Bring here nice morceaus; be it understood
The lion vindicates his choicest food.
Button’s “Lion’s Head” was afterwards preserved at the Shakspeare
Tavern, where it was sold by auction on the 8th of November, 1804, to
Mr. Richardson of the Grand Hotel, the indefatigable collector and
possessor of an immense mass of materials for the history of St. Paul,
Covent-garden, the parish wherein he resides. The late duke of Norfolk
was his ineffectual competitor at the sale: the noble peer suffered the
spirited commoner to gain the prize for 17_l._ 10_s._ Subsequently the
duke frequently dined at Mr. Richardson’s, whom he courted in vain to
relinquish the gem. Mr. R. had the head with its inscription handsomely
engraved for his “great seal,” from which he has caused delicate
impressions to be presented in oak-boxes, to a few whom it has pleased
him so to gratify; and among them the editor of the _Every-Day Book_,
who thus acknowledges the acceptable civility.
* * * * *
In the _London Magazine_ the “Lion’s Head,” fronts each number, greeting
its correspondents, and others who expect announcements, with “short
affable roars,” and inviting “communications” from all “who may have
committed a particularly good action, or a particularly bad one--or said
or written any thing very clever, or very stupid, during the month.” By
too literal a construction of this comprehensive invitation, some got
into the “head,” who, not having reach enough for the “body” of the
magazine, were happy to get out with a slight scratch, and others remain
without daring to say “their souls are their own”--to the reformation of
themselves, and as examples to others contemplating like offences. The
“Lion” of the “London” is of delicate scent, and shows high masterhood
in the great forest of literature.
~St. Anne.~
Her name, which in Hebrew signifies gracious, is in the church of
England calendar and almanacs on this day, which is kept as a great
holiday by the Romish church.
The history of St. Anne is an old fiction. It pretends that she and her
husband Joachim were Jews of substance, and lived twenty years without
issue, when the high priest, on Joachim making his offerings in the
temple, at the feast of the dedication, asked him why he, who had no
children, presumed to appear among those who had; adding, that his
offerings were not acceptable to God, who had judged him unworthy to
have children, nor, until he had, would his offerings be accepted.
Joachim retired, and bewailed his reproach among his shepherds in the
pastures without returning home, lest his neighbours also should
reproach him. The story relates that, in this state, an angel appeared
to him and consoled him, by assuring him that he should have a daughter,
who should be called Mary, and for a sign he declared that Joachim on
arriving at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem should there meet his wife
Anne, who being very much troubled that he had not returned sooner,
should rejoice to see him. Afterwards the angel appeared to Anne, who
was equally disconsolate, and comforted her by a promise to the same
effect, and assured her by a like token, namely, that at the Golden Gate
she should meet her husband for whose safety she had been so much
concerned. Accordingly both of them left the places where they were, and
met each other at the Golden Gate, and rejoiced at each others’ vision,
and returned thanks, and lived in cheerful expectation that the promise
would be fulfilled.
The meeting between St. Anne and St. Joachim at the Golden Gate was a
favourite subject among catholic painters, and there are many prints of
it. From one of them in the “Salisbury Missal,” (1534 fo. xix) the
annexed engraving is copied. The curious reader will find notices of
others in a volume on the “Ancient Mysteries,” by the editor of the
_Every-Day Book_. The wood engraving in the “Missal” is improperly
placed there to illustrate the meeting between the Virgin Mary and
Elizabeth.
[Illustration: ~Meeting of St. Anne and St. Joachim~
_AT THE GOLDEN GATE_.]
It is further pretended, that the result of the angel’s communication to
Joachim and Anne was the miraculous birth of the Virgin Mary, and that
she was afterwards dedicated by Anne to the service of the temple, where
she remained till the time of her espousal by Joseph.
In the Romish breviary of Sarum there are forms of prayer to St. Anne,
which show how extraordinarily highly these stories placed her. One of
them is thus translated by bishop Patrick:[225]
“O vessel of celestial grace,
Blest mother to the virgins’ queen,
By thee we beg, in the first place,
Remission of all former sin.
“Great mother, always keep in mind
The power thou hast, by thy sweet daughter,
And, by thy wonted prayer, let’s find
God’s grace procur’d to us hereafter.”