account is more generally acredited. The Prince of Wales joined
Brookes's Club, to have more frequent intercourse with Mr. Fox, one of
its earliest members, and who, on his first acquaintance with
Sheridan, became anxious for his admission to the Club. Sheridan was
three times proposed, but as often had the black ball in the ballot,
which disqualified him. At length, the hostile ball was traced to
George Selwyn, who objected, because his (Sheridan's) father had been
upon the stage. Sheridan was apprised of this, and desired that his
name might be put up again, and that the further conduct of the matter
might be left to himself. Accordingly, on the evening when he was to
be balloted for, Sheridan arrived at Brookes's arm-in-arm with the
Prince of Wales, just ten minutes before the balloting began. They
were shown into the candidates' waiting-room, when one of the
club-waiters was ordered to tell Mr. Selwyn that the Prince desired to
speak with him immediately. Selwyn obeyed the summons, and Sheridan,
to whom this version of the affair states, Sheridan had no personal
dislike, entertained him for half-an-hour with some political story,
which interested him very much, but had no foundation in truth. During
Selwyn's absence, the balloting went on, and Sheridan was chosen; and
the result was announced to himself and the Prince by the waiter,
with the preconcerted signal of stroking his chin with his hand.
Sheridan immediately rose from his seat, and apologizing for a few
minutes' absence, told Selwyn that "the Prince would finish the
narrative, the catastrophe of which he would find very remarkable."
Sheridan now went upstairs, was introduced to the Club, and was soon
in all his glory. The Prince, in the meantime, had not the least idea
of being left to conclude a story, the thread of which (if it had a
thread) he had entirely forgotten. Still, by means of Selwyn's
occasional assistance, the Prince got on pretty well for a few
minutes, when a question from the listener as to the flat
contradiction of a part of His Royal Highness' story to that of
Sheridan, completely posed the narrator, and he stuck fast. After much
floundering, the Prince burst into a loud laugh, saying, "D--n the
fellow, to leave me to finish the infernal story, of which I know as
much as a child unborn! But, never mind, Selwyn; as Sheridan does not
seem inclined to come back, let me go upstairs, and I dare say Fox or
some of them will be able to tell you all about it." They adjourned to
the club room, and Selwyn now detected the manoeuvre. Sheridan then
rose, made a low bow, and apologized to Selwyn, through his dropping
into such good company, adding, "They have just been making me a
member without even _one black ball_, and here I am." "The devil they
have!" exclaimed Selwyn.--"Facts speak for themselves," said Sheridan;
"and I thank you for your friendly suffrage; and now, if you will sit
down by us, I will finish my story."--"Your story! it is all a lie
from beginning to end," exclaimed Selwyn, amidst loud laughter from
all parts of the room.
Among the members who indulged in high play was Alderman Combe, who
is said to have made as much money in this way as he did by brewing.
One evening, whilst he filled the office of Lord Mayor, he was busy at
a full hazard-table at Brookes's, where the wit and the dice-box
circulated together with great glee, and where Beau Brummell was one
of the party. "Come, Mashtub," said Brummell, who was the _caster_,
"what do you _set_?"--"Twenty-five guineas," answered the
Alderman.--"Well, then," returned the Beau, "have at the mare's pony"
(25 guineas). He continued to throw until he drove home the brewer's
twelve ponies, running; and then, getting up, and making him a low
bow, whilst pocketing the cash, he said, "Thank you, alderman; for the
future, I shall never drink any porter but yours."--"I wish, Sir,"
replied the brewer, "that every other blackguard in London would tell
me the same."
FOOTNOTES:
[8] _Quarterly Review_, 1840.
"FIGHTING FITZGERALD"
AT BROOKES'S.
This notorious person, George Robert Fitzgerald, though nearly related
to one of the first families in Ireland (Leinster), was executed in
1786, for a murder which he had coolly premeditated, and had
perpetrated in a most cruel and cowardly manner.
His duelling propensities had kept him out of all the first Clubs in
London. He once applied to Admiral Keith Stewart to propose him as a
candidate for Brookes's; when the Admiral, knowing that he must either
fight or comply with his request, chose the latter. Accordingly, on
the night when the ballot was to take place (which was only a mere
form in this case, for even Keith Stewart had resolved to _black-ball_
him), the duellist accompanied the Admiral to St. James's-street, and
waited in the room below, while the ballot was taken. This was soon
done; for, without hesitation, each member threw in a _black ball_;
and when the scrutiny came, the company were not a little amazed to
find not even _one_ white ball among the number. However, the
rejection being carried _nem. con._, the question was, which of the
members had the hardihood to announce the result to the expectant
candidate. No one would undertake the office, for the announcement was
thought sure to produce a challenge; and a duel with Fitzgerald had,
in most cases, been fatal to his opponent. The general opinion was
that the proposer, Admiral Stewart, should convey the intelligence.
"No, gentlemen," said he, "I proposed the fellow because I knew you
would not admit him; but, by Jove, I have no inclination to risk my
life against that of a madman."
"But, Admiral," replied the Duke of Devonshire,[9] "there being no
_white ball_ in the box, he must know that _you_ have black-balled him
as well as the rest, and he is sure to call you out at all events."
This posed the Admiral, who, after some hesitation, proposed that the
waiter should tell Fitzgerald that there was _one_ black ball, and
that his name must be put up again if he wished it. All concurred in
the propriety of this plan, and the waiter was dispatched on the
mission. In the meantime, Fitzgerald had frequently rung the bell to
inquire "the state of the poll," and had sent each waiter to
ascertain, but neither durst return, when Mr. Brookes took the message
from the waiter who was descending the staircase, and boldly entered
the room, with a coffee equipage in his hand. "Did you call for
coffee, Sir?" said Mr. Brookes, smartly. "D--n your coffee, Sir! and
you too," answered Mr. Fitzgerald, in a voice which made the host's
blood run cold. "I want to know, Sir, and that without one moment's
delay, Sir, if I am _chose_ yet?"
"Oh, Sir!" replied Mr. Brookes, attempting to smile away the
appearance of fear, "I beg your pardon, Sir, but I was just coming to
announce to you, Sir, with Admiral Stewart's compliments, Sir, that
unfortunately there was one black ball in the box, Sir; and
consequently, by the rules of the Club, Sir, no candidate can be
admitted without a new election, Sir;--which cannot take place, by the
standing regulations of the Club, Sir, until one month from this time,
Sir."
During this address, Fitzgerald's irascibility appeared to undergo
considerable mollification; and at its close, he grasped Brookes's
hand, saying, "My dear Brookes, _I'm chose_; but there must be a small
matter of mistake in my election:" he then persuaded Brookes to go
upstairs, and make his compliments to the gentlemen, and say, as it
was only a mistake of _one_ black ball, they would be so good as to
waive all ceremony on his account, and proceed to _re-elect_ their
humble servant without any more delay at all." Many of the members
were panic-struck, foreseeing a disagreeable finale to the farce which
they had been playing. Mr. Brookes stood silent, waiting for the
answer. At length, the Earl of March (afterwards Duke of Queensberry)
said aloud, "Try the effect of _two_ balls: d--n his Irish impudence,
if two balls don't take effect upon him, I don't know what will." This
proposition was agreed to, and Brookes was ordered to communicate the
same.
On re-entering the waiting-room, Mr. Fitzgerald eagerly inquired,
"Have they _elected_ me right, now, Mr. Brookes?" the reply was,
"Sorry to inform you that the result of the second balloting is--that
_two_ black balls were dropped, Sir."--"Then," exclaimed Fitzgerald,
"there's now _two mistakes_ instead of one." He then persuaded Brookes
again to proceed upstairs, and tell the honourable members to "try
again, and make no more mistakes." General Fitzpatrick proposed that
Brookes should reply, "His cause was all hopeless, for that he was
_black-balled all over_, from head to foot, and it was hoped by all
the members that Mr. Fitzgerald would not persist in thrusting himself
into society where his company was declined." This message was of no
avail: no sooner had Fitzgerald heard it than he exclaimed: "Oh, I
perceive it is a _mistake altogether_, Mr. Brookes, and I must see to
the rectifying of it myself, there's nothing like _daling_ with
principals; so, I'll step up at once, and put this thing to rights,
without any more unnecessary delay."
In spite of Mr. Brookes's remonstrance, that his entrance into the
Club-room was against all rule and etiquette, Fitzgerald flew
upstairs, and entered the room without any further ceremony than a
bow, saying to the members, who indignantly rose at the intrusion,
"Your servant, gentlemen--I beg ye will be _sated_."
Walking up to the fireplace, he thus addressed Admiral Stewart:--"So,
my dear Admiral, Mr. Brookes informs me that I have been _elected_
three times."
"You have been balloted for, Mr. Fitzgerald, but I am sorry to say you
have not been chosen," said Stewart.
"Well, then," replied the duellist, "did _you_ black-ball me?"--"My
good Sir," answered the Admiral, "how could you suppose such a
thing?"--"Oh, I _supposed_ no such thing, my dear fellow; I only want
to know who it was that dropped the black balls in by accident, as it
were!"
Fitzgerald now went up to each individual member, and put the same
question _seriatim_, "Did you black-ball me, Sir?" until he made the
round of the whole Club; and in each case he received a reply similar
to that of the Admiral. When he had finished his inquisition, he thus
addressed the whole body: "You see, Gentlemen, that as none of ye have
black-balled me, _I must be chose_; and it is Mr. Brookes that has
made the mistake. But I was convinced of it from the beginning, and I
am only sorry that so much time has been lost as to prevent honourable
gentlemen from enjoying each other's company sooner." He then desired
the waiter to bring him a bottle of champagne, that he might drink
long life to the Club, and wish them joy of their unanimous election
of a "_rael_ gentleman by father and mother, and _who never missed his
man_."
The members now saw that there was nothing to be done but to send the
intruder to Coventry, which they appeared to do by tacit agreement;
for when Admiral Stewart departed, Mr. Fitzgerald found himself _cut_
by all his "dear friends." The members now formed parties at the
whist-table; and no one replied to Fitzgerald's observations nor
returned even a nod to the toasts and healths which he drank in three
bottles of champagne, which the terrified waiter placed before him, in
succession. At length, he arose, made a low bow, and took leave,
promising to "come earlier next night, and have a little more of it."
It was then agreed that half-a-dozen stout constables should be in
waiting the next evening to bear him off to the watch-house, if he
attempted again to intrude. Of this measure, Fitzgerald seemed to be
aware; for he never again showed himself at Brookes's; though he
boasted everywhere that he had been unanimously chosen a member of the
Club.
FOOTNOTES:
[9] This was the _bon-vivant_ Duke who had got ready for him every
night, for supper, at Brookes's, a broiled blade-bone of mutton.
ARTHUR'S CLUB.
This Club, established more than a century since, at No. 69, St.
James's-street, derives its name from Mr. Arthur, the master of
White's Chocolate-house in the same street. Mr. Cunningham records:
"Arthur died in June, 1761, in St. James's-place; and in the following
October, Mr. Mackreth married Arthur's only child, and Arthur's
Chocolate-house, as it was then called, became the property of this
Mr. Mackreth."
Walpole, writing in 1759, has this odd note: "I stared to-day at
Piccadilly like a country squire; there are twenty new stone houses:
at first I concluded that all the grooms that used to live there, had
got estates and built palaces. One young gentleman, who was getting an
estate, but was so indiscreet as to step out of his way to rob a
comrade, is convicted, and to be transported; in short, one of the
waiters at Arthur's. George Selwyn says, 'What a horrid idea he will
give us of the people in Newgate?'"
Mackreth prospered; for Walpole, writing to Mann, in 1774, speaking of
the New Parliament, says: "Bob, formerly a waiter at White's, was set
up by my nephew for two boroughs, and actually is returned for Castle
Rising with Mr. Wedderburne;
"'Servus curru portatur eodem;'
which I suppose will offend the Scottish Consul, as most of his
countrymen resent an Irishman standing for Westminster, which the
former reckon a borough of their own. For my part, waiter for waiter,
I see little difference; they were all equally ready to cry, 'Coming,
coming, Sir.'"
Mackreth was afterwards knighted; and upon him appeared this smart and
well-remembered epigram:
"When Mackreth served in Arthur's crew,
He said to Rumbold, 'Black my shoe;'
To which he answer'd, 'Ay, Bob.'
But when return'd from India's land,
And grown too proud to brook command,
He sternly answer'd, 'Nay, Bob.'"
The Club-house was rebuilt in 1825, upon the site of the original
Chocolate-house, Thomas Hopper, architect, at which time it possessed
more than average design: the front is of stone, and is enriched with
fluted Corinthian columns.
WHITE'S CLUB.
This celebrated Club was originally established as "White's
Chocolate-house," in 1698, five doors from the bottom of the west side
of St. James's-street, "ascending from St. James's Palace." (Hatton,
1708.) A print of the time shows a small garden attached to the
house: at the tables in the house or garden, more than one highwayman
took his chocolate, or threw his main, before he quietly mounted his
horse, and rode down Piccadilly towards Bagshot. (Doran's _Table
Traits_.) It was destroyed by fire, April 28, 1733, when the house was
kept by Mr. Arthur, who subsequently gave his name to the Club called
Arthur's, still existing a few doors above the original White's. At
the fire, young Arthur's wife leaped out of a second floor window,
upon a feather-bed, without much hurt. A fine collection of paintings,
belonging to Sir Andrew Fountaine, valued at 3000_l._, was entirely
destroyed. The King and the Prince of Wales were present above an
hour, and encouraged the firemen and people to work at the engines; a
guard being ordered from St. James's, to keep off the populace. His
Majesty ordered twenty guineas to be distributed among the firemen and
others that worked at the engines, and five guineas to the guard; and
the Prince ordered the firemen ten guineas. "The incident of the
fire," says Mr. Cunningham, "was made use of by Hogarth, in Plate VI.
of the Rake's Progress, representing a room at White's. The total
abstraction of the gamblers is well expressed by their utter
inattention to the alarm of the fire given by watchmen, who are
bursting open the doors. Plate IV. of the same pictured moral
represents a group of chimney-sweepers and shoe-blacks gambling on the
ground over-against White's. To indicate the Club more fully, Hogarth
has inserted the name Black's."
Arthur, thus burnt out, removed to Gaunt's Coffee-house, next the St.
James's Coffee-house, and which bore the name of "White's"--a myth.
The _Tatler_, in his first Number, promises that "all accounts of
gallantry, pleasure, and entertainment, shall be under the article of
White's Chocolate-house." Addison, in his Prologue to Steele's _Tender
Husband_, catches "the necessary spark" sometimes "taking snuff at
White's."
The Chocolate-house, open to any one, became a private Club-house: the
earliest record is a book of rules and list of members of the old Club
at White's, dated October 30th, 1736. The principal members were the
Duke of Devonshire; the Earls of Cholmondeley, Chesterfield, and
Rockingham; Sir John Cope, Major-General Churchill, Bubb Dodington,
and Colley Cibber. Walpole tells us that the celebrated Earl of
Chesterfield lived at White's, gaming and pronouncing witticisms among
the boys of quality; "yet he says to his son, that a member of a
gaming club should be a cheat, or he will soon be a beggar," an
inconsistency which reminds one of old Fuller's saw: "A father that
whipt his son for swearing, and swore himself whilst he whipt him, did
more harm by his example than good by his correction."
Swift, in his _Essay on Modern Education_, gives the Chocolate-house a
sad name. "I have heard," he says, "that the late Earl of Oxford, in
the time of his ministry, never passed by White's Chocolate-house (the
common rendezvous of infamous sharpers and noble cullies) without
bestowing a curse upon that famous Academy, as the bane of half the
English nobility."
The gambling character of the Club may also be gathered from Lord
Lyttelton writing to Dr. Doddridge, in 1750. "The Dryads of Hagley are
at present pretty secure, but I tremble to think that the rattling of
a dice-box at White's may one day or other (if my son should be a
member of that noble academy) shake down all our fine oaks. It is
dreadful to see, not only there, but almost in every house in town,
what devastations are made by that destructive fury, the spirit of
play."
Swift's character of the company is also borne out by Walpole, in a
letter to Mann, December 16, 1748: "There is a man about town, Sir
William Burdett, a man of very good family, but most infamous
character. In short, to give you his character at once, there is a
wager entered in the bet-book at White's (a MS. of which I may one day
or other give you an account), that the first baronet that will be
hanged is this Sir William Burdett."
Again, Glover, the poet, in his _Autobiography_, tells us: "Mr. Pelham
(the Prime Minister) was originally an officer in the army, and a
professed gamester; of a narrow mind, low parts, etc.... By long
experience and attendance he became experienced as a Parliament man;
and even when Minister, divided his time to the last between his
office and the club of gamesters at White's." And, Pope, in the
_Dunciad_, has:
"Or chair'd at White's, amidst the doctors sit,
Teach oaths to gamesters, and to nobles wit."
The Club removed, in 1755, to the east side of St. James's-street, No.
38. The house had had previously a noble and stately tenant; for here
resided the Countess of Northumberland, widow of Algernon, tenth Earl
of Northumberland, who died 1688. "My friend Lady Suffolk, her niece
by marriage," writes Walpole, "has talked to me of her having, on that
alliance, visited her. She then lived in the house now White's, at the
upper end of St. James's-street, and was the last who kept up the
ceremonious state of the old peerage. When she went out to visit, a
footman, bareheaded, walked on each side of her coach, and a second
coach with her women attended her. I think, too, that Lady Suffolk
told me that her granddaughter-in-law, the Duchess of Somerset, never
sat down before her without leave to do so. I suppose the old Duke
Charles [the proud Duke] had imbibed a good quantity of his stately
pride in such a school." (_Letter to the Bishop of Dromore_, September
18, 1792.) This high-minded dame had published a "Volume of Prayers."
Among the Rules of the Club, every member was to pay one guinea a year
towards having a good cook; the names of all candidates were to be
deposited with Mr. Arthur or Bob [Mackreth]. In balloting, every
member was to put in his ball, and such person or persons who refuse
to comply with it, shall pay the supper reckoning of that night; and,
in 1769, it was agreed that 'every member of this Club who is in the
Billiard-Room at the time the Supper is declared upon table, shall pay
his reckoning if he does not sup at the Young Club.'
Of Colley Cibber's membership we find this odd account in Davies's
_Life of Garrick_:--"Colley, we told, had the honour to be a member of
the great Club at White's; and so I suppose might any other man who
wore good clothes and paid his money when he lost it. But on what
terms did Cibber live with this society? Why, he feasted most
sumptuously, as I have heard his friend Victor say, with an air of
triumphant exultation, with Mr. Arthur and his wife, and gave a trifle
for his dinner. After he had dined, when the Club-room door was
opened, and the Laureate was introduced, he was saluted with loud and
joyous acclamation of 'O King Coll! Come in, King Coll!' and 'Welcome,
welcome, King Colley!' And this kind of gratulation, Mr. Victor
thought, was very gracious and very honourable."
In the Rules quoted by Mr. Cunningham, from the Club-books, we find
that in 1780, a dinner was ready every day during the sitting of
Parliament, at a reckoning of 12_s._ per head; in 1797, at 10_s._
6_d._ per head, malt liquors, biscuits, oranges, apples, and olives
included; hot suppers provided at 8_s._ per head; and cold meat,
oysters, etc., at 4_s._, malt liquor only included. And, "that Every
Member who plays at Chess, Draughts, or Backgammon do pay One Shilling
each time of playing by daylight, and half-a-crown each by
candlelight."
White's was from the beginning principally a gaming Club. The play was
mostly at hazard and faro; no member was to hold a faro Bank. Whist
was comparatively harmless. Professional gamblers, who lived by dice
and cards, provided they were free from the imputation of cheating,
procured admission to White's. It was a great supper-house, and there
was play before and after supper, carried on to a late hour and heavy
amounts. Lord Carlisle lost 10,000_l._ in one night, and was in debt
to the house for the whole. He tells Selwyn of a set, in which at one
point of the game, stood to win 50,000_l._ Sir John Bland, of Kippax
Park, who shot himself in 1755, as we learn from Walpole, flirted away
his whole fortune at hazard. "He t'other night exceeded what was lost
by the late Duke of Bedford, having at one period of the night,
(though he recovered the greater part of it,) lost two-and-thirty
thousand pounds."
Lord Mountford came to a tragic end through his gambling. He had lost
money; feared to be reduced to distress; asked for a Government
appointment, and determined to throw the die of life or death, on the
answer he received from Court. The answer was unfavourable. He
consulted several persons, indirectly at first, afterwards pretty
directly--on the easiest mode of finishing life; invited a
dinner-party for the day after; supped at White's, and played at whist
till one o'clock of the New Year's morning. Lord Robert Bertie drank
to him "a happy new year;" he clapped his hand strangely to his eyes.
In the morning, he sent for a lawyer and three witnesses, executed his
will; made them read it twice over, paragraph by paragraph; asked the
lawyer if that will would stand good though a man were to shoot
himself. Being assured it would, he said, "Pray stay, while I step
into the next room,"--went into the next room, and shot himself.
Walpole writes to Mann: "John Damier and his two brothers have
contracted a debt, one can scarcely expect to be believed out of
England,--of 70,000_l._... The young men of this age seem to make a
law among themselves for declaring their fathers superannuated at
fifty, and thus dispose of their estates as if already their own."
"Can you believe that Lord Foley's two sons have borrowed money so
extravagantly, that the interest they have contracted to pay, amounts
to 18,000_l._ a year."
Fox's love of play was frightful: his best friends are said to have
been half-ruined in annuities, given by them as securities for him to
the Jews. Five hundred thousand a year of such annuities, of Fox and
his Society, were advertised to be sold, at one time: Walpole wondered
what Fox would do when he had sold the estates of all his friends.
Here are some instances of his desperate play. Walpole further notes
that in the debate on the Thirty-nine Articles, February 6, 1772, Fox
did not shine, "nor could it be wondered at. He had sat up playing at
hazard at Almack's, from Tuesday evening the 4th, till five in the
afternoon of Wednesday, 5th. An hour before he had recovered
12,000_l._ that he had lost, and by dinner, which was at five o'clock,
he had ended losing 11,000_l._ On the Thursday, he spoke in the above
debate; went to dinner at past eleven at night; from thence to
White's, where he drank till seven the next morning; thence to
Almack's, where he won 6,000_l._; and between three and four in the
afternoon he set out for Newmarket. His brother Stephen lost
11,000_l._ two nights after, and Charles 10,000_l._ more on the 13th;
so that, in three nights, the two brothers, the eldest not
twenty-five, lost 32,000_l._"