1819.
Sale of the Queen's effects -- Duke of York has custody of the
King -- The "Dandy horse" -- Loss of, and finding the King's
jewellery -- A public dinner -- A Royal freak -- Unqualified
medical practitioners -- Emigration to America -- "The fair
Circassian" -- Birth of Queen Victoria -- Napoleon's carriage --
An Irish witness.
"They of the household divided the spoil "very shortly after the old
Queen's death. On the 4th of January, her horses and carriages were
sold at Tattersall's. Several of the old horses were shot to prevent
them going into abject slavery, and the fifty-five that remained,
sold for £4,544, and eighteen carriages fetched £1,077. Messrs.
Rundle and Bridge, the Royal Goldsmiths, apportioned the jewels into
four equal lots.
"January 12.--Part of the Queen's property, consisting of pieces of
silk and satin, gold and silver, figured and plain, not made up,
were measured on Friday, at the Queen's House, St. James's Park,
amounting to 2,140 yards. They were presents to her Majesty, or
purchases made by her for the encouragement of the manufactures. They
are of various prices, from one guinea to five guineas per yard, and
many of them of the most beautiful workmanship--one of them, a piece
of green silk shot with gold, is of the most exquisite beauty. This
valuable collection the Princesses have, with their characteristic
kindness and generosity, presented to Madame Beckendorff, as a mark
of their esteem for the favourite of their deceased Royal Parent.
In another apartment was a large store of the most superb shawls,
Oriental presents to her Majesty, but many of them nearly consumed by
moths."
A great many things were sold privately, but her Oriental
curiosities, &c., were sold at Christie's early in May. Among the
other things that were to be sold on the 25th of May were:--
1. 44 Shillings and 66 Sixpences, chiefly of the present reign, 5
Crown-pieces, a well-preserved Half-Crown of 1817, ditto 6 Sixpences
1816, and 11 Bank Tokens.
2. 170 Silver Groats.
3. 170 Threepences.
4. 200 Twopences.
5. 18 English and foreign Dollars, Crowns, and Bank Tokens, and 8
English Half-Crowns, 28 Smooth Shillings, 22 English and foreign
Sixpences.
6. 209 Provincial Tokens.
[Illustration: "Sales by Auction! or, Provident Children Disposing
of their Deceased Mother's Effects for the Benefit of their
Creditors!"]
These items bear witness to the Queen's saving qualities, and
also to the meanness which prompted the sale of such comparative
trifles--only those were sold which were not Current Coin--because
it was an offence against the law to sell money that was in use. Her
veriest trifles were sold. "Among the articles of _vertu_ in the last
sale of her late Majesty's Curiosities, were a number of _paper_
portraits _cut in profile_ of the members of the illustrious Houses
of Brunswick and of Mecklenburgh Strelitz, both male and female: the
ladies in the costume of 1770, with the head-dresses three stories
high, and with elegant flowing lappets. Of the same subjects, the
most remarkable was the Lord's Prayer, cut in paper with a pair of
scissors, by an artist born without hands."[29]
[Footnote 29: Probably Matthew Buchinger, who died 1722.]
A Satirist brought out an Engraving, "SALES by AUCTION! or Provident
Children disposing of their deceased Mother's effects for the benefit
of their Creditors!" The Regent, gouty as usual, is the Auctioneer,
and his remarks upon the lot he has for sale, an Indian Shawl, are:
"Here are some genuine Articles, a present from an Indian Prince
to the deceased owner, and saved entirely for the _Moths_, as they
were _never worn_, given away all her MONEY IN CHARITY. So, pray,
good people, Bid liberally, or the Children will be destitute." The
Princesses are pleading in the same strain, and the Duke of York is
sale Clerk. A short time previously he had a fall, caused by one of
his spurs catching in a carpet, at Windsor, and he broke his arm; he
sits comfortably on £10,000 which was the sum paid him annually, for
paying a monthly visit to his father, to whom he acted as Custodian,
after his mother's death. In January a Bill was brought in, with
this provision, but it met with strenuous opposition, as far as the
monetary portion went, as it was felt that no son, with any remnant
of filial affection left, would, or ought to, take such a sum for
occasionally visiting an aged and sorely afflicted parent; but it
finally passed into law. Of course, the Duke of York must have
expected, and he certainly got, censure for his greed, and we find
him pictorially satirised as using one of the then newly invented,
and fashionable "Dandy," or "Hobby" horses--by means of which he
could visit his poor old father at Windsor. This engraving is called
"MAKING MOST of £10,000 PER AN., by SAVING TRAVELLING EXPENSES (that
is) going on _Monthly_ visits to WINDSOR! as appointed by.... having
only the small sum of Ten Thousand Pounds per year, granted for that
arduous task, has wisely procured a pedestrian Hobby Horse." The Duke
comforts himself by saying, "Every Man has his Hobby Horse, mine is
worth Ten Thousand!!!"
[Illustration: "Making Most of £10,000 Per An."]
[Illustration: "The Hobby Horse Dealer."]
This parent of the bi-and tri-cycles was only introduced into England
early this year. It is said to have been the invention of the Baron
Charles de Drais, Master of Woods and Forests to H. R. H. the
Grand Duke of Baden. In English it was called the "Dandy Horse,"
because the word Dandy as applied to a fashionably dressed man, had
only just been coined; and Hobby Horse, although it had nothing in
common with the barded horse with which jesters used to caracole
in mimic jousts with one another. The Germans called it either the
German horse, or _Drais Laufmashin_; The French, _Drais ena_. They
were obtainable at Johnson's Repository in Long Acre, and cost
about eight pounds each, weight about fifty pounds each, and it was
reckoned that, by their means, a man could travel at a speed of eight
to ten miles an hour.[30] The pedestrian sat astride, leaning against
a pad in front, and holding the steering cross-bar with his hands,
then with his feet alternately, he spurned the ground. For a short
time they were very popular, and there are many specimens of them now
in existence. The Police were very opposed to them, and gave as a
reason that the crowded state of the Metropolis did not admit of this
novel method of travelling, and they put a stop to their use.
[Footnote 30: A trip to Brighton, say a little over fifty
miles, is recorded to have been done in nine hours.]
We get an excellent view of one in "The hobby Horse Dealer." Here
we see the poor starved horses looking hungrily out of the Stable
windows, and the groom in rags, his occupation gone. Of the Dandies,
one critically examines it, and says, "It seems to me, Jack, not
to have quite barrel enough." His quizzical friend, thinks it has a
"Fine fore-hand, by Jove." The dealer, of course, vaunts his goods.
"I'll warrant him sound, and free from vice." But the would-be
purchaser decries it, saying, "I can see he has been down, once or
twice, though, my lad."
I don't think "the Lady's Accelerator" ever came into vogue, even
among the "Dandizettes."
It was a lucky thing that there was a regular clear out of the old
Queen's things; for many of the poor old King's jewels had been
missing for a long time, and their disappearance had caused much
uneasiness. Messrs. Rundle and Bridge had been for several days
examining and estimating the value of the Queen's jewels, preparatory
to their being divided between the four princesses. When this was
satisfactorily accomplished, the Prince Regent came to see the
division, and the Princess Augusta also was present. On the jewels
being apportioned into four several heaps of equal value, a question
arose about the manner in which they were to be packed, until it
should be necessary to reproduce them.
[Illustration: "The Lady's Accelerator."]
One of the female attendants suggested that, in a lumber room, not
very far distant from her late Majesty's apartments, a number of
empty boxes were stowed, which had been used on former occasions, as
cases, in which the Royal Jewels had been carried to and from the
Bank of England (where they are usually deposited) to Buckingham
House; and "perhaps," said she, "these may serve the purpose for
which they are wanted, without troubling Messrs. Rundle and Bridge to
send for fresh packages from their house in town." The suggestion was
thought good; and the boxes were accordingly ordered to be produced
before the Royal Company. In examining one of them, which at first
sight appeared to be filled with nothing more than the lawn, or
silver paper, in which jewellery is usually enveloped, the King's
sword handle, star, loop, garter, and other jewels were unexpectedly
discovered.
It is well, sometimes, to read what other nations think of us, and
our customs, even if it be Max O'Rell and water, and we find in a
Newspaper of Feb. 13th, the following. It will create a smile to
read the account of English Manners given by a Frenchman, who, on
the authority of a short residence, takes upon himself to describe,
and expose our peculiarities. A little volume, entitled "A Year in
London," gives the following account of a public Tavern Dinner:--
"Few days pass in London without public Dinners. Our traveller
acquainted a Portuguese Jew, long resident in London, with the desire
he had to make one at this kind of entertainment. 'Nothing is so
easy. How do you go to the play?' 'I pay for a ticket at the door.'
'How do you see Westminster Abbey?' 'I pay a shilling at every door
they open for me.' 'How do you see St. Paul's, the Tower, the Crown
Jewels?' 'The same way, I pay.' 'You see, then, in London, you have
only to pay; you must, however, take care to have your name put
down two days before, for decency's sake, that you may not have the
appearance of going to a Table d'Hôte; but I will put you down for
one that is to take place to-morrow.'
"Each having paid 15s. entrance," says our traveller, "we were
introduced into a large dining-room, surrounded by tables, where,
already, were seated about two hundred guests, though the tables
were only covered with a cloth; there were, at the top of the room,
about six vacant places, but we were told they were for the singers;
twelve or fifteen persons, who, like ourselves, had arrived a little
too late, walked about in the middle of the room. At length we were
invited into another room, much less than the first, and where tables
were set in the same manner to accommodate about forty persons. A
waiter brought soup, and a heap of plates; he who was nearest took
possession, and distributed it to those nearest him, before a second
tureen was placed at the other end of the table, and that, also,
disappeared, before the arrival of a third. This soup is called mock
turtle, that is, pieces of Calves' head, and Oxtails floating in the
water in which they are dressed, and has no flavour but pepper, which
had not been spared.
"Soon afterwards, the table was covered with a profusion of roast
and boiled meat, that everybody began to hack at the same time--and
vegetables, boiled in _water_, the only sauce given to them in this
country. I had hardly finished my plate of mock turtle, when it was
loaded with a wing of boiled fowl, an enormous piece of roast beef,
a slice of hot ham, a potato, two carrots, and leaves of boiled, not
chopped spinach, completed the pyramid. No one thought of drinking,
for the English, in general, are not thirsty till no longer hungry;
in about a quarter of an hour, they cleared away, and put down apple
tarts, in comparison with which, our village pastry are models of
excellence, some salads eaten without seasoning, and cheese, to which
some added mustard and salt: they then placed before each guest a
bottle of red wine, or sherry, as he preferred; hardly was this
done, when five or six persons rose from the table, carrying in one
hand their glass, in the other, their bottle: every one imitated
them; I followed and did as the others, and we found ourselves in
the great room, standing between the tables, shoved by a crowd of
waiters, who were clearing away. Oranges and nuts were brought,
which my companions below often pillaged before they arrived at
their destination. At last, after having been squeezed, pushed, and
elbowed, for half an hour, we succeeded in obtaining some seats in
the middle of the room, each having his bottle between his knees, and
glass in his hand. After every health, one of the singers amused the
Company with a song; a pause of some minutes ensued, and the same
thing was repeated."
Doubtless, but for the finding of oxtails in Mock Turtle Soup, this
is a very accurate sketch of a Charity dinner of the time, and it
bears the impress of truth upon it.
_Apropos_ of feeding, we may read the following travesty of the "mad
young prince" afterwards the wise Henry V. "Brighton, March 13,
ROYAL FREAK.--We are assured, that a few nights ago, the REGENT, in
a merry mood, determined to sup in the kitchen of the Pavilion. A
scarlet cloth was thrown over the pavement, a splendid repast was
provided, and the good-humoured PRINCE sat down, with a select party
of his friends, and spent a joyous hour. The whole of the servants,
particularly the female part, were, of course, delighted with this
mark of Royal condescension." Of this supper there were numerous
Satirical prints, and I have chosen the least offensive of them,
which is really laughable, the Prince being so "royally drunk." It
is called "HIGH LIFE BELOW STAIRS!! a new Farce, as lately performed
at the Theatre _Royal_, Brighton, for the edification and amusement
of the Cooks, Scullions, Dish-Washers, Lick-Trenchers, Shoe-Blacks,
Cinder-Sifters, Candle-Snuffers, &c., &c., of that Theatre, but which
was unfortunately Damn'd the first night, by Common Sense!"
[Illustration: "High Life Below Stairs!!"]
When ill, the good folks of that time, must, especially in the
country, have been very much at the mercy of quack practitioners. It
is true that both the Apothecaries Company, and the College of
Surgeons were in existence, and had been, the former since 1670, the
latter since 1745, but their diplomas were not considered absolutely
necessary in order to practise Medicine. I give an instance early
in April. "At the Stafford Assizes a cause was brought on at the
suit of the Apothecaries Company, against the son of a man who had
been originally a gardener, but who had long exercised the business
of a _cow-leech_, and _quack doctor_; the son claiming a right of
following the profession of an apothecary, through having studied
under his renowned father.
"In the cross-examination of the father by Mr. Dauncey, he was
asked if he had always been a surgeon? The witness appealed to
the Judge, if this was a proper _answer!_ and whether he must
reply to it; and, at last, said: 'I am a _surgent_' Mr. Dauncey
asked him to spell this word, which he did at several times, viz.,
'Syurgunt, surgend, surgunt, sergund.' Mr. Dauncey said, 'I am
afraid, Sir, you do not often take so much time to study the cases
which come before you, as you do to answer my question.'--'I do
not, Sir.'--Witness said he never employed himself as a gardener,
but was a farmer until he learnt his present business. Mr. Dauncey
asked, 'Who did you learn it of?'--'I learnt it of Dr. Holme, my
brother-in-law; he practised the same as the Whitworth doctors,
and they were regular physicians.'--Mr. Dauncey: 'Where did they
take their degrees?'--Witness: 'I don't believe they ever took
a degree.'--'Then were they regular physicians?'--'No, I believe
they were not; they were only doctors.'--'Only doctors! were they
doctors in law, physic, or divinity?'--'They doctored cows, and
other things, and _humans_ as well.'--Judge to witness: 'Did you
ever make up any medicine by the prescriptions of a physician?'--'I
never did.'--'Do you understand the characters they use for ounces,
scruples, and drachms?'--'I do not.'--'Then you cannot make up their
prescriptions from reading them?'--'I cannot, but I can make up as
good medicines in my way, as they can in theirs.'--'What proportion
does an ounce bear to a pound?' (a pause)--'There are sixteen ounces
to the pound; but we do not go by any regular weight; we mix ours
by the hand.'--'Do you bleed?'--'Yes.'--'With a fleam, or with a
lancet?'--'With a lancet.'--'Do you bleed from the vein, or from the
artery?'--'From the vein.'--'There is an artery somewhere about the
temples; what is the name of that artery?'--'I do not pretend to have
as much learning as some have.'--'Can you tell me the name of that
artery?'--'I do not know which you mean.'--'Suppose, then, I was
to direct you to bleed my servant, or my horse (which God forbid),
in a vein, say, for instance, the jugular vein, where should you
bleed him?'--'In the neck, to be sure.'--The Jury, almost instantly
returned a verdict for the plaintiffs!"
Over-population, coupled with distress, was beginning to be felt;
and the tide of emigration began to flow, naturally to America,
because of its proximity, and consequent cheapness of Carriage:
but Australia and New Zealand, also had their attractions--the
flax (_Phormium tenax_) of the latter place having already been
experimented upon at Portsmouth Dockyard, and favourably reported on
as a good material for rope-making, and its cost, delivered here, was
put down at £8 a ton, or a seventh of the then price of Hemp.
Yet America was the favourite place of emigration, and we read,
under date of April 14th: "The spirit of emigration from Portsmouth
continues unabated. Every packet for Havre, conveys numerous
passengers destined for America; and not less than five hundred
Englishmen are supposed to be now at Havre, waiting for a fair wind,
many of whom have been there upwards of a month. About seventy
persons, chiefly artisans and mechanics, with women and children,
amounting in the whole to at least two hundred, have embarked during
last week, intending to proceed from Havre in an American brig
belonging to Baltimore, which has been taken up expressly for the
purpose. The expenses of the voyage are to be defrayed out of a fund
which has been accumulating for some time past, by a small weekly
subscription, and the total charge for each passenger, is said to be
less than £4."
A foreign Embassy was something unusual in those days, and when they
came two at a time, it gave people something to talk about. First
to arrive was an Ambassador from Algiers; and then came the Persian
Ambassador, who created almost as great a sensation as did the Shah
when he came here in 1873. This ambassador was accompanied by a "fair
Circassian," whom people raved about, although no one ever saw her
face. Here is the contemporary account of their arrival:--
"DOVER, _April 25th_.--About three this afternoon, his Majesty's
schooner _Pioneer_ arrived in the roads, and very shortly after, the
boat belonging to the Customs put off under a salute. She had on
board the Persian Ambassador and suite, who, on landing, were greeted
with another salute from the guns on the heights. As the schooner
had been seen for some time before her arrival, there was an amazing
concourse of people assembled on the beach, and the novel nature of
the arrival of ten or a dozen persons, habited in silks and turbans,
with daggers, and long beards, in no small degree attracted the
attention of the inhabitants, whose curiosity had been raised to the
highest pitch by the different accounts of the beauty of the fair
Circassian; and, had not a coach been provided at the water's edge,
I much doubt if his Excellency and suite would have reached the Inn
without considerable difficulty.
"The crowd followed to Wright's Hotel nearly as fast as the Carriage,
it being reported by some, that the fair female was in a mask,
under the habit of a male attendant, whilst others stated she would
not be landed till the middle of the night. In about half an hour,
however, from the arrival of the first boat, a second boat came into
the harbour, and landed the Circassian Beauty! She was attended from
the schooner by Lieutenant Graham of the Preventive service, and two
black eunuchs. She was scarcely seen; for the instant she landed,
she was put into a Coach which conveyed her to the Inn. She had on
a hood, which covered the upper part of her head, and a large silk
shawl screened the lower part of her face, across the nose, from
observation; therefore her eyes, which are truly beautiful, and part
of her forehead, were the only parts of her beauties that could be
seen. She is of middle stature, and appeared very interesting. Her
look was languid from illness, arising from a rough passage. She was
conducted to a bedroom on reaching the inn, but no one was allowed to
attend her but the eunuchs."
They gave the Ambassador plenty of time to recover from his sea
voyage, for he did not have an audience of the Regent, until the
20th of May, when he had a magnificent reception. All the Royal
Servants put off their mourning for the Queen, and appeared in their
State liveries. The thing was done in style. "The procession of his
Excellency was preceded by a numerous detachment from the Corps of
Lancers, followed by six of the Prince Regent's Carriages, with
servants in their State liveries, five of them drawn by six bays,
and the sixth by six superior black horses, surrounded by a numerous
detachment of the Royal Horse Guards. The Arabian horses brought by
his Excellency to England, as a present to the Prince Regent were
drawn up in the front of Carlton House in the Courtyard at the time
of the arrival of his Excellency. In five of the Carriages, were
four of his Excellency's attendants dressed in the Costume of their
Country, Mr. Morier, the Mehmander, and Captain Willock; two of the
Carriages contained presents brought for the Regent; among them
were a most magnificent, costly sword, the sheath ornamented with
emeralds, rubies, and diamonds, also two large silver salvers, on
one of which was a splendid Cabinet, and on the other, a numerous
collection of large pearls, besides other valuable articles.
"His Excellency was attended in his Carriage by the Marquess of
Headfort, who was specially appointed, with Sir Robert Chester,
to conduct the Ambassador into the presence of the Regent. His
Excellency was dressed in a rich embroidered robe; his turban
ornamented with jewels, carrying a silver stick or staff, his
Excellency leaning on the arm of Sir Robert Chester, being a little
lame from a kick he received on Tuesday from one of his horses....
"At half-past three the Algerine Ambassador, attended by Mr. Salame,
his Excellency's interpreter, arrived at Carlton House in one of the
Regent's Carriages, the servants in their State liveries, with the
six beautiful horses brought by his Excellency as a present to the
Regent; three of them light greys, one iron grey, one black; one
of the light greys had been ridden by the Dey of Algiers, and was
most richly, and costly caparisoned, with a saddle, shabrac, bridle,
winkers, and holsters most richly embroidered with gold, with wide
silver stirrups, made according to, the fashion of that Country, with
filagree ornaments. The other numerous and costly presents were sent
to Carlton House in the course of the morning."
"The fair Circassian" was once, if not oftener, interviewed by
some ladies of "the upper ten." "May 13. THE FAIR CIRCASSIAN.--The
above much-talked of female, was, by permission of her keeper, his
Excellency the Persian Ambassador, introduced on Monday last to
upwards of twenty ladies of fashionable distinction, friends of his
Excellency. The introduction took place between one and two o'clock,
in the front drawing-room at his Excellency's residence in Charles
Street, Berkeley Square. The fair stranger was elegantly attired in
the costume of her country; her dress was a rich white satin, fringed
with gold, with a bandeau round her head, and wreaths of diamonds.
She received her visitors with graceful affability, and they were
highly pleased with her person and manners. She is not, as has been
represented, short and slender, she is of the middle stature, of
exquisite symmetry, rather _en bon point_: her complexion is of a
brownish cast, her hair of a jet black, with beautiful arched black
eyebrows, handsome black, penetrating eyes, her features regular, and
strikingly handsome. The Ladies were highly gratified, and passed
great encomiums on the elegance of her person. Lady Augusta Murray
presented the fair Circassian with a beautiful nosegay, with which
she seemed highly pleased."
She returned before the Ambassador, who stayed in England about a
year, going through England, Ireland, and Scotland. She sailed for
Constantinople on the 31st of August.
On the 1st of May Lieutenant Parry sailed from England, having under
his command the _Hecla_ and _Griper_, being bound for another voyage
of discovery in the Arctic regions.
On the 24th of May was born our beloved Sovereign Lady, Queen
Victoria. About that time, her father, the Duke of Kent, who, like
all his brothers, was deeply in debt, although he claimed to have
reduced his liabilities down to £60,000, applied to Parliament (July
2nd) for leave to dispose of his house at Castlebar Hill, and its
furniture, by lottery, for a sum of £50,000. His case was warmly
pleaded by Alderman Wood, who said that out of an income of £24,000,
he put by £17,000 for liquidation of his debts. This assertion
was, however, traversed by Sir Charles Burrell, who showed that
his Royal Highness at that moment had an income of above £31,000,
made up thus--Out of the Consolidated Fund £18,000; £7,000 from the
Government of Gibraltar; £6,000 on his late marriage; and the revenue
of the Colonelcy of the Scots Royals, with the usual allowance for
clothing that regiment. In the face of these facts, it was no use
going on with the motion, and it was withdrawn.
Both Queen and Princess Charlotte being dead, and the Princess of
Wales not being received at Court, and, besides, being abroad, the
holding of a Drawing-room, so necessary for launching Society young
ladies into life, and for their admission into Foreign Courts in
after-life, seemed rather problematical; but the Board of Green
Cloth, or whatever other authority had it in hand, was equal to
the occasion, and a precedent was found in the case of George
II., who was accustomed to hold drawing-rooms after the death of
Queen Caroline. Therefore the Regent held a Drawing-room all by
himself, and we read that "the Court was a very crowded one, and the
presentations were very numerous."
The following paragraph may interest some of the millions of people
who have visited the ever-popular exhibition of Madame Tussaud: "July
16. BONAPARTE'S CARRIAGE, &c.--At the late sale of the contents of
Mr. Bullock's Museum, the articles brought a much higher price than
was originally expected. Bonaparte's Carriage, and the different
dressing materials it contained, and which were taken by the
Prussians at Waterloo, were sought with great avidity. The following
are the prices they brought:--
"For the Carriage, which had been exhibited in every town of the
Empire, and was quite worn out in the service, there were several
bidders. It was originally built at Brussels, and had been used by
Bonaparte in the last Russian Campaign, and subsequently at Elba, and
finally in Flanders--
It was knocked down for £168 0 0
The Opera Glass 5 5 0
Tooth brush 3 13 6
Snuffbox 166 19 6
Military Stock or Collar 1 17 0
Old Slippers 1 0 0
Common Razor 4 4 0
Piece of Sponge 0 17 6
Shaving-brush 3 14 0
Shirt 2 5 0
Comb 1 0 0
Shaving box 7 7 0
Pair of Gloves-- 1 0 0
Pocket Handkerchief 1 11 6."
In my search through newspapers of this time I came across the
following--which belongs to no section of this book, and yet is too
good to leave out: "IRISH EVIDENCE.--During a trial at the Carlow
Assizes, on the 29th ult. (July, 1819), on an indictment for stealing
30 lbs. of tobacco, the following confessions were extracted from an
accomplice in the robbery, who was admitted King's evidence--
"_Q._ How many robberies have you been at altogether?
"_A._ Together! (_laughter._) Why, sure I could not be at more than
one at a time.
"_Q._ You certainly have knocked me down by that answer (_loud
laughter in Court_). Come, now, tell us how many you have been at?
"_A._ I never put them down, for I never thought it would come to my
turn to give an account of them.
"_Q._ By virtue of your oath, Sir, will you swear you have not been
at fifteen?
"_A._ I would not (_witness laughing_).
"_Q._ Would you swear that you have not been at twenty?
"_A._ I would not (_still laughing_).
"_Q._ Do you recollect robbing the Widow Byrne in the County of
Wicklow?
"_A._ The Widow Byrne--who is she? May be it is big Nell you mean?
Oh! I only took a trifle of whiskey from her, that's all.
"_Q._ Was it day or night?
"_A._ (_laughing_). Why it was night to be sure.
"_Q._ Did you not rob the poor woman of every article in the house;
even her bed-clothes, and the clothes off her back?
"_A._ I took clothes, but they were not on her back.
"_Q._ Do you recollect stealing two flitches of bacon from Dovan, the
Wexford Carman?
"_A._ Faith! I do, and a pig's head beside! (_loud laughter in
Court_).
"_Q._ Do you recollect robbing John Keogh, in the County of Wicklow,
and taking every article in his house?
"_A._ You're wrong there; I did not take everything; I only took his
money, and a few other things! (_Witness and the Auditory laughing
immoderately._)
"_Q._ Why, you're a mighty good-humoured fellow?
"_A._ There isn't a better-humoured fellow in the County--there may
be honester."