, and another for his clerk--the Russ, the Tartar, and the -soldier evidently having to shift as the drivers of the twenty loads of -goods (consisting of thirty-seven bales of English cloth) did. It is -interesting to follow out this little venture. The caravan started on -the 1st of September, 1743, and ten days afterwards he set out to join -it, which he did at Tver, arriving at Moscow on the 20th of September. - -Here he looked about him, saw the Great Bell, &c. received no little -hospitality, and repaired the defects of his caravan, starting again -on the 24th of September, and his instructions to his limited suite -were to avoid all occasion of dispute, and, should such unfortunately -arise, he should be informed of it, in order that he might deal with it -according to the best of his judgment. But he went among the Tartars -without any misadventure, noting some very curious facts, until he -came to Tzaritzin, on the Volga, whence he proposed to commence his -somewhat perilous journey by water, to the Caspian Sea. He arrived -at Tzaritzin on the 9th of October, but, as there was not the same -pushing and driving in business then as now, he stopped there for a -month to recruit, and hire a vessel. He succeeded in getting one, such -a thing as it was, but then he only paid a nominal sum for it. As he -justly observes: ‘The reader will imagine that forty roubles[79] cannot -purchase a good vessel; however, this price produced the best I could -find. Their decks were only loose pieces of the barks of trees; they -have no knees, and but few beams: hardly any pitch or tar is used, in -place of it are long slips of bark, which they nail over the gaping -seams, to prevent the loose and bad corking (caulking) from falling -out. Instead of iron bolts, they have spikes of deal with round heads. -The method of keeping them clear of water is by a large scoop, which -is suspended by the beam over the well-way, and through a scuttle at a -proper height they scoop out the water with great facility.’ - -He bought two of these A.1. vessels, and put a crew of five fishermen -on board each, besides his own suite, and, because of the pirates who -infested those waters, he hired a guard of six soldiers. By-the-way, -they had a rough and ready way of dealing with these pirates when -they did catch them. ‘As their cruelties are very great, so is the -punishment inflicted on them when they are taken. A float is built, in -size according to the number of delinquents, and a gallows erected on -it, to contain a sufficient number of iron hooks, on which they are -hung alive, by the ribs. The float is launched into the stream, with -labels over their heads, signifying their crimes; and orders are given -to all towns and villages on the borders of the river, upon pain of -death, not only to afford no relief to any of these wretches, but to -push off the float, should it land near them. Sometimes their partners -in wickedness meet them, and, if there are any signs of life, take -him down, otherwise they shoot them dead; but, if they are catched in -these acts of illegal mercy, they are hung up without the ceremony of a -trial, as happened about eight years ago. They tell me of one of these -miscreants who had the fortune to disengage himself from the hook, -and though naked, and trembling with pain and loss of blood, he got -ashore. The first object he saw who could afford him any relief was -a poor shepherd, whose brains he beat out with a stone, and took his -clothes. These malefactors sometimes hang thus three, four, and five -days alive. The pain generally produces a raging fever, in which they -utter the most horrid imprecations, and implore the relief of water, or -other small liquors.’ - -He was observant, and, on his journey down the Volga, he noted many -things which throw much light on the social life in Russia of these -days. Take for instance the following: ‘The 14th of October I sent -letters to my friends, by messengers who are appointed to attend a box -of grapes, which is sent from Astrachan to the Empress’s Court every -three days during the season. It is carried by two horses, supported -in the manner of a litter. The grapes are preserved in sand, but, at -best, are ill worth the expense of the conveyance for one thousand two -hundred English miles.’ - -He sailed from Tzaritzin on the 14th of October, and on the 19th of -the same month he reached Astrachan, where he was kindly received by -Mr. George Thompson, agent to the British merchants trading to Persia; -and also by the Russian governor (a quondam page to Peter the Great) -who gave him many assurances that every help should be afforded him -in his trade with Persia--but candidly informed him what rogues the -Armenian traders were: ‘They are the most crafty people in all Asia, -and delight in fraud. Let them get fifty per Cent. in a fair way, they -are not contented without cheating five, and the five is sweeter than -the fifty.’ - -Lapow, even then, was a recognized institution in Russia, for Hanway -observes, ‘The Officers of the the Admiralty and Custom-House of -Astrachan have very small salaries, which is the case in all other -places in Russia: so that, instead of doing their duty to despatch -business, they often seek pretences to protract it, in order to obtain -the more considerable presents. Upon these occasions French Brandy, -white wine, hats, stockings, ribbons, and such like are acceptable.’ -Now-a-days, things are managed in a less cumbrous form. Rouble Notes -take the place of gross material--but the Russian Official is unchanged. - -Again, ‘Whilst I was busied in getting what informations were -necessary, the governor invited me to a feast, at which there were -nearly a hundred dishes; here I saw a singular specimen of Russian -intemperance, for there were above thirty people who drank to excess, -in goblets, a kind of cherry brandy. This feast was made for the -birth of his granddaughter, on which occasion the guests presented an -offering each according to his rank. This is a civil way of levying a -heavy tax on the merchants, and a custom, tho’ not elegant, less absurd -than that of some politer countries; for here, without disguise or -ceremony, you leave one or two ducats, or some richer present on the -lady’s bed, who sits up with great formality to be saluted.’ - -From Astrachan he went to Yerkie, at the mouth of the Volga, and -virtually on the Caspian Sea, whence he set sail on the 22nd of -November, arriving at Astrabad Bay on the 18th of December, where his -vessel was taken for a pirate, and signal fires were, in consequence, -lit on the hill-tops, etc. So he lay at anchor for a few days, -employing his men in packing his goods so that they might be easily -carried on land; and he gives us a curious insight into the life of -sailors of that period. - -‘The 25th being Christmas Day, I excused the seamen from the package -of cloth, and prevailed on them to hear prayers, and a sermon. English -seamen, of all mankind, seem the most indifferent with regard to -religious duties; but their indifference is more the effect of want -of reflection than the irreligious carelessness of their leaders. It -is not to be imagined they would fight less if they prayed more; at -least we find the praying warriors in Cromwell’s days fought as if -they were sure of becoming saints in heaven. Certain it is our seamen -do not entertain the same impressions of religion as the common run of -labouring people.’ - -Hanway had been warned that he must take care of himself at Astrabad; -that, probably, he would be robbed, and most certainly cheated; but -never having received such treatment, and with his conscious faith of -being an honest Englishman, he gave but little heed to the caution, but -spent many days on ship-board, making up his merchandize into suitable -packages for land carriage, and when he did land, he went in state, -on horseback, to visit the governor, taking with him the invariable -Oriental present, which, in his case, consisted of fine cloth, and -loaves of sugar. He was kindly received by the governor, but soon -having experienced the deceit and duplicity of the people, he hurried -forward his departure for Mesched, sending ten camel loads of goods in -advance. Luckily he did so, for the next day the town was besieged by -Turcomans, who wanted to get possession of the Shah’s treasure, then -in Astrabad, as well as the English goods, which presented an almost -irresistible temptation to them. - -Hanway was advised to disguise himself and fly, but he was an -Englishman, and had the pluck of his race; so he concluded to stay, in -spite of the objurgations and maledictions of some of the inhabitants, -who cursed him as being the cause of their misfortunes. The town made -but a feeble resistance, and, soon after its fall, Hanway received a -visit from the captors, the story of which he thus tells: - -‘I had collected my servants in one room, from whence I sent a little -boy, a servant, who understood the Turkish language, which is most -known to the Khajars, to conduct these hostile visitors to us, and to -tell them that, as we were at their mercy, we hoped they would treat -us with humanity. They immediately entered, and assured us they did -not mean to hurt us; on the contrary, that as soon as their government -was established, they would pay me for my goods. They demanded, at -the same time, where they were lodged; and informed me that the forty -bales which I had sent out of the town some days before, were already -in their possession. Mahommed Khan Beg then demanded my purse, which I -had prepared with about thirty crowns in gold and silver; he contented -himself for the present with counting it, and then returned it to me, -demanding if I had any more, for that it would be the worse for me if -I concealed any. I thought it warrantable, however, to make an evasive -answer, though it was a true one as to the fact; _viz._, that all the -town knew very well that I had been searching for money in exchange -for my bill on Mr. Elton, not having sufficient to convey my Caravan -to Mesched. As gold can purchase anything except virtue and health, -understanding and beauty, I thought it might now administer to our -safety. I therefore reserved a purse of one hundred and sixty crowns -in gold, apprehending that the skilful application of it might ward -off the danger which threatened us; but I afterwards found that our -security was in our supposed poverty, for in near three weeks distress, -I durst not show a single piece of gold, much less acknowledge that I -had saved any money.’ - -He made up his mind to leave Astrabad as soon as possible, and, having -obtained an acknowledgment of the value of his goods, at last set out -with an escort of about two dozen armed men, under the command of a -Hadji, or a holy man, who had made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Needless to -say his escort were a pack of rogues, and it was by sheer good luck, -and at some risk, that, at last, he fell in with some officers of the -Shah, who were recruiting for forces wherewith to re-conquer Astrabad. -They helped him to horses, although he complained of their quality. -He got along somehow, although he lost his servants, and at last he -reached Langarood, where the renegade Captain Elton lived, seven weeks -after he had left Astrabad, and was received by Elton with open arms. -Here he stayed some days to recruit, and then pushed on to Reshd. - -A few days more of journeying, and he fell in with the Shah’s camp, -but failed to have an interview with that exalted potentate. Still his -case was brought before Nadir Shah, and, the bill Hanway had received -from Mohammed Hassan being produced as evidence, a decree was issued -‘that I should give the particulars of the loss to Behbud Khan, the -Shah’s general at Astrabad, who had orders to deliver to me whatever -part of the goods might possibly be found, and to restore them in kind, -and the deficiency to be paid out of the sequestered estates of the -rebels to the last denier. This was not quite the thing which I wished -for, because it laid me under a necessity of returning to that wretched -place, Astrabad; however, I could not but acknowledge the highest -obligation for so signal a mark of justice and clemency.’ - -This act of justice was somewhat unusual with Nadir Shah, of whose -cruelty Hanway gives several examples. As, however, one perhaps -outstrips its companions in brutality, I venture to give it in his -words. ‘I will give another example of Nadir’s avarice and barbarity, -which happened a little before I was in camp. The Shah, having -appointed a certain general as governor of a province, imposed an -exorbitant tax on it, to be levied in six months: at the expiration of -the time the governor was sent for to the camp, and ordered to produce -the account. He did so, but it amounted to only half the sum demanded. -The Shah called him a rascal; and, telling him he had stolen the other -half of the money, ordered the executioner to bastonade him to death: -his estates also being confiscated, all his effects fell very short of -the demands. The servants of the deceased were then ordered to come -into the Shah’s presence, and he inquired of them if there was anything -left belonging to their master; to which they answered, _Only a dog_. -He then commanded the dog to be brought before him; and observed that -he appeared to be much honester than his master had been; however, -that he should be led through the camp from tent to tent, and beaten -with sticks, and wherever he expired, the master of such tent should -pay the sum deficient. Accordingly the dog was carried to the tents of -the ministers, successively, who, hearing the case, immediately gave -sums of money, according to their abilities, to procure the removal of -the dog: by which the whole sum the Shah demanded was raised in a few -hours’ time.’ - -On the 27th of March they set out on their return journey, accompanied -by a small escort; they were detained for some time at Langarood, -where Hanway had hoped to find a vessel, as the way by land was -insecure. But, although a ship was sighted, she never put in; and -the land journey was therefore, perforce, undertaken, and Astrabad -was reached on the 16th of May. He saw the Shah’s general, who said -‘the decree must be obeyed.’ Those who had insulted Hanway were most -brutally punished--some of his cloth was recovered and given back to -him, but there was a difficulty in raising the money for the missing -portions, and he was pressed to take payment in women slaves. On his -refusal, they begged of him to give them a receipt as if he had been -paid, assuring him the money should be forthcoming in a very few days; -but the British merchant was too wary to be caught in such a palpable -trap. Eventually he got the greater part of it, and with it returned -to Langarood, where he waited for some little while, and, at last, he -recovered eighty-five per cent. of the value of his goods, according to -his own valuation, so that, probably, he made a good sale. - -At Langarood he fell ill of a low fever, but was cured by a French -missionary, who administered Jesuit’s bark (quinine) to him, and he -then set out on his return journey, having invested all his cash in -raw silk. He met with no particular adventures, and arrived safely at -St. Petersburg on the 1st of January, 1745, ‘having been absent a year -and sixteen weeks, in which time I had travelled about four thousand -English miles by land.’ - -In noticing this trip of Hanway’s to the Caspian, it would be a pity -if attention were not called to his description of Baku, now coming -so much to the front (thanks to the industry and intelligence of the -Messrs. Nobel) in providing the world with petroleum. This was the -chief shrine of the followers of Zoroaster, who considered light, -which was typified by fire, (which is bright both by day and night) as -emblematical of all good, and they therefore worshipped Ormuzd, or the -good god, whilst they regarded Ahriman, or darkness, as the evil god. -Here, near Baku, the soil is so soaked and saturated with petroleum -that a fire, natural and never-ceasing, could easily be obtained, and -consequently, being perfectly unartificial, was looked upon as the -personification of Ormuzd. Hanway writes, ‘The earth round this place, -for above two miles, has this surprizing property, that by taking up -two or three inches of the surface and applying a live coal, the part -which is so uncovered immediately takes fire, almost before the coal -touches the earth.... If a cane, or tube even of paper, be set about -two inches in the ground, confined and closed with earth below, and -the top of it touched with a live coal, and blown upon, immediately a -flame issues without hurting either the cane or the paper, provided the -edges be covered with clay, and this method they use for light in their -houses, which have only the earth for the floor; three or four of -these lighted canes will boil water in a pot; and thus they dress their -victuals.’ - -Baku, the seat of this natural symbol of Ormuzd, was then a place -of pilgrimage for the Parsees--and it is not so long since that -fire-worship there has been discontinued. Mr. Charles Marvin (writing -in 1884) commences his most interesting book, ‘The Region of the -Eternal Fire,’ thus: ‘A few years ago a solitary figure might have -been daily seen on the shore of the Caspian Sea, worshipping a fire -springing naturally from the petroleum gases in the ground. The devotee -was a Parsee from India, the last of a series of priests who for more -than two thousand five hundred years had tended the sacred flame upon -the spot. Round about his crumbling temple was rising greasy derricks, -and dingy distilleries--symbols of a fresh cult, the worship of -mammon--but, absorbed in his devotions, the Parsee took no heed of the -intruders. And so time passed on, and the last of the Fire-Worshippers -died, and with him perished the flame that was older than history.’ - -He stayed some time in Russia, but undertook no more arduous journeys. -Even when he did leave St. Petersburg, on the 9th of July, 1750, he -travelled very leisurely overland, reaching Harwich on the 28th of -October, 1750, after an absence from England of nearly eight years. -He lived in London in a modest fashion, for his fortune was but -modest--yet it was sufficient for him to keep a _solo_ carriage, -_i.e._, only carrying one person, and on its panels was painted a -device allusive to his dangers in Persia, especially of a somewhat -perilous voyage on the Caspian. It consisted of ‘a man dressed in the -Persian habit, just landed in a storm on a rude coast, and leaning on -his sword, his countenance calm and resigned. In the background was -depicted a boat tossed about by the billows; in front, a shield charged -with his arms leaning against a tree, and underneath the motto, in -English, _Never Despair_.’ - -As a result of his eastern experiences,[80] on his return to England -he used an umbrella, which at that time for a man to carry was -considered somewhat effeminate. He is often credited with having -introduced that useful article into England; but it had been -generally used by women for fifty years previously--nay, there is in -the British Museum (Harl. 630 fol. 15b,) an Anglo-Saxon MS. of the -eleventh century--unmistakeably English in its drawing--wherein is -an illustration of an umbrella being held (by an attendant) over the -head of a king, or nobleman. It is a veritable ‘Sangster,’ and, as -far as form goes, it would pass muster now. From this time the use of -the umbrella became familiar, and in general use among men--probably -because he introduced them of pure silk, whereas hitherto they had been -cumbrous and heavy, being made of oiled paper, muslin, or silk. - -He had enough to live on, and, as in those days no one cared about -making a colossal fortune, he lived contentedly on his competence, -and wrote a long description of his travels, which was very well -illustrated, and which cost him £700 to produce his first edition -of one thousand two hundred copies, after which he disposed of the -copyright, and second, third, and fourth editions were published. -Still, the climate of Russia had not agreed with him, and he had to go -to the then fashionable Spa, Tunbridge Wells, and afterwards to Paris, -thence to Brussels, Antwerp, and Amsterdam. - -He returned to Tunbridge Wells, where he wrote (in 1753) a treatise -against the Naturalisation of the Jews,[81] which was a question then -being agitated. One can scarcely imagine a man with large sympathies, -as was Jonas Hanway, a travelled man, also, of great experience of -men, taking the narrow view of such a question of social polity. -After a severe fight the Bill was carried (26 Geo. 2) and his Majesty -gave his consent on the 7th of June, 1753,[82] but the opposition -to it was so great that when Parliament next met (15th of November, -1753) the very first business after the address (which only occupied -half-an-hour or so--a valuable hint to present M.P.’s) was to bring in -a bill repealing the privilege of Naturalization to the Jews. Popular -clamour on its behalf was senseless, as it usually is, but it was too -strong to resist, and in the debate thereon, on the 27th of November, -1753, William Pitt (all honour to him) said, ‘Thus, sir, though we -repeal this law, out of complaisance to the people, yet we ought to -let them know that we do not altogether approve of what they ask.’[83] -The Bill was carried on the 28th of November, and received the Royal -Assent on the 20th of December, the same year, and consequently an -injustice was for some time done to some of the loyalest, quietest, -and most law-abiding citizens we have. Hanway, however, thought so -strongly on the subject that he wrote four tractates upon it, which, as -the question is now happily settled, may be dismissed with this brief -notice. - -He was naturally of a busy turn of mind, and could not sit still. He -wrote about anything--it did not much matter what--of the paving, etc. -of Westminster and its adjacent parishes; he even wrote a big book, -beautifully illustrated, on a little trip he took, when travelling -was not so common as now, ‘A Journal of Eight days’ Journey from -Portsmouth to Kingston-on-Thames,’ (1756) a second edition of which -was published in two volumes in 1757, with the addition of ‘An Essay -on Tea, considered as pernicious to Health, obstructing Industry, and -impoverishing the Nation.’ So we see he took strong views on things in -general, which have since, by experience, been modified. - -His scribbling propensities probably did some good, for in 1757 we -find him taking up the cause of that very meritorious charity, the -Marine Society, to which he was a subscriber to the extent of fifteen -guineas. This society, whose house is in Bishopsgate Street, is still -alive, and, what is more, flourishing. About this he wrote four or five -pamphlets and books. This seems only to have served as a whet to his -appetite for philanthropy, for in 1758 he paid £50 to qualify himself -as a Life-Governor of the Foundling Hospital. This, naturally, led him -to think upon the source whence the foundlings principally came: and he -turned his attention towards the foundation of a Magdalen (?) Hospital, -which was, with the cooperation of several gentlemen, established in -London in 1758, in Great Prescott Street, Goodman’s Fields (the site of -which is now, or used to be, called Magdalen Row). - -Many more books and pamphlets on the above subjects, the Foundling -Hospital, the Marine and Stepney Societies, the Encouragement of -British Troops, etc., occupied his leisure until 1760, when he took -in hand the social question of giving fees, or _vails_, to servants, -and wrote two pamphlets on the subject. In one of them are some very -humorous stories of this absurd custom, one, especially, which from its -raciness has become somewhat hackneyed.[84] ‘It is a more _humorous_ -Story they tell of ---- after he had dined with ----. The Servants with -assiduous duty had taken the best care of his friend’s _Hat_, _Sword_, -_Cane_, _Cloak_, and among the rest his _Gloves_ also. When he came to -demand them, every Servant, with the most submissive respect, brought -his part of the Old Gentleman’s _personal furniture_, and so many -_Shillings_ were distributed with his usual liberality; but, as he was -going away without his _Gloves_, one of the Servants reminded him of -it, to which he answered, “_No matter, friend, you may keep the Gloves, -they are not worth a Shilling._”’ - -Hanway tried to do away with this social tax, which, however, remains -to this day. But a very good story is told of Robert Hamilton of -Kilbrachmont.[85] ‘After a party at Kellie Castle the guests were -passing through the Hall where the servants were drawn up to receive -their vails, in those days a customary exaction at great houses. The -gifts of those who preceded “Robbie” (as the Laird was commonly called) -drew forth no expression of gratitude, not even a smile, but when his -turn came for performing the ceremony their features were at once -lighted up with something even approaching to a laugh. - -‘“What did you give the fellows, Robbie?” said his friends, when they -got outside; “they looked as sour as vinegar till your turn came.” - -‘“Deil a bawbee they got frae me,” said Robbie, “I just kittled their -loof.”’[86] - -This system of feeing servants received a crushing blow on the -production (in 1759) of the Rev. James Townley’s farce of ‘High Life -below Stairs,’ which probably led to Hanway’s writing his two pamphlets -on the subject. - -He used occasionally to go to Court--but never solicited any place for -himself; still it was thought that his philanthropic exertions should -be rewarded, more especially as he had by no means a large fortune. So -a deputation of five prominent citizens of London, amongst whom was -Hoare the banker, waited on Lord Bute (who was then Prime Minister), -and asked that some substantial recognition of his services should -made. Their representations had weight, and, in July, 1762, he was -appointed one of the commissioners for victualling the Navy. - -He was now in easy circumstances, and his official duties could not -have been very heavy, for in that year he wrote four pamphlets on -‘Meditations on Life, &c.,’ ‘Registration of the Parish Poor, and -Ventilation,’ his pet Magdalens, and a ‘Disquisition on Peace and -War’ themes so diverse that they show the variety of subjects that -occupied his serious attention. In fact, he scribbled on an infinity -of things--all having for their aim the benefit of mankind. He had -a financial scheme ‘for saving from Seventy Thousand Pounds to One -Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds to the Public;’ he wrote on the ‘Uses -and Advantages of Music;’ the ‘Case of the Canadians at Montreal;’ ‘The -Soldier’s Faithful Friend, being Moral and Religious Advice to private -Men in the Army and Militia;’ the ‘Registration of the Children of -the Poor;’ another pamphlet on the rising generation of the labouring -poor; and, not content with addressing the private soldier, he must -needs write ‘The Christian Officer, addressed to the Officers of his -Majesty’s forces, &c.’ - -About this time he was evidently most _goody-goody_. He wrote ‘Moral -and Religious Instruction to young Persons;’ ‘Moral and Religious -Instructions, intended for Apprentices among the lower Classes of the -People;’ ‘Letters to the Guardians of the Infant Poor;’ ‘Rules and -Regulations of the Magdalene Hospital, with Prayers, &c.;’ ‘Advice to -a Daughter, on her going to Service, &c.;’ ‘Advice from a Farmer to -his Daughter;’ ‘Observations on the Causes of the Dissoluteness which -reigns among the lower Classes of the People.’ - -He could not even leave to Mrs. Elizabeth Montague of the -‘Blue-Stocking Club’ notoriety, her championship and patronage of the -poor little climbing boys--and he fired off a pamphlet on ‘The State of -Chimney-Sweepers’ young Apprentices, &c.’ These poor little friendless -mortals excited his pity, and his first efforts in their behalf were -to get them regularly bound apprentices, so as to bring them under -the cognizance of the magistracy; he advocated and inaugurated a -subscription to defray the expense, and supply them with clothes. And -this movement was attended with considerable success, for many boys -were bound apprentices, and some of the masters were prosecuted for -cruelty to their boys. - -Then, to show the diversity of his talents, he wrote two pamphlets on -bread, and a book in two volumes on ‘Virtue in humble life, &c.’ In -1775 he published a large quarto volume on ‘The Defects of Police, the -Causes of Immorality, &c.,’ and in the copy which I have before me, is -written, ‘TO THE KING, _with the Author’s most humble Duty_.’ In this -book, among other things, he advocated solitary, or rather isolated -confinement--permitting the prisoners to work, and giving them an -increased dietary according to their labour, This was followed in 1776 -by a pamphlet on ‘Solitude in Imprisonment, with proper labour, &c.’ - -He was now sixty-four years of age, but he was as bodily active as -he was mentally, and in February, 1776, he had to go over to Hamburg -in connection with his duties as one of the commissioners of the -Victualling Board. In 1777, 1778, and 1782, he wrote three books on -the Lord’s Supper--and from that time he wrote, until he died in 1786, -on all sorts of subjects, religious, social, and political, a list of -which would only be wearisome. In the summer of 1786 his health gave -way, and he was evidently sinking, but he lingered until the 5th of -September, when he calmly passed away--perfectly prepared for the great -change, putting on a fine ruffled shirt, giving up his keys, disposing -of some trinkets, and having his will read to him. Death came easily to -him, and he expired with the word ‘Christ’ upon his lips. - -Such was the life, and such was the death, of Jonas Hanway, whose -biography is not half well enough known. - - - - -A HOLY VOYAGE TO RAMSGATE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. - - -This little story, which I very much condense, is most amusing, and is -the work of ‘Henry Blaine, Minister of the Gospel at Tring, Herts.’ -I only give it as showing the dread with which any country-bred man, -at that time, put his precious body at the mercy of Father Neptune. -Steam has changed all our habits, but then there were no ‘Globe -Trotters,’--few, if any, climbed the Alps for amusement; the Dolomites -were unknown; people had no steam-yachts and went in pursuit of -perpetual summer; a cruise to the Pacific Islands and Japan was never -dreamt of; there was no Mudie’s library to scatter broadcast holiday -tours, for they never existed--so that we must look upon this relation -of an inland-bred ‘Minister of the Gospel’ (whose long and extremely -pious, but wearisome, exordia I omit) with very different eyes, to a -similar one published in the present day. - -It is a tract of fifty-four pages, and commences, ‘In hopes of -recovering that invaluable blessing, health, on Friday, August 10, -1787, I embarked on board the ship FRIENDS bound for RAMSGATE, in -KENT. I had heard there was such a place; and many had raised my -expectations by their reports of the efficacy of sea-bathing; and -others encouraged my hopes by repeating their own experience of benefit -received. By these means I was induced to determine on this little -voyage. It reminded me of the never-to-be-forgotten season, when, urged -by some motives, and impelled by a power unseen, but not unfelt, I -entered on board that stately vessel which the Lord’s prophet saw in a -storm. _Isaiah 54.--11._’ - -This is a sample of the tract. He then goes on to say: ‘While we waited -for the time of sailing (for different purposes, I suppose), many came -on board, and appeared, to me at least, as if they intended to embark -with us: but they left not the harbour, but, urged by other occasions -and inducements, they took leave of their friends and departed; while -we, who were bound for a distant place, kept steady to our purpose, -turned our backs upon home and waited patiently for the gentle breeze -and driving tide to convey us to the desired port.’ - -We can well imagine the good man, when he got back to Tring, giving, -for a long time, his soul-harrowing experiences of that memorable -voyage. He should have lived in our days and have been ‘Our Special -Correspondent’ on whom the editor of the newspaper relies to fill so -many columns--for every detail is taken, evidently note-book in hand. -Witness this: ‘When our sails were displayed, and our cable unloosed, -assisted by a gentle gale, we began by degrees to view the lofty -towers, the aspiring churches, and all the grandeurs of London at a -distance behind us: in hopes of finding something we could not find in -town, we turned our attention from the pleasures, and riches, and pomps -of London; we bid farewel, for a time, to our dearest friends; we laid -aside our daily and domestic cares, and cheerfully forsook the dear -delights of home.’ - -At length they were fairly started on their voyage, which from the -crowded state of the river, and the excessive timidity of the writer, -must have been vastly perilous. ‘Our vessel, though it set sail with -a fair wind, and gently fell down the river towards her destined -port, yet once or twice was nearly striking against other vessels in -the river, to her own injury; but, by the care of the steersman and -sailors, she was timely prevented.... There was no spectacle more -affecting, in all the little voyage, than the bodies of those unhappy -malefactors which were hung up, _in terrorem_, on the margin of the -river Thames. Surely these was some of the execrable characters whom -Justice pursued, who, though “they escaped the sea, yet vengeance -suffered not to live. _Acts 28.--4._” ... Having passed these -spectacles of horror, a fair wind and flowing tide smoothly carried us -towards the boundless ocean.... - -‘When we drew towards the conflux of the river Thames there were two -objects that attracted our notice: the one, the King’s guardship, -placed there for the purposes of good œconomy, the other a large -painted vessel which floated on the surface of the water, and is called -a buoy. While we were passing the king’s ship, I heard the report -of a cannon, and saw the flash of the charge at some distance; and, -on inquiring the reason of such a circumstance, was informed it was -customary for every ship which passed, by way of obedience, to lower -her topsail; but the firing of the gun made them hasten to show their -obedience, for fear of a more unfavourable salute; for, though a flash -of powder might give us some alarm, the discharge of a ball might make -us _feel_ the effects of disobedience.... Hitherto the generality of -our company appeared to carry jollity and mirth in their countenances; -but now we began to see the blushing rose die in the sickly cheek, -and several of our passengers began to feel the sickening effects -of the rolling sea; they withdrew from their mirth, and in pleasure -crept into a corner, and silently mourned their lost pleasures in -solitude.... Thrice happy the souls who are by divine grace made sick -of unsatisfying delights, and compelled to withdraw from unsatisfying -objects, and seek and find permanent bliss in the friendship of -Immanuel! - -‘There had been the appearance of affability and good-humour kept -up among the passengers of our vessel, and a reciprocal exchange of -civilities had passed between them; our bad tempers were for awhile -laid aside, and we seemed mutually agreed to make each other as -innocently happy as our present. If the same mode of conduct was -observed through the whole of our department, how would the ills of -life be softened, and the ties of society sweetened!... - -‘The eyelid of the day was now nearly closed upon us, and the gloom -of darkness began to surround us, which, together with the hollow -bellowing of the wind, and dashing waves, had a tendency to create very -solemn ideas in the mind; and I, being a stranger to such scenes, had -my mind exercised upon things of greater importance.... - -‘About ten o’clock on Friday night we were brought safely into the -harbour of Margate, and then cast anchor in order to set a great -number of our passengers on shore, who were bound for that place of -rendezvous. How great are the advantages of navigation! By the skill -and care of three men and a boy, a number of persons were in safety -conveyed from one part to another of the kingdom.... - -‘When we had safely landed our passengers at Margate, we weighed anchor -at eleven o’clock at night, in order to sail round the North Foreland -for Ramsgate. The North Foreland is a point of land which stretches out -some way into the sea, and is the extreme part of our country on the -right hand, when we sail down the river Thames; and sailing round the -point into the British Channel is esteemed by sailors rather dangerous. -However, there was danger enough to awaken the apprehensions of a -freshwater sailor. Yet here with some degree of confidence in Him who -exercises His power over the sea and dry land, I laid me down and slept -in quietness, while the rattling waves drove against the sides of our -vessel, and the rustling winds shook our sails, and made our yielding -masts to speak. I was led to reflect that now there was but a feeble -plank between me and the bottomless deep, yet, by a reliance on the -divine goodness, my fears were hushed, and a divine calm prevailed -within. “Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on -thee.” _Isaiah 26.--3._ - -‘On Saturday morning I awoke and heard a peaceful sound from shore, -which informed me it was two o’clock; and, inquiring where we were, I -found we were safe anchored within the commodious harbour of Ramsgate. -Being so early an hour, we again composed ourselves to sleep, and lay -till five o’clock; then leaving our sleeping apartment, and mounting -the peaceful deck--not like the frighted sailor, who leaves the horrid -hulk to view a thousand deaths from winds, and waves, and rocks, -without a friendly shore in view--but to see one of the finest retreats -from all these dangers, which Providence has provided for the safety of -those who are exposed to the violence and rage of angry elements. The -commodious Pier of Ramsgate seems admirably calculated to shelter and -protect vessels which are threatened with destruction from winds and -waves. This beautiful piece of architecture is built in the form of a -Crescent, or half-moon, the points of which join to the land.... The -whole of this building of utility appeared to bear a clear resemblance -to the glorious Mediator in his offices, who is appointed for a refuge -from the storm.... - -‘By six in the morning we went on shore, and joyfully met our friends, -who were brought down the day before; but in their passage were -overtaken by a violent storm of thunder and lightning, whilst our -voyage was smooth and prosperous; but, in the morning, we all met -in peace and safety. Thus we sat down to a friendly breakfast, and -cheerfully talked over the adventures of the little voyage. Something -like this, I think, may take place in the state of blessedness.... -While we were thus employed, we consulted how to dispose of ourselves -while we continued at Ramsgate; we mutually agreed to form ourselves -into a little family, and though we could not all lodge, yet we wished -to board together in the same house.’ This is a pleasing instance -of _bonne camaraderie_ engendered, in a short time, among agreeable -companions. - -‘In order to pursue the design of our coming, some of our company -mixed among the bathers at the seaside. The convenience of bathing, -the coolness of a fine summer’s morning, the agreeable appearance of -company so early, and the novelty of the scene, had a very pleasing -effect.... We began to look around us; and though we were not presented -with objects of taste and elegance, yet the town and environs afforded -us some rural prospects, which yielded both instruction and pleasure. -Upon our left hand, as we ascended from the sea-side, stands the seat -of observation, erected on a point of land, and commanding an extensive -prospect over that part of the sea called the Downs, where you behold -a number of ships lying at anchor, or on their passage to different -parts of the world. From thence you may likewise see the lofty cliffs -of France, and reverberating the light of the sun; while, at the same -time, you may, by way of amusement, watch the motions of every boat -coming in and going out of the harbour; and, as the sea is always -varying, its appearance altogether affords an agreeable amusement. Here -the Company frequently stop to rest themselves after a morning’s or an -evening’s walk, and are sweetly regaled by the cool refreshing breezes -of the sea.... - -‘It might be thought strange was I to say nothing of Margate, that -being the chief resort for bathers, and of growing repute. The town -of Margate is in a very increasing state, and its principal ornaments -consist of its late additions. The chief concern of the publick seems -to render it as much a place for pleasure as utility, as, under colour -of utility, persons can pursue pleasure without censure. A mother, -for instance, might be highly blamed by her acquaintance for leaving -her family for a month, and going to spend her husband’s money; but -who can blame her when her health requires it? They are modelling -it according to the taste of the times. They have, indeed, built one -place of worship, but a playhouse nearly four times as large. Thus, -when ill-health does not interrupt the company’s pursuit of amusement, -they are likely soon to be accommodated to their minds. Such is the -provision already made, that the consumptive cough of a delicate -lady may be furnished with the relief of the fumes of a smoking hot -assembly-room, and the embarrassed citizen may drown his anxiety in the -amusements of the Card-table.... - -‘The libraries are decently furnished, and may serve as a kind of -lounging Exchange, where persons overburdened with money and time may -ease themselves with great facility. The most healthful amusement, and -best suited to invalids, that is pursued at Margate, is that of the -bowling-green, where, upon the top of a hill, and in full prospect of -the sea, in a free open air, gentlemen may exercise their bodies, and -unbend their minds; this, if pursued for the benefit of health and -innocent recreation, with a serious friend, appears to have no more -criminality in it than Peter’s going a fishing.... - -‘Having staid as long at Ramsgate as our affairs at home would, with -prudence, admit; we went on board the same ship, and re-embarked for -London. In order, I suppose, to take the better advantage, we sailed -some leagues right out to sea; but, it being a dead calm, we hardly -experienced any other motion than was occasioned by the tide and swell -of the sea for that night. The cry of the sailors, Blow! Blow! reminded -me of that pathetick exclamation of the ancient Church! The next day -proved equally calm, so that we had little else to divert us but walk -about the deck, and watch the rolling of the porpoises in the sea. -We had an old sailor on board, whose patience being tired, declared -he preferred being at sea in a storm to being becalmed on the ocean, -which struck me with the propriety of the observation, when applied to -Christian experience; for a storm, under Divine direction, is often -made the means of hastening the Christian’s progress, while a dead calm -is useless and unsafe.’ - -It took them two days to get to Margate, and another day to reach -Gravesend. On their way they passed a vessel cast on shore, which ‘cut -a dismal figure, such as they make, to an enlightened eye, who make -shipwreck of faith, whom Christians see, as they pursue their course, -run aground, and dash to pieces.’ - -By the time they came to Gravesend some of the passengers had had -enough of the Hoy--so they hired a boat and four men to row them to -London, but the wind getting up, the river became rough, and the -boat being over-loaded, the boatmen begged them to get on board a -fishing-smack, which they did, and arrived at Billingsgate safely. -We can hardly imagine, in these days of steam, that a journey from -Ramsgate to London would last from Monday morning to Wednesday night, -but people did not hurry themselves too much in those days. - - - - -QUACKS OF THE CENTURY. - - -In all ages there have been pretenders to medical science, and it has -been reserved to the present century to elevate the healing art into -a real science, based on proper physiological facts, aided by the -searching analyses of modern chemistry. The old alchemists had died -out, yet they had some pretensions to learning, but the pharmacopœia -at the commencement of the eighteenth century was in a deplorable -condition. Surgery, for rough purposes, had existed since the earliest -ages, because accidents would happen, then as now; and, moreover, -there were wars, which necessitated the amputation of limbs, etc., but -medicine, except in the knowledge of the virtue of herbs and simples, -was in more than a primitive state. Anyone who chose, could dub himself -Doctor, and, naturally, the privilege was largely taken advantage of. - -The name of quack, or quacksalver, does not seem to have been much -used before the seventeenth century, and its derivation has not been -distinctly settled. In the ‘Antiquities of Egypt,’ etc., by William -Osburn, junior, London, 1847, p. 94, he says: ‘The idea of a physician -is frequently represented by a species of duck, the name of which is -CHIN: the Egyptian word for physician was also CHINI.’ But neither -Pierret, in his ‘Vocabulaire Hieroglyphique,’ nor Bunsen, in ‘Egypt’s -Place in Universal History,’ endorse this statement. Still the Egyptian -equivalent for cackling, or the noise of a goose, was _Ka ka_, and in -Coptic _Ouok_, pronounced very much like quack. - -The Germans also use the word _Quacksalber_, and the Dutch -_Kwaksalver_, a term which Bilderdijk, in his ‘Geslachtlijst der -Naamwoorden,’ (derivation or gender of men’s names) says, ought more -properly to be _Kwabsalver_, from _Kwab_, a wen, and _Salver_, to -anoint. Be this as it may, the English word quack certainly means an -illegitimate medical practitioner, a pretender to medical science, -whose pretensions are not warranted by his knowledge. - -The seventeenth century was prolific in quacks--a notable example being -John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. Both Bishop Burnet and De Gramont agree -that, during one of his banishments from Court, he lived in Tower -Street (next door to the sign of the ‘Black Swan,’ at a goldsmith’s -house), and there practised as a quack doctor, as one Alexander Bendo, -newly arrived from Germany. There is a famous mountebank speech of his -extant, copies of which exist not only in broad sheets, but in some of -the jest-books of the seventeenth century, which, genuine or not, is -very amusing. It is far too long to transcribe here, but perhaps I may -be pardoned if I give a short extract. - -‘The knowledge of these secrets I gathered in my travels abroad (where -I have spent my time ever since I was fifteen years old to this, my -nine and twentieth year) in France and Italy. Those that have travelled -in Italy will tell you what a miracle of art does there assist -nature in the preservation of beauty: how women of forty bear the -same countenance with them of fifteen: ages are no way distinguished -by faces; whereas, here in England, look a horse in the mouth and a -woman in the face, you presently know both their ages to a year. I -will, therefore, give you such remedies that, without destroying your -complexion (as most of your paints and daubings do) shall render them -perfectly fair; clearing and preserving them from all spots, freckles, -heats, pimples, and marks of the small-pox, or any other accidental -ones, so that the face be not seamed or scarred. - -‘I will also cleanse and preserve your _teeth_ white and round as -pearls, fastening them that are loose: your gums shall be kept entire, -as red as coral; your lips of the same colour, and soft as you could -wish your lawful kisses. - -‘I will likewise administer that which shall cure the worst of breaths, -provided the lungs be not totally perished and imposthumated; as -also certain and infallible remedies for those whose breaths are yet -untainted; so that nothing but either a very long sickness, or old age -itself, shall ever be able to spoil them. - -‘I will, besides, (if it be desired) _take away_ from their fatness -who have over much, and _add_ flesh to those that want it, without the -least detriment to their constitutions.’ - -By his plausible manners and good address, he soon gathered round him -a large _clientèle_ of servants, etc., for he told fortunes as well -as cured diseases. These told their mistresses, and they too came to -consult the wise man. Even the Court ladies came _incognito_ to see -him, and _la belle_ Jennings, sister to the famous Sarah, first Duchess -of Marlborough, went, with the beautiful Miss Price, to have their -fortunes told, disguised as orange-wenches, and in all probability -their visit would never have been heard of, had they not met with -a disagreeable adventure with a somewhat dissolute gentleman named -Brounker, who was gentleman of the chamber to the Duke of York, and -brother to Viscount Brounker, President of the Royal Society. - -John Cotgrave[87] thus describes the quack of his time: - - ‘My name is Pulse-feel, a poor Doctor of Physick, - That does wear three pile Velvet in his Hat, - Has paid a quarter’s Rent of his house before-hand, - And (simple as he stands here) was made Doctor beyond sea. - I vow, as I am Right worshipful, the taking - Of my Degree cost me twelve French Crowns, and - Thirty-five pounds of Butter in upper _Germany_. - I can make your beauty and preserve it, - Rectifie your body and maintaine it, - Clarifie your blood, surfle[88] your cheeks, perfume - Your skin, tinct your hair, enliven your eye, - Heighten your Appetite; and, as for Jellies, - Dentifrizes, Dyets, Minerals, Fucusses,[89] - Pomatums, Fumes, Italia Masks to sleep in, - Either to moisten or dry the superficies, _Paugh_, _Galen_ - Was a Goose, and _Paracelsus_ a patch - To Doctor _Pulse-feel_.’ - -Then there was that arch quack and empiric, Sir Kenelm Digby, with his -‘sympathetic powder,’ etc., and Dr. Saffold, originally a weaver, who -distributed his handbills broadcast, advertising his ability to cure -every disease under the sun. - -Also in this century is a poem called ‘The Dispensary,’[90] by Sir -Samuel Garth, who lived in Queen Anne’s time, which gives the following -account of a quack and his surroundings: - - ‘So truly _Horoscope_ its Virtues knows, - To this bright Idol[91] ’tis, alone, he bows; - And fancies that a Thousand Pound supplies - The want of twenty Thousand Qualities. - Long has he been of that amphibious Fry, - Bold to prescribe, and busie to apply. - His Shop the gazing Vulgar’s Eyes employs - With foreign Trinkets, and domestick Toys. - Here _Mummies_ lay, most reverently stale, - And there, the _Tortois_ hung her Coat o’ Mail; - Not far from some huge _Shark’s_ devouring Head, - The flying Fish their finny Pinions spread. - Aloft in rows large Poppy Heads were strung, - And near, a scaly Alligator hung. - In this place, Drugs in Musty heaps decay’d, - In that, dry’d Bladders, and drawn Teeth were laid. - An inner Room receives the numerous Shoals - Of such as pay to be reputed Fools. - Globes stand by Globes, Volumns on Volumns lie, - And Planitary Schemes amuse the eye - The Sage, in Velvet Chair, here lolls at ease, - To promise future Health for present Fees. - Then, as from _Tripod_, solemn shams reveals, - And what the Stars know nothing of, reveals.’ - -Medicine in the last century was very crude. Bleeding and purging were -matters of course; but some of the remedies in the pharmacopœia were -very curious. Happy the patient who knew not the composition of his -dose. Take the following:[92] - -‘Or sometimes a quarter of a pint of the following decoction may be -drank alone four times a day: - -‘Take a fresh viper, freed from the head, skin, and intestines, cut in -pieces; candied eryngo root, sliced, two ounces. Boil them gently in -three pints of water, to a pint and three-quarters, and to the strained -liquor add simple and spiritous cinnamon waters, of each two ounces. -Mix them together, to be taken as above directed. - -‘The following viper broth (taken from the London Dispensatory) is a -very nutritious and proper restorative food in this case, and seems to -be one of the best preparations of the viper: for all the benefit that -can be expected from that animal is by this means obtained: - -‘Take a middle-sized viper, freed from head, skin, and intestines; and -two pints of water. Boil them to a pint and a half; then remove the -vessel from the fire; and when the liquor is grown cold, let the fat, -which congeals upon the surface, if the viper was fresh, be taken off. -Into this broth, whilst warm, put a pullet of a moderate size, drawn -and freed from the skin, and all the fat, but with the flesh intire. -Set the vessel on the fire again, that the liquor may boil; then -remove it from the fire, take out the chicken, and immediately chop -its flesh into little pieces: put these into the liquor again, set it -over the fire, and as soon as it boils up, pour out the broth, first -carefully taking off the scum. - -‘Of this broth let the patient take half a pint every morning, at two -of the clock in the afternoon, and at supper-time.’ - -In the same book, also (p. 97), we find the following remedy for cancer: - -‘Dr. Heister, professor of physic and surgery in the university of -_Helmstadt_ in _Germany_, with many others, greatly extols the virtue -of millepedes, or wood-lice, in this case; and, perhaps, the best way -of administering them is as follows: - -‘Take of live wood-lice, one ounce; fine sugar, two drams; a little -powder of nutmeg; and half a pint of alexeterial water. Let the -wood-lice and sugar, with the nutmeg, be ground together in a marble -mortar, then gradually add the water, which being well mixed, strain it -with hard pressing. Two ounces of this expression are to be taken twice -a day, shaking the vessel, so that no part of it may be lost.’ - -And it also seems that much virtue was attached to the great number -of component parts in a medicine, as may be seen in the recipe for -_Arquebusade Water_[93] (from the same book, p. 101). - -‘Take of comfrey leaves and root, sage, mugwort, bugloss, each four -handfulls; betony, sanicle, ox-eye daisy, common daisy, greater -figwort, plantane, agrimony, vervain, wormwood, fennel, each two -handfulls; St. John’s wort, long birthwort, orpine, veronica, lesser -centaury, milfoil, tobacco, mouse-ear, mint, hyssop, each one handfull; -wine twenty-four pounds. Having cut and bruised the herbs, pour on them -the wine, and let them stand together, in digestion, in horse dung, or -any other equivalent heat, for three days: afterwards distill in an -alembic with a moderate fire. - -‘This celebrated water has for some time been held in great esteem, in -contusions, for resolving coagulated blood, discussing the tumors that -arise on fractures and dislocations, for preventing the progress of -gangrenes, and cleansing and healing ulcers and wounds, particularly -gunshot wounds....’ - -Amongst the empyrical medicines, the following is much cried up by many -people, as an infallible remedy: - -‘Take two ounces of the worts that grow dangling to the hinder heels -of a stone horse,[94] wash them in common water, then infuse them in -white wine all night, and afterwards let them be dried, and reduced to -powder. The dose is half a dram twice a day, in any proper vehicle. A -dram of Venice soap given twice a day, either in pills, or dissolved in -some proper liquor, is likewise said to cure a Cancer.’ - -In the early part of the eighteenth century, the regular physicians -were very ignorant. Ward[95] thus describes them, and, although his -language was coarse, he was a keen observer. - -‘They rail mightily in their Writings against the ignorance of _Quacks_ -and _Mountebanks_, yet, for the sake of _Lucre_, they Licence all the -Cozening Pretenders about Town, or they could not Practise; which -shows it is by their Toleration that the People are Cheated out of -their Lives and Money; and yet they think themselves so Honest, as to -be no ways answerable for this Publick Injury; as if they could not -kill People fast enough themselves, but must depute all the Knaves -in the Town to be Death’s Journeymen. Thus do they License what they -ought carefully to Suppress; and Practise themselves what they Blame -and Condemn in others; And that the Town may not be deceived by -_Apothecaries_, they have made themselves _Medicine-Mongers_,[96] under -a pretence of serving the Publick with more faithful preparations; in -order to perswade the World to a belief of which, they have publish’d -Bills, where, in the true _Quack’s_ Dialect, they tell you the Poor -shall be supply’d for nothing; but whoever is so Needy as to make a -Challenge of their promise empty-handed, will find, according to the -_Mountebank’s_ saying, _No Money, No Cure_. The disposal of their -Medicines they leave to a Boy’s management, who scarce knows _Mercurius -Dulcis_ from _White Sugar_, or _Mint Water_ from _Aqua Fortis_: So that -People are likely to be well serv’d, or Prescriptions truly observed by -such an Agent.’ - -If this was a faithful portrait of a physician in the commencement -of the century, what must a charlatan have been? They sowed their -hand-bills broadcast. Gay, in his ‘Trivia,’ book ii., says, - - ‘If the pale Walker pants with weak’ning Ills, - His sickly Hand is stor’d with Friendly Bills: - From hence he learns the seventh born[97] Doctor’s Fame, - From hence he learns the cheapest Tailor’s name.’ - -So universal was this practice of advertising that, to quote Ward[98] -once more, when talking of the Royal Exchange, he says, - -‘The Wainscote was adorn’d with Quacks’ Bills, instead of Pictures; -never an Emperick in the Town, but had his Name in a Lacquered Frame, -containing a fair Invitation for a Fool and his Money to be soon -parted.’ - -The newspapers teemed with quack advertisements. These, of course, we -have; but we also have preserved to us a quantity of the ephemeral -hand-bills, which, presumably, were kept on account of the intrinsic -merits they possessed. They are a curious study. There was the ‘Oxford -Doctor at the Fleet Prison, near Fleet Bridge, London,’ who would sell -ten pills in a box for sixpence, warranted a cure for the ‘_Scurvy_, -_Dropsie_, and _Colt-evil_,’ would provide a remedy for ‘_Headach_, -_Sore Eyes_, _Toothach_, _Stomachach_, _Bleeding_, _Scorbutick Gums_, -_Black_, _Yellow_, _foul Teeth_, _Cramp_, _Worms_, _Itch_, _Kibes_, -_and Chilblains_; the Price of each proper Specifick, Twopence. Teeth -or stumps of Teeth, Drawn with Ease and Safety, Let Blood neatly, -Issues or Setons Curiously made; _For Two Pence each, and welcome_. -By the Doctor that puts forth this paper, you may be Taught Writing, -Arithmetick, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, at reasonable Rates by the -great, _Or Two Pence each of them by the Week_.’ Presumably, as he does -not advertise it, he could not teach manners at the same traditional -price. - -There was another who sold the _Elixir Stomachum_ which was sold at the -various coffee-houses about town, and he complains thus: ‘☞ Garrowaye, -the Apple-man at the Exchange, who had it of me, to sell, for five or -six years, I have lately found out, is Counterfeiting it, and have -removed mine from him; and what he now sells is a Counterfeit sort, and -not the Right, as was formerly Sold there.’ - -There was a man, living in Blackfriars, who was so modest that he -veiled his identity under the initials R.C., who, from two in the -afternoon till night, ‘will give to all People a Secret how they may -utterly destroy _Buggs_ without injury to their Goods, at reasonable -rates; do as you are Taught, and if any be doubtful of the truth of it, -they may have full satisfaction of them that have Experienced it.’ - -Here is a gentleman who gives a minute address. ‘_In Petty France, -Westminster, at a house with a black dore_, and a Red Knocker, between -the Sign of the _Rose and Crown_ and _Jacob’s Well_, is a _German_ who -hath a Powder which, with the blessing of God upon it, certainly cures -the Stone, &c.... If any person of known Integrity will affirm that -upon following their directions the cure is not perfected, they shall -have their Money returned. Therefore be not unwilling to come for help, -but suspend your Judgment till you have try’d, and then speak as you -find.’ - -There is another, which may belong to the previous century--but it is -so hard to tell, either by means of type or wood blocks--put forth -by ‘_Salvator Winter_, an _Italian_ of the City of _Naples_, Aged 98 -years, Yet, by the Blessing of God, finds himself in health, and as -strong as anyone of Fifty, as to the Sensitive part; Which first he -attributes to God, and then to his _Elixir Vitæ_, which he always -carries in his pocket adayes, and at Night under his pillow; And when -he finds himself distemper’d, he taketh a Spoonful or two, according -as need requireth.‘ It is needless to say that the _Elixir_ was -warranted to cure every evil under the sun, including such diverse -maladies as catarrhs, sore eyes, hardness of hearing, toothache, sore -throat, consumption, obstructions in the stomach, and worms. The net -was arranged to catch every kind of fish. In fact, his business was so -profitable that he had a successor, ‘_Salvator Winter, Junior_,’ who -says thus: ‘My father, aged 98 years, yet enjoys his perfect health, -which, next to the blessing of God, he attributes to the _Elixir Vitæ_ -having alway a bottle of it in his pocket, drinking a spoonful thereof -four or five times a day; snuffing it very strongly up his Nostrils, -and bathing his Temples; thus by prevention, he fortifies his vital -Spirits.’ - -Nor did the sterner sex monopolise the profession of quackdom, for -‘At the _Blew-Ball_ in _Grays-Inn Lane_, near _Holborn Barrs_, next -Door to a _Tallow-Chandler_, where you may see my Name upon a Board -over the Door, _liveth_ Elizabeth Maris, _the True German Gentlewoman_ -lately arrived.’ It seems that we were much indebted to Germany for -our quacks, for ‘At the _Boot_ and _Spatter dash_,[99] next Door but -One to the _Vine Tavern_, in _Long-Acre_, near _Drury Lane_, Liveth -a German D^r. and Surgeon, Who by the blessing of GOD on his great -Pains, Travels and Experience, hath had wonderful Success in the Cure -of the Diseases following,’ &c. There was also ‘_Cornelius à Tilbourg_, -Sworn Chirurgeon in _Ordinary_ to K. _Charles_ the II., to our late -Sovereign K. _William_, as also to Her present Majesty Queen _Ann_.’ - -A certain _John Choke_, whose motto was ‘NOTHING WITHOUT GOD,’ and -was ‘an approved Physician; and farther, Priviledged by his Majesty,’ -advertised ‘an Arcane which I had in _Germany_, from the Famous and -most Learned _Baptista Van Helmont_, of worthy Memory (whose Daughter I -Wedded), and whose Prœscripts most Physicians follow.’ - -Curative and magical powers seem to have extended from seventh sons -of seventh sons to women--for I find an advertisement, ‘At the Sign -of the _Blew-Ball_, at the upper end of _Labour in vain-Street_, next -_Shadwell-New-Market_, Liveth a Seventh Daughter, who learn’d her -Skill by one of the ablest Physicians in _England_ (her uncle was -one of K. Charles’s and K. James’s twelve Doctors), who resolves all -manner of Questions, and interprets Dreams to admiration, and hath -never fail’d (with God’s Blessing) what she took in hand.’ Also there -was a book published late in the seventeenth century, called ‘The -WOMAN’S PROPHECY, or the Rare and Wonderful DOCTRESS, foretelling a -Thousand strange monstrous things that shall come to pass before New -Year’s day next, or afterwards--. She likewise undertakes to cure -the most desperate Diseases of the Female Sex, as the _Glim’ring of -the Gizzard_, the _Quavering of the Kidneys_, the _Wambling Trot_, -&c.’ A man who lived at the ‘Three Compasses’ in Maiden Lane, also -issued a hand bill that he would infallibly cure ‘several strange -diseases, which (though as yet not known to the world) he will plainly -demonstrate to any Ingenious Artist to be the greatest Causes of the -most common Distempers incident to the Body of Man. The Names of which -take as follow: The _Strong Fives_, the _Marthambles_, the _Moon-Pall_, -the _Hockogrocle_.’ - -Then there was a medicine which was administered to children even -in my young days, ‘DAFFY’S _famous_ ELIXIR SALUTIS, prepared by -_Katharine Daffy_. The finest now exposed to Sale, prepar’d from the -best Druggs, according to Art, and the Original Receipt, which my -Father, Mr. _Thomas Daffy_, late Rector of _Redmile_, in the Valley -of _Belvoir_, having experienc’d the Virtues of it, imparted to his -Kinsman, Mr. _Anthony Daffy_, who publish’d the same to the Benefit of -the Community, and his own great Advantage. This very Original Receipt -is now in my possession, left to me by my father aforesaid, under his -own Hand. My own Brother, Mr. _Daniel Daffy_, formerly Apothecary in -_Nottingham_, made this ELIXIR from the same Receipt, and Sold it there -during his Life. Those, who know me, will believe what I Declare; -and those who do not, may be convinc’d that I am no Countefeit, by -the Colour, Tast, Smell, and just Operation of my ELIXIR.’ This was, -however, disputed by one John Harrison--and the rivals of nearly two -centuries ago, remind us forcibly of the claimants to the original -recipe of Bond’s Marking Ink. - -A man sold a useful medicine. ‘A most excellent Eye Water, which cures -in a very short time all Distempers relating to the Eyes, from whatever -Cause soever they proceed, even tho’ they have been of seven, eight, -nine, or ten Years’ continuance.... This excellent Water effectually -takes away all Rabies or Pimples in the face, or any Part of the Body; -it also dissolves any small, or new-come Wens or Bunches under the -Skin, so easily that it can hardly be perceived.’ - -One quack blossomed forth in verse, and thus describes himself: ‘_In_ -Cripplegate Parish, _in_ Whitecross Street, _almost at the farther End, -near_ Old Street _(turning in by the sign of the_ Black Croe, _in_ Goat -Alley, _straightforward down three steps, at the sign of the_ Blew -Ball), _liveth one of above Forty Years’ Experience, who with God’s -Blessing performeth these cures following_: - - ‘To all that please to come, he will and can - Cure most Diseases incident to Man. - The Leprosie, the Cholic, and the Spleen, - And most Diseases common to be seen. - Although not cured by Quack Doctors’ proud, - And yet their Name doth ring and range aloud, - With Riches, and for Cures which others do, - Which they could not perform, and this is true. - This Doctor he performeth without doubt, } - The Ileak Passion, Scurvy, and the gout, } - Even to those the Hospitals turn out.’ } - -Such ground as one did not cover, another did. Take, for instance, the -following: ‘In _Surry-Street_, in the _Strand_, at the Corner House -with a White-Balcony and Blue-Flower pots, liveth a Gentlewoman, who - -‘Hath a most excellent Wash to beautifie the Face, which cures all -Redness, Flushings, or Pimples. Takes off any Yellowness, Morpheu, -Sunburn, or Spots on the Skin, and takes away Wrinckles and Driness, -caused too often by Mercurial Poysonous Washes, rendring the worst of -Faces fair and tender, and preserves ’em so. You may have from half a -Crown to five Pound a Bottle. You may also have Night Masks, Forehead -Pieces, incomparable whitepots, and Red Pomatum for the lips, which -keeps them all the Year plump and smooth, and of a delicate natural -colour. She has an admirable Paste to smooth and whiten the Hands, with -a very good Tooth powder, which cleanses and whitens the Teeth. And -a Water to wash the Mouth, which prevents the Scurvy in the Gums and -cures where ’tis already come. - -‘You may have a Plaster and Water which takes off Hair from any part -of the Body, so that it shall never come again. She has also a most -excellent Secret to prevent the Hair from falling, causing it to grow -where it is wanting in any part of the Head. She also shapes the -Eye-brows, making them perfectly beautiful, without any pain, and -raises low Foreheads as high as you please. And colours Grey or Red -Hair to a lovely Brown, which never decays, changes, or smoots the -Linnen. She has excellent Cosmeticks to anoint the Face after the -_Small Pox_, which wears out any Scars, Marks, or Redness; and has -great skill in all manner of sore Eyes. - -‘She has a most excellent Dyet Drink which cures the worst of -Consumptions, or any Impurity of the Blood: And an Antiscorbutick -spirit, which, being taken one spoonful in the Morning, and another -at Night, with moderate Exercise, cures the _Scurvy_, tho’ never so -far gone, and all broke out in Blotches: with many other Secrets in -Physick, which you may be satisfied in when you speak with her.... She -has an approved Remedy for Barrenness in Women.’ - -Very late in the preceding century (he died May 12, 1691), there was a -most famous quack, Dr. Thomas Saffold, one of whose handbills I give as -a curiosity: - - ‘Dear Friends, let your Disease be what God will, - Pray to Him for a Cure--try _Saffold’s_ Skill, - Who may be such a healing Instrument - As will Cure you to your own Heart’s Content. - His Medicines are Cheap, and truly Good, - Being full as safe as your daily Food. - Saffold he can do what may be done, by - Either Physick or true Astrology: - His Best Pills, Rare Elixirs, and Powder, - Do each Day Praise him Lowder and Lowder. - Dear Country-men, I pray be you so Wise, } - When Men Back-bite him, believe not their Lyes, } - But go see him and believe your own Eyes; } - Then he will say you are Honest and Kind, - Try before you Judge, and Speak as you Find. - -‘By _Thomas Saffold_, an Approved and Licensed Physician and Student -in Astrology, who (through God’s Mercy), to do good, still liveth at -the _Black Ball_ and Old _Lilly’s Head_, next Door to the Feather-Shops -that are within _Black-fryers_ Gate-way, which is over against -_Ludgate_ Church, just by _Ludgate_ in _London_. Of him the Poor, -Sore, Sick, and Lame may have Advice for nothing, and proper Medicines -for every particular Distemper, at reasonable Rates ready prepared, -with plain Directions how to use them, to cure either Men, Women, or -Children of any Disease or Diseases afflicting any Body, whether inward -or outward, of what Name or Nature soever (if Curable); Also of this -you may be sure, he hath Medicines to prevent as well as Cure. - -‘Lastly, He doth with great certainty and privacy: Resolve all manner -of Lawful Questions, according to the Rules of Christian Astrology, and -more than Twenty One Years’ Experience.’ - -Talk of modern quacks--they are but second-rate to Saffold! His -_Pillulæ Londinenses_, or London pills, were advertised that ‘not only -the meaner sort of all Ages and each Sex, but people of Eminence, both -for their Rank in the World and their parts, have found admirable -success in taking these Pills.’ - -This _panacea_ was warranted to cure ‘Gout, Dropsy, Coma, Lethargy, -Caries, Apoplexy, Palsy, Convulsions, Falling Sickness, Vertigo, -Madness, Catarrhs, Headache, Scald, and Sore Heads, sore Eyes, -Deafness, Toothache, sore Mouth, sore and swollen Throat, foul Stomach, -bad Digestion, Vomiting, Pain at the Stomach, sour Belching, Colic, -Twisting of the Guts, Looseness, Worms, all Obstructions of the -Pancreas, of the Mesaraic Veins, of the passages of the Chyle, and of -the Liver and Spleen, the Jaundice, Cachexy, Hypochondriac Melancholy, -Agues, Itch, Boils, Rheumatism, Pains and Aches, Surfeits by Eating and -Hard Drinking, or by Heats and Colds (as some call them).’ - -Then there comes a charming bit of candour almost sufficient to disarm -the unwary: ‘They are also good in taking the Waters. I would not -advise them by any means in the Bloody Flux, nor in continual Fevers, -but they are good to purge after either of those Diseases is over, or -to carry off the Humor aforehand. They must also be foreborn by Women -with Child. Otherwise they are good for any Constitution, and in any -Clime. They are Durable many years, and good at Sea as well as on Land.’ - -Thomas Saffold knew well the value of advertising, and scattered his -very varied handbills broadcast. Presumably, like modern quacks, he -made money. Of course he died, and his epitaph is as follows (he -originally was a weaver): - - ‘Here lies the Corpse of Thomas Saffold, - By Death, in spite of Physick, baffled; - Who, leaving off his working loom, - Did learned doctor soon become. - To poetry he made pretence, - Too plain to any man’s own sense; - But he when living thought it sin - To hide his talent in napkin; - Now Death does Doctor (poet) crowd - Within the limits of a shroud.’ - -There was a harmless remedy advertised, even though it was a fraud--and -this was the loan, or sale, of necklaces to be worn by children in -teething. - - THE FAMOUS AND VIRTUOUS NECKLACES. - -‘One of them being of no greater weight than a small _Nutmeg_, -absolutely easing Children in Breeding _Teeth_ without _Pain_; thereby -preventing _Feavers_, _Ruptures_, _Convulsions_, _Rickets_, and such -attendant Distempers, to the Admiration of thousands of the City of -_London_, and Counties adjoining, who have experienced the same, to -their great comfort and satisfaction of the Parents of the Children -who have used them. Besides the Decrease in the _Bills of Mortality_, -apparent (within this Year and a half) of above one half of what -formerly Dyed; and are now Exposed to sale for the Publick good, at -_five shillings_ each _Necklace_, &c.’ - -Then there was a far higher-priced necklace, but, as it also operated -on adults, it was perhaps stronger and more efficacious. ‘A necklace -that cures all sorts of fits in children, occasioned by Teeth or -any other Cause; as also Fits in Men and Women. To be had at Mr. -Larance’s in Somerset Court, near Northumberland House in the Strand; -price ten shillings for eight days, though the cure will be performed -immediately.’ And there was the famous ‘_Anodyne Necklace_.’ - -In the preceding century there were some famous quacks, notably Sir -Kenelm Digby, who, with his sympathetic powder, worked wonders, -especially one instance, an account of which he read to a learned -society at Montpellier. He recounted how a certain learned gentleman, -named Howell, found two of his friends engaged in a duel with swords, -how he rushed to part them, and catching hold of one of their blades, -his hand was severely cut, the other antagonist cutting him severely -on the back of his hand. Seeing the mischief they had done, they bound -up his hand with his garter, and took him home. Mr. Howell was of such -note that the King sent his own physician to him, but without avail; -and there was expectation that the hand would mortify and have to -be amputated. Here Sir Kenelm, who knew him, stepped in, and, being -applied to by his friend to try his remedies, consented. Let him tell -his own tale. - -‘I asked him then for anything that had blood upon it; so he presently -sent for his garter, wherewith his hand was first bound, and as I -called for a basin of water, as if I would wash my hands, I took a -handful of powder of vitriol, which I had in my study, and presently -dissolved it. As soon as the bloody garter was brought me, I put it in -the basin, observing, in the interim, what Mr. Howell did, who stood -talking with a gentleman in a corner of my chamber, not regarding at -all what I was doing. He started suddenly, as if he had found some -strange alteration in himself. I asked him what he ailed. - -‘“I know not what ails me; but I feel no more pain. Methinks that a -pleasing kind of freshness, as it were a wet cold napkin, did spread -over my hand, which hath taken away the inflammation that tormented me -before.” - -‘I replied, “Since, then, you feel already so much good of my -medicament, I advise you to cast away all your plasters; only keep the -wound clean, and in a moderate temper, betwixt heat and cold.” - -‘This was presently reported to the Duke of Buckingham, and, a -little after, to the King, who were both very curious to know the -circumstances of the business; which was, that after dinner, I took -the garter out of the water, and put it to dry before a great fire. It -was scarce dry before Mr. Howell’s servant came running, and saying -that his master felt as much burning as ever he had done, if not more; -for the heat was such as if his hand were betwixt coals of fire. I -answered that although that had happened at present, yet he should -find ease in a short time; for I knew the reason of this new accident, -and would provide accordingly; for his master should be free from that -inflammation, it might be, before he could possibly return to him; but, -in case he found no ease, I wished him to come presently back again; if -not, he might forbear coming. Thereupon he went; and, at the instant, -I did put the garter again into the water; thereupon he found his -master without any pain at all. To be brief, there was no sense of pain -afterwards; but within five or six days the wounds were cicatrized, and -entirely healed.’ - -Faith worked wonders, and a credulous imagination formed an excellent -foundation for healing. Take another instance in the same century--the -case of Valentine Greatraks (who cured by the imposition of hands), -who was nearly contemporary with Sir Kenelm. It would serve no good -purpose to go minutely into his history: suffice it to say that he was -an Irishman of good family, and, as a young man, served under Cromwell. -After the disbandment of the army he was made Clerk of the Peace for -the County of Cork, Registrar for Transplantation (ejection of Papists -who would not go to church) and Justice of the Peace, so that we see he -occupied a respectable position in society. - -After Greatraks settled down in his civil capacity, he seems to have -been a blameless member of society; but his religious convictions -were extremely rabid, and strong on the Protestant side. Writing in -1668, he says: ‘About four years since I had an Impulse, or a strange -perswasion, in my own mind (of which I am not able to give any rational -account to another) which did very frequently suggest to me that there -was bestowed on me the gift of curing the King’s Evil: which, for the -extraordinariness of it, I thought fit to conceal for some time, but at -length I communicated this to my Wife, and told her, That I did verily -believe that God had given me the blessing of curing the King’s Evil; -for, whether I were in private or publick, sleeping or waking, still -I had the same Impulse; but her reply was to me, That she conceived -this was a strange imagination: but, to prove the contrary, a few daies -after there was one _William Maher_ of _Salterbridge_, in the Parish of -_Lissmore_, that brought his Son _William Maher_ to my house, desiring -my Wife to cure him, who was a person ready to afford her Charity to -her Neighbours, according to her small skill in Chirurgery; on which my -Wife told me there was one that had the King’s Evil very grievously in -the Eyes, Cheek, and Throat; whereupon I told her that she should now -see whether this were a bare fancy, or imagination, as she thought it, -or the Dictates of God’s Spirit on my heart; and thereupon I laid my -hands on the places affected, and prayed to God for Jesus’ sake to heal -him, and then I bid the Parent two or three days afterwards to bring -the Child to me again, which accordingly he did, and then I saw the -Eye was almost quite whole, and the Node, which was almost as big as a -Pullet’s Egg, was suppurated, and the throat strangely amended, and, to -be brief (to God’s glory I speak it), within a month discharged itself -quite, and was perfectly healed, and so continues, God be praised.’ - -This may be taken as a sample of his cures, albeit his first; and, -although he excited the enmity of the licensed medical profession, he -seems to have cured the Countess of Conway of an inveterate head-ache, -which greatly enhanced his reputation. He died no one knows when, but -some time early in the century. - -And in our time, too, have been the quacks, the Zouave Jacob and Dr. -Newton, who pretended to have the miraculous gift of healing by the -imposition of hands, so that we can scarcely wonder that, in an age -when the dissemination of accurate and scientific knowledge as the -present is (imperfect though it be), a man like Valentine Greatraks -was believed in as of almost divine authority at the period at which -he lived. But it is a very curious thing that some men either imagine -that they have, or feign to have a miraculous gift of healing. Witness -in our own day the ‘Peculiar People,’ who base their peculiar gift of -healing on a text from the Epistle of St. James, chap. 5, v. 14--‘Is -any sick among you? let him call upon the elders of the Church; and let -them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.’ - -So also the _Catholic and Apostolic Church_ (Irvingites) teach this -practice as a dogma, vide their catechism,[100] ‘What are the benefits -to be derived from this rite?’ ‘St. James teaches us again that the -prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; -and, if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.’ After -this, who can say that the age of faith is passed away? - -With them, also, is a great function for the benediction of oil for -anointing the sick; the rubric for which is as follows:[101] ‘In the -Celebration of the Holy Eucharist on a Week-day, immediately before the -elements are brought up and placed on the Altar, the Elder or Elders -present shall bring the vessel containing the oil to the Angel, who -shall present it uncovered upon the Altar; and then kneeling down at -the Altar, and the Elders kneeling down at the access to the Sanctuary, -the Angel shall say this PRAYER OF BENEDICTION.’ - -Here follows a not very long prayer, in which the Almighty is intreated -to impart to the oil the virtue which is dogmatically asserted that it -possesses, in the catechism. The rubric then continues, ‘The oil which -has been blessed shall remain on the Altar until after the Service, -and shall then be delivered by the Angel to the senior Elder, that it -may be reverently carried to the Sacristy, and there deposited in the -proper place by the Angel.’ - -In the ‘Order for anointing the Sick’ (p. 602), the rubric says: ‘This -rite shall be administered only to such as have, in time past, received -the Holy Communion, or to whom it is intended presently to administer -the Communion; also, only in such cases of sickness as are of a -serious or dangerous character. In order to the receiving of the rite, -opportunity should, if possible, be previously given to the sick person -to make confession of his sins. - -‘A table should be provided in the sick person’s room, with a clean -cloth thereon, upon which may be placed the vessel of holy oil.... -The Elder in charge shall be accompanied, when possible, by the other -Elders, the Pastor, and the Deacon.’ - -A somewhat lengthy service follows, and in the middle is this rubric: -‘Then the Elders present shall anoint the sick person with the oil on -the head or forehead, and, if the sick person request it, also on any -part affected.’ And it winds up with the subjoined direction, ‘All -the holy oil that shall remain after the anointing shall be forthwith -consumed by Fire.’ - -I had intended to confine my subject entirely to English quacks, but -the name of Mesmer is so allied to quackery in England that I must -needs refer to him. He was born at Merseburg in Germany on May 23, -1733, and died at the same place March 5, 1815. He studied medicine, -and took a doctor’s degree in 1766. He started his extraordinary theory -in 1772 by publishing a tract entitled, ‘_De Planetarium_ _Influxu_,’ -in which he upheld that tides exist in the air as in the sea, and were -similarly produced. He maintained that the sun and the moon acted -upon an etherial fluid which penetrated everything, and this force he -termed _Animal Magnetism_. But there is every reason to believe that -he was indebted for his discovery to a Jesuit father named Hel, who -was professor of astronomy at Vienna. Hel used peculiarly made steel -plates, which he applied to different portions of his patient’s body. -Hel and Mesmer subsequently quarrelling about the prior discovery of -each, the latter discontinued the use of the plates, and substituted -his fingers. Then he found it was unnecessary to touch his patient, but -that the same magnetic influence could be induced by waving his hands, -and making what are called _mesmeric passes_ at a distance. - -But the Viennese are a practical race, and his failures to cure, -notably in one case, that of Mademoiselle Paradis (a singer), who was -blind, caused charges of deceit to be brought against him, and he was -told to leave Vienna at a day’s notice. He obeyed, and went to Paris, -where he set up a superb establishment, fitted up most luxuriously. The -novelty-loving Parisians soon visited him, and here, in a dimly lit -room, with pseudo-scientific apparatus to excite the imagination, and -a great deal of corporal manipulation, tending to the same purpose, to -the accompaniment of soft music or singing, hysterical women went into -convulsive fits, and laughed, sobbed, and shrieked, according to their -different temperaments. - -Having reached this stage, Mesmer made his appearance, clad in a gold -embroidered robe of violet silk, holding in his hand a magnetic rod of -wondrous power. With slow and solemn steps he approached his patients, -and the exceeding gravity of his deportment, added to their ignorance -of what might be coming next, generally calmed and subdued those who -were not insensible. Those who had lost their senses he awoke by -stroking them, and tracing figures upon their bodies with his magnetic -wand, and, on their recovery, they used to testify to the great good -his treatment had done them. - -A commission of scientific and medical men sat to make inquiry into -‘Animal Magnetism,’ and they reported adversely. He then endeavoured to -get a pecuniary recognition of his services from the French Government, -but this being declined, he retired to Spa, where, the bubble having -been pricked, he lived for some time in comparative obscurity. - -Mesmerism was introduced into England in the year 1788, by a Dr. De -Mainauduc, who, on his arrival at Bristol, delivered lectures on -‘Animal Magnetism’; and, as his somewhat cautious biographer, Dr. -George Winter, observes, he ‘was reported to have cured diseased -persons, _even_ without the aid of medicines, and of his having -the power of treating and curing diseased persons at a distance.’ -He found many dupes, for the said authority remarks, ‘On looking -over the lists of Students that had been, or then were under the -Doctor’s tuition, it appeared that there was 1 Duke--1 Duchess--1 -Marchioness--2 Countesses--1 Earl--1 Lord--3 Ladies--1 Bishop--5 Right -Honourable Gentlemen and Ladies--2 Baronets--7 Members of Parliament--1 -Clergyman--2 Physicians--7 Surgeons--exclusive of 92 Gentlemen and -Ladies of respectability, in the whole 127. - -‘Naturally fond of study, and my thirst after knowledge being -insatiable, I also was allured to do myself the honour of adding my -name to the list; and to investigate this very extraordinary Science: -and, according to the general terms, I paid 25 Guineas to the Doctor, -and 5 Guineas for the use of the Room; I also signed a bond for -£10,000, and took an affidavit that I would not discover the secrets of -the Science _during the Doctor’s natural life_.’ - -So we see that this wonderful power had a market value of no mean -consideration, and, indeed, an anonymous authority, who wrote on -‘Animal Magnetism,’ states that Dr. Mainauduc realised £100,000. So -lucrative was its practice, that many pretenders sprung up, notable -one Holloway who gave lectures at the rate of five guineas the course, -besides Miss Prescott, Mrs. Pratt, Monsieur de Loutherbourg the -painter, Mr. Parker, and Dr. Yeldal; but the chief of these quacks was -Dr. Loutherbourg, who was assisted in his operations by his wife. A -book about his wonderful cures was written by one of his believers, -Mary Pratt, ‘A lover of the Lamb of God,’ in which he is described as -‘A Gentleman of superior abilities, well known in the scientific and -polite Assemblies for his brilliancy of talents as a Philosopher, and -Painter: this Gentleman is no other than Mr. De Loutherbourg, who with -his Lady, Mrs. De Loutherbourg, have been made by the Almighty power -of the Lord Jehovah, proper Recipients to receive divine Manuductions, -which heavenly and divine Influx coming from the Radix _God_, his -divine Majesty has most graciously condescended to bestow on them (_his -blessing_) to diffuse healing to _all_ who have faith in the Lord as -mediator, be they Deaf, Dumb, Lame, Halt, or Blind.’ - -That thousands flocked to these charlatans is undoubted, for Dr. -George Winter (above quoted) says, ‘It was credibly reported that -3,000 persons have attended at one time, to get admission at Mr. -Loutherbourg’s, at Hammersmith; and that some persons sold their -tickets for from One, to Three Guineas each.’ And this is corroborated -by crazy Mary Pratt. ‘Report says three Thousand People have waited -for Tickets at a time. For my own part, the Croud was so immense that -I could with difficulty gain the Door on Healing Days, and I suppose, -upon conviction, Report spoke Truth.’ De Loutherbourg charged nothing -for his cures, and Mary Pratt is extremely scandalized at those who, -having received a ticket gratis, sold them from two to five guineas. - -Many cases are given in her book of the cures effected by this -benevolent couple; how the blind were made to see, the deaf to hear, -the lame to walk, or the dumb to speak--nay, could even cast out -devils--as the following testimonial will show. - -‘The second case I shall mention is that of a woman possessed with Evil -Spirits, her name Pennier, lives at No. 33 Ogle Street, Mary-le-bone, -near Portland-Chapel; her husband lives with the French Ambassador: -her case was too terrific to describe; her eyes and mouth distorted, -she was like a Lunatic in every sense of the word; she used to say -that it was not her voice that spoke, but the devil in her. In short, -her case was most truly distressing, not only to her family, but the -neighbourhood; she used to invite people in with apparent civility, -then bite them, and scratch like a cat; nay, she would beg a pin of -women, and then scratch them with it, &c., &c., &c.’ - -‘Mrs. De Loutherbourg, a lady of most exquisite sensibility and -tenderness, administered to this Mrs. Pennier; she daily amended, and -is now in her right mind, praising God, who has through his servant -performed such an amazing cure, to the astonishment of hundreds who saw -her and heard her.’ - -Mrs. De Loutherbourg’s system of cure was extremely simple, as this -example will show: ‘Mrs. Hook, Stable Yard, St. James’s, has two -daughters, born Deaf and Dumb. She waited on the Lady above mentioned, -who looked on them with an eye of benignity, and healed them. (I heard -both of them speak.)’ - -Her husband’s plan was rather more clumsy. He imposed hands. ‘A -News-Carrier at Chelsea cured of an Abscess in his Side. Mr. De -Loutherbourg held his hand on the Abscess half a minute, and it broke -immediately.’ - -Perhaps these cures were not permanent, for ‘Mr. De Loutherbourg told -me he had cured by the blessing of God, two Thousand since Christmas. -But, as our Lord said, of the ten healed, one only returned to thank -him; so many hundreds have acted, that have never returned to Mr. De -Loutherbourg.’ - -One of the most impudent of these quacks was named Benjamin Douglas -Perkins, whose father claimed to be the inventor of the metallic -tractors, which were rods made either of a combination of copper, -zinc, and gold, or of iron, silver, and platinum, and he explains, in -the specification to his patent, that ‘the point of the instrument -thus formed, I apply to those parts of the body which are affected -with diseases, and draw them off on the skin, to a distance from the -complaint, and usually towards the extremities.’ - -He charged the moderate sum of five guineas a set for these precious -instruments, and made a good thing out of them. He was a member of the -Society of Friends, and, as a proof that his charlatanism was believed -in, this benevolent society subscribed largely, and built for him the -_Perkinean Institution_, an hospital where the poor could be treated on -his system, free of cost. - -He was an adept in the art of puffing, and his ‘Testimonials’ are -quite equal to those of modern times. I will only cite two. ‘My little -infant child was _scalded_ with hot tea on the forehead, about three -and a half inches in length, and three-fourths of an inch in breadth, -which raised a vesicle before I had time to apply anything to it. The -_Tractors_ were solely used, and the whole redness disappeared. The -Blister broke, &c.’ - -‘A lady fell from her horse, and _dislocated_ her ancle, which remained -several hours before it was reduced, by which it became very much -_swelled_, _inflamed_, and _painful_. Two or three applications of the -_Tractor_ relieved the pain, and in a day or two she walked the house, -and had no further complaint.’ - -Then also was Dominicetti, who, in 1765, established a house in -Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, for medicated baths, but he hardly belongs to -the magnetisers. Then there was Katterfelto, but he, too, hovers on -the borderland of quackism--vide the following one of hundreds of -advertisements.[102] - - ‘By particular Desire of many of the First Nobility. - This PRESENT EVENING and TO-MORROW, - At late COX’S MUSEUM, Spring Gardens, - -A SON of the late Colonel KATTERFELTO of the Death’s Head Hussars, -belonging to the King of Prussia, is to exhibit the same variety of -Performances as he did exhibit on Wednesday the 13th of March, before -many Foreign Ministers, with great applause. - - -MR. KATTERFELTO - -Has had the honour in his travels to exhibit before the Empress of -Russia, the Queen of Hungary, the Kings of Prussia, Sweden, Denmark, -and Poland. - - -MR. KATTERFELTO’S - -Lectures are Philosophical, Mathematical, Optical, Magnetical, -Electrical, Physical, Chymical, Pneumatic, Hydraulic, Hydrostatic, -Styangraphic, Palenchic, and Caprimantic Art. - - -MR. KATTERFELTO - -Will deliver a different Lecture every night in the week, and show -various uncommon experiments, and his apparatus are very numerous, and -elegantly finished: all are on the newest construction, many of which -are not to be equalled in Europe. - - -MR. KATTERFELTO - -Will, after his Philosophical Lecture, discover various arts by which -many persons lose their fortunes by Dice, Cards, Billiards, and E.O. -Tables, &c.’ - -He was a charlatan _pur et simple_, and to his other attractions he -added a performing black cat,[103] ‘but Colonel Katterfelto is very -sorry that many persons will have it that he and his famous BLACK -CAT were DEVILS but such suspicion only arises through his various -wonderful and uncommon performances: he only professes to be a moral -and divine Philosopher, and he says, that all persons on earth live -in darkness, if they are able, but won’t see that most enterprizing, -extraordinary, astonishing, wonderful, and uncommon exhibition on the -Solar Microscope. He will this day, and every day this week, show, from -eight in the morning till five in the afternoon, his various new Occult -Secrets, which have surprized the King and the whole Royal Family: and -his evening lecture begins this, and every night, precisely at eight -o’clock; but no person will be admitted after eight; and after his -lecture he will exhibit many new deceptions. His Black Cat will also -make her appearance this evening at No. 24, Piccadilly. His exhibition -of the Solar Microscope has caused him lately very grand houses; also -his wonderful Black Cat at night; many thousands could not receive -admission lately for want of room, and Katterfelto expects to clear at -least above £30,000, in a year’s time, through his Solar Microscope and -surprizing Black Cat.’ - -He also invented a sort of lucifer-match.[104] ‘Dr. Katterfelto will -also, for 2/6_d._ sell such a quantity of his new invented _Alarum_, -which is better than £20 worth of Phosphorus matches, and is better in -a house or ship than £20,000, as many lives may be saved by it, and -is more useful to the Nation than 30,000 Air Balloons. It will light -900 candles, pistols or cannons, and never misses. He also sells the -very best Solid, Liquid, and Powder Phosphorus, Phosphorus Matches, -Diamond Beetles, &c.’ Katterfelto died at Bedale, in Yorkshire, 25th of -November, 1799. - -There also lived Dr. Graham, who was not heard of before 1780, and -he was an arch quack. About that year he took a mansion in the Royal -Terrace, Adelphi, which he fitted up sumptuously. It was inscribed -‘Templum Æsculapio Sacrum,’ and was called both the ‘Temple of -Health,’ and the ‘Hymeneal Temple.’ Here, in air heavy with incense, -he lectured on electricity and magnetism. He was a past master in -the art of puffing, and published several books in glorification -of himself. In one, called ‘MEDICAL TRANSACTIONS at the Temple of -Health in London, in the course of the years 1781 & 1782,’ he gives -a wonderful list of cures worked by his ‘Electrical Æther, Nervous -Æthereal Balsam, Imperial Pills, Liquid Amber, British Pills,’ and his -‘Bracing, or Restorative Balsam,’ which, in order to bring within the -reach of ordinary people, he kindly consented to sell at half-price, -namely, ‘that the bottles marked, and formerly sold at one guinea, may -_now_ be had at only half-a-guinea; the half-guinea bottles at five -shillings and threepence; the five shilling at half-a-crown, and the -two-and-sixpenny vials at _only one shilling and threepence_.’ - -In this book, too, are some choice specimens of poetry, all laudatory -of Dr. Graham, one of which is worth repeating, as a specimen-- - - -‘_An_ ACROSTIC, _by a_ LADY. - - D EIGN, to accept the tribute which I owe, - O ne grateful, joyful tear, permit to flow; - C an I be silent when good health is given? - T hat first--that best--that richest gift of heaven! - O Muse! descend, in most exalted lays, - R eplete with softest notes, attune his praise. - - G en’rous by nature, matchless in thy skill! - R ich in the God-like art--to ease--to heal; - A ll bless thy gifts! the sick--the lame--the blind, - H ail thee with rapture for the cure they find! - A rm’d by the DEITY with power divine, - M ortals revere HIS attributes in thine.’ - -In this temple of ‘Health and Hymen’ he had a wonderful ‘Celestial -Bed,’ which he pretended cost sixty thousand pounds. He guaranteed -that the sleepers therein, although hitherto childless, should -become prolific; but it was somewhat costly, for the fee for its -use for a single night was one hundred pounds. Still, he had some -magneto-electric beds, which, probably, were as efficacious, at a lower -rate, only fifty pounds nightly. The title-page of a pamphlet on his -establishment is noteworthy. - - ‘IL CONVITO AMOROSO, - Or a Serio--comico--philosophical - LECTURE - on the - _Causes, Nature, and Effects of Love and Beauty_, - At the Different Periods of Human Life, in Persons, and - Personages, Male, Female, and Demi-Charactêre; - And in Praise of the Genial and Prolific Influences of the - - CELESTIAL BED! - - As Delivered by HEBE VESTINA, - The Rosy Goddess of Youth and of Health! - from the - _Electrical Throne! in the Great Apollo-Chamber_, - - At the TEMPLE of HYMEN, in LONDON, - -Before a glowing and brilliant Audience of near Three Hundred Ladies -and Gentlemen, who were commanded by VENUS, CUPID, and HYMEN! to -assist, in joyous Assembly, at the Grand Feast of very FAT THINGS, -which was held at their Temple, on Monday Evening, the 25th of -November, 1782; but which was interrupted by the rude and unexpected -Arrival of his Worship MIDAS NEUTERSEX, Esq^{re.} ... just as the -Dessert was about to be served up. - - Published at the earnest Desire of many of the Company, and to - gratify the impatient and very intense longings of Thousands of - Adepts, Hibernian and British;--of the Cognoscenti;--et de les - Amateur ardens des _delices exquise_ de Venus! - - To which is subjoined, a description of the Stupendous Nature - and Effects of the Celebrated - - -CELESTIAL BED!’ - -The ‘VESTINA, or Goddess of Health,’ was no mean person. She began -life as a domestic servant, and was named Emma Lyons. She was a -good-looking, florid, buxom wench, and, after having played her part as -priestess at the ‘Temple of Health and Hymen,’ became the wife of the -dilletante Sir William Hamilton, English Minister at Naples, and was -afterwards notorious for her connection with Lord Nelson. - -Graham wrote in 1790, ‘A short Treatise on the All cleansing--all -healing--and all invigorating Qualities of the SIMPLE EARTH, when long -and repeatedly applied to the naked Human Body and Lungs, for the safe, -speedy, and radical Cure of all Diseases, internal as well as external, -which are, in their Nature or Stage, susceptible of being cured;--for -the preservation of the Health, Vigour, Bloom, and Beauty of Body and -of Mind; for rejuvenating the aged and decaying Human Body;--and for -prolonging Life to the very longest possible Period, &c.’ - -For the benefit of those who would try the doctor’s earth-cure, I -extract the following: ‘I generally, or always, prefer the sides or -tops of hills or mountains, as the air and the earth are the more -pure and salubrious; but the air and earth of ordinary pasture -or corn-fields, especially those that are called upland, and even -good clean garden-ground, or the higher commons, especially fallow -corn-fields, are all salutary and good. - -‘As to the colour and nature of the earth or soil, I prefer a good -brown or reddish blooming mould, and light, sandy, crumbly, mellow and -marrowy earth; or that which feels when I am in it, and crumbling with -my hands and fingers, like bits of marrow among fine Flour; and that -which has a strong, sweet, earthly smell----’ - -So that my readers now know exactly what to do. - -He had a fairly comprehensive idea of modern hygiene, as will be seen -from the following extract from ‘General Instructions to the persons -who consult Dr. Graham as a Physician’: - -‘It will be unreasonable for Dr. Graham’s Patients to expect a complete -and a lasting cure, or even great alleviation of their peculiar -maladies, unless they keep the body and limbs most perfectly clean with -very frequent washings,--breathe fresh, open air day and night,--be -simple in the quality and moderate in the quantity of their food and -drink,--and totally give up using the deadly poisons and weakeners -of both body and soul, and the cankerworm of estates called foreign -Tea and Coffee, Red Port Wine, Spirituous Liquors, Tobacco and Snuff, -gaming and late hours, and all sinful, unnatural, and excessive -indulgence of the animal appetites, and of the diabolical and degrading -mental passions. On practising the above rules--on a widely open window -day and night--and on washing with cold water, and going to bed every -night by eight or nine, and rising by four or five, depends the very -perfection of bodily and mental health, strength and happiness.’ - -He wrote many pamphlets, some of them on religious matters, and the -fools who patronised him paid him large fees; yet his expenses were -very heavy, and his manner of living luxurious, so that we experience -but little wonder when we find the ‘Temple of Health’ sold up, and that -Graham himself died poor--either in, or near, Glasgow. - -Early in the century there were (in surgery) two noted quacks, namely, -Dr. (afterwards Sir William) Read, and Roger, or, as he called himself, -Doctor, Grant--both oculists. Read originally was a tailor, and Grant -had been a tinker and Anabaptist preacher. The list of cures of both -are marvellous--Grant even advertising in the _Daily Courant_, of July -20, 1709, that he had cured, in five minutes, a young man that had been -born blind. But at that time, when people believed in their sovereign -being able to cure scrofula by touching the patient with a gold coin, a -little faith went a long way. - -But quackery was not confined to the masculine gender--the ladies -competed with them in the field. Notably Mrs. Map, the bone-setter of -Epsom, of whom Mr. Pulteney writes so amusingly to Swift on December -21, 1736: ‘I must tell you a ridiculous incident; perhaps you have -not heard it. One Mrs. Mapp, a famous she bone-setter and mountebank, -coming to town with a coach and six horses, on the Kentish road, was -met by a rabble of people, who, seeing her very oddly and tawdrily -dressed, took her for a foreigner, and concluded she must be a certain -great person’s mistress. Upon this they followed the coach, bawling -out, “No Hanover w----! No Hanover w----!” The lady within the coach -was much offended, let down the glass, and screamed louder than any of -them, “She was no Hanover w----! she was an English one!” Upon which -they cried out, “God bless your ladyship!” quitted the pursuit, and -wished her a good journey.’ - -This woman sprang into notoriety all at once. The first authentic -account of her is on page 457 of the _London Magazine_ for 1836, under -the date of August 2: ‘The Town has been surprized lately with the fame -of a young woman at _Epsom_, who, tho’ not very regular, it is said, -in her Conduct, has wrought such Cures that seem miraculous in the -Bone-setting way. The Concourse of People to _Epsom_ on this occasion -is incredible, and ’tis reckon’d she gets near 20 Guineas a Day, she -executing what she does in a very quick Manner: She has strength enough -to put in any Man’s Shoulder without any assistance; and this her -strength makes the following Story the more credible. A Man came to -her, sent, as ’tis supposed, by some Surgeons, on purpose to try her -Skill, with his Hand bound up, and pretended his Wrist was put out, -which upon Examination she found to be false; but, to be even with him -for his Imposition, she gave it a Wrench, and really put it out, and -bad him _go to the Fools who sent him, and get it set again_, or, if he -would come to her that day month, she would do it herself. - -‘This remarkable person is Daughter to one _Wallin_, a Bone-setter of -_Hindon, Wilts_. Upon some family Quarrel, she left her Father, and -Wander’d up and down the Country in a very miserable Manner, calling -herself _Crazy Salley_. Since she became thus famous, she married one -Mr. _Hill Mapp_, late servant to a Mercer on _Ludgate Hill_, who, ’tis -said, soon left her, and carried off £100 of her Money.’ - -She was not long making her way in the world, for we read in the same -magazine, under date, September 19, 1736: ‘Mrs. _Mapp_, the famous -Bone-setter at _Epsom_, continues making extraordinary Cures. She has -now set up an Equipage, and this Day came to _Kensington_ and waited on -her Majesty.’ - -The _Gentleman’s Magazine_, under date of August 31, 1736, gives a -similar account of her private life, adding that her husband did not -stay with her above a fortnight, but adds that she was wonderfully -clever in her calling, having ‘cured Persons who have been above 20 -years disabled, and has given incredible Relief in most difficult -cases.’ - -‘Mrs. _Mapp_ the Bone-setter, with Dr. Taylor the Oculist, being -present at the Playhouse in _Lincoln’s Inns Fields_, to see a Comedy -call’d the Husband’s Relief, with the Female Bone-setter, and Worm -Doctor; it occasioned a full House, and the following - -EPIGRAM. - - ‘While _Mapp_ to th’ Actors shew’d a kind regard, - On one side _Taylor_ sat, on t’other _Ward_: - When their mock Persons of the Drama came, - Both _Ward_ and _Taylor_ thought it hurt their _fame_; - Wonder’d how _Mapp_ cou’d in good Humour be-- - _Zoons_, crys the Manly Dame, it hurts not _me_; - Quacks without Arts may either blind or kill, - But _Demonstration_ shews that mine is _Skill_. - -And the following was sung upon y^e Stage: - - You Surgeons of _London_ who puzzle your Pates, - To ride in your Coaches, and purchase Estates, - Give over, for Shame, for your Pride has a Fall, - And y^e Doctress of _Epsom_ has outdone you all. - - What signifies Learning, or going to school, - When a Woman can do without Reason or Rule, - What puts you to Non-plus, and baffles your Art, - For Petticoat-Practice has now got the Start. - - In Physick, as well as in Fashions, we find - The newest has always its Run with Mankind; - Forgot is the bustle ‘bout Taylor and Ward, - Now _Mapp’s_ all y^e Cry, and her Fame’s on Record. - - Dame Nature has giv’n her a Doctor’s Degree, - She gets all y^e Patients, and pockets the Fee; - So if you don’t instantly prove her a Cheat, - She’ll loll in her Chariot while you walk y^e Street.’[105] - -At this time she was at her acme--but if an anonymous writer in the -_Cornhill Magazine_ for March, 1873, p. 82, is to be believed, she died -December, 1837, ‘at her lodgings near Seven Dials, so miserably poor, -that the parish was obliged to bury her.’ - -In No. 572 of the _Spectator_, July 26, 1714,[106] is a very amusing -article on the quacks of Queen Anne’s time: - -‘There is scarce a city in Great Britain but has one of this tribe, -who takes it into his protection, and on the market-day harangues -the good people of the place with aphorisms and receipts. You may -depend upon it he comes not there for his own private interest, but -out of a particular affection to the town. I remember one of these -public-spirited artists at Hammersmith, who told his audience that -he had been born and bred there, and that, having a special regard -for the place of his nativity, he was determined to make a present of -five shillings to as many as would accept of it. The whole crowd stood -agape and ready to take the doctor at his word; when, putting his hand -into a long bag, as everyone was expecting his crown piece, he drew out -a handful of little packets, each of which, he informed the spectators, -was constantly sold at five shillings and sixpence, but that he would -bate the odd five shillings to every inhabitant of that place; the -whole assembly immediately closed with this generous offer, and took -off all his physick, after the doctor had made them vouch for one -another, that there were no foreigners among them, but that they were -all Hammersmith men. - -‘There is another branch of pretenders to this art, who, without -either horse or pickle herring,[107] lie snug in a garret, and send -down notice to the world of their extraordinary parts and abilities -by printed bills and advertisements. These seem to have derived their -custom from an eastern nation which Herodotus speaks of, among whom it -was a law that whenever any cure was to be performed, both the method -of the cure, and an account of the distemper, should be fixed in some -public place; but, as customs will corrupt, these, our moderns, provide -themselves with persons to attest the cure before they publish or make -an experiment of the prescription. I have heard of a porter, who serves -as a Knight of the post[108] under one of these operators, and, though -he was never sick in his life, has been cured of all the diseases in -the Dispensary. These are the men whose sagacity has invented elixirs -of all sorts, pills and lozenges, and take it as an affront if you -come to them before you have been given over by everybody else. Their -medicines are infallible, and never fail of success; that is, of -enriching the doctor, and setting the patient effectually at rest. - -‘I lately dropt into a coffee-house at Westminster, where I found the -room hung round with ornaments of this nature. There were Elixirs, -Tinctures, the Anodyne Fotus, English Pills, Electuaries, and, in -short, more remedies than I believe there are diseases. At the sight -of so many inventions, I could not but imagine myself in a kind of -arsenal or magazine, where a store of arms was deposited against any -sudden invasion. Should you be attacked by the enemy sideways, here -was an infallible piece of defensive armour to cure the pleurisy; -should a distemper beat up your head-quarters, here you might purchase -an impenetrable helmet, or, in the language of the artist, a cephalic -tincture; if your main body be assaulted, here are various kinds of -armour in case of various onsets. I began to congratulate the present -age upon the happiness man might reasonably hope for in life, when -death was thus in a manner defeated, and when pain itself would be of -so short a duration, that it would just serve to enhance the value of -pleasure. - -‘While I was in these thoughts, I unluckily called to mind a story of -an ingenious gentleman of the last age, who, lying violently afflicted -with the gout, a person came and offered his services to cure him by a -method which, he assured him, was infallible; the servant who received -the message carried it up to his master, who, inquiring whether the -person came on foot or in a chariot, and being informed that he was -on foot: “Go,” says he, “send the knave about his business; was his -method infallible as he pretends, he would, long before now, have been -in his coach and six.” In like manner I concluded that, had all these -advertisers arrived to that skill they pretend to, they would have -no need, for so many years successively, to publish to the world the -place of their abode, and the virtues of their medicines. One of these -gentlemen, indeed, pretends to an effectual cure for leanness: what -effects it may have had upon those who have tried it, I cannot tell; -but I am credibly informed that the call for it has been so great, -that it has effectually cured the doctor himself of that distemper. -Could each of them produce so good an instance of the success of his -medicines, they might soon persuade the world into an opinion of them. - -‘I observe that most of the bills agree in one expression, viz., -that, “with God’s blessing,” they perform such and such cures: this -expression is certainly very proper and emphatical, for that is all -they have for it. And, if ever a cure is performed on a patient where -they are concerned, they can claim a greater share than Virgil’s IAPIS -in the curing of ÆNEAS; he tried his skill, was very assiduous about -the wound, and, indeed, was the only visible means that relieved the -hero, but the poet assures us it was the particular assistance of a -deity that speeded the whole operation.’ - -There was another female quack in 1738, one Mrs. Stephens, and in -the _Gentleman’s Magazine_ for that year, p. 218, we read that ‘Mrs. -_Stephens_ has proposed to make her Medicines for the Stone publick, on -Consideration of the sum of £5,000 to be rais’d by Contribution, and -lodged with Mr. _Drummond_, _Banker_. He has receiv’d since the 11th -of this month (April) about £500 on that Account.’ She advertised her -cures very fully, and she obtained and acknowledged, as subscriptions -from April 11 to the end of December, 1738, the receipt of £1,356 3s. -(_Gentleman’s Magazine_, 1739, p. 49). And the subscribers were of no -mean quality; they included five bishops, three dukes, two duchesses, -four earls, two countesses, five lords, and of smaller fry a vast -quantity. But this did not satisfy her; she had influence enough to get -a short Act of Parliament passed in her favour (Cap. 23, 12, Geo. II., -1739), entitled: - -‘_An Act for providing a reward_ to Joanna Stephens _upon a proper -discovery to be made by her for the use of the publick, of the -medicines prepared by her for the cure of the stone._ - -‘WHEREAS _Joanna Stevens_ (sic) of the City of _Westminster_, spinster, -hath acquired the knowledge of medicines, and the skill of preparing -them, which by a dissolving power seem capable of removing the cause -of the painful distemper of the stone, and may be improved, and more -successfully applied when the same shall be discovered to persons -learned in the science of physick; now, for encouraging the said -_Joanna Stephens_ to make discovery thereof, and for providing her -a recompence in case the said medicines shall be submitted to the -examination of proper judges, and by them be found worthy of the reward -hereby provided; may it please your Majesty, that it be enacted, etc. - -‘£5,000 granted out of the supplies for the discovery of Mrs. -Stephens’s medicines. Treasury to issue the said sum on a proper -certificate.’ - -A committee of twenty scientists investigated her medicines, and -reported favourably on them. They were trifold. A powder, a draught, -and a pill--and what think you they were made of? The powder was made -of egg-shells and snails, both burnt; the draught was made of Alicante -soap, swine’s cresses burnt, and honey. This was made into a ball, -which was afterwards sliced and dissolved in a broth composed of green -camomile, or camomile flowers, sweet fennel, parsley, and burdock -leaves, boiled in water and sweetened with honey; whilst the pill was -compounded of snails, wild carrot seeds, burdock seeds, ashen keys, -hips and haws, all burnt to blackness, and then mixed with Alicante -soap! These were the famous remedies for which a grateful nation paid -such a large sum!!! - - - - -CAGLIOSTRO IN LONDON. - - -Carlyle, in a very diffuse essay on this adventurer, thus introduces -him: ‘The Count Alessandro di Cagliostro, Pupil of the sage Althotas, -Foster-child of the Scherif of Mecca, probable Son of the last King -of Trebisond; named also Acharat, and unfortunate child of Nature; by -profession healer of diseases, abolisher of wrinkles, friend of the -poor and impotent, grand-master of the Egyptian Mason Lodge of High -Science, Spirit Summoner, Gold Cook, Grand Cophta, Prophet, Priest, -and thaumaturgic moralist and swindler; really a Liar of the first -magnitude, thorough-paced in all provinces of Lying, what one may call -the King of Liars. - -‘Mendez Pinto, Baron Munchaüsen, and others are celebrated in this art, -and not without some colour of justice; yet must it in candour remain -doubtful whether any of these comparatively were much more than liars -from the teeth onwards: a perfect character of the species in question, -who lied not in word only, but continually in thought, word, and -act; and, so to speak, lived wholly in an element of lying, and from -birth to death did nothing but lie--was still a desideratum. Of which -desideratum Count Alessandro offers, we say, if not the fulfilment, -perhaps as near an approach to it as the limited human faculties -permit.’ - -And yet this man made a name, and was famous in his time, and even -afterwards. Lives, novels, and romances, notably being immortalized by -Alexandre Dumas in his ‘Memoires d’un Médecin,’ nay, even plays, have -been written about this clever rogue, who rose from a poor man’s son -to be the talk of Europe, and his connection with the famous diamond -necklace, made him of almost political importance, sufficient to -warrant his incarceration in the Bastille. - -I do not propose to write the life of Cagliostro--enough and to spare -has been written on this subject,[109] but simply to treat of him in -London; yet at the same time it is necessary to say when and where he -was born--the more especially because he always professed ignorance of -his birth, and, when examined in a French court of justice in relation -to the famous diamond necklace on January 30, 1786, the question was -put to him, ‘How old are you?’ _Answer_--‘Thirty-seven or thirty-eight -years.’ _Question_--‘Your name?’ _Answer_--‘Alessandro Cagliostro.’ -_Question_--‘Where born?’ _Answer_--‘I cannot say for certain, whether -it was at Malta or at Medina; I have lived under the tuition of a -governor, who told me that I was of noble birth, that I was left an -orphan when only three months old,’ etc. - -But in a French book,[110] of which an English translation was made -in 1786, Cagliostro is made to say, ‘I cannot speak positively as to -the place of my nativity, nor to the parents who gave me birth. From -various circumstances of my life I have conceived some doubts, in which -the reader perhaps will join with me. But I repeat it: all my inquiries -have ended only in giving me some great notions, it is true, but -altogether vague and uncertain concerning my family. - -‘I spent the years of my childhood in the city of Medina, in Arabia. -There I was brought up under the name of Acharat, which I preserved -during my progress through Africa and Asia. I had apartments in the -palace of the Muphti Salahaym. It is needless to add that the Muphti is -the chief of the Mahometan Religion, and that his constant residence is -at Medina. - -‘I recollect perfectly that I had then four persons in my service; a -governor, between 55 and 60 years of age, whose name was Althotas, and -three servants, a white one, who attended me as valet-de-Chambre, and -two blacks, one of whom was constantly about me night and day. - -‘My Governor always told me that I had been left an orphan when only -three months old; that my parents were Christians, and nobly born; but -he left me absolutely in the dark about their names, and the place of -my nativity: a few words which he dropped by chance have induced me to -suspect that I was born at Malta; but this circumstance I have never -been able to ascertain.’ - -Althotas was a great sage, and imparted to his young pupil all the -scientific knowledge he possessed, and that awful person, the Grand -Muphti himself, would deign to converse with the boy on the lore -and history of ancient Egypt. At this time he says he dressed as a -Mussulman, and conformed to their rites; but was all the time at heart -a true Christian. - -At the mature age of twelve, he felt a strong desire to travel, and -Althotas indulged him by joining a caravan going to Mecca, and here -comes an attempt to fasten his paternity upon the Cherif of that place. - -‘On our arrival at Mecca, we alighted at the palace of the Cherif, who -is the sovereign of Mecca, and of all Arabia, and always chosen from -amongst the descendants of Mahomet. I here altered my dress, from a -simple one, which I had worn hitherto, to one more splendid. On the -third day after our arrival, I was, by my Governor, presented to the -Cherif, who honoured me with the most endearing caresses. At sight of -this prince, my senses experienced a sudden emotion, which it is not in -the power of words to express; my eyes dropped the most delicious tears -I ever shed in my life. His, I perceived, he could hardly restrain.... - -‘I remained at Mecca for the space of three years; not one day passed -without my being admitted to the Sovereign’s presence, and every -hour increased his attachment and added to my gratitude. I sometimes -surprized his eyes rivetted upon me, and then looking up to heaven, -with every expression of pity and commiseration. Thoughtful, I would go -from him, a prey to an ever fruitless curiosity. I dared not ask any -question of my Governor, who always rebuked me with great severity, as -if it had been a crime in me to wish for some information concerning my -parents, and the place where I was born.... - -‘One day as I was alone, the prince entered my apartment; so great a -favour struck me with amazement; he strained me to his bosom with -more than usual tenderness, bade me never cease to adore the Almighty, -telling me that, as long as I should persist in serving God faithfully, -I should at last be happy, and come to the knowledge of my real -destiny; then he added, bedewing my cheeks with tears, “Adieu, thou -nature’s unfortunate child.” ...’ - -This is one side of the question--his own. It is romantic, and in all -probability a lie. There is another side; but the evidence, although -far more within the bounds of reason, is unsupported by corroboration. -The authority is from an Italian book of one hundred and eighty-nine -pages, entitled: ‘Compendio della Vita, et delle Gesta di GIUSEPPE -BALSAMO, denominato Il CONTE CAGLIOSTRO. _Che si è estratto dal -Processo contro di lui formato in Roma l’Anno, 1790. E che può servire -di scorta per conoscere l’indole della Setta de_ LIBERI MURATORI.In -Roma 1791.’ This book purports to be printed in the Vatican, ‘from the -Printing press of the Reverend Apostolic Chamber.’[111] - -In the preface of this book is the following sentence, which is -intended to vouch for the facts it contains: ‘Thence comes the justice -of that observation, that these Charlatans especially acquire credit, -renown, and riches, in those countries where the least religion is -found, where philosophy is most fashionable. Rome is not a place that -agrees with them, because error cannot throw out its roots, in the -centre, the capital, of the true faith. The life of Count Cagliostro is -a shining proof of this truth. It is for this reason that it has been -thought proper to compose this compendium, faithfully extracted from -the proceedings taken against him, a short while since, at Rome; this -is evidence which the critic cannot attack. In order to effect this, -the Sovereign Pontifical Authority has deigned to dispense with the law -of inviolable secrecy, which always accompanies, with as much justice -as prudence, the proceedings of the Holy Inquisition.’ - -And the account of his life opens thus: ‘Joseph Balsamo was born at -Palermo on the 8th of June, 1743. His parents were Pietro Balsamo and -Felice Braconieri, both of mean extraction. His father, who was a -shopkeeper, dying when he was still a baby, his maternal uncles took -care of him,’ &c. - -In another book, ‘The Life of the Count Cagliostro,’ &c., London, -1787, there is a foot-note to the first page: ‘Some authors are of -opinion that he is the offspring of the grand Master of Malta, by a -Turkish lady, made captive by a Maltese galley. Others that he is -the only surviving son of that prince who, about thirty-five years -ago, swayed the precarious sceptre of Trebisond, at which period, a -revolution taking place, the reigning prince was massacred by his -seditious subjects, and his infant son, the Count Cagliostro, conveyed -by a trusty friend to Medina, where the Cherif had the unprejudiced -generosity to have him educated in the faith of his Christian parents.’ - -I do not follow his career, but the most marvellous stories were -current about him, _vide_ the following extract from a book already -quoted (see foot-note page 334): ‘The Comtesse de la Motte dares to -assert that one of my men makes a boast of having been 150 years in my -service. That I sometimes acknowledge myself to be only 300 years old; -at others that I brag of having been present at the nuptials in Cana, -and that it was to burlesque the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, the -transubstantiation, that I had imagined to multiply the necklace, taken -to pieces, into a hundred different manners, and yet it was delivered, -as it is said, in its full complement to the august Queen. - -‘That I am by turns a Portuguese Jew, a Greek, an Egyptian of -Alexandria, from whence I have imported into France hyeroglyphics and -sorcery. - -‘That I am one of those infatuated Rosicrucians, who have the power -of making the dead converse with the living; that I attend the poor -gratis, but that I sell for _something_, to the rich, the gifts of -immortality.’ - -But it is not of these things I wish to treat; it is of the facts -connected with his residence in London. Two or three accounts say that -he visited London in 1772, where he swindled a Doctor Benemore, who had -rescued him from prison, under pretence of painting his country house, -and his enemy, De Morande, of the _Courier de l’Europe_, who, in No.’s -16, 17, and 18 of that journal, made frightful accusations against -Cagliostro, reiterates the story of his being here in 1772. In page -xiv. of the preface to ‘The Life of the Count Cagliostro,’ 1787, there -occurs the following passage: ‘M. de Morande is at infinite pains to -persuade us that the Count resided in London in 1772, under the name of -Balsamo, in extreme poverty, from which he was relieved by Sir Edward -Hales. That Baronet professes, indeed, to recollect an _Italian_ of -that name; but, as M. de Morande positively assures us that the Count -is a _Calabrois_, a _Neapolitan_, or a _Sicilian_, we can desire no -better argument to prove the fallacy of his information.’ - -In a pamphlet entitled, ‘Lettre du Comte Cagliostro au Peuple Anglois -pour servir de suite à ses Memoires,’ 1786, p. 7, he says distinctly: -‘Nous sommes arrivés, ma femme et moi, en Angleterre, pour la première -fois de ma vie, au mois de Juillet, 1776,’ and on p. 70 of the same -work is the following (translated): - -‘The greatest part of the long diatribe of M. Morande is used to prove -that I came to London in 1772, under the name of _Balsamo_. In view of -the efforts which M. Morande makes, in order to arrive at such proof, -an attempt is made to show that the _Balsamo_ with whom they attempt -to identify me ought to have been hung, or, at all events, he rendered -himself guilty of some dishonourable actions. Nothing of the sort. -This _Balsamo_, if the _Courier de l’Europe_ can be believed, was a -mediocre painter, who lived by his brush. A man named _Benamore_, -either agent, or interpreter, or chargé d’affaires to the King of -Morocco, had commissioned him to paint some pictures, and had not paid -for them. _Balsamo_ issued a writ against him for £47 sterling, which -he said was due to him, admitting that he had received two guineas -on account. Besides, this _Balsamo_ was so poor that his wife was -obliged to go into town herself, in order to sell the pictures which -her husband painted. Such is the portrait which M. de Morande draws -of the _Balsamo_ of London, a portrait which no one will accuse him -of having flattered, and from which the sensible reader will draw the -conclusion that the _Balsamo_ of London was an honest artist who gained -a livelihood by hard work. - -‘I might then admit without blushing that I had lived in London in 1772 -under the name of _Balsamo_, on the product of my feeble talents in -painting; that the course of events and circumstances had reduced me to -this extremity, etc.... - -‘I am ignorant whether the law-suit between _Balsamo_ and _Benamore_ -is real or supposed: one thing is certain, that in London exists a -regular physician of irreproachable probity, named Benamore. He is -versed in oriental languages: he was formerly attached, as interpreter, -to the Moroccan Embassy, and he is, at this date, employed, in the same -capacity, by the ambassador of Tripoli. He will bear witness to all -who wish to know that, during the 30 years he has been established in -London, he has never known another Benamore than himself, and that he -has never had a law-suit with anyone bearing the name of _Balsamo_.’ - -Now take Carlyle, with whom dogmatism stood in stead of research, and -judge for yourselves. ‘There is one briefest but authentic-looking -glimpse of him presents itself in England, in the year 1772: no Count -is he here, but mere Signor Balsamo again, engaged in house-painting, -for which he has a peculiar talent. Was it true that he painted the -country house of a “Doctor Benemore;” and, not having painted, but -only smeared it, was refused payment, and got a lawsuit with expenses -instead? If Doctor Benemore have left any representatives in the Earth, -they are desired to speak out. We add only, that if young Beppo had -one of the prettiest of wives, old Benemore had one of the ugliest -daughters; and so, putting one thing to another, matters might not be -so bad.’ - -Who set this story afloat, about Cagliostro being in London in 1772? -Why, Monsieur de Morande, the editor of the _Courier de l’Europe_, and -of his veracity we may judge by an advertisement in the _London Evening -Post_ of November 27 to 30, 1773, p. 4, col. 4, (translated). - -‘Monsieur Le Comte de Lauraguais has kindly consented, after the humble -apologies I have made to him, to forego the action commenced against me -for having defamed him in some verses full of untruths, injurious both -to his honour and his reputation, of which I was the author, and which -I caused to be inserted in the _Morning Chronicle_ of 24 and 25 June -last, entitled: “Answer of the Gazetteer Cuirassé.” I therefore beg -you, Mr. Woodfall,[112] to publish through the same channel by which I -made my verses public,--my sincere repentance for having so injuriously -libelled Monsieur le Comte, and my very humble thanks for his having -accepted my apologies, and stopping all action in the matter. - - ‘DE MORANDE. - - ‘Nov. 26, 1773.’ - -This is what in law would be called _a tainted witness_, as, about that -time he was, on his own confession, given to lying. - -According to his own account he came to London in July, 1776, possessed -of a capital of about three thousand pounds in plate, jewels, and -specie, and hired apartments in Whitcomb Street, Pall Mall East, and -here he fell into evil company. The story is not very lucid--but it -seems that his wife’s companion, a Portuguese woman named Blavary, and -his secretary and interpreter, Vitellini, introduced to him a certain -Lord Scot. They were a lot of sharpers all round. Scot introduced a -woman as his wife--Lady Scot, if you please--(in reality Miss Fry), who -got money and clothes from the countess, and Cagliostro lent my lord -two hundred pounds on his simple note of hand. - -He declares that he gave them lucky numbers for the lottery, and that -they gained much money thereby--on one occasion, when he gave Miss Fry -the number eight, she won the sum of fifteen hundred guineas; but she -was requested by Cagliostro not to visit, or bother himself, or his -wife again. He moved into Suffolk Street in January, 1777, but the -persevering Miss Fry took lodgings in the same house. She attempted to -borrow money, and to get lucky numbers, but, failing in both, she had -him arrested on the 7th of February for a pretended debt of one hundred -and ninety pounds. He recovered his liberty the next day, by depositing -in the hands of the sheriff’s officer, jewels worth double the amount. - -Then a warrant was taken out against him and his wife, signed by one -Justice Miller--on the charge of practising witchcraft. This does not, -however, seem to have been acted on, but he was frequently harassed by -actions for debt brought against him by Miss Fry, and he became well -acquainted with the inside of a spunging-house. On the 24th of May he -was taken into custody for a debt of two hundred pounds, at the suit of -Miss Fry, but he managed to find bail. The case was tried before Lord -Mansfield, in the Court of Queen’s Bench, on the 27th of June, but his -lordship suggested that it was a case for arbitration, which was agreed -to. - -The arbitration took place on the 4th of July, when Cagliostro’s -lawyer deserted him, and the decision was that the count had lost -his case, and must pay all costs. As if this was not bad enough, as -he was leaving the court he was arrested at the suit of one Aylett, -who had lodged a detainer against him for a debt of ten pounds and -upwards, by the name of Melisa Cagliostro, otherwise Joseph Balsamo, -which debt he said was due to him from Balsamo, who had employed him -in 1772 to recover a debt from Dr. Benamore. He got bail, but, as his -money was getting scarce, it was at the cost of ‘two soup-ladles, -two candlesticks, two salt-cellars, two pepper-castors, six forks, -six table spoons, nine knife handles with blades, a pair of snuffers -and stand, all of silver.’ He had, however, suffered six weeks’ -imprisonment, as he was not liberated from the King’s Bench till the -24th of September, 1777. - -In vain his friends endeavoured to stir him up to commence actions for -fraud and perjury against all concerned, but either his cause was not -just, or he had had enough law to last him some time--and he refused. -He paid up his debts and left England, with only fifty guineas and a -few jewels in his possession. - -Rightly or wrongly, he was connected with the ‘Diamond Necklace’ -affair, and suffered incarceration in the Bastile. If he can be at -all believed, the police plundered him and his wife right royally. He -says he lost fifteen rouleaux, each containing fifty double louis, -sealed with his seal; one thousand two hundred and thirty-three sequins -(Venetian and Roman): one rouleau of twenty-four Spanish quadruples, -sealed also; and forty-seven billets of one thousand livres each on -the Caisse d’Escompte. They also took papers which were to him of -inestimable value; and, as to diamonds and jewellery, he knew not -what was taken, besides plate, porcelain, and linen, etc. After an -examination, he was acquitted, but he had to leave France, and came to -London, where he lived in Sloane Street. Here he became acquainted with -Lord George Gordon, and this acquaintance afterwards cost him dearly, -when he was arrested at Rome. To show the intimacy between the two, I -will quote from the _Public Advertiser_ of the 22nd of August, 1786, p. -2, col. 3. - -‘M. Barthelemy, who conducts the affairs of France in the absence -of Comte Dazimer, having sent M. Daragon with a message to Comte de -Cagliostro, in Sloane Street, intimating that he had received orders -from the Court of Versailles to communicate to Comte de Cagliostro -that he now had permission to return to France; yesterday morning, the -Comte, accompanied by Lord George Gordon and M. Bergeret de Frouville, -waited upon M. Barthelemy at the “Hotel of France,” in Piccadilly, for -an eclaireissement upon the subject of this message from the Court of -France, delivered by M. Barthelemy, relative to the permission granted -to the Comte de Cagliostro to return to Paris. M. Barthelemy, the -Comte de Cambise, and M. Daragon seemed much surprised to see Comte de -Cagliostro arrive in Lord George Gordon’s coach, with his Lordship, -and M. Frouville, and, having expressed their desire that the Comte de -Cagliostro _alone_ should speak with M. Barthelemy, they were informed -that Lord Gordon and M. Bergeret de Frouville were there on purpose to -attend their friend, and that Comte de Cagliostro would not dispense -with Lord George Gordon’s absence from the Conference. Will any friend -to liberty blame Comte de Cagliostro, after ten months’ imprisonment -in a dungeon, for having his friends near him, when insidious proposals -are made to him by the faction of Breteuil and the supporters of the -Bastile Men who have already sought his destruction, and, after his -innocence was declared by the judgment of the Parliament of Paris, -embezzled a great part of his fortune, and exiled him from France? -M. Barthelemy (seeing the determination of the Comte’s friends) then -read the letter from M. Breteuil; but, upon the Comte de Cagliostro -desiring a copy, M. Barthelemy refused it. A great deal of conversation -then ensued upon the subject, which in all probability will give rise -to a full representation to the King of France, who is certainly very -much imposed on. The Queen’s party is still violent against Comte -de Cagliostro, the friend of mankind; and De Breteuil--le Sieur De -Launey--Titon--De Brunières--Maître Chesnon--Barthelemy and Dazimer are -mere instruments of that faction. The honour of the King of France, the -justice and judgment of the Parliament of Paris, the good faith of the -Citizens, and the good name of the nation, are all attainted by the -pillage and detention of the property of Comte de Cagliostro.’ - -And again, in the same paper, 24th of August, 1786, p. 2, col. 3, is -another paragraph respecting him: - -‘Comte de Cagliostro has declared he will hold no intercourse with any -of Le Sieur Breteuil’s messengers from France, except in the presence -of Lord George Gordon. The gang of French spies in London, who are -linked in with M. de Morande, and the Sieurs Barthelemy, Dazimer, -Cambise, and the Queen’s Bastile party at Paris, are trying the -most insiduous arts to entrap the Comte and Comtesse, and have the -effrontery and audaciousness to persecute them publicly, and vilify -them even in this free country, where these noble Strangers are come to -seek protection in the arms of a generous people. The friendship and -benevolence of Comte de Cagliostro, in advising the poor Prince Louis -de Rohan to be upon his guard against the Comtesse de Valois, and the -intrigues of the Queen’s faction, (who still seek the destruction of -that noble Prince) has brought upon the Comte and his amiable Comtesse -the hateful revenge of a tyrannical Government. The story of the -Diamonds has never been properly explained to the Public in France. It -would discover too much of the base arts practised to destroy Prince -Louis, and involve in guilt persons not safe to name in an arbitrary -kingdom.’ - -This airing of private grief in public extorted some strictures in a -letter in the _Morning Post_, of 29th of August, 1786, in which it -was suggested, generally, that foreigners should wash their dirty -linen at home. But Monsieur de Morande, editor of the _Courier de -l’Europe_, published many assertions, be they facts, or fiction, -relative to Cagliostro, and he once more blossomed out into print in -his old champion, the _Public Advertiser_ (vide that newspaper, 5th -of September, 1786, p. 2. col. 1), translated in the number of 7th -September. In this curious letter, he adverts to his adversaries’ -slanders, and the following singular passages occur: - -‘Of all the very good stories which you relate at my expense, the -best, without comparison, is that of the pig fed with arsenic, which -poisoned the lions, tygers, and leopards of the forests of Medina. I -am going, Mr. Railer, to give you an opportunity of being witty on -a perfect comprehension of the fact. You know that, in physics and -chymistry, reasoning proves but little, ridicule nothing, and that -experiment is all. Permit me, then, to propose a small experiment to -you, of which the issue will divert the public, either at your expense, -or mine. I invite you to breakfast with me on the 9th of November next, -at nine o’clock in the morning. You shall furnish the wine, and the -appendages. For myself, I shall only furnish a single dish, after my -own fashion--it shall be a sucking pig, fattened after my method. Two -hours before breakfast, I shall present you the pig alive, fat and -healthy. You shall order it to be killed as you please, and prepared, -and I shall not approach until it is served at the table. You shall -cut it into four equal parts, you shall chuse that which most flatters -your appetite, and I shall take that which you please. The day after -that of our breakfast, one or more of four things will happen. Either -both of us shall die, or we neither of us shall die, or you shall die -and I survive, or I shall die and you survive. Of these four chances -I give you three, and I bet you 5000 guineas, that, on the day after -our breakfast, you shall die, and I be perfectly well. You must either -accept of this Challenge, or acknowledge that you are an ignorant -fellow, and that you have foolishly ridiculed a thing which is totally -out of your knowledge. - -‘If you accept of this Challenge, I shall instantly deposit the 5000 -guineas with any banker that you please. You shall do the same in five -days, during which time you shall have leave to make your supporters -Contribute,’ &c. - -Monsieur de Morande’s reply was published immediately following the -above letter. It is, like Cagliostro’s, too long for insertion; but its -gist is, that he intends to unmask the pretender, and that he utterly -declines to attend a poisoning match. He writes: - -‘I solemnly defy you to contradict them’ (_i.e._, his assertions as -to Cagliostro’s quackeries and adventures); ‘and that I even offer, -without croupiers or supporters, to make you another wager of five -thousand guineas that I shall compleatly unmask you. - -‘But, _Monsieur le Comte_, I shall not put my foot in your house, and -shall not breakfast with you myself. I am neither abject enough to keep -you company, nor will let it be suspected for a single moment. - -‘You clearly conceive that such an interview ought not, nor can be, -within your doors; you would be liable to be found guilty of criminal -practises, in case of accident. This your _Council_ had not foreseen. - -‘As no tavern would permit such infamous scenes to pass under its roof -as those you propose, you must, _Monsieur le Comte_, return once more -to the _booth_; and worthy disciple of LOCUSTA,[113] choose in London a -public place to make an open-air exhibition of your talents.’ - -And like the scorpion, which carries its sting in its tail, he adds a -foot-note, which refers to the heading of his letter: - -‘_M. de Morande’s Answer to Don Joseph Balsamo,_ _self-created Count -of Cagliostro, Colonel in the Service of all the Sovereign Powers in -Europe._’ - -‘If it was not the case, it would be very singular to have seen, in -the year 1777, M. Cagliostro calling himself in England Colonel of the -Third Regiment of Brandenbourg, and, afterwards, in Russia, Colonel -in the Spanish Service; for which, however, he was reprimanded by -the magistrates of Petersburgh. Having forgot to take his Commission -with him, he could not exhibit proofs, and was obliged to put down -his regimentals. This check on his conduct made him abscond from -Petersburgh. Every Russian nobleman in London knows this anecdote, and, -without presuming to mention names, we trust that this will be found to -be the case upon enquiry.’ - -To this letter Cagliostro replied with another in the _Public -Advertiser_ (p. 2, col. 1) of September 9, 1786, in which he repeats -his challenge, and declines to sit down to breakfast with a carnivorous -animal. - -De Morande, of course, could not be silent, and replied in the _Public -Advertiser_ (p. 2, col. 1) of September 12, 1786. He reiterated the -charges he made against Cagliostro in the _Courier de l’Europe_, -saying, among other things, ‘I have said that you were in England in -the year 1771, under the name of _Balsamo_, and that you were then a -needy, as well as a _very indifferent_ painter; that twenty persons, -at least, are ready to prove it. You take no notice of this second -assertion, which becomes serious, _by the oath you have taken under -that name_, of which I have a legal copy in my possession. - -‘I have said that you have made your appearance under another name, -THAT OF CAGLIOSTRO, in the year 1777. I have several _affidavits_, -amongst which there are some of your own, which authenticate very -curious anecdotes concerning you; to this you have replied nothing. - -‘I have said that you falsely pretended then to be a _Colonel of the -third regiment_ of Brandenbourg; that you had, at that time, a law-suit -in the Court of Queen’s Bench, _about a certain necklace, and a gold -snuff-box_, which you asserted to have been given MADAME LA COMTESSE, -but which you were obliged to return, and pay all Costs, on the Clear -proofs given by your adverse party, that you obtained them _under false -pretences_. No reply has been made to this. - -‘I have added that, were you curious to try the same experiment now, -a new Act of Parliament, which you and your fellow-adventurers have -rendered _very necessary_, would certainly have caused you to be sent -to the Thames.[114] To that direct and very clear observation you have -not replied a single word. - -‘I have said that you were ordered by the Police in Russia, not to -presume to take the name of a Colonel in the Spanish service, and to -strip off your Spanish regimentals. I have given you an opportunity -to vindicate yourself, by giving to understand, that there is not -a Russian nobleman in London who would not certify this fact. I -might have added that I have in my possession _the most respectable -authority_ to say so. What have you said in reply to this? - -‘I have roundly asserted that I am in possession of proofs, that you -are an impostor under every possible denomination; that you have -not only no pretension to any title, but not even to the rank of a -sergeant. Shall this remain likewise unanswered? - - * * * * * - -‘I am sorry to be obliged once more to name Mess^{rs.} B. & C. Bankers, -to prove that your pretensions to lay a wager of 5000 guineas, are -as well grounded as your pretensions to the title of a COUNT, or an -_Alchemist_. It is a fact, that you _humbly_ offered to pledge in -their hands the watch, of which the too long, and too much, deluded -Cardinal de Rohan made you a present. It is likewise a fact _that -they disdainfully refused it_. Your proposing, after this, a wager -of 5000 guineas is probably no more than a new pretence to obtain -credit, as you have formerly (in pretending to make great quantities of -gold) obtained small sums, and little diamonds to make larger, which -you afterwards declared had been given to MADAME LA COMTESSE. Those -proofs, I repeat to you, _are in my possession_; they are all fully -authenticated, and I will make good every one of my assertions.’ And he -winds up his letter with expressing ‘the satisfaction I feel in having -furnished the world with sufficient proofs to convince them that you -are THE GREATEST IMPOSTOR OF THIS OR ANY OTHER AGE.’ - -This ended the correspondence, for the general public were beginning to -meddle in it, and the editor of the _Public Advertiser_ would only open -his pages to the principals in this duel. This finished Cagliostro’s -career in England. He had tried to sell his quack medicines, his -Egyptian pills, but the charm was broken, and he quitted England for -the Continent in May, 1787, leaving his wife behind, with sufficient -means, under the guardianship of the De Loutherbourgs. She afterwards -sold all up, and joined him in June. - -By this time his good genius had forsaken him, and for teaching -freemasonry, then even more repugnant to the Roman Catholic hierarchy -than at present, he was arrested, and imprisoned in the Castle of -St. Angelo, November 27, 1789. He never again enjoyed freedom, but -was found dead in his cell at St. Leo. Even the date of his death is -uncertain, most authorities giving 1795; but some say 1794 and 1797. -His wife, too, shared his fate; she was convicted of sorcery and -witchcraft, and was shut up in a convent, where she died in 1794. - -His portraits represent him as by no means bad-looking, although the -full eye, the puffed cheeks, and weak mouth betray a sensuality of -feeling. - - -THE END. - -LONDON: PRINTED BY DUNCAN MACDONALD, BLENHEIM HOUSE. - - - - - HURST & BLACKETT’S - - LIST OF NEW WORKS. - - [Illustration] - - - LONDON: - - 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET, W. - - - - - 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET, LONDON. - -MESSRS. HURST AND BLACKETT’S - -LIST OF NEW WORKS. - - - EIGHTEENTH CENTURY WAIFS. By JOHN ASHTON, Author of ‘Social - Life in the Reign of Queen Anne,’ &c. 1 vol. imperial 8vo. 12s. - - CONTENTS: A Forgotten Fanatic--A Fashionable Lady’s - Life--George Barrington--Milton’s Bones--The True Story - of Eugene Aram--Redemptioners--A Trip to Richmond in - Surrey--George Robert Fitzgerald--Eighteenth Century - Amazons--‘The Times’ and its Founder--Imprisonment for - Debt--Jonas Hanway--A Holy Voyage to Ramsgate One Hundred Years - Ago--Quacks of the Century--Cagliostro in London. - - - SHIKAR SKETCHES: WITH NOTES ON INDIAN FIELD SPORTS. By J. MORAY - BROWN, late 79th Cameron Highlanders. With Eight Illustrations, - by J. C. DOLLMAN, R.I. 1 vol. imperial 8vo. 12s. - - - CHAPTERS FROM FAMILY CHESTS. By EDWARD WALFORD, M.A., Author of - ‘The County Families,’ &c. 2 vols. crown 8vo. 21s. - -“There is a mine of wealth in the ‘Family Chests’ which no one has yet -brought to the surface, and from this Mr. Walford has contrived to -excavate a mass of acceptable matter--a treasury of narrative curious -and romantic.”--_Globe._ - -“The reader will find much curious information in Mr. Walford’s -chapters of agreeable narrative.”--_Scotsman._ - - - REMINISCENCES OF THE COURT AND TIMES OF KING ERNEST OF HANOVER. - By the Rev. C. A. WILKINSON, M.A., His Majesty’s Resident - Domestic Chaplain. 2 vols. With portrait of the King. 21s. - -“An interesting book, entitled ‘Reminiscences of the Court and Times -of King Ernest of Hanover,’ has just been published by Messrs. Hurst -and Blackett. The two volumes in which these reminiscences of a -septuagenarian are comprised abound in characteristic stories of the -old king, in anecdotes of many celebrities English and foreign, of the -early part of this century, and, indeed, of all kinds and conditions -of men and women with whom the author was brought in contact by his -courtly or pastorial office.”--_St. James’s Gazette._ - - - THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGNS, 1882 TO 1885, AND THE EVENTS WHICH LED - TO THEM. By CHARLES ROYLE, Barrister-at-Law, of ALEXANDRIA. 2 - vols. demy 8vo. Illustrated by Maps and Plans. 30s. - -“Mr. Royle has done well in the interests of historical completeness -to describe not only the entire military drama, but also the political -events connected with it, and whoever reads the book with care has -gone a considerable way towards mastering the difficult Egyptian -question.”--_Athenæum._ - -“The Egyptian fiasco has found in Mr. Royle a most painstaking, -accurate, and judicious historian. From a literary point of view his -volumes may be thought to contain too many unimportant incidents, yet -their presence was necessary perhaps, in a complete record, and the -most fastidious reader will unhesitatingly acquit Mr. Royle of filling -his pages with anything that can be called padding.”--_St. James’s -Gazette._ - - - THE PALACE AND THE HOSPITAL; or, CHRONICLES OF GREENWICH. By - the REV. A. G. L’ESTRANGE, Author of ‘The Village of Palaces,’ - ‘The Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford,’ &c. 2 vols. crown - 8vo. With Illustrations. 21s. - -“Mr. L’Estrange has provided for those who have a taste for topography, -or rather for the historical and biographical annals of a locality -famous in history, two volumes which are rich in romantic interest, -and his pages abound in curious and interesting glimpses of old -manners.”--_Daily News._ - - - THE REAL SHELLEY: NEW VIEWS OF THE POET’S LIFE. By JOHN CORDY - JEAFFRESON, Author of “The Real Lord Byron,” “A Book about - Doctors,” “A Book about Lawyers,” &c. 2 vols. demy 8vo. 30s. - -“Those who have read Mr. Jeaffreson’s account of Byron will be -prepared to find that impartiality is the distinguishing feature of -his endeavour to clear away the fancies and misconceptions which have -been given to the world in some of the biographies of Shelley, and they -will not be disappointed. The author has striven to ascertain, fairly -and fully, the truth concerning a poet whose influence, while it has -been greatly exaggerated by his most enthusiastic admirers, is still a -living factor in the life of many.”--_Morning Post._ - - - THE FRIENDSHIPS OF MARY RUSSELL MITFORD: AS RECORDED IN LETTERS - FROM HER LITERARY CORRESPONDENTS. Edited by the REV. A. G. - L’ESTRANGE, Editor of “The Life of Mary Russell Mitford,” &c. 2 - vols. 21s. - -“These letters are all written as to one whom the writers love and -revere. Miss Barrett is one of Miss Mitford’s correspondents, all of -whom seem to be inspired with a sense of excellence in the mind they -are invoking. Their letters are extremely interesting, and they strike -out recollections, opinions, criticisms, which will hold the reader’s -delighted and serious attention.”--_Daily Telegraph._ - - - THE BRONTË FAMILY, With Special Reference to PATRICK BRANWELL - BRONTE. By FRANCIS A. LEYLAND. 2 vols. 21s. - -“This book is so full of interesting information that as a contribution -to literary biography it may be considered a real success.”--_Academy._ - -“Mr. Leyland’s book is earnest and accurate, and he has spared no -pains to master his subject and present it with clearness; the book is -valuable, and should be read by all who are familiar with the previous -works on the family.”--_Graphic._ - - - MEMOIRS OF A CAMBRIDGE CHORISTER. By WILLIAM GLOVER. 2 vols. - crown 8vo. 21s. - -“In these amusing volumes Mr. Glover provides us with the means of -spending a pleasant hour or two in his company.”--_Times._ - -“These volumes contain a miscellaneous set of reminiscences, comments, -and anecdotes, written in a light and jocular style. Mr. Glover is -always cheerful and never didactic.”--_Athenæum._ - - - WITHOUT GOD: NEGATIVE SCIENCE AND NATURAL ETHICS. By PERCY - GREG, Author of “The Devil’s Advocate,” “Across the Zodiac,” - &c. 1 vol. demy 8vo. 12s. - -“Mr. Greg has condensed much profound thought into his book, and -has fully succeeded in maintaining the interest of the discussion -throughout.”--_Morning Post._ - -“This work is ably written; there are in it many passages of no -ordinary power and brilliancy. It is eminently suggestive and -stimulating.”--_Scotsman._ - - - FOOTSTEPS OF JEANNE D’ARC. A Pilgrimage. By Mrs. FLORENCE - CADDY. 1 vol. demy 8vo. With Map of Route. 15s. - -“The reader, whatever his preconceived notions of the maid may have -been, will soon find himself in sympathy with a writer who, by the -charm of her descriptive style, at once arrests his attention and -sustains the interest of her subject.”--_Morning Post._ - - THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF PEG WOFFINGTON: WITH PICTURES OF THE - PERIOD IN WHICH SHE LIVED. By J. FITZGERALD MOLLOY, Author of - “Court Life Below Stairs,” &c. _Second Edition._ 2 vols. crown - 8vo. With Portrait. 21s. - -“Peg Woffington makes a most interesting central figure, round which -Mr. Molloy has made to revolve a varied and picturesque panorama of -London life in the middle of the eighteenth century. He sees things in -the past so clearly, grasps them so tenaciously, and reproduces them -so vividly, that they come to us without any of the dust and rust of -time.”--G. A. S. _in Illustrated London News_. - - WOMEN OF EUROPE IN THE FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH CENTURIES. By - Mrs. NAPIER HIGGINS. Vols. 1 and 2 demy 8vo. 30s. - -“The work is likely to be of permanent value to the students of -history.”--_Morning Post._ - - ON THE TRACK OF THE CRESCENT: ERRATIC NOTES FROM THE PIRÆUS TO - PESTH. By MAJOR E. C. JOHNSON, M.A.I., F. R. Hist. S., etc. - With Map and Upwards of 50 Illustrations by the Author. 1 vol. - demy 8vo. 15s. - -“The author of this bright, pleasant volume possesses keen power -of observation and vivid appreciation of animate and inanimate -beauty. It will brighten hours for many readers who will only -follow the track of the Crescent through its pages and its numerous -illustrations.”--_Morning Post._ - - MEMOIRS OF MARSHAL BUGEAUD, FROM HIS PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE - AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS, 1784-1849. By the COUNT H. D’IDEVILLE. - Edited, from the French, by CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. 2 vols. demy - 8vo. 30s. - -“This is a work of great value to the student of French history. A -perusal of the book will convince any reader of Bugeaud’s energy, -his patriotism, his unselfishness, and his philanthropy and -humanity.”--_Athenæum._ - - GLIMPSES OF GREEK LIFE AND SCENERY. By AGNES SMITH, Author of - “Eastern Pilgrims,” &c. Demy 8vo. With Illustrations and Map of - the Author’s Route. 15s. - -“A truthful picture of the country through which the author travelled. -It is naturally and simply told, in an agreeable and animated style. -Miss Smith displays an ample acquaintance and sympathy with all the -scenes of historic interest.”--_St. James’s Gazette._ - - MONSIEUR GUIZOT IN PRIVATE LIFE (1787-1874). By His Daughter, - Madame DE WITT. Translated by Mrs. SIMPSON. 1 vol. demy 8vo. - 15s. - -“Madame de Witt has done justice to her father’s memory in an admirable -record of his life. Mrs. Simpson’s translation of this singularly -interesting book is in accuracy and grace worthy of the original and of -the subject.”--_Saturday Review._ - - PLAIN SPEAKING. By Author of “John Halifax, Gentleman.” 1 vol. - crown 8vo. 10s. 6d. - -“We recommend ‘Plain Speaking’ to all who like amusing, wholesome, and -instructive reading. The contents of Mrs. Craik’s volume are of the -most multifarious kind, but all the papers are good and readable, and -one at least of them of real importance.”--_St. James’s Gazette._ - - WORDS OF HOPE AND COMFORT TO THOSE IN SORROW. Dedicated by - Permission to THE QUEEN. _Fourth Edition._ 1 vol. small 4to. 5s. - - - - -Under the Especial Patronage of Her Majesty. - -_Published annually, in One Vol., royal 8vo, with the Arms beautifully -engraved, handsomely bound, with gilt edges, price 31s. 6d._ - -LODGE’S PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE, CORRECTED BY THE NOBILITY. - -FIFTY-SIXTH EDITION FOR 1887. - - - LODGE’S PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE is acknowledged to be the most - complete, as well as the most elegant, work of the kind. As an - established and authentic authority on all questions respecting - the family histories, honours, and connections of the titled - aristocracy, no work has ever stood so high. It is published - under the especial patronage of Her Majesty, and is annually - corrected throughout, from the personal communications of the - Nobility. It is the only work of its class in which, _the type - being kept constantly standing_, every correction is made in - its proper place to the date of publication, an advantage which - gives it supremacy over all its competitors. Independently of - its full and authentic information respecting the existing - Peers and Baronets of the realm, the most sedulous attention is - given in its pages to the collateral branches of the various - noble families, and the names of many thousand individuals - are introduced, which do not appear in other records of the - titled classes. For its authority, correctness, and facility of - arrangement, and the beauty of its typography and binding, the - work is justly entitled to the place it occupies on the tables - of Her Majesty and the Nobility. - - -LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL CONTENTS. - - Historical View of the Peerage. - - Parliamentary Roll of the House of Lords. - - English, Scotch, and Irish Peers, in their - orders of Precedence. - - Alphabetical List of Peers of Great Britain - and the United Kingdom, holding superior - rank in the Scotch or Irish Peerage. - - Alphabetical list of Scotch and Irish Peers, - holding superior titles in the Peerage of - Great Britain and the United Kingdom. - - A Collective list of Peers, in their order of - Precedence. - - Table of Precedency among Men. - - Table of Precedency among Women. - - The Queen and the Royal Family. - - Peers of the Blood Royal. - - The Peerage, alphabetically arranged. - - Families of such Extinct Peers as have left - Widows or Issue. - - Alphabetical List of the Surnames of all the - Peers. - - The Archbishops and Bishops of England - and Ireland. - - The Baronetage alphabetically arranged. - - Alphabetical List of Surnames assumed by - members of Noble Families. - - Alphabetical List of the Second Titles of - Peers, usually borne by their Eldest - Sons. - - Alphabetical Index to the Daughters of - Dukes, Marquises, and Earls, who, having - married Commoners, retain the title - of Lady before their own Christian and - their Husband’s Surnames. - - Alphabetical Index to the Daughters of - Viscounts and Barons, who, having - married Commoners, are styled Honourable - Mrs.; and, in case of the husband - being a Baronet or Knight, Hon. Lady. - - A List of the Orders of Knighthood. - - Mottoes alphabetically arranged and translated. - - -“This work is the most perfect and elaborate record of the living and -recently deceased members of the Peerage of the Three Kingdoms as it -stands at this day. It is a most useful publication. We are happy to -bear testimony to the fact that scrupulous accuracy is a distinguishing -feature of this book.”--_Times._ - -“Lodge’s Peerage must supersede all other works of the kind, for two -reasons: first, it is on a better plan; and secondly, it is better -executed. We can safely pronounce it to be the readiest, the most -useful, and exactest of modern works on the subject.”--_Spectator_. - -“A work of great value. It is the most faithful record we possess of -the aristocracy of the day.”--_Post._ - - - - -EDNA LYALL’S NOVELS - -EACH IN ONE VOLUME CROWN 8vo, 6s. - - -DONOVAN: - -A MODERN ENGLISHMAN. - -“This is a very admirable work. The reader is from the first carried -away by the gallant unconventionality of its author. ‘Donovan’ is a -very excellent novel; but it is something more and better. It should do -as much good as the best sermon ever written or delivered extempore. -The story is told with a grand simplicity, an unconscious poetry of -eloquence which stirs the very depths of the heart. One of the main -excellencies of this novel is the delicacy of touch with which the -author shows her most delightful characters to be after all human -beings, and not angels before their time.”--_Standard._ - -“‘Donovan’ is told with the power of truth, experience, and moral -insight. The tone of the novel is excellent and very high.”--_Daily -News._ - - -WE TWO. - -“This book is well written and full of interest. The story abounds -with a good many light touches, and is certainly far from lacking in -incident.”--_Times._ - -“‘We Two’ contains many very exciting passages and a great deal -of information. Miss Lyall is a capable writer and a clear-headed -thinker.”--_Athenæum._ - -“A work of deep thought and much power. Serious as it is, it is now and -then brightened by rays of genuine humour. Altogether this story is -more and better than a novel.”--_Morning Post._ - -“There is artistic realism both in the conception and the delineation -of the personages; the action and interest are unflaggingly sustained -from first to last, and the book is pervaded by an atmosphere of -elevated, earnest thought.”--_Scotsman._ - - -IN THE GOLDEN DAYS. - -“Miss Lyall has given us a vigorous study of such life and character -as are really worth reading about. The central figure of her story is -Algernon Sydney; and this figure she invests with a singular dignity -and power. He always appears with effect, but no liberties are taken -with the facts of his life. The plot is adapted with great felicity to -them. His part in it, absolutely consistent as it is with historical -truth, gives it reality as well as dignity. Some of the scenes are -remarkably vivid. The escape is an admirable narrative, which almost -makes one hold one’s breath as one reads.”--_Spectator._ - -“‘In the Golden Days’ is an excellent novel of a kind we are always -particularly glad to recommend. It has a good foundation of plot and -incident, a thoroughly noble and wholesome motive, a hero who really -acts and suffers heroically, and two very nice heroines. The historical -background is very carefully indicated, but is never allowed to become -more than background.”--_Guardian._ - - -WON BY WAITING. - -“The Dean’s daughters are perfectly real characters--the learned -Cornelia especially;--the little impulsive French heroine, who endures -their cold hospitality and at last wins their affection, is thoroughly -charming; while throughout the book there runs a golden thread of pure -brotherly and sisterly love, which pleasantly reminds us that the -making and marring of marriage is not, after all, the sum total of real -life.”--_Academy._ - -“‘Won by Waiting’ is a very pleasing and well-written tale; full of -graphic descriptions of French and English life, with incidents and -characters well sustained. A book with such pleasant reading, and with -such a healthy tone and influence, is a great boon to the young people -in our families.”--_Freeman._ - - - - -SIX-SHILLING NOVELS - -EACH IN ONE VOLUME CROWN 8vo. - - -HIS LITTLE MOTHER. By the Author of “John Halifax, Gentleman.” - -“‘His Little Mother’ is one of those pathetic stories which the author -tells better than anybody else.”--_John Bull._ - -“This book is written with all Mrs. Craik’s grace of style, the chief -charm of which, after all, is its simplicity.”--_Glasgow Herald._ - - -MY LORD AND MY LADY. By MRS. FORRESTER. - -“A very capital novel. The great charm about it is that Mrs. Forrester -is quite at home in the society which she describes. It is a book to -read.”--_Standard._ - -“Mrs. Forrester’s style is so fresh and graphic that the reader is kept -under its spell from first to last.”--_Morning Post._ - - -SOPHY. By VIOLET FANE. - -“‘Sophy’ is the clever and original work of a clever woman. Its merits -are of a strikingly unusual kind. It is charged throughout with the -strongest human interest. It is, in a word, a novel that will make its -mark.”--_World._ - - -A HOUSE PARTY. By OUIDA. - -“‘A House Party’ will be read, firstly, because it is Ouida’s, -and, secondly, because of the brightness of the conversations and -descriptions. It is indeed more like a comedy than any other of the -writer’s books.”--_Globe._ - - -OMNIA VANITAS. By MRS. FORRESTER. - -“This book is pleasant and well meant. Here and there are some good -touches. Sir Ralph is a man worth reading about.”--_Academy._ - -“This tale is well and cleverly written; the characters are drawn and -sustained with considerable power, and the conversation is always -bright and lively.”--_Glasgow Herald._ - - -BETRAYAL OF REUBEN HOLT. By BARBARA LAKE. - -“This novel shows considerable power of writing. There are some -striking scenes and incidents.”--_Scotsman._ - -“This tale displays elevation of thought and feeling, united to no -little grace of expression.”--_Post._ - - -THE BRANDRETHS. By the Right Hon. A. J. B. BERESFORD HOPE, M.P. - -“The great attraction of this novel is the easy, conversational, -knowledgeable tone of it; the sketching from the life, and yet -not so close to the life as to be malicious, men, women, periods, -and events, to all of which intelligent readers can fit a name. -The political and social sketches will naturally excite the chief -interest among readers who will be attracted by the author’s name and -experience.”--_Spectator._ - - - - -THE NEW AND POPULAR NOVELS. PUBLISHED BY HURST & BLACKETT. - - -ST. BRIAVELS. By MARY DEANE, Author of “Quatrefoil,” &c. 3 vols. - -“The authoress throughout writes with moderation and consistency, and -her three ample volumes well repay perusal.”--_Daily Telegraph._ - -“‘St. Briavels’ is a story replete with variety, and in all -developments of her plot the author skilfully maintains an unabated -interest.”--_Morning Post._ - - -A LILY MAID. By WILLIAM GEORGE WATERS. 3 vols. - -“A story of the keenest interest. Mr. Waters’ plot is neat, and his -style is bright and pleasing.”--_Daily Telegraph._ - -“‘A Lily Maid’ is throughout exceedingly pleasant reading.”--_Morning -Post._ - - -LIKE LUCIFER. By DENZIL VANE. 3 vols. - -“There is some pleasant writing in ‘Like Lucifer,’ and the plot is -workmanlike.”--_Academy._ - -“Denzil Vane has a talent for lively, fluent writing, and a power of -tracing character.”--_Whitehall Review._ - - -A DAUGHTER OF THE GODS. By JANE STANLEY. 2 vols. - -“‘A Daughter of the Gods’ is very pretty. That is a description which -specially suits the easy-flowing, love-making story.”--_Athenæum._ - - -LUCIA. By Mrs. AUGUSTUS CRAVEN, Author of “A Sister’s Story.” -Translated by LADY HERBERT OF LEA. 2 vols. - -“This is a very pretty, touching, and consoling story. The tale is as -much above the ordinary romance as the fresh air of the seaside is -better than the stifling atmosphere of the fashionable quarter of the -gayest city.”--_St. James’s Gazette._ - -“‘Lucia’ is as good a novel as has been published for a long -time.”--_Academy._ - - -LOVE, THE PILGRIM. By MAY CROMMELIN, Author of “Queenie,” “A Jewel of a -Girl,” &c. 3 vols. - -“‘Love, the Pilgrim’ is a pretty story, which, beginning quietly, -develops into one of very sensational incident indeed.”--_Graphic._ - -“A tale of thrilling interest.”--_Scotsman._ - - -THE KING CAN DO NO WRONG. By PAMELA SNEYD, Author of “Jack Urquhart’s -Daughter.” 2 vols. - -“This novel gives evidence of imagination, insight into character, and -power of delineation.”--_Athenæum._ - -“Shows command of exceptional narrative and descriptive power--the -story is told with cleverness and force.”--_Scotsman._ - - -THE COURTING OF MARY SMITH. By F. W. ROBINSON, Author of “Grandmother’s -Money,” “No Church,” &c. 3 vols. - -“One of the finest studies that any of our novelists has produced of -late years. To read such a book is to strengthen the soul with a moral -tonic.”--_Athenæum._ - -“The book is full of the truths and experiences of actual life, woven -into a romance by an undoubtedly clever novelist.”--_Morning Post._ - - -THRO’ LOVE AND WAR. By VIOLET FANE, Author of “Sophy: or the Adventures -of a Savage,” &c. 3 vols. - -“‘Thro’ Love and War’ has a succinct and intelligible plot, and -is written with a quaint combination of acute perception, veiled -sarcasm, and broad fun, which is certain to ensure for it a wide -popularity.”--_The World._ - - -PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF A LADY in 1814, 1815, 1816. By HAMILTON AIDÉ, -Author of “Rita,” “Penruddocke,” “Poet and Peer,” &c. 3 vols. - - -TILL MY WEDDING DAY. By a French Lady. 2 vols. - - -THE GREEN HILLS BY THE SEA: A MANX STORY. By HUGH COLEMAN DAVIDSON. 3 -vols. - - -VICTIMS. By THEO GIFT, Author of “Pretty Miss Bellew,” “Lil Lorimer,” -&c. 3 vols. - - -THE BROKEN SEAL. By DORA RUSSELL, Author of “Footprints in the Snow,” -&c. 3 vols. - - -“Miss Dora Russell writes easily and well, and she has the gift of -making her characters describe themselves by their dialogue, which is -bright and natural.”--_Athenæum._ - - -MURIEL’S MARRIAGE. By ESME STUART, Author of “A Faire Damzell,” &c. 3 -vols. - -“Much of the interest and charm of the story, and both are -considerable, are due to the delineations, not merely of the two -principal personages, but of the minor characters.”--_Scotsman._ - - -ONCE AGAIN. By Mrs. FORRESTEr, Author of “Viva,” “Mignon,” “My Lord and -My Lady,” &c. (_Second Edition_) 3 vols. - -“A really fascinating story. Bright and often original as is Mrs. -Forrester, her peculiar gifts have never been seen to better -advantage than in ‘Once Again.’ An undercurrent of tragedy runs -through this startling tale, and this, together with its graphically -drawn characters, sets it completely apart from the ordinary society -story.”--_Morning Post._ - - -A WILFUL YOUNG WOMAN. By A. PRICE, Author of “A Rustic Maid,” “Who is -Sylvia?” &c. 3 vols. - -“A very readable story. Mrs. Price has drawn her _dramatis personæ_ -with some power and vigour.”--_Academy._ - -“The story is throughout both sound and high-principled.”--_Literary -World._ - - -THE SURVIVORS. By HENRY CRESSWELL, Author of “A Modern Greek Heroine,” -“Incognita,” &c. 3 vols. - -“There is cleverness in this book, and occasional brilliancy and -wit.”--_Academy._ - -“An amusing comedy of modern life; there are some good situations and -striking episodes in the book.”--_Athenæum._ - - -A WICKED GIRL. By MARY CECIL HAY, Author of “Old Myddelton’s Money,” -&c. 3 vols. - -“The author of ‘Old Myddelton’s Money’ always manages to write -interesting stories.”--_Academy._ - -“The story ‘A Wicked Girl’ has an ingeniously carried out plot. Miss -Hay is a graceful writer, and her pathos is genuine.”--_Post._ - - -THE WOOING OF CATHERINE. By E. FRANCES POYNTER, Author of “My Little -Lady,” &c. 2 vols. - -“The figures are drawn with clear, bold strokes, each individual -standing before us with marked personality, while the backgrounds are -effective and striking.”--_Literary World._ - - - - - HURST & BLACKETT’S - - STANDARD LIBRARY. - - - [Illustration] - - - LONDON: - - 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET, W. - - - - -HURST & BLACKETT’S STANDARD LIBRARY - -OF CHEAP EDITIONS OF - -POPULAR MODERN WORKS. - -ILLUSTRATED BY - -SIR J. E. MILLAIS, SIR J. GILBERT, HOLMAN HUNT, BIRKET FOSTER, JOHN -LEECH, JOHN TENNIEL, J. LASLETT POTT, ETC. - -Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. - - -I.--SAM SLICK’S NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE. - -“The first volume of Messrs. Hurst and Blackett’s Standard Library -of Cheap Editions forms a very good beginning to what will doubtless -be a very successful undertaking. ‘Nature and Human Nature’ is one -of the best of Sam Slick’s witty and humorous productions, and well -entitled to the large circulation which it cannot fail to obtain in -its present convenient and cheap shape. The volume combines with -the great recommendations of a clear, bold type and good paper, the -lesser, but attractive merits of being well illustrated and elegantly -bound.”--_Morning Post._ - - -II.--JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. - -“The new and cheaper edition of this interesting work will doubtless -meet with great success. John Halifax, the hero of this most beautiful -story, is no ordinary hero, and this his history is no ordinary book. -It is a full-length portrait of a true gentleman, one of nature’s own -nobility. It is also the history of a home, and a thoroughly English -one. The work abounds in incident, and many of the scenes are full of -graphic power and true pathos. It is a book that few will read without -becoming wiser and better.”--_Scotsman._ - -“This story is very interesting. The attachment between John Halifax -and his wife is beautifully painted, as are the pictures of their -domestic life, and the growing up of their children; and the conclusion -of the book is beautiful and touching.”--_Athenæum._ - - -III.--THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. - -BY ELIOT WARBURTON. - -“Independent of its value as an original narrative, and its useful and -interesting information, this work is remarkable for the colouring -power and play of fancy with which its descriptions are enlivened. -Among its greatest and most lasting charms is its reverent and serious -spirit.”--_Quarterly Review._ - -“Mr. Warburton has fulfilled the promise of his title-page. The -‘Realities of Eastern Travel’ are described with a vividness which -invests them with deep and abiding interest; while the ‘Romantic’ -adventures which the enterprising tourist met with in his course are -narrated with a spirit which shows how much he enjoyed these reliefs -from the ennui of every-day life.”--_Globe._ - - -IV.--NATHALIE. - -BY JULIA KAVANAGH. - -“‘Nathalie’ is Miss Kavanagh’s best imaginative effort. Its manner is -gracious and attractive. Its matter is good. A sentiment, a tenderness, -are commanded by her which are as individual as they are elegant. We -should not soon come to an end were we to specify all the delicate -touches and attractive pictures which place ‘Nathalie’ high among books -of its class.”--_Athenæum._ - - -V.--A WOMAN’S THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“These thoughts are good and humane. They are thoughts we would wish -women to think: they are much more to the purpose than the treatises -upon the women and daughters of England, which were fashionable some -years ago, and these thoughts mark the progress of opinion, and -indicate a higher tone of character, and a juster estimate of woman’s -position.”--_Athenæum._ - -“This excellent book is characterised by good sense, good taste, and -feeling, and is written in an earnest, philanthropic, as well as -practical spirit.”--_Morning Post._ - - -VI.--ADAM GRAEME OF MOSSGRAY. - -BY MRS. OLIPHANT. - -“‘Adam Graeme’ is a story awakening genuine emotions of interest and -delight by its admirable pictures of Scottish life and scenery. The -plot is cleverly complicated, and there is great vitality in the -dialogue, and remarkable brilliancy in the descriptive passages, as -who that has read ‘Margaret Maitland’ would not be prepared to expect? -But the story has a ‘mightier magnet still,’ in the healthy tone which -pervades it, in its feminine delicacy of thought and diction, and in -the truly womanly tenderness of its sentiments. The eloquent author -sets before us the essential attributes of Christian virtue, their deep -and silent workings in the heart, and their beautiful manifestations -in the life, with a delicacy, a power, and a truth which can hardly be -surpassed.”--_Morning Post._ - - -VII.--SAM SLICK’S WISE SAWS AND MODERN INSTANCES. - -“We have not the slightest intention to criticise this book. Its -reputation is made, and will stand as long as that of Scott’s or -Bulwer’s novels. The remarkable originality of its purpose, and the -happy description it affords of American life and manners, still -continue the subject of universal admiration. To say thus much is to -say enough, though we must just mention that the new edition forms a -part of the Publishers’ Cheap Standard Library, which has included some -of the very best specimens of light literature that ever have been -written.”--_Messenger._ - - -VIII.--CARDINAL WISEMAN’S RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LAST FOUR POPES. - -“A picturesque book on Rome and its ecclesiastical sovereigns, by an -eloquent Roman Catholic. Cardinal Wiseman has here treated a special -subject with so much generality and geniality that his recollections -will excite no ill-feeling in those who are most conscientiously -opposed to every idea of human infallibility represented in Papal -domination.”--_Athenæum._ - - -IX.--A LIFE FOR A LIFE. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“We are always glad to welcome Mrs. Craik. She writes from her own -convictions, and she has the power not only to conceive clearly what -it is that she wishes to say, but to express it in language effective -and vigorous. In ‘A Life for a Life’ she is fortunate in a good -subject, and she has produced a work of strong effect. The reader, -having read the book through for the story, will be apt (if he be of -our persuasion) to return and read again many pages and passages with -greater pleasure than on a first perusal. The whole book is replete -with a graceful, tender delicacy; and, in addition to its other merits, -it is written in good careful English.”--_Athenæum._ - -“‘A Life for a Life’ is a book of a high class. The characters are -depicted with a masterly hand; the events are dramatically set forth; -the descriptions of scenery and sketches of society are admirably -penned; moreover, the work has an object--a clearly defined moral--most -poetically, most beautifully drawn, and through all there is that -strong, reflective mind visible which lays bare the human heart and -human mind to the very core.”--_Morning Post._ - - -X.--THE OLD COURT SUBURB. - -BY LEIGH HUNT. - -“A book which has afforded us no slight gratification.”--_Athenæum._ - -“From the mixture of description, anecdote, biography, and criticism, -this book is very pleasant reading.”--_Spectator._ - -“A more agreeable and entertaining book has not been published since -Boswell produced his reminiscences of Johnson.”--_Observer._ - - -XI.--MARGARET AND HER BRIDESMAIDS. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “THE VALLEY OF A HUNDRED FIRES.” - -“We recommend all who are in search of a fascinating novel to read this -work for themselves. They will find it well worth their while. There -are a freshness and originality about it quite charming, and there is a -certain nobleness in the treatment both of sentiment and incident which -is not often found.”--_Athenæum._ - - -XII.--THE OLD JUDGE; OR, LIFE IN A COLONY. - -BY SAM SLICK. - -“A peculiar interest attaches to sketches of colonial life, and readers -could not have a safer guide than the talented author of this work, -who, by a residence of half a century, has practically grasped the -habits, manners, and social conditions of the colonists he describes. -All who wish to form a fair idea of the difficulties and pleasures of -life in a new country, unlike England in some respects, yet like it in -many, should read this book.”-- _John Bull._ - - -XIII.--DARIEN; OR, THE MERCHANT PRINCE. - -BY ELIOT WARBURTON. - -“This last production of the author of ‘The Crescent and the Cross’ -has the same elements of a very wide popularity. It will please its -thousands.”--_Globe._ - -“Eliot Warburton’s active and productive genius is amply exemplified -in the present book. We have seldom met with any work in which the -realities of history and the poetry of fiction were more happily -interwoven.”--_Illustrated News._ - - -XIV.--FAMILY ROMANCE; OR, DOMESTIC ANNALS OF THE ARISTOCRACY. - -BY SIR BERNARD BURKE, ULSTER KING OF ARMS. - -“It were impossible to praise too highly this most interesting book, -whether we should have regard to its excellent plan or its not less -excellent execution. It ought to be found on every drawing-room table. -Here you have nearly fifty captivating romances with the pith of all -their interest preserved in undiminished poignancy, and any one may -be read in half an hour. It is not the least of their merits that the -romances are founded on fact--or what, at least, has been handed down -for truth by long tradition--and the romance of reality far exceeds the -romance of fiction.”--_Standard._ - - -XV.--THE LAIRD OF NORLAW. - -BY MRS. OLIPHANT. - -“We have had frequent opportunities of commending Messrs. Hurst and -Blackett’s Standard Library. For neatness, elegance, and distinctness -the volumes in this series surpass anything with which we are familiar. -‘The Laird of Norlaw’ will fully sustain the author’s high reputation. -The reader is carried on from first to last with an energy of sympathy -that never flags.”--_Sunday Times._ - -“‘The Laird of Norlaw’ is worthy of the author’s reputation. It is one -of the most exquisite of modern novels.”--_Observer._ - - -XVI.--THE ENGLISHWOMAN IN ITALY. - -BY MRS. G. GRETTON. - -“Mrs. Gretton had opportunities which rarely fall to the lot of -strangers of becoming acquainted with the inner life and habits of a -part of the Italian peninsula which is the very centre of the national -crisis. We can praise her performance as interesting, unexaggerated, -and full of opportune instruction.”--_The Times._ - -“Mrs. Gretton’s book is timely, life-like, and for every reason to -be recommended. It is impossible to close the book without liking -the writer as well as the subject. The work is engaging, because -real.”--_Athenæum._ - - -XVII.--NOTHING NEW. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“‘Nothing New’ displays all those superior merits which have made ‘John -Halifax’ one of the most popular works of the day. There is a force and -truthfulness about these tales which mark them as the production of no -ordinary mind, and we cordially recommend them to the perusal of all -lovers of fiction.”--_Morning Post._ - - -XVIII.--LIFE OF JEANNE D’ALBRET, QUEEN OF NAVARRE. - -BY MISS FREER. - -“We have read this book with great pleasure, and have no hesitation in -recommending it to general perusal. It reflects the highest credit on -the industry and ability of Miss Freer. Nothing can be more interesting -than her story of the life of Jeanne D’Albret, and the narrative is as -trustworthy as it is attractive.”--_Morning Post._ - - -XIX.--THE VALLEY OF A HUNDRED FIRES. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “MARGARET AND HER BRIDESMAIDS.” - -“If asked to classify this work, we should give it a place between -‘John Halifax’ and ‘The Caxtons.’”--_Standard._ - -“The spirit in which the whole book is written is refined and -good.”--_Athenæum._ - -“This is in every sense a charming novel.”--_Messenger._ - - -XX.--THE ROMANCE OF THE FORUM; OR, NARRATIVES, SCENES, AND ANECDOTES -FROM COURTS OF JUSTICE. - -BY PETER BURKE, SERJEANT AT LAW. - -“This attractive book will be perused with much interest. It contains a -great variety of singular and highly romantic stories.”--_John Bull._ - -“A work of singular interest, which can never fail to charm and absorb -the reader’s attention. The present cheap and elegant edition includes -the true story of the Colleen Bawn.”--_Illustrated News._ - - -XXI.--ADÈLE. - -BY JULIA KAVANAGH. - -“‘Adèle’ is the best work we have read by Miss Kavanagh; it is a -charming story, full of delicate character-painting. The interest -kindled in the first chapter burns brightly to the close.”--_Athenæum._ - -“‘Adèle’ will fully sustain the reputation of Miss Kavanagh, high as it -already ranks.”--_John Bull._ - -“‘Adèle’ is a love-story of very considerable pathos and power. It is a -very clever novel.”--_Daily News._ - - -XXII.--STUDIES FROM LIFE. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“These ‘Studies’ are truthful and vivid pictures of life, often -earnest, always full of right feeling, and occasionally lightened by -touches of quiet, genial humour. The volume is remarkable for thought, -sound sense, shrewd observation, and kind and sympathetic feeling for -all things good and beautiful.”--_Morning Post._ - -“These ‘Studies from Life’ are remarkable for graphic power and -observation. The book will not diminish the reputation of the -accomplished author.”--_Saturday Review._ - - -XXIII.--GRANDMOTHER’S MONEY. - -BY F. W. ROBINSON. - -“We commend ‘Grandmother’s Money’ to readers in search of a good -novel. The characters are true to human nature, and the story is -interesting.”--_Athenæum._ - - -XXIV.--A BOOK ABOUT DOCTORS. - -BY JOHN CORDY JEAFFRESON. - -“A book to be read and re-read; fit for the study as well as the -drawing-room table and the circulating library.”--_Lancet._ - -“This is a pleasant book for the fireside season, and for the seaside -season. Mr. Jeaffreson has, out of hundreds of volumes, collected -thousands of good things, adding thereto much that appears in print for -the first time, and which, of course, gives increased value to this -very readable book.”--_Athenæum._ - - -XXV.--NO CHURCH. - -BY F. W. ROBINSON. - -“We advise all who have the opportunity to read this book. It is well -worth the study.”--_Athenæum._ - -“A work of great originality, merit, and power.”--_Standard._ - - -XXVI.--MISTRESS AND MAID. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“A good wholesome book, gracefully written, and as pleasant to read as -it is instructive.”--_Athenæum._ - -“A charming tale, charmingly told.”--_Standard._ - -“All lovers of a good novel will hail with delight another of Mrs. -Craik’s charming stories.”--_John Bull._ - - -XXVII.--LOST AND SAVED. - -BY THE HON. MRS. NORTON. - -“‘Lost and Saved’ will be read with eager interest by those who love a -touching story. It is a vigorous novel.”--_Times._ - -“This story is animated, full of exciting situations and stirring -incidents. The characters are delineated with great power. Above and -beyond these elements of a good novel, there is that indefinable charm -with which true genius invests all it touches.”--_Daily News._ - - -XXVIII.--LES MISERABLES. - -BY VICTOR HUGO. - -_Authorised Copyright English Translation._ - -“The merits of ‘Les Miserables’ do not merely consist in the -conception of it as a whole; it abounds with details of unequalled -beauty. M. Victor Hugo has stamped upon every page the hall-mark of -genius.”--_Quarterly Review._ - - -XXIX.--BARBARA’S HISTORY. - -BY AMELIA B. EDWARDS. - -“It is not often that we light upon a novel of so much merit and -interest as ‘Barbara’s History.’ It is a work conspicuous for taste -and literary culture. It is a very graceful and charming book, with a -well-managed story, clearly-cut characters, and sentiments expressed -with an exquisite elocution. The dialogues especially sparkle with -repartee. It is a book which the world will like. This is high praise -of a work of art and so we intend it.”--_The Times._ - - -XXX.--LIFE OF THE REV. EDWARD IRVING. - -BY MRS. OLIPHANT. - -“A good book on a most interesting theme.”--_Times._ - -“A truly interesting and most affecting memoir. ‘Irving’s Life’ -ought to have a niche in every gallery of religious biography. There -are few lives that will be fuller of instruction, interest, and -consolation.”--_Saturday Review._ - - -XXXI.--ST. OLAVE’S. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JANITA’S CROSS.” - -“This novel is the work of one who possesses a great talent for -writing, as well as experience and knowledge of the world. The whole -book is worth reading.”--_Athenæum._ - -“‘St Olave’s’ belongs to a lofty order of fiction. It is a good novel, -but it is something more. It is written with unflagging ability, and -it is as even as it is clever. The author has determined to do nothing -short of the best, and has succeeded.”--_Morning Post._ - - -XXXII.--SAM SLICK’S TRAITS OF AMERICAN HUMOUR. - -“Dip where you will into this lottery of fun, you are sure to draw out -a prize. These ‘Traits’ exhibit most successfully the broad national -features of American humour.”--_Post._ - - -XXXIII.--CHRISTIAN’S MISTAKE. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“A more charming story has rarely been written. It is a choice gift to -be able thus to render human nature so truly, to penetrate its depths -with such a searching sagacity, and to illuminate them with a radiance -so eminently the writer’s own.”--_Times._ - - -XXXIV.--ALEC FORBES OF HOWGLEN. - -BY GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D. - -“No account of this story would give any idea of the profound interest -that pervades the work from the first page to the last.”--_Athenæum._ - -“A novel of uncommon merit. Sir Walter Scott said he would advise no -man to try to read ‘Clarissa Harlowe’ out loud in company if he wished -to keep his character for manly superiority to tears. We fancy a good -many hardened old novel-readers will feel a rising in the throat as -they follow the fortunes of Alec and Annie.”--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - - -XXXV.--AGNES. - -BY MRS. OLIPHANT. - -“‘Agnes’ is a novel superior to any of Mrs. Oliphant’s former -works.”--_Athenæum._ - -“Mrs. Oliphant is one of the most admirable of our novelists. In her -works there are always to be found high principle, good taste, sense, -and refinement. ‘Agnes’ is a story whose pathetic beauty will appeal -irresistibly to all readers.”--_Morning Post._ - - -XXXVI.--A NOBLE LIFE. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“Few men and no women will read ‘A Noble Life’ without feeling -themselves the better for the effort.”--_Spectator._ - -“A beautifully written and touching tale. It is a noble -book.”--_Morning Post._ - -“‘A Noble Life’ is remarkable for the high types of character it -presents, and the skill with which they are made to work out a story of -powerful and pathetic interest.”--_Daily News._ - - -XXXVII.--NEW AMERICA. - -BY W. HEPWORTH DIXON. - -“A very interesting book. Mr. Dixon has written thoughtfully and -well.”--_Times._ - -“We recommend everyone who feels any interest in human nature to read -Mr. Dixon’s very interesting book.”--_Saturday Review._ - - -XXXVIII.--ROBERT FALCONER. - -BY GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D. - -“‘Robert Falconer’ is a work brimful of life and humour and of the -deepest human interest. It is a book to be returned to again and again -for the deep and searching knowledge it evinces of human thoughts and -feelings.”--_Athenæum._ - - -XXXIX.--THE WOMAN’S KINGDOM. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“‘The Woman’s Kingdom’ sustains the author’s reputation as a writer of -the purest and noblest kind of domestic stories.”--_Athenæum._ - -“‘The Woman’s Kingdom’ is remarkable for its romantic interest. The -characters are masterpieces. Edna is worthy of the hand that drew John -Halifax.”--_Morning Post._ - - -XL.--ANNALS OF AN EVENTFUL LIFE. - -BY GEORGE WEBBE DASENT, D.C.L. - -“A racy, well-written, and original novel. The interest never flags. -The whole work sparkles with wit and humour.”--_Quarterly Review._ - - -XLI.--DAVID ELGINBROD. - -BY GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D. - -“A novel which is the work of a man of genius. It will attract the -highest class of readers.”--_Times._ - - -XLII.--A BRAVE LADY. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“We earnestly recommend this novel. It is a special and worthy specimen -of the author’s remarkable powers. The reader’s attention never for a -moment flags.”--_Post._ - -“‘A Brave Lady’ thoroughly rivets the unmingled sympathy of the -reader, and her history deserves to stand foremost among the author’s -works.”--_Daily Telegraph._ - - -XLIII.--HANNAH. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“A very pleasant, healthy story, well and artistically told. The book -is sure of a wide circle of readers. The character of Hannah is one of -rare beauty.”--_Standard._ - -“A powerful novel of social and domestic life. One of the most -successful efforts of a successful novelist.”--_Daily News._ - - -XLIV.--SAM SLICK’S AMERICANS AT HOME. - -“This is one of the most amusing books that we ever read.”--_Standard._ - -“‘The Americans at Home’ will not be less popular than any of Judge -Halliburton’s previous works.”--_Morning Post._ - - -XLV.--THE UNKIND WORD. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“These stories are gems of narrative. Indeed, some of them, in their -touching grace and simplicity, seem to us to possess a charm even -beyond the authoress’s most popular novels. Of none of them can this be -said more emphatically than of that which opens the series, ‘The Unkind -Word.’ It is wonderful to see the imaginative power displayed in the -few delicate touches by which this successful love-story is sketched -out.”--_The Echo._ - - -XLVI.--A ROSE IN JUNE. - -BY MRS. OLIPHANT. - -“‘A Rose in June’ is as pretty as its title. The story is one of -the best and most touching which we owe to the industry and talent -of Mrs. Oliphant, and may hold its own with even ‘The Chronicles of -Carlingford.’”--_Times._ - - -XLVII.--MY LITTLE LADY. - -BY E. FRANCES POYNTER. - -“This story presents a number of vivid and very charming pictures. -Indeed, the whole book is charming. It is interesting in both character -and story, and thoroughly good of its kind.”--_Saturday Review._ - - -XLVIII.--PHŒBE, JUNIOR. - -BY MRS. OLIPHANT. - -“This last ‘Chronicle of Carlingford’ not merely takes rank fairly -beside the first which introduced us to ‘Salem Chapel,’ but surpasses -all the intermediate records. Phœbe, Junior, herself is admirably -drawn.”--_Academy._ - - -XLIX.--LIFE OF MARIE ANTOINETTE. - -BY PROFESSOR CHARLES DUKE YONGE. - -“A work of remarkable merit and interest, which will, we -doubt not, become the most popular English history of Marie -Antoinette.”--_Spectator._ - - -L.--SIR GIBBIE. - -BY GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D. - -“‘Sir Gibbie’ is a book of genius.”--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - -“This book has power, pathos, and humour.”--_Athenæum._ - - -LI.--YOUNG MRS. JARDINE. - -BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” - -“‘Young Mrs. Jardine’ is a pretty story, written in pure -English.”--_The Times._ - -“There is much good feeling in this book. It is pleasant and -wholesome.”--_Athenæum._ - - -LII.--LORD BRACKENBURY. - -BY AMELIA B. EDWARDS. - -“A very readable story. The author has well conceived the purpose -of high-class novel-writing, and succeeded in no small measure in -attaining it. There is plenty of variety, cheerful dialogue, and -general ‘verve’ in the book.”--_Athenæum._ - - -LIII.--IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS. - -BY MRS. OLIPHANT. - -“In ‘It was a Lover and his Lass,’ we admire Mrs. Oliphant exceedingly. -It would be worth reading a second time, were it only for the sake of -one ancient Scottish spinster, who is nearly the counterpart of the -admirable Mrs. Margaret Maitland.”--_Times._ - - -LIV.--THE REAL LORD BYRON--THE STORY OF THE POET’S LIFE. - -BY JOHN CORDY JEAFFRESON. - -“Mr. Jeaffreson comes forward with a narrative which must take a -very important place in Byronic literature; and it may reasonably be -anticipated that this book will be regarded with deep interest by all -who are concerned in the works and the fame of this great English -poet.”--_The Times._ - - - - -WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF ‘SAM SLICK, THE CLOCKMAKER.’ - -_Each in One Volume, Frontispiece, and Uniformly Bound, Price 5s._ - - -NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE. - -“We enjoy our old friend’s company with unabated relish. This work is -a rattling miscellany of sharp sayings, stories, and hard hits. It is -full of fun and fancy.”--_Athenæum._ - -“Since Sam’s first work he has written nothing so fresh, racy, and -genuinely humorous as this. Every line of it tells in some way or -other--instructively, satirically, jocosely, or wittily. Admiration -of Sam’s mature talents, and laughter at his droll yarns, constantly -alternate as with unhalting avidity we peruse the work. The Clockmaker -proves himself the fastest time-killer a-going.”--_Observer._ - - -WISE SAWS AND MODERN INSTANCES. - -“This delightful book will be the most popular, as beyond doubt it is -the best, of all the author’s admirable works.”--_Standard._ - -“The book before us will be read and laughed over. Its quaint and -racy dialect will please some readers--its abundance of yarns -will amuse others. There is something to suit readers of every -humour.”--_Athenæum._ - -“The humour of Sam Slick is inexhaustible. He is ever and everywhere -a welcome visitor; smiles greet his approach, and wit and wisdom hang -upon his tongue. We promise our readers a great treat from the perusal -of these ‘Wise Saws,’ which contain a world of practical wisdom, and a -treasury of the richest fun.”--_Morning Post._ - - -THE OLD JUDGE; OR, LIFE IN A COLONY. - -“By common consent this work is regarded as one of the raciest, truest -to life, most humorous, and most interesting works which have proceeded -from the prolific pen of its author. We all know what shrewdness of -observation, what power of graphic description, what natural resources -of drollery, and what a happy method of hitting off the broader -characteristics of the life he reviews, belong to Judge Haliburton. -We have all those qualities here; but they are balanced by a serious -literary purpose, and are employed in the communication of information -respecting certain phases of colonial experience which impart to the -work an element of sober utility.”--_Sunday Times._ - - -TRAITS OF AMERICAN HUMOUR. - -“No man has done more than the facetious Judge Haliburton, through the -mouth of the inimitable ‘Sam,’ to make the old parent country recognise -and appreciate her queer transatlantic progeny. His present collection -of comic stories and laughable traits is a budget of fun, full of rich -specimens of American humour.”--_Globe._ - -“Yankeeism, portrayed in its raciest aspect, constitutes the contents -of these superlatively entertaining sketches. The work embraces the -most varied topics--political parties, religious eccentricities, the -flights of literature, and the absurdities of pretenders to learning, -all come in for their share of satire; while we have specimens of -genuine American exaggerations and graphic pictures of social and -domestic life as it is. The work will have a wide circulation.”--_John -Bull._ - - -THE AMERICANS AT HOME. - -“In this highly entertaining work we are treated to another cargo of -capital stories from the inexhaustible store of our Yankee friend. -In the volume before us he dishes up, with his accustomed humour and -terseness of style, a vast number of tales, none more entertaining -than another, and all of them graphically illustrative of the ways -and manners of brother Jonathan. The anomalies of American law, the -extraordinary adventures incident to life in the backwoods, and, above -all, the peculiarities of American society, are variously, powerfully, -and, for the most part, amusingly exemplified.”--_John Bull._ - -“In the picturesque delineation of character, and the felicitous -portraiture of national features, no writer equals Judge Haliburton, -and the subjects embraced in the present delightful book call forth, in -new and vigorous exercise, his peculiar powers. ‘The Americans at Home’ -will not be less popular than any of his previous works.”--_Post._ - - -LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS. - - - - -WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF - -JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. - -_Each in One Volume, Frontispiece, and Uniformly Bound, price 5s._ - - -JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. - -“This is a very good and a very interesting work. It is designed to -trace the career from boyhood to age of a perfect man--a Christian -gentleman, and it abounds in incident both well and highly wrought. -Throughout it is conceived in a high spirit, and written with great -ability. This cheap and handsome new edition is worthy to pass freely -from hand to hand as a gift-book in many households.”--_Examiner._ - -“The story is very interesting. The attachment between John Halifax and -his wife is beautifully painted, as are the pictures of their domestic -life, and the growing up of their children, and the conclusion of the -book is beautiful and touching.”--_Athenæum._ - -“The new and cheaper edition of this interesting work will doubtless -meet with great success. John Halifax, the hero of this most beautiful -story, is no ordinary hero, and this his history is no ordinary book. -It is a full-length portrait of a true gentleman, one of nature’s own -nobility. It is also the history of a home, and a thoroughly English -one. The work abounds in incident, and is full of graphic power and -true pathos. It is a book that few will read without becoming wiser and -better.”--_Scotsman._ - - -A WOMAN’S THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN. - -“A book of sound counsel. It is one of the most sensible works of its -kind, well written, true-hearted, and altogether practical. Whoever -wishes to give advice to a young lady may thank the author for means of -doing so.”--_Examiner._ - -“These thoughts are worthy of the earnest and enlightened mind, the -all-embracing charity, and the well-earned reputation of the author of -‘John Halifax.’”--_Standard._ - -“This excellent book is characterised by good sense, good taste, and -feeling, and is written in an earnest, philanthropic, as well as -practical spirit.”--_Post._ - - -A LIFE FOR A LIFE. - -“We are always glad to welcome this author. She writes from her own -convictions, and she has the power not only to conceive clearly what -it is that she wishes to say, but to express it in language effective -and vigorous. In ‘A Life for a Life’ she is fortunate in a good -subject, and she has produced a work of strong effect. The reader, -having read the book through for the story, will be apt (if he be of -our persuasion) to return and read again many pages and passages with -greater pleasure than on a first perusal. The whole book is replete -with a graceful, tender delicacy; and, in addition to its other merits, -it is written in good careful English.”--_Athenæum._ - - -NOTHING NEW. - -“‘Nothing New’ displays all those superior merits which have made ‘John -Halifax’ one of the most popular works of the day.”--_Post._ - -“The reader will find these narratives calculated to remind him of that -truth and energy of human portraiture, that spell over human affections -and emotions, which have stamped this author as one of the first -novelists of our day.”--_John Bull._ - - -THE WOMAN’S KINGDOM. - -“‘The Woman’s Kingdom’ sustains the author’s reputation as a writer of -the purest and noblest kind of domestic stories. The novelist’s lesson -is given with admirable force and sweetness.”--_Athenæum._ - -“‘The Woman’s Kingdom’ is remarkable for its romantic interest. The -characters are masterpieces. Edna is worthy of the hand that drew John -Halifax.”--_Post._ - - -STUDIES FROM LIFE. - -“These studies are truthful and vivid pictures of life, often earnest, -always full of right feeling, and occasionally lightened by touches of -quiet genial humour. The volume is remarkable for thought, sound sense, -shrewd observation, and kind and sympathetic feeling for all things -good and beautiful.”--_Post._ - - -CHRISTIAN’S MISTAKE. - -“A more charming story, to our taste, has rarely been written. Within -the compass of a single volume the writer has hit off a circle of -varied characters, all true to nature--some true to the highest -nature--and she has entangled them in a story which keeps us in -suspense till the knot is happily and gracefully resolved; while, at -the same time, a pathetic interest is sustained by an art of which it -would be difficult to analyse the secret. It is a choice gift to be -able thus to render human nature so truly, to penetrate its depths -with such a searching sagacity, and to illuminate them with a radiance -so eminently the writer’s own. Even if tried by the standard of the -Archbishop of York, we should expect that even he would pronounce -‘Christian’s Mistake’ a novel without a fault.”--_The Times._ - -“This is a story good to have from the circulating library, but better -to have from one’s bookseller, for it deserves a place in that little -collection of clever and wholesome stories which forms one of the -comforts of a well-appointed home.”--_Examiner._ - - -MISTRESS AND MAID. - -“A good, wholesome book, as pleasant to read as it is -instructive.”--_Athenæum._ - -“This book is written with the same true-hearted earnestness as ‘John -Halifax.’ The spirit of the whole work is excellent.”--_Examiner._ - -“A charming tale charmingly told.”--_Standard._ - - -A NOBLE LIFE. - -“This is one of those pleasant tales in which the author of ‘John -Halifax’ speaks out of a generous heart the purest truths of -life.”--_Examiner._ - -“Few men, and no women, will read ‘A Noble Life’ without finding -themselves the better.”--_Spectator._ - -“A story of powerful and pathetic interest.”--_Daily News._ - - -A BRAVE LADY. - -“A very good novel, showing a tender sympathy with human nature, and -permeated by a pure and noble spirit.”--_Examiner._ - -“A most charming story.”--_Standard._ - -“We earnestly recommend this novel. It is a special and worthy specimen -of the author’s remarkable powers. The reader’s attention never for a -moment flags.”--_Post._ - - -HANNAH. - -“A powerful novel of social and domestic life. One of the most -successful efforts of a successful novelist.”--_Daily News._ - -“A very pleasant, healthy story, well and artistically told. The book -is sure of a wide circle of readers. The character of Hannah is one of -rare beauty.”--_Standard._ - - -THE UNKIND WORD. - -“The author of ‘John Halifax’ has written many fascinating stories, but -we can call to mind nothing from her pen that has a more enduring charm -than the graceful sketches in this work. Such a character as Jessie -stands out from a crowd of heroines as the type of all that is truly -noble, pure, and womanly.”--_United Service Magazine._ - - -YOUNG MRS. JARDINE. - -“‘Young Mrs. Jardine’ is a pretty story, written in pure -English.”--_The Times._ - -“There is much good feeling in this book. It is pleasant and -wholesome.”--_Athenæum._ - -“A book that all should read. Whilst it is quite the equal of any of -its predecessors in elevation of thought and style, it is perhaps their -superior in interest of plot and dramatic intensity. The characters are -admirably delineated, and the dialogue is natural and clear.”--_Morning -Post._ - - - - -WORKS BY - -MRS. OLIPHANT. - -_Each in One Volume, Frontispiece, and Uniformly Bound, Price 5s._ - - -ADAM GRAEME OF MOSSGRAY. - -“‘Adam Graeme’ is a story awakening genuine emotions of interest and -delight by its admirable pictures of Scottish life and scenery. The -plot is cleverly complicated, and there is great vitality in the -dialogue, and remarkable brilliancy in the descriptive passages, as -who that has read ‘Margaret Maitland’ would not be prepared to expect? -But the story has a ‘mightier magnet still,’ in the healthy tone which -pervades it, in its feminine delicacy of thought and diction, and in -the truly womanly tenderness of its sentiments. The eloquent author -sets before us the essential attributes of Christian virtue, their deep -and silent workings in the heart, and their beautiful manifestations -in the life, with a delicacy, a power, and a truth which can hardly be -surpassed.”--_Morning Post._ - - -THE LAIRD OF NORLAW. - -“We have had frequent opportunities of commending Messrs. Hurst and -Blackett’s Standard Library. For neatness, elegance, and distinctness -the volumes in this series surpass anything with which we are familiar. -‘The Laird of Norlaw’ will fully sustain the author’s high reputation. -The reader is carried on from first to last with an energy of sympathy -that never flags.”--_Sunday Times._ - -“‘The Laird of Norlaw’ is worthy of the author’s reputation. It is one -of the most exquisite of modern novels.”--_Observer._ - - -IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS. - -“In ‘It was a Lover and his Lass,’ we admire Mrs. Oliphant exceedingly. -Her story is a very pretty one. It would be worth reading a second -time, were it only for the sake of one ancient Scottish spinster, -who is nearly the counterpart of the admirable Mrs. Margaret -Maitland.”--_Times._ - - -AGNES. - -“‘Agnes’ Is a novel superior to any of Mrs. Oliphant’s former -works.”--_Athenæum._ - -“Mrs. Oliphant is one of the most admirable of our novelists. In her -works there are always to be found high principle, good taste, sense, -and refinement. ‘Agnes’ is a story whose pathetic beauty will appeal -irresistibly to all readers.”--_Morning Post._ - - -A ROSE IN JUNE. - -“‘A Rose in June’ is as pretty as its title. The story is one of -the best and most touching which we owe to the industry and talent -of Mrs. Oliphant, and may hold its own with even ‘The Chronicles of -Carlingford.’”--_Times._ - - -PHŒBE, JUNIOR. - -“This last ‘Chronicle of Carlingford’ not merely takes rank fairly -beside the first which introduced us to ‘Salem Chapel,’ but surpasses -all the intermediate records. Phœbe, Junior, herself is admirably -drawn.”--_Academy._ - - -LIFE OF THE REV. EDWARD IRVING. - -“A good book on a most interesting theme.”--_Times._ - -“A truly interesting and most affecting memoir. ‘Irving’s Life’ -ought to have a niche in every gallery of religious biography. There -are few lives that will be fuller of instruction, interest, and -consolation.”--_Saturday Review._ - - - - -WORKS BY - -GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D. - -_Each in One Volume, Frontispiece, and Uniformly Bound, Price 5s._ - - -ALEC FORBES OF HOWGLEN. - -“No account of this story would give any idea of the profound interest -that pervades the work from the first page to the last.”--_Athenæum._ - -“A novel of uncommon merit. Sir Walter Scott said he would advise no -man to try to read ‘Clarissa Harlowe’ out loud in company if he wished -to keep his character for manly superiority to tears. We fancy a good -many hardened old novel-readers will feel a rising in the throat as -they follow the fortunes of Alec and Annie.”--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - -“The whole story is one of surpassing excellence and beauty.”--_Daily -News._ - -“This book is full of good thought and good writing. Dr. Mac Donald -looks in his stories more to the souls of men and women than to their -social outside. He reads life and Nature like a true poet.”--_Examiner._ - - -ROBERT FALCONER. - -“‘Robert Falconer’ is a work brimful of life and humour and of the -deepest human interest. It is a work to be returned to again and again -for the deep and searching knowledge it evinces of human thoughts and -feelings.”--_Athenæum._ - -“This story abounds in exquisite specimens of the word-painting in -which Dr. Mac Donald excels, charming transcripts of Nature, full of -light, air, and colour.”--_Saturday Review._ - -“This noble story displays to the best advantage all the powers of Dr. -Mac Donald’s genius.”--_Illustrated London News._ - -“‘Robert Falconer’ is the noblest work of fiction that Dr. Mac Donald -has yet produced.”--_British Quarterly Review._ - -“The dialogues in ‘Robert Falconer’ are so finely blended with humour -and pathos as to make them in themselves an intellectual treat to which -the reader returns again and again.”--_Spectator._ - - -DAVID ELGINBROD. - -“A novel which is the work of a man of genius. It will attract the -highest class of readers.”--_Times._ - -“There are many beautiful passages and descriptions in this book. The -characters are extremely well drawn.”--_Athenæum._ - -“A clever novel. The incidents are exciting, and the interest is -maintained to the close. It may be doubted if Sir Walter Scott -himself ever painted a Scotch fireside with more truth than Dr. Mac -Donald.”--_Morning Post._ - -“David Elginbrod is the finest character we have met in fiction for -many a day. The descriptions of natural scenery are vivid, truthful, -and artistic; the general reflections are those of a refined, -thoughtful, and poetical philosopher, and the whole moral atmosphere of -the book is lofty, pure, and invigorating.”--_Globe._ - - -SIR GIBBIE. - -“‘Sir Gibbie’ is a book of genius.”--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - -“This book has power, pathos, and humour. There is not a character -which is not lifelike. There are many powerful scenes, and the -portraits will stay long in our memory.”--_Athenæum._ - -“‘Sir Gibbie’ is unquestionably a book of genius. It abounds in -humour, pathos, insight into character, and happy touches of -description.”--_Graphic._ - -“‘Sir Gibbie’ contains some of the most charming writing the author has -yet produced.”--_Scotsman._ - -“‘Sir Gibbie’ is one of the most touching and beautiful stories that -has been written for many years. It is not a novel to be idly read and -laid aside; it is a grand work, to be kept near at hand, and studied -and thought over.”--_Morning Post._ - - -LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS. - - - - -_WORKS by the AUTHOR of ‘JOHN HALIFAX.’_ - -Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. - - JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. - A WOMAN’S THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN. - A LIFE FOR A LIFE. - NOTHING NEW. - MISTRESS AND MAID. - THE WOMAN’S KINGDOM. - CHRISTIAN’S MISTAKE. - A NOBLE LIFE. - HANNAH. - THE UNKIND WORD. - A BRAVE LADY. - STUDIES FROM LIFE. - YOUNG MRS. JARDINE. - - -_WORKS by GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D._ - -Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. - - DAVID ELGINBROD. - ROBERT FALCONER. - ALEC FORBES. - SIR GIBBIE. - - -_WORKS by MRS. OLIPHANT._ - -Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. - - IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS. - THE LAIRD OF NORLAW. - A ROSE IN JUNE. - ADAM GRAEME OF MOSSGRAY. - PHŒBE, JUNIOR. - AGNES. - THE LIFE OF THE REV. EDWARD IRVING. - - -_WORKS by the AUTHOR of ‘SAM SLICK.’_ - -Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. - - NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE. - WISE SAWS AND MODERN INSTANCES. - THE OLD JUDGE; OR, LIFE IN A COLONY. - TRAITS OF AMERICAN HUMOUR. - THE AMERICANS AT HOME. - - -_LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT._ - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] It may be objected that this story pertains more to the seventeenth -than the eighteenth century; but, as the man Roderick was alive in the -last century, I claim him as belonging to it. - -[2] ‘The History of St. Kilda,’ etc. By the Rev. Mr. Kenneth Macaulay. -London, 1764. - -[3] ‘Description of the Western Isles of Scotland, called Hebrides,’ -etc. - -[4] Harris. - -[5] _Scottice_, are without. - -[6] ‘A Late Voyage to St. Kilda, the Remotest of all the Hebrides,’ -etc., London, 1698. - -[7] Head-dress. - -[8] Venus, her lap dog. - -[9] A game at cards introduced into France by Signor Justiniani, -Ambassador of Venice in 1674. The players are the dealer or banker, his -assistant, who looks after the losing cards--a _croupier_, in fact--and -the punters, or anyone who plays against the banker. - -[10] To understand the numerous allusions to the game of cards called -Quadrill, it is necessary that the principles of the game should be -given. It was played by four persons, each having ten cards dealt to -them. - -The general laws of this game are, 1. It is not permitted to deal the -cards otherwise than four by three, the dealer being at liberty to -begin with which of those numbers he pleases. 2. If he who plays either -_sans prendre_, or calling a king, names a trump of a different suit -from that his game is in, or names two several suits, that which he -first named must be the trump. 3. He who plays must name the trump by -its proper name, as he likewise must the king he calls. 4. He who has -said ‘I pass,’ must not be again admitted to play, except he plays by -force, upon account of his having Spadille. 5. He who has asked the -question, and has leave given him to play, is obliged to do it: but -he must not play _sans prendre_ except he is forced to do it. 6. He -who has the four kings may call the queen of either of his kings. 7. -Neither the king nor queen of the suit which is trumps must be called. -8. He who has one or several kings may call any king he has in his -hand; in such case, if he wins, he alone must make six tricks; if he -wins, it is all his own, and if he loses, he pays all by himself. 9. -Everyone ought to play in his turn, but for having done otherwise, no -one must be beasted. 10. He, however, whose turn is not to play, having -in his hand the king the ombre has called, and who shall tramp about -with either spadille, manille, or basto, or shall even play down the -king that was called, to give notice of his being the friend, must not -pretend to undertake the vole; nay, he must be condemned to be beasted -if it appears that he did it with any fraudulent design. 11. He who has -drawn a card from his game, and presented it openly in order to play -it, is obliged so to do, if his retaining it may be either prejudicial -to his game, or give any information to his friend, especially if the -card is a matadore; but he who plays _sans prendre_, or calls upon his -own king, is not subject to this law. 12. None ought to look upon the -tricks, nor to count aloud what has been played, except when it is -his turn to play, but to let everyone reckon for himself. 13. He who, -instead of turning up the tricks before any one of his players, shall -turn up and discover his game, must be equally beasted with him whose -cards he has so discovered, the one paying one half, and the other -the like. 14. He who renounces must be beasted, as many times as he -has so done, but, if the cards are mixed, he is to pay but one beast. -15. If the renounce prejudices the game, and the deal is not played -out, everyone may take up his cards, beginning at the trick where the -renounce was made, and play them over again. 16. He who shows the game -before the deal is out must be beasted, except he plays _sans prendre_. -17. None of the three matadores can be commanded down by an inferior -trump. 18. If he who plays _sans prendre_ with the matadores in his -hand, demands only one of them, he must receive only that he mentioned. -19. He who, instead of _sans prendre_, shall demand matadores, -not having them, or he who shall demand _sans prendre_ instead of -matadores, cannot compel the players to pay him what is really his due. -20. Matadores are only paid when they are in the hands of the ombre, -or of the king his ally, whether all in one hand, or separately in -both. 21. He who undertakes the vole, and does not make it, must pay -as much as he would have received had he won it. 22. He who plays and -does not make three tricks is to be beasted alone, and must pay all -that is to be paid; and, if he makes no tricks at all, he must also pay -to his two adversaries the vole, but not to his friend.’--_The Oxford -Encyclopædia_, 1828. - -[11] Dressing-gown. - -[12] Entendres. - -[13] Wonders. - -[14] These leaden combs were used for darkening the hair. - -[15] Pulled down 1885. - -[16] - Forsitan et nostros ducat de marmore vultus - Nectens aut Paphia myrti aut Parnasside lauri - Fronde comas--At ego secura pace quiescam. - - _Milton in Manso._ - -[17] John Speed, the historian, died 1629, and was buried in the church -of St. Giles’, Cripplegate. - -[18] The few hairs of a lighter colour, are supposed to have been such -as had grown on the sides of the cheeks after the corpse had been -interred. - -[19] ‘MDCLV. May vi, died my (now) only and eldest son, John Smith -(_Proh Dolor_, beloved of all men!) at Mitcham in Surrey. Buried May ix -in St. Giles, Cripplegate.’ - -[20] Edward Philips or Phillips, in his life of Milton, attached to -‘Letters of State, written by Mr. John Milton,’ &c., London, 1694, -(p. 43), says: ‘He is said to have dyed worth £1,500 in Money (a -considerable Estate, all things considered), besides Household Goods; -for he sustained such losses as might well have broke any person less -frugal and temperate than himself; no less than £2,000 which he had put -for Security and Improvement into the Excise Office, but, neglecting to -recal it in time, could never after get it out, with all the Power and -Interest he had in the Great ones of those Times; besides another great -Sum by mismanagement and for want of good advice.’ - -[21] Thomas Newton, Bishop of Bristol, thus writes in his life of -Milton, prefixed to his edition of ‘Paradise Lost,’ London, 1749: ‘His -body was decently interred near that of his father (who had died very -aged about the year 1647) in the chancel of the church of St. Giles, -Cripplegate; and all his great and learned friends in London, not -without a friendly concourse of the common people, paid their last -respects in attending it to the grave. Mr. Fenton, in his short but -elegant account of the life of Milton, speaking of our author’s having -no monument, says that “he desired a friend to inquire at St. Giles’s -Church, where the sexton showed him a small monument, which he said was -supposed to be Milton’s; but the inscription had never been legible -since he was employed in that office, which he has possessed about -forty years. This sure could never have happened in so short a space -of time, unless the epitaph had been industriously erased; and that -supposition, says Mr. Fenton, carries with it so much inhumanity that -I think we ought to believe it was not erected to his memory.” It is -evident that it was not erected to his memory, and that the sexton was -mistaken. For Mr. Toland, in his account of the life of Milton, says -that he was buried in the chancel of St. Giles’s Church, “where the -piety of his admirers will shortly erect a monument becoming his worth, -and the encouragement of letters in King William’s reign.” This plainly -implies that no monument was erected to him at that time, and this was -written in 1698, and Mr. Fenton’s account was first published, I think, -in 1725; so that not above twenty-seven years intervened from the one -account to the other; and consequently the sexton, who it is said was -possessed of his office about forty years, must have been mistaken, and -the monument must have been designed for some other person, and not for -Milton.’ - -[22] Between the creditable trades of pawnbroker and dram-seller there -is a strict alliance. As Hogarth observes, the money lent by Mr. Gripe -is immediately conveyed to the shop of Mr. Killman, who, in return for -the produce of rags, distributes poison under the specious name of -cordials. See Hogarth’s celebrated print called Gin Lane. - -[23] Probably in the month of September, as the entry of his baptism -in the registry of the chapelry of Middlesmoor, in Netherdale, says -‘Eugenius Aram, son of Peter Aram, baptized the 2nd of October.’ - -[24] Though no warrants were issued against them, Aram was arrested -for debt, in order to keep him; yet he immediately discharged this -debt--not only so, he paid off a mortgage on his property at Bondgate. -Suspicious facts, considering he was, notably, a poor man. - -[25] Finding. - -[26] The esne was a man of the servile class, a poor mercenary, serving -for hire, or for his land, but was not of so low a rank as the other -classes. - -[27] An Act relative to German and Swiss redemptioners. - -[28] Bedlam was then in Moorfields. - -[29] A large wickerwork receptacle behind the mail-coach. - -[30] Palmer invented the mail-coach, and supplied horses to the -Post-Office. - -[31] Lunardi made the first balloon ascent in England, Sept. 21, 1784. - -[32] Birmingham halfpence, struck by Boulton and Watts at their works -at Soho, Birmingham. - -[33] Kew Bridge was opened to the public, September, 1789. - -[34] Some idea of the duelling that went on in Ireland in the latter -part of last century may be gathered from the following extract -from Sir Jonah’s book (vol. ii, p. 3): ‘I think I may challenge any -country in Europe to show such an assemblage of gallant _judicial_ and -_official_ antagonists at fire and sword as is exhibited even in the -following list: - -The Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Earl Clare, fought the Master of the -Rolls, Curran. - -The Chief Justice, K.B. Lord Clonmell, fought Lord Tyrawley (a privy -counsellor), Lord Llandaff, and two others. - -The judge of the county of Dublin, Egan, fought the Master of the -Rolls, Roger Barrett, and three others. - -The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Hon. Isaac Corry, fought the -Right Hon. Henry Grattan (a privy counsellor), and another. - -A Baron of the Exchequer, Baron Medge, fought his brother-in-law and -two others. - -The Chief Justice, C. P. Lord Norbury, fought Fire-eater Fitzgerald and -two other gentlemen, and frightened Napper Tandy, and several besides: -one hit only. - -The judge of the Prerogative Court, Dr. Dingenan, fought one barrister -and frightened another on the ground. N.B.--The latter case a curious -one. - -The Chief Counsel to the Revenue, Henry Deane Grady, fought Counsellor -O’Mahon, Counsellor Campbell, and others: all hits. - -The Master of the Rolls fought Lord Buckinghamshire, the Chief -Secretary, &c. - -The provost of the University of Dublin, the Right Hon. Hely -Hutchinson, fought Mr. Doyle, Master in Chancery, and some others. - -The Chief Justice C. P. Patterson, fought three country gentlemen, one -of them with swords, another with guns, and wounded all of them. - -The Right Hon. George Ogle (a privy counsellor) fought Barney Coyle, a -distiller, because he was a Papist. They fired eight shots, and no hit; -but the second broke his own arm. - -Thomas Wallace, K.C., fought Mr. O’Gorman, the Catholic Secretary. - -Counsellor O’Connell fought the Orange chieftain; fatal to the champion -of Protestant ascendency. - -The collector of the customs of Dublin, the Hon. Francis Hutchinson, -fought the Right Hon. Lord Mountmorris. - -Two hundred and twenty-seven memorable and official duels have actually -been fought during my grand climacteric. - -[35] ‘The Female Soldier; or, The Surprising Life and Adventures of -Hannah Snell,’ &c. London, 1750. - -[36] A farmer of repute. - -[37] For a pension. - -[38] The action off Cape St. Vincent, when Sir John Jervis, with -fifteen sail of the line, attacked and defeated the Spanish fleet, -consisting of twenty-seven sail of the line. - -[39] ‘The case of Mr. John Walter, of London, Merchant.’ London, 1781. - -[40] Then in Lombard Street. - -[41] Lord North resigned, and Lord Rockingham succeeded as Premier, -1782. - -[42] Logotypes--or printing types in which words, etc., were cast, -instead of single letters. - -[43] The centenary of the _Times_ was improperly celebrated in that -paper on the 1st of January, 1885. - -[44] _i.e._, in the liberty or Rules of the Fleet. - -[45] A foot-lock or hobble. - -[46] From the link-boy’s natural hatred of ‘the Parish Lantern,’ which -would deprive him of his livelihood. - -[47] In throwing dice a corruption of the French numerals is used, as -ace (one), deuce (two), tray (three), &c. - -[48] _I.e._, That sentence of death, owing to his pleading benefit of -clergy, or ability to read, was commuted to imprisonment, and branding -on the face with a red-hot iron. By degrees, however, the iron got -colder, until, at last, it was barely warm. - -[49] Mews, or horse-pond. - -[50] ‘The Humours of the Fleet.’ A Poem, by W. Paget, Comedian, &c. -Birmingham. - -[51] Where the Fleet Market is now, there was, a few Years since, a -Ditch, with a muddy Channel of Water. The Market was built at the -Expense of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, who receive the Rent -for it. - -[52] The Door-keeper, or he who opens and shuts the Jigg, is call’d the -Jigger. - -[53] Billiards is a very common game here. - -[54] Fine Ale drank in the Coffee-room, call’d the ‘Alderman,’ because -brew’d by Alderman Parsons. - -[55] A Runner is a Fellow that goes abroad of Errands for the Prisoners. - -[56] Begs. - -[57] Persons who give any Considerable offence are often try’d, and -undergo the Discipline of the Pump. The Author was one of these in a -drunken Frolick, for which he condemns himself. - -[58] A Spacious place, where there are all sorts of Exercises, but -especially Fives. - -[59] A Publick Place, free for all Prisoners. - -[60] Where those lie who can’t pay their Master’s Fee. - -[61] There are several of these Jiggers, or Door-keepers, who relieve -one another, and, when a Prisoner comes first in, they take a nice -Observation of him, for fear of his escaping. - -[62] A cant Word for giving some Money in order to show a Lodging. - -[63] Which is One Pound, Six, and Eightpence, and then you are entitled -to a bed on the Master’s-side, for which you pay so much per Week. - -[64] Mount-scoundrel, so-call’d from its being highly situated, and -belonging, once, to the Common-side, tho’ lately added to the Master’s; -if there be room in the House, this Place is first empty, and the -Chamberlain commonly shows this to raise his Price upon you for a -better. - -[65] Half-a-guinea. - -[66] A Bed-fellow so call’d. - -[67] When you have a Chum, you pay but fifteen Pence per Week each, -and, indeed, that is the Rent of a whole Room, if you find Furniture. - -[68] The Upper Floors are accounted best here, for the same Reason as -they are at Edinburgh, which, I suppose, every Body knows. - -[69] It is common to mention the Fleet by the name of the Place, and I -suppose it is call’d the Place by way of Eminence, because there is not -such another. - -[70] A Cant Word for a Dram of Geneva. - -[71] A Chew of Tobacco--supposed to be given him. - -[72] When there are Holes above Heel, or the Feet are so bad in a -Stocking that you are forced to pull them to hide the Holes, or cover -the Toes, it is call’d Coaxing. - -[73] As the Prison is often called the College, so it is common to call -a Prisoner a Collegian; and this Character is taken from a Man who had -been many Years in the Place, and like to continue his Life. - -[74] The Name of the Cook of the Kitchen. - -[75] A place in the Cellar call’d Bartholomew Fair. - -[76] Who goes out? is repeated by Watchmen Prisoners from half-an-hour -after nine till St. Paul’s Clock strikes Ten, to give Visitors Notice -to depart. - -[77] While St. Paul’s is striking Ten, the Watchman don’t call Who goes -out? but when the last stroke is given they cry All told! at which time -the Gates are lock’d and nobody suffer’d to go out upon any Account. - -[78] A werst is one thousand and sixty-seven metres. - -[79] Then valued at four shillings each, or eight pounds in all. - -[80] Gay, in his ‘Trivia,’ book i, says, - - ‘Let _Persian_ Dames th’_Umbrella’s_ Ribs display, - To guard their Beauties from the Sunny Ray.’ - -[81] ‘A Review of the proposed Naturalization of the Jews.’ - -[82] Among other Bills which then received the Royal Assent was one -for purchasing Sloane Museum and the Harleian MSS., and for providing -a general repository for the same--by means of a lottery--the -commencement of the British Museum. - -[83] ‘Parliamentary History,’ Hansard, vol. xv, p. 154. - -[84] ‘Eight Letters to his Grace--Duke of Newcastle--on the custom of -Vails-giving in England, &c.,’ 1760, p. 20. - -[85] ‘The East Neuk of Fife,’ by Rev. Walter Wood. Edinburgh, 1862, p. -208. - -[86] Tickled the palms of their hands. - -[87] ‘The English Treasury of Wit and Language,’ etc., ed. 1655, pp. -223, 224. - -[88] Or surfel--to wash the cheeks with mercurial or sulphur water. - -[89] Face-washes and ointments. - -[90] Edition 1699, p. 19. The poem had reference to the College of -Physicians, establishing a dispensary of their own, owing to the -excessive charges of the apothecaries. The institution did not last -very long. - -[91] Gold. - -[92] ‘The Female Physician, &c.,’ by John Ball, M.D.--London, 1770, pp. -76, 77. - -[93] This water, as its name implies, was supposed to be a sovereign -remedy for gunshot wounds. It was also called _aqua vulneraria_, _aqua -sclopetaria_, and _aqua catapultarum_. - -[94] Now called an _entire horse_, or _stallion_. - -[95] ‘The London Spy,’ ed. 1703, p. 124. - -[96] An allusion to the dispensary which the College of Physicians set -up in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and which was the -subject of Sir S. Garth’s satirical poem, called ‘The Dispensary.’ - -[97] A seventh son of a seventh son is supposed to be endowed with -extraordinary faculties of healing, and many of these quacks pretended -to such a descent. - -[98] ‘The London Spy,’ ed. 1703, p. 64. - -[99] A covering, or gaiter, to protect the legs from dirt or wet. - -[100] ‘The Liturgy and other Divine Offices of the Church.’ London, -Bosworth, 1880, p. 638. - -[101] ‘The Liturgy and other Divine Offices of the Church,’ p. 584. - -[102] _General Advertiser_, March 26, 1782. - -[103] _General Advertiser_, May 1, 1783. - -[104] _General Advertiser_, February 13, 1784. - -[105] _Gentleman’s Magazine_, 1736, pp. 617-618. - -[106] By Dr. Zachary Pearce, Bishop of Rochester. - -[107] A pickle herring was a Merry-Andrew or clown, and this means that -the quack was too poor to afford either horse or attendant. - -[108] A false witness--one who would swear to anything for a trifle. - -[109] I have before me now twelve lives of him, and that is by no means -an exhaustive list. - -[110] ‘Memoire pour le Comte de Cagliostro, accusé: contre Monsieur le -Procureur-General, accusateur; en presence de Monsieur le Cardinal de -Rohan, de la Comtesse de la Motte, et autres co-accusés.’ Paris, 1786, -4to. - -[111] Of this work there was a French translation published in 1791 at -Paris and Strasbourg, under the title of ‘Vie de Joseph Balsamo, connu -sous le nom de Comte Cagliostro,’ &c. 2nd edition. - -[112] Editor of the _Morning Chronicle_, 1772-89. - -[113] Locusta, or, more correctly, Lucusta, was a celebrated poisoner. -She was employed by Aggripina to poison the Emperor Claudius, and by -Nero to kill Britannicus. For this she was most handsomely rewarded by -Nero; but was executed for her crimes by Galba. - -[114] _i.e._, to serve on the convict hulks there, to dredge the -Thames. The treatment on board was based on good principles; those -convicts who were well-behaved had remission of sentence, those who -were recalcitrant had unmerciful punishment. - - -[Transcriber’s Note: - -Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original.] - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Eighteenth Century Waifs, by John Ashton - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EIGHTEENTH CENTURY WAIFS *** - -***** This file should be named 50507-0.txt or 50507-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/5/0/50507/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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