1813.
High price of provisions -- Luddites -- Smuggling -- Day of
Humiliation -- The Cossack -- Mdlle. Platoff -- Discovery of
body of Charles I. at Windsor -- The Queen and the mad woman --
The fasting woman of Tutbury -- Fight between the _Shannon_ and
the _Chesapeake_ -- Rejoicings for the Victory at Vittoria --
Fête at Vauxhall -- _William Huntingdon, s.s._
This Year began somewhat gloomily, for the Wars made themselves felt.
Porter rose to 6d. a pot, Mutton 2d. per lb., the latter, owing, it
was said, to the rot, which had carried off whole flocks of sheep.
But, if we felt the pinch, our adversaries, or, rather, one of them,
the French, felt it as well. There was a great deal of illicit
trading done with France, especially in our Colonial goods; and,
to facilitate matters, and make them legal, Napoleon would issue
licenses to import such a quantity of such goods. As is pointed out
in the following quotation, the poor French had to pay very dearly
for these commodities. "Bonaparte has lately granted 250 more
licenses for the importation of Colonial produce; and these licenses
are a source of considerable profit to himself and his favourites.
Instead of granting to one of these a pension or a sinecure, he
gives him a few licenses, which the latter sells at exorbitant
prices--so high, for example, as 75 livres (£3 2s. 6d. sterl.), for
every hundredweight of Sugar imported; from which sugar Bonaparte
himself, afterwards derives a high duty, as he does from every other
article so imported:--a pound of Coffee, for instance, purchased here
for _eightpence_, pays him a duty of _four shillings_. In addition
to these burdens, besides exorbitant charges for freight, there is
another imposition, which renders the Colonial produce enormously
expensive to the Continental consumer, viz., that the persons
importing it under those licenses are bound previously to export from
France, a stated proportion, in value, of wrought silks and other
articles utterly prohibited in England, which, therefore, they are
obliged to throw overboard on the passage, and afterwards indemnify
themselves for this loss by an additional charge on the articles
imported. Notwithstanding all these disadvantages, near twenty
millions of pounds' weight of Sugar have gone from England to France
during the last year."
During the latter part of the past year the Luddites were again
troublesome, and it was found necessary to make a severe example,
which had the desired effect. On the 16th of January fourteen of
these rioters were hanged, at York, in two batches of seven each, and
these outrages ceased.
I have already said that Smuggling was considered a very venial
sin, and sometimes smuggling adventures had something amusing in
them--_vide_ the following:--A party of Smugglers had landed a
valuable cargo near Dungeness, and, having been informed that a party
of Dragoons from Hastings were to be on the look-out for them, they
sent word that they would resign half their goods, if they might
carry away the other half unmolested. At the same time they gave
notice that they had left 180 tubs of gin in a chalk pit, well known
to the officer of the troop. The soldiers rode off immediately to
act on the smugglers' information, and the latter, of course, were
equally prompt in getting their newly-run Cargo out of harm's way.
The troops duly found the tubs at the place indicated, and, with
triumph, escorted them to the Custom House, where, when they came to
be examined, they were found to contain nothing stronger than _water_.
On the 1st of February a proclamation was issued from Carlton
House. It is deliciously vague about "the War," not saying whether
it was that in which we were engaged, with the French, or with the
Americans. It was probably left to the imagination and option of the
taxpayers, who might "pay their money, and take their choice."
"GEORGE, P. R.
"We, taking into our most serious consideration the just and
necessary war in which His Majesty is engaged, and putting our trust
in Almighty God, that He will graciously bless His Majesty's arms,
both by sea and land, have resolved, and do, in the name, and on the
behalf of His Majesty, and by, and with the advice of His Majesty's
Privy Council, hereby command, that a Public Day of Fasting and
Humiliation be observed throughout those parts of the United Kingdom
called England and Ireland, on Wednesday the Tenth Day of March
next ensuing, so that both we, and His Majesty's people, may humble
ourselves before Almighty God, in order to obtain pardon of our
sins, and in the most devout and solemn manner, send up our prayers
and supplications to the Divine Majesty, for averting those heavy
judgments, which our manifold provocations have most justly deserved:
and for imploring His blessing, and assistance on His Majesty's Arms,
for the restoration of peace and prosperity to His Majesty and His
Dominions," &c., &c.
Another Proclamation made it applicable to Scotland. On the day
appointed, the Regent, his daughter, and the Dukes of York,
Cumberland, and Cambridge went to the Chapel Royal, St. James's; and
the two Houses of Parliament went--the Lords, to Westminster Abbey;
the Commons, to St. Margaret's, Westminster.
[Illustration: Zemlanowhin, the Brave Russian Cossack, as He Appeared
at the Royal Exchange on Wednesday, April 14, 1813.
(_Drawn and etched by Heath._)]
About this time of the year--with the exception of the bickerings of
the Prince and Princess of Wales--there was very little to interest
the public: so little, indeed, that even the advent of a Cossack, who
came in the suite of a Russian Officer, created an immense sensation.
Here is as early an account as any, of this important individual.
_Morning Chronicle, Thursday, April 15, 1813_: "The Cossack, and a
Russian Officer, who arrived in London on Friday last, made their
appearance in the City, agreeably to the notice which had been given
in some of the papers. They met the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House,
who accompanied them to the Royal Exchange, and Lloyd's Coffee House,
where they were received with the greatest marks of approbation by
the merchants, and an immense concourse of spectators. After passing
through Lloyd's, they were stationed at one of the balconies looking
into the Exchange, when the Lord Mayor appeared, and, after silence
was obtained, gave 'Success to the Emperor Alexander,' with three
times three, which was given with enthusiasm by all present. The
Cossack's spear was ten feet long, and it was said he had killed
thirty-seven Frenchmen with it."
I give an illustration of this formidable warrior "ZEMLANOWHIN, the
Brave Russian Cossack, as he appeared at the Royal Exchange, on
Wednesday, April 14, 1813."
In the evening he was taken to Freemason's Hall, where the Grand
Master, the Duke of Sussex, conversed with him through the medium of
an interpreter, for some minutes. He was a great lion. Besides the
etching by Heath, here given, two other artists, Heapley and Pyne,
were at him, and Ackerman, the print-seller, gave him his choice of
four beautiful swords, of which he chose a Turkish scimitar. He was
taken to Westminster, and was allowed to play with the large sword
therein preserved.
The last we hear of him is that he visited, on the 30th of April,
Exhibition Rooms at Spring Gardens, where he heard a new March played
on an awful instrument called the Panharmonicon. On this fiendish
invention the combined noise of 200 instruments was ground out by
machinery. "The trumpets sounding victory, and the bells, with the
horns and kettledrums, rejoicing for glory, gave joy to all present.
The Cossack, on being introduced to the fair Albiness, seemed, by the
expression of his countenance, to be much pleased; and, on shaking
hands, and giving her a salute, said, 'I leave London this evening,
may I take with me a lock of your hair?' This being granted, Mr.
Wigley, the Proprietor of the Rooms, presented him with an elegant
locket to enclose the same." They made a paper model of him, which
was shown at Mrs. Aberdeen's Papyruseum, 19, Frith Street, Soho.
[Illustration: A Tit-bit for a Cossack; or, the Platoff Prize for the
Head of Buonaparte.
(_Etched by Wm. E----s, Published January 4, 1813, by Thos. Tegg._)]
The Cossacks were wonderfully popular with the English just then.
Their _Hetman_, or Commander, Count Platoff, was reported to have
offered to give his daughter, and a small dowry, to any soldier
who would bring him Napoleon's head. In some verses relative to
Napoleon's reverses in Russia is one:--
"But, take care, Master Nap, you meet with no trap,
To poke either leg, or your head in;
Loss of legs stops your flight, lose your head, why the sight
Will be welcome at Miss Platoff's wedding."
She figures in another Satirical print, published on November 9,
1813, called "Cossack Sports--or, the Platoff Hunt in full cry
after French Game." Leipsig is in the background, and the Cossacks
plunge into the river Elster in full chase after the "Corsican Fox."
Count Platoff cries, "Hark forward! my boys, get along! He runs in
view. Yoics, Yoics. There he goes. Tally ho!" His daughter is in
mid-stream, thrashing her horse, and calling out, "Hi! Ho! Tally ho!
for a Husband!"
There was another thing much talked about at this time, and that was
the discovery of the Body of Charles I. at Windsor. This was not the
first body of a Sovereign found there unexpectedly: for on March 13,
1789, the workmen employed in re-paving the Choir of St. George's
Chapel, discovered the entrance into the vault where Edward IV.
had been deposited; the royal body was found enclosed in a leaden
and wooden Coffin, reduced to a skeleton; on the King's Coffin lay
another of wood, much decayed, which contained the skeleton of a
woman, supposed to have been his Queen, Elizabeth Woodville.
The Duchess of Brunswick (mother of the Princess of Wales) died in
England on March 23, 1813, and was buried with much pomp, at Windsor
on the 31st of March.
The following is a newspaper account of "THE DISCOVERY OF THE BODY OF
CHARLES I. On Wednesday last, at the interment of the Dowager Duchess
of Brunswick, an important discovery was made. It had been long
suspected that the remains of Charles I. were deposited in a vault
at Windsor. Indeed Wood, in his _Athenæ_, states the supposition. On
Wednesday a search was made, a Coffin was opened, which was found to
a certainty to contain the long-sought-for body. It was not at all
decayed; the severed head had been carefully adjusted by a cement to
the shoulders, and the most perfect resemblance to the portraits, was
remarked in the shape of the head, the pointed beard, &c., fragments
of which were carefully taken off as relics, as well as to identify
the body."
Laurence Eachard (who wrote in the reign of Anne) in his "History
of England" (vol. ii. p. 649), speaking of Charles I. being buried
at Windsor, and refuting a rumour that it was not so, says, "But
to remove all imaginations, we shall here insert a memorandum, or
certificate sent by Mr. John Sewell, Register at Windsor, Anno 1696,
September 21. The same Vault in which King Charles the First was
buried was opened to lay in a still born child of the then Princess
of Denmark, now our gracious Queen. On the King's Coffin the velvet
pall was strong and sound, and there was about the Coffin a leaden
band, with this inscription cut through it--KING CHARLES, 1648.
"Queen Jane's[12] Coffin was whole and entire; but that of King Henry
the Eighth was sunk in upon the breast part, and the lead and wood
consumed by the heat of the gums he was embalmed with."
[Footnote 12: Seymour.]
Sir Henry Halford published, in April, 1813, a narrative of the
examination of the royal remains, which took place in the presence
of the Prince Regent, and we see how it bears out Eachard's account.
"On removing the pall, a plain leaden Coffin with no appearance of
ever having been enclosed in wood, and bearing an inscription, 'King
Charles, 1648,' in large, legible characters, on a scroll of lead,
encircling it, immediately presented itself to view. A square opening
was then made in the upper part of the lid, of such dimensions as
to admit a clear insight into its contents. These were an internal
wooden coffin, very much decayed, and the body carefully wrapped in
cere cloth."
After this was unrolled, they had a perfect view of the King's
face, and, although it had suffered from decay, "the pointed beard,
so characteristic of the period of the reign of King Charles, was
perfect. The shape of the face was a long oval; many of the teeth
remained, and the left ear ... was found entire.... When the head had
been entirely disengaged from the attachments which confined it, it
was found to be loose, and without any difficulty was taken up, and
held to view....
"The hair was thick at the back part of the head, and in appearance
nearly black. A portion of it, which has since been cleaned and
dried, is of a beautiful dark brown colour: that of the beard was
a redder brown. On the back part of the head, it was not more than
an inch in length, and had probably been cut so short for the
convenience of the executioner, or, perhaps, by the piety of friends
soon after death, in order to furnish memorials of the unhappy King."
An examination of the muscles of the neck clearly proved that the
head had been severed from the body by a heavy blow with a very
sharp instrument, and this thoroughly confirmed the identification
of the King. "After this examination of the head, which served every
purpose in view, and without examining the body below the neck, it
was immediately restored to its situation, the Coffin was soldered up
again, and the vault closed.
"Neither of the other coffins had any inscriptions upon them.
The larger one, supposed, on good grounds, to contain the remains
of King Henry VIII., measured six feet, ten inches in length, and
had been enclosed in an elm one, two inches in thickness; but this
was decayed, and lay in small fragments near it. The leaden coffin
appeared to have been beaten in by violence about the middle; and a
considerable opening in that part of it, exposed a mere skeleton of
the King. Some beard remained upon the chin, but there was nothing to
discriminate the personage in it."[13]
[Footnote 13: In 1888-9, an exhibition of Stuart Relics
was held at the New Gallery in Regent Street, and, on
December 17, 1888, the following Paragraph appeared
in the _Standard_:--"The Prince of Wales visited St.
George's Chapel, Windsor, on Thursday last, and replaced
in the vault containing the coffin of Charles I. certain
relics of that Monarch, which had been removed during
some investigations more than 70 years ago. These relics,
having ultimately come into the possession of the Prince
of Wales, his Royal Highness decided, with the sanction of
the Queen, to replace them in the vault from which they had
been taken, but not to disturb the coffin of the King. This
task was successfully accomplished on Thursday last in the
presence of the Dean of Windsor."
There was some discussion as to what these relics were,
which was set at rest by the _Globe_, January 10,
1889:--"THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE RELIC OF CHARLES I.
Considerable curiosity, says the _Whitehall Review_, was
aroused the other day as to what the relic could have been
which the Prince of Wales deposited in the tomb of Charles
I. at Windsor. The relic in question was, we believe,
part of the vertebræ joining the head to the body of the
unfortunate monarch. It appears that when the coffin of
Charles I. was opened in 1813, and the king's head fell
on the ground, as so graphically described in Mr. Frith's
'Reminiscences,' a portion of the vertebræ of the beheaded
king was taken away and preserved by the eminent physician,
Sir Henry Halford, from whose custody it was subsequently
stolen. Luckily, full written particulars were attached to
the relic, and it was, two years ago, sent anonymously to
the Prince of Wales, who, fearing that it might be wanted
for the Stuart Exhibition, judiciously arranged to have the
relic returned. It was placed on, but not in, the coffin in
the vault at Windsor Chapel."
A further paragraph in the same Newspaper of the 14th of
January, thoroughly elucidates whatever mystery there might
have been about the "relics":--"THE RELIC OF CHARLES I.
Sir H. St. John Halford writes to us from Wistow Hall,
Leicester, with reference to the relic of Charles I.
recently placed on the coffin of that Monarch by the Prince
of Wales, as follows: 'The true history of the relic is
that it was given to my grandfather, Sir Henry Halford,
by His Majesty George IV., at the time that the coffin of
Charles I. was opened, and was given by me to His Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales two years ago.'"]
After the publication of this report it was but a very few days
before the Caricaturist had made the subject his own, and we see
George Cruikshank's idea of it in the accompanying "Meditation among
the Tombs." Sir Henry Halford is going to cut off some of Henry
VIII.'s beard: the Regent saying to him, "Aye! There's great Harry!
great indeed!!!!! for he got rid of many wives, whilst I, poor soul,
can't get _rid_ of one. Cut off his beard, Doctor, t'will make me a
prime pair of Royal Whiskers." Lord Castlereagh (Privy Purse) behind
him, says, "How queer King Charley looks without his head, doesn't
he?!!! Faith and sure, and I wonder how WE should look without our
heads!!!"
[Illustration: Meditations among the Tombs.]
Whilst on the subject of Royalty, I may as well chronicle a shock
which poor old Queen Charlotte had--on the 2nd of May--which must
have frightened her terribly, for she actually sent for the Prince
Regent. A woman, named Davenport, was assistant Mistress of the
Robes, and she was born in the Queen's palace, and had lived
constantly in it, with her mother, who was housekeeper at the
Lower Lodge, Windsor, having previously filled the onerous, and
arduous task of rocker to the infant princesses. Miss Davenport was
about thirty years of age, and, when she was young, had a fit of
insanity, of which, however, she was considered cured; and, except an
occasional period of _melancolia_, was quite harmless.
However, on Sunday, the 2nd of May, she broke out, the balance of
her mind having been overthrown ever since the death of the Princess
Amelia. She slept in the Tower over the Queen's bedroom, and her
Majesty was aroused at five in the morning by a violent noise at her
door, hearing some one shrieking and screaming, and calling on the
Queen of England to redress her wrongs. The bedroom had double doors,
and the poor maniac, having smashed the outer door, was endeavouring
to force the inner one, when Mrs. Beckendorf, the Queen's dresser,
who slept in her room, opened it, and there found the poor woman
clad only in her night-clothes, with a letter in her hand, which she
insisted upon delivering to her Majesty. For twenty minutes Mrs.
Beckendorf kept her at bay, ringing a bell all the while. A page,
two footmen, and a porter, at length appeared on the scene, and
overpowered the mad woman. Then Dr. Willis, who was in attendance
upon the King, was sent for, and she was put into a straight
jacket--which, owing to her violence, was with difficulty got on her.
She was then carried into a chaise, and driven away to a private
lunatic asylum. The Queen's nerves must soon have recovered, for she
was at a grand dinner given in her honour at Carlton House, by the
Prince of Wales on the 4th of May.
On this day the fasting woman of Tutbury, Ann Moore, who professed to
live without food, confessed her imposture. Her miraculous abstention
from nourishment was disbelieved in, and, at her own request, a
committee of gentlemen watched her. Their vigilance proved too much
for her, for nine days of such inspection reduced her to such a state
of emaciation, that she put her mark to the following confession: "I,
Ann Moore, of Tutbury, humbly asking pardon of all persons whom I
have attempted to deceive and impose upon, and, above all, with the
most unfeigned sorrow and contrition, imploring the divine mercy,
and forgiveness of that God whom I have so greatly offended, do most
solemnly declare that I have occasionally taken sustenance for the
last six years." The following epigram was made on
"TUTBURY ANN.
"She kept, what none would wish to keep, her bed,
And, what few _more_ would do, declin'd a dinner;
Liv'd an eternal Lent, and shamm'd half dead,
O Lord! forgive this _ever-lying_ sinner."
In the war with America the British fleet was not always successful.
On the contrary, and when the _Shannon_ beat the _Chesapeake_,
there were great rejoicings. In Boston harbour lay the United
States frigate _Chesapeake_, Capt. Laurence, 49 guns, 18 and 32
pounders, and a crew of 400 men. Capt. Broke, commanding H.M. frigate
_Shannon_, which was inferior both in weight of metal, and number of
men, had long been watching it, anxiously awaiting an opportunity of
an encounter. At length, on the 1st of June, he challenged a combat,
by standing close in to Boston Lighthouse. He had not to wait long,
for he had the pleasure of seeing the _Chesapeake_ sailing out of
the harbour. He took up a position within sight of the land, and the
American frigate came proudly on, conscious of victory, so much so,
as to have omitted providing accommodation for the wounded.
After two or three broadsides the _Chesapeake_ closed with the
_Shannon_, and they were locked together, so Captain Broke gave
orders for boarding, himself setting the example. The Americans made
a desperate, but undisciplined, defence, and the assault was so
fierce, that after two minutes only, of hand-to-hand fighting, the
Americans were driven from every post. In another minute they ceased
firing from below, and cried for quarter. The Union Jack was then run
up, and the whole was over in fifteen minutes from its commencement.
The British lost 23 killed, and 56 wounded, out of a crew of 330 men:
the Americans about 70 killed and 100 wounded. Captain Laurence, who
was among the latter, subsequently died, and was honourably buried at
Halifax. One can scarcely believe the astonishment and humiliation of
the spectators on shore of this combat, when they saw their fine ship
which sailed away so shortly before, in all the pride of expected
victory, taken away in bondage, instead of returning with her captor.
[Illustration: British Valour and Yankee Boasting.
_Geo. Cruikshank._]
George Cruikshank gives us his idea of the naval engagement in a
long etching (which I have divided into two) published in "Town
Talk," of the 1st of September, 1813. It is called "BRITISH VALOUR,
and YANKEE BOASTING, or SHANNON versus CHESAPEAKE," and is full of
bombast, both in drawing, and words. The Americans are evolved out
of his inner consciousness, but I presume it was the current type of
the time, as our delineation of a Citizen of the United States of
America, is, when pourtrayed in one of our comic papers. Evidently
they were considered as Puritans, and depicted as Maw-worms. Captain
Broke has hold of one by the hair, and is crying out, "Down with your
Stripes, you Swabs, or D----me, we'll stripe you." The sailor who
has hold of one of the dead, by his pigtail and breeches, calls out
to another, "Stand clear, Mess-mate, whilst I heave a few of these
lubberly Yankee Doodles overboard." The sailor kicking a Yankee
into the sea, says, "Go along, d----n you, don't you see they are
waiting dinner for you?" This probably refers to a dinner which was
to be given to the victors on their return. In the dinner tent one is
saying, "Friends, I think you had better come and sit down, for if we
wait till the _Chesapeake_ comes back, I am afraid the dinner will
be cold." Another replies, "Why, I don't think they will want much
dinner, for they seem to have got their Belly full."
[Illustration: Shannon _v._ Chesapeake.
(_Published September 1, 1813, for the Proprietor of "Town Talk."_)]
On the 21st of June, near the town of Vittoria, the Allied forces
under Lord Wellington, attacked the French Army under Joseph
Bonaparte, aided by Marshal Jourdain, and gained a most complete
victory; having driven them from all their positions, and taken from
them 151 pieces of cannon, 415 waggons of ammunition, all their
baggage, provisions, cattle, treasure, &c., and a large number of
prisoners. On the 5th and 6th of July there were brilliant and
general illuminations in London in celebration of this victory. Much
mischief was done by fireworks being let off in the streets, but
at Bow Street, fifty people were punished for so doing, and very
properly too, one man at least, who for the sake of throwing his
squibs with surer aim, attached to each of them a leaden weight, of
weight sufficient, it was believed, to kill a man, if it had struck
him on the head.
On the 20th of July there was a grand public fête at Vauxhall, in
honour of the same event, which commenced with a dinner at 5 p.m.,
the Duke of York presiding, accompanied by all his brothers, except
the Prince Regent. At this dinner was shown Marshal Jourdain's
_baton_, which was picked up on the field of battle by a sergeant
of the 87th Regiment. Then the gardens were illuminated on a scale
of grandeur never before attempted, bands played, the visitors
promenaded, and there were three displays of fireworks, and the whole
closed with dancing, the company not separating until 2 a.m. Numbers
of tickets for the evening fête, not including the dinner, were sold
at from three to ten guineas each.
On the 1st of July, at Tunbridge Wells, died a curious character,
William Huntington (his proper name being Hunt), S. S., "Sinner
Saved," as he delighted to call himself, Minister of the Gospel
at Providence Chapel, Gray's Inn Lane. Born in the Weald of Kent,
of very poor parents, he had a rough early life, as errand boy,
labourer, and cobbler. Then he was "saved," and began preaching,
first at Thames Ditton, then in London, at Margaret Street Chapel,
and, by the power of faith and prayer, he finally built the Chapel of
Providence. In his "Bank of Faith" he tells his reader somewhat of
the commencement of this Chapel:--
"I will now inform my reader of the kind providence of my God at the
time of building the Chapel, which I named Providence Chapel (1788):
and also mention a few free-will offerings which the people brought.
They first offered about eleven pounds, and laid it on the foundation
at the beginning of the building. A good gentleman, with whom I had
but little acquaintance, and of whom I bought a load of timber, sent
it in with a bill and receipt in full, as a present to the Chapel of
Providence. Another good man came with tears in his eyes and blessed
me, and desired to paint my pulpit, desk, &c., as a present to the
Chapel. Another person gave me half-a-dozen chairs for the Vestry;
and my friends Mr. and Mrs. Lyons furnished me with a tea-chest
well stored, and a set of china. My good friends Mr. and Mrs.
Smith furnished me with a very handsome bed, bedstead, and all its
furniture and necessaries, that I might not be under the necessity
of walking home in the cold winter nights. A daughter of mine in the
faith gave me a looking-glass for my chapel study. Another friend
gave me my pulpit cushion and a bookcase for my study. Another gave
me a bookcase for the vestry. And my good friend Mr. E. seemed to
level all his displeasure at the devil; for he was in hopes I should
be enabled, through the gracious arm of the Lord, to cut Rahab in
pieces; therefore he furnished me with a sword of the Spirit--a new
Bible, with Morocco binding and silver clasps!"
His preaching was of a decidedly "Revivalist" type; but his
enthusiasm doubtless reclaimed to order and decency many of the
lower classes. He mingled his religion with much worldliness, and
he married Lady Sanderson (the widow of Sir James Sanderson, Bart.,
Lord Mayor of London), who was a constant attendant at his chapel,
by which he became possessed of a considerable addition to his
property. After the demolition of his Chapel in Margaret Street, the
wealthier portion of his congregation proposed to build him another;
and accordingly erected a Chapel in Gray's Inn Lane, at an expense
of £9,000. A day was appointed for opening it; but he refused to
officiate in it at all, until it should be made his own personal
freehold: and, so great was the devotion of his followers, they
resigned their shares in his favour.
He had a nice house at Pentonville, and it was there that his effects
were sold on the 24th of September. All his disciples wanted some
personal relic of him, and the consequence was, that the goods
fetched fancy prices. As an instance, an old arm-chair, intrinsically
worth about fifty shillings, fetched sixty guineas, and other
articles in like proportion. There were several caricatures of this
auction, but they afford neither profit nor amusement to the modern
reader.