The Romance of London
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1 If I UA-^fefJutwc^? *1 * ytyeyfl Jf'UW^ iMKW»**tflff*ewi r CONTENTS. SUPERNATURAL STORIES. PAGB GHOST STORY EXPLAINED, .... I ["EPNEY LEGEND OF THE FISH AND THE. RING, 4 'REAM TESTIMONY, ..... 6 IARYLEBONE FANATICS : SHARP AND BRYAN, BROTHERS AND SOUTHCOTE, ..... 7 iALLUCINATION IN ST PAUL'S, .... H THE GHOST IN THE TOWER, ..... 18 TGHTS AND SHOWS, AND PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. THE PUISNE'S WALKE ABOUT LONDON, 27 THE WALLS OF ROMAN LONDON, 30 THE DANES IN LONDON, 32 CITY REGULATIONS IN THE PLANTAGENET TIMES, 36 ST PAUL'S DAY IN LONDON, 37 CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES IN WESTMINSTER HALL, 39 LONDON COCKPITS, .... 43 STORY OF THE BOOK OF ST ALBAN'S, 45 RACES IN HYDE PARK. 47 VI Contents. PAGK OLD PALL MALL SIGHTS, 49 ROMANCE OF SCHOMBERG HOUSE, . 5° DR GRAHAM AND HIS QUACKERIES, . 54 ORIGIN OF HACKNEY-COACHES, Co THE PARISH CLERKS OF CLERKENWELL, 62 SEDAN-CHAIRS IN LONDON, 62 A LONDON NEWSPAPER OF 1 667, 65 AMBASSADORS' SQUABBLE, . 67 DRYDEN CUDGELLED, 69 FUNERAL OF DRYDEN, 7i GAMING-HOUSES KEPT BY LADIES, . 73 ROYAL GAMING AT CHRISTMAS, 75 PUNCH AND JUDY, 77 FANTOCCINI, 81 MRS SALMON'S WAX-WORK, . 33 THE RAGGED REGIMENT IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY, 86 THE PIG-FACED LADY, 89 COUNT BORUWLASKI AND GEORGE IV., 92 THE IRISH GIANTS, . 95 A NORFOLK GIANT, . 99 CELEBRATED DWARFS, 100 PLAYING ON THE SALT-BOX, . 103 A SHARK STORY, 104 TOPHAM, THE STRONG MAN OF ISLINGTON, 105 THE POPE'S PROCESSION, AND BURNING OF THE TOPE, 107 THE GIANTS AT GUILDHALL, "5 120 LORD MAYOR'S DAY, .... PRESENTATION OF SHERIFFS, i-4 LORD MAYOR'S FOOL, 125 KING GEORGE III. AND THE BARCLAY FAMILY, 127 UNIVFP<5TTY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA 2)A BARBARA COLLEGE LIBRARY 677,/ Contents. Vll v. PAGE CARLTON HOUSE AND THE REGENCY, L31 " THE PRINCE REGENT AND THE AUTHOR OF WAVERIAY," I36 THE CORONATION-STONE AND CHAMPIONSHIP, 133 MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF ST CECILIA'S DAY,' 145 THE BEGGAR'S OPERA, 147 THE OPERA IN 1747, . 152 A FASHIONABLE ROUT IN THE LAST CENTURY, L53 VAUXHALL GARDENS, iS5 A RIDOTTO AT VAUXHALL, . 166 MARYLEBONE GARDENS, ; 167 JUBILEE MASQUERADE AT RANELAGH, 172 THE BOTTLE CONJUROR, 177 MRS CORNELYS AT CARLISLE HOUSE, 179 BARTHOLOMEW FAIR, 188 BELZONI AT BARTHOLOMEW FAIR, . 210 MAY FAIR A CENTURY AGO, . 212 MEN WHO PLAYED FEMALE PARTS ON THE STAGE, 215 NANCY DAWSON, 220 PUFFING ON THE STAGE, 221 GARRICK'S ACTING, . i 224 JOHN BANNISTER'S ACTING, . 227 A PARTISAN ACTOR, . 229 THE MINISTER AND THE PLAYER, . 230 MILKMAIDS ON MAY-DAY, 232 SWEEPS' HOLIDAY AT MONTAGUE HOUSE, 233 MERMAID HOAX, 236 THE PORTLAND VASE, 2 3 3 UNBURIED AMBASSADORS, 239 WATCH-FACE AT SOMERSET HOUSE, . 240 LORD STOWELL'S LOVE OF SIGHT-SEEING, 24I VI 11 Contents. PAGK " hogarth's industrious and idle apprentices," . 243 sir joshua reynolds's zenith, .... 246 " harlow's picture of the trial of queen katherine," 248 the lansdowne family and lansdowne house, . 25o an astronomical curiosity, .... 253 DOWNING STREET, . t .255 curiosities of the patent office, . i . 257 opera-house speculation, .... 263 humours of epsom races, ..... 265 the four indian kings, . ; . 269 the st Margaret's painted window at Westminster, 272 painted window of "the field of cloth of gold," . 276 GOING TO FIRES, i 279 STRANGE ADVENTURES AND CATASTROPHES. A MEMORABLE EXPLOSION, .... 284 EARTHQUAKES IN LONDON, .... 286 THE NEW ZEALANDER VISITING THE RUINS OF LONDON, 290 DANGEROUS CLASSES IN THE LAST CENTURY, 293 YORK BUILDINGS, A SITE OF MISCHANCE, i 298 THE BURNING OF MONTAGUE HOUSE, 301 SIR THOMAS GRESHAM'S SHOP IN LOMBARD STREET, 306 THE BURSTING OF THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE, 308 RUNS UPON THE BANK OF ENGLAND, 315 THEODORE, KING OF CORSICA, 317 WORTH OF A QUEEN ANNE'S FARTHING, 323 IRELAND'S SHAKSPEARE FORGERIES, 325 LOTTERIES IN LONDON, 332 FASHION FOR FLOWERS, 342 Contents. IX PAGE FLOODING OF THE THAMES TUNNEL, 343 BURNING OF THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, 348 " HUDSON, THE RAILWAY KING," • , 3Si REMARKABLE PERSONS. SIR WILLIAM PETTY AND THE LANSDOWNE FAMILY, 353 PRAISE-GOD BAREBONES, .... 356 MARLBOROUGH HOUSE AND SARAH DUCHESS OF MARL BOROUGH, 360 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, 367 THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE'S ECCENTRICITIES, 368 CELEBRATED PHYSICIANS, 37o A QUACK OCULIST, 372 VOLTAIRE IN LONDON, 374 A SCENE IN MIDDLE TEMPLE HALL, . 376 NAT LEE'S MADNESS, . 378 DIRTY DICK OF LEADENHALL STREET, 380 THE CROSSING SWEEPER, 382 A MOCK PRINCE, 385 4N ERRANT JOURNALIST, . 387 DEATH OF FLAXMAN, THE SCULPTOR, 389 DEATH OF NEWTON, THE PAINTER, . 39i CHARLES LAMB AT THE PLAY, 392 " CORNER MEMORY THOMPSON," 396 DEVILLE, THE PHRENOLOGIST, 398 MONK LEWIS, .... 399 THE PENALTIES OF AVARICE, 401 COLERIDGE'S OPIUM-EATING, 403 SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS'S LAST LECTURE, 406 X Contents. PAGE ECCENTRICITIES OF COBBETT, 408 ECCENTRICITIES OF LORD BYRON, 413 " HOW ROBERT BLOOMFIELD WROTE HIS FARMER S BOY IN THE HEART OF LONDON, 415 DR DIBDIN, THE BIBLIOMANIAC, 4l6 SAMUEL ROGERS, THE BANKER POET 419 A LONDON RECLUSE, . 423 PHILIP ASTLEY, THE RIDER, . 427 " THE O. P. RIOT," 433 CHARLES MATHEWS, THE ELDER, 435 MISCELLANEO US. JACK CADE IN SOUTHWARK, . 441 SHAKSPEARE'S HOUSE IN THE BLACKFRIARS, 444 PRISONERS IN THE TOWER, . 448 THE ANCIENT WATCH AND WARD, . 450 ROBBING THE ROYAL TREASURY, 456 MIGRATION OF CITIZENS WESTWARD, » 460 ROMANCE OF LONDON. mpwmtuxul Btoxm. A Ghost Story Explained. THE following account, from the Diaries of a Lady of Quality, of what was long considered, even by highly- intellectual persons, a supernatural incident, shows that some ghost stories, however seemingly well authenti- cated, are capable of easy explanation, from natural and ordinary causes, when the circumstances are fully known. At a meeting of the Literary Club, at which Dr John- son, Mr Burke, and several other eminent characters of the day were present, it was Observed that an old gentle- man, who had never missed one of the meetings of the society, was that day absent. His absence was con- sidered as the more extraordinary, because he happened to be president that day. While the company were expressing their surprise at this circumstance, they saw their friend enter the room, wrapped in a long white gown, his countenance wan and very much fallen. He VOL. II. a 4 2 Romance of London. sat down in his place, and when his friends wondered at his dress, he waved his hand, nodded to each separately, and disappeared from the room without speaking. The gentlemen, surprised at this circumstance, and deter- mined to investigate it, called for the waiter, and asked whether anybody had been seen upon the staircase which led to the room where they were sitting. They were answered that no person had been seen either to enter the house or to mount the stairs, and that both the stair- case and the entrance had been constantly filled with comers and goers. Not satisfied with this, they sent to the house of the gentleman whom they had just seen, to inquire whether he had been out. His residence happened to be very near the coffee-house where they were, and their messenger immediately returned with the following melancholy intelligence : their friend had died about ten minutes before of a violent fever, which had confined him entirely to his bed for several days. Some of the most eminent men of the club gave themselves great pains to discover the imposition which it was had been them others thought practised upon ; firmly believed that their friend's ghost had actually to them and the latter appeared ; opinion was confirmed by the total failure of all inquiries. All their efforts proved vain to remove the veil of mystery which hung over this transaction. At last they determined to re- move the club to another part of the town, entering at the same time into an engagement never to reveal the circumstance which had occasioned this change. Many years afterwards, as Mr Burke was sitting at dinner with some friends at his own house, he was told that a poor old woman, who was dying in an obscure garret in the midst of the greatest wretchedness, had A Ghost Story Explained. 3 just said that she could not die in peace unless she could reveal a most important secret to Mr Burke. This summons appeared so like a fraudulent means to extort money, that Mr Burke refused to go. In a short time he received a second and still more pressing mes- sage, and, at the same time, such an account was given of the poor creature's extreme poverty and misery, that his compassion was excited, and he determined to go, in spite of the earnest entreaties of his friends, who still feared for his safety. They accordingly watched in the little obscure alley, saw him ascend the staircase which led to the garret in which he was told the poor woman was living, and reminded him that succour was at hand. Mr Burke soon returned. He told his friends that he as it had that had found everything been represented ; the old woman had died after telling him a very extra- ordinary circumstance, which had given him great satis- faction. He then related all the former part of the story, and added that the dying woman had confessed that she had been guilty of a neglect which had cost an unfortunate man his life. She said that, upon her deathbed, she was determined to make all the atone- ment in her power, confess her error, and had therefore requested his presence, knowing him to be the most intimate friend of the deceased. She also said that, some years before, she was nurse to a gentleman who was ill of a dangerous fever, and named Mr Burke's friend.