And people were found to believe in this doggerel--especially frightened

were the Irish in London, and the lower classes generally. There was a

great exodus of the former, some even listening to the entreaties of

their friends, and returning to Ireland, and many of the latter moved

eastward of the church of St. Dunstan's, Stepney, which they considered

would be the last edifice to fall. Nor was belief in the earthquake

confined to the east end of London, for I read of a man, formerly a

police constable, living in Paddington, St. Marylebone, who sold a good

business to provide the means of his leaving London; and of a clerk, with

a salary of 200 pounds a year, residing in the same parish, resigning his

post, so that he might escape the calamity.

The fateful day arrived and passed, and, of course, the dreaded event did

not take place, but the belief in it is evidenced in a paragraph in the

_Times_ of 17 March:

"THE EARTHQUAKE.--The scene witnessed in the neighbourhoods of St.

Giles's and Seven Dials during the whole of yesterday was, perhaps,

the most singular that has presented itself for many years. Many of

the Irish resident in those localities have left for the shores of

the Emerald Isle, but by far the larger number, unblessed with this

world's goods, have been compelled to remain where they are, and to

anticipate the fearful event which was to engulf them in the bowels

of the earth. The frantic cries, the incessant appeals to Heaven for

deliverance, the invocations to the Virgin and the Saints for

mediation, the heartrending supplications for assistance, heard on

every side during the day, sufficiently evidenced the power with

which this popular delusion had seized the mind of these

superstitious people. Towards the end of the day, a large number of

them determined not to remain in London during the night, and, with

what few things they possessed, took their departure for what they

considered more favoured spots. Some violent contests arose between

the believers and the sceptics--contests, which in not a few cases,

were productive of serious results.

"The poor Irish, however, are not the only persons who have been

credulous in this matter; many persons from whom better things might

have been expected, were amongst the number who left London to avoid

the threatened catastrophe. To the Gravesend steamboat companies the

'earthquake' proved a source of immense gain; and the same may be

said with regard to the different railways. Long before the hour

appointed for the starting of steamboats from London Bridge Wharf,

Hungerford Market, and other places, the shore was thronged by crowds

of decently attired people of both sexes; and, in many instances,

whole families were to be seen with an amount of eatables and

drinkables which would have led one to suppose that they were going a

six-weeks' voyage. About 11 o'clock, the _Planet_ came alongside the

London Bridge Wharf, and the rush to get on board of her was

tremendous, and, in a few minutes, there was scarcely standing room

on board. The trains on the various railways were, during the whole

of Tuesday and yesterday morning, unusually busy in conveying

passengers without the proscribed limits of the Metropolitan

disaster. To those who had not the means of taking trips to

Gravesend, or by railway, other places which were supposed to be

exempted from the influence of the 'rude commotion' about to take

place, were resorted to. From an early hour in the morning, the

humbler classes from the east end of the Metropolis sought refuge in

the fields beyond the purlieus of Stepney. On the north, Hampstead

and Highgate were favoured with a visit from large bodies of the

respectable inhabitants of St. Giles's; and Primrose Hill, also, was

selected as a famous spot for viewing the demolition of the leviathan

city. The darkness of the day, and the thickness of the atmosphere,

however, prevented it being seen."

Brighton, too, felt the advantage of the "earthquake," as numbers of

families of the middle and upper classes went there to avoid its

consequences. It was noted that on the night of the 15th nearly 20

carriages arrived there, a circumstance that had not occurred since the

opening of the London and Brighton Railway.

* * * * *

To "talk scandal about Queen Elizabeth" is a matter serious enough, but

to say that Queen Victoria drank grog on board one of her own ships is

rank treason, and must be explained, as it was by the _John Bull_. "The

true version of Her Majesty's tasting the grog on board of _The Queen_,

during her late visit to Portsmouth, is as follows: Strict orders had

been given to the men, that when Her Majesty came down to the lower deck,

to see them at mess, they should not speak a word, but preserve as

profound a silence as possible. Jack, of course, was too much taken up

with watching the Royal visitor, to think of talking, save, perhaps, the

desire of whispering to his messmate a comment or so on the meteor

passing before him. All was still. Her Majesty tasted the cocoa, and

approved of it--yet all was still. Her Majesty then inquired whether

there was no stronger beverage allowed the men, and forthwith a tumbler

of 'three-water grog' was handed her. She raised it to her lips--when

Jack forgot his orders, and three distinct cheers ran round the deck,

with such 'a will,' that the ship's sides seemed to start with the sudden

explosion; the honour done was more than a sailor could bear without

clearing his heart with an huzzah."

It was on 8 Feb., 1841, that Fox Talbot provisionally registered his

patent "for improvements in obtaining pictures, or representations of

objects," which is now in vogue, his improvement being the printing of

the photo on paper. He, himself, made no public practical use of his

invention, and one of the first, if not the first photographer who

adopted it was Mr. Beard, of Parliament and King William Streets. It was

quite a new thing when Prince Albert went to his studio on 21 Mar., 1842,

and sat for his portrait. This made the process fashionable, and

henceforth photography was a practical success.

There is nothing much to gossip about, until the Strawberry Hill sale.

It was all very well for the Earl of Bath to eulogise the place,

"Some cry up Gunnersbury,

For Sion some declare,

And some say that with Chiswick House

No villa can compare;

But, ask the beaux of Middlesex,

Who know the country well,

If Strawberry Hill, if Strawberry Hill

Don't bear away the bell."

but I fancy no one can endorse the opinion, or see anything to admire in

this heterogeneous pile of Carpenter's and Churchwarden's Gothic. If it

had applied to the contents that would have been another thing; for,

although there was, as is the case in most large collections, an amount

of rubbish, it was counterbalanced by the undoubted rarity of the greater

portion, which are thus set forth by the perfervid auctioneer, George

Robins, who, speaking of himself in the third person, says:

"When there pass before him, in review, the splendid gallery of

paintings, teeming with the finest works of the greatest

masters--matchless Enamels, of immortal bloom, by Petitot, Boit,

Bordier, and Zincke; Chasings, the work of Cellini and Jean de

Bologna; noble specimens of Faenza Ware, from the pencils of Robbia

and Bernard Palizzi; Glass, of the rarest hues and tints, executed by

Jean Cousin and other masters of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries;

Limoges enamels of the period of the Renaissance, by Leonard and

Courtoise; Roman and Greek antiquities in bronze and sculpture;

Oriental and European china, of the choicest forms and colours;

exquisite and matchless Missals, painted by Raphael and Julio Clovo;

magnificent specimens of Cinque-Cento Armour; Miniatures,

illustrative of the most interesting periods of history; a valuable

collection of Drawings and Manuscripts; Engravings in countless

numbers, and of infinite value; a costly Library, extending to

fifteen thousand volumes, abounding in splendid editions of the

Classics, illustrated, scarce and unique works, with ten thousand

other relics of the arts and history of bygone ages, he may well feel

overpowered at the evident impossibility of rendering to each that

lengthened notice which their merits and their value demand."

The first private view took place on 28 March, and the sale lasted 24

days, commencing on 25 April and ending 21 May. No one can hazard a

guess as to what such a collection would fetch now, the sum then

obtained, 33,450 pounds 11s. 9d., being utterly inadequate according to

modern ideas. The sale took place in a temporary shed, erected in the

grounds, and on the first day of the sale, which was confined to books,

there were not 200 persons present, and among them, not more than a dozen

bidders.

* * * * *

By way of recognition to the King of Prussia for his being sponsor of the

Prince of Wales, the Queen sent him some presents, which, if the

_Wurtzburg Gazette_ is to be credited, were of somewhat mixed

description. 1.--A cradle with the figure of nurse holding an infant,

representing the Prince of Wales, in her arms, all of pure gold. 2.--A

pistol, which, when the trigger is pulled, opens and exhibits a

completely furnished dressing-case. 3.--A gold mosaic snuff-box, upon

which are seen allegorical _souvenirs_ relating to the baptism of the

Prince of Wales. 4.--Four boxes containing snuff. 5.--A dozen knives

and forks of gold, except the blades of the knives, which are of Damascus

steel, and the handles ornamented with a crown set in brilliants. 6.--A

stone vase, containing the rarest Indian fruits. 7.--Two extraordinarily

large legs of mutton.

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Royal "Bal Costume"--The Queen shot at by Francis and by

Bean--Duke of Cambridge's star--Chartism--Income Tax--Female Chartist

Association--A gipsey trial--Closing of the Fleet prison--Married in

a sheet--Enormous damages in a gambling case.

There was a great flutter of excitement over the Queen's Fancy Dress

Ball, which took place in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace on 12th

May. Its leading feature was the assembling and meeting of the two

Courts of Anne of Bretagne (the Duchess of Cambridge) and Edward III. and

Queen Phillipa (The Queen and Prince Albert).

A separate entrance to the Palace was set apart for the Court of

Brittany, the Duchess of Cambridge assembling her Court in one of the

lower rooms of the Palace, while the Queen and Prince Albert, surrounded

by a numerous and brilliant circle, prepared to receive her Royal

Highness in the Throne Room, which was altered so far, as to be made as

much as possible to harmonise with the period. The throne was removed

and another erected, copied from an authentic source, of the time of

Edward III. It was lined (as well as the whole alcove in which it was

placed) with purple velvet, having worked on it, in gold, the Crown of

England, the Cross of St. George, and emblazoned shields with the Arms of

England and France. The state chairs were as near those of the period as

the archaeology of the time could compass, and the throne was surrounded

with Gothic tracery. At the back of the throne were emblazoned the Royal

Arms of England in silver. Seated on this throne, the Queen and Prince

Albert awaited the arrival of Anne of Bretagne, which, ushered in by

heralds, took place at half-past ten.

The various characters then formed a procession divided into Quadrilles,

the French, German, Spanish, Italian, Highland, Russian, Waverley and

Crusaders Quadrilles, and marched into the Ball Room, where dancing at

once commenced, the Queen and Prince Albert watching the scene, seated on

a _haut pas_. At one o'clock, the Earl of Liverpool, the Lord Steward,

conducted the Queen and Prince Albert to supper; and when they had

finished the guests were attended to. After supper, the Queen danced a

quadrille with Prince George of Cambridge, their _vis-a-vis_ being the

Duchess of Buccleugh and the Duke of Beaufort; then some reels were

danced, and the Queen retired at half-past two.

This account would be strangely incomplete without some account of two or

three of the principal dresses, to give an idea of the splendour of the

show. The Queen's petticoat was of red velvet, trimmed with ermine. The

ground of the jacket was garter blue, with a large pattern of leaves

woven in it, of gold, and ornamented with precious stones; hanging

sleeves, lined with ermine. The mantle was of cloth of gold, worked in

silver, and trimmed with gold lace and pearls, lined with ermine, and

fastened in front with a broad gold band, worked in diamonds and other

precious stones. Her shoes were red silk, worked with gold and diamonds.

The crown was a _fac-simile_ of that worn by Queen Philippa, and was

ornamented with diamonds and precious stones. Under the crown,

descending to the sides of the face, was a network of red velvet and

diamonds.

Prince Albert's under dress, of a garter-blue ground, was worked in large

gold flowers, lined with red silk. The collar and cuffs were ornamented

with diamonds and precious stones. The cloak was of red velvet, trimmed

with gold lace and pearls, and was fastened in front with a band of

diamonds and different coloured precious stones, and was lined with

ermine. His hose were of red silk, and he wore shoes of red velvet,

embroidered with gold and satin. His crown was that of Edward III.,

ornamented with diamonds and precious stones. The sword-belt was of red

velvet, studded with rosettes of gold and diamonds; the sword was richly

ornamented with the rose, thistle, oak, and shamrock, in diamonds and

precious stones, the cross, forming the handle, containing some very

large emeralds.

The mantle of the Duchess of Cambridge, as Anne of Bretagne, was of

crimson velvet, bordered with ermine, looped up at the sides, displaying

the petticoat of cloth of silver, worked in silver and gold, fastened

with diamond ornaments; the top was edged with two rows of large pearls,

having between them a variety of ornaments, formed of sapphires, emeralds

and diamonds; the lower row of pearls had beneath it a fringe of large

diamonds, formed into drops. The stomacher had rows of large pearls, of

very great value, mixed with diamonds. Extending from the stomacher to

the bottom of the mantle were rosettes and other ornaments of diamonds,

sapphires and emeralds, forming a broad band down the mantle. The

_ceinture_ was also composed of brilliants, emeralds and sapphires. The

sleeves were fastened with diamonds and sapphires, and the necklace was

of emeralds and brilliants.

The diadem was composed wholly of pearls and diamonds, except the _fleur

de lys_ by which it was surmounted, which was composed of emeralds and

sapphires. The head-dress was decorated with two rows of large diamonds

and one of pearls. The veil was of gold tulle.

The Duke of Beaufort having been selected by the Duchess of Cambridge to

personate Louis XII., in the French Quadrille, of which Her Royal

Highness was the leader, His Grace appeared in one of the most splendid

dresses handed down by Monfaucon, in his _Monarchie Francaise_. The

dress consisted of rich blue velvet, sumptuously embroidered in gold,

with which were intermixed rubies, emeralds, pearls and other precious

stones, with a large diamond star in the centre, and an opal, of

priceless value, set with diamonds. The cloak was of cloth of gold,

lined with white satin, and trimmed over with powdered ermine. The belt

worn by the Noble Duke, on this occasion, was of crimson, richly studded

with precious stones, and fastened in the centre by a large diamond

buckle. Sword, a valuable specimen of the art of that period, the hilt

being of gold, exquisitely chased; a crimson velvet hat with feathers,

confined in the front by a costly jewel.

Space prevents my giving any more of the dresses, and I only notice that

the Earl of Cardigan appeared in the French Quadrille, clad in armour, as

_Bayard_, _the_ "_Chevalier sans reproche_"!!!

As almost everyone's dress was ablaze with diamonds and other jewels, it

is pleasant to think, that very few losses were sustained, and those

were, generally, of trifling value. The only loss of any moment was that

sustained by Prince Albert, from the girdle of whose gorgeous dress, is

supposed to have dropped a valuable brilliant of great size.

On 30 May, about half-past six in the evening, as the Queen was returning

from her usual drive, and was close to Buckingham Palace, she was fired

at by a young miscreant named John Francis, aged 20, described as a

carpenter. He was at once seized, and examined by the Privy Council.

The simplest account of the event was given at the boy's trial by Col.

Arbuthnot, one of the Queen's equerries, whose testimony was as follows:

"My general position is about five yards in the rear of Her Majesty.

Before we left the Palace, I had received an intimation which induced me

to ride as close to Her Majesty as I could; and Colonel Wylde, Prince

Albert's equerry, rode in the same position, on the other side. Between

6 and 7 o'clock, we were coming down Constitution Hill, when, about

halfway down the Hill, I observed the prisoner; and, on the carriage

reaching him, he took a pistol from his side, and fired it in the

direction of the Queen. As quickly as I could, I pulled up my horse, and

gave the prisoner into custody. The prisoner had, before this, caught my

attention as appearing anxious to see Her Majesty. The Colonel went on

to say that the utmost distance from the carriage, when Francis fired,

was seven feet. The _cortege_ had been going at the rate of eleven miles

an hour; but the Colonel had given instructions at this spot, to go

faster, and the postillions were driving at the rate of twelve or

thirteen miles an hour. The Queen was sitting on the back seat of the

carriage, on the side nearest to the prisoner. The pistol seemed to the

witness to be pointed in the direct line of Her Majesty."

On the news being communicated to the Houses of Parliament, they

adjourned in confusion, as it was found impossible to carry on the public

business whilst in that state of excitement. Next day both Houses voted

congratulatory addresses, and the same were sent by every corporate body

throughout the Kingdom. The Queen, who could not fail to be affected by

this attempt upon her life, nevertheless attended the Opera the same

evening, and met with a most enthusiastic reception.

Francis was tried, on the charge of High Treason, at the Central Criminal

Court, on 17 June, and found guilty; there being no reasonable doubt but

that the pistol was loaded with something more than gunpowder. His

sentence was: "That you, John Francis, be taken from hence to the place

from whence you came, that you be drawn from thence on a hurdle to the

place of execution, and that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead:

that your head be, afterwards, severed from your body, and that your body

be divided into four quarters, to be disposed of in such manner as Her

Majesty shall deem fit. And the Lord have mercy on your soul!"

This sentence was commuted to transportation for life, and on 6 July he

left Newgate for Gosport, and he was sent to Norfolk Island by the first

transport sailing thither.

This mania for shooting at the Queen was infectious. If Oxford had not

been treated so leniently, there would have been no Francis; and if there

had been no Francis, there would have been no Bean. This was another

young miscreant, aged 18, deformed, and very short. It was on Sunday, 3

July, when the Queen was going from Buckingham Palace to the Chapel

Royal, St. James's, that, in the Mall, this boy was seen to present a

pistol at the Queen. A young man named Dassett saw the act, and this is

a resume of his evidence at the trial on 25 Aug.: He said he saw the

royal carriages coming along, and saw the prisoner come from the crowd,

draw a pistol from his breast, and present it at the carriage, at arm's

length, and breast high; and then he heard the click of a pistol hammer

upon the pan; but there was no explosion. He seized him, and, assisted

by his brother, took him across the Mall, and gave him to Police

Constable Hearn, who said "it did not amount to a charge." Another

policeman, likewise, refused to take the prisoner, who only asked to have

his pistol back again. The pressure of the crowd was so great, that he

was obliged to let Bean go; and, afterwards, the people said that witness

himself had been shooting at the Queen, and a policeman took the pistol

away from him.

In his cross-examination, Dassett said that some person in the crowd

laughed, and others called out that the pistol was not loaded. An

Inspector of Police deposed to having received the pistol from witness,

and he unloaded it; the charge was not large, and consisted of coarse

gunpowder, some short pieces of tobacco pipe, and four small pieces of

gravel.

Bean got away for a time, but was, afterwards, captured and tried, found

guilty, and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in Millbank

Penitentiary.

The old Duke of Cambridge (the Queen's uncle) had a fright, on the 6

July, when he was at a fete at Jesus College, Cambridge, for he lost the

diamond star from his breast, valued at 500 pounds. Everybody thought it

had been stolen by an expert thief, but it was afterwards found by a

Police Inspector, in the gardens, much trodden on, and with three

diamonds missing; so it was "All's well that ends well."

There was great distress in the manufacturing districts, and disturbances

originating in a strike for higher wages, were inflamed by the Chartists,

and other political agitators. Beginning in Lancashire, the riots spread

through Cheshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire, and,

finally, extended to the manufacturing towns of Scotland, and the

collieries of Wales. There were conflicts with the military, and people

were killed; altogether, matters were very serious.

It was better in London. On 19 Aug. a Chartist meeting was to be held on

Clerkenwell Green, but plenty of police were there to meet them. Most of

the mob were discouraged, and went home, but the police were obliged to

arrest some 50 of them, and some banners were captured. Then they went

to Lincoln's Inn Fields, and in Long Acre, they came into collision with

the police, and some damage was done. So serious was the outlook, that

all the military in the Metropolis and the suburbs were kept under arms,

and there were large reserves of police at every Station House; and, next

day, the magistrate, at Bow Street, had a busy day, hearing cases arising

from this outbreak. On the 22nd Aug. there were Chartist meetings at

Clerkenwell Green and Paddington (the latter numbering upwards of

10,000), but the worst cases were managed by the police, and no very

great harm came of them.

On 22 June, Sir Robt. Peel's Bill, imposing an Income Tax, received the

Royal sanction. It is 5 and 6 Vic., c. 35: "An Act for granting Her

Majesty Duties on Profits arising from Property, Professions, Trades, and

Offices, until the 6th day of April, 1845." We see that it was imposed

only for three years, but the Old Man of the Sea, once on the popular

back, has never come off; and, in all probability, never will. It began

at 7d. in the pound, has been as high as 16d., and as low as 2d. There

is in _Blackwood's Magazine_ for Aug., 1842:

"THE INCOME TAX.

An excellent New Song.

All you who rents, or profits draw,

Enough to come within the law,

Your button'd pockets now relax,

And quickly pay your Income Tax.

A pleasant medicine's sure to kill,

Your only cure's a bitter pill:

The drugs of base deluding quacks

Made Peel prescribe the Income Tax.

You can't enjoy your pint, or pot,

And then refuse to pay the shot;

You can't pursue expensive tracks

With a toll, or Income Tax.

Ye Quakers, clad in sober suit,

And all ye Baptist tribes to boot,

'Twas right, perhaps, to free the blacks,

But, thence arose this Income Tax.

Ye bagmen bold, ye lovers fond,

Who daily like to correspond,

Remember, as you break the wax,

Cheap postage means an Income Tax.

Ye noisy fools, who made a rout

To try and keep the Tories out,

The blunders of your Whiggish hacks

Have brought us to this Income Tax.

Old Cupid's {194} wish to crush the Czar

Has cost us, in the Afghan war,

Both English lives and Indian lacs,

And hastened on the Income Tax.

Regardless of the price of teas,

They anger'd, too, the poor Chinese,

The Mandarins have shown their backs,

But war soon brings an Income Tax.

Yet now I hope the new tariff

Will something save in beer and beef;

If that be so, you'll all go snacks,

And half escape your Income Tax.

At least, we poor folks fear no shock

At hearing the collector's knock;

His jest, the poundless poet cracks

On him who calls for Income Tax."

The day of reckoning for the Rioters of August duly came, and both at

York and Salford Assizes many were punished, and at the end of September

Feargus O'Connor was arrested in London for sedition, as were other

Chartist leaders at Manchester and Leeds. In October, more rioters were

tried, and sentenced, at Stafford and Liverpool.

Even women meddled with Chartism, and on 17 Oct. a meeting of female

Chartists was held at the National Charter Association in the Old Bailey,

to form a female Chartist Association to co-operate with the original

society. A Mr. Cohen created some dissatisfaction by speaking _against_

the interposition of women in political affairs; he "put it to the

mothers present, whether they did not find themselves more happy in the

peacefulness and usefulness of the domestic hearth, than in coming forth

in public, and aspiring after political rights?" Miss Inge asked Mr.

Cohen, did he not consider women qualified to fill public offices? it did

not require much "physical force" to vote! Mr. Cohen replied with an

_argumentum ad foeminam_:--He would, with all humility and respect, ask

the young lady, what sort of office she would aspire to fill? If she

would fill one, she would fill all? He was not going to treat the

question with ridicule; but he would ask her to suppose herself in the

House of Commons, as Member for a Parliamentary Borough, and that a young

gentleman, a lover, in that House, were to try to influence her vote,

through his sway over her affections; how would she act? whether, in

other words, she could resist, and might not lose sight of the public

interests? (Order! Order!) He wished to be in order. He was for

maintaining the _social_ rights of women; _political_ rights, such as he

understood that meeting to aspire to, she could never, in his opinion,

attain. This drew forth an energetic speech from Miss Mary Anne Walker;

she "repudiated, with indignation, the insinuation that, if women were in

Parliament, any man, be he husband, or be he lover, would dare to be so

base a scoundrel as to attempt to sway her from the strict line of duty."

Miss Walker was much applauded; and, after the business of the evening,

she received the thanks of the meeting.

* * * * *

In the _Times_ of Oct. 5, there is a paragraph about a gipsey trial, and

as that curious nomad race is fast disappearing, it may prove of interest

to my readers:

"A short time since, a very remarkable circumstance took place in the

New Forest, Hampshire, in the instance of a gipsey, named Lee, being

cast out of the fraternity. The spot where the scene took place was

at Bolton's Bench, near Lyndhurst. Between 300 and 400 gipsies,

belonging to different tribes, including the Lees, Stanleys, and

Coopers, were assembled upon this unusual occasion. The concourse

consisted of a great many females; and so secretly had the meeting

been got up, that scarcely a person residing in the neighbourhood was

aware that a circumstance of the sort was about to take place. The

offender, a handsome-looking man, apparently between 38 and 40 years

of age, was placed in the middle of a ring, composed of the King of

the Gipsies, and the patriarchs of different tribes. This ring was

followed by a second, made up of the male portion of the assembly;

and an exterior circle was formed by the women. The King (one of the

Lees), who was a venerable old man, and one who looked as though he

had seen upwards of 90 summers, then addressed the culprit for nearly

an hour, but in a tongue that was perfectly strange to the

bystanders. The address was delivered in a most impressive manner,

as might be conceived by the vehemence of the gesticulations which

accompanied it. None but the gipsies themselves had the slightest

knowledge of the crime which had been committed by the offender, but

it must have been one evidently very obnoxious to the tribe, as the

act of expulsion from among them is an exceedingly rare occurrence.

As soon as the King had finished his speech to the condemned man, he

turned round, and harangued the whole of the gipsies assembled; and,

expressing himself in English, he informed them that Jacob Lee had

been expelled from among them, that he was no longer one of their

fraternity, and that he must leave the camp of the gipsies for ever.

The King, then advancing towards him, spat upon him, and the circle

which enclosed him simultaneously opened to admit of his retreating

from among them, while they smote him with branches of trees, as he

left the ground. The meeting then broke up, and the parties

assembled went their different ways; some of them having come some

considerable distance, in order to be present at the tribunal."

Early in November Mr. J. Simon, LL.B., was called to the Bar, being the

first Jewish barrister connected with the Middle Temple. A Hebrew bible

had to be obtained, on which he could be sworn, and a difficulty having

arisen, owing to the custom of Jews putting on their hats when taking an

oath, the size of the wig rendering it impossible in this case, it was

ruled that the head was sufficiently covered by the wig.

On 31 May, 1842, an Act (5 & 6 Vic., c. 22) was passed for the demolition

of the Fleet prison, and on 30 Nov., the records, books, etc., and the

remaining prisoners, seventy in number, were removed to the Queen's

prison. The Marshalsea was also closed, and its three prisoners were

also transferred. The Fleet had been a prison ever since the time of

William the Conqueror.

Writing about the Fleet prison sets one thinking of the marriages

solemnized within its rules, and there is an entry in one of the

registers: "The Woman ran across Ludgate Hill in her shift." In the

_Times_ of 15 Dec., I find the following, copied from the _Boston

Herald_:

"GEDNEY.--A most extravagant exhibition took place here on Friday. A

widow, named Farrow, having four children, was married to a man named

David Wilkinson; and the woman having been told that if she was

married, covered by nothing but a sheet, her husband would not be

answerable for her debts, actually had the hardihood to go to church

with nothing on but a sheet, sewn up like a sack, with holes in the

sides for her arms, and in this way was married." I have come across

several instances of this vulgar error.

On the 3rd Dec. was tried a famous gambling case which ended in the

discomfiture of a notorious gaming-house keeper, named Bond. It was a

case in the Court of Exchequer--Smith _v._ Bond. At the gaming house

kept by the latter, the game played was, usually, "French Hazard"; and

persons of rank were in the habit of staking large sums against the

"bank" held by Bond, to whom reverted all the profits of the game; in one

evening they amounted to 2,000 or 3,000 pounds. Considerable losses were

sustained, on various occasions, by Mr. Bredall, Capt. Courtney, Mr.

Fitzroy Stanhope, the Marquis of Conyngham, Lord Cantelupe and General

Churchill. The action was brought under the Act 9th Anne, c. 14, to

recover from Bond the sums alleged to have been unlawfully won. A

verdict for the plaintiff was returned on five out of ten counts, with

damages including the treble value of 3,508 pounds, the sum lost. Half

the damages went to the parish.

CHAPTER XIX.

Murder of Mr. Drummond--Rebecca and her Daughters--Spread of the Movement

through Wales--Its End--Rebecca Dramatised--Rebecca in London.

The year opened badly, with the assassination of Edward Drummond, Esqre.,

the private secretary of Sir Robert Peel. Walking quietly down

Parliament Street, he was suddenly fired at by a man named Daniel

McNaughton. Poor Mr. Drummond did not die at once, but lingered for a

few hours. It was believed by very many people, myself among the number,

that it was a political assassination, the Secretary being taken for the

Premier, but the man got off on a plea of insanity, a plea which was very

fashionable in favour of criminals at that time, and highly conducive to

their benefit.

An episode in the Social History of England, almost unknown to the rising

generation, was the reappearance, in Wales, of "Rebecca and her

daughters," a riotous mob, whose grievance was, at first, purely

local--they resisted the heavy and vexatious tolls, to which, by the

mismanagement and abuses of the turnpike system, they were subjected.

Galled by this burden, to which they were rendered more sensitive by

reason of their poverty, and hopeless of obtaining any assistance or

relief by legitimate means, the people resolved to take the law in their

own hands, and abate the source of so much annoyance and distress by the

strong arm.

The first act of destruction of the toll gates occurred in 1839, and the

gates then destroyed were particularly obnoxious to the people, who

entertained doubts of the legality of their erection. They were broken

down in open day, with no attempt at concealment, by a mob of persons

rather in a spirit of mischievous frolic than otherwise. The proposal to

re-erect these gates, on the part of the trustees, was overruled by a

large body of magistrates and gentlemen, many of whom qualified for

trustees expressly for the occasion. This decision gave strength and

encouragement to the discontented, and, no doubt, prepared the way for

further violence. The gate breakers had learned their power and though

they did not immediately renew the exercise of it, the lesson was not

forgotten, although it slumbered until the commencement of 1843, when it

appeared in a systematic and organised form.

This organization was called "Rebecca and her daughters," their leader

having taken this scriptural name from a misconception of the meaning of

_Genesis_ xxiv., 60: "And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her. . . .

'let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.'" This captain

of the gate breakers in the guise of a woman, always made her marches and

attacks by night, and her conduct of the campaign manifested no small

dexterity and address. A sudden blowing of horns and firing of guns

announced the arrival of the assailants at the turnpike selected for

attack. They were mounted on horseback, and generally appeared in

considerable force. The leader, who gave the word of command, and

directed the motion of those whom she called her daughters, was attired

in a female dress of some description, wearing, also, a bonnet, or

head-dress, which served the purpose of disguise. Her bodyguard were

dressed up in similar manner.

Immediately on arriving at the gate, they commenced the business of the

night, and proceeded to raze gate, posts, and tollhouse, with an alacrity

and perseverance which soon accomplished its purpose. They, generally,

sawed off the gate posts close to the ground, broke the gate to

fragments, and pulled down the toll-house to its foundations. To show

that the abatement of the specific grievance was their only object, they,

commonly, dealt very leniently with the toll-keeper, offering him, except

in rare cases, no personal violence, and allowing him to remove his

furniture and property, which they never attempted to destroy or plunder.

The work was no sooner done than the mysterious assailants galloped off,

firing their guns, and blowing their horns, as before. No trace nor clue

was to be found of the quarter whence they had come, or of the retreats

to which they dispersed themselves; nor did anything in the outward

appearance of the country, by day, even when these nightly outrages were

at their height, give sign of the extension and compact organization

which evidently subsisted among the population.

[Picture: Rebecca and her Daughters. Ill. Lon. News, 11 Feb., 1843]

The first notice I can find (in this year) of these riots is in the

_Times_ of 10 Jan., in which is the following paragraph from the

_Welshman_:

"The state of society in Wales may surprise some of our English

readers, especially when we acquaint them with the fact, that there

has been, for some months past, in the neighbourhood of St. Clear, a

mob of lawless depredators, amounting to about 600, who assembled

nightly, for the purpose of destroying the turnpike gates on the

various lines of road in the neighbourhood of St. Clear. These

ruffians are headed by a very tall man, dressed, for disguise, as a

female, who goes by the name of Rebecca; and, as many of his

associates are likewise dressed as females, the whole gang have been

christened 'Rebecca and her daughters.' These men are nearly all

ably mounted, and are a terror to the neighbouring country. The

Pwiltrap gate has been destroyed a great number of times and as

frequently replaced by the trustees of the road; but, immediately

after its re-erection, the fellows have invariably assembled in

greater force than before; and, riding up to the gate, the following

interesting colloquy has taken place. The leader of the mob,

addressing the others in Welsh, says, 'My children this gate has no

business here, has it?' to which her children reply, that it has not;

the mother again asks, what is to be done with it, when the children

reply, that it should be levelled with the ground. They then

immediately break it down, and disperse in different directions.

"This system has continued for a length of time; and, although a

reward of 50 pounds has been offered, not one of the offenders has

been discovered. About 100 constables have been sworn in, and three

constables from London are down there; but all precautions are

ineffectual; for so surely as the constables show the slightest

diminution of their vigilance, Rebecca and her daughters appear, and

level the gates. A very short time ago, the policemen were after a

fellow whom they suspected to belong to the gang and, while at a

public house, baiting their horse, Rebecca and her daughters suddenly

came in sight, and the affrighted officers of the law were obliged to

fly for their lives. The gates have now been re-erected, and no

fresh act of violence has occurred since the 16th ult., but the

organisation of the depredators still continues; and, it is feared,

will break out with fresh violence if the constabulary force be

removed."

That this movement was serious and no joke, is evidenced by the fact that

I have, in my notes, 45 paragraphs in the _Times_ on the subject.

From Pembroke and Caermarthen, it gradually spread to Cardiganshire, on

one side, and to Radnorshire and Glamorganshire, on the other.

Brecknockshire, alone of the South Wales counties, enjoyed exemption from

these disturbances. The destruction which the rioters effected in some

of these districts was most extensive and unsparing. There were, at the

time of the outbreak, between 100 and 150 gates, including side bars and

chains, in the county of Caermarthen; of these, no less than between 70

and 80 were destroyed, the toll-houses, as well as the gates and posts,

being, in many cases, razed to the ground; in some trusts not a single

gate was left standing. In Pembrokeshire, and in one of the divisions of

Cardiganshire, the destruction was carried on in the same wholesale

manner. The trustees, at first, re-erected the gates which had been

broken down, but they were again as speedily demolished by the rioters;

again they were rebuilt, and again they were levelled with the ground.

The trustees were, at length, compelled to desist, and the roads were

left free of toll. None of these counties, except Glamorgan, possessed a

paid constabulary, or any other force which could be of avail in checking

the proceedings of the rioters; and the magistrates finding all local

efforts unavailing, were obliged to appeal to Government for protection

and support.

One of the boldest steps ventured on by the insurgents, whose confidence

was, of course, much increased by their uninterrupted success, was an

entry, which was made, at midday, into the town of Caermarthen, by a

large body of persons on the 10th of June. About noon, the rioters began

to march into the town, through the Water Street gate, which they had

destroyed some time before. They were headed by a band. The leading

body consisted of some thousands on foot, many of whom were Chartists and

rabble of the town; a large number of women was among the crowd, and men

bearing inflammatory placards. They were followed by a man in disguise,

representing Rebecca; some bearing brooms with which to sweep the

foundations of the tollhouse and the workhouse, and the rear was brought

up by about 300 farmers on horseback. They paraded the town, passing the

Hall and hooting the magistrates, and proceeded to the workhouse, which

they attacked. They climbed over the high wall with which the building

was surrounded, and then burst open the lodge gates and the porter's

door; the horsemen rode into the yard, and surrounded the premises; and

the rioters on foot soon forced an entrance into the building, and

commenced their work of destruction. While the rioters were in the act

of pulling down the inner doors and partitions of the Board Room, and

other parts of the premises, and pitching the beds out of windows, the

governor was ringing the alarm bell; and, in the midst of the tumult,

came the military.

Representations of the excited state of the neighbourhood had been sent

to the Home Office, and a troop of the 4th Light Dragoons had been

ordered from Cardiff. An express from Caermarthen had met the Dragoons

at four o'clock in the morning, just after they had passed through Neath,

and were still 31 miles from their destination. They pushed on, riding

the last 15 miles in an hour and a half, two horses dying from fatigue as

they entered the town. They were met by one of the Magistrates, who led

them to the Workhouse and read the Riot Act. The rioters were summoned

to surrender; but they made an attempt to rush on the military. The

Dragoons charged, using the flat of their swords, and soon put the

rioters, outside the wall, to flight. Those within offered some

resistance; and, for a moment, the edge of the sword was turned upon

them, when they succumbed. Many escaped over the wall; but about 100

were taken prisoners, and several horses were abandoned by their riders.

The disturbance which menaced so seriously the safety of the town, was

thus happily put an end to, without any bloodshed or calamitous result.

As time advanced, the insurrection, which had at first been lightly

thought of, and for which much allowance had been made, under the belief

that the people had real grievances to complain of, assumed a more

malignant and dangerous aspect. The farmers and peasantry, who in their

impatience under the vexations of the tolls, had commenced it, soon fell

into the hands of ill-disposed and designing men, who aggravated the

excitement that prevailed, and availed themselves of the name and

disguise of "Rebecca," in order to carry out their own evil and lawless

purposes. Threatening letters were one of the means most freely resorted

to; and great numbers, under the signature of "Rebecca," were sent about

the country, conveying the most sanguinary menaces to those whose conduct

had, in any way, given offence to the dastardly writers. Certain rules

were laid down by conclaves of the disaffected, respecting the occupation

of farms; and all who presumed to contradict the edicts of this invisible

authority, were marked out, and denounced as victims to the just

vengeance of Rebecca. The more active magistrates, as well as the

tithe-owners and clergy, were made the special objects of this cowardly

system of intimidation. In some instances, the rioters proved that their

threats were not without meaning. Guns were fired into the houses of

persons who had fallen under the popular displeasure. Some had their

property fired, or otherwise injured; and a growing feeling of alarm and

insecurity began to pervade the peaceable and well-disposed portion of

the community. This feeling was further increased by a cold-blooded and

shocking act of murder, committed on a poor old woman who kept a

turnpike, called the Hendy gate, on the confines of Glamorganshire and

Caermarthenshire. A party of rioters came to attack the gate at which

she lived, and one of the number, actuated by some motive which was not

distinctly accounted for, fired at her, and shot her dead. A coroner's

inquest sat upon the body, and all the facts attending the revolting

transaction were fully and clearly stated in evidence; but, such was the

excitement of feeling then prevailing in the neighbourhood, or such the

influence of fear exercised over the minds of the jurymen who

investigated the case, that they actually brought in a verdict: "That the

deceased died from suffusion of blood, which produced suffocation, but

from what cause, is, to the jurors, unknown!"

By the continuance of these outrages, which threatened, 'ere long, to

disorganise society, and render the tenure of life and property, in

Wales, insecure, the Government were, at length, aroused to the necessity

of adopting very vigorous measures for the enforcement and vindication of

the law. A large body of troops was sent down to Wales, and a general

officer, of skill and experience, appointed to the command of the

disturbed districts. A strong body of London police was imported, to

exercise their skill in ferreting out the actors in these lawless

exploits, who had so long succeeded in eluding detection. The districts

most infested by the Rebeccaites were closely occupied by parties of

soldiers, some of whom were quartered, at short intervals, in the

villages and hamlets wherein mischief was suspected to lurk, and in the

neighbourhood of turnpike gates, which had, previously, been the objects

of attack. It was not, however, the policy of the insurgents to place

themselves in open collision with the soldiers; but the clandestine and

shifting mode of warfare which they had adopted with so much success, was

but imperfectly counteracted by the presence of a military force. Under

cover of the night, and with the advantages afforded by a knowledge of

the country, and the sympathy of the population, they could sweep down a

gate, which was but the work of a few minutes, with very little risk of

interruption or discovery. The presence of the police and soldiers, if

it could not entirely put an end to the attacks on the turnpikes,

prevented the disaffected from proceeding to further acts of violence,

and checked the growth of a conspiracy which might, otherwise, have gone

to the full length of open rebellion. From this, and other causes, the

spirit of disturbance in Wales began to decline, about the latter end of

the summer. The most obnoxious of the turnpike gates had been swept

away; and, on some of the trusts, the trustees had announced their

determination not to re-erect those which were most complained of as

oppressive. Some of the more active leaders of the riots were captured,

in an affray with the County police, on the borders of Glamorganshire,

and the terrors of a Special Commission impended over the Principality.

The movement was even dramatised, and on 20 Sep., at the Royal

Amphitheatre, Liverpool, was produced a new play, called: "Rebecca and

her Daughters; or, Paddy the Policeman"; the programme of scenery etc.,

as described on the play bill being: "Vigilance of the civil and military

authorities; 100 pounds reward for the apprehension of Rebecca, and 10

pounds for each of her daughters; False alarm; Invincible courage of the

Yeomanry; Arrival of the London Police in disguise; Paddy Whack

undertakes to capture the delinquents; Admonitions to the Constabulary;

The inspection; Mysterious appearance of Rebecca and her daughters in the

Glen of Llandilo, at midnight; Tried before the Justice of the Peace;

Happy _denouement_."

I can find only one reference to Rebecca in connection with London--and

that refers to a bar in Gower Street, which was taken down some few years

since. It occurs in the _Times_ of 30 Sep.: "During the last two or

three days, considerable excitement has prevailed in the northern suburbs

of the Metropolis, in consequence of rumours obtaining circulation that

threatening notices had been posted about, signed, 'Rebecca,' intimating

that it was the intention of that lady and her daughters to destroy the

various turnpike and other gates, which they were pleased to term 'public

obstructions.' It appears that these rumours were not altogether

unfounded; for, whether intended as a joke, or otherwise, the doings of

the notorious Rebecca and her daughters in Wales, have, in reality, found

persons foolhardy enough to follow their example in London. A few

evenings since, Mr. Hill, the porter and keeper of the gate at the London

University College, which crosses Gower Street, and prevents carriages

from passing along the front of University College Hospital, received a

letter, with the signature of 'Rebecca' attached, declaring it to be the

intention of herself and others to remove the 'obstruction called a gate'

on the following night. Mr. Hill, thinking the matter a joke, took no

notice of the circumstance; but, to his astonishment, early in the

morning following the night on which the threatened attack was promised,

he was awakened by the night porter, who informed him that the gate (a

large wooden one, such as the ordinary toll bars) was gone. On

examination, it was found that not only had the large padlock by which it

was fastened, been broken and carried away, but the gate had absolutely

been filed off its hinges, and conveyed by the depredators into the

College grounds, and hidden behind some shrubs. The gate has again been

re-instated; but, since the occurrence, Mr. Hill has received another

threatening notice, informing him that it is the intention of Rebecca and

her daughters, on Monday night next, to effect its entire destruction.

What is most extraordinary in connection with the affair is, that the

gate should have been removed without the knowledge of the police, the

beats of two constables joining close to the spot, or that of the night

porters, either at the College, or the Hospital. It is to be remarked

that frequent complaints have been made at the erection of the gate in

question, as it interrupts the otherwise direct communication between

Holborn and Broad Street, Bloomsbury, with the Hampstead Road, and

compels carriages, etc., to go considerably out of the way round Sussex

and University Streets, before they can get into the New Road."

CHAPTER XX.

Gretna Green parsons--Number of marriages--Chinese indemnity--Thames

tunnel--The aerial machine--Treasure trove--Accident to Mr.

Brunel--Arkwright's will--Secession in the Scotch Church--The

"Gent"--Shakspere's autograph.

At this time, Gretna Green marriages were in full blast (they were only

made unlawful in 1856), and we learn from the _Carlisle Journal_, copied

into the _Times_ of 20 Feb., something about the Parsons: "We observe by

announcement in some of the London papers, that some worthy gentlemen in

London, are about to enlighten the public on the subject of Gretna Green

marriages, by the publication of a book called _The Gretna Green

Memoirs_, by Robert Elliott, with an introduction and appendix by the

Rev. Caleb Brown. In addition to this information, we have been honoured

with a copy of what Mr. Elliott calls a 'cercler,' which he is desirous

we should publish as a paragraph for the benefit of our readers. From

this 'cercler' we learn that 'this interesting work contains an accurate

account of remarkable elopements, pursuits, anecdotes, etc., never before

published.' Then we are further informed that there is 'in the press,'

to be published by subscription, _The Gretna Green Register_, containing

the names of 7,744 persons married by Robert Elliott, the Gretna Green

Parson. It is added, that 'the whole is being carefully printed from the

original registers, written and kept by himself.' The Gretna Green

Parson, we suspect, has fallen into dishonest hands, or he would not have

suffered it to be said that he was about to publish registers which never

had existence. The Gretna Green Parson is pretty well known in this

neighbourhood. He married a grand daughter of old Joe Paisley, the

'original' blacksmith; and, after the death of that worthy 'parson,' he

set up an opposition shop, in the marriage line to David Laing, who had

acquired some notoriety in the business. This was in 1811, and he

continued to 'trade' until 1822, when it either fell away from him, or he

from it. His reverence subsequently condescended to act as horsekeeper,

or hostler, at one of the inns in this city, and a few months ago was

sent for to London, as a witness, in some marriage case, and is now set

up as an author! We suspect the whole thing is an attempt to gull the

public into the purchase of a book of inventions. If 7,000 were deducted

from the names of those to be inserted in the 'Register,' the number

would still exceed, by many a score, those who were actually 'married,'

as it is called, by 'Robert Elliott, the Gretna Green Parson.'"

The poor "Parson" could not stand this attack on his veracity, and wrote

a letter to the _Times_, which appeared in its issue of 23 Feb., in which

he does not deny the bulk of the paragraph taken from the _Carlisle

Journal_, but gives his figures as to his matrimonial business: he says

that in the following years; he married so many couples:

1811 58 1821 152 1831 168

1812 57 1822 178 1832 153

1813 59 1823 188 1833 100

1814 68 1824 196 1834 108

1815 87 1825 198 1835 124

1816 89 1826 187 1836 98

1817 96 1827 188 1837 55

1818 109 1828 186 1838 46

1819 121 1829 180 1839 42

1820 124 1830 179

He says he married 7,744 persons, but, either his arithmetic, according

to the above account, is faulty, or there is an inaccuracy in the _Times_

figures.

On 3 March arrived, in London, the first instalment of the Chinese

indemnity--1,000,000 pounds, all in silver. I remember seeing the dock

wagons guarded by soldiers, and wondering, until told, what they

contained. Some more arrived on the 7th.

The Thames Tunnel was opened to the public on 25 March, with as much

ceremony as a private company could manage. There were the Lord Mayor,

the directors, and a host of scientific persons, who solemnly went in

procession down the staircase on the Rotherhithe side, passed along the

western archway of the Tunnel, ascended and descended the staircase at

Wapping, and returned through the eastern archway. In the evening there

was a grand dinner at the "London Tavern," where "Prosperity to the

Thames Tunnel" was drunk in some wine which had been preserved from the

commencement of the enterprise, to celebrate its completion.

As with motor cars, so with aeronautics, the time of which I write, was

well in advance. We know of Sen. Santos Dumont's performances with his

motor balloon, in connection with the Eiffel Tower, but Mr. Samuel Henson

was before him in applying mechanical power in aeronautics. He took out

a patent (No. 9,478), dated 29 Sep., 1842, for "Apparatus and machinery

for conveying letters, goods and passengers, from place to place through

the air."

It was an aeroplane. The car which contained passengers, engineer,

engines, etc., was suspended in the centre of a framework, which combined

strength with lightness, covered with a light, but close, woven fabric.

It was started by descending an inclined plane, the impetus from which

caused it to rise in the air, when the steam engine was put in action, to

continue its motion. The area of the sustaining surface was some 4,500

square feet, and the weight to be borne by it, including the carriage,

etc., was estimated at 3,000lbs., which was claimed to be considerably

less per square foot than that of many birds.

In April, 1843--but on what exact date I do not know, an experimental

voyage was made from the Hill of Dumbuck, near Glasgow, by Professor

Geolls. He successfully negotiated the descent of the inclined plane,

and rapidly rose in the air, until he reached an altitude of nearly 3

miles. Feeling giddy, he determined to descend to a mile and a half

above the earth. "This I easily effected by depressing the tail of the

machine, which, up to this moment, I had kept at an angle with the

horizon of 9.75 degrees, to that of 45. My course I had not varied since

leaving the hill; it was, per compass, south-west, and by west,

half-west, passing over Ayrshire, and in a direct line from Dumbuck to

Ailsa Craig, whither, indeed, I was tending, with the view of landing,

the latter being admirably suited for launching the machine in a similar

way to that adopted at Dumbuck, on my return home again.

"Daylight had now broken, and the scene was most gorgeous. I passed many

ships; and, in particular, one steamer, but whose paltry speed, in

comparison with mine, was nothing. Alas! however, this was not destined

to last; for, just as I had shot ahead of the steamer, something went

wrong with the machinery, and the fanners stopped. This did not at all

alarm me; for, as described by Mr. Henson, these fanners are only

necessary for propulsion, and not at all requisite for maintaining the

machine in the air. Unfortunately, however, I perfectly forgot, in the

hurry of the moment, to remove the weights from the safety valve, and the

effects from this were disastrous in the extreme. The great accumulation

of steam that took place was too much for the pipes; and, consequently,

bang went three of them, at the same instant. The machine, at this exact

moment, feeling its equilibrium altered, surged considerably, and the

remaining pipes necessarily followed the example of the others:

fizz--bizz--whizz, away they went, one after the other, like pop guns.

Unfortunately, one of these pipes, in flying off, struck a bamboo

stretcher, and shattered it so, that the machine, losing bearance on one

side, toppled over and became perfectly unmanageable; she, in fact,

whirled over and over in a way that may be imagined, but which it is

altogether impossible to describe.

"I, of course, was now descending with fearful rapidity, and nothing was

left me to contemplate but death and destruction. I can only compare my

sensations at this moment to those experienced in a nightmare, which,

everyone knows, are not the most agreeable in the world. Sensibility now

forsook me; and, indeed, this was not to be wondered at, in consequence

of the whirling of the machine. On coming to my senses again, I found

myself in bed, with severe headache, nausea and vomiting, the usual

accompaniments of such a flight through the air; but, thanks to

Providence, I am now in a fair way of recovery, and willing to perform

the same feat again."

Luckily for the aeronaut, the accident was seen by the master of a

steamer, who sent a boat to his assistance, but the machine was lost.

We often hear of "treasure trove," but seldom find the owner. However,

here is a case: On 11 April, the magistrate at Clerkenwell Police Court

had a man named Benjamin Thomas, and five other labourers, brought before

him, under the following circumstances. It seems they had been recently

engaged in grubbing up the roots of some trees in Tufnell Park, Holloway,

when they found, buried in the earth, two jars full of sovereigns,

supposed to have amounted to 400 pounds. They divided the money between

them; but it was claimed by Mr. Henry Tufnell, as Lord of the Manor; and

all of them consented to give up what they had, except Thomas, who said

that his share was 51 pounds, but that he had spent, or lost it. The sum

recovered only amounted to 231 pounds 17s. Thomas was remanded for a few

days, but, in the interval, a new claimant appeared, in the person of Mr.

Joseph Frost, of the firm of J. and J. Frost, brass founders in

Clerkenwell. It appeared that, some time in August last year, in a

temporary fit of mental delusion, he had carried the money out at night,

and buried it. Mr. Tufnell waived his claim in favour of Mr. Frost, and

Thomas was committed for trial, on the charge of feloniously

appropriating the money to his own use.

A very curious accident happened to Brunel, the eminent engineer. He was

playing with the child of a friend, pretending to swallow a

half-sovereign, and bring it out at his ear, when it slipped, and stuck

in his trachaea, whence it could not be disloged. This must have been in

the latter part of April, for it is mentioned in the _Times_ of 28 April,

as having occurred some short time previously. All efforts of the

surgeons could not reach the coin, even though they constructed a machine

which suspended him by the heels, when he was shaken and thumped. On 27

April Sir B. Brodie performed trachaeotomy on the unfortunate gentleman,

but without avail; so they waited until he had somewhat recovered, and

again hung him up by his heels. This was on 13 May, and, after a few

gentle thumps, the half-sovereign quitted its place, and dropped out of

his mouth, without causing him any pain or inconvenience.

In these days, millionaires, and multi-millionaires are exceedingly

common, but not so in the time of which I write, and much astonishment

was created at the sum of money which Mr. Richard Arkwright, son of Sir

Richard, the inventor of the spinning jinny, left behind him. His will

was proved, on 24 May, in Canterbury Prerogative Court, and his personal

property was sworn to exceed 1,000,000 pounds; the stamp duty on the

probate of which was 15,000 pounds, which was the highest duty then

payable, when the testator's personal estate was 1,000,000 pounds or

upwards. In this case the deceased left behind him a fortune of nearly

3,000,000 pounds.

The 18th of May is memorable in the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, for

the great secession of its members, and the foundation of the Free

Church. This was the day appointed for the opening of the General

Assembly, and Dr. Welsh, the Moderator of the former Assembly, took the

Chair. As soon as business commenced, he read a protest from those who

were dissatisfied with the then state of the Church. It was a very long

document, and having read it, the Doctor, and those who were of the same

opinion, quietly left the Hall, forming a procession and marching four

abreast, to a Hall in Canon-mills, where they elected Dr. Chalmers as

their Moderator.

A contemporary account of this movement is given in the _Observer_ of 29

May: "The number of clergymen who have seceded from the Church of

Scotland, is now 450; and it cannot be a question that, by the middle of

the week, the number will be close on 500. This is nearly the half of

the entire clergy, the number being under 1,200. Among the leaders will

be found the name of almost every minister distinguished for talent,

moral worth, or weight of character. Nearly the whole of the people have

left the Establishment with their ministers--so that the Free

Presbyterian Church, instituted by those who have left the Establishment,

may be considered the Church of Scotland. The general impression in

Scotland is, that the residuary church cannot long exist. About 240,000

pounds have been raised in less than ten weeks, for the erection of new

churches, and for the support of the seceding clergy; and there can be no

question that, in a few weeks, the amount will considerably exceed

300,000 pounds. Among the contributors, are the Marchioness of

Breadalbane, 1,000 pounds; a Colonel in the Army, whose name we do not

remember, 6,000 pounds, in three yearly instalments of 2,000 pounds; Mr.

Henry Paul, a private gentleman, 2,000 pounds; Mr. Nisbet, bookseller,

London, 1,000 pounds; a Dissenter, 500 pounds; and there are various

other subscriptions of 2,000 and 1,000 pounds each. Mr. Fox Maule is to

build and endow a church at his own expense; Mr. A. Campbell, member for

Argyleshire, is to do the same. In Elgin, the pious and spirited

inhabitants have raised 1,000 pounds to build a church for the Rev.

Alexander Topp, a young and popular minister; and they will also

liberally contribute to his support. So that, in many instances,

churches will be built, and ministers be provided for, solely by private

munificence and local exertion, without requiring any aid from the

general fund. The General Assembly of the Establishment is now sitting

in Edinburgh, but its proceedings excite little interest. The General

Assembly of the Free Church, which the people recognise as the Church of

Scotland, is also sitting in Edinburgh, and its proceedings excite an

intensity of interest hitherto unparalleled in the ecclesiastical history

of Scotland."

About this time there arose an objectionable class of men, who tried to

ape the gentleman, but could not, and they went by the generic term of

"Gents." _Punch_ was death upon them, and I give one of the satirist's

onslaughts, as it reproduces the costumes and amusements of the day.

First let us see the "Gent" pictorially, and then, afterwards, read what

manner of animal he was.

[Picture: Punch, vol. IV., p. 142]

AN ACT

_For amending the Public Deportment of certain individuals called_

"_Gents_," _abiding in London and other places_.

WHEREAS it having been represented that there are, at present

existing in the Metropolis, as well as in the provincial districts,

certain individuals known and spoken of as "Gents," whose bearing and

manners are perfectly at variance with the characters, which, from a

monomania, they appear desirous of assuming:

AND WHEREAS, in consequence of cheap clothes, imitative dispositions,

and intellectual poverty, this class is greatly on the increase, it

has been thought necessary that this Act should be framed to control

their vicious habits:

May it, therefore, please your Majesty, that it be enacted: AND BE IT

ENACTED henceforth, that all Gents, not actually in the employ of the

_Morning Post_, or Mr. Simpson, of the "Albion," be prevented from

wearing white cravats at parties, the same being evidently an attempt

of sixth-rate individuals to ape the manners of first-class circles.

And that no Gent, who does not actually keep a horse, and is not in

the Army, be allowed to strut up and down the Burlington Arcade, with

a whip and moustachios, such imposition being exceedingly offensive,

and amounting to a passive swindling of the spectators.

AND BE IT ENACTED, that all such things as light-blue stocks, large

figured shawls, cheap primrose gloves, white Chesterfield coal sacks,

half-guinea Albert boots; in fact, all those articles ticketed in the

shop windows as "Gent's last style," be considered the distinctive

marks of the class, and condemned accordingly. And that every

individual, moreover, smoking outside an omnibus, sticking large pins

in his cravat, wearing fierce studs in his shirt, walking with others

four abreast in Regent Street, reading slang publications, and

adopting their language, playing billiards in public rooms, sporting

dingy white gloves in the slips of the theatres, frequenting night

taverns, and being on terms of familiarity with the singers and

waiters, thinking great things of champagne, as if everything at a

party depended upon it; and, especially, wearing the hat on one side,

be the signs of most unmitigated Gents, and shunned equally with

hydrophobia.

AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED that no Gent be, in future, allowed to

cross a hired horse with a view to ten shillings worth of Sunday

display in the Parks, the turnout being always detected; nor shall be

permitted to drive a gig, in a fierce scarf, under similar

circumstances. Nor shall any Gent imagine that an acquaintance with

all the questionable resorts of London is "knowing life"; or that

trousers of large check pattern are anything but exceeding Gentish.

SAVING ALWAYS that the Gents have not the sense to endeavour

bettering their condition, which is exceedingly probable; under which

circumstances they had better remain as they are, in ignorance of

their melancholy position. But, on the other hand, it is commanded

that people of common intellect, henceforth cease to designate any of

their male friends as "Gents," the word being one of exceedingly bad

style, and equally objectionable with "genteel," which is, possibly,

derived from it. And that if, after this, anyone speaks of a "Gent,"

or "Party" he knows, it is ordered that such speaker be immediately

set down as one of the unfortunate class in question.

The Shakspere autograph which was sold on 24 May, 1841, came again into

the market, and was bought on 19 May, for 145 pounds, by the Corporation

of the City of London. The _Patres Conscripti_ of the Common Council

were not of one mind as to the eligibility of the purchase. On the

motion "that the Court agree to the report, and that the Chamberlain be

instructed to pay the sum," Mr. Warton rose to move, as an amendment,

that the report should lie upon the table. (A laugh, and loud cries of

"Hear, hear.") He had, he said, done all he could in the Committee, to

prevail upon the members that the purchase of the autograph was a most

wasteful and prodigal expenditure. ("Hear, hear," and "No, no.") The

precedent was a most mischievous one. If the Court sanctioned such a

proceeding as that which the report had described, by and by the

autographs of archbishops and bishops, and other individuals who had, in

times long past, distinguished themselves, would supply apologies for

wasting the City cash, in order to gratify gentlemen who were afflicted

with that description of mania. (Laughter.) He hoped the Court would

not catch the infection, but second his rational effort to check it, by

condemning the report to its proper station on the table. After all, the

document was doubtful; but there was no doubt at all as to the profligacy

of the expenditure. (Laughter, and cries of "Hear, hear," and "No, no.")

Mr. Knott said it was quite ridiculous to think for a moment, of voting

145 pounds for a few doubtful, illegible, almost obliterated scratches of

a pen. (Laughter, and cries of "Hear, hear.") He defied any man on

earth to say what those scratches represented. On a division there were,

for the motion 41; for the amendment 31.

CHAPTER XXI.

Exhibition of cartoons--A duel--A monster--Gambling--The "Albert

Hat"--Nelson's statue--Fun thereon--Soldiers' savings banks--A post boy

and Lord Mayor's show--M. Jullien and his orchestra--Prince Albert as a

farmer--George IV.'s Statue--Ojibbeway Indians.

The public exhibition of Cartoons for the frescoes for the new Palace of

Westminster, took place in Westminster Hall, on 3 July. There were 140

subjects altogether, varying in size from 15ft. to 10ft. square, none

being admitted over, or under those standards. Prizes of 300 pounds each

were awarded to Armitage, Watts and Cope; of 200 pounds to Calcott, Bell

and Townsend; of 100 pounds to Frost, Harris, Selous, Bridges and Severn;

the judges being the Marquis of Lansdowne, Sir R. Peel and Messrs. S.

Rogers, Westmacott, Cook and Etty. The Cartoons remained in Westminster

Hall for 6 months; and, in Nov. were removed to the Suffolk Street

Gallery. They were finally adjudicated upon by the Royal Commission of

Fine Arts, on 12 July, 1844, the successful artists chosen to execute

frescoes were Cope, Horsley, Dyce, Maclise, Redgrave, and Cave Thomas.

The practice of duelling was fast dying out, and I give the following

case as being nearly one of the last, and one in which the seconds and

surgeon were tried for being accessory to murder. Two

brothers-in-law--Lt.-Col. Fawcett of the 55th Regiment and Lt. Munro of

the Royal Horse Guards--quarrelled, and on the morning of the 1st July

fought a duel with pistols in a field at the back of the "Brecknock Arms

Tavern," in Camden Road. Lt.-Col. Fawcett fell, mortally wounded, and

died on the 3rd July. The Coroner's jury found Lt. Munro, and the two

seconds, guilty of wilful murder, and the surgeon as guilty in the second

degree only, as it was believed he was present only as medical attendant.

Lieut. Munro and his second got out of the way, but Lt-Col. Fawcett's

second and the surgeon were tried at the Central Criminal Court on 25

Aug. No evidence was tendered against the surgeon, and he was at once

discharged, and the jury found the second "Not Guilty." Lt. Munro's

second surrendered himself, was tried on 14 Feb., 1844, and acquitted.

Lieut. Munro was cashiered from the Army for being absent without leave;

he afterwards surrendered, and was tried, 18 Aug., 1847, found guilty,

and sentenced to death; which sentence was commuted to 12 months'

imprisonment in Newgate.

The _Times_ of 30 June, quoting the _Reading Mercury_, has the following:

"A MONSTER.--A day or two since, a gentleman travelling along the road

near Colnbrook, had his attention attracted to the screams of a child in

the care of a tramping woman, who had with her, two other children

totally blind. The cries of the child were so distressing, that he

insisted on knowing the cause; but; not getting a satisfactory answer, he

forcibly removed a bandage from its eyes, when, horrid to relate, he

found these encased with two small perforated shells, in which were two

live black beetles, for the purpose of destroying the sight. The woman

was instantly seized, and given into custody; and, at the magistrate's

meeting, at Eton, on Wednesday last, committed for trial. There is too

much reason to fear that the wretch produced the blindness of the other

two children, by similar means." This was rendered into a street ballad.

A correspondent pointed out that it was well known to all who pass

through the parish of St. James's, at night, that the district absolutely

swarmed with gaming houses; there was, in fact, no concealment about the

matter, as the keepers vied with each other in illuminating their doors

and windows to attract the notice of their victims. How was it that this

disgrace was permitted to exist from season to season? The police seemed

satisfied with the occasional conviction of one or more minor delinquents

from the neighbourhood of Leicester Square, but the Leviathans in crime

were allowed to continue their nightly course of profligacy and plunder

with impunity. The French authorities, by a law which was strictly

enforced, entirely swept away this nuisance from their capital,

notoriously, for years, the very hotbed of the vice of gaming; but we

were lamentably behind our neighbours; for, while we boasted of a Court

pure in morals, and strict in the performance of every religious duty, we

allowed the Sabbath to be desecrated, and the Palace of the Sovereign to

be contaminated by the close vicinage of houses expressly open for the

practice of this demoralising habit.--Are we much better now?

At the latter end of October, a new headdress for the infantry was

proposed, and Prince Albert was universally credited as being its

godfather--but public opinion was so unequivocally expressed against it,

that it was never likely to be popular. It was neither soldier-like, nor

appropriate, and bore a strong resemblance to the old Hessian cap, which

was introduced into the German service. This headgear was covered with

black cloth, the crown and brim being of black-varnished leather; the

band was of white worsted, as was the tuft, which was placed on a ball of

red worsted. Beneath this ball was a royal crown, underneath which was a

Maltese cross, in the centre of which was inscribed the number of the

regiment.

_Punch_ was especially severe upon the Albert hat--and with the pictorial

satire of "Prince Albert's Studio" (by the way the hat is in no ways

exaggerated), is the following: "Ever since the accession of Prince

Albert to the Royal Husband-ship of these realms, he has devoted the

energies of his mind, and the ingenuity of his hands to the manufacture

of Infantry caps, Cavalry trousers, and Regulation sabretaches. One of

his first measures was to transmogrify the pantaloons of the Eleventh

Hussars; and, as the regiment alluded to is "Prince Albert's Own," His

Royal Highness may do as he likes with his own, and no one can complain

of his bedizening the legs of the unfortunate Eleventh, with scarlet

cloth and gold door leather. When, however, the Prince, throwing the

whole of his energies into a hat, proposed to encase the heads of the

British soldiery in a machine which seemed a decided cross between a

muff, a coal scuttle and a slop pail, then _Punch_ was compelled to

interfere, for the honour of the British Army. The result has been that

the headgear has been summarily withdrawn, by an order from the War

Office, and the manufacture of more of the Albert hat has been absolutely

prohibited.

[Picture: Prince Albert's Studio. Punch, vol. V., p. 179]

"Greatness of mind is shown in various ways by different individuals.

Hannibal was a great cutter out, for he cut a passage through the Alps;

but Prince Albert cuts out Hannibal, inasmuch as His Royal Highness

devotes his talent to the cutting out of coats, and 'things

inexpressible.' The Prince's studio could not fail to be an object of

interest to the readers of _Punch_. We have, therefore, at an enormous

sacrifice of time and specie, obtained a view of it."

[Picture: Nelson's Statue]

On the morning of Nov. 3, at 4 a.m., the raising of a portion of the

colossal statue of Nelson, on the pillar in Trafalgar Square, commenced.

This figure is 17 feet high from its base to the top of the hat, and is

made of stone from the Granton quarry, belonging to the Duke of

Buccleugh. It weighs nearly 18 tons, and, needless to say, is made in

segments. These were put together before it was raised, to show the

public--and during the two days it was on view, it was visited by 100,000

persons.

The building this column had seemed slow, but that was nothing compared

to its completion; the bas reliefs were long in being placed, and it was

not till 31 Jan., 1867, that Landseer's four couchant lions were exposed

to public gaze. Of the progress of its building, _Punch_ (25 Nov., 1843)

has some very fine fooling.

"THE NELSON COLUMN DRAMA.

The earliest announcement of the late Covent Garden management, was a

piece entitled 'Trafalgar Square, or the Nelson Monument.' We have

obtained the following slight information respecting it. The drama is

described as 'a grand architectural and historical burletta,' in two

acts; and the prologue was to have been spoken by Mr. Widdicomb, as

_Time_. The two acts comprise the commencement and completion, and a

lapse of twenty years is supposed to take place between them, in which

time 'the boy,' who is the principal character, becomes a middle-aged

man. The following speech is very fine. The boy enquires of the mason

when the column will be finished, who replies, in an interval of the

steak banquet, which they are enjoying together:

_Mason_.--I've asked that fearful question of the stars,

Who wink responding--of the Board of Works,

Whose works have bored us--of the misty moon,

Towards whose lodgings, after years of toil,

We rise no nearer. All were still, but now,

Whilst gazing on that steak of beef,

Sent up to form our capital repast,

And cheer us in our lonely solitude,

I hope the best--the best can hope no more.

'Twill rise, like College honours, by degrees,

And to our limbs a pillar be, of ease:

Our hearts are warm--although upon the frieze.

The following duet is also introduced by the man and the boy in the

second act:

BOY.

I remember, I remember,

When I was a little boy,

On the column, in November,

I was given some employ.

I helped the man to build it,

And we labour'd hard and long,

But the granite came up slowly,

For we were not very strong.

I remember, I remember,

How we raised its form on high,

With one block in December,

And another in July.

BOTH.

We remember, we remember,

When St. Martin's bells were rung,

In the laying of the first stone, for

We both were very young.

But weary years have past, now,

Since we our work begun;

We fear we shall not last now,

To see our labour done.

We remember, we remember,

But we heard it on the sly,

'Twon't be finished next November,

Nor the subsequent July."

Very early in November, a War Office circular (dated 31 Oct.) was issued,

to regulate and establish regimental savings banks, which have done so

much to encourage thrift among our soldiers. The maximum of each

soldier's deposit was limited to 30 pounds in any one year, and to 200

pounds in the whole. The rate of interest on deposits was fixed at 3

pounds 15 s. per cent per annum, but no interest was to be allowed upon

less than 6s. 8d. and 13s. 4d., nor upon any sums that had not remained

on deposit for at least one month, to be reckoned from the last monthly

muster day.

In the _Times_ of 10 Nov. is the following: "A rather amusing scene took

place in Cheapside, yesterday, shortly before the Lord Mayor's procession

to Westminster. Whilst the streets were blocked up against the passage

of vehicles and horses, one of those sharp little urchins, known by the

generic title of the 'twopenny cavalry,' who rattle through the streets

with Her Majesty's suburban mails, was stopped, opposite Bow Church, by a

party of police, who told him they acted under the orders of the Lord

Mayor. The post-boy, with all the dignity of Her Majesty's

representative, assuming an air of great condescension, assured the

police that he had the highest possible respect for the Lord Mayor, but,

being express upon Her Majesty's business, he was determined to proceed.

The police persisted in stopping him, a crowd collected, and it was clear

their sympathies sided with the post-boy, who carried himself, throughout

the controversy, with great courage, calmness, and self-possession. The

police had, by this time, seized the bridle, whilst the boy endeavoured

to force his way forward, backed by the strenuous exertions of his steed,

who also appeared as if inspired by the authority of a Royal Commission.

The post-boy, finding physical force insufficient, tried what authority

would do, and threatened them with the vengeance of the Home Secretary,

for attempting to stop Her Majesty's mails. This had the desired effect

of bringing the police to a parley; and, as the post-boy was backed by

popular applause, he gained momentarily in the discussion, but did not

complete his advantage until he took out a memorandum book, and began,

coolly, to note down the numbers of the constables. This stroke was

decisive; they, at once, capitulated, merely stipulating that they should

have his address in return. To this, he readily assented, and searched

diligently for his cardcase, but that mark of gentility was not at hand.

He, however, made a page from his memorandum book serve his purpose, and

took his leave amid the loud congratulations of the applauding crowd,

with the following pithy address to the constables: 'I can't well see

what use you are. A hundred years ago there were no police, and Lord

Mayor's shows went off better than they do now. For my part, I can't see

what you do here at all, for you know'--he added with a significant

grin--'you know you don't look so very well in a procession.' Shouts of

laughter followed the post-boy's brief speech, as he rode on

triumphantly."

It was about this time that M. Louis Antoine Jullien, to whom we owe so

much for the popularisation of good music, and for the improvement of our

orchestras, came into notoriety as a caterer for the public's amusement,

and for his promenade concerts. These had been popular in the open air

at Vauxhall, Ranelagh, Marylebone, and other public gardens; but the

first, under cover, was given in 1838 at the Lyceum Theatre, or, as it

was then called, The English Opera House, when the pit was boarded over,

and an orchestra erected on the stage exactly as we are now so familiar

with. Jullien, in 1838, had been unlucky in Paris, was bankrupt, and

came to London, where, in 1840, he was assistant to Eliason, the

violinist and conductor of an orchestra of 100 performers, and a small

chorus. Next year Jullien was the conductor; and, in 1842, on 2 Dec., he

started for himself, at the English Opera House, the series of promenade

concerts with which his name will always be associated.

He always would have the very best musicians that he could find for his

orchestra, and in this year (1843) among them were Barrett, Baumann,

Harper, Koenig, Richardson, Hill, Lazarus, Patey, Howell and Jarrett, and

in after years he had such, soloists as Ernst, Sivori, Bottesini

Wieniawski and Sainton. In 1857 he came, financially, to grief; he then

went to Paris, was imprisoned for debt in Clichy, in 1859, and died in a

lunatic asylum on 14 March, 1860.

[Picture: M. Jullien. Ill. Lon. News, 25 Nov. 1843, p. 348]

In his later years he became much stouter than he is here represented,

and, as a conductor, posed a great deal too much. Those of my readers

who recollect him will acknowledge the truth of the following description

of him, when conducting his British Army Quadrilles, taken from his

biography in _Grove's History of Music and Musicians_: "With coat thrown

widely open, white waistcoat, elaborately embroidered shirt front,

wristbands of extravagant length, turned back over his cuffs, a wealth of

black hair, and a black moustache--itself a striking novelty--he wielded

his baton, encouraged his forces, repressed the turbulence of his

audience with indescribable gravity and magnificence, went through all

the pantomime of the British Army or Navy Quadrilles, seized a violin or

a piccolo at the moment of climax, and, at last, sunk exhausted into his

gorgeous velvet chair. All pieces of Beethoven's were conducted with a

jewelled baton, and in a pair of clean kid gloves, handed him, at the

moment, on a silver salver."

[Picture: Prince Albert, the British Farmer]

Prince Albert took a great interest in Agriculture, and his Flemish Farm

at Windsor was a model; but it was hard to make the average Englishman

believe that a foreigner could ever do any good as a Farmer, and John

Leech drew a fancy portrait of the prince in _Punch_, 25 Nov., where it

illustrates a portion of a speech of Sir Robert Peel at Tamworth: "Prince

Albert has turned his attention to the promotion of agriculture; and, if

you have seen, as most probably you have, an account of the sale of

Prince Albert's stock, and the price they fetched, I have not the

slightest doubt you will give one cheer more to Prince Albert, as a

British Farmer."

In the beginning of December the bronze equestrian statue of George IV.

was set up on a pedestal at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square.

It is the work of Chantrey, and was intended to be mounted on the Marble

Arch, which was, originally, the gateway to Buckingham Palace, until its

removal to Cumberland Gate, Hyde Park, in 1851.

In the very early part of December, some of Her Majesty's subjects,

Canadian Indians, from the north-eastern shores of Lake Huron, came to

visit England. They were of the Ojibbeway tribe, and were nine in

number, two old chiefs, four warriors, two women, and a little girl, 10

years old. On the 20 Dec. they were presented to the Queen at Windsor,

and received from Her Majesty a cheque for 20 pounds, and a quantity of

gorgeous plaid, with which to astonish the other natives, on their

return. They afterwards exhibited themselves, danced war dances, etc.,

at the Egyptian Hall, at an admission fee of half-a-crown.

CHAPTER XXII.

A child for sale--Trial, &c, of Daniel O'Connell--General Tom Thumb--His

visit to the Queen--The Polka--How to dance it--"Jullien's Grand Polka."

The _Times_ of 19 Jan. copies the following from the _Worcester

Chronicle_: "A CHILD FOR SALE.--The following extraordinary letter was

received, a short time ago, by a gentleman in the neighbourhood of

Tewkesbury, from a person residing here. The letter is dated from a

certain court in this town, but we omit the precise locality, and the

writer's name, hoping that, without pursuing the exposure to that extent,

it will be sufficient to teach him that natural affection is not to be

made a matter of bargain and sale, and that it is the duty of a parent

himself to cherish the child which he has been the means of bringing into

the world:--'Sir,--Having heard that you expressed a wish to have a child

and did not mind giving a sum of money as an inducement i flatter myself

that I have it in my power to furnish you with one to answer your purpose

in every respect it is a boy 2 years old a good looking healthy spirited

child and sound in wind and limb and that you can rair him up to suit

your inclination you can send word by the bearer and appoint any time to

inspect the child.'"

With every wish, in this book of Gossip, to steer as clear of politics as

possible, yet it would belie its name were the famous trial of Daniel

O'Connell not to be mentioned. "Repeal of the Union" was his watchword

and perpetual cry, and with it he stirred up the Irish people to a pitch

when he found it difficult to manage and restrain them. On 16 March,

1843, was held at Trim the first of great public meetings which he

designed, but did not carry out; and on 15 Aug. was a monster meeting on

the Hill of Tara; but the one to be held at Clontarf on 8 Oct. was to

have eclipsed its predecessors. But this was forbidden by the

Government, and, a week later, warrants were issued for the arrest of

O'Connell, his son John, and his chief colleagues, on a charge of

conspiring to create discontent and disaffection among the liege subjects

of the Queen, and with contriving, "by means of intimidation, and the

demonstration of great physical force, to procure and effect changes to

be made in the government, laws, and constitution of this realm."

O'Connell was allowed bail, but on 8 Nov. a true bill was found by the

jury, yet the trial did not take place till the 15th Jan. of this year.

On the 12th Feb., the jury returned a verdict of guilty of unlawful and

seditious conspiracy, but judgment was not delivered till 30 May, when he

was sentenced to imprisonment for twelve months, a fine of 2,000 pounds,

and to find surety to keep the peace for seven years. He had to go to

prison, where he was well treated and allowed to see his friends; his

sentence was appealed against, and reversed in the House of Lords, on 4

Sep., 1844, when he was instantly liberated.

[Picture: Repeal button]

During all this time there was great excitement, people wearing Repeal

buttons, one of which is here delineated, and other emblems, while the

uncrowned King of Ireland was presented, at Mullaghmast, with a velvet

cap surmounted with shamrocks, and having a green tassel; the cap, in

fact, with which readers of _Punch_ are so familiar.

Of course, his release from prison was an occasion to be made the most

of. An amphitheatrical triumphal car was provided, and, upon it, were

mounted O'Connell, his son, and the Rev. Dr. Miley, and this gimcrack

piece of property was drawn by six horses ridden by postillions. The

following is an account by an eye witness:

"The ovation commenced at two o'clock. First came the trades of

Dublin, each preceded by the banner of its body, and a band playing

such music as only temperance bands can play, and, generally, with

much discrimination, selecting rather difficult pieces for their

performance, and eschewing all national airs. The banners were

usually displayed from coaches, intended to hold four, but contriving

to allow from sixteen to eighteen to fit into, and hang on by them.

Thus they came on: Bricklayers (with a painting of the Bank of

Ireland, and the superscription of 'Our Old House at Home'); slaters,

woollen operatives (in a small open car); nailors (with a picture of

Brian Boroihme 'nailing' the Danes at Clontarf); coach makers,

tailors (with a very gorgeous equipage, six horses, postillions and

outriders); tinplate workers, displaying as their sign, a man with a

tin helmet on his head, and a dish cover of the same metal on his

arm--otherwise unassumingly attired in a blue coat and white

trousers; and other bodies of tradesmen too numerous to mention, with

their appropriate emblems and banners.

[Picture: O'Connell's Cap]

"Next came a number of Repeal wardens, bearing wands, and occupying

respectable-looking coaches and carriages. After them drove the

committee of the political trades' unions; the members of it attired

in green sashes and scarves, and bearing wands with green flags in

their hands. Next in order were the various members of the

Corporation, aldermen, town councillors, and officers, dressed in

their robes of office and cocked hats, glittering with chains, and

furred from head to foot. The majority of these gentlemen were in

their own carriages, into each of which were packed as many of the

owner's friends as could find standing room, several private vehicles

being mixed up through the order of procession. Then came the

private carriages of the Lord Mayor, who was in full dress; and then,

preceded by a confused mass of wand bearers, the triumphal chariot

itself, surrounded by a mob so dense that it was with great

difficulty that the six splendid dappled greys could force the

cumbrous vehicle along, which, every instant, seemed to become a

second Car of Juggernaut, and crush some of its adorers. More

vehicles, a few horsemen, multitudes of hack cars and pedestrians, a

tail of old women and little boys, followed; and so the monster

procession, after winding its slow length along through the greater

part of Dublin, and causing a total cessation of business in the line

of its progress, terminated."

In February appeared, in London, at the Princess's Theatre, "General Tom

Thumb," the most popular of modern dwarfs--thanks to the advertising

qualities of his exhibitor, P. T. Barnum. The real name of this mite was

Charles S. Stratton, and he was said to have been born on 11 Jan., 1832,

but this, as with all data connected with him, must be accepted with

caution. It was said of him, that, at his birth, he weighed 9 lbs. 2

oz., somewhat more than the average weight of a newly born infant. At

about 5 months old, he weighed 15 lbs., and measured 25 inches in height;

since which time he never increased in stature; and, at the time of his

arrival in England, he weighed but 15 lbs. 2 oz. He had, previously,

been exhibited in New York and the principal cities of America, where his

miniature palace, furniture and equipage excited considerable curiosity.

When he embarked from New York for England, he was escorted to the packet

by not less than 10,000 persons.

On 1 April, he appeared, by command, before Her Majesty at Buckingham

Palace, when the Queen presented him, _with her own hand_, with "a superb

souvenir, of the most exquisite handicraft, manufactured of mother of

pearl, and mounted with gold and precious stones. On one side are the

crown and Royal initials, V.R., and, on the reverse, bouquets of flowers

in enamel and rubies. In addition to this splendid gift, Her Majesty

subsequently presented the General with a beautiful gold pencil case,

with the initials of Tom Thumb, and his coat of arms, engraved on the

emerald surmounting the case."

[Picture: Tom Thumb. Ill. Lon. News, 24 Feb., 1844, p. 124]

Anent this, _Punch_ is exceedingly satirical: "Her Majesty has again

commanded 'the performances of _Tom Thumb_, the Yankee Dwarf.' This,

indeed, was to have been expected. We have only to reflect upon the

countless acts of patronage towards the Arts and Sciences--had only to

remember a few of the numerous personal condescensions of the Queen

towards men of letters, artists and philosophers--to be assured that even

TOM THUMB would be welcomed with that graceful cordiality which has,

heretofore, made Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle the homes of Poetry

and Science. _De minimis curat Regina_! Continental monarchs stop short

in their Royal favours at full-grown authors and artists; but the

enthusiasm of Her Majesty QUEEN VICTORIA, not content with showering all

sorts of favours and rewards upon the literary and artistic spirits of

her own country and age, lavishes, with prodigal hand, most delicate

honours upon an American TOM THUMB, whose astounding genius it is, to

measure, in his boots, five-and-twenty inches! To this, how small is

VICTOR HUGO at the Tuileries; to this, how mean and petty Gothe at the

Court of Saxe-Weimar!

* * * * *

"TOM THUMB being--according to the biography published by his showman,

BARNUM--the son of a Yankee carpenter, we should much like to know the

General's arms. Did Her Majesty, before the 'performance,' send to learn

them, that they might be duly engraved? or were they, as MATHEW'S French

Shoemaker made his little boot, struck off in 'a moment of enthusiasm'?"

About this time came to us "that sweet boon," THE POLKA. Originally a

Bohemian Peasant dance, it was imported into fashionable saloons of

Berlin and St. Petersburg. It was, at this time, the rage in Paris, as

the _Times_ observes: "The Paris papers are destitute of news. Our

private letters state that 'politics are, for the moment, suspended in

public regard, by the new and all-absorbing pursuit--the Polka--a dance

recently imported from Bohemia, and which embraces in its qualities the

intimacy of the waltz, with the vivacity of the Irish jig. You may

conceive how completely is 'the Polka' the rage, from the fact that the

lady of a celebrated ex-minister, desiring to figure in it at a _soiree

dansante_, monopolised the professor, _par excellence_, of that

_specialite_ for three hours, on Wednesday morning last, at 200 francs

the hour.'"

On its first importation into England, it was used as a _ballet_, on the

stage, with very fancy Bohemian costume, as we may see in the three

following illustrations of Mdlle. Carlotta Grisi and M. Perrot, dancing

their idea of it at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1844.

[Picture: The Polka.--Figure 2. Ill. Lon. News, 27 April, 1844, p. 301]

But it soon became a Drawing-room dance, and it is edifying to know

exactly how it was danced then. It was found too elaborate, and the

number of steps had to be reduced in quantity, and curtailed in quality.

But this is the dance as given in the _Illustrated London News_ of 11

May:

"THE DRAWING-ROOM POLKA.

We are much gratified in being enabled to lay before our readers an

accurate description of the _veritable_, or _Drawing-room Polka_, as

danced at Almack's, and at the halls of the nobility and gentry of this

country.

_La Polka_ having appeared amongst us under so many different guises, we

determined to spare no pains to procure a true description of its

_danse_; for which we are indebted to Mrs. James Rae, who has been

fortunate enough to secure the details from M. Coralli, fils, the

instructor of the young noblemen and gentry in Paris.

_La Polka_, like its predecessors, the waltz and galop, is a _danse a

deux_, couples following each other in the _salle de danse_, commencing

at pleasure, and adopting, of the following figures, that which pleases

them most at the moment. All those anxious to shine in _La Polka_, will

dance the whole of them, returning from time to time, by way of rest, to

the first figure.

_The measure_, or time, is 2-4; but, to facilitate our definition, we

subdivide each measure, or bar, into one--two--three--four; the accent on

the two, etc., to be played not so fast as the galop.

_The steps_ are two, and the following description may, in some measure,

convey them to our readers; we commence with the first, and most general.

At the one, hop on the right leg, lifting, or doubling up your left leg

at the same moment; at the two, put your left leg boldly forward on the

ground; at the three, bring your right toe up to your left heel; at the

four, advance your left foot a short step forward: now, at the one, in

the next measure, or bar of the time, hop on the left leg, doubling, or

lifting up your right leg, and so on, proceeding in this step, with your

arm encircling your partner's waist, round the room. This may be termed

the first figure.

Figure 2.--Still adopting the same step, with your right arm round your

partner's waist, and her right hand in your left, you place your lady

exactly before you, and back all round the room, your lady pursuing you

(as shown in the sketch); you then reverse this figure, and let your

partner do the back step, whilst you pursue her, and, at the same time,

carefully guide her round the room.

[Picture: The Drawing-room Polka.--Figure 2. Ill. Lon. News, 11 May,

1844, p. 301]

In backing, the leg which in figure one, you put boldly forward on the

ground, you now fling boldly backward, and are thus enabled to effect

your progress round the room.

Figure 3.--With the same step you waltz round the room--in other words,

you perform the Galop waltz, substituting the Polka step as described.

Figure 4.--This is also a waltz with the second step, which we will now

describe as "the Heel and Toe step." At the one, make a little hop on

your right leg, dropping your left heel close to your right foot; at the

two, another little hop on the right leg, pointing your left toe (not

forward, but as close to your right foot as possible); at the tree,

another little hop on the right leg, advancing one step forward with the

left foot; at the four, bring up the right foot, turning at the same

instant, and passing your partner over to your left arm from your right

arm; in your next measure, return your lady to your left arm, and so on.

[Picture: The Drawing-room Polka.--Figure 5]

Figure 5.--This is termed the back waltz. The step adopted in it by

yourself and partner, is the back step described in figure two, and you

turn in this waltz exactly the contrary way to that in which you turn in

all other waltzes--hence its name.

In _La Polka_, before commencing the figures we have just described,

there is a short introduction (of which we give a sketch), consisting of

four measures, danced thus; leading your partner from her seat, and

giving her her place in the circle, and placing themselves _vis-a-vis_,

you take her left hand in your right, and make the first step four

times--first forward, then backward, forward again, and then backward,

taking care to gain ground in the forward steps; you then start with the

first figure.

[Picture: The Drawing-room Polka.--Introduction]

There was a furore about the Polka; not only in dancing it, but there was

an absolute mania for naming articles of dress after it. Ladies wore

Polka hats, Polka jackets and Polka boots, and men had Polka ties.

Jullien published a new Polka about every fortnight, and the whole people

were Polka mad. Here is a street ballad on the subject:

"JULLIEN'S GRAND POLKA.

Oh! sure the world is all run mad,

The lean, the fat, the gay, the sad--

All swear such pleasure they never had,

Till they did learn the Polka.

_Chorus_.

First cock up your right leg--so,

Balance on your left great toe,

Stamp your heels, and off you go

To the Original Polka. Oh!

There's Mrs. Tibbs, the tailor's wife,

With Mother Briggs is sore at strife,

As if the first and last of life

Was but to learn the Polka.

Quadrilles and waltzes all give way,

For Jullien's Polkas bear the sway,

The chimney sweeps, on first of May,

Do, in London, dance the Polka.

If a pretty girl you chance to meet,

With sparkling eyes and rosy cheek,

She'll say, young man, we'll have a treat,

If you can dance the Polka.

A lady who lives in this town,

Went and bought a Polka gown,

And for the same she gave five pound,

All for to dance the Polka.

But, going to the Ball one night,

On the way she got a dreadful fright,

She tumbled down and ruined quite

The gown to dance the Polka.

A Frenchman has arrived from France,

To teach the English how to dance,

And fill his pocket--"what a chance"--

By gammoning the Polka.

Professors swarm in every street,

'Tis ground on barrel organs sweet;

And every friend you chance to meet

Asks, if you dance the Polka.

Then over Fanny Ellsler came,

Brilliant with trans-Atlantic fame;

Says she, I'm German by my name,

So best I know the Polka.

And the row de dow she danced,

And in short clothes and red heels pranced,

And, as she skipped, her red heels glanced

In the Bohemian Polka.

But, now, my song is near its close,

A secret, now, I will disclose,

Don't tell, for it's beneath the rose,

A humbug is the Polka.

Then heigh for humbug France or Spain,

Who brings back our old steps again,

Which John Bull will applaud amain,

Just as he does the Polka."

CHAPTER XXIII.

An English dinner--Consols at par--The "Running Rein" case--Other

frauds--Royal visitors--Opening letters by Government--Duke of

Wellington's Statue--Barry on the Thames--Visit of Louis

Philippe--Guano--Queen opens Royal Exchange--Lord Mayor hissed.

As the length of time between this date, and the present writing is

great, and our social habits have somewhat changed, it may be interesting

to some of my readers to hear a Frenchman's account of an upper-class

dinner. It is taken from the _Constitutionel_, the organ of M. Thiers:

"Madeira wine has been out of fashion, in England, for some time.

Sherry and Port (to which are occasionally added Bordeaux and

Champagne, Rhenish wines and Hermitage) are, now, the only wines to

be seen on the tables of the rich. As for beer (the national drink),

it only makes its appearance at a banquet, for remembrance sake, and

in very small quantity. Port wine is held in especial favour by the

English, because, while it is more impregnated with alcohol than any

other, it is, at the same time the least irritating, and facilitates,

more than all the rest, the important operations of the digestive

organs. In order, however, to be possessed of all the requisite

qualities, it must not only be of the finest growth, or have been

eight or nine years in the cellar, but the regular connoisseurs

insist that it must cross the line several times, in order to be

first-rate. Five or six servants, with powdered wigs, in silk

stockings and knee breeches, hover about the table. The covers are

always changed at every successive course, and there is no fear of

eating off the dirty plate of one's neighbour, or using his knife or

fork, the sideboard being laden with piles of plates and conveniences

of every description. After fish, which always constitutes the first

course, the host invites one of his guests to drink a glass of wine

with him, desiring him to help himself to that which he likes best.

You take that which is offered you. Your host then pours out a glass

for himself, and sends you the bottle by a servant. You fill your

glass, you raise it to your lips with a half bow, and drink as much

of it as you feel inclined. The same ceremony is repeated among the

other guests. It should be mentioned that, if you ask a lady to take

wine, you always fill her glass before your own; but, if you invite a

gentleman so to do, you never fail to help yourself first. This

custom was, formerly, very inconvenient to strangers, it being, then,

absolutely necessary to empty one's glass; at present, you need only

drink a portion, and ladies may satisfy the rules of etiquette by

merely moistening their lips. After fish, come roast meats, boiled

vegetables, and various delicate sauces, with which you make your

_cuisine_ upon your own plate; puddings and game of all sorts follow,

amongst which there is, always, to begin with, one dish, especially

appropriate to the season. It is to the former article of diet

(puddings), that English children are indebted, it is said, for their

excellent health, and their magnificent rosy complexions. The cloth

is at length removed, and the mahogany table shines forth in all its

splendour. Dessert follows, consisting of a few sweetmeats, or

_confitures_, but abounding in fruits from all five parts of the

world, and the produce of all the four seasons, and including superb

pineapples, Portugal grapes, almonds, red nuts of a delicious

flavour, dates, figs, rich juicy oranges, etc., etc. The wine is

brought on in glass decanters, ticketed and placed in silver stands.

These stands glide along the shining table, which is as smooth as

ice, in the midst of silver, or crystal vases filled with fruit, etc.

The host, after helping himself to wine, pushes about the whole

'battery' of decanters, which, going the round of the table, soon

regain their original situation. A quarter of an hour elapses, when

the mistress of the house rises and retires, followed by all the

ladies. It is then that the _seance de vin_ begins. The subject of

conversation soon changes, and political questions are discussed.

The conversation, without getting stormy, acquires that degree of

warmth and animation, which a good dinner, when one is blessed with a

strong head and a good digestion, generally inspires. Hard drinking

has, generally speaking, fallen into desuetude. It is only

foxhunters and country gentlemen who remain faithful, nowadays, to

that ignoble custom. A gentleman who has any self-respect, never so

far forgets himself as to get tipsy, for he would certainly be looked

upon with an evil eye, by the company, if he were to enter the

drawing-room with an indistinct articulation, or with trembling legs.

Dinner is over about half-past nine. The gentlemen then rejoin the

ladies to take tea and coffee, and the conversation turns, as before,

upon the news of the day."

On 8 April, Consols rose to par, or 100 pounds for 100 pounds stock, for

the first time for nearly a century. The last time they were at 100

pounds was in 1749, the year after the peace of Aix la Chapelle; at which

period the public debt was rather more than 78,000,000 pounds. The

highest price the Three per Cents, ever rose to, previously, was in June,

1737, and again, in May, 1739, when they attained the high price of 107

pounds. In September, 1797, they fell to 47.375, which is the lowest

price to which they have ever fallen.

On 23 May, the Derby was won by a horse called _Running Rein_, which was

the occasion of an Action in the Court of Exchequer, on 1 July, before

Baron Alderson. It was alleged that the horse had not been truly

described, that he was not of the age which qualified him to run for the

Derby, and that he ought not, therefore, to be deemed the winner of the

race. Colonel Peel, the owner of Orlando, the second horse, claimed the

stakes, on the ground that Running Rein was not the horse represented;

and Mr. Wood, the owner of Running Rein, brought this action against the

Colonel.

Mr. Cockburn, who conducted the plaintiff's case, gave the pedigree of

Running Rein, and his whole history. Among other things, Mr. Cockburn

mentioned that, in October, 1843, Running Rein won a race at Newmarket;

that he was objected to on the score of age; but, eventually, the

stewards had decided in his favour. The horse was, originally, the

property of Mr. Goodman; and, Mr. Cockburn said, it was because suspicion

attached to some transactions of Goodman, and because certain persons had

betted heavily against Running Rein, that opposition was raised against

Mr. Wood receiving the stakes. He made a severe attack on Lord George

Bentinck, who, he asserted, was the real party in the cause. Witnesses

for the plaintiff described the horse at various periods of its career;

it was of a bay colour, with black legs, and a little white on the

forehead; its heels were cracked, and, in 1842, it broke the skin on one

leg, which left a scar. George Hitchcock, a breaker of colts, employed

to break Running Rein in October, 1842, was cross-examined to this

effect:

"I know George Dockeray, the trainer. I never said to him, 'Damn it,

this colt has been broken before; here is the mark of the pad on his

back.' I showed him the mark, but I never said those words, or any

words to that effect. I don't know why I showed him the mark. It

was not big enough for the mark of a pad, and it was not the place

for the saddle to make it. I told Lord George Bentinck the same.

The mark of the pad never wears out. I recollect being asked, in the

presence of Mr. Smith, what I had there? and I recollect answering, a

four-year-old. I have not the slightest doubt of it. Mr. Smith

struck me for it. I did not say, afterwards, that I had forgotten

all about the horsewhipping, and that the marks of the pad had worn

out. I never said, either, that somebody had behaved very well to

me."

At an early period of the examination of witnesses, Mr. Baron Alderson

expressed a wish that he and the jury should see the horse; and Mr.

Cockburn said he had no objection. On the cross-examination of William

Smith, a training groom residing at Epsom, it came out that the horse had

been smuggled out of the way, that it might not be seen by the

defendant's agents. The judge, animadverting on this, and on the evident

perjury of the witness, said it would be better that the horse should be

seen by him and other parties. The Solicitor-General, who appeared for

the defendant, was anxious that the horse should be seen by veterinary

surgeons. To which the other side objected, maintaining that the mark of

mouth, by which, alone, those surgeons could judge of the age of a horse,

was a fallible criterion.

On the conclusion of the evidence for the plaintiff, the

Solicitor-General, in addressing the jury for the defence, denounced the

case as a gross and scandalous fraud on the part of the plaintiff. The

case for the defendant was, that the horse was not Running Rein at all,

but a colt by Gladiator, out of a dam belonging originally to Sir Charles

Ibbotson; and that it had the name, Running Rein, imposed upon it, being

originally called Maccabeus, and having been entered for certain stakes

under that designation. But his allegations were against Goodman, not

against Mr. Wood; the former had entered into a conspiracy with other

persons to run horses above the proper age. The Gladiator colt had been

entered for races, under the name of Maccabeus, before Goodman purchased

him; and to run these races while the colt was in training for the Derby,

for which he was entered as Running Rein, Goodman hired an Irish horse,

which he disguised as Maccabeus, though a year older than that horse.

The Gladiator colt, the _soi-disant_ Running Rein, when he ran for the

Derby, in 1844, was four years old, the race being for three-year-old

horses. After hearing some evidence in support of these statements, the

case was adjourned till the following day.

The next day, when Mr. Baron Alderson took his seat upon the Bench, a

conversation ensued between Mr. Cockburn and the Judge, respecting the

production of the horse. Mr. Cockburn asserted that it had been taken

away without Mr. Wood's knowledge, and thus it was out of his power to

produce it; he felt it would be vain to strive against the effect which

must be felt by the non-production of the horse, after the remarks of the

learned Judge on that point. After some conversation, however, the case

proceeded, and two witnesses for the defence were examined, whose

evidence went to prove that Running Rein was, in fact, the Gladiator

colt. Mr. George Odell, a horse dealer at Northampton, said he could

swear to that fact; the colt had two marks on one leg.

Mr. Baron Alderson remarked: "Now, if we could see the horse, that would

prove the case. Who keeps him away? It is quite childish to act in this

manner."

Mr. Cockburn now stated that Mr. Wood was convinced that he had been

deceived, and gave up the case.

Mr. Baron Alderson then briefly addressed the jury with much warmth, and

in a most emphatic manner; directing them to find a verdict for the

defendant, observing:

"Since the opening of the case, a most atrocious fraud has proved to have

been practised; and I have seen, with great regret, gentlemen associating

themselves with persons much below themselves in station. If gentlemen

would associate with gentlemen, and race with gentlemen, we should have

no such practices. But, if gentlemen will condescend to race with

blackguards, they must expect to be cheated."

The jury found for the defendant, and the effect of their verdict was,

that the Derby Stakes went to Orlando, and that Crenoline should be

considered the winner of the Two-Year-Old Plate at Newmarket, run the

previous year.

_Punch_, in commenting upon Mr. Baron Alderson's remarks, says: "They"

(the gentlemen) "go among these knaves and swindlers, these low-bred

ruffians, reeking of gin and the stables, _to make money of them_. They

associate with boors and grooms, Jew gambling-house keepers, boxers and

bullies, for money's sake to be sure. What other motive could bring such

dandies into communication with such scoundrels, any more than he would

willingly incur an infection, unless he had some end in view. And the

noble patrons of the Turf _have_ a great end in view--that of money."

This ought to have been sufficient roguery, one would think, for one

race, but it was not. A horse, named Rattan, was so evidently "nobbled,"

that two men connected with it, Rogers and Braham, were warned off all

the Jockey Club's premises.

And yet another case. A horse, named Leander, ran in this race, and so

injured its leg, that it was shot. Shortly afterwards, it was suspected

that it was four, instead of three years old; and, on its being exhumed,

_the lower jaw was missing_. The resurrectionists, however, cut off the

head, and veterinary experts confirmed the previous suspicions. For

this, the owners, Messrs. Lichtwald, were, for ever, disqualified from

racing. This case occupied much time before the Select Committee of the

House of Lords.

The Select Committee on Gaming, in the Commons, in 1844, report that:

"Your Committee have some evidence to show that frauds are, occasionally,

committed in Horse Racing, and in betting on the Turf; but they feel

difficulty in suggesting any remedy for this evil, more stringent, or

more likely to be effectual, than those already in existence."

On June 1, two Royal visitors arrived here, the Emperor of Russia and the

King of Saxony. They had to pay the usual penalty of hard labour for a

week.