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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3f6c23c --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54369 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54369) diff --git a/old/54369-0.txt b/old/54369-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index aeaa339..0000000 --- a/old/54369-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11343 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Romance of Madame Tussaud's, by John Theodore Tussaud - -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: The Romance of Madame Tussaud's - -Author: John Theodore Tussaud - -Contributor: Hilaire Belloc - -Release Date: March 15, 2017 [EBook #54369] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROMANCE OF MADAME TUSSAUD'S *** - - - - -Produced by deaurider and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: Illustrations have been moved from the original -position of the printed plates, in order to correspond better with the -flow of the text. The List of Illustrations therefore isn’t strictly -accurate in regard to where the illustrations may be found. - - - - - -THE ROMANCE OF MADAME TUSSAUD’S - -JOHN THEODORE TUSSAUD - - - - -[Illustration: MADAME TUSSAUD AT THE AGE OF 85 - -From the portrait by Paul Fischer, Court painter to H. M. George IV.] - - - - - THE ROMANCE - OF - MADAME TUSSAUD’S - - BY - JOHN THEODORE TUSSAUD - - WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY - HILAIRE BELLOC - - ILLUSTRATED - - [Illustration] - - NEW YORK - GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY - - COPYRIGHT, 1920, - BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY - - PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - - TO - - MY WIFE - - THROUGH WHOSE KINDLY URGING THESE LEAVES - HAVE GROWN TO THE DIMENSIONS - OF A BOOK - - - - -PREFACE - - -The earliest information we have concerning Madame Tussaud is that she -was born in Switzerland on the 7th of December, 1760, and was the only -child of Joseph and Marie Grosholtz. Her mother was the daughter of a -Swiss clergyman. - -She married on the 20th of October, 1795, François Tussaud, who, it -appears, was her junior by seven years. We are able to trace his family -back as far as 1630, when his great-great-grandfather, one Denis -Tusseaud--for that is how he spelt his name--was born. - -There is documentary evidence that Denis was brought from Burgy to Mâcon -in 1631, his family also coming from Burzy, close by, in 1658. - -His descendants lived at Mâcon for more than a century, their occupation -being generally that of workers in metal. - -The great-grandfather of François was Henry Tusseaud (1684-1717), and his -grandfather’s name was Claude (1716-1767). - -François’ father (1744-1786) was the first of the family to adopt the -present spelling of the name, although we find that various members -of the family used the forms Tussot, Tusseau, Tuissiaud, Tussiaut, -Tusseaut, Tussiau, or Thusseaud. - -Madame Tussaud’s marriage does not appear to have been a happy one, -for we learn that in 1800--two years before she came to England--she -separated from her husband, of whom we hear nothing further, although he -is known to have been living in Paris in the lifetime of his grandsons. - -The foundress of the famous Exhibition had two sons, Joseph and Francis. -Francis (1800-1873) had several sons, the eldest of whom, Joseph Randall -(1831-1892), who was a student and exhibitor at the Royal Academy, was -the father of the author of this book. - -Mr. John Theodore Tussaud was born in Kensington on the 2nd of May, 1858, -and at the age of six was sent to St. Charles’s College, London, where he -came under the influence of Cardinal Manning, who took a keen personal -interest in his welfare. - -Some six years later he was transferred to Ramsgate, where he benefited -by the training he received from the Benedictine monks at St. Augustine’s. - -In the year 1889 he married Ruth Helena, daughter of Thomas Grew. There -are seven sons and three daughters of the marriage. - -Mr. Tussaud, like his father, has exhibited at the Royal Academy. His -occasional contributions to literature have been welcomed by thoughtful -readers, and he is a recognised authority on historical matters relating -to the French Revolution and the First Empire. - -Seventeen great-grandsons of Madame Tussaud took an active part in the -war, all, without exception, serving in the British Army. Two were killed -and most of the others wounded. - - WILLIAM E. HURT. - -MIDDLE TEMPLE, LONDON - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - PREFACE BY WILLIAM E. HURT vii - - INTRODUCTION BY HILAIRE BELLOC 25 - - CHAPTER I - - MR. TUSSAUD FIRST ENTERS HIS FATHER’S STUDIO--_REVERIE_--MADAME - TUSSAUD’S UNCLE FORSAKES THE MEDICAL PROFESSION FOR - ART--MADAME’S BIRTH AND PARENTAGE--A PRINCE’S PROMISE 53 - - CHAPTER II - - CURTIUS LEAVES BERNE FOR PARIS--THE HÔTEL D’ALIGRE--THE COURT - OF LOUIS XV--MADAME ARRIVES IN PARIS 59 - - CHAPTER III - - LIFE-SIZE FIGURES--MUSEUM AT THE PALAIS ROYAL--EXHIBITION ON - THE _BOULEVARD DU TEMPLE_--BENJAMIN FRANKLIN--VOLTAIRE 65 - - CHAPTER IV - - MADAME ELIZABETH OF FRANCE--MADAME TUSSAUD GOES TO - VERSAILLES--FOULON--THREE NOTABLE GROUPS--GALLERY OF NOTORIOUS - CRIMINALS 70 - - CHAPTER V - - EVE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION--NECKER AND THE DUKE OF - ORLÉANS--LOUIS XVI’S FATAL MISTAKES--HIS DISMISSAL OF THE - PEOPLE’S FAVOURITES 77 - - CHAPTER VI - - MADAME TUSSAUD RECALLED FROM VERSAILLES--THE TWELFTH OF - JULY, 1789--BUSTS TAKEN FROM CURTIUS’S EXHIBITION--A _GARDE - FRANÇAISE_ SLAIN IN THE MÊLÉE 81 - - CHAPTER VII - - HEADS OF THE REVOLUTION--MADAME’S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES--THE - GUILLOTINE IN PAWN--MADAME ACQUIRES THE KNIFE, LUNETTE AND - CHOPPER 87 - - CHAPTER VIII - - MADAME DINES WITH THE TERRORISTS MARAT AND ROBESPIERRE, MODELS - THEIR FIGURES AND SUBSEQUENTLY TAKES CASTS OF THEIR HEADS--SHE - VISITS CHARLOTTE CORDAY IN PRISON--DEATH OF CURTIUS--MADAME - MARRIES--NAPOLEON SITS FOR HIS MODEL 92 - - CHAPTER IX - - MADAME TUSSAUD LEAVES FRANCE FOR ENGLAND, NEVER TO - RETURN--EARLY DAYS IN LONDON--ON TOUR--SOME NOTABLE - FIGURES--SHIPWRECK IN THE IRISH CHANNEL 98 - - CHAPTER X - - THE BRISTOL RIOTS--NARROW ESCAPE OF THE EXHIBITION--A BRAVE - BLACK SERVANT--ARRIVAL AT BLACKHEATH 103 - - CHAPTER XI - - AN OLD PLACARD--PRINCESS AUGUSTA’S TESTIMONIAL--GREAT SUCCESS - AT GRAY’S INN ROAD--MADAME INITIATES PROMENADE CONCERTS--BYGONE - TABLEAUX 108 - - CHAPTER XII - - PLACARD (_Continued_)--THE OLD EXHIBITION--CELEBRITIES OF - THE DAY--TUSSAUD’S MUMMY--POETIC EULOGISM--REMOVAL TO BAKER - STREET--THE IRON DUKE’S REJOINDER--MADAME DE MALIBRAN 113 - - CHAPTER XIII - - HOW THE WATERLOO CARRIAGE WAS ACQUIRED--A CHANCE CONVERSATION - ON LONDON BRIDGE--THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF AN EMPEROR’S - EQUIPAGE--AFFIDAVIT OF NAPOLEON’S COACHMAN 120 - - CHAPTER XIV - - NAPOLEON’S WATERLOO CARRIAGE--DESCRIPTION OF ITS EXTERIOR 127 - - CHAPTER XV - - DESCRIPTION OF THE WATERLOO CARRIAGE (_Continued_)--ITS - INTERIOR AND PECULIAR CONTRIVANCES--BROUGHT TO ENGLAND AND - EXHIBITED AT THE LONDON MUSEUM 133 - - CHAPTER XVI - - THE ST. HELENA CARRIAGE--NAPOLEON ALARMS THE LADIES--CERTIFICATES - OF AUTHENTICITY 139 - - CHAPTER XVII - - FATHER MATTHEW SITS FOR HIS MODEL--TSAR NICHOLAS I. TAKES A - FANCY TO VOLTAIRE’S CHAIR--A REPLICA SENT TO HIM--THE REV. - PETER MCKENZIE’S EXORCISM 143 - - CHAPTER XVIII - - LANDSEER AND THE COUNT D’ORSAY VISIT THE EXHIBITION--A - FRIGHT--NORFOLK FARMER’S ACCOUNT OF QUEEN VICTORIA’S VISIT 148 - - CHAPTER XIX - - WELLINGTON VISITS THE EFFIGY OF THE DEAD NAPOLEON, AND SITS - TO SIR GEORGE HAYTER FOR HISTORIC PICTURE--PAINTINGS FROM - MODELS--IS THE PHOTOGRAPH “TAKEN FROM LIFE,” OR--? 153 - - CHAPTER XX - - THE STORY OF COLOUR-SERGEANT BATES’S MARCH THROUGH ENGLAND TO - PROVE ANGLO-AMERICAN GOODWILL--START FROM GRETNA--THE DOVE OF - PEACE 159 - - CHAPTER XXI - - SERGEANT BATES’S JOURNEY FINISHES IN LONDON AMID A REMARKABLE - DEMONSTRATION--HIS GIFT TO MADAME TUSSAUD’S 164 - - CHAPTER XXII - - MY FIRST MODEL--BEACONSFIELD’S CURL--GLADSTONE’S COLLAR--JOHN - BRIGHT AND THE CHINAMAN 171 - - CHAPTER XXIII - - THE TICHBORNE “CLAIMANT”--NEARLY AN EXPLOSION--THE BIG - MAN’S CLOTHES--THE REAL HEIR--THE CLAIMANT’S RELEASE FROM - PRISON--CONFESSION AND DEATH 177 - - CHAPTER XXIV - - H. M. STANLEY SITS TO JOSEPH TUSSAUD--THE STORY OF HIS - LIFE--HOW HE FOUND LIVINGSTONE--A MYSTERIOUS VEILED LADY--THE - PRINCE IMPERIAL 181 - - CHAPTER XXV - - COUNT LÉON--THE SHAH OF PERSIA’S VISIT--A WEIRD SUGGESTION; NO - RESPONSE--KING KOFFEE--CETEWAYO 184 - - CHAPTER XXVI - - THE BERLIN CONGRESS--LORD BEACONSFIELD AND THE “TURNERELLI - WREATH”--“THE PEOPLE’S TRIBUTE” FINDS A HOME AT TUSSAUD’S--THE - SCULPTOR’S DESPAIR--HE CONSTRUCTS HIS TOMBSTONE AND DIES 190 - - CHAPTER XXVII - - THE PHŒNIX PARK MURDERS--WE SECURE THE JAUNTING-CAR AND - PONY--CHARLES BRADLAUGH--GENERAL BOULANGER--LORD ROBERTS - INSPECTS THE MODEL OF HIMSELF 197 - - CHAPTER XXVIII - - MY FAVOURITE PORTRAIT--LORD TENNYSON POSES UNCONSCIOUSLY BEFORE - MY WIFE--“THIS BEATS TUSSAUD’S”--SIR RICHARD BURTON--HIS WIDOW - CLOTHES THE MODEL 203 - - CHAPTER XXIX - - REMOVAL OF THE EXHIBITION TO THE PRESENT BUILDING--SLEEPING - FIGURES--HISTORY OF THE PORTMAN ROOMS--THE CATO STREET - CONSPIRACY--BARON GRANT’S STAIRCASE 208 - - CHAPTER XXX - - THE KING OF SIAM’S VISIT--THE SHAHZADA’S CLOTHING--THE KING OF - BURMAH’S WAR ELEPHANT--TALE OF TWO MONKEYS 215 - - CHAPTER XXXI - - QUEEN VICTORIA’S COPPERPLATES--ANOTHER ROYAL PERSIAN - VISIT--“PERISHED BY FIRE”--“VISCOUNT HINTON” AND HIS ORGAN--THE - COQUETTE’S JEWELS LOST AND FOUND 220 - - CHAPTER XXXII - - ROYAL VISITORS--KING ALPHONSO AND PRINCESS ENA--THE LATE - EMPEROR FREDERICK--A PENNILESS TRIO--PRINCESS CHARLES--THE - PRINCE OF WALES AND PRINCE ALBERT 225 - - CHAPTER XXXIII - - THE BEGUM OF BHOPAL PAYS US A VISIT--LORD ROSEBERY AND LORD - ANNALY--LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL--LADY BEATTY--LADY JELLICOE AND - MRS. ASQUITH 231 - - CHAPTER XXXIV - - TUSSAUD’S AS EDUCATOR--QUEER QUESTIONS--WANTED, A “MODEL” - WIFE--QUAINT EXTRACT FROM AN INDIAN’S DIARY 236 - - CHAPTER XXXV - - STARS OF THE STAGE IN MY STUDIO--MISS ELLEN TERRY HAS A CUP OF - TEA--SIR SQUIRE AND LADY BANCROFT--SIR HENRY IRVING AND THE - CABBY--WE COMPLY WITH A STRANGE REQUEST 242 - - CHAPTER XXXVI - - LITERARY SITTERS--GEORGE R. SIMS’ IMPROMPTU--HIS ORDEAL IN THE - CHAMBER OF HORRORS. GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA’S MASTERPIECE 249 - - CHAPTER XXXVII - - G. A. SALA ON MARIE ANTOINETTE--THE ROYAL FAMILY--THE - QUEEN--HER “TRIAL,” CONDEMNATION AND DEATH--THE SANSONS--SALA’S - IMPRESSIONS 254 - - CHAPTER XXXVIII - - MORE SITTERS--MR. JOHN BURNS WALKS AND TALKS--WE BUY HIS ONLY - SUIT--MR. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW HAS TO WORK FOR HIS LIVING--FOUR - LEADING SUFFRAGETTES--CHRISTABEL’S MODEL “SPEAKS”--THE CHANNEL - SWIMMER--GENERAL BOOTH 275 - - CHAPTER XXXIX - - BANK HOLIDAY QUEUES--CUP-TIE DAY--GENTLEMEN FROM THE - NORTH--BACHELOR BEANFEASTS--THE MEMBER FOR OLDHAM--A SCARE 282 - - CHAPTER XL - - THE MYSTERIOUS SUN YAT SEN’S VISIT--HIS ESCAPE FROM THE CHINESE - LEGATION--THE DARGAI TABLEAU--SIR WILLIAM TRELOAR ENTERTAINS - HIS LITTLE FRIENDS 287 - - CHAPTER XLI - - A MISCELLANY OF HUMOUR--OUR POLICEMAN--THE MYSTERIOUS - LANTERN--THE DANGER OF OLD CATALOGUES--STORIES OF CHILDREN--SIR - ERNEST SHACKLETON’S MODEL 291 - - CHAPTER XLII - - THE LURE OF HORRORS--BEGINNINGS OF THE “DEAD ROOM”--SIR THOMAS - LAWRENCE, P.R.A., SKETCHES A SUICIDE--BURKE AND HARE--FIESCHI’S - INFERNAL MACHINE--GREENACRE--EXECUTIONS IN PUBLIC--“FREE AT - LAST!” 297 - - CHAPTER XLIII - - THE CHAMBER OF HORRORS RUMOUR--_NO REWARD HAS BEEN OR - WILL BE OFFERED_--THE CONSTABLE’S ESCAPADE--A NOCTURNAL - EXPERIENCE--DUMAS’S COMEDY OF THE CHAMBER--YEOMEN OF THE HALTER - 307 - - CHAPTER XLIV - - ANECDOTAL--“WHICH IS PEACE?”--MARK TWAIN AT TUSSAUD’S--DR. - GRACE’S STORY--MR. KIPLING’S MODEL--FILIAL PRIDE--BISHOP - JACKSON’S SALLY--GERMAN INACCURACY 315 - - CHAPTER XLV - - ENEMY MODELS--A HOSTILE PUBLIC--BANISHMENT OF FOUR RULERS--OUR - REPLY TO JOHN BULL--ATTACKS ON THE KAISER’S EFFIGY--STORY OF AN - IRON CROSS 320 - - CHAPTER XLVI - - TUSSAUD’S DURING THE WAR--CHAMELEON CROWDS--THE PSYCHOLOGY - OF COURAGE--MEN OF ST. DUNSTAN’S--POIGNANT MEMORIES--OUR - WATCHMAN’S SOLILOQUY 326 - - CHAPTER XLVII - - THREE HEROES OF THE WAR: NURSE CAVELL, JACK CORNWELL, V.C., - CAPTAIN FRYATT--LORDS ROBERTS AND KITCHENER--QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S - STICK AND VIOLETS--THE DUKE OF NORFOLK’S TIP 335 - - CHAPTER XLVIII - - A CRINOLINE COMEDY--MR. BRUCE SMITH’S STORY--AN AMERICAN - LADY’S SHILLING--MY FATHER’S MEETING WITH BARNUM--THE - “CHERRY-COLOURED” CAT--“PAGANINI” AND THE TAILOR--GEORGE - GROSSMITH POSES 341 - - CHAPTER XLIX - - WE VISIT THE OLD BAILEY FOR MEMENTOES--A MOCK TRIAL--RELICS OF - OLD NEWGATE--TWO FAMOUS CELLS--THE NEWGATE BELL 346 - - CHAPTER L - - TUSSAUD’S IN VERSE--TOM HOOD’S QUATRAIN--“ALFRED AMONG - THE IMMORTALS”--A REFUGE FOR CABINET MINISTERS--TWO - DIALOGUES--“THIS IS FAME” 352 - - CHAPTER LI - - LAST SCENE OF ALL--MADAME TUSSAUD’S APPEARANCE AND - CHARACTER--HER MEMOIRS PUBLISHED IN 1838--HER LAST WORDS 356 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - MADAME TUSSAUD _at the age of 85_ _Frontispiece_ - - PAGE - - JOHN THEODORE TUSSAUD 32 - - CHRISTOPHER CURTIUS 56 - - LOUIS XVI AND THE DUKE OF ORLÉANS 56 - - THREE VIEWS OF VOLTAIRE’S HEAD 57 - - “THE DYING SOCRATES” 57 - - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 57 - - MADAME TUSSAUD _at the age of 20_ 72 - - MARIE ANTOINETTE, THE DAUPHIN, AND THE DUCHESSE D’ANGOULÊME 72 - - MADAME ELIZABETH OF FRANCE 73 - - MADAME ELIZABETH OF FRANCE, SISTER OF LOUIS XVI 73 - - MODEL OF THE BASTILLE 73 - - M. NECKER 73 - - CAMILLE DESMOULINS 88 - - THOMAS CARLYLE 88 - - MARIE ANTOINETTE 88 - - JEAN BAPTISTE CARRIER 88 - - KNIFE, LUNETTE AND CHOPPER OF THE ORIGINAL GUILLOTINE 88 - - THE GUILLOTINE 89 - - CHARLOTTE CORDAY 89 - - JEAN PAUL MARAT 89 - - MAXIMILIEN MARIE ISIDORE ROBESPIERRE 89 - - THE PRINCESS DE LAMBALLE 89 - - DANTON 89 - - MADAME TUSSAUD _at the age of 42_ 112 - - HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF WALES AND SAXE-COBURG 112 - - THE BRISTOL RIOTS 112 - - SIR CHARLES WETHERELL 112 - - HER MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY QUEEN ADELAIDE 113 - - INTERIOR OF THE EXHIBITION 113 - - DANIEL O’CONNELL 113 - - MADAME DE MALIBRAN 113 - - JOSEPH TUSSAUD 113 - - THORWALDSEN’S CELEBRATED BUST OF THE GREAT NAPOLEON 128 - - NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE _General View_ 128 - - NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE _Scene of its capture at Jenappe_ 128 - - THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE 128 - - NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE _The Interior_ 129 - - ARTICLES FOUND IN NAPOLEON’S CARRIAGE 129 - - NAPOLEON’S BAROUCHE 129 - - FATHER MATHEW 144 - - NICHOLAS I 144 - - VOLTAIRE’S CHAIR 145 - - SIR EDWIN LANDSEER, R.A. 145 - - WELLINGTON VISITING THE EFFIGY OF NAPOLEON 160 - - SIR GEORGE HAYTER 160 - - COLOUR-SERGEANT GILBERT H. BATES 161 - - WILLIAM COBBETT 161 - - RICHARD COBDEN 161 - - JOHN BRIGHT 178 - - TICHBORNE CLAIMANT 178 - - DR. LIVINGSTONE 179 - - THE PRINCE IMPERIAL 179 - - NAPOLEON III 179 - - COUNT LÉON 192 - - EDWARD TRACY TURNERELLI 192 - - THE TURNERELLI WREATH 192 - - KING CETEWAYO 193 - - GENERAL BOULANGER 193 - - LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH 208 - - CHARLES BRADLAUGH 208 - - SIR RICHARD BURTON 209 - - HEAD OF LORD TENNYSON 209 - - VISCOUNT HINTON AND HIS ORGAN 240 - - THE SURRENDER OF GENERAL CRONJE 240 - - WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY 241 - - SIR SQUIRE BANCROFT 241 - - BUST OF GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA 288 - - GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA 288 - - T. W. BURGESS _The Channel Swimmer_ 288 - - EFFIGY OF DR. SUN YAT SEN 289 - - DR. SUN YAT SEN 289 - - THE CHILDREN’S LORD MAYOR 289 - - CHARLES PEACE 320 - - MARQUIS OF HARTINGTON 320 - - BURKE AND HARE 320 - - SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE 320 - - KEY OF THE BASTILLE 320 - - JOHN WILLIAMS 320 - - WILLIAM MARWOOD _The Hangman_ 321 - - DR. JACKSON _Bishop of London_ 321 - - COUNT ZEPPELIN 321 - - BISMARCK 321 - - JACK SHEPPARD 321 - - THE OLD NEWGATE BELL 321 - - EDITH CAVELL 352 - - JACK CORNWELL, V. C. 352 - - CAPTAIN FRYATT 352 - - FIELD-MARSHAL EARL KITCHENER 352 - - ALFRED AUSTIN 353 - - TOM HOOD 353 - - FRANCIS TUSSAUD 353 - - - - -INTRODUCTION - -BY HILAIRE BELLOC - - - - -INTRODUCTION - -BY HILAIRE BELLOC - - -This is a fascinating book and its fascination consists in two things -attaching to its subject: first that the famous collection of modelled -portraits which has become a sort of national institution in England -under the name of “Madame Tussaud’s” has its roots in the greatest period -of modern history, the French Revolution; second, in that the complete -and growing record has passed through so many changes and has yet -survived. - -Even though the famous collection had dealt with nothing more than the -main figures of the Revolution and of the great wars that followed it, it -would have been a possession of permanent and lasting historical value. -I am not sure that if it had so remained, stopped short at the effigies -of those now long dead, it would not now receive a greater respect. It -might well in that case have become something recognised as a national -possession, protected and preserved by the national government. For -the prolongation of the record right on into our own time, while it -very greatly increases the real value of the collection as a piece of -historical evidence, yet deprives it of that illusion which men cannot -avoid where history is concerned: the illusion that things thoroughly -passed are in some way greater and of more consequence than contemporary -things. - -This continuity of the great collection--so long as it is maintained -with judgment in selection and without too much yielding to momentary -fame is none the less a thing to be very thankful for. Already those -of us who, like the present writer, are well on into middle age, can -judge how the younger generation is beginning to regard as historical -these simulacra, which, when they were first modelled, seemed in our -own youth insignificant because they were contemporary. To our children -(who are now grown and are young men and women), Disraeli, Gladstone, -Bismarck--all the group that were old but living men in the eighties -(Disraeli died at the beginning of them, Bismarck long after their -close)--are what to us were Louis-Philippe, Garibaldi, Palmerston, and -the process properly continued will be invaluable. We have already more -than 130 years of record. There is no reason why it should not extend to -the two centuries. - -It often happens that a thing of great value to history, a piece of -evidence which we now find invaluable, has come to us by an accident, the -motive of its creation not historical at all nor really connected with -record. Indeed of the bulk of historical evidence which we use to-day -for the reconstruction of the past only a small proportion--official -documents--are of the nature of deliberate records. And that proportion -of evidence is on the whole the worst as material, for official -documents always have a motive underlying them, and they never give one a -vivid picture. The great bulk of the material with which we used to build -up the past and make it live again for ourselves is accidental. And so it -is with this great collection. - -The motive at first was merely that of a waxwork show. The remarkable -woman who created the collection did so as a matter of business. The -exhibits were intended to satisfy no more than contemporary curiosity. -But they have become a piece of historical evidence which increases -in value with every year. Whatever you may read (and the accounts are -always contradictory) of some man prominent in the past, whatever picture -or sculpture you may find of him (and these are often deliberately -flattering or in some other way untrue) the physical impression of him -will never be so full and so exact as in the case of an effigy made by a -contemporary who saw him, watched him, knew him, _and whose whole motive -was exactitude in reproduction_. - -Here there does indeed arise the question of the medium. You cannot -conceive of a better medium than wax among all the known mediums for -production of effigies of human beings. Yet it is not perfect. And it is -precisely because the likeness is so great, precisely because the effect -is so parallel to that of reality, that we note the minor details in -which illusion is not achieved. When a man sees a bust of marble he does -not expect to find illusion. The greatest portrait statuary can never be -more than a symbol. But the wax effigy aims at exact reproduction. To -put it in extreme terms, the ideal of the modeller in wax would be to -reproduce a figure such that one knowing the original could be deceived -and think he had found again his friend dead or sleeping. When a wax -effigy reproduces a known and real person, especially a person whom we -ourselves have come across, the discrepancy between reality and its copy -is clearer. But there is this strong evidence in support of the success -which modelling in wax has reached, that where we are dealing with -something unknown, some imaginary person, it is possible to create, in -spite of the immobility of the figure, an illusion of life. Everyone who -has visited these collections will testify to that. With a person whom -one has seen in the flesh the little details in which the wax does not -tally with the flesh nor immobility with life, stand out clear. That is -especially the case with those whose complexion is difficult to imitate. -It is also the case in the attachment of the hair. And I have further -noticed that the direction of the eyes makes a difference, the figure -being more lifelike as a rule when the eyes are cast down or averted, -than when a direct look is imitated. But it remains true that with an -imaginary person when you are free to suppose that the person had a -complexion of the sort easily imitated in wax, and where you are further -free to presume the pose, you can get as near to reality in this medium -as it is possible for human art to achieve. - -Therein, then, lies the great value of this thing. It is a witness to -history, and as I have said, one increasingly valuable as time proceeds. - -Still it is with what is chiefly historical in this gallery of figures -and _especially with the tradition of the French Revolution and the -Napoleonic Wars, that we are most concerned_. And the Tussaud collection -has this added interest that it sprung as it were from the revolutionary -time. Its origins lay in that. Its first fame was due to an emigration -from France into England, and it still remains much the best effort at -physical reconstruction which we have to-day. - -The reason is that the lady who founded this institution was not only -herself a contemporary of but an actor in the principal events of that -time. She came by a series of accidents into direct touch with one -personality after another. She left a record of each. She was a personal -and convincing witness and her work remains. She is just as much a person -of the Revolution and of the Napoleonic period as any one of those whom -she modelled for our benefit. And that is (let us remember) of special -value _in that one is in the spirit of one’s time_. - -The artist deliberately reconstructing a bust through plastic art is -always in danger of failing through a lack of the necessary sympathy -between the time in which he lives and the time in which his subject -lived. The truth of this is expressed very sharply in modern attempts at -reconstructing mediæval sculpture. It has been done. It is singularly -successful, for instance, in the central porch of Notre Dame in Paris. -But as a rule it fails. The modern man either works from a modern model, -or at any rate with modern expressions and modern features at the back -of his mind. One conspicuous instance occurs to me, the modern figures -upon Lichfield. They are as grievously out of their supposed time as are -the figures of Tennyson’s “Idylls of the Kings.” The Knights of the Round -Tables of Tennyson’s version are the gentlemen of pegtopped trousers who -were contemporary with the poet. They have been to public schools and to -universities. They would be horrified at the dropping of aitches, and -they have often attended at services which were fully choral. They would -have called the inhabitants of the country which they visited “natives.” -That is what Tennyson made of Geraint and Launcelot and his odious Arthur. - -I am afraid one cannot say much more for the sculptures that I have in my -mind. They are dressed in mediæval armour, but the faces that look out -from the helmets are the faces to be seen in the London clubs to-day. -They are faces devoid of simplicity and strength. They are not the faces -of the Middle Ages. - -You have the same thing in historical painting, and that is why -historical painting usually looks so ridiculous in the generation -after it was made. We all know those historical paintings which our -grandfathers bought and which still disfigure the large rooms of private -houses, where you have Richard I of England charging the Saracens (he, an -Angevin!), his face glowing with the emotions of the football field. - -Now this prime difficulty and error in pictorial and plastic record in -the past you can only avoid by the advantage of contemporary work, and -this is where the great value of this collection comes in. All its -work is contemporary, and we can to-day, after an interval of more than -a hundred years, weigh the importance of that point. The revolutionary -figures sometimes look odd to us precisely because their real aspect has -been so vividly preserved. The hand that modelled Marat was a hand of -Marat’s age. It touched the flesh of the dead man. The eyes that received -the conception reproduced by the hands, gazed upon Marat himself as he -lay back dead. - -And here it is convenient to introduce that essential character in the -great collection--the genius of its originator. - -The whole thing, its character, long tradition and establishment--is the -creation of one remarkable woman, and of her we ought to have some full -biography. I know of none. She has at least the rare advantage of having -propagated her name justly and the thing she created is identified with -her. It is not often that history acts with so little irony and with so -much generosity. Her energy was much more remarkable than that of those -very few women who have created and organised permanent businesses, for -it was not only her judgment and initiative which created the commercial -side of the collection: it was also her own talent and industry, the work -of her own hands, that laid the foundation of it all. Most of the early -portraits were the direct product of her skill and it is from her that -the continuous tradition of the place descends. Her sons learnt their art -from their mother and carried it on to the third generation which still -continues it. It was she who took all the critical decisions, she who -steered the fortunes of the family through the crisis of the Revolution, -who determined to take the collection over to England, who conceived the -idea of making it a permanent record by adding contemporaries year after -year. - -It is not often that one has this intimate admixture of personality -with an institution, and when one gets it it has an astonishing effect -in vivifying the whole. When an institution is thus the product of a -character at once highly energetic and highly individual, it is as though -a living thing continued on long beyond the term of a human life. It is, -in the strict and original sense of the word, “inspired.” You get that -quality, of course, in all literature, and in some of the corporations -which remarkable men and women have founded, but very rarely in a piece -of business in an institution of affairs. Here you get it, and the more -you read of the woman’s life and character the more you understand the -success of her effort and its vitality. - -[Illustration: JOHN THEODORE TUSSAUD] - -It was an astonishing life! There lies behind it the story of her uncle -Curtius, a Swiss who left medical practice in the middle of the 18th -century and took to modelling in wax. It was a taste which had grown -upon him from his habit of modelling parts of the human body for the -purposes of his profession. He extended it to portraits and at last he -abandoned medicine for his new art. He had firmly established himself in -it and had already been taken up by members of the French Royal Family -who had visited Switzerland, when under their protection he left for -Paris. And there his sister, Madame Grosholtz, and her child, then five -or six years old, joined him. There she learnt her uncle’s trade and -thence in her twentieth year she went to live at Versailles as a sort -of companion to Madame Elizabeth, Louis XVI’s sister, a girl about four -years older than herself. She was the close friend and companion of the -princess right up to the moment of the Revolution. Madame Elizabeth like -her brother had a delight in manual work. With her it took the form of -modelling under the guidance of Marie Grosholtz and it was these nine -years that formed the character and that remained the liveliest memory -throughout all the very long life that this remarkable woman was to live. - -It would be interesting to discover (I know of no such document that -could tell me, but there must be some) whether the young companion -whom Madame Elizabeth thus took under her protection, and to whom she -thus gave a unique opportunity for the observation of contemporary -life, was in race German or French. Berne would seem to be the origin -of the family, and the uncle’s Latin name and the family name of his -brother-in-law point to German origin. All his associations on the other -hand were French, and when he came to Paris it was hardly as a foreigner. -The story reads as though they were French-speaking on their arrival. -Perhaps in some future edition of the work this point will be settled. It -is one of considerable moment to our judgment of the art. - -It was a moment when the connection between Switzerland and French -society was very close. It was to Switzerland that Voltaire had retired. -It was from Switzerland that the genius of Rousseau proceeded. The -unfortunate Necker, with his caution and his avarice, played his great -part in the early Revolution as a Swiss. To Switzerland also he went back -when he had failed--and there, by the way, in his retirement we have -an amusing picture of him listening to the daily recital of the news -from Paris as the Revolution proceeded, wagging his head solemnly, and -perpetually saying, “I told you so.” - -Madame de Staël, his famous daughter, whom Pitt so much desired to marry -for her money, and whom Napoleon so hated, was thoroughly Swiss. She -shows it in every line of her writing. She is from the heart of Geneva in -her traditions and ideas. - -The family coming thus to Paris were part of a general movement and even -their connection with Versailles can be paralleled. It would not have -taken much, had things proceeded quietly, for Switzerland to have fallen -into the orbit of the French monarchy within the next hundred years. - -After these nine formative years in the continued company of Madame -Elizabeth, Marie Grosholtz enters the Revolution, and the connections of -the family with the origins of the great upheaval are close, curious, -and of intense interest. It was, it will be remembered, the bust of -Necker from the collection of Curtius, then on exhibition, which the mob -carried round at the beginning of the insurrection. The show of figures -already well-known in Paris became the starting-point for the future -collection. It was because the Revolutionaries from the very beginning of -the movement showed so much acquaintance with those effigies that the -continuous stream of further portraits began. That is why Marie Grosholtz -was sent for time after time to take a death mask, to model a famous -living man, to establish what afterwards became the invaluable record we -still have. - -From 1787-89, the preliminary years when she was already at work, right -on to 1802, a matter of 15 years, the most crowded of all history, the -newly developed art went on actively without interruption. There is -not, I think, in all history a parallel to so astonishing and lucky a -chance. It was almost as though fate had designed a reporter, or a state -portraitist for the benefit of posterity. You do get the same thing now -and then in the shape of a chronicler who happens to keep out of the -turmoil and mark the detail of his time, but it is extremely rare and in -the case of plastic art, unique. The nearest parallel to-day--which may -raise a smile on account of the extreme difference in time and manner--is -that of Holbein’s portraits of the English Court. There also you get the -living record marvellously preserved for future times. - -It is to our advantage that the character of this foundress does not -diminish in energy with the passage of time. We see her doing the work of -three people all through the years of her middle age and making decision -after decision upon the fortunes of her house. And while she was thus -conducting with one hand the financial side of the business, with the -other she was herself still modelling perpetually, and with a third and -quite separate faculty she was creating a school of her own, as it were, -for the continuation of the modelling after her time. If ever there was -the maker of an important thing it was this woman and if ever there was -an important thing proceeding entirely from one individual, that thing is -the collection which still remains to us. - -There is a sort of parallel which can be drawn between Madame Tussaud and -Madame Campan. Both of them have seen, and worked at, the Palace of Louis -XVI, under and in connection with his Queen. Both were much of an age, -Madame Campan eight years senior to Madame Tussaud. Both lived on through -the Revolution and the Empire, the one till 1822, the other beyond the -revolutionary year of 1848. Both had something of the same strength. Both -carried on the tradition of the old attachment to the Bourbons. Both have -left the legend of a strong personality, the one through an effect on -education in France which was deeper than has been generally recognised, -the other in a more lasting manner through her plastic work. In this -connection one muses upon what would have been Madame Tussaud’s fate had -she continued her career in the country where it had begun, and had she -not taken over the collection in its origins to England at the Peace of -Amiens. I think she would have been a great figure in the France of the -Restoration and of the bourgeois Monarchy. A continuous unbroken link -with all the great years up to 1848 and presenting a whole gallery of the -past for a new generation to witness would have been something the French -and Paris would have made much of, and a great deal that was lost on the -other side of the Channel through lack of understanding would have been -preserved. I mean that too many of those figures were for those who saw -them in an alien atmosphere jests or shades, whereas in France they would -have been an intimate part of the great national story. - -This removal to England also in some degree affected the proportion of -the collection and in the same degree diminished its great international -value. Not that figures of international moment had not been -included--the great figures are all there--but that Paris would have been -a better general centre for watching and recording the moving history of -the 19th century, than London. The Musée Grevin in Paris supplemented -the Tussaud collection in England. One imagines that it would have been -better for history as a whole had one great collection, preferably in -Paris, served for a permanent and continuous chronicle of what living men -had been. - -When we come to details of the personalities from the period before -the Revolution to the Peace of Amiens (the foundation of the whole -Exhibition) we are struck, I think, by the great difference in our -appreciation. Some of the figures are just what we should have thought -these men would have been. Others offend us or puzzle us by what seems to -us discrepancy. But we must remember that the error is in ourselves and -not in the contemporary record. - -Of the great historical figures Voltaire (which is the first of them) is -least specially illuminated by what I may call “the Tussaud tradition.” -And that is because we already know pretty well all that there is to -know about Voltaire. His story was a simple one, his genius obvious, -not complex, and the time of life in which Madame Tussaud’s uncle came -to sculp him (to model his face in wax) was just at the very end, when -public fame and his own great pride in himself had combined to put him -into full evidence, even to the details of his daily life. It was just -at the end of that life, in 1778, that Voltaire sat to Curtius, Madame -Tussaud’s uncle, the original founder of the whole gallery, and the tutor -of his niece in her art. - -It is interesting to compare the little miniature (one of several) which -Curtius made--it is far more lifelike than the larger figure--with the -famous Houdon. Houdon’s is much the greater thing, of course, and the -more living, but though Houdon was the greatest of portraitists by -far, the greatest renderer of the human face that ever lived, there -is something intimate in the little wax miniature of Curtius which no -great sculptor could have given. For instance, you have here admitted, -as it were, almost photographed, the domestic insufficient quality of -Voltaire’s famous smile. Houdon could not help making that smile--or -grin--have something heroic about it; or at any rate great. But the -Tussaud work undoubtedly shows you the thing as it actually was; as his -servants and his intimates saw it. - -I learn, by the way, from this book (I had not known it before) that -Houdon had himself worked for Curtius--a considerably older man--and the -connection is as curious as it is interesting. It is striking to find a -record of the connection in this book, but not astonishing that it should -be absent from others, for there has been no good comprehensive work on -Houdon written that I can recollect. I am told that there is some German -encyclopædic work or other but no proper study of the man and his life. - -Next after Voltaire we have to note side by side with the collection -a small work of Curtius’s own in miniature, the very striking profile -of the Duke of Orléans. How it helps one to understand that base and -extraordinary career! Everyone reading the story of the Revolution -should concentrate upon that man’s ambition, weakness and intrigue. -The origin of the whole business was his false idea (unfortunately for -himself confirmed by circumstances for many years) that Louis XVI and -Marie Antoinette would have no children. He came to regard himself as the -heir, and the natural result was that when the first child came after so -perplexing a delay (a delay the cause of which I have explained in an -appendix to my own monograph on Marie Antoinette) Philippe Égalité felt -himself aggrieved. His grievance was illogical and unjust, but it was -there and in that grievance you find no small part of the motive force -that impelled the early Revolution. - -The family tradition carried on by the Tussauds from the Revolution was -what may be described as the “orthodox” tradition. It is the tradition -which appears in this book. I am not sure that the historian can wholly -agree with it. - -This “orthodox” tradition is the tradition of an equable and happy -society overthrown into a sort of chaos at the head of which chance -scoundrels floated, each to disappear in turn, struck by a sort of -anarchic doom proceeding from their fellow anarchs. The Revolution was -rather a resettlement of society from a state which had become unstable -to a new and more stable state, and its leaders were upon the whole, -though suffering under the exaggeration from which leaders at such a time -invariably suffer, men of capacity--especially on the military side. -Further, those who were made responsible in popular tradition for the -worst excesses were hardly the principal authors of them. - -Thus, the real director of what is called the Terror was Carnot, not -Robespierre. Carnot was a perfectly sane man and a genius to boot, -attached to the new democratic principle, but a soldier, and working for -the highly practical ends which a soldier has in view. He thought of -the Terror as a piece of martial law, and it is significant that under -his direction by far the greater number of those who suffered in Paris -suffered through a direct breach of the temporary regulations (such as -those against the export of money or communication with the enemy) which -were necessary for the prosecution of the campaign. - -Robespierre was not the director of the Terror at all. He was a man -singularly restricted in nature, but of powerful effect in oratory in -spite of his close academic style. He was a man of complete sincerity, -much too narrow in doctrine, but because he exactly expressed with more -lucidity than anyone else, and with more conviction, what was the -passionate creed of the time, he became for something like two years at -once the idol and the symbol of the revolutionary masses. As the Terror -looked like an intensive application of the Revolution men associated it -with Robespierre’s name, and Robespierre, suffering from the very grave -defect of vanity (common in men who reach a public position), was willing -to allow the false imputation, and to enjoy the title of ruler, when he -was really in the Central Council of the Republic, singularly impotent. -He paid a heavy price for that falsehood. It cost him his life and--what -was worse--his reputation. - -What we know positively of Robespierre’s action during the Terror is -that he attended the Central Council less and less frequently, and that -he tried, if anything, to stop the Terror. In fact it was precisely on -this account, his interference with the rigour of the martial law, that -his enemies brought him to the guillotine. But, by a curious irony not -uncommon in history, the death of this man who was not the leader of the -Terror, and who had if anything attempted to check it, and who was put to -death because he attempted to check it, caused the Terror to cease. Men -had so universally (and so falsely) identified him with the extremity of -the republican military régime that when he passed it was impossible to -continue it. - -In the matter of Marat what I may call “the Tussaud tradition” is -sounder. The man was unbalanced to the point of lunacy, and when Madame -Tussaud was called in to take the impression of his face just after -death, her use of the word “fiend” though exaggerated is comprehensible. -This effigy of Marat which you may see in the famous gallery and -which was modelled immediately after his death--an immediate piece of -historical evidence of the first value--was shown in Paris when it was -completed. It is an astonishing thing to have that piece of continuity -with us. - -But all these death masks of the Revolution are of the highest value. -There is an extraordinary dignity in the full features of the Queen, -looking younger than she did in the last years of her life, and a -singular and awful reality in the mask of Robespierre. I know only two -representations of Robespierre which really recall the man. One is this -effigy exactly modelled from the face itself after these last thirty-six -hours of agony, and the other is the portrait which Greuze made of him -and which is now in Lord Rosebery’s collection. And of these two, of -course, the death mask, though repulsive, is the more actual. - -But of all these revolutionary figures, by far the most interesting to -me is that of Carrier. The contrast between that strongly exact, clearly -cut face and the story of Carrier’s madness at Nantes, is one of the -things that make one understand not only the Revolution but in general -mankind at white heat. Here is a man who, if features mean anything, -might have been some sharp, self-contained, disappointed, ironic speaker, -or even poet. It is the face of a man who certainly knew his own mind, -who despised other men, which is a weakness, but who followed some great -idea within. It is a face human in its self-repression and exactitude. -Were we familiar with it in connection with some great name of peaceable -activity, were it the face of one of those who settled the Congress of -Vienna, or of some monarch, or of some writer, it would be famous as an -index of genius. As it is, the name--especially to those who do not know -the face--suggests nothing but a mad infamy, and indiscriminate shooting -and drowning in batches of the wretched Vendean prisoners. And I myself -when writing thus of Carrier have a right to be balanced in my judgment -for he came very near to guillotining my grandfather’s father, from whom -he differed in politics. And here in the case of Carrier is an excellent -example of the historical value of that which I postulate as the first, -much the greatest, character in a collection such as this: for had we -not the bust of the living Carrier, itself almost a living thing, taken -immediately after death, we should hardly have guessed what Carrier was. -But the face combined with the history explains him well enough. - -The story of Madame Tussaud seeking for Sanson’s guillotine, or rather -for one of his guillotines after the Peace of Amiens and sending her -son over to Paris to look for the man and his implements (which the -executioner had pawned) and getting it at last at great cost, is -characteristic of her energy and business sense. She lived at a time when -the material relic was the _clou_ of her collection. If to-day it rather -detracts from the sober historical value of the figures, it remains an -excellent witness to her indefatigable initiative. And so it is with the -collection of Napoleonic relics, notably the Waterloo carriage, which -she secured just at the moment when it was of the greatest value to her -business. - -Her modelling of the dead in the revolutionary time included, by her own -account, the head of the Princess de Lamballe, when that unfortunate and -rather insipid young woman (but gracious and kind) was so foolishly and -so atrociously murdered. The record would seem to correspond more or -less with the judgment of Michelette, and Michelette’s portrait mostly -produced by chance illusion is the best I know. - -In the fate of all those men and women, but particularly in that of -Madame de Lamballe, the main element of tragedy is their bewilderment. -They could not conceive what cause or motive lay behind the fierce hatred -which concentrated upon them. It was for them a nightmare, something -irresponsible like a cataclysm of nature, and yet something human, and -something that ought, therefore, to be explicable. Oddly enough the -one person who did get a glimmer of the human motive at work was Marie -Antoinette herself. It is astonishing how rapidly not only the general -character but the intelligence of Marie Antoinette developed in these -years. She became the true daughter of Maria Theresa--too late! - -They suffered (of course) through that illusion which is the curse of -publicity. They were tortured and they were killed for a label, not for -their very selves. But the tragedy is increased in their case, I think, -because they did not seek publicity. Your politician, often a mountebank, -whose appetite is for strutting upon a stage, who loves the limelight, -whose meat and drink it is to hear his name repeated perpetually by the -populace, deserves what he gets. And he nearly always gets what the fates -reserve for such vanities. In a greater or less degree these creators -of their own label suffer in the end: at the least disappointment and -neglect, at the most death. But as I have said they deserve what comes -to them. They have had their reward. It was not so with the stable -hereditary publicity of the Bourbon royal family and its adherents. They -could not help the light which beat upon them. They did not seek it. -The absurd legends in which any public figure is necessarily clothed as -with a wrap of falsehood is not one of their seeking or of their making. -They suffer for those legends and for the consequences of those legends -precisely after the fashion which dramatic irony demands that the victim -of any great tragedy should suffer--in spite of themselves and with no -understanding of how the thing came. - -What could be more ridiculous than the figment of Louis XV--obese, -good-natured, slow, irresolute in morals, irresolute in policy--as a -tyrant. Or what could be more absurd than the fiction of a libertine -Marie Antoinette? Or of a democratic Duke of Orléans? Or of a patriot -Necker? - -It was, I think, this element of undeserved and awfully ironic tragedy -which burnt into the soul of all those who had come into contact with -the harmless but sometimes dignified and always splendid circle of -Versailles. One of the few sincere emotions of Burke’s life was, -I think, the moment when he broke out into rhetoric on the fate of -the Queen. This middle-class man had seen her, and the grotesque -disproportion between herself and her fate moved him to real feeling. It -is to his credit, for not many things that Burke said were genuine. He -was an advocate taking pay from people who wanted arguments and I think -he would have argued just as well for better pay on the other side. - -This appassionate sympathy with and support of the victims was very -conspicuous in Madame Tussaud herself. And she carried it through the -whole of that period when she was at first unwillingly modelling the -revolutionaries, often with disgust compelled to take the mask of a dead -face, or later (she was in prison with Josephine) associated with the -figures of the period of the Directorate and the Consulship. - -Of those personal interviews when that handsome woman now in middle -age was still engaged at her task of modelling and sculpture in wax, -there is none of which we would rather have a full record than the -modelling of Napoleon. It is mentioned in Mr. Tussaud’s book only by -way of quotation from a contemporary journal--the _Belle Assemblée_. It -would be interesting to know if there is any family record giving full -details, for we have not even the date, though we have the hour of the -day--six o’clock in the morning--that she first met the Emperor. He was -not Emperor yet and we can fix an inferior and a superior limit easily -enough for the portrait was made at the Tuileries, after Napoleon as -First Consul had gone there, and before the Peace of Amiens. It must, -therefore, have fallen within a period of only just over two years; it -must have been done either in 1800 or in 1801. - -It is in connection with Napoleon that the shifting of values, which I -have suggested took place through the transference of the collection -to England, may be noted. The exhibition once fixed in London took on -the English point of view and to that extent distorted a full European -impression. For instance, one of the great features in the story of -the collection is the visit of the Duke of Wellington to the effigy of -Napoleon, and a well-known and almost famous picture was made of the -incident. I am old enough to remember many people who spoke of it as -though it was a most dramatic moment in the history of the nineteenth -century. But no one with the full European sense would feel like that. -Wellington was not the great protagonist against Napoleon. He was but -one of fifty men opposed to the Emperor. The defeat of Napoleon was in -Russia, and at Leipsic and at Waterloo, not at Waterloo alone, and the -victors of Waterloo were Wellington and Blücher, neither of whom could -have succeeded without the other. - -Of the figures added to the great collection after Madame Tussaud’s -death, of the figures which carry on the historical record and continue -to add to its value, I am sure that the one of most interest for an -Englishman is that of Richard Burton. It was not (apparently) modelled -directly from life. But it was modelled under the eye of Lady Burton -herself, and satisfied that critic. - -The inclusion of such a figure is an example of what I mean when I say -that such a collection is a valuable and continuous piece of historical -evidence. The greatness of Burton was missed. He was subject to a boycott -due in the main to his exposure of the ritual murder at Damascus. His -energetic but isolated character did not square with that of the most of -his countrymen. And yet to have an Englishman so uniquely English and to -have recognised what a part he was of the record of his time shows a sure -instinct. - -It is here that the chief danger imperilling the value of the collection -appears. And with that after so much praise I would conclude. - -Madame Tussaud, it will be remembered, decided at some time early in -the 19th century to make continuous additions to her collection as -time went on, to keep it up to date, to make it contemporary. It was a -natural decision and obviously necessary to the conduct of the thing as -a business enterprise. For contemporaries will always desire to look at -the portraits of those who are for any reason notorious, rather than to -preserve the historical record. But save in quite exceptional times, such -as that of the Revolution, which gave the collection its origin, there is -always the danger of a change in values. In the first place, for a man -to be notorious is not the same thing as for a man to deserve fame. His -notoriety may be of the quality of fame rather than mere notoriety, and -may mature into fame, and yet not be a fame of that first class which -warrants an historical record. In either of these two cases there is the -danger of disproportion in the collection, regarded as something of -slight historical value. But that disproportion may be remedied by the -removal of the figures. - -The third danger attaching to the system is not remediable. It is -omission, and that is what I had in my mind in the case of Burton. It is -very unlikely that a man producing a series of contemporary portraits -in the early part of James I’s reign would have included William -Shakespeare; or in the end of Victoria’s reign a man so remarkable -(though, of course, not on a great scale) as Samuel Butler. There is -always a certain proportion of men in any generation with regard to whom -the careful observer can say with fair certitude that posterity will -require to know much more of them, and who are yet for the moment not in -the public eye. Now the commercial necessities of an exhibition cannot -consider these men. They are of no value to the crowd, and therein, I -say, lies the danger. Let me give an example. - -I do not think (I may be wrong as I am speaking in the negative of what -is only a detail), I do not think that there is in the Tussaud collection -any model of the great Carnot. Carnot was on the whole the most virile -of all that virile revolutionary group, and he was one of the first half -dozen of those who created the modern world. In a military sense Carnot -was the tutor and creator of Napoleon. But it would certainly not have -occurred to any observer of popular feelings (even if Carnot had been -included) at the time, especially of popular feelings with an eye to the -English market, that Carnot was worth preserving. To-day I think most -students of history would rather have a really accurate study of Carnot -than of even Robespierre. - -If ever, which is possible, a collection of this sort comes under the -aid or patronage of the state, the peril I speak of might in theory be -removed: for the state will endow. But as things are, the peril exists. -I mention it because I do sincerely regard this body of effigies not as -something concerned with as ephemeral a function in the state as popular -curiosity, still less as a mere commercial venture, but rather--what -I have called it throughout this essay--a unique piece of historical -record. And history, I take it, is the indispensable memory with which -citizens should furnish themselves if they are to understand their own -state and civilisation. - - - - -THE ROMANCE OF MADAME TUSSAUD’S - - - - -CHAPTER I - - Mr. Tussaud first enters his father’s studio--Reverie--Madame - Tussaud’s uncle forsakes the medical profession for - art--Madame’s birth and parentage--A Prince’s promise. - - -It was at the age of fourteen and in the year 1872 that I first entered -my father’s studio, and well I remember the bright summer morning I -passed its threshold to place myself under his tuition. - -It was an odd rememorative sort of place, the eeriness of which sat -uneasily on the mind of, I fear, a somewhat jocose and irresponsible -youth. - -The surroundings somehow seemed to force upon my mind the memories of men -and things I must have heard about or dreamt of, or with whom I had been -in some way made familiar. Moreover, the place was so out of touch with -the ordinary affairs of life, so reposeful and secluded amid the din and -turmoil of the world outside. - -The studio stood well in the rear of an old-world residence, known as -Salisbury House, in the parish of Marylebone. Here the family had long -lived. The house confronted what, in my early days, was then still -designated the New Road. Upon its site there has been since erected the -imposing classic palace designed to accommodate the hitherto poorly -housed Corporation of the borough. - -Whenever I recall this eventful day there readily springs to my mind the -circumstance that I found my father busily engaged in modelling a new -portrait of the Prince of Wales--the late King Edward--for whose recovery -from a very dangerous illness the nation had recently held a Day of -Thanksgiving. - -From this day onward I may claim to have acted as something more than a -mere spectator of that long procession of models wrought by my father’s -diligent hands. Each one necessitated the making of some small sketch, -some characteristic study, that has helped to swell as strange a -collection of memorials as ever existed of men and events of bygone days. - -It is amid these surroundings that I now sit to begin the writing of -these chapters; and a strangely engrossing retrospect they reveal. Five -generations of my family have contributed towards them, and now, on a -modelling stool by my side, there stands the promising work of a son who -will, I trust, one day follow me to carry on the work. - -During the quietude of those hours that succeed the labours of the day, -and when the last studio hand has closed the door behind him, I take the -opportunity of penning this brief history. Often in the moving shadows of -the twilight or in the flickering flame of a falling ember I fancy I see -life and movement in the faces that gaze down upon me, quickened, as it -were, to respond to the memories their features evoke. - -But for me, at least, there is little that is disquieting in their -scrutiny. For the most part they are old familiars, and a long -acquaintance has set us wonderfully at our ease. - -As the eye passes from the semblance of one celebrity to that of another, -how vividly they carry one’s thoughts back through King Edward’s reign, -the long years Queen Victoria sat upon the throne, the days of William -IV, the reign and regency of “The First Gentleman of Europe,” and far -back into the days of good “Farmer George”! - -Even though set among the strong and characteristic features of the -leading men of these memorable reigns, the striking countenance of -Napoleon can be discerned without hesitation, and his familiar features -force me in imagination to undergo the ordeal of crossing the Channel to -retrace the course this narrative takes and discover my ancestress under -the domination of the First Consul, then pushing in hot haste his fortune -at the point of the bayonet, and fast traversing the hazardous road -leading to the throne of France. - -Somehow we do not find this long and curious retrospect illumined by -any very strong ray of human happiness. Even the overshadowing head -and shoulders of the great Napoleon do not conceal from our vision the -dismal heads of the revolutionists; indeed, if they had been hidden from -our sight, could these ghoulish impressions ever be effaced from our -memory? And so, behind Bonaparte, one’s eyes sight the sinister heads -of Robespierre, Fouquier-Tinville, Carrier, Hébert--merciless creatures -who gambled with the lives of their fellow men for high positions, and -multiplied these awful human stakes that they might hold themselves -secure. - -There, too, in the falling light, one perceives the faces of Louis XVI -and his Queen, Marie Antoinette, the two most notable and pitiful victims -of the Reign of Terror--a reign, forsooth, in which these ill-starred -sovereigns, the descendants of generations of kings, were but the poorest -and saddest of subjects. - -The vista is long and hazy, but it is not too dim for one to observe upon -a bracket the visage of the great Voltaire, with its leering eyes and -sardonic grin. His bust is _vis-à-vis_ with the ponderous head of the -idealist Rousseau, with its heavy forehead and its short, narrow chin. - -And so face after face peers down upon me, carrying the mind back with -unfailing steps until is reached the true source from which this dramatic -story springs. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: CHRISTOPHER CURTIUS - -Uncle of Mme. Tussaud and founder of the Museum in Paris during the -French Revolution in the Boulevard du Temple. A Portrait Study by John T. -Tussaud.] - -In the year 1758, so far afield as the city of Berne, a certain young -Swiss, named Christopher Curtius, was earnestly employing his days as a -medical practitioner. - -With the object of improving himself in his profession he had taken to -modelling the limbs and organs of the human body in wax. He soon extended -the scope of his labours to the execution of many miniature portraits -in that same plastic material, and gained the patronage of many of the -leading members of the aristocracy. In this work he succeeded well, and -towards his latter days in Berne he practised rather as an artist than as -a family doctor. - -It is as the maternal uncle of Madame Tussaud, the subject of these -memoirs, that Christopher Curtius comes under our consideration. - -Madame Tussaud was the child of one Joseph Grosholtz, who lost his life -when serving on the Staff of General Wurmser during the Seven Years’ -War, a couple of months or so before she was born. He was of purely -Swiss parentage, and the family to this day prides itself on being of -Burgundian Swiss stock. - -Although Marie Grosholtz was not married until the year 1795, it will be -well to refer to her henceforth as Madame Tussaud, under which name she -is universally known. - -Madame Grosholtz and her child seem to have been the only relatives -possessed by Curtius, who later induced his sister to take up her -residency with him, doubtless with the object of taking control of the -affairs of his household. - -It was when Curtius had fully established himself as an artist in Berne -that an incident took place, about the year 1762, which led to important -consequences. - -The Prince de Conti had been losing favour at the Court of his royal -cousin, Louis XV, a circumstance mainly due, we are told, to the Prince’s -excessive popularity with the Army and a certain independent bearing he -adopted towards the King and his favourites. The King’s mistress, Madame -de Pompadour, did not hesitate to show her resentment at de Conti’s lack -of deference. - -According to all accounts, the Prince did not take his position very -much to heart, for, in truth, an estrangement between the Court and the -representatives of his house afforded little in the nature of a new -experience. At any rate, he shook the dust of the capital off his boots, -and set out on a tour through Europe. - -On this journey he tarried for some days in the city of Berne, betraying -a keen desire to participate in all that mediæval town could afford him -by way of interest and entertainment. - -Among these Curtius’s studio--which had now acquired something of the -dignity of a private museum--was not allowed to escape his attention. -No account of his visit to this establishment has been handed down, -but a few words uttered by the Prince on leaving conveyed, beyond all -doubt, his genuine admiration for the doctor-artist’s skill in his new -profession as a sculptor in wax. - -“If you will leave Berne and come to Paris, I will undertake to find -you a suitable atelier in which to carry on your work, and hold myself -responsible for your receiving as many commissions as you feel disposed -to executive. Come,” he urged. “You will not regret it.” - -One wonders what kindred foibles, what curious traits of disposition in -common, existed between this Prince and the artist that there should have -been struck so readily a chord of sympathy between them. For the offer, -as we shall hereafter learn, had not been lightly made, nor had its ready -acceptance been inspired without betraying a ready confidence most men -would have deemed it highly imprudent to concede. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - Curtius leaves Berne for Paris--The Hôtel d’Aligre--The Court - of Louis XV--Madame arrives in Paris. - - -In response to the Prince de Conti’s invitation, Curtius left Berne for -Paris a few months later, and for once the time-honoured adage proffering -a warning to those prone to rely upon the promises of princes had no -bearing, for this Prince kept his word. - -On his arrival at Paris, Curtius found a handsome suite of apartments -awaiting him at the Hôtel d’Aligre, hard by the Croix du Trahoir in the -Rue St. Honoré. They were spacious and well furnished, and in style and -comfort far exceeded his expectation. The Rue St. Honoré on the north, -the Rue Bailleul on the south, the Rue de l’Arbre Sec on the east, and -the Rue des Poulies on the west, outline to this day the ground on which -the hotel, with its gardens, then stood. - -The Hôtel d’Aligre was a place that had seen better days. It had, like -so many of the great family dwellings that existed in Paris towards -the end of the eighteenth century, demanded of its owners a longer and -more speedily replenished purse than they possessed. The sheltering of -a stately and magnificent household had long been unknown to this once -famous residence, and its handsome rooms had been divided up and let as -separate tenements. - -The building contained a fine _salon_, which at one time was placed by a -Chancellor d’Aligre at the service of the Grand Council, and so late as -the year of Curtius’s arrival in Paris we hear of it being used for an -exhibition of pictures displayed under the ægis of the Académie de Saint -Luc. Of this académie Curtius was soon elected a member, and it may be -presumed that some of his own works were shown in the exhibition. - -During its latter days the hotel figured under a dual appellation, -the ancient name of d’Aligre being prefaced by that of the renowned -Schomberg. Finally it was known to the good citizens of Paris, shortly -before its total disappearance, as the Old Hôtel Schomberg d’Aligre. - -This building occupied a position that could hardly have been better -chosen for Curtius’s purpose, for it stood in the very heart and throng -of the busy capital--that is to say, close to the Louvre and at no great -distance from the Tuileries--and was surrounded by the houses of the -wealthiest and most influential inhabitants of the city. - -We should like to follow the footsteps of Curtius, and enter with him -into his new home in Paris; but with the meagre information we have -concerning these early days in his career we can only picture him as -settling down to his work and drawing around him many famous patrons, to -some of whom we shall have to refer as we make progress with our story. - -Doubtless the ideals he had conceived of the French capital as a citizen -in far-off Berne would not have squared with the actual state in which he -found the city when he took up his domicile within it. - -Report had carried the splendours of Versailles far beyond the frontiers -of France, and might well have enlivened the imagination of an artist -like Curtius, who, doubtless, would have hoped to enjoy the pleasure of -witnessing them for himself; but on his arrival in the capital he found -the glories of the palaces had set, and that the Court of Louis XV had -not only grown dull, but had even gone out of fashion. - -The King himself had become weary of the great Court functions and -sumptuous entertainments, and now preferred to indulge in complete -seclusion the appetites that still remained to him. The military exploits -of his reign had not brought him any great renown, and in recent years he -had suffered reverses that had cast a gloom over these closing days of -his life. - -He had also been reminded more than once that the levelling hand of -Death took no heed of rank and power. That dread visitor had already -unceremoniously claimed the King’s son (the Dauphin) and his wife, and -his own neglected Queen, Marie Leczinska, was fast failing in health. - -The temper of the people towards the King had undergone a great change, -and the days of “Well-Beloved”-ness had long since departed. During the -reign of his predecessor, Louis XIV, the excessive taxation and the state -of semi-serfdom had been borne by the lower classes with something like -resignation, for they had received some compensation through the glory -of his military achievements and the extension of his power. But small -reason had they for so patiently bearing the ever-increasing burdens -that had signalised the reign of his successor, Louis XV, whose military -exploits had brought the country little by way of glory, and whose career -had naught to show but a long life of wanton extravagance, combined with -a painful disregard for the welfare of his people. - -What Curtius did in the four years that succeeded his arrival in Paris -one cannot say for certain; but there is little doubt that he was busily -engaged in executing commissions for his numerous and ever-increasing -list of patrons, whose liberality and kindness not only equalled, but far -surpassed, the Prince de Conti’s promises. - -It is quite evident that soon after his arrival Curtius tried his deft -hands upon a model of the Queen of Louis XV, and it is this comparatively -early work that constitutes one piece among a mere half-dozen examples -that have been handed down to us. Probably the influence of his friend, -the Prince de Conti, aided him in obtaining this commission. - -It was after having practised his profession as artist for some years -that Curtius repaired to Berne for the purpose of fetching his sister and -her little daughter. - -That was in the year 1766, and Madame Tussaud was then about six years -old. On the authority of her _Memoirs_, published in 1838, it would -appear that she was born at Berne in the year 1760; but documentary -evidence exists which appears to indicate that her birth actually took -place a year later. Be that as it may, we first hear of her when she -accompanied her mother to Paris as the guest of her uncle. - -This brief review will not permit us to dwell long on the early days of -the young girl in Paris, nor on those events that prefaced the outbreak -of the Revolution. Truth to say, between 1766 and 1789--a matter of -twenty-three years--the details concerning the lives of Curtius and -his niece are neither very full nor very clearly defined. This seems -to be all of a piece with the nature of the work they produced, for it -is astonishing, having regard to the considerable output, how small a -quantity of it has been handed down to us. - -One has, therefore, little material to assist him in gaining an insight -into the artists’ careers, or to guide in the forming of a just opinion -either as to the exact character of their work or the nature of their -subjects. Miniatures in coloured wax, modelled in fairly high relief -and framed and glazed in the ordinary way as pictures, seem to offer a -general idea and the best conception of the work that emanated from the -studio during these momentous years, so pregnant with meaning for the -near future. - -[Illustration: LOUIS XVI AND THE DUKE OF ORLEANS - -Specimens of the few existing examples of Curtius’s miniature work. -Modeled from life shortly before the outbreak of the French Revolution.] - -The pity of the loss is that the work, taken direct from life, afforded -a faithful record of important personages. Of this there is ample proof, -and that the models should have been of so ephemeral a character is a -matter of great regret, extending far beyond the feelings of the artists’ -descendants. Yet, when one remembers the hatred of the populace towards -the aristocrats and those holding authority under the Old Régime, it is -not to be wondered at that many portraits should have shared, with their -originals, the destructive effects of the antipathy that was shown both -to patrons of art and to the art itself. It goes without saying that -during the Reign of Terror people would be disposed to hide, or even to -destroy, any art subject in their possession indicating their attachment -to the Royalists. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - Life-size figures--Museum at the Palais Royal--Exhibition on - the Boulevard du Temple--Benjamin Franklin--Voltaire. - - -A good deal of hearsay and some incontestable evidence helps to fill the -hiatus between the time Curtius came to Paris and the outbreak of the -Revolution. - -Although the many years spent by Curtius in the production of miniatures -in coloured wax do not appear to have brought him a very great or a very -wide reputation, yet they were the means of leading him to the modelling -of life-size portraits in this same material, with the express intention -of forming them into a collection solely for the object of exhibiting -them to the public. - -Now it is to this important departure in the treatment of his works that -we owe the present Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition, an establishment with -which his name must be for ever associated. - -He seems to have set his mind upon this venture round about the year -1776, and some years later to have opened a Museum of life-size portrait -models at the Palais Royal, an enterprise that was soon to be followed -by the opening of a second Exhibition of a far more renowned and -interesting character on the Boulevard du Temple, to which we shall have -occasion to refer more than once. - -The Museum at the Palais Royal seems to have proved a lucrative concern, -and to have been devoted to the portraits of men and women of position, -holding for the time being a prominent place in the public eye. Little is -known concerning it, except for a few meagre and commonplace references -in the literature of the period, and it may, to all intents and purposes, -be considered as relegated to the domain of the forgotten past. - -We shall not, however, find ourselves able to dispose of the Exhibition -on the Boulevard du Temple without rendering an account of it, for in the -course of a few years it figured very largely in the Revolution, and had -associated with it several incidents of an important and far-reaching -character. - -There is the record about this time of an acquaintance between the -sculptor and Benjamin Franklin, the American statesman and philosopher. - -Franklin had come to Paris in December, 1776, “to transact the business -of his country at the Court of France,” his chief purpose being to obtain -political and financial assistance in consolidating the newly formed -United States of America. - -Curtius and his niece--now a young woman of sixteen years--had the -pleasure of entertaining the Doctor, who took considerable interest in -their work. Not only did he commission them to execute several distinct -portraits of himself, but he also ordered models of many other notable -characters of the day. One of his own portraits is the identical figure -which has been shown at Madame Tussaud’s ever since. - -[Illustration: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN - -Modeled from life, in Paris, by Christopher Curtius for his Exhibition.] - -This model was executed in 1783, in which year Franklin assumed great -prominence as one of the signatories to the Treaty of Peace between the -Mother Country and the United States, which recognised the latter as -an independent nation. The figure in question is a life-size one; but, -in addition to this, Curtius, aided by his capable niece, who was now -earnestly supporting her uncle in his work, produced several miniature -portraits of the statesman which went directly into his possession. -Indeed, it is well known that Franklin had in his rooms in Paris many -works that had emanated from Curtius’s studio. - -In Franklin’s _Autobiography_ there is an account of his home in Market -Street, Philadelphia, in which he finally settled, and the following -extract under the date 13th July, 1787, from a journal kept by an old -friend of his, the Reverend Dr. Manasseh Cutler, a distinguished scholar -and botanist, of Hamilton, Massachusetts, who had recently paid him a -visit, shows that he took with him from Paris a number of miniatures, -many of which he had obtained from Curtius: - - Over his mantel he has a prodigious number of medals, busts and - casts in wax or plaster of paris, which are the effigies of the - most noted characters in Europe. - -When Franklin returned to America in 1785 there sailed with him, on -board the same ship, Houdon, the eminent French sculptor, who had been in -his early student days a friend and companion of Curtius, who engaged his -services, and to whom he rendered considerable assistance in his work. - -Houdon’s skill was highly appreciated by Franklin, and the object of -the journey to America was that the sculptor might execute a statue of -Washington for the State of Virginia, the instructions for the work -coming from both Franklin and Jefferson. The voyage was made in the -_London Packet_, and the date of the embarkation was the 27th of July, -1785. - -Perhaps the most famous man of this period was the satirist, philosopher, -and dramatist, Voltaire, who, throughout the whole of his long life, had -championed the cause of the people against arbitrary and despotic power. - -[Illustration: THREE VIEWS OF VOLTAIRE’S HEAD - -Modeled from life by Christopher Curtius in Paris during the spring of -1778, a few weeks before Voltaire’s death.] - -After an absence of twenty-eight years the aged Voltaire left his home on -the shores of Geneva and returned to Paris, arriving there on the 10th -of February, 1778. He was welcomed by an ovation that might well have -befitted the homecoming of a great conqueror. - -Curtius’s reputation at that time stood at its highest, and Voltaire -gave him several sittings soon after his arrival. It is owing to this -circumstance that the artist was able to place among the models of -his recently opened Exhibition on the Boulevard du Temple a life-size -standing figure of this popular idol. - -It is a matter of exceptional interest that the selfsame figure still -exists, and is shown to-day as one of the most attractive and notable -objects in Madame Tussaud’s, where it has stood for just upon a century -and a half. - -Besides producing this figure, Curtius took the opportunity the sittings -afforded him of executing several miniature models, one of them -representing the philosopher during his last moments. To this he gave -the title of “The Dying Socrates.” Several copies of this are known to -exist, and we give an illustration of the one in the Tussaud collection. -These were the last portraits produced of him from life, and they were -completed none too soon. - -[Illustration: “THE DYING SOCRATES” - -Portrait of Voltaire at the time of his death. Wax miniature modeled by -Christopher Curtius.] - -The stirring reception accorded Voltaire on his arrival in Paris, to -which he responded with great energy, coupled with the strenuous effort -and anxiety attending his personal superintendence of his new tragedy, -_Irene_, soon affected his health. The sittings were given during the -months of March and April, and on the following 30th of May his eventful -life terminated at the age of eighty-four. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - Madame Elizabeth of France--Madame Tussaud goes to - Versailles--Foulon--Three notable groups--“Caverne des Grands - Voleurs.” - - -In the year 1780 the ill-fated Louis XVI had been six years on the -throne, and Curtius by this time had become well ingratiated with the -followers of the New Régime. - -[Illustration: MADAME ELIZABETH OF FRANCE - -The Sister of Louis XVI and Patroness of Madame Tussaud. A Portrait Study -by John T. Tussaud.] - -Among the many distinguished visitors who honoured Curtius’s studio with -their presence in 1780 was one who was destined to exercise a great -influence on Madame Tussaud’s life. This was the King’s sister, Madame -Elizabeth of France, who, at the time we speak of, was sixteen years of -age. Her disposition was singularly sweet and charming, and the keen -interest she took in the models and mysteries of the studio caused her to -bestow upon the niece of Curtius very special attention. - -Madame Elizabeth, according to her young protégée, was of medium -height and slight build, her forehead was high and intellectual, and -she had kind, soft, blue eyes. Her expression and demeanour were most -sympathetic, and on the slightest provocation her amiable countenance -became wreathed in smiles, the parting lips revealing a perfect set of -teeth. - -So infatuated did Madame Elizabeth become with this pleasant work of -modelling in coloured wax, which was soon to become a veritable craze, -that she asked Madame Tussaud to instruct her in the art, and for that -purpose invited her to live with her in her apartments at the Palace of -Versailles, for the Princess seldom visited Paris. - -Her overtures to his niece met with little opposition on the part of -Curtius, who, in spite of the fact that he had decided leanings towards -the cause of the people, yet, in order to further his relative’s -interests, readily gave his permission to her accompanying the Princess. -This concession Curtius must have made at some sacrifice, for it deprived -him of his niece’s society and of the help she was then rendering him in -his studio. - -Madame Tussaud accordingly bade her uncle farewell, and left Paris for -Versailles. - -[Illustration: MADAME TUSSAUD AT THE AGE OF 20 - -Madame Tussaud, as the young and beautiful Marie Grosholtz, at the time -she was compelled by the National Convention to take impressions of the -dead features of Louis XVI, his Queen Marie Antoinette and many leaders -of the French Revolution. A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.] - -The quarters then occupied by Madame Elizabeth were situated at the end -of the façade of the south wing of the palace, and looked out upon the -Swiss Lake. - -One wonders whether the fascinating work of modelling in wax was the -sole influence that prompted Madame Elizabeth’s friendly feeling towards -Madame Tussaud. The Princess had already shown a marked predilection -for the Swiss, for both at the palace and on her own private estate of -Montreuil hard by she had many Swiss people about her. - -Unfortunately, little is known of the life of Madame Tussaud either -at Versailles or at Montreuil, which the King presented to his sister -with the understanding that she should continue to make Versailles her -official home until she attained the age of twenty-four. - -[Illustration: MADAME ELIZABETH AT MONTREUIL - -From a painting by Ricard in Versailles.] - -We are told that the Princess was very fond of modelling sacred subjects, -and many of these works produced by her own hands she gave away to her -friends. She showed her attachment to Madame Tussaud in many ways, and -required her to sleep in an adjoining apartment. - -Curtius’s niece often found herself engaged in many duties besides those -associated with modelling in wax, and it was no unusual thing for the -girl to be made the means of conveying alms to the Princess’s numerous -pensioners. - -For nine years she enjoyed the confidence and almost daily company of -her patroness, and throughout the long life vouchsafed to her she deemed -them the happiest she had known. Seldom could she be brought to dwell -upon these days, or call to mind the fate of her illustrious pupil and -the other members of the Royal Family she then so often encountered, -without the tears, sooner or later, welling to her eyes. Indeed, not even -after the passage of some sixty years, when her own days were drawing -to a close, and when one might have expected her grief to have become -assuaged, could she restrain her emotion at the memory of their sad and -tragic end. - -We have already referred to the second and larger Exhibition opened -by Curtius on the Boulevard du Temple. A collection of wax figures -representing famous personages, living and dead, attired in their -everyday costume, and exhibiting their usual pose and attitude, was known -as a “Cabinet de Cire.” - -The house wherein Curtius opened this second Exhibition was formerly -occupied by Foulon, the Minister of Finance, who earned public execration -by his ill-timed suggestion that if the people could not get sufficient -bread they might eat hay. When the Revolution broke out Foulon was one -of the first victims for the mob to vent its rage upon. They hanged him, -decapitated the body, and then paraded the streets with his head stuck -on a pike, between his lips being placed a wisp of hay in memory of the -cruel sneer at the people’s want. - -For his Exhibition Curtius modelled several notable groups. Three of -these call for some mention. - -The first was a representation of the Royal Family dining in public, a -curious ceremonial of that period. There was, within the walls of the -Palace of Versailles, a chapel whither the family repaired to hear mass -every morning; and on Sundays, after returning from prayer, they held -a grand _couvert_ in the palace. The dining-table was in the form of a -horseshoe, the _Cent Suisse_ (or Swiss Bodyguard) formed a circle around -it, and, between them, the spectators were permitted to view the august -party at their dinner. - -To this spectacle everyone had access, provided the gentlemen were -fully dressed--that is, had a bag-wig, sword, and silk stockings--and -the ladies were correspondingly attired. Even if their clothes were -threadbare the visitors were not turned back; nor were they admitted, -however well clad, unless they presented themselves as etiquette -prescribed. - -The costume of the Swiss Bodyguard was magnificent, being similar to that -worn by Henry IV of France. It comprised a hat with three white feathers, -short robe, red pantaloons or long stockings (all in one, and slashed -at the top with white silk), black shoes with buckles, sash, sword, and -halbert. - -The Royal Family generally remained three-quarters of an hour at table. -The spectacle was such an interesting one that Curtius, ever alive, as -his successors have been, to satisfy the popular imagination, modelled a -group for his Exhibition depicting the incident. - -The second tableau represented an Indian group. In the grounds of the -Palace of Versailles are two residences, the Grand Trianon and the Petit -Trianon, the latter having been a favourite retreat of Marie Antoinette -because of its secluded position and charming attractions. - -Curtius--assisted by his niece, who was now a full-grown woman, sensible -of her responsibilities, and able to execute commissions of her -own--modelled a group of figures, consisting of the envoys of Tippoo -Sahib and several sepoys in their picturesque Eastern costumes, which was -arranged under a tent placed in the Grand Trianon. - -Tippoo Sahib was the Sultan of Mysore, and he had sent to Louis XVI to -invoke his assistance in expelling the British from his dominions. - -On the 10th of August, 1788, after spending the night at the Grand -Trianon, the envoys were escorted to the Palace of Versailles, and -received with great pomp. - -This was one of the last occasions on which Madame Elizabeth appeared in -public at the palace and on which the King was able to receive freely the -representatives of a foreign Power. The winter that followed was long and -severe, and had much to do with hastening the outbreak of the Revolution -and the downfall of the monarchy. - -We do not know for certain whether the commission for the third group -was prompted by Madame Elizabeth or by Marie Antoinette herself, but we -know for certain that it was one of the groups shown in the Petit Trianon -before those disturbing elements manifested themselves that heralded the -terrible upheaval which was to come. The tableau comprised the seated -figures of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette with their young children, the -Dauphin and the Duchesse d’Angoulême, all attired in full Court costume. - -[Illustration: MARIE ANTOINETTE, THE DAUPHIN, AND THE DUCHESSE D’ANGOULÊME - -Models taken from life and exhibited for some time in Le Petit Trianon at -Versailles.] - -A very special interest attaches to this group, inasmuch that, except for -the renovation necessitated by the long passage of time, it is now shown -within the walls of the present Exhibition exactly as it was when first -modelled. - -While Madame Tussaud was fully occupied at Versailles her uncle was busy -with his Museum in Paris. - -In 1783 Curtius added to his collection on the Boulevard du Temple -the “Caverne des Grands Voleurs,” which we may fairly regard as the -forerunner of the present Chamber of Horrors. - -There seems to be some doubt as to the distinctive character of Curtius’s -two Exhibitions. One authority informs us that his rooms at the Palais -Royal contained the effigies of famous and celebrated men, and that the -venture on the Boulevard du Temple was devoted to those of notorious -and infamous scoundrels. One cannot say for certain what were the -characteristics of the two collections at this time, but there can be no -doubt that both attracted great numbers of people for a very long period. - -The descriptive accounts of Parisian amusements of the time make mention -of Curtius’s “Cabinet de Cire”--or, to make use of the titles given to it -on a copperplate etching of that period by Martial, “Théatre des Figures -de Cire, ou Théatre Curtius”--as a sight well worthy of inviting the -attention of persons of rank and condition. “One may see,” said Dulaure -in 1791, “waxen coloured figures of celebrated characters in all stations -of life.” - -Upon closing the Exhibition at the Palais Royal, Curtius conveyed its -figures to the Boulevard du Temple, wherein merged all the models that -had been previously on view, thus combining the peculiar characteristics -of the two establishments and constituting the Madame Tussaud’s -Exhibition as we know it to-day. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - Eve of the French Revolution--Necker and the Duke of - Orléans--Louis XVI’s fatal mistakes--His dismissal of the - people’s favourites. - - -We are now approaching the day when the long-pent-up storm, threatening -for so great a while, was about to burst, and we must contemplate King -Louis XVI and his advisers seeking for a means to placate a people at -last stirred to resentment through the cruel and unjust burdens it had -for generations been made to bear. - -The murmurings which had long been general and indefinite were now -resolving themselves into a hatred fast becoming focused upon the rich -and the powerful, many of whom, it must be added, were also arrogant and -dissolute. - -A rude awakening among some of these, who had at last been brought -to realise the imminence of the convulsion, induced them to advocate -with much haste and little discretion certain concessions. These were -obviously granted as acts of expediency, and with as little derogation as -possible from their own interest, rather than out of any sympathy for a -distressed and desperate people clamouring for relief. - -So, early in 1789, the King was prompted to resort to an expedient which -had not been adopted since the year 1614. He summoned the States-General -to meet together at Versailles on the 5th of May, 1789. - -In the deliberations of this National Council the King and his Ministers -looked for support and guidance to meet the difficulties that beset them. -But matters took an unexpected course. The Deputies of the Third Estate, -which out-numbered the First and Second put together, demanded that -all three Estates should sit and vote as one whole indissoluble body. -In spite of opposition they pushed their demand to a successful issue, -and, grasping control of both legislative and executive power, forthwith -resolved themselves into a permanent constitutional assembly. - -The King soon found himself confronted by an irresistible authority, -including a majority of men who betrayed little concern for his -prerogative, and manifested a strong sympathy with the cause of the -people. - -In such stirring times as those which were now being experienced in -France, Curtius turned to the advocates of the people’s cause for many of -his subjects for his new Exhibition. Among these were many who were to -figure largely in the Revolution. - -Special mention must be made of two figures, added about this date, -namely, Necker and Philippe, Duke of Orléans, for their models had an -important bearing upon the events that followed. - -Necker, at the time his model was made by Curtius and Madame Tussaud, was -the French Minister of Finance. In 1775 he had claimed for the State the -right of fixing the price of grain and, if necessary, of prohibiting -exportation; a year later he was made Director of the Treasury, and in -1777 he became Director-General of Finance. - -His retrenchments were bitterly opposed by Queen Marie Antoinette; and -his famous _Compte Rendu_, in 1781, occasioned his dismissal at that -time. Some of his measures, such as his adjustment of taxes and his -establishment of State-guaranteed annuities and State pawnshops, were -a boon to suffering France. He retired to Geneva, but in 1787 returned -to Paris, and, when M. de Calonne cast doubt on the _Compte Rendu_, he -published a justification which drew upon him his banishment from Paris. - -Recalled to office in September, 1788, he quickly made himself a popular -hero by recommending the summoning of the States-General, to which -reference has already been made. - -On the 11th of July, 1789, he received the royal command to leave France -at once; but the fall of the Bastille, three days later, frightened the -King into recalling him, amid the wildest popular enthusiasm. - -[Illustration: MODEL OF THE BASTILLE] - -The Duke of Orléans, the famous Égalité, was another hero of the people -at this time. He was looked upon coldly at Court owing to his dissolute -habits. - -London was frequently visited by him, and he became an intimate friend -of the Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV. He infected young France -with Anglomania in the form of horse-racing and hard drinking, and made -himself popular among the lower classes by profuse charity. - -In 1787 he showed his liberalism boldly against the King, and as the -States-General drew near he lavished his wealth in flooding France with -seditious books and papers. In the following year he promulgated his -_Délibérations_, written by Laclos, to the effect that the Third Estate -was the nation; and in June, 1789--the month that preceded the fall of -the Bastille--he led the forty-seven nobles who seceded from their own -order to join that Estate. - -The Duke presumed to become constitutional King of France, or at least -Regent; but he was only a comparatively small fragment that drifted into -the vortex of the Revolution itself. In 1792, when all hereditary titles -were swept away, this “citizen” adopted the name of Philippe Égalité. - -He was the twentieth Deputy for Paris in the National Convention, and -voted for the death of the King; but in the following year retribution -overtook him, for he himself was found guilty of conspiracy and -guillotined. - -The public distrust of the King’s party, the fatal error in bringing the -foreign troops to Paris and its environs, and, finally, the banishment of -Necker and the Duke of Orléans, the great champions of the people, must -be regarded as the immediate cause of the catastrophe that followed. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - Madame Tussaud recalled from Versailles--The 12th of July, - 1789--Busts taken from Curtius’s Exhibition--A Garde Française - slain in the mêlée. - - -It must be remembered that the “romance” of Madame Tussaud’s began in the -French capital one hundred and fifty years ago. - -As we view to-day the quaint little figure of Madame which stands in the -Exhibition she helped to found in France and established in this country, -we must imagine her in the full vigour of her young womanhood, sensible -to the dangers and terrors of the Revolution in which she was about to be -involved. The Exhibition was as yet in its infancy; but stirring times -were approaching, and the days were pregnant with meaning for the France -that was to be--a time of bloodshed and grim ruthlessness born of a -people’s desire for freedom, and attended by ghastly scenes in Paris that -revealed the extremities to which unbridled human passions could go. - -We must see through her eyes the sights that marked the red dawn of the -French Revolution; and hear the first low rumble that gave warning of the -approach of the Reign of Terror. Her uncle recalled her from the Court of -Versailles, an order that he might afford her his protection, and she -did not leave a whit too soon. - -Now we come to the fateful days of July. - -The Three Estates had been fused into one on the 27th of June with the -assent of the King, who thus virtually signed his own death-warrant. -Another step soon followed in the same disastrous course. The Queen and -her intimate advisers caused Louis to make an attempt to maintain his -authority by force, and for this purpose an army of 40,000 men, drawn -from various quarters, was concentrated upon Paris and its vicinity, and -placed under the orders of Marshal Broglie. - -Among these troops were several regiments of Swiss and Germans. At that -moment Necker, whom the Court party distrusted and feared, was forced to -relinquish his office, and commanded to leave France forthwith. - -The 12th of July was a Sunday, and on the morning of that day an -extraordinary degree of activity was observed among the troops in Paris. -The nerves of the people became overwrought; they were apprehensive of -imminent danger--some hidden design, some sinister motive, on the part -of the newly appointed Ministers (including the hated Foulon, who had -succeeded the beloved Necker) whose policy they could not fathom. - -Before midday the Palais Royal was crowded with people, wondering what -all this military movement could mean, and gazing at the strange placards -which bade them stay at home and avoid all meetings. - -The half-discredited rumour of the dismissal of Necker spread like -wild-fire through the capital, and the first person who made the -announcement was about to be ducked in one of the water basins in the -gardens of the Palais Royal, when a Deputy of the Third Estate, who -happened to be standing by, confirmed the news. - -[Illustration: CAMILLE DESMOULINS - -Young enthusiast who stirred the populace of Paris to riotous -demonstration on hearing of the dismissal of Necker.] - -Everyone in the gardens was at once made acquainted with the fall of the -people’s favourite; and as the cannon of the Palais made known, as usual, -the fact that the hour of noon had arrived, a young man named Camille -Desmoulins sprang upon a table outside the Café Foy, and, brandishing a -drawn sword and pistol, called “To arms!” He then harangued with burning -eloquence the people who crowded around him, and fired their imagination -at the close of his oration by plucking a leaf from a tree (green being -the colour of Necker’s livery) and placing it in his hat as a cockade, an -example that was followed by thousands. - -The theatres and other places of amusement were closed as a sign of -mourning for Necker, who was loudly acclaimed on every side. - -Then it was suggested that the models of Necker and the Duke of Orléans -should be obtained from Curtius’s Museum. The idea was quickly seized -upon, and the crowd rushed _en masse_ to the Exhibition rooms on the -Boulevard du Temple, where they demanded the busts of the “friends of -the people.” They also asked for the model of the King, a request that -was refused by Curtius, who observed that as the full-length figure was -extremely heavy it would be “broken” if carried. This reply pleased the -people, who clapped their hands and shouted “Bravo, Curtius, bravo!” - -[Illustration: M. NECKER - -Director-General of Finance under Louis XVI, whose bust, taken from -Curtius’s exhibit by the mob, was carried through the streets of Paris to -fan the flame of revolution.] - -Deeming it imprudent not to respond to the public clamour, Curtius -relinquished the busts of the two public idols; and as soon as they had -gained possession of them the mob shouted “Long live Necker!” “Long live -the Duke of Orléans!” and “Down with the foreign troops!” - -As an expression of grief at the loss of their favourites they covered -the busts with crape. Then, elevating them upon pedestals, they carried -them through the streets of Paris in triumph. - -On rolled the procession through the Rue de Richelieu, the Boulevard, the -streets of St. Martin, St. Denis, and St. Honoré, increasing in numbers -at every step, among them men of the Garde Française, till it came to the -Place Vendôme, where the busts were carried twice round the statue of -Louis XIV. _En route_ the crowd obliged all they met to take off their -hats in honour of the men the busts represented. By the time the great -throng reached the Place Vendôme it had become 5,000 or 6,000 strong. - -Here a detachment of royal troops came up, and vainly attempted to -disperse the mob. The crowd pelted the soldiers with stones, and, having -put them to flight, proceeded to the Place Louis XV, where they were -assailed by the German troops of the Prince de Lambesc. The cavalry -charged the mob with drawn sabres, and the bearers of the busts were -thrown down beneath their burdens. - -Again and again they were raised, only to fall once more. The figure of -Necker was cleft asunder by a soldier of the Royal German Regiment. A man -named Pepin, a hawker of articles of drapery, was wounded by a bullet in -the leg, and fell by the side of the broken figure. That representing the -Duke of Orléans escaped destruction; but a member of the Civic Guard, -while endeavouring to protect it, lost his life, and several other -persons were wounded in attempting to assist him. It was the first blood -shed in the Revolution, which may thus be regarded as having broken out -at the very doors of the Exhibition in Paris. - -Thomas Carlyle gives, in his _French Revolution_, the following -characteristic account of the incident: - - TO ARMS! - - Sunday, 12th July, 1789. - - France, so long shaken and wind-parched, is probably at the - right inflammable point. As for poor Curtius who, one grieves - to think, might be but imperfectly paid, he cannot make two - words about his Images. The Wax-bust of Necker, the Wax-bust of - D’Orléans, helpers of France: these, covered with crape, as in - funeral procession, or after the manner of suppliants appealing - to Heaven, to Earth, and Tartarus itself, a mixed multitude - bears off. For a sign! As indeed man, with his singular - imaginative faculties, can do little or nothing without - signs: Thus Turks look to their Prophet’s Banner; also Osier - _Mannikins_ have been burnt, and Necker’s Portrait has erewhile - figured, aloft on its perch. - - In this manner march they, a mixed, continually increasing - multitude; armed with axes, staves, and miscellanea; grim, - many-sounding through the streets. Be all Theatres shut; let - all dancing on planked floor, or on the natural greensward, - cease! Instead of a Christian Sabbath, and feast of - _guinguitte_ tabernacles, it shall be a Sorcerer’s Sabbath; - and Paris, gone rabid, dance--with the Fiend for piper! - - However, Besenval, with horse and foot, is in the Place Louis - Quinze. Mortals promenading homewards, in the fall of the - day, saunter by, from Chaillot or Passy, from flirtation and - a little thin wine; with sadder step than usual. Will the - Bust-Procession pass that way? Behold it; behold also Prince - Lambesc dash forth on it, with his Royal-Allemands! Shots fall, - and sabre-strokes; Busts are hewed asunder; and, alas, also - heads of men. A sabred Procession has nothing for it but to - _explode_, along what streets, alleys, Tuileries Avenues it - finds; and disappear. One unarmed man lies hewed down; a Garde - Française by his uniform; bear him (or bear even the report - of him) dead and gory to his Barracks;--where he has comrades - still alive!--_French Revolution_, Chapter IV. - -[Illustration: THOMAS CARLYLE] - -It was on this very day, the 12th of July, after the incidents just -described, that the famous reply was made to the King by Liancourt. -Upon his apprising His Majesty of the ferment in Paris, Louis remarked, -“Why, it is a revolt, then?” “No, sire,” rejoined the Minister, “it is a -_revolution_!”[1] - -[1] This reply has been erroneously asserted to have been made by -Liancourt on the evening of the 14th of July, the day of the capture of -the Bastille; it was really given as stated above. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - Heads of the Revolution--Madame’s terrible experiences--The - guillotine in pawn--Madame acquires the knife, lunette, and - chopper. - - -It is no part of our concern to trace the course of the Revolution -throughout, or to dwell too long upon its horrors. Nevertheless before -Madame Tussaud passed into tranquil days she had to suffer the severest -ordeal of her life, the memory of which she could never wholly efface. - -We can hardly imagine her bitter experience when compelled to employ -her young hands in taking impressions of heads immediately after -decapitation, and this, strange to say, by the very same knife which may -be seen at this day among the relics of the Revolution at Tussaud’s. - -[Illustration: GEORGES-JACQUES DANTON] - -[Illustration: JEAN BAPTISTE CARRIER - -Responsible for the butchery of the Vendean prisoners at Nantes during -the French Revolution. Impression of his head taken immediately after he -had been guillotined, 16th December, 1794.] - -Thus she was compelled to reproduce the lineaments of Louis XVI, Marie -Antoinette, Hébert, Danton, Robespierre, Carrier, Fouquier-Tinville--the -best and fairest, and also the worst and vilest--who met their death on -the scaffold. Unthinkable were the gruesome tasks of faithfully recording -their features imposed upon the young woman who was destined to bring to -England that Exhibition the annals of which we now relate. - -No wonder many a heated controversy has waged around these works, for it -is hard to realise that they are the actual impressions of those heads -that fell under the knife of the guillotine. Yet they are the selfsame -impressions that were shown at Christopher Curtius’s Museum in Paris. - -That Madame Tussaud’s uncle would have had the temerity to exhibit -spurious heads to a crowd by no means in a humour to be trifled with, and -far too familiar with the features the casts portrayed to be deceived, -is more than unlikely; and we know such an imposition in his case would -have been quite unnecessary. The casts were undoubtedly taken under -compulsion, either with the object of pandering to the temper of the -people, or of serving as confirmatory evidence of execution having taken -place--perhaps both. - -The idea of exhibiting the heads of those who had been done to death as -enemies of the people had asserted itself during the very earliest days -of the Revolution. Within a fortnight of the taking of the Bastille, -Foulon’s head had been severed from its body and paraded through the -streets of Paris at the end of a pike. - -[Illustration: THE PRINCESS DE LAMBALLE - -A friend and companion to Marie Antoinette.] - -Later the noble features of the Princess de Lamballe had suffered the -same brutal degradation, with the added inhumanity of having been thrust -between the window-bars of the Temple Prison, wherein the unfortunate -Louis XVI and his wife were incarcerated. - -[Illustration: THE GUILLOTINE - -Showing the mode of execution in France. A facsimile with wax models now -in the Tussaud collection.] - -On that terrible day, the 10th of August, 1792, when the Swiss Guard was -cut to pieces in defending the Tuileries, several of these brave soldiers -had their heads stuck upon pikes and exhibited to the mob. The Royalist -writer, Suleau, suffered the same fate. - -How far had Madame Tussaud been implicated in the accomplishment of the -dreadful work of taking casts from decapitated heads? - -It was during the autumn of 1789 that Christopher Curtius (who had by -this time adopted Marie as his daughter) insisted upon her withdrawing -from the service of Madame Elizabeth, to whom she had, with every -reason, become devotedly attached. For Curtius had, at the outset of -the disturbances in Paris, espoused the cause of the people, and, as an -adroit and far-seeing man, had become anxious for his adopted daughter’s -safety. - -He, without doubt, desired she should return under his own roof to derive -the benefit of his protection. So it is that we find Marie in her uncle’s -studio adjoining his Exhibition, and where that gruesome work was so soon -to be undertaken. - -Now during the year 1793 Curtius had been drawn into the service of the -National Convention, and on several occasions had to quit Paris for -many days at a time, leaving Marie and her mother to do the best they -could with the Exhibition during his absence. He was at this time “Envoy -Extraordinary of the Republic and War Commissary at Mayence.” On the last -occasion of his quitting the capital his absence extended over a period -of fully eighteen months. - -Meanwhile heads were falling fast, and no one knew how long his own would -repose upon his shoulders. Then it was that Marie suffered the terrible -experience of having to take the impressions of so many heads that were -brought to her from the guillotine. We have it from her own mouth that it -was a task with which she dared not hesitate to comply. - -It must have been known to many that only a few years back she had been -a member of the household of the King’s sister, Madame Elizabeth, at -Versailles, and not a few of those who were near and dear to her had -suffered death for a far less offence than that. But at last, as the -days wore on, the Jacobins themselves fell, and the Reign of Terror -gave way to the Directorate. Then easier times came, though still far -from tranquil. Nevertheless heads had ceased to fall, and Sanson, the -executioner, finding his occupation gone, pawned his guillotine, and got -into woful trouble for alleged trafficking in municipal property. - -Years after Madame came to this country she sent her son to Paris to -search out this terrible instrument of death, and, with the help of the -executioner, who was still living, and who solemnly vouched for its -authenticity, she secured the knife, the lunette, and also the chopper -that was used as a standby, lest the great knife should fail. - -[Illustration: KNIFE, LUNETTE AND CHOPPER OF THE ORIGINAL GUILLOTINE USED -IN PARIS DURING THE REIGN OF TERROR - -Years after, Madame Tussaud, with the aid of the executioner, procured -these for her collection.] - -It was only after much negotiation and the payment of a very considerable -sum of money that her object was attained. And now the dread knife -harmlessly reposes by the side of the impressions of those heads it so -ruthlessly struck off a century and a quarter ago--that of Louis XVI and -his Queen, Marie Antoinette, as well as those of Robespierre, Danton, -Fouquier-Tinville, Hébert, and the miscreant of Nantes, Carrier. From -the time they were first shown in Paris until the present day they have -been viewed by an ever-increasing throng, though the sight of them can -never have been pleasing, and those who gaze upon them shudder and pass -on. - -Though Madame Tussaud did not witness the execution of Marie Antoinette, -yet she remembered seeing the Queen pass on a tumbril through the jeering -crowds to the scaffold. The once gay and light-hearted Queen was dressed -in white for her last pageant on earth, her hands tied behind her. The -spectacle brought back to Madame memories of the royal palace where -she had frequently attended to give lessons in modelling, and she was -so overcome that she fainted. Perhaps the most horrifying experience -undergone by Madame Tussaud during this terrible period was when the -mangled head of the greatly beloved Princess de Lamballe was brought to -her that a cast might be made. In vain did she protest that she could not -endure the ordeal. The brutal murderers compelled her to comply. - -[Illustration: MARIE ANTOINETTE - -Impression of her head taken immediately after she had been guillotined, -16th October, 1793.] - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - Madame dines with the Terrorists Marat and Robespierre, models - their figures, and subsequently takes casts of their heads--She - visits Charlotte Corday in prison--Death of Curtius--Madame - marries--Napoleon sits for his model. - - -One of the most bloodthirsty of all the red Terrorists was Jean Paul -Marat, who was slain in his bath by Charlotte Corday on the 13th of July, -1793. - -[Illustration: CHARLOTTE CORDAY] - -Marat, as a young man, had lived in this country for some time, and was -well known to Madame Tussaud through visits he paid to the house of her -uncle, Curtius, at 20 Boulevard du Temple. - -Immediately after his assassination she was called upon to take a cast -of Marat’s head. “They came for me,” she relates, “to go to Marat’s -house at once, and to take with me what appliances I needed to make an -impression of his features. The cadaverous aspect of the fiend made me -feel desperately ill, but they stood over me and forced me to perform the -task.” Marat’s model is still to be seen in the Exhibition lying in the -bath in which he was stabbed by the heroic young Norman girl. - -Charlotte Corday had addressed a letter to Marat stating that she had -news of importance to communicate, and when she called he readily -admitted her. She amused him with an account of the Deputies at Caen, -when he said. “They shall all go to the guillotine.” “To the guillotine!” -exclaimed she, and as he took up a pencil to write the names of his -intended victims Charlotte plunged a knife into his heart. - -Madame Tussaud afterwards visited Charlotte Corday in the Conciergerie -Prison, and described her as tall, well-mannered, and possessed of many -graces of character and appearance. The brave young woman, who paid for -her avenging act with her life, wrote in a letter to her father that -she had done what was right. After the heroine’s death Madame Tussaud -obtained a record of Charlotte Corday’s beautiful face. - -[Illustration: JEAN PAUL MARAT - -One of the most bloodthirsty of the terrorists, stabbed in his bath by -Charlotte Corday, 13th July, 1793. A wax model made immediately after his -death.] - -The actual model, now in our Exhibition, of Marat dying in his bath, was -exhibited during the Revolution at the Museum of Curtius in Paris, and -attracted crowds, who were loud in their lamentations, for at that time -Marat was a national idol. - -Robespierre visited the Museum, and took the opportunity of haranguing -the people at the door. In flamboyant language he said, “Enter, citizens, -and see the image of our departed friend, snatched from us by the -assassin’s hand, guided by the demon of aristocracy. Marat was the -father of the poor, the defender of the weak, and the consoler of the -wretched. As his heart poured forth the sweet emotions of sympathy for -the oppressed, so did the vigour of his mind emit its thunder against the -oppressor.” Then, descending to bathos, the cunning demagogue exclaimed, -“What did he get for it all? Five francs were found in his house!” - -Surprise has sometimes been expressed by visitors that the bath in which -Marat was stabbed to death should be so small and of such a curious shape. - -Marat was murdered in a “slipper” bath, which was more like a “halt boot” -than a slipper, so that the water would come up to the shoulders of the -bather without flowing over. This kind of bath was greatly in vogue at -the time of the French Revolution. Its object was to save water, which -in those days was not freely supplied. When the bather was in the bath a -small quantity of water would fill it. - -Maximilien Robespierre had sent numerous people to their death during the -Reign of Terror. His own turn came at last, when he too met his death -from the sharp tongue of La Guillotine. The revulsion of feeling that had -set in against Robespierre was very bitter. He was shot at point-blank -range by a man named Meda in the Salle d’Égalité, a room in the Hôtel de -Ville, but was only wounded, and he went to the guillotine on the 28th of -July, 1794, with his broken jaw swathed in a white linen cloth. - -[Illustration: MAXIMILIEN MARIE ISIDORE ROBESPIERRE - -Impression of his head taken immediately after he had been guillotined, -28th July, 1794. One of the impressions done by Madame Tussaud, then a -young girl, by order of the authorities.] - -An hour after the head of Robespierre rolled from the lunette Madame -Tussaud, reluctantly obeying a demand that an impression should be taken -of the severed head, set about the shuddering task. The cast therefrom -is now shown in one of our Exhibition rooms containing relics of the -Revolution. Her feelings may be imagined as she sat with the head of the -callous Terrorist confronting her. - -Although Madame Tussaud took an impression of the features of Robespierre -directly after his execution, she had taken a portrait of him long before -his fall. He expressed a wish that his figure should be introduced -standing near that of Marat, as also those of Collot d’Herbois and -Rosignol. He proposed that they should send their own clothes in which -the figures might be dressed, to afford additional accuracy. The -likenesses were taken and apparelled as desired. - -In those days Madame Tussaud often sat next Robespierre at dinner. She -describes him as always extremely polite and attentive, never omitting -those little acts of courtesy which are expected from a gentleman when -sitting at table with a lady, anticipating her wishes, and taking care -that she should never have to ask for anything. In this particular, says -Madame Tussaud, he differed from Marat, who was so selfishly eager to -supply his own wants that he never troubled himself with the needs of -others. - -Robespierre’s conversation was generally animated, sensible, and -agreeable, but his enunciation was not good. There was nothing -particularly remarkable in his conduct, manners, or appearance when in -society. If noticed at all, it could only be as a pleasant, gentlemanly -man of moderate abilities. This was a strong admission for a lady who was -always a Royalist at heart and had been long detained in Paris against -her will. - -Her association with the Court of Louis inevitably brought Madame Tussaud -under suspicion of the so-called Committee of Public Safety, and for -a time she was imprisoned with Madame de Beauharnais, who was later -to become the Empress Josephine, whom Napoleon divorced to marry Marie -Louise. The scene is changed, and we see Marie Grosholtz--Curtius having -died about that time--wedded in 1795 to François Tussaud, by whose name -she was henceforth to be known to posterity. - -Madame Tussaud, it would appear, made the acquaintance and gained the -favour of Napoleon himself. - -A Parisian publication, _La Belle Assemblée_, gives a circumstantial -account of Madame Tussaud being sent for to take the likeness of -Napoleon--when he was First Consul--at the Tuileries as early as -six o’clock in the morning. It would appear that Madame went at the -invitation of Napoleon’s first wife, Josephine, who was desirous of -having a permanent record of her husband’s features. The young modeller -was ushered into a room at the palace where the great soldier waited for -her. _La Belle Assemblée_ states that Josephine greeted Madame Tussaud -with kindness, and conversed much and most affably. Napoleon said little, -spoke in sharp sentences, and rather abruptly. - -He would have shown her special consideration had she chosen to remain -in France; but it is not to be wondered at that Madame Tussaud cared no -longer to remain amid the sorrowful recollections of the Revolution, and -that she seized the opportunity, on the signing of the Peace of Amiens, -to leave France for ever. It was to England she turned for refuge and -the prosecution of her life’s work. Madame boldly transported across the -Channel to England her uncle’s two Paris Exhibitions, which, as already -related, had been made into one. Here she decided to settle, and here her -descendants have lived ever since. - -[Illustration: MADAME TUSSAUD AT THE AGE OF 42 - -When she left France for England, never to return. - -A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.] - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - Madame Tussaud leaves France for England, never to - return--Early days in London--On tour--Some notable - figures--Shipwreck in the Irish Channel. - - -Madame Tussaud arrived in this country with her Exhibition some time in -May, 1802. - -There is considerable difficulty in tracing her movements during the -first few years after her arrival. The information points to her having -remained in London with her Exhibition for some six or seven years. In -London there is some amount of evidence of her having shown her exhibits -in Fleet Street and also at the Lowther Arcade in the Strand. - -However, it is fairly clear that she first showed her collection at the -old Lyceum Theatre in the Strand, then known as the English Opera House, -which she vacated in 1803 that Mr. Winsor might make the experiment of -lighting the place with gas. It was the first house of entertainment to -be illuminated in this way, and the innovation was regarded as dangerous. - -Then she went on tour, and visited the more important places in England, -Scotland, and Ireland. Wherever the town visited boasted a Mayor, the -Exhibition was almost invariably opened by him, or under his auspices. - -The figures that Madame Tussaud modelled and the dates when she executed -the work give some idea of her activities at the time. - -She modelled from life Queen Caroline in 1808, George III in 1809, and -Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, in 1814. In that year the Emperor and the -King of Prussia visited England in connection with the centenary of the -House of Hanover, which took place on the 1st of August. - -Madame Tussaud also modelled from life Mrs. Siddons, the famous actress, -who retired from the stage in 1809, and died at her residence in Upper -Baker Street in 1831. - -[Illustration: PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF WALES - -Daughter of George IV.] - -Princess Charlotte of Wales (daughter of George IV) was married on the -2nd of May, 1816, and on that day Her Royal Highness sat to Mr. P. -Turnerelli, the sculptor, for what was called “the Nuptial Bust.” From -this Madame Tussaud modelled a figure of the Princess for the Exhibition, -and it drew large numbers of people to see it when the young Princess -died in the year following her marriage. - - For blooming Charlotte, England’s fairest Rose, - In History’s page the tear of pity flows. - Few were the moments of connubial life, - She shar’d the blisses of a happy wife. - But when relentless Death had nipt her bloom, - And hid the faded Rose within the tomb, - O’er her cold grave an Angel waved his wing, - And cried, “O Death, where is thy fatal sting? - From hence she goes; to me the charge is given,” - And in his bosom took the Rose to Heaven. - -The Duke of York was modelled from life in 1812, Leopold I, King of -Belgium, in 1817, the Bishop of Norwich in 1820, and George IV a few -days before his coronation in July, 1821. Sir Walter Scott’s figure in -Highland costume was taken from life in Edinburgh in 1828, a year after -George Canning’s likeness had been similarly obtained. - -It was in 1828 that Madame Tussaud took a portrait of the miscreant -Burke, immediately after his execution; and she modelled from life his -accomplice, Hare, while he was in prison in Edinburgh. - -Prince Talleyrand’s figure was modelled from life by Madame in 1832, Lord -Eldon in 1833, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel in 1835, and -Lord Melbourne in 1836. - -In that year Madame Tussaud took from life a model of the Duchess of -Kent, the mother of Queen Victoria, which proved a great attraction. -By this time the Exhibition had found a home in Baker Street, where it -became established in the spring of 1835. - -Concerning the travels of the Exhibition, it is on record that Madame -Tussaud visited North Shields on the 2nd of December, 1811, and Edinburgh -in 1811-12. Early in the latter year we find her on the 28th of February -at “4 The Market Place, Hull, just opposite the Reindeer Inn.” She was in -Leeds on the 28th of September, and in Manchester on the 2nd of December, -1812. There is an entry in an old account-book which says, “Left the -house in Criggate, Leeds, Monday, November 16.” It is pretty clear that -the Exhibition was located in Newcastle in January, and in Liverpool on -the 13th of April, 1813. - -In 1817 the Exhibition was shown at “Mr. Sparrow’s Upper Ware Rooms, Old -Butter Market, Ipswich, having lately arrived from the Concert Rooms, -Canterbury, and lastly from the Assembly Rooms, Deal.” - -It was probably when the Exhibition was visiting Cambridge in 1818 that -a worthy Don made the suggestion that the figures of criminals should be -placed in a separate room. Too long would be taken even to name all the -places that were visited by the Exhibition, but there is an account in -the _Coventry Herald_ that on the 14th March, 1823, the cordial thanks -of a meeting of school managers were presented to Madame Tussaud for her -“unsolicited and handsome donation of a moiety of the receipts of her -Exhibition on Monday evening last.” - -Among the figures taken on tour at this time were models of Louis XVI, -Marie Antoinette, and the Dauphin, Voltaire, and Madame St. Amaranthe -(Tussaud’s “Sleeping Beauty”), taken a few months before her execution. -These identical figures, as already stated, are still in the collection. - -To trace the travels of the Exhibition there is no need. For some years -Madame, with her sons, Joseph and Francis, went on tour throughout the -country. A misadventure in the Irish Channel, when she was on her way to -Dublin, threatened the enterprise with disaster. The vessel which carried -their precious belongings was partially wrecked, and many valuable -exhibits were lost. Undaunted by the bufferings of Fate, and helped by -friends, Madame replenished her Exhibition and brought it up to date. - -The current of events did not run smoothly for Madame Tussaud; but -the little woman possessed a brave spirit, and struggled on against -adversity, being upheld by the conviction that she would eventually -triumph. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - The Bristol riots--Narrow escape of the Exhibition--A brave - black servant--Arrival at Blackheath. - - -The Bristol riots in the autumn of 1831 again brought the Exhibition into -serious jeopardy. Madame Tussaud had just arrived in the city of the West -Country, when the Recorder, Sir Charles Wetherell, came to open a Special -Commission for the trial of certain political offenders associated -with the agitation for reform. Judge Wetherell was heartily disliked -by West-country folk, and there was strong opposition to this Special -Commission being held. Public resentment developed into a riot, which the -military was sent to subdue. - -[Illustration: SIR CHARLES WETHERELL - -Judge at the political trial that precipitated the Bristol riots.] - -Madame tells the story herself of the sufferings she endured during the -days of wanton destruction and loss of life, as the rabble resorted to -killing and pillage. Judge Wetherell was obliged to escape from the -city, disguising himself, as it was then stated, with some taunt at his -personal habits, “through the medium of a wash and the donning of a clean -shirt and collar.” - -The three days’ terror can scarcely be considered the result of a genuine -revolutionary movement. True, certain ringleaders of the rabble seem to -have imagined in some vague way that they were hastening the day of -“liberty”; but the rioters only destroyed for sheer destruction’s sake. -What they sought to promote they neither knew nor cared. For the most -part the mob was utterly contemptible, and but for the extraordinary -apathy of the authorities the riot might have been easily quelled. - -It was on the morning of Saturday, the 29th of October, that the Recorder -came to the city, and, a disturbance being feared, a number of special -constables were sworn in. These officials, mostly young men, did more -harm than good, for they irritated the people by overmuch zeal, and led -to blows being exchanged, which fomented the trouble. This was followed -by an attack on the Mansion House, where Sir Charles was banqueting with -the Corporation. - -The civic party was hunted out, and made its escape over the housetops. -Suddenly the cry was raised, “To the back!” and the mob surged round to -the offices behind the Mansion House, where faggots and firewood were -stored. For the present the rioters refrained from firing the building, -and contented themselves with looting the premises. The cellars proved -particularly attractive to the unruly crowd, which was shortly in -possession of a hundred dozen of wine, and the day closed amid general -drunkenness and disorder. - -On Sunday morning the mob reassembled in Queen Square. The authorities -had plucked up sufficient courage to publish a proclamation warning all -rioters to return to their homes; but these gentlemen were not disposed -to take the admonition seriously. The unlucky bill-sticker who posted -the proclamation was badly mauled. - -[Illustration: THE BRISTOL RIOTS - -From a water-color drawing made on the spot by William Muller, showing -the figures being removed for security from the Exhibition premises, -Sunday, 30th October, 1831.] - -One individual mounted King William’s statue in the Square and waved a -tri-coloured cap on a pole, shouting to his comrades to behold the cap -of Liberty. Possibly this aroused in the minds of the befuddled rioters -some recollection of the French Revolution, for a move was made towards -the gaol, which was speedily in their power. A vigorous employment of -sledgehammers soon broke in the prison doors, and the prisoners, some of -them almost nude, at once joined the mob. - -The Governor’s house was sacked and fired; his books were pitched into -the New River, and the prison van met with a similar fate. Then the -Gloucester County Gaol, the lock-up house at Lawford’s Gate, and the -Bishop’s Palace were all fired. Between seven and eight o’clock the -rioters revisited the cellars of the Mansion House and began rolling out -barrels of beer and wine. Intoxicated persons could be seen moving about -the kitchen and the banqueting-room with lighted candles, and in less -than two hours the building was gutted. - -Dwellings in Queen Square were sacked and fired, until the whole mass was -wrapped in flames. Such was the remarkable lethargy of the householders -that a few mischievous boys made a house-to-house visitation, gave the -inmates half an hour’s notice to quit, and at the expiration of that -time coolly set fire to the houses without molestation. The booty the -rioters seized was trifling. On the corpse of one boy, who was sabred by -a soldier, was found a curious collection of spoil--a lady’s glove, some -children’s books, and the Custom House keys. - -One curious incident happened when the contents of fifty puncheons of rum -gushed out of a bonded warehouse and ran flowing down the street, setting -fire to a house at the other end. - -The riots were quelled by the military on the Monday, after many -thousands of pounds’ worth of property had been destroyed; and one of the -results was that four persons were hanged. - -By what might almost be described as a stroke of good fortune--inasmuch -as it perpetuated the name of Tussaud--there was in Bristol at that -time a lad of nineteen years, named William Muller, whose genius as a -painter gives Bristol just cause for pride to-day. This gifted youth -produced a series of wonderful sketches of the “Bristol Revolution,” as -it was then called, in which he portrays the weird and striking scenes of -incendiarism in the city streets. - -One of these sketches is now in our possession. It shows Madame Tussaud’s -Exhibition premises standing out full and clear in the fiery glare, while -the figures and other articles are being hurriedly removed and piled up -in the roadway before the jeering mob. The figures and decorations are -easily recognised in the picture, and many of them are still included in -the Exhibition. - -For no imaginable reason the premises occupied by Madame Tussaud’s -collection had been marked to be burnt. A chalk sign was scrawled upon -the door, and the adjoining buildings, besmeared with petroleum, had -been already set on fire. In Madame’s employment was a stalwart and loyal -negro. This black servant took up his position at the entrance to the -Exhibition, and threatened to kill with a blunderbuss the first man who -dared approach to harm the place. - -The negro kept the mob at bay long enough, it would seem, to save the -building, for at eight o’clock Madame’s anxiety was relieved when she -heard, above the wild yelling of the infuriated people, the distant -sounds of the drums and fifes of the 11th Infantry Regiment, just then -reaching the outskirts of the city. The music that cheered her scared the -plundering rabble and stayed their depredations. - -Madame Tussaud came through all this in her seventieth year, with -twenty years of activity still before her; and, after a long tour -through provincial towns, she took her Exhibition to Blackheath, on the -south-eastern side of London, attracted, no doubt, by the fact that that -place had become a fashionable resort owing to the residence there, some -years previously, of Queen Caroline, the estranged wife of George IV. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - An old placard--Princess Augusta’s testimonial--Great success - at Gray’s Inn Road--Madame initiates promenade concerts--Bygone - tableaux. - - -An old placard now in our possession informs us that at Blackheath the -Exhibition was housed in the Assembly Room at the Green Man Hotel. The -exact date when it left there is not known, but we do know that it had -previously found a temporary abode in the Town Hall, Brighton. - -There it was visited early in 1833 by members of the Royal Family, then -in residence at the Pavilion, as is vouched for in the following quaint -notice. The placard we give in full, not only on account of its quaint -wording, but because it gives a good idea of the Exhibition as it then -existed: - - NOW OPEN! - WITH DECIDED SUCCESS! - - The Promenade being Crowded every Evening! - In the only Room that could be had sufficiently spacious - for the purpose, - - The GREAT ASSEMBLY ROOM of the late - ROYAL LONDON BAZAAR, - GRAY’S INN ROAD - - (Which has been fitted up for the purpose). Carriages may - wait in the Arena. - Lately arrived from the Town Hall, Brighton, and last from - the Assembly Room, Green Man Hotel, Blackheath. - - SPLENDID NOVELTY, - Coronation Groups and Musical Promenade. - - ENTIRELY NEW. - - MADAME TUSSAUD AND SONS - - Have the honor to announce that their entirely new Exhibition, - which has only to be seen to ensure its support and patronage, - justly entitling it to the appellation of the most popular - Collection in the Empire, is NOW OPEN as above mentioned, and - they trust the Public will not form their ideas of it from - anything of a similar description they may have seen in this - Metropolis or elsewhere--as in their peculiar art they stand - alone; a fact acknowledged by those that have made the tour of - Europe. They are induced to state this to guard against the - prejudice excited by a view of inferior Collections. Madame - Tussaud had the honor of being Artist to Her Royal Highness - Madame Elizabeth, was patronized by the late Royal Family of - France, by their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York, - twice by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and lately - at the Town Hall, Brighton, by Her Royal Highness the Princess - Augusta, His Royal Highness Prince George, and by nearly the - whole of the Royal Establishment. - - Her Royal Highness, with that kindness which has ever - distinguished the Royal Family for the encouragement of the - Fine Arts, honored Madame Tussaud with the following letter: - - “Lady Mary Taylor is commanded by Her Royal Highness the - Princess Augusta to acquaint Madame Tussaud with Her Royal - Highness’s approbation of her Exhibition, which is well worthy - of admiration, and the view of which afforded Her Royal - Highness much amusement and gratification.--Pavilion, Brighton, - Feb. 9, 1833.” - -The placard goes on to describe the Exhibition as follows: - - The Exhibition consists of a great variety of Public - Characters, modelled with the greatest care, and regardless of - expense, among whom will be noticed the original figures of - BURKE and HARE (taken from their faces, to obtain which the - Proprietors went expressly to Scotland); which have excited - intense interest from the peculiar nature of their crimes, and - their approach to life, which renders it difficult to recognize - them from living persons. Also DENNIS COLLINS (taken from life - at the gaol, Reading), in the identical dress he had on when he - made the atrocious attempt on His Majesty’s life at Ascot Heath - Races. - -This shows that Madame Tussaud in those days, as her successors do in -these, took the greatest pains to ensure fidelity as regards costume as -well as features. - -[Illustration: THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE] - -There can be no doubt that Madame Tussaud actually originated the -promenade concerts which have since become so popular a form of musical -entertainment, for the placard goes on to announce that: - - There will be a Musical Promenade every Evening from Half-past - Seven till Ten, when a selection of Music will be performed by - the Messrs. Tussaud and Fishers; the Promenade will be lighted - with a profusion of lamps, producing, with the variety of rich - costumes, special decorations, etc., an unequalled _coup d’œil_. - -A description is next given of some of the exhibits, which will be -perused with interest: - - The Collection consists of PORTRAITS in composition as large as - life, dressed in appropriate costumes. - - FIRST GROUP. - - REPRESENTING THE CORONATION OF H.M. WILLIAM IV. - - _Description._--It represents HIS MAJESTY on the Throne, - habited in his Robes of State, as worn on that august occasion, - in the act of being Crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, - supported by the Bishop of Norwich. On His Majesty’s right, Her - Majesty QUEEN ADELAIDE, wearing the Cap of State, supported - by Earl Grey, in his Coronation Robes. On His Majesty’s left, - the Lord Chancellor Brougham and the Duke of Wellington, in - their Coronation Robes, surmounted by Three allegorical Figures - representing Britannia, Caledonia, and Hibernia. - - SECOND GROUP. - - THE CORONATION OF BUONAPARTE, - - Copied from the Celebrated Picture by David. - - _Description._--The moment chosen is the time when Buonaparte, - contrary to all precedent crowned himself. It represents him - in the act of placing the Crown on his head, dressed in the - magnificent costume as worn by him at his Coronation; also a - Figure of the Empress Josephine, who is seen kneeling at the - foot of the altar, accompanied by a Page. At the altar is - represented His Holiness Pope Pius VI, giving the benediction, - supported by the celebrated Cardinal Fesche (Buonaparte’s - Uncle) and Prince Roustan (Buonaparte’s favourite Mameluke) in - the act of proclaiming the ceremony, attended by a Mameluke. - - The two above-mentioned Groups have been universally admired - by every one that has seen them; and Madame Tussaud and Sons - hope they will meet with the approbation of the Inhabitants of - London and its Vicinity. - - NEW GROUP. - - Taken from the History of Scotland. - - MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS ABDICATING THE THRONE. - - _Description._--It represents her at the moment of hesitating - to abdicate, being alarmed at the conduct of Baron Ruthven, - who stands opposite to her. Next to him is the Figure of Sir - J. Melville, interceding to appease the Baron; and behind the - Queen is a venerable Figure of an Augustin Monk, who is in the - attitude of indignation at seeing his Mistress insulted. - - CHARACTERS AS FOLLOWS: - - Full-length models. - - His Late Majesty George the Fourth. - Her late Majesty Queen Caroline. - Her late R.H. Princess Charlotte. - Their Majesties George III and Queen Charlotte. - His Late Royal Highness the Duke of York. - Field-Marshall the Duke of Wellington. - His late Imperial Majesty Alexander of Russia; and - His Majesty the King of the Belgians. - Field Marshall Von Blücher. - Right Honorable William Pitt. - Right Honorable George Canning. - Right Honorable C. J. Fox. - Reverend John Wesley. - The Celebrated Queen Elizabeth. - The Immortal Shakspeare. - William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania. - Mary Queen of Scots. - An Austin Monk. - Baron Ruthven. - Lord Melville. - The celebrated Baron Emanuel Swedenborg. - -[Illustration: HER MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY QUEEN ADELAIDE, CONSORT OF KING -GEORGE IV.] - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - Placard (_continued_)--The old Exhibition--Celebrities of - the day--Tussaud’s mummy--Poetic eulogism--Removal to Baker - Street--The Iron Duke’s rejoinder--Madame de Malibran. - - -[Illustration: DANIEL O’CONNELL] - -The old placard next proceeds to enumerate some of the then modern -celebrities in the Exhibition as follows: - - Portrait likeness of the Rev. John Clowes, of St. John’s - Church, Manchester, and late Fellow of Trinity College, - Cambridge, taken (with permission) from life within the last - ten years; the Artist, Mr. J. P. Kemble, in the character of - Hamlet; the celebrated Mrs. Siddons in the character of Queen - Catherine; Dey of Algiers; full-length Portrait of Daniel - O’Connell, esq., M.P., taken with permission (from Mr. P. - Turnerelli’s celebrated bust), for which Mr. O’Connell gave - sittings in Dublin; Sir Walter Scott, taken from life in - Edinburgh, by Madame Tussaud, which was seen by thousands, and - also honored by his approbation; Lord Byron, taken from life in - Italy. - - _The other subjects comprising this unique exhibition, - consisting of Characters in full dress as large as life, - correctly executed, may be classed as follows_: - - The late Royal Family of France, taken from life, viz., the - King, Queen, and Dauphin; Pope Pius VI., Henry IV. of France, - Duc de Sully, M. Voltaire, Napoleon Buonaparte, Madame Joseph - Buonaparte, Cardinal Fesche, one of Buonaparte’s Mameluke - Guards, and Prince Roustan, Buonaparte’s favorite Mameluke. - - REMARKABLE CHARACTERS, SUBJECTS, &c. - - An old Coquette, who teased her husband’s life out. Two - beautiful Infants. A small cabinet of Portraits in wax by the - celebrated Courcius of Paris, viz., the Dying Philosopher, - Socrates. Death of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. M. Voltaire. - Shepherd and Shepherdess. - - Biographical and descriptive Sketches may be had at the place - of Exhibition, price Sixpence each. - - Madame TUSSAUD and SONS, in offering this little notice to - the Public, have endeavoured to blend utility and amusement. - It contains an outline of the history of each character - represented in the Exhibition, which will not only greatly - increase the pleasure to be derived from a mere view of the - figures, but will also convey to the minds of young persons - much biographical knowledge, a branch of education universally - allowed to be one of the highest importance. - - _Admittance 1s. Children under 8 Years of Age 6d.; second room - 6d._ - - _Tickets for Six Weeks not transferable, 5s. Open every day - from 11 till 4 o’clock, in the Evening from 7 till 10._ - - The following highly interesting figures and objects, in - consequence of the Peculiarity of their appearance, are placed - in an adjoining situation, and are well worth the attention - of artists and amateurs, taken by order of the National - Assembly by Madame Tussaud--The Celebrated John Marat, one - of the leaders of the French Revolution, taken immediately - after his assassination by Charlotte Corde. The following - heads--Robespierre, Carrier, Fouquier de Tinville, and Hébert - were taken immediately after execution. The celebrated Count - de Lorge, who was confined twenty years in the Bastille, taken - from life. Mirabeau. Also, Phrenological Portraits of - - STEWART AND HIS WIFE, - - Who were executed in Edinburgh on the 13th of August, 1829, - having confessed to the murder of Seven Persons by means of - Poison, which they familiarly called doctoring. - - Casts of CORDER and HOLLOWAY, taken from their faces. - - CURIOUS AND INTERESTING RELICS, &c. - - The shirt of Henry IV. of France in which he was assassinated - by Ravaillac, with various original documents relative to that - transaction. A small model of the original French Guillotine, - with its apparatus. Model of the Bastille in Paris in its entire - state. - - AN EGYPTIAN MUMMY. - - Proved by the Hieroglyphics to be the body of the Princess of - Memphis, who lived in the time of Sesostris, King of Egypt, - a.m. 2528, 1491 years before Christ, being actually 3328 years - old. - - (_Phair_, Printer, 67, Great Peter Street, Westminster.) - -A further placard is headed as follows: - - REMOVAL POSTPONED TILL FURTHER NOTICE. - - The Flattering Success with which this Exhibition continues to - be honored, (the Promenade being Crowded every Evening), the - very general desire expressed by Thousands for it to remain - some time longer, (its merits becoming more generally known), - being acknowledged to be the most Splendid, and, at the same - time, the most Instructive to Youth, (induces the Proprietors - to obey the general wish.) It will remain in consequence till - further Notice. - -The Exhibition is, therefore, located in “The Great Assembly Room of the -late Royal London Bazaar, Gray’s Inn Road.” There it remained till early -in March, 1835, on the 21st of which month it removed to its quarters in -Baker Street. - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE EXHIBITION IN THE EARLY DAYS AT BAKER -STREET - -From J. Mead’s “London Interiors,” published in 1842.] - -As for the Assembly Room, it appears that on Tuesday, the 29th of March, -directly after Madame Tussaud left, it was put up for sale at the Mart by -the famous auctioneer, George Robins. - -A lady, on viewing the Exhibition when it was in Gray’s Inn Road, wrote -the following excellent verses: - - I stand amid a breathless throng, - Though animation’s light is here; - Expression, too, that might belong - To creatures of a nobler sphere; - Where’er I turn my dazzled view, - I marvel what Art’s hand can do! - - Here are the lips, and cheeks, and eyes, - The folded hands--the beaming brow-- - Those graces Nature’s self supplies-- - All burst upon my vision now! - And is it _fiction_?--can it be - That these are not _reality_? - - The eye, where centres Genius’ light; - The lips, where Eloquence presides;-- - The cheek with Beauty’s roses bright; - The breast, where Passion darkly hides; - The Warrior’s pride, the Cynic’s sneer, - From Nature’s book are copied here! - - _Painting_ her meed of praise may claim - From Fame’s proud trump or Minstrel’s lyre, - And around _sculpture’s_ gifted name - May burn the _poet’s_ words of fire; - But _Tussaud_! Both these arts divine - Must yield in _novelty_ to _thine_. - - Thou bring’st before our wond’ring eyes, - Modell’d in truth, each gone-by scene - That Hist’ry’s varied page supplies;-- - Here still _they_ flourish, fresh and green, - Defying Time’s oblivious power, - Who long have pass’d Life’s fitful hour. - - Modern Prometheus! who can’st give, - Like him of old, to human form - All _but_ the life;--here _thou_ wilt live - And triumph o’er the “creeping worm” - That sullies all things--pale Decay! - _Thy features_ ne’er can pass away![2] - - A nobler Trophy far is thine, - Than “storied urn,” by stranger hands, - Rear’d (in thy now adopted clime), - And higher reverence commands; - These forms--to which thine Art has lent - Life’s truth--shall be _thy monument_! - - MRS. CORNWELL BARON-WILSON. - -It is interesting to note that one of the first visitors to the -Exhibition in its settled home at Baker Street was the great Duke of -Wellington. He was there on Wednesday, the 26th of August, and after that -date was frequently to be seen walking through the rooms, his favourite -models being those of Queen Victoria and the dead Napoleon. - -Indeed, the Duke requested Mr. Joseph Tussaud, the elder son of Madame -Tussaud, to let him know whenever a new figure of exceptional interest -was added to the Exhibition--_not forgetting the Chamber of Horrors_. - -[Illustration: JOSEPH TUSSAUD - -Elder son of Madame Tussaud, born 1796, died 1864.] - -Mr. Tussaud ventured a remark expressing his surprise that the Duke -should be interested in such figures, whereupon the old warrior turned -upon him with the rejoinder, “Well, do they not represent _fact_?” - -Other models added about this time included those of Nicholas I of -Russia, Louis Philippe, King of the French, the Duke of Cumberland, -Talleyrand, and Hume, the historian. - -A tragic occurrence took place shortly after the Exhibition had taken -up its abode in London, and led to its permanent establishment in the -Metropolis. At that time Madame de Malibran, the eldest daughter of the -Spanish singer, Manuel Garcia, was idolised by the populace as a gifted -songstress. She died suddenly during a festival held at Manchester on the -23rd of September, 1836, in the twenty-eighth year of her age. - -[Illustration: MADAME MARIE FELICITA DE MALIBRAN - -Famous opera singer, daughter of the Spanish singer, Manual Garcia, made -her début in London in 1825 and after a successful European tour reached -New York, when she married a local French merchant, M. Malibran, after -his bankruptcy returning to the stage and greater honors.] - -Madame Tussaud placed her figure in the Exhibition with all speed, and -the numerous admirers of the _prima donna_ flocked to see it. The idea -there and then took hold of Madame Tussaud’s mind that the Exhibition -would command perennial success by being constantly brought up to date -through the adding of the portraits of people whose names were on -everybody’s lips. This principle has been faithfully observed ever since. - -In the early days at Baker Street “the Hours of Exhibition,” as the -Catalogue quaintly puts it, were “from 11 in the Morning till 5, and from -7 in the Evening till 10. Brilliantly illuminated at 8.” When the place -was closed, seats were provided in the vestibule, and it was no uncommon -sight to see from fifty to a hundred persons waiting for the reopening of -the doors at 7 p.m. - -[2] Alluding to the exquisite figure of the artist’s self. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - How the Waterloo carriage was acquired--A chance conversation - on London Bridge--The strange adventures of an Emperor’s - equipage--Affidavit of Napoleon’s coachman. - - -The account of how we became possessed of the Waterloo carriage reads -like an interesting chapter from fiction. - -In the collection are two other Napoleon vehicles, namely, the Milan -and St. Helena carriages. They are all strongly built, ponderous, and -suitable for a great campaigner. - -[Illustration: NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE, CAPTURED ON THE RETREAT FROM -WATERLOO - -This was discovered by Mr. Joseph Tussaud in London in 1842 and purchased -for the Tussaud collection.] - -But what we are particularly concerned to tell at this moment is the -story of the strange coincidence by which the Waterloo carriage was -secured for the Exhibition. In all the wonderful happenings associated -with this place, possibly none is quite so simple and yet so surprising -as this. Mr. Joseph Tussaud, the elder son of Madame Tussaud, was a great -lover of London, and it was his delight to roam leisurely about the -Metropolis, studying the streets and byways and the people who traversed -them. - -In one of these peregrinations during the spring of 1842 he found himself -leaning over the parapet of London Bridge, watching the movements of -the diversified craft on the river, when he observed by the wharves of -Billingsgate a carriage being hoisted ashore from the deck of a ship like -a huge spider hanging from its web. - -That in itself was probably a fairly frequent occurrence, and it would -have passed from Mr. Tussaud’s memory except for what followed. There -were numbers of people looking over the bridge--as may be seen to-day, -and will be seen for many a day to come--and my great-uncle suddenly -heard the voice of a countryman next to him saying, “That’s a very fine -carriage, but I know where there’s a finer that some people would give a -lot to have. I could take you to a place where you could see the selfsame -carriage in which Napoleon tried to escape from Waterloo.” - -This was news indeed to a Tussaud--the one man in all London to whom it -mattered most--and it may be imagined that the countryman was encouraged -to go on with his story and show the way to the coveted relic. The -carriage, which has since been of inestimable value to Madame Tussaud’s, -was traced to a repository in Gray’s Inn Road, belonging to one Robert -Jeffreys, “a respectable coach manufacturer, who took the carriage in -part payment of a bad debt,” as explained in a contemporary news-sheet. -Did ever time play a trick like that with the carriage of an Emperor? “In -part payment of a bad debt!” Who the debtor was, there is no telling now; -it is, however, known that the carriage had been bought at a Tattersall -auction, when short-sighted speculators let Napoleon’s chariot go cheap. - -Previously the carriage had earned a fortune for Mr. William Bullock, -who took it round the country as an exhibit, which the people flocked -in their thousands to see, till the novelty wore off and the carriage -was rolled into the repository of Jeffreys, the coach-builder, where it -remained for years with none to do it reverence. An early cartoon by -Cruikshank, in November of the Waterloo year, portrays a clamorous crowd -surrounding the carriage when on view at the Egyptian Hall, and, it must -be admitted, treating it with scant respect. - -The carriage had been sent as a present to George IV when Prince Regent, -and in due time it arrived at Carlton House with four high-stepping -Normandy horses. _Blackwood’s Magazine_ of March, 1817, states that -“Bonaparte’s military carriage has excited more interest as an exhibit -than anything for a number of years.” The manner in which the four horses -were driven through the city by the French coachman, Jean Hornn, who lost -his right arm when the carriage was captured, proves the excellent manner -in which the horses were broken in. Mr. Bullock, in whose hands this -splendid trophy of victory was placed by the Government, is said to have -cleared £26,000 by his exhibition of it. - -There is a letter in existence by Mr. William Bullock in which he states -that - - … the celebrated Carriage, taken by the Prussian troops about - fifteen miles from Waterloo on the evening of the great - Battle, was afterwards purchased by me from his late Majesty - George IV for the sum of £2,500, and exhibited by me at the - Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, London, as well as in the principal - Cities in Great Britain and Ireland, by the Authority of the - Government, and is the identical carriage I have just seen in - your possession. The Diamonds found in the Carriage … were - purchased by Mr. Mawe, diamond merchant in the Strand, from - Baron Von Keller, the Officer that captured them. The present - one, with others, was purchased by me from Mr. Mawe. - - I am, Dear Sir, - - Your most obedient Servant, - - WILLIAM BULLOCK. - -It is not known what Mr. Joseph Tussaud paid Mr. Robert Jeffreys, the -Gray’s Inn Road coach-builder, for it; but this much may be said, that -the carriage which proved so good an investment for Mr. Bullock has -fulfilled all expectations at Madame Tussaud’s, where it is pre-eminently -the right thing in the right place. - -It was certified at the time that M. Simon, of Brussels, built the -carriage, and that most of the contrivances for economising space and -ensuring comfort and convenience were suggested by the Emperor himself -and his second wife, Marie Louise; also that this was the carriage which -picked up Napoleon on his retreat to Paris after the burning of Moscow. - -Scarcely less singular than the coincidence of my great-uncle meeting -with the countryman on London Bridge was my acquiring, sixteen years ago, -from a second-hand bookseller in Margate, an original official letter -relating to the carriage. The letter, it will be seen, bears a date -about five months after the Battle of Waterloo. It reads: - - _Downing Street, - 27th Nov., 1815._ - - SIR, - - I am directed by Lord Bathurst to request that you would - receive into the King’s Mews the travelling carriage of General - Bonaparte, together with all its appurtenances, and also the - four horses and the harness taken from the same, and keep them - from public view till further notice. - - I have the honour to be, Sir, - - Your most obedient humble servant, - - HENRY GOULBURN. - - William Parker, Esqre., &c., &c., &c., Royal Mews. - -The following affidavit sworn by Jean Hornn at the Mansion House before -the famous Lord Mayor, Sir Matthew Wood, on the 9th of March, 1816, is -of peculiar interest, containing as it does several important historic -details: - - AFFIDAVIT OF JEAN HORNN. - - JEAN HORNN, a native of Bergen-op-Zoom in Holland, and now of - Piccadilly in the County of Middlesex, aged twenty-eight years, - maketh oath:-- - - THAT about ten years ago he entered into the service of - Napoleon Bonaparte, the late Emperor of France, and attended - Napoleon in the capacity of his military coachman, through the - campaign which was distinguished by the battle of Jena-- - - THAT he attended Napoleon, in the same capacity of military - coachman, during the subsequent campaigns, through the greater - part of Prussia, Spain, Germany, and Russia, and in his - excursion to Italy-- - - AND this Deponent saith, that he drove the military Carriage of - the said Ex-Emperor from Paris to Waterloo; in which Carriage - the Emperor travelled thither, accompanied by General Bertrand-- - - THAT on the evening of the day on which the battle of Waterloo - was fought, he, this Deponent, was attacked while with the - said Carriage, by a detachment of Prussian lancers, and - other infantry, who captured the Carriage, together with the - Necessaire, and other articles it contained for the personal - use of the Ex-Emperor-- - - THAT whilst this Deponent was remaining with the Carriage, in - a field about thirty paces from the road, endeavouring to pass - round Jenappe (which was blocked up in the confusion of the - retreat) he, this Deponent received ten wounds in various parts - of the body; three of which were in his right arm-- - - THAT having then no appearance of life, he was left among the - dead-- - - THAT a few days afterwards, and whilst this Deponent was lying - in great agony at Jenappe, he was removed by a British officer; - who conveyed him to Brussels, and who obtained the amputation - of this Deponent’s arm, as well as surgical care of his other - wounds-- - - THAT he afterwards returned to Paris; and has received from the - present Government of France a small annual pension-- - - AND this Deponent saith, that he hath inspected the Carriage, - Horses, Necessaire of Gold and Silver, their respective Cases, - the Pistols, Wearing Apparel, and other Articles now exhibiting - at the London Museum, in Piccadilly (and which this Deponent - hath been informed have been received there from the British - Government), and that they are the same Carriage, Horses, - Necessaire, and other Articles which belonged to the late - Emperor of France, and were personally used by him-- - - AND that the Carriage is the same in which the Ex-Emperor - proceeded to Moscow; and which Carriage was driven by this - Deponent, with the Ex-Emperor therein, twenty-four leagues - beyond that City, on the road to Chotillowo-- - - THAT after the French army evacuated Moscow, and in the retreat - toward France, the same Carriage was removed from off the perch - and wheels, and placed on a sledge, and that the Ex-Emperor - travelled therein, and was driven by this Deponent-- - - AND this Deponent also saith, that he hath seen and examined - the Grey Surtout Coat, lined with Sable Fur, which is also at - the London Museum; and that it is the same which this Deponent - hath frequently seen worn by the said Ex-Emperor during the - Russian campaign; and that the parts of the coat which appear - to have been burnt and scorched were chiefly so burnt and - scorched by the fires, before which it was frequently placed - during that campaign-- - - AND this Deponent saith, that the Fur Travelling Cap, and the - several other Articles of Wearing Apparel (exclusive of those - which came from the British Government, and which are also at - the London Museum) were parts of the personal Wardrobe of the - Ex-Emperor of France; and were frequently used and worn by him-- - - AND this Deponent was present when the said Surtout Coat, - Travelling Cap, and other last-mentioned Articles were - purchased by Mr. Bullock, at Paris, of Guste Maitrot, who was - keeper of the Wardrobe to the late Emperor of France. - - JEAN HORNN. - - Sworn at the Mansion House, London, the 9th day of March, 1816; - having been first interpreted to the Deponent, JEAN HORNN, by - ADAM BRIEFF, who was sworn duly to interpret and explain the - same to him. - - Before me, MATTHEW WOOD, Mayor. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - Napoleon’s Waterloo carriage--Description of its exterior. - - -Some account must be given of this most interesting relic. - -Ever since it first came to the Exhibition it has excited the most -lively interest, and, until it was covered in by a glazed case, visitors -enjoyed the privilege of sitting inside--a proceeding which would not -have mattered had not unscrupulous souvenir hunters abused this favour by -pilfering portions of the fabric that lined it. - -Time-worn, it now stands before us, a thing of gaunt and sombre aspect. -This old war-coach offers, to those who contemplate it, a full measure of -historic reminiscence, recalling the most striking and critical episodes -in the great Corsican’s career. - -He entered it at the time his power stood at its zenith, and retained it -in constant attendance upon him down to the hour he took refuge within -it, a conquered and a broken man. It was built for his campaign in -Russia. In it he travelled many a league on the road to Moscow. Bereft of -its wheels and lashed upon a sleigh, through the perils of that terrible -retreat, it safely carried him far on his way back to the gates of -Paris. With him it was sent to the Isle of Elba; thence it helped him -along on his last auspicious journey to the French capital. - -[Illustration: NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE - -Scene of its capture at Jenappe. From a colored engraving published -during the autumn of 1815.] - -It assisted him on his way to Waterloo. Standing on the main road hard by -La Belle Alliance, it waited him throughout that memorable Sunday, the -18th of June, over a hundred years ago. At the end of the day’s ordeal -into it, sore and ill, he flung himself, only to struggle from it at the -point of capture to take refuge in the confusion and the shadow of the -night, leaving his hat, sword, and many other things behind him. - -Deepened long ago into a monotone of dusky grey, still here and there the -old coach betrays a touch of colour, revealing a fair estimate of its -former self. Simple and modest as Imperial carriages go, nevertheless, -on a certain May day in the year 1812, as it sallied forth on its -maiden voyage, its back turned upon the old Palace of St. Cloud and its -fore-carriage set upon the highroad to Russia, it must have looked a -comely chariot--as yet unsullied by the stain of travel, and not yet -degraded by the lust of war. - -By the man that made it--one Simon, of Brussels, to whom reference -has already been made--it would have been designated a _berline de -voyage_, or maybe a _carrosse a six chevaux_, by us it has been called a -travelling carriage, and technically classed as a chariot-built coach. - -Dark-blue, black, and yellow, with here and there a line of red and gold, -were the colours under which it made its début. - -The head, or upper part of the body, is constructed of thick -black-enamelled leather, stretching over a strong framework of ash. The -lower portion consists of finely polished wood panelling, originally of a -rich dark-blue colour. A narrow brass fillet traverses the centre of the -body, lining off its upper from its lower sections, and under this fillet -runs a delicate gilt scroll composed of the fruit, leaf, and tendrils -of the vine. This neat and unpretentious bordering, together with the -emblazonment of the Imperial arms upon the doors, constitutes the only -tangible claim the carriage has to anything in the nature of artistic -adornment. - -A curious bulkhead, or boot, built out from the fore-part of the coach, -provides, among other things, the very important accommodation contingent -upon a long and unbroken journey--the opportunity of resting at full -length within it. - -Under this bulkhead Napoleon’s camp bedstead still reposes, neatly -encased within a receptacle some six inches square and three feet long, -folded, ready to be withdrawn at a moment’s notice. When and where this -bedstead was last required for its master’s use are points of interest -often conjectured, but as yet not satisfied. - -Placed beyond the bulkhead, unusually forward and high above the -fore-wheels, is perched the coachman’s dicky--a dicky on which the -coachman must have sat alone, for its size excludes any chance of -companionship. It is supported by slender scroll iron stays in a manner -so mobile, so sensitive to the slightest movement, that the poor jehu who -piloted the coach through those long and weary journeys we know it to -have traversed must at times have felt sorely tempted to guide his horses -from their prescribed course and to steer them away into the “Land of -Nod.” - -The doors possess the simple distinction of opening in the opposite -direction from those of an ordinary English carriage, whilst the Imperial -arms--a device borrowed of the Cæsars--are still to be clearly deciphered -upon both panels. - -The ponderous under-carriage might well suggest to the mind of a mechanic -an instance in which weight had far outbidden advantage in strength. -The heavy, split, crane-neck perch, the deep solid axle-bed, and the -cumbersome fore-carriage have been constructed throughout in wrought -iron, and afford a good example of the coachsmith’s work of a century -ago. The great cee springs are in keeping with the rest, heavy and -strong. The thick leather straps plying them, and carrying the full -weight of the body of the carriage and all contained within it, are still -in sound condition and quite capable of doing their work; but by way of -precaution they have now been relieved of all strain, and the weight is -borne by four iron standards springing directly from the floor. - -The wheels, even compared with others of the period in which they -were made, are very heavily dished. Following the Continental manner, -the spokes are arranged in pairs, so that their spacing out might be -described as two close together and two wide apart--those placed near -together entering the rim near where the felloes join, presumably with -the object of adding strength at a weak point. - -The rims are made up of seven felloes fixed together with iron clamps. -The iron tyres, heavy and rough, are secured to the rims with bolts -and nuts, instead of, as in our day, by rivets and burrs. The hubs, or -stocks, large and massive, are further strengthened by stock hoops, the -flange on the outer hoops of the fore-wheels being hexagonal, while those -on the hind-wheels are of a plain round shape. - -The axles are curiously primitive--simple nut-axles used from time -immemorial--the wheels being held in position by means of strong rough -iron nuts screwed on at the extremity of the axle arms and further -secured by a pin passed through a hole at the end of them. Strangely -enough, the axle-ends are absolutely devoid of caps. - -Behind on the foot-stage, or rumble, there still rests, as on the day -the vehicle was taken, the odd-looking and spacious shoe-shaped trunk -in which so many articles of apparel belonging to Napoleon were found. -This is doubtless the source from which have flowed during the past -century not a few genuine, but also numberless doubtful, belongings -attributed to the great Napoleon which have been offered for sale under -the “incontestable” sworn testimony of so many irresponsible and illusive -authorities as having been found in Napoleon’s carriage captured at -Waterloo. - -The four black square metal lamps fixed in a rough-and-ready way -with iron rods to the corners of the coach have a simple and quaint -appearance, but otherwise have little about them to call for comment. -They have been made to take large wax candles, and have the usual spring -sockets to hold them. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - Description of the Waterloo carriage (_continued_)--Its - interior and peculiar contrivances--Brought to England and - exhibited at the London Museum. - - -[Illustration: NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE - -The interior.] - -The interior of the carriage is even more interesting than the exterior. -Glancing within, we immediately find ourselves in closer touch with -things personal to the great Emperor. - -We find therein provision for a couple of passengers only. Here are two -deep and roomy seats, divided by a tall movable arm-rest, offering the -occupants unusual freedom and comfort. Confronting these seats, set high -up on the front of the vehicle, are a pair of windows affording each -traveller a full view of the driver and of the road and country beyond. -Beneath these are displayed those objects of interest which have so -readily engrossed the attention of many millions of visitors who, during -the century past, have been moved to inspect the carriage. - -Opposite to that seat usually occupied by Napoleon--that is to say, the -one on the offside, following our rule of the road--there hangs a brass -handle which is apparently attached merely to a simple shallow drawer. -An easy pull at this reveals a strong and well-appointed writing-desk, -capable of being withdrawn far out of its recess. This action, with -the aid of a writing-slope that unfolds from the top, enables the desk -to span the space between the front of the carriage and the seat, thus -giving to its occupant all the facility and convenience desirable for -carrying on a correspondence at leisure. - -Nor is this the only accommodation the desk provides. Some time after the -carriage had changed ownership it was found that an extra pull withdrew -the desk still farther from its aperture, and upon this being done a -secret compartment was discovered behind it, in which were found jewels -and money of great value. - -On the right side of this desk, fitted into a narrow but deep recess, -there rests a long, wedge-shaped box made to hold a goodly supply of -those quills of which Napoleon was so uncommonly prodigal. - -Below these fittings, and readily engaging attention, is a large -cloth-covered door, hinged to open towards the middle of the carriage, -so that when butting against the arm-rest of the seat it divides the -lower portion of the interior into two separate parts. When so placed it -exposes a large cavity constituting the lower part or foot of a sleeping -compartment, the seat of the coach serving for the head, and the space -between being bridged by a plank or board. In this cavity were found all -the necessary things for making up a complete and comfortable bed. - -On the near side of the front interior, placed immediately under the -window, is a shallow rack made to take small things such as sealing-wax, -wafers, paper-knife, etc., the receptacle being furnished with a wooden -flap and catch to enclose it. Underneath this is a large and strongly -made drawer that pulls out endways. In it many things were discovered -which were in immediate use before the capture of the coach, among them -several pieces of a silver service containing articles of food remaining -from a meal. - -Below this again there is an opening, which has never boasted of a door -to enclose it. At the bottom of it a brass-bound rest, or table, has been -fitted between grooves so that it may be drawn out, or pushed in, as -occasion required. This also forms a bridge to unite the recess with the -seat facing it, so as to provide a second sleeping compartment when found -necessary. - -On the inside of the doors hang heavy cloth lapels covering large square -pockets, edged with broad gold-coloured gimp braid speckled with blue -spots. On the outer side of each seat is a deep hole, both of which -contained a loaded pistol ready at hand in case of emergency. - -Well above and running across the back of the seats is a half-circle -recess serving as a gun-rack, forming a strange protrusion viewed from -the outside of the coach. - -An oil lamp, which at best could have yielded but a feeble light, takes -up the customary position in the centre at the back of the carriage. - -The interior is lined throughout with a dark-blue cloth, in colour and -texture similar to that used at the present day for the same purpose. - -A fairly reliable inventory of things found in the carriage on the night -it was captured has been handed down to us, and the following is a copy: - - A beautifully constructed and marvellously well-appointed - _nécessaire_, comprising some seventy pieces, a few in solid - gold and many mounted in the same metal (a present from Marie - Louise to Napoleon on the eve of his departure for the Russian - campaign of 1812, and designed and carried out under her - immediate supervision). - - Several parts of a solid silver service, engraved with the - Imperial arms. - - A large silver chronometer. - - A green velvet cap. - - A mahogany liquor case, containing two leather-covered bottles, - one filled with rum and the other holding a small quantity of - sweet wine. - - A pair of spurs. - - Two fine merino mattresses. - - An assortment of the finest bed and other linen. - - Many toilet requisites, among them a cake of Windsor soap. - - A steel camp bedstead, still in position on the carriage, in - the case made to hold it under the boot. - - A uniform, sword, and cocked hat. - - A rich and costly Imperial robe. - - A handsome diamond head-dress, or tiara. - - A pair of pistols, loaded, found in recesses at side of seats. - - Many gold medals with Napoleon’s portrait and name engraved - upon them. - - An article devoid of intrinsic value, but nevertheless - possessing an exceptional interest--namely, a musket-ball - flattened out to the shape of a thin medal, found carefully - put by in the secret drawer at the back of the desk; a missile, - maybe, that ended the days of a friend, or one possibly that - endangered Napoleon’s own life. - - A considerable number of mounted and unmounted diamonds found - secreted in various parts of the carriage, three hundred of - these stones alone being discovered in the above-mentioned - _nécessaire_. - -[Illustration: NAPOLEON’S ATLAS] - -[Illustration: NECESSAIRE - -(Interior)] - -[Illustration: NECESSAIRE - -(Exterior)] - -[Illustration: RAZOR, TOOTH BRUSH AND GIMLET] - -[Illustration: SILVER BOX - -(Side view)] - -[Illustration: SPOON AND TABLE NAPKIN] - -[Illustration: PARTS OF SILVER SERVICE] - -[Illustration: SILVER BOX (TOP VIEW) AND TWO GOBLETS] - -[Illustration: PARTS OF SILVER SERVICE] - -[Illustration: TELESCOPE] - -The jewels and other articles easy of acquisition fell, for the most -part, to the lot of Major von Keller’s men of the 15th Prussian Infantry -Regiment of the Line, which was that night under the command of General -Count Gneisenau. - -The coach was drawn by a team of six of the finest brown Normandy horses, -four driven by the coachman, the leaders under the control of a postilion. - -When the coach was overtaken by the Prussians--that is to say, about a -quarter-past eleven at night, outside the town of Jenappe--the postilion -and the leaders were killed outright, whilst the coachman, severely -wounded, was left for dead upon the road. Recovering from his many -wounds--one of which entailed the loss of his right arm--he was induced -by Major von Keller himself to come over to this country with the coach -and horses. These were exhibited, as a very special attraction for the -Christmas holidays of 1815, at the London Museum (then but recently -opened by Mr. Bullock) in Piccadilly, a house of entertainment that was -soon to be known to future generations as the Egyptian Hall. - -And now for a century has this old war-coach been held up for the -inspection of the passer-by, and, in its turn, has been the dumb witness -of many a fleeting and touching episode. For as it stood have not time -and men passed on? Has it not beheld many a young gallant, with the -honours of the campaign fresh upon him, recounting to wife and child -the story of that last great battle that closed the Empire of the first -Napoleon; many a veteran son of Mars telling his grown sons how that -great day was won; many a kindly warrior gently helping his children’s -children to mount the steps and learn how on that day old “Boney” was -made to fly, and nearly got caught in the act? - -But those to whom the old coach must have brought back so many vivid -memories of that famous victory, and who had the greatest right to enter -it, have themselves moved on; and now its doors have been fastened up -and the old chariot encased for secure keeping, not indeed against the -ravages of time, but, with regret it must be said, safe away from the -hands of those who would not scruple to despoil it. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - The St. Helena carriage--Napoleon alarms the - ladies--Certificates of authenticity. - - -[Illustration: NAPOLEON’S BAROUCHE - -The carriage used by Bonaparte during his exile at St. Helena.] - -This is the last carriage in which Napoleon is known to have ridden. - -On his first arrival at St. Helena he took much exercise in the saddle, -but during and after the year 1818, until he ceased venturing beyond the -precincts of Longwood, he made constant use of this vehicle. - -The following extract from Mr. Norwood Young’s very valuable contribution -to our Napoleonic literature, _Napoleon in Exile at St. Helena_, gives us -an insight to the manner in which it was used: - - After the dictation and the reading, Napoleon, in the - afternoon, generally went for a drive, one of the ladies, - with Bertrand or Las Cases, being taken in the carriage. The - two Archambauds at first used six horses, afterwards reduced - to four, which they drove, as postilions, at a great pace. - The round of the wood, done at high speed, was soon covered, - and the course would then be repeated. Madame de Montholon - declared that they went so fast that it was difficult to - breathe. At this rate the wood was so often driven round that, - in spite of the excitement of dodging the trees, there came a - staleness in the sport. In the early days the outing would be - varied by a visit to the Bertrands at Hutt’s Gate, and all - the ladies became much alarmed as the vehicle dashed round - the corners, with the terrible precipice on one side. It was - indeed dangerous, for there were no barriers, and a little - carelessness might have sent the whole party down the abyss. - There is now in most places a low earth bank, a railing made of - gas-pipes, and a plantation of flax at the edge, which at least - conceals the danger. - - When the Bertrands had moved from Hutt’s Gate the drives never - went beyond the Longwood estate, which has a circuit of about - four miles. - -Who built the carriage and how it came to be transported to St. Helena, -we know not. In type it is what was then--and for the matter of that is -still--known as a “barouche.” - -Yellow and green are the prevailing colours in which the body has been -enamelled, the former predominating to a considerable extent. - -Ponderously built throughout, as indeed were all travelling carriages of -this period, the body is swung so that its full weight is cast upon the -hind-wheels. - -The under-carriage is strong and cumbersome, like that of the Waterloo -carriage, standing by its side. Its heavy cee springs are overlaid by -strong leather straps upon which the body is comfortably slung. The -carriage is lined throughout with heavy green superfine cloth. - -So far as its general appearance is concerned, it might well be -designated as unexceptional. It has no mark or devices upon it to -indicate that it constituted the equipage of a royal household, and the -axle-caps have not even the maker’s name upon them. - -The following quotations from an old Catalogue published at the time when -the conveyance was first installed in our collection of Napoleonic relics -remove any doubt as to its authenticity: - - 237. CARRIAGE used by the Emperor Napoleon, during six years - of his exile at St. Helena, and the last he ever entered. - Certified by the Counts Montholon and Las Cases. The following - is the letter, with description, from Mr. Blofeld, of whom it - was purchased: - - “DEAR SIR, - - “In accordance with your request I send you the following brief - particulars of the carriage used by the Emperor Napoleon at - St. Helena. I purchased it in 1848, at that island, of Major - Charles Sampson, an officer who had lived highly respected - there for more than fifty years, and who gave me the following - certificate: - - “‘Received from Mr. John Blofeld, for Bonaparte’s old carriage, - the first used by him on the Island of St. Helena. (Here - follows the mount paid.)--(MAJOR) C. SAMPSON.’ - - “In 1850 I went to Paris, where I showed it to General Count - Montholon and Count Emanuel de las Cases; those gentlemen - immediately recognised it, and both said they had frequently - rode in it with the Emperor, and they most kindly gave me the - following certificates, which, as you purchased the carriage, I - enclose. General Montholon informed me that the Emperor always - used it, drawn by four horses, ridden by two postilions, with - the head of the carriage down. - - “Certificates: - - “‘I hereby certify that the carriage shown to me at Paris by - Mr. John Blofeld is the actual carriage used by the Emperor - Napoleon at the Island of St. Helena.--(GENERAL) MONTHOLON.’ - - “‘I hereby certify that the carriage shown to me by Mr. John - Blofeld, and purchased by him of Major C. Sampson, of St. - Helena, is the actual carriage used by the Emperor Napoleon at - that island.--EMANUEL DE LAS CASES.’ - - “I remain, Dear Sirs, - - “Yours faithfully, - - “JOHN BLOFELD. - - “Messrs. Joseph and Francis Tussaud, - - “London, Jan. 8, 1851.” - -[Illustration: THORWALDSEN’S CELEBRATED BUST OF THE GREAT NAPOLEON - -One of the treasured possessions of Madame Tussaud’s.] - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - Father Mathew sits for his model--Tsar Nicholas I takes a fancy - to Voltaire’s chair--A replica sent to him--The Rev. Peter - McKenzie’s exorcism. - - -[Illustration: FATHER MATHEW, “THE NOBLE PRIEST OF CORK” - -A great temperance leader whose striking resemblance to Napoleon I. -caused an odd confusion in the Museum when in renovating the wax figures -a servant put the head of Father Mathew on the shoulders of the deposed -Emperor.] - -One of the greatest of all temperance reformers was Father Mathew, “the -Noble Priest of Cork,” who persuaded sixty thousand people in London -alone to become teetotallers and to take a pledge to that effect. The -apostle of temperance was induced to come to London in the early forties -to give a series of lectures. - -Some were delivered at Hall’s Riding School (now a motor garage) in -Albany Street, opposite Holy Trinity Church and close to Great Portland -Street Station, and Mr. Francis Tussaud (grandfather of the writer) -modelled him in one of the rooms of that place. He was constantly -interrupted during the sittings by people of all classes and creeds -coming into take the pledge. Most of them insisted upon kneeling to -receive Father Mathew’s blessing. They were probably actuated by respect -for him, and also by the hope that the recollection of his blessing might -strengthen their teetotal vows. - -At the close of the sittings Father Mathew detached from his breast his -temperance medal, which was attached to a ribbon round his neck, and -handed it to the artist that it might be placed upon his model. - -Father Mathew bore so striking a resemblance in face and figure to -Napoleon I that the two were once oddly mistaken for each other by our -own servants. - -We had occasion to renovate the portraits of the soldier and the -preacher. To do so it was necessary that the heads of both should be -detached. The assistant who was responsible for taking the figures to -pieces in this way mistook the one head for the other. The error was -fortunately soon detected by Mr. Francis Tussaud, who had modelled both -the heads, and he soon had the mistake rectified. - -There are persons still living who remember Father Mathew. An old and -respected neighbour, Francis Draper by name, is one of the youngest men -of eighty-seven one could possibly meet. Although born in 1832, he still -possesses a wonderfully clear memory. - -In 1842, when Father Mathew paid his visit to London, Mr. Draper--then -a boy of ten years--was introduced to him at the Riding School. In an -anteroom upstairs, to which Father Mathew retired between the times -when he administered the pledge, he saw an artist modelling his face -in clay, which he was told was for Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition. He had -an impression at the time that the artist was Francis, a son of Madame -Tussaud, and his surmise was accurate, for it was Mr. Francis Tussaud who -was executing the model. - -For many years afterwards he saw “The Noble Priest of Cork” standing in a -group in Madame Tussaud’s, with his medal suspended round his neck, and, -he says, it was the best likeness of anyone in the rooms. - -The assassination of Alexander II of Russia in March, 1881, recalls a -quaint story of Voltaire’s chair, which stands in a corner of one of the -Napoleon Rooms, not far removed from a collection of heads of leaders of -the French Revolution. - -[Illustration: VOLTAIRE’S CHAIR] - -This chair is one of our most treasured relics. It was made to Voltaire’s -own design, and is unlike any other chair we have ever seen. - -After the _Entente Cordiale_ between France and England in the forties, -the visit to Queen Victoria of Louis Philippe was promptly followed by -the arrival in London, in 1844, of Alexander’s father, Nicholas I of -Russia, who, during his stay, was conducted over the Exhibition by Madame -Tussaud’s elder son, Joseph. - -In the course of his tour round the galleries the Tsar’s attention was -arrested by the great Frenchman’s wonderful chair. Being struck by its -ingenious construction, he examined it very closely, and then, as so many -persons have done, gave himself the pleasure of occupying the seat in -which the famous satirist had spent many an industrious hour. - -The chair was intended by Voltaire to facilitate his literary work, -and, evidently taking account of his incessant labours, he had the arms -extended without supports so that he could sit in any attitude and facing -any direction, while a movable writing-slope was attached to be always -within his reach. - -So keen an interest did the Tsar take in the chair that we decided to -make a replica and send it to him as a pleasant surprise. This was done, -but no direct acknowledgment of the chair’s delivery was ever received. - -Months afterwards, however, two cases--one containing a splendid gallery -portrait of Nicholas and the other a beautiful statuette of the same -monarch--arrived at the Exhibition. These presents were accepted as -a recognition, in practical form, of the chair. They could not have -signified an Imperial bid for a place in the Exhibition, for a most -lifelike model of His Majesty was already there. - -[Illustration: NICHOLAS I., EMPEROR OF RUSSIA - -Gallery portrait by Bothmann presented to Madame Tussaud’s by the Tsar.] - -Nearly forty years later, on the assassination of Nicholas’s son, -Alexander--to which allusion has been made--there appeared in one of our -leading English illustrated papers, which gave pages to the story of the -assassination, a full double-page picture of the Imperial study at St. -Petersburg, and, behold, therein stood the identical chair which we had -sent to Nicholas I. - -It is interesting to note that on Wednesday, the 20th of October, -thirty-six years later, a number of Princesses came to the Exhibition; -and among them was Princess Alix of Hesse, then a happy young girl of -eight, and now mourned as the late Tsarina, who, as reported, shared -with the Tsar and his family a terrible death at the hands of diabolical -assassins during the recent Russian Revolution. Among the royal party -which came on that day were our own Princesses Louise, Victoria, and Maud -of Wales. - -A great Wesleyan preacher and lecturer in his day was the Rev. Peter -McKenzie, who died in November, 1895. He deserves a place in these -memoirs on account of his characteristic and rather eccentric behaviour -when he visited the Exhibition. In the course of his perambulation -through the galleries he, like most of our patrons, found his way to the -Napoleon Rooms, where Voltaire’s chair immediately arrested his attention. - -Striking an indignant attitude in front of it, the Wesleyan preacher -exclaimed, “And this belonged to the man that was going to pull down the -edifice of Christianity and sweep the religion of Jesus Christ from the -earth!” So saying, he planted himself in the chair and, with a triumphant -wave of his hand, declaimed to the wondering visitors gathered round the -following verse of a well-known hymn: - - Jesus shall reign where’er the sun - Doth his successive journeys run; - His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, - Till moons shall wax and wane no more. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - Landseer and the Count d’Orsay visit the Exhibition--A - fright--Norfolk farmer’s account of Queen Victoria’s visit. - - -About the year 1845 the celebrated Count d’Orsay, being, as usual, in a -desperate state of impecuniosity, was absolutely afraid to venture out of -Gore House (where now stands the Royal Albert Hall), except on Sunday, -for fear of being arrested and imprisoned for debt. - -It so happened that a portrait of one of the members of the Royal Family, -painted by the Count, was just then in process of engraving, and it was -necessary before the proofs could be struck off that d’Orsay himself -should see and correct the work of the engraver. To do this the Count -would be obliged to go to the engraver’s house, and that gentleman, being -of a devout and Sabbatarian turn of mind, utterly refused to receive -d’Orsay on Sunday. - -Finding himself in this difficulty, the Count asked the advice of his -friend, Sir Edwin Landseer. - -“I should risk going on a weekday, if I were you,” said Sir Edwin. “Wrap -yourself up carefully, come and have breakfast with me in St. John’s Wood -Road, and then we will go together to the engraver.” - -This they accordingly did, and, greatly to Landseer’s relief, the Count -passed through the streets unrecognised. - -Not content, however, with escaping thus far, d’Orsay found his freedom -so delightful that he became reckless, and did not seem at all disposed -to return in any haste to his captivity. - -“It is so long since I have seen London on any day but Sunday, I will -enjoy myself now,” said he. “Can’t we go to some place of amusement -together?” - -[Illustration: SIR EDWIN LANDSEER, R. A. - -Celebrated animal painter, though best known for his paintings of dogs, -his work was very varied and included the modeling of the celebrated -lions at the foot of the Nelson Monument in Trafalgar Square.] - -Landseer suggested Madame Tussaud’s, an Exhibition which d’Orsay had -never before seen; and to Baker Street they went. The Count, charmed with -the novelty of the wax figures, was childishly delighted with all he saw, -until a moment when he became conscious that his footsteps were being -dogged by two suspicious-looking individuals. - -“Do you see those men?” said d’Orsay. “They never take their eyes from -me.” - -“Yes, I see them,” answered Landseer, who had really noticed them for -some time, but thought it wiser not to say anything on the subject to his -friend. “Let us go into the Chamber of Horrors.” - -Accordingly they paid their extra sixpences and entered the mysterious -inner room. The two men followed them. Landseer gave up his friend for -lost. After a few moments of suspense one of the two men advanced towards -d’Orsay, hat in hand, and, making an elaborate bow, said: - -“Have I the honour of speaking to M. le Comte d’Orsay?” - -No escape seemed possible now, so the Count drew himself up and answered -with much dignity: - -“Sir, I am he.” - -“Then, if M. le Comte will be so very kind as to allow me, Madame Tussaud -presents her compliments, and she will be greatly honoured if M. le Comte -will give her some sittings and will permit us to add his illustrious -figure to those already in our establishment.” - -Finding that all his anxieties were at an end, d’Orsay forgot his dignity -in a moment, almost embracing the man in his sudden joy, and exclaiming, -with his accents of broken English: - -“My dear fellow, you shall do what you like.” - -The handsome face and distinguished figure of the Count were, of course, -sufficiently remarkable to attract attention anywhere, and Madame Tussaud -had too keen an eye for business ever to let slip so excellent an -opportunity. - -This may be regarded as an interesting reminiscence of the old rooms in -Baker Street and the people who used to frequent them three-quarters of a -century ago. - -Although we know that Queen Victoria came to visit the Exhibition in -Baker Street as Princess Victoria, there is no direct evidence that she -ever came as Queen. - -There is, however, a story that on one occasion Her Majesty paid a -private visit with her children. When it is remembered that the Cattle -Show used to be held in the rooms underneath the Exhibition, and that Her -Majesty used to pay it at least one annual visit in those days, it is -quite reasonable to suppose that the Queen would take an opportunity of -going upstairs. - -The story goes that seventy years ago, a fortnight after an auctioneer -had murdered Mr. Jermy, Recorder of Norwich, and his family, at Stanfield -Hall, near Wymondham, a Norfolk farmer came to London for the Cattle -Show, and was an unconscious interviewer of Queen Victoria in the -Exhibition. - -I will give the narrative in his own words, being unable to vouch for its -authenticity. - -“After,” said the farmer, “I had been to the show and carefully examined -the different animals, and given my meed of praise to the breeders and -their feeders, I thought I would devote a spare hour to Madame Tussaud’s -celebrated Exhibition. Accordingly I presented myself at the door, and -paid my money. - -“On entering, I was surprised to find that I was the only spectator. -Undisturbed for some time, I wandered about, looking with astonishment at -the waxen effigies, habited in their gorgeous apparel. - -“In a few minutes some ladies and children arrived, and, standing near to -one of the former I said, ‘What ugly, grim-looking people some of those -kings and queens are!’ The lady smiled and answered, ‘I perfectly agree -with you; they are!’ - -“My attention was soon arrested by hearing one of the party, pointing to -a figure, mention Lord Nelson, when, proud of having been born in the -same county as the illustrious sailor, I could not help exclaiming, ‘Ah, -he was from my neighbourhood!’ Upon which one of the ladies, advancing, -said to me, ‘Then you are from Norfolk? Pray can you tell me anything -about poor Mrs. Jermy with whose melancholy fate I so deeply sympathise? -Have you any information different from that which has appeared in the -public papers?’ - -“To this I replied, ‘No, madam, for I have been some days from home.’ - -“Scarcely had this conversation ended when Madame Tussaud herself -entered, and seeing me there asked me how I got in, and if I did not -know she had forbidden the entrance of anyone. I replied I did not; but, -having paid my money had walked in as a matter of course. - -“Judge of my surprise when she informed me I had had the honour of -speaking to no other than our good and gracious Queen, and that the lady -whose tender anxiety had been so warmly expressed for the injured widow -of Stanfield Hall was the same illustrious person whose exalted rank does -not, however, so elevate her but that the misfortunes and afflictions of -others can reach her heart and excite her generous commiseration. - -“The party who accompanied Her Majesty were the royal children and their -attendants.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - Wellington visits the effigy of the dead Napoleon, and sits - to Sir George Hayter for historic picture--Paintings from - models--Is the photograph “taken from life,” or----? - - -Wellington gazing upon the effigy of Napoleon is one of the many -instances of a really fine picture being produced from an original work -executed in our studios. Upon it hangs an interesting story. - -[Illustration: WELLINGTON VISITING THE EFFIGY OF NAPOLEON - -From the celebrated picture by Sir George Hayter.] - -Early one morning, soon after the Exhibition had been opened for the day, -Joseph, Madame Tussaud’s son, who had been wandering through the rooms, -as was his habit, perceived an elderly gentleman in front of the tableau -representing the lying-in-state of Napoleon I. - -The model of the dead exile rested--as it does down to this very day--on -the camp bedstead used by Napoleon at St. Helena, and was dressed in -the favourite green uniform, the cloak worn at Marengo (bequeathed by -Napoleon to his son) lying across the feet. In the hands, crossed upon -the chest, was a crucifix. In those days it was the custom to lower at -night the curtains that enclosed the bed, in order to exclude the dust, -whereas now the whole scene is encased in glass. - -Observing that the visitor was desirous of seeing the effigy, and no -attendant being at hand, Joseph Tussaud raised the hangings, whereupon -the visitor removed his hat, and, to his great surprise, Joseph saw that -he was face to face with none other than the great Duke of Wellington -himself. - -There stood his Grace, contemplating with feelings of mixed emotions the -strange and suggestive scene before him. - -On the camp bed lay the mere presentment of the man who, seven-and-thirty -years before, had given him so much trouble to subdue. - -No feeling of triumph passed through the conqueror’s mind as he looked -upon the poor waxen image, too true in its aspect of death; he rather -thought upon the vanity of earthly triumphs, of the levelling hand of -time, and how soon he, like his great contemporary, might be stretched -upon his own bier. - -Mr. Joseph Tussaud used frequently to recall this dramatic meeting -between the Iron Duke and the effigy of his erstwhile foe, and to imagine -the feelings of the old General as he gazed upon the couch. It was -probably the first of the Duke’s many visits to the Exhibition. - -A few days after this most interesting visit Mr. Tussaud, who was an old -friend of Sir George Hayter, related the incident to that artist. - -Hayter was immediately struck with the potential value of the event for -the production of a painting of the historic scene, and the Tussaud -brothers at once commissioned him to execute the work for them. - -[Illustration: SIR GEORGE HAYTER - -Whose painting of Wellington visiting the effigy of Napoleon is now on -exhibition in the Napoleon rooms at Madame Tussaud’s.] - -Sir George thereupon communicated the idea to the Duke, who readily -responded, and offered to give the necessary sittings. We have the -sketches made by Hayter in preparation for the work, and among them -appears a drawing of Joseph Tussaud himself, although he does not enter -the actual picture. - -Hearing that the artist was making progress with the painting, the Duke -visited his studio, and, having expressed himself warmly in appreciation -of the picture (the figures had been but lightly limned in at the time), -said: - -“Well, I suppose you’ll want me to sit for my picture here?” - -Hayter has given us a most characteristic portrait of Wellington as -he then appeared. He is dressed in his usual blue frock-coat, white -trousers, and white cravat, fastened with the familiar steel buckle. -He stoops a little as was his wont, his head is lightly covered with -snow-white hair, and his manly features are marked with an expression -of mingled curiosity and sadness as, hat in hand, he looks upon the -recumbent Napoleon. The picture was completed early in December, 1852, -and has been on view in the Napoleon Rooms at the Exhibition ever since. - -The engravings of the picture have been circulated in thousands -throughout the world, and, strange to say, they are exceedingly popular -in Austria. It is an interesting fact that the painting in question was -the last portrait for which the Duke ever sat. - -This story brings to mind several instances in which the members of the -Tussaud family, especially in days gone by, have produced subjects for -other artists to paint from. For example, the model of Marat stabbed in -his bath--which has been shown in our Exhibition ever since it existed -in Paris--was modelled expressly to assist the famous David to paint his -picture representing the death of the miscreant. - -Strange to say, a replica of this painting was offered to us a year or -so ago, and the dealer who submitted it insisted that it was the picture -from which our model was copied. He looked wofully incredulous when it -was explained to him that the boot was on the other foot, and that the -picture had been copied from the model. - -On one occasion, in a newsagent’s shop, a lady customer asked for a -picture postcard of King Edward. Several were shown to her, but after -inspecting them she pushed all the direct photographs on one side, and -selected the print of a figure that had been modelled. The shopkeeper -subsequently stated that this card was almost invariably chosen in -preference to others. - -In recent years there has grown a curious disposition on the part of -certain publishers to exploit for their own purposes work produced in our -studios. This is not to be wondered at when photographs of our models -have been so often mistaken for portraits taken direct from life. - -We have ourselves on many occasions photographed our likenesses -for reproduction by the Press; and, apart from this, newspaper -representatives, times out of number, have requested permission to take a -photograph of figures in the Exhibition for the use of their own journal. - -There is also the inevitable snapshotter, who neither asks permission nor -cares whether it is granted or not. Such individuals seize an opportunity -when few persons are about and take an illicit “negative” without risking -a verbal one. The result has been that the photographs thus secured--all -subject to copyright fees never collected--have been made use of for -all kinds of purposes; they have turned up as blocks in newspapers and -magazines, illustrations in books, and portrait postcards, besides being -treasured in albums and framed as pictures. - -Only very occasionally has a statement accompanied publication -acknowledging the source from which the picture has originated--a -circumstance that has more than once led to a curious and, so far as the -artist is concerned, a somewhat vexatious contretemps. - -It has so happened that we have had sometimes to send a member of our -staff in quest of all the latest photographs of a favourite celebrity -whose figure we have desired to remodel and bring up to date. Not -infrequently has he brought back with him “photographs” purporting to -have been taken from life, but which have been instantly recognised as -reproductions of figures in the Exhibition. - -A droll incident once occurred illustrative of this strange situation. - -Many years ago, when Mr. Joseph Tussaud, under pressure of time and with -very meagre material to go upon, produced a portrait of the late Pope -Leo XIII directly after he was elevated to the papal chair, a certain -well-known firm of photographers were at their wits’ end to obtain a -portrait of the new Pontiff, and the novel idea suggested itself to -them of arranging to borrow for a short time Madame Tussaud’s model, -and therefrom obtain an original negative that might fulfil their -requirements. This they accordingly did, and the object was achieved with -remarkable success, for the portrait challenged detection. So lifelike -was the picture that when it was placed upon the market beholders -concluded that the Pope had sat for it. - -Another firm of photographers, some time afterwards, and at great trouble -and expense, succeeded in obtaining sittings from the Pope himself. - -When the portrait taken from life appeared, and was compared with the -photographs from the model, very grave doubt was raised as to whether the -new portrait was really a good likeness, and many persons questioned its -genuineness, much to the chagrin of the photographers who produced it. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - - The story of Colour-Sergeant Bates’s march through England to - prove Anglo-American goodwill--Start from Gretna--The dove of - peace. - - -An ephemeral celebrity of a bygone day, who fittingly comes into the -picture at the present time--for we are still dealing with events that -happened in the seventies--was Colour-Sergeant Gilbert H. Bates, of the -24th Massachusetts (U. S. Artillery) Regiment. - -[Illustration: COLOR-SERGEANT GILBERT H. BATES OF THE 24TH MASSACHUSETTS -(U. S. ARTILLERY) REGIMENT - -His famous pilgrimage, in November, 1872, from Gretna Green to London, -bearing aloft a large American flag, brought forth striking testimony -to the undercurrent of cordiality in England for all things American. -Photographed from the wax model at Madame Tussaud’s.] - -This gallant soldier of the Federal Army, after carrying the -Star-spangled Banner through the Southern States of America to prove that -the war had not killed the respect felt for the national flag, crossed -the Atlantic, in fulfilment of a wager, and bore the Stars and Stripes -from Gretna Green to London, amid most enthusiastic scenes, demonstrating -that Bates was right when he insisted that John Bull and Uncle Sam were -the best of friends at heart. - -Mr. Joseph Tussaud modelled a portrait of the sergeant, who had an -honoured place in the Exhibition for several years. - -Bates was a patriotic American who had a firm belief in the friendship of -the English people for their American brethren. - -For 1,500 miles through States whose streets had been stained with the -blood of civil carnage he had marched with the national flag to the -strains of patriotic music, an eloquent tribute to his countrymen’s -deep-rooted love of peace. His passage was a triumphant success, and the -exploit is handed down to posterity in Captain Mayne Reid’s stirring poem -“From Vicksburg to the Sea,” the first of its five verses being: - - Bear on the banner, soldier bold! - How Southern hearts must thrill - To see the flag, so loved of all, - Waving above them still! - What chords ’twill touch, what echoes wake, - Of that far truer time! - Who knows but it the spell may break - That maddened them to crime. - -This was remotely the origin of Bates’s English expedition. Calumny -was rife in the States. No theme had been so often discussed for the -two years then past as that of the feeling of John Bull towards Uncle -Sam. The malicious craft of certain politicians had led them to foster -elements of hatred towards the Old Country, and a corrupt section of the -Press had lent itself to the unworthy task of exaggerating trifles and -distorting facts to suit the fancies of gullible readers. - -It was in the course of one such discussion as to the feeling of the -English towards Americans that this lover of concord was led to make a -wager of 100 dollars against 1,000 dollars that the people of England -would not insult the flag of America, but would welcome it heartily -wherever it should be borne by an American soldier. Not a few of his -compatriots were incredulous of his success, and they predicted that he -would miserably fail; while one said, “I bet he don’t travel twelve miles -before he sets face homeward and leaves his bean-pole in the custody of -some parish beadle.” - -The gallant sergeant was determined and confident, however, and, taking -passage in the Anchor liner _Europa_, he crossed the Atlantic. - -Bates was a small but well-built man, 5 feet 7½ inches in height, -square-shouldered and square-headed, clean shaven, with clear grey eyes, -dark hair, and swarthy skin. His age was thirty-four, and he wore the -uniform of a sergeant of the Federal Army. He is described as modest, -intelligent, well-informed, and a very good specimen of the unassuming, -matter-of-fact, and practical Yankee. - -The flag he carried was from a piece of army bunting from the -headquarters of General Sheridan. It was of regulation size, 6 feet by -6½ feet, and the hickory staff measured 9 feet. Before he left he was -assured by a Member of Parliament in Chicago that as the Americans had -honoured the English Prince when he visited that country, the English -people, in return, would honour the American “prince”--which was their -flag. And so it turned out. - -On the 5th of November, 1872--Guy Fawkes Day and the anniversary of -the Battle of Inkerman--Sergeant Bates left Edinburgh for Gretna -Green, that romantic spot at the southern extremity of Scotland. It -was with difficulty that he managed to leave the northern city without -unfurling the flag, as his Scottish friends felt that they should have -an opportunity of testifying their good feelings to the banner which -waved over so many of their kindred in homes beyond the Atlantic. But his -mission had been planned, and he had decided to begin his march from the -border of England itself. - -With no quiver of fear and with a heart full of gladness, he stood upon -Sark Bridge and, uncovering his head, gave the Star-spangled Banner to -the breeze. A few merry rustics greeted him with cheers, and the historic -march was begun. The country before him was England, the mother-country, -the home of the English language, the freest and most peaceful country in -Europe. - -He reached Carlisle that evening without anything more important -happening than a rigid cross-examination by an excited old woman as to -whether he was heralding a Fenian invasion, and an anxious inquiry from a -little boy as to when the circus would arrive. - -At the Bush Hotel at Carlisle a party of commercial travellers gave him -a right hearty British welcome, and this henceforth became the order of -the day at whatever town or village he put in an appearance. News of -his coming preceded him, and his progress was one continuous ovation, -culminating in a veritable furore when he reached his journey’s end. - -Through Penrith and Shap, where he was cheered by the miners, who had -sent men from the quarries to watch for his approach, he made his way to -Kendal, where, at a dinner given in his honour, he announced that he -had written to cancel the wager he had made. He did this in token of the -purity of his motives, and to prove that he was not actuated by mercenary -considerations. - -From Kendal he proceeded to Lancaster, which city he entered followed by -an enormous crowd, a similar concourse escorting him to the outskirts on -his departure. - -Garstang, between Lancaster and Preston, at that time enjoyed the -peculiar distinction of having a Mayor and capital burgesses without its -having been constituted a borough. Here he was entertained at a sumptuous -repast, and the streets were full of people, the church scholars, drawn -up in line, cheering the flag and its bearer as they passed. - -The streets of Preston were lined with spectators; at Chorley cheers were -given for the Queen and President Grant; and at Bolton the flag-bearer -was presented with a pair of clogs, and given a live turtle-dove to take -back with him to the American President. - -He was almost carried by an eager, applauding crowd along Bradshawgate -on his way to Manchester, and the _Bolton Evening News_ of the 14th of -November, 1872, records that “there was more hand-shaking than we have -ever seen bestowed on any person. Far from insult, every respect was -shown to the flag of the great Republic, and,” the newspaper facetiously -adds, “if the bearer is rewarded all along his journey as he was at -Farnworth, his pockets will be filled with the metal that makes the mare -to go.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - - Sergeant Bates’s journey finishes in London amid a remarkable - demonstration--His gift to Madame Tussaud’s. - - -In this chapter we conclude the story of the gallant sergeant’s historic -march with the American flag from Gretna Green to London. - -At Bolton he was presented with a piece of silver-plate, and a pedestrian -gave him a pocket-knife; but this gift was followed immediately -afterwards by a letter in which the writer said that as the giving of -a sharp instrument was regarded as a bad omen and portended to cut -friendship, he asked Sergeant Bates to forward a penny stamp in the -enclosed envelope in order that the knife might be _sold_ and not given. -The penny stamp was sent. - -Five miles from Cottonopolis Bates was met by a man who had been a -lieutenant in the 24th Massachusetts Volunteers during the Civil War, who -took off his hat and said, “God bless our flag.” Manchester was reached -on the 14th of November, and here the flag had an immense reception, the -crowd in Market Street being so dense that the open carriage which the -sergeant was obliged to enter could scarcely make headway. - -Lodged at the Royal Hotel, he was presented with a Union Jack, and was -pestered by several enterprising showmen, one of whom offered him as much -as £60 a night for five weeks if he would only consent to lend himself -and the flag; but this he resolutely declined to do. - -From Manchester to Macclesfield he met with a repetition of the same -hearty ovations. The crowd kept slapping him on the shoulders, shaking -hands, slipping money into his pockets, hurrahing, singing, and even -dancing with joy before the glorious old flag. - -At Macclesfield he was treated like a prince, royally entertained, -and presented with a gold breast-pin by the Mayor. Through Congleton, -Burslem, Stafford, Wolverhampton, and so on to Birmingham, the march -was like that of a triumphant warrior, the crowds at Bates’s heels, -marshalled in military order, tramping along singing the national -melodies of the two countries, “Rule Britannia” and “Yankee Doodle” being -the favourite airs. - -At West Bromwich, where the flag-bearer stood for a moment to salute the -Union Jack, a man rushed out and crowned his flagstaff with laurel. He -entered Birmingham escorted by a crowd of all classes, both sexes and -all ages, and the proprietor of the “Hen and Chickens” Hotel placed the -house, the wine-cellar, and even his cash-drawer at his guest’s disposal. - -The crowd from Birmingham followed him for some miles out of the town. -There was a vast amount of hand-shaking, and several women insisted on -embracing him, one old lady hugging him so unmercifully that she, he, -and the flag were nearly sent sprawling in the mud. - -One workman, bareheaded and without his coat, headed the procession in a -perfect frenzy of excitement, and shook hand with Bates about every five -minutes. It appeared that he had served on the _Alabama_, and seemed to -think that he was atoning for past transgression and ridding himself of -the stigma of having fought against the Union. - -Warwick was visited, and the castle inspected. The sergeant was shown -over Shakespeare’s birthplace at Stratford-on-Avon by a Mrs. Hathaway and -a lady aptly quoted to him the line: - - Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace. - -At Leamington he was presented with an address and a silver Maltese -Cross. Southam and Banbury were passed through, and then he came -to Oxford, where, it had been predicted, his mission would fail -ignominiously. - -But he was met by students from New College, who treated him with great -gentlemanliness, one observing: - -“Sergeant, you surely never expected that the people of England would -fall upon one man, did you?” - -“No,” replied Bates drawing himself up. “I have come through England not -only believing that my flag would not be insulted, but feeling sure that -Englishmen would show it such respect everywhere that my countrymen would -hail my coming as a step full of joyful hope for the future.” - -“Bravo!” exclaimed the undergraduate. - -Invitations poured in upon the happy soldier. He supped in University -College and breakfasted in Trinity. - -At a levee in the reception-room at the “Roebuck” the toast was given, -“May the stars never shine with less lustre, nor the bars ever grow -shorter,” which was received with musical honours: - - It’s a way they have in the Army, - It’s a way they have in the Navy, - It’s a way we have in the ’Varsity - To drive dull care away. - -On through High Wycombe and Uxbridge passed the soldier with his flag, -and the crowd was great as he set out for Shepherd’s Bush, whence he was -to proceed through London. - -There were incidents humorous and pathetic. - -At one place an aged woman tottered up to him from a wayside house and, -leaning on her stick, said: - -“Let me touch the flag and give my blessing to the bearer. My youngest -boy fought for that flag and died for it in your country. He fell with -that flag in his hand.” - -Her son, an Englishman, had given his life fighting for the Union. - -At another place a grimy sweep, fresh from a job, embraced the American -most affectionately. - -Bates’s quarters at Shepherd’s Bush were at the “Telegraph,” and during -the Friday evening the hotel was in a state of siege. Sir John Bennett, -an ex-Sheriff of the City of London, had offered to lend the soldier a -carriage; but it was ultimately decided to use an open equipage drawn by -a pair of greys, one of them mounted by a postilion. - -The daily papers of the 2nd of December, 1872, give a full account of -the proceedings. Seated in the carriage was Sergeant Bates, holding his -beloved flag, while two other flags, the Union Jack and the Star-spangled -Banner, trailed behind, the horses’ trappings being decorated with -international symbols. - -Up Notting Hill, along Bayswater Road, and through Oxford Street passed -the carriage, surrounded and followed by a huge and demonstrative crowd. - -In Bond Street the horses were taken out, and the carriage was dragged by -some twenty-five persons along St. James’s Street, Pall Mall, by Charing -Cross, and through the Strand and Fleet Street, up Ludgate Hill, and -along Cheapside, to the Guildhall. - -A dense mass of people had congregated in the Guildhall yard, where a -British sergeant was carrying the English standard. The scene beggared -description. The Guildhall itself was full to overflowing, and having -alighted, Bates had perforce to be lifted on shoulders and hoisted, flag -and all, back into the carriage, from which place of vantage he made a -speech before refurling his banner. - -He was delighted with his reception in the heart of the great Metropolis, -and never forgot the sea of faces, the endless crowds, the fluttering -flags, the waving handkerchiefs, the cheers, and the kindly greeting of -that memorable day. His hand seemed to have been wrung into pulp, and he -was struck with the phrasing of the oft-repeated salutation, “Give us -your hand, old pal.” - -Cabmen had little American flags mounted on their vehicles or -pinned to their horses’ heads, ladies had the Stars and Stripes for -carriage-aprons, and children waved toy flags. - -Sergeant Bates was somewhat annoyed by relic hunters, who, could -they have had their way, would soon have whittled his flagstaff into -imperceptible pieces and riven the banner into a thousand shreds. - -He gave a piece of flag and his boots to Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition as -a small offering to those of the British public “who,” as he quaintly -remarked, “worship such things, and who find at Madame Tussaud’s perhaps -the best field for the satisfaction of their curiosity.” - -Writing from the Langham Hotel, where he was staying, he observed that -Madame Tussaud’s had previously voted him a niche among the immortal -heroes who adorned their Exhibition, a mark of honour for which he was -told he ought to feel no small pride. - -And what had Sergeant Bates accomplished? He claimed to have succeeded -in bringing the two great nations’ hearts near to each other, till they -seemed to beat in unison, and the pulsation of the one was for a while -that of the other. - -“God grant,” he said, “that work so begun may not willingly be laid down.” - -Although he was called at one and the same time “a hare-brained -visionary,” “a patriot,” “a fool,” “a man of courage,” and “a remarkably -shrewd, thoughtful individual,” there can be no doubt that he did at -least something to promote international amity, and to cement the feeling -of warm friendship which was found to exist in this country towards her -daughter America. - -The continuation of that tie has been, and is still being, abundantly -manifested ever since the United States joined the Allies in their recent -determined fight for freedom; and there are thousands who echo Sergeant -Bates’s words: - -“May the flags of both countries ever wave in freedom and peace till that -‘far truer time’ when there shall be but one flag, because but one people -on the face of the earth!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - - My first model--Beaconsfield’s curl--Gladstone’s collar--John - Bright and the Chinaman. - - -We now come to a period when I may well speak of my own personal -knowledge concerning men and events in association with Madame Tussaud’s -Exhibition. - -The year 1872 was remarkable for several noteworthy events. Two or three, -in addition to the National Thanksgiving Day for the recovery of the -Prince of Wales from serious illness, vividly recur to memory. Among them -was the assassination of the Earl of Mayo, Viceroy of India, who was -stabbed by a convict while inspecting the settlement at Port Blair on the -Andaman Islands. - -The models of the Prince of Wales and the murdered Viceroy were -introduced to the Exhibition within a few days of each other, and the -sympathetic public responded in great numbers. - -A startling and remarkable tribute to the Viceroy’s portrait was -“unconsciously” paid when the Earl’s housekeeper fainted on suddenly -finding herself in the presence of the model of her late master. - -The first portrait I was entrusted with, as my father’s understudy, -was that of Prince Milan of Serbia, the memory of whom has long since -passed into oblivion, like that of many others whose stay has been brief -among the figures. This was followed by a head of perennial interest, -that of Benjamin Disraeli, which I was called upon to remodel on several -occasions in after years. Clearly do I recall his characteristic -features, so marvellously grasped by Tenniel, whose cartoons in _Punch_ I -never tired of studying. - -It will be remembered that one of the marked peculiarities of Disraeli’s -general appearance was the famous curl he wore upon his forehead. Of that -circumstance I am at this moment somewhat forcibly reminded by a letter -disclosing the remarkable fact that the curl is still in existence, -almost forty years after the great statesman has passed away. Here is an -extract from the letter offering the forelock to us as a relic: - - _Obersley, Near Droitwich, Worcester, - March 7, 1918._ - - My aunt, Miss Louise Hennet, nursed Lord Beaconsfield during - his last illness, and the two locks (one the celebrated curl) - were given to her. She was sent to nurse him from the nursing - institution of St. John the Divine. The hair is enclosed in - paper, which is endorsed in Miss Hennet’s writing, and this can - be identified. - -The letter is duly signed. - -It may be easily understood that the modelling of the features of -celebrated people stamps the memory of the artist with a deep and abiding -impression. I had but shortly seen my father produce a very striking -portrait of Marshal Bazaine, solely remembered now for his dramatic -surrender at Metz on the 27th of October, 1870. - -A small knot of interested people attracted my attention towards a stout, -elderly man of military bearing as he was leaving Mr. Adams-Acton’s -studios in Salisbury Place, Regent’s Park. I was astonished to recognise -in him the living counterpart of the before-mentioned model. - -It was Marshal Bazaine himself, who had but recently escaped from the -fortress of Ile Ste. Marguerite, near Cannes. I was much struck by the -fact that the ill-starred soldier of the Second Empire looked in no way -dejected, despite the disaster that had befallen his reputation. - -I am often asked what are the qualifications people must possess for a -place in Madame Tussaud’s. I can give no better answer than that the -public shall demand to see them, for should the portraits of such people -be omitted they are invariably inquired for by disappointed visitors. - -It is astonishing how great a hold must be taken of the public mind by -candidates for inclusion in Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition before their -election to our house would be welcomed by our patrons. - -Of course, we are now associating our minds only with reputable society. -As regards the Chamber of Horrors--of which I shall have something to -say when the time comes--I may here remark that it is the notorious -characters solely who seem to have a prescriptive right to enter that -abode of gloom, which used to be called in the old days the “Dead Room,” -hardly so telling a title as the “Chamber of Horrors,” for which, by the -way, we are indebted to our dear old friend “Mr. Punch.” - -As to those people who retain a permanent place in the Exhibition, I -suppose the secret is that, either by the example of their lives or -through the medium of their works, they have deeply touched the heart or -stirred the imagination of the people. - -I suppose the British public never looked on two such political -gladiators as Beaconsfield and Gladstone, and while these two statesmen -dominated people’s minds it was natural that they should both have a -pedestal at Madame Tussaud’s. I can neither say who was first to appear -in the Exhibition, nor prophesy who will be the last to go. They are both -there now, and still attract much notice from persons of all shades of -political opinion. - -So often had these figures to be remodelled, to keep pace with the -changes worked by time and the strenuous nature of their public service, -that there must now repose, carefully stowed away in our “catacombs,” -impressions of their features sufficient to cover the whole gamut of -their political careers. - -For more than a generation the Beaconsfield curl and the Gladstone collar -exercised a subtle influence in the political world, mainly through the -cartoons and caricatures of John Tenniel and Harry Furniss. - -One has to be meticulously careful with regard to important details such -as these; and when Mr. Gladstone’s figure had to be remodelled in later -years, it was thought advisable, in order to be quite correct, that a -collar actually belonging to the “G. O. M.” should be inspected. - -Mr. Gladstone was living at Carlton House Terrace at the time the -new portrait was in progress; and our “Master of the Robes,” who was -responsible for the accuracy of detail respecting all Exhibition -costumes, called there, and, on examining the statesman’s collars, was -surprised to find that they were of quite normal size, and not so high as -the caricaturist represented them to be. - -As a matter of fact, the collars were made to fit loosely round the neck, -and thus allowed the wearer’s chin to sink behind their upstanding ends. -It is gratifying to record that permission to view her husband’s collars -was graciously given to our representative by Mrs. Gladstone herself. - -On a certain occasion when Mr. Gladstone had been notified that Mr. Harry -Furniss, the originator of the big collar, would be at a dinner to which -he himself was invited, the Liberal leader purposely wore a collar of -more than usually modest dimensions, possibly as a gentle rebuke to his -caricaturist. - -[Illustration: JOHN BRIGHT - -Anti-Corn Law leader, whose model stands near that of Richard Cobden in -the Exhibition.] - -[Illustration: RICHARD COBDEN - -English statesman and political economist.] - -The model which approached nearest to these in popularity at the time was -that of John Bright, the great Anti-Corn Law Leaguer and apostle of Free -Trade. His portrait has long since stood beside that of Richard Cobden, -and these two inseparable reformers must remain together for good, as -they laboured together in their lives. - -It was on one of the occasions when Bright’s likeness had been brought up -to date that an incident, rather flattering to the modeller, occurred in -the House of Commons. - -An influential Chinaman, on being shown the sights of London, was taken -to the Houses of Parliament, where he happened to notice a prominent -member passing through one of the lobbies. Without ceremony the Chinaman -pounced upon John Bright, and shook him heartily by the hand. The genial -statesman was highly amused at the spontaneous greeting, and inquired how -it was the Chinaman knew him. - -“Oh,” he replied, “I knew you at once. I have just come from seeing you -at Madame Tussaud’s.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - - The Tichborne “Claimant”--Nearly an explosion--The big - man’s clothes--The real heir--The Claimant’s release from - prison--Confession and death. - - -I can hardly allow this period to pass without making some reference to -the fact that from 1872 till 1874--when he was sentenced, on the 28th of -February, to fourteen years’ penal servitude--the name of the “Claimant” -to the Tichborne baronetcy and estates was on every lip, and it seems to -me that no trial in my time has ever engrossed public attention to such a -degree. - -[Illustration: THE TICHBORNE “CLAIMANT” - -Central figure in a famous perjury trial in England. An impression was -made of him before his conviction to penal servitude and another model -was made eleven years later on his return.] - -People flocked to see the Claimant’s portrait when it was added to the -collection, and perhaps that was the first time one saw queues assembled -outside the doors of Madame Tussaud’s. - -The various incidents of this historic case absorbed my youthful -attention, and I recall how, at his house in Kentish Town, the Claimant -submitted to the ordeal of having an impression taken of his hands to -show the curly thumbs and a scar on his wrist which formed subjects of -comment in the courts. - -I was struck by the Claimant’s enormous size, which yet did not seem -to hinder his movements, for the agility of the bulky man was indeed -extraordinary; and equally surprising were the acuteness of his mind and -the suavity of his manner. - -To save him the inconvenience of fulfilling appointments in the -Exhibition studios, my father had a special gas-light fixed at the -Claimant’s house that sittings might be taken in the evenings. - -This device, curiously enough, once put the life of the Claimant in -jeopardy. An old gasfitter in our employment, named Dallender, who had -done some stage work, introduced an apparatus such as was used in the -theatres. Something went wrong with the manipulation of the arrangements, -and the room became charged with gas. A servant was about to enter the -apartment with a light, when the Claimant himself stopped her on noticing -the strong smell. But for this fact the famous Tichborne trial might have -had a sudden and tragic termination. - -The Claimant showed certain qualities which hardly tallied with the -character of the “uneducated butcher” he was declared to be. Proof that -he had some refinement of feeling--or was he merely actuated by that -vanity frequently found among men of his class?--may be inferred from an -incident that greatly impressed my father. - -The Claimant had promised that he would provide a fresh suit of clothes -for his model in the Exhibition, and, in fulfilment of his promise, after -the sentence had been passed upon him, he beckoned from the table at -which he was seated in court to an attendant, and handed him the suit of -clothes, saying: - -“Please see to these being delivered at Madame Tussaud’s, as they are -expected there.” - -This fact strikes one as being remarkable, having regard to the anxiety -of mind he must undoubtedly have suffered at the close of the trial. - -It was a curious coincidence that I revisited my old college at Ramsgate -about this time, and there had pointed out to me, among the students, the -young heir to the Tichborne estates, whose title had been made clear by -the conviction of the Claimant for perjury. - -The students were on their way to the refectory, and the youthful heir -appeared more concerned over the prospect of a good dinner than the -result of the case upon which his future depended. - -Stories of the Claimant were countless as he strode like a Colossus -through the country in the long interval between his civil case and the -criminal trial that succeeded it. - -He was mobbed by sympathisers everywhere, and men and women shook hands -with him, as if it bestowed a distinction on themselves. There was one -amusing story at the time of a wealthy Yorkshire manufacturer whose wife -said to him when they entertained the Claimant to dinner: - -“John, how we are slithering into Society!” - -After he had served eleven years’ imprisonment, his sentence having -been reduced through good conduct, the Claimant came to the Exhibition -to learn if he could be of any further service to us, or we to him. His -ponderous bulk was so much reduced by prison fare that we should not have -known him. He said he was none the worse for the period of enforced -“banting,” which reduced his weight without injuring his health. - -The Claimant gave me several sittings at this time, and a new model was -substituted for the old one. He spoke freely of his prison experiences, -and said: - -“It was not easy to be philosophical when set to tease oakum, but -eventually I bowed to my fate cheerfully enough. It is some consolation -to know that thousands still believe in the justice of my claim to the -Tichborne estates.” - -Notwithstanding this, the Claimant published in a Sunday newspaper his -signed confession, which he is said to have afterwards recanted. - -He survived his liberation from prison fourteen years, and, gradually -sinking into poverty, died in obscure lodgings in Marylebone, not far -from the Exhibition, on the 2nd of April, 1898. The name engraved on his -coffin was “Sir Roger Charles Doughty Tichborne,” thus maintaining his -claim to the very last. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - - H. M. Stanley sits to Joseph Tussaud--The story of his - life--How he found Livingstone--A mysterious veiled lady--The - Prince Imperial. - - -In 1873 the nation was saddened by the death at Ilala of Dr. Livingstone, -the great missionary-explorer, who, some time before, had disappeared -in the trackless wastes of Central Africa while preaching the gospel -to savages and making surveys of the great continent. The name of -Livingstone will always be bracketed with that of H. M. Stanley, who, as -the emissary of the _New York Herald_, “discovered” him. - -[Illustration: DAVID LIVINGSTONE - -Missionary and African Explorer, whose model is in the Tussaud -collection.] - -When my father wrote to Stanley asking for a sitting, he replied that -he was too heavily engaged at the time writing his book _How I Found -Livingstone_, and he proposed that the artist should call and make a -study of him at his desk. This he did, with the happy result that he -produced a very striking portrait. - -The story of Stanley’s life is a romance in itself. - -Born of poor parents at Denbigh, in Wales, about 1840, he at first bore -the name of John Rowlands. When about fifteen years of age he worked his -way as a cabin boy to New Orleans, where he was employed by a merchant, -name Stanley, whose name he assumed. - -He served in the Confederate Army, contributed to several journals, and -in the year 1867 began his connection with the _New York Herald_. As its -special correspondent he accompanied Lord Napier’s Abyssinian Expedition, -and the first news of the fall of Magdala was conveyed to this country by -his paper. He next went to Spain for the _Herald_, and he was in Madrid -in October, 1869, when he received the peremptory telegram “Come to Paris -on important business.” He immediately complied, and there received from -Mr. Bennett, junior, the laconic instruction and valediction, “Find -Livingstone! Good-night, and God be with you.” - -In January, 1871, Stanley reached Zanzibar, and two months later marched -into the heart of Africa. - -It was on the 10th of November that he “found” Livingstone at Ujiji. -Well, indeed, as Stanley himself admitted, was he repaid for all the -dangers he encountered on his journey when he grasped the hand of -the grey-haired old missionary--aged by climate and exposure--whose -whereabouts he had been sent to discover. - -We placed in the Exhibition portrait models not only of Stanley, attired -in a facsimile of the explorer’s suit worn by him on the occasion of the -historic meeting, but also one of Dr. Livingstone himself. Probably many -more persons have gazed upon the figure of Livingstone in the Exhibition -than ever paid a pilgrimage to see his final resting-place in Westminster -Abbey. - -Together with the model of Stanley was placed a figure of his boy, -Kalulu, concerning whom the explorer wrote a book in 1873 (_My Kalulu_). - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: NAPOLEON III.] - -The death of Napoleon III in the January of this year was associated -with one of the most impressive tableaux in the long history of Madame -Tussaud’s. The Emperor was represented as lying in state, and I find -myself still wondering as to the identity of a tall, stately lady, -dressed in black and wearing a thick veil, who came to the Exhibition on -several occasions, bringing a bunch of violets which she placed on the -steps of the catafalque, after having obtained a vase containing water in -which to put the flowers. - -[Illustration: THE PRINCE IMPERIAL - -Son of Napoleon III., killed by the Zulus on Whit Monday, 1879. From the -painting by Pichat.] - -The son of the Emperor Louis Napoleon, the Prince Imperial, who was -killed in the Zulu War, was made the subject of an equestrian memorial -at Madame Tussaud’s some years later. The tableau closely conformed with -authentic details of the Prince’s attempt to mount his horse and escape -from the Zulu hordes, who pierced him with many assegais. - -It had been suggested in the House of Commons that an effigy to his -memory should be erected in the Abbey, in view of the fact that the young -Bonaparte died in one of England’s wars while serving under English -officers. A reference in _Punch_ to this proposal suggested that a much -more suitable repository for a memorial would be Madame Tussaud’s along -with the other memorials of the Bonaparte period on view there. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - - Count Léon--The Shah of Persia’s visit--A weird suggestion; no - response--King Koffee--Cetewayo. - - -About this time I met Count Léon, the natural son of Napoleon the Great. -The Count was then nearing seventy years of age, and had taken refuge -in this country after the great _débâcle_ of 1870. He lived in modest -lodgings at Camden Town, and to pay his way set about selling the last -remaining relics of the Imperial Family he had in his possession. - -In a diary I now have before me I find that my father visited him on -the 31st of January, 1873, the Count having expressed a wish to show -him the family heirlooms, with the view to their finding a permanent -resting-place among the many Napoleonic memorials at Madame Tussaud’s. - -The Count offered him a fine miniature of Napoleon I’s brother, Lucien; -a terra-cotta bust of Napoleon’s mother, “Madame Mère”; and a snuff-box -left by Napoleon with Count Léon’s mother. The box contained a portion -of the snuff which the Emperor had been using. There was also a lock -of hair belonging to Napoleon’s son, the Duc de Reichstadt, known in -high Imperial days as the King of Rome. One or two of these relics were -acquired for the Exhibition. - -[Illustration: COUNT LÉON - -Natural son of Napoleon Bonaparte. A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.] - -The Count bore a striking resemblance to the Emperor, except in two -particulars: his figure was cast in a larger mould, and his eyes were -hazel, whereas Napoleon’s were blue-grey. Count Léon returned to France, -leaving behind him in London his son Charles, for whom I obtained a -position in a City warehouse, where he remained engaged for several -years, being at no pains to disguise his identity. My readers will -readily see that the name granted to his father by the Emperor was -composed of the last four letters in “Napoleon,” a whimsical touch of -Imperial humour. - -Count Léon finally settled at Pontoise, some twenty miles north-west of -Paris, first at the Villa Davenport in the Rue l’Hermitage and afterwards -in the Rue de Beaujon. This was his last stage. The room that he made his -final refuge he adorned with four portraits of Napoleon, “my glorious -father.” - -To what depths had the Emperor’s son fallen! The old man’s shirts were -in rags; he could not afford clean linen; he had to forgo tobacco. He -died on the 14th of April, 1881, and without pomp or ceremony his body -was laid in a pauper’s grave. His only memorial was a grassy mound and a -little black wooden cross that soon rotted and fell to pieces. - -On the 2nd of July, 1873, the Shah of Persia, accompanied by his numerous -suite, visited Madame Tussaud’s, and was accorded a private view with -some pomp and formality. His visit to the Exhibition was deemed of such -importance that it gained the unusual distinction of a special reference -in the _Court Circular_. Members of our Royal Household in considerable -numbers attended in state, and formed an imposing assemblage. The public -was excluded. - -The domes of the building were specially darkened to give effect to the -internal illuminations, which were very beautiful. None enjoyed the -function more than the Shah himself, who laughed heartily as he pointed -at models he was able to recognise, and several times turned from a -figure to a person present, indicating by a gesture and a chuckle his -pride at discerning the likeness. The merry monarch even went so far as -to pose among the figures as a real, live royal model. - -Before leaving the Exhibition the Shah called for pen and paper, and, -surrounded by the distinguished company, wrote in Persian the following: -“Whilst staying in London I visited Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition, and -wrote these words here by way of memorial to my visit.--NASSERDIN CHAH -KADJAR, 1290 Haegira (1873).” - -The above free translation was there and then made by one of His Solar -Highness’s secretaries, and it possesses the charm of its own defects. - -The “king of kings” was in his most humorously autocratic vein among the -unhallowed figures of the Chamber of Horrors. He seemed to gloat over -the collection of criminals and notorieties, examining with unaffected -delight the guillotine which cut off so many heads during the French -Revolution. - -The lunette in which the necks of the victims were held in position -greatly fascinated the Shah, who hinted that a condemned prisoner should -be brought from one of the English gaols to be decapitated on the spot -for the edification of himself and his attendants. - -It was pointed out, as an evasive measure, that no condemned man was -available at that moment, whereupon His Majesty turned to the members of -his suite and called for volunteers. - -Such a thing, however, as an execution at Madame Tussaud’s was out of the -question, even to gratify the whim of so illustrious a personage; and the -Shah’s retainers looked genuinely relieved when they gathered that their -royal master was not to have his way. - -This period seemed to inaugurate a series of little wars, which, -nevertheless, then excited the interest of the people, whose descendants -may well remark how comparatively small these wars were. The Ashantee -campaign ended in the fall of Coomassie on the 4th of February, 1874, and -Sir Garnet Wolseley added fresh laurels to his fame. It was with real -regret that the public looked in vain for the portrait of King Koffee -at Madame Tussaud’s. As the dusky potentate had evidently never had his -photograph taken, and as “sittings” were out of the question, we could -not very well gratify the public curiosity for lack of the necessary data. - -Not only did people expect to discover King Koffee’s portrait, but they -also clamoured to see his famous umbrella, which Wolseley “borrowed” from -His Majesty’s mud-palace at Coomassie, and obviously failed to return, -for the umbrella was accepted as a gift by Queen Victoria from the -gallant Commander of this brief and brilliant expedition. We confessed -then to a twinge of envy that the celebrated gamp had not found its way -to Madame Tussaud’s. We were, however, amply compensated by the public -favour with which the portrait of Sir Garnet was received. - -[Illustration: KING CETEWAYO - -Deposed King of the Zulus, who visited England as the “guest of the -Government” and whose image in wax remains at Madame Tussaud’s as a -memorial of his visit.] - -The deposed King of the Zulus, Cetewayo, who was subsequently restored to -a portion of his kingdom, made a considerable stir when he visited this -country as the “guest of the Government.” A friend who was appointed to -take shorthand notes when Cetewayo attended at the Foreign Office enabled -me to gain a view of the burly black monarch, and I had an opportunity of -comparing the original with the many published portraits. - -He was a handsome type of a fine race, and looked a king even among the -stalwart members of his suite, everyone of whom seemed to be six feet at -least in height and well-proportioned. - -Cetewayo’s figure had been in the Exhibition some time before, and it now -became possible to bring it up to date. Everything was done to impress -Cetewayo with the strength of the British Empire; but it was discovered -that the objects which appealed most to his savage taste were the cattle -in the fields, the cloth in the factories, and the gewgaws and jewels in -the shop windows. - -“He is uglier than that,” said an envoy of the Induna King, Gungunhana, -critically scrutinising Cetewayo’s figure, when he visited the Exhibition -in June, 1891. - -This native envoy rejoiced in the name of Huluhulu-Untato, his companion -being Umfeti-Inteni. They thought the figures were really dead bodies -which had been preserved from decay. When told that they were merely -waxen images the Indunas expressed disappointment that the white man had -not completed his work by putting breath into the bodies. - -When Huluhulu came before the figure of Queen Victoria he saluted Her -silent Majesty, and stood audibly worshipping her for a minute or two. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - - The Berlin Congress--Lord Beaconsfield and the “Turnerelli - wreath”--“The People’s Tribute” finds a home at Tussaud’s--The - sculptor’s despair--He constructs his tombstone and dies. - - -The year 1876--in which we find the Prince of Wales arriving at Calcutta, -the commercial metropolis of India; “Empress of India” added to the royal -titles of Queen Victoria; and Disraeli’s elevation to the Upper House as -Earl of Beaconsfield--gave us subjects that kept our studios extremely -busy, and also brought a constant stream of visitors to the Exhibition. - -The portrait of the Queen had now to be remodelled; that of the Prince of -Wales appeared in the garb of a big-game hunter; and Disraeli’s doffed -its ordinary attire for the robes of a peer. - -Following these “moving” events, we now come to a period when the country -became apprehensively aware of ominous happenings in the Balkan States. - -Russia declared war on Turkey in 1877, and forced a clear road to -Constantinople. This threat to our Eastern Empire aroused the spirit of -war, particularly in London, and “gentlemen of the pavement,” as Bismarck -styled the men in the street, gloried in the ultra-patriotic sentiment -which obtained the name of “Jingo”; while music-halls and taverns rang -with the rousing chorus embodying that distinctive epithet: - - We don’t want to fight, - But, by jingo, if we do, - We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men, - And we’ve got the money too. - -Lord Beaconsfield’s prompt demand that a halt should be called to -hostilities, for the adjustment of differences between the belligerents, -led to the Berlin Congress, and gave us an excellent opportunity of -adding an imposing group of the European statesmen who framed the Berlin -Treaty. - -Yet, so mercurial is the public taste, and so pronounced is the love of -the British race for anything that is amusingly abnormal, that I doubt -whether ten people did not come to see the “Turnerelli wreath” for one -who came to scan the features of these great peace-makers. - -“What was the ‘Turnerelli wreath’?” the present generation may ask. It -was the pivot of a political comedy that set the whole nation laughing. - -[Illustration: EDWARD TRACY TURNERELLI - -Promoter of “The People’s Tribute” refused by Lord Beaconsfield.] - -Edward Tracy Turnerelli, a sculptor’s son, and himself a sculptor, -instituted a penny subscription to present Lord Beaconsfield with a gold -laurel wreath, which he called “The People’s Tribute,” in appreciation of -his many services to the State and in commemoration of his great part in -the deliberations of the Berlin Congress. - -Fifty-two thousand workmen subscribed their pennies in vain, for Lord -Beaconsfield courteously, but firmly, declined the gift, and it was left -on Turnerelli’s hands; while he, of course, could hardly be expected to -refund the copper contributions. - -I am indebted to Mr. J. H. Bottomley, Conservative agent for Clapham, -for a copy of the following interesting autograph letter from Lord -Beaconsfield, expressing his satisfaction that the course he had adopted -in declining to accept the wreath had met with the approval of many who -had been induced to sanction the proposed gift: - - _10 Downing Street, - Whitehall, - August 11th, 1879._ - - DEAR SIR, - - I have the honour to acknowledge your letter of the 9th inst. - - It gives me much satisfaction to learn that the course I felt - it my duty to take with respect to a certain pseudo-testimonial - has met with the approval of many of those who, originally, - by misleading representations, were induced to sanction a - surreptitious gift. - - I am gratified by the suggestion, which, on behalf of various - Conservative associations, you put before me, that I should - receive a National Address of confidence as a substitution for - the rejected offering, but when I call to mind that the present - policy of Her Majesty’s Government, unchanged and unshaken, is - precisely the same as that which, scarcely a year ago, received - an unanimous and most honourable expression of approval from - the Conservative Association of this country, I hope I am not - presumptuous if, without now troubling them for its renewed - avowal, I still venture to count on the continued confidence, - which, then, was so welcome and so cheering. - - Faithfully yours, - - BEACONSFIELD. - -The postman who delivered this letter to Mr. Bottomley offered him all -his savings (£19 5s.) for the letter. - -Mr. Bottomley received in five days, in 1879, more than 3,000 pennies -from the working men of Oldham, together with the personal signature of -each contributor, and he holds Mr. Turnerelli’s receipt for the £13 5s. -he sent him for the tribute. - -The wreath was offered to us, and purchased at its gold valuation. - -I looked at it to-day, and renewed my admiration of its artistic design -and remarkable beauty. Every leaf is of gold, and under each one is -inscribed the name of a town where a committee collected the pennies. The -“tie” bears the inscription “Tracy Turnerelli, chairman.” - -[Illustration: THE TURNERELLI WREATH - -“The People’s Tribute” offered to and declined by Lord Beaconsfield in -1879.] - -While London roared and cynics wrote satirical quips, the promoter of -“The People’s Tribute” took its rejection very much to heart. I have seen -a cabinet-size photograph of the disappointed sculptor, taken immediately -afterwards, showing him with head thrown back, resting on his left hand, -in a theatrical posture of profound despair. - -Before the Beaconsfield wreath made the name of Turnerelli a byword, the -public-spirited sculptor, who had spent a long time in Russia, vehemently -opposed the Crimean War, as did also Mr. John Bright. Turnerelli was -received by Lord Aberdeen on the subject, and the Prime Minister was said -to have been impressed by the sculptor’s sincerity and the cogency of -his arguments. He also saw Lord John Russell, then Foreign Secretary, -Lord Clarendon, and Lord Palmerston. In one particular he was vindicated. -He declared that Cronstadt was impregnable, and as the war went on this -proved to be the case. - -Turnerelli, unluckily for himself, thereafter entertained the chimerical -idea of presenting the golden laurel chaplet to Lord Beaconsfield, -estimating that the cost of each leaf would be about £5. He succeeded, at -any rate, in convincing sceptical people that there were at least 52,000 -Conservative working men in the country. The wreath was made by Messrs. -Hunt and Roskell, who put it on exhibition at their rooms. It was also -shown to the Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family before -being exhibited at the Crystal Palace. - -Turnerelli’s own explanation of Lord Beaconsfield’s refusal to accept -the wreath was a curious one. He stated that a “high legal functionary” -warned Lord Beaconsfield that the wreath was a typical “Imperial diadem” -which could only be loyally offered to a sovereign, and that it would be -an insult to the Crown if a subject were to accept such a gift. - -This same legal authority, Turnerelli said, reminded him that the -promoter of such a presentation would have been consigned, in previous -reigns, to the Tower of London. - -These warnings came too late for Turnerelli, who, had he known about -them sooner, might have substituted an inoffensive golden inkstand or -a pair of golden candlesticks. But the wreath was allowed to go on to -completion, to be put on exhibition, and to be written about in a light -and fleering spirit; while the statesman to whom it was to be presented -offered no remonstrance until the pennies of the 52,000 working men had -been spent on it. - -Flippant people suggested that the whole affair was a “plant” on -Turnerelli’s part to win from Lord Beaconsfield some honour or emolument; -but those who knew Turnerelli well scouted this insinuation, and -attributed the whole proceeding to the guileless sincerity of the man. - -Had he never embarked upon the wreath project, he might have preserved -some reputation as a writer of topical political verse and pamphlets. The -wreath, however, may serve to preserve his memory longer, as an episode -in the life of the great Conservative statesman whom he artlessly, rather -than artfully, desired to honour. - -In a curious last will and testament Turnerelli said: “I leave the -gold laurel wreath to the nation, provided my generous friends the -Conservatives will help me to cover the hundred and fifty pounds or -thereabouts I have personally expended upon it.” - -To a Birmingham gentleman, with whom he had almost completed negotiations -for the sale of the wreath for £245, he wrote: “By the advice of -influential friends I have determined to let Madame Tussaud & Sons have -the privilege of exhibiting the wreath.” Turnerelli compensated the -Birmingham would-be purchaser for alleged breach of contract. - -_Punch_, of the 22nd of November, 1879, contained the following: “What -the Wreath has come to.--The brows of Lord Beaconsfield at Madame -Tussaud’s. _Punch_ said it would, and it has.” - -_Funny Folks_ said: “The Beaconsfield Wreath is at Madame Tussaud’s, -probably worn by his lordship’s effigy. Curious that this emblem of -popularity should be on the wax, while the popularity itself is on the -wane.” - -It may be stated that the gold wreath never rested on the waxen brows of -Lord Beaconsfield, despite what _Punch_ said to the contrary. - -I am reminded that, in his latter days, Turnerelli sought consolation for -worldly disdain in designing and constructing his own tombstone. This was -erected in Leamington Cemetery about four years before his death, and -serves as a monument not only for himself, but also for his father, who -was a famous sculptor in the early part of the century, and is buried in -London. - -After the erection of the tombstone the younger Turnerelli regularly went -to gaze at it for an hour or two. The block is surmounted by an imitation -in stone of the famous rejected wreath. - -Turnerelli died at Leamington on the 24th of January, 1896, aged -eighty-four years. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - - The Phœnix Park murders--We secure the jaunting-car and - pony--Charles Bradlaugh--General Boulanger--Lord Roberts - inspects the model of himself. - - -The requirements of the business have often necessitated our sending -fairly far afield in quest of exhibits, and this has seldom been done -without success, as people with desirable relics to dispose of appear to -have recognised the claims of Madame Tussaud’s. - -Between seven and eight o’clock on Saturday evening, the 6th of May, -1882, Lord Frederick Cavendish, the newly appointed Chief Secretary for -Ireland, and Mr. Thomas Burke, the Permanent Irish Under-Secretary, were -stabbed to death in Phœnix Park, Dublin, and twenty “Invincibles” were -subsequently tried for the murder, five being hanged, three sentenced to -penal servitude for life, and nine to various terms of imprisonment. - -[Illustration: LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH - -Chief Secretary for Ireland, who met his death by assassination in Phœnix -Park, Dublin, May 6th, 1882. One of the most noted of the many victims of -Irish political agitators.] - -James Carey, who turned Queen’s evidence and was acquitted, paid for the -betrayal of his associates with his life, for he was shot by Patrick -O’Donnell on board the _Melrose Castle_, near Port Elizabeth, South -Africa, on the 24th of July, 1883. The Government, in their efforts to -get Carey safely into another part of the world under an assumed name, -were thus outwitted by the “Invincible” avengers. - -It had been intimated to the management of the Exhibition that there -was a chance of Madame Tussaud’s obtaining from Michael Kavanagh -the jaunting-car in which the assassins drove to and from the scene -of the crime. Kavanagh was a typical Dublin jarvey, with an almost -unintelligible brogue, from whom the car was hired. The assassins drove -several miles circuitously about the scene of the tragedy with the object -of escaping detection. - -Our representative was forthwith sent to Dublin, and soon found himself -in possession of Kavanagh’s car. The good-humoured jarvey seemed glad to -be rid of the vehicle; anyhow, the price he asked was not a prohibitive -one. - -One thing was particularly noticeable, namely, that the number on the -car differed from the number quoted in the newspaper accounts describing -it when taken by the police. It was discovered, however, that the -“Invincibles” had changed the number before the fateful journey. A -condition was made by Kavanagh that the pony which drew the car should -also be purchased, as he wished to have done with them both. - -It took only a few hours to complete the transaction, and thereafter -Kavanagh drove the purchaser over the ground traversed by the assassins -in their endeavours to throw the police off the scent. This was a -voluntary act on the part of Kavanagh, and our representative was -curiously exercised at the time to understand why he imagined the trip -should interest him. - -To facilitate transit the car was taken to pieces by a coach-builder -at Kingstown and wrapped in sacking, in the hope that it would not be -observed. It was then put on the night boat for Holyhead. - -The pony found a home in stables belonging to the Exhibition, and soon -afterwards came to an untimely end from too little exercise and a too -liberal allowance of provender. Why we did not sell the pony for what it -might fetch is more than can be told to-day; it may be surmised that such -an expedient did not occur to our minds. - -On the voyage across passengers whispered to each other that the Phœnix -Park car was on board, and on its arrival in London there appeared among -the latest telegrams in an evening paper: “Kavanagh’s car goes to Madame -Tussaud’s.” Evidently the Irish correspondents had wired the news of -which we ourselves had hoped to make a special announcement. - -The car was soon put together, and placed on view at the Exhibition in -one of the rooms adjacent to the Chamber of Horrors, and in another part -of the Exhibition were shown the portraits of Lord Frederick Cavendish -and Mr. Burke. - -After being exhibited many years the car was given to a gentleman who -manifested an interest in it. Its new owner had it renovated for his own -use as a private conveyance, and he might often have been seen driving it -in the streets of London, no one suspecting its notorious history. - -[Illustration: CHARLES BRADLAUGH - -English radical politician and advocate of secularism.] - -Charles Bradlaugh sat many times to my father, and proved an entertaining -and patient subject, sincerely desirous that his portrait should be a -true representation of himself. He discussed the troubles he was then -passing through in the political arena over the oath, for which, after -much contention, he was permitted to substitute an affirmation. - -I remember him in his comings and goings, wearing a frock-coat and silk -hat, tall and of commanding appearance, always affable and chatty. - -A humorous writer of the day made fun of Mr. Bradlaugh’s advent at Madame -Tussaud’s as follows: - - Tremendous excitement on the admission of Mr. Bradlaugh in wax - into Madame Tussaud’s establishment. Cobbett’s figure gave an - extra kick of delight, and as he offered his snuff-box to the - unwelcome guest he assured him that he was a friend at a pinch. - Oliver Cromwell, Cranmer, and Charles I were indignant. The - Russian giant is annoyed, and Tom Thumb threatens to make the - place too hot for him. Figures waxing wrath! - - Latest telegram from Baker Street: “Bradlaugh cool; great heat. - Cromwell showing signs of melting; all melting. Sleeping Beauty - undisturbed.” - - The latest latest: “Threatened with the guillotine in the - Chamber of Horrors if they are not quiet. Tranquillity - restored.” - -On many occasions it has been my office to accompany round the Exhibition -visitors whose likenesses were at the time on view--always a trying -ordeal. - -I call to mind the visit paid by General Boulanger shortly after that -Meteoric ex-Minister of War quitted Paris for London to avoid arrest. It -will be remembered that Boulanger was wounded in a duel with Floquet, his -political antagonist, and that he dramatically ended his chequered life -by shooting himself on the grave, in Brussels, of the woman to whom he -was fondly attached. - -[Illustration: GENERAL BOULANGER - -Meteoric Minister of War for France, who ended his life in Brussels by -shooting himself on the grave of the woman to whom he was devoted.] - -As we stood before his facsimile, which had been only recently modelled, -and, as it happened, represented him as considerably younger than his -years, the General smiled and said, when I invited him to grant me a -special sitting, “It is very, very good; do not touch it.” I fancied -that, like most people, Boulanger had no objection to a flattering -youthful reproduction of himself. - -Boulanger’s inclusion at Madame Tussaud’s was the subject of a full-page -cartoon by Tenniel in _Punch_, showing the be-medalled General standing -in his stirrups on horseback and waving his hand as though in the act of -delivering an important command. The cartoon was entitled “_Chez_ Madame -Tussaud’s.” An Exhibition employé was represented as saying to the little -black-bonneted Madame--with a covert allusion to the General’s political -reverses--“Where is he to be put _now_, ma’am?” - -It was with a certain amount of surprise that I realised a short time -ago, when the question was put to me by a prominent member of the Press, -that during the thirty years I have been exclusively responsible for the -modelling here, together with the fifteen or sixteen years in which I was -working under my father, I must have produced, with studies, close upon -a thousand models. - -It is, of course, quite natural that many celebrities who pay a visit to -the Exhibition, well knowing that their likenesses, have a place within -it, are not escorted round the galleries. For the most part, coyly and -shyly they seek out their own models, and, more often than not, approach -them with a concern born of a too-studied indifference that is sometimes -extremely amusing. - -“Bobs” was not of that order; he was a notable exception to the general -rule. - -“Where’s my figure?” he asked plump and plain, and around it he -stepped, quizzically examining it from various points of view. When -he had satisfied himself that it was a fairly true representation, he -ejaculated, “Not at all bad! Not at all bad!” and walked off to inspect -the relics of the great Napoleon. - -Lord Roberts’s figure had been installed soon after his famous march from -Kabul to Khandahar in the Afghan War. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - - My favourite portrait--Lord Tennyson poses unconsciously before - my wife--“This beats Tussaud’s”--Sir Richard Burton--His widow - clothes the model. - - -Of all the portraits of my own modelling, I think, if I may be permitted -to express an opinion, I like that of Lord Tennyson as well as any. It -revives pleasant memories, and I will ask my readers if I may bring my -wife into this part of my story. By a coincidence, as I raised my eyes at -this moment, my glance fell upon a bust of Tennyson resting on a shelf in -my studio. - -[Illustration: HEAD OF LORD TENNYSON (POET LAUREATE 1850-1892) - -The bust modeled by John T. Tussaud, first exhibited at the Royal -Academy, London, in 1892, now in the Tussaud collection.] - -About the time when I was engaged with the model of the great Victorian -poet I had rented a farm cottage near Freshwater, Isle of Wight, and -I remember my wife telling me that she frequently saw Tennyson in the -neighbourhood. - -On several occasions the poet, who lived at Farringford, near by, while -taking his daily constitutional, came and leant upon the garden gate, -evidently charmed with the beauty of the place. The old thatched roof and -the quaint attractiveness of the cottage might well have given rise to -reflections in less imaginative minds than that of a poet. - -I had not the opportunity of studying Tennyson’s features at that time; -but my wife, coyly hidden in a favourite spot in the garden, was able to -observe him closely. Being herself an artist of no mean ability, she thus -afforded me considerable help in the production of his portrait. - -It seems strange that perhaps the most reclusive of men should have -unwittingly come forward and posed, as it were, at the very door of the -artist who was then desirous of obtaining sittings. - -One day, while I was at work in the studio on Tennyson, I was visited by -Father Haythornthwaite, rector of the Catholic Church at Freshwater. The -priest was greatly interested, and he must have conveyed to the poet the -intelligence that I was about to place his figure in Madame Tussaud’s, -for very shortly afterwards I learned that Tennyson was particularly -desirous that I should bear in mind that, in spite of his four-score -years, he had not a grey hair in his head--a touch of nature that seemed -to me particularly human. - - * * * * * - -A nice but unintentional compliment was paid to one of our tableaux about -this time by the present King, when he was Duke of York. We complied with -a request to furnish a representation of the scene of the death of Nelson -in the cockpit of the _Victory_ for the Royal Naval Exhibition at Chelsea -in May, 1891. This tableau was founded on the famous picture by Devis, -which found a permanent home at Greenwich Hospital in 1825; and it was -very well received by the visitors to the Exhibition. The compliment to -which I allude was not heard by me, but it was reported in the Press at -the time that the Duke of York, while looking at the tableau, exclaimed, -“Why, this beats Tussaud’s!” - -The tableau has been in our Exhibition ever since, and is a great -favourite with all. When the present Prince of Wales and his brother -Albert paid us a visit, the Sailor Prince looked long and intently at the -historic scene. Both boys were also a good deal moved as they gazed on -the tableau showing the murder of the two little princes in the Tower of -London--a representation over which many impressionable people have been -unable to keep dry eyes. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: SIR RICHARD BURTON - -The effigy dressed in the clothes he wore on his famous pilgrimage to -Mecca, modeled by John T. Tussaud.] - -A great name with the past generation was that of Sir Richard Burton, -who, sixty-six years ago, in fulfilment of a lifelong dream, made -a pilgrimage to the shrine of the prophet Mahomet at Mecca when it -was believed that no Christian could go there. Besides being a great -explorer he was a man of scholarly attainments, and his translation of -the _Arabian Nights_ bears the stamp of an intimate familiarity with the -Orient. - -When Sir Richard died his remarkable career became so much a subject of -general comment in the Press that the British public awakened to the fact -that a great Englishman had just passed away. - -Apart from his literary achievements, the account of his exploits -revealed so great a love of adventure and so much disregard for narrowing -conventionalities as to leaven the story of his life with a very strong -tincture of romance. - -When modelling his figure I saw a great deal of his handsome and stately -widow, and I am sure no woman could have taken a greater pleasure or more -pains in assisting an artist with such an undertaking. Every thought, -every action, she bestowed upon the work showed how deeply she cherished -her husband’s memory and how vividly the portrait stirred her imagination. - -She clothed the model with perhaps the greatest personal treasure of -his she possessed--that is to say, the actual garments her husband wore -when he went on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. She tarried long over -the finishing touches that should make his presentment look its best -before the critical eyes of the public should scan it. Ornaments, beads, -trappings, had each her full consideration, and the very weapons of -defence stuck anglewise in his belt were subjected to her most careful -arrangement. - -Of the capacity for taking pains there was no limit in Isabel Lady -Burton’s nature; but the labour in producing the figure, after many -trying weeks, at last came to an end; and there readily springs to my -mind the pathetic picture of her bestowing upon the figure the few final -touches, her fingers lingering over the pleats and folds of his robe ere -she could declare herself satisfied that the task she had undertaken in -helping with the model had been done at her very best. - -There was one little difficulty, however, that she could not quite -surmount. The costume was complete in every respect except one--the -sandals he had worn on his hazardous journey to Mecca had become, owing -to the wet and heat and the passage of time, mere tinder, and could not -be placed upon the figure. - -The following brief but interesting letter explains how this difficulty -was overcome: - - _67, Baker Street, - Portman Square, W., - May 22nd, 1894._ - - DEAR MR. TUSSAUD, - - I sent you a pair of sandals yesterday belonging to me, but - to-day I have had the promise of a pair from the Prior of the - Franciscans which would suit much better. I shall send them - directly I receive them. - - Yours sincerely, - - ISABEL BURTON. - -The monument at Mortlake, on the Thames, within which now repose -the remains of Sir Richard and his wife, consists of a white marble -mausoleum, sculptured in the form of an Arab tent, its cost having been -partly defrayed by public subscription. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - - Removal of the Exhibition to the present building--Sleeping - “figures”--History of the Portman Rooms--The Cato Street - Conspiracy--Baron Grant’s staircase. - - -After fifty prosperous years at the old Baker Street Rooms--now known as -the Portman Rooms--it became necessary that Madame Tussaud’s should find -more commodious premises to meet the growing popularity of the Exhibition. - -The removal to the present well-known red building was made in July, -1884, and the change took about a week, during which the staff put in -very long hours. So strenuous a time was it that some of them could -hardly keep their eyes open towards the end of this transition period. - -There were considerably more than four hundred figures, not to mention -countless other things, to transfer; and the models were cloaked for -conveyance, as the idea could not be entertained of portraits of -royalties, celebrities, and notorieties being carried uncovered and -exposed to the vulgar gaze. - -The wrapping of the images in sheets led to an amusing incident after -they had been removed. Before they could be properly arranged and a -fitting place assigned to each, the exhibits were placed in their -coverings on the floor. This fact, it appeared, suggested to tired -members of the staff a way by which they might be able to snatch a little -rest. - -Missing some of the men, my suspicions were directed to the prostrate -exhibits, and I proceeded to prod the sheeted figures, with the result -that here and there my attentions called forth manifestations of life. -The weary helpers had laid themselves down to sleep among the models, -hoping not to be disturbed. Although time was pressing, they were -permitted to continue a few hours’ well-earned rest with their pack-sheet -cloaks around them. - -Few of our visitors on the closing night were aware of the forthcoming -change-over, and it was only when the band, after playing the last bar -of the National Anthem, struck up “Auld Lang Syne” that the visitors -realised what it all signified. There was a touch of pathos in the -farewell scenes, and for the next week Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition was -not included among the sights of London. - -When the old rooms in Baker Street were taken over for hospital uses in -the war, my mind reverted to an historic coincidence of considerable -military interest. - -More than a hundred years ago what is now the Baker Street Carriage -Bazaar formed the barracks and stabling of the Royal Life Guards. The -place was then known as the King Street Barracks. Old inhabitants of the -neighbourhood used to tell me that a regiment of the Guards marched from -these quarters on their way to the field of Waterloo. - -A little way off was the Portman Street Barracks, from which Captain -Fitzclarence set out to arrest Arthur Thistlewood and his confederates in -connection with the Cato Street Conspiracy--one of the most desperate and -foolhardy episodes in modern English history. - -Thistlewood and other members of the Spencean Society--which might almost -be described as the prototype of latter-day Bolshevism--conceived the -mad idea that they could capture, among other strongholds, the Bank of -England, the Mansion House, the Tower of London, and Coutts’s Bank; -but they found that the public sympathy on which they counted did not -exist. Thistlewood was thrown into gaol for treasonable utterances, and -instead of imprisonment bringing him to his right senses, he became more -fanatical than ever. - -The crowning act of infamy on the part of this nineteenth-century “Guy -Fawkes” and his followers was to hatch a plot for the assassination of -Ministers at a Cabinet dinner in Lord Harrowby’s house, Grosvenor Square. -The conspirators took a loft over a stable in Cato Street, Marylebone, -where they accumulated arms, bombs, and hand-grenades, vainly imagining -that the police knew nothing of their movements, whereas the authorities -were only waiting the right moment for action. - -Thistlewood and his gang of desperadoes were arrested in the act of -arming themselves for the wholesale assassination of the heads of the -Government. In the scuffle Thistlewood killed a police-officer with his -sword. The ringleader and four others, named Brunt, Davidson, Ings, and -Tidd, were executed on the evidence of one of their own associates, who -told the court that it was intended, in the first instance, to set fire -to the King Street Barracks and either take the Life Guardsmen prisoners -or kill them as they sat in their mess-room. This mess-room, fifteen -years later, was occupied by Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition. - - * * * * * - -Few, if any, of the thousands of persons who mount and descend the marble -staircase which adorns the entrance-hall of Madame Tussaud’s are aware -that it originally formed part of a lordly pleasure house which was -erected by the late Baron Grant on the site of what was one of the vilest -slums (then known as “The Rookery”) in Kensington. - -Who was Baron Grant? - -The late Baron was born in Dublin in 1830. His real name, it appears, was -Gottheimer. His parents were poor, and he had a hard upbringing. By dint, -however, of industry, the sharpness of his wits and his great aptitude -for business, he acquired wealth and a reputation in the City of London. - -At the age of thirty-five he was elected M.P. for Kidderminster, standing -as a Liberal-Conservative and defeating Lord Annaly, who was at that time -a Lord of the Treasury. In 1868 he was appointed a Deputy-Lieutenant of -the Tower Hamlets, and in the same year the King of Italy conferred upon -him the hereditary dignity of Baron and appointed him a Commander of the -Order of St. Maurice and Lazare. - -These distinctions were well deserved by the then Mr. Grant for the -services he had rendered in connection with the completion of the famous -Victor Emmanuel Gallery in Milan, though in one of the burlesques of the -period the decoration was scathingly referred to in the following couplet: - - Kings can titles give, but honour can’t, - So title without honour’s but a _barren Grant_. - -At the height of his prosperity Baron Grant built his princely mansion -at Kensington Gore. It was never occupied, except for one night, when -the “bachelors of London”--in other words, the smart young men of London -Society--hired the house from the Baron’s creditors and gave a ball of -exceptional splendour. - -The Baron was unable to pay the contractor, and the mansion, known as -“Grant’s Folly,” was pulled down because no one could afford to buy or -rent it. The magnificent marble staircase, which cost £11,000, was bought -by Madame Tussaud’s for £1,000, and placed in our Exhibition. - -The beautiful iron railings and gates of the “Folly” were purchased for -the Sandown Park Club, where, I understand, they may still be seen. - -Baron Grant was a keen collector of works of art, and once obtained the -honour of being voted the thanks of the House of Commons for presenting a -picture to the National Gallery. - -It came about in this way: - -On the 18th of May, 1874, a very valuable portrait of Sir Walter Scott -was put up to auction at Christie’s, and was eventually secured by Baron -Grant for 800 guineas. The same evening Sir Stafford Northcote, the -Leader of the House, was asked by a private member why the Government -had not purchased so fine a work of art for the nation. He replied that -the Treasury had no funds available for the outlay. Thereupon the Baron -rose and stated that he had already written offering the picture to the -Trustees of the National Gallery. - -Sir Stafford immediately proposed a vote of thanks, and this was carried -with much enthusiasm. - -Eight hundred guineas, however, was far from being the largest sum which -the Baron spent on a single picture. He gave £10,000 for Landseer’s -“Otter Hunt,” and the value of his collection may be judged from the fact -that it realised £106,000 when the inevitable crash came and his art -treasures passed under the hammer to pay his creditors. - -The great benefaction for which Baron Grant will always be remembered -is the gift of Leicester Square to the Metropolis at a cost to him of -upwards of £30,000. For years this Square had been dilapidated and a -disgrace to London, with a huge hoarding round it. Baron Grant secured, -by purchase, all the rights of the owners. He then planted the gardens, -and erected in the centre the statue of Shakespeare by Signor Fontana. -This was, at the time, the only statue of the world’s greatest dramatist -existing out of doors in his own country. The liberal donor also placed -in the Square busts of celebrated men who had lived in the neighbourhood. -These included Sir Isaac Newton, John Hunter, William Hogarth, and Sir -Joshua Reynolds. - -This act of munificence did not bring the Baron the popularity he so -much desired, for after the princely gift was presented by him to the -Metropolitan Board of Works on the 2nd of July, 1874, the following -verses were freely sold at the opening ceremony: - - Of course, you’ve heard the news that Baron Grant, - To gain what most he wants--a good repute, - Has promised to reclaim - Wild Leicester Square, so long the West End’s shame, - And turn that waste ground, nigh Alhambra’s towers, - Into a smiling garden full of flowers. - - But will the world forget these flowers of Grant’s - Are but the product of his City “plants”? - And who, for shady walks, will give him praise - For wealth thus spent, _when gained in shady ways_? - In short, what can he hope from this affair? - Save to connect his name with one thing Square! - -It was this same public-spirited though erratic “plunger” in stocks -and shares who, in February, 1875, widened, at his own cost, the road -leading to Kensington House, so as to avoid the curve which was dangerous -to carriages when driving in. It was an approach that Queen Victoria -frequently used. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX - - King of Siam’s visit--The Shahzada’s clothing--King of Burmah’s - war elephant--Tale of two monkeys. - - -The King of Siam and the Shahzada of Afghanistan are linked in my -memory because of the peculiar interest King Chulalongkorn took in the -Afghan Prince, whose model appeared in all the splendour of one of the -Shahzada’s own State dresses. - -The moment the King of Siam was confronted by this portrait he exclaimed -in surprise: - -“How did the uniform come here? Where did you get it?” - -“Oh,” I replied, “we purchased it.” - -“Whom did you get it from?” the King of Siam persisted. “From the -Shahzada himself?” - -The information was imparted that the elaborate costume had been offered -to us by a member of the Shahzada’s suite, who took a keen personal -interest in the transaction, and gave us to understand that his royal -master would prefer that the portrait should not wear his own clothes -till after his departure from this country. - -We complied with this condition, and while writing these reminiscences -the gorgeous apparel of the Afghan Prince lies heaped in a corner of my -studio, having been brought out that I may again for a moment gaze upon -its faded glories of purple and gold; for the portrait of the Shahzada -has long since been removed from its pedestal. - -The King of Siam was a very decorous and unassuming little gentleman, -who gave no hint of disappointment that his own portrait did not appear -in the collection, while I wondered, as I walked with him, whether he -regretted or welcomed the omission. - -As we came face to face with the Shah of Persia, whose gorgeous -habiliments glittered with a veritable firmament of jewels, the King -again harped upon the question of the Shahzada’s clothes. - -Looking hard at the “lion” of a former season, the King exclaimed: - -“His own clothes, too, I suppose?” - -“Not this time,” I replied. “We were not so fortunate in the case of the -Shah.” - -“An exact duplicate, though,” was the compliment of the laughing King. - -The Eastern potentate was a most minute and intelligent observer of all -he saw, and questioned me unceasingly. - -“Who is that beside the Prince?” he inquired, pointing at the Prince -of Wales in a howdah on the back of the elephant Juno, a tableau which -depicted a tiger-hunting incident in the late King Edward’s Indian tour. - -On being told that the Prince was accompanied by his “loader,” the King -replied, “Yes, yes,” as if he thought his question a superfluous one. - -From hall to hall we passed, and I was astonished at the knowledge of -English history displayed by King Chulalongkorn. He picked out the figure -of Richard I, and, pointing to the white doublet with the red cross on -the breast, said, “The costume of a Crusader--certainly, certainly.” The -representation of King John with the Magna Charta in his hand did not -appear to produce a very pleasing impression upon the Siamese autocrat. - -“_What_ a name! Who was he?” remarked the King in front of Houqua, the -big Chinaman who earned his place in the Exhibition on account of certain -services he had rendered this country. I had withdrawn for a moment, and -was called back to explain that Houqua was a Chinese merchant, whereat -the royal interlocutor turned away with a contempt for trade clearly -indicated on his face. - -It was surprising to note that King Chulalongkorn passed the portraits -of Mr. Gladstone, Lord Salisbury, and other British statesmen without a -pause or comment. He stood some minutes in front of the case containing -the orders of the Duke of Wellington, and then remarked, with admiring -emphasis: - -“These are surely all the orders a man could have; he must have had -nearly everything.” - -The group of Henry VIII and his six wives was surveyed in stolid silence -by a monarch not likely to be moved by such a spectacle. In a shadowed -portion of the gallery he nearly mistook (and slightly frightened) two -nice English girls in white for wax figures. - -In the Chamber of Horrors he showed from his observations that he was -familiar with the main features of several of the crimes commemorated -there. - -I may add that every honour was done the King on that occasion. We had -the public excluded from the Exhibition, and the Siamese National Anthem -was played on his arrival and departure. - -The King of Siam’s inspection of the elephant reminds me that, beside the -stuffed monkey which one of the wives of Henry VIII is fondling, the only -animals ever shown in the Exhibition were in the “Tiger Hunt” scene in -question. The tusker was the famous Juno, which was for many years the -King of Burmah’s war elephant. - -The Prince of Wales had just mortally wounded a male tiger, and was -about to give the _coup de grace_ to another beast which, unexpectedly -springing from the jungle, had been pinned to the ground by Juno. The -animals were stuffed and staged by the late Mr. Rowland Ward. - -When I say that these were the only animals shown in the Exhibition I -mean, of course, dead ones. - -Within the past twelve months a monkey that escaped from the Zoo, barely -a mile away, entered the Exhibition by a back window, and was seen in the -act by a crowd of people, who had been amused by its antics outside. - -It appears that the monkey, in scurrying through the building, caught -sight of its dead counterpart on the lap of Henry’s Queen, and tried to -attract its attention. Failing in this, the little creature pawed it, and -the result was electrical. - -The strangeness of coming unexpectedly in contact with a dead animal -which was thought to be alive seems to have startled the monkey beyond -measure, for it became terrified, and, springing away, went at great -speed to the remotest part of the Exhibition, where it took refuge in one -of the side rooms. - -Several visitors, mostly ladies, were in the room at the time, and they -at once made for the door, which was thereupon locked upon the animal. -Meanwhile we had telephoned to the Zoo that one of the monkeys had -escaped and was in the Exhibition. - -A keeper arrived shortly afterwards, and said he had missed it from its -cage. Both keeper and monkey were delighted at their reunion. The monkey -had not seemed to trouble much about the figures, which it probably took -for living people, but the dead monkey on the lap of one of them had been -more than it could stand. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI - - Queen Victoria’s copperplates--Another Royal Persian - visit--“Perished by fire”--“Viscount Hinton” and his organ--The - Coquette’s jewels lost and found. - - -In the early part of 1898 we purchased from an enterprising journalist -four interesting copperplates--three of them etched by Queen Victoria and -one by the Prince Consort. Of the four plates, three were done by the -Queen within a year of her marriage. - -Although not altogether faultless from an artistic point of view, the -work is most conscientiously executed, showing how painstaking was the -Queen even in comparatively trivial matters. - -After her marriage Her Majesty found in the Prince Consort a fellow -craftsman, and forthwith a room in Buckingham Palace was fitted up as a -sort of combination studio and workshop. Here, under the guidance and -advice of Sir Edwin Landseer, assisted by Mr. Henry Graves, the fine art -publisher, the young couple worked for two or three hours in the morning. - -Nor would the Queen allow any portion of the process to be performed -by an assistant. Even the printing was done either by herself or her -husband, a small press being set up for that especial purpose. - -It is understood that portraits of the royal children thus reproduced -are preserved in the print-room at Windsor Castle. - - * * * * * - -I have already described how the Shah of Persia (Nasr-ed-Din) paid a -private visit to the Exhibition in the year 1873. - -I must now relate the circumstances that attended the visit of his son, -Muzafir-ed-Din, who came to this country for the coronation of King -Edward in 1902, thirty years later. - -The “Brother of the Sun” came on the 19th of August. He was attended by -the Earl of Kintore and Sir Arthur Hardinge, and I received His Majesty, -while the orchestra played the Persian National Anthem. - -The first model he asked to see was that of his late father, but -unfortunately his picturesque parent had disappeared to make room for -more up-to-date people. - -The horrible fact of the remelting to cast a possibly much less -distinguished personage could not, of course, be divulged to the -royal visitor. A hint to the entourage was sufficient. “_Perished by -fire--great accidental fire_,” explained Sir Arthur Hardinge with the -aplomb of a true diplomat. “_Big fire_,” echoed the sombre Persians sadly -in their own tongue. - -The Shah listened to a description of the models in French and made his -comments in Persian, a course of procedure which was not helpful to those -who would have liked to glean His Majesty’s impressions. - -By this time the news that the Shah was in the building had spread, and -the people began to throng around him. It was difficult to say whether -he appreciated the curiosity of the crowd or not. A merry little party -of Japs beamed upon the dusky potentate from the Far East, and the two -extremities of Asia thus metaphorically rubbed shoulders. - -The tableau of “Queen Victoria at Home” pleased the Eastern sovereign -most. He looked at it longest. - -The scene depicting the Gordon Highlanders storming the Heights of Dargai -also captivated him. The place where the battle was fought was not very -remote from the borders of His Majesty’s dominions, and he was, no -doubt, familiar with the history of the wild tribesmen of the north-west -frontier of India. He was an eager auditor while the Gay Gordons’ feat -was narrated in French and Persian. - -Face to face with his own portrait model, the Shah addressed some -presumably humorous remark to it, for sovereign and suite relaxed their -facial muscles simultaneously, and a Persian outburst of mirth succeeded. -_The stolid monarch actually laughed outright._ It was the only recorded -laugh of His Majesty during his visit to this country. - -But what did he say to that waxen presentment? The features of the model -were certainly rather darker than those of the Shah, but the observation -in Persian of the monarch was darker still--at any rate to me. Turning -aside, he remarked, in French, that though the features were excellent, -the complexion was not quite fair enough--a disclosure of an undoubted -Eastern vanity. - -He closely scrutinised the figures of reigning sovereigns, and on coming -to that of the young Queen of Holland he exclaimed, in French, “Ah, I -have seen Her Majesty.” The Shah quickly noticed Mr. Balfour among the -group of politicians, and gazed eagerly at the representation of the -meeting between Lord Roberts and Cronje at Paardeberg. - -[Illustration: THE SURRENDER OF GENERAL CRONJE TO LORD ROBERTS - -A Boer War tableau modeled by John T. Tussaud.] - -Whether the Shah was made nervous through the proximity of the crowd, -I cannot say, but he neglected to visit the Chamber of Horrors and the -Napoleonic relics (which latter he had expressed a desire to see), and -made a straight line for the exit before those who were chaperoning him -realised the meaning of the movement. - -The Chamber of Horrors would have been an attraction to at least one -member of the suite. This gentleman was fascinated by the group in the -Hall of Tableaux representing the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. He -stood gazing with dilated eyes upon the scene, and had to be called on by -a touch on the arm before he could be made to realise the unreality of -the drama. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: VISCOUNT HINTON - -The wax figure on exhibition at Madame Tussaud’s dressed in subject’s own -clothes and shown with the organ used by this eccentric gentleman on his -organ-grinding career.] - -At an Exhibition supper at which “Viscount Hinton” was present, we having -modelled his figure and purchased his organ on the death of the old Earl, -to which title he now laid claim, a speaker, in proposing my health, -began “Mr. Chairman, my Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen.” That was enough for -“Earl Poulett.” He rose and bowed in recognition of the compliment paid -to his degree, and when the speaker finished he made a speech in which -he referred to a few incidents in his organ-grinding career. - -He sat to me for his model, and we bought the suit of clothes he was -wearing, although a friend of his told his “lordship” that he would not -have picked them up from the gutter. - -It appears that “Hinton” went to the Bank of England with the £50 note -we gave him, and, as is customary, he was asked to sign his name. With a -flourish he wrote down “Poulett,” whereupon the cashier said, “Christian -name as well, please.” Hinton drew himself up and said, “We earls always -sign our names like that,” a remark which, doubtless, duly impressed and -abashed the cashier. - -In June, 1901, as the Exhibition was closing for the day, several pieces -of jewellery, valued at between 50 and 60 guineas, were discovered to -be missing from the figure of the Old Coquette, facing the model of the -sardonic but courtier-like Voltaire, who is seen raising his hat to her. -The gems had served to adorn the representation of this curious-looking -old dame for a period of more than a century. - -As soon as the discovery was made the usual notification was given to the -police. Strange to say, while the detective-officer was in consultation -with us discussing the most likely means of recovering the articles, a -bulky envelope, bearing the mark of the Earl’s Court postal district, was -handed in containing the missing property, with the following short note -enclosed: “Found at Madame Tussaud’s--thrown down.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII - - Royal visitors--King Alphonso and Princess Ena--The late - Emperor Frederick--A penniless trio--Princess Charles--The - Prince of Wales and Prince Albert. - - -Madame Tussaud’s was one of the last places visited by the King of Spain -and Princess Ena before they left this country for their wedding at -Madrid in May, 1906. - -Somehow there seemed to be at the time an atmosphere of anxiety attending -the visit of this vivacious royal couple, and I feel sure this uneasiness -was felt by many who observed them pass freely and jocularly among the -visitors, who were very numerous that afternoon in the Exhibition rooms. -Disquieting rumours had reached this country that an attempt would be -made by certain disaffected ruffians to interfere with their marriage. -Plots and threats of a sinister character were in the air, and, as we all -know, these culminated in a crime of a particularly atrocious nature in -the Spanish capital. - -Yet none seemed to be less affected by these disturbing influences than -the young royalties themselves, while I am quite certain neither of them -was acting a part. They were simply as happy as a bride and bridegroom -ought to be who were counting the days till they should be united. - -The young King took a positive delight in moving among the visitors, and -none was less self-conscious than he. I was amused to find him bubbling -over with fun and frolic standing in front of his own portrait. - -Then he did the thing one almost expected he would do. To the amusement -of all beholders he exclaimed, “Let me shake hands with myself,” suiting -the action to the words, and laughing heartily with his bride and her -friends. It is for traits like this that King Alphonso enjoys popularity -wherever he goes. - -The visit passed off happily, and I for one felt somewhat relieved when -they had taken their departure without molestation, although I had no -tangible reason to harbour the doubts that possessed me. - -On returning to this country soon after the tragic accompaniments of -their marriage, the light-hearted young King took an early opportunity -of revisiting the Exhibition, and in passing gave a familiar nod of -recognition at his own portrait, as one might salute an acquaintance in -the street. - -He roamed about the place in the least ostentatious way, and took a -noticeably keen interest in the figure of the great Duke of Wellington, -who, among his numerous foreign honours, received the titles of Duque de -Ciudad Rodrigo and a Grandee of the first class, 1812--titles granted by -predecessors of King Alphonso on the Spanish throne. As was the case with -the King of Spain and his bride, members of the Royal Family on numerous -occasions have paid their shillings and gone in “with the crowd,” their -object being to stroll round without having to undergo the worry of a -“reception” and its attendant red baize and “blowing of trumpets.” - - * * * * * - -Soon after his marriage with our then Princess Royal, the late Emperor -Frederick of Germany, who was at that time Prince Frederick of Prussia, -decided to pay us a visit. This was rather more than fifty years ago. - -Hearing of his intention, my father decided to withdraw his figure, -deeming it to be too youthful and out-of-date to bear a favourable -comparison with its living counterpart--a severe test for even the best -of portraits. - -When the Prince arrived it appeared that he had come with the main object -of inspecting his own model, for he had not been long in the place before -he exclaimed, “Where is my figure?” - -This was a question that rather nonplussed the member of my family who -had undertaken to cicerone His Royal Highness through the Exhibition. - -There was nothing for it but to make the plain, straightforward admission -that it had only just been removed, and to give the reason for this -having been done. - -Notwithstanding this, the Prince’s request to view the portrait was -reiterated, and he was so emphatic and persistent that there was nothing -to be done but to replace the figure before his very eyes. - -It was a strange proceeding, that of having to withdraw the model from -the side room into which it had been removed, to march it through the -spacious galleries with the Prince amusedly looking on the while, and -ultimately to dump it down in its old place among the figures in our big -royal group. - -The Prince, with great good-humour, scanned it with a lenient eye, and -pronounced it to be by no means a portrait of which anyone need be -ashamed; in fact, he appeared quite pleased with it, and when he left -the Exhibition he seemed to be highly delighted with his unique and -interesting experience. - - * * * * * - -Many years ago, in the late seventies, Alexander III of Russia (then the -Tsarevitch), accompanied by the Tsarevna and her sister, the Princess of -Wales, visited the Exhibition in Baker Street. - -On reaching the entrance to the Napoleon Rooms and the Chamber of -Horrors, where an extra admission fee of sixpence is charged, my uncle, -who was standing near, heard the Tsarevitch say to his companions that he -had no money. - -The Princess of Wales was obliged to admit that she was in the same -penniless plight, while the Tsarevna exclaimed with emphasis, “_Et moi -aussi; je n’ai pas un penny dans ma poche!_” - -Here, then, it may be said, was a trio of monarchs-to-be in the amusing -predicament of not having a sixpence among the three of them! - -My uncle was bound to respect the royal visitors’ incognito, and so could -not venture to “pass them in,” which, of course, he would have been very -proud and happy to do. - -The difficulty was overcome by one of the gentlemen in attendance on the -royal party, who came up shortly afterwards and produced the necessary -fees. - - * * * * * - -Princess Charles of Denmark is reported to have said many years ago, “I -sometimes get tired of being a royal, especially when I am looked at and -wondered at as though I were one of Madame Tussaud’s wax models. I even -think how glorious it must be to be able to jump on the top of a ’bus, -pay my fare like any ordinary person, and have a day out. I have never -tried to do so yet, but I think I shall some day.” - -Mention of this brings to my mind one of several visits paid to the -Exhibition by the Princes of our own Royal House. - -I was notified by telephone that the present Prince of Wales and his -brother, Prince Albert, were visiting the Exhibition. They were received -by me, and I conducted them over the place. - -The royal boys needed very little “conducting,” as they were soon -engrossed in all they saw around them, and seldom found it necessary to -address any questions to me. - -I was amused to find that they preferred to dispense with the Catalogue, -taking a boyish delight in recognising the figures for themselves and -displaying what knowledge they possessed, which was considerable. Nor -did they seem in the least concerned to know whether members of the -general public recognised them, as I could see many did from the way they -contrived to keep near to them. - -Among the Napoleonic relics the Princes lingered an unusually long time, -as if reluctant to leave them; and the Prince of Wales betrayed so much -interest in the carriage in which Napoleon was all but captured after the -Battle of Waterloo that he was invited to sit in it, if he cared. Without -a moment’s hesitation he embraced the opportunity, and his brother joined -him. - -It happened that we were just then about to have the carriage glazed in, -as it has been since, to protect it from ruthless souvenir hunters, whose -mutilations necessitated our keeping in stock rolls of cloth of the same -pattern to renew the lining from time to time. - -I wonder how many people in different parts of the world now show their -friends strips of cloth purporting to be taken from the original lining -of the Napoleon carriage, whereas the “souvenirs” are really “relics” of -the looms of Yorkshire. - -The last to sit in Napoleon’s carriage were the Prince of Wales and -Prince Albert. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII - - The Begum of Bhopal pays us a visit--Lord Rosebery and Lord - Annaly--Lord Randolph Churchill--Lady Beatty, Lady Jellicoe, - and Mrs. Asquith. - - -It was on the 29th of June, eight years ago, that we had a visit from the -Begum of Bhopal, a lady who rules over millions in India. - -She was in London for the coronation of King George and Queen Mary. As -the Begum was a Moslem, we were somewhat concerned as to how we should -receive Her Highness, it being rumoured that she could not be chaperoned -by one of the opposite sex. I must deny the story that we had to turn all -the males out of the Exhibition, for there was no occasion to do so. - -The Begum was dressed in brown, with a flowing white yashmak hanging -from a quaint head-dress shaped like a top-hat of the Leech period. This -veil, by the etiquette of her country, is worn in the company of men, the -wearer looking through two eye-holes. - -In order that the exhibits might be explained to her, my wife and a -friend of hers, Mrs. Arthur Dulcken, who spoke Hindustani fluently, acted -as guides. Two turbaned gentlemen were in attendance, and the Begum -walked between her little grandson and granddaughter, whose hands she -held. - -Her knowledge of English history was surprising. Even the Prince, who -was only six years old, prattled about different English kings, though -he insisted that the good King Alfred, shown in the neatherd’s cottage, -where he is being rated by the shrew for allowing her cakes to burn, was -a fairy-tale like that of the Sleeping Beauty. - -When the party came to the Grand Hall in which King George and Queen Mary -sat arrayed in their coronation robes, with six Princesses of the Royal -House standing around them, “Bara Salaam,” said the Begum, as she bowed -to the Emperor of India. - -Before the scene which shows Queen Victoria receiving the news of her -accession to the throne the little lady halted. - -“She was very beautiful,” she said, “and so wise and kind and -sympathetic.” - -It was the tribute of one woman ruler to another. - -“She was very beautiful,” she said again, “and so small. In Bhopal we -think small people beautiful.” - -The Begum’s inches were some sixty-two. - -She glanced approvingly at the model of Tom Thumb, and proudly placed her -grandson by the figure of the Russian giant to accentuate her admiration -for small people. - -As she passed through the Chamber of Horrors, with its guillotine and -gallows, she said, with some degree of satisfaction, “We do not execute -in Bhopal.” - -“I thank you,” she said, as she departed in state; and her retainers -added an official word of praise: “The Begum has found Madame Tussaud’s -extremely interesting.” - - * * * * * - -Lord Rosebery has more than once visited Madame Tussaud’s, and made a -fairly long stay on each occasion. - -Only very recently he and Lord Annaly, Lord-in-Waiting to the King, came -to the Exhibition together. Our lecturer happened to notice them among -the visitors in the building, and observed the two noblemen makes a -careful inspection of the exhibits, conversing in a lively manner, and -occasionally calling each other’s attention to models which struck them -as being specially interesting. - -It is, of course, difficult to judge whether they were prompted by any -particular motive, or paid the visit merely to enjoy a few minutes’ -respite from the more serious affairs of life; but they both minutely -examined the relics of the French Revolution and, curiously enough, the -figures of the criminals in the Chamber of Horrors, where they spent some -considerable time. - -Lord Rosebery, as a citizen of Edinburgh, called his friend’s attention -to the striking figures of Burke and Hare, with the story of whose crimes -Lord Rosebery must, of course, have been familiar. These ghoulish men -perpetrated a series of murders in the Scottish capital in the year 1828 -for the purpose of obtaining money by selling the bodies to anatomical -schools as subjects for dissection. - -It may not be generally known that the verb “to burke” is derived from -the villainous miscreant of that name. - -One would like to have heard what passed between Lord Rosebery and Lord -Annaly as, having left the abode of criminals, they stopped in front of -the former’s portrait in the main hall of the Exhibition. - -As they were leaving the building our representative, as an act of -courtesy, opened the middle gate to let them pass with greater freedom, -and, in doing so, said, “Good-night, my lord.” Lord Rosebery smiled in -response like one who is pleased at being recognised. It was evident from -their demeanour that both the peers had enjoyed their experience. - -Lord Randolph Churchill once said that the two proudest moments in -his life were neither his first election to Parliament nor his first -appearance on the Treasury Bench, but the publication of a speech of his -in leaflet form and the appearance of his effigy at Madame Tussaud’s. He -added that he had long wished to see how he looked there, but had never -dared to go. Notwithstanding this remark he was seen in the flesh on more -than one occasion at a later date sauntering through the Exhibition rooms. - -That the wives of famous men invariably feel curious to see the models -of their husbands goes without saying, and very many instances might be -cited of their having done so. Among those who visited the Exhibition -during the war were Lady Jellicoe, Lady Beatty, and Mrs. Asquith. - -Lady Beatty made a very intelligent criticism of the Admiral’s portrait, -and as the result of her suggestions certain alterations were made. - -Lady Jellicoe’s criticism was quite favourable. “You have been extremely -fortunate in catching my husband’s expression,” she said. - -Mrs. Asquith did not make any comments, but her young son, who came with -her, derived not a little amusement from his distinguished father’s -presentment, and showed his appreciation by coming again and bringing a -boy friend to see it the very next day. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV - - Tussaud’s as educator--Queer questions--Wanted, a “model” - wife--Quaint extract from an Indian’s diary. - - -An American visitor to the Exhibition once said to me, “You know, this -show is a liberal education, a history of Europe in kind. I never -learned so much history in any one afternoon. Why don’t you write your -reminiscences?” - -I told him that I probably should do so one day, and he replied -characteristically: - -“There is no time like the present. Get on with it, and put me down as a -subscriber.” - -A French Ambassador is reported to have said: “A day in Tussaud’s is -worth a year at Oxford; it fixes history as no tutor could.” - -On more than one occasion schoolmasters have made a similar remark with -reference to the value of the figures and exhibits in Madame Tussaud’s -as a means of impressing the minds of their boys with the episodes of -history. Teachers often bring their pupils, and I am constantly receiving -appreciative letters after a visit. - -Schoolboys themselves, I have always noticed, take the keenest possible -interest in all they see, and I frequently overhear them eagerly -challenging one another concerning the identity and lives of historical -personages as they confront their models. - -The Exhibition has been frequently consulted as an authority upon -innumerable historical subjects, especially with regard to matters -dealing with portraiture, biography, and costume, and many of the -questions submitted might well have puzzled even the compiler of an -encyclopædia. Queries are almost always coupled with an urgent request -for immediate reply. - -Peculiarities of well-known people are fruitful topics for inquiry. The -following are a few of the questions put: - -“On which side of Cromwell’s face did his warts grow?” - -“Which was the arm that Nelson lost, and which was his blind eye?” - -“Was Byron’s club-foot the right or the left?” - -“Did Mary, Queen of Scots, have brown eyes or blue?” - -Again: “What was the height of Napoleon?”--the most frequent question of -all. - -Other popular problems relate to costume: - -“Did the Black Prince really wear black armour? Or to what was his -cognomen due?” - -We were consulted during the period when preparations were in progress -for the late King Edward’s coronation so as to decide what was the -correct tone of purple for the royal robes. As we have in our possession -the robes actually worn by George IV at that King’s coronation, we -allowed a broad hem on one of the trains to be unstitched, thus -revealing the original colour, unchanged by exposure to dust and light. - -In this connection the following quotation from Thackeray’s _The Four -Georges_, published in 1861, is interesting: - - Madame Tussaud has got King George’s coronation robes; is there - any man now alive who would kiss the hem of that trumpery? He - sleeps since thirty years. - -The same author also mentions the Exhibition in the following extract -from _The Newcomes_: - - For pictures they do not seem to care much; they thought the - National Gallery a dreary exhibition, and in the Royal Academy - could be got to admire nothing but the picture of M’Collop of - M’Collop, by our friend of the like name: but they think Madame - Tussaud’s interesting exhibition of Waxwork the most delightful - in London: and there I had the happiness of introducing them to - our friend Mr. Frederick Bayham; who, subsequently, on coming - to this office with his valuable contributions on the Fine - Arts, made particular inquiries as to their pecuniary means, - and expressed himself instantly ready to bestow his hand upon - the mother or daughter, provided old Mr. Binnie would make a - satisfactory settlement. - -[Illustration: WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY - -A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.] - -On one or two other occasions our relics and historic pictures have been -specially viewed by those who had charge of the arrangements, for the -express purpose of settling points in regard to precedence and costume at -royal functions. - -Inquiries from members of the public often come about through a dispute -which has ended in a wager, but many and various are the reasons that are -assigned by the questioner for his query. Sometimes my correspondent is a -writer of books, who wants to give a correct description of a character -or incident. - -This leads me to the subject of misconception, and it is surprising -how deep-rooted are the inaccuracies that have crept into the minds of -visitors with regard to the models they have seen in the Exhibition. Many -of our patrons express themselves as absolutely certain that figures have -done things which I am equally positive they never did and never could do. - -[Illustration: WILLIAM COBBETT - -Noted English political writer.] - -What is the use of telling individuals that the originator of Hansard’s -Parliamentary Debates, William Cobbett, who turns his head from side -to side, does not take snuff, when they insist that they have actually -seen him lift his hand from his snuff-box to his nose? Yet this is a -widespread fallacy. - -The figure of Marat dying in his bath never has breathed; it is the bosom -of the Sleeping Beauty that rises and falls as she reposes in slumber. - -Neither does Henry VIII turn his head to inspect his six wives. Those who -think he does must be confusing him with the aforesaid Cobbett, although -not a few readers of history think that the head of Bluff King Hal, who -caused so many people to be beheaded, must itself have been “turned.” - -Some years ago an elderly bachelor from the Midlands called to ask -whether we could make him a model of a lady based upon his own -description and sketches and dressed in clothes designed by himself. - -I should have attached no importance to the matter had I not, my -curiosity being whetted, asked a few questions of the caller. - -It then transpired that the model was to represent his ideal woman whom -he had been unable to discover in real life. He was anxious to have a -woman about the house “pleasing to the eye, but at the same time somewhat -less loquacious than the usual run of females,” as he put it. - -He proposed that the model should be placed in an adjustable chair and -be jointed, so that at meal-times it could sit at the head of his lonely -table and at other times could recline at ease beside the fire, opposite -his own armchair. - -Needless to say, the commission was not accepted. - -It is very natural that such an institution as Madame Tussaud’s should -include the “curious” among its diversified store of anecdote. - -One quaint document in our archives is the published diary of an Indian -officer, Jemadar, No. 1427, Abdur Razzak, of the 15th Madras Lancers, -from which I give the following extract relating to a visit he paid to -the Exhibition: - - On the 5th June, 1893, we went to see the Wax Work “Madame - Tussaud,” where we first saw a woman in red dress with a basket - full of different kinds of flowers all made in wax with her, - which was very difficult to make out that she was an image, but - when we entered the building we saw lots of images of emperors - and kings, and remarkable persons both men and women with rich - and poor dresses on. - - I really say that I was very much admired to see these images, - and was in many places in the buildings mistook the visitors to - be of them when they were standing still, but when they moved - was very much ashamed on account of my misunderstanding; by - this we made our minds to be little far from both the images - and the visitors and servants in the building. - - We saw the throne of Her Majesty just the same we have seen - on the 9th May, 1893, besides this one more image in shape - with Her Majesty in a room writing something on a table with a - candle on it, and this too quite astonishing. - - We also saw a gentleman on elephant’s back in a jungle has - hunted a tiger, the pair of which attacked the elephant round - its trunk taking to him and the elephant putting its head down - and a gentleman on it, aiming to fire on the tiger. - - We saw a room in which were the images of almost all the - assassinators with the particulars of their deeds. We also saw - a place in which all the weapons, etc., to take revenge of - assassinators, such as scabbard, hanging, &c. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV - - Stars of the stage in my studio--Miss Ellen Terry has a cup of - tea--Sir Squire and Lady Bancroft--Sir Henry Irving and the - cabby--We comply with a strange request. - - -People sometimes ask me how my portraits are taken, and how my subjects -sit to me. - -It is very much with my work as it is with the work of a sculptor. -There is practically only this distinction in principle--the sculptor -reproduces his work in marble or bronze, and I execute mine in wax, both -working from a first impression in clay. Added to this there is, of -course, a difference in the matter of treatment. - -Sitters have their own peculiar characteristics, and often require -humouring. - -I once wrote to Miss Ellen Terry, asking her to do me the honour of -sitting to me; and she replied that she would be pleased to do so, making -no appointment. - -A few days afterwards the vivacious actress found her way to my studio -door without anyone to guide her, and how she got there has always -puzzled me. I was engrossed in some urgent work, when a rap came and Miss -Terry sailed in, all smiles and animation. - -She did not introduce herself. There was no need. I knew her instantly, -as I supposed she imagined I should. It was a very hot day, and she -said, “I am positively dying for a cup of tea.” - -She told me she was just clearing off all her visiting arrears before -sailing, and added: “You see, Mr. Tussaud, I have not forgotten you.” - -The cup that cheers was very soon brewed, and Miss Terry saw that I -noticed a gauntlet on her right hand as she raised the cup to her lips. - -“I met with a slight accident on the stage,” she said. - -I wish I could recall some of her delightful chat, and I regret that I -did not keep a diary instead of trusting entirely to memory. However, I -may derive some consolation from the conclusion, arrived at by an old and -experienced literary friend, that it is seldom what has been forgotten -would have been worth writing about had it been remembered. - -When I had finished modelling, and not till then, Miss Terry apologised -for being in a hurry, and as she took her departure I found myself -wondering by what secret art or gift she could conjure up so much mirth -and sprightliness when the thermometer was registering ninety in the -shade. - -After Miss Terry had gone my eye happened to catch the chair on which -she had been sitting, and I discovered that the back legs were within an -eighth of an inch of the edge of the high dais. - -I trembled to think of what might have happened to the actress if the -chair had fallen to the floor while she occupied it. I suppose the reason -for its position having changed from that in which it was originally -placed was that the actress, who could hardly be described as a -reposeful “sitter,” had shifted it in her restlessness. - -The carpenter had omitted to fix the fillet which should have been placed -to preclude any risk of the chair falling from its elevated position. - -Only a few months ago Lady Bancroft, speaking at a matinée in aid of King -George’s Pension Fund for Actors, made an amusing allusion to Madame -Tussaud’s. - -She had just been listening to the dialogue between Peg Woffington, -played by Irene Vanburgh, and Triplet, and she said: - -“When it was arranged that my husband should come from his retirement to -play the part of Triplet, we were very much exercised where to find his -old costume. - -“Then, all at once, we remembered the last time we saw that costume was -at Madame Tussaud’s. - -“I said, ‘Of course you have been melted down by this time.’ - -“He said, ‘What do you think they have made of me? Perhaps Marshal Foch, -perhaps President Poincaré, perhaps President Wilson. I only hope my -figure has not been melted down to something in the Chamber of Horrors.’” - -None laughed more heartily than the King at Lady Bancroft’s story. - -It was in the spring of 1889, that the Bancrofts gave me several -sittings. The merry laughter of the actress made the time pass quickly -and my work a real joy. - -[Illustration: SIR SQUIRE BANCROFT - -Whose model as Triplet, together with the model of Lady Bancroft as Peg -Woffington, are on exhibition at Madame Tussaud’s.] - -When the models of Mr. and Mrs. Bancroft were added to the Exhibition, -in the characters of Peg Woffington and Triplet in _Masks and Faces_, -reference to this was made in our Easter announcement. - -Sir Squire Bancroft tells the following story in this connection: - -“A young man from the country visited the Exhibition on Easter Monday of -that year, and went straight to the Chamber of Horrors. He said he wanted -to see the ‘_squire who murdered a triplet_’!” - -They tell me that Henry Irving came to see his portrait a year after I -had modelled him, but, unfortunately, I missed the great actor that day. - -Mention of Irving takes my mind back rather a long way, to the time when -I had the pleasure of introducing his model and that of Miss Ellen Terry -to the Exhibition. They were on the eve of making their first journey -across the Atlantic, and they cheerfully consented to enable me to let -the public see them in their absence. - -Irving was an ideal sitter, as might be expected of a great actor. He -adapted himself to my requirements in every detail, and gave me to -feel that he took great pleasure in my work. I very soon became aware -of Irving’s kindliness of heart and his sympathy with an artist at his -labours. - -Conversation turned upon the question of insuring Madame Tussaud’s -against fire, and Irving remarked that money would be a very poor -compensation for the loss of our irreplaceable collection, especially -having regard to the relics of Napoleon and the heads of the French -revolutionaries. - -The actor told me of an alarming experience he had while acting at the -Lyceum Theatre. - -The play was nearing its most dramatic climax when he noticed that fire -had broken out in the “sky borders,” and the fear of a panic in the -audience rose in his mind lest any member of it should chance to see the -flames. - -He admitted that it was an ordeal that required all his courage to face -without betraying signs of anxiety, but he succeeded in continuing -to play his part without a single person in the front of the house -suspecting that there was any cause for alarm. - -Fortunately, the stage carpenters and attendants were able to extinguish -the fast-spreading flames without any interruption. The curtain was -eventually rung down on an applauding audience, quite oblivious of the -danger that had threatened. - -Irving lighted his pipe on his departure, which set me thinking that he -would have enjoyed a smoke during the sitting, but was too courteous -and considerate to suggest one. He told me he hoped, on his return from -America, to visit the Exhibition and see his portrait. He came and saw -it, but I did not see him. - -Sir Henry used to employ the same cabman to take him to the theatre each -evening. He asked him once if he had ever seen him act, and, the man -replying in the negative, Irving gave him five shillings with which the -cabman could procure seats for himself and his wife in the pit. - -On the following day the actor asked the driver what he thought of him on -the stage. - -“To tell you the truth,” said the ingenuous jehu, “we didn’t go.” - -“Not go,” said Irving, “when I gave you the money for the seats!” - -“Well, sir,” said the man, “it was this way. It was my missus’s birthday, -and I asked her which she would prefer to do--go to see you act, or go to -Madame Tussaud’s, and she said she preferred the waxworks.” - -Irving often related this story against himself with the greatest gusto, -enjoying it quite as much as his hearers did. - -On many occasions Madame Tussaud’s has been of service to the stage. - -When the late W. G. Wills, the author of _Jane Shore_, a prolific -playwright in his day, was at the height of his popularity, my father was -approached by Mr. Coleman, manager of the Queen’s Theatre, Long Acre, to -produce for him a figure of Charles I. - -The reason of this request was, surely, one of the strangest that ever -entered the brain of even the most enterprising of theatrical managers. - -Mr. George Rignold was playing at that theatre a drama, written by Wills, -entitled _Cromwell_. This play was the successor of another by the same -dramatist, namely, _Charles I_, in which Irving played the part of the -King, and confirmed the reputation he had made in _The Bells_. - -A bargain had been struck that if _Charles I_ succeeded, Wills should -write _Cromwell_ for Mr. Coleman. _Charles I_ proved a great success at -the Lyceum, but _Cromwell_ was a comparative failure at the Queen’s. - -I come now to the reason of Mr. Coleman’s request for a waxen model of -the King. - -He said he wanted it to repose in the coffin on the stage to stimulate -the imagination of the actor, Mr. Rignold, when rendering the long -oration delivered by Cromwell in the presence of the dead monarch. - -The model was furnished with every detail, even to the clothing in which -the body was attired. I was afterwards told that only the manager, the -actor, and my father were aware of the realistic plan that had been -devised to accentuate an actor’s eloquence. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI - - Literary sitters--George R. Sims’s impromptu--His ordeal in the - Chamber of Horrors--George Augustus Sala’s masterpiece. - - -Mr. G. R. Sims was a cheery, entertaining sitter; not, perhaps, what most -artists would consider a helpful one. His active mind busied itself with -every object of interest around him. He would know all about them, and -tell each off with some droll quip or whimsical jest. - -I have spent many a bright hour with “Dagonet”--yes, even including those -spent with him in the Chamber of Horrors. - -I once chanced to have a book of his (the _Dagonet Ballads_) in my hand -when he came into my studio, and I asked him to sign his name in it. -Without a moment’s hesitation he wrote: - - DEAR TUSSAUD, - - I’m a model man. - - You’re a modeller. - - Yours truly, - - G. R. SIMS. - -Soon after we had decided to add Mr. Sims’s figure to the Exhibition, -Mrs. G. A. Sala happened to meet him, and questioned him as to the -sensations he experienced in picturing himself as a waxen celebrity. - -“I feel very frightened indeed,” he promptly replied, “and more than -that, exceedingly sorry that I ever promised to become a waxwork, for I -have been told since that if the public grow weary of your presence, or -the Tussauds get offended with you, they melt you down, and build up a -more popular fellow out of your dripping. Nasty idea, very!” - -Mrs. Sala said it certainly _was_ a very nasty idea; but if there were -any truth in the melting-down story, G. R. could enjoy the satisfaction -of thinking that he might have arisen in his waxen grandeur from the -“dripping” of someone less popular than himself. - -Mr. Sims said that so long as the public only stuck pins into him, or -stamped on his toes, he did not mind; but he should feel it very much if -they were to bang him about the head with an umbrella, or take him by the -collar and shake him. - -It must have been in the early winter of the year 1891, while I was -modelling him, that Mr. Sims had the following interesting and somewhat -unpleasant experience, which he himself describes. He says: - -“I have been penetrating the secrets of Tussaud’s lately, and had a -specially quiet half-hour alone with the murderers in the Chamber of -Horrors, just to see what it was like. - -“The idea came to me one night when I had been sitting late to Mr. John -Tussaud. I wanted to see what it would feel like to be all alone with -those awful people with only one dim jet of gas lighting up their fearful -features. - -“After the door was shut I walked about and whistled, and stared -defiantly at William Corder and James Bloomfield Rush, and even went -so far as to address M. Eyraud in French. But wandering about in the -semi-darkness I stumbled and fell, and when I got up and looked around me -I found I was in Mrs. Pearcey’s kitchen. - -“Then I made one wild rush at the closed door, and hammered at it until -the kindly watchman came and let me out. I never want to be shut up alone -at night in the Chamber of Horrors again as long as I live.” - -Humorously describing my studios at the time, Mr. Sims says: - -“At Madame Tussaud’s I am at present in rather a curious condition. There -is a good deal of the Thames mystery about me. It is not given to every -man to see his legs in one room, his hands hanging up in another, and his -head on a shelf, looking about anxiously for his body. - -“I can’t say I quite like looking at my head on a shelf. It suggests -decapitation and Madame de Lamballe’s head on a pike as Louis caught -sight of it when the mob held it up at the window. - -“But I am assured that I shall be put together next week, and that my -limbs will once more be found together as Nature intended they should be. - -“I don’t know what that Scotch sixpenny which refers to me in highly -uncomplimentary terms about seven times in every column will say, but -the exigencies of space at the Marylebone Museum have compelled the -management to put me next to Lord Tennyson. I am sure that this will be -such a shock to my modesty that I shall go hot and melt the very first -day that the weather is at all warm. - -“Fortunately, I shall have a brother journalist to support me and keep -me in countenance, for while Lord Tennyson is seated writing poetry in -his study, Mr. George Augustus Sala in _his_ study sits next door to him, -dashing off one of his brilliant leaders for the _Daily Telegraph_. It is -in a study built up on the other side of Lord Tennyson that the visitor -to Madame Tussaud’s will at an early date find himself face to face with -‘Dagonet.’” - -There George R. Sims has been seated ever since. Twenty-eight years ago! -Time has wrought many changes, but during the whole of that period I have -uninterruptedly enjoyed Mr. Sims’s valued friendship. - -[Illustration: GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA - -The bust of the eminent journalist, first exhibited at the Royal Academy, -London, in 1890, by John T. Tussaud.] - -George Augustus Sala sat to me about the same time, and a very good -sitter he was. The celebrated journalist lived in a flat at Victoria -Street, Westminster, where I called on him, and I remember his saying to -me with pride: - -“I’m taking up modern Greek in my sixtieth year. What do you think I am -reading? I am reading an excellent account in Greek of the Stanfield Hall -murder.” - -During the autumn of 1889 I had seen a good deal of Mr. Sala, for we were -at that time discussing the details for the rewriting of our Exhibition -Catalogue. - -He had always taken a great interest in Madame Tussaud’s, and, like -many other literary men, had found it useful as a place of reference -on matters of portraiture and costume. He entered upon the scheme for -producing a better and larger Catalogue with great enthusiasm, but I -soon discovered that the work was hardly likely to receive that equable -treatment necessary for a book of the kind. - -There were certain subjects his mind positively ran riot on, while others -scarcely aroused the slightest interest. - -Marie Antoinette and Mary, Queen of Scots, stirred his imagination most -of all, and to the ill-fated Queen of Louis XVI he reverted so often that -it seemed the book was likely to be over-weighted with matter dealing -with her sad career, to the exclusion of so much else of vital importance -to our handbook. - -Whenever he stood in front of the decapitated head of Marie Antoinette he -always contemplated it in silence--and invariably passed from it without -making any remark, as if it were a subject too sad for ordinary comment. - -“I have done the Marie Antoinette biography,” greeted me long before the -work had been definitely agreed upon, and six or seven pages of essay -were pressed into my hands as an accomplished undertaking that positively -left no room for further consideration. This matter was printed in full -in our Catalogue, and remained there until the difficulty in procuring -paper during the war necessitated its temporary elimination. It is, -perhaps, the best thing, from a purely literary point of view, that Sala -ever wrote. - -It is reprinted as the following chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII - -G. A. SALA ON MARIE ANTOINETTE - - The Royal Family--The Queen--Her “trial,” condemnation and - death--The Sansons--Sala’s impressions. - - -[Illustration: GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA - -From a photograph.] - -There are some stories so dreadful in the immensity of human misery which -they reveal--there are some tragedies of which the catastrophe is one -of such unmitigated horror, that the reader who has general impressions -of what will be the end of the dismal tale, but who is unfamiliar with -its particular circumstances, is unable to follow, without some kind -of impatience, the opening scenes of the drama. He has continually in -his mind’s eye the awful falling of the curtain on anguish and despair -and death. Half unconsciously he hastens on in his perusal, and slurs -over minor episodes and seemingly trifling facts, forgetting that these -are subsidiary and auxiliary to the terrible consummation which he -so anxiously awaits. “Toutes choses meuvent vers leur fin,” Rabelais -has said; but the little things--the slender fibres of a story--are -gathered up as it proceeds, into bundles; and, acquiring importance from -consolidation, are ultimately merged in the final and tremendous whole. - -Thus there have been many records of human life and action, now -real, now artificial, in reading which we have to encounter an almost -uncontrollable impulse to turn to the end, and ascertain whether that of -which we have had, at the beginning, a vague forecast, will really come -to pass. Who, if he will only have the candour to acknowledge it, has -not had to struggle with such an impulse in reading, say, the _Electra_ -of Sophocles, the _Faust_ of Goethe, and the _Bride of Lammermoor_ of -Scott?--three of the most perfectly tragic dramas, I take it, ever -fashioned by the hand of mortal genius. And so it is with numerous -tragedies of superhuman structure and ordinance. In both cases we pant -for the last scene of all, which is to end the strange eventful history. -What will be the fate of Aegisthus, and the doom of Clytemnestra? Who, -if anyone, will rescue Gretchen from a shameful death? How will Edgar -Ravenswood bear his immeasurable sorrow? - -These are the problems which agitate us in the study of fiction, and -irresistibly impel us to hasten from the prologue to the epilogue--from -the exordium to the peroration. And to speed as quickly is usually our -desire when we are confronted with the tragedies of history, or with -the vouched-for chronicles of human passion and crime. Throw down on -the floor Clarendon’s _History of the Rebellion_, it has been said, and -the volume will open, automatically, at the page where the execution of -Charles I is described. Try to concentrate your thoughts on the history -of Marie Stuart; and, coldly, clearly, sternly distinct in the midst of -a whirligig of scenes and events--the Louvre, Holyrood, the Kirk of -Field, Lochleven and what not--there stands out the image of the Hall -at Fotheringay, the black scaffold, the block, the masked headsman; the -Dean of Peterborough drearily homilising, and the Puritan Earl of Kent -ranting; while the weeping tire-women disrobe the royal victim, her -little pet dog snuggling by her, not without difficulty when the axe has -fallen to be dislodged from the corse of the kind mistress he loved so -well, and who has been stricken down by cruel men, he knows not why. See -this, as I see it. - -It is my purpose to write something on the eventful life and dreadful -ending of Queen Marie Antoinette. I try, when I remember the sunshine -of her early days--her youth, her beauty, her grace--to put myself in a -cheerful frame of mind. I wish to look, at least for a little while, on -the bright side of a career which began so splendidly and so happily. I -would fain picture to myself the daughter of Maria Theresa, as Edmund -Burke saw her at Versailles--smiling, radiant, adored. I would fain hear -the clash of the thirty thousand swords which should have leaped from -their scabbards to avenge the slightest affront to the peerless consort -of the King of France and Navarre. - -I take from my shelves the _Journal de Madame Eloff_--the ledger -containing the milliner and dressmaker’s bills of a perhaps too -extravagant young Queen--an endless catalogue of taffetas and -satins, gauze and ribbons, high-heeled shoes and embroidered gloves, -scent-bottles, reticules, feathers, artificial flowers and fans. From an -old Boule cabinet I lift tenderly a dainty little coffee-cup of Sèvres -egg-shell porcelain, adorned with an exquisite miniature of her, painted -when she had only been two years the wife of the hapless Louis. The cup -is half embedded in a setting of velvet _bleu du Roi_; and, alas! when I -draw the ceramic gem delicately from the case I see that the cup has no -handle. - -A maimed relic, this porcelain trifle, possibly of a priceless breakfast -set, wantonly shattered by a howling mob of _poissardes_ and red -night-capped “patriots” who had sacked one of the Royal Palaces. A crowd -of memories are conjured up by this morsel of dismembered Sèvres. I see, -as in a glass darkly, the Galerie des Glaces and the Œil-de-Boeuf at -Versailles. I see the toy Dairy at the Petit Trianon; the banquet of the -Gardes du Corps in the Great Theatre of the Palace; the King and Queen: -the Royal Princesses circulating among the guests and distributing white -cockades among them; while the musicians make the hall resound with the -strains of “_Oh, Richard! Oh, mon Roi!_” - -No, surely, the age of Chivalry is not past, and thrice ten thousand -glaives will leap into the light to vindicate the outraged Majesty of -France. There’s no such thing! A confused picture--a panorama all torn to -shreds and splashed with mud and flecked with blood flows before me. The -Etats Genéraux have wed: the nobility sparkling in velvet and plumes and -golden broideries; the clergy brave in copes and mitres and point lace: -the “Tiers Etat,” all in sombre black, short-cloaked, slouch-hatted, -grave, preoccupied, looking unutterable things. Among them looms, very -real and portentous indeed, a thick-set, pock-marked man, with an eye -of fire. This is Honore Gabriel Riquetti, rightly Comte de Mirabeau, but -who has broken with his order, and styling himself “Mirabeau Marchand -de Draps”--a retail clothier from Marseilles, forsooth! of about -forty-eight hours’ commercial standing--stalks among country notaries and -shopkeepers, farmers and shopkeepers as a Deputy of the Third Estate. - -But all these fade away from my field of vision. I set to studying and -balancing my rambling thoughts. I have to deal with Marie Antoinette, -Josephe-Jeanne de Lorraine, wife of Louis XVI, and who was born, you will -remember, at Vienna, on the 2nd of November, 1755, the very day of that -earthquake at Lisbon in the occurrence of which Dr. Johnson for a long -time so resolutely refused to believe. Would the doctor, I wonder, had -he lived in 1793, have declined to place credence in a newspaper report -of what is now to be narrated--an upheaval more dreadful and disastrous -than any physical convulsion of the earth’s crust? The tattered, muddy, -gory panorama fades into a murky nothingness. Then, out of the Valley of -Shadows there arises, terribly distinct and substantial, THIS-- - -It is a raw, chilly, marrow-searching day in the month of October, -1793. A spacious hall, known in this new and blessed era of Universal -Regeneration, and Unlimited Throat-Cutting, as the Salle de la Liberté, -in the Palais de Justice, hard by the prison of the Conciergerie, has -been swept and garnished for the trial of the discrowned and desolate -widow of “Louis Capet,” murdered on the scaffold in the Place de la -Révolution last January. In a dark and filthy dungeon of that same -Conciergerie Marie Antoinette has been immured since August. The walls -of the Salle de la Liberté have been newly whitewashed--no voluptuous -frescoes or oil painting in this abode of Republican simplicity, if you -please: only patriotic lime-whiting and democratic glue--and the almost -blinding glare of the stark walls brings out in strong relief the dark -green canopy suspended over the heads of the Judges of the Revolutionary -Tribunal, who are five in number, the President being one, Hermann. - -Above this precious conclave are the busts of Brutus--save the mark!--and -two recent Revolutionary notorieties: the infamous Marat, deservedly -done to death by Charlotte Corday and the member of the Convention, -Lepelletier de St. Fargeau, who had voted for the death sentence on -Louis XVI, and who immediately afterwards was stabbed to death by an -ex-Garde du Corps in an eating house in the Palais National--once Palais -Royal. The busts are crowned with scarlet caps of liberty, adorned with -monstrous tri-coloured cockades, and are flanked by two huge oil lamps. -There will be need of the lamps; for the deliberation of the tribunal -will probably last far into the night. - -The judges sit at a long table which, although shabby, is somewhat -pretentious in its upholstering, since the legs are of mahogany, and -fluted, and the brazen feet are fashioned in the shape of griffin’s -claws, and exhibit some traces of bygone gilding. This table is yet -extant, and forms part of the furniture of the Court of Cassation, which -at present holds its sittings in the old Salle de la Liberté. The Public -Accuser has his place in front of the President; the jury--yes, this -monstrous tribunal has a jury!--is to the left of the judges; and to the -right is the desk of the Counsel for the defence. Behind him is the seat -for the prisoners. A breast-high balustrade separates the Court from the -space set apart for the public, which is ample enough, and is thronged, -this dreary October morning, by a motley crew of _sans culottes_, -mechanics, lamplighters, bargemen and coarse, loud-voiced women from -the markets, some of them known as “_Tricoteuses_” and “Furies of the -Guillotine.” - -Between the balustrade and the body of the Court runs a long gangway, -at one extremity of which is a door, communicating by means of a narrow -staircase with the Gaol of the Conciergerie. - -Up this staircase and through this door, and along this gangway, and so -through an opening of the balustrade into the criminal dock, there is -brought, between two gendarmes, a woman of middle age, with abundant hair -which has turned quite grey lately, and features which retain a few--a -very few--traces of former comeliness. She is barely eight-and-thirty, -and she looks full fifty. She is miserably clad in an old, patched, -threadbare gown of black serge, which has been mended for her innumerable -times by a compassionate girl named Rosalie, the daughter of the gaoler. -Her shoes are old, full of holes, and down at heel. She wears black -cotton stockings, and about her shoulders is arranged a kind of tippet, -or pelérine, of frayed white muslin. As yet she wears no cap; and her -long tresses have been carefully dressed and oiled this morning by -the pitying Rosalie. Obviously, she is in mourning for her husband, -sometime King of France and Navarre; but the Revolutionary Tribunal knows -nothing of such titles, and in the Act of Accusation, which is read in -a monotonous sing-song by the _Greffier_, the prisoner is arraigned as -“Marie Antoinette, of Austria and Lorraine, widow of Louis Capet.” - -The indictment goes on to say that the widow Capet has by her crimes -rendered herself the worthy compeer of Brunéhaut, Fredegonde, and -Catherine de Medicis; that since she has had her abode in France she has -been the scourge and bloodsucker of her adopted country; and that even -before “the Happy Revolution which gave the French their sovereignty” -she entered into political correspondence with “the man calling himself -King of Bohemia and Hungary”--this is the Emperor of Austria her -brother--that, in conjunction with the brothers of Louis Capet, and -“the execrable and infamous Calonne” she had squandered the resources -of France (the fruit of the sweat of the people) in a dreadful manner, -“to satisfy inordinate pleasures and to pay the agents of her criminal -intrigues.” - -In another count of the indictment she is charged with being “an adept in -all sorts of crimes.” One of these “crimes” is, that on the evening of -the famous banquet to the Garde du Corps, and the Regiment de Flanders, -in the Opera House at Versailles, she, with the King and a numerous and -brilliant following, had passed between the lines of tables, distributing -white cockades to the officers and encouraging them to trample the -national or tri-coloured cockade under foot. - -“Prisoner,” thunders the President, “were you there when the band played -the air, ‘_Oh, Richard, oh mon Roi_’?” - -“I do not recollect,” replies the Queen. - -“Were you there when the toast of ‘The Nation’ was proposed and refused?” - -“I do not think that I was.” - -“Did not your husband read his speech to the representatives to you -half-an-hour before he delivered it?” - -“My husband had great confidence in me, and that made him read his speech -to me; but I made no observations.” - -Fancy cutting a poor woman’s head off because her husband read her a -speech which he was about to deliver in public! Does Mr. Gladstone, does -Lord Randolph Churchill, does Sir William Harcourt, I wonder, ever favour -the domestic circle with such “fore-lectures” as Dr. Furnival might call -them? - -A remarkable witness against Marie Antoinette is a ruffian named -Roussillon, who deposes that on the fatal Tenth of August when the -Tuileries was stormed by the mob, he saw under the Queen’s bed a number -of empty wine-bottles, “from which,” adds Roussillon, “I concluded that -she had herself distributed wine to the Swiss soldiers, that these -wretches in their intoxication might assassinate the people.” - -Another witness testifies that among the effects of the ex-Queen found -at the prison of the Temple was a satin riband bearing the gilt image -of a Heart with the inscription “_Cor Jesu miserere nobis_.” Other -testimony is to the effect that while the Queen and the children were -incarcerated in the Temple, after the execution of Louis, the poor little -Dauphin was placed at the top of the table by his mother, and was served -first; thus justifying the inference that she ignored the Republic, One -and Indivisible, and recognised her young son as Louis XVII, and the -successor of his murdered sire. - -Another charge, an abominable charge, and one so monstrous as to make -it scarcely credible that it should be launched against a woman and a -mother, is that she had systematically sought to corrupt the mind of the -poor young prince. To this horrible allegation she makes at first no -answer. At length, when the charge is repeated, she is moved to noble -indignation, and exclaims: You accuse me of an impossibility: “_J’en -appelle à toutes les mères_.” I appeal to all mothers. But the instinct -of maternity seems to be dead in all that hall of blood, and the beldames -in the public tribunes only yell and gibe at her. - -Less revolting, but equally preposterous, is the evidence of one Renée -Mullet, a chambermaid who has been in service at Versailles, and this -hussey swears that one day, “in a moment of good humour,” she asked the -_ci-devant_ Duc de Coigny whether the Emperor still continued to wage war -against the Turks; as in that case France would soon be ruined, the Queen -having sent her brother no less than two hundred millions of livres, -wherewith to carry on hostilities. To this, according to the gossiping -waiting woman, the Duke made answer: “Thou art right enough. Two hundred -millions have already been spent, and we are not at the end of it yet.” - -It is on such evidence as this--evidence not heavy enough to detach a -feather from a pigeon’s wing, not convincing enough to prove a forty -shilling debt, the wretched Marie Antoinette is at length convicted. The -President sums up, furiously, against her. The advocates who defend her, -Chauveau and Tronçon-Ducoudray have little to say, to the point, and can -only feebly plead for clemency to be extended to her; and the jury, after -deliberating for fifty-five minutes, return a verdict _affirming all -the charges submitted to them_. Hermann calls on the accused to declare -whether she has any objection to make to the sentence of the law demanded -by the Public Accuser. Marie Antoinette bows her head in token of a -negative. - -Then the tribunal, putting their bloodthirsty heads together for a few -minutes, condemn Marie Antoinette of Austria and Lorraine, widow of -Louis Capet to the punishment of Death, “and the confiscation of all her -property for the benefit of the Republic, the sentence to be executed in -the Square of the Revolution.” The confiscation of all her property! When -she was dead, an inventory was taken of the few rags which she had left -behind her in her cell in the Conciergerie, and they were appraised at -the magnificent sum of nine livres, about seven and sixpence sterling. -Nine livres all told! In the second year of her marriage it was computed -that the roll and butter served every morning to each of her ladies of -honour, cost two thousand livres, or eighty pounds a year; and five -thousand livres was the annual charge for the bouillon, or beef-tea, -kept hot by day and by night for Madame Royale, who was a weakly child. -During the earlier portion of her imprisonment the unhappy Queen had been -supplied with body linen by the compassionate care of the Marchioness of -Stafford, the wife of the British Ambassador in Paris, but there was no -kindly Ambassadress to succour her in her last and darkest days, and the -only hand held forth in pity to this forlorn daughter of the Cæsars was -that of a gaoler’s daughter. - -It was half past four on the morning of the sixteenth of October when -this infernal tribunal adjourned, and the Queen was conducted back to her -prison. Throughout the whole of her trial she had not ceased to maintain -a calm countenance; but at times she seemed to be giving way to a feeling -of sheer weary listlessness, and moved her fingers on the bar of the -dock before her, as though she was playing on the harpsichord When she -heard the sentence pronounced, her features did not shew the slightest -alteration; and she walked from the hall erect and seemingly unmoved, -gendarmes with drawn swords before and behind her, and the beldames of -the fish-market and the rag-shops cursing and shrieking at her, just as -you may see them in Paul Delaroche’s noble picture. - -So they took her back to a dungeon twelve feet long, eight feet broad, -four feet underground, with a grated window on a level with the pavement. -Into this wretched hole some scraps of the coarsest food were brought -her; but she was left under the incessant supervision of a female -prisoner and two soldiers. It is said that she snatched a little sleep. -On waking she asked one of the gendarmes who had been present at the -trial whether she had replied “with too much dignity” to the question put -to her. “I ask,” she added, “because I overheard a woman say, _See how -haughty she still is_.” The woman who could have made such an observation -must have been one of the hags that Delaroche has painted. - -At seven o’clock in the morning, the entire garrison of Paris was under -arms. Cannon were placed in all the public places; and at the foot -of every bridge from the Quay of the Conciergerie to the Place de la -Révolution, that magnificent area between the gardens of the Tuileries, -originally called the Place Louis XV, and now know as the Place de la -Concorde. At half-past eleven Marie Antoinette, dressed in a white linen -déshabille, was brought out from the prison. As though she had been the -commonest of malefactors she was made to mount the charette, or open -cart, the appointed tumbril of infamy. At least the murderers of her -husband had had the decency to allow him the “luxury” of a hackney coach, -when he was taken from the Temple to the scaffold. Her hair had been cut -short ere she left the gaol, and what remained of her formerly luxuriant -tresses was tucked under a white mob-cap. Her hands were tied behind her -back. - -Of the Queen in this deplorable plight there exists a very beautiful -statue executed by Lord Ronald Gower. On the right, in the tumbril, -was seated Sanson, the executioner, and on the left a “constitutional” -priest, that is to say, one who had taken the oath of fealty to the -Republic. To the ministrations of this “patriotic” cleric, who was -dressed in light grey coat and a bob-wig, Marie Antoinette had in the -first instance declined to listen; but she occasionally spoke to him on -her way to the fatal Place de la Révolution. - -An immense mob, in which women were revoltingly numerous, crowded -the streets throughout the entire line of route insulting the Queen -and vociferating “Long live the Republic!” She seldom cast her eyes -on the populace, but from time to time looked with some curiosity on -the prodigious military force surrounding the cart. Otherwise her -attitude throughout this last dismal pilgrimage was one of half torpid -indifference. - -As the cart traversed the Rue St. Honoré, the numbed faculties of the -Queen seemed momentarily to revive; and she examined with some attention -the multitudinous inscriptions of “Liberty” and “Equality” over the -shop-fronts. - -It was as the vehicle turned the corner of the Rue St. Honoré into that -which is now the Rue Royale that the famous painter, David, who, during -the Reign of Terror, was a furious Jacobin and a friend of Robespierre, -but who was destined to become a Baron of the Empire, and to paint the -Coronation of Napoleon at Notre Dame, was able from the balcony which he -occupied in company with the wife of a member of the Convention to make a -sketch of Marie Antoinette. The drawing has come down to us. The features -of the Martyr Queen are sharp and pinched, exhibiting no traces whatever -of former comeliness, and she looks fifty years of age. It may here be -mentioned that the illustrious and pure-minded English sculptor, John -Flaxman, when he visited Paris, after the Peace of Amiens, resolutely -refused to meet the artist who made the last sketch of Marie Antoinette, -and always spoke of him disdainfully as “David of the bloodstained brush.” - -The historians are divided in opinion as to the demeanor of Marie -Antoinette on the scaffold. Some say that she laid herself down on -the fatal plank with calm deliberation, and met her death with noble -fortitude, recalling Andrew Marvell’s superb lines on the execution of -Charles I:-- - - And while the armèd bands - Did clap their bloody hands, - He nothing common did, nor mean, - Upon that memorable scene; - Nor called the gods, in vulgar spite, - To vindicate his helpless might; - But, with his keener eye - The axe’s edge did try; - Then bowed his comely head - Down, as upon a bed. - -Others narrate that the Queen ascended the steps of the scaffold in -great haste, and with apparent impatience, and turned her eyes with much -emotion towards the Palace of the Tuileries, the scene of her former -greatness, and that she made some slight resistance before submitting to -the executioner. My own impression is that she was two-thirds dead--that -the _rigor mortis_ was upon her before she reached the scaffold; that -she was lifted out of the cart and half carried to the guillotine, and -that she did not give the headsman and his assistants the slightest -trouble. - -It is, at all events, certain that at half past twelve her head was -severed from her body. One of the _valets du bourreau_, or executioner’s -men, lifted and showed the head streaming with blood, from the four -quarters of the scaffold, the mob meanwhile screeching “_Vive la -République!_” and it is asserted that a young man who dipped his -handkerchief in the blood, and pressed it with veneration to his heart, -was instantly apprehended. The corpse of Marie Antoinette was immediately -flung into a pit filled with quicklime, in the graveyard of the Madeleine -where the remains of her husband had also been interred. - -At the Restoration in 1814, diligent search was made for the ashes of the -King and Queen in the cemetery, on the site of which was subsequently -erected an Expiatory Chapel. Some half calcined bones and a few scraps -of cloth and linen were found; and these last having been identified -by experts as having been part of the apparel of Louis XVI and Marie -Antoinette, the relics with a considerable quantity of the surrounding -earth, were inhumed with much pomp and solemnity, in the Royal Vault of -the Cathedral of St. Denis. - -Touching the executioner, it may be expedient to record that Marie -Antoinette was guillotined, not by Charles Henri Sanson, who beheaded -Louis XVI, but by his son, Henri, who died in Paris in 1840, aged -seventy-three. The elder Sanson died only a few weeks after he had -executed Louis, and the Royalist historians maintain that his death was -hastened by remorse for the deed which he had been constrained to commit, -and that in his will he bequeathed a considerable sum for the celebration -of an annual Expiatory Mass. But this is very doubtful. It has been -shown, however, without the possibility of doubt, that the Sanson family -were of Florentine origin, and that the ancestors of Charles Henri and of -Henri Sanson came to France in the train of Catherine de Medicis. For two -hundred years, without intermission, had members of this gloomy historic -family been executioners in ordinary to the city of Paris. - -In addition to Marie Antoinette, the younger Sanson decapitated the -Queen’s sister-in-law, Madame Elisabeth, and the eloquent advocate, -Malesherbes, who undertook the defence of Louise XVI. He likewise -beheaded the Duke of Orléans (Philippe Égalité), and last, but not -least, Maximilien Robespierre. The so-called _Memoirs of the Sanson -Family_ are more than half suspected to be mainly apocryphal, and to -have been written by one D’Olbreuse, a bookseller’s hack; and, according -to a writer in the Paris _Temps_, in 1875 the last of the Sansons was -a remarkably mild, flaccid and stupid old gentleman, who was certainly -incapable of writing any “Memoirs” whatever, since his own memory was -hopelessly decayed, and whose circumstances in his old age became so -embarrassed that he was arrested for debt, and confined in the prison -of Clichy, whence he only procured his enlargement by _pawning the -guillotine itself_ for 4,000 francs! - -Shortly after the conclusion of this singular transaction, a murderer -had to be executed, and the usual instructions were issued by the -Procureur General to Henri Sanson, to have his death dealing apparatus -ready on a certain morning in the Place de la Roquette. It then became -necessary to explain to the authorities that the fatal machine was -practically in the custody of My Uncle. Justice, however, had to be -satisfied, and the murderer’s head was duly cut off on the appointed -morning; but simultaneously with the signature of the Minister of Justice -of a draft for 4,000 francs to release the hypothecated guillotine, there -was issued an order dismissing Sanson from his post. - -And Marie Antoinette? I have drawn her picture as faithfully as I could, -not without much toil and more perplexity for the memoirs of the period -in which she lived and died absolutely bristle with falsehoods, the -inventions now of Royalist and now of Republican writers. Comparatively -few are the facts concerning her which have been exactly ascertained -and are altogether indisputable; whereas the name of the unfounded -assertions, the insinuations, the hypotheses, and the downright lies, -is legion. By some this most unhappy woman has been represented as -an angel of goodness and purity, a faithful spouse, a fond parent, a -kind mistress, and a most pious and charitable princess. By others she -has been depicted as a crafty, unscrupulous and vindictive woman, as -perfidious as Borgia and profligate as Messalina. - -This is no place in which to discuss at length a most intricate question, -all hedged about by obscurity, uncertainties and mysteries which will, -perhaps, never be solved. At all events, the story which I have told -of her trial and her last moments is true. For the rest, both Royalists -and Republicans agree that Marie Antoinette was born at Vienna, in 1755, -and was the daughter of Francis of Lorraine, Emperor of Germany, and of -Marie Theresa of Austria. In May, 1770, she married the Dauphin Louis, -who was grandson of Louis XV of France, and who, in 1774, ascended the -French throne as Louis XVI. It would not seem that Marie Antoinette was -absolutely beautiful, as beautiful, say, as Queen Louisa of Prussia, or -as the Empress Eugene, still there is a tolerably unanimous consensus -of opinion that she was handsome, lively, amiable, and thoroughly -kind-hearted. It is possible that she may have been a little thoughtless -in her youth; and the ledgers of Madame Eloffe certainly show that, as -regards her toilet, Marie Antoinette was a most prodigal Queen. But is -it a mortal sin in a young, pretty and sprightly woman to spend a good -deal of money on dress? How many hundred dresses did our chaste Queen -Elizabeth leave behind her, in her wardrobe, at her death? - -It must be granted that when the dissensions of the Revolution began, -Marie Antoinette was on the Conservative side, and that she tried her -hardest to incline her husband to that side. Was it so very unnatural -that she should do so? Her brother, the Emperor Joseph, used to say that -“Royalty was his trade”; and poor Marie Antoinette may have laboured -under a similar persuasion. But the times were very bad indeed for the -“trade” of Royalty, and there arose a grim conviction among the working -millions that the best way of mending matters was to dethrone, plunder, -and murder their masters and mistresses. - -The influence of Marie Antoinette in the councils of Louis has been, -I should say, considerably exaggerated by her enemies. Her husband, -naturally disposed to concession, was by temper irresolute, and he -allowed himself to be led away by the course of events, instead of -striving to control and direct them. There can be little doubt, either, -that Marie Antoinette was one of the chief advisers of the flight of the -King and Royal Family to Varennes; and that imprudent enterprise served, -even more fiercely, to inflame the public animosity against herself and -her husband. - -But again, I fail to see the criminality of this attempted escape. The -King and Queen knew well enough that the Revolutionists intended to -deprive them of their crowns, and, in all probability, of their lives, -they had no adequate armed force with which to resist the mob. Were -they not justified in running away? After the deposition of Louis, all -the elements of grandeur in the character of Marie Antoinette began to -manifest themselves. She showed the greatest courage during the dastardly -attacks made on the Royal Family; and she appeared to be always more -anxious for the safety of her husband and children than for her own. -She shared their captivity with noble resignation, and her demeanour -under the most trying circumstances never lost an iota of its dignity. -In the presence of her judges her fortitude never forsook her; her burst -of indignant maternal feeling overawed even the butchers who were -perverting and burlesquing the law to bring her to the shambles; and her -behaviour in almost unparalleled misfortunes, has won for her not only -the pity and the sympathy, but the reverent admiration of posterity. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII - - More sitters--Mr. John Burns walks and talks--We buy his - only suit--Mr. George Bernard Shaw has to work for his - living--General Booth--Four leading suffragettes--Christabel’s - model “speaks”--The Channel swimmer. - - -The most restless of all my sitters was the Right Honourable John Burns, -when he was plain John Burns. - -I modelled him in the year 1889 or 1890, at the time of the great Dock -Strike. Mr. Burns was then throwing all his magnetic personality into the -cause of the workers, and he brought some of that magnetic personality -into my studio. Only in a technical sense did he “sit” to me. He was -walking and talking all the time. - -These were very turbulent days, and Mr. Burns had figured in the -Trafalgar Square riots. Shipowners and shipbuilders--and everybody, I -imagine, having more than £500 a year--were the objects of his implacable -distrust. He was a younger and poorer man then. - -Mr. Burns wore the blue reefer suit which had survived the jostlings of -many a crowd, but he did not bring to my studio the famous straw hat of -which so much was written in the Press at that time. When I spoke to him -about the hat he rather fenced the question, and to this day I believe -that hat to be somewhere in Mr. Burns’s possession as a treasured -souvenir of his stressful past. I have never seen Mr. Burns wearing any -other kind of clothes than blue serge. - -I struck a bargain with the dockers’ champion that he should let me -have the suit he was wearing with which to clothe his portrait in the -Exhibition, and so complete the realism of the model. Mr. Burns demurred -at first, and then it appeared he had an extremely good reason for doing -so. It was the only suit he possessed, and we agreed that I should have -it as soon as I provided him with a new one to take its place on his own -back. - -Mr. Burns told the story of this transaction in reply to an interrupter -at a public meeting. - -“Where did you get that suit?” asked the interrogator. - -“I got it,” said Mr. Burns frankly, “from Madame Tussaud’s. When my -portrait was put in the Exhibition you may, or you may not, have noticed -that it was wearing my old suit. As I had no other clothes the management -gave me the suit I am wearing now, and I hope you will agree that I made -a pretty good bargain.” - -The audience cheered the speaker and booed the heckler. - -Mr. Burns’s portrait has been brought up to date since then, but it -still wears the old reefer suit, and the fact of this being out of the -fashion and rather skimpy only adds to the effectiveness of the picture -by recalling the working man the late Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman raised -to Cabinet rank. - -They tell me Mr. Burns is getting white, but when I modelled him his hair -was black and plentiful. - -_Judy_ commemorated the suit incident in the following verse, depicting -Burns making figure eights on the ice: - - ’Ave ye seen Johnny Burns - Strikin’ figgers on the hice? - ’Ave ye seen his twists and turns?-- - Sure, an’ can’t he do it nice! - In his Tussaud’s suit of navy blue - ’N’ his famous old straw hat, - With his Hacmes ’n’ his knobstick too, - A reg’lar ’ristocrat! - -A contrast to Mr. Burns, though possibly of similar socialistic opinions, -was Mr. George Bernard Shaw, whom I long wanted to sit to me. - -I had not made the acquaintance of the brilliant satirist, and somehow -hesitated about approaching him. Eventually I wrote to Mr. Shaw making -known my wish, and, without delay, I received from him a good-humoured -letter, in which he said that it would give him much pleasure to “join -the company of the Immortals.” - -A little later he wrote making an appointment, and, in due course, Mr. -Shaw came to my studio and gave me a delightful hour of his company. - -He took up his position on the dais in the most natural manner, and there -was nothing more for me to do than proceed with my modelling. I do not -know who was the more amused, Mr. Shaw or myself--I by his sayings, and -he by the novelty of the situation. - -He talked freely as I went on with my work, and one thing among his many -whimsical sayings I well remember: - -“I took to writing with the object of obtaining a living without having -to work for it, but I have long since realised that I made a great -mistake.” - -As we walked through the Exhibition he took a general interest in all he -saw, but it was the Napoleonic relics that detained him, as is generally -the case with distinguished people. - -I thought I detected a certain shyness about Mr. Shaw in the Chamber of -Horrors. He was very reserved, and surveyed the faces of degenerate men -and women without offering any criticism. I remember that the crafty, -and yet not wholly repulsive, face of Charles Peace engaged Mr. Shaw’s -attention several minutes. - -I have no knowledge whether Mr. Shaw ever called to see his portrait. -It is quite likely that he did, and it is no less likely that his visit -passed unobserved. - -It was inevitable that so prominent a figure in the religious world as -the late General Booth should find a place in Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition. - -I went to see the General at the instance of some of his friends, who -thought that the portrait of him already included would be all the better -for being brought up to date. I recollect being impressed by General -Booth’s force of character as manifested alike in his manner and in his -appearance. He had a keen eye and classic aquiline features. - -Though he made no mention of the matter himself, it was pretty plainly -hinted to me that permission to include the General’s portrait should be -accompanied by some expression of gratitude on the part of the Exhibition -authorities “for the good of the cause.” - -I also went to Exeter Hall to study the General’s demeanour while -addressing a large audience. - -What I remember mostly about that visit was that a “converted” sailor -mounted the platform and made a rambling speech. So frank were the -confessions of the artless tar that General Booth found it necessary to -bundle him unceremoniously off the platform, to the great amusement of -the congregation. - -I was much interested in modelling a quartette of leading suffragettes, -Mrs. Pankhurst, Mrs. Pethick Lawrence, Miss Christabel Pankhurst, and -Miss Annie Kenney. - -The group is conspicuously shown in the Grand Hall to-day. The ladies -came separately, several mornings, and took as much interest as I did -in the production of their portraits, a process that was in no sense -tedious, as their conversation whiled away the time most pleasantly. - -I very soon became aware that the suffragette on the political warpath is -a very different woman from the suffragette in other circumstances. - -None of them in the least degree frightened me or hectored me; in -fact, political questions were discussed by them in the quietest, most -sensible, and most intelligent manner, giving me the impression then that -the extension of the vote to women would not find such women unqualified -to make reasonable use of the privilege so long withheld from them. - -After the figures were added to the Exhibition, two of the four -ladies very good-humouredly hinted to me that the portraits were not -very flattering. I remember the ladies in question coming to see the -group, and I promised I would make what alterations seemed possible -and desirable. As I have not heard from them since, I gather that the -likenesses have proved satisfactory. - -Months later, after a batch of laughing damsels had left the building, a -paper disc, bearing the words “Votes for Women,” was discovered fixed to -a button on Mr. Asquith’s coat. - -It was soon after the figures of the quartette had been placed in the -Exhibition that an incident occurred which comes to me through the medium -of a Fleet Street artist in black and white attached to a well-known -paper. - -This gentleman had been instructed to attend a meeting some distance away -from town for the purpose of taking some sketches of Miss Christabel -Pankhurst, who was announced to speak. Having left things till the last -moment, he discovered, to his dismay, that he had missed his train, and, -not knowing what to do, he was bewailing his misfortune to a fellow -artist, when the latter slapped him on the back and said: - -“Never mind, old fellow, you just go to Tussaud’s Exhibition and take as -many pictures of the fair Christabel’s figure as you like. The model is a -speaking likeness, and you can take it from me that the sketches will be -all right; they will be quite as good as if drawn from life.” - -The advice was no sooner given than acted upon, and the result, I am -told, was most satisfactory. - -Another sitter was Mr. T. W. Burgess, who came to my studio a few days -after he swam the Channel. - -The burly Yorkshireman laughed as he entered and remarked: - -“I am in pretty good training, but I would rather swim the Channel again -than sit still for you, Mr. Tussaud. However, I will do the best I can.” - -He sold the clothes he took off before he entered the water, and these -clothes are worn by his portrait, now in the Exhibition. He also parted -with the goggles and indiarubber cap he had worn during his swim, and the -cup from which he took nourishment. Unfortunately one of Burgess’s too -ardent “admirers” purloined his hero’s cup from us. - -[Illustration: T. W. BURGESS, THE CHANNEL SWIMMER - -Modeled from life by John T. Tussaud. In common with many of the -models in Madame Tussaud’s, this model is dressed in the subject’s own -clothing.] - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX - - Bank Holiday queues--Cup-tie day--Gentlemen from the - north--Bachelor beanfeasts--The Member for Oldham--A scare. - - -The four regular Bank Holidays of the year are great occasions at Madame -Tussaud’s. - -On each of them the precincts of Tussaud’s show signs of activity long -before the average Londoner is astir. The length of any of the queues -has never been actually measured, but it is no exaggeration to say that -the people have frequently waited four and five deep in a line extending -almost a quarter of a mile--from the doors of the Exhibition to the gates -of Regent’s Park. - -The crowd at these times consists mainly of Londoners from all the -outlying districts of the Metropolis, for Madame Tussaud’s has always -been in great favour as a holiday resort for the multitude. Parents also -bring their children in great numbers, and the holiday crowds continue to -come for days after. - -There is, however, at least one morning in the year when the portals of -the Exhibition are literally teeming with life while the citizens are -slumbering in bed. - -On Easter Monday, Whit-Monday, the August Bank Holiday, and even on -Boxing Day, holiday-makers may be seen at an early hour waiting in a -queue, yet no comparison may be made between these crowds and those of -the Cup-tie mornings I have witnessed at the Exhibition. - -This day brings into London tens of thousands of men and boys from the -densely populated manufacturing towns and mining areas of Lancashire, -Yorkshire, Durham, and Northumberland. These football enthusiasts arrive -in the Metropolis as early in the morning as two, three, and four o’clock -on the day of the Crystal Palace carnival. - -It has always seemed to me that Madame Tussaud’s has received the lion’s -share of patronage during the long interval between the arrival of the -cheap excursion trains at the great railway stations and the time when -the Cup-tie is played in the afternoon. The attendance at these hours is -extraordinary, and the appearance of a house of entertainment in full -swing so early in the morning has an indescribably weird and garish -effect. - -These north country patrons of ours take up position on the steps of the -entrance, and pass the time taking refreshments brought with them from -their homes. Though weary with their journey, they are always cheery and -well-behaved, and the way in which they banter each other in the broad -accents of Oldham, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Halifax, -Newcastle, etc., has many a time afforded me a good deal of interest and -diversion. - -I have often stood on the broad open staircase and looked down upon the -swarming hundreds in the entrance-hall and the refreshment rooms and it -is a happy experience to dwell on that there has never been occasion -to rebuke any of them for roughness or want of good behaviour. It is -peculiarly true of the country cousin, so far as my experience of him -goes, that he never indulges in horse-play when he comes to Madame -Tussaud’s. - -There is, however, one very striking contrast between the crowd on a Bank -Holiday and that on a Cup-tie day, and this is due to the circumstances -that the followers of football do not bring their women-folk or children -with them on the occasion of these “bachelor” beanfeasts--a concession, I -presume, made to their men by the wives and sweethearts of the north. - -Not by a long way do all these excursionists go to see the great football -finals at the Palace. Quite a large proportion, taking advantage of the -cheap fares, come to see London and its many sights which the average -Londoner proverbially overlooks. - -It has more than once been remarked by the Exhibition attendants that -many Cup-tie visitors spend the greater part of the day at Madame -Tussaud’s, lingering for hours among the relics of Napoleon and the -figures and exhibits of the Chamber of Horrors, without having the -slightest intention of venturing so far as to see the football contest -played. - -It is a mistake to imagine that the working classes of the north are -ignorant of English history, or not concerned with it; and if that -impression exists, I should like to correct it. I doubt whether any class -takes a keener interest in the Hall of Kings, or makes more use of the -information provided by the Catalogue. - -The “trippers,” “country cousins,” or whatever one likes to call them, -seldom pester the Exhibition attendants with queries, for what one does -not know another does. The Catalogues are taken away for further perusal, -and one may often search the whole Exhibition in vain the next morning -for one that has been discarded. - -All day long groups of Cup-tie trippers stand about the Sleeping Beauty, -not only for her sake, but also for the sake of Madame Tussaud, whose -figure stands at Madame St. Amaranthe’s head, while at her feet sits -William Cobbett, wearing his old beaver hat, and holding in his hand the -snuff-box which legend credits him with passing to visitors on some weird -occasions. - -Men from Oldham naturally show special interest in Cobbett, who was, in -his day, Member of Parliament for that town. - -Cobbett sits on a red upholstered ottoman, with room enough for two other -persons, and on a certain Cup-tie day two travel-stained, tired men sat -down by him, and, noticing that he moved his head from side to side, took -him to be alive. They addressed questions to him, and jumped up very -hurriedly as he jerked his head and looked blankly at them through his -horn spectacles. - -The only two figures in the Exhibition that make any pretence of life are -William Cobbett and the Sleeping Beauty. - -A wonderful self-made man was Cobbett, who began life as a living -scarecrow, armed with a shotgun, in the employment of a farmer, and, -after being, among other things, sergeant-major won a great reputation -as a writer of English prose and attained the distinction of adding M.P. -to his name in those days when Parliamentary honours were less easily -achieved than they are to-day. - -To be sure, the figures of statesmen have always interested Cup-tie -crowds, for the provincial is much more of a politician than the Londoner. - -So also literary men like Scott, Dickens, Tennyson, Burns, and Kipling -come in for much attention; more, perhaps, than portraits of the clergy. - -Sportsmen, too, such as W. G. Grace, Fred Archer, and “Tommy Lipton”--the -last-mentioned for his America Cup performances--receive enough notice on -Cup-tie days to maintain a good average of appreciation for the year. - -As on Bank Holidays, so on Cup-tie days, there are always many more live -than wax figures in the Chamber of Horrors from morning till night. -Indeed, I have seen the place so crowded that it was difficult to -distinguish the effigies from the awestricken observers. - -Sometimes I have taken a walk round the Exhibition after it was closed -on the night of the Cup-tie to see that all was right. Once I was called -in haste to the Chamber of Horrors, where a stranger had been found -asleep in a dark corner. After he had been roused and escorted outside, -the scared fellow made off as if he had had the hangman at his heels. A -return ticket from Bolton was picked up where he had lain. But the man -from Bolton had bolted, and did not return to claim the ticket. - - - - -CHAPTER XL - - The mysterious Sun Yat Sen’s visit--His escape from the Chinese - Legation--The Dargai tableau--Sir William Treloar entertains - his little friends. - - -Once in its long history Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition opened on a -Sunday--not, however, to the general public. - -The occasion was special and, in a way, mysterious. It had to do with one -of the most dramatic personalities of the Chinese Empire and Republic. - -A message reached me late on a Saturday night that Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the -first President of the Chinese Republic, wished to visit the Exhibition -on the following Sunday morning. I was unable to receive him in person, -but arranged that an attendant should represent me. - -The attendant knew nothing of the name of the visitor till he saw him -looking at his own portrait and calling the attention of General Homer -Lee--an American soldier holding high rank in the Chinese Army--who -accompanied him, to the dimple in the chin of the model by placing his -finger smilingly on the dimple in his own chin. - -[Illustration: DR. SUN YAT SEN - -From a photograph.] - -This was in the year 1911, and Sun Yat Sen was passing through London on -his way from America to take up his presidential duties. - -His visit to the Exhibition had been planned by Dr. (now Sir James) -Cantlie, of Harley Street, to whom Sun Yat Sen owed--the greatest of all -debts of gratitude--his life. - -For it was this same Sun Yat Sen who, eleven years before, was liberated -through the exertions of Dr. Cantlie from his prison in the Chinese -Legation at Portland Place, a few minutes’ walk from Madame Tussaud’s. - -What would have happened to him but for the fact that Dr. Cantlie’s -intervention resulted in Sun Yat Sen’s release through Lord Salisbury’s -representations to the Chinese authorities can only be conjectured. - -It was discovered at the time that a ship had been chartered in the -Thames for the removal of Sun Yat Sen to China on a charge of treason -against the Emperor--the same Emperor whose successor, under a republican -form of government, Sun Yat Sen was destined to be. - -Particulars were also disclosed regarding the manner of his incarceration -at the Chinese Legation. He was inveigled into the place by the lures -of hospitality, and, once inside, the officials relegated him to an -apartment which they kept locked for many days. - -It was only through Sun Yat Sen’s friendship with Dr. Cantlie, whose -suspicions were aroused by “inside” information, that the British -authorities learned of Sun Yat Sen’s fate and took steps to have him set -free. - -[Illustration: DR. SUN YAT SEN - -The wax model on view at Madame Tussaud’s of the first President of the -Chinese Republic.] - -When the hero of this adventure visited Madame Tussaud’s on the Sunday -morning in question to see his model, I wondered what his reason could -be, and asked myself whether it had anything to do with the adapting of -his disguise, while travelling from this country to China, at a time when -his life must have been in danger. - -Perhaps, after all, it was nothing more than the natural curiosity which -attracts people whose portraits have been recently added to come and see -them. The Eastern mind may not differ from the Western in this very human -respect. - - * * * * * - -Touching and dramatic in the extreme was the incident which accompanied -the unveiling of the tableau representing the Gordon Highlanders storming -the Heights of Dargai. Lieutenant-Colonel Mathias’s words were on all -lips at the time: - -“That position must be taken at any cost; the Gordon Highlanders will -take it.” - -Mrs. Mathias was present with her son and daughter at the supper we gave -to celebrate the event, and a piper played “The Cock of the North” to -recall the deed of the wounded piper who fired his comrades on to victory -and was awarded the V.C. When his father’s words were recited, young -Mathias sprang to his feet and thrilled all present by saluting in true -military fashion. - -One of the brightest of red-letter days in Madame Tussaud’s romantic -story was the 24th of January, 1907, when Sir William Treloar, “the -children’s Mayor,” accompanied by several local Mayors, drove to the -Exhibition in all the panoply of civic state to give éclat to the visit -of fifteen hundred boys and girls of the poorest of the poor, whom we -made our guests. - -[Illustration: THE CHILDREN’S LORD MAYOR - -Sir William Treloar entertains his little friends at Madame Tussaud’s, -24th January, 1907.] - -How richly the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of London enjoyed himself -on that occasion, like the large-hearted man he is, and how pre-eminently -happy he was among the waifs and strays, many of whom were cripples, -whose lives he has done so much to brighten! Sir John Kirk, of the -Ragged School Union, was also there, beaming with joy among his little -beneficiaries. I remember Sir William Treloar pointing to his civic -headgear and calling out to the children, “How do you like my Dick Turpin -hat?” - -Tea-tables were laid all among the figures, and the picture produced in -this way was both striking and amusing as the young people laughed and -chatted by the side of the approving mutes. Perhaps the remark which -seemed to create the greatest fun was when the Lord Mayor said he would -like to see his Sheriffs in the Chamber of Horrors. - -It was very touching to observe the boys loyally and reverently take off -their caps in front of the little alcove in which Queen Victoria sits, as -someone has said, “signing despatches all day long.” At the close of the -happy day the halls and corridors of the Exhibition rang with the shrill -treble of fifteen hundred young voices singing “For he’s a jolly good -fellow,” followed by “Hip hip, hooray; the donkey’s run away.” - -A tragedy happened that day not far away, in Westbourne Grove, which -caused the gentlemen of the Press who attended the function to leave -the Exhibition rather hurriedly. News came of the murder of Mr. William -Whiteley, the Universal Provider. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI - - A miscellany of humour--Our policeman--The mysterious - lantern--The danger of old Catalogues--Stories of children--Sir - Ernest Shackleton’s model. - - -Many of our visitors will remember the model of the policeman which -stands at the entrance to the main gallery in the Exhibition. Hundreds--I -might say thousands--of visitors have been “taken in” by this lifelike -officer, who is the embodiment of a genial bobby prepared at any moment -to show the way or tell the time. - -The fame of this nameless policeman has extended to practically all the -grown-ups who bring their children to see the figures, and many times in -the day we see laughing parents watching the nonplussed expression on -the faces of their offspring whom they have prevailed upon to go and ask -where a certain model is to be found. - -Immediately opposite is the figure of the programme-seller in somnolent -mood, who is frequently offered sixpence for a Catalogue she cannot sell. -It is the would-be customer that is sold. - -It is most amusing to observe how many adults are deceived who seem to -pride themselves on their discernment. For example, on Bank Holidays -it is customary to have a number of real live constables on duty to -regulate the crowd and give directions. - -Bobby has a keen sense of humour, and some of them, entering into the -spirit of the situation, now and again stand stock-still in the most -natural attitude they can command. Not once, but frequently, a visitor, -in passing with his friends, has, with an air of superior knowledge, -pushed the ferrule of his stick or umbrella into the supposed figure’s -side, to be startled by the model’s ejaculating, “Now then, young man, -enough of that.” - -There is a mystery which has never been cleared up, and that is whether -it was a policeman or a burglar who left a bull’s-eye lantern in the -Exhibition studio; but it is quite clear that the intruder, whoever he -was, fled from the place in fright. - -A portrait of the Marquis of Hartington had just been finished, and -left fully clothed and ready to be transferred to the Exhibition. By an -oversight the door of the studio was left unfastened, and on our return -in the morning it was found to have been opened. - -[Illustration: MARQUIS OF HARTINGTON - -The late Duke of Devonshire.] - -On the floor, at the feet of the model of the Marquis, lay a bull’s-eye -lantern that evidently had been dropped by its owner as he rushed from -the place. The probability is that the policeman, or the burglar, had -flashed his lamp on the figure and had been scared to find, as he -thought, a man--or a spectre--confronting him. No claim was ever made for -the lamp. - -It is not an unusual thing that visitors who wish to save expense should -bring with them an old Catalogue which they have treasured up at home -for a future visit. This is not a safe plan, for with the addition of new -figures the older ones have to be renumbered. As a result the visitors -in question are sometimes misled, as was the lady in the following story -told by a Londoner. - -He related that he had occasion to take a country cousin to the -Exhibition, and she took with her an old Catalogue. - -He paid little attention to her describing King Edward IV as King Henry -VIII, and exclaiming that she did not know Queen Mary of Scots dressed -like a man. But when she said, “Well, I never! I always thought Gladstone -was a man, though my brothers call him an old woman,” then he felt -interested, and proceeded to investigate. There it was, sure enough; -the model No. 63 was the figure of an old lady, but in the out-of-date -Catalogue No. 63 was “William Ewart Gladstone.” - -Sometimes we get a rough old country farmer who has got it into his head -that everyone in our Exhibition has committed some crime or other. - -Visitors, when audibly perusing their Catalogue, are sometimes a source -of entertainment to others who overhear them, owing to the curious -mistakes they make. One day a jolly-looking countryman came to a -standstill before the figure of Henry IV of France, described in our -Catalogue as “Henri Quatre.” “’Enry Carter,” said he; “’oo did ’e kill?” -and, finding the gentleman in question innocent of murder, he turned away -with a disappointed expression, but evidently with a fixed determination -to discover a genuine criminal somewhere else. - -Not only children, but also their elders, constantly mistake the -policeman, the programme-seller, and the sleeping attendant for living -people; but few children are so simple as the little maiden who, glancing -awestruck down the long array of very lifelike effigies of good, bad, -and indifferent individuals, asked her mother in a whisper how they were -killed before being stuffed. - -One day a lady was explaining the different groups to her young nephew. -Pointing to one, she said, “Freddy, this is the Transvaal crisis. Here -are President Kruger, Mr. Cecil Rhodes, and Dr. Jameson; all those people -are alive.” - -Indicating the next group, she said, “This is the execution of Mary, -Queen of Scots; all these people are dead.” - -“I do not see any difference between the live ones and the dead ones,” -replied the young hopeful to his auntie, assuming a puzzled expression. - -There is no accounting for the actions of children. Several youngsters, -for instance, have been observed slyly pinching the figures to see if any -were alive. - -The story is also told of a small girl who, when asked what she had done -with her sweets, replied that she had given them to the baby in the -cradle--Prince Edward of Wales. - -A child was lost, and found concealed behind the figure of the Sleeping -Beauty, trying to discover the mechanism that makes Madame St. -Amaranthe’s bosom rise and fall. - -Of children’s stories there is no end at Madame Tussaud’s. - -Sir Ernest Shackleton once told some amusing stories at a dinner of the -Alpine Ski Club. - -He said his own small boy was terribly bored with expedition talk. He -told his mother that he wanted to hear of something really exciting. “I -don’t want to know anything more about papa,” he declared; “tell me about -the baby who was drowned in his bath.” Was the boy thinking of Marat, the -evil genius of the French Revolution, whom Charlotte Corday stabbed at -his ablutions? - -Sir Ernest said that his wife and son had recently been to see his model -at Madame Tussaud’s, but the child took more interest in General Tom -Thumb sitting on the palm of the Russian giant’s hand than he did in the -portrait of his father. - -“Two ladies,” the explorer said, “were standing by my figure, and the -younger one observed, ‘That’s Latham, the airman.’ - -“‘No,’ replied the other, ‘that is not Latham; it is the man, you know, -who went to the North Pole.’ - -“It is experiences such as these that keep a man modest,” said Sir -Ernest. The ladies had forgotten his name and the object of his -expedition, which was in the Antarctic and not the Arctic region--a -distinction of minor importance to the general public perhaps. - -In the days of the Boer War the children of an illustrious couple who -were touring the world fell, childlike, to discussing the presents their -parents would bring home for them. - -“I know what I want,” said the youngest of them. “I want old Kruger’s hat -and whiskers, and I believe papa will bring them to me, because I want to -send them to Madame Tussaud’s.” - -Mr. Cyril Maude, the actor, was taken to the Exhibition when a small -boy, and it is recorded of him that the visit inspired him with -the determination to become an actor. If that were so, then we may -congratulate ourselves. - -Some years ago a lady wrote to say that when scolding her child for being -naughty, and impressing upon her that bad little girls would not go to -heaven, the child naïvely replied, “Well, mother, I can’t expect to go -everywhere, but I’ve been to Madame Tussaud’s.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLII - - The lure of horrors--Beginnings of the “Dead Room”--Sir Thomas - Lawrence, P.R.A., sketches a suicide--Burke and Hare--Fieschi’s - infernal machine--Greenacre--Executions in Public--“Free at - last!” - - -_Crime may be secret, but never secure._--OLD PROVERB. - -In citing the old aphorism that society itself creates the crimes that -most beset it, we shall in no way be tempted to regard the popularity of -the Chamber of Horrors as due to any desire on the part of the people to -visit the place with the object of gazing upon the result of their own -handiwork. - -An inquiry into the motives that induce the public to visit this gloomy -chamber scarcely comes within the scope of this work. But that a very -large number _do_ visit the place in the course of each year, and that -they cannot be deemed to belong to any particular class, but represent, -without distinction, _all_ classes of society, we may, of our own certain -knowledge, aver without the slightest hesitation. - -Were we, however, if only from an abstract point of view, to venture an -opinion on the vexed question as to why so many have a leaning towards -the seamy and sinister side of life, we should be disposed to consider -that, apart from the allurement of the abnormal and the inclination to -indulge a morbid curiosity, perhaps the chief influence serving to -stimulate the mind of the public when a great crime has been perpetrated -in a genuine concern that a serious outrage has been made on society, -constituting a veritable menace to its security. - -We have stated in a former chapter that Curtius, more than a century -ago, had allocated a part of his Museum in Paris to models of men of -ill-repute, and had named it the “Caverne des Grands Voleurs.” How far -this place approximated to the present Chamber of Horrors we cannot say, -but it certainly must have created a precedent for the placing of the -portraits and the relics of lawbreakers in a place separate and apart -from the main and more reputable portion of the Exhibition. - -In 1802, when Madame Tussaud crossed the Channel to establish her -Exhibition permanently in this country, she did not, in all probability, -find it easy to obtain an additional room for these figures, especially -when touring through the provinces. Nevertheless, when she had to exhibit -her models in the same hall, she undoubtedly differentiated, to the best -of her ability, between the famous and the infamous by grouping the -models of evil-doers in a corner by themselves. - -When the Exhibition was opened in Baker Street, the Chamber of Horrors -became a recognised feature of the collection. It was at first called the -“Dead Room,” although some designated it the “Black Room,” owing to its -sombre aspect. - -Its chief exhibit at that time was the guillotine, surrounded by the -impressions of heads that had been decapitated by it. Here also was -shown the model of Marat dying in his bath, besides many other relics of -the Revolution. Indeed, it might have been regarded as the nucleus of -an historical museum dealing exclusively with the last days of the old -French Monarchy. Even the walls were constructed and draped in imitation -of the interior of the Bastille, the principal keys of which were shown -therein as mementoes of unusual interest. - -[Illustration: KEY OF THE BASTILLE - -Set in a stone from the dungeons of the famous fortress.] - -“Mr. Punch” made his début before the British public somewhere during the -early forties, and, as already indicated, he took an early opportunity -of referring to this part of the Tussaud collection as the “Chamber of -Horrors,” by which title it has been known ever since. - -The number of persons visiting this extra room during these days was not -great, except on those occasions when the business was galvanised into -activity by the addition of a portrait-model of some unworthy being who -happened for the nonce to figure largely in the public eye. - -There came into our possession at a time beyond my memory a singular -and valuable sketch, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, of the alleged murderer, -Williams, as he appeared directly after he had hanged himself in Coldbath -Fields prison. - -[Illustration: SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE - -President of the Royal Academy.] - -Williams was accused of the murders of the Marr and the Williamson -families in the East End of London under peculiarly brutal circumstances. -These massacres, which were committed in December, 1811, caused an -immense sensation, and inspired the remarkable monograph of de Quincey -entitled _Murder as One of the Fine Arts_. - -How Lawrence came to make such a drawing, and what induced so refined and -dignified a person to interest himself in a subject so repulsive, it is -difficult to understand. Although Lawrence had not then been elected to -the presidency of the Royal Academy, he held a high position in society -as the first portrait painter of his day. - -We give an illustration of the sketch in question which is quite -authentic. - -[Illustration: JOHN WILLIAMS - -From a drawing made after he had committed suicide in prison by Sir -Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A.] - -Until 1823 it was directed that the body of a suicide should be buried in -a cross-road and have a stake driven through it, and there can be little -doubt that that of Williams was thus treated. It was not, indeed, until -1882 that an Act was passed putting an end to this barbarous custom. - -This circumstance readily calls to mind Tom Hood’s description of the -fate that befell Ben Battle, the victim of Faithless Nelly Gray: - - A dozen men sat on his corpse, - To find out why he died-- - And they buried Ben in four cross-roads, - With a _stake_ in his inside! - -Of the characters that became, in course of time, suitable objects for -the “Dead Room” we have neither the space nor the inclination to dwell -upon, but a passing reference to two or three that helped to give the -place its present distinctiveness may prove interesting. - -The hideous crimes perpetrated by Burke and Hare, to which slight -reference has already been made, took place about the year 1828, and the -memory of those crimes was still fresh in the mind of the public when we -opened in Baker Street; indeed, a matter of six years could not suffice -for its obliteration. - -The appalling revelation that it was not only possible, but easy, for -one’s neighbour to be decoyed away, put to death, and his body sold, -without question, for a sum varying from £8 to £14, aroused a feeling of -consternation throughout the country of a very real and lasting character. - -The high prices paid for bodies required for dissection had begotten -this terrible traffic. At least sixteen murders had been traced to these -miscreants, but the evidence at the trial failed to answer the question -“How many more?” - -Burke was executed in January, 1829, on the strength of Hare’s evidence, -so that for nearly a century have the portrait-models of these two -notorious criminals stood facing each other. There are to this day many -visitors who, on catching sight of their forbidding features, seem to -recognise them, and make ready comment, without the aid of a Catalogue, -on the leading circumstances associated with their nefarious careers. - -[Illustration: BURKE AND HARE - -Both notorious criminals who perpetrated a series of gruesome murders in -Scotland before 1828. These models from life by Madame Tussaud were among -the first of contemporary criminals made by her for the famous “Chamber -of Horrors,” then called the “Dead Room” or the “Black Room.”] - -The very first startling event that furnished a subject for the “Dead -Room,” when the Exhibition opened in Baker Street in 1835, was the -attempt on the life of Louis Philippe, King of the French, four months -later. - -It had been the custom of His Majesty to review the Gardes Nationales and -the garrison of Paris on each anniversary of the Revolution of 1830. -For some considerable time the King and his Government had been growing -very unpopular, and many warnings had been given him to desist from this -military function; but, in spite of all advice, he persisted in holding -the review. - -The anniversary of the Revolution was on the 28th of July, and the King, -followed by a numerous Staff, left the Tuileries at half-past ten on the -morning of that day, accompanied by his three sons, the Ducs d’Orléans, -de Nemour, and de Joinville. - -In passing along the Boulevard du Temple--and, strange to say, when -almost opposite the site of Curtius’s old Museum--a noise was heard -resembling an irregular musket fire. In an instant the road and pavement -at the point where Louis had been riding was strewn with dead and dying -men and horses, and amid the mêlée the King, slightly wounded in the -forehead, stood alone by the side of his injured horse. - -More than forty persons had been struck and nineteen killed or mortally -wounded. Among the latter was Edward Joseph Mortier, Duc de Trevise, the -famous Marshal of Napoleon I. - -After a few moments’ suspense, attention was directed to a cloud of smoke -issuing from the third-floor window of a house on the Boulevard. Herein -was discovered a machine composed of a row of twenty-five gun-barrels -so arranged as to cover the cavalcade as it passed the premises. It had -been fired by a train of gunpowder, with the result that several of the -barrels had burst on the discharge. - -The room was empty, but from one of the back windows of the house the -police caught sight of a man huddled up in a corner of the courtyard -below. He was trying to stanch the blood which was flowing from a great -wound in his head. In spite of his injury, caused by his firing of the -infernal machine, he had had the strength to stagger out of the room, -seize a rope, secure it to a window, and by its means escape from the -house. - -The man turned out to be Giuseppe Fieschi, a rabid conspirator. Our -model of him was added some weeks after the event, and, being placed by -the side of an exact copy of the machine he had used, the man and his -diabolical contrivance proved of considerable interest, a circumstance -that substantially assisted to establish the Exhibition as a permanent -London attraction. - -This political crime was, however, soon eclipsed by one of a particularly -sordid character committed much nearer home. - -James Greenacre who murdered his fiancée, Hannah Brown, by striking her a -fatal blow in a fit of temper, will ever figure as a criminal of a very -curious type. Many a deed like that which brought him to the scaffold -has occasioned but a passing interest. It was the means he adopted for -the purpose of evading the consequences of his crime that aroused the -excitement and indignation of the people. He dismembered the body, and -deliberately distributed it in broad daylight to widely different parts -of the Metropolis. - -The discovery of the various parts of the body from time to time, the -bringing of them together, and the final identification of the remains -wrought up the public mind to a state of high tension, and after the -culprit had been brought to justice many thousands visited the Exhibition -to scan for themselves the features of his model which had been installed. - -It will be remembered that we are dealing with a period when the extreme -penalty of the law was exacted in public, a condition of things which -lasted till 1868, when it was enacted that all executions should take -place privately within prison walls. - -The night before Greenacre’s execution at Newgate (the 2nd of May, 1837) -hundreds slept on the prison steps and round about the neighbourhood -of the old gaol. Crowds spent the night in taverns and lodging-houses, -indulging in unseemly revelry and ribald and drunken dissipation. Nor -were the spectators all drawn from the lowest class; all classes were -represented. Positions within sight of the drop fetched from five -shillings to a couple of guineas each, and a first-floor room overlooking -the scaffold commanded as much as £12, no small price in those days. - -It is a grim story, but who has not been entertained by the account in -the _Ingoldsby Legends_ of the way in which “My Lord Tomnoddy” failed to -witness the launching into eternity of a doomed fellow creature? - -As the result of a happy thought from “Tiger Tim”-- - - “An’t please you, my Lord, there’s a man to be hang’d”-- - -Tomnoddy invites a party of convivial friends to enjoy the scene, for - - “To see a man swing - At the end of a string, - With his neck in a noose, will be quite a new thing.” - -So he - - Turns down the Old Bailey, - Where, in front of the gaol, he - Pulls up at the door of the gin-shop, and gaily - Cries, “What must I fork out to-night, my trump, - For the whole first-floor of the Magpie and Stump?” - -St. Sepulchre’s clock strikes eight, and - - God! ’tis a fearsome thing to see - That pale wan man’s mute agony,-- - The glare of that wild, despairing eye, - Now bent on the crowd, now turn’d to the sky. - - Oh! ’twas a fearsome sight! Ah me! - A deed to shudder at,--not to see. - -The clock strikes - - Nine! ’twas the last concluding stroke! - And then--my Lord Tomnoddy awoke! - - “Hollo! Hollo! - Here’s a rum go! - Why, Captain!--my Lord!---here’s the devil to pay! - The fellow’s been cut down and taken away! - What’s to be done? - We’ve missed all the fun!” - - What _was_ to be done? The man was dead! - Nought _could_ be done--nought could be said; - So--my Lord Tomnoddy went home to bed! - -Referring back to the days before the advent of the daily illustrated -papers with their portraits of all kinds of people, a very affecting -story was once told by a well-known author. - -It related to a very pretty and plaintive young woman who visited the -Chamber of Horrors early on the morning that a certain criminal with many -_aliases_ was executed. - -She was accompanied by her father, who, with his arm about her waist -to steady her faltering steps, led her up to where the figure of -the murderer stood. The poor woman remained gazing at it as though -fascinated; then, with a nod, she burst out crying and buried her head in -her hands. - -Her father gently drew her out of the place, and as he did so whispered -in her ear, “Free, my child; free at last!” - -How the author came to hear of the incident we do not know, or was it one -of those coincidences that somehow do occur? - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII - - “The Chamber of Horrors Rumour”--_No reward has been, or - will be, offered_--The constable’s escapade--A nocturnal - experience--Dumas’s comedy of the Chamber--Yeomen of the Halter. - - -We have speculated much upon the origin of what has come to be called -“The Chamber of Horrors Rumour,” relating to a popular delusion that -Madame Tussaud’s will pay a sum of money to any person who spends a night -alone with the criminals assembled therein. - -It need hardly be pointed out that no such ridiculous challenge was ever -issued to the public, although the rumour has run for nearly twenty -years, in spite of repeated contradictions. - -I am not even hopeful that what I am writing now will produce the desired -result of disabusing adventurous minds of this impression; in fact, -denials on our part appear rather to have tended to give wider currency -to the rumour. Thousands of letters have been received from volunteers of -both sexes eager and anxious to undertake the ordeal for rewards which -vary, in their imaginations, from £5 to £5,000. - -Among the aspirants have been soldiers, sailors, ex-policemen, and even -domestic servants, all of whom insisted that their nerves were equal to -the task. Only the other day I received a letter from a Scotsman who -intimated his willingness to forgo any pecuniary reward if only we would -furnish him with a bottle of whisky and some sandwiches with which to -regale himself as he sat at the feet of Burke and Hare. - -The conclusion has somehow taken possession of our minds that this -fallacious rumour emanated, innocently enough, from a story told long ago -by one “Dagonet” of a man who was said to have been accidently locked all -night in the Chamber. Originally, I imagine, people must have offered -voluntarily to spend a night there for a consideration, and then, as the -subject came to be talked about, it very easily grew into the form of a -challenge said to have been made by us, which, of course, was never made -and never will be made. - -Considerable fillip was given to the rumour by the Chamber of Horrors -scene in _The Whip_ at Drury Lane Theatre in 1909. - -From some source or another handbills in the following form were -plentifully distributed: - - £100 REWARD - - will be given to any person, male or female, who will pass - the night alone in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud’s - Exhibition. The only condition made is that the daring one - shall not smoke or drink or read during the twelve hours he - passes with the wax figures of the world’s noted criminals. - -It was also stated on the handbill that the above was a copy of a -placard said to have been issued many years ago, but in spite of the -large reward, no one came forward to try the experiment, and that now, -after many years, “Tom Lambert, the trainer of The Whip, undergoes this -horrible experience in the Drury Lane drama.” - -So far so good, for dramatic purposes--and that is all. - -Apparently it was something of this sort that the bard had in mind who -wrote the following stanza: - - I dreamt that I slept at Madame Tussaud’s - With cut-throats and kings by my side, - And that all the wax figures in those weird abodes - At midnight became vivified. - -Until the recent escapade of a venturesome young lady, the only instance -I can recall of any person spending the night alone in the Chamber of -Horrors falls accidentally to the credit of a policeman on duty at the -Exhibition when the opening of the present building was celebrated in -July, 1884. A reception was then held which lasted until after midnight, -and naturally it became necessary that the place should be guarded till -the return of the staff in the morning. - -The policeman in question was put in charge of the criminals in the -Chamber of Horrors, with liberty to relieve the monotony of his eerie -vigil by strolling through the other parts of the building, which -included access to the room in which the refreshments had been served. -Wines and spirits and other good things were left nominally under his -care--whereby hangs a tale. - -When the time came to relieve the policeman in the morning, he could -not be found, and after a long search an Exhibition attendant heard -the sound of moaning proceeding from one of the docks in the Chamber of -Horrors. Here lay asleep the missing police-officer, in a condition that -pointed to the probability of his having had recourse to the wines of the -feast, presumably as a means of fortifying his courage. - -The incident caused some little concern, but the officer’s position was -so well understood and the extenuating circumstances were so obvious that -his misadventure came to be jocularly treated as an excusable lapse. He -had not only spent the night in the dread abode of criminals, but had -actually slept there--a much more surprising performance. - -Yet another reminiscence of the Chamber of Horrors, just a little creepy. - -Sauntering one night through its gloomy passages after the last visitor -had departed and the watchmen, having passed me on their rounds, had -lowered the lights to a feeble glimmer, my attention was drawn in some -unaccountable way towards one of the models. - -“I could swear that figure moved,” I said to myself. “But no, the notion -is too ridiculous.” - -I looked at it again, carefully this time. I was not mistaken. The figure -_did_ move, and, what was more, it moved distinctly towards me. It -appeared to bend slowly forward, as though in preparation for a sudden -bound, and I thought it looked at me with a fixed and malignant stare. - -Just as I was expecting it to raise its arms and seize me by the throat, -it stopped dead, and remained at a grotesque and ludicrous angle, -apparently looking for something on the floor. - -What was the explanation of this thrilling experience? - -The vibration caused by a heavy goods train on the Metropolitan Railway, -which runs under the Exhibition premises, had shaken the figure off its -balance, and the iron which fastened it to the floor permitted it to move -and lean forward in the uncanny manner I have described. - -The following comedy of the Chamber of Horrors from which the chief actor -derived a minimum of amusement, if any, comes into my mind as having been -described by the elder Dumas, and is calculated to relieve the gloom that -is naturally associated with the place: - -“A young Parisian, visiting the Exhibition in London, found himself -temporarily alone in the famous Chamber, and was seized with the ambition -of being able to say, on his return to his favourite Paris café, that his -neck had been held in the same lunette which had once encircled those of -Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. - -“The idea was no sooner conceived than carried out, and for quite five -minutes the rash young man enjoyed his novel position under the knife -of the very same guillotine which had once worked such havoc among the -aristocrats in the gay city. - -“When, however, he was about to touch the spring that would release him, -a thought struck him which threw him into a cold sweat. - -“Supposing he were to touch the wrong spring, might not the knife come -down, with the result not only of beheading him, but of making the world -believe a most sensational suicide had been committed? - -“He shouted for help, and at length an attendant, followed by a crowd of -visitors, appeared. - -“‘What is the matter?’ they asked in English; but the official was equal -to the occasion, and turned it to good account. - -“_À l’aide! Au secours!_’ yelled the Parisian, who could only speak -French. - -“‘A little patience,’ answered the other. - -“‘What does he say?’ was the general query. - -“‘Oh, it’s a part of his performance, ladies and gentleman. You see, -Madame Tussaud is not satisfied with merely exhibiting the guillotine. -She wishes to show you how it is actually worked.’ - -“This statement was greeted with general applause by everybody except the -victim, who continued entreating to be released, whilst the impromptu -lecturer calmly explained to the audience the practical working of the -death-dealing machine. - -“‘Bravo! How well he acts!’ was the verdict, as the prisoner appealed -frantically in a language which none else but the attendant understood. - -“Finally, on being at last released, he fainted. They brought him round -with smelling-salts and cold water, and the first thing he did was to -feel if his head was still safe. Satisfied on this point, he fled, -without stopping to find his hat, and lost not an instant in starting at -once for Paris.” - -I come now, by a sudden transition, to write of three notable shrieval -servants whose occupation, however indispensable, was unsavoury. - -Calcraft, the first to be styled the “Yeoman of the Halter,” I had not -the “pleasure” of knowing. - -We have the original signboard he used to exhibit outside his house. It -is a framed piece of wood, about three feet by two feet, and it bears in -black letters the following notice: - - J. CALCRAFT, - Boot and Shoe Maker. Executioner to Her Majesty. - -His successor, Marwood, sat on several occasions for his model. - -[Illustration: WILLIAM MARWOOD, THE HANGMAN - -Modeled from life.] - -The executioner would sometimes visit the studios when his spirits -were low, and a pipe and a glass of gin and water--his favourite -beverage--were always at his service. - -Then he would go down to the Chamber of Horrors to see some of his old -acquaintances around whose necks he had so delicately adjusted the fatal -noose. He would stop before each one with a grim look, while his lips -moved tremulously. - -“Put me there,” he once said after he had given a sitting. - -It was like a man choosing the site of his grave. - -His companion on these visits was a grizzled terrier. One day he came -alone. - -“Your dog, Mr. Marwood--where is it?” he was asked. - -The old man was sad. - -“My poor old dog is dying--my dog that knew the business like a Christian -and the inside of every prison in England; that has played with my ropes; -that has caught rats in my business bags.” - -“Dying by inches,” was the unfeeling rejoinder of a bystander, followed -by the cruel suggestion, “Why don’t you hang him?” - -Marwood gave him a reproachful glance. - -“No, no. Hang a man, but my dear old dog--never!” - -Poor Marwood had a good heart, and the story of the dog was so affecting -that the interview abruptly terminated. - -Berry, the executioner, was paid for a sitting, and seemed by no means -averse from having his figure placed in the Chamber of Horrors, where it -may now be seen. He rather appeared to be proud of his official calling. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV - - Anecdotal--“Which is Peace?”--Mark Twain at Tussaud’s--Dr. - Grace’s story--Mr. Kipling’s model--Filial pride--Bishop - Jackson’s sally--German inaccuracy. - - -As I proceed with my narrative, having already travelled through the -memories of many years, there seem to crowd at my heels, so to speak, -a great collection of humorous and curious incidents which, although -unrelated to each other, are yet worthy of a place in this chronicle. - -They come of their own free will readily enough when I want to engage -in serious work, but no amount of persuasion will lure them from their -lurking-places when I want to recount them. As I fancy my friends like my -short stories as well as any, I propose to introduce a few trivialities -that are sufficiently obliging to present themselves as I write. - -In the Berlin Treaty days a staunchly Conservative borough was -celebrating the event, and among other decorations was a large -transparency showing Lord Beaconsfield and Lord Salisbury standing -together, with the motto “Peace with Honour” beneath them. An old woman -went up to the borough M.P. and asked: - -“If you please, sir, will you tell me which is Peace?” - -Charles Peace was the man of the moment just then. - -[Illustration: CHARLES PEACE - -Model of the notorious criminal in convict garb.] - -Mark Twain, according to his cousin, Katherine Clemens, once visited -Madame Tussaud’s. He stood a long while, says his cousin, in -contemplation of an especially clever piece of work, and was aroused by a -sudden stab of pain in his side. Turning quickly, he found himself face -to face with a dumb-founded British matron with her parasol still pointed -at him. - -“O lor’, it’s alive!” she exclaimed, and beat a hasty retreat. - -The best known of all cricketers, Dr. W. G. Grace, has long enjoyed a -well-earned place of prominence in the Exhibition, and even to-day, -when the great master of the bat and the ball is no longer with us, his -portrait continues to attract more than an average share of attention. - -Dr. Grace was very fond of telling the following story about a trusted -old servant of his whom he treated on one occasion to a trip to London. -On her return he asked her what it was that pleased her most among the -sights of the Metropolis. - -“Oh, sir, Madame Tussaud’s was beautiful,” replied Susan. - -“Then you must have seen me there?” said her master. - -“No, that I did not, sir.” - -“What! How did you miss me? I am there as large as life.” - -“Well, sir, to tell you the truth, it cost sixpence extra to go into the -Chamber of Horrors.” - -A young girl arriving at an institution at Torquay, from London, was -asked whether she had ever visited Westminster Abbey. She hesitated, and -was then reminded that that historic edifice contained monuments of the -Kings and Queens of England. She immediately brightened up, and replied, -“Oh, yes, I have been there, but they call it Madame Tussaud’s now.” - -A short time after the seated figure of Mr. Rudyard Kipling, which is -still to be seen in the Exhibition, had been modelled, the following -conversation is reported to have occurred between a young lady and her -maid, who had visited Madame Tussaud’s: - -Relating her experiences there, the girl remarked: - -“They’ve got Mr. Kipling and another murderer there, miss.” - -“But Mr. Kipling isn’t a murderer,” said her young mistress. - -“No, miss,” was the reply, “but they’ve got him there, miss.” - -During those days when the Exhibition was being removed from one town -to another the figures of criminals originally stood together in the -same room with all the other models; but as it was suggested that it was -indecorous to have the effigies of criminals in such close proximity with -those of illustrious personages, Madame Tussaud had the former removed to -a separate room, and the Chamber of Horrors was formed as it now exists. - -The relatives and friends of criminals frequently visit the Chamber. - -At a drawing-room meeting held at the residence of Lady Esther Smith, in -Grosvenor Place, in aid of the Social Institutes’ Union, which exists to -provide facilities for establishing clubs on temperance lines, Mrs. (now -Lady) Bland-Sutton told the story of a little girl who was asked where -she would like to go for a treat. - -“To Madame Tussaud’s,” was the prompt reply. - -“But you went there last year,” it was objected. - -“Oh, yes, I know,” said the child, “but father wasn’t in the Chamber of -Horrors then.” - -Somewhat similar is the following: - -A parlourmaid, interviewed by her mistress just after a Bank Holiday, was -asked: - -“And how did you spend your day off, Polly?” - -“Oh, we went to Madame Tussaud’s,” was the reply. “We always go there, -mum. You see, having uncle in the Chamber of Horrors gives the place a -family interest, so to speak.” - -When Dr. Jackson was Bishop of London he gave a breakfast to several -curates before they left to take up missionary work abroad, and one of -them, in the course of conversation at the repast, observed that he had -just visited Madame Tussaud’s, where he had heard a figure of his Grace -had been on view for many years. - -He said he much regretted that he could not find the figure anywhere in -the Exhibition, although he had searched for it high and low. - -“Oh,” said the Bishop, “haven’t you heard, my dear boy, that they’ve -melted me down for Peace?”--a sally that was greeted with roars of -laughter. - -[Illustration: DR. JACKSON - -Bishop of London 1868-1885.] - -Many complaints have been made by foreigners visiting London regarding -the inefficiency of guides with little or no knowledge of the places -with which they are supposed to be thoroughly acquainted. - -For instance, a certain Teuton of great pretensions brought to Madame -Tussaud’s a party of travellers from a Prussian provincial town, and -informed them, among other things, that Mrs. Maybrick, whose model was -then in the Napoleon Rooms, was a lady connected with the life of the -great Bonaparte. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV - - Enemy models--A hostile public--Banishment of four rulers--Our - reply to _John Bull_--Attacks on the Kaiser’s effigy--Story of - an Iron Cross. - - -We now come to the eventful period that began in August, 1914. - -[Illustration: COUNT ZEPPELIN - -Model of the inventor of the Zeppelin airship on view at Madame -Tussaud’s.] - -At the beginning of hostilities the Kaiser, Count Zeppelin, and other -German objectionables were relegated to a less conspicuous position than -they had formerly occupied. The enemy had not at that time gained the -animosity which his subsequent acts of “frightfulness” earned for him, -but he soon showed himself in his true colours. - -It was in the spring of 1910 that a renewed portrait of the German -Emperor had been given a place of honour, with the Empress by his side, -near our own royal group. Not very long afterwards the British public -began to suspect the Kaiser of evil designs upon this country, and -visitors frequently indicated their displeasure in front of his model. - -With the outbreak of war, naturally enough, came an outburst of general -reprobation, and the atrocities committed by the German Army and Navy -provoked impulsive patriots to visible and audible manifestations of -anger. More than once the Kaiser had his figure struck by men, while -women shook their fists and umbrellas in the face of the world’s greatest -homicide. - -As a matter of fact, to the Kaiser belongs the distinction of having been -expelled from Madame Tussaud’s for several months--a distinction that was -shared by the late Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria. - -This was done in deference to public opinion, which had become very -hostile to their models being shown at Madame Tussaud’s. Letters had -appeared to this effect in the Press, and one periodical published a -large cartoon showing the Kaiser and his associates in the prisoners’ -dock in the Chamber of Horrors. - -Originally four enemy monarchs had pedestals in an obscure corner of Room -No. 4. They were the Kaiser, the late Emperor of Austria, the Sultan of -Turkey, and King Ferdinand of Bulgaria. - -The Sultan of Turkey, as an unkind friend remarked, “found his level in -the melting-pot” some time ago; and the Kaiser twice had to undergo a -surgical operation as the result of bouts with ultra-patriotic visitors. -Ferdinand of Bulgaria also had some narrow escapes, especially from our -“handymen,” who have a short way with all enemies. - -Some time ago my attention was called to the fact that one of the -“spikes” of the Kaiser’s moustache had been clipped off, giving him a -ludicrously woebegone appearance. I have always suspected the Colonials -of that “cut,” and if I am wrong--well, I apologise. Perhaps the “spike” -will be heard of some other day as a souvenir of the war. - -Feeling ran so high after the sinking of the _Lusitania_ that we readily -yielded to the public demand, and evicted the Huns from the house. - -On the 16th of September, 1916, _John Bull_ had addressed to us the -following open letter on the subject of the presence of the objectionable -figures: - - To the Directors, Madame Tussaud & Sons, Ltd., Baker Street, W. - - GENTLEMEN, - - Being an admirer of your Moral Waxworks, I am sure you will - excuse me if I indicate a blot upon your interesting and - intellectual display. As a matter of fact, there are four blots. - - They occur in your Grand Hall, No. 4, and they take the form of - effigies representing, with a fidelity almost lifelike, those - malodorous monarchs the Sultan of Turkey, King Ferdinand of - Bulgaria, the Emperor of Russia, and that arch-villain Kaiser - Bill. - - Do, please, reshuffle the pack, gentlemen. Take the sinful - quartette out of your Grand Hall, which they desecrate, and - place them in that other room of yours which seems specially - designed for their accommodation--the Chamber of Horrors. - - In the company of Burke and Hare, Charles Peace, Greenacre, and - Wainwright, they will be quite at home. - - JOHN BULL. - -_John Bull_ on the 14th of November printed the following, containing my -reply: - - BRAVO, TUSSAUD! - - PATRIOTIC ACTION OF THE GREAT EXHIBITION. - - We have received the following interesting letter from Mr. J. - T. Tussaud: - - “As a regular reader of your valuable and most instructive - paper, my attention was drawn to your letter, addressed to my - company, which appeared in your issue of the 16th September. - - “In it you call attention to what you describe as a blot--or - rather four blots--upon ‘our interesting and intellectual - display,’ namely, the inclusion of the Sultan of Turkey, the - King of Bulgaria, and the Emperors of Austria and Germany in - our collection of celebrities and notorieties. Of course, - such a letter from such an influential person could not pass - unnoticed, and it was brought before my Board of Directors at - the earliest opportunity. - - “Prior to the date of your letter the pack had already been - reshuffled, and the figures to which you refer had been - relegated to a much less conspicuous position than they - had previously occupied. When your letter was penned they - were conspiring against the peace of Europe in a small room - which contains the tableau representing ‘The Destruction of - Messina’--a scene of ruin which seems to be in keeping with - this Machiavellian group. - - “Like yourself, other visitors had frequently suggested - that the quartette should be placed in another famous--or - infamous--part of the Exhibition; but the trouble was that - Burke and Hare, Charles Peace, Greenacre, and Wainwright, whom - you name, and their comparatively innocuous companions, would - not hear of their abode being thus desecrated. - - “What were we to do? - - “I am now pleased to inform you that after considering your - remarks a solution has been arrived at: the pack has been - shuffled again, and, by a remarkable feat of legerdemain, the - four knaves have now disappeared altogether.” - - We congratulate Messrs. Tussaud on this happy solution to the - problem. - -The restoration of two of the figures was due to a very singular -circumstance. Our overseas soldiers soon began to visit Madame Tussaud’s -in large numbers, and they frequently expressed disappointment at not -being able to see the two enemy Emperors whose armies they had come so -far to fight. - -Sympathising with their point of view, we had the Kaiser and Francis -Joseph readmitted, placing them in an isolated position, with the -“All-Highest” at one time confronting the Messina tableau, and more -recently faced by the tableau of the Ruhleben horse-box in which British -prisoners had to spend four long weary years of separation from home and -family. In the same room are models of Prince Bismarck and Count von -Moltke. - -[Illustration: PRINCE BISMARCK] - -It was some little time after the Kaiser’s reinstatement that a British -sailor, who was quite unable to control his feelings, after glowering for -several minutes at the figure, made a run at it and knocked it over. The -head was smashed and the figure badly damaged. - -The tar’s friends, who were much concerned at their companion’s escapade, -strove to pacify him, and contrived to get him out of the building -without further trouble; but the Kaiser had to go into hospital for -repairs. - -The sailor was carried away by an impulse thousands have with difficulty -controlled out of respect for the Exhibition and the law which makes it -an offence to destroy other people’s property. - -Two days after the incident a little boy inquired of an Exhibition -attendant where he could see the pieces of the Kaiser, as he would like -to take a bit away. - -A party of twenty-eight American soldiers happened to be passing the -curtained room where the dismembered model of the Kaiser lay, and one of -them made the request that they should be shown the “All-Highest” lying -in state. - -“And a very bad state, too,” replied the attendant, who could not oblige. - -The second serious attack upon the Kaiser’s effigy took place two or -three months after the first. - -On this occasion it was a Colonial soldier who, seeing the restored -monarch gazing at him in a supercilious fashion, as he imagined, drew -from its scabbard the sword of the defunct Austrian Emperor, whose model -sits close by, and stabbed the Kaiser’s figure in the face. - -The force with which the thrust was delivered was such that off came the -monarch’s head, and again the model had to be taken to hospital for the -surgical operation of restoring the head and refixing it to its trunk. - -Count Zeppelin, whose name will for ever be associated with the -introduction of aerial warships and the dropping of bombs upon -defenceless people, has had many a clenched fist shaken at him standing -there beside the portraits of Roger Casement and Tribich Lincoln. - -Though never actually assaulted, it was only the stolidity of the British -character that kept people’s hands off his effigy during the Zeppelin -raids on London. Visitors were too proud, I suppose, to touch him, and -from the time the first German airship was brought down in flames on -British soil Count Zeppelin’s model began to be ignored. - -A British matron quietly remarked, as she stopped an instant in front of -the portrait, “So you’re going the way of all our enemies--beaten at your -own game.” - - * * * * * - -In the early months of the war we borrowed from a soldier an Iron Cross -that he had taken from the breast of a dead German officer whom he had -found lying in a wood at Zillebeke, near Ypres, in November, 1914. - -According to the story of the soldier--Drummer Newman, of the Grenadier -Guards--our men, comprising Grenadier Guards, Irish Guards, and -Oxfordshire Light Infantry, were opposed to the Prussian Guards, who were -driven out of the wood, leaving behind them several hundreds of their -dead. - -Newman was searching for despatches when he happened upon the cross in -question. I remember him coming to my studio with the trophy. He was -a typical soldier, and he greatly amused me by his description of the -way in which old soldiers--bearing in mind one of the trite sayings of -Frederick the Great--would hearten their comrades, saying, just before -going over the top, “Now then, boys, you don’t want to live for ever, do -you?” - -The Iron Cross was exhibited with other relics, and used to be handed -round for inspection, until one day it was missing. That was in October, -1915, and, although we made inquiries of the police and learned that it -had been seen in the neighbourhood of the Exhibition, we heard no more of -it till, several months later, it was traced by detectives to a gentleman -at Warrington who had innocently purchased it from an invalided soldier. - -We willingly refunded the amount that had been paid for the cross, and it -has now been restored to our collection. - - * * * * * - -No sooner was London subjected to the terrible ordeal of air-raids than -we received, as was only to be expected, offers of bombs that had been -dropped by enemy aircraft. - -As a matter of fact, we acquired one of the first of these missiles, -and it proved of great interest to our visitors, especially to our own -airmen, who never tired of describing to their friends the construction -of the bomb and the way in which it was dropped. - -We found it necessary, however, to discourage the bringing of ammunition -to the Exhibition, as we had no desire that the building should be -wrecked by the untimely explosion of a live bomb or shell. - -Reverting for a moment to the attacks upon the effigy of the ex-Kaiser, -I am reminded of one or two occasions when figures have incurred the -animosity of beholders, although not to the same extent. - -A professional rider, expelled from the Jockey Club, used to visit the -Exhibition very often for the sole purpose of venting his spleen against -the image of his supposed enemy, Fred Archer, the jockey who won five -Derbys; and he was heard to remark that it was “so like the beggar, I -would give anything to smash it.” - -In August, 1893, an old man, whose whole get-up spoke of better days, was -seen to walk up to the effigy of the late Jabez Spencer Balfour, shake -his withered, palsied fist in its face, and totter out of the building. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI - - Tussaud’s during the war--Chameleon crowds--The psychology - of courage--Men of St. Dunstan’s--Poignant memories--Our - watchman’s soliloquy. - - -Under the stress of war many strange things revealed themselves at -Tussaud’s--things by no means easy to define, subtle, illusive, -immaterial, difficult to comprehend and hard to describe. - -At the outbreak of hostilities the attendance suffered a severe -check. This disquieting effect was in the main, I believe, due to the -great wrench suffered by the public mind through the country’s sudden -transition from the normal condition of peace to a strenuous state of -war. But as each month passed the flow of visitors steadily increased in -volume, until it far exceeded that of pre-war days. - -By the time the manhood of the Empire had, in a great measure, doffed its -sombre everyday suit and donned khaki, khaki became the dominant colour -of the throng that filled the Exhibition rooms. - -With this change in attire there came a marked alteration in its -demeanour. Usually sedate and reserved, it now betrayed--in startling -contradiction to all reasonable expectations--a cherry, devil-me-care -character which, curious to relate, resolved itself into a tone -unmistakably flippant; a mental attitude to which we soon realised we -must give our careful consideration. - -He would indeed have been a poor psychologist who had taken this outward -showing as a true indication of the feelings of our brave fellows; -for it was obviously but the assumption of that demeanour so strongly -characteristic of the British disposition, that of facing an ugly job in -a cheerful spirit. - -It was the ready answer to the pessimist, “If it’s got to be done, what’s -the use of being miserable about it?”--a philosophical bearing that -perhaps found its deepest expression in their “Cheerio!” and insouciant -wave of the hand bidding farewell to wife, mother, and child ere turning -to face the grim realities and dread uncertainty of war. - -To keep pace with the stirring and ever-fluctuating events of the -day, large maps of the battle areas were specially produced for the -Exhibition, and lectures were given before them, explaining our -varying fortunes in the great conflict. It was in the giving of these -lectures that we were soon able to take a fairly correct measure of the -disposition of our visitors. - -They were, first of all, delivered on somewhat academic lines, with, -perhaps, too pronounced an idea of imparting instruction rather than that -of affording entertainment. It was soon found that if the attention of -our visitors was to be held, it was necessary to adopt a more optimistic -and lively, if not an almost bantering, tone if the dissertation were to -receive any real mark of appreciation on the part of those who cared to -listen. - -As the struggle proceeded Tussaud’s began to assume the position of -a _pointe de réunion_ of a very remarkable character, and this quite -irrespective of class or nationality. - -We opened our doors as early as eight o’clock in the morning, and even -then found that not a few had been waiting for admission for some -considerable time. This forced upon us the conviction that the Exhibition -had risen in favour as something of a place of refuge by those who had -involuntarily found themselves abroad early in the morning and had borne -its existence in mind. - -Be this as it may, throughout all hours of the day Tussaud’s proved a -centre of attraction to many champions of their country’s cause. Here -they were to be seen, whether on their final leave before going out to -the front, or homeward bound to enjoy a brief respite from the turmoil of -the conflict, and awaiting a train to carry them to their families. - -During the autumn of 1914 and far into the following year there -congregated within our walls numerous hapless and pathetic beings, -strangers to us by their foreign tongue, who, having come from nowhere -in particular and having nowhere in particular to go, aimlessly wandered -into the Exhibition. - -We can only presume that they came to help pass away many a sad and -anxious hour, or maybe to take measure of the semblance of those who were -at that very moment foremost in striving to stem the tide of the cruel -incursion that had driven them to take refuge in a foreign land. - -Then as time wore on there came a touch of relieving colour that showed -itself here and there amid the prevailing khaki; at first a mere fleck -that gradually became more pronounced as the war advanced. This was -the hospital blue of our valiant soldiers who had not passed unscathed -through the ordeal of fire, as cheery a gathering as ever set foot within -the place, a cheeriness readily responded to by their fellow visitors -through the medium of sympathy and admiration. - -One sad sight there was, however, which touched the hearts of the -people so deeply that no display of cheerfulness on the part of the -sufferers--and they, too, were invariably light-hearted--could quite -evoke a sense of mirth. - -St. Dunstan’s Hostel for Blinded Soldiers and Sailors in Regent’s Park is -not very far from Madame Tussaud’s, and many of its inmates visited the -Exhibition, and, for the matter of that, still find a pleasure in coming -in couples or small parties to spend an hour or so among the models and -the relics. - -In spite of the distressing fact that they have been deprived of the -gift of sight, they stand in front of the models and pause while the -biographies are read out to them from the Catalogue by some more -fortunate companion. Then they almost invariably nod to express their -comprehension of the subject before them, and seem to see and understand -through the faculty of their imagination much that would otherwise have -been made manifest to them through the function of their eyes. - -During the past few years our attendance has totalled to a figure -reaching several millions; but the number visiting the place hardly -constitutes so remarkable a fact as the many diverse nationalities and -tribes they represented, or their coming from so many far-distant and -remote parts of the world. - -The landing of a fresh contingent at any one of our ports, or the arrival -in London of any body of men attached to our Allied Forces, brought -distinct and unfamiliar types of humanity to our doors. - -“I had often heard of the place, but never thought I should have had an -opportunity of seeing it,” was a remark that often fell upon the ears of -our attendants; and we know, for many reasons, that most of them had made -up their minds to visit the place long before they had set foot upon our -shores. - -Of the many telling experiences of the last few momentous years, the one -that will be retained longest in our memory will most assuredly be the -touching sight of the war-stained and weary men who, during the earlier -days of the war, literally stumbled through our turnstiles into the -building. - -Dazed for want of sleep, begrimed and besmeared with the very mud of the -trenches, they flung themselves upon the nearest ottoman or couch, or in -some out-of-the-way place upon the floor, to snatch a few hours’ sleep in -comparative comfort. - -One evening, when strolling round the rooms some time after the place -had been closed, I found myself looking at the watchmen, who were busily -engaged sweeping the floors. The chief among them, an old and valued -servant, possessing a disposition that generally enabled him to look upon -the bright side of things--although he was so often constrained to view -them only during the sombre hours of the night--caught me gazing at him. - -With a face I thought unusually grave he bade me “Good-evening,” and -ruefully remarked, “It seems to me, sir, some of this dirt has come a -long way.” Then, pondering for a while, with his eyes fixed upon the -floor, he resumed, “Yes, sir, some of it from the very trenches.” And I -somehow believed the old fellow was right. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII - - Three heroes of the war: Nurse Cavell, Jack Cornwell, V.C., and - Captain Fryatt--Lords Roberts and Kitchener--Queen Alexandra’s - stick and violets--The Duke of Norfolk’s tip. - - -There are three figures, added during the past few momentous years, which -possess the rare distinction of being models of abiding interest. Out -of the many portraits placed in the Exhibition, there are few that stay -there very long. - -[Illustration: EDITH CAVELL, THE MARTYR NURSE - -A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.] - -Nurse Cavell, Jack Cornwell, and Captain Fryatt will always be remembered -with esteem by the present generation, and the great story of their -heroic deeds ensures for them a permanent home at Baker Street, where -they will be viewed with patriotic pride by posterity. The portrait of -Edith Cavell, the martyr-nurse, was modelled immediately after that -heroic woman was brutally shot by the Germans at Brussels at two o’clock -in the morning of Tuesday, the 12th of October, 1915. - -I communicated with the London Hospital, Whitechapel, where Nurse Cavell -had served before she went to Belgium, and the nurses there readily -afforded me all the information they had to impart. - -Several of them visited my studio and gave me valuable hints as to the -posing of the figure and the general demeanour of Miss Cavell when at -the hospital. They particularly described the way in which she used to -walk through the wards with a book under her arm and her head inclined -slightly to one side. When the model was finished they were good enough -to say that it enabled them to visualise Miss Cavell as they knew her, -and that it was a pleasing portrait. - -My wife prepared the laurel wreath, placed above the model, on which are -inscribed Nurse Cavell’s words, uttered a few hours before her death, “I -am happy to die for my country.” - -Soon after the boy hero of the Jutland naval battle was modelled and he -had been awarded the posthumous honour of the Victoria Cross, his mother, -accompanied by a lady friend, came to the Exhibition to see the figure of -her son. It was on the 24th of August, 1916. - -[Illustration: JACK CORNWELL, V.C. - -A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud of the boy hero of the Battle of -Jutland.] - -No sooner did Mrs. Cornwell catch sight of the image of her young hero -than she burst into a fit of weeping, and exclaimed, “My boy, my dear -boy!” Upon resuming her composure she expressed her surprise at the -remarkable resemblance, and added: “I am very proud of my boy, but I do -miss him so.” - -Mrs. Cornwell had with her a letter she had received from the Captain of -H.M.S. _Chester_ (her son’s ship). He wrote: - - I know you would wish to hear of the splendid fortitude and - courage shown by your boy. His devotion to duty was an example - to all of us. The wounds, which resulted in his death within - a short time, were received in the first few minutes of the - action. He remained steady at his most exposed post at the - gun, waiting for orders. His gun would not bear on the enemy; - all but two of the crew were killed or wounded, and he was the - only one who was in such an exposed position. But he felt he - might be needed, as indeed he might have been; so he stayed - there, standing and waiting under heavy fire with just his own - brave heart and God’s help to support him. - -For the model of Captain Fryatt, of the Great Eastern Railway steamer -_Brussels_, I had to rely mainly upon photographs. - -This brave seaman was captured, with his vessel, by the Germans on the -23rd of June, 1916. On the 27th of the following month he was condemned -to death at Bruges for attempting to ram a German submarine, the sentence -being carried out the same afternoon. - -The model appropriately stands near that of Mr. Havelock Wilson, the -sailors’ champion, and, judging from the remarks of visitors who knew the -Captain well, it bears a good resemblance. - -[Illustration: CAPTAIN FRYATT - -The model of the martyred captain of the G. E. R. Ship “Brussels,” now at -Madame Tussaud’s.] - -We cannot leave this subject without associating with these figures the -revered names of Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener, whose models stand near -by. The attitude of visitors towards them is that of deep admiration and -respect, expressed not so much by word of mouth as by demeanour, which -eloquently testifies to the public sympathy with these great warriors. - -[Illustration: FIELD MARSHAL EARL KITCHENER - -A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.] - - * * * * * - -Enclosed in a glass case is a walking-stick to which belongs a story -showing the kind-heartedness of Queen Alexandra. - -Early in the war the Queen-Mother visited the wounded Indian soldiers in -hospital at Brighton, and, noticing that one of the officers limped, she -inquired of him how he come by his injuries. The officer produced his -aluminium ration-box, and explained that a German bullet had struck it, -scattering fragments of the metal into his leg and other parts of his -body. - -Queen Alexandra’s sympathy with the Indian officer took a practical -form, as she presented him with her own walking-stick to aid him during -convalescence. - -Some time afterwards the officer returned to the front, and a brother -officer brought the walking-stick to us, as he thought Madame Tussaud’s -was the best place for it, so that the public should be constantly -reminded of Queen Alexandra’s deed of kindness. - -The stick bears on a silver plate the initial “A,” surmounted by the -royal crown. - -The incident reminds me of another in connection with the same gracious -lady which occurred many years ago, when the Exhibition was at the old -Portman Rooms in Baker Street. - -Queen Alexandra, who was then the Princess of Wales, had been visiting -the Exhibition, and was leaving the building when a poor flower-girl, -with a baby in her arms, approached her and, before anyone could -intervene, held a small bunch of violets close to the Princess’s face, -saying, “Buy a bunch of violets, please, lady.” - -Instead of being annoyed, the Princess accepted the flowers with her -usual sweet smile, handed the girl half-a-sovereign, and then entered -her carriage and drove away. - -The astonished girl kept looking at the coin in her hand, and was quite -alarmed when she was told she had held her flowers under the nose of -the Princess of Wales; but the remembrance of the Princess’s smile soon -reassured her, and she went away happy. - - * * * * * - -In the early days of the war the late Duke of Norfolk, the Duchess, -and their two children, the young Earl of Arundel and his sister, Lady -Mary Howard, formed a quartette of most interested spectators, and were -conducted over the place by the gentleman who had been appointed as War -Lecturer to the Exhibition. - -He devoted most of his attention to the young people, and relates how -the Earl and his sister passed unobtrusively among the exhibits, gaily -chatting all the way, no one but he recognising the ducal party. - -The Earl was shown, and allowed to handle, a German rifle, then recently -captured in Belgium, and he instantly pretended to load the weapon. Then, -raising it to his shoulder, he took a level aim at the head of the Kaiser -and clicked the trigger. - -As the party were retiring, his Grace and the Duchess had a brief -consultation, after which the Duke came back to thank the lecturer for -the attention he had given his son and daughter. - -There were sovereigns in those days, and his Grace offered one to the -cicerone, who deferentially declined the gift, saying he had been amply -rewarded by the pleasure of the young people’s company. “I told the -Duchess you wouldn’t take it,” said the Duke, laughing. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII - - A crinoline comedy--Mr. Bruce Smith’s story--An American lady’s - shilling--My father’s meeting with Barnum--The “cherry-coloured - cat”--Paganini and the tailor--George Grossmith poses. - - -In the dressing of the models attention must naturally be paid to the -varying styles of both sexes. For this reason visitors are able to mark -the changes Dame Fashion has decreed. - -The crinoline period known to our mothers was, curiously enough, -anticipated in the days immediately preceding the French Revolution, as -exemplified by the quaint Parisian coquette, Madame Sappe, with whom that -egoistic old cynic, Voltaire, is palpably flirting in the Grand Hall, a -few paces removed from the portraits of Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie -Antoinette. - -The crinoline of Madame Sappe brings vividly to mind an amusing story -related by my granduncle Joseph, who was standing by the turnstiles when -a portly matron waddled towards the pay-table, wearing an exaggerated -example of this spacious skirt. Her passage aroused some curiosity, and -the shuffling of her feet was accompanied by an unaccountable sound of -pattering which disposed my relative to keep her under observation. - -As soon as she found herself among the figures and hidden from view, as -she imagined, the buxom dame cautiously raised her crinoline, when, to my -uncle’s amazement, out stepped two little boys. - -Nothing was said to the adventurous woman who had thus passed her -offspring into the Exhibition free, and my uncle used to say that the -expression on her face at the success of her subterfuge was one of -radiant satisfaction. - -Mr. Bruce Smith, the popular artist, who has produced many scenic effects -in our tableaux, tells a story perhaps against himself. - -He was engaged, with several fellow artists, on a hunting scene, when -an elderly lady and a friend strolled quietly past. Mr. Smith, at the -moment, was standing stock-still, scanning his work; then suddenly making -a motion with his brush to retouch the canvas, he was startled by an -unearthly yell from the old lady: - -“Good heavens! they are alive!” - -Our “Master of the Robes” fell in conversation with an American lady, who -told him that she had paid for admission with a shilling given to her -in the States by an English aunt with the instruction that if ever she -went to London the shilling should be expressly spent on her admission to -Madame Tussaud’s. - -She had related the same story to the money-taker at the turnstile, and -he was so impressed that he laid the romantic shilling on one side. Our -representative offered to give it back to the lady, but she thanked him -and said: - -“No, I guess I could not break faith with my aunt! The shilling has -found its appointed place in Madame Tussaud’s till, after many years, and -I have done as I was told.” - -My father’s meeting with Phineas Taylor Barnum, the great showman, was an -accidental one. - -While lunching in a West End restaurant the brusque and humorous -behaviour of one of the guests sitting near enlisted my father’s amused -attention. The waiters were no less amused by the breezy visitor with the -American accent, who supplemented his commands with odd remarks. Having -ordered a second dozen of oysters, the American said: - -“I guess I could hanker arter these. Bring me another dozen.” - -Looking hard at him, my father recognised Barnum, and presently the -two men were in friendly conversation; in fact, they spent the greater -part of the day together, as kindred spirits are apt to do in such -circumstances. - -Barnum used to call himself the “Prince of Humbugs,” and gave that title -to his autobiography. He told my father a story about a bright idea that -struck him when his show was going none too well in an American town. - -He put up an announcement, “Come and see the cherry-coloured cat,” and -imposed an extra charge for the privilege. - -There was almost a riot as Barnum showed the people a black cat. They -protested, and demanded their money back; but he coolly asked them -whether they had never seen a black cherry, and so appeased their wrath. - -Barnum sat to me in the spring of 1890, about a year before he died, and -I think I must give him the palm for being the most entertaining of all -my subjects, his reminiscences extending over so long and interesting a -period. I remember him telling me that many years before he had tried to -induce my grandfather to transport Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition to New -York, but that the negotiations fell through at the last moment. - -As I modelled him he gave me some gentle hints not to be too attentive -to the wrinkles on his face, from which I inferred that the old showman -possibly thought he looked older than he felt, in spite of his silvery -hair and four-score years. - -A short-sighted tailor was once employed to repair the coat worn by -Paganini, who stood with the violin under his left arm, while the bow was -held aloft in his right hand. - -The figure was on a tall pedestal, and the knight of the needle had to -use a step-ladder. One of the attendants, ever ready for a joke, taking -advantage of the tailor’s infirmity, removed the figure, and, adopting a -similar attitude, stood in its place. - -The tailor prepared his thread, mounted the steps, and was about to -begin stitching when the supposed figure brought the bow down on his -victim’s back. This so terrified the unfortunate man that he rolled -down the ladder on to the floor, where he sat gazing up with the utmost -stupefaction. - -All attempts to pacify him were for a time futile, and whenever he passed -the figure of Paganini afterwards he invariably sidled away from it with -a scared look. - -Another practical joker was the late George Grossmith. - -It is on record that he once made the Exhibition the scene of his -operations. Getting into an advantageous nook, he stood stock-still in a -line with other celebrities--waxen ones. People going by stopped and said: - -“Ah, Grossmith; Capital likeness! How excellent! Dear little Grossmith, -one would think he was alive!” and various remarks of the kind. Then -suddenly the effigy nodded grotesquely, and slowly extended a comic -Grossmithian hand. Everyone fled as though he had been shot at. - -The Speaker of the House of Commons (Mr. J. W. Lowther), at a banquet -given by the Institution of Civil Engineers, in Middle Temple Hall, on -the 23rd of March, 1898, told of a distinguished visitor to London who -mistook Madame Tussaud’s for the House of Commons. - -Much the same view must have been taken by a genial and sociable diplomat -from the United States who, soon after his arrival in London, came to -Madame Tussaud’s. - -“And what do you think of our great Exhibition?” asked a friend. - -“Well,” replied the General, “it struck me as being very like an ordinary -English evening party.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLIX - - We visit the Old Bailey for mementoes--A mock trial--Relics of - Old Newgate--Two famous cells--The Newgate bell. - - -As soon as I learned in the winter of 1903 that the Old Bailey was to be -demolished and its mementoes sold by auction, I hastened to the historic -court-house, armed with a catalogue, to tick off such articles as might -be wanted for Madame Tussaud’s. - -The grim building brought many impressive scenes to my recollection, -and it struck me as a curious freak of fate that the place where -house-breakers had been tried and sentenced should now be itself in the -hands of the “house-breakers.” - -The Royal Arms and the Sword of Justice had been taken down, and the -walls behind the judge’s seat had been stripped of their faded hangings, -giving to the old court an air of desolation; while the removal of the -doors and windows admitted the chilly blasts of that bleak February day. - -From court to court I passed, noting the catalogued items that attracted -me. I observed the long form, covered with black, time-worn leather, -where I sat on the occasion of my first visit, thirty years before, a -sensitive and imaginative youth, contemplating with awe and a strange -depression of spirits the final stages of a murder trial. - -Then, as now, it was the interests of Madame Tussaud’s that sent me to -the Old Bailey, and it may seem odd to confess that of all my many duties -none ever afforded me less real pleasure than such duties as this. - -This time my visit was unexpectedly relieved by an amusing incident which -might have served for a scene in a melodrama. - -I came upon a bevy of workmen, in charge of a jovial carpenter, -improvising a mock trial to pass the time between the conclusion of a -meal and the resumption of their work. - -Presently I heard a scuffling noise and the voice of someone in distress. -A lanky old man was being forced by a couple of fellow workmen into the -prisoners’ dock, obviously on some sort of vamped-up charge. - -“Silence!” shouted a shrill-voiced little man, wearing an apron and paper -cap, who had made himself usher of the court. - -I looked towards the jury-box, and there saw a droll-looking individual -finishing his dinner out of a newspaper. - -“Stop that row! Such conduct is disgraceful in a court of justice,” he -called, looking across at the struggling prisoner. - -Then, observing himself to be alone, the occupant of the jury-box managed -to empanel six of his friends to make seven “good men and true.” The -jurymen came forward from different sheltered parts of the court, -bringing with them what remained of their meal. - -As by some prearranged signal, an elderly man, with a round, red face, -quietly slipped into the judge’s seat, assuming a judicial air, and -fixing his stem gaze upon the protesting prisoner in the dock. The judge -paid no attention to the banter directed to him by a number of workmen -who constituted the “public” and had sauntered in to enjoy the sport. - -His “lordship” took on himself the duties of judge and clerk of the -court, and gravely recited a long, and terrible indictment of the -accused, who might have been some arch-fiend from the list of crimes -charged against him--a list that seemed to box the compass of the Ten -Commandments. He was involved in domestic complications which drew forth -groans from all in court, and the judge’s reference to his “poor dear -wife and little innocent children” evoked well-simulated execration. - -A comical fellow entered the witness-box, and reminded the prisoner of a -blood-curdling murder he had committed years ago, for which somebody else -had been hanged. The witness paused, and then, bringing down his first, -said, “Worse than all this, my lord, _’e’s been known to work overtime -without extra pay_.” - -While these harrowing details were visibly moving the jury, the clocks -of the neighbourhood struck the close of the dinner hour, and the whole -seven men with one accord jumped to their feet shouting “Guilty!” adding, -“No recommendation to mercy.” - -The judge put on a billycock hat in imitation of the black cap, and -addressed the prisoner with due solemnity to this effect: - -“Prisoner at the bar, we regret we cannot ask you whether you have -anything to say. Justice has no time for that. A jury of your countrymen -has found you guilty, and they know best. My duty is to order you to be -taken to a public-house near at hand, where you are very well known, -and at a certain hour you shall buy drinks for everyone in this court, -including myself, the jury, and whatever members of the public care to be -present. If you fail to turn up at the appointed time and place, may the -Lord have mercy on your stingy soul!” - -In the course of a few days the Old Bailey jury-box and several other -fittings of the ancient criminal court were installed under the roof of -the Exhibition. The prices they fetched were hardly more than nominal. - -It was very different, however, with the relics of the adjoining prison. -The mementoes of Old Newgate found many eager buyers, and the bitter -February weather did not prevent a large crowd of bidders following the -auctioneer about as he crossed the bleak prison yard and passed through -the long dreary corridors. - -The bidders came from all classes of society, bent on obtaining some -keepsake of the sombre establishment. I see that procession now, some -muffled to the ears, some blowing their finger-tips in the piercing cold, -others stamping their feet, but all indulging in one form of humour or -another to keep up their spirits in very dispiriting surroundings. - -There were three lots on which the crowd bestowed special attention. - -One was Jack Sheppard’s cell, from which he made his daring escape--a -thrilling feat dear to the imagination of boys young and old. - -[Illustration: JACK SHEPPARD, THE HIGHWAYMAN - -This model is posed in the actual cell from the Newgate prison, from -which he made his sensational escape.] - -Another lot was the cell in which Lord George Gordon, the instigator of -the riots that bear his name, died of gaol fever on the 1st of November, -1793. His exploits will be remembered by readers of _Barnaby Rudge_. - -The third lot was the famous bell which, for just upon a century and a -half, had never failed to notify the good citizens of London the precise -moment when a condemned prisoner had paid with his life for a life he had -taken. - -[Illustration: THE OLD NEWGATE BELL - -Acquired by Madame Tussaud & Sons, Ltd., when the prison was demolished -in 1903.] - -There was an idea at the time that the metal of the Newgate bell -contained in it a quantity of silver, and this belief gave rise to the -impression that it would fetch a high price. - -But it fell to our bidding, amid a hearty burst of approval, for the -round sum of £100, by no means a high price for such a coveted relic. - -Not only the bell, but also the cells, came into our possession that day. -The thick solid masonry and heavy iron work were taken down and carefully -marked, so that each part should be set up again in its right position -when installed at Madame Tussaud’s--a tedious process that incurred a far -greater outlay than the original cost. - -Satisfaction was widely expressed that the Newgate relics should find -their way into Tussaud’s. - -These memorials of Old Newgate have already reposed in their new home -sixteen years, and have been viewed by millions of people who otherwise -would not have had an opportunity of seeing them. - -Visitors of all grades of society linger long before these narrow cells, -and I have often seen them rap with their knuckles the Newgate bell, -which never fails to respond with a soft mellow resonance, reminding one -of the time-honoured couplet, deeply inscribed upon it: - - Ye people all who hear me ring - Be faithful to your God and King. - - - - -CHAPTER L - - Tussaud’s in verse--Tom Hood’s quatrain--“Alfred among - the Immortals”--A refuge for Cabinet Ministers--Two - dialogues--“This is fame!” - - -On very many occasions Madame Tussaud’s has been the subject of prose and -verse in the public Press. I have already given a few extracts. Here are -other quotations, some of which will surely raise a smile. - -[Illustration: TOM HOOD - -Tom Hood was one of the first of a long line of authors and editors who -paid tribute to Madame Tussaud’s.] - -Tom Hood, the prince of punsters, honoured us with the following quatrain: - - The stillborn figures of Madame Tussaud, - With their eyes of glass and their hair of flax, - They only stare whatever you ax, - For their ears, you know, are nothing but wax. - -_Punch_ has always been very fond of honouring us with quips and sallies -regarding portraits that seemed to merit such good-humoured attention. -The dapper and debonair late Poet Laureate, Mr. Alfred Austin, had not -long been added to the collection when our genial jester coruscated as -follows: - -[Illustration: ALFRED AUSTIN - -Poet Laureate 1896-1913.] - -ALFRED AMONG THE IMMORTALS. - -THE POET LAUREATE IS ON VIEW AT MADAME TUSSAUD’S. - - “Let them gibe, let them jeer, - Let them snigger and sneer - At my dramas, my lays, and my odes! - Others know my true worth-- - ’Mid the great ones on earth, - They’ve enshrined me at Madame Tussaud’s.” - -A more recent contribution from a light versifier runs: - - There’s a refuge, if Cabinet duties cease, - Where Ministers anxious to rest--with _Peace_-- - May do so. - Political stars who are on the wane - In a popular Chamber may wax again - _Chez_ Tussaud. - -Here is another quotation from _Punch_: - - There once was a Madame called Tussaud - Who loved the grand folk in _Who’s Who_, so - That she made them in wax, - Both their fronts and their backs, - And asked no permission to do so. - -One thing is to be noted about the last two quotations: the writer gives -the right pronunciation to the name Tussaud, whereas other “poets” often -make it rhyme with “swords”--a common error. - -There was a picture in _Moonshine_, in which a policeman was separating -two quarrelling errand boys. - - “Now then, you boys!” said the officer. - - Young Pat: “Shure an’ it’s all him. Hitting me, an’ I’ve got a - uncle a Mimber of Parliament, I have.” - - Young John: “And what of that? Why did he cheek me? I’m as good - as him. I’ve got an uncle in Madame Tussaud’s.” - -The following adroit dialogue appeared in a humorous periodical beneath -the picture of a Scottish minister addressing one of two dishevelled -youths: - - Minister (to small boy who has been fighting): “Ah, laddie, - think what wad hae bin done tae ye if ye had kilt that laddie!” - - Small Boy: “I’d a bin had up.” - - Minister: “Ah, yes, ye’d a bin had up, but something waur than - that.” - - Small Boy: “I’d a bin hang, mebbie.” - - Minister: “Yes! but something waur than that wad a happen’d.” - - Small Boy: “After that I’d a bin pit in Madame Tussaud’s.” - -The family name often appears in the public Press with more rhyme than -reason. The following verse published at the time of the Hague Peace -Conference in 1899 is somewhat apropos at the present moment: - - When all are agreed in word and deed - That pacific intentions shall rule, - When armies disband on every hand - And tin soldiers are not used at school, - - When rifles and swords are shown at Tussaud’s - As inventions quite obsolete, - Then we might be pleasant, but just at present - We’re thinking ’bout keeping our Fleet. - -When the portrait model of Mr. Rudyard Kipling was added to the -Exhibition, that gentleman was made the subject of the following lines: - - What though from distant climes - I, young, unknown, - Swift from obscurity - Sprang to a throne? - - What though aforetime - Worship was paid me? - Though offers fabulous - Publishers made me? - - What though the critics all - Pleasantly flattered me? - What though all this befell - (As if _this_ mattered) me? - - _Now_ with sublime head - Strike I the stars; - Better is this to me - Than all their “pars.” - - Modelled in wax at last, - Now they do show me - With other famous ones, - Madame Tussaud me! - - Now may I pose supreme! - Now to me, _à la_ - “Crowned heads,” the public grant - Their great Valhalla! - - Now may the universe - Echo my name; - Now nothing more remains, - This--this is FAME! - - - - -CHAPTER LI - - Last scene of all--Madame Tussaud’s appearance and - character--Her _Memoirs_, published in 1838--Her last words. - - -If I have recounted many stories relating to incidents that have taken -place long after Madame Tussaud passed away, it is because the flow of -anecdote prompted by her genius has continued in an unbroken course down -to the present times. - -But the atmosphere of romance that pervades this history belongs in the -main to her days, and it is only fitting that with the close of her days -it should practically come to an end. - -She died some eight years before I was born, but from my father and -from those of his generation who spent the best part of their lives in -her company I learnt so much about her that it is difficult for me to -realise that I had not enjoyed her personal acquaintance. Her model that -stands at the head of the “Sleeping Beauty,” I have always been given to -understand, is a speaking likeness. - -In figure she was small and slight, and her manner was vivacious. -Her complexion was fresh, her hair dark brown with never more than a -sprinkling of grey, and her soft brown eyes were keen and alert when -her interest was aroused. She was a great talker, her conversation -was replete with reminiscences, and, moreover, she was blessed with a -faultless memory. Austere in her habits of life, exacting in her likes -and dislikes, she showed a ready sympathy with those in distress, and, -above all, she was generous to a fault. - -Unfortunately her _Memoirs_, published in 1838, although they were penned -more than a decade before she died, do not bring us into any very close -relationship with either her personality or her life. - -This would not be surprising to those who knew her, or who were -acquainted with the circumstances in which they were written. She seldom -could be brought to speak of herself and her own painful experiences; and -at no time did she betray the slightest disposition to thrust herself -upon the public. She was seventy-eight years old at the time, and her -desire for seclusion grew stronger as years advanced, until her entourage -became narrowed down to the simple companionship of her immediate family -circle. - -The _Memoirs_ came to be written in this wise: - -Her two sons, Joseph and Francis, in collaboration with an old literary -friend of the name of Francis Hervé, settled in their minds that the old -lady should be induced to leave behind her an account of her career. - -[Illustration: FRANCIS TUSSAUD - -Younger son of Madame Tussaud. Born 1800, died 1873. Modeled by his son -Joseph and exhibited at the Royal Academy.] - -As she had declared her unwillingness to busy herself with the task of -compiling her autobiography--and in certain matters we knew her to have -been immovable--they decided that the best way of accomplishing their -design would be to record the substance of those conversations in which -they rightly surmised they would have little difficulty in inducing her -to take part when in the humour. - -In spite of the facilities these gentlemen had for obtaining the matter -used in their publication, it may be well conjectured that they did not -always find their course run smooth, and at times they must have been put -to odd shifts and a good deal of careful strategy when gathering what -they wanted from the shrewd old lady without arousing her suspicions. - -For these reasons the _Memoirs_ have failed to supply what is best worth -knowing, such as details giving an insight to her own life--an omission -which, I fear, can never now be made entirely good. That work is, -therefore, made up of disjointed, scrappy matter, avowedly well written, -but somehow obviously strung together for the making of a book. - -In perusing its pages the reader thus finds himself confronted by a mere -procession of notables whom the old lady happened to have known or to -have seen in her day, each with an encyclopædic quantum of information -tagged to his or her name that might well have been culled from any -biographical treasury. So it is she is to be found speaking of others -when her reader’s one desire is that she should be induced to talk of -herself. - -Neither does this “Romance” claim to be a biography. Such an undertaking -would demand of us closer and more careful study than these brief -sketches have entailed, and much diligent research. Moreover, such has -not been the purpose of these pages. - -By those who had the best authority to speak of her I have been often -reminded of the trials and hardships against which she had to battle -during her long and strenuous career, showing a courage and determination -that might well have broken the spirit of many a man. In estimating her -character and her achievements, my mind turns to events of the past few -years which have demonstrated how capable women are of enacting a great -part in the drama of human life. - -Madame Tussaud brought cheerfulness and geniality to bear upon the tasks -that lay before her, and therein lay the secret of her triumphs. She -was diligent and attentive to her business, devoted to her family, and -attached to her friends. - -The measure of her years far exceeded the allotted span, and she was -rewarded, despite the slightness of her frame, with an almost unbroken -continuation of good health, until, on the 15th of April, 1850 she passed -peacefully and painlessly away at her house attached to the Exhibition in -Baker Street. - -Forty years of her life had been chiefly spent in Paris and the latter -fifty years mostly in London; so that her biography may be said to -comprise a tale of two cities. She was buried in the catacombs of St. -Mary’s Church, Cadogan Place, Chelsea. - -The last words she spoke in this world were characteristic of this -wonderful woman’s indomitable spirit. Calling her sons, Joseph and -Francis, to her bedside, she gently upbraided them for showing distress -at her departure, rather than gratitude that she had been spared to them -so long. Her farewell exhortation was, “I divide my property equally -between you, and implore you, above all things, never to quarrel.” - - - - -INDEX - - - Page - - Aberdeen, Lord, 193 - - Académie de Saint Luc, 60 - - Adelaide, Queen, 111 - - Air-raids, 327 - - Alexander III of Russia, 228 - - Alexandra, Queen, 228, 338 - - Alfred the Great, 232 - - Alix of Hesse, Princess, 147 - - Anecdotes, 293, 315, 341, 349, 353 - - Animals in Exhibition, 218 - - Annaly, Lord, 232 - - Archer, Fred, 286, 325 - - Asquith, H. H., 235, 281 - - Augusta, Princess, 109 - - Austin, Alfred, 352 - - - Bailey, Old, 346 - - Baker Street Exhibition, 149, 208, 247, 339, 359 - - Balfour, Arthur J., 223 - - Balfour, Jabez, 328 - - Bancroft, Lady, 244 - - Bancroft, Sir Squire, 245 - - Bank Holiday Crowds, 282 - - Barnum, Phineas, 343 - - Baron-Wilson, Mrs. C., 117 - - Bastille, Keys of the, 299 - - Bastille, The, 79 - - Bates, Colour-Sergeant G. H., 159 - - Bazaine, Marshal, 173 - - Beaconsfield, Lord, 172, 190, 315 - - Beatty, Admiral Lord, 235 - - Berlin Treaty, 191, 315 - - Berne, 57, 58, 63 - - Berry, The Executioner, 314 - - Bertrand, Count, 125, 139 - - Bhopal, Begum of, 231 - - Bismarck, Prince, 325 - - Black Prince, 237 - - Blind Visitors, 332 - - Blücher, Von, 112 - - “Bobs”, 191, 202, 290 - - Bonaparte, Napoleon, 96, 127, 134, 139, 153, 184, 206 - - Booth, General (the late), 253 - - Boulanger, General, 201 - - Bradlaugh, Charles, 200 - - Bright, John, 175 - - Bristol Riots, 103 - - Bullock, William, 122, 123, 138 - - Burgess, T. W., 281 - - Burglar, Our, 292 - - Burke, 234, 311 - - Burke, Thomas, 197 - - Burns, John, 276 - - Burns, Robert, 286 - - Burton, Isabel Lady, 206 - - Burton, Sir Richard, 205 - - Byron, Lord, 237 - - - Cabinet de Cire, 73, 76 - - Calcraft, The Executioner, 314 - - Canning, George, 100, 112 - - Cantlie, Sir James, 283 - - Carey, James, 197 - - Carlyle, Thomas, 85 - - Caroline, Queen, 99, 107 - - Carrier, 56, 87, 91 - - Casement, Roger, 326 - - Cato Street Conspiracy, 210 - - Cavell, Nurse, 335 - - Cavendish, Lord Frederick, 197 - - “Caverne des Grands Voleurs”, 76, 298 - - Cetewayo, 188 - - Chamber of Horrors, 76, 174, 187, 233, 244, 251, 278, 290, 297, - 306, 307, 314, 318 - - Charles of Denmark, Princess, 229 - - Charlotte, Princess, 99, 112 - - Children, Stories of, 294 - - Churchill, Lord Randolph, 234 - - “Claimant,” Tichborne, 177 - - Clarendon, Lord, 194 - - Clowes, Rev. John, 113 - - Cobbett, William, 239, 285 - - Cobden, Richard, 176 - - Coleman, 247 - - Collins, Dennis, 110 - - Collot d’Herbois, 95 - - Concerts, Promenade, 110 - - Consort, Prince, 220 - - Conti, Prince de, 58 - - Corday, Charlotte, 92, 114, 295 - - Cornwell, Jack, V.C., 335 - - Crinolines, 341 - - Cromwell, Oliver, 237, 248 - - Cronje, General, 223 - - Cruikshank, 122 - - Cumberland, Duke of, 118 - - Cup-tie Crowds, 283 - - Curtius, Christopher, 57, 59, 65, 70, 78, 84, 88, 89, 96 - - - “Dagonet”, 249 - - D’Angoulême, Duchesse, 76 - - Danton, 87, 91 - - Dargai, Highlanders at, 222, 289 - - Dauphin, The, 76, 113 - - Desmoulins, 83 - - Dickens, Charles, 286 - - Disraeli, Benjamin, 172, 190 - - Dock Strikes, 225 - - D’Orsay, Count, 148 - - Dumas Story, 311 - - Dunstan’s, St., 332 - - “Dying Socrates,” The, 69 - - - Educator, Tussaud’s as, 236 - - Edward, King, 54, 90, 156, 217, 237 - - Égalité, Philippe, 80 - - Egyptian Hall, 138 - - Elba, Isle of, 128 - - Eldon, Lord, 100 - - Elizabeth of France, 70, 75 - - Elizabeth, Queen, 112 - - - Ferdinand of Bulgaria, 321 - - Fieschi, Giuseppe, 303 - - Foulon, 73, 82 - - Fouquier-Tinville, 56, 87, 91 - - Francis Joseph, Emperor, 321 - - Franklin, Benjamin, 66, 67 - - Frederick, Emperor of Germany, 227 - - Fryatt, Captain, 335, 337 - - Furniss, Harry, 175 - - - Garcia, Manuel, 118 - - George IV, 100, 112, 122 - - George, King, 204, 232 - - Gladstone, William Ewart, 174, 293 - - Gordon Riots, 350 - - Goulburn, Henry, 124 - - Grace, Dr. W. G., 286, 316 - - “Grant’s Folly”, 213 - - Grant’s Staircase, Baron, 211 - - Graves, Henry, 220 - - Gray’s Inn Road, Exhibition in, 110, 118 - - Great War, The, 320 - - Greenacre, James, 304 - - Grew, Thomas, 8 - - Grosholtz, Joseph, 7, 57 - - Grosholtz, Marie, 7, 57 - - Grossmith, George, 345 - - Guillotine, 90, 299, 311 - - - Hall of Kings, 285 - - Hanging in Public, 304 - - Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, 239 - - Hardinge, Sir A., 221 - - Hare, 112, 234, 301 - - Hartington, Marquis of, 292 - - Hayter, Sir George, 154 - - Hébert, 56, 87, 91 - - Henry VIII and his Wives, 218, 239 - - Hinton, Viscount, 224 - - Holland, Queen Wilhelmina of, 223 - - Hood, Tom, 352 - - Hornn, Jean, 122, 124 - - Horrors, Chamber of, 76, 174, 187, 233, 244, 251, 278, 290, 297, - 306, 307, 314, 318 - - Hôtel d’Aligre, 59 - - Houdon, 68 - - Hume, 118 - - - Indian’s Diary, 240 - - Induna Envoys, 189 - - Iron Cross, Story of, 326 - - Irving, Sir Henry, 245 - - - Jackson, Bishop, 318 - - Jameson, Doctor, 294 - - Jellicoe, Admiral Lord, 235 - - _John Bull_, 322 - - Josephine, Empress, 96, 111 - - Juno, The Elephant, 218 - - Jutland, Naval Battle of, 336 - - - Kaiser, The, 320, 325 - - Kavanagh’s Jaunting Car, 198 - - Keller, Von, 123, 137 - - Kemble, 113 - - Kenney, Miss Annie, 279 - - Kent, Duchess of, 100 - - Kintore, Earl of, 221 - - Kipling, Rudyard, 286, 317, 354 - - Kirk, Sir John, 240 - - Kitchener, Lord, 337 - - Koffee, King, 188 - - Kruger, President, 294, 296 - - - Lamballe, Princess de, 88, 251 - - Landseer, Sir Edwin, 148, 220 - - Las Cases, Count, 141 - - Lawrence, Mrs. Pethick, 279 - - Lawrence, Sir Thomas, 299 - - Lee, General Homer, 287 - - Leicester Square, 214 - - Leopold I of Belgium, 100, 112 - - Leo XIII, Pope, 158 - - Léon, Count, 184 - - Liancourt, 86 - - Lincoln, Tribich, 326 - - Lipton, Sir Thomas, 286 - - Livingstone, Dr., 181 - - London Bridge Incident, 121 - - Lorge, Count de, 115 - - Louis XV, 62 - - Louis XVI, 56, 76, 77, 82, 87, 91 - - Louis Philippe, 118, 302 - - Lowther, J. W., The Speaker, 345 - - _Lusitania_ Outrage, 322 - - Lyceum Theatre, 98, 246 - - - Magna Charta, 217 - - Malibran, Madame de, 118 - - Manning, Cardinal, viii - - Marat, 92, 239, 295, 299 - - Marie Antoinette, 56, 75, 76, 79, 87, 91, 253 - - Marie Louise, Empress, 123, 136 - - Marwood, The Executioner, 314 - - Mary, Queen, 232 - - Mary, Queen of Scots, 112, 224, 237, 253 - - Mathew, Father, 143 - - Mathias, Lt.-Col., 289 - - Maude, Cyril, 296 - - Maybrick, Mrs., 319 - - Mayo, Earl of, 171 - - Mayoral Visit, 290 - - McKenzie, Rev. P., 147 - - Melbourne, Lord, 100 - - _Memoirs_, Madame Tussaud’s, 357 - - Milan Carriage, 120 - - “Model” Wife, A, 240 - - Moltke, Von, 325 - - Monkey, Our, 218 - - Montholon, General, 141 - - Montreuil, 72 - - Muller, William, 106 - - Mummy, Our, 115 - - Museum at Boulevard du Temple, 66, 73, 84, 302 - - Museum at Palais Royal, 66 - - Mysore, Sultan of, 75 - - - Napoleon Bonaparte, 96, 111, 123, 134, 139, 153, 184, 237 - - Napoleon, III, 183 - - Napoleon’s Coachman, 122, 124 - - Necker, 79, 82, 86 - - Nelson, Admiral Lord, 204, 237 - - Newgate Prison, 349 - - Nicholas I, Tsar, 145 - - Norfolk, Duke of, 339 - - Norwich, Bishop of, 100, 111 - - - O’Connell, Daniel, 113 - - Old Bailey, The, 346 - - Orléans, Duke of, 79 - - - Paganini, 344 - - Palmerston, Lord, 194 - - Pankhurst, Christabel, 280, 281 - - Pankhurst, Mrs., 280 - - Peace, Charles, 278, 316, 319 - - “Peace with Honour”, 315 - - Pearcey, Mrs., 251 - - Peel, Sir Robert, 100 - - Penn, William, 112 - - Persia, Shah of, 185, 216, 221 - - Phœnix Park Murders, 197 - - Pitt, William, 112 - - Pius VI, Pope, 111 - - Placard, Old, 108, 113 - - Policeman, Our, 291 - - Pompadour, Madame de, 58 - - Portman Rooms, 115, 208, 339, 359 - - Prince Consort, 220 - - Prince Imperial, 183 - - Prince of Wales, 229, 295 - - Programme-seller, 291 - - Promenade Concerts, 110 - - _Punch_, 174, 196, 299, 352 - - - Quincey, De, 300 - - - Reign of Terror, 56 - - Revolution, French, 85, 299 - - Rhodes, Cecil, 294 - - Richard Cœur de Lion, 217 - - Rignold, George, 248 - - Roberts, Field-Marshal Lord, 202, 223, 337 - - Robespierre, 87, 91, 93, 94 - - Rosebery, Lord, 233 - - Rosignol, 95 - - Rousseau, 56 - - Royal Academy, 8 - - Ruhleben Camp, 325 - - Russell, Lord John, 194 - - - Sala, George Augustus, 252 - - Salisbury, Lord, 288 - - Sanson, 90 - - Sappe, Madame, 341 - - Scott, Sir Walter, 100, 286 - - Seven Years’ War, 57 - - Shackleton, Sir Ernest, 295 - - Shah of Persia, 185, 216, 221 - - Shahzada of Afghanistan, 215 - - Shakespeare, 112 - - Shaw, George Bernard, 277 - - Sheppard, Jack, 350 - - Shipwreck in Irish Channel, 102 - - Siam, King of, 215 - - Siddons, Mrs., 99, 113 - - Sims, George R., 218 - - Sleeping Beauty, 102, 239, 285, 295 - - Smith, Bruce, 342 - - Spain, Alphonso, King of, 225 - - Speaker, The, 345 - - St. Amaranthe, Madame, 101, 285, 295 - - St. Dunstan’s Hostel, 332 - - St. Helena, 120, 139, 153 - - Stage Favourites, 242 - - Stanley, H. M., 181 - - Suffrage, Woman’s, 280 - - Suleau, 89 - - Sully, Duc de, 113 - - Sun Yat Sen, President of China, 287 - - Swedenborg, Emanuel, 112 - - - Talleyrand, Prince, 100, 118 - - Tenniel, John, 136, 175 - - Tennyson, Lord, 203, 252, 286 - - Terry, Miss Ellen, 242 - - Thackeray, 238 - - Thistlewood, Arthur, 210 - - Tichborne Claimant, 177 - - Tippoo Sahib, 75 - - Tom Thumb, 232 - - Treloar, Sir William, 290 - - Tsar, The late, 147 - - Tsarina, The late, 147 - - Turkey, Sultan of, 321 - - Turnerelli Wreath, 191 - - Tussaud, Francis, 8, 102, 143, 357, 359 - - Tussaud, François, 96 - - Tussaud, Joseph, 8, 116, 102, 117, 145, 153, 159, 357, 359 - - Tussaud’s in Verse, 352 - - Tussaud, Madame, 57, 63, 71, 87, 98, 103, 285, 287, 356 - - Twain, Mark, 316 - - - Versailles, 72, 73 - - Verse, Tussaud’s in, 352 - - Victoria, Queen, 117, 151, 189, 220, 232, 290 - - Voltaire, 56, 68, 145, 224 - - Voltaire’s Chair, 145 - - Votes for Women, 281 - - - War, The Great, 320 - - Waterloo Carriage, The, 120, 127, 133, 230 - - Wellington, Duke of, 62, 111, 112, 153, 217, 271 - - Wesley, John, 112 - - Westminster Abbey, 317 - - Wetherell, Sir Charles, 103 - - _Whip_, The, 308 - - Whiteley, William, 290 - - Wilhelmina of Holland, 223 - - William IV, 110 - - Williams, John, 299 - - Wills, W. G., 247 - - Wilson, J. Havelock, 337 - - Wolseley, Sir Garnet, 187 - - Wurmser, General, 57 - - - York, Duke of, 100, 112 - - - Zeppelin, Count, 320, 325 - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Romance of Madame Tussaud's, by -John Theodore Tussaud - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROMANCE OF MADAME TUSSAUD'S *** - -***** This file should be named 54369-0.txt or 54369-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/3/6/54369/ - -Produced by deaurider 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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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: The Romance of Madame Tussaud's - -Author: John Theodore Tussaud - -Contributor: Hilaire Belloc - -Release Date: March 15, 2017 [EBook #54369] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROMANCE OF MADAME TUSSAUD'S *** - - - - -Produced by deaurider and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p class="transnote">Transcriber’s Note: Illustrations have been moved from the original -position of the printed plates, in order to correspond better with the -flow of the text. The List of Illustrations therefore isn’t strictly -accurate in regard to where the illustrations may be found. It links directly to the -illustration, rather than to the page number indicated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[i]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage larger">THE ROMANCE OF MADAME TUSSAUD’S</p> - -<p class="center">JOHN THEODORE TUSSAUD</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[ii]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[iii]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="frontispiece"> -<img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">MADAME TUSSAUD AT THE AGE OF 85</p> -<p class="captionsub">From the portrait by Paul Fischer, Court painter to H. M. George IV.</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[iv]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage larger">THE ROMANCE<br /> -<span class="smaller">OF</span><br /> -MADAME TUSSAUD’S</p> - -<p class="titlepage"><span class="smaller">BY</span><br /> -JOHN THEODORE TUSSAUD</p> - -<p class="titlepage"><span class="smaller">WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY</span><br /> -HILAIRE BELLOC</p> - -<p class="titlepage smaller">ILLUSTRATED</p> - -<div class="figcenter titlepage" style="width: 100px;"> -<img src="images/ghd.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="Logo of the George H. Doran Company" /> -</div> - -<p class="center">NEW YORK<br /> -GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage smaller">COPYRIGHT, 1920,<br /> -BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY</p> - -<p class="titlepage smaller">PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center">TO</p> - -<p class="center">MY WIFE</p> - -<p class="center">THROUGH WHOSE KINDLY URGING THESE LEAVES<br /> -HAVE GROWN TO THE DIMENSIONS<br /> -OF A BOOK</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="PREFACE">PREFACE</h2> - -<p>The earliest information we have concerning -Madame Tussaud is that she was born in Switzerland -on the 7th of December, 1760, and was the only -child of Joseph and Marie Grosholtz. Her mother -was the daughter of a Swiss clergyman.</p> - -<p>She married on the 20th of October, 1795, François -Tussaud, who, it appears, was her junior by seven -years. We are able to trace his family back as far -as 1630, when his great-great-grandfather, one Denis -Tusseaud—for that is how he spelt his name—was -born.</p> - -<p>There is documentary evidence that Denis was -brought from Burgy to Mâcon in 1631, his family -also coming from Burzy, close by, in 1658.</p> - -<p>His descendants lived at Mâcon for more than a -century, their occupation being generally that of workers -in metal.</p> - -<p>The great-grandfather of François was Henry Tusseaud -(1684-1717), and his grandfather’s name was -Claude (1716-1767).</p> - -<p>François’ father (1744-1786) was the first of the -family to adopt the present spelling of the name, although -we find that various members of the family<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span> -used the forms Tussot, Tusseau, Tuissiaud, Tussiaut, -Tusseaut, Tussiau, or Thusseaud.</p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud’s marriage does not appear to have -been a happy one, for we learn that in 1800—two years -before she came to England—she separated from her -husband, of whom we hear nothing further, although -he is known to have been living in Paris in the lifetime -of his grandsons.</p> - -<p>The foundress of the famous Exhibition had two -sons, Joseph and Francis. Francis (1800-1873) had -several sons, the eldest of whom, Joseph Randall -(1831-1892), who was a student and exhibitor at the -Royal Academy, was the father of the author of this -book.</p> - -<p>Mr. John Theodore Tussaud was born in Kensington -on the 2nd of May, 1858, and at the age of six -was sent to St. Charles’s College, London, where he -came under the influence of Cardinal Manning, who -took a keen personal interest in his welfare.</p> - -<p>Some six years later he was transferred to Ramsgate, -where he benefited by the training he received -from the Benedictine monks at St. Augustine’s.</p> - -<p>In the year 1889 he married Ruth Helena, daughter -of Thomas Grew. There are seven sons and three -daughters of the marriage.</p> - -<p>Mr. Tussaud, like his father, has exhibited at the -Royal Academy. His occasional contributions to -literature have been welcomed by thoughtful readers, -and he is a recognised authority on historical matters<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span> -relating to the French Revolution and the First -Empire.</p> - -<p>Seventeen great-grandsons of Madame Tussaud took -an active part in the war, all, without exception, serving -in the British Army. Two were killed and most -of the others wounded.</p> - -<p class="right">WILLIAM E. HURT.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Middle Temple, London</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[xi]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table summary="Contents"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdr smaller">PAGE</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Preface by William E. Hurt</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_vii">vii</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Introduction by Hilaire Belloc</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mr. Tussaud First Enters His Father’s - Studio—<i lang="fr">Reverie</i>—Madame - Tussaud’s Uncle Forsakes - the Medical Profession for Art—Madame’s - Birth and Parentage—A Prince’s Promise</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_53">53</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Curtius Leaves Berne for Paris—The Hôtel - d’Aligre—The Court of Louis XV—Madame - Arrives in Paris</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_59">59</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Life-size Figures—Museum at the Palais Royal—Exhibition - on the <i lang="fr">Boulevard du Temple</i>—Benjamin - Franklin—Voltaire</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_65">65</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame Elizabeth of France—Madame Tussaud - Goes to Versailles—Foulon—Three Notable - Groups—Gallery of Notorious Criminals</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_70">70</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Eve of the French Revolution—Necker and the - Duke of Orléans—Louis XVI’s Fatal Mistakes—His - Dismissal of the People’s Favourites</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_77">77</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[xii]</a></span><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame Tussaud Recalled from Versailles—The - Twelfth of July, 1789—Busts Taken from - Curtius’s Exhibition—A <i lang="fr">Garde Française</i> Slain - in the Mêlée</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Heads of the Revolution—Madame’s Terrible - Experiences—The Guillotine in Pawn—Madame - Acquires the Knife, Lunette and Chopper</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_87">87</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame Dines with the Terrorists Marat and - Robespierre, Models their Figures and Subsequently - Takes Casts of their Heads—She - Visits Charlotte Corday in Prison—Death of - Curtius—Madame Marries—Napoleon Sits for - His Model</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_92">92</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame Tussaud Leaves France for England, - Never to Return—Early Days in London—On - Tour—Some Notable Figures—Shipwreck in - the Irish Channel</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_98">98</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Bristol Riots—Narrow Escape of the Exhibition—A - Brave Black Servant—Arrival at - Blackheath</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_103">103</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">An Old Placard—Princess Augusta’s Testimonial—Great - Success at Gray’s Inn Road—Madame - Initiates Promenade Concerts—Bygone Tableaux</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[xiii]</a></span><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Placard</span> (<i>Continued</i>)—<span class="smcap">The Old Exhibition—Celebrities - of the Day—Tussaud’s Mummy—Poetic - Eulogism—Removal to Baker Street—The - Iron Duke’s Rejoinder—Madame de Malibran</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_113">113</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">How the Waterloo Carriage was Acquired—A - Chance Conversation on London Bridge—The - Strange Adventures of an Emperor’s Equipage—Affidavit - of Napoleon’s Coachman</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_120">120</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Napoleon’s Waterloo Carriage—Description of - Its Exterior</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_127">127</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Description of the Waterloo Carriage</span> (<i>Continued</i>)—<span class="smcap">Its - Interior and Peculiar Contrivances—Brought - to England and Exhibited at the - London Museum</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The St. Helena Carriage—Napoleon Alarms the - Ladies—Certificates of Authenticity</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_139">139</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Father Matthew Sits for His Model—Tsar - Nicholas I. Takes a Fancy to Voltaire’s Chair—A - Replica Sent to Him—The Rev. Peter McKenzie’s - Exorcism</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Landseer and the Count D’Orsay Visit the Exhibition—A - Fright—Norfolk Farmer’s Account - of Queen Victoria’s Visit</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_148">148</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wellington Visits the Effigy of the Dead Napoleon, - and Sits to Sir George Hayter for Historic<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiv" id="Page_xiv">[xiv]</a></span> - Picture—Paintings from Models—Is the - Photograph “Taken from Life,” or—?</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_153">153</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Story of Colour-Sergeant Bates’s March - Through England to Prove Anglo-American - Goodwill—Start from Gretna—The Dove of - Peace</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_159">159</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sergeant Bates’s Journey Finishes in London - Amid a Remarkable Demonstration—His Gift - to Madame Tussaud’s</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_164">164</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">My First Model—Beaconsfield’s Curl—Gladstone’s - Collar—John Bright and the Chinaman</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_171">171</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Tichborne “Claimant”—Nearly an Explosion—The - Big Man’s Clothes—The Real Heir—The - Claimant’s Release from Prison—Confession - and Death</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_177">177</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">H. M. Stanley Sits to Joseph Tussaud—The - Story of His Life—How He Found Livingstone—A - Mysterious Veiled Lady—The Prince Imperial</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_181">181</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Count Léon—The Shah of Persia’s Visit—A - Weird Suggestion; No Response—King Koffee—Cetewayo</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_184">184</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Berlin Congress—Lord Beaconsfield and the - “Turnerelli Wreath”—“The People’s Tribute”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xv" id="Page_xv">[xv]</a></span> - Finds a Home at Tussaud’s—The Sculptor’s - Despair—He Constructs His Tombstone - and Dies</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_190">190</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Phœnix Park Murders—We Secure the - Jaunting-Car and Pony—Charles Bradlaugh—General - Boulanger—Lord Roberts Inspects - the Model of Himself</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_197">197</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">My Favourite Portrait—Lord Tennyson Poses - Unconsciously Before My Wife—“This Beats - Tussaud’s”—Sir Richard Burton—His Widow - Clothes the Model</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_203">203</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Removal of the Exhibition to the Present Building—Sleeping - Figures—History of the Portman - Rooms—The Cato Street Conspiracy—Baron - Grant’s Staircase</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_208">208</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The King of Siam’s Visit—The Shahzada’s Clothing—The - King of Burmah’s War Elephant—Tale - of Two Monkeys</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_215">215</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Queen Victoria’s Copperplates—Another Royal - Persian Visit—“Perished by Fire”—“Viscount - Hinton” and His Organ—The Coquette’s Jewels - Lost and Found</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_220">220</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII">CHAPTER XXXII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Royal Visitors—King Alphonso and Princess - Ena—The Late Emperor Frederick—A Penniless - Trio—Princess Charles—The Prince of - Wales and Prince Albert</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_225">225</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xvi" id="Page_xvi">[xvi]</a></span><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIII">CHAPTER XXXIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Begum of Bhopal Pays Us a Visit—Lord Rosebery - and Lord Annaly—Lord Randolph Churchill—Lady - Beatty—Lady Jellicoe and Mrs. Asquith</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_231">231</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIV">CHAPTER XXXIV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Tussaud’s as Educator—Queer Questions—Wanted, - a “Model” Wife—Quaint Extract from - an Indian’s Diary</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_236">236</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXV">CHAPTER XXXV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Stars of the Stage in My Studio—Miss Ellen - Terry Has a Cup of Tea—Sir Squire and Lady - Bancroft—Sir Henry Irving and the Cabby—We - Comply with a Strange Request</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_242">242</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVI">CHAPTER XXXVI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Literary Sitters—George R. Sims’ Impromptu—His - Ordeal in the Chamber of Horrors. George - Augustus Sala’s Masterpiece</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_249">249</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVII">CHAPTER XXXVII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">G. A. Sala on Marie Antoinette—The Royal - Family—The Queen—Her “Trial,” Condemnation - and Death—The Sansons—Sala’s Impressions</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_254">254</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVIII">CHAPTER XXXVIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">More Sitters—Mr. John Burns Walks and Talks—We - Buy His Only Suit—Mr. George Bernard - Shaw Has to Work for His Living—Four Leading - Suffragettes—Christabel’s Model - “Speaks”—The Channel Swimmer—General - Booth</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_275">275</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIX">CHAPTER XXXIX</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bank Holiday Queues—Cup-Tie Day—Gentlemen - from the North—Bachelor Beanfeasts—The - Member for Oldham—A Scare</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_282">282</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xvii" id="Page_xvii">[xvii]</a></span><a href="#CHAPTER_XL">CHAPTER XL</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Mysterious Sun Yat Sen’s Visit—His Escape - from the Chinese Legation—The Dargai Tableau—Sir - William Treloar Entertains His - Little Friends</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_287">287</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLI">CHAPTER XLI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">A Miscellany of Humour—Our Policeman—The - Mysterious Lantern—The Danger of Old - Catalogues—Stories of Children—Sir Ernest - Shackleton’s Model</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_291">291</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLII">CHAPTER XLII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Lure of Horrors—Beginnings of the “Dead - Room”—Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A., Sketches - a Suicide—Burke and Hare—Fieschi’s Infernal - Machine—Greenacre—Executions in - Public—“Free at Last!”</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_297">297</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIII">CHAPTER XLIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Chamber of Horrors Rumour—<em>No Reward - has been or will be Offered</em>—The Constable’s - Escapade—A Nocturnal Experience—Dumas’s - Comedy of the Chamber—Yeomen of the Halter</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_307">307</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIV">CHAPTER XLIV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Anecdotal—“Which is Peace?”—Mark Twain at - Tussaud’s—Dr. Grace’s Story—Mr. Kipling’s - Model—Filial Pride—Bishop Jackson’s Sally—German - Inaccuracy</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_315">315</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLV">CHAPTER XLV</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Enemy Models—A Hostile Public—Banishment - of Four Rulers—Our Reply to John Bull—Attacks - on the Kaiser’s Effigy—Story of an - Iron Cross</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_320">320</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xviii" id="Page_xviii">[xviii]</a></span><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVI">CHAPTER XLVI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Tussaud’s during the War—Chameleon Crowds—The - Psychology of Courage—Men of St. Dunstan’s—Poignant - Memories—Our Watchman’s - Soliloquy</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_326">326</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVII">CHAPTER XLVII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Three Heroes of the War: Nurse Cavell, Jack - Cornwell, V.C., Captain Fryatt—Lords Roberts - and Kitchener—Queen Alexandra’s Stick - and Violets—The Duke of Norfolk’s Tip</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_335">335</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVIII">CHAPTER XLVIII</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">A Crinoline Comedy—Mr. Bruce Smith’s Story—An - American Lady’s Shilling—My Father’s - Meeting with Barnum—The “Cherry-coloured” - Cat—“Paganini” and the Tailor—George - Grossmith Poses</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_341">341</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIX">CHAPTER XLIX</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">We Visit the Old Bailey for Mementoes—A Mock - Trial—Relics of Old Newgate—Two Famous - Cells—The Newgate Bell</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_346">346</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_L">CHAPTER L</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Tussaud’s in Verse—Tom Hood’s Quatrain—“Alfred - among the Immortals”—A Refuge for - Cabinet Ministers—Two Dialogues—“This is - Fame”</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_352">352</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#CHAPTER_LI">CHAPTER LI</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Last Scene of All—Madame Tussaud’s Appearance - and Character—Her Memoirs Published - in 1838—Her Last Words</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_356">356</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xix" id="Page_xix">[xix]</a></span></p> - -<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<table summary="List of illustrations"> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame Tussaud</span> <i>at the age of 85</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#frontispiece"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="tdr smaller">PAGE</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">John Theodore Tussaud</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus1">32</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Christopher Curtius</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus2">56</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Louis XVI and the Duke of Orléans</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus3">56</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Three Views of Voltaire’s Head</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus4">57</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>“<span class="smcap">The Dying Socrates</span>”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus5">57</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Benjamin Franklin</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus6">57</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame Tussaud</span> <i>at the age of 20</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus7">72</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Marie Antoinette, the Dauphin, and the Duchesse D’Angoulême</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus8">72</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame Elizabeth of France</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus9">73</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame Elizabeth of France, Sister of Louis XVI</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus10">73</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Model of the Bastille</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus11">73</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">M. Necker</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus12">73</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Camille Desmoulins</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus13">88</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Thomas Carlyle</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus14">88</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Marie Antoinette</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus15">88</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Jean Baptiste Carrier</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus16">88</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Knife, Lunette and Chopper of the Original Guillotine</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus17">88</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Guillotine</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus18">89</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Charlotte Corday</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus19">89</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Jean Paul Marat</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus20">89</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Maximilien Marie Isidore Robespierre</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus21">89</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Princess de Lamballe</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus22">89</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Danton</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus23">89</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xx" id="Page_xx">[xx]</a></span><span class="smcap">Madame Tussaud</span> <i>at the age of 42</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus24">112</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales and Saxe-Coburg</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus25">112</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Bristol Riots</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus26">112</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sir Charles Wetherell</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus27">112</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Adelaide</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus28">113</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Interior of the Exhibition</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus29">113</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Daniel O’Connell</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus30">113</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Madame de Malibran</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus31">113</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Joseph Tussaud</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus32">113</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Thorwaldsen’s Celebrated Bust of the Great Napoleon</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus33">128</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Napoleon’s Military Carriage</span> <i>General View</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus34">128</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Napoleon’s Military Carriage</span> <i>Scene of its capture at Jenappe</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus35">128</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Empress Josephine</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus36">128</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Napoleon’s Military Carriage</span> <i>The Interior</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus37">129</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Articles Found in Napoleon’s Carriage</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus38a">129</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Napoleon’s Barouche</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus39">129</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Father Mathew</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus40">144</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Nicholas I</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus41">144</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Voltaire’s Chair</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus42">145</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus43">145</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Wellington Visiting the Effigy of Napoleon</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus44">160</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sir George Hayter</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus45">160</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Colour-Sergeant Gilbert H. Bates</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus46">161</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">William Cobbett</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus47">161</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Richard Cobden</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus48">161</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">John Bright</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus49">178</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Tichborne Claimant</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus50">178</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dr. Livingstone</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus51">179</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xxi" id="Page_xxi">[xxi]</a></span><span class="smcap">The Prince Imperial</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus52">179</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Napoleon III</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus53">179</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Count Léon</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus54">192</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Edward Tracy Turnerelli</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus55">192</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Turnerelli Wreath</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus56">192</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">King Cetewayo</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus57">193</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">General Boulanger</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus58">193</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Lord Frederick Cavendish</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus59">208</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Charles Bradlaugh</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus60">208</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sir Richard Burton</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus61">209</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Head of Lord Tennyson</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus62">209</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Viscount Hinton and His Organ</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus63">240</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Surrender of General Cronje</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus64">240</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">William Makepeace Thackeray</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus65">241</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sir Squire Bancroft</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus66">241</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bust of George Augustus Sala</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus67">288</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">George Augustus Sala</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus68">288</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">T. W. Burgess</span> <i>The Channel Swimmer</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus69">288</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Effigy of Dr. Sun Yat Sen</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus70">289</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dr. Sun Yat Sen</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus71">289</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Children’s Lord Mayor</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus72">289</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Charles Peace</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus73">320</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Marquis of Hartington</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus74">320</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Burke and Hare</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus75">320</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sir Thomas Lawrence</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus76">320</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Key of the Bastille</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus77">320</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">John Williams</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus78">320</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">William Marwood</span> <i>The Hangman</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus79">321</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dr. Jackson</span> <i>Bishop of London</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus80">321</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Count Zeppelin</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus81">321</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bismarck</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus82">321</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xxii" id="Page_xxii">[xxii]</a></span><span class="smcap">Jack Sheppard</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus83">321</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Old Newgate Bell</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus84">321</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Edith Cavell</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus85">352</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Jack Cornwell, V. C.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus86">352</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Captain Fryatt</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus87">352</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Field-Marshal Earl Kitchener</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus88">352</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Alfred Austin</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus89">353</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Tom Hood</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus90">353</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Francis Tussaud</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus91">353</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center larger" id="INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION<br /> -<span class="smaller">BY</span><br /> -HILAIRE BELLOC</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span></p> - -<h2>INTRODUCTION<br /> -<span class="smcap">By Hilaire Belloc</span></h2> - -<p>This is a fascinating book and its fascination consists -in two things attaching to its subject: first -that the famous collection of modelled portraits which -has become a sort of national institution in England -under the name of “Madame Tussaud’s” has its roots -in the greatest period of modern history, the French -Revolution; second, in that the complete and growing -record has passed through so many changes and has -yet survived.</p> - -<p>Even though the famous collection had dealt with -nothing more than the main figures of the Revolution -and of the great wars that followed it, it would have -been a possession of permanent and lasting historical -value. I am not sure that if it had so remained, -stopped short at the effigies of those now long dead, it -would not now receive a greater respect. It might well -in that case have become something recognised as a national -possession, protected and preserved by the national -government. For the prolongation of the record -right on into our own time, while it very greatly increases -the real value of the collection as a piece of -historical evidence, yet deprives it of that illusion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -which men cannot avoid where history is concerned: -the illusion that things thoroughly passed are in some -way greater and of more consequence than contemporary -things.</p> - -<p>This continuity of the great collection—so long as -it is maintained with judgment in selection and without -too much yielding to momentary fame is none -the less a thing to be very thankful for. Already those -of us who, like the present writer, are well on into -middle age, can judge how the younger generation is -beginning to regard as historical these simulacra, which, -when they were first modelled, seemed in our own -youth insignificant because they were contemporary. -To our children (who are now grown and are young -men and women), Disraeli, Gladstone, Bismarck—all -the group that were old but living men in the eighties -(Disraeli died at the beginning of them, Bismarck -long after their close)—are what to us were Louis-Philippe, -Garibaldi, Palmerston, and the process properly -continued will be invaluable. We have already -more than 130 years of record. There is no reason why -it should not extend to the two centuries.</p> - -<p>It often happens that a thing of great value to history, -a piece of evidence which we now find invaluable, -has come to us by an accident, the motive of its creation -not historical at all nor really connected with record. -Indeed of the bulk of historical evidence which -we use to-day for the reconstruction of the past only -a small proportion—official documents—are of the nature -of deliberate records. And that proportion of -evidence is on the whole the worst as material, for official<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -documents always have a motive underlying them, -and they never give one a vivid picture. The great -bulk of the material with which we used to build up -the past and make it live again for ourselves is accidental. -And so it is with this great collection.</p> - -<p>The motive at first was merely that of a waxwork -show. The remarkable woman who created the collection -did so as a matter of business. The exhibits were -intended to satisfy no more than contemporary curiosity. -But they have become a piece of historical evidence -which increases in value with every year. Whatever -you may read (and the accounts are always contradictory) -of some man prominent in the past, whatever -picture or sculpture you may find of him (and -these are often deliberately flattering or in some other -way untrue) the physical impression of him will never -be so full and so exact as in the case of an effigy made -by a contemporary who saw him, watched him, knew -him, <em>and whose whole motive was exactitude in reproduction</em>.</p> - -<p>Here there does indeed arise the question of the medium. -You cannot conceive of a better medium than -wax among all the known mediums for production of -effigies of human beings. Yet it is not perfect. And -it is precisely because the likeness is so great, precisely -because the effect is so parallel to that of reality, that -we note the minor details in which illusion is not -achieved. When a man sees a bust of marble he does -not expect to find illusion. The greatest portrait statuary -can never be more than a symbol. But the -wax effigy aims at exact reproduction. To put it in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -extreme terms, the ideal of the modeller in wax would -be to reproduce a figure such that one knowing the -original could be deceived and think he had found -again his friend dead or sleeping. When a wax effigy -reproduces a known and real person, especially a person -whom we ourselves have come across, the discrepancy -between reality and its copy is clearer. But there -is this strong evidence in support of the success which -modelling in wax has reached, that where we are dealing -with something unknown, some imaginary person, -it is possible to create, in spite of the immobility of the -figure, an illusion of life. Everyone who has visited -these collections will testify to that. With a person -whom one has seen in the flesh the little details in -which the wax does not tally with the flesh nor immobility -with life, stand out clear. That is especially -the case with those whose complexion is difficult -to imitate. It is also the case in the attachment -of the hair. And I have further noticed that the direction -of the eyes makes a difference, the figure being -more lifelike as a rule when the eyes are cast down or -averted, than when a direct look is imitated. But it -remains true that with an imaginary person when you -are free to suppose that the person had a complexion -of the sort easily imitated in wax, and where you are -further free to presume the pose, you can get as near to -reality in this medium as it is possible for human art -to achieve.</p> - -<p>Therein, then, lies the great value of this thing. It -is a witness to history, and as I have said, one increasingly -valuable as time proceeds.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> - -<p>Still it is with what is chiefly historical in this gallery -of figures and <em>especially with the tradition of the -French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, that we -are most concerned</em>. And the Tussaud collection has -this added interest that it sprung as it were from the -revolutionary time. Its origins lay in that. Its first -fame was due to an emigration from France into England, -and it still remains much the best effort at physical -reconstruction which we have to-day.</p> - -<p>The reason is that the lady who founded this institution -was not only herself a contemporary of but an -actor in the principal events of that time. She came -by a series of accidents into direct touch with one personality -after another. She left a record of each. She -was a personal and convincing witness and her work -remains. She is just as much a person of the Revolution -and of the Napoleonic period as any one of those -whom she modelled for our benefit. And that is (let -us remember) of special value <em>in that one is in the -spirit of one’s time</em>.</p> - -<p>The artist deliberately reconstructing a bust through -plastic art is always in danger of failing through a -lack of the necessary sympathy between the time in -which he lives and the time in which his subject lived. -The truth of this is expressed very sharply in modern -attempts at reconstructing mediæval sculpture. It -has been done. It is singularly successful, for instance, -in the central porch of Notre Dame in Paris. -But as a rule it fails. The modern man either works -from a modern model, or at any rate with modern -expressions and modern features at the back of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -mind. One conspicuous instance occurs to me, the -modern figures upon Lichfield. They are as grievously -out of their supposed time as are the figures of Tennyson’s -“Idylls of the Kings.” The Knights of the -Round Tables of Tennyson’s version are the gentlemen -of pegtopped trousers who were contemporary with -the poet. They have been to public schools and to -universities. They would be horrified at the dropping -of aitches, and they have often attended at services -which were fully choral. They would have called the -inhabitants of the country which they visited “natives.” -That is what Tennyson made of Geraint and Launcelot -and his odious Arthur.</p> - -<p>I am afraid one cannot say much more for the -sculptures that I have in my mind. They are dressed -in mediæval armour, but the faces that look out from -the helmets are the faces to be seen in the London clubs -to-day. They are faces devoid of simplicity and -strength. They are not the faces of the Middle Ages.</p> - -<p>You have the same thing in historical painting, and -that is why historical painting usually looks so ridiculous -in the generation after it was made. We all -know those historical paintings which our grandfathers -bought and which still disfigure the large rooms of -private houses, where you have Richard I of England -charging the Saracens (he, an Angevin!), his face glowing -with the emotions of the football field.</p> - -<p>Now this prime difficulty and error in pictorial and -plastic record in the past you can only avoid by the -advantage of contemporary work, and this is where -the great value of this collection comes in. All its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -work is contemporary, and we can to-day, after an interval -of more than a hundred years, weigh the importance -of that point. The revolutionary figures -sometimes look odd to us precisely because their real -aspect has been so vividly preserved. The hand that -modelled Marat was a hand of Marat’s age. It touched -the flesh of the dead man. The eyes that received the -conception reproduced by the hands, gazed upon Marat -himself as he lay back dead.</p> - -<p>And here it is convenient to introduce that essential -character in the great collection—the genius of its originator.</p> - -<p>The whole thing, its character, long tradition and -establishment—is the creation of one remarkable woman, -and of her we ought to have some full biography. -I know of none. She has at least the rare advantage of -having propagated her name justly and the thing she -created is identified with her. It is not often that history -acts with so little irony and with so much generosity. -Her energy was much more remarkable than -that of those very few women who have created and -organised permanent businesses, for it was not only her -judgment and initiative which created the commercial -side of the collection: it was also her own talent and -industry, the work of her own hands, that laid the -foundation of it all. Most of the early portraits were -the direct product of her skill and it is from her that -the continuous tradition of the place descends. Her -sons learnt their art from their mother and carried it -on to the third generation which still continues it. It -was she who took all the critical decisions, she who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -steered the fortunes of the family through the crisis -of the Revolution, who determined to take the collection -over to England, who conceived the idea of making -it a permanent record by adding contemporaries -year after year.</p> - -<p>It is not often that one has this intimate admixture -of personality with an institution, and when one gets -it it has an astonishing effect in vivifying the whole. -When an institution is thus the product of a character -at once highly energetic and highly individual, -it is as though a living thing continued on long beyond -the term of a human life. It is, in the strict and -original sense of the word, “inspired.” You get that -quality, of course, in all literature, and in some of the -corporations which remarkable men and women have -founded, but very rarely in a piece of business in an -institution of affairs. Here you get it, and the more -you read of the woman’s life and character the more -you understand the success of her effort and its vitality.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus1"> - -<img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">JOHN THEODORE TUSSAUD</p> - -</div> - -<p>It was an astonishing life! There lies behind it the -story of her uncle Curtius, a Swiss who left medical -practice in the middle of the 18th century and took to -modelling in wax. It was a taste which had grown -upon him from his habit of modelling parts of the -human body for the purposes of his profession. He -extended it to portraits and at last he abandoned medicine -for his new art. He had firmly established himself -in it and had already been taken up by members -of the French Royal Family who had visited Switzerland, -when under their protection he left for Paris. -And there his sister, Madame Grosholtz, and her child,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -then five or six years old, joined him. There she learnt -her uncle’s trade and thence in her twentieth year she -went to live at Versailles as a sort of companion to -Madame Elizabeth, Louis XVI’s sister, a girl about -four years older than herself. She was the close friend -and companion of the princess right up to the moment -of the Revolution. Madame Elizabeth like her brother -had a delight in manual work. With her it took the -form of modelling under the guidance of Marie Grosholtz -and it was these nine years that formed the character -and that remained the liveliest memory throughout -all the very long life that this remarkable woman -was to live.</p> - -<p>It would be interesting to discover (I know of no -such document that could tell me, but there must be -some) whether the young companion whom Madame -Elizabeth thus took under her protection, and to whom -she thus gave a unique opportunity for the observation -of contemporary life, was in race German or French. -Berne would seem to be the origin of the family, and -the uncle’s Latin name and the family name of his -brother-in-law point to German origin. All his associations -on the other hand were French, and when he -came to Paris it was hardly as a foreigner. The story -reads as though they were French-speaking on their -arrival. Perhaps in some future edition of the work -this point will be settled. It is one of considerable -moment to our judgment of the art.</p> - -<p>It was a moment when the connection between -Switzerland and French society was very close. It was -to Switzerland that Voltaire had retired. It was from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -Switzerland that the genius of Rousseau proceeded. -The unfortunate Necker, with his caution and his -avarice, played his great part in the early Revolution -as a Swiss. To Switzerland also he went back when -he had failed—and there, by the way, in his retirement -we have an amusing picture of him listening to the -daily recital of the news from Paris as the Revolution -proceeded, wagging his head solemnly, and perpetually -saying, “I told you so.”</p> - -<p>Madame de Staël, his famous daughter, whom Pitt -so much desired to marry for her money, and whom -Napoleon so hated, was thoroughly Swiss. She shows -it in every line of her writing. She is from the heart -of Geneva in her traditions and ideas.</p> - -<p>The family coming thus to Paris were part of a general -movement and even their connection with Versailles -can be paralleled. It would not have taken -much, had things proceeded quietly, for Switzerland -to have fallen into the orbit of the French monarchy -within the next hundred years.</p> - -<p>After these nine formative years in the continued -company of Madame Elizabeth, Marie Grosholtz enters -the Revolution, and the connections of the family -with the origins of the great upheaval are close, curious, -and of intense interest. It was, it will be remembered, -the bust of Necker from the collection of Curtius, -then on exhibition, which the mob carried round -at the beginning of the insurrection. The show of figures -already well-known in Paris became the starting-point -for the future collection. It was because the -Revolutionaries from the very beginning of the movement<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -showed so much acquaintance with those effigies -that the continuous stream of further portraits began. -That is why Marie Grosholtz was sent for time after -time to take a death mask, to model a famous living -man, to establish what afterwards became the invaluable -record we still have.</p> - -<p>From 1787-89, the preliminary years when she was -already at work, right on to 1802, a matter of 15 years, -the most crowded of all history, the newly developed art -went on actively without interruption. There is not, -I think, in all history a parallel to so astonishing and -lucky a chance. It was almost as though fate had designed -a reporter, or a state portraitist for the benefit -of posterity. You do get the same thing now and -then in the shape of a chronicler who happens to keep -out of the turmoil and mark the detail of his time, but -it is extremely rare and in the case of plastic art, unique. -The nearest parallel to-day—which may raise a smile -on account of the extreme difference in time and manner—is -that of Holbein’s portraits of the English -Court. There also you get the living record marvellously -preserved for future times.</p> - -<p>It is to our advantage that the character of this -foundress does not diminish in energy with the passage -of time. We see her doing the work of three people -all through the years of her middle age and making -decision after decision upon the fortunes of her house. -And while she was thus conducting with one hand the -financial side of the business, with the other she was -herself still modelling perpetually, and with a third -and quite separate faculty she was creating a school<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -of her own, as it were, for the continuation of the modelling -after her time. If ever there was the maker of -an important thing it was this woman and if ever -there was an important thing proceeding entirely from -one individual, that thing is the collection which still -remains to us.</p> - -<p>There is a sort of parallel which can be drawn between -Madame Tussaud and Madame Campan. Both -of them have seen, and worked at, the Palace of Louis -XVI, under and in connection with his Queen. Both -were much of an age, Madame Campan eight years -senior to Madame Tussaud. Both lived on through -the Revolution and the Empire, the one till 1822, the -other beyond the revolutionary year of 1848. Both had -something of the same strength. Both carried on the -tradition of the old attachment to the Bourbons. Both -have left the legend of a strong personality, the one -through an effect on education in France which was -deeper than has been generally recognised, the other -in a more lasting manner through her plastic work. -In this connection one muses upon what would have -been Madame Tussaud’s fate had she continued her -career in the country where it had begun, and had she -not taken over the collection in its origins to England -at the Peace of Amiens. I think she would have been -a great figure in the France of the Restoration and of -the bourgeois Monarchy. A continuous unbroken link -with all the great years up to 1848 and presenting a -whole gallery of the past for a new generation to witness -would have been something the French and Paris -would have made much of, and a great deal that was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -lost on the other side of the Channel through lack of -understanding would have been preserved. I mean -that too many of those figures were for those who saw -them in an alien atmosphere jests or shades, whereas -in France they would have been an intimate part of -the great national story.</p> - -<p>This removal to England also in some degree affected -the proportion of the collection and in the same -degree diminished its great international value. Not -that figures of international moment had not been included—the -great figures are all there—but that Paris -would have been a better general centre for watching -and recording the moving history of the 19th century, -than London. The Musée Grevin in Paris supplemented -the Tussaud collection in England. One imagines -that it would have been better for history as -a whole had one great collection, preferably in Paris, -served for a permanent and continuous chronicle of -what living men had been.</p> - -<p>When we come to details of the personalities from -the period before the Revolution to the Peace of Amiens -(the foundation of the whole Exhibition) we are -struck, I think, by the great difference in our appreciation. -Some of the figures are just what we should have -thought these men would have been. Others offend us -or puzzle us by what seems to us discrepancy. But we -must remember that the error is in ourselves and not -in the contemporary record.</p> - -<p>Of the great historical figures Voltaire (which is the -first of them) is least specially illuminated by what -I may call “the Tussaud tradition.” And that is because<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -we already know pretty well all that there is -to know about Voltaire. His story was a simple one, -his genius obvious, not complex, and the time of life -in which Madame Tussaud’s uncle came to sculp him -(to model his face in wax) was just at the very end, -when public fame and his own great pride in himself -had combined to put him into full evidence, even to -the details of his daily life. It was just at the end -of that life, in 1778, that Voltaire sat to Curtius, -Madame Tussaud’s uncle, the original founder of the -whole gallery, and the tutor of his niece in her art.</p> - -<p>It is interesting to compare the little miniature (one -of several) which Curtius made—it is far more lifelike -than the larger figure—with the famous Houdon. -Houdon’s is much the greater thing, of course, and -the more living, but though Houdon was the greatest -of portraitists by far, the greatest renderer of the human -face that ever lived, there is something intimate -in the little wax miniature of Curtius which no great -sculptor could have given. For instance, you have -here admitted, as it were, almost photographed, the -domestic insufficient quality of Voltaire’s famous smile. -Houdon could not help making that smile—or grin—have -something heroic about it; or at any rate great. -But the Tussaud work undoubtedly shows you the -thing as it actually was; as his servants and his intimates -saw it.</p> - -<p>I learn, by the way, from this book (I had not known -it before) that Houdon had himself worked for Curtius—a -considerably older man—and the connection -is as curious as it is interesting. It is striking to find<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -a record of the connection in this book, but not astonishing -that it should be absent from others, for -there has been no good comprehensive work on Houdon -written that I can recollect. I am told that there is -some German encyclopædic work or other but no -proper study of the man and his life.</p> - -<p>Next after Voltaire we have to note side by side -with the collection a small work of Curtius’s own in -miniature, the very striking profile of the Duke of -Orléans. How it helps one to understand that base -and extraordinary career! Everyone reading the story -of the Revolution should concentrate upon that man’s -ambition, weakness and intrigue. The origin of the -whole business was his false idea (unfortunately for -himself confirmed by circumstances for many years) -that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette would have no -children. He came to regard himself as the heir, and -the natural result was that when the first child came -after so perplexing a delay (a delay the cause of which -I have explained in an appendix to my own monograph -on Marie Antoinette) Philippe Égalité felt himself -aggrieved. His grievance was illogical and unjust, -but it was there and in that grievance you find no -small part of the motive force that impelled the early -Revolution.</p> - -<p>The family tradition carried on by the Tussauds -from the Revolution was what may be described as -the “orthodox” tradition. It is the tradition which -appears in this book. I am not sure that the historian -can wholly agree with it.</p> - -<p>This “orthodox” tradition is the tradition of an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -equable and happy society overthrown into a sort -of chaos at the head of which chance scoundrels floated, -each to disappear in turn, struck by a sort of anarchic -doom proceeding from their fellow anarchs. The Revolution -was rather a resettlement of society from a -state which had become unstable to a new and more -stable state, and its leaders were upon the whole, -though suffering under the exaggeration from which -leaders at such a time invariably suffer, men of capacity—especially -on the military side. Further, those -who were made responsible in popular tradition for -the worst excesses were hardly the principal authors -of them.</p> - -<p>Thus, the real director of what is called the Terror -was Carnot, not Robespierre. Carnot was a perfectly -sane man and a genius to boot, attached to the new -democratic principle, but a soldier, and working for -the highly practical ends which a soldier has in view. -He thought of the Terror as a piece of martial law, -and it is significant that under his direction by far -the greater number of those who suffered in Paris suffered -through a direct breach of the temporary -regulations (such as those against the export of money -or communication with the enemy) which were necessary -for the prosecution of the campaign.</p> - -<p>Robespierre was not the director of the Terror at -all. He was a man singularly restricted in nature, but -of powerful effect in oratory in spite of his close academic -style. He was a man of complete sincerity, -much too narrow in doctrine, but because he exactly -expressed with more lucidity than anyone else, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -with more conviction, what was the passionate creed -of the time, he became for something like two years -at once the idol and the symbol of the revolutionary -masses. As the Terror looked like an intensive application -of the Revolution men associated it with Robespierre’s -name, and Robespierre, suffering from the -very grave defect of vanity (common in men who -reach a public position), was willing to allow the false -imputation, and to enjoy the title of ruler, when he -was really in the Central Council of the Republic, singularly -impotent. He paid a heavy price for that falsehood. -It cost him his life and—what was worse—his -reputation.</p> - -<p>What we know positively of Robespierre’s action -during the Terror is that he attended the Central -Council less and less frequently, and that he tried, if -anything, to stop the Terror. In fact it was precisely -on this account, his interference with the rigour of the -martial law, that his enemies brought him to the guillotine. -But, by a curious irony not uncommon in -history, the death of this man who was not the leader -of the Terror, and who had if anything attempted to -check it, and who was put to death because he attempted -to check it, caused the Terror to cease. Men -had so universally (and so falsely) identified him with -the extremity of the republican military régime that -when he passed it was impossible to continue it.</p> - -<p>In the matter of Marat what I may call “the Tussaud -tradition” is sounder. The man was unbalanced -to the point of lunacy, and when Madame Tussaud was -called in to take the impression of his face just after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -death, her use of the word “fiend” though exaggerated -is comprehensible. This effigy of Marat which you -may see in the famous gallery and which was modelled -immediately after his death—an immediate piece of -historical evidence of the first value—was shown in -Paris when it was completed. It is an astonishing -thing to have that piece of continuity with us.</p> - -<p>But all these death masks of the Revolution are of -the highest value. There is an extraordinary dignity -in the full features of the Queen, looking younger than -she did in the last years of her life, and a singular and -awful reality in the mask of Robespierre. I know only -two representations of Robespierre which really recall -the man. One is this effigy exactly modelled from -the face itself after these last thirty-six hours of agony, -and the other is the portrait which Greuze made of -him and which is now in Lord Rosebery’s collection. -And of these two, of course, the death mask, though -repulsive, is the more actual.</p> - -<p>But of all these revolutionary figures, by far the -most interesting to me is that of Carrier. The contrast -between that strongly exact, clearly cut face and -the story of Carrier’s madness at Nantes, is one of the -things that make one understand not only the Revolution -but in general mankind at white heat. Here is a -man who, if features mean anything, might have been -some sharp, self-contained, disappointed, ironic speaker, -or even poet. It is the face of a man who certainly -knew his own mind, who despised other men, which -is a weakness, but who followed some great idea -within. It is a face human in its self-repression and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -exactitude. Were we familiar with it in connection -with some great name of peaceable activity, were it -the face of one of those who settled the Congress of -Vienna, or of some monarch, or of some writer, it would -be famous as an index of genius. As it is, the name—especially -to those who do not know the face—suggests -nothing but a mad infamy, and indiscriminate -shooting and drowning in batches of the wretched -Vendean prisoners. And I myself when writing thus -of Carrier have a right to be balanced in my judgment -for he came very near to guillotining my grandfather’s -father, from whom he differed in politics. And here -in the case of Carrier is an excellent example of the -historical value of that which I postulate as the first, -much the greatest, character in a collection such as -this: for had we not the bust of the living Carrier, itself -almost a living thing, taken immediately after -death, we should hardly have guessed what Carrier -was. But the face combined with the history explains -him well enough.</p> - -<p>The story of Madame Tussaud seeking for Sanson’s -guillotine, or rather for one of his guillotines -after the Peace of Amiens and sending her son over -to Paris to look for the man and his implements (which -the executioner had pawned) and getting it at last -at great cost, is characteristic of her energy and business -sense. She lived at a time when the material relic -was the <i lang="fr">clou</i> of her collection. If to-day it rather detracts -from the sober historical value of the figures, it -remains an excellent witness to her indefatigable initiative. -And so it is with the collection of Napoleonic<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -relics, notably the Waterloo carriage, which she secured -just at the moment when it was of the greatest -value to her business.</p> - -<p>Her modelling of the dead in the revolutionary time -included, by her own account, the head of the Princess -de Lamballe, when that unfortunate and rather insipid -young woman (but gracious and kind) was so foolishly -and so atrociously murdered. The record would -seem to correspond more or less with the judgment -of Michelette, and Michelette’s portrait mostly produced -by chance illusion is the best I know.</p> - -<p>In the fate of all those men and women, but particularly -in that of Madame de Lamballe, the main element -of tragedy is their bewilderment. They could -not conceive what cause or motive lay behind the fierce -hatred which concentrated upon them. It was for -them a nightmare, something irresponsible like a cataclysm -of nature, and yet something human, and something -that ought, therefore, to be explicable. Oddly -enough the one person who did get a glimmer of the -human motive at work was Marie Antoinette herself. -It is astonishing how rapidly not only the general -character but the intelligence of Marie Antoinette developed -in these years. She became the true daughter -of Maria Theresa—too late!</p> - -<p>They suffered (of course) through that illusion -which is the curse of publicity. They were tortured -and they were killed for a label, not for their very -selves. But the tragedy is increased in their case, I -think, because they did not seek publicity. Your -politician, often a mountebank, whose appetite is for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -strutting upon a stage, who loves the limelight, whose -meat and drink it is to hear his name repeated perpetually -by the populace, deserves what he gets. And -he nearly always gets what the fates reserve for such -vanities. In a greater or less degree these creators of -their own label suffer in the end: at the least disappointment -and neglect, at the most death. But as I -have said they deserve what comes to them. They -have had their reward. It was not so with the stable -hereditary publicity of the Bourbon royal family and -its adherents. They could not help the light which -beat upon them. They did not seek it. The absurd -legends in which any public figure is necessarily -clothed as with a wrap of falsehood is not one of their -seeking or of their making. They suffer for those -legends and for the consequences of those legends precisely -after the fashion which dramatic irony demands -that the victim of any great tragedy should suffer—in -spite of themselves and with no understanding of how -the thing came.</p> - -<p>What could be more ridiculous than the figment of -Louis XV—obese, good-natured, slow, irresolute in -morals, irresolute in policy—as a tyrant. Or what -could be more absurd than the fiction of a libertine -Marie Antoinette? Or of a democratic Duke of Orléans? -Or of a patriot Necker?</p> - -<p>It was, I think, this element of undeserved and -awfully ironic tragedy which burnt into the soul of -all those who had come into contact with the harmless -but sometimes dignified and always splendid circle of -Versailles. One of the few sincere emotions of Burke’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -life was, I think, the moment when he broke out into -rhetoric on the fate of the Queen. This middle-class -man had seen her, and the grotesque disproportion between -herself and her fate moved him to real feeling. -It is to his credit, for not many things that Burke said -were genuine. He was an advocate taking pay from -people who wanted arguments and I think he would -have argued just as well for better pay on the other -side.</p> - -<p>This appassionate sympathy with and support of the -victims was very conspicuous in Madame Tussaud -herself. And she carried it through the whole of that -period when she was at first unwillingly modelling the -revolutionaries, often with disgust compelled to take -the mask of a dead face, or later (she was in prison -with Josephine) associated with the figures of the -period of the Directorate and the Consulship.</p> - -<p>Of those personal interviews when that handsome -woman now in middle age was still engaged at her task -of modelling and sculpture in wax, there is none of -which we would rather have a full record than the -modelling of Napoleon. It is mentioned in Mr. Tussaud’s -book only by way of quotation from a contemporary -journal—the <i lang="fr">Belle Assemblée</i>. It would be -interesting to know if there is any family record giving -full details, for we have not even the date, though we -have the hour of the day—six o’clock in the morning—that -she first met the Emperor. He was not Emperor -yet and we can fix an inferior and a superior limit -easily enough for the portrait was made at the Tuileries, -after Napoleon as First Consul had gone there, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -before the Peace of Amiens. It must, therefore, have -fallen within a period of only just over two years; it -must have been done either in 1800 or in 1801.</p> - -<p>It is in connection with Napoleon that the shifting -of values, which I have suggested took place through -the transference of the collection to England, may be -noted. The exhibition once fixed in London took on -the English point of view and to that extent distorted -a full European impression. For instance, one of the -great features in the story of the collection is the visit -of the Duke of Wellington to the effigy of Napoleon, -and a well-known and almost famous picture was made -of the incident. I am old enough to remember many -people who spoke of it as though it was a most dramatic -moment in the history of the nineteenth century. -But no one with the full European sense would feel -like that. Wellington was not the great protagonist -against Napoleon. He was but one of fifty men opposed -to the Emperor. The defeat of Napoleon was -in Russia, and at Leipsic and at Waterloo, not at -Waterloo alone, and the victors of Waterloo were -Wellington and Blücher, neither of whom could have -succeeded without the other.</p> - -<p>Of the figures added to the great collection after -Madame Tussaud’s death, of the figures which carry -on the historical record and continue to add to its -value, I am sure that the one of most interest for an -Englishman is that of Richard Burton. It was not -(apparently) modelled directly from life. But it was -modelled under the eye of Lady Burton herself, and -satisfied that critic.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span></p> - -<p>The inclusion of such a figure is an example of -what I mean when I say that such a collection is a -valuable and continuous piece of historical evidence. -The greatness of Burton was missed. He was subject -to a boycott due in the main to his exposure of the -ritual murder at Damascus. His energetic but isolated -character did not square with that of the most of his -countrymen. And yet to have an Englishman so -uniquely English and to have recognised what a part -he was of the record of his time shows a sure instinct.</p> - -<p>It is here that the chief danger imperilling the value -of the collection appears. And with that after so much -praise I would conclude.</p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud, it will be remembered, decided -at some time early in the 19th century to make continuous -additions to her collection as time went on, -to keep it up to date, to make it contemporary. It -was a natural decision and obviously necessary to the -conduct of the thing as a business enterprise. For -contemporaries will always desire to look at the portraits -of those who are for any reason notorious, rather -than to preserve the historical record. But save in -quite exceptional times, such as that of the Revolution, -which gave the collection its origin, there is always -the danger of a change in values. In the first place, -for a man to be notorious is not the same thing as for -a man to deserve fame. His notoriety may be of the -quality of fame rather than mere notoriety, and may -mature into fame, and yet not be a fame of that first -class which warrants an historical record. In either of -these two cases there is the danger of disproportion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -in the collection, regarded as something of slight historical -value. But that disproportion may be remedied -by the removal of the figures.</p> - -<p>The third danger attaching to the system is not -remediable. It is omission, and that is what I had -in my mind in the case of Burton. It is very unlikely -that a man producing a series of contemporary portraits -in the early part of James I’s reign would have included -William Shakespeare; or in the end of Victoria’s reign -a man so remarkable (though, of course, not on a great -scale) as Samuel Butler. There is always a certain -proportion of men in any generation with regard to -whom the careful observer can say with fair certitude -that posterity will require to know much more of them, -and who are yet for the moment not in the public eye. -Now the commercial necessities of an exhibition cannot -consider these men. They are of no value to the -crowd, and therein, I say, lies the danger. Let me -give an example.</p> - -<p>I do not think (I may be wrong as I am speaking -in the negative of what is only a detail), I do not think -that there is in the Tussaud collection any model of -the great Carnot. Carnot was on the whole the most -virile of all that virile revolutionary group, and he -was one of the first half dozen of those who created -the modern world. In a military sense Carnot was the -tutor and creator of Napoleon. But it would certainly -not have occurred to any observer of popular feelings -(even if Carnot had been included) at the time, especially -of popular feelings with an eye to the English -market, that Carnot was worth preserving. To-day I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -think most students of history would rather have a -really accurate study of Carnot than of even Robespierre.</p> - -<p>If ever, which is possible, a collection of this sort -comes under the aid or patronage of the state, the -peril I speak of might in theory be removed: for the -state will endow. But as things are, the peril exists. -I mention it because I do sincerely regard this body -of effigies not as something concerned with as ephemeral -a function in the state as popular curiosity, still less -as a mere commercial venture, but rather—what I have -called it throughout this essay—a unique piece of historical -record. And history, I take it, is the indispensable -memory with which citizens should furnish -themselves if they are to understand their own state -and civilisation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span></p> - -<h1>THE ROMANCE OF -MADAME TUSSAUD’S</h1> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Mr. Tussaud first enters his father’s studio—Reverie—Madame Tussaud’s -uncle forsakes the medical profession for art—Madame’s -birth and parentage—A Prince’s promise.</p> - -</div> - -<p>It was at the age of fourteen and in the year 1872 -that I first entered my father’s studio, and well -I remember the bright summer morning I passed its -threshold to place myself under his tuition.</p> - -<p>It was an odd rememorative sort of place, the eeriness -of which sat uneasily on the mind of, I fear, a -somewhat jocose and irresponsible youth.</p> - -<p>The surroundings somehow seemed to force upon -my mind the memories of men and things I must have -heard about or dreamt of, or with whom I had been -in some way made familiar. Moreover, the place was -so out of touch with the ordinary affairs of life, so -reposeful and secluded amid the din and turmoil of the -world outside.</p> - -<p>The studio stood well in the rear of an old-world -residence, known as Salisbury House, in the parish -of Marylebone. Here the family had long lived. -The house confronted what, in my early days, was -then still designated the New Road. Upon its site -there has been since erected the imposing classic palace<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -designed to accommodate the hitherto poorly housed -Corporation of the borough.</p> - -<p>Whenever I recall this eventful day there readily -springs to my mind the circumstance that I found -my father busily engaged in modelling a new portrait -of the Prince of Wales—the late King Edward—for -whose recovery from a very dangerous illness the nation -had recently held a Day of Thanksgiving.</p> - -<p>From this day onward I may claim to have acted -as something more than a mere spectator of that long -procession of models wrought by my father’s diligent -hands. Each one necessitated the making of some -small sketch, some characteristic study, that has helped -to swell as strange a collection of memorials as ever -existed of men and events of bygone days.</p> - -<p>It is amid these surroundings that I now sit to begin -the writing of these chapters; and a strangely engrossing -retrospect they reveal. Five generations of -my family have contributed towards them, and now, -on a modelling stool by my side, there stands the promising -work of a son who will, I trust, one day follow -me to carry on the work.</p> - -<p>During the quietude of those hours that succeed the -labours of the day, and when the last studio hand -has closed the door behind him, I take the opportunity -of penning this brief history. Often in the moving -shadows of the twilight or in the flickering flame of a -falling ember I fancy I see life and movement in the -faces that gaze down upon me, quickened, as it were, -to respond to the memories their features evoke.</p> - -<p>But for me, at least, there is little that is disquieting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -in their scrutiny. For the most part they -are old familiars, and a long acquaintance has set us -wonderfully at our ease.</p> - -<p>As the eye passes from the semblance of one celebrity -to that of another, how vividly they carry one’s -thoughts back through King Edward’s reign, the long -years Queen Victoria sat upon the throne, the days of -William IV, the reign and regency of “The First Gentleman -of Europe,” and far back into the days of good -“Farmer George”!</p> - -<p>Even though set among the strong and characteristic -features of the leading men of these memorable reigns, -the striking countenance of Napoleon can be discerned -without hesitation, and his familiar features force me -in imagination to undergo the ordeal of crossing the -Channel to retrace the course this narrative takes and -discover my ancestress under the domination of the -First Consul, then pushing in hot haste his fortune at -the point of the bayonet, and fast traversing the hazardous -road leading to the throne of France.</p> - -<p>Somehow we do not find this long and curious retrospect -illumined by any very strong ray of human -happiness. Even the overshadowing head and shoulders -of the great Napoleon do not conceal from our -vision the dismal heads of the revolutionists; indeed, -if they had been hidden from our sight, could these -ghoulish impressions ever be effaced from our memory? -And so, behind Bonaparte, one’s eyes sight the sinister -heads of Robespierre, Fouquier-Tinville, Carrier, Hébert—merciless -creatures who gambled with the lives -of their fellow men for high positions, and multiplied<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -these awful human stakes that they might hold themselves -secure.</p> - -<p>There, too, in the falling light, one perceives the -faces of Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie Antoinette, -the two most notable and pitiful victims of the Reign -of Terror—a reign, forsooth, in which these ill-starred -sovereigns, the descendants of generations of kings, -were but the poorest and saddest of subjects.</p> - -<p>The vista is long and hazy, but it is not too dim -for one to observe upon a bracket the visage of the -great Voltaire, with its leering eyes and sardonic grin. -His bust is <i lang="fr">vis-à-vis</i> with the ponderous head of the -idealist Rousseau, with its heavy forehead and its short, -narrow chin.</p> - -<p>And so face after face peers down upon me, carrying -the mind back with unfailing steps until is reached -the true source from which this dramatic story springs.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus2"> - -<img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">CHRISTOPHER CURTIUS</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Uncle of Mme. Tussaud and founder of the Museum in Paris during -the French Revolution in the Boulevard du Temple. A Portrait -Study by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>In the year 1758, so far afield as the city of Berne, -a certain young Swiss, named Christopher Curtius, was -earnestly employing his days as a medical practitioner.</p> - -<p>With the object of improving himself in his profession -he had taken to modelling the limbs and organs -of the human body in wax. He soon extended -the scope of his labours to the execution of many -miniature portraits in that same plastic material, and -gained the patronage of many of the leading members -of the aristocracy. In this work he succeeded well, -and towards his latter days in Berne he practised rather -as an artist than as a family doctor.</p> - -<p>It is as the maternal uncle of Madame Tussaud, -the subject of these memoirs, that Christopher Curtius -comes under our consideration.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud was the child of one Joseph Grosholtz, -who lost his life when serving on the Staff of -General Wurmser during the Seven Years’ War, a -couple of months or so before she was born. He was -of purely Swiss parentage, and the family to this day -prides itself on being of Burgundian Swiss stock.</p> - -<p>Although Marie Grosholtz was not married until -the year 1795, it will be well to refer to her henceforth -as Madame Tussaud, under which name she is universally -known.</p> - -<p>Madame Grosholtz and her child seem to have been -the only relatives possessed by Curtius, who later induced -his sister to take up her residency with him, -doubtless with the object of taking control of the -affairs of his household.</p> - -<p>It was when Curtius had fully established himself -as an artist in Berne that an incident took place, about -the year 1762, which led to important consequences.</p> - -<p>The Prince de Conti had been losing favour at the -Court of his royal cousin, Louis XV, a circumstance -mainly due, we are told, to the Prince’s excessive -popularity with the Army and a certain independent -bearing he adopted towards the King and his favourites. -The King’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour, did -not hesitate to show her resentment at de Conti’s lack -of deference.</p> - -<p>According to all accounts, the Prince did not take -his position very much to heart, for, in truth, an estrangement -between the Court and the representatives<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -of his house afforded little in the nature of a new experience. -At any rate, he shook the dust of the capital -off his boots, and set out on a tour through Europe.</p> - -<p>On this journey he tarried for some days in the -city of Berne, betraying a keen desire to participate -in all that mediæval town could afford him by way -of interest and entertainment.</p> - -<p>Among these Curtius’s studio—which had now acquired -something of the dignity of a private museum—was -not allowed to escape his attention. No account -of his visit to this establishment has been handed -down, but a few words uttered by the Prince on leaving -conveyed, beyond all doubt, his genuine admiration -for the doctor-artist’s skill in his new profession -as a sculptor in wax.</p> - -<p>“If you will leave Berne and come to Paris, I will -undertake to find you a suitable atelier in which to -carry on your work, and hold myself responsible for -your receiving as many commissions as you feel disposed -to executive. Come,” he urged. “You will not -regret it.”</p> - -<p>One wonders what kindred foibles, what curious -traits of disposition in common, existed between this -Prince and the artist that there should have been struck -so readily a chord of sympathy between them. For the -offer, as we shall hereafter learn, had not been lightly -made, nor had its ready acceptance been inspired without -betraying a ready confidence most men would have -deemed it highly imprudent to concede.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Curtius leaves Berne for Paris—The Hôtel d’Aligre—The Court of -Louis XV—Madame arrives in Paris.</p> - -</div> - -<p>In response to the Prince de Conti’s invitation, Curtius -left Berne for Paris a few months later, and -for once the time-honoured adage proffering a warning -to those prone to rely upon the promises of princes -had no bearing, for this Prince kept his word.</p> - -<p>On his arrival at Paris, Curtius found a handsome -suite of apartments awaiting him at the Hôtel d’Aligre, -hard by the Croix du Trahoir in the Rue St. Honoré. -They were spacious and well furnished, and in style -and comfort far exceeded his expectation. The Rue -St. Honoré on the north, the Rue Bailleul on the south, -the Rue de l’Arbre Sec on the east, and the Rue des -Poulies on the west, outline to this day the ground on -which the hotel, with its gardens, then stood.</p> - -<p>The Hôtel d’Aligre was a place that had seen better -days. It had, like so many of the great family dwellings -that existed in Paris towards the end of the eighteenth -century, demanded of its owners a longer and -more speedily replenished purse than they possessed. -The sheltering of a stately and magnificent household -had long been unknown to this once famous residence,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -and its handsome rooms had been divided up and let -as separate tenements.</p> - -<p>The building contained a fine <i lang="fr">salon</i>, which at one -time was placed by a Chancellor d’Aligre at the service -of the Grand Council, and so late as the year of Curtius’s -arrival in Paris we hear of it being used for an -exhibition of pictures displayed under the ægis of the -Académie de Saint Luc. Of this académie Curtius was -soon elected a member, and it may be presumed that -some of his own works were shown in the exhibition.</p> - -<p>During its latter days the hotel figured under a -dual appellation, the ancient name of d’Aligre being -prefaced by that of the renowned Schomberg. Finally -it was known to the good citizens of Paris, shortly before -its total disappearance, as the Old Hôtel Schomberg -d’Aligre.</p> - -<p>This building occupied a position that could hardly -have been better chosen for Curtius’s purpose, for it -stood in the very heart and throng of the busy capital—that -is to say, close to the Louvre and at no great -distance from the Tuileries—and was surrounded by -the houses of the wealthiest and most influential inhabitants -of the city.</p> - -<p>We should like to follow the footsteps of Curtius, -and enter with him into his new home in Paris; but -with the meagre information we have concerning these -early days in his career we can only picture him as settling -down to his work and drawing around him many -famous patrons, to some of whom we shall have to -refer as we make progress with our story.</p> - -<p>Doubtless the ideals he had conceived of the French<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -capital as a citizen in far-off Berne would not have -squared with the actual state in which he found the -city when he took up his domicile within it.</p> - -<p>Report had carried the splendours of Versailles far -beyond the frontiers of France, and might well have -enlivened the imagination of an artist like Curtius, -who, doubtless, would have hoped to enjoy the pleasure -of witnessing them for himself; but on his arrival in -the capital he found the glories of the palaces had set, -and that the Court of Louis XV had not only grown -dull, but had even gone out of fashion.</p> - -<p>The King himself had become weary of the great -Court functions and sumptuous entertainments, and -now preferred to indulge in complete seclusion the -appetites that still remained to him. The military -exploits of his reign had not brought him any great -renown, and in recent years he had suffered reverses -that had cast a gloom over these closing days of his -life.</p> - -<p>He had also been reminded more than once that -the levelling hand of Death took no heed of rank -and power. That dread visitor had already unceremoniously -claimed the King’s son (the Dauphin) and -his wife, and his own neglected Queen, Marie Leczinska, -was fast failing in health.</p> - -<p>The temper of the people towards the King had -undergone a great change, and the days of “Well-Beloved”-ness -had long since departed. During the -reign of his predecessor, Louis XIV, the excessive taxation -and the state of semi-serfdom had been borne by -the lower classes with something like resignation, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -they had received some compensation through the glory -of his military achievements and the extension of his -power. But small reason had they for so patiently -bearing the ever-increasing burdens that had signalised -the reign of his successor, Louis XV, whose military -exploits had brought the country little by way of -glory, and whose career had naught to show but a -long life of wanton extravagance, combined with a -painful disregard for the welfare of his people.</p> - -<p>What Curtius did in the four years that succeeded -his arrival in Paris one cannot say for certain; but -there is little doubt that he was busily engaged in executing -commissions for his numerous and ever-increasing -list of patrons, whose liberality and kindness not -only equalled, but far surpassed, the Prince de Conti’s -promises.</p> - -<p>It is quite evident that soon after his arrival Curtius -tried his deft hands upon a model of the Queen -of Louis XV, and it is this comparatively early work -that constitutes one piece among a mere half-dozen -examples that have been handed down to us. Probably -the influence of his friend, the Prince de Conti, aided -him in obtaining this commission.</p> - -<p>It was after having practised his profession as artist -for some years that Curtius repaired to Berne for the -purpose of fetching his sister and her little daughter.</p> - -<p>That was in the year 1766, and Madame Tussaud -was then about six years old. On the authority of -her <cite>Memoirs</cite>, published in 1838, it would appear that -she was born at Berne in the year 1760; but documentary -evidence exists which appears to indicate that her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -birth actually took place a year later. Be that as it -may, we first hear of her when she accompanied her -mother to Paris as the guest of her uncle.</p> - -<p>This brief review will not permit us to dwell long -on the early days of the young girl in Paris, nor on -those events that prefaced the outbreak of the Revolution. -Truth to say, between 1766 and 1789—a matter -of twenty-three years—the details concerning the -lives of Curtius and his niece are neither very full nor -very clearly defined. This seems to be all of a piece -with the nature of the work they produced, for it is -astonishing, having regard to the considerable output, -how small a quantity of it has been handed down to us.</p> - -<p>One has, therefore, little material to assist him in -gaining an insight into the artists’ careers, or to guide -in the forming of a just opinion either as to the exact -character of their work or the nature of their subjects. -Miniatures in coloured wax, modelled in fairly high -relief and framed and glazed in the ordinary way as -pictures, seem to offer a general idea and the best conception -of the work that emanated from the studio during -these momentous years, so pregnant with meaning -for the near future.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus3"> - -<img src="images/illus3.jpg" width="380" height="380" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">LOUIS XVI AND THE DUKE OF ORLEANS</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Specimens of the few existing examples of Curtius’s miniature work. -Modeled from life shortly before the outbreak of the French Revolution.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The pity of the loss is that the work, taken direct -from life, afforded a faithful record of important personages. -Of this there is ample proof, and that the -models should have been of so ephemeral a character -is a matter of great regret, extending far beyond the -feelings of the artists’ descendants. Yet, when one -remembers the hatred of the populace towards the aristocrats -and those holding authority under the Old<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -Régime, it is not to be wondered at that many portraits -should have shared, with their originals, the -destructive effects of the antipathy that was shown -both to patrons of art and to the art itself. It goes -without saying that during the Reign of Terror people -would be disposed to hide, or even to destroy, any art -subject in their possession indicating their attachment -to the Royalists.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Life-size figures—Museum at the Palais Royal—Exhibition on the -Boulevard du Temple—Benjamin Franklin—Voltaire.</p> - -</div> - -<p>A good deal of hearsay and some incontestable -evidence helps to fill the hiatus between the -time Curtius came to Paris and the outbreak of the -Revolution.</p> - -<p>Although the many years spent by Curtius in the -production of miniatures in coloured wax do not appear -to have brought him a very great or a very wide -reputation, yet they were the means of leading him -to the modelling of life-size portraits in this same material, -with the express intention of forming them into -a collection solely for the object of exhibiting them -to the public.</p> - -<p>Now it is to this important departure in the treatment -of his works that we owe the present Madame -Tussaud’s Exhibition, an establishment with which his -name must be for ever associated.</p> - -<p>He seems to have set his mind upon this venture -round about the year 1776, and some years later to -have opened a Museum of life-size portrait models at -the Palais Royal, an enterprise that was soon to be -followed by the opening of a second Exhibition of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -a far more renowned and interesting character on the -Boulevard du Temple, to which we shall have occasion -to refer more than once.</p> - -<p>The Museum at the Palais Royal seems to have -proved a lucrative concern, and to have been devoted -to the portraits of men and women of position, holding -for the time being a prominent place in the public -eye. Little is known concerning it, except for a few -meagre and commonplace references in the literature -of the period, and it may, to all intents and purposes, -be considered as relegated to the domain of the forgotten -past.</p> - -<p>We shall not, however, find ourselves able to dispose -of the Exhibition on the Boulevard du Temple -without rendering an account of it, for in the course -of a few years it figured very largely in the Revolution, -and had associated with it several incidents of an -important and far-reaching character.</p> - -<p>There is the record about this time of an acquaintance -between the sculptor and Benjamin Franklin, the -American statesman and philosopher.</p> - -<p>Franklin had come to Paris in December, 1776, “to -transact the business of his country at the Court of -France,” his chief purpose being to obtain political -and financial assistance in consolidating the newly -formed United States of America.</p> - -<p>Curtius and his niece—now a young woman of sixteen -years—had the pleasure of entertaining the Doctor, -who took considerable interest in their work. Not -only did he commission them to execute several distinct -portraits of himself, but he also ordered models of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -many other notable characters of the day. One of his -own portraits is the identical figure which has been -shown at Madame Tussaud’s ever since.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus6"> - -<img src="images/illus6.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">BENJAMIN FRANKLIN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Modeled from life, in Paris, by Christopher Curtius -for his Exhibition.</p> - -</div> - -<p>This model was executed in 1783, in which year -Franklin assumed great prominence as one of the signatories -to the Treaty of Peace between the Mother -Country and the United States, which recognised the -latter as an independent nation. The figure in question -is a life-size one; but, in addition to this, Curtius, -aided by his capable niece, who was now earnestly -supporting her uncle in his work, produced several -miniature portraits of the statesman which went directly -into his possession. Indeed, it is well known that -Franklin had in his rooms in Paris many works that -had emanated from Curtius’s studio.</p> - -<p>In Franklin’s <cite>Autobiography</cite> there is an account of -his home in Market Street, Philadelphia, in which he -finally settled, and the following extract under the -date 13th July, 1787, from a journal kept by an old -friend of his, the Reverend Dr. Manasseh Cutler, a -distinguished scholar and botanist, of Hamilton, -Massachusetts, who had recently paid him a visit, -shows that he took with him from Paris a number of -miniatures, many of which he had obtained from Curtius:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>Over his mantel he has a prodigious number of -medals, busts and casts in wax or plaster of paris, which -are the effigies of the most noted characters in Europe.</p> - -</div> - -<p>When Franklin returned to America in 1785 there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -sailed with him, on board the same ship, Houdon, the -eminent French sculptor, who had been in his early -student days a friend and companion of Curtius, who -engaged his services, and to whom he rendered considerable -assistance in his work.</p> - -<p>Houdon’s skill was highly appreciated by Franklin, -and the object of the journey to America was that -the sculptor might execute a statue of Washington -for the State of Virginia, the instructions for the work -coming from both Franklin and Jefferson. The voyage -was made in the <i>London Packet</i>, and the date of -the embarkation was the 27th of July, 1785.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the most famous man of this period was the -satirist, philosopher, and dramatist, Voltaire, who, -throughout the whole of his long life, had championed -the cause of the people against arbitrary and despotic -power.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus4"> - -<img src="images/illus4.jpg" width="380" height="220" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THREE VIEWS OF VOLTAIRE’S HEAD</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Modeled from life by Christopher Curtius in Paris during the spring -of 1778, a few weeks before Voltaire’s death.</p> - -</div> - -<p>After an absence of twenty-eight years the aged Voltaire -left his home on the shores of Geneva and returned -to Paris, arriving there on the 10th of February, -1778. He was welcomed by an ovation that might -well have befitted the homecoming of a great conqueror.</p> - -<p>Curtius’s reputation at that time stood at its highest, -and Voltaire gave him several sittings soon after -his arrival. It is owing to this circumstance that the -artist was able to place among the models of his recently -opened Exhibition on the Boulevard du Temple -a life-size standing figure of this popular idol.</p> - -<p>It is a matter of exceptional interest that the selfsame -figure still exists, and is shown to-day as one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -of the most attractive and notable objects in Madame -Tussaud’s, where it has stood for just upon a century -and a half.</p> - -<p>Besides producing this figure, Curtius took the opportunity -the sittings afforded him of executing several -miniature models, one of them representing the -philosopher during his last moments. To this he gave -the title of “The Dying Socrates.” Several copies of -this are known to exist, and we give an illustration -of the one in the Tussaud collection. These were the -last portraits produced of him from life, and they were -completed none too soon.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus5"> - -<img src="images/illus5.jpg" width="380" height="270" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“THE DYING SOCRATES”</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Portrait of Voltaire at the time of his death. Wax miniature -modeled by Christopher Curtius.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The stirring reception accorded Voltaire on his arrival -in Paris, to which he responded with great energy, -coupled with the strenuous effort and anxiety attending -his personal superintendence of his new tragedy, <cite>Irene</cite>, -soon affected his health. The sittings were given during -the months of March and April, and on the following -30th of May his eventful life terminated at the -age of eighty-four.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Madame Elizabeth of France—Madame Tussaud goes to Versailles—Foulon—Three -notable groups—“Caverne des Grands Voleurs.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>In the year 1780 the ill-fated Louis XVI had been -six years on the throne, and Curtius by this time -had become well ingratiated with the followers of the -New Régime.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;" id="illus9"> - -<img src="images/illus9.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MADAME ELIZABETH OF FRANCE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The Sister of Louis XVI and Patroness of Madame Tussaud. -A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Among the many distinguished visitors who honoured -Curtius’s studio with their presence in 1780 was -one who was destined to exercise a great influence -on Madame Tussaud’s life. This was the King’s sister, -Madame Elizabeth of France, who, at the time we -speak of, was sixteen years of age. Her disposition -was singularly sweet and charming, and the keen interest -she took in the models and mysteries of the -studio caused her to bestow upon the niece of Curtius -very special attention.</p> - -<p>Madame Elizabeth, according to her young protégée, -was of medium height and slight build, her forehead -was high and intellectual, and she had kind, soft, blue -eyes. Her expression and demeanour were most sympathetic, -and on the slightest provocation her amiable -countenance became wreathed in smiles, the parting -lips revealing a perfect set of teeth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p> - -<p>So infatuated did Madame Elizabeth become with -this pleasant work of modelling in coloured wax, which -was soon to become a veritable craze, that she asked -Madame Tussaud to instruct her in the art, and for -that purpose invited her to live with her in her apartments -at the Palace of Versailles, for the Princess seldom -visited Paris.</p> - -<p>Her overtures to his niece met with little opposition -on the part of Curtius, who, in spite of the fact that -he had decided leanings towards the cause of the people, -yet, in order to further his relative’s interests, -readily gave his permission to her accompanying the -Princess. This concession Curtius must have made -at some sacrifice, for it deprived him of his niece’s -society and of the help she was then rendering him -in his studio.</p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud accordingly bade her uncle farewell, -and left Paris for Versailles.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus7"> - -<img src="images/illus7.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MADAME TUSSAUD AT THE AGE OF 20</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Madame Tussaud, as the young and beautiful Marie Grosholtz, at -the time she was compelled by the National Convention to take -impressions of the dead features of Louis XVI, his Queen Marie -Antoinette and many leaders of the French Revolution. A Portrait -Study by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The quarters then occupied by Madame Elizabeth -were situated at the end of the façade of the south wing -of the palace, and looked out upon the Swiss Lake.</p> - -<p>One wonders whether the fascinating work of modelling -in wax was the sole influence that prompted -Madame Elizabeth’s friendly feeling towards Madame -Tussaud. The Princess had already shown a marked -predilection for the Swiss, for both at the palace and -on her own private estate of Montreuil hard by she -had many Swiss people about her.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, little is known of the life of Madame -Tussaud either at Versailles or at Montreuil, -which the King presented to his sister with the understanding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -that she should continue to make Versailles -her official home until she attained the age of twenty-four.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 250px;" id="illus10"> - -<img src="images/illus10.jpg" width="250" height="200" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MADAME ELIZABETH AT MONTREUIL</p> - -<p class="captionsub">From a painting by Ricard in Versailles.</p> - -</div> - -<p>We are told that the Princess was very fond of -modelling sacred subjects, and many of these works -produced by her own hands she gave away to her -friends. She showed her attachment to Madame Tussaud -in many ways, and required her to sleep in an -adjoining apartment.</p> - -<p>Curtius’s niece often found herself engaged in many -duties besides those associated with modelling in wax, -and it was no unusual thing for the girl to be made -the means of conveying alms to the Princess’s numerous -pensioners.</p> - -<p>For nine years she enjoyed the confidence and almost -daily company of her patroness, and throughout -the long life vouchsafed to her she deemed them the -happiest she had known. Seldom could she be brought -to dwell upon these days, or call to mind the fate of her -illustrious pupil and the other members of the Royal -Family she then so often encountered, without the -tears, sooner or later, welling to her eyes. Indeed, not -even after the passage of some sixty years, when her -own days were drawing to a close, and when one might -have expected her grief to have become assuaged, -could she restrain her emotion at the memory of their -sad and tragic end.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p> - -<p>We have already referred to the second and larger -Exhibition opened by Curtius on the Boulevard du -Temple. A collection of wax figures representing famous -personages, living and dead, attired in their everyday -costume, and exhibiting their usual pose and attitude, -was known as a “Cabinet de Cire.”</p> - -<p>The house wherein Curtius opened this second Exhibition -was formerly occupied by Foulon, the Minister -of Finance, who earned public execration by his ill-timed -suggestion that if the people could not get sufficient -bread they might eat hay. When the Revolution -broke out Foulon was one of the first victims for -the mob to vent its rage upon. They hanged him, -decapitated the body, and then paraded the streets -with his head stuck on a pike, between his lips being -placed a wisp of hay in memory of the cruel sneer at -the people’s want.</p> - -<p>For his Exhibition Curtius modelled several notable -groups. Three of these call for some mention.</p> - -<p>The first was a representation of the Royal Family -dining in public, a curious ceremonial of that period. -There was, within the walls of the Palace of Versailles, -a chapel whither the family repaired to hear mass every -morning; and on Sundays, after returning from prayer, -they held a grand <i lang="fr">couvert</i> in the palace. The dining-table -was in the form of a horseshoe, the <i lang="fr">Cent Suisse</i> -(or Swiss Bodyguard) formed a circle around it, and, -between them, the spectators were permitted to view -the august party at their dinner.</p> - -<p>To this spectacle everyone had access, provided the -gentlemen were fully dressed—that is, had a bag-wig, -sword, and silk stockings—and the ladies were correspondingly -attired. Even if their clothes were threadbare -the visitors were not turned back; nor were they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -admitted, however well clad, unless they presented -themselves as etiquette prescribed.</p> - -<p>The costume of the Swiss Bodyguard was magnificent, -being similar to that worn by Henry IV of -France. It comprised a hat with three white feathers, -short robe, red pantaloons or long stockings (all in -one, and slashed at the top with white silk), black -shoes with buckles, sash, sword, and halbert.</p> - -<p>The Royal Family generally remained three-quarters -of an hour at table. The spectacle was such an -interesting one that Curtius, ever alive, as his successors -have been, to satisfy the popular imagination, -modelled a group for his Exhibition depicting the incident.</p> - -<p>The second tableau represented an Indian group. -In the grounds of the Palace of Versailles are two residences, -the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon, the -latter having been a favourite retreat of Marie Antoinette -because of its secluded position and charming -attractions.</p> - -<p>Curtius—assisted by his niece, who was now a full-grown -woman, sensible of her responsibilities, and able -to execute commissions of her own—modelled a group -of figures, consisting of the envoys of Tippoo Sahib -and several sepoys in their picturesque Eastern costumes, -which was arranged under a tent placed in the -Grand Trianon.</p> - -<p>Tippoo Sahib was the Sultan of Mysore, and he -had sent to Louis XVI to invoke his assistance in expelling -the British from his dominions.</p> - -<p>On the 10th of August, 1788, after spending the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -night at the Grand Trianon, the envoys were escorted -to the Palace of Versailles, and received with great -pomp.</p> - -<p>This was one of the last occasions on which Madame -Elizabeth appeared in public at the palace and -on which the King was able to receive freely the representatives -of a foreign Power. The winter that followed -was long and severe, and had much to do with -hastening the outbreak of the Revolution and the -downfall of the monarchy.</p> - -<p>We do not know for certain whether the commission -for the third group was prompted by Madame -Elizabeth or by Marie Antoinette herself, but we know -for certain that it was one of the groups shown in the -Petit Trianon before those disturbing elements manifested -themselves that heralded the terrible upheaval -which was to come. The tableau comprised the seated -figures of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette with their -young children, the Dauphin and the Duchesse d’Angoulême, -all attired in full Court costume.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus8"> - -<img src="images/illus8.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MARIE ANTOINETTE, THE DAUPHIN, AND THE DUCHESSE D’ANGOULÊME</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Models taken from life and exhibited for some time in Le Petit -Trianon at Versailles.</p> - -</div> - -<p>A very special interest attaches to this group, inasmuch -that, except for the renovation necessitated by -the long passage of time, it is now shown within the -walls of the present Exhibition exactly as it was -when first modelled.</p> - -<p>While Madame Tussaud was fully occupied at Versailles -her uncle was busy with his Museum in Paris.</p> - -<p>In 1783 Curtius added to his collection on the Boulevard -du Temple the “Caverne des Grands Voleurs,” -which we may fairly regard as the forerunner of the -present Chamber of Horrors.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span></p> - -<p>There seems to be some doubt as to the distinctive -character of Curtius’s two Exhibitions. One authority -informs us that his rooms at the Palais Royal contained -the effigies of famous and celebrated men, and that -the venture on the Boulevard du Temple was devoted -to those of notorious and infamous scoundrels. One -cannot say for certain what were the characteristics of -the two collections at this time, but there can be no -doubt that both attracted great numbers of people for -a very long period.</p> - -<p>The descriptive accounts of Parisian amusements of -the time make mention of Curtius’s “Cabinet de Cire”—or, -to make use of the titles given to it on a copperplate -etching of that period by Martial, “Théatre des -Figures de Cire, ou Théatre Curtius”—as a sight well -worthy of inviting the attention of persons of rank -and condition. “One may see,” said Dulaure in 1791, -“waxen coloured figures of celebrated characters in -all stations of life.”</p> - -<p>Upon closing the Exhibition at the Palais Royal, -Curtius conveyed its figures to the Boulevard du Temple, -wherein merged all the models that had been -previously on view, thus combining the peculiar characteristics -of the two establishments and constituting -the Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition as we know it to-day.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Eve of the French Revolution—Necker and the Duke of Orléans—Louis -XVI’s fatal mistakes—His dismissal of the people’s -favourites.</p> - -</div> - -<p>We are now approaching the day when the long-pent-up -storm, threatening for so great a while, -was about to burst, and we must contemplate King -Louis XVI and his advisers seeking for a means to -placate a people at last stirred to resentment through -the cruel and unjust burdens it had for generations -been made to bear.</p> - -<p>The murmurings which had long been general and -indefinite were now resolving themselves into a hatred -fast becoming focused upon the rich and the powerful, -many of whom, it must be added, were also arrogant -and dissolute.</p> - -<p>A rude awakening among some of these, who had -at last been brought to realise the imminence of the -convulsion, induced them to advocate with much haste -and little discretion certain concessions. These were -obviously granted as acts of expediency, and with as -little derogation as possible from their own interest, -rather than out of any sympathy for a distressed and -desperate people clamouring for relief.</p> - -<p>So, early in 1789, the King was prompted to resort<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -to an expedient which had not been adopted since the -year 1614. He summoned the States-General to meet -together at Versailles on the 5th of May, 1789.</p> - -<p>In the deliberations of this National Council the -King and his Ministers looked for support and guidance -to meet the difficulties that beset them. But matters -took an unexpected course. The Deputies of the -Third Estate, which out-numbered the First and Second -put together, demanded that all three Estates -should sit and vote as one whole indissoluble body. In -spite of opposition they pushed their demand to a successful -issue, and, grasping control of both legislative -and executive power, forthwith resolved themselves -into a permanent constitutional assembly.</p> - -<p>The King soon found himself confronted by an irresistible -authority, including a majority of men who betrayed -little concern for his prerogative, and manifested -a strong sympathy with the cause of the people.</p> - -<p>In such stirring times as those which were now being -experienced in France, Curtius turned to the advocates -of the people’s cause for many of his subjects -for his new Exhibition. Among these were many who -were to figure largely in the Revolution.</p> - -<p>Special mention must be made of two figures, added -about this date, namely, Necker and Philippe, Duke -of Orléans, for their models had an important bearing -upon the events that followed.</p> - -<p>Necker, at the time his model was made by Curtius -and Madame Tussaud, was the French Minister of -Finance. In 1775 he had claimed for the State the -right of fixing the price of grain and, if necessary, of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -prohibiting exportation; a year later he was made -Director of the Treasury, and in 1777 he became Director-General -of Finance.</p> - -<p>His retrenchments were bitterly opposed by Queen -Marie Antoinette; and his famous <i lang="fr">Compte Rendu</i>, in -1781, occasioned his dismissal at that time. Some of -his measures, such as his adjustment of taxes and his -establishment of State-guaranteed annuities and State -pawnshops, were a boon to suffering France. He retired -to Geneva, but in 1787 returned to Paris, and, -when M. de Calonne cast doubt on the <i lang="fr">Compte Rendu</i>, -he published a justification which drew upon him his -banishment from Paris.</p> - -<p>Recalled to office in September, 1788, he quickly -made himself a popular hero by recommending the -summoning of the States-General, to which reference -has already been made.</p> - -<p>On the 11th of July, 1789, he received the royal -command to leave France at once; but the fall of the -Bastille, three days later, frightened the King into -recalling him, amid the wildest popular enthusiasm.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus11"> - -<img src="images/illus11.jpg" width="380" height="200" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MODEL OF THE BASTILLE</p> - -</div> - -<p>The Duke of Orléans, the famous Égalité, was another -hero of the people at this time. He was looked -upon coldly at Court owing to his dissolute habits.</p> - -<p>London was frequently visited by him, and he became -an intimate friend of the Prince of Wales, afterwards -George IV. He infected young France with -Anglomania in the form of horse-racing and hard -drinking, and made himself popular among the lower -classes by profuse charity.</p> - -<p>In 1787 he showed his liberalism boldly against<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -the King, and as the States-General drew near he -lavished his wealth in flooding France with seditious -books and papers. In the following year he promulgated -his <cite>Délibérations</cite>, written by Laclos, to the effect -that the Third Estate was the nation; and in June, -1789—the month that preceded the fall of the Bastille—he -led the forty-seven nobles who seceded from their -own order to join that Estate.</p> - -<p>The Duke presumed to become constitutional King -of France, or at least Regent; but he was only a comparatively -small fragment that drifted into the vortex -of the Revolution itself. In 1792, when all hereditary -titles were swept away, this “citizen” adopted the name -of Philippe Égalité.</p> - -<p>He was the twentieth Deputy for Paris in the National -Convention, and voted for the death of the -King; but in the following year retribution overtook -him, for he himself was found guilty of conspiracy -and guillotined.</p> - -<p>The public distrust of the King’s party, the fatal -error in bringing the foreign troops to Paris and its -environs, and, finally, the banishment of Necker and -the Duke of Orléans, the great champions of the -people, must be regarded as the immediate cause of the -catastrophe that followed.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Madame Tussaud recalled from Versailles—The 12th of July, 1789—Busts -taken from Curtius’s Exhibition—A Garde Française slain -in the mêlée.</p> - -</div> - -<p>It must be remembered that the “romance” of Madame -Tussaud’s began in the French capital one -hundred and fifty years ago.</p> - -<p>As we view to-day the quaint little figure of Madame -which stands in the Exhibition she helped to -found in France and established in this country, we -must imagine her in the full vigour of her young -womanhood, sensible to the dangers and terrors of -the Revolution in which she was about to be involved. -The Exhibition was as yet in its infancy; but stirring -times were approaching, and the days were pregnant -with meaning for the France that was to be—a time -of bloodshed and grim ruthlessness born of a people’s -desire for freedom, and attended by ghastly scenes in -Paris that revealed the extremities to which unbridled -human passions could go.</p> - -<p>We must see through her eyes the sights that marked -the red dawn of the French Revolution; and hear -the first low rumble that gave warning of the approach -of the Reign of Terror. Her uncle recalled her -from the Court of Versailles, an order that he might<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -afford her his protection, and she did not leave a whit -too soon.</p> - -<p>Now we come to the fateful days of July.</p> - -<p>The Three Estates had been fused into one on the -27th of June with the assent of the King, who thus -virtually signed his own death-warrant. Another step -soon followed in the same disastrous course. The -Queen and her intimate advisers caused Louis to make -an attempt to maintain his authority by force, and -for this purpose an army of 40,000 men, drawn from -various quarters, was concentrated upon Paris and its -vicinity, and placed under the orders of Marshal Broglie.</p> - -<p>Among these troops were several regiments of Swiss -and Germans. At that moment Necker, whom the -Court party distrusted and feared, was forced to relinquish -his office, and commanded to leave France -forthwith.</p> - -<p>The 12th of July was a Sunday, and on the morning -of that day an extraordinary degree of activity -was observed among the troops in Paris. The nerves -of the people became overwrought; they were apprehensive -of imminent danger—some hidden design, some -sinister motive, on the part of the newly appointed -Ministers (including the hated Foulon, who had succeeded -the beloved Necker) whose policy they could -not fathom.</p> - -<p>Before midday the Palais Royal was crowded with -people, wondering what all this military movement -could mean, and gazing at the strange placards which -bade them stay at home and avoid all meetings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p> - -<p>The half-discredited rumour of the dismissal of -Necker spread like wild-fire through the capital, and -the first person who made the announcement was about -to be ducked in one of the water basins in the gardens -of the Palais Royal, when a Deputy of the Third -Estate, who happened to be standing by, confirmed the -news.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus13"> - -<img src="images/illus13.jpg" width="380" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">CAMILLE DESMOULINS</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Young enthusiast who stirred the populace of Paris to -riotous demonstration on hearing of the dismissal of -Necker.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Everyone in the gardens was at once made acquainted -with the fall of the people’s favourite; and as the -cannon of the Palais made known, as usual, the fact -that the hour of noon had arrived, a young man named -Camille Desmoulins sprang upon a table outside the -Café Foy, and, brandishing a drawn sword and pistol, -called “To arms!” He then harangued with burning -eloquence the people who crowded around him, and -fired their imagination at the close of his oration by -plucking a leaf from a tree (green being the colour -of Necker’s livery) and placing it in his hat as a cockade, -an example that was followed by thousands.</p> - -<p>The theatres and other places of amusement were -closed as a sign of mourning for Necker, who was -loudly acclaimed on every side.</p> - -<p>Then it was suggested that the models of Necker and -the Duke of Orléans should be obtained from Curtius’s -Museum. The idea was quickly seized upon, -and the crowd rushed <i lang="fr">en masse</i> to the Exhibition rooms -on the Boulevard du Temple, where they demanded -the busts of the “friends of the people.” They also -asked for the model of the King, a request that was refused -by Curtius, who observed that as the full-length -figure was extremely heavy it would be “broken” if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -carried. This reply pleased the people, who clapped -their hands and shouted “Bravo, Curtius, bravo!”</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;" id="illus12"> - -<img src="images/illus12.jpg" width="300" height="375" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">M. NECKER</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Director-General of Finance under Louis XVI, whose bust, taken -from Curtius’s exhibit by the mob, was carried through the streets -of Paris to fan the flame of revolution.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Deeming it imprudent not to respond to the public -clamour, Curtius relinquished the busts of the two -public idols; and as soon as they had gained possession -of them the mob shouted “Long live Necker!” “Long -live the Duke of Orléans!” and “Down with the foreign -troops!”</p> - -<p>As an expression of grief at the loss of their favourites -they covered the busts with crape. Then, elevating -them upon pedestals, they carried them through the -streets of Paris in triumph.</p> - -<p>On rolled the procession through the Rue de Richelieu, -the Boulevard, the streets of St. Martin, St. -Denis, and St. Honoré, increasing in numbers at every -step, among them men of the Garde Française, till it -came to the Place Vendôme, where the busts were carried -twice round the statue of Louis XIV. <i lang="fr">En route</i> -the crowd obliged all they met to take off their hats in -honour of the men the busts represented. By the time -the great throng reached the Place Vendôme it had -become 5,000 or 6,000 strong.</p> - -<p>Here a detachment of royal troops came up, and -vainly attempted to disperse the mob. The crowd -pelted the soldiers with stones, and, having put them -to flight, proceeded to the Place Louis XV, where they -were assailed by the German troops of the Prince de -Lambesc. The cavalry charged the mob with drawn -sabres, and the bearers of the busts were thrown down -beneath their burdens.</p> - -<p>Again and again they were raised, only to fall once<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -more. The figure of Necker was cleft asunder by a -soldier of the Royal German Regiment. A man named -Pepin, a hawker of articles of drapery, was wounded -by a bullet in the leg, and fell by the side of the -broken figure. That representing the Duke of Orléans -escaped destruction; but a member of the Civic Guard, -while endeavouring to protect it, lost his life, and -several other persons were wounded in attempting to -assist him. It was the first blood shed in the Revolution, -which may thus be regarded as having broken out -at the very doors of the Exhibition in Paris.</p> - -<p>Thomas Carlyle gives, in his <cite>French Revolution</cite>, the -following characteristic account of the incident:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="center">TO ARMS!</p> - -<p class="center">Sunday, 12th July, 1789.</p> - -<p>France, so long shaken and wind-parched, is probably at -the right inflammable point. As for poor Curtius who, one -grieves to think, might be but imperfectly paid, he cannot -make two words about his Images. The Wax-bust of Necker, -the Wax-bust of D’Orléans, helpers of France: these, covered -with crape, as in funeral procession, or after the manner of -suppliants appealing to Heaven, to Earth, and Tartarus itself, -a mixed multitude bears off. For a sign! As indeed -man, with his singular imaginative faculties, can do little or -nothing without signs: Thus Turks look to their Prophet’s -Banner; also Osier <em>Mannikins</em> have been burnt, and Necker’s -Portrait has erewhile figured, aloft on its perch.</p> - -<p>In this manner march they, a mixed, continually increasing -multitude; armed with axes, staves, and miscellanea; grim, -many-sounding through the streets. Be all Theatres shut; let -all dancing on planked floor, or on the natural greensward, -cease! Instead of a Christian Sabbath, and feast of <i lang="fr">guinguitte</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -tabernacles, it shall be a Sorcerer’s Sabbath; and Paris, gone -rabid, dance—with the Fiend for piper!</p> - -<p>However, Besenval, with horse and foot, is in the Place Louis -Quinze. Mortals promenading homewards, in the fall of the -day, saunter by, from Chaillot or Passy, from flirtation and a -little thin wine; with sadder step than usual. Will the Bust-Procession -pass that way? Behold it; behold also Prince Lambesc -dash forth on it, with his Royal-Allemands! Shots fall, -and sabre-strokes; Busts are hewed asunder; and, alas, also -heads of men. A sabred Procession has nothing for it but to -<em>explode</em>, along what streets, alleys, Tuileries Avenues it finds; -and disappear. One unarmed man lies hewed down; a Garde -Française by his uniform; bear him (or bear even the report -of him) dead and gory to his Barracks;—where he has comrades -still alive!—<cite>French Revolution</cite>, Chapter IV.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 180px;" id="illus14"> - -<img src="images/illus14.jpg" width="180" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THOMAS CARLYLE</p> - -</div> - -<p>It was on this very day, the 12th of July, after -the incidents just described, that the famous reply -was made to the King by Liancourt. Upon his apprising -His Majesty of the ferment in Paris, Louis remarked, -“Why, it is a revolt, then?” “No, sire,” -rejoined the Minister, “it is a <em>revolution</em>!”<a name="FNanchor_1" id="FNanchor_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> - -<div class="footnotes"> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> This reply has been erroneously asserted to have been made by -Liancourt on the evening of the 14th of July, the day of the capture -of the Bastille; it was really given as stated above.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span></p> - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Heads of the Revolution—Madame’s terrible experiences—The guillotine -in pawn—Madame acquires the knife, lunette, and chopper.</p> - -</div> - -<p>It is no part of our concern to trace the course of -the Revolution throughout, or to dwell too long -upon its horrors. Nevertheless before Madame Tussaud -passed into tranquil days she had to suffer the -severest ordeal of her life, the memory of which she -could never wholly efface.</p> - -<p>We can hardly imagine her bitter experience when -compelled to employ her young hands in taking impressions -of heads immediately after decapitation, and -this, strange to say, by the very same knife which may -be seen at this day among the relics of the Revolution -at Tussaud’s.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 250px;" id="illus23"> - -<img src="images/illus23.jpg" width="250" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">GEORGES-JACQUES DANTON</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus16"> - -<img src="images/illus16.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">JEAN BAPTISTE CARRIER</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Responsible for the butchery of the Vendean prisoners at Nantes -during the French Revolution. Impression of his head taken immediately -after he had been guillotined, 16th December, 1794.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Thus she was compelled to reproduce the lineaments -of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Hébert, Danton, -Robespierre, Carrier, Fouquier-Tinville—the best and -fairest, and also the worst and vilest—who met their -death on the scaffold. Unthinkable were the gruesome -tasks of faithfully recording their features imposed -upon the young woman who was destined to bring -to England that Exhibition the annals of which we -now relate.</p> - -<p>No wonder many a heated controversy has waged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -around these works, for it is hard to realise that they -are the actual impressions of those heads that fell -under the knife of the guillotine. Yet they are the -selfsame impressions that were shown at Christopher -Curtius’s Museum in Paris.</p> - -<p>That Madame Tussaud’s uncle would have had the -temerity to exhibit spurious heads to a crowd by no -means in a humour to be trifled with, and far too -familiar with the features the casts portrayed to be -deceived, is more than unlikely; and we know such an -imposition in his case would have been quite unnecessary. -The casts were undoubtedly taken under compulsion, -either with the object of pandering to the -temper of the people, or of serving as confirmatory -evidence of execution having taken place—perhaps -both.</p> - -<p>The idea of exhibiting the heads of those who had -been done to death as enemies of the people had asserted -itself during the very earliest days of the Revolution. -Within a fortnight of the taking of the Bastille, -Foulon’s head had been severed from its body and -paraded through the streets of Paris at the end of a -pike.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus22"> - -<img src="images/illus22.jpg" width="380" height="380" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE PRINCESS DE LAMBALLE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">A friend and companion to Marie Antoinette.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Later the noble features of the Princess de Lamballe -had suffered the same brutal degradation, with the -added inhumanity of having been thrust between the -window-bars of the Temple Prison, wherein the unfortunate -Louis XVI and his wife were incarcerated.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 270px;" id="illus18"> - -<img src="images/illus18.jpg" width="270" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE GUILLOTINE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Showing the mode of execution in France. A facsimile with wax -models now in the Tussaud collection.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p> - -<p>On that terrible day, the 10th of August, 1792, -when the Swiss Guard was cut to pieces in defending -the Tuileries, several of these brave soldiers had their -heads stuck upon pikes and exhibited to the mob. The -Royalist writer, Suleau, suffered the same fate.</p> - -<p>How far had Madame Tussaud been implicated -in the accomplishment of the dreadful work of taking -casts from decapitated heads?</p> - -<p>It was during the autumn of 1789 that Christopher -Curtius (who had by this time adopted Marie as his -daughter) insisted upon her withdrawing from the -service of Madame Elizabeth, to whom she had, with -every reason, become devotedly attached. For Curtius -had, at the outset of the disturbances in Paris, espoused -the cause of the people, and, as an adroit and far-seeing -man, had become anxious for his adopted daughter’s -safety.</p> - -<p>He, without doubt, desired she should return under -his own roof to derive the benefit of his protection. -So it is that we find Marie in her uncle’s studio adjoining -his Exhibition, and where that gruesome work -was so soon to be undertaken.</p> - -<p>Now during the year 1793 Curtius had been drawn -into the service of the National Convention, and on -several occasions had to quit Paris for many days at -a time, leaving Marie and her mother to do the best -they could with the Exhibition during his absence. -He was at this time “Envoy Extraordinary of the Republic -and War Commissary at Mayence.” On the -last occasion of his quitting the capital his absence extended -over a period of fully eighteen months.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile heads were falling fast, and no one -knew how long his own would repose upon his shoulders. -Then it was that Marie suffered the terrible experience<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -of having to take the impressions of so many -heads that were brought to her from the guillotine. -We have it from her own mouth that it was a task -with which she dared not hesitate to comply.</p> - -<p>It must have been known to many that only a few -years back she had been a member of the household -of the King’s sister, Madame Elizabeth, at Versailles, -and not a few of those who were near and dear to her -had suffered death for a far less offence than that. -But at last, as the days wore on, the Jacobins themselves -fell, and the Reign of Terror gave way to the -Directorate. Then easier times came, though still far -from tranquil. Nevertheless heads had ceased to fall, -and Sanson, the executioner, finding his occupation -gone, pawned his guillotine, and got into woful trouble -for alleged trafficking in municipal property.</p> - -<p>Years after Madame came to this country she sent -her son to Paris to search out this terrible instrument -of death, and, with the help of the executioner, who -was still living, and who solemnly vouched for its authenticity, -she secured the knife, the lunette, and also -the chopper that was used as a standby, lest the great -knife should fail.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus17"> - -<img src="images/illus17.jpg" width="380" height="240" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">KNIFE, LUNETTE AND CHOPPER OF THE ORIGINAL GUILLOTINE -USED IN PARIS DURING THE REIGN OF TERROR</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Years after, Madame Tussaud, with the aid of the executioner, -procured these for her collection.</p> - -</div> - -<p>It was only after much negotiation and the payment -of a very considerable sum of money that her -object was attained. And now the dread knife harmlessly -reposes by the side of the impressions of those -heads it so ruthlessly struck off a century and a quarter -ago—that of Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie Antoinette, -as well as those of Robespierre, Danton, Fouquier-Tinville, -Hébert, and the miscreant of Nantes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -Carrier. From the time they were first shown in Paris -until the present day they have been viewed by an -ever-increasing throng, though the sight of them can -never have been pleasing, and those who gaze upon -them shudder and pass on.</p> - -<p>Though Madame Tussaud did not witness the execution -of Marie Antoinette, yet she remembered seeing -the Queen pass on a tumbril through the jeering crowds -to the scaffold. The once gay and light-hearted Queen -was dressed in white for her last pageant on earth, -her hands tied behind her. The spectacle brought back -to Madame memories of the royal palace where she had -frequently attended to give lessons in modelling, and -she was so overcome that she fainted. Perhaps the -most horrifying experience undergone by Madame Tussaud -during this terrible period was when the mangled -head of the greatly beloved Princess de Lamballe was -brought to her that a cast might be made. In vain -did she protest that she could not endure the ordeal. -The brutal murderers compelled her to comply.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus15"> - -<img src="images/illus15.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MARIE ANTOINETTE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Impression of her head taken immediately after she had been -guillotined, 16th October, 1793.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Madame dines with the Terrorists Marat and Robespierre, models -their figures, and subsequently takes casts of their heads—She -visits Charlotte Corday in prison—Death of Curtius—Madame -marries—Napoleon sits for his model.</p> - -</div> - -<p>One of the most bloodthirsty of all the red Terrorists -was Jean Paul Marat, who was slain in -his bath by Charlotte Corday on the 13th of July, -1793.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;" id="illus19"> - -<img src="images/illus19.jpg" width="200" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">CHARLOTTE CORDAY</p> - -</div> - -<p>Marat, as a young man, had lived in this country -for some time, and was well known to Madame Tussaud -through visits he paid to the house of her uncle, -Curtius, at 20 Boulevard du Temple.</p> - -<p>Immediately after his assassination she was called -upon to take a cast of Marat’s head. “They came -for me,” she relates, “to go to Marat’s house at once, -and to take with me what appliances I needed to make -an impression of his features. The cadaverous aspect -of the fiend made me feel desperately ill, but they -stood over me and forced me to perform the task.” -Marat’s model is still to be seen in the Exhibition lying -in the bath in which he was stabbed by the heroic -young Norman girl.</p> - -<p>Charlotte Corday had addressed a letter to Marat -stating that she had news of importance to communicate,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -and when she called he readily admitted her. -She amused him with an account of the Deputies at -Caen, when he said. “They shall all go to the guillotine.” -“To the guillotine!” exclaimed she, and as he -took up a pencil to write the names of his intended -victims Charlotte plunged a knife into his heart.</p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud afterwards visited Charlotte Corday -in the Conciergerie Prison, and described her as -tall, well-mannered, and possessed of many graces of -character and appearance. The brave young woman, -who paid for her avenging act with her life, wrote in -a letter to her father that she had done what was -right. After the heroine’s death Madame Tussaud -obtained a record of Charlotte Corday’s beautiful face.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus20"> - -<img src="images/illus20.jpg" width="380" height="315" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">JEAN PAUL MARAT</p> - -<p class="captionsub">One of the most bloodthirsty of the terrorists, stabbed in his bath -by Charlotte Corday, 13th July, 1793. A wax model made immediately -after his death.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The actual model, now in our Exhibition, of Marat -dying in his bath, was exhibited during the Revolution -at the Museum of Curtius in Paris, and attracted -crowds, who were loud in their lamentations, for at -that time Marat was a national idol.</p> - -<p>Robespierre visited the Museum, and took the opportunity -of haranguing the people at the door. In flamboyant -language he said, “Enter, citizens, and see the -image of our departed friend, snatched from us by the -assassin’s hand, guided by the demon of aristocracy. -Marat was the father of the poor, the defender of -the weak, and the consoler of the wretched. As his -heart poured forth the sweet emotions of sympathy for -the oppressed, so did the vigour of his mind emit its -thunder against the oppressor.” Then, descending to -bathos, the cunning demagogue exclaimed, “What did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -he get for it all? Five francs were found in his -house!”</p> - -<p>Surprise has sometimes been expressed by visitors -that the bath in which Marat was stabbed to death -should be so small and of such a curious shape.</p> - -<p>Marat was murdered in a “slipper” bath, which -was more like a “halt boot” than a slipper, so that the -water would come up to the shoulders of the bather -without flowing over. This kind of bath was greatly in -vogue at the time of the French Revolution. Its object -was to save water, which in those days was not -freely supplied. When the bather was in the bath a -small quantity of water would fill it.</p> - -<p>Maximilien Robespierre had sent numerous people -to their death during the Reign of Terror. His own -turn came at last, when he too met his death from -the sharp tongue of La Guillotine. The revulsion of -feeling that had set in against Robespierre was very -bitter. He was shot at point-blank range by a man -named Meda in the Salle d’Égalité, a room in the -Hôtel de Ville, but was only wounded, and he went to -the guillotine on the 28th of July, 1794, with his -broken jaw swathed in a white linen cloth.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus21"> - -<img src="images/illus21.jpg" width="380" height="470" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MAXIMILIEN MARIE ISIDORE ROBESPIERRE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Impression of his head taken immediately after he had been guillotined, -28th July, 1794. One of the impressions done by Madame -Tussaud, then a young girl, by order of the authorities.</p> - -</div> - -<p>An hour after the head of Robespierre rolled from -the lunette Madame Tussaud, reluctantly obeying a -demand that an impression should be taken of the -severed head, set about the shuddering task. The cast -therefrom is now shown in one of our Exhibition rooms -containing relics of the Revolution. Her feelings may -be imagined as she sat with the head of the callous -Terrorist confronting her.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span></p> - -<p>Although Madame Tussaud took an impression of -the features of Robespierre directly after his execution, -she had taken a portrait of him long before his -fall. He expressed a wish that his figure should be -introduced standing near that of Marat, as also those -of Collot d’Herbois and Rosignol. He proposed that -they should send their own clothes in which the figures -might be dressed, to afford additional accuracy. The -likenesses were taken and apparelled as desired.</p> - -<p>In those days Madame Tussaud often sat next Robespierre -at dinner. She describes him as always extremely -polite and attentive, never omitting those little -acts of courtesy which are expected from a gentleman -when sitting at table with a lady, anticipating her -wishes, and taking care that she should never have -to ask for anything. In this particular, says Madame -Tussaud, he differed from Marat, who was so selfishly -eager to supply his own wants that he never troubled -himself with the needs of others.</p> - -<p>Robespierre’s conversation was generally animated, -sensible, and agreeable, but his enunciation was not -good. There was nothing particularly remarkable in -his conduct, manners, or appearance when in society. -If noticed at all, it could only be as a pleasant, gentlemanly -man of moderate abilities. This was a strong -admission for a lady who was always a Royalist at -heart and had been long detained in Paris against -her will.</p> - -<p>Her association with the Court of Louis inevitably -brought Madame Tussaud under suspicion of the so-called -Committee of Public Safety, and for a time<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -she was imprisoned with Madame de Beauharnais, who -was later to become the Empress Josephine, whom -Napoleon divorced to marry Marie Louise. The scene -is changed, and we see Marie Grosholtz—Curtius having -died about that time—wedded in 1795 to François -Tussaud, by whose name she was henceforth to be -known to posterity.</p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud, it would appear, made the acquaintance -and gained the favour of Napoleon himself.</p> - -<p>A Parisian publication, <cite>La Belle Assemblée</cite>, gives -a circumstantial account of Madame Tussaud being -sent for to take the likeness of Napoleon—when he was -First Consul—at the Tuileries as early as six o’clock -in the morning. It would appear that Madame went -at the invitation of Napoleon’s first wife, Josephine, -who was desirous of having a permanent record of her -husband’s features. The young modeller was ushered -into a room at the palace where the great soldier waited -for her. <cite>La Belle Assemblée</cite> states that Josephine -greeted Madame Tussaud with kindness, and conversed -much and most affably. Napoleon said little, spoke -in sharp sentences, and rather abruptly.</p> - -<p>He would have shown her special consideration had -she chosen to remain in France; but it is not to be -wondered at that Madame Tussaud cared no longer -to remain amid the sorrowful recollections of the Revolution, -and that she seized the opportunity, on the -signing of the Peace of Amiens, to leave France for -ever. It was to England she turned for refuge and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -the prosecution of her life’s work. Madame boldly -transported across the Channel to England her uncle’s -two Paris Exhibitions, which, as already related, had -been made into one. Here she decided to settle, and -here her descendants have lived ever since.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus24"> - -<img src="images/illus24.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MADAME TUSSAUD AT THE AGE OF 42</p> - -<p class="captionsub">When she left France for England, never to return.</p> - -<p class="captionsub">A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Madame Tussaud leaves France for England, never to return—Early -days in London—On tour—Some notable figures—Shipwreck in -the Irish Channel.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Madame Tussaud arrived in this country -with her Exhibition some time in May, 1802.</p> - -<p>There is considerable difficulty in tracing her movements -during the first few years after her arrival. The -information points to her having remained in London -with her Exhibition for some six or seven years. In -London there is some amount of evidence of her having -shown her exhibits in Fleet Street and also at the -Lowther Arcade in the Strand.</p> - -<p>However, it is fairly clear that she first showed her -collection at the old Lyceum Theatre in the Strand, -then known as the English Opera House, which she -vacated in 1803 that Mr. Winsor might make the experiment -of lighting the place with gas. It was the -first house of entertainment to be illuminated in this -way, and the innovation was regarded as dangerous.</p> - -<p>Then she went on tour, and visited the more important -places in England, Scotland, and Ireland. -Wherever the town visited boasted a Mayor, the Exhibition -was almost invariably opened by him, or under -his auspices.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span></p> - -<p>The figures that Madame Tussaud modelled and -the dates when she executed the work give some idea -of her activities at the time.</p> - -<p>She modelled from life Queen Caroline in 1808, -George III in 1809, and Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, -in 1814. In that year the Emperor and the King -of Prussia visited England in connection with the centenary -of the House of Hanover, which took place on -the 1st of August.</p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud also modelled from life Mrs. Siddons, -the famous actress, who retired from the stage -in 1809, and died at her residence in Upper Baker -Street in 1831.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;" id="illus25"> - -<img src="images/illus25.jpg" width="300" height="450" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF WALES</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Daughter of George IV.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Princess Charlotte of Wales (daughter of George -IV) was married on the 2nd of May, 1816, and on -that day Her Royal Highness sat to Mr. P. Turnerelli, -the sculptor, for what was called “the Nuptial Bust.” -From this Madame Tussaud modelled a figure of the -Princess for the Exhibition, and it drew large numbers -of people to see it when the young Princess died in the -year following her marriage.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">For blooming Charlotte, England’s fairest Rose,</div> -<div class="verse">In History’s page the tear of pity flows.</div> -<div class="verse">Few were the moments of connubial life,</div> -<div class="verse">She shar’d the blisses of a happy wife.</div> -<div class="verse">But when relentless Death had nipt her bloom,</div> -<div class="verse">And hid the faded Rose within the tomb,</div> -<div class="verse">O’er her cold grave an Angel waved his wing,</div> -<div class="verse">And cried, “O Death, where is thy fatal sting?</div> -<div class="verse">From hence she goes; to me the charge is given,”</div> -<div class="verse">And in his bosom took the Rose to Heaven.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Duke of York was modelled from life in 1812, -Leopold I, King of Belgium, in 1817, the Bishop of -Norwich in 1820, and George IV a few days before -his coronation in July, 1821. Sir Walter Scott’s figure -in Highland costume was taken from life in Edinburgh -in 1828, a year after George Canning’s likeness -had been similarly obtained.</p> - -<p>It was in 1828 that Madame Tussaud took a portrait -of the miscreant Burke, immediately after his execution; -and she modelled from life his accomplice, -Hare, while he was in prison in Edinburgh.</p> - -<p>Prince Talleyrand’s figure was modelled from life -by Madame in 1832, Lord Eldon in 1833, the Duke -of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel in 1835, and Lord -Melbourne in 1836.</p> - -<p>In that year Madame Tussaud took from life a -model of the Duchess of Kent, the mother of Queen -Victoria, which proved a great attraction. By this -time the Exhibition had found a home in Baker Street, -where it became established in the spring of 1835.</p> - -<p>Concerning the travels of the Exhibition, it is on -record that Madame Tussaud visited North Shields -on the 2nd of December, 1811, and Edinburgh in -1811-12. Early in the latter year we find her on -the 28th of February at “4 The Market Place, Hull, -just opposite the Reindeer Inn.” She was in Leeds on -the 28th of September, and in Manchester on the 2nd -of December, 1812. There is an entry in an old account-book -which says, “Left the house in Criggate, -Leeds, Monday, November 16.” It is pretty clear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -that the Exhibition was located in Newcastle in January, -and in Liverpool on the 13th of April, 1813.</p> - -<p>In 1817 the Exhibition was shown at “Mr. Sparrow’s -Upper Ware Rooms, Old Butter Market, Ipswich, -having lately arrived from the Concert Rooms, -Canterbury, and lastly from the Assembly Rooms, -Deal.”</p> - -<p>It was probably when the Exhibition was visiting -Cambridge in 1818 that a worthy Don made the suggestion -that the figures of criminals should be placed in -a separate room. Too long would be taken even to -name all the places that were visited by the Exhibition, -but there is an account in the <cite>Coventry Herald</cite> that on -the 14th March, 1823, the cordial thanks of a meeting -of school managers were presented to Madame Tussaud -for her “unsolicited and handsome donation of a -moiety of the receipts of her Exhibition on Monday -evening last.”</p> - -<p>Among the figures taken on tour at this time were -models of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the -Dauphin, Voltaire, and Madame St. Amaranthe (Tussaud’s -“Sleeping Beauty”), taken a few months before -her execution. These identical figures, as already -stated, are still in the collection.</p> - -<p>To trace the travels of the Exhibition there is no -need. For some years Madame, with her sons, Joseph -and Francis, went on tour throughout the country. A -misadventure in the Irish Channel, when she was on -her way to Dublin, threatened the enterprise with disaster. -The vessel which carried their precious belongings -was partially wrecked, and many valuable exhibits<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -were lost. Undaunted by the bufferings of Fate, -and helped by friends, Madame replenished her Exhibition -and brought it up to date.</p> - -<p>The current of events did not run smoothly for -Madame Tussaud; but the little woman possessed a -brave spirit, and struggled on against adversity, being -upheld by the conviction that she would eventually -triumph.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The Bristol riots—Narrow escape of the Exhibition—A brave black -servant—Arrival at Blackheath.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The Bristol riots in the autumn of 1831 again -brought the Exhibition into serious jeopardy. -Madame Tussaud had just arrived in the city of the -West Country, when the Recorder, Sir Charles Wetherell, -came to open a Special Commission for the trial -of certain political offenders associated with the agitation -for reform. Judge Wetherell was heartily disliked -by West-country folk, and there was strong -opposition to this Special Commission being held. Public -resentment developed into a riot, which the military -was sent to subdue.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus27"> - -<img src="images/illus27.jpg" width="380" height="400" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SIR CHARLES WETHERELL</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Judge at the political trial that precipitated the Bristol riots.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Madame tells the story herself of the sufferings -she endured during the days of wanton destruction -and loss of life, as the rabble resorted to killing and -pillage. Judge Wetherell was obliged to escape from -the city, disguising himself, as it was then stated, with -some taunt at his personal habits, “through the medium -of a wash and the donning of a clean shirt and collar.”</p> - -<p>The three days’ terror can scarcely be considered the -result of a genuine revolutionary movement. True, -certain ringleaders of the rabble seem to have imagined<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -in some vague way that they were hastening the day -of “liberty”; but the rioters only destroyed for sheer -destruction’s sake. What they sought to promote they -neither knew nor cared. For the most part the mob -was utterly contemptible, and but for the extraordinary -apathy of the authorities the riot might have -been easily quelled.</p> - -<p>It was on the morning of Saturday, the 29th of -October, that the Recorder came to the city, and, a -disturbance being feared, a number of special constables -were sworn in. These officials, mostly young -men, did more harm than good, for they irritated the -people by overmuch zeal, and led to blows being exchanged, -which fomented the trouble. This was followed -by an attack on the Mansion House, where Sir -Charles was banqueting with the Corporation.</p> - -<p>The civic party was hunted out, and made its escape -over the housetops. Suddenly the cry was raised, “To -the back!” and the mob surged round to the offices -behind the Mansion House, where faggots and firewood -were stored. For the present the rioters refrained -from firing the building, and contented themselves with -looting the premises. The cellars proved particularly -attractive to the unruly crowd, which was shortly in -possession of a hundred dozen of wine, and the day -closed amid general drunkenness and disorder.</p> - -<p>On Sunday morning the mob reassembled in Queen -Square. The authorities had plucked up sufficient -courage to publish a proclamation warning all rioters -to return to their homes; but these gentlemen were not -disposed to take the admonition seriously. The unlucky<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -bill-sticker who posted the proclamation was -badly mauled.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus26"> - -<img src="images/illus26.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE BRISTOL RIOTS</p> - -<p class="captionsub">From a water-color drawing made on the spot by William Muller, -showing the figures being removed for security from the Exhibition -premises, Sunday, 30th October, 1831.</p> - -</div> - -<p>One individual mounted King William’s statue in -the Square and waved a tri-coloured cap on a pole, -shouting to his comrades to behold the cap of Liberty. -Possibly this aroused in the minds of the befuddled -rioters some recollection of the French Revolution, for -a move was made towards the gaol, which was speedily -in their power. A vigorous employment of sledgehammers -soon broke in the prison doors, and the prisoners, -some of them almost nude, at once joined the -mob.</p> - -<p>The Governor’s house was sacked and fired; his -books were pitched into the New River, and the prison -van met with a similar fate. Then the Gloucester -County Gaol, the lock-up house at Lawford’s Gate, -and the Bishop’s Palace were all fired. Between seven -and eight o’clock the rioters revisited the cellars of the -Mansion House and began rolling out barrels of beer -and wine. Intoxicated persons could be seen moving -about the kitchen and the banqueting-room with lighted -candles, and in less than two hours the building was -gutted.</p> - -<p>Dwellings in Queen Square were sacked and fired, -until the whole mass was wrapped in flames. Such -was the remarkable lethargy of the householders that -a few mischievous boys made a house-to-house visitation, -gave the inmates half an hour’s notice to quit, -and at the expiration of that time coolly set fire to -the houses without molestation. The booty the rioters -seized was trifling. On the corpse of one boy, who was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -sabred by a soldier, was found a curious collection of -spoil—a lady’s glove, some children’s books, and the -Custom House keys.</p> - -<p>One curious incident happened when the contents -of fifty puncheons of rum gushed out of a bonded -warehouse and ran flowing down the street, setting fire -to a house at the other end.</p> - -<p>The riots were quelled by the military on the Monday, -after many thousands of pounds’ worth of property -had been destroyed; and one of the results was -that four persons were hanged.</p> - -<p>By what might almost be described as a stroke of -good fortune—inasmuch as it perpetuated the name of -Tussaud—there was in Bristol at that time a lad -of nineteen years, named William Muller, whose genius -as a painter gives Bristol just cause for pride to-day. -This gifted youth produced a series of wonderful -sketches of the “Bristol Revolution,” as it was then -called, in which he portrays the weird and striking -scenes of incendiarism in the city streets.</p> - -<p>One of these sketches is now in our possession. It -shows Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition premises standing -out full and clear in the fiery glare, while the figures -and other articles are being hurriedly removed and -piled up in the roadway before the jeering mob. The -figures and decorations are easily recognised in the picture, -and many of them are still included in the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>For no imaginable reason the premises occupied by -Madame Tussaud’s collection had been marked to be -burnt. A chalk sign was scrawled upon the door, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -the adjoining buildings, besmeared with petroleum, had -been already set on fire. In Madame’s employment -was a stalwart and loyal negro. This black servant -took up his position at the entrance to the Exhibition, -and threatened to kill with a blunderbuss the first man -who dared approach to harm the place.</p> - -<p>The negro kept the mob at bay long enough, it -would seem, to save the building, for at eight o’clock -Madame’s anxiety was relieved when she heard, above -the wild yelling of the infuriated people, the distant -sounds of the drums and fifes of the 11th Infantry -Regiment, just then reaching the outskirts of the city. -The music that cheered her scared the plundering rabble -and stayed their depredations.</p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud came through all this in her -seventieth year, with twenty years of activity still -before her; and, after a long tour through provincial -towns, she took her Exhibition to Blackheath, on the -south-eastern side of London, attracted, no doubt, by -the fact that that place had become a fashionable resort -owing to the residence there, some years previously, -of Queen Caroline, the estranged wife of George IV.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>An old placard—Princess Augusta’s testimonial—Great success at -Gray’s Inn Road—Madame initiates promenade concerts—Bygone -tableaux.</p> - -</div> - -<p>An old placard now in our possession informs us -that at Blackheath the Exhibition was housed in -the Assembly Room at the Green Man Hotel. The -exact date when it left there is not known, but we do -know that it had previously found a temporary abode -in the Town Hall, Brighton.</p> - -<p>There it was visited early in 1833 by members of -the Royal Family, then in residence at the Pavilion, -as is vouched for in the following quaint notice. The -placard we give in full, not only on account of its -quaint wording, but because it gives a good idea of -the Exhibition as it then existed:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="center">NOW OPEN!<br /> -WITH DECIDED SUCCESS!</p> - -<p class="center">The Promenade being Crowded every Evening!</p> - -<p class="center">In the only Room that could be had sufficiently spacious<br /> -for the purpose,</p> - -<p class="center">The GREAT ASSEMBLY ROOM of the late<br /> -ROYAL LONDON BAZAAR,<br /> -GRAY’S INN ROAD<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center">(Which has been fitted up for the purpose). Carriages may<br /> -wait in the Arena.</p> - -<p class="center">Lately arrived from the Town Hall, Brighton, and last from<br /> -the Assembly Room, Green Man Hotel, Blackheath.</p> - -<p class="center">SPLENDID NOVELTY,<br /> -Coronation Groups and Musical Promenade.</p> - -<p class="center">ENTIRELY NEW.</p> - -<p class="center">MADAME TUSSAUD AND SONS</p> - -<p>Have the honor to announce that their entirely new Exhibition, -which has only to be seen to ensure its support and patronage, -justly entitling it to the appellation of the most popular Collection -in the Empire, is NOW OPEN as above mentioned, -and they trust the Public will not form their ideas of it -from anything of a similar description they may have seen in -this Metropolis or elsewhere—as in their peculiar art they -stand alone; a fact acknowledged by those that have made the -tour of Europe. They are induced to state this to guard -against the prejudice excited by a view of inferior Collections. -Madame Tussaud had the honor of being Artist to Her Royal -Highness Madame Elizabeth, was patronized by the late Royal -Family of France, by their Royal Highnesses the Duke and -Duchess of York, twice by the Universities of Oxford and -Cambridge, and lately at the Town Hall, Brighton, by Her -Royal Highness the Princess Augusta, His Royal Highness -Prince George, and by nearly the whole of the Royal Establishment.</p> - -<p>Her Royal Highness, with that kindness which has ever -distinguished the Royal Family for the encouragement of the -Fine Arts, honored Madame Tussaud with the following -letter:</p> - -<p>“Lady Mary Taylor is commanded by Her Royal Highness -the Princess Augusta to acquaint Madame Tussaud with Her -Royal Highness’s approbation of her Exhibition, which is well -worthy of admiration, and the view of which afforded Her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -Royal Highness much amusement and gratification.—Pavilion, -Brighton, Feb. 9, 1833.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>The placard goes on to describe the Exhibition as -follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>The Exhibition consists of a great variety of Public Characters, -modelled with the greatest care, and regardless of expense, -among whom will be noticed the original figures of -<span class="smcapuc">BURKE</span> and <span class="smcapuc">HARE</span> (taken from their faces, to obtain which -the Proprietors went expressly to Scotland); which have excited -intense interest from the peculiar nature of their crimes, -and their approach to life, which renders it difficult to recognize -them from living persons. Also <span class="smcapuc">DENNIS COLLINS</span> -(taken from life at the gaol, Reading), in the identical dress -he had on when he made the atrocious attempt on His Majesty’s -life at Ascot Heath Races.</p> - -</div> - -<p>This shows that Madame Tussaud in those days, as -her successors do in these, took the greatest pains to -ensure fidelity as regards costume as well as features.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 185px;" id="illus36"> - -<img src="images/illus36.jpg" width="185" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE</p> - -</div> - -<p>There can be no doubt that Madame Tussaud actually -originated the promenade concerts which have since -become so popular a form of musical entertainment, -for the placard goes on to announce that:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>There will be a Musical Promenade every Evening from -Half-past Seven till Ten, when a selection of Music will be -performed by the Messrs. Tussaud and Fishers; the Promenade -will be lighted with a profusion of lamps, producing, -with the variety of rich costumes, special decorations, etc., an -unequalled <i lang="fr">coup d’œil</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span></p> - -<p>A description is next given of some of the exhibits, -which will be perused with interest:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>The Collection consists of PORTRAITS in composition -as large as life, dressed in appropriate costumes.</p> - -<p class="center">FIRST GROUP.</p> - -<p class="center">REPRESENTING THE CORONATION OF H.M. WILLIAM IV.</p> - -<p><i>Description.</i>—It represents <span class="smcapuc">HIS MAJESTY</span> on the Throne, -habited in his Robes of State, as worn on that august occasion, -in the act of being Crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, -supported by the Bishop of Norwich. On His Majesty’s -right, Her Majesty <span class="smcapuc">QUEEN ADELAIDE</span>, wearing the Cap of -State, supported by Earl Grey, in his Coronation Robes. -On His Majesty’s left, the Lord Chancellor Brougham and -the Duke of Wellington, in their Coronation Robes, surmounted -by Three allegorical Figures representing Britannia, Caledonia, -and Hibernia.</p> - -<p class="center">SECOND GROUP.</p> - -<p class="center">THE CORONATION OF BUONAPARTE,</p> - -<p class="center">Copied from the Celebrated Picture by David.</p> - -<p><i>Description.</i>—The moment chosen is the time when Buonaparte, -contrary to all precedent crowned himself. It represents -him in the act of placing the Crown on his head, dressed -in the magnificent costume as worn by him at his Coronation; -also a Figure of the Empress Josephine, who is seen kneeling -at the foot of the altar, accompanied by a Page. At the altar -is represented His Holiness Pope Pius VI, giving the benediction, -supported by the celebrated Cardinal Fesche (Buonaparte’s -Uncle) and Prince Roustan (Buonaparte’s favourite -Mameluke) in the act of proclaiming the ceremony, attended -by a Mameluke.</p> - -<p>The two above-mentioned Groups have been universally -admired by every one that has seen them; and Madame Tussaud<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -and Sons hope they will meet with the approbation of -the Inhabitants of London and its Vicinity.</p> - -<p class="center">NEW GROUP.</p> - -<p class="center">Taken from the History of Scotland.</p> - -<p class="center">MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS ABDICATING THE THRONE.</p> - -<p><i>Description.</i>—It represents her at the moment of hesitating -to abdicate, being alarmed at the conduct of Baron Ruthven, -who stands opposite to her. Next to him is the Figure of Sir -J. Melville, interceding to appease the Baron; and behind the -Queen is a venerable Figure of an Augustin Monk, who is in -the attitude of indignation at seeing his Mistress insulted.</p> - -<p class="center">CHARACTERS AS FOLLOWS:</p> - -<p>Full-length models.</p> - -<ul> -<li>His Late Majesty George the Fourth.</li> -<li>Her late Majesty Queen Caroline.</li> -<li>Her late R.H. Princess Charlotte.</li> -<li>Their Majesties George III and Queen Charlotte.</li> -<li>His Late Royal Highness the Duke of York.</li> -<li>Field-Marshall the Duke of Wellington.</li> -<li>His late Imperial Majesty Alexander of Russia; and</li> -<li>His Majesty the King of the Belgians.</li> -<li>Field Marshall Von Blücher.</li> -<li>Right Honorable William Pitt.</li> -<li>Right Honorable George Canning.</li> -<li>Right Honorable C. J. Fox.</li> -<li>Reverend John Wesley.</li> -<li>The Celebrated Queen Elizabeth.</li> -<li>The Immortal Shakspeare.</li> -<li>William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania.</li> -<li>Mary Queen of Scots.</li> -<li>An Austin Monk.</li> -<li>Baron Ruthven.</li> -<li>Lord Melville.</li> -<li>The celebrated Baron Emanuel Swedenborg.</li> -</ul> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;" id="illus28"> - -<img src="images/illus28.jpg" width="200" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">HER MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY -QUEEN ADELAIDE, -CONSORT OF KING GEORGE IV.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Placard (<i>continued</i>)—The old Exhibition—Celebrities of the day—Tussaud’s -mummy—Poetic eulogism—Removal to Baker Street—The -Iron Duke’s rejoinder—Madame de Malibran.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus30"> - -<img src="images/illus30.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">DANIEL O’CONNELL</p> - -</div> - -<p>The old placard next proceeds to enumerate some -of the then modern celebrities in the Exhibition -as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>Portrait likeness of the Rev. John Clowes, of St. John’s -Church, Manchester, and late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, -taken (with permission) from life within the last ten -years; the Artist, Mr. J. P. Kemble, in the character of Hamlet; -the celebrated Mrs. Siddons in the character of Queen -Catherine; Dey of Algiers; full-length Portrait of Daniel -O’Connell, esq., M.P., taken with permission (from Mr. P. -Turnerelli’s celebrated bust), for which Mr. O’Connell gave -sittings in Dublin; Sir Walter Scott, taken from life in Edinburgh, -by Madame Tussaud, which was seen by thousands, -and also honored by his approbation; Lord Byron, taken from -life in Italy.</p> - -<p><i>The other subjects comprising this unique exhibition, consisting -of Characters in full dress as large as life, correctly -executed, may be classed as follows</i>:</p> - -<p>The late Royal Family of France, taken from life, viz., the -King, Queen, and Dauphin; Pope Pius VI., Henry IV. of -France, Duc de Sully, M. Voltaire, Napoleon Buonaparte, -Madame Joseph Buonaparte, Cardinal Fesche, one of Buonaparte’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -Mameluke Guards, and Prince Roustan, Buonaparte’s -favorite Mameluke.</p> - -<p class="center">REMARKABLE CHARACTERS, SUBJECTS, &c.</p> - -<p>An old Coquette, who teased her husband’s life out. Two -beautiful Infants. A small cabinet of Portraits in wax by the -celebrated Courcius of Paris, viz., the Dying Philosopher, -Socrates. Death of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. M. Voltaire. -Shepherd and Shepherdess.</p> - -<p>Biographical and descriptive Sketches may be had at the -place of Exhibition, price Sixpence each.</p> - -<p>Madame <span class="smcapuc">TUSSAUD</span> and <span class="smcapuc">SONS</span>, in offering this little notice -to the Public, have endeavoured to blend utility and amusement. -It contains an outline of the history of each character -represented in the Exhibition, which will not only greatly increase -the pleasure to be derived from a mere view of the -figures, but will also convey to the minds of young persons -much biographical knowledge, a branch of education universally -allowed to be one of the highest importance.</p> - -<p><i>Admittance 1s. Children under 8 Years of Age 6d.; second -room 6d.</i></p> - -<p><i>Tickets for Six Weeks not transferable, 5s. Open every day -from 11 till 4 o’clock, in the Evening from 7 till 10.</i></p> - -<p>The following highly interesting figures and objects, in -consequence of the Peculiarity of their appearance, are placed -in an adjoining situation, and are well worth the attention of -artists and amateurs, taken by order of the National Assembly -by Madame Tussaud—The Celebrated John Marat, one of -the leaders of the French Revolution, taken immediately after -his assassination by Charlotte Corde. The following heads—Robespierre, -Carrier, Fouquier de Tinville, and Hébert were -taken immediately after execution. The celebrated Count de<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -Lorge, who was confined twenty years in the Bastille, taken -from life. Mirabeau. Also, Phrenological Portraits of</p> - -<p class="center">STEWART AND HIS WIFE,</p> - -<p>Who were executed in Edinburgh on the 13th of August, -1829, having confessed to the murder of Seven Persons by -means of Poison, which they familiarly called doctoring.</p> - -<p class="center">Casts of <span class="smcapuc">CORDER</span> and <span class="smcapuc">HOLLOWAY</span>, taken from their faces.</p> - -<p class="center">CURIOUS AND INTERESTING RELICS, &c.</p> - -<p>The shirt of Henry IV. of France in which he was assassinated -by Ravaillac, with various original documents relative to that -transaction. A small model of the original French Guillotine, -with its apparatus. Model of the Bastille in Paris in its -entire state.</p> - -<p class="center">AN EGYPTIAN MUMMY.</p> - -<p>Proved by the Hieroglyphics to be the body of the Princess -of Memphis, who lived in the time of Sesostris, King of Egypt, -a.m. 2528, 1491 years before Christ, being actually 3328 -years old.</p> - -<p class="center">(<i>Phair</i>, Printer, 67, Great Peter Street, Westminster.)</p> - -</div> - -<p>A further placard is headed as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="center">REMOVAL POSTPONED TILL FURTHER NOTICE.</p> - -<p>The Flattering Success with which this Exhibition continues -to be honored, (the Promenade being Crowded every Evening), -the very general desire expressed by Thousands for it to remain -some time longer, (its merits becoming more generally -known), being acknowledged to be the most Splendid, and, at -the same time, the most Instructive to Youth, (induces the -Proprietors to obey the general wish.) It will remain in consequence -till further Notice.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Exhibition is, therefore, located in “The Great -Assembly Room of the late Royal London Bazaar, -Gray’s Inn Road.” There it remained till early in -March, 1835, on the 21st of which month it removed -to its quarters in Baker Street.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus29"> - -<img src="images/illus29.jpg" width="380" height="275" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">INTERIOR OF THE EXHIBITION IN THE -EARLY DAYS AT BAKER STREET</p> - -<p class="captionsub">From J. Mead’s “London Interiors,” -published in 1842.</p> - -</div> - -<p>As for the Assembly Room, it appears that on Tuesday, -the 29th of March, directly after Madame Tussaud -left, it was put up for sale at the Mart by the -famous auctioneer, George Robins.</p> - -<p>A lady, on viewing the Exhibition when it was in -Gray’s Inn Road, wrote the following excellent verses:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">I stand amid a breathless throng,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Though animation’s light is here;</div> -<div class="verse">Expression, too, that might belong</div> -<div class="verse indent1">To creatures of a nobler sphere;</div> -<div class="verse">Where’er I turn my dazzled view,</div> -<div class="verse">I marvel what Art’s hand can do!</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Here are the lips, and cheeks, and eyes,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">The folded hands—the beaming brow—</div> -<div class="verse">Those graces Nature’s self supplies—</div> -<div class="verse indent1">All burst upon my vision now!</div> -<div class="verse">And is it <em>fiction</em>?—can it be</div> -<div class="verse">That these are not <em>reality</em>?</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">The eye, where centres Genius’ light;</div> -<div class="verse indent1">The lips, where Eloquence presides;—</div> -<div class="verse">The cheek with Beauty’s roses bright;</div> -<div class="verse indent1">The breast, where Passion darkly hides;</div> -<div class="verse">The Warrior’s pride, the Cynic’s sneer,</div> -<div class="verse">From Nature’s book are copied here!</div><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse"><em>Painting</em> her meed of praise may claim</div> -<div class="verse indent1">From Fame’s proud trump or Minstrel’s lyre,</div> -<div class="verse">And around <em>sculpture’s</em> gifted name</div> -<div class="verse indent1">May burn the <em>poet’s</em> words of fire;</div> -<div class="verse">But <em>Tussaud</em>! Both these arts divine</div> -<div class="verse">Must yield in <em>novelty</em> to <em>thine</em>.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Thou bring’st before our wond’ring eyes,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Modell’d in truth, each gone-by scene</div> -<div class="verse">That Hist’ry’s varied page supplies;—</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Here still <em>they</em> flourish, fresh and green,</div> -<div class="verse">Defying Time’s oblivious power,</div> -<div class="verse">Who long have pass’d Life’s fitful hour.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Modern Prometheus! who can’st give,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Like him of old, to human form</div> -<div class="verse">All <em>but</em> the life;—here <em>thou</em> wilt live</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And triumph o’er the “creeping worm”</div> -<div class="verse">That sullies all things—pale Decay!</div> -<div class="verse"><em>Thy features</em> ne’er can pass away!<a name="FNanchor_2" id="FNanchor_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">A nobler Trophy far is thine,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Than “storied urn,” by stranger hands,</div> -<div class="verse">Rear’d (in thy now adopted clime),</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And higher reverence commands;</div> -<div class="verse">These forms—to which thine Art has lent</div> -<div class="verse">Life’s truth—shall be <em>thy monument</em>!</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse right"><span class="smcap">Mrs. Cornwell Baron-Wilson.</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>It is interesting to note that one of the first visitors -to the Exhibition in its settled home at Baker Street -was the great Duke of Wellington. He was there on -Wednesday, the 26th of August, and after that date -was frequently to be seen walking through the rooms,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -his favourite models being those of Queen Victoria and -the dead Napoleon.</p> - -<p>Indeed, the Duke requested Mr. Joseph Tussaud, -the elder son of Madame Tussaud, to let him know -whenever a new figure of exceptional interest was -added to the Exhibition—<em>not forgetting the Chamber -of Horrors</em>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 330px;" id="illus32"> - -<img src="images/illus32.jpg" width="330" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">JOSEPH TUSSAUD</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Elder son of Madame Tussaud, born 1796, died 1864.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Mr. Tussaud ventured a remark expressing his surprise -that the Duke should be interested in such figures, -whereupon the old warrior turned upon him with -the rejoinder, “Well, do they not represent <em>fact</em>?”</p> - -<p>Other models added about this time included those -of Nicholas I of Russia, Louis Philippe, King of the -French, the Duke of Cumberland, Talleyrand, and -Hume, the historian.</p> - -<p>A tragic occurrence took place shortly after the Exhibition -had taken up its abode in London, and led -to its permanent establishment in the Metropolis. At -that time Madame de Malibran, the eldest daughter -of the Spanish singer, Manuel Garcia, was idolised -by the populace as a gifted songstress. She died suddenly -during a festival held at Manchester on the -23rd of September, 1836, in the twenty-eighth year -of her age.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus31"> - -<img src="images/illus31.jpg" width="380" height="540" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MADAME MARIE FELICITA DE MALIBRAN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Famous opera singer, daughter of the Spanish singer, Manual -Garcia, made her début in London in 1825 and after a successful -European tour reached New York, when she married a local -French merchant, M. Malibran, after his bankruptcy returning to -the stage and greater honors.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Madame Tussaud placed her figure in the Exhibition -with all speed, and the numerous admirers of the -<i lang="it">prima donna</i> flocked to see it. The idea there and -then took hold of Madame Tussaud’s mind that the -Exhibition would command perennial success by being -constantly brought up to date through the adding of -the portraits of people whose names were on everybody’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> -lips. This principle has been faithfully observed -ever since.</p> - -<p>In the early days at Baker Street “the Hours of -Exhibition,” as the Catalogue quaintly puts it, were -“from 11 in the Morning till 5, and from 7 in the -Evening till 10. Brilliantly illuminated at 8.” When -the place was closed, seats were provided in the vestibule, -and it was no uncommon sight to see from fifty to -a hundred persons waiting for the reopening of the -doors at 7 p.m.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Alluding to the exquisite figure of the artist’s self.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span></p> - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>How the Waterloo carriage was acquired—A chance conversation on -London Bridge—The strange adventures of an Emperor’s equipage—Affidavit -of Napoleon’s coachman.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The account of how we became possessed of the -Waterloo carriage reads like an interesting chapter -from fiction.</p> - -<p>In the collection are two other Napoleon vehicles, -namely, the Milan and St. Helena carriages. They -are all strongly built, ponderous, and suitable for a -great campaigner.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus34"> - -<img src="images/illus34.jpg" width="380" height="325" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE, -CAPTURED ON THE RETREAT -FROM WATERLOO</p> - -<p class="captionsub">This was discovered by Mr. Joseph -Tussaud in London in 1842 and purchased -for the Tussaud collection.</p> - -</div> - -<p>But what we are particularly concerned to tell at -this moment is the story of the strange coincidence by -which the Waterloo carriage was secured for the Exhibition. -In all the wonderful happenings associated -with this place, possibly none is quite so simple and yet -so surprising as this. Mr. Joseph Tussaud, the elder -son of Madame Tussaud, was a great lover of London, -and it was his delight to roam leisurely about the -Metropolis, studying the streets and byways and the -people who traversed them.</p> - -<p>In one of these peregrinations during the spring of -1842 he found himself leaning over the parapet of -London Bridge, watching the movements of the diversified<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -craft on the river, when he observed by the wharves -of Billingsgate a carriage being hoisted ashore from -the deck of a ship like a huge spider hanging from its -web.</p> - -<p>That in itself was probably a fairly frequent occurrence, -and it would have passed from Mr. Tussaud’s -memory except for what followed. There were numbers -of people looking over the bridge—as may be seen -to-day, and will be seen for many a day to come—and -my great-uncle suddenly heard the voice of a countryman -next to him saying, “That’s a very fine carriage, -but I know where there’s a finer that some people would -give a lot to have. I could take you to a place where -you could see the selfsame carriage in which Napoleon -tried to escape from Waterloo.”</p> - -<p>This was news indeed to a Tussaud—the one man -in all London to whom it mattered most—and it may -be imagined that the countryman was encouraged to -go on with his story and show the way to the coveted -relic. The carriage, which has since been of inestimable -value to Madame Tussaud’s, was traced to a repository -in Gray’s Inn Road, belonging to one Robert -Jeffreys, “a respectable coach manufacturer, who took -the carriage in part payment of a bad debt,” as explained -in a contemporary news-sheet. Did ever time -play a trick like that with the carriage of an Emperor? -“In part payment of a bad debt!” Who the debtor -was, there is no telling now; it is, however, known that -the carriage had been bought at a Tattersall auction, -when short-sighted speculators let Napoleon’s chariot -go cheap.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> - -<p>Previously the carriage had earned a fortune for Mr. -William Bullock, who took it round the country as an -exhibit, which the people flocked in their thousands to -see, till the novelty wore off and the carriage was rolled -into the repository of Jeffreys, the coach-builder, where -it remained for years with none to do it reverence. An -early cartoon by Cruikshank, in November of the Waterloo -year, portrays a clamorous crowd surrounding the -carriage when on view at the Egyptian Hall, and, it -must be admitted, treating it with scant respect.</p> - -<p>The carriage had been sent as a present to George -IV when Prince Regent, and in due time it arrived at -Carlton House with four high-stepping Normandy -horses. <cite>Blackwood’s Magazine</cite> of March, 1817, states -that “Bonaparte’s military carriage has excited more interest -as an exhibit than anything for a number of -years.” The manner in which the four horses were -driven through the city by the French coachman, Jean -Hornn, who lost his right arm when the carriage was -captured, proves the excellent manner in which the -horses were broken in. Mr. Bullock, in whose hands -this splendid trophy of victory was placed by the Government, -is said to have cleared £26,000 by his exhibition -of it.</p> - -<p>There is a letter in existence by Mr. William Bullock -in which he states that</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>… the celebrated Carriage, taken by the Prussian -troops about fifteen miles from Waterloo on the evening -of the great Battle, was afterwards purchased by -me from his late Majesty George IV for the sum of -£2,500, and exhibited by me at the Egyptian Hall,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -Piccadilly, London, as well as in the principal Cities -in Great Britain and Ireland, by the Authority of the -Government, and is the identical carriage I have just -seen in your possession. The Diamonds found in the -Carriage … were purchased by Mr. Mawe, diamond -merchant in the Strand, from Baron Von Keller, the -Officer that captured them. The present one, with -others, was purchased by me from Mr. Mawe.</p> - -<p>I am, Dear Sir,</p> - -<p class="center">Your most obedient Servant,</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">William Bullock</span>.</p> - -</div> - -<p>It is not known what Mr. Joseph Tussaud paid Mr. -Robert Jeffreys, the Gray’s Inn Road coach-builder, -for it; but this much may be said, that the carriage -which proved so good an investment for Mr. Bullock -has fulfilled all expectations at Madame Tussaud’s, -where it is pre-eminently the right thing in the right -place.</p> - -<p>It was certified at the time that M. Simon, of -Brussels, built the carriage, and that most of the contrivances -for economising space and ensuring comfort -and convenience were suggested by the Emperor himself -and his second wife, Marie Louise; also that this -was the carriage which picked up Napoleon on his retreat -to Paris after the burning of Moscow.</p> - -<p>Scarcely less singular than the coincidence of my -great-uncle meeting with the countryman on London -Bridge was my acquiring, sixteen years ago, from a -second-hand bookseller in Margate, an original official -letter relating to the carriage. The letter, it will be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> -seen, bears a date about five months after the Battle -of Waterloo. It reads:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="right"><i>Downing Street, 27th Nov., 1815.</i></p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Sir</span>,</p> - -<p>I am directed by Lord Bathurst to request that you -would receive into the King’s Mews the travelling carriage -of General Bonaparte, together with all its appurtenances, -and also the four horses and the harness -taken from the same, and keep them from public view -till further notice.</p> - -<p>I have the honour to be, Sir,</p> - -<p class="center">Your most obedient humble servant,</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Henry Goulburn</span>.</p> - -<p>William Parker, Esqre., &c., &c., &c., Royal Mews.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The following affidavit sworn by Jean Hornn at the -Mansion House before the famous Lord Mayor, Sir -Matthew Wood, on the 9th of March, 1816, is of peculiar -interest, containing as it does several important -historic details:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="center">AFFIDAVIT OF JEAN HORNN.</p> - -<p>JEAN HORNN, a native of Bergen-op-Zoom in Holland, -and now of Piccadilly in the County of Middlesex, aged -twenty-eight years, maketh oath:—</p> - -<p>THAT about ten years ago he entered into the service of -Napoleon Bonaparte, the late Emperor of France, and attended -Napoleon in the capacity of his military coachman, through -the campaign which was distinguished by the battle of Jena—</p> - -<p>THAT he attended Napoleon, in the same capacity of military -coachman, during the subsequent campaigns, through the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> -greater part of Prussia, Spain, Germany, and Russia, and in -his excursion to Italy—</p> - -<p>AND this Deponent saith, that he drove the military Carriage -of the said Ex-Emperor from Paris to Waterloo; in -which Carriage the Emperor travelled thither, accompanied by -General Bertrand—</p> - -<p>THAT on the evening of the day on which the battle of -Waterloo was fought, he, this Deponent, was attacked while -with the said Carriage, by a detachment of Prussian lancers, -and other infantry, who captured the Carriage, together with -the Necessaire, and other articles it contained for the personal -use of the Ex-Emperor—</p> - -<p>THAT whilst this Deponent was remaining with the Carriage, -in a field about thirty paces from the road, endeavouring -to pass round Jenappe (which was blocked up in the confusion -of the retreat) he, this Deponent received ten wounds in -various parts of the body; three of which were in his right -arm—</p> - -<p>THAT having then no appearance of life, he was left -among the dead—</p> - -<p>THAT a few days afterwards, and whilst this Deponent -was lying in great agony at Jenappe, he was removed by a -British officer; who conveyed him to Brussels, and who obtained -the amputation of this Deponent’s arm, as well as -surgical care of his other wounds—</p> - -<p>THAT he afterwards returned to Paris; and has received -from the present Government of France a small annual pension—</p> - -<p>AND this Deponent saith, that he hath inspected the Carriage, -Horses, Necessaire of Gold and Silver, their respective -Cases, the Pistols, Wearing Apparel, and other Articles now -exhibiting at the London Museum, in Piccadilly (and which -this Deponent hath been informed have been received there -from the British Government), and that they are the same -Carriage, Horses, Necessaire, and other Articles which belonged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -to the late Emperor of France, and were personally used by -him—</p> - -<p>AND that the Carriage is the same in which the Ex-Emperor -proceeded to Moscow; and which Carriage was driven by this -Deponent, with the Ex-Emperor therein, twenty-four leagues -beyond that City, on the road to Chotillowo—</p> - -<p>THAT after the French army evacuated Moscow, and in -the retreat toward France, the same Carriage was removed -from off the perch and wheels, and placed on a sledge, and -that the Ex-Emperor travelled therein, and was driven by this -Deponent—</p> - -<p>AND this Deponent also saith, that he hath seen and -examined the Grey Surtout Coat, lined with Sable Fur, which -is also at the London Museum; and that it is the same which -this Deponent hath frequently seen worn by the said Ex-Emperor -during the Russian campaign; and that the parts of -the coat which appear to have been burnt and scorched were -chiefly so burnt and scorched by the fires, before which it was -frequently placed during that campaign—</p> - -<p>AND this Deponent saith, that the Fur Travelling Cap, and -the several other Articles of Wearing Apparel (exclusive of -those which came from the British Government, and which -are also at the London Museum) were parts of the personal -Wardrobe of the Ex-Emperor of France; and were frequently -used and worn by him—</p> - -<p>AND this Deponent was present when the said Surtout Coat, -Travelling Cap, and other last-mentioned Articles were purchased -by Mr. Bullock, at Paris, of Guste Maitrot, who was -keeper of the Wardrobe to the late Emperor of France.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Jean Hornn.</span></p> - -<p>Sworn at the Mansion House, London, the 9th -day of March, 1816; having been first interpreted -to the Deponent, <span class="smcap">Jean Hornn</span>, -by <span class="smcap">Adam Brieff</span>, who was sworn duly to -interpret and explain the same to him.</p> - -<p class="right">Before me, <span class="smcap">Matthew Wood</span>, Mayor.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Napoleon’s Waterloo carriage—Description of its exterior.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Some account must be given of this most interesting -relic.</p> - -<p>Ever since it first came to the Exhibition it has excited -the most lively interest, and, until it was covered -in by a glazed case, visitors enjoyed the privilege -of sitting inside—a proceeding which would not have -mattered had not unscrupulous souvenir hunters abused -this favour by pilfering portions of the fabric that -lined it.</p> - -<p>Time-worn, it now stands before us, a thing of gaunt -and sombre aspect. This old war-coach offers, to those -who contemplate it, a full measure of historic reminiscence, -recalling the most striking and critical episodes -in the great Corsican’s career.</p> - -<p>He entered it at the time his power stood at its -zenith, and retained it in constant attendance upon him -down to the hour he took refuge within it, a conquered -and a broken man. It was built for his campaign in -Russia. In it he travelled many a league on the road -to Moscow. Bereft of its wheels and lashed upon a -sleigh, through the perils of that terrible retreat, it -safely carried him far on his way back to the gates of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -Paris. With him it was sent to the Isle of Elba; thence -it helped him along on his last auspicious journey to -the French capital.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus35"> - -<img src="images/illus35.jpg" width="380" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Scene of its capture at Jenappe. From a colored -engraving published during the autumn -of 1815.</p> - -</div> - -<p>It assisted him on his way to Waterloo. Standing -on the main road hard by La Belle Alliance, it waited -him throughout that memorable Sunday, the 18th of -June, over a hundred years ago. At the end of the -day’s ordeal into it, sore and ill, he flung himself, only -to struggle from it at the point of capture to take -refuge in the confusion and the shadow of the night, -leaving his hat, sword, and many other things behind -him.</p> - -<p>Deepened long ago into a monotone of dusky grey, -still here and there the old coach betrays a touch of -colour, revealing a fair estimate of its former self. -Simple and modest as Imperial carriages go, nevertheless, -on a certain May day in the year 1812, as it sallied -forth on its maiden voyage, its back turned upon the -old Palace of St. Cloud and its fore-carriage set upon -the highroad to Russia, it must have looked a comely -chariot—as yet unsullied by the stain of travel, and -not yet degraded by the lust of war.</p> - -<p>By the man that made it—one Simon, of Brussels, -to whom reference has already been made—it would -have been designated a <i lang="fr">berline de voyage</i>, or maybe a -<i lang="fr">carrosse a six chevaux</i>, by us it has been called a travelling -carriage, and technically classed as a chariot-built -coach.</p> - -<p>Dark-blue, black, and yellow, with here and there a -line of red and gold, were the colours under which it -made its début.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p> - -<p>The head, or upper part of the body, is constructed -of thick black-enamelled leather, stretching over a -strong framework of ash. The lower portion consists -of finely polished wood panelling, originally of a rich -dark-blue colour. A narrow brass fillet traverses the -centre of the body, lining off its upper from its lower -sections, and under this fillet runs a delicate gilt scroll -composed of the fruit, leaf, and tendrils of the vine. -This neat and unpretentious bordering, together with -the emblazonment of the Imperial arms upon the doors, -constitutes the only tangible claim the carriage has to -anything in the nature of artistic adornment.</p> - -<p>A curious bulkhead, or boot, built out from the fore-part -of the coach, provides, among other things, the -very important accommodation contingent upon a long -and unbroken journey—the opportunity of resting at -full length within it.</p> - -<p>Under this bulkhead Napoleon’s camp bedstead still -reposes, neatly encased within a receptacle some six -inches square and three feet long, folded, ready to be -withdrawn at a moment’s notice. When and where -this bedstead was last required for its master’s use are -points of interest often conjectured, but as yet not -satisfied.</p> - -<p>Placed beyond the bulkhead, unusually forward and -high above the fore-wheels, is perched the coachman’s -dicky—a dicky on which the coachman must have sat -alone, for its size excludes any chance of companionship. -It is supported by slender scroll iron stays in -a manner so mobile, so sensitive to the slightest movement, -that the poor jehu who piloted the coach through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -those long and weary journeys we know it to have traversed -must at times have felt sorely tempted to guide -his horses from their prescribed course and to steer -them away into the “Land of Nod.”</p> - -<p>The doors possess the simple distinction of opening -in the opposite direction from those of an ordinary -English carriage, whilst the Imperial arms—a device -borrowed of the Cæsars—are still to be clearly deciphered -upon both panels.</p> - -<p>The ponderous under-carriage might well suggest to -the mind of a mechanic an instance in which weight -had far outbidden advantage in strength. The heavy, -split, crane-neck perch, the deep solid axle-bed, and -the cumbersome fore-carriage have been constructed -throughout in wrought iron, and afford a good example -of the coachsmith’s work of a century ago. The great -cee springs are in keeping with the rest, heavy and -strong. The thick leather straps plying them, and -carrying the full weight of the body of the carriage -and all contained within it, are still in sound condition -and quite capable of doing their work; but by -way of precaution they have now been relieved of all -strain, and the weight is borne by four iron standards -springing directly from the floor.</p> - -<p>The wheels, even compared with others of the period -in which they were made, are very heavily dished. -Following the Continental manner, the spokes are arranged -in pairs, so that their spacing out might be -described as two close together and two wide apart—those -placed near together entering the rim near where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -the felloes join, presumably with the object of adding -strength at a weak point.</p> - -<p>The rims are made up of seven felloes fixed together -with iron clamps. The iron tyres, heavy and -rough, are secured to the rims with bolts and nuts, -instead of, as in our day, by rivets and burrs. The -hubs, or stocks, large and massive, are further strengthened -by stock hoops, the flange on the outer hoops of -the fore-wheels being hexagonal, while those on the -hind-wheels are of a plain round shape.</p> - -<p>The axles are curiously primitive—simple nut-axles -used from time immemorial—the wheels being held in -position by means of strong rough iron nuts screwed -on at the extremity of the axle arms and further secured -by a pin passed through a hole at the end of them. -Strangely enough, the axle-ends are absolutely devoid -of caps.</p> - -<p>Behind on the foot-stage, or rumble, there still rests, -as on the day the vehicle was taken, the odd-looking -and spacious shoe-shaped trunk in which so many articles -of apparel belonging to Napoleon were found. -This is doubtless the source from which have flowed -during the past century not a few genuine, but also -numberless doubtful, belongings attributed to the great -Napoleon which have been offered for sale under the -“incontestable” sworn testimony of so many irresponsible -and illusive authorities as having been found in -Napoleon’s carriage captured at Waterloo.</p> - -<p>The four black square metal lamps fixed in a rough-and-ready -way with iron rods to the corners of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -coach have a simple and quaint appearance, but otherwise -have little about them to call for comment. They -have been made to take large wax candles, and have -the usual spring sockets to hold them.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Description of the Waterloo carriage (<i>continued</i>)—Its interior and -peculiar contrivances—Brought to England and exhibited at the -London Museum.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus37"> - -<img src="images/illus37.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The interior.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The interior of the carriage is even more interesting -than the exterior. Glancing within, we immediately -find ourselves in closer touch with things -personal to the great Emperor.</p> - -<p>We find therein provision for a couple of passengers -only. Here are two deep and roomy seats, divided -by a tall movable arm-rest, offering the occupants unusual -freedom and comfort. Confronting these seats, -set high up on the front of the vehicle, are a pair of -windows affording each traveller a full view of the -driver and of the road and country beyond. Beneath -these are displayed those objects of interest which -have so readily engrossed the attention of many millions -of visitors who, during the century past, have -been moved to inspect the carriage.</p> - -<p>Opposite to that seat usually occupied by Napoleon—that -is to say, the one on the offside, following our -rule of the road—there hangs a brass handle which is -apparently attached merely to a simple shallow drawer. -An easy pull at this reveals a strong and well-appointed -writing-desk, capable of being withdrawn far out of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> -its recess. This action, with the aid of a writing-slope -that unfolds from the top, enables the desk to span -the space between the front of the carriage and the seat, -thus giving to its occupant all the facility and convenience -desirable for carrying on a correspondence at -leisure.</p> - -<p>Nor is this the only accommodation the desk provides. -Some time after the carriage had changed ownership -it was found that an extra pull withdrew the -desk still farther from its aperture, and upon this being -done a secret compartment was discovered behind -it, in which were found jewels and money of great -value.</p> - -<p>On the right side of this desk, fitted into a narrow -but deep recess, there rests a long, wedge-shaped box -made to hold a goodly supply of those quills of which -Napoleon was so uncommonly prodigal.</p> - -<p>Below these fittings, and readily engaging attention, -is a large cloth-covered door, hinged to open towards -the middle of the carriage, so that when butting against -the arm-rest of the seat it divides the lower portion of -the interior into two separate parts. When so placed -it exposes a large cavity constituting the lower part -or foot of a sleeping compartment, the seat of the coach -serving for the head, and the space between being -bridged by a plank or board. In this cavity were found -all the necessary things for making up a complete and -comfortable bed.</p> - -<p>On the near side of the front interior, placed immediately -under the window, is a shallow rack made -to take small things such as sealing-wax, wafers, paper-knife,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -etc., the receptacle being furnished with a wooden -flap and catch to enclose it. Underneath this is a large -and strongly made drawer that pulls out endways. -In it many things were discovered which were in immediate -use before the capture of the coach, among -them several pieces of a silver service containing articles -of food remaining from a meal.</p> - -<p>Below this again there is an opening, which has -never boasted of a door to enclose it. At the bottom -of it a brass-bound rest, or table, has been fitted between -grooves so that it may be drawn out, or pushed -in, as occasion required. This also forms a bridge -to unite the recess with the seat facing it, so as to -provide a second sleeping compartment when found -necessary.</p> - -<p>On the inside of the doors hang heavy cloth lapels -covering large square pockets, edged with broad gold-coloured -gimp braid speckled with blue spots. On the -outer side of each seat is a deep hole, both of which -contained a loaded pistol ready at hand in case of -emergency.</p> - -<p>Well above and running across the back of the seats -is a half-circle recess serving as a gun-rack, forming a -strange protrusion viewed from the outside of the -coach.</p> - -<p>An oil lamp, which at best could have yielded but -a feeble light, takes up the customary position in the -centre at the back of the carriage.</p> - -<p>The interior is lined throughout with a dark-blue -cloth, in colour and texture similar to that used at the -present day for the same purpose.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span></p> - -<p>A fairly reliable inventory of things found in the -carriage on the night it was captured has been handed -down to us, and the following is a copy:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>A beautifully constructed and marvellously well-appointed -<i lang="fr">nécessaire</i>, comprising some seventy pieces, a -few in solid gold and many mounted in the same metal -(a present from Marie Louise to Napoleon on the eve -of his departure for the Russian campaign of 1812, and -designed and carried out under her immediate supervision).</p> - -<p>Several parts of a solid silver service, engraved with -the Imperial arms.</p> - -<p>A large silver chronometer.</p> - -<p>A green velvet cap.</p> - -<p>A mahogany liquor case, containing two leather-covered -bottles, one filled with rum and the other holding -a small quantity of sweet wine.</p> - -<p>A pair of spurs.</p> - -<p>Two fine merino mattresses.</p> - -<p>An assortment of the finest bed and other linen.</p> - -<p>Many toilet requisites, among them a cake of Windsor -soap.</p> - -<p>A steel camp bedstead, still in position on the carriage, -in the case made to hold it under the boot.</p> - -<p>A uniform, sword, and cocked hat.</p> - -<p>A rich and costly Imperial robe.</p> - -<p>A handsome diamond head-dress, or tiara.</p> - -<p>A pair of pistols, loaded, found in recesses at side -of seats.</p> - -<p>Many gold medals with Napoleon’s portrait and -name engraved upon them.</p> - -<p>An article devoid of intrinsic value, but nevertheless -possessing an exceptional interest—namely, a musket-ball -flattened out to the shape of a thin medal,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -found carefully put by in the secret drawer at the back -of the desk; a missile, maybe, that ended the days of -a friend, or one possibly that endangered Napoleon’s -own life.</p> - -<p>A considerable number of mounted and unmounted -diamonds found secreted in various parts of the carriage, -three hundred of these stones alone being discovered -in the above-mentioned <i lang="fr">nécessaire</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 315px;" id="illus38a"> - -<img src="images/illus38a.jpg" width="315" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NAPOLEON’S ATLAS</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 380px;" id="illus38b"> - -<img src="images/illus38b.jpg" width="380" height="225" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NECESSAIRE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">(Interior)</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 380px;" id="illus38c"> - -<img src="images/illus38c.jpg" width="380" height="190" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NECESSAIRE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">(Exterior)</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 250px;" id="illus38d"> - -<img src="images/illus38d.jpg" width="250" height="130" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">RAZOR, TOOTH BRUSH AND GIMLET</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 380px;" id="illus38e"> - -<img src="images/illus38e.jpg" width="380" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SILVER BOX</p> - -<p class="captionsub">(Side view)</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 380px;" id="illus38f"> - -<img src="images/illus38f.jpg" width="380" height="175" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SPOON AND TABLE NAPKIN</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 380px;" id="illus38g"> - -<img src="images/illus38g.jpg" width="380" height="190" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">PARTS OF SILVER SERVICE</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 380px;" id="illus38h"> - -<img src="images/illus38h.jpg" width="380" height="135" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SILVER BOX (TOP VIEW) AND TWO GOBLETS</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 300px;" id="illus38i"> - -<img src="images/illus38i.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">PARTS OF SILVER SERVICE</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figmulti" style="width: 150px;" id="illus38j"> - -<img src="images/illus38j.jpg" width="150" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">TELESCOPE</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<p>The jewels and other articles easy of acquisition -fell, for the most part, to the lot of Major von Keller’s -men of the 15th Prussian Infantry Regiment of the -Line, which was that night under the command of General -Count Gneisenau.</p> - -<p>The coach was drawn by a team of six of the finest -brown Normandy horses, four driven by the coachman, -the leaders under the control of a postilion.</p> - -<p>When the coach was overtaken by the Prussians—that -is to say, about a quarter-past eleven at night, -outside the town of Jenappe—the postilion and the -leaders were killed outright, whilst the coachman, -severely wounded, was left for dead upon the road. -Recovering from his many wounds—one of which entailed -the loss of his right arm—he was induced by -Major von Keller himself to come over to this country -with the coach and horses. These were exhibited, -as a very special attraction for the Christmas holidays -of 1815, at the London Museum (then but recently -opened by Mr. Bullock) in Piccadilly, a house of entertainment -that was soon to be known to future generations -as the Egyptian Hall.</p> - -<p>And now for a century has this old war-coach been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> -held up for the inspection of the passer-by, and, in its -turn, has been the dumb witness of many a fleeting -and touching episode. For as it stood have not time -and men passed on? Has it not beheld many a young -gallant, with the honours of the campaign fresh upon -him, recounting to wife and child the story of that last -great battle that closed the Empire of the first Napoleon; -many a veteran son of Mars telling his grown -sons how that great day was won; many a kindly warrior -gently helping his children’s children to mount -the steps and learn how on that day old “Boney” was -made to fly, and nearly got caught in the act?</p> - -<p>But those to whom the old coach must have brought -back so many vivid memories of that famous victory, -and who had the greatest right to enter it, have themselves -moved on; and now its doors have been fastened -up and the old chariot encased for secure keeping, not -indeed against the ravages of time, but, with regret it -must be said, safe away from the hands of those who -would not scruple to despoil it.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The St. Helena carriage—Napoleon alarms the ladies—Certificates -of authenticity.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus39"> - -<img src="images/illus39.jpg" width="380" height="325" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NAPOLEON’S BAROUCHE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The carriage used by Bonaparte during his exile at St. Helena.</p> - -</div> - -<p>This is the last carriage in which Napoleon is -known to have ridden.</p> - -<p>On his first arrival at St. Helena he took much exercise -in the saddle, but during and after the year 1818, -until he ceased venturing beyond the precincts of Longwood, -he made constant use of this vehicle.</p> - -<p>The following extract from Mr. Norwood Young’s -very valuable contribution to our Napoleonic literature, -<cite>Napoleon in Exile at St. Helena</cite>, gives us an -insight to the manner in which it was used:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>After the dictation and the reading, Napoleon, in -the afternoon, generally went for a drive, one of the -ladies, with Bertrand or Las Cases, being taken in the -carriage. The two Archambauds at first used six -horses, afterwards reduced to four, which they drove, -as postilions, at a great pace. The round of the wood, -done at high speed, was soon covered, and the course -would then be repeated. Madame de Montholon declared -that they went so fast that it was difficult to -breathe. At this rate the wood was so often driven -round that, in spite of the excitement of dodging the -trees, there came a staleness in the sport. In the early -days the outing would be varied by a visit to the Bertrands<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -at Hutt’s Gate, and all the ladies became much -alarmed as the vehicle dashed round the corners, with -the terrible precipice on one side. It was indeed dangerous, -for there were no barriers, and a little carelessness -might have sent the whole party down the abyss. -There is now in most places a low earth bank, a railing -made of gas-pipes, and a plantation of flax at the edge, -which at least conceals the danger.</p> - -<p>When the Bertrands had moved from Hutt’s Gate -the drives never went beyond the Longwood estate, -which has a circuit of about four miles.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Who built the carriage and how it came to be transported -to St. Helena, we know not. In type it is what -was then—and for the matter of that is still—known -as a “barouche.”</p> - -<p>Yellow and green are the prevailing colours in -which the body has been enamelled, the former predominating -to a considerable extent.</p> - -<p>Ponderously built throughout, as indeed were all -travelling carriages of this period, the body is swung -so that its full weight is cast upon the hind-wheels.</p> - -<p>The under-carriage is strong and cumbersome, like -that of the Waterloo carriage, standing by its side. Its -heavy cee springs are overlaid by strong leather straps -upon which the body is comfortably slung. The carriage -is lined throughout with heavy green superfine -cloth.</p> - -<p>So far as its general appearance is concerned, it -might well be designated as unexceptional. It has no -mark or devices upon it to indicate that it constituted -the equipage of a royal household, and the axle-caps -have not even the maker’s name upon them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span></p> - -<p>The following quotations from an old Catalogue -published at the time when the conveyance was first -installed in our collection of Napoleonic relics remove -any doubt as to its authenticity:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>237. CARRIAGE used by the Emperor Napoleon, -during six years of his exile at St. Helena, and the -last he ever entered. Certified by the Counts Montholon -and Las Cases. The following is the letter, -with description, from Mr. Blofeld, of whom it was -purchased:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="noindent">“<span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>,</p> - -<p>“In accordance with your request I send you the following -brief particulars of the carriage used by the -Emperor Napoleon at St. Helena. I purchased it in -1848, at that island, of Major Charles Sampson, an -officer who had lived highly respected there for more -than fifty years, and who gave me the following certificate:</p> - -<p>“‘Received from Mr. John Blofeld, for Bonaparte’s -old carriage, the first used by him on the Island of St. -Helena. (Here follows the mount paid.)—<span class="smcap">(Major) -C. Sampson.</span>’</p> - -<p>“In 1850 I went to Paris, where I showed it to -General Count Montholon and Count Emanuel de las -Cases; those gentlemen immediately recognised it, and -both said they had frequently rode in it with the Emperor, -and they most kindly gave me the following certificates, -which, as you purchased the carriage, I enclose. -General Montholon informed me that the Emperor -always used it, drawn by four horses, ridden by -two postilions, with the head of the carriage down.</p> - -<p>“Certificates:</p> - -<p>“‘I hereby certify that the carriage shown to me at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> -Paris by Mr. John Blofeld is the actual carriage used -by the Emperor Napoleon at the Island of St. Helena.—<span class="smcap">(General) -Montholon.</span>’</p> - -<p>“‘I hereby certify that the carriage shown to me -by Mr. John Blofeld, and purchased by him of Major -C. Sampson, of St. Helena, is the actual carriage used -by the Emperor Napoleon at that island.—<span class="smcap">Emanuel -de las Cases.</span>’</p> - -<p>“I remain, Dear Sirs,</p> - -<p class="center">“Yours faithfully,</p> - -<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">John Blofeld</span>.</p> - -<p>“Messrs. Joseph and Francis Tussaud,</p> - -<p>“London, Jan. 8, 1851.”</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus33"> - -<img src="images/illus33.jpg" width="380" height="590" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THORWALDSEN’S CELEBRATED BUST OF THE GREAT NAPOLEON</p> - -<p class="captionsub">One of the treasured possessions of Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Father Mathew sits for his model—Tsar Nicholas I takes a fancy -to Voltaire’s chair—A replica sent to him—The Rev. Peter McKenzie’s -exorcism.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;" id="illus40"> - -<img src="images/illus40.jpg" width="300" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">FATHER MATHEW, “THE NOBLE PRIEST OF CORK”</p> - -<p class="captionsub">A great temperance leader whose striking resemblance to Napoleon -I. caused an odd confusion in the Museum when in renovating the -wax figures a servant put the head of Father Mathew on the shoulders -of the deposed Emperor.</p> - -</div> - -<p>One of the greatest of all temperance reformers -was Father Mathew, “the Noble Priest of Cork,” -who persuaded sixty thousand people in London alone -to become teetotallers and to take a pledge to that -effect. The apostle of temperance was induced to come -to London in the early forties to give a series of lectures.</p> - -<p>Some were delivered at Hall’s Riding School (now -a motor garage) in Albany Street, opposite Holy Trinity -Church and close to Great Portland Street Station, -and Mr. Francis Tussaud (grandfather of the -writer) modelled him in one of the rooms of that place. -He was constantly interrupted during the sittings by -people of all classes and creeds coming into take the -pledge. Most of them insisted upon kneeling to receive -Father Mathew’s blessing. They were probably -actuated by respect for him, and also by the hope that -the recollection of his blessing might strengthen their -teetotal vows.</p> - -<p>At the close of the sittings Father Mathew detached -from his breast his temperance medal, which was attached<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -to a ribbon round his neck, and handed it to -the artist that it might be placed upon his model.</p> - -<p>Father Mathew bore so striking a resemblance in -face and figure to Napoleon I that the two were once -oddly mistaken for each other by our own servants.</p> - -<p>We had occasion to renovate the portraits of the -soldier and the preacher. To do so it was necessary -that the heads of both should be detached. The assistant -who was responsible for taking the figures to -pieces in this way mistook the one head for the other. -The error was fortunately soon detected by Mr. Francis -Tussaud, who had modelled both the heads, and -he soon had the mistake rectified.</p> - -<p>There are persons still living who remember Father -Mathew. An old and respected neighbour, Francis -Draper by name, is one of the youngest men of eighty-seven -one could possibly meet. Although born in 1832, -he still possesses a wonderfully clear memory.</p> - -<p>In 1842, when Father Mathew paid his visit to -London, Mr. Draper—then a boy of ten years—was -introduced to him at the Riding School. In an anteroom -upstairs, to which Father Mathew retired between -the times when he administered the pledge, he -saw an artist modelling his face in clay, which he -was told was for Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition. He -had an impression at the time that the artist was Francis, -a son of Madame Tussaud, and his surmise was -accurate, for it was Mr. Francis Tussaud who was -executing the model.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p> - -<p>For many years afterwards he saw “The Noble -Priest of Cork” standing in a group in Madame Tussaud’s, -with his medal suspended round his neck, and, -he says, it was the best likeness of anyone in the rooms.</p> - -<p>The assassination of Alexander II of Russia in -March, 1881, recalls a quaint story of Voltaire’s chair, -which stands in a corner of one of the Napoleon Rooms, -not far removed from a collection of heads of leaders -of the French Revolution.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 200px;" id="illus42"> - -<img src="images/illus42.jpg" width="200" height="210" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">VOLTAIRE’S CHAIR</p> - -</div> - -<p>This chair is one of our most treasured relics. It -was made to Voltaire’s own design, and is unlike any -other chair we have ever seen.</p> - -<p>After the <i lang="fr">Entente Cordiale</i> between France and England -in the forties, the visit to Queen Victoria of Louis -Philippe was promptly followed by the arrival in London, -in 1844, of Alexander’s father, Nicholas I of Russia, -who, during his stay, was conducted over the Exhibition -by Madame Tussaud’s elder son, Joseph.</p> - -<p>In the course of his tour round the galleries the -Tsar’s attention was arrested by the great Frenchman’s -wonderful chair. Being struck by its ingenious construction, -he examined it very closely, and then, as -so many persons have done, gave himself the pleasure -of occupying the seat in which the famous satirist had -spent many an industrious hour.</p> - -<p>The chair was intended by Voltaire to facilitate -his literary work, and, evidently taking account of his -incessant labours, he had the arms extended without -supports so that he could sit in any attitude and facing -any direction, while a movable writing-slope was attached -to be always within his reach.</p> - -<p>So keen an interest did the Tsar take in the chair -that we decided to make a replica and send it to him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -as a pleasant surprise. This was done, but no direct -acknowledgment of the chair’s delivery was ever received.</p> - -<p>Months afterwards, however, two cases—one containing -a splendid gallery portrait of Nicholas and the -other a beautiful statuette of the same monarch—arrived -at the Exhibition. These presents were accepted -as a recognition, in practical form, of the chair. They -could not have signified an Imperial bid for a place in -the Exhibition, for a most lifelike model of His Majesty -was already there.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus41"> - -<img src="images/illus41.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NICHOLAS I., EMPEROR OF RUSSIA</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Gallery portrait by Bothmann presented to Madame Tussaud’s by -the Tsar.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Nearly forty years later, on the assassination of -Nicholas’s son, Alexander—to which allusion has been -made—there appeared in one of our leading English -illustrated papers, which gave pages to the story of the -assassination, a full double-page picture of the Imperial -study at St. Petersburg, and, behold, therein -stood the identical chair which we had sent to Nicholas -I.</p> - -<p>It is interesting to note that on Wednesday, the 20th -of October, thirty-six years later, a number of Princesses -came to the Exhibition; and among them was -Princess Alix of Hesse, then a happy young girl of -eight, and now mourned as the late Tsarina, who, as -reported, shared with the Tsar and his family a terrible -death at the hands of diabolical assassins during the -recent Russian Revolution. Among the royal party -which came on that day were our own Princesses Louise, -Victoria, and Maud of Wales.</p> - -<p>A great Wesleyan preacher and lecturer in his day -was the Rev. Peter McKenzie, who died in November,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -1895. He deserves a place in these memoirs on account -of his characteristic and rather eccentric behaviour -when he visited the Exhibition. In the course -of his perambulation through the galleries he, like most -of our patrons, found his way to the Napoleon Rooms, -where Voltaire’s chair immediately arrested his attention.</p> - -<p>Striking an indignant attitude in front of it, the -Wesleyan preacher exclaimed, “And this belonged to -the man that was going to pull down the edifice of -Christianity and sweep the religion of Jesus Christ -from the earth!” So saying, he planted himself in -the chair and, with a triumphant wave of his hand, -declaimed to the wondering visitors gathered round the -following verse of a well-known hymn:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Jesus shall reign where’er the sun</div> -<div class="verse">Doth his successive journeys run;</div> -<div class="verse">His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,</div> -<div class="verse">Till moons shall wax and wane no more.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span></p> - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Landseer and the Count d’Orsay visit the Exhibition—A fright—Norfolk -farmer’s account of Queen Victoria’s visit.</p> - -</div> - -<p>About the year 1845 the celebrated Count d’Orsay, -being, as usual, in a desperate state of impecuniosity, -was absolutely afraid to venture out of -Gore House (where now stands the Royal Albert -Hall), except on Sunday, for fear of being arrested -and imprisoned for debt.</p> - -<p>It so happened that a portrait of one of the members -of the Royal Family, painted by the Count, was -just then in process of engraving, and it was necessary -before the proofs could be struck off that d’Orsay himself -should see and correct the work of the engraver. -To do this the Count would be obliged to go to the -engraver’s house, and that gentleman, being of a devout -and Sabbatarian turn of mind, utterly refused to receive -d’Orsay on Sunday.</p> - -<p>Finding himself in this difficulty, the Count asked -the advice of his friend, Sir Edwin Landseer.</p> - -<p>“I should risk going on a weekday, if I were you,” -said Sir Edwin. “Wrap yourself up carefully, come -and have breakfast with me in St. John’s Wood Road, -and then we will go together to the engraver.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span></p> - -<p>This they accordingly did, and, greatly to Landseer’s -relief, the Count passed through the streets unrecognised.</p> - -<p>Not content, however, with escaping thus far, d’Orsay -found his freedom so delightful that he became -reckless, and did not seem at all disposed to return -in any haste to his captivity.</p> - -<p>“It is so long since I have seen London on any -day but Sunday, I will enjoy myself now,” said he. -“Can’t we go to some place of amusement together?”</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus43"> - -<img src="images/illus43.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SIR EDWIN LANDSEER, R. A.</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Celebrated animal painter, though best known for his paintings of -dogs, his work was very varied and included the modeling of the -celebrated lions at the foot of the Nelson Monument in Trafalgar -Square.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Landseer suggested Madame Tussaud’s, an Exhibition -which d’Orsay had never before seen; and to -Baker Street they went. The Count, charmed with the -novelty of the wax figures, was childishly delighted -with all he saw, until a moment when he became conscious -that his footsteps were being dogged by two -suspicious-looking individuals.</p> - -<p>“Do you see those men?” said d’Orsay. “They -never take their eyes from me.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I see them,” answered Landseer, who had -really noticed them for some time, but thought it wiser -not to say anything on the subject to his friend. “Let -us go into the Chamber of Horrors.”</p> - -<p>Accordingly they paid their extra sixpences and entered -the mysterious inner room. The two men followed -them. Landseer gave up his friend for lost. -After a few moments of suspense one of the two men -advanced towards d’Orsay, hat in hand, and, making -an elaborate bow, said:</p> - -<p>“Have I the honour of speaking to M. le Comte -d’Orsay?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span></p> - -<p>No escape seemed possible now, so the Count drew -himself up and answered with much dignity:</p> - -<p>“Sir, I am he.”</p> - -<p>“Then, if M. le Comte will be so very kind as to -allow me, Madame Tussaud presents her compliments, -and she will be greatly honoured if M. le Comte will -give her some sittings and will permit us to add his -illustrious figure to those already in our establishment.”</p> - -<p>Finding that all his anxieties were at an end, d’Orsay -forgot his dignity in a moment, almost embracing the -man in his sudden joy, and exclaiming, with his accents -of broken English:</p> - -<p>“My dear fellow, you shall do what you like.”</p> - -<p>The handsome face and distinguished figure of the -Count were, of course, sufficiently remarkable to attract -attention anywhere, and Madame Tussaud had -too keen an eye for business ever to let slip so excellent -an opportunity.</p> - -<p>This may be regarded as an interesting reminiscence -of the old rooms in Baker Street and the people who -used to frequent them three-quarters of a century ago.</p> - -<p>Although we know that Queen Victoria came to visit -the Exhibition in Baker Street as Princess Victoria, -there is no direct evidence that she ever came as Queen.</p> - -<p>There is, however, a story that on one occasion Her -Majesty paid a private visit with her children. When -it is remembered that the Cattle Show used to be held -in the rooms underneath the Exhibition, and that Her -Majesty used to pay it at least one annual visit in -those days, it is quite reasonable to suppose that the -Queen would take an opportunity of going upstairs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span></p> - -<p>The story goes that seventy years ago, a fortnight -after an auctioneer had murdered Mr. Jermy, Recorder -of Norwich, and his family, at Stanfield Hall, -near Wymondham, a Norfolk farmer came to London -for the Cattle Show, and was an unconscious interviewer -of Queen Victoria in the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>I will give the narrative in his own words, being -unable to vouch for its authenticity.</p> - -<p>“After,” said the farmer, “I had been to the show -and carefully examined the different animals, and given -my meed of praise to the breeders and their feeders, I -thought I would devote a spare hour to Madame Tussaud’s -celebrated Exhibition. Accordingly I presented -myself at the door, and paid my money.</p> - -<p>“On entering, I was surprised to find that I was -the only spectator. Undisturbed for some time, I -wandered about, looking with astonishment at the -waxen effigies, habited in their gorgeous apparel.</p> - -<p>“In a few minutes some ladies and children arrived, -and, standing near to one of the former I said, ‘What -ugly, grim-looking people some of those kings and -queens are!’ The lady smiled and answered, ‘I perfectly -agree with you; they are!’</p> - -<p>“My attention was soon arrested by hearing one of -the party, pointing to a figure, mention Lord Nelson, -when, proud of having been born in the same county -as the illustrious sailor, I could not help exclaiming, -‘Ah, he was from my neighbourhood!’ Upon which -one of the ladies, advancing, said to me, ‘Then you are -from Norfolk? Pray can you tell me anything about -poor Mrs. Jermy with whose melancholy fate I so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -deeply sympathise? Have you any information different -from that which has appeared in the public papers?’</p> - -<p>“To this I replied, ‘No, madam, for I have been -some days from home.’</p> - -<p>“Scarcely had this conversation ended when Madame -Tussaud herself entered, and seeing me there asked -me how I got in, and if I did not know she had forbidden -the entrance of anyone. I replied I did not; -but, having paid my money had walked in as a matter -of course.</p> - -<p>“Judge of my surprise when she informed me I had -had the honour of speaking to no other than our good -and gracious Queen, and that the lady whose tender -anxiety had been so warmly expressed for the injured -widow of Stanfield Hall was the same illustrious person -whose exalted rank does not, however, so elevate -her but that the misfortunes and afflictions of others -can reach her heart and excite her generous commiseration.</p> - -<p>“The party who accompanied Her Majesty were the -royal children and their attendants.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Wellington visits the effigy of the dead Napoleon, and sits to Sir -George Hayter for historic picture—Paintings from models—Is -the photograph “taken from life,” or——?</p> - -</div> - -<p>Wellington gazing upon the effigy of Napoleon -is one of the many instances of a really -fine picture being produced from an original work -executed in our studios. Upon it hangs an interesting -story.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus44"> - -<img src="images/illus44.jpg" width="380" height="290" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">WELLINGTON VISITING THE EFFIGY OF NAPOLEON</p> - -<p class="captionsub">From the celebrated picture by Sir George Hayter.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Early one morning, soon after the Exhibition had -been opened for the day, Joseph, Madame Tussaud’s -son, who had been wandering through the rooms, as -was his habit, perceived an elderly gentleman in front -of the tableau representing the lying-in-state of Napoleon -I.</p> - -<p>The model of the dead exile rested—as it does down -to this very day—on the camp bedstead used by Napoleon -at St. Helena, and was dressed in the favourite -green uniform, the cloak worn at Marengo (bequeathed -by Napoleon to his son) lying across the feet. In the -hands, crossed upon the chest, was a crucifix. In those -days it was the custom to lower at night the curtains -that enclosed the bed, in order to exclude the dust, -whereas now the whole scene is encased in glass.</p> - -<p>Observing that the visitor was desirous of seeing the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -effigy, and no attendant being at hand, Joseph Tussaud -raised the hangings, whereupon the visitor removed his -hat, and, to his great surprise, Joseph saw that he was -face to face with none other than the great Duke of -Wellington himself.</p> - -<p>There stood his Grace, contemplating with feelings -of mixed emotions the strange and suggestive scene before -him.</p> - -<p>On the camp bed lay the mere presentment of the -man who, seven-and-thirty years before, had given him -so much trouble to subdue.</p> - -<p>No feeling of triumph passed through the conqueror’s -mind as he looked upon the poor waxen image, too -true in its aspect of death; he rather thought upon the -vanity of earthly triumphs, of the levelling hand of -time, and how soon he, like his great contemporary, -might be stretched upon his own bier.</p> - -<p>Mr. Joseph Tussaud used frequently to recall this -dramatic meeting between the Iron Duke and the effigy -of his erstwhile foe, and to imagine the feelings of -the old General as he gazed upon the couch. It was -probably the first of the Duke’s many visits to the -Exhibition.</p> - -<p>A few days after this most interesting visit Mr. -Tussaud, who was an old friend of Sir George Hayter, -related the incident to that artist.</p> - -<p>Hayter was immediately struck with the potential -value of the event for the production of a painting -of the historic scene, and the Tussaud brothers at once -commissioned him to execute the work for them.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus45"> - -<img src="images/illus45.jpg" width="380" height="435" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SIR GEORGE HAYTER</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Whose painting of Wellington visiting the effigy of Napoleon is now -on exhibition in the Napoleon rooms at Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Sir George thereupon communicated the idea to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> -Duke, who readily responded, and offered to give the -necessary sittings. We have the sketches made by -Hayter in preparation for the work, and among them -appears a drawing of Joseph Tussaud himself, although -he does not enter the actual picture.</p> - -<p>Hearing that the artist was making progress with -the painting, the Duke visited his studio, and, having -expressed himself warmly in appreciation of the -picture (the figures had been but lightly limned in at -the time), said:</p> - -<p>“Well, I suppose you’ll want me to sit for my picture -here?”</p> - -<p>Hayter has given us a most characteristic portrait -of Wellington as he then appeared. He is dressed in -his usual blue frock-coat, white trousers, and white -cravat, fastened with the familiar steel buckle. He -stoops a little as was his wont, his head is lightly -covered with snow-white hair, and his manly features -are marked with an expression of mingled curiosity -and sadness as, hat in hand, he looks upon the recumbent -Napoleon. The picture was completed early in -December, 1852, and has been on view in the Napoleon -Rooms at the Exhibition ever since.</p> - -<p>The engravings of the picture have been circulated -in thousands throughout the world, and, strange to -say, they are exceedingly popular in Austria. It is -an interesting fact that the painting in question was -the last portrait for which the Duke ever sat.</p> - -<p>This story brings to mind several instances in which -the members of the Tussaud family, especially in days -gone by, have produced subjects for other artists to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> -paint from. For example, the model of Marat stabbed -in his bath—which has been shown in our Exhibition -ever since it existed in Paris—was modelled expressly -to assist the famous David to paint his picture representing -the death of the miscreant.</p> - -<p>Strange to say, a replica of this painting was offered -to us a year or so ago, and the dealer who submitted -it insisted that it was the picture from which our model -was copied. He looked wofully incredulous when -it was explained to him that the boot was on the other -foot, and that the picture had been copied from the -model.</p> - -<p>On one occasion, in a newsagent’s shop, a lady customer -asked for a picture postcard of King Edward. -Several were shown to her, but after inspecting them -she pushed all the direct photographs on one side, and -selected the print of a figure that had been modelled. -The shopkeeper subsequently stated that this card was -almost invariably chosen in preference to others.</p> - -<p>In recent years there has grown a curious disposition -on the part of certain publishers to exploit for -their own purposes work produced in our studios. This -is not to be wondered at when photographs of our models -have been so often mistaken for portraits taken -direct from life.</p> - -<p>We have ourselves on many occasions photographed -our likenesses for reproduction by the Press; and, apart -from this, newspaper representatives, times out of number, -have requested permission to take a photograph -of figures in the Exhibition for the use of their own -journal.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p> - -<p>There is also the inevitable snapshotter, who neither -asks permission nor cares whether it is granted or not. -Such individuals seize an opportunity when few persons -are about and take an illicit “negative” without -risking a verbal one. The result has been that the -photographs thus secured—all subject to copyright fees -never collected—have been made use of for all kinds -of purposes; they have turned up as blocks in newspapers -and magazines, illustrations in books, and portrait -postcards, besides being treasured in albums and -framed as pictures.</p> - -<p>Only very occasionally has a statement accompanied -publication acknowledging the source from which the -picture has originated—a circumstance that has more -than once led to a curious and, so far as the artist is -concerned, a somewhat vexatious contretemps.</p> - -<p>It has so happened that we have had sometimes to -send a member of our staff in quest of all the latest -photographs of a favourite celebrity whose figure we -have desired to remodel and bring up to date. Not -infrequently has he brought back with him “photographs” -purporting to have been taken from life, but -which have been instantly recognised as reproductions -of figures in the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>A droll incident once occurred illustrative of this -strange situation.</p> - -<p>Many years ago, when Mr. Joseph Tussaud, under -pressure of time and with very meagre material to go -upon, produced a portrait of the late Pope Leo XIII -directly after he was elevated to the papal chair, a certain -well-known firm of photographers were at their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -wits’ end to obtain a portrait of the new Pontiff, and -the novel idea suggested itself to them of arranging to -borrow for a short time Madame Tussaud’s model, and -therefrom obtain an original negative that might fulfil -their requirements. This they accordingly did, and the -object was achieved with remarkable success, for the -portrait challenged detection. So lifelike was the picture -that when it was placed upon the market beholders -concluded that the Pope had sat for it.</p> - -<p>Another firm of photographers, some time afterwards, -and at great trouble and expense, succeeded -in obtaining sittings from the Pope himself.</p> - -<p>When the portrait taken from life appeared, and -was compared with the photographs from the model, -very grave doubt was raised as to whether the new portrait -was really a good likeness, and many persons -questioned its genuineness, much to the chagrin of the -photographers who produced it.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The story of Colour-Sergeant Bates’s march through England to -prove Anglo-American goodwill—Start from Gretna—The dove -of peace.</p> - -</div> - -<p>An ephemeral celebrity of a bygone day, who fittingly -comes into the picture at the present time—for -we are still dealing with events that happened -in the seventies—was Colour-Sergeant Gilbert H. -Bates, of the 24th Massachusetts (U. S. Artillery) -Regiment.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus46"> - -<img src="images/illus46.jpg" width="380" height="535" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">COLOR-SERGEANT GILBERT H. BATES OF THE 24TH MASSACHUSETTS -(U. S. ARTILLERY) REGIMENT</p> - -<p class="captionsub">His famous pilgrimage, in November, 1872, from Gretna Green to -London, bearing aloft a large American flag, brought forth striking -testimony to the undercurrent of cordiality in England for all things -American. Photographed from the wax model at Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -</div> - -<p>This gallant soldier of the Federal Army, after carrying -the Star-spangled Banner through the Southern -States of America to prove that the war had not killed -the respect felt for the national flag, crossed the Atlantic, -in fulfilment of a wager, and bore the Stars and -Stripes from Gretna Green to London, amid most enthusiastic -scenes, demonstrating that Bates was right -when he insisted that John Bull and Uncle Sam were -the best of friends at heart.</p> - -<p>Mr. Joseph Tussaud modelled a portrait of the -sergeant, who had an honoured place in the Exhibition -for several years.</p> - -<p>Bates was a patriotic American who had a firm belief -in the friendship of the English people for their American -brethren.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span></p> - -<p>For 1,500 miles through States whose streets had -been stained with the blood of civil carnage he had -marched with the national flag to the strains of patriotic -music, an eloquent tribute to his countrymen’s -deep-rooted love of peace. His passage was a triumphant -success, and the exploit is handed down to posterity -in Captain Mayne Reid’s stirring poem “From -Vicksburg to the Sea,” the first of its five verses being:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Bear on the banner, soldier bold!</div> -<div class="verse indent1">How Southern hearts must thrill</div> -<div class="verse">To see the flag, so loved of all,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Waving above them still!</div> -<div class="verse">What chords ’twill touch, what echoes wake,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Of that far truer time!</div> -<div class="verse">Who knows but it the spell may break</div> -<div class="verse indent1">That maddened them to crime.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>This was remotely the origin of Bates’s English expedition. -Calumny was rife in the States. No theme -had been so often discussed for the two years then past -as that of the feeling of John Bull towards Uncle -Sam. The malicious craft of certain politicians had -led them to foster elements of hatred towards the Old -Country, and a corrupt section of the Press had lent -itself to the unworthy task of exaggerating trifles and -distorting facts to suit the fancies of gullible readers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was in the course of one such discussion as to the -feeling of the English towards Americans that this -lover of concord was led to make a wager of 100 dollars -against 1,000 dollars that the people of England -would not insult the flag of America, but would welcome -it heartily wherever it should be borne by an -American soldier. Not a few of his compatriots were -incredulous of his success, and they predicted that he -would miserably fail; while one said, “I bet he don’t -travel twelve miles before he sets face homeward and -leaves his bean-pole in the custody of some parish -beadle.”</p> - -<p>The gallant sergeant was determined and confident, -however, and, taking passage in the Anchor liner <i>Europa</i>, -he crossed the Atlantic.</p> - -<p>Bates was a small but well-built man, 5 feet 7½ -inches in height, square-shouldered and square-headed, -clean shaven, with clear grey eyes, dark hair, and -swarthy skin. His age was thirty-four, and he wore -the uniform of a sergeant of the Federal Army. He -is described as modest, intelligent, well-informed, and -a very good specimen of the unassuming, matter-of-fact, -and practical Yankee.</p> - -<p>The flag he carried was from a piece of army bunting -from the headquarters of General Sheridan. It was of -regulation size, 6 feet by 6½ feet, and the hickory -staff measured 9 feet. Before he left he was assured -by a Member of Parliament in Chicago that as the -Americans had honoured the English Prince when he -visited that country, the English people, in return, -would honour the American “prince”—which was their -flag. And so it turned out.</p> - -<p>On the 5th of November, 1872—Guy Fawkes Day -and the anniversary of the Battle of Inkerman—Sergeant -Bates left Edinburgh for Gretna Green, that -romantic spot at the southern extremity of Scotland.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> -It was with difficulty that he managed to leave the -northern city without unfurling the flag, as his Scottish -friends felt that they should have an opportunity of -testifying their good feelings to the banner which waved -over so many of their kindred in homes beyond the -Atlantic. But his mission had been planned, and he -had decided to begin his march from the border of -England itself.</p> - -<p>With no quiver of fear and with a heart full of -gladness, he stood upon Sark Bridge and, uncovering -his head, gave the Star-spangled Banner to the breeze. -A few merry rustics greeted him with cheers, and the -historic march was begun. The country before him -was England, the mother-country, the home of the -English language, the freest and most peaceful country -in Europe.</p> - -<p>He reached Carlisle that evening without anything -more important happening than a rigid cross-examination -by an excited old woman as to whether he was -heralding a Fenian invasion, and an anxious inquiry -from a little boy as to when the circus would arrive.</p> - -<p>At the Bush Hotel at Carlisle a party of commercial -travellers gave him a right hearty British welcome, -and this henceforth became the order of the day at -whatever town or village he put in an appearance. -News of his coming preceded him, and his progress was -one continuous ovation, culminating in a veritable furore -when he reached his journey’s end.</p> - -<p>Through Penrith and Shap, where he was cheered -by the miners, who had sent men from the quarries to -watch for his approach, he made his way to Kendal,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -where, at a dinner given in his honour, he announced -that he had written to cancel the wager he had made. -He did this in token of the purity of his motives, and -to prove that he was not actuated by mercenary considerations.</p> - -<p>From Kendal he proceeded to Lancaster, which city -he entered followed by an enormous crowd, a similar -concourse escorting him to the outskirts on his departure.</p> - -<p>Garstang, between Lancaster and Preston, at that -time enjoyed the peculiar distinction of having a Mayor -and capital burgesses without its having been constituted -a borough. Here he was entertained at a sumptuous -repast, and the streets were full of people, the -church scholars, drawn up in line, cheering the flag -and its bearer as they passed.</p> - -<p>The streets of Preston were lined with spectators; -at Chorley cheers were given for the Queen and President -Grant; and at Bolton the flag-bearer was presented -with a pair of clogs, and given a live turtle-dove -to take back with him to the American President.</p> - -<p>He was almost carried by an eager, applauding -crowd along Bradshawgate on his way to Manchester, -and the <cite>Bolton Evening News</cite> of the 14th of November, -1872, records that “there was more hand-shaking -than we have ever seen bestowed on any person. Far -from insult, every respect was shown to the flag of the -great Republic, and,” the newspaper facetiously adds, -“if the bearer is rewarded all along his journey as he -was at Farnworth, his pockets will be filled with the -metal that makes the mare to go.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Sergeant Bates’s journey finishes in London amid a remarkable -demonstration—His gift to Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -</div> - -<p>In this chapter we conclude the story of the gallant -sergeant’s historic march with the American flag -from Gretna Green to London.</p> - -<p>At Bolton he was presented with a piece of silver-plate, -and a pedestrian gave him a pocket-knife; but -this gift was followed immediately afterwards by a -letter in which the writer said that as the giving of -a sharp instrument was regarded as a bad omen and -portended to cut friendship, he asked Sergeant Bates -to forward a penny stamp in the enclosed envelope in -order that the knife might be <em>sold</em> and not given. The -penny stamp was sent.</p> - -<p>Five miles from Cottonopolis Bates was met by a -man who had been a lieutenant in the 24th Massachusetts -Volunteers during the Civil War, who took -off his hat and said, “God bless our flag.” Manchester -was reached on the 14th of November, and here the -flag had an immense reception, the crowd in Market -Street being so dense that the open carriage which the -sergeant was obliged to enter could scarcely make headway.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p> - -<p>Lodged at the Royal Hotel, he was presented with -a Union Jack, and was pestered by several enterprising -showmen, one of whom offered him as much as £60 -a night for five weeks if he would only consent to lend -himself and the flag; but this he resolutely declined -to do.</p> - -<p>From Manchester to Macclesfield he met with a -repetition of the same hearty ovations. The crowd -kept slapping him on the shoulders, shaking hands, -slipping money into his pockets, hurrahing, singing, -and even dancing with joy before the glorious old flag.</p> - -<p>At Macclesfield he was treated like a prince, royally -entertained, and presented with a gold breast-pin by -the Mayor. Through Congleton, Burslem, Stafford, -Wolverhampton, and so on to Birmingham, the march -was like that of a triumphant warrior, the crowds at -Bates’s heels, marshalled in military order, tramping -along singing the national melodies of the two countries, -“Rule Britannia” and “Yankee Doodle” being -the favourite airs.</p> - -<p>At West Bromwich, where the flag-bearer stood for -a moment to salute the Union Jack, a man rushed out -and crowned his flagstaff with laurel. He entered -Birmingham escorted by a crowd of all classes, both -sexes and all ages, and the proprietor of the “Hen and -Chickens” Hotel placed the house, the wine-cellar, and -even his cash-drawer at his guest’s disposal.</p> - -<p>The crowd from Birmingham followed him for some -miles out of the town. There was a vast amount of -hand-shaking, and several women insisted on embracing -him, one old lady hugging him so unmercifully that she,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -he, and the flag were nearly sent sprawling in the mud.</p> - -<p>One workman, bareheaded and without his coat, -headed the procession in a perfect frenzy of excitement, -and shook hand with Bates about every five minutes. -It appeared that he had served on the <i>Alabama</i>, -and seemed to think that he was atoning for past transgression -and ridding himself of the stigma of having -fought against the Union.</p> - -<p>Warwick was visited, and the castle inspected. The -sergeant was shown over Shakespeare’s birthplace at -Stratford-on-Avon by a Mrs. Hathaway and a lady -aptly quoted to him the line:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>At Leamington he was presented with an address -and a silver Maltese Cross. Southam and Banbury -were passed through, and then he came to Oxford, -where, it had been predicted, his mission would fail -ignominiously.</p> - -<p>But he was met by students from New College, who -treated him with great gentlemanliness, one observing:</p> - -<p>“Sergeant, you surely never expected that the people -of England would fall upon one man, did you?”</p> - -<p>“No,” replied Bates drawing himself up. “I have -come through England not only believing that my flag -would not be insulted, but feeling sure that Englishmen -would show it such respect everywhere that my -countrymen would hail my coming as a step full of -joyful hope for the future.”</p> - -<p>“Bravo!” exclaimed the undergraduate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span></p> - -<p>Invitations poured in upon the happy soldier. He -supped in University College and breakfasted in -Trinity.</p> - -<p>At a levee in the reception-room at the “Roebuck” -the toast was given, “May the stars never shine with -less lustre, nor the bars ever grow shorter,” which was -received with musical honours:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">It’s a way they have in the Army,</div> -<div class="verse">It’s a way they have in the Navy,</div> -<div class="verse">It’s a way we have in the ’Varsity</div> -<div class="verse indent1">To drive dull care away.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>On through High Wycombe and Uxbridge passed -the soldier with his flag, and the crowd was great as -he set out for Shepherd’s Bush, whence he was to proceed -through London.</p> - -<p>There were incidents humorous and pathetic.</p> - -<p>At one place an aged woman tottered up to him -from a wayside house and, leaning on her stick, said:</p> - -<p>“Let me touch the flag and give my blessing to the -bearer. My youngest boy fought for that flag and -died for it in your country. He fell with that flag in -his hand.”</p> - -<p>Her son, an Englishman, had given his life fighting -for the Union.</p> - -<p>At another place a grimy sweep, fresh from a job, -embraced the American most affectionately.</p> - -<p>Bates’s quarters at Shepherd’s Bush were at the -“Telegraph,” and during the Friday evening the hotel -was in a state of siege. Sir John Bennett, an ex-Sheriff -of the City of London, had offered to lend the soldier<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> -a carriage; but it was ultimately decided to use an open -equipage drawn by a pair of greys, one of them -mounted by a postilion.</p> - -<p>The daily papers of the 2nd of December, 1872, -give a full account of the proceedings. Seated in the -carriage was Sergeant Bates, holding his beloved flag, -while two other flags, the Union Jack and the Star-spangled -Banner, trailed behind, the horses’ trappings -being decorated with international symbols.</p> - -<p>Up Notting Hill, along Bayswater Road, and -through Oxford Street passed the carriage, surrounded -and followed by a huge and demonstrative crowd.</p> - -<p>In Bond Street the horses were taken out, and the -carriage was dragged by some twenty-five persons along -St. James’s Street, Pall Mall, by Charing Cross, and -through the Strand and Fleet Street, up Ludgate Hill, -and along Cheapside, to the Guildhall.</p> - -<p>A dense mass of people had congregated in the Guildhall -yard, where a British sergeant was carrying the -English standard. The scene beggared description. -The Guildhall itself was full to overflowing, and having -alighted, Bates had perforce to be lifted on shoulders -and hoisted, flag and all, back into the carriage, -from which place of vantage he made a speech before -refurling his banner.</p> - -<p>He was delighted with his reception in the heart -of the great Metropolis, and never forgot the sea of -faces, the endless crowds, the fluttering flags, the waving -handkerchiefs, the cheers, and the kindly greeting -of that memorable day. His hand seemed to have been -wrung into pulp, and he was struck with the phrasing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -of the oft-repeated salutation, “Give us your hand, -old pal.”</p> - -<p>Cabmen had little American flags mounted on their -vehicles or pinned to their horses’ heads, ladies had -the Stars and Stripes for carriage-aprons, and children -waved toy flags.</p> - -<p>Sergeant Bates was somewhat annoyed by relic hunters, -who, could they have had their way, would soon -have whittled his flagstaff into imperceptible pieces and -riven the banner into a thousand shreds.</p> - -<p>He gave a piece of flag and his boots to Madame -Tussaud’s Exhibition as a small offering to those of -the British public “who,” as he quaintly remarked, -“worship such things, and who find at Madame Tussaud’s -perhaps the best field for the satisfaction of -their curiosity.”</p> - -<p>Writing from the Langham Hotel, where he was -staying, he observed that Madame Tussaud’s had previously -voted him a niche among the immortal heroes -who adorned their Exhibition, a mark of honour for -which he was told he ought to feel no small pride.</p> - -<p>And what had Sergeant Bates accomplished? He -claimed to have succeeded in bringing the two great -nations’ hearts near to each other, till they seemed to -beat in unison, and the pulsation of the one was for -a while that of the other.</p> - -<p>“God grant,” he said, “that work so begun may -not willingly be laid down.”</p> - -<p>Although he was called at one and the same time “a -hare-brained visionary,” “a patriot,” “a fool,” “a man -of courage,” and “a remarkably shrewd, thoughtful individual,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -there can be no doubt that he did at least -something to promote international amity, and to cement -the feeling of warm friendship which was found -to exist in this country towards her daughter America.</p> - -<p>The continuation of that tie has been, and is still -being, abundantly manifested ever since the United -States joined the Allies in their recent determined fight -for freedom; and there are thousands who echo Sergeant -Bates’s words:</p> - -<p>“May the flags of both countries ever wave in freedom -and peace till that ‘far truer time’ when there shall -be but one flag, because but one people on the face -of the earth!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>My first model—Beaconsfield’s curl—Gladstone’s collar—John Bright -and the Chinaman.</p> - -</div> - -<p>We now come to a period when I may well speak -of my own personal knowledge concerning -men and events in association with Madame Tussaud’s -Exhibition.</p> - -<p>The year 1872 was remarkable for several noteworthy -events. Two or three, in addition to the National -Thanksgiving Day for the recovery of the Prince -of Wales from serious illness, vividly recur to memory. -Among them was the assassination of the Earl of Mayo, -Viceroy of India, who was stabbed by a convict while -inspecting the settlement at Port Blair on the Andaman -Islands.</p> - -<p>The models of the Prince of Wales and the murdered -Viceroy were introduced to the Exhibition within -a few days of each other, and the sympathetic public -responded in great numbers.</p> - -<p>A startling and remarkable tribute to the Viceroy’s -portrait was “unconsciously” paid when the Earl’s -housekeeper fainted on suddenly finding herself in -the presence of the model of her late master.</p> - -<p>The first portrait I was entrusted with, as my father’s -understudy, was that of Prince Milan of Serbia,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> -the memory of whom has long since passed into oblivion, -like that of many others whose stay has been -brief among the figures. This was followed by a head -of perennial interest, that of Benjamin Disraeli, which -I was called upon to remodel on several occasions in -after years. Clearly do I recall his characteristic features, -so marvellously grasped by Tenniel, whose cartoons -in <cite>Punch</cite> I never tired of studying.</p> - -<p>It will be remembered that one of the marked peculiarities -of Disraeli’s general appearance was the -famous curl he wore upon his forehead. Of that circumstance -I am at this moment somewhat forcibly reminded -by a letter disclosing the remarkable fact that -the curl is still in existence, almost forty years after -the great statesman has passed away. Here is an -extract from the letter offering the forelock to us as -a relic:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="right"><i>Obersley, Near Droitwich, Worcester, March 7, 1918.</i></p> - -<p>My aunt, Miss Louise Hennet, nursed Lord Beaconsfield -during his last illness, and the two locks (one the -celebrated curl) were given to her. She was sent to -nurse him from the nursing institution of St. John the -Divine. The hair is enclosed in paper, which is endorsed -in Miss Hennet’s writing, and this can be identified.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The letter is duly signed.</p> - -<p>It may be easily understood that the modelling of -the features of celebrated people stamps the memory -of the artist with a deep and abiding impression. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> -had but shortly seen my father produce a very striking -portrait of Marshal Bazaine, solely remembered -now for his dramatic surrender at Metz on the 27th -of October, 1870.</p> - -<p>A small knot of interested people attracted my attention -towards a stout, elderly man of military bearing -as he was leaving Mr. Adams-Acton’s studios in Salisbury -Place, Regent’s Park. I was astonished to recognise -in him the living counterpart of the before-mentioned -model.</p> - -<p>It was Marshal Bazaine himself, who had but recently -escaped from the fortress of Ile Ste. Marguerite, -near Cannes. I was much struck by the fact that the -ill-starred soldier of the Second Empire looked in no -way dejected, despite the disaster that had befallen his -reputation.</p> - -<p>I am often asked what are the qualifications people -must possess for a place in Madame Tussaud’s. I -can give no better answer than that the public shall demand -to see them, for should the portraits of such people -be omitted they are invariably inquired for by disappointed -visitors.</p> - -<p>It is astonishing how great a hold must be taken of -the public mind by candidates for inclusion in Madame -Tussaud’s Exhibition before their election to our house -would be welcomed by our patrons.</p> - -<p>Of course, we are now associating our minds only -with reputable society. As regards the Chamber of -Horrors—of which I shall have something to say when -the time comes—I may here remark that it is the -notorious characters solely who seem to have a prescriptive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -right to enter that abode of gloom, which -used to be called in the old days the “Dead Room,” -hardly so telling a title as the “Chamber of Horrors,” -for which, by the way, we are indebted to our dear -old friend “Mr. Punch.”</p> - -<p>As to those people who retain a permanent place in -the Exhibition, I suppose the secret is that, either by -the example of their lives or through the medium of -their works, they have deeply touched the heart or -stirred the imagination of the people.</p> - -<p>I suppose the British public never looked on two -such political gladiators as Beaconsfield and Gladstone, -and while these two statesmen dominated people’s -minds it was natural that they should both have -a pedestal at Madame Tussaud’s. I can neither say -who was first to appear in the Exhibition, nor prophesy -who will be the last to go. They are both there now, -and still attract much notice from persons of all shades -of political opinion.</p> - -<p>So often had these figures to be remodelled, to -keep pace with the changes worked by time and the -strenuous nature of their public service, that there -must now repose, carefully stowed away in our “catacombs,” -impressions of their features sufficient to cover -the whole gamut of their political careers.</p> - -<p>For more than a generation the Beaconsfield curl -and the Gladstone collar exercised a subtle influence -in the political world, mainly through the cartoons -and caricatures of John Tenniel and Harry Furniss.</p> - -<p>One has to be meticulously careful with regard to -important details such as these; and when Mr. Gladstone’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span> -figure had to be remodelled in later years, it -was thought advisable, in order to be quite correct, -that a collar actually belonging to the “G. O. M.” -should be inspected.</p> - -<p>Mr. Gladstone was living at Carlton House Terrace -at the time the new portrait was in progress; and our -“Master of the Robes,” who was responsible for the -accuracy of detail respecting all Exhibition costumes, -called there, and, on examining the statesman’s collars, -was surprised to find that they were of quite normal -size, and not so high as the caricaturist represented -them to be.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, the collars were made to fit -loosely round the neck, and thus allowed the wearer’s -chin to sink behind their upstanding ends. It is gratifying -to record that permission to view her husband’s -collars was graciously given to our representative by -Mrs. Gladstone herself.</p> - -<p>On a certain occasion when Mr. Gladstone had -been notified that Mr. Harry Furniss, the originator -of the big collar, would be at a dinner to which he -himself was invited, the Liberal leader purposely wore -a collar of more than usually modest dimensions, possibly -as a gentle rebuke to his caricaturist.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus49"> - -<img src="images/illus49.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">JOHN BRIGHT</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Anti-Corn Law leader, whose model stands near that of Richard -Cobden in the Exhibition.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 250px;" id="illus48"> - -<img src="images/illus48.jpg" width="250" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">RICHARD COBDEN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">English statesman and political economist.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The model which approached nearest to these in popularity -at the time was that of John Bright, the great -Anti-Corn Law Leaguer and apostle of Free Trade. -His portrait has long since stood beside that of Richard -Cobden, and these two inseparable reformers must remain -together for good, as they laboured together in -their lives.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was on one of the occasions when Bright’s likeness -had been brought up to date that an incident, -rather flattering to the modeller, occurred in the House -of Commons.</p> - -<p>An influential Chinaman, on being shown the sights -of London, was taken to the Houses of Parliament, -where he happened to notice a prominent member passing -through one of the lobbies. Without ceremony the -Chinaman pounced upon John Bright, and shook him -heartily by the hand. The genial statesman was highly -amused at the spontaneous greeting, and inquired how -it was the Chinaman knew him.</p> - -<p>“Oh,” he replied, “I knew you at once. I have just -come from seeing you at Madame Tussaud’s.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The Tichborne “Claimant”—Nearly an explosion—The big man’s -clothes—The real heir—The Claimant’s release from prison—Confession -and death.</p> - -</div> - -<p>I can hardly allow this period to pass without making -some reference to the fact that from 1872 -till 1874—when he was sentenced, on the 28th of -February, to fourteen years’ penal servitude—the name -of the “Claimant” to the Tichborne baronetcy and -estates was on every lip, and it seems to me that no -trial in my time has ever engrossed public attention to -such a degree.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus50"> - -<img src="images/illus50.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE TICHBORNE “CLAIMANT”</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Central figure in a famous perjury trial in England. An impression -was made of him before his conviction to penal servitude and another -model was made eleven years later on his return.</p> - -</div> - -<p>People flocked to see the Claimant’s portrait when -it was added to the collection, and perhaps that was -the first time one saw queues assembled outside the -doors of Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>The various incidents of this historic case absorbed -my youthful attention, and I recall how, at his -house in Kentish Town, the Claimant submitted to -the ordeal of having an impression taken of his -hands to show the curly thumbs and a scar on -his wrist which formed subjects of comment in the -courts.</p> - -<p>I was struck by the Claimant’s enormous size, which -yet did not seem to hinder his movements, for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> -agility of the bulky man was indeed extraordinary; -and equally surprising were the acuteness of his mind -and the suavity of his manner.</p> - -<p>To save him the inconvenience of fulfilling appointments -in the Exhibition studios, my father had a special -gas-light fixed at the Claimant’s house that sittings -might be taken in the evenings.</p> - -<p>This device, curiously enough, once put the life of -the Claimant in jeopardy. An old gasfitter in our -employment, named Dallender, who had done some -stage work, introduced an apparatus such as was used -in the theatres. Something went wrong with the -manipulation of the arrangements, and the room became -charged with gas. A servant was about to enter -the apartment with a light, when the Claimant himself -stopped her on noticing the strong smell. But -for this fact the famous Tichborne trial might have -had a sudden and tragic termination.</p> - -<p>The Claimant showed certain qualities which hardly -tallied with the character of the “uneducated butcher” -he was declared to be. Proof that he had some refinement -of feeling—or was he merely actuated by that -vanity frequently found among men of his class?—may -be inferred from an incident that greatly impressed -my father.</p> - -<p>The Claimant had promised that he would provide -a fresh suit of clothes for his model in the Exhibition, -and, in fulfilment of his promise, after the sentence -had been passed upon him, he beckoned from the table -at which he was seated in court to an attendant, and -handed him the suit of clothes, saying:</p> - -<p>“Please see to these being delivered at Madame Tussaud’s, -as they are expected there.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p> - -<p>This fact strikes one as being remarkable, having -regard to the anxiety of mind he must undoubtedly -have suffered at the close of the trial.</p> - -<p>It was a curious coincidence that I revisited my old -college at Ramsgate about this time, and there had -pointed out to me, among the students, the young heir -to the Tichborne estates, whose title had been made -clear by the conviction of the Claimant for perjury.</p> - -<p>The students were on their way to the refectory, -and the youthful heir appeared more concerned over -the prospect of a good dinner than the result of the -case upon which his future depended.</p> - -<p>Stories of the Claimant were countless as he strode -like a Colossus through the country in the long interval -between his civil case and the criminal trial that succeeded -it.</p> - -<p>He was mobbed by sympathisers everywhere, and -men and women shook hands with him, as if it bestowed -a distinction on themselves. There was one -amusing story at the time of a wealthy Yorkshire manufacturer -whose wife said to him when they entertained -the Claimant to dinner:</p> - -<p>“John, how we are slithering into Society!”</p> - -<p>After he had served eleven years’ imprisonment, his -sentence having been reduced through good conduct, -the Claimant came to the Exhibition to learn if he -could be of any further service to us, or we to him. -His ponderous bulk was so much reduced by prison -fare that we should not have known him. He said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -he was none the worse for the period of enforced “banting,” -which reduced his weight without injuring his -health.</p> - -<p>The Claimant gave me several sittings at this time, -and a new model was substituted for the old one. He -spoke freely of his prison experiences, and said:</p> - -<p>“It was not easy to be philosophical when set to tease -oakum, but eventually I bowed to my fate cheerfully -enough. It is some consolation to know that thousands -still believe in the justice of my claim to the -Tichborne estates.”</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding this, the Claimant published in a -Sunday newspaper his signed confession, which he -is said to have afterwards recanted.</p> - -<p>He survived his liberation from prison fourteen -years, and, gradually sinking into poverty, died in obscure -lodgings in Marylebone, not far from the Exhibition, -on the 2nd of April, 1898. The name engraved -on his coffin was “Sir Roger Charles Doughty -Tichborne,” thus maintaining his claim to the very -last.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>H. M. Stanley sits to Joseph Tussaud—The story of his life—How -he found Livingstone—A mysterious veiled lady—The Prince -Imperial.</p> - -</div> - -<p>In 1873 the nation was saddened by the death at -Ilala of Dr. Livingstone, the great missionary-explorer, -who, some time before, had disappeared in the -trackless wastes of Central Africa while preaching the -gospel to savages and making surveys of the great continent. -The name of Livingstone will always be bracketed -with that of H. M. Stanley, who, as the emissary -of the <cite>New York Herald</cite>, “discovered” him.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus51"> - -<img src="images/illus51.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">DAVID LIVINGSTONE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Missionary and African Explorer, whose model is in the -Tussaud collection.</p> - -</div> - -<p>When my father wrote to Stanley asking for a -sitting, he replied that he was too heavily engaged at -the time writing his book <cite>How I Found Livingstone</cite>, -and he proposed that the artist should call and make -a study of him at his desk. This he did, with the happy -result that he produced a very striking portrait.</p> - -<p>The story of Stanley’s life is a romance in itself.</p> - -<p>Born of poor parents at Denbigh, in Wales, about -1840, he at first bore the name of John Rowlands. -When about fifteen years of age he worked his way -as a cabin boy to New Orleans, where he was employed -by a merchant, name Stanley, whose name he assumed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span></p> - -<p>He served in the Confederate Army, contributed to -several journals, and in the year 1867 began his connection -with the <cite>New York Herald</cite>. As its special -correspondent he accompanied Lord Napier’s Abyssinian -Expedition, and the first news of the fall of Magdala -was conveyed to this country by his paper. He -next went to Spain for the <cite>Herald</cite>, and he was in Madrid -in October, 1869, when he received the peremptory -telegram “Come to Paris on important business.” He -immediately complied, and there received from Mr. -Bennett, junior, the laconic instruction and valediction, -“Find Livingstone! Good-night, and God be with -you.”</p> - -<p>In January, 1871, Stanley reached Zanzibar, and -two months later marched into the heart of Africa.</p> - -<p>It was on the 10th of November that he “found” -Livingstone at Ujiji. Well, indeed, as Stanley himself -admitted, was he repaid for all the dangers he -encountered on his journey when he grasped the hand -of the grey-haired old missionary—aged by climate and -exposure—whose whereabouts he had been sent to discover.</p> - -<p>We placed in the Exhibition portrait models not only -of Stanley, attired in a facsimile of the explorer’s suit -worn by him on the occasion of the historic meeting, -but also one of Dr. Livingstone himself. Probably -many more persons have gazed upon the figure of Livingstone -in the Exhibition than ever paid a pilgrimage -to see his final resting-place in Westminster Abbey.</p> - -<p>Together with the model of Stanley was placed a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -figure of his boy, Kalulu, concerning whom the explorer -wrote a book in 1873 (<cite>My Kalulu</cite>).</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 210px;" id="illus53"> - -<img src="images/illus53.jpg" width="210" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">NAPOLEON III.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The death of Napoleon III in the January of this -year was associated with one of the most impressive -tableaux in the long history of Madame Tussaud’s. -The Emperor was represented as lying in state, and I -find myself still wondering as to the identity of a tall, -stately lady, dressed in black and wearing a thick veil, -who came to the Exhibition on several occasions, bringing -a bunch of violets which she placed on the steps of -the catafalque, after having obtained a vase containing -water in which to put the flowers.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus52"> - -<img src="images/illus52.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE PRINCE IMPERIAL</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Son of Napoleon III., killed by the Zulus -on Whit Monday, 1879. From the painting -by Pichat.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The son of the Emperor Louis Napoleon, the Prince -Imperial, who was killed in the Zulu War, was made -the subject of an equestrian memorial at Madame -Tussaud’s some years later. The tableau closely conformed -with authentic details of the Prince’s attempt -to mount his horse and escape from the Zulu hordes, -who pierced him with many assegais.</p> - -<p>It had been suggested in the House of Commons that -an effigy to his memory should be erected in the Abbey, -in view of the fact that the young Bonaparte died in -one of England’s wars while serving under English -officers. A reference in <cite>Punch</cite> to this proposal suggested -that a much more suitable repository for a -memorial would be Madame Tussaud’s along with the -other memorials of the Bonaparte period on view there.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Count Léon—The Shah of Persia’s visit—A weird suggestion; no -response—King Koffee—Cetewayo.</p> - -</div> - -<p>About this time I met Count Léon, the natural -son of Napoleon the Great. The Count was -then nearing seventy years of age, and had taken refuge -in this country after the great <i lang="fr">débâcle</i> of 1870. He -lived in modest lodgings at Camden Town, and to pay -his way set about selling the last remaining relics of -the Imperial Family he had in his possession.</p> - -<p>In a diary I now have before me I find that my -father visited him on the 31st of January, 1873, the -Count having expressed a wish to show him the family -heirlooms, with the view to their finding a permanent -resting-place among the many Napoleonic memorials -at Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>The Count offered him a fine miniature of Napoleon -I’s brother, Lucien; a terra-cotta bust of Napoleon’s -mother, “Madame Mère”; and a snuff-box left by Napoleon -with Count Léon’s mother. The box contained -a portion of the snuff which the Emperor had been -using. There was also a lock of hair belonging to -Napoleon’s son, the Duc de Reichstadt, known in high -Imperial days as the King of Rome. One or two of -these relics were acquired for the Exhibition.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus54"> - -<img src="images/illus54.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">COUNT LÉON</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Natural son of Napoleon Bonaparte. A Portrait Study -by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The Count bore a striking resemblance to the Emperor, -except in two particulars: his figure was cast in -a larger mould, and his eyes were hazel, whereas Napoleon’s -were blue-grey. Count Léon returned to -France, leaving behind him in London his son Charles, -for whom I obtained a position in a City warehouse, -where he remained engaged for several years, being -at no pains to disguise his identity. My readers will -readily see that the name granted to his father by the -Emperor was composed of the last four letters in “Napoleon,” -a whimsical touch of Imperial humour.</p> - -<p>Count Léon finally settled at Pontoise, some twenty -miles north-west of Paris, first at the Villa Davenport -in the Rue l’Hermitage and afterwards in the Rue de -Beaujon. This was his last stage. The room that he -made his final refuge he adorned with four portraits -of Napoleon, “my glorious father.”</p> - -<p>To what depths had the Emperor’s son fallen! The -old man’s shirts were in rags; he could not afford clean -linen; he had to forgo tobacco. He died on the 14th -of April, 1881, and without pomp or ceremony his body -was laid in a pauper’s grave. His only memorial was -a grassy mound and a little black wooden cross that -soon rotted and fell to pieces.</p> - -<p>On the 2nd of July, 1873, the Shah of Persia, accompanied -by his numerous suite, visited Madame Tussaud’s, -and was accorded a private view with some -pomp and formality. His visit to the Exhibition was -deemed of such importance that it gained the unusual -distinction of a special reference in the <cite>Court Circular</cite>. -Members of our Royal Household in considerable numbers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> -attended in state, and formed an imposing assemblage. -The public was excluded.</p> - -<p>The domes of the building were specially darkened -to give effect to the internal illuminations, which were -very beautiful. None enjoyed the function more than -the Shah himself, who laughed heartily as he pointed -at models he was able to recognise, and several times -turned from a figure to a person present, indicating -by a gesture and a chuckle his pride at discerning the -likeness. The merry monarch even went so far as to -pose among the figures as a real, live royal model.</p> - -<p>Before leaving the Exhibition the Shah called for -pen and paper, and, surrounded by the distinguished -company, wrote in Persian the following: “Whilst -staying in London I visited Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition, -and wrote these words here by way of memorial -to my visit.—<span class="smcap">Nasserdin Chah Kadjar</span>, 1290 -Haegira (1873).”</p> - -<p>The above free translation was there and then made -by one of His Solar Highness’s secretaries, and it possesses -the charm of its own defects.</p> - -<p>The “king of kings” was in his most humorously autocratic -vein among the unhallowed figures of the -Chamber of Horrors. He seemed to gloat over the -collection of criminals and notorieties, examining with -unaffected delight the guillotine which cut off so many -heads during the French Revolution.</p> - -<p>The lunette in which the necks of the victims were -held in position greatly fascinated the Shah, who -hinted that a condemned prisoner should be brought -from one of the English gaols to be decapitated on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> -the spot for the edification of himself and his attendants.</p> - -<p>It was pointed out, as an evasive measure, that no -condemned man was available at that moment, whereupon -His Majesty turned to the members of his suite -and called for volunteers.</p> - -<p>Such a thing, however, as an execution at Madame -Tussaud’s was out of the question, even to gratify -the whim of so illustrious a personage; and the Shah’s -retainers looked genuinely relieved when they gathered -that their royal master was not to have his way.</p> - -<p>This period seemed to inaugurate a series of little -wars, which, nevertheless, then excited the interest of -the people, whose descendants may well remark how -comparatively small these wars were. The Ashantee -campaign ended in the fall of Coomassie on the 4th -of February, 1874, and Sir Garnet Wolseley added -fresh laurels to his fame. It was with real regret that -the public looked in vain for the portrait of King -Koffee at Madame Tussaud’s. As the dusky potentate -had evidently never had his photograph taken, and -as “sittings” were out of the question, we could not -very well gratify the public curiosity for lack of the -necessary data.</p> - -<p>Not only did people expect to discover King Koffee’s -portrait, but they also clamoured to see his famous -umbrella, which Wolseley “borrowed” from His -Majesty’s mud-palace at Coomassie, and obviously -failed to return, for the umbrella was accepted as a -gift by Queen Victoria from the gallant Commander of -this brief and brilliant expedition. We confessed then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -to a twinge of envy that the celebrated gamp had not -found its way to Madame Tussaud’s. We were, however, -amply compensated by the public favour with -which the portrait of Sir Garnet was received.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus57"> - -<img src="images/illus57.jpg" width="380" height="580" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">KING CETEWAYO</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Deposed King of the Zulus, who visited England as the “guest of -the Government” and whose image in wax remains at Madame -Tussaud’s as a memorial of his visit.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The deposed King of the Zulus, Cetewayo, who was -subsequently restored to a portion of his kingdom, made -a considerable stir when he visited this country as the -“guest of the Government.” A friend who was appointed -to take shorthand notes when Cetewayo attended -at the Foreign Office enabled me to gain a view -of the burly black monarch, and I had an opportunity -of comparing the original with the many published -portraits.</p> - -<p>He was a handsome type of a fine race, and looked -a king even among the stalwart members of his suite, -everyone of whom seemed to be six feet at least in -height and well-proportioned.</p> - -<p>Cetewayo’s figure had been in the Exhibition some -time before, and it now became possible to bring it up -to date. Everything was done to impress Cetewayo -with the strength of the British Empire; but it was -discovered that the objects which appealed most to his -savage taste were the cattle in the fields, the cloth in -the factories, and the gewgaws and jewels in the shop -windows.</p> - -<p>“He is uglier than that,” said an envoy of the Induna -King, Gungunhana, critically scrutinising Cetewayo’s -figure, when he visited the Exhibition in June, -1891.</p> - -<p>This native envoy rejoiced in the name of Huluhulu-Untato, -his companion being Umfeti-Inteni.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span> -They thought the figures were really dead bodies which -had been preserved from decay. When told that they -were merely waxen images the Indunas expressed disappointment -that the white man had not completed -his work by putting breath into the bodies.</p> - -<p>When Huluhulu came before the figure of Queen -Victoria he saluted Her silent Majesty, and stood -audibly worshipping her for a minute or two.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The Berlin Congress—Lord Beaconsfield and the “Turnerelli wreath”—“The -People’s Tribute” finds a home at Tussaud’s—The sculptor’s -despair—He constructs his tombstone and dies.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The year 1876—in which we find the Prince of -Wales arriving at Calcutta, the commercial metropolis -of India; “Empress of India” added to the -royal titles of Queen Victoria; and Disraeli’s elevation -to the Upper House as Earl of Beaconsfield—gave us -subjects that kept our studios extremely busy, and also -brought a constant stream of visitors to the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>The portrait of the Queen had now to be remodelled; -that of the Prince of Wales appeared in the garb of -a big-game hunter; and Disraeli’s doffed its ordinary -attire for the robes of a peer.</p> - -<p>Following these “moving” events, we now come -to a period when the country became apprehensively -aware of ominous happenings in the Balkan States.</p> - -<p>Russia declared war on Turkey in 1877, and forced -a clear road to Constantinople. This threat to our -Eastern Empire aroused the spirit of war, particularly -in London, and “gentlemen of the pavement,” as Bismarck -styled the men in the street, gloried in the ultra-patriotic -sentiment which obtained the name of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -“Jingo”; while music-halls and taverns rang with the -rousing chorus embodying that distinctive epithet:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">We don’t want to fight,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">But, by jingo, if we do,</div> -<div class="verse">We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And we’ve got the money too.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Lord Beaconsfield’s prompt demand that a halt -should be called to hostilities, for the adjustment of -differences between the belligerents, led to the Berlin -Congress, and gave us an excellent opportunity of adding -an imposing group of the European statesmen who -framed the Berlin Treaty.</p> - -<p>Yet, so mercurial is the public taste, and so pronounced -is the love of the British race for anything -that is amusingly abnormal, that I doubt whether ten -people did not come to see the “Turnerelli wreath” -for one who came to scan the features of these great -peace-makers.</p> - -<p>“What was the ‘Turnerelli wreath’?” the present -generation may ask. It was the pivot of a political -comedy that set the whole nation laughing.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus55"> - -<img src="images/illus55.jpg" width="380" height="440" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">EDWARD TRACY TURNERELLI</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Promoter of “The People’s Tribute” refused by -Lord Beaconsfield.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Edward Tracy Turnerelli, a sculptor’s son, and himself -a sculptor, instituted a penny subscription to present -Lord Beaconsfield with a gold laurel wreath, which -he called “The People’s Tribute,” in appreciation of his -many services to the State and in commemoration of -his great part in the deliberations of the Berlin Congress.</p> - -<p>Fifty-two thousand workmen subscribed their pennies -in vain, for Lord Beaconsfield courteously, but -firmly, declined the gift, and it was left on Turnerelli’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -hands; while he, of course, could hardly be expected to -refund the copper contributions.</p> - -<p>I am indebted to Mr. J. H. Bottomley, Conservative -agent for Clapham, for a copy of the following interesting -autograph letter from Lord Beaconsfield, expressing -his satisfaction that the course he had adopted -in declining to accept the wreath had met with the approval -of many who had been induced to sanction -the proposed gift:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="right"><i>10 Downing Street, Whitehall, August 11th, 1879.</i></p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>,</p> - -<p>I have the honour to acknowledge your letter of the -9th inst.</p> - -<p>It gives me much satisfaction to learn that the course -I felt it my duty to take with respect to a certain -pseudo-testimonial has met with the approval of many -of those who, originally, by misleading representations, -were induced to sanction a surreptitious gift.</p> - -<p>I am gratified by the suggestion, which, on behalf -of various Conservative associations, you put before -me, that I should receive a National Address of confidence -as a substitution for the rejected offering, but -when I call to mind that the present policy of Her -Majesty’s Government, unchanged and unshaken, is -precisely the same as that which, scarcely a year ago, -received an unanimous and most honourable expression -of approval from the Conservative Association of this -country, I hope I am not presumptuous if, without now -troubling them for its renewed avowal, I still venture -to count on the continued confidence, which, then, was -so welcome and so cheering.</p> - -<p class="center">Faithfully yours,</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Beaconsfield</span>.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span></p> - -<p>The postman who delivered this letter to Mr. Bottomley -offered him all his savings (£19 5s.) for the -letter.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bottomley received in five days, in 1879, more -than 3,000 pennies from the working men of Oldham, -together with the personal signature of each contributor, -and he holds Mr. Turnerelli’s receipt for the -£13 5s. he sent him for the tribute.</p> - -<p>The wreath was offered to us, and purchased at its -gold valuation.</p> - -<p>I looked at it to-day, and renewed my admiration -of its artistic design and remarkable beauty. Every -leaf is of gold, and under each one is inscribed the -name of a town where a committee collected the pennies. -The “tie” bears the inscription “Tracy Turnerelli, -chairman.”</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 250px;" id="illus56"> - -<img src="images/illus56.jpg" width="250" height="220" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE TURNERELLI WREATH</p> - -<p class="captionsub">“The People’s Tribute” offered to and -declined by Lord Beaconsfield in 1879.</p> - -</div> - -<p>While London roared and cynics wrote satirical -quips, the promoter of “The People’s Tribute” took -its rejection very much to heart. I have seen a -cabinet-size photograph of the disappointed sculptor, -taken immediately afterwards, showing him with head -thrown back, resting on his left hand, in a theatrical -posture of profound despair.</p> - -<p>Before the Beaconsfield wreath made the name of -Turnerelli a byword, the public-spirited sculptor, who -had spent a long time in Russia, vehemently opposed -the Crimean War, as did also Mr. John Bright. Turnerelli -was received by Lord Aberdeen on the subject, -and the Prime Minister was said to have been impressed -by the sculptor’s sincerity and the cogency of -his arguments. He also saw Lord John Russell, then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -Foreign Secretary, Lord Clarendon, and Lord Palmerston. -In one particular he was vindicated. He declared -that Cronstadt was impregnable, and as the war -went on this proved to be the case.</p> - -<p>Turnerelli, unluckily for himself, thereafter entertained -the chimerical idea of presenting the golden -laurel chaplet to Lord Beaconsfield, estimating that -the cost of each leaf would be about £5. He succeeded, -at any rate, in convincing sceptical people -that there were at least 52,000 Conservative working -men in the country. The wreath was made by Messrs. -Hunt and Roskell, who put it on exhibition at their -rooms. It was also shown to the Prince of Wales -and other members of the Royal Family before being -exhibited at the Crystal Palace.</p> - -<p>Turnerelli’s own explanation of Lord Beaconsfield’s -refusal to accept the wreath was a curious one. He -stated that a “high legal functionary” warned Lord -Beaconsfield that the wreath was a typical “Imperial -diadem” which could only be loyally offered to a -sovereign, and that it would be an insult to the Crown -if a subject were to accept such a gift.</p> - -<p>This same legal authority, Turnerelli said, reminded -him that the promoter of such a presentation would -have been consigned, in previous reigns, to the Tower -of London.</p> - -<p>These warnings came too late for Turnerelli, who, -had he known about them sooner, might have substituted -an inoffensive golden inkstand or a pair of -golden candlesticks. But the wreath was allowed to -go on to completion, to be put on exhibition, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> -to be written about in a light and fleering spirit; while -the statesman to whom it was to be presented offered -no remonstrance until the pennies of the 52,000 working -men had been spent on it.</p> - -<p>Flippant people suggested that the whole affair was -a “plant” on Turnerelli’s part to win from Lord Beaconsfield -some honour or emolument; but those who -knew Turnerelli well scouted this insinuation, and -attributed the whole proceeding to the guileless sincerity -of the man.</p> - -<p>Had he never embarked upon the wreath project, -he might have preserved some reputation as a writer -of topical political verse and pamphlets. The wreath, -however, may serve to preserve his memory longer, as -an episode in the life of the great Conservative statesman -whom he artlessly, rather than artfully, desired -to honour.</p> - -<p>In a curious last will and testament Turnerelli said: -“I leave the gold laurel wreath to the nation, provided -my generous friends the Conservatives will help me -to cover the hundred and fifty pounds or thereabouts -I have personally expended upon it.”</p> - -<p>To a Birmingham gentleman, with whom he had -almost completed negotiations for the sale of the wreath -for £245, he wrote: “By the advice of influential -friends I have determined to let Madame Tussaud & -Sons have the privilege of exhibiting the wreath.” -Turnerelli compensated the Birmingham would-be purchaser -for alleged breach of contract.</p> - -<p><cite>Punch</cite>, of the 22nd of November, 1879, contained -the following: “What the Wreath has come to.—The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> -brows of Lord Beaconsfield at Madame Tussaud’s. -<cite>Punch</cite> said it would, and it has.”</p> - -<p><cite>Funny Folks</cite> said: “The Beaconsfield Wreath is at -Madame Tussaud’s, probably worn by his lordship’s -effigy. Curious that this emblem of popularity should -be on the wax, while the popularity itself is on the -wane.”</p> - -<p>It may be stated that the gold wreath never rested -on the waxen brows of Lord Beaconsfield, despite what -<cite>Punch</cite> said to the contrary.</p> - -<p>I am reminded that, in his latter days, Turnerelli -sought consolation for worldly disdain in designing and -constructing his own tombstone. This was erected in -Leamington Cemetery about four years before his -death, and serves as a monument not only for himself, -but also for his father, who was a famous sculptor in -the early part of the century, and is buried in London.</p> - -<p>After the erection of the tombstone the younger -Turnerelli regularly went to gaze at it for an hour or -two. The block is surmounted by an imitation in stone -of the famous rejected wreath.</p> - -<p>Turnerelli died at Leamington on the 24th of January, -1896, aged eighty-four years.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The Phœnix Park murders—We secure the jaunting-car and pony—Charles -Bradlaugh—General Boulanger—Lord Roberts inspects -the model of himself.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The requirements of the business have often necessitated -our sending fairly far afield in quest of -exhibits, and this has seldom been done without success, -as people with desirable relics to dispose of appear -to have recognised the claims of Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>Between seven and eight o’clock on Saturday evening, -the 6th of May, 1882, Lord Frederick Cavendish, -the newly appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, -and Mr. Thomas Burke, the Permanent Irish Under-Secretary, -were stabbed to death in Phœnix Park, -Dublin, and twenty “Invincibles” were subsequently -tried for the murder, five being hanged, three sentenced -to penal servitude for life, and nine to various terms of -imprisonment.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus59"> - -<img src="images/illus59.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Chief Secretary for Ireland, who met his death by assassination in -Phœnix Park, Dublin, May 6th, 1882. One of the most noted of -the many victims of Irish political agitators.</p> - -</div> - -<p>James Carey, who turned Queen’s evidence and was -acquitted, paid for the betrayal of his associates with -his life, for he was shot by Patrick O’Donnell on board -the <i>Melrose Castle</i>, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa, -on the 24th of July, 1883. The Government, in their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> -efforts to get Carey safely into another part of the -world under an assumed name, were thus outwitted by -the “Invincible” avengers.</p> - -<p>It had been intimated to the management of the -Exhibition that there was a chance of Madame Tussaud’s -obtaining from Michael Kavanagh the jaunting-car -in which the assassins drove to and from the -scene of the crime. Kavanagh was a typical Dublin -jarvey, with an almost unintelligible brogue, from -whom the car was hired. The assassins drove several -miles circuitously about the scene of the tragedy with -the object of escaping detection.</p> - -<p>Our representative was forthwith sent to Dublin, and -soon found himself in possession of Kavanagh’s car. -The good-humoured jarvey seemed glad to be rid of the -vehicle; anyhow, the price he asked was not a prohibitive -one.</p> - -<p>One thing was particularly noticeable, namely, that -the number on the car differed from the number quoted -in the newspaper accounts describing it when taken by -the police. It was discovered, however, that the “Invincibles” -had changed the number before the fateful -journey. A condition was made by Kavanagh that the -pony which drew the car should also be purchased, as -he wished to have done with them both.</p> - -<p>It took only a few hours to complete the transaction, -and thereafter Kavanagh drove the purchaser -over the ground traversed by the assassins in their endeavours -to throw the police off the scent. This was -a voluntary act on the part of Kavanagh, and our -representative was curiously exercised at the time to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> -understand why he imagined the trip should interest -him.</p> - -<p>To facilitate transit the car was taken to pieces by -a coach-builder at Kingstown and wrapped in sacking, -in the hope that it would not be observed. It was -then put on the night boat for Holyhead.</p> - -<p>The pony found a home in stables belonging to the -Exhibition, and soon afterwards came to an untimely -end from too little exercise and a too liberal allowance -of provender. Why we did not sell the pony for what -it might fetch is more than can be told to-day; it -may be surmised that such an expedient did not occur -to our minds.</p> - -<p>On the voyage across passengers whispered to each -other that the Phœnix Park car was on board, and on -its arrival in London there appeared among the latest -telegrams in an evening paper: “Kavanagh’s car goes -to Madame Tussaud’s.” Evidently the Irish correspondents -had wired the news of which we ourselves -had hoped to make a special announcement.</p> - -<p>The car was soon put together, and placed on view -at the Exhibition in one of the rooms adjacent to the -Chamber of Horrors, and in another part of the Exhibition -were shown the portraits of Lord Frederick -Cavendish and Mr. Burke.</p> - -<p>After being exhibited many years the car was given -to a gentleman who manifested an interest in it. Its -new owner had it renovated for his own use as a private -conveyance, and he might often have been seen driving -it in the streets of London, no one suspecting its notorious -history.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus60"> - -<img src="images/illus60.jpg" width="380" height="560" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">CHARLES BRADLAUGH</p> - -<p class="captionsub">English radical politician and advocate of secularism.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Charles Bradlaugh sat many times to my father, and -proved an entertaining and patient subject, sincerely -desirous that his portrait should be a true representation -of himself. He discussed the troubles he was then -passing through in the political arena over the oath, -for which, after much contention, he was permitted -to substitute an affirmation.</p> - -<p>I remember him in his comings and goings, wearing -a frock-coat and silk hat, tall and of commanding appearance, -always affable and chatty.</p> - -<p>A humorous writer of the day made fun of Mr. -Bradlaugh’s advent at Madame Tussaud’s as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>Tremendous excitement on the admission of Mr. -Bradlaugh in wax into Madame Tussaud’s establishment. -Cobbett’s figure gave an extra kick of delight, -and as he offered his snuff-box to the unwelcome guest -he assured him that he was a friend at a pinch. Oliver -Cromwell, Cranmer, and Charles I were indignant. -The Russian giant is annoyed, and Tom Thumb threatens -to make the place too hot for him. Figures waxing -wrath!</p> - -<p>Latest telegram from Baker Street: “Bradlaugh -cool; great heat. Cromwell showing signs of melting; -all melting. Sleeping Beauty undisturbed.”</p> - -<p>The latest latest: “Threatened with the guillotine -in the Chamber of Horrors if they are not quiet. Tranquillity -restored.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>On many occasions it has been my office to accompany -round the Exhibition visitors whose likenesses -were at the time on view—always a trying ordeal.</p> - -<p>I call to mind the visit paid by General Boulanger -shortly after that Meteoric ex-Minister of War quitted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -Paris for London to avoid arrest. It will be remembered -that Boulanger was wounded in a duel with -Floquet, his political antagonist, and that he dramatically -ended his chequered life by shooting himself on -the grave, in Brussels, of the woman to whom he was -fondly attached.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus58"> - -<img src="images/illus58.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">GENERAL BOULANGER</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Meteoric Minister of War for France, who ended his life in Brussels -by shooting himself on the grave of the woman to whom he was -devoted.</p> - -</div> - -<p>As we stood before his facsimile, which had been -only recently modelled, and, as it happened, represented -him as considerably younger than his years, the -General smiled and said, when I invited him to grant -me a special sitting, “It is very, very good; do not -touch it.” I fancied that, like most people, Boulanger -had no objection to a flattering youthful reproduction -of himself.</p> - -<p>Boulanger’s inclusion at Madame Tussaud’s was the -subject of a full-page cartoon by Tenniel in <cite>Punch</cite>, -showing the be-medalled General standing in his stirrups -on horseback and waving his hand as though in -the act of delivering an important command. The -cartoon was entitled “<i lang="fr">Chez</i> Madame Tussaud’s.” An -Exhibition employé was represented as saying to the -little black-bonneted Madame—with a covert allusion -to the General’s political reverses—“Where is he to be -put <em>now</em>, ma’am?”</p> - -<p>It was with a certain amount of surprise that I -realised a short time ago, when the question was put -to me by a prominent member of the Press, that during -the thirty years I have been exclusively responsible -for the modelling here, together with the fifteen or -sixteen years in which I was working under my father,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> -I must have produced, with studies, close upon a thousand -models.</p> - -<p>It is, of course, quite natural that many celebrities -who pay a visit to the Exhibition, well knowing that -their likenesses, have a place within it, are not escorted -round the galleries. For the most part, coyly and -shyly they seek out their own models, and, more often -than not, approach them with a concern born of a too-studied -indifference that is sometimes extremely amusing.</p> - -<p>“Bobs” was not of that order; he was a notable exception -to the general rule.</p> - -<p>“Where’s my figure?” he asked plump and plain, -and around it he stepped, quizzically examining it from -various points of view. When he had satisfied himself -that it was a fairly true representation, he ejaculated, -“Not at all bad! Not at all bad!” and walked off to -inspect the relics of the great Napoleon.</p> - -<p>Lord Roberts’s figure had been installed soon after -his famous march from Kabul to Khandahar in the -Afghan War.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>My favourite portrait—Lord Tennyson poses unconsciously before -my wife—“This beats Tussaud’s”—Sir Richard Burton—His -widow clothes the model.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Of all the portraits of my own modelling, I think, -if I may be permitted to express an opinion, I -like that of Lord Tennyson as well as any. It revives -pleasant memories, and I will ask my readers if -I may bring my wife into this part of my story. By -a coincidence, as I raised my eyes at this moment, my -glance fell upon a bust of Tennyson resting on a shelf -in my studio.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus62"> - -<img src="images/illus62.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">HEAD OF LORD TENNYSON (POET LAUREATE 1850-1892)</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The bust modeled by John T. Tussaud, first exhibited at the Royal -Academy, London, in 1892, now in the Tussaud collection.</p> - -</div> - -<p>About the time when I was engaged with the model -of the great Victorian poet I had rented a farm cottage -near Freshwater, Isle of Wight, and I remember -my wife telling me that she frequently saw Tennyson -in the neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>On several occasions the poet, who lived at Farringford, -near by, while taking his daily constitutional, -came and leant upon the garden gate, evidently -charmed with the beauty of the place. The old -thatched roof and the quaint attractiveness of the cottage -might well have given rise to reflections in less -imaginative minds than that of a poet.</p> - -<p>I had not the opportunity of studying Tennyson’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> -features at that time; but my wife, coyly hidden in -a favourite spot in the garden, was able to observe -him closely. Being herself an artist of no mean ability, -she thus afforded me considerable help in the production -of his portrait.</p> - -<p>It seems strange that perhaps the most reclusive -of men should have unwittingly come forward and -posed, as it were, at the very door of the artist who -was then desirous of obtaining sittings.</p> - -<p>One day, while I was at work in the studio on -Tennyson, I was visited by Father Haythornthwaite, -rector of the Catholic Church at Freshwater. The -priest was greatly interested, and he must have conveyed -to the poet the intelligence that I was about -to place his figure in Madame Tussaud’s, for very -shortly afterwards I learned that Tennyson was particularly -desirous that I should bear in mind that, in -spite of his four-score years, he had not a grey hair -in his head—a touch of nature that seemed to me particularly -human.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A nice but unintentional compliment was paid to -one of our tableaux about this time by the present -King, when he was Duke of York. We complied with -a request to furnish a representation of the scene of -the death of Nelson in the cockpit of the <i>Victory</i> for -the Royal Naval Exhibition at Chelsea in May, 1891. -This tableau was founded on the famous picture by -Devis, which found a permanent home at Greenwich -Hospital in 1825; and it was very well received by -the visitors to the Exhibition. The compliment to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> -which I allude was not heard by me, but it was reported -in the Press at the time that the Duke of York, -while looking at the tableau, exclaimed, “Why, this -beats Tussaud’s!”</p> - -<p>The tableau has been in our Exhibition ever since, -and is a great favourite with all. When the present -Prince of Wales and his brother Albert paid us a visit, -the Sailor Prince looked long and intently at the historic -scene. Both boys were also a good deal moved -as they gazed on the tableau showing the murder of -the two little princes in the Tower of London—a representation -over which many impressionable people -have been unable to keep dry eyes.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 285px;" id="illus61"> - -<img src="images/illus61.jpg" width="285" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SIR RICHARD BURTON</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The effigy dressed in the clothes he wore on his famous pilgrimage -to Mecca, modeled by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>A great name with the past generation was that of -Sir Richard Burton, who, sixty-six years ago, in fulfilment -of a lifelong dream, made a pilgrimage to the -shrine of the prophet Mahomet at Mecca when it was -believed that no Christian could go there. Besides -being a great explorer he was a man of scholarly attainments, -and his translation of the <cite>Arabian Nights</cite> -bears the stamp of an intimate familiarity with the -Orient.</p> - -<p>When Sir Richard died his remarkable career became -so much a subject of general comment in the -Press that the British public awakened to the fact -that a great Englishman had just passed away.</p> - -<p>Apart from his literary achievements, the account -of his exploits revealed so great a love of adventure -and so much disregard for narrowing conventionalities<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -as to leaven the story of his life with a very strong -tincture of romance.</p> - -<p>When modelling his figure I saw a great deal of his -handsome and stately widow, and I am sure no woman -could have taken a greater pleasure or more pains -in assisting an artist with such an undertaking. Every -thought, every action, she bestowed upon the work -showed how deeply she cherished her husband’s memory -and how vividly the portrait stirred her imagination.</p> - -<p>She clothed the model with perhaps the greatest -personal treasure of his she possessed—that is to say, -the actual garments her husband wore when he went -on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. She tarried long -over the finishing touches that should make his presentment -look its best before the critical eyes of the public -should scan it. Ornaments, beads, trappings, had -each her full consideration, and the very weapons of -defence stuck anglewise in his belt were subjected to -her most careful arrangement.</p> - -<p>Of the capacity for taking pains there was no limit -in Isabel Lady Burton’s nature; but the labour in producing -the figure, after many trying weeks, at last -came to an end; and there readily springs to my mind -the pathetic picture of her bestowing upon the figure -the few final touches, her fingers lingering over the -pleats and folds of his robe ere she could declare herself -satisfied that the task she had undertaken in helping -with the model had been done at her very best.</p> - -<p>There was one little difficulty, however, that she -could not quite surmount. The costume was complete<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span> -in every respect except one—the sandals he had worn -on his hazardous journey to Mecca had become, owing -to the wet and heat and the passage of time, mere -tinder, and could not be placed upon the figure.</p> - -<p>The following brief but interesting letter explains -how this difficulty was overcome:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="right"><i>67, Baker Street, Portman Square, W., May 22nd, 1894.</i></p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Dear Mr. Tussaud</span>,</p> - -<p>I sent you a pair of sandals yesterday belonging to -me, but to-day I have had the promise of a pair from -the Prior of the Franciscans which would suit much better. -I shall send them directly I receive them.</p> - -<p class="center">Yours sincerely,</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Isabel Burton</span>.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The monument at Mortlake, on the Thames, within -which now repose the remains of Sir Richard and his -wife, consists of a white marble mausoleum, sculptured -in the form of an Arab tent, its cost having been partly -defrayed by public subscription.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Removal of the Exhibition to the present building—Sleeping “figures”—History -of the Portman Rooms—The Cato Street Conspiracy—Baron -Grant’s staircase.</p> - -</div> - -<p>After fifty prosperous years at the old Baker -Street Rooms—now known as the Portman -Rooms—it became necessary that Madame Tussaud’s -should find more commodious premises to meet the -growing popularity of the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>The removal to the present well-known red building -was made in July, 1884, and the change took about -a week, during which the staff put in very long hours. -So strenuous a time was it that some of them could -hardly keep their eyes open towards the end of this -transition period.</p> - -<p>There were considerably more than four hundred -figures, not to mention countless other things, to transfer; -and the models were cloaked for conveyance, as -the idea could not be entertained of portraits of royalties, -celebrities, and notorieties being carried uncovered -and exposed to the vulgar gaze.</p> - -<p>The wrapping of the images in sheets led to an amusing -incident after they had been removed. Before -they could be properly arranged and a fitting place assigned -to each, the exhibits were placed in their coverings -on the floor. This fact, it appeared, suggested -to tired members of the staff a way by which they -might be able to snatch a little rest.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span></p> - -<p>Missing some of the men, my suspicions were directed -to the prostrate exhibits, and I proceeded to prod -the sheeted figures, with the result that here and there -my attentions called forth manifestations of life. The -weary helpers had laid themselves down to sleep among -the models, hoping not to be disturbed. Although -time was pressing, they were permitted to continue a -few hours’ well-earned rest with their pack-sheet cloaks -around them.</p> - -<p>Few of our visitors on the closing night were aware -of the forthcoming change-over, and it was only when -the band, after playing the last bar of the National -Anthem, struck up “Auld Lang Syne” that the visitors -realised what it all signified. There was a touch of -pathos in the farewell scenes, and for the next week -Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition was not included among -the sights of London.</p> - -<p>When the old rooms in Baker Street were taken -over for hospital uses in the war, my mind reverted -to an historic coincidence of considerable military interest.</p> - -<p>More than a hundred years ago what is now the -Baker Street Carriage Bazaar formed the barracks and -stabling of the Royal Life Guards. The place was -then known as the King Street Barracks. Old inhabitants -of the neighbourhood used to tell me that -a regiment of the Guards marched from these quarters -on their way to the field of Waterloo.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p> - -<p>A little way off was the Portman Street Barracks, -from which Captain Fitzclarence set out to arrest -Arthur Thistlewood and his confederates in connection -with the Cato Street Conspiracy—one of the most -desperate and foolhardy episodes in modern English -history.</p> - -<p>Thistlewood and other members of the Spencean -Society—which might almost be described as the prototype -of latter-day Bolshevism—conceived the mad -idea that they could capture, among other strongholds, -the Bank of England, the Mansion House, the Tower -of London, and Coutts’s Bank; but they found that the -public sympathy on which they counted did not exist. -Thistlewood was thrown into gaol for treasonable utterances, -and instead of imprisonment bringing him -to his right senses, he became more fanatical than -ever.</p> - -<p>The crowning act of infamy on the part of this -nineteenth-century “Guy Fawkes” and his followers -was to hatch a plot for the assassination of Ministers -at a Cabinet dinner in Lord Harrowby’s house, Grosvenor -Square. The conspirators took a loft over a -stable in Cato Street, Marylebone, where they accumulated -arms, bombs, and hand-grenades, vainly imagining -that the police knew nothing of their movements, -whereas the authorities were only waiting the right -moment for action.</p> - -<p>Thistlewood and his gang of desperadoes were arrested -in the act of arming themselves for the wholesale -assassination of the heads of the Government. In -the scuffle Thistlewood killed a police-officer with his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> -sword. The ringleader and four others, named Brunt, -Davidson, Ings, and Tidd, were executed on the evidence -of one of their own associates, who told the -court that it was intended, in the first instance, to set -fire to the King Street Barracks and either take the -Life Guardsmen prisoners or kill them as they sat in -their mess-room. This mess-room, fifteen years later, -was occupied by Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Few, if any, of the thousands of persons who mount -and descend the marble staircase which adorns the entrance-hall -of Madame Tussaud’s are aware that it -originally formed part of a lordly pleasure house which -was erected by the late Baron Grant on the site of -what was one of the vilest slums (then known as -“The Rookery”) in Kensington.</p> - -<p>Who was Baron Grant?</p> - -<p>The late Baron was born in Dublin in 1830. His -real name, it appears, was Gottheimer. His parents -were poor, and he had a hard upbringing. By dint, -however, of industry, the sharpness of his wits and -his great aptitude for business, he acquired wealth and -a reputation in the City of London.</p> - -<p>At the age of thirty-five he was elected M.P. for -Kidderminster, standing as a Liberal-Conservative and -defeating Lord Annaly, who was at that time a Lord -of the Treasury. In 1868 he was appointed a Deputy-Lieutenant -of the Tower Hamlets, and in the same -year the King of Italy conferred upon him the hereditary -dignity of Baron and appointed him a Commander -of the Order of St. Maurice and Lazare.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span></p> - -<p>These distinctions were well deserved by the then -Mr. Grant for the services he had rendered in connection -with the completion of the famous Victor Emmanuel -Gallery in Milan, though in one of the burlesques -of the period the decoration was scathingly referred -to in the following couplet:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Kings can titles give, but honour can’t,</div> -<div class="verse">So title without honour’s but a <em>barren Grant</em>.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>At the height of his prosperity Baron Grant built -his princely mansion at Kensington Gore. It was never -occupied, except for one night, when the “bachelors of -London”—in other words, the smart young men of -London Society—hired the house from the Baron’s -creditors and gave a ball of exceptional splendour.</p> - -<p>The Baron was unable to pay the contractor, and -the mansion, known as “Grant’s Folly,” was pulled -down because no one could afford to buy or rent it. -The magnificent marble staircase, which cost £11,000, -was bought by Madame Tussaud’s for £1,000, and -placed in our Exhibition.</p> - -<p>The beautiful iron railings and gates of the “Folly” -were purchased for the Sandown Park Club, where, I -understand, they may still be seen.</p> - -<p>Baron Grant was a keen collector of works of art, -and once obtained the honour of being voted the -thanks of the House of Commons for presenting a -picture to the National Gallery.</p> - -<p>It came about in this way:</p> - -<p>On the 18th of May, 1874, a very valuable portrait -of Sir Walter Scott was put up to auction at Christie’s,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -and was eventually secured by Baron Grant for 800 -guineas. The same evening Sir Stafford Northcote, the -Leader of the House, was asked by a private member -why the Government had not purchased so fine a work -of art for the nation. He replied that the Treasury -had no funds available for the outlay. Thereupon -the Baron rose and stated that he had already written -offering the picture to the Trustees of the National -Gallery.</p> - -<p>Sir Stafford immediately proposed a vote of thanks, -and this was carried with much enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>Eight hundred guineas, however, was far from being -the largest sum which the Baron spent on a single -picture. He gave £10,000 for Landseer’s “Otter -Hunt,” and the value of his collection may be judged -from the fact that it realised £106,000 when the inevitable -crash came and his art treasures passed under -the hammer to pay his creditors.</p> - -<p>The great benefaction for which Baron Grant will -always be remembered is the gift of Leicester Square -to the Metropolis at a cost to him of upwards of -£30,000. For years this Square had been dilapidated -and a disgrace to London, with a huge hoarding round -it. Baron Grant secured, by purchase, all the rights -of the owners. He then planted the gardens, and -erected in the centre the statue of Shakespeare by Signor -Fontana. This was, at the time, the only statue -of the world’s greatest dramatist existing out of doors -in his own country. The liberal donor also placed in -the Square busts of celebrated men who had lived in -the neighbourhood. These included Sir Isaac Newton,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> -John Hunter, William Hogarth, and Sir Joshua -Reynolds.</p> - -<p>This act of munificence did not bring the Baron the -popularity he so much desired, for after the princely -gift was presented by him to the Metropolitan Board -of Works on the 2nd of July, 1874, the following -verses were freely sold at the opening ceremony:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Of course, you’ve heard the news that Baron Grant,</div> -<div class="verse">To gain what most he wants—a good repute,</div> -<div class="verse">Has promised to reclaim</div> -<div class="verse">Wild Leicester Square, so long the West End’s shame,</div> -<div class="verse">And turn that waste ground, nigh Alhambra’s towers,</div> -<div class="verse">Into a smiling garden full of flowers.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">But will the world forget these flowers of Grant’s</div> -<div class="verse">Are but the product of his City “plants”?</div> -<div class="verse">And who, for shady walks, will give him praise</div> -<div class="verse">For wealth thus spent, <em>when gained in shady ways</em>?</div> -<div class="verse">In short, what can he hope from this affair?</div> -<div class="verse">Save to connect his name with one thing Square!</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>It was this same public-spirited though erratic -“plunger” in stocks and shares who, in February, 1875, -widened, at his own cost, the road leading to Kensington -House, so as to avoid the curve which was -dangerous to carriages when driving in. It was an -approach that Queen Victoria frequently used.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>King of Siam’s visit—The Shahzada’s clothing—King of Burmah’s -war elephant—Tale of two monkeys.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The King of Siam and the Shahzada of Afghanistan -are linked in my memory because of the -peculiar interest King Chulalongkorn took in the Afghan -Prince, whose model appeared in all the splendour -of one of the Shahzada’s own State dresses.</p> - -<p>The moment the King of Siam was confronted by -this portrait he exclaimed in surprise:</p> - -<p>“How did the uniform come here? Where did you -get it?”</p> - -<p>“Oh,” I replied, “we purchased it.”</p> - -<p>“Whom did you get it from?” the King of Siam -persisted. “From the Shahzada himself?”</p> - -<p>The information was imparted that the elaborate -costume had been offered to us by a member of the -Shahzada’s suite, who took a keen personal interest in -the transaction, and gave us to understand that his -royal master would prefer that the portrait should -not wear his own clothes till after his departure from -this country.</p> - -<p>We complied with this condition, and while writing -these reminiscences the gorgeous apparel of the Afghan -Prince lies heaped in a corner of my studio, having<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> -been brought out that I may again for a moment gaze -upon its faded glories of purple and gold; for the portrait -of the Shahzada has long since been removed from -its pedestal.</p> - -<p>The King of Siam was a very decorous and unassuming -little gentleman, who gave no hint of disappointment -that his own portrait did not appear in the -collection, while I wondered, as I walked with him, -whether he regretted or welcomed the omission.</p> - -<p>As we came face to face with the Shah of Persia, -whose gorgeous habiliments glittered with a veritable -firmament of jewels, the King again harped upon the -question of the Shahzada’s clothes.</p> - -<p>Looking hard at the “lion” of a former season, the -King exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“His own clothes, too, I suppose?”</p> - -<p>“Not this time,” I replied. “We were not so fortunate -in the case of the Shah.”</p> - -<p>“An exact duplicate, though,” was the compliment -of the laughing King.</p> - -<p>The Eastern potentate was a most minute and intelligent -observer of all he saw, and questioned me unceasingly.</p> - -<p>“Who is that beside the Prince?” he inquired, pointing -at the Prince of Wales in a howdah on the back -of the elephant Juno, a tableau which depicted a -tiger-hunting incident in the late King Edward’s Indian -tour.</p> - -<p>On being told that the Prince was accompanied by -his “loader,” the King replied, “Yes, yes,” as if he -thought his question a superfluous one.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span></p> - -<p>From hall to hall we passed, and I was astonished -at the knowledge of English history displayed by King -Chulalongkorn. He picked out the figure of Richard I, -and, pointing to the white doublet with the red cross -on the breast, said, “The costume of a Crusader—certainly, -certainly.” The representation of King John -with the Magna Charta in his hand did not appear to -produce a very pleasing impression upon the Siamese -autocrat.</p> - -<p>“<em>What</em> a name! Who was he?” remarked the King -in front of Houqua, the big Chinaman who earned his -place in the Exhibition on account of certain services -he had rendered this country. I had withdrawn for a -moment, and was called back to explain that Houqua -was a Chinese merchant, whereat the royal interlocutor -turned away with a contempt for trade clearly indicated -on his face.</p> - -<p>It was surprising to note that King Chulalongkorn -passed the portraits of Mr. Gladstone, Lord Salisbury, -and other British statesmen without a pause or comment. -He stood some minutes in front of the case -containing the orders of the Duke of Wellington, and -then remarked, with admiring emphasis:</p> - -<p>“These are surely all the orders a man could have; -he must have had nearly everything.”</p> - -<p>The group of Henry VIII and his six wives was -surveyed in stolid silence by a monarch not likely to -be moved by such a spectacle. In a shadowed portion -of the gallery he nearly mistook (and slightly frightened) -two nice English girls in white for wax figures.</p> - -<p>In the Chamber of Horrors he showed from his observations<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> -that he was familiar with the main features -of several of the crimes commemorated there.</p> - -<p>I may add that every honour was done the King -on that occasion. We had the public excluded from -the Exhibition, and the Siamese National Anthem was -played on his arrival and departure.</p> - -<p>The King of Siam’s inspection of the elephant reminds -me that, beside the stuffed monkey which one -of the wives of Henry VIII is fondling, the only animals -ever shown in the Exhibition were in the “Tiger -Hunt” scene in question. The tusker was the famous -Juno, which was for many years the King of Burmah’s -war elephant.</p> - -<p>The Prince of Wales had just mortally wounded a -male tiger, and was about to give the <i lang="fr">coup de grace</i> to -another beast which, unexpectedly springing from the -jungle, had been pinned to the ground by Juno. The -animals were stuffed and staged by the late Mr. Rowland -Ward.</p> - -<p>When I say that these were the only animals shown -in the Exhibition I mean, of course, dead ones.</p> - -<p>Within the past twelve months a monkey that escaped -from the Zoo, barely a mile away, entered the -Exhibition by a back window, and was seen in the -act by a crowd of people, who had been amused by -its antics outside.</p> - -<p>It appears that the monkey, in scurrying through -the building, caught sight of its dead counterpart on -the lap of Henry’s Queen, and tried to attract its -attention. Failing in this, the little creature pawed -it, and the result was electrical.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span></p> - -<p>The strangeness of coming unexpectedly in contact -with a dead animal which was thought to be alive -seems to have startled the monkey beyond measure, for -it became terrified, and, springing away, went at great -speed to the remotest part of the Exhibition, where -it took refuge in one of the side rooms.</p> - -<p>Several visitors, mostly ladies, were in the room at -the time, and they at once made for the door, which -was thereupon locked upon the animal. Meanwhile -we had telephoned to the Zoo that one of the monkeys -had escaped and was in the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>A keeper arrived shortly afterwards, and said he -had missed it from its cage. Both keeper and monkey -were delighted at their reunion. The monkey had not -seemed to trouble much about the figures, which it -probably took for living people, but the dead monkey -on the lap of one of them had been more than it could -stand.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Queen Victoria’s copperplates—Another Royal Persian visit—“Perished -by fire”—“Viscount Hinton” and his organ—The Coquette’s -jewels lost and found.</p> - -</div> - -<p>In the early part of 1898 we purchased from an -enterprising journalist four interesting copperplates—three -of them etched by Queen Victoria and one -by the Prince Consort. Of the four plates, three were -done by the Queen within a year of her marriage.</p> - -<p>Although not altogether faultless from an artistic -point of view, the work is most conscientiously executed, -showing how painstaking was the Queen even -in comparatively trivial matters.</p> - -<p>After her marriage Her Majesty found in the Prince -Consort a fellow craftsman, and forthwith a room in -Buckingham Palace was fitted up as a sort of combination -studio and workshop. Here, under the guidance -and advice of Sir Edwin Landseer, assisted by -Mr. Henry Graves, the fine art publisher, the young -couple worked for two or three hours in the morning.</p> - -<p>Nor would the Queen allow any portion of the process -to be performed by an assistant. Even the printing -was done either by herself or her husband, a small -press being set up for that especial purpose.</p> - -<p>It is understood that portraits of the royal children<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> -thus reproduced are preserved in the print-room at -Windsor Castle.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I have already described how the Shah of Persia -(Nasr-ed-Din) paid a private visit to the Exhibition in -the year 1873.</p> - -<p>I must now relate the circumstances that attended -the visit of his son, Muzafir-ed-Din, who came to -this country for the coronation of King Edward in -1902, thirty years later.</p> - -<p>The “Brother of the Sun” came on the 19th of -August. He was attended by the Earl of Kintore -and Sir Arthur Hardinge, and I received His Majesty, -while the orchestra played the Persian National Anthem.</p> - -<p>The first model he asked to see was that of his -late father, but unfortunately his picturesque parent -had disappeared to make room for more up-to-date people.</p> - -<p>The horrible fact of the remelting to cast a possibly -much less distinguished personage could not, of course, -be divulged to the royal visitor. A hint to the entourage -was sufficient. “<em>Perished by fire—great accidental -fire</em>,” explained Sir Arthur Hardinge with the -aplomb of a true diplomat. “<em>Big fire</em>,” echoed the -sombre Persians sadly in their own tongue.</p> - -<p>The Shah listened to a description of the models -in French and made his comments in Persian, a course -of procedure which was not helpful to those who would -have liked to glean His Majesty’s impressions.</p> - -<p>By this time the news that the Shah was in the building<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> -had spread, and the people began to throng around -him. It was difficult to say whether he appreciated -the curiosity of the crowd or not. A merry little party -of Japs beamed upon the dusky potentate from the Far -East, and the two extremities of Asia thus metaphorically -rubbed shoulders.</p> - -<p>The tableau of “Queen Victoria at Home” pleased -the Eastern sovereign most. He looked at it longest.</p> - -<p>The scene depicting the Gordon Highlanders storming -the Heights of Dargai also captivated him. The -place where the battle was fought was not very remote -from the borders of His Majesty’s dominions, and -he was, no doubt, familiar with the history of the wild -tribesmen of the north-west frontier of India. He was -an eager auditor while the Gay Gordons’ feat was narrated -in French and Persian.</p> - -<p>Face to face with his own portrait model, the Shah -addressed some presumably humorous remark to it, for -sovereign and suite relaxed their facial muscles simultaneously, -and a Persian outburst of mirth succeeded. -<em>The stolid monarch actually laughed outright.</em> It -was the only recorded laugh of His Majesty during -his visit to this country.</p> - -<p>But what did he say to that waxen presentment? -The features of the model were certainly rather darker -than those of the Shah, but the observation in Persian -of the monarch was darker still—at any rate to me. -Turning aside, he remarked, in French, that though the -features were excellent, the complexion was not quite -fair enough—a disclosure of an undoubted Eastern -vanity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span></p> - -<p>He closely scrutinised the figures of reigning sovereigns, -and on coming to that of the young Queen -of Holland he exclaimed, in French, “Ah, I have seen -Her Majesty.” The Shah quickly noticed Mr. Balfour -among the group of politicians, and gazed eagerly -at the representation of the meeting between Lord -Roberts and Cronje at Paardeberg.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus64"> - -<img src="images/illus64.jpg" width="380" height="270" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE SURRENDER OF GENERAL CRONJE TO LORD ROBERTS</p> - -<p class="captionsub">A Boer War tableau modeled by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Whether the Shah was made nervous through the -proximity of the crowd, I cannot say, but he neglected -to visit the Chamber of Horrors and the Napoleonic -relics (which latter he had expressed a desire to see), -and made a straight line for the exit before those who -were chaperoning him realised the meaning of the -movement.</p> - -<p>The Chamber of Horrors would have been an attraction -to at least one member of the suite. This -gentleman was fascinated by the group in the Hall of -Tableaux representing the execution of Mary, Queen -of Scots. He stood gazing with dilated eyes upon the -scene, and had to be called on by a touch on the arm -before he could be made to realise the unreality of -the drama.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus63"> - -<img src="images/illus63.jpg" width="380" height="465" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">VISCOUNT HINTON</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The wax figure on exhibition at Madame Tussaud’s dressed in subject’s -own clothes and shown with the organ used by this eccentric -gentleman on his organ-grinding career.</p> - -</div> - -<p>At an Exhibition supper at which “Viscount Hinton” -was present, we having modelled his figure and -purchased his organ on the death of the old Earl, to -which title he now laid claim, a speaker, in proposing -my health, began “Mr. Chairman, my Lord, Ladies and -Gentlemen.” That was enough for “Earl Poulett.” -He rose and bowed in recognition of the compliment -paid to his degree, and when the speaker finished he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -made a speech in which he referred to a few incidents -in his organ-grinding career.</p> - -<p>He sat to me for his model, and we bought the suit -of clothes he was wearing, although a friend of his -told his “lordship” that he would not have picked -them up from the gutter.</p> - -<p>It appears that “Hinton” went to the Bank of England -with the £50 note we gave him, and, as is customary, -he was asked to sign his name. With a flourish -he wrote down “Poulett,” whereupon the cashier said, -“Christian name as well, please.” Hinton drew himself -up and said, “We earls always sign our names -like that,” a remark which, doubtless, duly impressed -and abashed the cashier.</p> - -<p>In June, 1901, as the Exhibition was closing for -the day, several pieces of jewellery, valued at between -50 and 60 guineas, were discovered to be missing -from the figure of the Old Coquette, facing the -model of the sardonic but courtier-like Voltaire, who -is seen raising his hat to her. The gems had served -to adorn the representation of this curious-looking old -dame for a period of more than a century.</p> - -<p>As soon as the discovery was made the usual notification -was given to the police. Strange to say, -while the detective-officer was in consultation with -us discussing the most likely means of recovering the -articles, a bulky envelope, bearing the mark of the -Earl’s Court postal district, was handed in containing -the missing property, with the following short -note enclosed: “Found at Madame Tussaud’s—thrown -down.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXII">CHAPTER XXXII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Royal visitors—King Alphonso and Princess Ena—The late Emperor -Frederick—A penniless trio—Princess Charles—The Prince of -Wales and Prince Albert.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Madame Tussaud’s was one of the last -places visited by the King of Spain and Princess -Ena before they left this country for their wedding -at Madrid in May, 1906.</p> - -<p>Somehow there seemed to be at the time an atmosphere -of anxiety attending the visit of this vivacious -royal couple, and I feel sure this uneasiness was felt -by many who observed them pass freely and jocularly -among the visitors, who were very numerous that afternoon -in the Exhibition rooms. Disquieting rumours -had reached this country that an attempt would be -made by certain disaffected ruffians to interfere with -their marriage. Plots and threats of a sinister character -were in the air, and, as we all know, these culminated -in a crime of a particularly atrocious nature -in the Spanish capital.</p> - -<p>Yet none seemed to be less affected by these disturbing -influences than the young royalties themselves, -while I am quite certain neither of them was acting -a part. They were simply as happy as a bride and -bridegroom ought to be who were counting the days -till they should be united.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span></p> - -<p>The young King took a positive delight in moving -among the visitors, and none was less self-conscious -than he. I was amused to find him bubbling over -with fun and frolic standing in front of his own portrait.</p> - -<p>Then he did the thing one almost expected he would -do. To the amusement of all beholders he exclaimed, -“Let me shake hands with myself,” suiting the action -to the words, and laughing heartily with his bride -and her friends. It is for traits like this that King -Alphonso enjoys popularity wherever he goes.</p> - -<p>The visit passed off happily, and I for one felt -somewhat relieved when they had taken their departure -without molestation, although I had no tangible -reason to harbour the doubts that possessed me.</p> - -<p>On returning to this country soon after the tragic -accompaniments of their marriage, the light-hearted -young King took an early opportunity of revisiting -the Exhibition, and in passing gave a familiar nod of -recognition at his own portrait, as one might salute -an acquaintance in the street.</p> - -<p>He roamed about the place in the least ostentatious -way, and took a noticeably keen interest in the -figure of the great Duke of Wellington, who, among -his numerous foreign honours, received the titles of -Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo and a Grandee of the first -class, 1812—titles granted by predecessors of King -Alphonso on the Spanish throne. As was the case -with the King of Spain and his bride, members of -the Royal Family on numerous occasions have paid -their shillings and gone in “with the crowd,” their object<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -being to stroll round without having to undergo -the worry of a “reception” and its attendant red -baize and “blowing of trumpets.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Soon after his marriage with our then Princess Royal, -the late Emperor Frederick of Germany, who was at -that time Prince Frederick of Prussia, decided to pay -us a visit. This was rather more than fifty years -ago.</p> - -<p>Hearing of his intention, my father decided to -withdraw his figure, deeming it to be too youthful -and out-of-date to bear a favourable comparison with -its living counterpart—a severe test for even the best -of portraits.</p> - -<p>When the Prince arrived it appeared that he had -come with the main object of inspecting his own model, -for he had not been long in the place before he exclaimed, -“Where is my figure?”</p> - -<p>This was a question that rather nonplussed the -member of my family who had undertaken to cicerone -His Royal Highness through the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>There was nothing for it but to make the plain, -straightforward admission that it had only just been -removed, and to give the reason for this having been -done.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding this, the Prince’s request to view -the portrait was reiterated, and he was so emphatic -and persistent that there was nothing to be done but -to replace the figure before his very eyes.</p> - -<p>It was a strange proceeding, that of having to withdraw -the model from the side room into which it had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> -been removed, to march it through the spacious galleries -with the Prince amusedly looking on the while, -and ultimately to dump it down in its old place among -the figures in our big royal group.</p> - -<p>The Prince, with great good-humour, scanned it -with a lenient eye, and pronounced it to be by no -means a portrait of which anyone need be ashamed; -in fact, he appeared quite pleased with it, and when -he left the Exhibition he seemed to be highly delighted -with his unique and interesting experience.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Many years ago, in the late seventies, Alexander -III of Russia (then the Tsarevitch), accompanied by -the Tsarevna and her sister, the Princess of Wales, -visited the Exhibition in Baker Street.</p> - -<p>On reaching the entrance to the Napoleon Rooms -and the Chamber of Horrors, where an extra admission -fee of sixpence is charged, my uncle, who was standing -near, heard the Tsarevitch say to his companions -that he had no money.</p> - -<p>The Princess of Wales was obliged to admit that -she was in the same penniless plight, while the Tsarevna -exclaimed with emphasis, “<i lang="fr">Et moi aussi; je n’ai -pas un penny dans ma poche!</i>”</p> - -<p>Here, then, it may be said, was a trio of monarchs-to-be -in the amusing predicament of not having a -sixpence among the three of them!</p> - -<p>My uncle was bound to respect the royal visitors’ -incognito, and so could not venture to “pass them -in,” which, of course, he would have been very proud -and happy to do.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span></p> - -<p>The difficulty was overcome by one of the gentlemen -in attendance on the royal party, who came up -shortly afterwards and produced the necessary fees.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Princess Charles of Denmark is reported to have -said many years ago, “I sometimes get tired of being -a royal, especially when I am looked at and wondered -at as though I were one of Madame Tussaud’s wax -models. I even think how glorious it must be to be -able to jump on the top of a ’bus, pay my fare like -any ordinary person, and have a day out. I have -never tried to do so yet, but I think I shall some day.”</p> - -<p>Mention of this brings to my mind one of several -visits paid to the Exhibition by the Princes of our -own Royal House.</p> - -<p>I was notified by telephone that the present Prince -of Wales and his brother, Prince Albert, were visiting -the Exhibition. They were received by me, and I -conducted them over the place.</p> - -<p>The royal boys needed very little “conducting,” -as they were soon engrossed in all they saw around -them, and seldom found it necessary to address any -questions to me.</p> - -<p>I was amused to find that they preferred to dispense -with the Catalogue, taking a boyish delight in recognising -the figures for themselves and displaying what -knowledge they possessed, which was considerable. -Nor did they seem in the least concerned to know -whether members of the general public recognised -them, as I could see many did from the way they -contrived to keep near to them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span></p> - -<p>Among the Napoleonic relics the Princes lingered -an unusually long time, as if reluctant to leave them; -and the Prince of Wales betrayed so much interest in -the carriage in which Napoleon was all but captured -after the Battle of Waterloo that he was invited to -sit in it, if he cared. Without a moment’s hesitation -he embraced the opportunity, and his brother joined -him.</p> - -<p>It happened that we were just then about to have -the carriage glazed in, as it has been since, to protect -it from ruthless souvenir hunters, whose mutilations -necessitated our keeping in stock rolls of cloth of the -same pattern to renew the lining from time to time.</p> - -<p>I wonder how many people in different parts of the -world now show their friends strips of cloth purporting -to be taken from the original lining of the Napoleon -carriage, whereas the “souvenirs” are really “relics” of -the looms of Yorkshire.</p> - -<p>The last to sit in Napoleon’s carriage were the Prince -of Wales and Prince Albert.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXIII">CHAPTER XXXIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The Begum of Bhopal pays us a visit—Lord Rosebery and Lord -Annaly—Lord Randolph Churchill—Lady Beatty, Lady Jellicoe, -and Mrs. Asquith.</p> - -</div> - -<p>It was on the 29th of June, eight years ago, that we -had a visit from the Begum of Bhopal, a lady who -rules over millions in India.</p> - -<p>She was in London for the coronation of King -George and Queen Mary. As the Begum was a Moslem, -we were somewhat concerned as to how we should -receive Her Highness, it being rumoured that she could -not be chaperoned by one of the opposite sex. I must -deny the story that we had to turn all the males out of -the Exhibition, for there was no occasion to do so.</p> - -<p>The Begum was dressed in brown, with a flowing -white yashmak hanging from a quaint head-dress -shaped like a top-hat of the Leech period. This veil, -by the etiquette of her country, is worn in the company -of men, the wearer looking through two eye-holes.</p> - -<p>In order that the exhibits might be explained to her, -my wife and a friend of hers, Mrs. Arthur Dulcken, -who spoke Hindustani fluently, acted as guides. Two -turbaned gentlemen were in attendance, and the Begum -walked between her little grandson and granddaughter, -whose hands she held.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span></p> - -<p>Her knowledge of English history was surprising. -Even the Prince, who was only six years old, prattled -about different English kings, though he insisted that -the good King Alfred, shown in the neatherd’s cottage, -where he is being rated by the shrew for allowing her -cakes to burn, was a fairy-tale like that of the Sleeping -Beauty.</p> - -<p>When the party came to the Grand Hall in which -King George and Queen Mary sat arrayed in their -coronation robes, with six Princesses of the Royal -House standing around them, “Bara Salaam,” said the -Begum, as she bowed to the Emperor of India.</p> - -<p>Before the scene which shows Queen Victoria receiving -the news of her accession to the throne the little -lady halted.</p> - -<p>“She was very beautiful,” she said, “and so wise and -kind and sympathetic.”</p> - -<p>It was the tribute of one woman ruler to another.</p> - -<p>“She was very beautiful,” she said again, “and so -small. In Bhopal we think small people beautiful.”</p> - -<p>The Begum’s inches were some sixty-two.</p> - -<p>She glanced approvingly at the model of Tom -Thumb, and proudly placed her grandson by the figure -of the Russian giant to accentuate her admiration -for small people.</p> - -<p>As she passed through the Chamber of Horrors, with -its guillotine and gallows, she said, with some degree -of satisfaction, “We do not execute in Bhopal.”</p> - -<p>“I thank you,” she said, as she departed in state; -and her retainers added an official word of praise:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -“The Begum has found Madame Tussaud’s extremely -interesting.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Lord Rosebery has more than once visited Madame -Tussaud’s, and made a fairly long stay on each occasion.</p> - -<p>Only very recently he and Lord Annaly, Lord-in-Waiting -to the King, came to the Exhibition together. -Our lecturer happened to notice them among the visitors -in the building, and observed the two noblemen -makes a careful inspection of the exhibits, conversing -in a lively manner, and occasionally calling each other’s -attention to models which struck them as being -specially interesting.</p> - -<p>It is, of course, difficult to judge whether they were -prompted by any particular motive, or paid the visit -merely to enjoy a few minutes’ respite from the more -serious affairs of life; but they both minutely examined -the relics of the French Revolution and, curiously -enough, the figures of the criminals in the Chamber of -Horrors, where they spent some considerable time.</p> - -<p>Lord Rosebery, as a citizen of Edinburgh, called -his friend’s attention to the striking figures of Burke -and Hare, with the story of whose crimes Lord Rosebery -must, of course, have been familiar. These -ghoulish men perpetrated a series of murders in the -Scottish capital in the year 1828 for the purpose of -obtaining money by selling the bodies to anatomical -schools as subjects for dissection.</p> - -<p>It may not be generally known that the verb “to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -burke” is derived from the villainous miscreant of that -name.</p> - -<p>One would like to have heard what passed between -Lord Rosebery and Lord Annaly as, having left the -abode of criminals, they stopped in front of the former’s -portrait in the main hall of the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>As they were leaving the building our representative, -as an act of courtesy, opened the middle gate to -let them pass with greater freedom, and, in doing so, -said, “Good-night, my lord.” Lord Rosebery smiled -in response like one who is pleased at being recognised. -It was evident from their demeanour that both the peers -had enjoyed their experience.</p> - -<p>Lord Randolph Churchill once said that the two -proudest moments in his life were neither his first -election to Parliament nor his first appearance on the -Treasury Bench, but the publication of a speech of his -in leaflet form and the appearance of his effigy at -Madame Tussaud’s. He added that he had long wished -to see how he looked there, but had never dared to -go. Notwithstanding this remark he was seen in the -flesh on more than one occasion at a later date sauntering -through the Exhibition rooms.</p> - -<p>That the wives of famous men invariably feel curious -to see the models of their husbands goes without -saying, and very many instances might be cited of their -having done so. Among those who visited the Exhibition -during the war were Lady Jellicoe, Lady Beatty, -and Mrs. Asquith.</p> - -<p>Lady Beatty made a very intelligent criticism of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> -the Admiral’s portrait, and as the result of her suggestions -certain alterations were made.</p> - -<p>Lady Jellicoe’s criticism was quite favourable. -“You have been extremely fortunate in catching my -husband’s expression,” she said.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Asquith did not make any comments, but her -young son, who came with her, derived not a little -amusement from his distinguished father’s presentment, -and showed his appreciation by coming again -and bringing a boy friend to see it the very next day.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXIV">CHAPTER XXXIV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Tussaud’s as educator—Queer questions—Wanted, a “model” wife—Quaint -extract from an Indian’s diary.</p> - -</div> - -<p>An American visitor to the Exhibition once said -to me, “You know, this show is a liberal education, -a history of Europe in kind. I never learned so -much history in any one afternoon. Why don’t you -write your reminiscences?”</p> - -<p>I told him that I probably should do so one day, -and he replied characteristically:</p> - -<p>“There is no time like the present. Get on with it, -and put me down as a subscriber.”</p> - -<p>A French Ambassador is reported to have said: “A -day in Tussaud’s is worth a year at Oxford; it fixes -history as no tutor could.”</p> - -<p>On more than one occasion schoolmasters have made -a similar remark with reference to the value of the -figures and exhibits in Madame Tussaud’s as a means -of impressing the minds of their boys with the episodes -of history. Teachers often bring their pupils, and I -am constantly receiving appreciative letters after a -visit.</p> - -<p>Schoolboys themselves, I have always noticed, take -the keenest possible interest in all they see, and I frequently -overhear them eagerly challenging one another<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> -concerning the identity and lives of historical personages -as they confront their models.</p> - -<p>The Exhibition has been frequently consulted as an -authority upon innumerable historical subjects, especially -with regard to matters dealing with portraiture, -biography, and costume, and many of the questions -submitted might well have puzzled even the compiler -of an encyclopædia. Queries are almost always coupled -with an urgent request for immediate reply.</p> - -<p>Peculiarities of well-known people are fruitful topics -for inquiry. The following are a few of the questions -put:</p> - -<p>“On which side of Cromwell’s face did his warts -grow?”</p> - -<p>“Which was the arm that Nelson lost, and which -was his blind eye?”</p> - -<p>“Was Byron’s club-foot the right or the left?”</p> - -<p>“Did Mary, Queen of Scots, have brown eyes or -blue?”</p> - -<p>Again: “What was the height of Napoleon?”—the -most frequent question of all.</p> - -<p>Other popular problems relate to costume:</p> - -<p>“Did the Black Prince really wear black armour? -Or to what was his cognomen due?”</p> - -<p>We were consulted during the period when preparations -were in progress for the late King Edward’s coronation -so as to decide what was the correct tone of purple -for the royal robes. As we have in our possession -the robes actually worn by George IV at that King’s -coronation, we allowed a broad hem on one of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -trains to be unstitched, thus revealing the original colour, -unchanged by exposure to dust and light.</p> - -<p>In this connection the following quotation from -Thackeray’s <cite>The Four Georges</cite>, published in 1861, is -interesting:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>Madame Tussaud has got King George’s coronation -robes; is there any man now alive who would kiss the -hem of that trumpery? He sleeps since thirty years.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The same author also mentions the Exhibition in -the following extract from <cite>The Newcomes</cite>:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>For pictures they do not seem to care much; they -thought the National Gallery a dreary exhibition, and -in the Royal Academy could be got to admire nothing -but the picture of M’Collop of M’Collop, by our friend -of the like name: but they think Madame Tussaud’s -interesting exhibition of Waxwork the most delightful -in London: and there I had the happiness of introducing -them to our friend Mr. Frederick Bayham; who, -subsequently, on coming to this office with his valuable -contributions on the Fine Arts, made particular inquiries -as to their pecuniary means, and expressed himself -instantly ready to bestow his hand upon the mother -or daughter, provided old Mr. Binnie would make a -satisfactory settlement.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus65"> - -<img src="images/illus65.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY</p> - -<p class="captionsub">A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>On one or two other occasions our relics and historic -pictures have been specially viewed by those who had -charge of the arrangements, for the express purpose -of settling points in regard to precedence and costume -at royal functions.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span></p> - -<p>Inquiries from members of the public often come -about through a dispute which has ended in a wager, -but many and various are the reasons that are assigned -by the questioner for his query. Sometimes my -correspondent is a writer of books, who wants to give -a correct description of a character or incident.</p> - -<p>This leads me to the subject of misconception, and -it is surprising how deep-rooted are the inaccuracies -that have crept into the minds of visitors with regard -to the models they have seen in the Exhibition. Many -of our patrons express themselves as absolutely certain -that figures have done things which I am equally positive -they never did and never could do.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;" id="illus47"> - -<img src="images/illus47.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">WILLIAM COBBETT</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Noted English political writer.</p> - -</div> - -<p>What is the use of telling individuals that the originator -of Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, William -Cobbett, who turns his head from side to side, does not -take snuff, when they insist that they have actually -seen him lift his hand from his snuff-box to his nose? -Yet this is a widespread fallacy.</p> - -<p>The figure of Marat dying in his bath never has -breathed; it is the bosom of the Sleeping Beauty that -rises and falls as she reposes in slumber.</p> - -<p>Neither does Henry VIII turn his head to inspect his -six wives. Those who think he does must be confusing -him with the aforesaid Cobbett, although not a few -readers of history think that the head of Bluff King -Hal, who caused so many people to be beheaded, must -itself have been “turned.”</p> - -<p>Some years ago an elderly bachelor from the Midlands -called to ask whether we could make him a model<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> -of a lady based upon his own description and sketches -and dressed in clothes designed by himself.</p> - -<p>I should have attached no importance to the matter -had I not, my curiosity being whetted, asked a few -questions of the caller.</p> - -<p>It then transpired that the model was to represent -his ideal woman whom he had been unable to discover -in real life. He was anxious to have a woman about -the house “pleasing to the eye, but at the same time -somewhat less loquacious than the usual run of females,” -as he put it.</p> - -<p>He proposed that the model should be placed in an -adjustable chair and be jointed, so that at meal-times -it could sit at the head of his lonely table and at other -times could recline at ease beside the fire, opposite his -own armchair.</p> - -<p>Needless to say, the commission was not accepted.</p> - -<p>It is very natural that such an institution as -Madame Tussaud’s should include the “curious” -among its diversified store of anecdote.</p> - -<p>One quaint document in our archives is the published -diary of an Indian officer, Jemadar, No. 1427, -Abdur Razzak, of the 15th Madras Lancers, from -which I give the following extract relating to a visit -he paid to the Exhibition:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>On the 5th June, 1893, we went to see the Wax -Work “Madame Tussaud,” where we first saw a -woman in red dress with a basket full of different kinds -of flowers all made in wax with her, which was very -difficult to make out that she was an image, but when -we entered the building we saw lots of images of emperors -and kings, and remarkable persons both men -and women with rich and poor dresses on.</p> - -<p>I really say that I was very much admired to see -these images, and was in many places in the buildings -mistook the visitors to be of them when they were -standing still, but when they moved was very much -ashamed on account of my misunderstanding; by this -we made our minds to be little far from both the images -and the visitors and servants in the building.</p> - -<p>We saw the throne of Her Majesty just the same -we have seen on the 9th May, 1893, besides this one -more image in shape with Her Majesty in a room writing -something on a table with a candle on it, and this -too quite astonishing.</p> - -<p>We also saw a gentleman on elephant’s back in a -jungle has hunted a tiger, the pair of which attacked -the elephant round its trunk taking to him and the -elephant putting its head down and a gentleman on it, -aiming to fire on the tiger.</p> - -<p>We saw a room in which were the images of almost -all the assassinators with the particulars of their deeds. -We also saw a place in which all the weapons, etc., -to take revenge of assassinators, such as scabbard, -hanging, &c.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXV">CHAPTER XXXV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Stars of the stage in my studio—Miss Ellen Terry has a cup of -tea—Sir Squire and Lady Bancroft—Sir Henry Irving and -the cabby—We comply with a strange request.</p> - -</div> - -<p>People sometimes ask me how my portraits are -taken, and how my subjects sit to me.</p> - -<p>It is very much with my work as it is with the work -of a sculptor. There is practically only this distinction -in principle—the sculptor reproduces his work in -marble or bronze, and I execute mine in wax, both -working from a first impression in clay. Added to this -there is, of course, a difference in the matter of treatment.</p> - -<p>Sitters have their own peculiar characteristics, and -often require humouring.</p> - -<p>I once wrote to Miss Ellen Terry, asking her to do -me the honour of sitting to me; and she replied that -she would be pleased to do so, making no appointment.</p> - -<p>A few days afterwards the vivacious actress found -her way to my studio door without anyone to guide her, -and how she got there has always puzzled me. I was -engrossed in some urgent work, when a rap came and -Miss Terry sailed in, all smiles and animation.</p> - -<p>She did not introduce herself. There was no need. -I knew her instantly, as I supposed she imagined I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -should. It was a very hot day, and she said, “I am -positively dying for a cup of tea.”</p> - -<p>She told me she was just clearing off all her visiting -arrears before sailing, and added: “You see, Mr. -Tussaud, I have not forgotten you.”</p> - -<p>The cup that cheers was very soon brewed, and Miss -Terry saw that I noticed a gauntlet on her right hand -as she raised the cup to her lips.</p> - -<p>“I met with a slight accident on the stage,” she said.</p> - -<p>I wish I could recall some of her delightful chat, and -I regret that I did not keep a diary instead of trusting -entirely to memory. However, I may derive some -consolation from the conclusion, arrived at by an old -and experienced literary friend, that it is seldom what -has been forgotten would have been worth writing -about had it been remembered.</p> - -<p>When I had finished modelling, and not till then, -Miss Terry apologised for being in a hurry, and as she -took her departure I found myself wondering by what -secret art or gift she could conjure up so much mirth -and sprightliness when the thermometer was registering -ninety in the shade.</p> - -<p>After Miss Terry had gone my eye happened to -catch the chair on which she had been sitting, and I -discovered that the back legs were within an eighth of -an inch of the edge of the high dais.</p> - -<p>I trembled to think of what might have happened -to the actress if the chair had fallen to the floor while -she occupied it. I suppose the reason for its position -having changed from that in which it was originally -placed was that the actress, who could hardly be described<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> -as a reposeful “sitter,” had shifted it in her -restlessness.</p> - -<p>The carpenter had omitted to fix the fillet which -should have been placed to preclude any risk of the -chair falling from its elevated position.</p> - -<p>Only a few months ago Lady Bancroft, speaking -at a matinée in aid of King George’s Pension Fund -for Actors, made an amusing allusion to Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>She had just been listening to the dialogue between -Peg Woffington, played by Irene Vanburgh, and Triplet, -and she said:</p> - -<p>“When it was arranged that my husband should -come from his retirement to play the part of Triplet, -we were very much exercised where to find his old -costume.</p> - -<p>“Then, all at once, we remembered the last time -we saw that costume was at Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>“I said, ‘Of course you have been melted down by -this time.’</p> - -<p>“He said, ‘What do you think they have made of -me? Perhaps Marshal Foch, perhaps President Poincaré, -perhaps President Wilson. I only hope my figure -has not been melted down to something in the -Chamber of Horrors.’”</p> - -<p>None laughed more heartily than the King at Lady -Bancroft’s story.</p> - -<p>It was in the spring of 1889, that the Bancrofts gave -me several sittings. The merry laughter of the actress -made the time pass quickly and my work a real -joy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus66"> - -<img src="images/illus66.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SIR SQUIRE BANCROFT</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Whose model as Triplet, together with the model of Lady Bancroft -as Peg Woffington, are on exhibition at Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -</div> - -<p>When the models of Mr. and Mrs. Bancroft were -added to the Exhibition, in the characters of Peg -Woffington and Triplet in <cite>Masks and Faces</cite>, reference -to this was made in our Easter announcement.</p> - -<p>Sir Squire Bancroft tells the following story in this -connection:</p> - -<p>“A young man from the country visited the Exhibition -on Easter Monday of that year, and went straight -to the Chamber of Horrors. He said he wanted to see -the ‘<em>squire who murdered a triplet</em>’!”</p> - -<p>They tell me that Henry Irving came to see his portrait -a year after I had modelled him, but, unfortunately, -I missed the great actor that day.</p> - -<p>Mention of Irving takes my mind back rather a long -way, to the time when I had the pleasure of introducing -his model and that of Miss Ellen Terry to the Exhibition. -They were on the eve of making their first -journey across the Atlantic, and they cheerfully consented -to enable me to let the public see them in their -absence.</p> - -<p>Irving was an ideal sitter, as might be expected of a -great actor. He adapted himself to my requirements -in every detail, and gave me to feel that he took great -pleasure in my work. I very soon became aware of -Irving’s kindliness of heart and his sympathy with an -artist at his labours.</p> - -<p>Conversation turned upon the question of insuring -Madame Tussaud’s against fire, and Irving remarked -that money would be a very poor compensation for the -loss of our irreplaceable collection, especially having<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -regard to the relics of Napoleon and the heads of the -French revolutionaries.</p> - -<p>The actor told me of an alarming experience he -had while acting at the Lyceum Theatre.</p> - -<p>The play was nearing its most dramatic climax when -he noticed that fire had broken out in the “sky borders,” -and the fear of a panic in the audience rose in -his mind lest any member of it should chance to see -the flames.</p> - -<p>He admitted that it was an ordeal that required all -his courage to face without betraying signs of anxiety, -but he succeeded in continuing to play his part without -a single person in the front of the house suspecting that -there was any cause for alarm.</p> - -<p>Fortunately, the stage carpenters and attendants -were able to extinguish the fast-spreading flames without -any interruption. The curtain was eventually rung -down on an applauding audience, quite oblivious of -the danger that had threatened.</p> - -<p>Irving lighted his pipe on his departure, which set -me thinking that he would have enjoyed a smoke during -the sitting, but was too courteous and considerate -to suggest one. He told me he hoped, on his return -from America, to visit the Exhibition and see his portrait. -He came and saw it, but I did not see him.</p> - -<p>Sir Henry used to employ the same cabman to take -him to the theatre each evening. He asked him once -if he had ever seen him act, and, the man replying in -the negative, Irving gave him five shillings with which -the cabman could procure seats for himself and his wife -in the pit.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span></p> - -<p>On the following day the actor asked the driver -what he thought of him on the stage.</p> - -<p>“To tell you the truth,” said the ingenuous jehu, -“we didn’t go.”</p> - -<p>“Not go,” said Irving, “when I gave you the money -for the seats!”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir,” said the man, “it was this way. It was -my missus’s birthday, and I asked her which she would -prefer to do—go to see you act, or go to Madame -Tussaud’s, and she said she preferred the waxworks.”</p> - -<p>Irving often related this story against himself with -the greatest gusto, enjoying it quite as much as his hearers -did.</p> - -<p>On many occasions Madame Tussaud’s has been of -service to the stage.</p> - -<p>When the late W. G. Wills, the author of <cite>Jane -Shore</cite>, a prolific playwright in his day, was at the -height of his popularity, my father was approached by -Mr. Coleman, manager of the Queen’s Theatre, Long -Acre, to produce for him a figure of Charles I.</p> - -<p>The reason of this request was, surely, one of the -strangest that ever entered the brain of even the most -enterprising of theatrical managers.</p> - -<p>Mr. George Rignold was playing at that theatre a -drama, written by Wills, entitled <cite>Cromwell</cite>. This -play was the successor of another by the same dramatist, -namely, <cite>Charles I</cite>, in which Irving played the part of -the King, and confirmed the reputation he had made in -<cite>The Bells</cite>.</p> - -<p>A bargain had been struck that if <cite>Charles I</cite> succeeded,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span> -Wills should write <cite>Cromwell</cite> for Mr. Coleman. -<cite>Charles I</cite> proved a great success at the Lyceum, but -<cite>Cromwell</cite> was a comparative failure at the Queen’s.</p> - -<p>I come now to the reason of Mr. Coleman’s request -for a waxen model of the King.</p> - -<p>He said he wanted it to repose in the coffin on the -stage to stimulate the imagination of the actor, Mr. -Rignold, when rendering the long oration delivered by -Cromwell in the presence of the dead monarch.</p> - -<p>The model was furnished with every detail, even -to the clothing in which the body was attired. I was -afterwards told that only the manager, the actor, and -my father were aware of the realistic plan that had -been devised to accentuate an actor’s eloquence.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXVI">CHAPTER XXXVI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Literary sitters—George R. Sims’s impromptu—His ordeal in the -Chamber of Horrors—George Augustus Sala’s masterpiece.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Mr. G. R. Sims was a cheery, entertaining sitter; -not, perhaps, what most artists would consider -a helpful one. His active mind busied itself with every -object of interest around him. He would know all -about them, and tell each off with some droll quip or -whimsical jest.</p> - -<p>I have spent many a bright hour with “Dagonet”—yes, -even including those spent with him in the Chamber -of Horrors.</p> - -<p>I once chanced to have a book of his (the <cite>Dagonet -Ballads</cite>) in my hand when he came into my studio, -and I asked him to sign his name in it. Without a -moment’s hesitation he wrote:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Dear Tussaud</span>,</p> - -<p>I’m a model man.</p> - -<p>You’re a modeller.</p> - -<p class="center">Yours truly,</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">G. R. Sims</span>.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Soon after we had decided to add Mr. Sims’s figure -to the Exhibition, Mrs. G. A. Sala happened to meet -him, and questioned him as to the sensations he experienced<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> -in picturing himself as a waxen celebrity.</p> - -<p>“I feel very frightened indeed,” he promptly replied, -“and more than that, exceedingly sorry that I -ever promised to become a waxwork, for I have been -told since that if the public grow weary of your presence, -or the Tussauds get offended with you, they melt -you down, and build up a more popular fellow out of -your dripping. Nasty idea, very!”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Sala said it certainly <em>was</em> a very nasty idea; -but if there were any truth in the melting-down story, -G. R. could enjoy the satisfaction of thinking that he -might have arisen in his waxen grandeur from the -“dripping” of someone less popular than himself.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sims said that so long as the public only stuck -pins into him, or stamped on his toes, he did not mind; -but he should feel it very much if they were to bang -him about the head with an umbrella, or take him by -the collar and shake him.</p> - -<p>It must have been in the early winter of the year -1891, while I was modelling him, that Mr. Sims had -the following interesting and somewhat unpleasant -experience, which he himself describes. He says:</p> - -<p>“I have been penetrating the secrets of Tussaud’s -lately, and had a specially quiet half-hour alone with -the murderers in the Chamber of Horrors, just to see -what it was like.</p> - -<p>“The idea came to me one night when I had been -sitting late to Mr. John Tussaud. I wanted to see -what it would feel like to be all alone with those awful -people with only one dim jet of gas lighting up their -fearful features.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span></p> - -<p>“After the door was shut I walked about and -whistled, and stared defiantly at William Corder and -James Bloomfield Rush, and even went so far as to -address M. Eyraud in French. But wandering about -in the semi-darkness I stumbled and fell, and when I -got up and looked around me I found I was in Mrs. -Pearcey’s kitchen.</p> - -<p>“Then I made one wild rush at the closed door, and -hammered at it until the kindly watchman came and -let me out. I never want to be shut up alone at night -in the Chamber of Horrors again as long as I live.”</p> - -<p>Humorously describing my studios at the time, Mr. -Sims says:</p> - -<p>“At Madame Tussaud’s I am at present in rather a -curious condition. There is a good deal of the Thames -mystery about me. It is not given to every man to -see his legs in one room, his hands hanging up in another, -and his head on a shelf, looking about anxiously -for his body.</p> - -<p>“I can’t say I quite like looking at my head on a -shelf. It suggests decapitation and Madame de Lamballe’s -head on a pike as Louis caught sight of it when -the mob held it up at the window.</p> - -<p>“But I am assured that I shall be put together next -week, and that my limbs will once more be found together -as Nature intended they should be.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know what that Scotch sixpenny which refers -to me in highly uncomplimentary terms about -seven times in every column will say, but the exigencies -of space at the Marylebone Museum have compelled -the management to put me next to Lord Tennyson. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> -am sure that this will be such a shock to my modesty -that I shall go hot and melt the very first day that -the weather is at all warm.</p> - -<p>“Fortunately, I shall have a brother journalist to -support me and keep me in countenance, for while Lord -Tennyson is seated writing poetry in his study, Mr. -George Augustus Sala in <em>his</em> study sits next door to -him, dashing off one of his brilliant leaders for the -<cite>Daily Telegraph</cite>. It is in a study built up on the other -side of Lord Tennyson that the visitor to Madame Tussaud’s -will at an early date find himself face to face -with ‘Dagonet.’”</p> - -<p>There George R. Sims has been seated ever since. -Twenty-eight years ago! Time has wrought many -changes, but during the whole of that period I have -uninterruptedly enjoyed Mr. Sims’s valued friendship.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus67"> - -<img src="images/illus67.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The bust of the eminent journalist, first exhibited at the -Royal Academy, London, in 1890, by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>George Augustus Sala sat to me about the same -time, and a very good sitter he was. The celebrated -journalist lived in a flat at Victoria Street, Westminster, -where I called on him, and I remember his -saying to me with pride:</p> - -<p>“I’m taking up modern Greek in my sixtieth year. -What do you think I am reading? I am reading an -excellent account in Greek of the Stanfield Hall murder.”</p> - -<p>During the autumn of 1889 I had seen a good deal of -Mr. Sala, for we were at that time discussing the details -for the rewriting of our Exhibition Catalogue.</p> - -<p>He had always taken a great interest in Madame -Tussaud’s, and, like many other literary men, had -found it useful as a place of reference on matters of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span> -portraiture and costume. He entered upon the scheme -for producing a better and larger Catalogue with great -enthusiasm, but I soon discovered that the work was -hardly likely to receive that equable treatment necessary -for a book of the kind.</p> - -<p>There were certain subjects his mind positively ran -riot on, while others scarcely aroused the slightest interest.</p> - -<p>Marie Antoinette and Mary, Queen of Scots, stirred -his imagination most of all, and to the ill-fated Queen -of Louis XVI he reverted so often that it seemed the -book was likely to be over-weighted with matter dealing -with her sad career, to the exclusion of so much else -of vital importance to our handbook.</p> - -<p>Whenever he stood in front of the decapitated head -of Marie Antoinette he always contemplated it in -silence—and invariably passed from it without making -any remark, as if it were a subject too sad for ordinary -comment.</p> - -<p>“I have done the Marie Antoinette biography,” -greeted me long before the work had been definitely -agreed upon, and six or seven pages of essay were -pressed into my hands as an accomplished undertaking -that positively left no room for further consideration. -This matter was printed in full in our Catalogue, and -remained there until the difficulty in procuring paper -during the war necessitated its temporary elimination. -It is, perhaps, the best thing, from a purely literary -point of view, that Sala ever wrote.</p> - -<p>It is reprinted as the following chapter.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXVII">CHAPTER XXXVII<br /> -<span class="smaller">G. A. SALA ON MARIE ANTOINETTE</span></h2> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>The Royal Family—The Queen—Her “trial,” condemnation and -death—The Sansons—Sala’s impressions.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 250px;" id="illus68"> - -<img src="images/illus68.jpg" width="250" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA</p> - -<p class="captionsub">From a photograph.</p> - -</div> - -<p>There are some stories so dreadful in the immensity -of human misery which they reveal—there -are some tragedies of which the catastrophe is -one of such unmitigated horror, that the reader who -has general impressions of what will be the end of the -dismal tale, but who is unfamiliar with its particular -circumstances, is unable to follow, without some kind -of impatience, the opening scenes of the drama. He -has continually in his mind’s eye the awful falling of -the curtain on anguish and despair and death. Half -unconsciously he hastens on in his perusal, and slurs -over minor episodes and seemingly trifling facts, forgetting -that these are subsidiary and auxiliary to the -terrible consummation which he so anxiously awaits. -“Toutes choses meuvent vers leur fin,” Rabelais has -said; but the little things—the slender fibres of a -story—are gathered up as it proceeds, into bundles; -and, acquiring importance from consolidation, are ultimately -merged in the final and tremendous whole.</p> - -<p>Thus there have been many records of human life<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> -and action, now real, now artificial, in reading which -we have to encounter an almost uncontrollable impulse -to turn to the end, and ascertain whether that of which -we have had, at the beginning, a vague forecast, will -really come to pass. Who, if he will only have the -candour to acknowledge it, has not had to struggle -with such an impulse in reading, say, the <cite>Electra</cite> of -Sophocles, the <cite>Faust</cite> of Goethe, and the <cite>Bride of -Lammermoor</cite> of Scott?—three of the most perfectly -tragic dramas, I take it, ever fashioned by the hand of -mortal genius. And so it is with numerous tragedies -of superhuman structure and ordinance. In both cases -we pant for the last scene of all, which is to end the -strange eventful history. What will be the fate of -Aegisthus, and the doom of Clytemnestra? Who, if -anyone, will rescue Gretchen from a shameful death? -How will Edgar Ravenswood bear his immeasurable -sorrow?</p> - -<p>These are the problems which agitate us in the study -of fiction, and irresistibly impel us to hasten from the -prologue to the epilogue—from the exordium to the -peroration. And to speed as quickly is usually our desire -when we are confronted with the tragedies of history, -or with the vouched-for chronicles of human -passion and crime. Throw down on the floor Clarendon’s -<cite>History of the Rebellion</cite>, it has been said, and -the volume will open, automatically, at the page where -the execution of Charles I is described. Try to concentrate -your thoughts on the history of Marie Stuart; -and, coldly, clearly, sternly distinct in the midst of a -whirligig of scenes and events—the Louvre, Holyrood,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span> -the Kirk of Field, Lochleven and what not—there -stands out the image of the Hall at Fotheringay, the -black scaffold, the block, the masked headsman; the -Dean of Peterborough drearily homilising, and the -Puritan Earl of Kent ranting; while the weeping tire-women -disrobe the royal victim, her little pet dog -snuggling by her, not without difficulty when the axe -has fallen to be dislodged from the corse of the kind -mistress he loved so well, and who has been stricken -down by cruel men, he knows not why. See this, as -I see it.</p> - -<p>It is my purpose to write something on the eventful -life and dreadful ending of Queen Marie Antoinette. -I try, when I remember the sunshine of her early days—her -youth, her beauty, her grace—to put myself in -a cheerful frame of mind. I wish to look, at least for -a little while, on the bright side of a career which -began so splendidly and so happily. I would fain picture -to myself the daughter of Maria Theresa, as Edmund -Burke saw her at Versailles—smiling, radiant, -adored. I would fain hear the clash of the thirty thousand -swords which should have leaped from their -scabbards to avenge the slightest affront to the peerless -consort of the King of France and Navarre.</p> - -<p>I take from my shelves the <cite>Journal de Madame -Eloff</cite>—the ledger containing the milliner and dressmaker’s -bills of a perhaps too extravagant young Queen—an -endless catalogue of taffetas and satins, gauze and -ribbons, high-heeled shoes and embroidered gloves, -scent-bottles, reticules, feathers, artificial flowers and -fans. From an old Boule cabinet I lift tenderly a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span> -dainty little coffee-cup of Sèvres egg-shell porcelain, -adorned with an exquisite miniature of her, painted -when she had only been two years the wife of the -hapless Louis. The cup is half embedded in a setting -of velvet <i lang="fr">bleu du Roi</i>; and, alas! when I draw the -ceramic gem delicately from the case I see that the cup -has no handle.</p> - -<p>A maimed relic, this porcelain trifle, possibly of a -priceless breakfast set, wantonly shattered by a howling -mob of <i lang="fr">poissardes</i> and red night-capped “patriots” who -had sacked one of the Royal Palaces. A crowd of -memories are conjured up by this morsel of dismembered -Sèvres. I see, as in a glass darkly, the Galerie -des Glaces and the Œil-de-Boeuf at Versailles. I see -the toy Dairy at the Petit Trianon; the banquet of the -Gardes du Corps in the Great Theatre of the Palace; -the King and Queen: the Royal Princesses circulating -among the guests and distributing white cockades -among them; while the musicians make the hall resound -with the strains of “<cite>Oh, Richard! Oh, mon Roi!</cite>”</p> - -<p>No, surely, the age of Chivalry is not past, and thrice -ten thousand glaives will leap into the light to vindicate -the outraged Majesty of France. There’s no such -thing! A confused picture—a panorama all torn to -shreds and splashed with mud and flecked with blood -flows before me. The Etats Genéraux have wed: the -nobility sparkling in velvet and plumes and golden -broideries; the clergy brave in copes and mitres and -point lace: the “Tiers Etat,” all in sombre black, short-cloaked, -slouch-hatted, grave, preoccupied, looking unutterable -things. Among them looms, very real and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span> -portentous indeed, a thick-set, pock-marked man, with -an eye of fire. This is Honore Gabriel Riquetti, rightly -Comte de Mirabeau, but who has broken with his order, -and styling himself “Mirabeau Marchand de -Draps”—a retail clothier from Marseilles, forsooth! of -about forty-eight hours’ commercial standing—stalks -among country notaries and shopkeepers, farmers and -shopkeepers as a Deputy of the Third Estate.</p> - -<p>But all these fade away from my field of vision. I -set to studying and balancing my rambling thoughts. -I have to deal with Marie Antoinette, Josephe-Jeanne -de Lorraine, wife of Louis XVI, and who was born, -you will remember, at Vienna, on the 2nd of November, -1755, the very day of that earthquake at Lisbon -in the occurrence of which Dr. Johnson for a long -time so resolutely refused to believe. Would the doctor, -I wonder, had he lived in 1793, have declined to -place credence in a newspaper report of what is now to -be narrated—an upheaval more dreadful and disastrous -than any physical convulsion of the earth’s crust? The -tattered, muddy, gory panorama fades into a murky -nothingness. Then, out of the Valley of Shadows -there arises, terribly distinct and substantial, THIS—</p> - -<p>It is a raw, chilly, marrow-searching day in the -month of October, 1793. A spacious hall, known in -this new and blessed era of Universal Regeneration, -and Unlimited Throat-Cutting, as the Salle de la -Liberté, in the Palais de Justice, hard by the prison of -the Conciergerie, has been swept and garnished for the -trial of the discrowned and desolate widow of “Louis -Capet,” murdered on the scaffold in the Place de la<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> -Révolution last January. In a dark and filthy dungeon -of that same Conciergerie Marie Antoinette has been -immured since August. The walls of the Salle de la -Liberté have been newly whitewashed—no voluptuous -frescoes or oil painting in this abode of Republican simplicity, -if you please: only patriotic lime-whiting and -democratic glue—and the almost blinding glare of the -stark walls brings out in strong relief the dark green -canopy suspended over the heads of the Judges of the -Revolutionary Tribunal, who are five in number, the -President being one, Hermann.</p> - -<p>Above this precious conclave are the busts of Brutus—save -the mark!—and two recent Revolutionary notorieties: -the infamous Marat, deservedly done to -death by Charlotte Corday and the member of the Convention, -Lepelletier de St. Fargeau, who had voted for -the death sentence on Louis XVI, and who immediately -afterwards was stabbed to death by an ex-Garde du -Corps in an eating house in the Palais National—once -Palais Royal. The busts are crowned with scarlet -caps of liberty, adorned with monstrous tri-coloured -cockades, and are flanked by two huge oil lamps. There -will be need of the lamps; for the deliberation of the -tribunal will probably last far into the night.</p> - -<p>The judges sit at a long table which, although -shabby, is somewhat pretentious in its upholstering, -since the legs are of mahogany, and fluted, and the -brazen feet are fashioned in the shape of griffin’s -claws, and exhibit some traces of bygone gilding. This -table is yet extant, and forms part of the furniture -of the Court of Cassation, which at present holds its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> -sittings in the old Salle de la Liberté. The Public -Accuser has his place in front of the President; the -jury—yes, this monstrous tribunal has a jury!—is to -the left of the judges; and to the right is the desk of -the Counsel for the defence. Behind him is the seat -for the prisoners. A breast-high balustrade separates -the Court from the space set apart for the public, -which is ample enough, and is thronged, this dreary -October morning, by a motley crew of <i lang="fr">sans culottes</i>, -mechanics, lamplighters, bargemen and coarse, loud-voiced -women from the markets, some of them known -as “<i lang="fr">Tricoteuses</i>” and “Furies of the Guillotine.”</p> - -<p>Between the balustrade and the body of the Court -runs a long gangway, at one extremity of which is a -door, communicating by means of a narrow staircase -with the Gaol of the Conciergerie.</p> - -<p>Up this staircase and through this door, and along -this gangway, and so through an opening of the balustrade -into the criminal dock, there is brought, between -two gendarmes, a woman of middle age, with abundant -hair which has turned quite grey lately, and features -which retain a few—a very few—traces of former -comeliness. She is barely eight-and-thirty, and she -looks full fifty. She is miserably clad in an old, -patched, threadbare gown of black serge, which has -been mended for her innumerable times by a compassionate -girl named Rosalie, the daughter of the gaoler. -Her shoes are old, full of holes, and down at heel. -She wears black cotton stockings, and about her shoulders -is arranged a kind of tippet, or pelérine, of frayed -white muslin. As yet she wears no cap; and her long<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> -tresses have been carefully dressed and oiled this morning -by the pitying Rosalie. Obviously, she is in mourning -for her husband, sometime King of France and -Navarre; but the Revolutionary Tribunal knows nothing -of such titles, and in the Act of Accusation, which -is read in a monotonous sing-song by the <i lang="fr">Greffier</i>, the -prisoner is arraigned as “Marie Antoinette, of Austria -and Lorraine, widow of Louis Capet.”</p> - -<p>The indictment goes on to say that the widow Capet -has by her crimes rendered herself the worthy compeer -of Brunéhaut, Fredegonde, and Catherine de Medicis; -that since she has had her abode in France she has -been the scourge and bloodsucker of her adopted country; -and that even before “the Happy Revolution which -gave the French their sovereignty” she entered into -political correspondence with “the man calling himself -King of Bohemia and Hungary”—this is the Emperor -of Austria her brother—that, in conjunction with -the brothers of Louis Capet, and “the execrable and infamous -Calonne” she had squandered the resources of -France (the fruit of the sweat of the people) in a -dreadful manner, “to satisfy inordinate pleasures and -to pay the agents of her criminal intrigues.”</p> - -<p>In another count of the indictment she is charged -with being “an adept in all sorts of crimes.” One of -these “crimes” is, that on the evening of the famous -banquet to the Garde du Corps, and the Regiment de -Flanders, in the Opera House at Versailles, she, with -the King and a numerous and brilliant following, had -passed between the lines of tables, distributing white -cockades to the officers and encouraging them to trample<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span> -the national or tri-coloured cockade under foot.</p> - -<p>“Prisoner,” thunders the President, “were you there -when the band played the air, ‘<i lang="fr">Oh, Richard, oh mon -Roi</i>’?”</p> - -<p>“I do not recollect,” replies the Queen.</p> - -<p>“Were you there when the toast of ‘The Nation’ -was proposed and refused?”</p> - -<p>“I do not think that I was.”</p> - -<p>“Did not your husband read his speech to the representatives -to you half-an-hour before he delivered it?”</p> - -<p>“My husband had great confidence in me, and that -made him read his speech to me; but I made no observations.”</p> - -<p>Fancy cutting a poor woman’s head off because her -husband read her a speech which he was about to deliver -in public! Does Mr. Gladstone, does Lord Randolph -Churchill, does Sir William Harcourt, I wonder, -ever favour the domestic circle with such “fore-lectures” -as Dr. Furnival might call them?</p> - -<p>A remarkable witness against Marie Antoinette is a -ruffian named Roussillon, who deposes that on the -fatal Tenth of August when the Tuileries was stormed -by the mob, he saw under the Queen’s bed a number of -empty wine-bottles, “from which,” adds Roussillon, -“I concluded that she had herself distributed wine to -the Swiss soldiers, that these wretches in their intoxication -might assassinate the people.”</p> - -<p>Another witness testifies that among the effects of -the ex-Queen found at the prison of the Temple was -a satin riband bearing the gilt image of a Heart with -the inscription “<i lang="la">Cor Jesu miserere nobis</i>.” Other testimony<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span> -is to the effect that while the Queen and the -children were incarcerated in the Temple, after the -execution of Louis, the poor little Dauphin was placed -at the top of the table by his mother, and was served -first; thus justifying the inference that she ignored the -Republic, One and Indivisible, and recognised her -young son as Louis XVII, and the successor of his murdered -sire.</p> - -<p>Another charge, an abominable charge, and one so -monstrous as to make it scarcely credible that it should -be launched against a woman and a mother, is that -she had systematically sought to corrupt the mind of -the poor young prince. To this horrible allegation she -makes at first no answer. At length, when the charge is -repeated, she is moved to noble indignation, and exclaims: -You accuse me of an impossibility: “<i lang="fr">J’en -appelle à toutes les mères</i>.” I appeal to all mothers. -But the instinct of maternity seems to be dead in all -that hall of blood, and the beldames in the public tribunes -only yell and gibe at her.</p> - -<p>Less revolting, but equally preposterous, is the evidence -of one Renée Mullet, a chambermaid who has -been in service at Versailles, and this hussey swears -that one day, “in a moment of good humour,” she -asked the <i lang="fr">ci-devant</i> Duc de Coigny whether the Emperor -still continued to wage war against the Turks; -as in that case France would soon be ruined, the Queen -having sent her brother no less than two hundred millions -of livres, wherewith to carry on hostilities. To -this, according to the gossiping waiting woman, the -Duke made answer: “Thou art right enough. Two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span> -hundred millions have already been spent, and we are -not at the end of it yet.”</p> - -<p>It is on such evidence as this—evidence not heavy -enough to detach a feather from a pigeon’s wing, not -convincing enough to prove a forty shilling debt, the -wretched Marie Antoinette is at length convicted. The -President sums up, furiously, against her. The advocates -who defend her, Chauveau and Tronçon-Ducoudray -have little to say, to the point, and can only -feebly plead for clemency to be extended to her; and -the jury, after deliberating for fifty-five minutes, return -a verdict <em>affirming all the charges submitted to them</em>. -Hermann calls on the accused to declare whether she -has any objection to make to the sentence of the law demanded -by the Public Accuser. Marie Antoinette bows -her head in token of a negative.</p> - -<p>Then the tribunal, putting their bloodthirsty heads -together for a few minutes, condemn Marie Antoinette -of Austria and Lorraine, widow of Louis Capet to the -punishment of Death, “and the confiscation of all her -property for the benefit of the Republic, the sentence -to be executed in the Square of the Revolution.” The -confiscation of all her property! When she was dead, -an inventory was taken of the few rags which she had -left behind her in her cell in the Conciergerie, and they -were appraised at the magnificent sum of nine livres, -about seven and sixpence sterling. Nine livres all -told! In the second year of her marriage it was computed -that the roll and butter served every morning -to each of her ladies of honour, cost two thousand -livres, or eighty pounds a year; and five thousand livres<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span> -was the annual charge for the bouillon, or beef-tea, -kept hot by day and by night for Madame Royale, -who was a weakly child. During the earlier portion -of her imprisonment the unhappy Queen had been supplied -with body linen by the compassionate care of the -Marchioness of Stafford, the wife of the British Ambassador -in Paris, but there was no kindly Ambassadress -to succour her in her last and darkest days, and -the only hand held forth in pity to this forlorn daughter -of the Cæsars was that of a gaoler’s daughter.</p> - -<p>It was half past four on the morning of the sixteenth -of October when this infernal tribunal adjourned, -and the Queen was conducted back to her -prison. Throughout the whole of her trial she had not -ceased to maintain a calm countenance; but at times -she seemed to be giving way to a feeling of sheer weary -listlessness, and moved her fingers on the bar of the -dock before her, as though she was playing on the -harpsichord When she heard the sentence pronounced, -her features did not shew the slightest alteration; and -she walked from the hall erect and seemingly unmoved, -gendarmes with drawn swords before and behind -her, and the beldames of the fish-market and the -rag-shops cursing and shrieking at her, just as you may -see them in Paul Delaroche’s noble picture.</p> - -<p>So they took her back to a dungeon twelve feet long, -eight feet broad, four feet underground, with a grated -window on a level with the pavement. Into this -wretched hole some scraps of the coarsest food were -brought her; but she was left under the incessant supervision -of a female prisoner and two soldiers. It is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span> -said that she snatched a little sleep. On waking she -asked one of the gendarmes who had been present at -the trial whether she had replied “with too much dignity” -to the question put to her. “I ask,” she added, -“because I overheard a woman say, <cite>See how haughty -she still is</cite>.” The woman who could have made such -an observation must have been one of the hags that -Delaroche has painted.</p> - -<p>At seven o’clock in the morning, the entire garrison -of Paris was under arms. Cannon were placed in all -the public places; and at the foot of every bridge from -the Quay of the Conciergerie to the Place de la Révolution, -that magnificent area between the gardens of -the Tuileries, originally called the Place Louis XV, -and now know as the Place de la Concorde. At half-past -eleven Marie Antoinette, dressed in a white linen -déshabille, was brought out from the prison. As though -she had been the commonest of malefactors she was -made to mount the charette, or open cart, the appointed -tumbril of infamy. At least the murderers of -her husband had had the decency to allow him the -“luxury” of a hackney coach, when he was taken from -the Temple to the scaffold. Her hair had been cut -short ere she left the gaol, and what remained of her -formerly luxuriant tresses was tucked under a white -mob-cap. Her hands were tied behind her back.</p> - -<p>Of the Queen in this deplorable plight there exists -a very beautiful statue executed by Lord Ronald -Gower. On the right, in the tumbril, was seated Sanson, -the executioner, and on the left a “constitutional” -priest, that is to say, one who had taken the oath of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span> -fealty to the Republic. To the ministrations of this -“patriotic” cleric, who was dressed in light grey coat -and a bob-wig, Marie Antoinette had in the first instance -declined to listen; but she occasionally spoke -to him on her way to the fatal Place de la Révolution.</p> - -<p>An immense mob, in which women were revoltingly -numerous, crowded the streets throughout the entire -line of route insulting the Queen and vociferating -“Long live the Republic!” She seldom cast her eyes -on the populace, but from time to time looked with -some curiosity on the prodigious military force surrounding -the cart. Otherwise her attitude throughout -this last dismal pilgrimage was one of half torpid -indifference.</p> - -<p>As the cart traversed the Rue St. Honoré, the -numbed faculties of the Queen seemed momentarily to -revive; and she examined with some attention the multitudinous -inscriptions of “Liberty” and “Equality” -over the shop-fronts.</p> - -<p>It was as the vehicle turned the corner of the Rue St. -Honoré into that which is now the Rue Royale that -the famous painter, David, who, during the Reign of -Terror, was a furious Jacobin and a friend of Robespierre, -but who was destined to become a Baron of the -Empire, and to paint the Coronation of Napoleon at -Notre Dame, was able from the balcony which he occupied -in company with the wife of a member of the -Convention to make a sketch of Marie Antoinette. -The drawing has come down to us. The features of -the Martyr Queen are sharp and pinched, exhibiting -no traces whatever of former comeliness, and she looks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span> -fifty years of age. It may here be mentioned that the -illustrious and pure-minded English sculptor, John -Flaxman, when he visited Paris, after the Peace of -Amiens, resolutely refused to meet the artist who made -the last sketch of Marie Antoinette, and always spoke -of him disdainfully as “David of the bloodstained -brush.”</p> - -<p>The historians are divided in opinion as to the demeanor -of Marie Antoinette on the scaffold. Some -say that she laid herself down on the fatal plank with -calm deliberation, and met her death with noble fortitude, -recalling Andrew Marvell’s superb lines on the -execution of Charles I:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">And while the armèd bands</div> -<div class="verse">Did clap their bloody hands,</div> -<div class="verse">He nothing common did, nor mean,</div> -<div class="verse">Upon that memorable scene;</div> -<div class="verse">Nor called the gods, in vulgar spite,</div> -<div class="verse">To vindicate his helpless might;</div> -<div class="verse">But, with his keener eye</div> -<div class="verse">The axe’s edge did try;</div> -<div class="verse">Then bowed his comely head</div> -<div class="verse">Down, as upon a bed.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Others narrate that the Queen ascended the steps -of the scaffold in great haste, and with apparent impatience, -and turned her eyes with much emotion towards -the Palace of the Tuileries, the scene of her -former greatness, and that she made some slight resistance -before submitting to the executioner. My own -impression is that she was two-thirds dead—that the -<i lang="la">rigor mortis</i> was upon her before she reached the scaffold;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span> -that she was lifted out of the cart and half carried -to the guillotine, and that she did not give the -headsman and his assistants the slightest trouble.</p> - -<p>It is, at all events, certain that at half past twelve -her head was severed from her body. One of the -<i lang="fr">valets du bourreau</i>, or executioner’s men, lifted and -showed the head streaming with blood, from the four -quarters of the scaffold, the mob meanwhile screeching -“<i lang="fr">Vive la République!</i>” and it is asserted that a young -man who dipped his handkerchief in the blood, and -pressed it with veneration to his heart, was instantly -apprehended. The corpse of Marie Antoinette was -immediately flung into a pit filled with quicklime, in -the graveyard of the Madeleine where the remains of -her husband had also been interred.</p> - -<p>At the Restoration in 1814, diligent search was made -for the ashes of the King and Queen in the cemetery, -on the site of which was subsequently erected an Expiatory -Chapel. Some half calcined bones and a few -scraps of cloth and linen were found; and these last -having been identified by experts as having been part -of the apparel of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, -the relics with a considerable quantity of the surrounding -earth, were inhumed with much pomp and solemnity, -in the Royal Vault of the Cathedral of St. Denis.</p> - -<p>Touching the executioner, it may be expedient to -record that Marie Antoinette was guillotined, not by -Charles Henri Sanson, who beheaded Louis XVI, but -by his son, Henri, who died in Paris in 1840, aged -seventy-three. The elder Sanson died only a few weeks -after he had executed Louis, and the Royalist historians<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span> -maintain that his death was hastened by remorse for the -deed which he had been constrained to commit, and -that in his will he bequeathed a considerable sum for -the celebration of an annual Expiatory Mass. But -this is very doubtful. It has been shown, however, -without the possibility of doubt, that the Sanson family -were of Florentine origin, and that the ancestors of -Charles Henri and of Henri Sanson came to France in -the train of Catherine de Medicis. For two hundred -years, without intermission, had members of this -gloomy historic family been executioners in ordinary -to the city of Paris.</p> - -<p>In addition to Marie Antoinette, the younger Sanson -decapitated the Queen’s sister-in-law, Madame -Elisabeth, and the eloquent advocate, Malesherbes, who -undertook the defence of Louise XVI. He likewise -beheaded the Duke of Orléans (Philippe Égalité), and -last, but not least, Maximilien Robespierre. The so-called -<cite>Memoirs of the Sanson Family</cite> are more than -half suspected to be mainly apocryphal, and to have -been written by one D’Olbreuse, a bookseller’s hack; -and, according to a writer in the Paris <cite>Temps</cite>, in 1875 -the last of the Sansons was a remarkably mild, flaccid -and stupid old gentleman, who was certainly incapable -of writing any “Memoirs” whatever, since his own -memory was hopelessly decayed, and whose circumstances -in his old age became so embarrassed that he -was arrested for debt, and confined in the prison of -Clichy, whence he only procured his enlargement by -<em>pawning the guillotine itself</em> for 4,000 francs!</p> - -<p>Shortly after the conclusion of this singular transaction,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span> -a murderer had to be executed, and the usual -instructions were issued by the Procureur General to -Henri Sanson, to have his death dealing apparatus -ready on a certain morning in the Place de la Roquette. -It then became necessary to explain to the authorities -that the fatal machine was practically in the custody of -My Uncle. Justice, however, had to be satisfied, and -the murderer’s head was duly cut off on the appointed -morning; but simultaneously with the signature of the -Minister of Justice of a draft for 4,000 francs to release -the hypothecated guillotine, there was issued an -order dismissing Sanson from his post.</p> - -<p>And Marie Antoinette? I have drawn her picture -as faithfully as I could, not without much toil and -more perplexity for the memoirs of the period in which -she lived and died absolutely bristle with falsehoods, -the inventions now of Royalist and now of Republican -writers. Comparatively few are the facts concerning -her which have been exactly ascertained and are altogether -indisputable; whereas the name of the unfounded -assertions, the insinuations, the hypotheses, and the -downright lies, is legion. By some this most unhappy -woman has been represented as an angel of goodness -and purity, a faithful spouse, a fond parent, a kind -mistress, and a most pious and charitable princess. By -others she has been depicted as a crafty, unscrupulous -and vindictive woman, as perfidious as Borgia and profligate -as Messalina.</p> - -<p>This is no place in which to discuss at length a most -intricate question, all hedged about by obscurity, uncertainties -and mysteries which will, perhaps, never<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span> -be solved. At all events, the story which I have told -of her trial and her last moments is true. For the -rest, both Royalists and Republicans agree that Marie -Antoinette was born at Vienna, in 1755, and was the -daughter of Francis of Lorraine, Emperor of Germany, -and of Marie Theresa of Austria. In May, 1770, she -married the Dauphin Louis, who was grandson of -Louis XV of France, and who, in 1774, ascended the -French throne as Louis XVI. It would not seem that -Marie Antoinette was absolutely beautiful, as beautiful, -say, as Queen Louisa of Prussia, or as the Empress -Eugene, still there is a tolerably unanimous consensus -of opinion that she was handsome, lively, amiable, -and thoroughly kind-hearted. It is possible that -she may have been a little thoughtless in her youth; -and the ledgers of Madame Eloffe certainly show that, -as regards her toilet, Marie Antoinette was a most -prodigal Queen. But is it a mortal sin in a young, -pretty and sprightly woman to spend a good deal of -money on dress? How many hundred dresses did our -chaste Queen Elizabeth leave behind her, in her wardrobe, -at her death?</p> - -<p>It must be granted that when the dissensions of the -Revolution began, Marie Antoinette was on the Conservative -side, and that she tried her hardest to incline -her husband to that side. Was it so very unnatural -that she should do so? Her brother, the Emperor -Joseph, used to say that “Royalty was his trade”; and -poor Marie Antoinette may have laboured under a -similar persuasion. But the times were very bad indeed -for the “trade” of Royalty, and there arose a grim<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span> -conviction among the working millions that the best -way of mending matters was to dethrone, plunder, and -murder their masters and mistresses.</p> - -<p>The influence of Marie Antoinette in the councils of -Louis has been, I should say, considerably exaggerated -by her enemies. Her husband, naturally disposed to -concession, was by temper irresolute, and he allowed -himself to be led away by the course of events, instead -of striving to control and direct them. There can be -little doubt, either, that Marie Antoinette was one of -the chief advisers of the flight of the King and Royal -Family to Varennes; and that imprudent enterprise -served, even more fiercely, to inflame the public animosity -against herself and her husband.</p> - -<p>But again, I fail to see the criminality of this attempted -escape. The King and Queen knew well -enough that the Revolutionists intended to deprive -them of their crowns, and, in all probability, of their -lives, they had no adequate armed force with which -to resist the mob. Were they not justified in running -away? After the deposition of Louis, all the elements -of grandeur in the character of Marie Antoinette began -to manifest themselves. She showed the greatest -courage during the dastardly attacks made on the Royal -Family; and she appeared to be always more anxious -for the safety of her husband and children than for -her own. She shared their captivity with noble resignation, -and her demeanour under the most trying circumstances -never lost an iota of its dignity. In the -presence of her judges her fortitude never forsook her; -her burst of indignant maternal feeling overawed even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span> -the butchers who were perverting and burlesquing the -law to bring her to the shambles; and her behaviour -in almost unparalleled misfortunes, has won for her -not only the pity and the sympathy, but the reverent -admiration of posterity.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXVIII">CHAPTER XXXVIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>More sitters—Mr. John Burns walks and talks—We buy his only -suit—Mr. George Bernard Shaw has to work for his living—General -Booth—Four leading suffragettes—Christabel’s model -“speaks”—The Channel swimmer.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The most restless of all my sitters was the Right -Honourable John Burns, when he was plain -John Burns.</p> - -<p>I modelled him in the year 1889 or 1890, at the -time of the great Dock Strike. Mr. Burns was then -throwing all his magnetic personality into the cause -of the workers, and he brought some of that magnetic -personality into my studio. Only in a technical sense -did he “sit” to me. He was walking and talking all -the time.</p> - -<p>These were very turbulent days, and Mr. Burns had -figured in the Trafalgar Square riots. Shipowners and -shipbuilders—and everybody, I imagine, having more -than £500 a year—were the objects of his implacable -distrust. He was a younger and poorer man then.</p> - -<p>Mr. Burns wore the blue reefer suit which had survived -the jostlings of many a crowd, but he did not -bring to my studio the famous straw hat of which so -much was written in the Press at that time. When I -spoke to him about the hat he rather fenced the question, -and to this day I believe that hat to be somewhere<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span> -in Mr. Burns’s possession as a treasured souvenir of -his stressful past. I have never seen Mr. Burns wearing -any other kind of clothes than blue serge.</p> - -<p>I struck a bargain with the dockers’ champion that he -should let me have the suit he was wearing with which -to clothe his portrait in the Exhibition, and so complete -the realism of the model. Mr. Burns demurred -at first, and then it appeared he had an extremely good -reason for doing so. It was the only suit he possessed, -and we agreed that I should have it as soon as I provided -him with a new one to take its place on his own -back.</p> - -<p>Mr. Burns told the story of this transaction in reply -to an interrupter at a public meeting.</p> - -<p>“Where did you get that suit?” asked the interrogator.</p> - -<p>“I got it,” said Mr. Burns frankly, “from Madame -Tussaud’s. When my portrait was put in the Exhibition -you may, or you may not, have noticed that it -was wearing my old suit. As I had no other clothes -the management gave me the suit I am wearing now, -and I hope you will agree that I made a pretty good -bargain.”</p> - -<p>The audience cheered the speaker and booed the -heckler.</p> - -<p>Mr. Burns’s portrait has been brought up to date -since then, but it still wears the old reefer suit, and -the fact of this being out of the fashion and rather -skimpy only adds to the effectiveness of the picture by -recalling the working man the late Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman -raised to Cabinet rank.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span></p> - -<p>They tell me Mr. Burns is getting white, but when -I modelled him his hair was black and plentiful.</p> - -<p><cite>Judy</cite> commemorated the suit incident in the following -verse, depicting Burns making figure eights on -the ice:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">’Ave ye seen Johnny Burns</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Strikin’ figgers on the hice?</div> -<div class="verse">’Ave ye seen his twists and turns?—</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Sure, an’ can’t he do it nice!</div> -<div class="verse">In his Tussaud’s suit of navy blue</div> -<div class="verse indent1">’N’ his famous old straw hat,</div> -<div class="verse">With his Hacmes ’n’ his knobstick too,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">A reg’lar ’ristocrat!</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>A contrast to Mr. Burns, though possibly of similar -socialistic opinions, was Mr. George Bernard Shaw, -whom I long wanted to sit to me.</p> - -<p>I had not made the acquaintance of the brilliant -satirist, and somehow hesitated about approaching him. -Eventually I wrote to Mr. Shaw making known my -wish, and, without delay, I received from him a good-humoured -letter, in which he said that it would give -him much pleasure to “join the company of the Immortals.”</p> - -<p>A little later he wrote making an appointment, -and, in due course, Mr. Shaw came to my studio and -gave me a delightful hour of his company.</p> - -<p>He took up his position on the dais in the most -natural manner, and there was nothing more for me -to do than proceed with my modelling. I do not know -who was the more amused, Mr. Shaw or myself—I -by his sayings, and he by the novelty of the situation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span></p> - -<p>He talked freely as I went on with my work, and -one thing among his many whimsical sayings I well -remember:</p> - -<p>“I took to writing with the object of obtaining a -living without having to work for it, but I have long -since realised that I made a great mistake.”</p> - -<p>As we walked through the Exhibition he took a general -interest in all he saw, but it was the Napoleonic -relics that detained him, as is generally the case with -distinguished people.</p> - -<p>I thought I detected a certain shyness about Mr. -Shaw in the Chamber of Horrors. He was very reserved, -and surveyed the faces of degenerate men and -women without offering any criticism. I remember -that the crafty, and yet not wholly repulsive, face of -Charles Peace engaged Mr. Shaw’s attention several -minutes.</p> - -<p>I have no knowledge whether Mr. Shaw ever called -to see his portrait. It is quite likely that he did, and -it is no less likely that his visit passed unobserved.</p> - -<p>It was inevitable that so prominent a figure in the -religious world as the late General Booth should find -a place in Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition.</p> - -<p>I went to see the General at the instance of some of -his friends, who thought that the portrait of him already -included would be all the better for being brought -up to date. I recollect being impressed by General -Booth’s force of character as manifested alike in his -manner and in his appearance. He had a keen eye and -classic aquiline features.</p> - -<p>Though he made no mention of the matter himself,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span> -it was pretty plainly hinted to me that permission to -include the General’s portrait should be accompanied -by some expression of gratitude on the part of the -Exhibition authorities “for the good of the cause.”</p> - -<p>I also went to Exeter Hall to study the General’s -demeanour while addressing a large audience.</p> - -<p>What I remember mostly about that visit was that -a “converted” sailor mounted the platform and made -a rambling speech. So frank were the confessions of -the artless tar that General Booth found it necessary -to bundle him unceremoniously off the platform, to the -great amusement of the congregation.</p> - -<p>I was much interested in modelling a quartette of -leading suffragettes, Mrs. Pankhurst, Mrs. Pethick -Lawrence, Miss Christabel Pankhurst, and Miss Annie -Kenney.</p> - -<p>The group is conspicuously shown in the Grand Hall -to-day. The ladies came separately, several mornings, -and took as much interest as I did in the production of -their portraits, a process that was in no sense tedious, -as their conversation whiled away the time most pleasantly.</p> - -<p>I very soon became aware that the suffragette on -the political warpath is a very different woman from -the suffragette in other circumstances.</p> - -<p>None of them in the least degree frightened me or -hectored me; in fact, political questions were discussed -by them in the quietest, most sensible, and most intelligent -manner, giving me the impression then that -the extension of the vote to women would not find such<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span> -women unqualified to make reasonable use of the privilege -so long withheld from them.</p> - -<p>After the figures were added to the Exhibition, two -of the four ladies very good-humouredly hinted to me -that the portraits were not very flattering. I remember -the ladies in question coming to see the group, and -I promised I would make what alterations seemed possible -and desirable. As I have not heard from them -since, I gather that the likenesses have proved satisfactory.</p> - -<p>Months later, after a batch of laughing damsels -had left the building, a paper disc, bearing the words -“Votes for Women,” was discovered fixed to a button -on Mr. Asquith’s coat.</p> - -<p>It was soon after the figures of the quartette had -been placed in the Exhibition that an incident occurred -which comes to me through the medium of a Fleet -Street artist in black and white attached to a well-known -paper.</p> - -<p>This gentleman had been instructed to attend a meeting -some distance away from town for the purpose -of taking some sketches of Miss Christabel Pankhurst, -who was announced to speak. Having left things till -the last moment, he discovered, to his dismay, that -he had missed his train, and, not knowing what to do, -he was bewailing his misfortune to a fellow artist, -when the latter slapped him on the back and said:</p> - -<p>“Never mind, old fellow, you just go to Tussaud’s -Exhibition and take as many pictures of the fair -Christabel’s figure as you like. The model is a speaking -likeness, and you can take it from me that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span> -sketches will be all right; they will be quite as good -as if drawn from life.”</p> - -<p>The advice was no sooner given than acted upon, and -the result, I am told, was most satisfactory.</p> - -<p>Another sitter was Mr. T. W. Burgess, who came -to my studio a few days after he swam the Channel.</p> - -<p>The burly Yorkshireman laughed as he entered and -remarked:</p> - -<p>“I am in pretty good training, but I would rather -swim the Channel again than sit still for you, Mr. -Tussaud. However, I will do the best I can.”</p> - -<p>He sold the clothes he took off before he entered -the water, and these clothes are worn by his portrait, -now in the Exhibition. He also parted with the goggles -and indiarubber cap he had worn during his swim, and -the cup from which he took nourishment. Unfortunately -one of Burgess’s too ardent “admirers” purloined -his hero’s cup from us.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus69"> - -<img src="images/illus69.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">T. W. BURGESS, THE CHANNEL SWIMMER</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Modeled from life by John T. Tussaud. In common with many of -the models in Madame Tussaud’s, this model is dressed in the subject’s -own clothing.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XXXIX">CHAPTER XXXIX</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Bank Holiday queues—Cup-tie day—Gentlemen from the north—Bachelor -beanfeasts—The Member for Oldham—A scare.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The four regular Bank Holidays of the year are -great occasions at Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>On each of them the precincts of Tussaud’s show -signs of activity long before the average Londoner is -astir. The length of any of the queues has never been -actually measured, but it is no exaggeration to say that -the people have frequently waited four and five deep -in a line extending almost a quarter of a mile—from -the doors of the Exhibition to the gates of Regent’s -Park.</p> - -<p>The crowd at these times consists mainly of Londoners -from all the outlying districts of the Metropolis, -for Madame Tussaud’s has always been in great favour -as a holiday resort for the multitude. Parents also -bring their children in great numbers, and the holiday -crowds continue to come for days after.</p> - -<p>There is, however, at least one morning in the year -when the portals of the Exhibition are literally teeming -with life while the citizens are slumbering in bed.</p> - -<p>On Easter Monday, Whit-Monday, the August Bank -Holiday, and even on Boxing Day, holiday-makers -may be seen at an early hour waiting in a queue, yet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span> -no comparison may be made between these crowds and -those of the Cup-tie mornings I have witnessed at the -Exhibition.</p> - -<p>This day brings into London tens of thousands of -men and boys from the densely populated manufacturing -towns and mining areas of Lancashire, Yorkshire, -Durham, and Northumberland. These football enthusiasts -arrive in the Metropolis as early in the morning -as two, three, and four o’clock on the day of the -Crystal Palace carnival.</p> - -<p>It has always seemed to me that Madame Tussaud’s -has received the lion’s share of patronage during the -long interval between the arrival of the cheap excursion -trains at the great railway stations and the time when -the Cup-tie is played in the afternoon. The attendance -at these hours is extraordinary, and the appearance -of a house of entertainment in full swing so early -in the morning has an indescribably weird and garish -effect.</p> - -<p>These north country patrons of ours take up position -on the steps of the entrance, and pass the time -taking refreshments brought with them from their -homes. Though weary with their journey, they are always -cheery and well-behaved, and the way in which -they banter each other in the broad accents of Oldham, -Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Halifax, Newcastle, -etc., has many a time afforded me a good deal -of interest and diversion.</p> - -<p>I have often stood on the broad open staircase and -looked down upon the swarming hundreds in the entrance-hall -and the refreshment rooms and it is a happy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span> -experience to dwell on that there has never been occasion -to rebuke any of them for roughness or want of -good behaviour. It is peculiarly true of the country -cousin, so far as my experience of him goes, that he -never indulges in horse-play when he comes to Madame -Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>There is, however, one very striking contrast between -the crowd on a Bank Holiday and that on a -Cup-tie day, and this is due to the circumstances that -the followers of football do not bring their women-folk -or children with them on the occasion of these -“bachelor” beanfeasts—a concession, I presume, made -to their men by the wives and sweethearts of the north.</p> - -<p>Not by a long way do all these excursionists go to -see the great football finals at the Palace. Quite a -large proportion, taking advantage of the cheap fares, -come to see London and its many sights which the -average Londoner proverbially overlooks.</p> - -<p>It has more than once been remarked by the Exhibition -attendants that many Cup-tie visitors spend -the greater part of the day at Madame Tussaud’s, -lingering for hours among the relics of Napoleon and -the figures and exhibits of the Chamber of Horrors, -without having the slightest intention of venturing so -far as to see the football contest played.</p> - -<p>It is a mistake to imagine that the working classes -of the north are ignorant of English history, or not -concerned with it; and if that impression exists, I -should like to correct it. I doubt whether any class -takes a keener interest in the Hall of Kings, or makes -more use of the information provided by the Catalogue.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span></p> - -<p>The “trippers,” “country cousins,” or whatever one -likes to call them, seldom pester the Exhibition attendants -with queries, for what one does not know -another does. The Catalogues are taken away for -further perusal, and one may often search the whole -Exhibition in vain the next morning for one that -has been discarded.</p> - -<p>All day long groups of Cup-tie trippers stand about -the Sleeping Beauty, not only for her sake, but also -for the sake of Madame Tussaud, whose figure stands -at Madame St. Amaranthe’s head, while at her feet -sits William Cobbett, wearing his old beaver hat, and -holding in his hand the snuff-box which legend credits -him with passing to visitors on some weird occasions.</p> - -<p>Men from Oldham naturally show special interest -in Cobbett, who was, in his day, Member of Parliament -for that town.</p> - -<p>Cobbett sits on a red upholstered ottoman, with -room enough for two other persons, and on a certain -Cup-tie day two travel-stained, tired men sat down -by him, and, noticing that he moved his head from -side to side, took him to be alive. They addressed -questions to him, and jumped up very hurriedly as -he jerked his head and looked blankly at them through -his horn spectacles.</p> - -<p>The only two figures in the Exhibition that make -any pretence of life are William Cobbett and the -Sleeping Beauty.</p> - -<p>A wonderful self-made man was Cobbett, who began -life as a living scarecrow, armed with a shotgun, -in the employment of a farmer, and, after being,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span> -among other things, sergeant-major won a great reputation -as a writer of English prose and attained the -distinction of adding M.P. to his name in those days -when Parliamentary honours were less easily achieved -than they are to-day.</p> - -<p>To be sure, the figures of statesmen have always -interested Cup-tie crowds, for the provincial is much -more of a politician than the Londoner.</p> - -<p>So also literary men like Scott, Dickens, Tennyson, -Burns, and Kipling come in for much attention; more, -perhaps, than portraits of the clergy.</p> - -<p>Sportsmen, too, such as W. G. Grace, Fred Archer, -and “Tommy Lipton”—the last-mentioned for his -America Cup performances—receive enough notice on -Cup-tie days to maintain a good average of appreciation -for the year.</p> - -<p>As on Bank Holidays, so on Cup-tie days, there are -always many more live than wax figures in the Chamber -of Horrors from morning till night. Indeed, I have -seen the place so crowded that it was difficult to distinguish -the effigies from the awestricken observers.</p> - -<p>Sometimes I have taken a walk round the Exhibition -after it was closed on the night of the Cup-tie -to see that all was right. Once I was called in haste -to the Chamber of Horrors, where a stranger had been -found asleep in a dark corner. After he had been -roused and escorted outside, the scared fellow made -off as if he had had the hangman at his heels. A -return ticket from Bolton was picked up where he -had lain. But the man from Bolton had bolted, and -did not return to claim the ticket.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XL">CHAPTER XL</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The mysterious Sun Yat Sen’s visit—His escape from the Chinese -Legation—The Dargai tableau—Sir William Treloar entertains -his little friends.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Once in its long history Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition -opened on a Sunday—not, however, to -the general public.</p> - -<p>The occasion was special and, in a way, mysterious. -It had to do with one of the most dramatic personalities -of the Chinese Empire and Republic.</p> - -<p>A message reached me late on a Saturday night that -Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the first President of the Chinese -Republic, wished to visit the Exhibition on the following -Sunday morning. I was unable to receive -him in person, but arranged that an attendant should -represent me.</p> - -<p>The attendant knew nothing of the name of the -visitor till he saw him looking at his own portrait -and calling the attention of General Homer Lee—an -American soldier holding high rank in the Chinese -Army—who accompanied him, to the dimple in the -chin of the model by placing his finger smilingly on -the dimple in his own chin.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 210px;" id="illus71"> - -<img src="images/illus71.jpg" width="210" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">DR. SUN YAT SEN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">From a photograph.</p> - -</div> - -<p>This was in the year 1911, and Sun Yat Sen was -passing through London on his way from America -to take up his presidential duties.</p> - -<p>His visit to the Exhibition had been planned by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span> -Dr. (now Sir James) Cantlie, of Harley Street, to -whom Sun Yat Sen owed—the greatest of all debts -of gratitude—his life.</p> - -<p>For it was this same Sun Yat Sen who, eleven years -before, was liberated through the exertions of Dr. -Cantlie from his prison in the Chinese Legation at -Portland Place, a few minutes’ walk from Madame -Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>What would have happened to him but for the -fact that Dr. Cantlie’s intervention resulted in Sun -Yat Sen’s release through Lord Salisbury’s representations -to the Chinese authorities can only be conjectured.</p> - -<p>It was discovered at the time that a ship had been -chartered in the Thames for the removal of Sun Yat -Sen to China on a charge of treason against the Emperor—the -same Emperor whose successor, under a -republican form of government, Sun Yat Sen was -destined to be.</p> - -<p>Particulars were also disclosed regarding the manner -of his incarceration at the Chinese Legation. He -was inveigled into the place by the lures of hospitality, -and, once inside, the officials relegated him to an apartment -which they kept locked for many days.</p> - -<p>It was only through Sun Yat Sen’s friendship with -Dr. Cantlie, whose suspicions were aroused by “inside” -information, that the British authorities learned -of Sun Yat Sen’s fate and took steps to have him -set free.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus70"> - -<img src="images/illus70.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">DR. SUN YAT SEN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The wax model on view at Madame Tussaud’s of the first -President of the Chinese Republic.</p> - -</div> - -<p>When the hero of this adventure visited Madame -Tussaud’s on the Sunday morning in question to see -his model, I wondered what his reason could be, and -asked myself whether it had anything to do with the -adapting of his disguise, while travelling from this -country to China, at a time when his life must have -been in danger.</p> - -<p>Perhaps, after all, it was nothing more than the -natural curiosity which attracts people whose portraits -have been recently added to come and see them. The -Eastern mind may not differ from the Western in this -very human respect.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Touching and dramatic in the extreme was the incident -which accompanied the unveiling of the tableau -representing the Gordon Highlanders storming the -Heights of Dargai. Lieutenant-Colonel Mathias’s -words were on all lips at the time:</p> - -<p>“That position must be taken at any cost; the Gordon -Highlanders will take it.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Mathias was present with her son and daughter -at the supper we gave to celebrate the event, and -a piper played “The Cock of the North” to recall -the deed of the wounded piper who fired his comrades -on to victory and was awarded the V.C. When his -father’s words were recited, young Mathias sprang to -his feet and thrilled all present by saluting in true -military fashion.</p> - -<p>One of the brightest of red-letter days in Madame -Tussaud’s romantic story was the 24th of January, -1907, when Sir William Treloar, “the children’s -Mayor,” accompanied by several local Mayors, drove -to the Exhibition in all the panoply of civic state to -give éclat to the visit of fifteen hundred boys and girls<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span> -of the poorest of the poor, whom we made our guests.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus72"> - -<img src="images/illus72.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE CHILDREN’S LORD MAYOR</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Sir William Treloar entertains his little friends at Madame Tussaud’s, -24th January, 1907.</p> - -</div> - -<p>How richly the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor -of London enjoyed himself on that occasion, like the -large-hearted man he is, and how pre-eminently happy -he was among the waifs and strays, many of whom -were cripples, whose lives he has done so much to -brighten! Sir John Kirk, of the Ragged School Union, -was also there, beaming with joy among his little -beneficiaries. I remember Sir William Treloar pointing -to his civic headgear and calling out to the children, -“How do you like my Dick Turpin hat?”</p> - -<p>Tea-tables were laid all among the figures, and the -picture produced in this way was both striking and -amusing as the young people laughed and chatted by -the side of the approving mutes. Perhaps the remark -which seemed to create the greatest fun was when the -Lord Mayor said he would like to see his Sheriffs in -the Chamber of Horrors.</p> - -<p>It was very touching to observe the boys loyally -and reverently take off their caps in front of the little -alcove in which Queen Victoria sits, as someone has -said, “signing despatches all day long.” At the close -of the happy day the halls and corridors of the Exhibition -rang with the shrill treble of fifteen hundred -young voices singing “For he’s a jolly good fellow,” -followed by “Hip hip, hooray; the donkey’s run away.”</p> - -<p>A tragedy happened that day not far away, in -Westbourne Grove, which caused the gentlemen of -the Press who attended the function to leave the Exhibition -rather hurriedly. News came of the murder -of Mr. William Whiteley, the Universal Provider.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLI">CHAPTER XLI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>A miscellany of humour—Our policeman—The mysterious lantern—The -danger of old Catalogues—Stories of children—Sir Ernest -Shackleton’s model.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Many of our visitors will remember the model of -the policeman which stands at the entrance to -the main gallery in the Exhibition. Hundreds—I -might say thousands—of visitors have been “taken in” -by this lifelike officer, who is the embodiment of a -genial bobby prepared at any moment to show the way -or tell the time.</p> - -<p>The fame of this nameless policeman has extended -to practically all the grown-ups who bring their children -to see the figures, and many times in the day we -see laughing parents watching the nonplussed expression -on the faces of their offspring whom they have -prevailed upon to go and ask where a certain model -is to be found.</p> - -<p>Immediately opposite is the figure of the programme-seller -in somnolent mood, who is frequently offered sixpence -for a Catalogue she cannot sell. It is the would-be -customer that is sold.</p> - -<p>It is most amusing to observe how many adults -are deceived who seem to pride themselves on their -discernment. For example, on Bank Holidays it is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span> -customary to have a number of real live constables on -duty to regulate the crowd and give directions.</p> - -<p>Bobby has a keen sense of humour, and some of -them, entering into the spirit of the situation, now -and again stand stock-still in the most natural attitude -they can command. Not once, but frequently, a visitor, -in passing with his friends, has, with an air of -superior knowledge, pushed the ferrule of his stick or -umbrella into the supposed figure’s side, to be startled -by the model’s ejaculating, “Now then, young man, -enough of that.”</p> - -<p>There is a mystery which has never been cleared up, -and that is whether it was a policeman or a burglar -who left a bull’s-eye lantern in the Exhibition studio; -but it is quite clear that the intruder, whoever he was, -fled from the place in fright.</p> - -<p>A portrait of the Marquis of Hartington had just -been finished, and left fully clothed and ready to be -transferred to the Exhibition. By an oversight the -door of the studio was left unfastened, and on our -return in the morning it was found to have been -opened.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus74"> - -<img src="images/illus74.jpg" width="380" height="570" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MARQUIS OF HARTINGTON</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The late Duke of Devonshire.</p> - -</div> - -<p>On the floor, at the feet of the model of the Marquis, -lay a bull’s-eye lantern that evidently had been -dropped by its owner as he rushed from the place. The -probability is that the policeman, or the burglar, had -flashed his lamp on the figure and had been scared to -find, as he thought, a man—or a spectre—confronting -him. No claim was ever made for the lamp.</p> - -<p>It is not an unusual thing that visitors who wish to -save expense should bring with them an old Catalogue<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span> -which they have treasured up at home for a future -visit. This is not a safe plan, for with the addition -of new figures the older ones have to be renumbered. -As a result the visitors in question are sometimes misled, -as was the lady in the following story told by a -Londoner.</p> - -<p>He related that he had occasion to take a country -cousin to the Exhibition, and she took with her an -old Catalogue.</p> - -<p>He paid little attention to her describing King Edward -IV as King Henry VIII, and exclaiming that she -did not know Queen Mary of Scots dressed like a man. -But when she said, “Well, I never! I always thought -Gladstone was a man, though my brothers call him -an old woman,” then he felt interested, and proceeded -to investigate. There it was, sure enough; the model -No. 63 was the figure of an old lady, but in the out-of-date -Catalogue No. 63 was “William Ewart Gladstone.”</p> - -<p>Sometimes we get a rough old country farmer who -has got it into his head that everyone in our Exhibition -has committed some crime or other.</p> - -<p>Visitors, when audibly perusing their Catalogue, -are sometimes a source of entertainment to others who -overhear them, owing to the curious mistakes they -make. One day a jolly-looking countryman came to -a standstill before the figure of Henry IV of France, -described in our Catalogue as “Henri Quatre.” “’Enry -Carter,” said he; “’oo did ’e kill?” and, finding the -gentleman in question innocent of murder, he turned -away with a disappointed expression, but evidently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span> -with a fixed determination to discover a genuine criminal -somewhere else.</p> - -<p>Not only children, but also their elders, constantly -mistake the policeman, the programme-seller, and the -sleeping attendant for living people; but few children -are so simple as the little maiden who, glancing awestruck -down the long array of very lifelike effigies of -good, bad, and indifferent individuals, asked her mother -in a whisper how they were killed before being stuffed.</p> - -<p>One day a lady was explaining the different groups -to her young nephew. Pointing to one, she said, -“Freddy, this is the Transvaal crisis. Here are President -Kruger, Mr. Cecil Rhodes, and Dr. Jameson; -all those people are alive.”</p> - -<p>Indicating the next group, she said, “This is the execution -of Mary, Queen of Scots; all these people are -dead.”</p> - -<p>“I do not see any difference between the live ones -and the dead ones,” replied the young hopeful to his -auntie, assuming a puzzled expression.</p> - -<p>There is no accounting for the actions of children. -Several youngsters, for instance, have been observed -slyly pinching the figures to see if any were alive.</p> - -<p>The story is also told of a small girl who, when -asked what she had done with her sweets, replied that -she had given them to the baby in the cradle—Prince -Edward of Wales.</p> - -<p>A child was lost, and found concealed behind the -figure of the Sleeping Beauty, trying to discover the -mechanism that makes Madame St. Amaranthe’s bosom -rise and fall.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span></p> - -<p>Of children’s stories there is no end at Madame -Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>Sir Ernest Shackleton once told some amusing stories -at a dinner of the Alpine Ski Club.</p> - -<p>He said his own small boy was terribly bored with -expedition talk. He told his mother that he wanted -to hear of something really exciting. “I don’t want -to know anything more about papa,” he declared; -“tell me about the baby who was drowned in his bath.” -Was the boy thinking of Marat, the evil genius of the -French Revolution, whom Charlotte Corday stabbed -at his ablutions?</p> - -<p>Sir Ernest said that his wife and son had recently -been to see his model at Madame Tussaud’s, but the -child took more interest in General Tom Thumb sitting -on the palm of the Russian giant’s hand than he -did in the portrait of his father.</p> - -<p>“Two ladies,” the explorer said, “were standing by -my figure, and the younger one observed, ‘That’s -Latham, the airman.’</p> - -<p>“‘No,’ replied the other, ‘that is not Latham; it is -the man, you know, who went to the North Pole.’</p> - -<p>“It is experiences such as these that keep a man modest,” -said Sir Ernest. The ladies had forgotten his -name and the object of his expedition, which was in -the Antarctic and not the Arctic region—a distinction -of minor importance to the general public perhaps.</p> - -<p>In the days of the Boer War the children of an -illustrious couple who were touring the world fell, -childlike, to discussing the presents their parents would -bring home for them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[296]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I know what I want,” said the youngest of them. -“I want old Kruger’s hat and whiskers, and I believe -papa will bring them to me, because I want to send -them to Madame Tussaud’s.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Cyril Maude, the actor, was taken to the Exhibition -when a small boy, and it is recorded of him -that the visit inspired him with the determination to -become an actor. If that were so, then we may congratulate -ourselves.</p> - -<p>Some years ago a lady wrote to say that when scolding -her child for being naughty, and impressing upon -her that bad little girls would not go to heaven, the -child naïvely replied, “Well, mother, I can’t expect -to go everywhere, but I’ve been to Madame Tussaud’s.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[297]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLII">CHAPTER XLII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>The lure of horrors—Beginnings of the “Dead Room”—Sir Thomas -Lawrence, P.R.A., sketches a suicide—Burke and Hare—Fieschi’s -infernal machine—Greenacre—Executions in Public—“Free at -last!”</p> - -</div> - -<p class="center"><cite>Crime may be secret, but never secure.</cite>—<span class="smcap">Old Proverb.</span></p> - -<p>In citing the old aphorism that society itself creates -the crimes that most beset it, we shall in no way -be tempted to regard the popularity of the Chamber -of Horrors as due to any desire on the part of the -people to visit the place with the object of gazing -upon the result of their own handiwork.</p> - -<p>An inquiry into the motives that induce the public -to visit this gloomy chamber scarcely comes within the -scope of this work. But that a very large number <em>do</em> -visit the place in the course of each year, and that they -cannot be deemed to belong to any particular class, but -represent, without distinction, <em>all</em> classes of society, -we may, of our own certain knowledge, aver without -the slightest hesitation.</p> - -<p>Were we, however, if only from an abstract point -of view, to venture an opinion on the vexed question -as to why so many have a leaning towards the seamy -and sinister side of life, we should be disposed to consider -that, apart from the allurement of the abnormal -and the inclination to indulge a morbid curiosity, perhaps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298]</a></span> -the chief influence serving to stimulate the mind -of the public when a great crime has been perpetrated -in a genuine concern that a serious outrage has been -made on society, constituting a veritable menace to -its security.</p> - -<p>We have stated in a former chapter that Curtius, -more than a century ago, had allocated a part of his -Museum in Paris to models of men of ill-repute, and -had named it the “Caverne des Grands Voleurs.” How -far this place approximated to the present Chamber -of Horrors we cannot say, but it certainly must have -created a precedent for the placing of the portraits -and the relics of lawbreakers in a place separate and -apart from the main and more reputable portion of the -Exhibition.</p> - -<p>In 1802, when Madame Tussaud crossed the Channel -to establish her Exhibition permanently in this -country, she did not, in all probability, find it easy -to obtain an additional room for these figures, especially -when touring through the provinces. Nevertheless, -when she had to exhibit her models in the same hall, -she undoubtedly differentiated, to the best of her ability, -between the famous and the infamous by grouping -the models of evil-doers in a corner by themselves.</p> - -<p>When the Exhibition was opened in Baker Street, -the Chamber of Horrors became a recognised feature -of the collection. It was at first called the “Dead -Room,” although some designated it the “Black -Room,” owing to its sombre aspect.</p> - -<p>Its chief exhibit at that time was the guillotine, -surrounded by the impressions of heads that had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[299]</a></span> -decapitated by it. Here also was shown the model of -Marat dying in his bath, besides many other relics of -the Revolution. Indeed, it might have been regarded -as the nucleus of an historical museum dealing exclusively -with the last days of the old French Monarchy. -Even the walls were constructed and draped -in imitation of the interior of the Bastille, the principal -keys of which were shown therein as mementoes of -unusual interest.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus77"> - -<img src="images/illus77.jpg" width="380" height="510" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">KEY OF THE BASTILLE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Set in a stone from the dungeons of the famous fortress.</p> - -</div> - -<p>“Mr. Punch” made his début before the British public -somewhere during the early forties, and, as already -indicated, he took an early opportunity of referring to -this part of the Tussaud collection as the “Chamber -of Horrors,” by which title it has been known ever -since.</p> - -<p>The number of persons visiting this extra room during -these days was not great, except on those occasions -when the business was galvanised into activity by the -addition of a portrait-model of some unworthy being -who happened for the nonce to figure largely in the -public eye.</p> - -<p>There came into our possession at a time beyond -my memory a singular and valuable sketch, by Sir -Thomas Lawrence, of the alleged murderer, Williams, -as he appeared directly after he had hanged himself -in Coldbath Fields prison.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus76"> - -<img src="images/illus76.jpg" width="380" height="490" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">President of the Royal Academy.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Williams was accused of the murders of the Marr -and the Williamson families in the East End of London -under peculiarly brutal circumstances. These -massacres, which were committed in December, 1811, -caused an immense sensation, and inspired the remarkable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span> -monograph of de Quincey entitled <cite>Murder as One -of the Fine Arts</cite>.</p> - -<p>How Lawrence came to make such a drawing, and -what induced so refined and dignified a person to interest -himself in a subject so repulsive, it is difficult -to understand. Although Lawrence had not then been -elected to the presidency of the Royal Academy, he -held a high position in society as the first portrait -painter of his day.</p> - -<p>We give an illustration of the sketch in question -which is quite authentic.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus78"> - -<img src="images/illus78.jpg" width="380" height="540" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">JOHN WILLIAMS</p> - -<p class="captionsub">From a drawing made after he had committed suicide in prison by -Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Until 1823 it was directed that the body of a suicide -should be buried in a cross-road and have a stake -driven through it, and there can be little doubt that -that of Williams was thus treated. It was not, indeed, -until 1882 that an Act was passed putting an end -to this barbarous custom.</p> - -<p>This circumstance readily calls to mind Tom Hood’s -description of the fate that befell Ben Battle, the victim -of Faithless Nelly Gray:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">A dozen men sat on his corpse,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">To find out why he died—</div> -<div class="verse">And they buried Ben in four cross-roads,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">With a <em>stake</em> in his inside!</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Of the characters that became, in course of time, -suitable objects for the “Dead Room” we have neither -the space nor the inclination to dwell upon, but a passing -reference to two or three that helped to give the -place its present distinctiveness may prove interesting.</p> - -<p>The hideous crimes perpetrated by Burke and Hare,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span> -to which slight reference has already been made, took -place about the year 1828, and the memory of those -crimes was still fresh in the mind of the public when -we opened in Baker Street; indeed, a matter of six -years could not suffice for its obliteration.</p> - -<p>The appalling revelation that it was not only possible, -but easy, for one’s neighbour to be decoyed away, -put to death, and his body sold, without question, for -a sum varying from £8 to £14, aroused a feeling of -consternation throughout the country of a very real -and lasting character.</p> - -<p>The high prices paid for bodies required for dissection -had begotten this terrible traffic. At least sixteen -murders had been traced to these miscreants, but the -evidence at the trial failed to answer the question “How -many more?”</p> - -<p>Burke was executed in January, 1829, on the -strength of Hare’s evidence, so that for nearly a century -have the portrait-models of these two notorious -criminals stood facing each other. There are to this -day many visitors who, on catching sight of their forbidding -features, seem to recognise them, and make -ready comment, without the aid of a Catalogue, on the -leading circumstances associated with their nefarious -careers.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus75"> - -<img src="images/illus75.jpg" width="380" height="325" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">BURKE AND HARE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Both notorious criminals who perpetrated a series of gruesome -murders in Scotland before 1828. These models from life by -Madame Tussaud were among the first of contemporary criminals -made by her for the famous “Chamber of Horrors,” then called the -“Dead Room” or the “Black Room.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>The very first startling event that furnished a subject -for the “Dead Room,” when the Exhibition opened in -Baker Street in 1835, was the attempt on the life of -Louis Philippe, King of the French, four months later.</p> - -<p>It had been the custom of His Majesty to review -the Gardes Nationales and the garrison of Paris on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span> -each anniversary of the Revolution of 1830. For some -considerable time the King and his Government had -been growing very unpopular, and many warnings had -been given him to desist from this military function; -but, in spite of all advice, he persisted in holding the -review.</p> - -<p>The anniversary of the Revolution was on the 28th -of July, and the King, followed by a numerous Staff, -left the Tuileries at half-past ten on the morning of -that day, accompanied by his three sons, the Ducs -d’Orléans, de Nemour, and de Joinville.</p> - -<p>In passing along the Boulevard du Temple—and, -strange to say, when almost opposite the site of Curtius’s -old Museum—a noise was heard resembling an -irregular musket fire. In an instant the road and pavement -at the point where Louis had been riding was -strewn with dead and dying men and horses, and amid -the mêlée the King, slightly wounded in the forehead, -stood alone by the side of his injured horse.</p> - -<p>More than forty persons had been struck and nineteen -killed or mortally wounded. Among the latter -was Edward Joseph Mortier, Duc de Trevise, the -famous Marshal of Napoleon I.</p> - -<p>After a few moments’ suspense, attention was directed -to a cloud of smoke issuing from the third-floor -window of a house on the Boulevard. Herein was discovered -a machine composed of a row of twenty-five -gun-barrels so arranged as to cover the cavalcade as -it passed the premises. It had been fired by a train -of gunpowder, with the result that several of the barrels -had burst on the discharge.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span></p> - -<p>The room was empty, but from one of the back -windows of the house the police caught sight of a man -huddled up in a corner of the courtyard below. He -was trying to stanch the blood which was flowing -from a great wound in his head. In spite of his injury, -caused by his firing of the infernal machine, he had -had the strength to stagger out of the room, seize a -rope, secure it to a window, and by its means escape -from the house.</p> - -<p>The man turned out to be Giuseppe Fieschi, a rabid -conspirator. Our model of him was added some weeks -after the event, and, being placed by the side of an -exact copy of the machine he had used, the man and his -diabolical contrivance proved of considerable interest, -a circumstance that substantially assisted to establish -the Exhibition as a permanent London attraction.</p> - -<p>This political crime was, however, soon eclipsed by -one of a particularly sordid character committed much -nearer home.</p> - -<p>James Greenacre who murdered his fiancée, Hannah -Brown, by striking her a fatal blow in a fit of temper, -will ever figure as a criminal of a very curious type. -Many a deed like that which brought him to the scaffold -has occasioned but a passing interest. It was -the means he adopted for the purpose of evading the -consequences of his crime that aroused the excitement -and indignation of the people. He dismembered the -body, and deliberately distributed it in broad daylight -to widely different parts of the Metropolis.</p> - -<p>The discovery of the various parts of the body from -time to time, the bringing of them together, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span> -final identification of the remains wrought up the -public mind to a state of high tension, and after the -culprit had been brought to justice many thousands -visited the Exhibition to scan for themselves the features -of his model which had been installed.</p> - -<p>It will be remembered that we are dealing with a -period when the extreme penalty of the law was exacted -in public, a condition of things which lasted till -1868, when it was enacted that all executions should -take place privately within prison walls.</p> - -<p>The night before Greenacre’s execution at Newgate -(the 2nd of May, 1837) hundreds slept on the prison -steps and round about the neighbourhood of the old -gaol. Crowds spent the night in taverns and lodging-houses, -indulging in unseemly revelry and ribald and -drunken dissipation. Nor were the spectators all -drawn from the lowest class; all classes were represented. -Positions within sight of the drop fetched -from five shillings to a couple of guineas each, and a -first-floor room overlooking the scaffold commanded as -much as £12, no small price in those days.</p> - -<p>It is a grim story, but who has not been entertained -by the account in the <cite>Ingoldsby Legends</cite> of the way in -which “My Lord Tomnoddy” failed to witness the -launching into eternity of a doomed fellow creature?</p> - -<p>As the result of a happy thought from “Tiger -Tim”—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“An’t please you, my Lord, there’s a man to be hang’d”—</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Tomnoddy invites a party of convivial friends to enjoy -the scene, for</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse indent5">“To see a man swing</div> -<div class="verse indent5">At the end of a string,</div> -<div class="verse">With his neck in a noose, will be quite a new thing.”</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>So he</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse indent5">Turns down the Old Bailey,</div> -<div class="verse indent5">Where, in front of the gaol, he</div> -<div class="verse">Pulls up at the door of the gin-shop, and gaily</div> -<div class="verse">Cries, “What must I fork out to-night, my trump,</div> -<div class="verse">For the whole first-floor of the Magpie and Stump?”</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>St. Sepulchre’s clock strikes eight, and</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">God! ’tis a fearsome thing to see</div> -<div class="verse">That pale wan man’s mute agony,—</div> -<div class="verse">The glare of that wild, despairing eye,</div> -<div class="verse">Now bent on the crowd, now turn’d to the sky.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse indent2">Oh! ’twas a fearsome sight! Ah me!</div> -<div class="verse indent2">A deed to shudder at,—not to see.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The clock strikes</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse indent2">Nine! ’twas the last concluding stroke!</div> -<div class="verse indent2">And then—my Lord Tomnoddy awoke!</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse indent2">“Hollo! Hollo!</div> -<div class="verse indent2">Here’s a rum go!</div> -<div class="verse">Why, Captain!—my Lord!—-here’s the devil to pay!</div> -<div class="verse">The fellow’s been cut down and taken away!</div> -<div class="verse indent2">What’s to be done?</div> -<div class="verse indent2">We’ve missed all the fun!”</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">What <em>was</em> to be done? The man was dead!</div> -<div class="verse">Nought <em>could</em> be done—nought could be said;</div> -<div class="verse">So—my Lord Tomnoddy went home to bed!</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[306]</a></span></p> -<p>Referring back to the days before the advent of the -daily illustrated papers with their portraits of all kinds -of people, a very affecting story was once told by a -well-known author.</p> - -<p>It related to a very pretty and plaintive young -woman who visited the Chamber of Horrors early on -the morning that a certain criminal with many <i lang="la">aliases</i> -was executed.</p> - -<p>She was accompanied by her father, who, with his -arm about her waist to steady her faltering steps, led -her up to where the figure of the murderer stood. The -poor woman remained gazing at it as though fascinated; -then, with a nod, she burst out crying and buried -her head in her hands.</p> - -<p>Her father gently drew her out of the place, and -as he did so whispered in her ear, “Free, my child; -free at last!”</p> - -<p>How the author came to hear of the incident we -do not know, or was it one of those coincidences that -somehow do occur?</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLIII">CHAPTER XLIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>“The Chamber of Horrors Rumour”—<em>No reward has been, or will -be, offered</em>—The constable’s escapade—A nocturnal experience—Dumas’s -comedy of the Chamber—Yeomen of the Halter.</p> - -</div> - -<p>We have speculated much upon the origin of what -has come to be called “The Chamber of Horrors -Rumour,” relating to a popular delusion that -Madame Tussaud’s will pay a sum of money to any -person who spends a night alone with the criminals -assembled therein.</p> - -<p>It need hardly be pointed out that no such ridiculous -challenge was ever issued to the public, although the -rumour has run for nearly twenty years, in spite of -repeated contradictions.</p> - -<p>I am not even hopeful that what I am writing now -will produce the desired result of disabusing adventurous -minds of this impression; in fact, denials on -our part appear rather to have tended to give wider -currency to the rumour. Thousands of letters have -been received from volunteers of both sexes eager and -anxious to undertake the ordeal for rewards which -vary, in their imaginations, from £5 to £5,000.</p> - -<p>Among the aspirants have been soldiers, sailors, -ex-policemen, and even domestic servants, all of whom -insisted that their nerves were equal to the task. Only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span> -the other day I received a letter from a Scotsman who -intimated his willingness to forgo any pecuniary reward -if only we would furnish him with a bottle of -whisky and some sandwiches with which to regale himself -as he sat at the feet of Burke and Hare.</p> - -<p>The conclusion has somehow taken possession of -our minds that this fallacious rumour emanated, innocently -enough, from a story told long ago by one -“Dagonet” of a man who was said to have been accidently -locked all night in the Chamber. Originally, I -imagine, people must have offered voluntarily to spend -a night there for a consideration, and then, as the subject -came to be talked about, it very easily grew into -the form of a challenge said to have been made by -us, which, of course, was never made and never will -be made.</p> - -<p>Considerable fillip was given to the rumour by the -Chamber of Horrors scene in <cite>The Whip</cite> at Drury -Lane Theatre in 1909.</p> - -<p>From some source or another handbills in the following -form were plentifully distributed:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="center">£100 REWARD</p> - -<p class="noindent">will be given to any person, male or female, who will pass the -night alone in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud’s -Exhibition. The only condition made is that the daring one -shall not smoke or drink or read during the twelve hours he -passes with the wax figures of the world’s noted criminals.</p> - -</div> - -<p>It was also stated on the handbill that the above -was a copy of a placard said to have been issued many -years ago, but in spite of the large reward, no one came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span> -forward to try the experiment, and that now, after -many years, “Tom Lambert, the trainer of The Whip, -undergoes this horrible experience in the Drury Lane -drama.”</p> - -<p>So far so good, for dramatic purposes—and that is -all.</p> - -<p>Apparently it was something of this sort that the -bard had in mind who wrote the following stanza:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">I dreamt that I slept at Madame Tussaud’s</div> -<div class="verse indent1">With cut-throats and kings by my side,</div> -<div class="verse">And that all the wax figures in those weird abodes</div> -<div class="verse indent1">At midnight became vivified.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Until the recent escapade of a venturesome young -lady, the only instance I can recall of any person -spending the night alone in the Chamber of Horrors -falls accidentally to the credit of a policeman on duty -at the Exhibition when the opening of the present -building was celebrated in July, 1884. A reception -was then held which lasted until after midnight, and -naturally it became necessary that the place should -be guarded till the return of the staff in the morning.</p> - -<p>The policeman in question was put in charge of the -criminals in the Chamber of Horrors, with liberty to -relieve the monotony of his eerie vigil by strolling -through the other parts of the building, which included -access to the room in which the refreshments had been -served. Wines and spirits and other good things were -left nominally under his care—whereby hangs a tale.</p> - -<p>When the time came to relieve the policeman in the -morning, he could not be found, and after a long search<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span> -an Exhibition attendant heard the sound of moaning -proceeding from one of the docks in the Chamber of -Horrors. Here lay asleep the missing police-officer, in -a condition that pointed to the probability of his having -had recourse to the wines of the feast, presumably -as a means of fortifying his courage.</p> - -<p>The incident caused some little concern, but the -officer’s position was so well understood and the extenuating -circumstances were so obvious that his misadventure -came to be jocularly treated as an excusable -lapse. He had not only spent the night in the dread -abode of criminals, but had actually slept there—a -much more surprising performance.</p> - -<p>Yet another reminiscence of the Chamber of Horrors, -just a little creepy.</p> - -<p>Sauntering one night through its gloomy passages -after the last visitor had departed and the watchmen, -having passed me on their rounds, had lowered the -lights to a feeble glimmer, my attention was drawn in -some unaccountable way towards one of the models.</p> - -<p>“I could swear that figure moved,” I said to myself. -“But no, the notion is too ridiculous.”</p> - -<p>I looked at it again, carefully this time. I was not -mistaken. The figure <em>did</em> move, and, what was more, -it moved distinctly towards me. It appeared to bend -slowly forward, as though in preparation for a sudden -bound, and I thought it looked at me with a fixed -and malignant stare.</p> - -<p>Just as I was expecting it to raise its arms and seize -me by the throat, it stopped dead, and remained at a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[311]</a></span> -grotesque and ludicrous angle, apparently looking for -something on the floor.</p> - -<p>What was the explanation of this thrilling experience?</p> - -<p>The vibration caused by a heavy goods train on the -Metropolitan Railway, which runs under the Exhibition -premises, had shaken the figure off its balance, -and the iron which fastened it to the floor permitted -it to move and lean forward in the uncanny manner I -have described.</p> - -<p>The following comedy of the Chamber of Horrors -from which the chief actor derived a minimum of -amusement, if any, comes into my mind as having -been described by the elder Dumas, and is calculated -to relieve the gloom that is naturally associated with -the place:</p> - -<p>“A young Parisian, visiting the Exhibition in London, -found himself temporarily alone in the famous -Chamber, and was seized with the ambition of being -able to say, on his return to his favourite Paris café, -that his neck had been held in the same lunette which -had once encircled those of Louis XVI and Marie -Antoinette.</p> - -<p>“The idea was no sooner conceived than carried -out, and for quite five minutes the rash young man -enjoyed his novel position under the knife of the very -same guillotine which had once worked such havoc -among the aristocrats in the gay city.</p> - -<p>“When, however, he was about to touch the spring -that would release him, a thought struck him which -threw him into a cold sweat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Supposing he were to touch the wrong spring, -might not the knife come down, with the result not -only of beheading him, but of making the world believe -a most sensational suicide had been committed?</p> - -<p>“He shouted for help, and at length an attendant, -followed by a crowd of visitors, appeared.</p> - -<p>“‘What is the matter?’ they asked in English; but -the official was equal to the occasion, and turned it -to good account.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr">À l’aide! Au secours!</i>’ yelled the Parisian, who -could only speak French.</p> - -<p>“‘A little patience,’ answered the other.</p> - -<p>“‘What does he say?’ was the general query.</p> - -<p>“‘Oh, it’s a part of his performance, ladies and gentleman. -You see, Madame Tussaud is not satisfied -with merely exhibiting the guillotine. She wishes to -show you how it is actually worked.’</p> - -<p>“This statement was greeted with general applause -by everybody except the victim, who continued entreating -to be released, whilst the impromptu lecturer -calmly explained to the audience the practical working -of the death-dealing machine.</p> - -<p>“‘Bravo! How well he acts!’ was the verdict, as -the prisoner appealed frantically in a language which -none else but the attendant understood.</p> - -<p>“Finally, on being at last released, he fainted. -They brought him round with smelling-salts and cold -water, and the first thing he did was to feel if his -head was still safe. Satisfied on this point, he fled, -without stopping to find his hat, and lost not an instant -in starting at once for Paris.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[313]</a></span></p> - -<p>I come now, by a sudden transition, to write of -three notable shrieval servants whose occupation, however -indispensable, was unsavoury.</p> - -<p>Calcraft, the first to be styled the “Yeoman of the -Halter,” I had not the “pleasure” of knowing.</p> - -<p>We have the original signboard he used to exhibit -outside his house. It is a framed piece of wood, about -three feet by two feet, and it bears in black letters -the following notice:</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">J. Calcraft</span>,</p> - -<p class="center">Boot and Shoe Maker. Executioner to Her Majesty.</p> - -<p>His successor, Marwood, sat on several occasions -for his model.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus79"> - -<img src="images/illus79.jpg" width="380" height="485" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">WILLIAM MARWOOD, THE HANGMAN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Modeled from life.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The executioner would sometimes visit the studios -when his spirits were low, and a pipe and a glass of -gin and water—his favourite beverage—were always -at his service.</p> - -<p>Then he would go down to the Chamber of Horrors -to see some of his old acquaintances around whose -necks he had so delicately adjusted the fatal noose. -He would stop before each one with a grim look, while -his lips moved tremulously.</p> - -<p>“Put me there,” he once said after he had given -a sitting.</p> - -<p>It was like a man choosing the site of his grave.</p> - -<p>His companion on these visits was a grizzled terrier. -One day he came alone.</p> - -<p>“Your dog, Mr. Marwood—where is it?” he was -asked.</p> - -<p>The old man was sad.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[314]</a></span></p> - -<p>“My poor old dog is dying—my dog that knew the -business like a Christian and the inside of every prison -in England; that has played with my ropes; that has -caught rats in my business bags.”</p> - -<p>“Dying by inches,” was the unfeeling rejoinder of -a bystander, followed by the cruel suggestion, “Why -don’t you hang him?”</p> - -<p>Marwood gave him a reproachful glance.</p> - -<p>“No, no. Hang a man, but my dear old dog—never!”</p> - -<p>Poor Marwood had a good heart, and the story of -the dog was so affecting that the interview abruptly -terminated.</p> - -<p>Berry, the executioner, was paid for a sitting, and -seemed by no means averse from having his figure -placed in the Chamber of Horrors, where it may now -be seen. He rather appeared to be proud of his official -calling.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[315]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLIV">CHAPTER XLIV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Anecdotal—“Which is Peace?”—Mark Twain at Tussaud’s—Dr. -Grace’s story—Mr. Kipling’s model—Filial pride—Bishop Jackson’s -sally—German inaccuracy.</p> - -</div> - -<p>As I proceed with my narrative, having already -travelled through the memories of many years, -there seem to crowd at my heels, so to speak, a great -collection of humorous and curious incidents which, -although unrelated to each other, are yet worthy of -a place in this chronicle.</p> - -<p>They come of their own free will readily enough -when I want to engage in serious work, but no amount -of persuasion will lure them from their lurking-places -when I want to recount them. As I fancy my friends -like my short stories as well as any, I propose to introduce -a few trivialities that are sufficiently obliging -to present themselves as I write.</p> - -<p>In the Berlin Treaty days a staunchly Conservative -borough was celebrating the event, and among other -decorations was a large transparency showing Lord -Beaconsfield and Lord Salisbury standing together, -with the motto “Peace with Honour” beneath them. -An old woman went up to the borough M.P. and asked:</p> - -<p>“If you please, sir, will you tell me which is Peace?”</p> - -<p>Charles Peace was the man of the moment just then.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus73"> - -<img src="images/illus73.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">CHARLES PEACE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Model of the notorious criminal in convict garb.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[316]</a></span></p> - -<p>Mark Twain, according to his cousin, Katherine -Clemens, once visited Madame Tussaud’s. He stood -a long while, says his cousin, in contemplation of an -especially clever piece of work, and was aroused by a -sudden stab of pain in his side. Turning quickly, he -found himself face to face with a dumb-founded British -matron with her parasol still pointed at him.</p> - -<p>“O lor’, it’s alive!” she exclaimed, and beat a hasty -retreat.</p> - -<p>The best known of all cricketers, Dr. W. G. Grace, -has long enjoyed a well-earned place of prominence in -the Exhibition, and even to-day, when the great master -of the bat and the ball is no longer with us, his portrait -continues to attract more than an average share of attention.</p> - -<p>Dr. Grace was very fond of telling the following -story about a trusted old servant of his whom he -treated on one occasion to a trip to London. On her -return he asked her what it was that pleased her most -among the sights of the Metropolis.</p> - -<p>“Oh, sir, Madame Tussaud’s was beautiful,” replied -Susan.</p> - -<p>“Then you must have seen me there?” said her -master.</p> - -<p>“No, that I did not, sir.”</p> - -<p>“What! How did you miss me? I am there as -large as life.”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir, to tell you the truth, it cost sixpence -extra to go into the Chamber of Horrors.”</p> - -<p>A young girl arriving at an institution at Torquay, -from London, was asked whether she had ever visited<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[317]</a></span> -Westminster Abbey. She hesitated, and was then reminded -that that historic edifice contained monuments -of the Kings and Queens of England. She immediately -brightened up, and replied, “Oh, yes, I have -been there, but they call it Madame Tussaud’s now.”</p> - -<p>A short time after the seated figure of Mr. Rudyard -Kipling, which is still to be seen in the Exhibition, -had been modelled, the following conversation is reported -to have occurred between a young lady and her -maid, who had visited Madame Tussaud’s:</p> - -<p>Relating her experiences there, the girl remarked:</p> - -<p>“They’ve got Mr. Kipling and another murderer -there, miss.”</p> - -<p>“But Mr. Kipling isn’t a murderer,” said her young -mistress.</p> - -<p>“No, miss,” was the reply, “but they’ve got him -there, miss.”</p> - -<p>During those days when the Exhibition was being -removed from one town to another the figures of -criminals originally stood together in the same room -with all the other models; but as it was suggested -that it was indecorous to have the effigies of criminals -in such close proximity with those of illustrious personages, -Madame Tussaud had the former removed to -a separate room, and the Chamber of Horrors was -formed as it now exists.</p> - -<p>The relatives and friends of criminals frequently -visit the Chamber.</p> - -<p>At a drawing-room meeting held at the residence -of Lady Esther Smith, in Grosvenor Place, in aid of -the Social Institutes’ Union, which exists to provide<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[318]</a></span> -facilities for establishing clubs on temperance lines, -Mrs. (now Lady) Bland-Sutton told the story of a -little girl who was asked where she would like to go -for a treat.</p> - -<p>“To Madame Tussaud’s,” was the prompt reply.</p> - -<p>“But you went there last year,” it was objected.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, I know,” said the child, “but father wasn’t -in the Chamber of Horrors then.”</p> - -<p>Somewhat similar is the following:</p> - -<p>A parlourmaid, interviewed by her mistress just -after a Bank Holiday, was asked:</p> - -<p>“And how did you spend your day off, Polly?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, we went to Madame Tussaud’s,” was the -reply. “We always go there, mum. You see, having -uncle in the Chamber of Horrors gives the place -a family interest, so to speak.”</p> - -<p>When Dr. Jackson was Bishop of London he gave -a breakfast to several curates before they left to take -up missionary work abroad, and one of them, in the -course of conversation at the repast, observed that -he had just visited Madame Tussaud’s, where he had -heard a figure of his Grace had been on view for -many years.</p> - -<p>He said he much regretted that he could not find -the figure anywhere in the Exhibition, although he had -searched for it high and low.</p> - -<p>“Oh,” said the Bishop, “haven’t you heard, my -dear boy, that they’ve melted me down for Peace?”—a -sally that was greeted with roars of laughter.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus80"> - -<img src="images/illus80.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">DR. JACKSON</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Bishop of London 1868-1885.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Many complaints have been made by foreigners -visiting London regarding the inefficiency of guides<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[319]</a></span> -with little or no knowledge of the places with which -they are supposed to be thoroughly acquainted.</p> - -<p>For instance, a certain Teuton of great pretensions -brought to Madame Tussaud’s a party of travellers -from a Prussian provincial town, and informed them, -among other things, that Mrs. Maybrick, whose model -was then in the Napoleon Rooms, was a lady connected -with the life of the great Bonaparte.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[320]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLV">CHAPTER XLV</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Enemy models—A hostile public—Banishment of four rulers—Our -reply to <cite>John Bull</cite>—Attacks on the Kaiser’s effigy—Story of an -Iron Cross.</p> - -</div> - -<p>We now come to the eventful period that began -in August, 1914.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus81"> - -<img src="images/illus81.jpg" width="380" height="560" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">COUNT ZEPPELIN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Model of the inventor of the Zeppelin airship -on view at Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -</div> - -<p>At the beginning of hostilities the Kaiser, Count -Zeppelin, and other German objectionables were relegated -to a less conspicuous position than they had -formerly occupied. The enemy had not at that time -gained the animosity which his subsequent acts of -“frightfulness” earned for him, but he soon showed -himself in his true colours.</p> - -<p>It was in the spring of 1910 that a renewed portrait -of the German Emperor had been given a place -of honour, with the Empress by his side, near our own -royal group. Not very long afterwards the British -public began to suspect the Kaiser of evil designs -upon this country, and visitors frequently indicated -their displeasure in front of his model.</p> - -<p>With the outbreak of war, naturally enough, came -an outburst of general reprobation, and the atrocities -committed by the German Army and Navy provoked -impulsive patriots to visible and audible manifestations -of anger. More than once the Kaiser had his -figure struck by men, while women shook their fists -and umbrellas in the face of the world’s greatest -homicide.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[321]</a></span></p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, to the Kaiser belongs the distinction -of having been expelled from Madame Tussaud’s -for several months—a distinction that was -shared by the late Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria.</p> - -<p>This was done in deference to public opinion, which -had become very hostile to their models being shown -at Madame Tussaud’s. Letters had appeared to this -effect in the Press, and one periodical published a large -cartoon showing the Kaiser and his associates in the -prisoners’ dock in the Chamber of Horrors.</p> - -<p>Originally four enemy monarchs had pedestals in an -obscure corner of Room No. 4. They were the Kaiser, -the late Emperor of Austria, the Sultan of Turkey, -and King Ferdinand of Bulgaria.</p> - -<p>The Sultan of Turkey, as an unkind friend remarked, -“found his level in the melting-pot” some -time ago; and the Kaiser twice had to undergo a surgical -operation as the result of bouts with ultra-patriotic -visitors. Ferdinand of Bulgaria also had some -narrow escapes, especially from our “handymen,” who -have a short way with all enemies.</p> - -<p>Some time ago my attention was called to the fact -that one of the “spikes” of the Kaiser’s moustache -had been clipped off, giving him a ludicrously woebegone -appearance. I have always suspected the -Colonials of that “cut,” and if I am wrong—well, -I apologise. Perhaps the “spike” will be heard of -some other day as a souvenir of the war.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[322]</a></span></p> - -<p>Feeling ran so high after the sinking of the <i>Lusitania</i> -that we readily yielded to the public demand, -and evicted the Huns from the house.</p> - -<p>On the 16th of September, 1916, <cite>John Bull</cite> had -addressed to us the following open letter on the subject -of the presence of the objectionable figures:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="center">To the Directors, Madame Tussaud & Sons, Ltd., -Baker Street, W.</p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Gentlemen</span>,</p> - -<p>Being an admirer of your Moral Waxworks, I am -sure you will excuse me if I indicate a blot upon your -interesting and intellectual display. As a matter of -fact, there are four blots.</p> - -<p>They occur in your Grand Hall, No. 4, and they -take the form of effigies representing, with a fidelity -almost lifelike, those malodorous monarchs the Sultan -of Turkey, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, the Emperor -of Russia, and that arch-villain Kaiser Bill.</p> - -<p>Do, please, reshuffle the pack, gentlemen. Take the -sinful quartette out of your Grand Hall, which they -desecrate, and place them in that other room of yours -which seems specially designed for their accommodation—the -Chamber of Horrors.</p> - -<p>In the company of Burke and Hare, Charles Peace, -Greenacre, and Wainwright, they will be quite at -home.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">John Bull.</span></p> - -</div> - -<p><cite>John Bull</cite> on the 14th of November printed the -following, containing my reply:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Bravo, Tussaud!</span></p> - -<p class="center">PATRIOTIC ACTION OF THE GREAT EXHIBITION.</p> - -<p>We have received the following interesting letter -from Mr. J. T. Tussaud:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[323]</a></span></p> - -<p>“As a regular reader of your valuable and most instructive -paper, my attention was drawn to your letter, -addressed to my company, which appeared in your issue -of the 16th September.</p> - -<p>“In it you call attention to what you describe as a -blot—or rather four blots—upon ‘our interesting and -intellectual display,’ namely, the inclusion of the Sultan -of Turkey, the King of Bulgaria, and the Emperors -of Austria and Germany in our collection of celebrities -and notorieties. Of course, such a letter from such -an influential person could not pass unnoticed, and it -was brought before my Board of Directors at the earliest -opportunity.</p> - -<p>“Prior to the date of your letter the pack had already -been reshuffled, and the figures to which you -refer had been relegated to a much less conspicuous -position than they had previously occupied. When -your letter was penned they were conspiring against -the peace of Europe in a small room which contains the -tableau representing ‘The Destruction of Messina’—a -scene of ruin which seems to be in keeping with this -Machiavellian group.</p> - -<p>“Like yourself, other visitors had frequently suggested -that the quartette should be placed in another -famous—or infamous—part of the Exhibition; but the -trouble was that Burke and Hare, Charles Peace, -Greenacre, and Wainwright, whom you name, and -their comparatively innocuous companions, would not -hear of their abode being thus desecrated.</p> - -<p>“What were we to do?</p> - -<p>“I am now pleased to inform you that after considering -your remarks a solution has been arrived at: -the pack has been shuffled again, and, by a remarkable -feat of legerdemain, the four knaves have now disappeared -altogether.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[324]</a></span></p> - -<p>We congratulate Messrs. Tussaud on this happy solution -to the problem.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The restoration of two of the figures was due to -a very singular circumstance. Our overseas soldiers -soon began to visit Madame Tussaud’s in large numbers, -and they frequently expressed disappointment -at not being able to see the two enemy Emperors whose -armies they had come so far to fight.</p> - -<p>Sympathising with their point of view, we had the -Kaiser and Francis Joseph readmitted, placing them -in an isolated position, with the “All-Highest” at one -time confronting the Messina tableau, and more recently -faced by the tableau of the Ruhleben horse-box -in which British prisoners had to spend four long -weary years of separation from home and family. In -the same room are models of Prince Bismarck and -Count von Moltke.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;" id="illus82"> - -<img src="images/illus82.jpg" width="200" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">PRINCE BISMARCK</p> - -</div> - -<p>It was some little time after the Kaiser’s reinstatement -that a British sailor, who was quite unable to -control his feelings, after glowering for several minutes -at the figure, made a run at it and knocked it -over. The head was smashed and the figure badly -damaged.</p> - -<p>The tar’s friends, who were much concerned at -their companion’s escapade, strove to pacify him, and -contrived to get him out of the building without -further trouble; but the Kaiser had to go into hospital -for repairs.</p> - -<p>The sailor was carried away by an impulse thousands -have with difficulty controlled out of respect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[325]</a></span> -for the Exhibition and the law which makes it an -offence to destroy other people’s property.</p> - -<p>Two days after the incident a little boy inquired -of an Exhibition attendant where he could see the -pieces of the Kaiser, as he would like to take a bit -away.</p> - -<p>A party of twenty-eight American soldiers happened -to be passing the curtained room where the dismembered -model of the Kaiser lay, and one of them made -the request that they should be shown the “All-Highest” -lying in state.</p> - -<p>“And a very bad state, too,” replied the attendant, -who could not oblige.</p> - -<p>The second serious attack upon the Kaiser’s effigy -took place two or three months after the first.</p> - -<p>On this occasion it was a Colonial soldier who, seeing -the restored monarch gazing at him in a supercilious -fashion, as he imagined, drew from its scabbard the -sword of the defunct Austrian Emperor, whose model -sits close by, and stabbed the Kaiser’s figure in the -face.</p> - -<p>The force with which the thrust was delivered was -such that off came the monarch’s head, and again -the model had to be taken to hospital for the surgical -operation of restoring the head and refixing it to its -trunk.</p> - -<p>Count Zeppelin, whose name will for ever be associated -with the introduction of aerial warships and -the dropping of bombs upon defenceless people, has -had many a clenched fist shaken at him standing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[326]</a></span> -there beside the portraits of Roger Casement and -Tribich Lincoln.</p> - -<p>Though never actually assaulted, it was only the -stolidity of the British character that kept people’s -hands off his effigy during the Zeppelin raids on -London. Visitors were too proud, I suppose, to touch -him, and from the time the first German airship was -brought down in flames on British soil Count Zeppelin’s -model began to be ignored.</p> - -<p>A British matron quietly remarked, as she stopped -an instant in front of the portrait, “So you’re going -the way of all our enemies—beaten at your own -game.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In the early months of the war we borrowed from -a soldier an Iron Cross that he had taken from the -breast of a dead German officer whom he had found -lying in a wood at Zillebeke, near Ypres, in November, -1914.</p> - -<p>According to the story of the soldier—Drummer -Newman, of the Grenadier Guards—our men, comprising -Grenadier Guards, Irish Guards, and Oxfordshire -Light Infantry, were opposed to the Prussian -Guards, who were driven out of the wood, leaving -behind them several hundreds of their dead.</p> - -<p>Newman was searching for despatches when he happened -upon the cross in question. I remember him -coming to my studio with the trophy. He was a -typical soldier, and he greatly amused me by his -description of the way in which old soldiers—bearing -in mind one of the trite sayings of Frederick the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[327]</a></span> -Great—would hearten their comrades, saying, just -before going over the top, “Now then, boys, you don’t -want to live for ever, do you?”</p> - -<p>The Iron Cross was exhibited with other relics, -and used to be handed round for inspection, until one -day it was missing. That was in October, 1915, and, -although we made inquiries of the police and learned -that it had been seen in the neighbourhood of the -Exhibition, we heard no more of it till, several months -later, it was traced by detectives to a gentleman at -Warrington who had innocently purchased it from an -invalided soldier.</p> - -<p>We willingly refunded the amount that had been -paid for the cross, and it has now been restored to -our collection.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>No sooner was London subjected to the terrible -ordeal of air-raids than we received, as was only to -be expected, offers of bombs that had been dropped -by enemy aircraft.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, we acquired one of the first -of these missiles, and it proved of great interest to -our visitors, especially to our own airmen, who never -tired of describing to their friends the construction -of the bomb and the way in which it was dropped.</p> - -<p>We found it necessary, however, to discourage the -bringing of ammunition to the Exhibition, as we had -no desire that the building should be wrecked by the -untimely explosion of a live bomb or shell.</p> - -<p>Reverting for a moment to the attacks upon the -effigy of the ex-Kaiser, I am reminded of one or two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[328]</a></span> -occasions when figures have incurred the animosity of -beholders, although not to the same extent.</p> - -<p>A professional rider, expelled from the Jockey Club, -used to visit the Exhibition very often for the sole -purpose of venting his spleen against the image of his -supposed enemy, Fred Archer, the jockey who won -five Derbys; and he was heard to remark that it was -“so like the beggar, I would give anything to smash -it.”</p> - -<p>In August, 1893, an old man, whose whole get-up -spoke of better days, was seen to walk up to the effigy -of the late Jabez Spencer Balfour, shake his withered, -palsied fist in its face, and totter out of the building.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[329]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLVI">CHAPTER XLVI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Tussaud’s during the war—Chameleon crowds—The psychology of -courage—Men of St. Dunstan’s—Poignant memories—Our watchman’s -soliloquy.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Under the stress of war many strange things -revealed themselves at Tussaud’s—things by no -means easy to define, subtle, illusive, immaterial, difficult -to comprehend and hard to describe.</p> - -<p>At the outbreak of hostilities the attendance suffered -a severe check. This disquieting effect was in the -main, I believe, due to the great wrench suffered by -the public mind through the country’s sudden transition -from the normal condition of peace to a strenuous state -of war. But as each month passed the flow of visitors -steadily increased in volume, until it far exceeded that -of pre-war days.</p> - -<p>By the time the manhood of the Empire had, in a -great measure, doffed its sombre everyday suit and -donned khaki, khaki became the dominant colour of -the throng that filled the Exhibition rooms.</p> - -<p>With this change in attire there came a marked -alteration in its demeanour. Usually sedate and reserved, -it now betrayed—in startling contradiction to -all reasonable expectations—a cherry, devil-me-care -character which, curious to relate, resolved itself into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[330]</a></span> -a tone unmistakably flippant; a mental attitude to -which we soon realised we must give our careful consideration.</p> - -<p>He would indeed have been a poor psychologist who -had taken this outward showing as a true indication -of the feelings of our brave fellows; for it was obviously -but the assumption of that demeanour so -strongly characteristic of the British disposition, that -of facing an ugly job in a cheerful spirit.</p> - -<p>It was the ready answer to the pessimist, “If it’s got -to be done, what’s the use of being miserable about -it?”—a philosophical bearing that perhaps found its -deepest expression in their “Cheerio!” and insouciant -wave of the hand bidding farewell to wife, mother, and -child ere turning to face the grim realities and dread -uncertainty of war.</p> - -<p>To keep pace with the stirring and ever-fluctuating -events of the day, large maps of the battle areas were -specially produced for the Exhibition, and lectures -were given before them, explaining our varying fortunes -in the great conflict. It was in the giving of -these lectures that we were soon able to take a fairly -correct measure of the disposition of our visitors.</p> - -<p>They were, first of all, delivered on somewhat -academic lines, with, perhaps, too pronounced an idea -of imparting instruction rather than that of affording -entertainment. It was soon found that if the -attention of our visitors was to be held, it was necessary -to adopt a more optimistic and lively, if not an -almost bantering, tone if the dissertation were to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[331]</a></span> -receive any real mark of appreciation on the part of -those who cared to listen.</p> - -<p>As the struggle proceeded Tussaud’s began to assume -the position of a <i lang="fr">pointe de réunion</i> of a very remarkable -character, and this quite irrespective of class -or nationality.</p> - -<p>We opened our doors as early as eight o’clock in the -morning, and even then found that not a few had -been waiting for admission for some considerable time. -This forced upon us the conviction that the Exhibition -had risen in favour as something of a place of refuge -by those who had involuntarily found themselves -abroad early in the morning and had borne its existence -in mind.</p> - -<p>Be this as it may, throughout all hours of the day -Tussaud’s proved a centre of attraction to many champions -of their country’s cause. Here they were to be -seen, whether on their final leave before going out to -the front, or homeward bound to enjoy a brief respite -from the turmoil of the conflict, and awaiting a train -to carry them to their families.</p> - -<p>During the autumn of 1914 and far into the following -year there congregated within our walls numerous -hapless and pathetic beings, strangers to us by their -foreign tongue, who, having come from nowhere in -particular and having nowhere in particular to go, -aimlessly wandered into the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>We can only presume that they came to help pass -away many a sad and anxious hour, or maybe to take -measure of the semblance of those who were at that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[332]</a></span> -very moment foremost in striving to stem the tide of -the cruel incursion that had driven them to take refuge -in a foreign land.</p> - -<p>Then as time wore on there came a touch of relieving -colour that showed itself here and there amid -the prevailing khaki; at first a mere fleck that gradually -became more pronounced as the war advanced. This -was the hospital blue of our valiant soldiers who had -not passed unscathed through the ordeal of fire, as -cheery a gathering as ever set foot within the place, a -cheeriness readily responded to by their fellow visitors -through the medium of sympathy and admiration.</p> - -<p>One sad sight there was, however, which touched -the hearts of the people so deeply that no display of -cheerfulness on the part of the sufferers—and they, -too, were invariably light-hearted—could quite evoke -a sense of mirth.</p> - -<p>St. Dunstan’s Hostel for Blinded Soldiers and -Sailors in Regent’s Park is not very far from Madame -Tussaud’s, and many of its inmates visited the Exhibition, -and, for the matter of that, still find a -pleasure in coming in couples or small parties to spend -an hour or so among the models and the relics.</p> - -<p>In spite of the distressing fact that they have been -deprived of the gift of sight, they stand in front -of the models and pause while the biographies are -read out to them from the Catalogue by some more -fortunate companion. Then they almost invariably -nod to express their comprehension of the subject before -them, and seem to see and understand through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[333]</a></span> -the faculty of their imagination much that would otherwise -have been made manifest to them through the -function of their eyes.</p> - -<p>During the past few years our attendance has -totalled to a figure reaching several millions; but the -number visiting the place hardly constitutes so remarkable -a fact as the many diverse nationalities and tribes -they represented, or their coming from so many far-distant -and remote parts of the world.</p> - -<p>The landing of a fresh contingent at any one of -our ports, or the arrival in London of any body of -men attached to our Allied Forces, brought distinct -and unfamiliar types of humanity to our doors.</p> - -<p>“I had often heard of the place, but never thought -I should have had an opportunity of seeing it,” was a -remark that often fell upon the ears of our attendants; -and we know, for many reasons, that most of them -had made up their minds to visit the place long before -they had set foot upon our shores.</p> - -<p>Of the many telling experiences of the last few -momentous years, the one that will be retained longest -in our memory will most assuredly be the touching -sight of the war-stained and weary men who, -during the earlier days of the war, literally stumbled -through our turnstiles into the building.</p> - -<p>Dazed for want of sleep, begrimed and besmeared -with the very mud of the trenches, they flung themselves -upon the nearest ottoman or couch, or in some -out-of-the-way place upon the floor, to snatch a few -hours’ sleep in comparative comfort.</p> - -<p>One evening, when strolling round the rooms some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[334]</a></span> -time after the place had been closed, I found myself -looking at the watchmen, who were busily engaged -sweeping the floors. The chief among them, an old -and valued servant, possessing a disposition that generally -enabled him to look upon the bright side of -things—although he was so often constrained to view -them only during the sombre hours of the night—caught -me gazing at him.</p> - -<p>With a face I thought unusually grave he bade me -“Good-evening,” and ruefully remarked, “It seems to -me, sir, some of this dirt has come a long way.” Then, -pondering for a while, with his eyes fixed upon the -floor, he resumed, “Yes, sir, some of it from the very -trenches.” And I somehow believed the old fellow -was right.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[335]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLVII">CHAPTER XLVII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Three heroes of the war: Nurse Cavell, Jack Cornwell, V.C., and -Captain Fryatt—Lords Roberts and Kitchener—Queen Alexandra’s -stick and violets—The Duke of Norfolk’s tip.</p> - -</div> - -<p>There are three figures, added during the past -few momentous years, which possess the rare distinction -of being models of abiding interest. Out of -the many portraits placed in the Exhibition, there -are few that stay there very long.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus85"> - -<img src="images/illus85.jpg" width="380" height="450" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">EDITH CAVELL, THE MARTYR NURSE</p> - -<p class="captionsub">A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Nurse Cavell, Jack Cornwell, and Captain Fryatt -will always be remembered with esteem by the present -generation, and the great story of their heroic deeds -ensures for them a permanent home at Baker Street, -where they will be viewed with patriotic pride by -posterity. The portrait of Edith Cavell, the martyr-nurse, -was modelled immediately after that heroic -woman was brutally shot by the Germans at Brussels -at two o’clock in the morning of Tuesday, the 12th of -October, 1915.</p> - -<p>I communicated with the London Hospital, Whitechapel, -where Nurse Cavell had served before she went -to Belgium, and the nurses there readily afforded me all -the information they had to impart.</p> - -<p>Several of them visited my studio and gave me -valuable hints as to the posing of the figure and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[336]</a></span> -general demeanour of Miss Cavell when at the hospital. -They particularly described the way in which -she used to walk through the wards with a book under -her arm and her head inclined slightly to one side. -When the model was finished they were good enough -to say that it enabled them to visualise Miss Cavell as -they knew her, and that it was a pleasing portrait.</p> - -<p>My wife prepared the laurel wreath, placed above -the model, on which are inscribed Nurse Cavell’s words, -uttered a few hours before her death, “I am happy to -die for my country.”</p> - -<p>Soon after the boy hero of the Jutland naval battle -was modelled and he had been awarded the posthumous -honour of the Victoria Cross, his mother, accompanied -by a lady friend, came to the Exhibition to -see the figure of her son. It was on the 24th of -August, 1916.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus86"> - -<img src="images/illus86.jpg" width="380" height="450" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">JACK CORNWELL, V.C.</p> - -<p class="captionsub">A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud of the boy hero of the -Battle of Jutland.</p> - -</div> - -<p>No sooner did Mrs. Cornwell catch sight of the -image of her young hero than she burst into a fit of -weeping, and exclaimed, “My boy, my dear boy!” -Upon resuming her composure she expressed her surprise -at the remarkable resemblance, and added: “I am -very proud of my boy, but I do miss him so.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Cornwell had with her a letter she had received -from the Captain of H.M.S. <i>Chester</i> (her son’s -ship). He wrote:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>I know you would wish to hear of the splendid fortitude -and courage shown by your boy. His devotion -to duty was an example to all of us. The wounds, -which resulted in his death within a short time, were -received in the first few minutes of the action. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[337]</a></span> -remained steady at his most exposed post at the gun, -waiting for orders. His gun would not bear on the -enemy; all but two of the crew were killed or wounded, -and he was the only one who was in such an exposed -position. But he felt he might be needed, as indeed he -might have been; so he stayed there, standing and -waiting under heavy fire with just his own brave heart -and God’s help to support him.</p> - -</div> - -<p>For the model of Captain Fryatt, of the Great Eastern -Railway steamer <i>Brussels</i>, I had to rely mainly -upon photographs.</p> - -<p>This brave seaman was captured, with his vessel, -by the Germans on the 23rd of June, 1916. On the -27th of the following month he was condemned to -death at Bruges for attempting to ram a German -submarine, the sentence being carried out the same -afternoon.</p> - -<p>The model appropriately stands near that of Mr. -Havelock Wilson, the sailors’ champion, and, judging -from the remarks of visitors who knew the Captain -well, it bears a good resemblance.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus87"> - -<img src="images/illus87.jpg" width="380" height="450" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">CAPTAIN FRYATT</p> - -<p class="captionsub">The model of the martyred captain of the G. E. R. Ship “Brussels,” -now at Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -</div> - -<p>We cannot leave this subject without associating -with these figures the revered names of Lord Roberts -and Lord Kitchener, whose models stand near by. -The attitude of visitors towards them is that of deep -admiration and respect, expressed not so much by word -of mouth as by demeanour, which eloquently testifies -to the public sympathy with these great warriors.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus88"> - -<img src="images/illus88.jpg" width="380" height="450" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">FIELD MARSHAL EARL KITCHENER</p> - -<p class="captionsub">A Portrait Study by John T. Tussaud.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Enclosed in a glass case is a walking-stick to which -belongs a story showing the kind-heartedness of Queen -Alexandra.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[338]</a></span></p> - -<p>Early in the war the Queen-Mother visited the -wounded Indian soldiers in hospital at Brighton, and, -noticing that one of the officers limped, she inquired -of him how he come by his injuries. The officer produced -his aluminium ration-box, and explained that a -German bullet had struck it, scattering fragments of -the metal into his leg and other parts of his body.</p> - -<p>Queen Alexandra’s sympathy with the Indian officer -took a practical form, as she presented him with her -own walking-stick to aid him during convalescence.</p> - -<p>Some time afterwards the officer returned to the -front, and a brother officer brought the walking-stick -to us, as he thought Madame Tussaud’s was the best -place for it, so that the public should be constantly -reminded of Queen Alexandra’s deed of kindness.</p> - -<p>The stick bears on a silver plate the initial “A,” -surmounted by the royal crown.</p> - -<p>The incident reminds me of another in connection -with the same gracious lady which occurred many -years ago, when the Exhibition was at the old Portman -Rooms in Baker Street.</p> - -<p>Queen Alexandra, who was then the Princess of -Wales, had been visiting the Exhibition, and was leaving -the building when a poor flower-girl, with a baby -in her arms, approached her and, before anyone could -intervene, held a small bunch of violets close to the -Princess’s face, saying, “Buy a bunch of violets, please, -lady.”</p> - -<p>Instead of being annoyed, the Princess accepted the -flowers with her usual sweet smile, handed the girl<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[339]</a></span> -half-a-sovereign, and then entered her carriage and -drove away.</p> - -<p>The astonished girl kept looking at the coin in her -hand, and was quite alarmed when she was told she -had held her flowers under the nose of the Princess -of Wales; but the remembrance of the Princess’s smile -soon reassured her, and she went away happy.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In the early days of the war the late Duke of -Norfolk, the Duchess, and their two children, the -young Earl of Arundel and his sister, Lady Mary -Howard, formed a quartette of most interested spectators, -and were conducted over the place by the -gentleman who had been appointed as War Lecturer -to the Exhibition.</p> - -<p>He devoted most of his attention to the young people, -and relates how the Earl and his sister passed -unobtrusively among the exhibits, gaily chatting all -the way, no one but he recognising the ducal party.</p> - -<p>The Earl was shown, and allowed to handle, a -German rifle, then recently captured in Belgium, and -he instantly pretended to load the weapon. Then, -raising it to his shoulder, he took a level aim at the -head of the Kaiser and clicked the trigger.</p> - -<p>As the party were retiring, his Grace and the Duchess -had a brief consultation, after which the Duke -came back to thank the lecturer for the attention he -had given his son and daughter.</p> - -<p>There were sovereigns in those days, and his Grace -offered one to the cicerone, who deferentially declined<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[340]</a></span> -the gift, saying he had been amply rewarded by the -pleasure of the young people’s company. “I told -the Duchess you wouldn’t take it,” said the Duke, -laughing.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[341]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLVIII">CHAPTER XLVIII</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>A crinoline comedy—Mr. Bruce Smith’s story—An American lady’s -shilling—My father’s meeting with Barnum—The “cherry-coloured -cat”—Paganini and the tailor—George Grossmith poses.</p> - -</div> - -<p>In the dressing of the models attention must naturally -be paid to the varying styles of both sexes. -For this reason visitors are able to mark the changes -Dame Fashion has decreed.</p> - -<p>The crinoline period known to our mothers was, -curiously enough, anticipated in the days immediately -preceding the French Revolution, as exemplified by -the quaint Parisian coquette, Madame Sappe, with -whom that egoistic old cynic, Voltaire, is palpably -flirting in the Grand Hall, a few paces removed from -the portraits of Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie -Antoinette.</p> - -<p>The crinoline of Madame Sappe brings vividly to -mind an amusing story related by my granduncle -Joseph, who was standing by the turnstiles when a -portly matron waddled towards the pay-table, wearing -an exaggerated example of this spacious skirt. Her -passage aroused some curiosity, and the shuffling of -her feet was accompanied by an unaccountable sound -of pattering which disposed my relative to keep her -under observation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[342]</a></span></p> - -<p>As soon as she found herself among the figures and -hidden from view, as she imagined, the buxom dame -cautiously raised her crinoline, when, to my uncle’s -amazement, out stepped two little boys.</p> - -<p>Nothing was said to the adventurous woman who -had thus passed her offspring into the Exhibition free, -and my uncle used to say that the expression on her -face at the success of her subterfuge was one of radiant -satisfaction.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bruce Smith, the popular artist, who has produced -many scenic effects in our tableaux, tells a story -perhaps against himself.</p> - -<p>He was engaged, with several fellow artists, on a -hunting scene, when an elderly lady and a friend -strolled quietly past. Mr. Smith, at the moment, was -standing stock-still, scanning his work; then suddenly -making a motion with his brush to retouch the canvas, -he was startled by an unearthly yell from the old lady:</p> - -<p>“Good heavens! they are alive!”</p> - -<p>Our “Master of the Robes” fell in conversation -with an American lady, who told him that she had -paid for admission with a shilling given to her in the -States by an English aunt with the instruction that -if ever she went to London the shilling should be expressly -spent on her admission to Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>She had related the same story to the money-taker -at the turnstile, and he was so impressed that he laid -the romantic shilling on one side. Our representative -offered to give it back to the lady, but she thanked -him and said:</p> - -<p>“No, I guess I could not break faith with my aunt!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[343]</a></span> -The shilling has found its appointed place in Madame -Tussaud’s till, after many years, and I have done -as I was told.”</p> - -<p>My father’s meeting with Phineas Taylor Barnum, -the great showman, was an accidental one.</p> - -<p>While lunching in a West End restaurant the -brusque and humorous behaviour of one of the guests -sitting near enlisted my father’s amused attention. The -waiters were no less amused by the breezy visitor with -the American accent, who supplemented his commands -with odd remarks. Having ordered a second dozen -of oysters, the American said:</p> - -<p>“I guess I could hanker arter these. Bring me another -dozen.”</p> - -<p>Looking hard at him, my father recognised Barnum, -and presently the two men were in friendly conversation; -in fact, they spent the greater part of the day -together, as kindred spirits are apt to do in such circumstances.</p> - -<p>Barnum used to call himself the “Prince of Humbugs,” -and gave that title to his autobiography. He -told my father a story about a bright idea that struck -him when his show was going none too well in an -American town.</p> - -<p>He put up an announcement, “Come and see the -cherry-coloured cat,” and imposed an extra charge -for the privilege.</p> - -<p>There was almost a riot as Barnum showed the -people a black cat. They protested, and demanded -their money back; but he coolly asked them whether<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[344]</a></span> -they had never seen a black cherry, and so appeased -their wrath.</p> - -<p>Barnum sat to me in the spring of 1890, about -a year before he died, and I think I must give him the -palm for being the most entertaining of all my subjects, -his reminiscences extending over so long and -interesting a period. I remember him telling me that -many years before he had tried to induce my grandfather -to transport Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition -to New York, but that the negotiations fell through -at the last moment.</p> - -<p>As I modelled him he gave me some gentle hints -not to be too attentive to the wrinkles on his face, -from which I inferred that the old showman possibly -thought he looked older than he felt, in spite of his -silvery hair and four-score years.</p> - -<p>A short-sighted tailor was once employed to repair -the coat worn by Paganini, who stood with the violin -under his left arm, while the bow was held aloft in his -right hand.</p> - -<p>The figure was on a tall pedestal, and the knight -of the needle had to use a step-ladder. One of the -attendants, ever ready for a joke, taking advantage of -the tailor’s infirmity, removed the figure, and, adopting -a similar attitude, stood in its place.</p> - -<p>The tailor prepared his thread, mounted the steps, -and was about to begin stitching when the supposed -figure brought the bow down on his victim’s back. This -so terrified the unfortunate man that he rolled down -the ladder on to the floor, where he sat gazing up with -the utmost stupefaction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[345]</a></span></p> - -<p>All attempts to pacify him were for a time futile, -and whenever he passed the figure of Paganini afterwards -he invariably sidled away from it with a -scared look.</p> - -<p>Another practical joker was the late George Grossmith.</p> - -<p>It is on record that he once made the Exhibition the -scene of his operations. Getting into an advantageous -nook, he stood stock-still in a line with other celebrities—waxen -ones. People going by stopped and said:</p> - -<p>“Ah, Grossmith; Capital likeness! How excellent! -Dear little Grossmith, one would think he was alive!” -and various remarks of the kind. Then suddenly the -effigy nodded grotesquely, and slowly extended a comic -Grossmithian hand. Everyone fled as though he had -been shot at.</p> - -<p>The Speaker of the House of Commons (Mr. J. W. -Lowther), at a banquet given by the Institution of -Civil Engineers, in Middle Temple Hall, on the 23rd -of March, 1898, told of a distinguished visitor to London -who mistook Madame Tussaud’s for the House -of Commons.</p> - -<p>Much the same view must have been taken by a -genial and sociable diplomat from the United States -who, soon after his arrival in London, came to Madame -Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>“And what do you think of our great Exhibition?” -asked a friend.</p> - -<p>“Well,” replied the General, “it struck me as being -very like an ordinary English evening party.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[346]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLIX">CHAPTER XLIX</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>We visit the Old Bailey for mementoes—A mock trial—Relics of -Old Newgate—Two famous cells—The Newgate bell.</p> - -</div> - -<p>As soon as I learned in the winter of 1903 that -the Old Bailey was to be demolished and its -mementoes sold by auction, I hastened to the historic -court-house, armed with a catalogue, to tick off such -articles as might be wanted for Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p>The grim building brought many impressive scenes -to my recollection, and it struck me as a curious freak -of fate that the place where house-breakers had been -tried and sentenced should now be itself in the hands -of the “house-breakers.”</p> - -<p>The Royal Arms and the Sword of Justice had been -taken down, and the walls behind the judge’s seat -had been stripped of their faded hangings, giving to -the old court an air of desolation; while the removal -of the doors and windows admitted the chilly blasts of -that bleak February day.</p> - -<p>From court to court I passed, noting the catalogued -items that attracted me. I observed the long form, -covered with black, time-worn leather, where I sat -on the occasion of my first visit, thirty years before, -a sensitive and imaginative youth, contemplating with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[347]</a></span> -awe and a strange depression of spirits the final stages -of a murder trial.</p> - -<p>Then, as now, it was the interests of Madame Tussaud’s -that sent me to the Old Bailey, and it may seem -odd to confess that of all my many duties none ever -afforded me less real pleasure than such duties as this.</p> - -<p>This time my visit was unexpectedly relieved by -an amusing incident which might have served for a -scene in a melodrama.</p> - -<p>I came upon a bevy of workmen, in charge of a -jovial carpenter, improvising a mock trial to pass the -time between the conclusion of a meal and the resumption -of their work.</p> - -<p>Presently I heard a scuffling noise and the voice of -someone in distress. A lanky old man was being -forced by a couple of fellow workmen into the prisoners’ -dock, obviously on some sort of vamped-up -charge.</p> - -<p>“Silence!” shouted a shrill-voiced little man, wearing -an apron and paper cap, who had made himself -usher of the court.</p> - -<p>I looked towards the jury-box, and there saw a -droll-looking individual finishing his dinner out of a -newspaper.</p> - -<p>“Stop that row! Such conduct is disgraceful in a -court of justice,” he called, looking across at the struggling -prisoner.</p> - -<p>Then, observing himself to be alone, the occupant of -the jury-box managed to empanel six of his friends to -make seven “good men and true.” The jurymen came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[348]</a></span> -forward from different sheltered parts of the court, -bringing with them what remained of their meal.</p> - -<p>As by some prearranged signal, an elderly man, -with a round, red face, quietly slipped into the judge’s -seat, assuming a judicial air, and fixing his stem gaze -upon the protesting prisoner in the dock. The judge -paid no attention to the banter directed to him by a -number of workmen who constituted the “public” and -had sauntered in to enjoy the sport.</p> - -<p>His “lordship” took on himself the duties of judge -and clerk of the court, and gravely recited a long, -and terrible indictment of the accused, who might -have been some arch-fiend from the list of crimes -charged against him—a list that seemed to box the -compass of the Ten Commandments. He was involved -in domestic complications which drew forth groans -from all in court, and the judge’s reference to his “poor -dear wife and little innocent children” evoked well-simulated -execration.</p> - -<p>A comical fellow entered the witness-box, and reminded -the prisoner of a blood-curdling murder he -had committed years ago, for which somebody else had -been hanged. The witness paused, and then, bringing -down his first, said, “Worse than all this, my lord, -<em>’e’s been known to work overtime without extra pay</em>.”</p> - -<p>While these harrowing details were visibly moving -the jury, the clocks of the neighbourhood struck the -close of the dinner hour, and the whole seven men with -one accord jumped to their feet shouting “Guilty!” -adding, “No recommendation to mercy.”</p> - -<p>The judge put on a billycock hat in imitation of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[349]</a></span> -the black cap, and addressed the prisoner with due -solemnity to this effect:</p> - -<p>“Prisoner at the bar, we regret we cannot ask you -whether you have anything to say. Justice has no -time for that. A jury of your countrymen has found -you guilty, and they know best. My duty is to order -you to be taken to a public-house near at hand, where -you are very well known, and at a certain hour you -shall buy drinks for everyone in this court, including -myself, the jury, and whatever members of the public -care to be present. If you fail to turn up at the appointed -time and place, may the Lord have mercy on -your stingy soul!”</p> - -<p>In the course of a few days the Old Bailey jury-box -and several other fittings of the ancient criminal -court were installed under the roof of the Exhibition. -The prices they fetched were hardly more than nominal.</p> - -<p>It was very different, however, with the relics of the -adjoining prison. The mementoes of Old Newgate -found many eager buyers, and the bitter February -weather did not prevent a large crowd of bidders following -the auctioneer about as he crossed the bleak -prison yard and passed through the long dreary corridors.</p> - -<p>The bidders came from all classes of society, bent -on obtaining some keepsake of the sombre establishment. -I see that procession now, some muffled to the -ears, some blowing their finger-tips in the piercing -cold, others stamping their feet, but all indulging in -one form of humour or another to keep up their spirits -in very dispiriting surroundings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[350]</a></span></p> - -<p>There were three lots on which the crowd bestowed -special attention.</p> - -<p>One was Jack Sheppard’s cell, from which he made -his daring escape—a thrilling feat dear to the imagination -of boys young and old.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;" id="illus83"> - -<img src="images/illus83.jpg" width="380" height="580" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">JACK SHEPPARD, THE HIGHWAYMAN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">This model is posed in the actual cell from the Newgate prison, from -which he made his sensational escape.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Another lot was the cell in which Lord George -Gordon, the instigator of the riots that bear his name, -died of gaol fever on the 1st of November, 1793. -His exploits will be remembered by readers of <cite>Barnaby -Rudge</cite>.</p> - -<p>The third lot was the famous bell which, for just -upon a century and a half, had never failed to notify -the good citizens of London the precise moment when -a condemned prisoner had paid with his life for a life -he had taken.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus84"> - -<img src="images/illus84.jpg" width="380" height="460" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE OLD NEWGATE BELL</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Acquired by Madame Tussaud & Sons, Ltd., when the prison was -demolished in 1903.</p> - -</div> - -<p>There was an idea at the time that the metal of -the Newgate bell contained in it a quantity of silver, -and this belief gave rise to the impression that it -would fetch a high price.</p> - -<p>But it fell to our bidding, amid a hearty burst of -approval, for the round sum of £100, by no means a -high price for such a coveted relic.</p> - -<p>Not only the bell, but also the cells, came into -our possession that day. The thick solid masonry -and heavy iron work were taken down and carefully -marked, so that each part should be set up again in -its right position when installed at Madame Tussaud’s—a -tedious process that incurred a far greater outlay -than the original cost.</p> - -<p>Satisfaction was widely expressed that the Newgate -relics should find their way into Tussaud’s.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[351]</a></span></p> - -<p>These memorials of Old Newgate have already -reposed in their new home sixteen years, and have been -viewed by millions of people who otherwise would -not have had an opportunity of seeing them.</p> - -<p>Visitors of all grades of society linger long before -these narrow cells, and I have often seen them rap -with their knuckles the Newgate bell, which never fails -to respond with a soft mellow resonance, reminding -one of the time-honoured couplet, deeply inscribed -upon it:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Ye people all who hear me ring</div> -<div class="verse">Be faithful to your God and King.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[352]</a></span></p> - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_L">CHAPTER L</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Tussaud’s in verse—Tom Hood’s quatrain—“Alfred among the Immortals”—A -refuge for Cabinet Ministers—Two dialogues—“This -is fame!”</p> - -</div> - -<p>On very many occasions Madame Tussaud’s has -been the subject of prose and verse in the public -Press. I have already given a few extracts. Here are -other quotations, some of which will surely raise a smile.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus90"> - -<img src="images/illus90.jpg" width="380" height="490" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">TOM HOOD</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Tom Hood was one of the first of a long line of authors and editors -who paid tribute to Madame Tussaud’s.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Tom Hood, the prince of punsters, honoured us -with the following quatrain:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">The stillborn figures of Madame Tussaud,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">With their eyes of glass and their hair of flax,</div> -<div class="verse">They only stare whatever you ax,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">For their ears, you know, are nothing but wax.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p><cite>Punch</cite> has always been very fond of honouring us -with quips and sallies regarding portraits that seemed -to merit such good-humoured attention. The dapper -and debonair late Poet Laureate, Mr. Alfred Austin, -had not long been added to the collection when our -genial jester coruscated as follows:</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 380px;" id="illus89"> - -<img src="images/illus89.jpg" width="380" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">ALFRED AUSTIN</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Poet Laureate 1896-1913.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[353]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<p class="center">ALFRED AMONG THE IMMORTALS.</p> -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The Poet Laureate is on View at Madame Tussaud’s.</span></p> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“Let them gibe, let them jeer,</div> -<div class="verse">Let them snigger and sneer</div> -<div class="verse indent1">At my dramas, my lays, and my odes!</div> -<div class="verse">Others know my true worth—</div> -<div class="verse">’Mid the great ones on earth,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">They’ve enshrined me at Madame Tussaud’s.”</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>A more recent contribution from a light versifier -runs:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">There’s a refuge, if Cabinet duties cease,</div> -<div class="verse">Where Ministers anxious to rest—with <em>Peace</em>—</div> -<div class="verse indent5">May do so.</div> -<div class="verse">Political stars who are on the wane</div> -<div class="verse">In a popular Chamber may wax again</div> -<div class="verse indent5"><i lang="fr">Chez</i> Tussaud.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Here is another quotation from <cite>Punch</cite>:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">There once was a Madame called Tussaud</div> -<div class="verse">Who loved the grand folk in <cite>Who’s Who</cite>, so</div> -<div class="verse indent1">That she made them in wax,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Both their fronts and their backs,</div> -<div class="verse">And asked no permission to do so.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>One thing is to be noted about the last two quotations: -the writer gives the right pronunciation to -the name Tussaud, whereas other “poets” often make -it rhyme with “swords”—a common error.</p> - -<p>There was a picture in <cite>Moonshine</cite>, in which a policeman -was separating two quarrelling errand boys.</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>“Now then, you boys!” said the officer.</p> - -<p>Young Pat: “Shure an’ it’s all him. Hitting me, an’ I’ve -got a uncle a Mimber of Parliament, I have.”</p> - -<p>Young John: “And what of that? Why did he cheek me? -I’m as good as him. I’ve got an uncle in Madame Tussaud’s.”</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[354]</a></span></p> - -<p>The following adroit dialogue appeared in a humorous -periodical beneath the picture of a Scottish minister -addressing one of two dishevelled youths:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>Minister (to small boy who has been fighting): “Ah, laddie, -think what wad hae bin done tae ye if ye had kilt that laddie!”</p> - -<p>Small Boy: “I’d a bin had up.”</p> - -<p>Minister: “Ah, yes, ye’d a bin had up, but something waur -than that.”</p> - -<p>Small Boy: “I’d a bin hang, mebbie.”</p> - -<p>Minister: “Yes! but something waur than that wad a happen’d.”</p> - -<p>Small Boy: “After that I’d a bin pit in Madame Tussaud’s.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>The family name often appears in the public Press -with more rhyme than reason. The following verse -published at the time of the Hague Peace Conference -in 1899 is somewhat apropos at the present moment:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">When all are agreed in word and deed</div> -<div class="verse indent1">That pacific intentions shall rule,</div> -<div class="verse">When armies disband on every hand</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And tin soldiers are not used at school,</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">When rifles and swords are shown at Tussaud’s</div> -<div class="verse indent1">As inventions quite obsolete,</div> -<div class="verse">Then we might be pleasant, but just at present</div> -<div class="verse indent1">We’re thinking ’bout keeping our Fleet.</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>When the portrait model of Mr. Rudyard Kipling -was added to the Exhibition, that gentleman was -made the subject of the following lines:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">What though from distant climes</div> -<div class="verse indent1">I, young, unknown,</div> -<div class="verse">Swift from obscurity</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Sprang to a throne?</div><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[355]</a></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">What though aforetime</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Worship was paid me?</div> -<div class="verse">Though offers fabulous</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Publishers made me?</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">What though the critics all</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Pleasantly flattered me?</div> -<div class="verse">What though all this befell</div> -<div class="verse indent1">(As if <em>this</em> mattered) me?</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse"><em>Now</em> with sublime head</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Strike I the stars;</div> -<div class="verse">Better is this to me</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Than all their “pars.”</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Modelled in wax at last,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Now they do show me</div> -<div class="verse">With other famous ones,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Madame Tussaud me!</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Now may I pose supreme!</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Now to me, <i lang="fr">à la</i></div> -<div class="verse">“Crowned heads,” the public grant</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Their great Valhalla!</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Now may the universe</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Echo my name;</div> -<div class="verse">Now nothing more remains,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">This—this is <span class="smcap">Fame</span>!</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[356]</a></span></p> - - - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_LI">CHAPTER LI</h2> - -<div class="hanging"> - -<p>Last scene of all—Madame Tussaud’s appearance and character—Her -<cite>Memoirs</cite>, published in 1838—Her last words.</p> - -</div> - -<p>If I have recounted many stories relating to incidents -that have taken place long after Madame -Tussaud passed away, it is because the flow of anecdote -prompted by her genius has continued in an unbroken -course down to the present times.</p> - -<p>But the atmosphere of romance that pervades this -history belongs in the main to her days, and it is only -fitting that with the close of her days it should practically -come to an end.</p> - -<p>She died some eight years before I was born, but -from my father and from those of his generation who -spent the best part of their lives in her company I -learnt so much about her that it is difficult for me -to realise that I had not enjoyed her personal acquaintance. -Her model that stands at the head of the “Sleeping -Beauty,” I have always been given to understand, -is a speaking likeness.</p> - -<p>In figure she was small and slight, and her manner -was vivacious. Her complexion was fresh, her hair -dark brown with never more than a sprinkling of -grey, and her soft brown eyes were keen and alert -when her interest was aroused. She was a great talker,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[357]</a></span> -her conversation was replete with reminiscences, and, -moreover, she was blessed with a faultless memory. -Austere in her habits of life, exacting in her likes -and dislikes, she showed a ready sympathy with those -in distress, and, above all, she was generous to a fault.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately her <cite>Memoirs</cite>, published in 1838, although -they were penned more than a decade before -she died, do not bring us into any very close relationship -with either her personality or her life.</p> - -<p>This would not be surprising to those who knew -her, or who were acquainted with the circumstances -in which they were written. She seldom could be -brought to speak of herself and her own painful experiences; -and at no time did she betray the slightest -disposition to thrust herself upon the public. She was -seventy-eight years old at the time, and her desire -for seclusion grew stronger as years advanced, until -her entourage became narrowed down to the simple -companionship of her immediate family circle.</p> - -<p>The <cite>Memoirs</cite> came to be written in this wise:</p> - -<p>Her two sons, Joseph and Francis, in collaboration -with an old literary friend of the name of Francis -Hervé, settled in their minds that the old lady should -be induced to leave behind her an account of her -career.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 380px;" id="illus91"> - -<img src="images/illus91.jpg" width="380" height="525" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">FRANCIS TUSSAUD</p> - -<p class="captionsub">Younger son of Madame Tussaud. Born 1800, died 1873. Modeled -by his son Joseph and exhibited at the Royal Academy.</p> - -</div> - -<p>As she had declared her unwillingness to busy -herself with the task of compiling her autobiography—and -in certain matters we knew her to have been -immovable—they decided that the best way of accomplishing -their design would be to record the substance -of those conversations in which they rightly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[358]</a></span> -surmised they would have little difficulty in inducing -her to take part when in the humour.</p> - -<p>In spite of the facilities these gentlemen had for -obtaining the matter used in their publication, it may -be well conjectured that they did not always find their -course run smooth, and at times they must have been -put to odd shifts and a good deal of careful strategy -when gathering what they wanted from the shrewd -old lady without arousing her suspicions.</p> - -<p>For these reasons the <cite>Memoirs</cite> have failed to supply -what is best worth knowing, such as details giving -an insight to her own life—an omission which, I fear, -can never now be made entirely good. That work -is, therefore, made up of disjointed, scrappy matter, -avowedly well written, but somehow obviously strung -together for the making of a book.</p> - -<p>In perusing its pages the reader thus finds himself -confronted by a mere procession of notables whom -the old lady happened to have known or to have seen in -her day, each with an encyclopædic quantum of information -tagged to his or her name that might well have -been culled from any biographical treasury. So it is she -is to be found speaking of others when her reader’s one -desire is that she should be induced to talk of herself.</p> - -<p>Neither does this “Romance” claim to be a biography. -Such an undertaking would demand of us -closer and more careful study than these brief sketches -have entailed, and much diligent research. Moreover, -such has not been the purpose of these pages.</p> - -<p>By those who had the best authority to speak of -her I have been often reminded of the trials and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[359]</a></span> -hardships against which she had to battle during her -long and strenuous career, showing a courage and -determination that might well have broken the spirit -of many a man. In estimating her character and her -achievements, my mind turns to events of the past few -years which have demonstrated how capable women are -of enacting a great part in the drama of human life.</p> - -<p>Madame Tussaud brought cheerfulness and geniality -to bear upon the tasks that lay before her, and -therein lay the secret of her triumphs. She was diligent -and attentive to her business, devoted to her -family, and attached to her friends.</p> - -<p>The measure of her years far exceeded the allotted -span, and she was rewarded, despite the slightness of -her frame, with an almost unbroken continuation of -good health, until, on the 15th of April, 1850 she -passed peacefully and painlessly away at her house -attached to the Exhibition in Baker Street.</p> - -<p>Forty years of her life had been chiefly spent in -Paris and the latter fifty years mostly in London; -so that her biography may be said to comprise a tale -of two cities. She was buried in the catacombs of St. -Mary’s Church, Cadogan Place, Chelsea.</p> - -<p>The last words she spoke in this world were characteristic -of this wonderful woman’s indomitable spirit. -Calling her sons, Joseph and Francis, to her bedside, -she gently upbraided them for showing distress at her -departure, rather than gratitude that she had been -spared to them so long. Her farewell exhortation -was, “I divide my property equally between you, and -implore you, above all things, never to quarrel.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[360]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[361]</a></span></p> - -<h2>INDEX</h2> - -<ul> - -<li class="page">Page</li> - -<li class="ifrst">Aberdeen, Lord, <a href="#Page_193">193</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Académie de Saint Luc, <a href="#Page_60">60</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Adelaide, Queen, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Air-raids, <a href="#Page_327">327</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Alexander III of Russia, <a href="#Page_228">228</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Alexandra, Queen, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>, <a href="#Page_338">338</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Alfred the Great, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Alix of Hesse, Princess, <a href="#Page_147">147</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Anecdotes, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>, <a href="#Page_341">341</a>, <a href="#Page_349">349</a>, <a href="#Page_353">353</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Animals in Exhibition, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Annaly, Lord, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Archer, Fred, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Asquith, H. H., <a href="#Page_235">235</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Augusta, Princess, <a href="#Page_109">109</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Austin, Alfred, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Bailey, Old, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Baker Street Exhibition, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>, <a href="#Page_339">339</a>, <a href="#Page_359">359</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Balfour, Arthur J., <a href="#Page_223">223</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Balfour, Jabez, <a href="#Page_328">328</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bancroft, Lady, <a href="#Page_244">244</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bancroft, Sir Squire, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bank Holiday Crowds, <a href="#Page_282">282</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Barnum, Phineas, <a href="#Page_343">343</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Baron-Wilson, Mrs. C., <a href="#Page_117">117</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bastille, Keys of the, <a href="#Page_299">299</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bastille, The, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bates, Colour-Sergeant G. H., <a href="#Page_159">159</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bazaine, Marshal, <a href="#Page_173">173</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Beaconsfield, Lord, <a href="#Page_172">172</a>, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>, <a href="#Page_315">315</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Beatty, Admiral Lord, <a href="#Page_235">235</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Berlin Treaty, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_315">315</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Berne, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_63">63</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Berry, The Executioner, <a href="#Page_314">314</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bertrand, Count, <a href="#Page_125">125</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bhopal, Begum of, <a href="#Page_231">231</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bismarck, Prince, <a href="#Page_325">325</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Black Prince, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Blind Visitors, <a href="#Page_332">332</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Blücher, Von, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Bobs”, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_290">290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bonaparte, Napoleon, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>, <a href="#Page_127">127</a>, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>, <a href="#Page_206">206</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Booth, General (the late), <a href="#Page_253">253</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Boulanger, General, <a href="#Page_201">201</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bradlaugh, Charles, <a href="#Page_200">200</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[362]</a></span>Bright, John, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bristol Riots, <a href="#Page_103">103</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bullock, William, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>, <a href="#Page_138">138</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burgess, T. W., <a href="#Page_281">281</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burglar, Our, <a href="#Page_292">292</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burke, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burke, Thomas, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burns, John, <a href="#Page_276">276</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burns, Robert, <a href="#Page_286">286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burton, Isabel Lady, <a href="#Page_206">206</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burton, Sir Richard, <a href="#Page_205">205</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Byron, Lord, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Cabinet de Cire, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Calcraft, The Executioner, <a href="#Page_314">314</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Canning, George, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cantlie, Sir James, <a href="#Page_283">283</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Carey, James, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Carlyle, Thomas, <a href="#Page_85">85</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Caroline, Queen, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Carrier, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Casement, Roger, <a href="#Page_326">326</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cato Street Conspiracy, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cavell, Nurse, <a href="#Page_335">335</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cavendish, Lord Frederick, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Caverne des Grands Voleurs”, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_298">298</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cetewayo, <a href="#Page_188">188</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Chamber of Horrors, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>, <a href="#Page_244">244</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>, <a href="#Page_314">314</a>, <a href="#Page_318">318</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Charles of Denmark, Princess, <a href="#Page_229">229</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Charlotte, Princess, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Children, Stories of, <a href="#Page_294">294</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Churchill, Lord Randolph, <a href="#Page_234">234</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Claimant,” Tichborne, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Clarendon, Lord, <a href="#Page_194">194</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Clowes, Rev. John, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cobbett, William, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>, <a href="#Page_285">285</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cobden, Richard, <a href="#Page_176">176</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Coleman, <a href="#Page_247">247</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Collins, Dennis, <a href="#Page_110">110</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Collot d’Herbois, <a href="#Page_95">95</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Concerts, Promenade, <a href="#Page_110">110</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Consort, Prince, <a href="#Page_220">220</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Conti, Prince de, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Corday, Charlotte, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cornwell, Jack, V.C., <a href="#Page_335">335</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Crinolines, <a href="#Page_341">341</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cromwell, Oliver, <a href="#Page_237">237</a>, <a href="#Page_248">248</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cronje, General, <a href="#Page_223">223</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cruikshank, <a href="#Page_122">122</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cumberland, Duke of, <a href="#Page_118">118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cup-tie Crowds, <a href="#Page_283">283</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[363]</a></span>Curtius, Christopher, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>, <a href="#Page_65">65</a>, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>, <a href="#Page_78">78</a>, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_88">88</a>, <a href="#Page_89">89</a>, <a href="#Page_96">96</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">“Dagonet”, <a href="#Page_249">249</a></li> - -<li class="indx">D’Angoulême, Duchesse, <a href="#Page_76">76</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Danton, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dargai, Highlanders at, <a href="#Page_222">222</a>, <a href="#Page_289">289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dauphin, The, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Desmoulins, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dickens, Charles, <a href="#Page_286">286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Disraeli, Benjamin, <a href="#Page_172">172</a>, <a href="#Page_190">190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dock Strikes, <a href="#Page_225">225</a></li> - -<li class="indx">D’Orsay, Count, <a href="#Page_148">148</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dumas Story, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dunstan’s, St., <a href="#Page_332">332</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Dying Socrates,” The, <a href="#Page_69">69</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Educator, Tussaud’s as, <a href="#Page_236">236</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Edward, King, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Égalité, Philippe, <a href="#Page_80">80</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Egyptian Hall, <a href="#Page_138">138</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Elba, Isle of, <a href="#Page_128">128</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Eldon, Lord, <a href="#Page_100">100</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Elizabeth of France, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Elizabeth, Queen, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Ferdinand of Bulgaria, <a href="#Page_321">321</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fieschi, Giuseppe, <a href="#Page_303">303</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Foulon, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_82">82</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fouquier-Tinville, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Francis Joseph, Emperor, <a href="#Page_321">321</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Franklin, Benjamin, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>, <a href="#Page_67">67</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Frederick, Emperor of Germany, <a href="#Page_227">227</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fryatt, Captain, <a href="#Page_335">335</a>, <a href="#Page_337">337</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Furniss, Harry, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Garcia, Manuel, <a href="#Page_118">118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">George IV, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_122">122</a></li> - -<li class="indx">George, King, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gladstone, William Ewart, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>, <a href="#Page_293">293</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gordon Riots, <a href="#Page_350">350</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Goulburn, Henry, <a href="#Page_124">124</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Grace, Dr. W. G., <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_316">316</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Grant’s Folly”, <a href="#Page_213">213</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Grant’s Staircase, Baron, <a href="#Page_211">211</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Graves, Henry, <a href="#Page_220">220</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gray’s Inn Road, Exhibition in, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_118">118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Great War, The, <a href="#Page_320">320</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Greenacre, James, <a href="#Page_304">304</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Grew, Thomas, <a href="#Page_viii">8</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Grosholtz, Joseph, <a href="#Page_vii">7</a>, <a href="#Page_57">57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Grosholtz, Marie, <a href="#Page_vii">7</a>, <a href="#Page_57">57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Grossmith, George, <a href="#Page_345">345</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Guillotine, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>, <a href="#Page_299">299</a>, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Hall of Kings, <a href="#Page_285">285</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hanging in Public, <a href="#Page_304">304</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[364]</a></span>Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hardinge, Sir A., <a href="#Page_221">221</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hare, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_301">301</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hartington, Marquis of, <a href="#Page_292">292</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hayter, Sir George, <a href="#Page_154">154</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hébert, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Henry VIII and his Wives, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hinton, Viscount, <a href="#Page_224">224</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Holland, Queen Wilhelmina of, <a href="#Page_223">223</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hood, Tom, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hornn, Jean, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>, <a href="#Page_124">124</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Horrors, Chamber of, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>, <a href="#Page_244">244</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>, <a href="#Page_314">314</a>, <a href="#Page_318">318</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hôtel d’Aligre, <a href="#Page_59">59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Houdon, <a href="#Page_68">68</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hume, <a href="#Page_118">118</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Indian’s Diary, <a href="#Page_240">240</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Induna Envoys, <a href="#Page_189">189</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Iron Cross, Story of, <a href="#Page_326">326</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Irving, Sir Henry, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Jackson, Bishop, <a href="#Page_318">318</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Jameson, Doctor, <a href="#Page_294">294</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Jellicoe, Admiral Lord, <a href="#Page_235">235</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><cite>John Bull</cite>, <a href="#Page_322">322</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Josephine, Empress, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Juno, The Elephant, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Jutland, Naval Battle of, <a href="#Page_336">336</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Kaiser, The, <a href="#Page_320">320</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kavanagh’s Jaunting Car, <a href="#Page_198">198</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Keller, Von, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>, <a href="#Page_137">137</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kemble, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kenney, Miss Annie, <a href="#Page_279">279</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kent, Duchess of, <a href="#Page_100">100</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kintore, Earl of, <a href="#Page_221">221</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kipling, Rudyard, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>, <a href="#Page_354">354</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kirk, Sir John, <a href="#Page_240">240</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kitchener, Lord, <a href="#Page_337">337</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Koffee, King, <a href="#Page_188">188</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kruger, President, <a href="#Page_294">294</a>, <a href="#Page_296">296</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Lamballe, Princess de, <a href="#Page_88">88</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Landseer, Sir Edwin, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_220">220</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Las Cases, Count, <a href="#Page_141">141</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lawrence, Mrs. Pethick, <a href="#Page_279">279</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lawrence, Sir Thomas, <a href="#Page_299">299</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lee, General Homer, <a href="#Page_287">287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Leicester Square, <a href="#Page_214">214</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Leopold I of Belgium, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Leo XIII, Pope, <a href="#Page_158">158</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Léon, Count, <a href="#Page_184">184</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Liancourt, <a href="#Page_86">86</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lincoln, Tribich, <a href="#Page_326">326</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[365]</a></span>Lipton, Sir Thomas, <a href="#Page_286">286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Livingstone, Dr., <a href="#Page_181">181</a></li> - -<li class="indx">London Bridge Incident, <a href="#Page_121">121</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lorge, Count de, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Louis XV, <a href="#Page_62">62</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Louis XVI, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Louis Philippe, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lowther, J. W., The Speaker, <a href="#Page_345">345</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><i>Lusitania</i> Outrage, <a href="#Page_322">322</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lyceum Theatre, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_246">246</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Magna Charta, <a href="#Page_217">217</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Malibran, Madame de, <a href="#Page_118">118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Manning, Cardinal, <a href="#Page_viii">viii</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Marat, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_299">299</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Marie Antoinette, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>, <a href="#Page_253">253</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Marie Louise, Empress, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>, <a href="#Page_136">136</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Marwood, The Executioner, <a href="#Page_314">314</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mary, Queen, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mary, Queen of Scots, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>, <a href="#Page_237">237</a>, <a href="#Page_253">253</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mathew, Father, <a href="#Page_143">143</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mathias, Lt.-Col., <a href="#Page_289">289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Maude, Cyril, <a href="#Page_296">296</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Maybrick, Mrs., <a href="#Page_319">319</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mayo, Earl of, <a href="#Page_171">171</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mayoral Visit, <a href="#Page_290">290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">McKenzie, Rev. P., <a href="#Page_147">147</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Melbourne, Lord, <a href="#Page_100">100</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><cite>Memoirs</cite>, Madame Tussaud’s, <a href="#Page_357">357</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Milan Carriage, <a href="#Page_120">120</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Model” Wife, A, <a href="#Page_240">240</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Moltke, Von, <a href="#Page_325">325</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Monkey, Our, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Montholon, General, <a href="#Page_141">141</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Montreuil, <a href="#Page_72">72</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Muller, William, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mummy, Our, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Museum at Boulevard du Temple, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Museum at Palais Royal, <a href="#Page_66">66</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mysore, Sultan of, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Napoleon Bonaparte, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Napoleon, III, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Napoleon’s Coachman, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>, <a href="#Page_124">124</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Necker, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>, <a href="#Page_86">86</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Nelson, Admiral Lord, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Newgate Prison, <a href="#Page_349">349</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Nicholas I, Tsar, <a href="#Page_145">145</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Norfolk, Duke of, <a href="#Page_339">339</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Norwich, Bishop of, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">O’Connell, Daniel, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Old Bailey, The, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[366]</a></span>Orléans, Duke of, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Paganini, <a href="#Page_344">344</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Palmerston, Lord, <a href="#Page_194">194</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pankhurst, Christabel, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pankhurst, Mrs., <a href="#Page_280">280</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Peace, Charles, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>, <a href="#Page_319">319</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Peace with Honour”, <a href="#Page_315">315</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pearcey, Mrs., <a href="#Page_251">251</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Peel, Sir Robert, <a href="#Page_100">100</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Penn, William, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Persia, Shah of, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>, <a href="#Page_216">216</a>, <a href="#Page_221">221</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Phœnix Park Murders, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pitt, William, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pius VI, Pope, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Placard, Old, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Policeman, Our, <a href="#Page_291">291</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pompadour, Madame de, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Portman Rooms, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>, <a href="#Page_339">339</a>, <a href="#Page_359">359</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Prince Consort, <a href="#Page_220">220</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Prince Imperial, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Prince of Wales, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Programme-seller, <a href="#Page_291">291</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Promenade Concerts, <a href="#Page_110">110</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><cite>Punch</cite>, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>, <a href="#Page_299">299</a>, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Quincey, De, <a href="#Page_300">300</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Reign of Terror, <a href="#Page_56">56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Revolution, French, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>, <a href="#Page_299">299</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rhodes, Cecil, <a href="#Page_294">294</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Richard Cœur de Lion, <a href="#Page_217">217</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rignold, George, <a href="#Page_248">248</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Roberts, Field-Marshal Lord, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>, <a href="#Page_337">337</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Robespierre, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>, <a href="#Page_94">94</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rosebery, Lord, <a href="#Page_233">233</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rosignol, <a href="#Page_95">95</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rousseau, <a href="#Page_56">56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Royal Academy, <a href="#Page_viii">8</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ruhleben Camp, <a href="#Page_325">325</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Russell, Lord John, <a href="#Page_194">194</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Sala, George Augustus, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Salisbury, Lord, <a href="#Page_288">288</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sanson, <a href="#Page_90">90</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sappe, Madame, <a href="#Page_341">341</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Scott, Sir Walter, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_286">286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Seven Years’ War, <a href="#Page_57">57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Shackleton, Sir Ernest, <a href="#Page_295">295</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Shah of Persia, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>, <a href="#Page_216">216</a>, <a href="#Page_221">221</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Shahzada of Afghanistan, <a href="#Page_215">215</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Shakespeare, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Shaw, George Bernard, <a href="#Page_277">277</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sheppard, Jack, <a href="#Page_350">350</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[367]</a></span>Shipwreck in Irish Channel, <a href="#Page_102">102</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Siam, King of, <a href="#Page_215">215</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Siddons, Mrs., <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sims, George R., <a href="#Page_218">218</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sleeping Beauty, <a href="#Page_102">102</a>, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Smith, Bruce, <a href="#Page_342">342</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Spain, Alphonso, King of, <a href="#Page_225">225</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Speaker, The, <a href="#Page_345">345</a></li> - -<li class="indx">St. Amaranthe, Madame, <a href="#Page_101">101</a>, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a></li> - -<li class="indx">St. Dunstan’s Hostel, <a href="#Page_332">332</a></li> - -<li class="indx">St. Helena, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stage Favourites, <a href="#Page_242">242</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stanley, H. M., <a href="#Page_181">181</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Suffrage, Woman’s, <a href="#Page_280">280</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Suleau, <a href="#Page_89">89</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sully, Duc de, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sun Yat Sen, President of China, <a href="#Page_287">287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Swedenborg, Emanuel, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Talleyrand, Prince, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_118">118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tenniel, John, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tennyson, Lord, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>, <a href="#Page_286">286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Terry, Miss Ellen, <a href="#Page_242">242</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Thackeray, <a href="#Page_238">238</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Thistlewood, Arthur, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tichborne Claimant, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tippoo Sahib, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tom Thumb, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Treloar, Sir William, <a href="#Page_290">290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tsar, The late, <a href="#Page_147">147</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tsarina, The late, <a href="#Page_147">147</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Turkey, Sultan of, <a href="#Page_321">321</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Turnerelli Wreath, <a href="#Page_191">191</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tussaud, Francis, <a href="#Page_viii">8</a>, <a href="#Page_102">102</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_357">357</a>, <a href="#Page_359">359</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tussaud, François, <a href="#Page_96">96</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tussaud, Joseph, <a href="#Page_viii">8</a>, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>, <a href="#Page_102">102</a>, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>, <a href="#Page_145">145</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, <a href="#Page_357">357</a>, <a href="#Page_359">359</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tussaud’s in Verse, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tussaud, Madame, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_63">63</a>, <a href="#Page_71">71</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Twain, Mark, <a href="#Page_316">316</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Versailles, <a href="#Page_72">72</a>, <a href="#Page_73">73</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Verse, Tussaud’s in, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Victoria, Queen, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_290">290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Voltaire, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_145">145</a>, <a href="#Page_224">224</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Voltaire’s Chair, <a href="#Page_145">145</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Votes for Women, <a href="#Page_281">281</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">War, The Great, <a href="#Page_320">320</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Waterloo Carriage, The, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>, <a href="#Page_127">127</a>, <a href="#Page_133">133</a>, <a href="#Page_230">230</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wellington, Duke of, <a href="#Page_62">62</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>, <a href="#Page_271">271</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wesley, John, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Westminster Abbey, <a href="#Page_317">317</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wetherell, Sir Charles, <a href="#Page_103">103</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><cite>Whip</cite>, The, <a href="#Page_308">308</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[368]</a></span>Whiteley, William, <a href="#Page_290">290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wilhelmina of Holland, <a href="#Page_223">223</a></li> - -<li class="indx">William IV, <a href="#Page_110">110</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Williams, John, <a href="#Page_299">299</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wills, W. G., <a href="#Page_247">247</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wilson, J. Havelock, <a href="#Page_337">337</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wolseley, Sir Garnet, <a href="#Page_187">187</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wurmser, General, <a href="#Page_57">57</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">York, Duke of, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Zeppelin, Count, <a href="#Page_320">320</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a></li> - -</ul> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Romance of Madame Tussaud's, by -John Theodore Tussaud - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROMANCE OF MADAME TUSSAUD'S *** - -***** This file should be named 54369-h.htm or 54369-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/3/6/54369/ - -Produced by deaurider 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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