Common Council decide to relieve Small Debtors—Festivities at
Windsor—Ox roasted whole—How it was done—The Queen and Royal
Family present—Division of the ox, &c.—A bull baited—Fête at
Frogmore—Illuminations—Return of the Scheldt Expedition.
IN THE Court of Common Council this feeling of helping the poor
debtor was prevalent, and a Mr. Jacks, at a Court held on October
5th, proposed, if the Corporation wished to appropriate a sum for the
celebration of the Jubilee, that they should follow the example of the
Jewish Law, and liberate the prisoner, and captive, which, he said,
would be a much better method of applying their money than for eating
and drinking, and the following resolution was carried:
“That it will be more acceptable to Almighty God, and more congenial
to the paternal feelings of our beloved Monarch, if the Court would
proceed to the liberation of the prisoners and captives, on the joyful
Jubilee about to be celebrated, than in spending sums of money in
feasting and illuminations. We therefore resolve, that the sum of
£1,000 be applied to the relief of persons confined for small debts,
and for the relief of persons confined within the gaols of the City,
especially freemen of London.”
It would be impossible within the limits of this work, even to
_sketch_ a tithe part of the ways in which the Jubilee was celebrated
throughout the country; but a notice, in some detail, is necessary,
as illustrating the social habits of this portion of the Century.
Take, for instance, the ox and sheep roasting at Windsor. Roasting
beasts whole, is a relic of barbarism all but exploded in England, a
type of that rude, and plentiful, hospitality which might be expected
from a semi-civilized nation. As it is not probable that the custom
will survive, and as the details may be useful for some antiquarian
reproduction, I give the _modus operandi_ in full, premising, that from
all I have heard from those who have feasted upon an animal so treated,
that it is very far from being a gastronomic treat, some parts being
charred to a cinder, others being quite raw. This, then, is how it was
done:
“At two yesterday morning the fire was lighted, and the ox began to
turn on the spit, to the delight of the spectators, a considerable
number of whom were assembled, even at that hour, to witness so
extraordinary a sight. A few of the Royal Blues attended to guard it;
a little rain fell a short time previous to the kindling of the fire,
but, by the time the ox began to turn, all was fair again.
“At nine o’clock the sheep were put to the fire, on each side of the
ox, in Bachelors’ Acre. The apparatus made use of on this occasion,
consisted of two ranges set in brickwork, and so contrived that a fire
should be made on each side of the ox, and on the outer side of each
fire was the necessary machinery for roasting the sheep. A sort of
scaffolding had been erected, consisting of six poles, three of which,
at each extremity, fixed in the earth, and united at the top, bore a
seventh, from which descended the pulley by means of which the ox was
placed between the ranges when put down, and raised again when roasted.
Over the animal a long tin dish was placed, into which large quantities
of fat were thrown, which, melting, the beef was basted with it, a
ladle at the end of a long pole being used for the purpose. An immense
spit was passed through the body of the animal, the extremity of which
worked in a groove at each end. A bushel and a half of potatoes were
placed in his belly, and roasted with him.
“At one, the ox and sheep being considered to be sufficiently done,
they were taken up. The Bachelors had previously caused boards to be
laid from the scene of action to a box, which had been prepared for
Her Majesty, and the Royal Family, to survey it from. They graciously
accepted the invitation of the Bachelors, to view it close. Their path
was railed off and lined by Bachelors, acting as constables, to keep
off the crowd. They appeared much gratified by the spectacle, walked
round the apparatus and returned to their box. Her Majesty walked
with the Duke of York. The Royal party were followed by the Mayor and
Corporation. The animals were now placed on dishes to be carved, and
several persons, attending for that purpose, immediately set to work.
The Bachelors still remained at their posts to keep the crowd off, and
a party of them offered the first slice to their illustrious visitors,
which was accepted. Shortly after the carving had commenced, and the
pudding had began to be distributed, the efforts of the Bachelors
to keep off the crowd became useless; some of the Royal Blues, on
horseback, assisted in endeavouring to repel them, but without effect.
The pudding was now thrown to those who remained at a distance, and now
a hundred scrambles were seen in the same instant. The bread was next
distributed in a similar way, and, lastly, the meat; a considerable
quantity of it was thrown to a butcher, who, elevated above the crowd,
catching large pieces in one hand, and holding a knife in the other,
cut smaller pieces off, letting them fall into the hands of those
beneath who were on the alert to catch them. The pudding,[32] meat, and
bread, being thus distributed, the crowd were finally regaled with what
was denominated a ‘_sop in the pan_;’ that is, with having the mashed
potatoes, gravy, &c., thrown over them.”
Later in the day, Bachelors’ Acre was the scene of renewed festivity,
no less than a bull bait. “A fine sturdy animal, kept for the purpose,
given to the Bachelors for their amusement, by the same gentleman who
gave the ox, was baited; and, in the opinion of the _amateurs_ of bull
baiting, furnished fine sport; but, at length, his skin was cut by the
rope so much that he bled profusely, and, as it was thought he could
not recover, he was led off to be slaughtered.”
At Frogmore, the King gave a fête, and a display of fireworks at night.
Everything went off very well, except a portion of the water pageant,
which was not a success. “Two cars, or chariots, drawn by seahorses,
in one of whom (_sic_) was a figure of _Britannia_, in the other a
representation of _Neptune_, appeared majestically moving on the
bosom of the lake, followed by four boats filled with persons dressed
to represent tritons, &c. These last were to have been composed of
choristers, we understand, who were to have sung ‘God save the King,’
on the water, but, unfortunately, the crowd assembled was so immense,
that those who were to have sung could not gain entrance. The high
treat this could not but have afforded, was, in consequence, lost to
the company.”
The Jews celebrated the Jubilee with much enthusiasm, and, in the
Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, after hearing a sermon preached on a
text from Levit. xxv. 13: “In the year of this Jubilee ye shall return
every man unto his possession,” we are told “the whole of the 21st
Psalm was sung in most expressive style, to the tune of ‘_God save the
King_.’”
In spite of the want of unanimity as to the expediency of a general
illumination, there were plenty of transparencies, and even letters of
cut-glass. I give descriptions of two of the most important.
“STUBBS’S in Piccadilly, exhibited three transparencies of various
dimensions. In the centre was a portrait of His Majesty, in his robes,
seated in his coronation chair; the figure was nine feet in height,
and the canvas occupied 20 square feet. On the right hand of the King
was placed the crown, on a crimson velvet cushion, supported by a
table, ornamented with embroidery. Over His Majesty’s head appeared
_Fame_, with her attributes; in her left hand a wreath of laurel
leaves; her right pointing to a glory. At the feet of the Sovereign
was a group of boys representing _Bacchanalians_, with _cornucopia_.
Underneath appeared a _tablet_ with the words ‘Anno Regni 50. Oct. 25,
1809.’ On the right and left of the above transparency, were placed
representations of the two most celebrated oak-trees in England, and
two landscapes—the one of Windsor, and the other of Kew.”
“Messrs. RUNDELL and BRIDGE’S, Ludgate Hill. In the centre His Majesty
is sitting on his throne, dressed in his coronation robes; on his
right, Wisdom, represented by Minerva, with her helmet, ægis, and
spear; Justice with her scales and sword; on his left, Fortitude
holding a pillar, and Piety with her Bible. Next to Wisdom, Victory is
decorating two wreathed columns with oak garlands and gold medallions
bearing the names of several successful engagements on land—as
Alexandria, Talavera, Vimiera, Assaye, &c. Behind the figure of
Fortitude, a female figure is placing garlands and medallions on two
other wreathed columns, bearing the names of naval victories—as the
First of June, St. Vincent’s, Trafalgar, &c. The base of the throne
is guarded by Mars sitting, and Neptune rising, holding his trident,
and declaring the triumphs obtained in his dominions; on the base
between Mars and Neptune, are boys representing the liberal arts, in
basso-relievo. The figures are the size of life.”
The disastrous end of the campaign known as the Walcheren Expedition,
brings the year to a somewhat melancholy conclusion, for on Christmas
Day, Admiral Otway’s squadron, with all the transports, arrived in the
Downs, from Walcheren.
Consols began at 67⅛, and ended at 70, with remarkably little
fluctuation. The top price of wheat in January was 90s. 10d., and at
the end of December 102s. 10d. It did reach 109s. 6d. in the middle
of October—a price we are never likely to see. The quartern loaf, of
course, varied in like proportion—January 1s. 2¾d., December 1s. 4¼d.,
reaching in October 1s. 5d.
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