THE PRYOR'S BANK, FULHAM.
Nestling in trees beneath the old tower of Fulham Church, which has been
judiciously restored by Mr. George Godwin, there may be seen from Putney
Bridge a remarkable group of houses, the most conspicuous of which will
be conjectured from a passing glance to belong to the Gothic tribe. This
house, which has been a pet kind of place of the Strawberry Hill class,
is called the Pryor's Bank, and its history can be told in much less than
one hundredth part of the space that a mere catalogue of the objects of
interest which it has contained would occupy. In fact, the whole
edifice, from the kitchen to the bedrooms, was a few years since a
museum, arranged with a view to pictorial effect; and if it had been
called "The Museum of British Antiquities" it would have been found
worthy of the name.
In a print, published about forty years since, by J. Edington, 64
Gracechurch Street, of Fulham Church, as seen from the river, the ancient
aspect of the modern Pryor's Bank is preserved. [Picture: Fulham Church]
The situation of this humble residence having attracted the fancy of Mr.
Walsh Porter, he purchased it, raised the building by an additional
story, replaced its latticed casements by windows of coloured glass, and
fitted the interior with grotesque embellishments and theatrical
decorations. The entrance hall was called the robber's cave, for it was
constructed of material made to look like large projecting rocks, with a
winding staircase, and mysterious in-and-out passages. [Picture: Vine
Cottage] One of the bed-rooms was called, not inaptly, the lion's den.
The dining-room represented, on a small scale, the ruins of Tintern
Abbey; and here Mr. Porter had frequently the honour of receiving and
entertaining George IV., when Prince of Wales. It was then called Vine
Cottage, {213} and having been disposed of by Mr. Porter, became, in
1813, the residence of Lady Hawarden; and, subsequently, of William
Holmes, Esq., M.P., who sold it to Mr. Baylis and Mr. Lechmere Whitmore
about 1834.
By them a luxurious vine which covered the exterior was cut down, and the
cottage, named after it, replaced by a modern antique house. Mr. Baylis
being a zealous antiquary, his good taste induced him to respect
neglected things, when remarkable as works of art, and inspired him and
his friend Mr. Whitmore with the wish to collect and preserve some of the
many fine specimens of ancient manufacture that had found their way into
this country from the Continent, as well as to rescue from destruction
relics of Old England. In the monuments and carvings which had been
removed from dilapidated churches, and in the furniture which had been
turned out of the noble mansions of England--the "Halls" and "old
Places"--Mr. Baylis saw the tangible records of the history of his
country; and, desirous of upholding such memorials, he gleaned a rich
harvest from the lumber of brokers' shops, and saved from oblivion
articles illustrative of various tastes and periods, that were daily in
the course of macadamisation or of being consumed for firewood.
The materials thus acquired were freely used by him in the construction
of a new building upon the site of Vine Cottage, and adapted with
considerable skill; but when neither the vine nor the cottage were in
existence, it appeared to Mr. Baylis ridiculous to allow a misnomer to
attach itself to the spot. After due deliberation, therefore, respecting
the situation upon a delightful bank of gravel, and the association which
an assemblage of ecclesiastic carvings and objects connected with
"monkish memories," there collected, were likely to produce upon the
mind, the new house was styled the "Pryor's Bank."
As Horace Walpole's villa was celebrated by the Earl of Bath, so the
charms of the Pryor's Bank have been sung in "the last new ballad on the
Fulham regatta"--a _jeu d'esprit_ circulated at an entertainment given by
the hospitable owners in 1843:--
"Strawberry Hill has pass'd away,
Every house must have its day;
So in antiquarian rank
Up sprung here the Pryor's Bank,
Full of glorious tapestry,--
Full as well as house can be:
And of carvings old and quaint,
Relics of some mitr'd saint,
'Tis--I hate to be perfidious--
'Tis a house most sacrilegious.
"Glorious, glowing painted glass,
What its beauty can surpass?
Shrines bedeck'd with gems we see,
Overhung by canopy
Of embroider'd curtains rare--
Wondrous works of time and care!
Up stairs, down stairs, in the hall,
There is something great or small
To attract the curious eye
Into it to rudely pry.
"Here some niche or cabinet
Full of rarities is set;
Here some picture--'precious bit'--
There's no time to dwell on it;
Bronzes, china--all present
Each their own sweet blandishment.
But what makes our pleasure here,
Is our welcome and our cheer;
So I'll not say one bit more,--
Long live Baylis and Whitmore!"
I would endeavour to convey some idea of the Pryor's Bank and its now
dispersed treasures as they were in 1840, in which year we will suppose
the reader to accompany us through the house and grounds; but before
entering the house, I would call attention to a quiet walk along the
garden-terrace, laved to its verdant slope by the brimming Thames.
[Picture: Terrace at Pryor's Bank] Suppose, then, we leave those
beautiful climbing plants--they are Chilian creepers that so profusely
wanton on the sunny wall--and turning sharply round an angle of the river
front, cut at once, by the most direct walk, the parties who in luxurious
idleness have assembled about the garden fountain; and, lest such folk
should attempt to interrupt us in our sober purpose, let us not stop to
see or admire anything, until we reach the bay-window summer-house at the
end of the terrace. "How magnificent are those chestnut-trees!" I hear
you exclaim; "and this old bay-window!"
Ay, this summer-house which shelters us, and those noble balusters which
protect the northern termination of the terrace, how many thoughts do
they conjure up in the mind! [Picture: Fountain at Pryor's Bank] These
balusters belonged to the main staircase of Winchester House. Do you
remember Winchester House in Broad Street, in the good city of London,
the residence of "the loyal Paulets?" Perhaps not. There is, however, a
print of its last appearance in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for April,
1839, and by which you will at once identify this summer-house as the
bay-window of the principal apartment. Indeed the editor tells you that
"the greater part of the remaining ornamental wood-work has been
purchased by Thomas Baylis, Esq., F.S.A., who is fitting up with it the
kitchen and some of the new rooms of his house, Pryor's Bank, Fulham."
It is stated in the same magazine, that in 1828 the motto of the Paulets,
AYMES LOYAULTE, was to be seen in the windows of the principal apartment
on the first floor, in yellow letters, disposed in diagonal stripes;
which motto, it is added, "was probably put there by the loyal Marquis of
Winchester, in the time of Charles I., by whom the same sentence was
inscribed in every window of his residence at Basing House, in Hants,
which he so gallantly defended against the Parliamentarians." {218}
Now, is it not more probable that the recollection of this motto in the
windows of his paternal mansion, conveyed through the medium of coloured
glass, indelibly stamped by sunshine (or daguerreotyped, as we might term
it) upon the youthful mind of the gallant marquis those feelings of
devoted loyalty which influenced his after conduct, and led him to
inscribe with the point of his diamond ring the same motto upon the
windows of Basing House? [Picture: Turn Buckle] Be this as it may, it is
gratifying to know that many of the panes of glass which bore that
glorious yellow letter motto in Winchester House, at the period when it
was doomed to be taken down, are preserved, having been with good taste
presented to the present Marquis of Winchester; and two or three which
were overlooked have come into the possession of Lord Adolphus
Fitzclarence. But much of the diamond-shaped glass in this bay-window,
as it stood upon the terrace of the Pryor's Bank, was ancient, and very
curious. You could not fail to remark the quaint window-latch, termed "a
Turn Buckle."
Had we time to linger here, how amusing it might be to attempt to
decipher the monograms, and names, and verses inscribed upon the various
lozenge-shaped panes of glass, which practically exemplified the phrase
of "diamond cut diamond."
The fragments of the old Royal Exchange, with a Burmese cross-legged idol
perched thereon--the urn to the memory of "POOR BANQUO;" the green-house,
with its billiard-table, and even an alcove, the most charming spot in
"the wide world" to talk sentiment in, must not detain us from returning
to another angle of the river front, after [Picture: Alcove: and Angle of
the River Front] glancing at which, we enter the outer hall or passage,
wainscoted with oak and lined above with arras, separated from the inner
hall by an oak screen, which was usually guarded upon gala nights by most
respectable "Beef-eaters," who required the production of invitation
[Picture: Inner Hall with oak screen] cards from all visitors. They
permit us to pass without question; and that is a very proper example for
you to follow, and a good reason why you should not question me too
closely:--
"Do you think that I
Came here to be the Pryor's Bank directory?"
You must use your own eyes, and judge for yourself. I will tell you,
however, all that I know as briefly as possible, and point out whatever
occurs to me in our scamper, for a scamper it can only be termed: just
such a kind of run as a person makes through London who has come up by
railroad to see all its wonders in a week. But I cannot allow you to
examine so closely that curiously carved oak chimney-piece in the inner
hall, although I admit that it may be as early as Henry VIII.'s time, and
those interesting old portraits. Where shall we begin? You wish to
inspect everything. Suppose, then, we commence with the kitchen, and
steam it up-stairs to the dormitories, going at the rate of a
high-pressure engine.
You are already aware that the kitchen was panelled with oak from the
drawing-room of Winchester House, and now you see the whole style of
fitting-up accords with that of "bygone days." Look, for instance,
towards the kitchen window, and you will find that the various cupboards,
presses and dressers--even the cooking utensils--correspond; but,
although modern improvements have not been lost sight of, antique forms
have been retained. Let one example suffice, that of an ancient
gridiron, of beautiful and elaborate workmanship.
[Picture: Kitchen Window: and Ancient Gridiron]
The history of the plates and dishes displayed in this kitchen would
afford an opportunity for a dissertation on the rise and progress of the
fine arts in this country, as they present most curious and important
specimens of early drawing, painting, and poetry. The old English plate
was a square piece of wood, which indeed is not quite obsolete at the
present hour. The improvement upon this primitive plate was a circular
platter, with a raised edge; but there were also thin, circular, flat
plates of beech-wood in use for the dessert or confection, and they were
gilt and painted upon one side, and inscribed with pious, or instructive,
or amorous mottoes, suited to the taste of the society in which they were
produced. Such circular plates are now well known to antiquaries under
the name of "roundels," and were at one time generally supposed by them
to have been used as cards for fortune-telling, or playing with at
questions and answers. More sober research into their origin and use
shows that they were painted and decorated with conventional patterns by
nuns, who left blank spaces for the mottoes, to be supplied by the more
learned monks; and a set of these roundels generally consisted of twelve.
As specimens of the style of these mottoes about the time of Henry VII.
or VIII. the following may be taken:--
"Wheresoever thou traveleste,
Este, Weste, Northe, or Southe,
Learne never to looke
A geven horsse in the mouthe."
"In friends ther ys flattery,
In men lyttell trust,
Thoughe fayre they proffer
They be offten unjuste."
There are many sets of verses for roundels extant in manuscript, and a
few have been printed; indeed, it appears likely that to the love for
this species of composition we owe Tusser's "Five Hundred Points of Good
Husbandry," and most of his other admonitory verses.
After the Reformation, coloured prints superseded the painted and
manuscript "poesies" of the nuns and monks, and the elder De Passe, and
other artists of the period of James I. and Charles I., produced a
variety of oval and circular engravings, which were pasted upon roundels
and varnished over. The subjects generally selected were those which
naturally arranged themselves into a set of twelve, as the months. By
the Puritans the beechen roundels thus decorated were regarded with
especial dislike, and they returned to the use of the unadorned trencher
and "godly platter." When the "Merry Monarch" was restored he brought
over with him from Holland plates and dishes manufactured at Delft, where
the porcelain known as Faenza, Faience, Majolica, and Fynlina ware, made
during the fifteenth century in the North of Italy, and upon the
embellishments of which, according to Lamartiniere, the pencils of
Raffaelle, Giulio Romano, and the Caracci, were employed, had been
successfully, although coarsely imitated. And it must be confessed that
many of the old Dutch plates, dishes, and bowls, upon the kitchen-shelves
of the Pryor's Bank, deserved to be admired for boldness of design,
effective combinations of colour, and the manual dexterity displayed in
the execution of the patterns. The superior delicacy of the porcelain of
China, which about this time began to be imported freely into England
from the East caused it to be preferred to the "Dutch ware," and the
consequence of international commerce was, that the Chinese imitated
European devices and patterns upon their porcelain, probably with the
view of rendering the article more acceptable in the Dutch and English
markets. But while the Chinese were imitating us, we were copying their
style of art in the potteries of Staffordshire, with the commercial
manufacturing advantage given by the power of transferring a print to the
clay over the production of the same effect by means of the pencil, an
idea no doubt suggested by our roundels of Charles I.'s time, and which
process became of the same relative importance as printing to manuscript.
This was the origin of our common blue-and-white plate, or what is known
as "the willow pattern," where
"Walking through their groves of trees,
Blue bridges and blue rivers,
Little think those three Chinese
They'll soon be smash'd to shivers."
The popularity of this porcelain pattern must not be ascribed to superior
beauty or cheapness, for to the eye of taste surely a pure plain white
plate is infinitely superior to an unfeeling copy of a Chinese pagoda,
bridge, and willow-tree "in blue print." The fact is that the bugbear of
a vulgar mind--"fashion"--long rendered it imperative upon every good
housewife and substantial householder to keep up a certain dinner-set of
earthenware, consisting of two soup-tureens and a relative proportion of
dishes and vegetable-dishes, with covers, soup-plates, dinner-plates, and
dessert-plates, which were all to correspond; and should any accidental
breakage of crockery take place, it was a manufacturing trick to make it
a matter of extra-proportionate expense and difficulty readily to replace
the same unless it happened to be of "the blue willow pattern." The
practice, however, of using for the dessert-service plates of Worcester
china painted by hand, and the execution of many of which as works of art
call for our admiration as much as any enamel, created a taste for
forming what are called harlequin sets, among which, if a few plates
happen to be
"Smash'd to shivers,"
the value of the whole set is only proportionately depreciated, and what
has been broken may perhaps be advantageously replaced.
[Picture: Earl of Essex]
If you like, we will return to the inner hall, where is a portrait of the
celebrated Earl of Essex, an undoubted original picture, dated 1598,
three years previous to his being beheaded (Zucchero), and from it at
once enter the library, or breakfast-room. Here there is a superbly
carved Elizabethan chimney-piece.
[Picture: Elizabethan chimney-piece]
What are you about? You should not have touched so thoughtlessly that
"brass inkstand," as you call it. It is actually a pix, or holy box,
{227} which once contained the host, and was considered "so sacred, that
upon the march of armies it was especially prohibited from theft." We
are told that Henry V. delayed his army for a whole day to discover the
thief who had stolen one. You may admire the pictures as much as you
please; they are odd and hard-looking portraits to my eye; but they are
historically curious, and clever, too, for their age. [Picture: Pix, or
Holy Box] Could you only patiently listen to a discussion upon the
characters of the originals of the portraits that have hung upon these
walls, or the volumes that have filled these shelves; you might gain a
deeper insight into the workings of the human heart than, perhaps, you
would care to be instructed by. There were in the next room--the
dining-room--into which we may proceed when you please, for only by a
sliding door between the library and dining-room are they separated--such
pictures! [Picture: Sliding door into dining-room] An unquestionable
'Henry VIII.,' by Holbein; a 'Queen Mary,' by Lucas de Heere, from the
collection of the late Mr. Dent; and a glorious 'Elizabeth,' that had
belonged to Nathaniel Rich of Eltham, who we know from the particulars of
sale that were in the Augmentation Office, was the purchaser of Eltham
Palace, when disposed of by the Parliament after the death of Charles I.;
and we also know from Strype's _Annals of the Reformation_, that
Elizabeth visited Eltham and passed some days there in 1559, and that she
made her favourite Sir Christopher Hatton keeper of the royal palace
there.
You should not disturb those books; you will look in vain for the
publication of George III.'s 'Illustration of Shakspeare,' and corrected
in the autograph of the king for a second edition. How remarkable are
the opinions entertained by His Majesty respecting Doctors Johnson and
Franklin, and how curious are some of the notes! This book is the true
history of his reign, and would be worth to us fifty black-letter
Caxtons. Mr. Thorpe of Piccadilly can tell you all about it. [Picture:
Monastic chair and damask curtains] Oh, never mind that manuscript in its
old French binding, and those exquisitely-wrought silver clasps, and dear
old Horace Walpole's books. We must enter the dining-room. Here sit
down in this monastic chair, and look around you for five minutes. This
chair Mr. Baylis picked up in Lincoln; and the curtains beside it, they
came from Strawberry Hill, and are of genuine Spitalfields damask. There
is no such damask to be had now. Eighty years ago were these curtains
manufactured, and yet they are in most excellent condition. The greater
portion of the Gothic oak panelling around us originally formed the back
of the stalls in the beautiful chapel of Magdalen College, Oxford.
During the late repairs this panelling was removed and sold. Much of it
was purchased by the Marquess of Salisbury for Hatfield House, and the
remainder Mr. Baylis bought. More of the oak panelling in the room,
especially the elaborately-wrought specimens and the rich tracery work,
have been obtained from Canterbury Cathedral, York Minster, St. Mary's
Coventry, and other churches.
[Picture: Ornate chimney-piece]
The chimney-piece is a rich composition of ancient carving; the canopy
came from St. Michael's Church, Coventry, and in the niches are some fine
figures of the kings and queens of England. [Picture: Knight's armour]
The fire-back is an interesting relic, as it is the original one placed
in the great dining-hall of Burghley House, by Elizabeth's minister,
whose arms are upon it, with the date 1575. The sideboard, with its
canopy of oak, assimilates with the fitting of the room, and had upon its
shelves a glittering display of ancient glass and early plate. Salvers
and cups of singular forms and beautiful shapes arose proudly up, one
above the other, with dishes of Raffaelle ware beneath them. But I
cannot help seeing that the steel-clad knight, who keeps guard in a
recess by the sideboard, attracts more of your attention. [Picture:
Leathern black jack and iron jug] The effigy is an excellent suit of
fluted armour of Henry VIIth's time; and in the opposite recess, those
huge drinking-vessels are only an honest old English leathern black jack
and an iron jug; the former from St. Cross, Winchester, the latter from
the castle of some German baron, and full of feudal character.
As for the other relics in the dining-room, I will only particularise two
or three more; and they are a pair of round and solid well-carved
pendents from the chancel of the church of Stratford-on-Avon, which have
been removed from their original station immediately over the tomb of
Shakspeare; and are now, as you see, inverted and used here as
footstools.
"Think of that, Master Brooke!"
The other relic is that matchless piece of sculptured oak [Picture:
Effigy in oak of Emperor Rudolph II.] which represents the Emperor
Rudolph II., the size of life (five feet six inches in height), and which
was brought from Aix-la-Chapelle by the late Sir Herbert Taylor. What
may have been its former history I cannot tell you, but it resembles in
execution the exquisite Gothic figures in the chimney-piece of the
town-hall at Bruges, and is of about the same height and size.
Are you willing to forsake the thoughtful soberness of antique
oak-panelling for the tinsel of Venetian gold and the richness of Genoa
velvet, Florentine tapestry, and Persian arras? If so, we will ascend to
the drawing-rooms and gallery. But stay a moment and permit this lady
and oddly-dressed gentleman to pass us on their exit from the gallery,
where they have been rehearsing some charming entertainment for the
evening, or getting up some piece of fanciful mummery to amuse the idle
guests who have congregated around the garden fountain. [Picture: Couple
exiting from gallery] The light is not favourable for seeing all the
pictures that deserve inspection on the staircase--you had better ascend;
and now, having reached the head of the semi-staircase, our course is
along this lobby to the opposite door-way, which is that of the
drawing-room.
Let us enter at once, and in our tour of the Pryor's Bank regard the
ante-drawing-room as a kind of middle or passage-room, belonging either
to the gallery or the drawing-room. I admit that the arrangement of the
house, which, however, is very simple, appears puzzling at first: the
reason of this is, that the senses are often deceived, from mirrors here
and there being so judiciously arranged, that they reflect at happy
angles objects which would otherwise escape observation. It is
impossible to convey an idea of the whole effect of the Pryor's Bank,
made up as it has been of carvings of unrivalled richness, grace, and
variety, solemn and grotesque. Statues are there, some of the highest
class of art, others which belong to an early Gothic period, and yet an
harmonious effect has been produced. Where will you take up your
position for a general view? At the other end? or in the oriel window
looking on the Bishop's Walk?
[Picture: Oriel Window. Venetian Table]
Now if it were not for that richly gilt Venetian table, the companion to
which is in the possession of the Earl of Harrington, we might have an
excellent view of that magnificently embellished recess, upon the merits
of which Mr. Baylis is commenting to another oddly equipped gentleman.
There certainly is something going forward in the fancy-dress way. On
this Venetian table stands a French astronomical clock; upon it are
silver medallions of Louis XIII. and XIV., and among its ornaments the
monograms of these monarchs appear.
Here is a group, in ivory, of bacchanals, with attendant boys; a genuine
piece of Fiamingo's work, cut from solid ivory, and formerly in the
collection of the Vatican. Here, [Picture: Group in Ivory: Tapestried
Recess] come this way, we may as well pick up something of the history of
this tapestried recess, the canopy and seats of which, and the three
other recesses in the drawing-room, are fashioned out of the remains of a
large throne or dais brought from Florence, and which had belonged to the
Medici family. The materials are of the richest possible kind, being
flowers of floss silk upon a ground-work of gold thread, interspersed
with silver. The effect produced by this combination is gorgeous in the
extreme. "And those figures?" That nearest the eye is a statue of the
Emperor Rudolph of Hapsburgh, admirably carved in oak, the armour is of
silver damasked with gold. The other figure, and a corresponding one on
the opposite side of the room, represent Gothic queens, whose robes have
been restored in the illuminated style of decoration. "And the tapestry
in the recess?" Listen to what Mr. Baylis is saying. "Thinking over
it," remarked Sir Bulwer Lytton to me, "I have very little doubt but that
my guess was right--that the fisherman is meant for Antony and the lady
for Cleopatra; it was a favourite story in the middle ages, how Antony,
wishing to surprise Cleopatra with his success in angling, employed a
diver to fix fishes on his hook. Cleopatra found him out, and, in turn,
employed a diver of her own to put waggishly a salt (_sea_) fish on his
hook." The story is in Plutarch, and the popularity of the anecdote may
be seen by the use Shakspeare makes of it. Charmian says,--
"'Twas merry when
You wagered on your angling; when your diver
Did _hang a salt fish on his hook_, which he
_With fervency_, _drew up_." {235}
It is no doubt correctly conjectured by Sir Bulwer Lytton, that many
subjects in tapestry (not Scriptural) have their explanation in Plutarch,
the fashionable classic source of tale and legend for our fathers of the
middle ages. Shakspeare, it need scarcely be observed, depends on him
for all his classic plots; and he was no less a favourite on the
Continent than with us. If you observe the attitude and expression of
Cleopatra, for so we will consider her, you will perceive that there is
something impressive, as well as smiling, about her which would suit the
words she is supposed to have uttered, when she had laughed sufficiently
at the trick she played him, and which, to the best of my recollection,
ran thus, "Leave fishing to us smaller potentates; your angling should be
for cities and kingdoms."
Every article of the furniture merits your attention. Here is a Venetian
chair; {236} it is one of a set of twenty-six, with a sofa, brought from
the Gradenigo Palace, and is carved and gilt all over,--the back, and
seat, and cushions for the arms, being Genoa red velvet. [Picture:
Venetian chair] Fourteen of these chairs, with the sofa, are in this
room; the other twelve were purchased by the Earl of Lonsdale.
Vases of Dresden china, marqueterie tables, and a shrine (see page 237)
of gilt carved work at one end of the room, reflected in mirrors of
gigantic dimensions, dazzle the senses; and its ceiling studded with blue
and gold pendants, and its walls all painted over with quaint devices
like the pages of a missal. Also a magnificent Gothic chimney-piece (see
page 238) of Carrara marble, fitted with brass-work of ormolu and
chimney-glass. The chimney was removed from the grand Gothic-room at
Carlton House, and cost George IV. many hundred pounds. Indeed the
drawing-room of the Pryor's Bank seems to be more like some scene in an
enchanted palace, than in an every-day residence upon the bank of the
river Thames.
[Picture: Shrine]
The ante-room is not less splendidly furnished. Its ceiling is even more
elaborately embellished than that of the drawing-room, for the heads of
mitred abbots, jolly monks, and demure nuns look down upon us from each
intersection of the groining.
A Florentine cabinet (see page 239), of mosaic work in lapis lazuli,
pietra dura, topaz, agates, etc., one of the finest specimens of the kind
ever seen,--it eventually came into the possession of Mr. Hurst, who
asked fifteen hundred [Picture: Gothic Chimney-piece] guineas for it--a
magnificent carved oak chimney-piece (see page 240); chairs which
belonged to Queen Elizabeth; and among other pictures, an undoubted one
by Janssen, of "Charles II. dancing at the Hague," must not detain us,
although it be a duplicate of the celebrated picture in the possession of
Her Majesty, with which the history of this is completely identical, both
having been purchased from the same individual at the same period.
[Picture: A Florentine Cabinet]
"And that portrait of Elizabeth?" It was given by Charles II. to Judge
Twysden. "And that other portrait?" Yes, it is Lord Monteagle; not of
Exchequer documentary fame, but of Gunpowder Plot notoriety. And there
are portraits of Katharine of Aragon and Prince Arthur from Strawberry
Hill. I positively cannot allow you to dwell on that chimney-piece of
Raffaelle design, carved in oak and coloured in ultra-marine and gold.
I entirely agree with you in thinking it a pity that the [Picture: Carved
Oak chimney-piece] vast labours of our ancestors--things upon which they
bestowed so much time and thought--should be blown into oblivion by the
mere breath of fashion. How much nobler is the fashion to respect,
cherish, and admire them!
And now we are again within the gallery, and look upon the ante-room
through the private entrance, and in another second we might be within
the bay-window of the gallery; for, place these sketches together at a
right angle, side by side, and the part of the sofa which appears in one,
is only the continuation of the same seat in the other. But this must
not make you think that the Pryor's Bank is but a miniature affair, or
give you a contemptible idea of the size. You should rather take your
general notion of the proportions of the gallery from a glance at that
lady who is studying with so much attention the part she has undertaken
to enact, and look up as to the comparative height of the window at the
top compartments made up of ancient [Picture: Bay-Window: Private
Entrance] painted glass, charged with the arms of some of the medieval
kings of England, among which you cannot fail to notice those of Richard
III. Those two elaborately-wrought lanterns which depend from the
groined ceiling, formerly hung in the Gothic conservatory of Carlton
House, and the recesses of the walls are adorned with eleven full-length
portraits of kings and queens of Spain painted upon leather.
Look at those ebony and ivory couches, and this ebony chair, from which
justice was formerly meted out by the Dutch and English rules to the
Cingalese; and see here this great chair, so profusely carved and
cushioned with rich black velvet worked with gold. [Picture: Black
velvet chair] It is said to have been the Electoral coronation chair of
Saxony; and the date assigned to it in the 'Builder' is 1620. The
armorial bearings embroidered upon the back would probably settle the
question; but I know little of foreign heraldry beyond the fact that
sufficient attention is not paid to it in this country.
Attached to the gallery at the opposite end of the lobby from which we
entered the drawing-room, there is a boudoir, or robing-room--a perfect
gem in its way. [Picture: Nell Gwynne's mirror] You have only to touch
this spring, and that picture starts from the wall and affords us free
egress. Just take one peep into this fairy boudoir.
There hangs against the wall Nell Gwynne's mirror, in its curious frame
of needlework. Oh! You wish to take a peep at yourself in Nelly's
looking-glass? Odds, fish! mind you do not overset that basset table of
Japan manufacture--another Strawberry Hill relic. Now, are you
satisfied? Those beautiful enamels, and that charming Bermudian
brain-stone, the wonderful network of which infinitely exceeds the finest
lace? Well, I must admit that some philosophy is required to feel
satisfied when revelling among the ornaments of palaces, the treasures of
monasteries, and the decorations of some of the proudest mansions of
antiquity; and did we not turn our eyes and regard the infinitely
superior works of Nature, alike bountifully spread before the poor and
the rich man, the heart might feel an inward sickening at the question.
In the state carved-oak bed-room is a finely carved walnut-wood German
cabinet of the true Elizabethan period.
[Picture: German cabinet (Eizabethan period)]
Though within the walls of the Pryor's Bank, or any other human
habitation, all that is rich in art may be assembled, yet, without the
wish to turn these objects to a beneficial purpose, they become only a
load of care; but when used to exalt and refine the national taste, they
confer an immortality upon the possessor, and render him a benefactor to
his species; when used, also, as accessories to the cultivation of kindly
sympathies and the promotion of social enjoyment, they are objects of
public utility. The revival of old-fashioned English cordiality,
especially at Christmas, had been always a favourite idea with the owners
of the Pryor's Bank, and in 1839 they gave an entertainment which, like
"O'Rourke's noble feast, will ne'er be forgot
By those who were there or those who were not."
They were fortunate in securing the aid of Theodore Hook, of pleasant,
and, alas! of painful memory, who was their neighbour, with that of some
other friends and acquaintances, who thoroughly entered into the whim of
recalling olden times by the enactment of masques and other mummeries.
Hook, in his manuscript journal of Thursday, the 26th of December, 1839,
notes that he was engaged to dine with Lady Quentin at Kew:--
"Weather dreadful, so resolved to write her an excuse and came home
in coach early, so up to Baylis's, where I was asked to dine. They
came here, and we walked up together; so to rehearsal, and then back
again to bed."
Hook's letter, in a feigned hand, to Mr. Baylis upon this occasion ran
thus:--
"Sir,--Circumstancis hoeing too the Fox hand wether in Lunnun as
indered me of goen two Q. wherefor hif yew plese i ham reddy to cum
to re-ersal two nite, in ten minnits hif yew wil lett the kal-boy hof
yewer theeter bring me wud--if you kant reed mi riten ax Mister
Kroften Kroker wich his a Hanty queerun like yewerself honly hee as
bin longer hatit yewers two kommand,
"TEE HEE OOK."
"_Master Bailies hesquire_,
_Manger hof thee_,
_T.R.P.B. and halso Proper rioter thereof_."
On Saturday, Hook records in his 'Diary' his having refused his "firmest
friend's command" that he should dine with him--"because," writes Hook,
"I cannot on account of the things to be done at Pryor's Bank."
Of the memorable Monday, the 30th of December, Hook notes:--
"To-day, not to town, up and to Baylis's; saw preparations. So,
back, wrote a little, then to dinner, afterwards to dress; so to
Pryor's Bank, there much people,--Sir George and Lady Whitmore, Mrs.
Stopford, Mrs. Nugent, the Bully's, and various others, to the amount
of 150. I acted the 'Great Frost' with considerable effect. Jerdan,
Planche, Nichols, Holmes and wife, Lane, Crofton Croker, Giffard,
Barrow. The Whitmore family sang beautifully; all went off well."
The part of the Great Frost to which Hook alludes was in a masque,
written for the occasion, and printed and sold in the rooms, for the
benefit of the Royal Literary Fund; and among the record of miscellaneous
benefactions to this most admirable charity are registered--"Christmas
masquers and mummers at the Pryor's Bank, Fulham, the seat of Thomas
Baylis, Esq., F.S.A., and William Lechmere Whitmore, F.S.A. (1840), 3
pounds 12s. 6d." Thus carrying out in deed as well as act the benevolent
feelings of the season.
What little plot there was in this production had reference to the
season, the house in which it was performed, and temporary events.
Egomet, an imp, most piquantly personified by Mr. John Barrow, opened the
affair in a moralising strain prophetically applicable to the moment.
After stating who and what he was, he starts:--
"But I'm all over wonder.
Surely the kitchen must be somewhere under?
But where's _the_ room?--the matchless little chamber,
With its dark ceiling, and its light of amber--
That fairy den, by Price's pencil drawn,
Enchantment's dwelling-place? 'Tis gone--'Tis gone!
The times are changed, I said, and men grown frantic,
Some cross in steamboats o'er the vast Atlantic;
Some whirl on railroads, and some fools there are
Who book their places in the pendant car
Of the great Nassau--monstrous, big balloon!
Poor lunatics! they think they'll reach the moon!
All onward rush in one perpetual ferment,
No rest for mortals till they find interment;
Old England is not what it once has been,
Dogs have their days, and we've had ours, I ween.
The country's gone! cut up by cruel railroads,
They'll prove to many nothing short of jail-roads.
The spirit vile of restless innovation
At Fulham e'en has taken up his station.
I landed here, on Father Thames's banks,
To seek repose, and rest my wearied shanks;
Here, on the grass, where once I could recline,
Like a huge mushroom springs this mansion fine.
Astounding work! but yesterday 'twas building;
And now what armour, carving, painting, gilding!
Vexed as I am, yet loth to be uncivil,
I only wish the owner at the ---!"
Father Thames (Mr. Giffard), who had been slumbering between two painted
boards, respectively inscribed "MIDDLESEX COUNTY BANK" and "SURREY BANK,"
and surrounded by flower-pots filled with bulrushes and sedge, roused by
the intended imprecation upon their host, here interrupted Egomet, and
entered into a long dialogue with him, in which he detailed all his
grievances so far as gas and steam were concerned. At length he feels
the influence of Hook as "the Great Frost," who turns
"The old blackguard to solid ice."
Upon which Egomet's remark was, that--
"The scene to Oxford shifted in a trice is,
This river-god--no longer Thames, but Isis."
Father Christmas (Mr. Crofton Croker) then appeared with a long speech
about eating, drinking, and making merry, and the wondrous power that a
good fire and a cheerful glass have upon the heart. Beholding "poor
Thames a-cold"--"an icy, heartless river"--the question follows, what
"Do I the matter see?
I'll thaw you soon--begone to Battersea,
There let thy icebergs float in Chelsea Reach."
The Great Frost, too, after much buffoonery, turns himself into
"A pleasant fall of fleecy snow,"
which he effected by the vigorous use of the kitchen dredging-box, and an
ample supply of flour, therewith bepowdering Jolly Christmas, Father
Thames, and Egomet, so plentifully as to leave no doubt upon the minds of
the audience respecting the transformation.
Another Christmas revel followed, and then came "a Grand Tournament," in
which a contest between "the Blue Knight" (Mr. Lechmere Whitmore), and
"the Yellow Knight" (Mr. Baylis), each mounted upon hobby-horses, was
most fiercely executed. Nor was the Giant Cormoran (fourteen feet in
height), nor the Queen of Beauty, nor the Dragon Queen wanted to complete
the chivalry of this burlesque upon the memorable meeting at Eglinton.
The fun which now became
"fast and furious,"
and to which an impudent but most amusing jester (Mr. Jerdan) mainly
contributed, was checked only by the announcement of supper; and as the
guests descended the stairs from the gallery, or assembled on the lobby,
they beheld their cheer borne in procession from the kitchen, headed by a
military band and a herald-at-arms. A cook, with his cap and apron of
snowy whiteness, placed a boar's head
"Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary,"
upon the table; then came two ancient halberdiers, followed by a
serving-man in olden livery, carrying the wassail-bowl; then another
herald in his tabard, and servitors with Christmas-pie, and brawn, and
soup, and turkey, and sirloin of beef, and collared brawn, whereof was an
abundant supply, and of the most magnificent dimensions. Father
Christmas, carving-knife in hand, and belted with mincepies, and his
attendant Egomet, with followers bearing holly, ivy, and mistletoe,
brought up the rear. Then was sung "beautifully," as Hook notes, by four
voices, the Oxford chant of
"The boar's head in hand bear I."
And here we must drop the curtain, but not without stating that several
of the guests felt the enjoyment of the evening so warmly, that it was in
long debate among them what suitable acknowledgment in recollection of it
should be made to Mr. Baylis and Mr. Whitmore; and, that the actors in
the masque presented these gentlemen with an ancient charter horn, which
had belonged to the Pickard family, and which they were fortunate enough
to secure. The height of this horn, which is supposed to be that of the
Highland buffalo--an animal said to be extinct nearly three hundred
years--is one foot two inches, its length is one foot six inches, its
width at the top five and a half inches; and it is capable of containing
one gallon.
Upon this most gratifying memorial to the owners of the Pryor's Bank, of
the esteem created by their hospitality, suitable inscriptions were
placed by the donors, with the motto:--
"While Thames doth flow, or wine is drank,
par-hael to all at Pryor's Bank.
++unc-hael."
The remembrance of the pleasant hours passed within the walls of the
Pryor's Bank will not easily be forgotten, though the character of the
interior is changed since this was written. The first sale took place on
the 3rd May, 1841, and five following days: and there was a subsequent
sale on the 25th May, 1854, and four following days. Both these sales
took place on the premises, and the Auctioneer, on both occasions, was
Mr. Deacon.
Pryor's Bank is now let to Mr. E. T. Smith, of Her Majesty's and Drury
Lane Theatres.
INDEX OF PLACES.
ACACIA Cottage, 148.
"Admiral Keppel," 75.
Albany Lodge, 147.
Alexander Square, 73-4.
Alfred Place, 73.
Amelia Place, 76.
Amyot House, 120.
Arundel House, 152-4.
Ashton Terrace, 202.
Audley Cottage, 164.
BATTERSEA Bridge, 94.
Bear Street, Fulham, 187.
"Bell and Anchor," 210.
"Bell and Horns," 58.
Bishop's Walk, 190.
Bolingbroke Lodge, 147.
Bolton House, 118.
Boltons, 96.
Bostocke's Arbour, 88.
"Brickhills," 131.
Bridge Street, 193.
Brightwells, 166.
Brompton, 24.
-- Crescent, 64-7.
-- Grange, 63.
-- Grove, 43, 48.
-- -- Lower, 44.
-- -- Upper, 43.
-- Hall, 87.
-- National School, 38.
-- New Church (Holy Trinity), 54.
-- Park, 62.
-- Road, 29.
-- Row, 26, 38, 42.
-- Square, 51-4.
Broom Lane, 169.
Brunswick Cottage, 156.
Bull Alley, 135.
Bull Lane, 135.
-- Public House, 135.
"Bunch of Grapes," 43.
Burleigh House, 121.
Burlington House, 181.
-- Road, Fulham, 181.
Butchers' Almshouses, Walham Green, 138.
CAMBRIDGE Lodge, 196.
Cancer Hospital, 84,
Carey Villa, 167.
"Cedars, The," 210.
Cemetery, West London and Westminster, 127.
Chelsea New Church, 80, 81.
-- Park, 89, 90, 93.Church Lane, 187.
-- Row, Fulham, 187.
-- Street, Brompton, 87.
-- -- Fulham, 193.
Churchfield House, 173.
Claybrooke House, 181.
Consumption Hospital, 85.
Corder's, Mrs., Preparatory School, 118.
Craven Cottage, 190-1.
Cremorne Gardens, 127.
Crescent House, 64.
"Crown and Sceptre," 40.
DANCER'S Nursery, 172.
Deadman's Lane, 201.
Door, Old, Fulham Fields, 195.
Draw Well in Fulham Fields, 199.
Drury Lodge, 169.
Dungannon House, 147.
EARL'S Court, 58.
East End House, Parson's Green, 164.
Edith Grove, 127.
-- Road, 201.
-- Villas, 201.
Eel Brook, 141.
Egmont Villa, 188.
"Eight Bells," 193.
Elm House, 200.
Exhibition Road, 62.
"FLOUNDER Field," 72.
Foote's House (North End), 196.
-- Stables (North End), 196.
Fowlis Terrace, 87.
Fulham, 180.
-- Almshouses, 181.
-- Aqueduct, 189.
-- Bridge, 192.
-- Charity School, 193.
-- Church, 187.
-- Ferry, 192.
-- Fields, 195, 197-9.
-- High Street, 181, 187.
-- Lodge, 173-7.
-- Palace, 190.
-- Park Road, 177.
-- Street, 187.
-- Vicarage, 187.
-- Workhouse, 181.
GARDENER'S House, Old, Fulham Fields, 199.
"George, The," 193.
Gilston Road, 96.
Gloucester Buildings, Brompton, 25.
-- Row, Brompton, 25.
-- -- Knightsbridge, 26.
"Goat in Boots," 94-5.
"Golden Lion," Fulham, 181-6.
Gore Lodge, Fulham, 181.
-- -- Old Brompton, 62.
Grove House, 44-7.
-- Place, 43, 47.
"Gunter Arms," 126.
-- Grove, 127.
HANS Place, 30, 37.
-- -- Attic at, 83.
Heckfield Lodge, 120.
-- Villa, 147.
Hermitage, Brompton, 44, 47.
-- North End, 196.
-- Lodge, North End, 195-6.
High Elms House, 155.
Holcroft's Hall, 180.
-- Priory, 181.
Hollywood Brewery, 118.
-- Place, 126.
Honey Lane, 127.
Hooper's Court, 25.
Hospital for Consumption, 85.
IVY Cottage, 169.
-- House, Old Red, 170.
-- Lodge, 177.
JEWS' Burial-ground, 87.
John's Place, 188.
KENSINGTON Canal, 127, 134.
-- Gore Estate, 59.
-- Hall, 200.
-- Road, 211.
"Keppel, Admiral," 75.
-- Street, 75.
King's Road, 24.
Knightsbridge, 24.
-- Green, 25.
-- High Row, 30.
LANSDOWNE Villas, 126.
Lauman's Academy, 166.
Lawn Terrace, 202.
Little Chelsea, 94.
MACHINE for Raising Water (Fulham Fields), 199.
Main Fulham Road, 24.
Manor Hall, 96.
-- House, 96.
Marlborough Road, 75.
Michael's Grove, 63.
-- Place, 50, 67, 70-2.
Military Academy, Chelsea, 119.
Montpellier Square, 40.
Mulberry House, 120.
Munster House, 170-2.
-- Terrace, 173.
Mustow House, 170.
NATIONAL School, Brompton, 38.
-- Society, Practising School of, 134.
New Street, 30, 37.
"No Man's Land," 197.
Normal School Chapel, 130.
Normand House, 196.
North End, 195-211.
-- -- Lodge, 193.
-- -- Road, 197.
-- Terrace, 73.
ODELL'S Place, 115.
Old Brompton Road, 58.
Onslow Square, 82.
Oratory of St. Philip Neri, 58.
Osborn's Nursery, 172.
Ovington Square, 47.
PARADISE Row, 114.
Park Cottage, 147.
-- House, 154-5.
-- Walk, 95.
Parson's Green, 164-9.
-- -- Lane, 164.
Pelham Crescent, 76, 79.
-- Place, 79-80.
Percy Cross, 141, 155.
Peterborough House, 166-9.
Pollard's School, 58.
Pond Place, 80.
Porch, Old, of Arundel House, 153.
Prince Albert's Road, 62.
Pryor's Bank, 187, 212-249.
Pump, Old, in Arundel House, 153.
Purser's Cross, 141, 154-5.
QUEEN'S Buildings, Brompton, 25, 30.
-- -- Knightsbridge, 25, 29, 30.
-- Elm, 88-9.
-- Turnpike, 87.
-- Row, Knightsbridge, 25.
Quibus Hall, 155.
RAWSTORNE Street, 40.
Read's, Miss, Academy, 118.
Rectory House, Parson's Green, 165.
"Red Lion," 40.
Reformatory School, Fulham, 181.
Rightwells, 166.
"Rising Sun," 135.
Robert Street, 83-4.
-- -- Upper, 83.
Rosamond's Bower, 156-164.
Rosamond's Bower, Old, 156.
-- Dairy, 157.
ST. LUKE'S Church, Chelsea, 80, 83.
St. Mark's Chapel, 130.
-- College, 130.
-- Terrace, 130.
St. Mary's Place, 96.
St. Peter's Villa, 170.
St. Philip's Orphanage, 96.
Salem Chapel, 136.
"Sand Hills," The, 90.
Sandford Bridge, 134.
School, Practising, at St. Mark's College, 134.
Selwood's Nursery, 89.
Selwood Place, 89.
Seymour Place, 96, 98.
-- Terrace, 96, 98.
Shaftesbury House, 100-12.
-- -- Garden of, 104-5.
Sign, Old ("White Horse" at Parson's Green), 164.
Sir John Scott Lillie's Road, 127.
"Sisters of Compassion," 44.
Sloane Square, 24.
-- Street, 24.
"Somerset Arms," 96.
South Kensington Museum, 59-61.
Stamford Road, 135.
-- Villas, 135.
Stanley Grove, 132-3.
-- -- House, 131-2.
-- House, 131.
Swan Tavern, Fulham, 192.
-- -- and Brewery, Walham Green, 135.
Sydney Place, 83.
-- Street, 83.
TAVISTOCK House, 118.
Thames Bank, 187.
Thistle Grove, 93-4.
Thurloe Place, 61.
VEITCH'S Royal Exotic Nursery, 130.
Vine Cottage, 213-14.
WALHAM Green, 136-7.
-- House, 193.
-- Lodge, 147.
Walnut Tree Cottage, 200.
-- -- Walk, 121.
Wansdon Green, 137.
-- House, 137.
Warwick House, 120.
Wentworth Cottage, 197.
West Brompton Brewery, 118.
Western Grammar School, 73.
"White Horse," old sign of, 164.
Willow Bank, 192.
Windsor Street, 193.
Winter Garden, Old Brompton, 62.
Workhouse, additional, to St. George's, Hanover Square, 100.
YEOMAN'S Row, 43.
York Cottage, 195.
-- Place, 84.
INDEX OF NAMES OF PERSONS.
ACKERMANN, Rudolph, 177-9.
Aikin, Lucy, 160.
Albert, Prince, 85.
Andrews, J. Petit, 44.
Anspach, Margravine of, 190.
Appletree, John, 90.
Arundel, Henry, 131, 154.
BAKER, Rev. R. G., 187.
Balchen, Sir John, 115.
Banim, 48-9, 79.
Barham, H., 90, 189.
Barrow, John, 246.
Bartolozzi, F., 68-9, 196.
Batsford, Miss, 187.
Baud, Benjamin, 127.
Baylis, Thomas, 187, 191, 214.
Bayliss, Moses, 25.
Bell, T. J., 164.
Beloe, Rev. W., 42.
Biber, Rev. Dr., 83.
Billington, Mrs., 70.
Blake, Mr., 90.
Blanchard, Mr., 119.
--, William, 81.
Blomfield, Bishop, 187.
Blore, Mr., 134.
Bodley, Sir Thomas, 165.
Bonnor, Bishop, 181.
Boothby, Sir W., 203.
Boscawen, William, 121.
Bovey Family, the, 101.
Bowen, Rev. Thomas, 156.
Bowes, Mr., 132.
Boyd, Hugh, 46.
Boyle, Hon. Robert, 111.
-- Family, the, 113.
Bradshaigh, Lady, 203-210.
Braham, John, 63.
Brand, Mr., 147.
Branscomb, Sir James, 210.
Brooks, Shirley, 51.
Broomfield, W., 92.
Brotherhood, Mr., 189.
Browne, H. K. ("Phiz"), 135.
Brunton, Miss, 71.
Buckstone, J. B., 51.
Bulwer, Lady, 31.
Burbage, Robert, 182.
Burchell, Dr., 173.
Burgoyne, Sir John, 181.
--, Miss, 181.
Burke, John, 94.
Burleigh, Lord, 121.
Burney, Miss, 133.
Byfield, Adoniram, 165.
CAHILL, Dr., 67.
Carey, Hon. Thomas, 167.
Catalani, Madame, 47.
Cattley, Rev. Stephen Reid, 128, 172.
Cecill, Hon. John, 121.
Chalon, Mr., 37.
Chatterley, Mrs., 51.
Cheeseman, 200.
Cheselden, W., 192.
Child, Sir Francis, 165.
Cipriani, 181, 201.
Clerke, Major Shadwell, 44.
Cleyne, Francis, 167.
Cole, Henry, 60, 82.
Collier, Payne, 53.
Colman, George, the Younger, 51-2, 173-7.
Conyers, General, 192.
Cooper, John, 79.
Cope, Sir John, 114.
Copley, 200.
Corpe, John, 55.
Cranfield, Lord Treasurer, 90.
Craven, Countess of, 190.
Cribb, R., 94.
Croker, Rt. Hon. John Wilson, 171.
--, Thomas Crofton, 130, 156, 162-3, 181, 198, 247.
--, Mrs. Crofton, 130.
Croly, Rev. Dr., 50, 77.
Cromwell, Oliver, 170.
Crotch, Dr., 202.
Curran, John Philpot, 76-9.
Curtis, Mr., 80, 85-7.
DARBY, Mrs., 117.
Davenport, Mrs., 71.
Davis, the late Henry George, 24.
--, Charles, 24.
Dawes, Sir W., 113-114.
Deacon, Mr., 250.
Delafield, Mr., 192.
Delille, C. J., 72.
--, Madame, 72.
Denham, Mr., 120.
--, Colonel, 120.
Doharty, Mr. 158.
Donaldson, Mr., 54.
Dormer, Edward, 198.
Duffield, Mr., 115.
Dunn, Anne, 27-8.
EDINGTON, J., 212.
Egerton, Daniel, 81.
--, Mrs., 82.
Ekins, Dr., 165.
Elizabeth, Queen, 87.
Ellenborough, Lord, 187.
Evelyn, John, 111.
Eyre, Sir James, 132.
FABER, Rev. F. W., 59.
Fairholt, F. W., 40.
Farren, W., 53.
--, Harriet Elizabeth, 57.
Faucit, Helen, 70, 82.
Fitzherbert, Mrs., 165.
Fitzroy, Rear Admiral, 83.
Fitzwilliam, Edward, 51.
Florio, 182, 184-5.
Foot, Jesse, 27, 28.
Foote, Samuel, 196.
Fowler, Edward, 113.
GARCIA, Madame, 170.
George IV., 165, 213.
Giffard, Mr., 247.
Glascock, Captain, 73-4.
Godwin, George, jun., 38, 74.
Golini, Julius, 67.
Gorges, Sir Arthur, 131.
Grant, Colonel, 134.
Green, 30.
Gregor, Mrs., 133.
Gresham, John, 198.
Griffin, Gerald, 48, 49, 97-8.
Grisi, Madame, 146.
Guizot, 79.
--, Madame, 80.
Gunter, R., 127.
HALL, S. C., 197.
--, Mrs. S. C., 31, 197.
Hallam, H., 154.
Halliwell, J. O., 96.
Hamey, Dr. Baldwin, 113.
Hamilton, Walter, 39-40.
--, William Richard, 132.
Hampton, Mr., 136.
Hargrave, Francis, 84.
Harris, A., 80.
--, H., 78.
Hartshorne, Rev. C. H., 138.
Hawarden, Lady, 214.
Hawkins, John Sidney, 44.
Heavyside, R., 166.
Herbert, Sir E., 167.
Hewett, Mr., 67.
Holl, Henry, 61.
Holland, Mr., 155.
Holmes, W., M. P., 214.
Hook, Theodore, 133, 177, 187-90, 245-6.
Howard, Sir Ralph, 191.
Huck, J. G., 26.
Hullmandel, Mr., 150-1.
Humphrey, Ozias, 29.
Hutchins, John, 25.
Hyde, Edward, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, 115.
INCLEDON, Charles, 64.
JERDAN, W., 47, 248.
Jesse, J. H., 70.
Johnson, Mr. Joseph, 148-9.
Jones, Richard, 78.
KEAN, Edmund, 200.
Keeley, Mr., 54, 79.
--, Mrs., 54, 79.
Kempe, A. J., 135.
King, Mr., 139.
Kingsley, Rev. Charles, 83.
Knight, James House, 123.
Knolles, Sir Thomas, 166.
LACY, Walter, 40.
Lamb, Lady Caroline, 31.
Lance, the Misses, 32.
Landon, Miss ("L. E. L."), 30-7, 54.
Laurie, John, 180.
Lazarus, H., 80.
Le Blon, James Christopher, 91.
Lillie, Sir John Scott, 127.
Limpany, Robert, 190.
Liston, Mr., 54, 71.
Liston, Mrs., 40, 67.
Lochee, Lewis, 119-20, 132.
Locke, 104, 111.
London, Bishop of, 54.
Lorrington, Meribah, 116.
Lowth, Rev. Robert, 173-6.
Luttrell, Francis, 108.
--, Henry, 54.
--, Narcissus, 89, 102-3, 108.
Lytton, Sir E. Bulwer, 191, 197, 236.
M'LEOD, Dr. John, 80.
M'Naughten, Mrs., 34.
Macpherson, Sir John, 45-6.
Mahony, Rev. F., 164.
Mangeon, Mrs., 27-8.
Mario, Signor, 146.
Marochetti, Baron, 82.
Mart, Mr., 114.
Martin, Theodore, 82.
Mathews, Charles, 62, 181.
--, Mrs., sen., 71.
Meyrick, Mr. J., 166.
Milton, Mr., 121, 147.
Mitford, Miss, 31.
Moore, Thomas, 162-3.
Mordaunt, Lord, 167-8.
More, Sir Thomas, 89.
Morland, 95.
Morse, Leonard. 132.
Murphy, Arthur, 26-8, 38.
Murray, John, 148-9.
--, Sir Robert, 111.
NATTES, J. C., 25.
Newman, Rev. J. H., 59.
Nicholson, F., 128-30.
Nisbett, Mrs., 203.
Novosielski, Madame, 70.
--, Michael, 43, 50, 63.
O'DONNELL, Major-General Sir Chas., 162-3.
Ord, John, 140-5.
Orrery, 2nd Earl of, 113.
--, Charles, 4th Earl of, 112.
Owen, Rev. John, 145.
PARR, Dr., 42.
Piccolomini, 165.
Pigot, the Right Hon. D. R., 37.
Pitts, Mr. Oliver, 139.
Place, Francis, 51.
Planche, J. R., 65-6.
Plumbe, W., 198.
Pope, 147.
--, Miss, 70-1.
Porter, Walsh, 169, 190, 213.
Pouchee, Louis, 128.
Powell, Mr., 156, 186.
--, Sir W., Bart., 170, 181.
Pyne, J. B., 195.
QUEENSBERRY, Marquis of, 134.
RAVENSWORTH, Lord, 138, 140.
Reeve, John, 42, 53-4, 57.
Remaudini, Count, 67.
Rennell, Rev. Mr., 42.
Richardson, C. J., 66.
--, Samuel, 169, 202-210.
Riego, General, 96-9.
--, Madame, 96-9.
Roberts, Emma, 31, 34.
Robins, George, 189.
Robinson, Anastasia, ("Perdita,") 115-18, 169.
Robson, W. Frogatt, 53.
Rocque, Bartholomew, 139.
Rodwell, G. H., 39, 65.
Rollin, Ledru, 80.
Romney, 29.
Rovedino, Signor Carlo, 81.
Rowden, Miss, 32, 36.
Roy, 181.
Ruddock, Rev. Joshua, 156.
Rumford, Count, 40.
Ryland, William Wynne, 26, 202.
ST. JOHN, 147.
St. Quentin, Countess, 32.
Salisbury, Mr., 85, 145.
Sampayo, M., 171.
Saunders, Sir Edward, 169.
Savage, Mr., 80.
Scoles, Mr., 59.
Schiavonetti, Lewis, 67-69.
Schulenberg, Melesina, 170.
Shaftesbury, Lord, 101, 104.
Shakespeare, 182-6.
Sharp, Granville, 188.
Sheepshanks, John, 60.
Shower, Sir Bartholomew, 113.
Simpson, Mrs. Anne, 145-6.
Slater, Mr., 200.
Smith, Albert, 194.
--, E. T., 169, 249.
--, Alderman H., 72.
--, Sir James, 101.
--, "O.," 73.
--, Sir Thomas, 167.
Southwell, Miss, 132.
Spagnoletti, 51.
Stanley Family, 131.
Stanley, W., 131.
Steele, R., 38, 88.
Strathmore, Countess of, 132.
Street, Mr., 186.
Suckland, Sir John, 112.
Sylvester, Joshua, 185.
TALFOURD, 197.
Tarnworth, John, 166.
Taylor, Mr., 138.
Testolini, 68.
Thackeray, W. M., 83.
Tindal, Lord Chief Justice, 37.
Tonson, Jacob, 195.
Trotter, Thomas, 30.
Turberville, Mrs. Elizabeth, 155.
--, Mrs. Frances, 155.
Tyrhtilus, 180.
VENDRAMINI, John, 39.
Vestris, Madame, 62, 96, 181.
Vining, James, 51.
Virtue, William, 109.
WAGER, Admiral Sir Charles, 131, 165.
Ward, Sir Edward, 113-14.
Warde, J. P., 94.
Warren, H, 84.
--, Dr. Richard, 132.
Warwick, Countess of, 112.
Watts, B., 75.
Webster, Mr., 62.
Weigall, Mr., 70.
Wharton, Marquis of, 90.
--, Sir Michael, 155.
Whitmore, Lechmere, 214.
Whittaker, Dr., 112.
Wigan, Alfred, 37.
--, Mrs. Alfred, 37.
Wilberforce, Mr., 47.
Williams, Sir John, Bart., 171.
Wilson, Lady Frances, 92.
--, Sir Henry, 92.
Winchester, Marquis of, 218.
Wishart, Sir James, 115.
Wood, Dr. Oswald, 64.
Wright, --, 92-3.
--, Edward, 96.
--, Thomas, 83.
Wrottesley, the Hon. Mr., 181.
Wynne, Edward, 103-4.
Wynne, Rev. Luttrell, 108.
--, Serjeant, 102, 108.
YATES, Mr., 54, 71.
--, Mrs., 71.
York, Duke of, 173.
Young, C. D. and Co., 61.
FOOTNOTES.
{18} See pages 156-164.
{25a} Catalogues of Royal Academy.
{25b} Foot's Life of Arthur Murphy.
{25c} Lockie's _Topography of London_.
{25d} Mr. J. Salway's MS. plan, executed for the Kensington trustees.
{25e} Cruchley's Map of London.
{25f} Elmes' _Topography of London_.
{26} 4 vols. 4to, published in 1793.
{27a} 2 vols. 8vo, 1801.
{27b} The extent of this garden may still be estimated by walking round
through Hooper's Court into Sloane Street.
{31} Born 13th November, 1785, and married to the Honourable William
Lamb (afterwards Viscount Melbourne) in 1805. Lady Caroline published
three novels, viz., _Glenarvon_, in 1816; _Graham Hamilton_; and _Ada
Reis_, 1823. Her ladyship died in 1828.
{32a} 8vo, 2nd ed. 1812.
{32b} Ibid.
{33} It was the wing attached to the house between it and "the
Pavilion." From the back a flight of steps descended into a small
garden.
{35} Memoirs of the Rival Houses of York and Lancaster, Historical and
Biographical. 1827. 2 vols. 8vo.
{38a} Correspondence, vol. i. p. 293.
{38b} Vol. lxxv. Part I. p. 590.
{38c} Ed. 1820, p. 616.
{45a} 2 vols. 4to, 1795.
{45b} 1 vol. 4to, and 2 vols. 8vo, 1796,
{48} 'Literary Gazette,' November 25, 1843.
{53} It is no slight testimony to the genius of Mr. Farren, that since
his retirement no actor in London has attempted to represent "Grandfather
Whitehead."
{58} Rebuilt, and the sign here engraved removed.
{62} Brompton Park was the retreat of one or two favourite actors. Mr.
Webster, the talented and versatile performer, lessee of the Ade1phi
Theatre, resided there for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mathews
(Madame Vestris) lived at Gore Lodge--now pulled down--a name they
afterwards gave to their residence at Fulham.
{65} Weber died on the 7th of June following, at No. 91, Great Portland
Street, in his fortieth year.
{72} 4 vols. 8vo; I. and II. 1838; III. and IV. 1839.
{73} The 'Naval Sketch-book,' 1828; 'Sailors and Saints,' 1829; 'Tales
of a Tar,' 1830; 'Land Sharks and Sea Gulls,' 1838.
{78} Died 30th August, 1851.
{80} Died 7th May, 1852, aged 74.
{84} II vols. folio, 1781.
{85} Vol. lxxx. Part II.
{87a} Brompton Hall, said to have been the residence of Lord Burleigh,
stands on the Old Brompton Road, which, as pointed out in the previous
chapter, branches from the main Fulham Road at the Bell and Horns.
{87b} The Duke of Buckingham.
{88} Correspondence, vol. i. p. 219.
{92} Sir Henry Wilson, who was in Parliament when this estate came into
his wife's possession, ordered iron gates for it; in one of which were
wrought his initials, H. W., and to correspond, M.P, was placed in the
other. Before the gates were put up he had to contest his seat, and lost
it.
{97} Riego was executed, on the 7th of October, 1823, at Madrid, with
every mark of ignominy.
{110} Funeral Sermon preached at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, 7th January
1691.
{111} See Birch's 'Life of Boyle,' p. 114.
{112} MS. Diary.
{120} The obituary of the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for June 1791,
records:--"At Lisle, in Flanders, Lewis Lochee, Esq., late lieutenant
colonel of the Belgic Legion, and formerly keeper of the Royal Military
Academy at Chelsea."
{121} The gates here represented have now given place to a light iron
railing, and the posts have been surmounted by balls.
{128} No. 276, vol. xi. p. 301.
{131} Todd's 'Spenser,' viii. 23.
{133} MS.
{138} Pickering, 1829.
{139} Mr. Rocque, the florist, was brother to the surveyor of that name,
who published a plan of London, Westminster, and Southwark, on
twenty-four sheets, in 1747; and a map of London and the country ten
miles round, in sixteen sheets, the following year. He also published a
road-book of Great Britain and Ireland in 1763.
{144a} "This tree was first introduced into England in 1753, by Mr.
James Gordon."--_Lysons_.
{144b} "The foliage more resembles that of the _juglans nigra_ than of
the Illinois-nut in Kew Gardens."--_Ibid_.
{144c} "At two feet from the ground it was seven feet two inches, and
now (1810) seven feet five inches."--_Ibid_.
{144d} "The girth of this tree was taken in 1808 at two feet and a half
from the ground."--_Ibid_.
{144e} "At two feet and a half from the ground."--_Ibid_.
{145} James iv. 14.
{155a} On the same page of the 'London Magazine' which chronicles this
occurrence, may be found the announcement of the death of "Mr. Joseph
Miller, a celebrated comedian."
{155b} Lysons, on the authority of the parish books, states that a Sir
Michael Wharton was living at Parson's Green, anno 1654.
{159} The ground has been recently levelled.
{160} L. E. L.
{171} Died, 1858.
{188a} He died there in 1813.
{188b} Since this sketch was made, the gateway, with the coat of arms
over it, has been removed, and a battlemented and Gothic entrance, more
in accordance, perhaps, with the architecture of both church and mansion,
has been erected in its stead.
{196} Died 20th October, 1777, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
{213} Copied from a picture in oil in the possession of George Bunnett,
Esq., of Fulham.
{218} John, the fifth Marquis of Winchester, sustained a siege in his
seat at Basing from August, 1643 to 16th October, 1645, when the place
was taken by storm and burned to the ground, "money, jewels, and
household stuff" being found therein to the value of 200,000 pounds,
among which was a rich bed worth 14,000 pounds.
{227} Now in the South Kensington Museum.
{235} Antony and Cleopatra, act ii. sc. 5.
{236} Now in the possession of the Duke of Hamilton.