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Social  England 

under 

The  Regency 


Presented  to  the 
LIBRARY  of  the 

UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO 

by 

Victoria  College 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS 

ON 

SOCIAL   ENGLAND    UNDER   THE 
REGENCY 

'  Mr.  Ashton's  method,  exemplified  in  a  long  series  of  always 
amusing  and  incidentally  instructive  documents,  is  to  dive  into 
contemporary  documents  and  to  bring  up  almost  at  hazard  anything 
which  may  throw  light  upon  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
period.  In  "  Social  England  under  the  Regency  "  he  has  found  a 
temptingly  rich  theme,  and  .  .  .  he  has  turned  out  a  handsome 
and  entertaining  volume.  It  matters  not  where  you  open  the 
book,  you  are  sure  to  light  upon  something  good..' 

Si.  James's  Gazette. 

1  It  is  bright  and  pleasant  reading.  .  .  .  It  is  almost  hopeless 
to  give  an  idea  of  the  interesting  farrago — arranged,  of  course,  in 
chronological  order — that  fills  these  pages.' — Times. 

'A  delightful  storehouse  of  quaint  and  curious  information. 
.  .  .  Collectors  of  books  for  a  theatrical  library,  sportsmen, 
students  of  costume  and  manners,  as  well  as  the  general  reader  in 
search  of  mere  entertainment,  ought  to  possess  themselves  of  this 
handsome  volume.' — Sporting  Life. 

'Amusing  reading,  and  full-crammed  with  amusing  cuts.' — 
National  Observer. 

1  The  author  may  fairly  claim  particular  credit  for  his  skill  in 
selecting  his  material  and  arranging  and  combining  it  in  so  en- 
tertaining a  fashion.  The  student  of  the  superficial  movements 
of  society  will  find  much  in  the  volume  to  arrest  his  attention.' — 
Scotsman. 

f  The  most  alluring  part  is  to  be  found  in  the  state  of  London,  of 
country  roads,  gipsies,  dairy  work,  the  amusements  of  high  life, 
food  and  drink,  and  ladies'  dress.  The  volume,  in  fact,  affords  the 
means  of  obtaining  a  very  good  idea  of  the  condition  of  England 
during  the  period.' — Daily  Telegraph. 

'  The  Regency  is  a  very  picturesque  and  interesting  chapter  in 
the  history  of  England,  and  we  shall  never  be  tired  of  reading 
about  it.' — Daily  News. 

'  Every  variety  of  life,  whether  it  be  commercial  or  fantastic, 
finds  its  place  in  Mr.  Ashton's  pages ;  and  his  illustrations,  copied 
from  the  publications  of  the  time,  if  sometimes  coarse,  as  was  the 
wit  of  the  Regency,  are  extremely  helpful,  and  always  of  historical 
value.  His  volume  is,  in  fact,  very  entertaining.' — Pa  I  I  Mall  Gazette. 


BOOKS  BY  JOHN  ASHTON. 

Crown  8vo.,  cloth,  75.  6d.  each. 

A  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHAP-BOOKS   OF  THE  EIGHTEENTH 
CENTURY.     With  334  Illustrations. 

HUMOUR,    WIT,     AND     SATIRE    OF    THE    SEVENTEENTH 
CENTURY.     With  82  Illustrations. 

ENGLISH  CARICATURE  AND  SATIRE  ON   NAPOLEON  THE 
FIRST.     With  115  Illustrations. 

MODERN  STREET  BALLADS.    With  57  Illustrations. 


Crown  8vo.,  cloth,  6s.  each. 

FLORIZEL'S   FOLLY.     With  Photogravure  Frontispiece  and   12  full- 
page  Illustrations. 

SOCIAL    ENGLAND    UNDER  THE   REGENCY.     \Vith   90   Illus- 
trations. 

SOCIAL  LIFE   IN   THE   REIGN   OF  QUEEN  ANNE.     With   84 
Illustrations.     Crown  8vo.,  cloth,  35.  6d. 

LONDON:    CHATTO  &  WINDUS,  in  ST.  MARTIN'S  LANE,  W.C. 


GEORGE    III.,    1819. 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


UNDER 


THE    REGENCY 


BY 

JOHN    ASHTON 


AUTHOR   OF 
'SOCIAL   LIFE   IN   THE   REIGN   OF   QUEEN   ANNE,'    '  FLORIZEL'S  FOLLY,'   ETC. 


A  NEW  EDITION 

WITH   NINETY   ILLUSTRATIONS 


LONDON 

CH ATTO     &     WIN  DU  S 

1899 


5-3  s 


PREFACE. 

CERTAINLY,  it  is  not  the  least  part  of  an  Author's  reward  for 
all  his  pains  and  trouble,  to  find  that  the  Public  appreciates 
his  efforts,  and  purchases  and  reads  his  books.  I  am  thus 
emboldened  to  continue  my  work,  and  sketch  the  men  and 
manners  of  the  Regency.  Most  books  of  this  class  deal 
mainly  with  the  great  ones  of  the  land,  but  I  have  only  done 
so  where  necessary  to  illustrate  the  history  of  the  times,  my 
aim  belli  j  more  to  delineate  the  social  condition  of  England 
and  her  people.  I  may  add,  that  this  work  will  be  found 
perfectly  reliable  as  history,  nothing  being  taken  at  second- 
hand, but  all  compiled,  even  down  to  the  illustrations,  from 
original  and  contemporaneous  authorities. 

JOHN  ASHTON. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I. 

PAOB 

The  King's  Malady — Former  preparations  for  a  Regency — 
King's  recovery — The  King  at  home — His  love  of  music — 
Severe  frost — Lucien  Buonaparte  a  prisoner  of  war — 
French  obstructions  to  commerce — A  gallant  merchantman  -  1 

CHAPTER  II. 

A  Regency  inevitable — Prince  of  Wales  waited  on — He  under- 
takes the  Regency — French  and  English  prisoners  of  war — 
Roman  Catholic  soldiers — Roughness  of  manners — Passing 
of  Regency  Bill — The  Prince's  companions — Inauguration 
of  the  Prince  as  Regent — Improvement  in  the  health  of  the 
King  -  11 

CHAPTER  III. 

Story  of  a  crime — The  Shanavests  and  the  Caravats — Gluttony 
— Smuggling  bullion — A  Tar  at  the  theatre — Deposition  of 
French  Colours  in  Whitehall  Chapel— The  Duke  of  York 
reinstated  as  Commander- in-Chief — The  Regency  Fete — 
Account  of  the  entertainment  -  23 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Ladies'  dresses  at  the  Fete — The  banquet — Carlton  House 
thrown  open  to  the  public — The  crush — Sir  F.  Burdett's 
action  against  the  Speaker — Relief  of  British  Prisoners  in 
France — Scarcity  of  guineas — Lord  King  and  his  tenants — 
Stories  respecting  the  Currency  -  33 

CHAPTER  V. 

A  smuggler's  victim — Illness  of  Gilray — A  gallant  highway- 
man— A  Witch  —  Bartholomew  Fair  —  The  Comet  —  A 
practical  joke  on  the  Queen — Woman's  Cricket  Match — 
Ballooning — French  prisoners  of  war — Luddite  riots — The 
King  and  his  physicians — His  health  -  -  43 


CONTENTS 
CHAPTER  VI. 


The  Regent's  doings—  The  Royal  Sprain—  Colonel  McMahon— 
Luddite  and  Factory  Riots—  Scarcity  of  Bullion—  Murder  of 
Mr.  Perceval  -  .  ...  55 

CHAPTER  VII. 

French  Prisoners  of  War—  Repeal  of  the  '  Orders  in  Council  ' 
—Rejoicings  for  the  Victory  of  Salamanca  —  Saturnalia 
thereat  •  •  -68 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Chimney-sweeps  —  Climbing  boys  —  Riot  at  Bartholomew  Fair  — 
Duelling  —  War  with  France  —  Declaration  of  war  between 
England  and  America  —  Excommunication  for  bearing  false 
witness  —  Early  Steam  Locomotives  —  Margate  in  1812  — 
Resurrection  men—  Smithfield  Cattle  Club  -  -  76 

CHAPTER  IX. 

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  —  Fete  at  Vauxhall  —  William  Huntingdon,  s.s.  -  85 

CHAPTER  X. 

Emperor  of  Russia  invested  with  the  Garter  —  The  Poet 
Laureate  —  French  Prisoners  of  War  —  Joy  over  Napoleon's 
defeat  at  Leipsic  —  'Orange  boven'  —  The  Allies  and  the 
War  with  France—  The  War  with  America—  The  Princess 
Charlotte  and  her  establishment—  The  Prince  of  Orange  her 
suitor—  The  King's  Health  -  .  102 

CHAPTER  XI. 

A  Cat  in  a  Conflagration  —  Scramble  for  Exchequer  Bills  _  A 
Matrimonial  Dispute  —  An  old  Debtor  —  A  Volunteer  Dinner 
—A  Man  and  Hedgehog—  Torpedoes—  Slavery—  Gambling 
on  Napoleon's  Life  —  Gas  Lighting  -  -  -  -  113 

CHAPTER  XII. 

1814. 

The  Fog—  Condition  of  Ireland—  State  of  the  Navy—  The 
Regent  at  Belvoir—  Coming  of  age  of  Princess  Charlotte- 
Day  of  Thanksgiving—  Great  Snowstorm—  Thames  frozen 
over—  Sports  thereon—  Frost  fair—  The  Country  and  the 
Snow  -  .  U9 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  XIII.  PAQE 

Burning  of  the  Custom  House — De  Berenger's  fraud  on  the 
Stock  Exchange— Lord  Cochrane  inculpated — Price  of  pro- 
visions—Arrival of  the  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh  —  The 
Capitulation  of  Paris,  and  fall  of  Napoleon— Papa  Yiolette 
-Elba -  -  133 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Illuminations  for  Peace — Ovation  to  Louis  XVIII. — His  de- 
parture for  France— Peace  with  France— Cheaper  provisions 
— Distinguished  foreign  guests  in  London — Arrival  of 
Emperor  of  Russia  and  King  of  Prussia — Movements  of  the 
great  folk— Popularity  of  General  Bliicher  -  -  -  144 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Royal  festivities — The  Emperor  of  Russia,  the  King  of  Prussia, 
and  General  Bliicher  at  Oxford  —  Banquet  at  Guildhall- 
Departure  of  the  Allied  Sovereigns— Signature  of  Treaty 
of  Peace — Proclamation  of  Peace — State  Thanksgiving  at 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral  -  -  -  1GO 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

City  banquet  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington — Costly  vegetables — 
The  Princess  Charlotte — Squabbles  about  her  presentation 
at  Court — The  Regent  hooted — The  Princess  Charlotte  and 
the  Prince  of  Orange — Her  future  husband,  Prince  Leopold 
— Her  flight  from  Warwick  House,  and  return  •  -  173 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

State  of  Ireland — The  Regent  fetes  the  Duke  of  Wellington — 
The  Jubilee  in  the  Parks — Public  opinion  thereon — The 
Celebration  -  -  -  190 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  celebration  of  the  Jubilee  continued — Sale  of  the 
Properties — Continuation  of  the  Fair — Departure  of  Queen 
Caroline  for  the  Continent  —  Scarcity  of  Gold  —  French 
prisoners  of  war — State  of  the  streets — Red  tape  in  the 
Navy — English  visit  France — The  War  with  America — 
Treaty  of  peace  with  America  -  203 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

1815. 

Health  of  the  King — Extension  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath — 
Wife  selling — A  Sailor's  frolic — *  Nelson's  Lady  Hamilton ' 
— *  The  Pig-faced  Lady  '—The  advantage  of  being  able  to 
play  the  violin — Napoleon's  escape  from  Elba  ^  •  215 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Anti-Corn  Bill  riots— Riots  in  the  north— Ratification  of  the 
Treaty  of  Peace  with  America— Attempt  to  steal  the  Crown 
—Epithets  applied  to  Napoleon— The  Prince  of  Wales' 
debts  -  •*«* 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

News  of  the  Battle  of  Waterloo— Rejoicings— After  career  of 
Napoleon— His  abdication  and  flight— Goes  on  board  the 
Belleroplion— Arrives  at  Torbay— His  habits  on  board- 
Ordered  to  Plymouth— Crowds  try  to  get  a  glimpse  of  him 
—His  protest  against  being  sent  to  St.  Helena— Transferred 
to  the  Northumberland— Opinion  as  to  the  Prince  Regent's 
conduct  towards  him— Sails  for  St.  Helena  -  -  -237 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Effects  of  Napoleon's  capture— The  Navy  in  1815— Margate 
and  Ramsgate — French  Prisoners  of  war — Treaty  of  Peace 
with  France  —  Napoleon's  house  —  A  soldier's  letter  —  A 
zealous  Lord  Mayor — Hotels  and  clubs  in  1815  -  -  254 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

1816. 

Day  of  Thanksgiving—'  Battle  for  the  Standard  '—Return  of 
the  troops— Frozen  game  brought  over  by  Esquimaux — The 
Regent's  practical  joke — Rejection  of  the  Prince  of  Orange 
by  the  Princess  Charlotte,  and  acceptance  of  Prince  Leopold 

as  her  husband — Her  marriage— '  The  R 1  Whiskers' — 

The  Regent's  yacht     -  -  263 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Riots  and  agrarian  outrages — Colliers,  &c.,  coming  to  London — 
'England  in  1816'— Riots  in  Newgate— Marriage  of  the 
Duke  of  Gloucester — A  chimney  sweep's  wedding — Cruelty 
to  a  '  climbing  boy  '—The  Mortar  at  St.  James's  Park- 
Lighting  by  means  of  Gas — The  Coinage  -  -  -  276 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Smuggling—'  Resurrection  Men  '—More  riots— Orator  Hunt- 
Meetings  at  Spa  Fields — Riots  arising  therefrom — Execution 
of  one  of  the  rioters— The  King's  health  -  -  287 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

1817. 

Visit  of  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  of  Russia— Stones  thrown 
at  the  Regent— Issue  of  the  new  Silver  Coinage— Riots  and 
arrests  for  sedition— First  issue  of  Sovereigns— The  Case  of 


CONTENTS  xiii 

PAQB 

Abraham  Thornton  and  appeal  by  battle — The  Queen  at 
Bath — Death  of  the  Princess  Charlotte — Richard  Owen  and 
his  scheme—'  The  Fortunate  Youth  '— *  Caraboo  '  -  -  301 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
1818. 

Distress  among  discharged  Seamen  —  Finding  the  Scotch 
Regalia— Strathfieldsaye  bought  for  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton— The  Kyrle  Society — Royal  Marriages — Annoying  the 
Queen — Riotous  schoolboys — The  Regent  mobbed — Death 
of  Queen  Charlotte  -  -  317 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

1819. 

Sale  of  the  Queen's  effects — Duke  of  York  has  custody  of  the 
King — The  *  Dandy  horse ' — Loss  of,  and  finding  the  King's 
jewellery — A  public  dinner — A  Royal  freak — Unqualified 
medical  practitioners — Emigration  to  America — 'The  fair 
Circassian' — Birth  of  Queen  Victoria — Napoleon's  Carriage 
— An  Irish  witness  -  -  -  323 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Reform  Meetings  —  Peterloo  —  Orator  Hunt's  entry  into 
London — The  King's  last  illness  and  death  -  -  341 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

A  foreigner's  view  of  England — The  packets — Roads — People 
— Posting — Mail  and  Stage  Coaches — Amateur  coachmen- — 
Fast  driving — Perils  of  travelling — A  lioness  attacks  the 
Mail— Dog  -  carts  and  donkey  -  riding  —  The  Streets  and 
Houses-  -  •  -  346 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

London    improvements — The     Country — Gleaning — Dairying 
and  out-door  Washing — The  Gipsy  -  301 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Ladies'  dresses— Tho  Dandizette— Waltzing— The  Quadrille— 
Al  mack's — Women's  education — Women's  work — Women 
Soldiers  and  Sailors  —  Female  rowing  match  —  Female 
pedestrian  —  Gretna  Green  marriages  —  Some  curious 
marriages  -  378 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

The  man  of  the  period — Drinking  habits — Dandies— Lord 
Petersham — A  Dandy's  diary — Gaming — Prize  fighting — 
Country  Sports  ...  .391 


xiv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

FADE 

Eating  and  drinking— Recipe  for  Punch— The  Stage— Baron 
Geramb  —  Romeo  Coates  —  Actors  and  Actresses  —  Mrs. 
Jordan  -  ....  404 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

The  Italian  Opera — An  uproar — Catalani  and  her  terms — 
Vauxhall  —  Musical  prodigy  —  Painters,  Sculptors,  Art 
exhibitions — Literature  and  writers — Bibliomaniacs— George 
Bidder,  the  Calculating  boy — Musicians — Medical  men — 
The  Clergy  —  Roman  Catholic  emancipation  —  Joanna 
Southcott  -  -  415 

INDEX      -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  428 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Frontispiece 
.      17 


George  III.,  1819        .... 

Robeing  the  Regent ;  or,  The  Road  to  Preferment 

The  Soldier's  Welcome  Home  !  !  ! 

Gudgeon  Fishing  k  la  Conservatory     ..... 

Jew depreciating  Bank  Notes     ..... 

The  Comet  of  1811      ....... 

Rural  Sports  ;  or,  A  Cricket  Match  Extraordinary    . 

Rural  Sports ;  Balloon  Hunting          .  .  .  .  . 

1812  ;  or,  Regency  a  la  Mode  ..... 

Princely  Agility  ;  or,  The  Sprained  Ancle      .... 

The  Privy  Purse  and  Political  Beggars  .... 

Mr.  Perceval  assassinated  in  the  Lobby  of  the  House  of  Commons, 

May  11,  1812 

Zemlanowhin,  the  Brave  Russian  Cossack,  as  he  appeared  at  the 

Royal  Exchange  on  Wednesday,  April  14, 1813  . 
A  Tit-bit  for  a  Cossack;  or,  The  Platoff  Prize  for  the  Head  of 

Buonaparte  ....... 

Meditations  among  the  Tomba  ..... 

Shannon  v.  Chesapeake  ...... 

British  Valour  and  Yankee  Boasting  ..... 

Part  of  Transparency  at  Ackermann's  . 

'  The  Sea  is  open,  Trade  revives '..... 

The  Frost  Fair  ....... 

Violettes          ........ 

1  Peace  and  Plenty  ;  or,  Good  News  for  John  Bull  !  !  !' 

Bliicher  greeted  by  his  Numerous  Friends  in  the  Park,  1814 

Blucher  surveying  himself  as  a  D.C.L.  . 

Doctor  Bliicher  ....... 

Russian  Condescension  ;  or,  The  Blessings  of  Universal  Peace 
Miss  endeavouring  to  excite  a  Glow  with  her  Dutch  Plaything 
The  Devonshire  Minuet  ...... 

The  R 1  kicking  up  a  Row  ;  or,  Warwick  House  in  an  Uproar     . 

Plebeian  Spirit ;  or,  Coachee  and  the  Heir  Presumptive 

The  Fortress    . 

The  Temple  of  Concord 


A  Whole  Family  lost 
The  Fall  of  Washington  ;  or, 
Waltzing  a  Courtship 
Recruiting 


Maddy  in  Full  Flight 


35 
41 
47 
50 
51 
54 
57 
60 

66 

89 

91 
95 
97 
99 
106 
108 
127 
143 
149 
155 
164 
165 
169 
180 
181 
185 
187 
194 
200 
209 
213 
220 


xvi  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


'  Answer  to  John  Bull's  Complaint '  .  .  .  .  .235 

Bonaparte  on  the  Quarter-deck  of  H.M.S.  Northumberland  .  .  244 

Boxiana,  or  the  Fancy .  .  .  .  .  •  .251 

'  A  Single  Life  on  the  Continent,  starving  on  Sour  Krout !'  .  .  2/1 

The  Prince  is  made  a  General  ......  272 

<R 1  Whiskers,' 1816 273 

Henry  Hunt,  Esq 292 

'  The  New  Coinage  ;  or,  John  Bull's  Visit  to  Mat  of  the  Mint !  !'  .304 
'  A  Peep  into  the  Pump  Room  ;  or,  The  Zomersetshire  Folk  in  a 

Maze,'  October,  1817 309 

Robert  Owen,  August  21,  1817  .  .  .  .  .311 

'  Sales  by  Auction  !  or,  Provident  Children  disposing  of  their 

Deceased  Mother's  Effects  for  the  Benefit  of  their  Creditors  !'  .  325 

'  Making  Most  of  £10,000  per  An.' 326 

1  The  Hobby  Horse  Dealer  ' 327 

'  The  Lady's  Accelerator ' 329 

'  High  Life  below  Stairs  !  !'       .  .  .  .  .  .333 

The  Massacre  at  St.  Peter's  ;  or,  *  Britons,  strike  Home  !  !  !'  .     343 

Market  Women  .......     348 

The  Waggon  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .349 

The  Post  Chaise 350 

The  Mail  Coach  .  ...  .  .  .  .352 

The  Plough        ........     363 

Sowing  Broadcast          .......     364 

Using  the  Flail  .  .  .  .  .  .  .364 

The  Farm  Labourer      .......     365 

Gleaners  ........     366 

Dairy  Folk        ........     367 

Washing  Clothes  .......     368 

Mounted  Butcher  Boy  .  .  .  .  .  .  .370 

The  Gipsies        .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .371 

Walking  Costume,  1812  .  .  .  .  .  .     374 

Ladies'  Head-dress        .......     375 

Nos.  1  and  2,  1811  ;  No.  3,  1812  ;  Nos.  4  and  5,  1813  .  .     376 

Nos.  1  an.i  2,  1814  ;  Nos.  3  and  4,  1815          .  .377 

Fashionables  of  1816  taking  the  Air  in  Hyde  Park      .  .  .     379 

Belles  and  Beaus  ;  or,  A  Scene  in  Hyde  Park,  August  12,  1817         .     380 
A  Dandyess,  1819          .......     381 

Waltzing  ........     382 

At  the  Spinning-wheel .......     385 

Making  Pillow  Lace      .......     386 

Milk  Woman     ........     387 

Conviviality       ......  393 

A  Portrait  (Lord  Petersham)    ......     395 

Lord  Petersham,  1815  .......     395 

A  Dandy  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .398 

Dandy  on  Horseback     .......     397 

Playing  at  Bowls  and  Quoits     ....  \     4^2 

Lothario,  as  performed  by  Mr.  Coates  at  the  Haymarket  Theatre 

December  9,  1811 .  .  .  .  ',  41Q 

A  Clown  and  a  Grasshopper  .  .  .  .  !  414 

A  Physician  ....  490 

Two  Opposite  Characters  .  .  435 


A.D.    1592. 


SOCIAL   ENGLAND   UNDER 
THE   REGENCY. 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  King's  Malady — Former  preparations  for  a  Regency — King's 
recovery — The  King  at  home — His  love  of  music — Severe  frost 
— Lucien  Buonaparte  a  prisoner  of  war — French  obstructions  to 
commerce — A  gallant  merchantman. 

•STATE  OF  His  MAJESTY'S  HEALTH. 

'Windsor  Castle,  January  1,  1811. 

'  His  Majesty  has  passed  a  quiet  night,  without 
much  sleep,  and  continues  the  same  as  he  was  yesterday. 

'H.  HALFORD. 
'W.  HEBERDEN. 
'R.  WILLIS.' 

SUCH  was  the  announcement  contained  in  The  Times  of  2nd  of 
January,  1811,  and,  for  some  time,  the  subjects  of  George  III. 
were  fed  with  daily  news  of  the  King's  health.  By  and  by, 
as  his  mental  disease  was  confirmed,  they  grew  fewer,  until 
they  were  furnished  just  once  a  month,  and  then  only  the 
very  scantiest  intelligence  of  his  condition  was  vouchsafed  to 
his  people. 

This  was  not  the  first  time  that  his  mind  had  given  way. 
In  the  early  part  of  October,  1788,  he  had  decided  symptoms 
of  mental  aberration,  and  was  totally  incapable  of  undertaking 
any  of  the  affairs  of  State  ;  but  his  physicians  were  hopeful 

1 


2  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1789 

of  his  recovery — and  their  hopes  were  gratified.  But  the 
Ministry  thought  differently,  and,  after  suggesting  that  the 
Government  should  be  carried  on  by  a  Commission,  on  the 
30th  of  December,  1788,  Pitt  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  stating  that  his  Majesty's  Ministers  had  come  to  the 
conclusion  to  offer  him  the  Regency  of  the  kingdom  under 
certain  restrictions. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  replied  at  once,  expressing  his  sorrow 
at  the  occasion  of  his  proposed  elevation,  but  accepting  the 
trust.  Of  course,  this  suggestion  of  the  Government  could 
not  be  acted  upon  without  mature  deliberation,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  30th  of  January,  1789,  that  the  following 
resolutions  of  the  Lords  and  Commons  were  presented  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales — 'That  his  Royal  Highness  be  empowered 
to  exercise  the  royal  authority  under  the  title  of  Regent/ 
'  That  the  power  given,  should  not  extend  to  the  granting  of 
any  peerage,  except  to  the  Royal  issue.'  '  Nor  to  the  grant 
of  any  office  in  reversion,  or  any  office,  salary,  or  pension, 
than  during  his  Majesty's  pleasure  ;  or  to  the  granting  his 
Majesty's  real  or  personal  estates.'  'That  the  Care  of  his 
Majesty  be  committed  to  the  Queen,  who  should  nominate  all 
persons  to  the  offices  in  the  household.' 

Needless  to  say,  the  Prince  made  no  objections,  and  by  the 
1 2th  of  February,  the  Regency  Bill  had  gone  through  all  its 
stages  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  was  ordered  to  be  sent 
to  the  Lords.  But  the  proverbial  '  slip  'twixt  cup  and  lip  ' 
occurred.  On  the  19th  of  February  the  Lord  Chancellor 
informed  the  House  of  Lords  that,  according  to  the  report 
of  his  physicians,  the  King's  health  was  steadily  mending,  and 
they  therefore  abstained  from  further  consideration  of  the 
Regency  Bill. 

The  physicians'  hopes  were  fully  justified  ;  the  King  got 
better  rapidly,  and,  on  the  27th  of  February,  his  perfect 
recovery  was  announced,  the  prayer  for  the  same  was  dis- 
continued, and  a  form  of  prayer  of  thanksgiving  for  his 
restoration  to  health,  was  ordered  to  be  read  in  all  Churches 
and  Chapels  throughout  England  and  Wales.  Rejoicings  and 
illuminations  were  the  order  of  the  day,  and,  on  the  23rd  of 
April,  the  day  of  general  thanksgiving,  the  King,  Queen,  and 
Royal  family  went  in  state  to  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  to  return 
thanks  to  God  for  His  mercy  in  giving  the  King  his  reason 
and  health  once  more. 

Years  went  on,  and  the  King  did  not  suffer  from  mental 


1810]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  3 

disease,  until  the  year  1810,  when  to  bodily  illness  of  his  own, 
was  added  the  death  of  his  daughter,  the  Princess  Amelia, 
This  shock  his  intellect,  perhaps  never  too  strong,  could  not 
stand,  and,  although  his  condition  was  concealed  for  some 
little  time  from  the  people — under  the  pretence  that  he  had 
a  cold — the  truth  was  obliged  to  come  out ;  and  we  read  in 
The  Morning  Post  of  October  31st— 'It  is  with  heartfelt 
sorrow  we  announce  that  His  Majesty's  indisposition  still 
continues.  It  commenced  with  the  effect  produced  upon  his 
tender  parental  feelings  on  receiving  the  ring*  from  the  hand 
of  his  afflicted  beloved  daughter,  the  affecting  inscription  upon 
which,  caused  him,  blessed,  and  most  amiable  of  men,  to 
burst  into  tears,  with  the  most  heart-touching  lamentations 
on  the  present  state,  and  approaching  dissolution  of  the 
afflicted  and  interesting  Princess.  His  Majesty  is  attended 
by  Drs.  Halford,  Heberden,  and  Baillie,  who  issue  daily 
bulletins  of  the  state  of  the  virtuous  and  revered  monarch, 
for  whose  speedy  recovery  the  prayers  of  all  good  men  will 
not  fail  to  be  offered  up.' 

This  time  the  physicians  held  out  no  hopes  of  the  King's 
recovery,  or  if  they  did,  it  was  at  some  vague,  indefinite 
future,  the  date  of  which  none  could  prognosticate,  and 
Parliament  found  itself  in  a  serious  situation.  It  met  on  the 
1  st  of  November,  to  which  date  it  had  been  prorogued,  only 
to  find  that  there  was  no  King  to  open  the  session,  and  no 
Commission  for  so  doing  had  been  named.  So,  in  default  of 
any  other  recognized  authority,  the  Lord  Chancellor,  and  the 
Speaker,  took  the  lead  in  their  different  assemblies,  and 
after  vainly  trying  to  find  out  how  they  should  act,  an  Order 
in  Council  cut  the  Gordian  Knot,  adjourning  Parliament  to 
the  29th  of  November,  a  decision  which  was  confirmed  in  the 
House  of  Commons  by  a  majority  of  285.  When  they  again 
met,  they,  after  discoursing  of  the  King,  set  to  work  to 
concoct  a  Regency. 

But  that  may  wait  for  a  while,  and  come  in  its  proper 
place,  for  King  George  is  passing  away  from  this  history,  and 
the  full  blaze  of  the  Regency  leaves  very  little  room  for  the 

*  The  Princess  Amelia,  when  dying,  ordered  a  valuable  stone  she 
possessed,  to  be  set  in  a  ring,  for  a  keepsake  of  her  to  her  father, 
and  so  urgent  was  she  that  it  might  be  made  before  she  died,  that 
a  jeweller  was  sent  for,  express,  from  London  to  make  it.  It  con- 
tained a  lock  of  her  hair,  and,  on  it,  was  her  name,  and,  '  Remember 
me  when  I  am  gone. 

1—2 


4  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1810 

shadow  of  the  old  King  to  show  :  yet,  before  he  disappears 
altogether,  it  may  be  as  well  if  we  can  recall  a  reminiscence 
of  him,  as  late  as  possible,  before  his  sad  malady  overtook, 
and  mastered  him.  Not  in  his  public  capacity,  but  as  it  were 
en  famille,  let  us  see  him ;  and  we  get  a  good  view  of  him 
through  the  medium  of  the  Rev.  John  Evans,  LL.D.,  of 
Islington,  who  wrote  'An  excursion  to  Windsor/  and  thus 
describes  what  he  saw  on  the  10th  of  July,  1810 :— 

'  We  entered  Windsor  about  six  o'clock,  and,  having 
refreshed  ourselves  at  the  inn  with  a  cup  of  tea,  hastened  to 
The  Terrace,  where  we  found  a  considerable  portion  of  genteel 
company.  Intent  on  the  gratification  of  a  laudable  curiosity, 
we  felt  peculiarly  happy  in  joining  them  on  this  occasion. 
It  was  seven  o'clock,  and  the  good  old  King  soon  made  his 
appearance  with  his  accustomed  punctuality. 

'A  little  door  in  the  Castle  was  thrown  open,  when  two 
attendants  were  seen  leading  this  venerable  personage  with 
great  care  down  a  flight  of  steps  till  he  safely  alighted  upon 
the  terrace.  Then  the  Princesses  Elizabeth  and  Augusta,  who 
were  present,  accompanied  him,  one  on  each  side,  or  rather 
took  hold  of  his  arm  ;  they  paced  backwards  and  forwards  for 
an  hour,  two  bands  of  music  playing  alternately ;  and  the  fine 
tones  of  the  several  instruments  being  heightened  by  the 
stillness  of  the  closing  day. 

'  The  King  was  dressed  neatly  :  blue  coat  with  gilt  buttons 
and  blue  star,  white  waistcoat  and  small  clothes,  white 
stockings,  and  gold  buckles  in  his  shoes.  His  hat  somewhat 
resembled  that  worn  by  the  clergy,  with  the  addition  of  a 
gold  button  and  loop,  mounted  by  a  black  cockade,  which 
marks  him  out  conspicuously  from  the  rest  of  the  company. 
His  Majesty  looked  ruddy  and  full ;  his  voice  is  sonorous,  and 
he  converses  with  cheerfulness,  though,  when  he  attempts  to 
speak  rather  hastily,  it  is  with  hesitation. 

'  His  want  of  sight  is  very  apparent,  for  his  hat  is  drawn 
over  the  upper  part  of  his  face,  and  he  feels  about  with  his 
cane,  especially  ascending  or  descending  a  step.  It  is  affect- 
ing to  see  him,  though  he  appears  cheerful  when  he  speaks, 
and  seems  as  if  nothing  were  the  matter  with  him.  He  now 
and  then  stops  to  converse  either  with  the  officers,  or  with 
the  nobility  and  gentry.  We  saw  him  several  times  on  the 
Terrace;  but  on  this  first  evening  there  was  a  more  than 
ordinary  degree  of  conversation.  He  was  full  of  inquiries 


1810]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  5 

respecting  the  installation  of  Lord  Grenville  as  Chancellor  of 
the  University  of  Oxford,  which  had  taken  place  during  the 
week.  He  inquired  also  about  the  balloon  in  which  Mr.  Sadler* 
had  ascended  on  this  occasion,  and  was  particularly  anxious  to 
know  how  long  it  continued  in  the  air,  and  where  it  had 
alighted ;  Harrow-on-the-Hill  was  mentioned,  though  the 
spot  had  not  then  been  ascertained.  He  conversed  at  all 
times  on  a  variety  of  topics  with  the  utmost  freedom  and 
even  hilarity. 

'This  daily  promenade  must  benefit  both  his  mind  and 
body:  while  the  presence,  as  well  as  the  attention,  of  so 
many  of  his  subjects,  some  coming  from  distant  parts,  must 
yield  him  no  inconsiderable  gratification.  The  countenances 
of  the  Princesses  are  replete  with  good  nature,  and  most 
exemplary  is  their  attention  to  their  aged  parent.  .  .  . 

'  It  should  be  mentioned  that  the  King,  in  returning  back 
to  his  apartments  in  the  Castle,  passing  by  the  band  of 
musicians  on  the  steps,  always  touched  his  hat,  and  said,  in  an 
audible  voice,  "  Gentlemen,  good-night,  I  thank  you."  Indeed, 
his  Majesty,  during  the  whole  time,  seemed  in  perfect  good 
humour  with  all  the  company. 

'  The  only  etiquette  observed  on  the  Terrace  is,  that  when 
the  King  passes,  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  withdraw  on  either 
side,  the  latter  merely  uncovering  the  head  ;  bows  and  curtsies 
being  dispensed  with  on  the  occasion.  A  police  officer  is  in 
attendance,  who,  with  a  little  switch,  keeps  individuals  from 
pressing  too  much  on  the  King,  when  he  stops  to  converse ; 
but  this  is  done  with  the  greatest  urbanity.  Owing  to  a  slight 
indisposition,  the  Queen  did  not  make  her  appearance  on  the 
Terrace  ;  but  we  saw  her  on  other  occasions.  His  Majesty 
was  regular  in  his  attendance  at  Chapel  every  morning,  and 
seemed  seriously  engaged  in  his  devotions. 

'  About  ten  o'clock,  when  the  weather  is  fine  (Sundays 
excepted),  the  King  rides  out  on  horseback  ;  and,  considering 
his  age,  he  mounted  his  horse  with  wonderful  agility.  He  is, 
in  his  ride,  accompanied  by  two  of  the  Princesses,  who  have 
some  of  their  maids  of  honour  following  in  a  landau  or  phaeton. 
The  King  has  several  attendants,  two  of  whom  are  close  by 
him,  and  one  has  a  little  stick,  the  crooked  end  of  which 
catches  that  part  of  the  bridle  nearest  the  curb,  so  that, 
should  the  animal  on  which  his  Majesty  rides  stumble,  instant 
assistance  might  be  given.' 

*  Then  the  principal  aeronaut  in  England. 


6  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

Music  was  his  greatest  solace  from  his  latter  seizure  till  his 
death,  and  we  learn  of  him  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1811 
(Morning  Chronicle,  Jan.  8th)  : — 

<  Windsor,  January  6th.— The  Bulletin  of  to-day  is  of  a  very 
cheering  nature,  and  for  these  five  days  past  his  Majesty  has 
been  gradually  improving,  both  in  mental  and  bodily  strength. 
His  Majesty  has  become  more  tranquillized  in  his  general 
deportment,  and  there  are  daily  visible  signs  that  his  malady 
is  on  the  decline.  His  Majesty  now  uses  the  sitting-room  in 
the  Blenheim  Tower;  takes  his  meals  regularly,  and  at 
intervals  amuses  himself  with  playing  the  most  familiar  tunes, 
on  the  harpsichord,  with  a  correctness  surpassing  the  most 
sanguine  expectations.  As  a  striking  proof  of  this  fact,  on 
some  very  recent  occasions,  when  his  Majesty,  in  consequence 
of  his  defective  sight,  struck  a  wrong  key,  he  instantly  cor- 
rected the  error  by  modulating  the  tune,  and  finishing  it  with 
his  accustomed  science  and  judgment.  .  .  . 

'The  Harpsichord  on  which  his  Majesty  plays,  formerly 
belonged  to  the  great  Handel,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
manufactured  at  Antwerp  in  the  year  1612.  Handel's  music 
is  highly  esteemed  by  his  Majesty,  and  many  of  his  most 
favourite  compositions  are  now  played  by  his  Majesty  from 
recollection.'  And  so  let  us  leave  him,  for  a  while,  to  be 
soothed  by  his  music. 

The  year  1811  came  in  bitterly  cold,  and  sad  were  the 
tales  told  in  consequence.  As  to  the  Coaches,  they  suffered 
severely.  On  the  4th  of  January  the  fall  of  snow  was  so 
great,  that  the  Northern  roads  were  all  but  impassable,  and 
the  Mail  Coach  from  Boston  could  only  be  dragged  four  miles 
through  the  snow,  the  guard  having  to  do  the  best  he  could, 
on  horseback,  with  the  mails,  and  the  mails  from  London  to 
Boston  had  to  be  conveyed  in  the  same  manner.  The 
Leicester  Coach,  on  the  way  to  Stamford,  was  upset  in  the 
snow  at  Burton -Lazarus,  and  several  of  the  passengers  were 
hurt;  the  Carlisle  Mail  was  dug  out  of  the  snow  at  Ticken- 
cote,  and  with  difficulty  got  to  Stamford  with  eight  horses, 
three  hours  later  than  usual ;  but  it  could  not  proceed  further 
than  Thornhaugh,  whence  the  guard  was  obliged  to  take  the 
letter-bags  on  horseback.  Three  coaches  from  the  north  lay 
all  night  in  the  snow  about  a  mile  from  Stamford,  and  as 
many  near  Winsford.  Oh  !  for  the  good  old  Coaching  days  ! 
when  Pullman's  Cars  were  unknown,  and  people  with  slender 
purses  had  to  ride  outside  in  all  weathers — and  it  was 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  7 

recorded  that  on  the  5th  of  January,  1811,  on  the  arrival  of 
the  Carlisle  Coach  in  London  two  poor  women,  outside 
passengers,  were  frozen  to  death.  The  Coachman  supposed 
them  to  be  asleep,  and  did  not  attempt  to  disturb  them  until 
he  arrived  at  his  destination,  when  they  were  found  stiff  in 
death.  Two  persons  near  Lincoln  perished  in  the  snow,  and 
the  cold  was  so  great,  even  so  far  south  as  London,  that  the 
Thames  was  nearly  frozen  over. 

Tender  hearts  felt  for  the  Poor  Debtors,  and  those  in 
Ludgate  record  their  thanks  to  M.  A.  Taylor,  Esq.,  M.P.,  for 
his  annual  benevolent  gift  of  two  Chaldrons  of  Coals,  158 
Ibs.  Beef,  and  23  half-peck  loaves ;  and  to  Alderman  Wood, 
the  friend  of  Queen  Caroline,  for  his  present  of  £5  ;  and  an 
unknown  donor  for  40  Ibs.  Beef.  The  poor  debtors  in  New- 
gate had  very  many  large  sums  to  acknowledge,  and  were 
duly  grateful  for  the  kindly  and  thoughtful  assistance  thus 
rendered  them.  Sad,  however,  is  it  to  find  that  during  the 
Severe  Frost,  on  the  7th  of  January,  a  poor  prisoner  died  of 
Cold  and  Want  in  the  Marshalsea  prison.  At  this  time  we 
learn  there  were  about  320  debtors  in  Newgate  alone  ;  and 
those  that  were  without  private  means,  had  to  subsist  on  the 
prison  allowance  of  2d.  worth  of  bread  (the  quartern  loaf 
being,  in  January,  Is.  3d.),  so  that  their  relief  during  the 
inclement  winter,  was  a  work  of  necessity,  as  well  as  of 
benevolence. 

In  1811  was  living  amongst  us  an  illustrious  Prisoner  of 
War,  no  less  a  person  than  Lucien  Buonaparte,  Prince  de 
Canino  (his  son,  Prince  Louis  Lucien,  also  afterwards  lived  with 
us),  who,  not  altogether  falling  in  with  his  brother's  policy, 
was  on  his  way  to  the  United  States,  when,  on  the  1st  of 
August,  1810,  he  was  taken  and  made  prisoner  by  a  British 
Cruiser.  After  some  detention  at  Malta,  he  was  sent  on  to 
England,  and  Ludlow  was  assigned  as  his  place  of  detention  ; 
and  there  he  lived  for  some  time,  inhabiting  Dinham  House, 
the  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Powis.  He  seems  to  have  accepted 
the  inevitable  cheerfully,  according  to  The  Times  of  Friday, 
January  4th : — 

'  Lucien  Buonaparte  arrived  at  Ludlow  about  4  o'clock  on 
the  evening  of  Wednesday,  sen'night,  accompanied  by  his 
nephew,  an  interpreter,  secretary,  Mr.  Mackenzie,  and  a  few 
servants.  He  drove  to  the  Angel  Inn,  where  he  dined  and 
slept.  On  Thursday  morning  he  walked  about  the  town, 
viewed  the  Castle,  and  some  of  the  principal  streets  ;  but,  as 


8  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

the  weather  was  rather  unfavourable,  and  public  curiosity 
great,  he  did  not  stay  long.  On  that  evening,  one  of  the 
Winter  Dancing  Assemblies  took  place,  which  Lucien,  his 
nephew,  and  some  of  his  friends  attended.  Some  of  the 
latter  danced,  but  Lucien  did  not.  He  continued  in  the 
room  till  supper  was  announced  ;  he  then  attended  Countess 
Powis  to  the  supper  rooms,  and  sat  at  her  Ladyship's  right 
hand  during  supper :  after  which  he  returned  to  the  ball  and 
card  rooms.  On  Saturday  he  went  to  Stone-house,  a  seat  of 
Lord  Powis,  about  five  miles  from  Ludlow,  where  Lucien  is  in 
future  to  reside,  and  from  thence  proceeded  to  Walcot,  the 
principal  residence  of  his  Lordship,  where  he  stayed  a  day  or 
two,  and  returned  to  Ludlow/ 

The  next  day's  Times  says :  '  Madame  Lucien  Buonaparte, 
with  her  family,  and  a  numerous  train  of  servants,  occupying, 
in  all,  four  carriages,  arrived  at  Ludlow  on  Wednesday; 
having  performed  the  journey  from  Plymouth,  in  a  week. 
Lucien  removed,  on  the  preceding  day,  from  the  Inn  to  Lord 
Powis's  residence  in  that  town,  called  Dinham-house ;  his 
Lordship's  seat  in  the  neighbourhood  (Stone-house)  being 
found  too  small  for  the  reception  of  so  numerous  a  suite.' 

In  another  Newspaper  the  ladies  are  described  with  almost 
American  frankness :  '  Madame  Buonaparte  is  extremely 
handsome  and  fascinating ;  Lucien's  daughter,  of  whom  so 
much  has  been  said,  has  great  claims  to  a  genteel  figure,  and 
elegant  demeanour,  but  she  is  not  beautiful.  The  motto  on 
Lucien's  carriage  is  an  extraordinary  one,  Luceo,  non  uro,  "  I 
shine  without  burning," '  On  this  motto  the  following 
Epigram  was  made  : — 

4  A  Wag,  requested  to  translate 
The  Motto,  on  the  Coach  of  State 

That  sets  all  Wales  into  a  wonder. 
"  It  means,"  said  he,  and  scratcht  his  pole, 
"  It  means  /  shine,  with  what  I  stole  ; 

My  foolish  brother  burns  his  plunder.' 

He  afterwards,  bought  the  estate  of  Thorngrove,  near 
Worcester,  and  there  lived  until  the  restoration  in  1814, 
when  he  went  to  Rome. 

Some  explanation  is  needed,  to  elucidate  the  last  line  of 
the  above  epigram.  Napoleon  was  determined  to  do  the 
utmost  damage  to  England,  and  endeavoured  to  injure  her  in 
her  most  vulnerable  part,  her  commerce — so,  whenever  the 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  9 

goods  of  Great  Britain,  or  her  Colonies,  were  found,  they 
were  burnt.  That  this  was  not  an  idle  threat  is  shown  by 
the  following  excerpts  from  The  Times  of  January  7th  and 
8th : — 

'A  Gentleman  who  has  arrived  within  these  three  days 
from  the  Continent,  and  has  been  present  at  several  burnings 
of  British  manufactures,  informs  us  that  in  every  place  where 
the  decrees  to  that  effect  were  put  in  force,  it  was  done  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet :  French  Soldiers  being  always 
present  to  prevent  tumult  and  disorder,  which,  on  such 
occasions,  manifested  themselves  everywhere.' 

'At  the  beginning  of  December,  a  number  of  French 
Officers  of  the  Customs,  with  a  detachment  of  the  17th 
regiment  of  Infantry,  arrived  at  Brandenburg,  to  make 
searches  for  Colonial  produce,  which  they  immediately  began 
with  great  strictness.' 

'  Parma,  December  12th.  Yesterday,  there  were  burnt  in 
this  town  24  bales  of  spun  cotton,  1 50  pieces  of  cotton  hand- 
kerchiefs, and  74  pieces  of  stuffs  of  the  same  manufacture ; 
the  whole  being  English  manufactures,  and  seized  by  the 
Custom  House  agents  on  the  frontiers  of  the  department  of 
the  Po.' 

But,  at  sea,  sometimes  a  Merchantman  could  look  after  its 
cargo  itself,  without  need  of  the  strong  arm  of  a  Convoy,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  good  ship  Cumberland,  Barrett,  master, 
bound  from  Quebec  to  England.  On  the  13th  of  January, 
1811,  she  arrived  in  the  Downs  under  a  jury  foremast  and 
bowsprit,  having  lost  both  foremast  and  bowsprit  in  a  heavy 
gale  of  wind  off  the  banks  of  Newfoundland. 

This,  one  would  have  thought,  would  have  been  sufficient 
excitement  for  one  voyage,  but  no !  when  close  home, 
between  Deal  and  Folkestone,  about  seven  and  eight  in  the 
morning,  she  was  attacked  by  four  French  lugger  privateers, 
who  approached  under  the  pretence  of  knowing  whether 
Captain  Barrett  wanted  a  pilot.  But  he  was  wary,  and 
replied  in  the  negative,  whereupon  the  privateers  declared 
themselves  in  their  true  colours,  and  poured  in  a  volley  of 
musketry. 

Captain  Barrett  ordered  his  men  down  below,  arming  them 
with  boarding  pikes,  and  as  soon  as  about  twenty  of  the 
enemy  were  aboard,  his  crew  attacked  them,  and  cleared  the 
decks,  killing  most  of  them  ;  the  others  jumping  overboard. 
Five  times  were  they  boarded,  (the  Frenchmen  ceasing  firing, 


10  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

for  fear  of  hurting  their  own  men),  and  five  times  the  enemy 
experienced  a  crushing  defeat.  Captain  Barrett  then  dis- 
charged three  of  his  Carronades,  loaded  with  round  shot  and 
Canister.  One  shot  carried  away  the  mainmast  of  one  of  the 
privateers  ;  the  second,  the  bowsprit  of  another,  and  doubtless 
injured  some  of  their  men,  as  there  was  a  great  cry  heard. 
This  proved  enough  for  '  Mounseer/  and  the  four  luggers 
sheered  off. 

The  Crew  of  the  Cumberland  was  twenty-six  men,  and  the 
force  of  the  enemy  was  estimated  at  two  hundred  and 
seventy  according  to  the  statements  of  the  prisoners  taken. 
The  loss  to  the  Cumberland  was  one  man  killed,  and  the  chief 
mate  wounded  ;  the  French  loss  is  set  down  as  about  sixty. 
And  what  think  you  was  the  reward  of  the  gallant  crew  ? 
'  The  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  have,  as  a  mark  of  their  satisfac- 
tion at  the  gallantry  exhibited  on  this  occasion,  expressed 
their  intention  to  grant  to  each  of  the  crew  of  the  Cumberland, 
a  protection  from  the  impress,  for  the  space  of  three  Years.'  !!! 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  Regency  inevitable — Prince  of  Wales  waited  on — He  undertakes 
the  Regency — French  and  English  prisoners  of  war — Roman 
Catholic  soldiers — Roughness  of  manners — Passing  of  Regency 
Bill — The  Prince's  companions — Inauguration  of  the  Prince  as 
Regent — Improvement  in  the  health  of  the  King. 

ALL  the  year  the  Lords  and  Commons  had  been  incubating  a 
Regency,  and  matters  were  so  far  advanced,  that  on  the  8th 
of  January,  the  House  of  Commons  received  a  message  from 
the  Lords  that  they  had '  ordered  the  Lord  President,  and  the 
Lord  Privy  Seal  to  attend  his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of 
Wales  with  the  several  Resolutions  agreed  to  by  the  Lords 
and  Commons,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  defect  of  the 
personal  exercise  of  the  royal  authority  during  his  Majesty's 
illness,  on  the  part  of  their  lordships,  and  desired  that  that 
House  would  appoint  a  proportionate  number  of  their  members 
to  go  with  them.  Also  that  they  had  ordered  Earl  Harcourt, 
and  Earl  Morton,  to  attend  her  Majesty  with  the  Resolution 
and  Address  agreed  to  by  the  Lords  and  Commons  respecting 
the  care  of  his  Majesty's  royal  person,  and  the  direction  of 
such  part  of  his  Majesty's  household  as  may  be  requisite  for 
the  comfort  of  his  Majesty,  and  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
Royal  dignity  ;  and  desired  that  the  House  would  appoint  a 
proportionate  number  of  their  members  to  go  with  them.' 

The  Commons  chose,  as  under,  to  go  with  the  Lords  to  wait 
upon  the  Prince  of  Wales :  The  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
(the  Right  Hon.  Spencer  Perceval),  the  Secretary  of  State  for 
the  Home  Department  (the  Right  Hon.  Richard  Ryder),  the 
President  of  the  Board  of  Control  for  the  affairs  of  India  (the 
Right  Hon.  Robert  Saunders  Dundas,  afterwards  Lord  Melville), 
and  Sir  William  Grant,  the  Master  of  the  Rolls  ;  whilst  the 
members  chosen  to  wait  upon  the  Queen  were  Lord  John 


12  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

Thynne,  Lord  Palmerston  (Secretary  at  War),  Lord  Clive,  and 
Colonel  Desbrowe. 

On  the  llth  of  January  these  two  deputations  went  in  great 
state,  the  one  to  the  Prince,  the  other  to  the  Queen.  The 
Prince  received  them  in  the  grand  drawing-room  of  Carlton 
House,  standing  with  his  Chancellor,  William  Adam,  Esq., 
and  Earl  Moira  on  his  right  hand,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland 
and  Mr.  Sheridan  on  his  left ;  whilst  behind  him  were  four 
officers  of  his  household,  Mr.  Tyrwhitt,  Colonel  M'Mahon, 
General  Bloomfield,  and  General  Turner. 

The  Lord  President,  as  chief  of  the  deputation,  then  read 
a  paper,  informing  the  Prince  that  '  they  were  a  Committee 
appointed  to  attend  his  Royal  Highness  with  the  resolutions 
which  had  been  agreed  to  by  the  Lords  and  Commons,  for  the 
purpose  of  supplying  the  defect  of  the  personal  exercise  of 
the  royal  authority,  during  his  Majesty's  illness,  by  empower- 
ing his  Royal  Highness  to  exercise  that  authority  in  the  name 
and  on  the  behalf  of  his  Majesty,  subject  to  such  limitations 
and  restrictions  as  shall  be  provided. 

'  And  that  they  were  directed  to  express  the  hope  which 
the  Lords,  spiritual  and  temporal,  and  Commons  entertain, 
that  his  Royal  Highness,  from  his  regard  to  the  interests  of 
his  Majesty,  will  be  ready  to  undertake  the  weighty  and 
important  trust  proposed  to  be  invested  in  his  Royal  High- 
ness, as  soon  as  an  Act  of  Parliament  shall  have  been  passed 
for  carrying  the  said  resolutions  into  effect.' 

The  Lord  President  first  read  and  then  delivered  to  the 
Prince  the  Resolutions,  and  he  replied  : 

'My  LORDS  AND  GENTLEMEN, 

'  I  receive  the  communication  which  the  two  Houses 
have  directed  you  to  make  to  me  of  their  joint  Resolutions, 
on  the  subject  of  providing  for  "  the  exercise  of  the  Royal 
Authority  during  his  Majesty's  illness,"  with  those  sentiments 
of  regard  which  I  must  ever  entertain  for  the  united  desires 
of  the  two  Houses. 

'  With  the  same  sentiments  I  receive  the  expressed  hopes 
of  the  Lords  and  Commons,  that  from  my  regard  for  the 
interest  of  his  Majesty  and  the  Nation,  I  should  be  ready  to 
undertake  the  weighty  and  important  trust  proposed  to  be 
invested  in  me,  under  the  Restrictions  and  Limitations  stated 
in  those  Resolutions. 

'Conscious  that   every  feeling   of  my   heart   would   have 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  13 

prompted  me,  from  dutiful  affection  to  my  beloved  Father 
and  Sovereign,  to  have  shown  all  the  reverential  delicacy 
towards  him  inculcated  in  those  Resolutions,  I  cannot  refrain 
from  expressing  my  regret,  that  I  should  not  have  been 
allowed  the  opportunity  of  manifesting  to  his  afflicted  and 
loyal  subjects  that  such  would  have  been  my  conduct. 

'Deeply  impressed,  however,  with  the  necessity  of  tran- 
quillizing the  public  mind,  and  determined  to  submit  to  every 
personal  sacrifice,  consistent  with  the  regard  I  owe  to  the 
security  of  my  Father's  Crown,  and  the  equal  regard  I  owe 
to  the  welfare  of  his  people,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  accept  the 
office  and  situation  proposed  to  me,  restricted  as  they  are, 
still  retaining  every  opinion  expressed  by  me  upon  a  former 
and  similar  distressing  occasion. 

'  In  undertaking  the  trust  proposed  to  me  I  am  well  aware 
of  the  difficulties  of  the  situation  in  which  I  shall  be  placed  ; 
but  I  shall  rely  with  confidence  upon  the  Constitutional  advice 
of  an  enlightened  Parliament,  and  the  zealous  support  of  a 
generous  and  loyal  people.  I  will  use  all  the  means  left  to 
me  to  merit  both. 

'  MY  LORDS  AND  GENTLEMEN, 

'You  will  communicate  this  my  answer  to  the  two 
Houses,  accompanied  by  my  most  fervent  wishes  and  prayers, 
thac  the  Divine  Will  may  extricate  us,  and  the  nation,  from 
the  grievous  embarrassments  of  our  present  condition,  by  the 
speedy  restoration  of  his  Majesty's  health.' 

The  Queen  gave  an  answer,  couched  in  a  similar  spirit  to 
the  deputation  which  waited  upon  her. 

Whilst  the  Lords  and  Commons  are  debating  on  the  Regency 
Bill  (and  they  took  the  whole  of  January  to  do  it),  let  us  see 
what  was  happening  in  England. 

There  was  a  subject  that  touched  many,  and  all  over  Britain, 
from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  and  that  was  the  British 
prisoners  of  war  in  France.  Truly  we  had  many  more  French 
prisoners  in  England  than  there  were  English  in  France  ;  The 
Morning  Post,  October  15th,  1810,  placing  the  numbers 
respectively  at  50,000  and  12,000.  The  French  prisoners 
here  were  not  treated  too  well ;  but  the  English  prisoners  in 
France  were  treated  worse,  and  many  thousands  of  hearts  must 
have  yearned  towards  those  poor  Captives,  and  many  thousands 
were  willing  to  part  with  their  means,  although  there  were 


14  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

then  many,  and  urgent,  calls  upon  their  purses,  in  order  to 
alleviate  their  lot. 

Lloyd's  was  then  the  Centre  of  benevolence,  as  the  Mansion 
House  now  is  ;  and  the  leading  Merchants  and  Bankers  issued 
an  advertisement  in  The  Times  of  January  7th,  saying  that 
their  means  of  helping  these  prisoners  were  exhausted,  and 
they  appealed  for  fresh  funds. 

'The  Committee  beg  to  state  that  there  are  upwards  of 
10,000  British  Prisoners  in  the  different  Prisons  in  France, 
for  the  most  part  in  great  distress,  and  that  the  subscription 
is  intended  for  the  alleviation  of  their  sufferings  in  some 
degree,  by  assisting  them  with  articles  of  clothing,  bedding, 
fuel,  and  such  other  necessaries  as  they  stand  in  most  need  of. 

'  They  think  it  proper  to  add  that  the  relief  from  the  last 
subscription  was  intrusted  to  the  care  of  some  of  the  most 
respectable  persons  detained  in  France,  among  whom  were 
Clergymen,  and  several  officers  both  Naval  and  Military,  and 
that  they  have  made  so  satisfactory  a  distribution  of  the  funds, 
and  rendered  such  particular  details  thereof,  as  to  entitle  them 
to  the  highest  credit.  The  same  Gentlemen,  there  is  reason 
to  expect,  will  kindly  undertake  the  distribution  of  a  new 
subscription/ 

Needless  to  say  that  the  appeal  was  nobly  responded  to. 

Scant  courtesy  seems  to  have  been  paid  to  the  prisoners  on 
either  side,  almost  degenerating  into  pettiness  :  for,  this  month, 
an  Order  was  issued  from  Whitehall  that  no  French  women 
should  be  allowed  to  land  in  this  country,  who  might  have  left 
France  to  see  their  husbands.  The  reason  assigned  for  this 
very  peculiar  proceeding  was,  that  the  French  Government 
would  not  permit  Lady  Lavie  and  family  to  join  her  husband, 
Sir  Thomas,  who  was  a  prisoner  at  Verdun. 

But  pettiness  in  official  circles  seems  to  have  obtained. 
Can  we  barely  imagine,  at  a  time  when  every  soldier  was 
wanted,  and  it  might  be  thought  that  good  treatment,  at  all 
events,  might  have  allured  men  to  the  ranks,  that  they  trod 
upon  their  tenderest  feelings?  Yet  so  it  was,  and  it  was 
mainly  owing  to  the  exertions  of  The  Dublin  Evening  Post  that 
the  following  '  General  Order '  was  issued  : 

'  ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  OFFICE,  DUBLIN, 

'January,  1811. 

Reports  have  been  circulated,  that  Catholic  soldiers  have 
been  prevented  from  attending  Divine  worship,  according  to 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  15 

the  tenets  of  their  religion,  and  obliged,  in  certain  instances, 
to  be  present  at  that  of  the  Established  Church ;  the  Com- 
manding Officers  of  the  several  Regiments  are  to  be  attentive 
to  the  prevention  of  such  practices,  if  they  have,  in  any 
instance,  existed  in  the  Troops  under  their  command,  as  they 
are  in  violation  of  the  Orders  contained  in  the  Circular  letter 
of  the  14  May,  1806,  and,  since,  repeated  to  the  Army.  And 
the  Catholic  soldiers,  as  well  as  those  of  other  Sects,  are  to 
be  allowed,  in  all  cases,  to  attend  the  Divine  Worship  of  the 
Almighty  according  to  their  several  persuasions,  when  duty 
does  not  interfere,  in  the  same  manner,  and  under  the  same  regula- 
tions, as  those  of  the  Established  Church. 

'WM.  RAYMOND,  Dep.  Adjt.  Gen. 

'  N.  RAMSEY,  Maj.  Assist.  Adjt.  Gen.' 

The  Morning  Chronicle,  commenting  upon  this,  says :  '  So 
late  as  Friday  morning  last,  some  of  the  artillery,  privates 
and  drivers,  quartered  in  Enniskillen,  continued  to  do  duty 
with  turned  coats,  the  most  mortifying  punishment  ever  inflicted 
on  a  brave  man,  and  this,  merely  for  having  attended,  accord- 
ing to  law,  to  the  Worship  of  their  Church  ;  but  on  the  evening 
of  that  day,  the  scene  was  somewhat  changed,  the  General 
Order  arrived,  and  on  the  following  morning,  the  officer 
accused  of  the  oppression  departed  for  Dublin,  and  on  Sunday, 
the  Catholic  soldiers  of  the  garrison  were  marched  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  Chapel,  accompanied  by  the  officers  of  that 
religion.' 

It  would  seem  that  all  parties  were  trying  to  make  the 
Services  unpopular :  the  navy,  especially,  by  impressment — 
and  even  the  Militia  did  not  escape — for  in  January,  a  number 
of  farmers  and  others  were  summoned  before  the  magistrates 
at  Stafford  for  making  deductions  from  the  wages  of  those 
servants  who  were  enrolled  in  the  Militia,  and  who  had  been 
absent  for  their  training.  It  must  be  remembered  that  in 
those  days  farm  labourers  were  hired  at  Statute  fairs,  for  a 
twelvemonth,  and  the  15th  clause  of  48  Geo.  III.,  cap.  3, 
had  to  be  shown  to  those  summoned,  whereby  they  learned 
that  no  ballot,  enrolment,  or  service  under  the  Act  should 
make  void  or  in  any  manner  affect,  any  indenture  of  apprentice- 
ship, or  contract  of  service.  And  so  they  had  to  pay  their 
men. 

They  were  rather  a  rough  lot  in  the  Country,  and  this 
anecdote  is  thus  recorded  in  The  Times  of  January  31,  1811  : — » 


16  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

<  The  following  ludicrous*  circumstance  occurred  on  Tuesday 
week  at  Bristol : — A  couple  of  Jews  being  apprehended  in 
the  act  of  stealing  several  articles  from  the  stables  of  the 
White  Hart  Inn,  were  hauled  into  the  yard  by  two  stout 
fellows,  whither  the  whole  fraternity  of  the  currycomb  were 
immediately  summoned.  The  long  beards  of  these  disciples 
were  then  stuck  together  with  pitch  (their  hands  being 
previously  tied  behind  them) ;  and,  whilst  thus  face  to  face,  a 
profusion  of  snuff  mixed  with  hellebore,  was  administered, 
which  caused  them  to  sneeze  in  such  a  manner,  that  by  the 
frequent  and  violent  bobbing  of  noses  one  against  the  other, 
a  copious  stream  of  blood  issued  from  either  nostril,  whilst  the 
enraged  Culprits  were  kicking  and  capering  about  in  all 
directions.' 

Chronologically,  we  must  now  turn  to  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
who,  one  would  imagine,  was  desirous  of  emulating  the 
Squires  of  old,  who  spent  the  eve  of  their  knighthood  in  vigil, 
prayer,  fasting,  and  watching  their  armour — so  before  he 
became  Prince  Regent,  he  must  needs  partake  of  the  Holy 
Eucharist,  and  did  so  at  the  Chapel  Royal,  St.  James's,  on 
Sunday  the  27th  of  January ;  the  sole  object  of  which  was  to 
obtain  a  certificate  that  he  was  in  the  Communion  of  the  Church  of 
England.  This  public  act  of  worship  was  a  stately  affair. 
The  Prince  was  in  the  Royal  Closet  during  the  major  portion 
of  the  service,  the  Bishop  of  London  and  sub-dean  duly 
bowing  to  the  royal  presence,  at  their  entrance.  Afterwards, 
attended  by  the  Earl  of  Moira,  and  Lords  Dundas  and  Keith, 
he  went  up  to  the  Altar,  took  his  seat  under  a  canopy,  made 
his  offering  in  a  gold  dish,  and  then  the  Dean,  the  Prince,  and 
the  three  Lords  Communicated. 

On  the  5th  of  February  the  Lords  and  Commons  had  their 
final  conference  over  the  Regency  Bill,  they  agreed  to  the 
interpolation  of  two  words  '  and  Commons,'  and  the  thing  was 
all  but  finished.  It  only  wanted  what  was  done  immediately 
afterwards,  the  Royal  Commissioners  to  give  the  Royal  Assent, 
the  Deputy  Clerk  of  the  Crown  to  read  the  title  of  the  Act, 
the  Clerk  Assistant  of  the  Parliaments  to  utter  the  words  '  Le 
Roi  le  veult ' — and  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  de  facto  Regent. 

Knowing  his  proclivities,  it  was  imagined  that  he  would 
give  places  to  all  his  entourage,  and,  accordingly,  we  have  the 
caricature  of  '  Robeing  the  Prince,  or  the  Road  to  Preferment.' 

*  The  italics  are  mine.— J.  A. 


18  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [18H 

To  the  extreme  left  is  Earl  Grey,  who  says  <  A  bason  of  Grey 
pease  soup  is  better  than  porter  for  your  Highness,  1 
Whitbread  is  of  opinion  that  '  If  his  Highness  should  want 
any  refreshment,  here's  a  pot  of  my  best  brewing.'  Grenville 
offers  his  services  to  the  Prince.  Sheridan  hopes  'your 
Royal  Highness  will  not  forget  Old  Sherry;  pray  allow  me  to 
brush  the  Royal  shoes,  they  seem  quite  mouldy  with  liemg  by 
so  long/  Colonel  Bloomfield  is  tying  his  garter.  Whoever 
is  holding  the  looking-glass  exclaims,  '  What  an  honour  this 
is !  but  I  hope  for  greater/  The  Regent  tells  Sheridan, 
'  Fear  not,  my  friend,  all  in  good  time.'  Col.  McMahon  says, 
'  Why  !  can't  you  see  you  have  given  him  the  wrong  sleeve  ; 
do  give  it  to  me,  you'll  make  a  fine  figure  of  him !'  But  the 
person  holding  the  robe  replies,  '  Don't  push  so,  Col.,  you 
won't  let  any  one  come  near  his  Highness  but  yourself.' 
Mr.  Adam,  the  Prince's  Chancellor,  soliloquises  thus,  '  A  dam 
good  prospect  now,  however.'  Sir  John  Douglas  calls  out, 
'Who  wants  me?'  and  Col.  Geo.  Hanger,  hopes  'you  won't 
forget  poor  Georgy.' 

Perhaps  the  three  best  known  of  these  Companions  of  the 
Prince  are  Sheridan,  Col.  McMahon,  and  George  Hanger. 
The  first  belongs  to  history,  and  the  second  will  be  noticed 
by  and  by.  Col.  Hanger  came  of  a  noble  Irish  family,  but  in 
his  youth  led  a  wild  harum  scarum  life.  Of  course  he  entered 
the  army,  and  whilst  holding  the  King's  Commission  he  fell  in 
with,  and  joined  a  gang  of  gipsies,  when  he  fell  in  love  with  a 
dusky  beauty,  and  married  her  according  to  the  customs  of 
her  tribe,  which,  probably,  only  involved  the  jumping  over  a 
broomstick.  He  introduced  her  to  his  brother  officers,  and  all 
went  well  for  about  a  fortnight,  when  she  eloped  with  a  bandy- 
legged tinker.  His  tastes  were  congenial  to  those  of  the 
Prince,  and  he  made  himself  useful,  bought  horses  for  him, 
looked  after  his  racing  arrangements,  and  was  one  of  his 
equerries,  which  post  he  kept  until  he  was,  by  his  extravagance, 
compelled  to  resign  it.  He  was  more  than  once  imprisoned 
for  debt,  but  turned  steady  after  the  death  of  his  brother  Lord 
Coleraine  (called  blue  Hanger,  from  the  colour  of  his  garments) 
in  1814,  when  he  succeeded  to  the  title,  which  became  extinct 
on  his  death  in  1 824. 

Meanwhile,  all  was  being  prepared  for  the  assumption  of 
the  Regency,  Carlton  House  was  being  brushed  up,  chandeliers 
cleaned,  &c.,  a  congenial  task  for  its  occupier,  the  Hanoverian 
creams  were  publicly  exercised,  and  made  to  pass  between  files 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  19 

of  soldiers,  and,  at  last,  the  6th  of  February,  the  day  appointed 
for  the  Prince  to  take  the  oaths,  arrived.  The  following  is 
probably  an  official  communique,  as  it  appears  in  all  the  News- 
papers of  the  period  : — 

'  The  6th  of  February  being  the  day  appointed  for  swearing 
in  the  Prince  of  Wales  as  Regent,  before  his  taking  upon 
himself  that  important  office,  about  twelve  o'clock  a  party  of 
the  flank  companies  of  the  grenadiers,  with  their  Colours,  the 
band  of  the  first  regiment,  drums  and  fifes,  with  white  gaiters 
on,  marched  into  the  courtyard  of  Carlton  House,  where  the 
colours  were  pitched  in  the  centre  of  the  grand  entrance ;  the 
band  struck  up  "  God  save  the  King,"  and  continued  playing 
that  national  piece  alternately  with  martial  airs  during  the 
day,  until  near  five  o'clock.  Colonel  Bloomfield,  one  of  the 
Prince's  principal  attendants,  having  written  to  the  Earl  of 
Macclesfield,  the  Captain  of  his  Majesty's  yeomen  of  the 
guard,  informing  him  it  was  his  Royal  Highness'  command 
that  as  many  yeoman  of  the  guard  should  attend  at  Carlton 
House,  as  usually  attended  upon  councils  being  held  by  the 
King  in  state,  the  noble  Earl  not  being  in  London,  the  letter 
was  opened  by  the  person  in  waiting,  who  ordered  six  yeomen 
and  an  usher  to  attend  at  Carlton  House,  which  they  accord- 
ingly did  ;  and  they,  together  with  the  Prince's  servants  in 
state,  lined  the  grand  hall  and  staircase  :  several  of  the  life- 
guards men  were  also  in  some  of  the  rooms,  in  a  similar 
manner  as  on  Court-days  at  St.  James'  Palace.  About  a 
quarter  before  two  o'clock,  the  Duke  of  Montrose  arrived, 
being  the  first  of  the  privy  councillors  who  attended  ;  he  was 
followed  by  all  the  royal  dukes,  and  a  very  numerous  assembly 
of  privy  councillors,  who  had  all  arrived  by  a  quarter  before 
three  o'clock.  The  whole  of  the  magnificent  suite  of  state 
apartments  were  opened,  and  the  illustrious  persons  were 
ushered  into  the  Gold  Room  (so  called  from  the  style  of  the 
ornaments).  Almost  every  privy  councillor  then  in  town  was 
present — exceeding  above  a  hundred  in  number. 

1  About  half-past  two  o'clock,  Earl  Moira,  of  his  Royal 
Highness'  council,  being  also  a  privy  councillor  to  the  King, 
brought  a  message  from  the  Prince  to  the  President  of  the 
Council,  Earl  Camden,  desiring  his  attendance  on  the  Prince 
in  an  adjoining  room,  according  to  the  usual  form,  to  com- 
municate to  him  officially  the  return  to  the  summons,  &c. 
The  noble  Earl  accordingly  went  with  Earl  Moira,  made  the 

2—2 


20  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

necessary  intimation  to  his  Royal  Highness,  and  returned  to 
the  company ;  who,  during  this  time  of  waiting  were  highly 
gratified  with  seeing  the  Princess  Charlotte  on  horse-back, 
accompanied  by  two  grooms,  make  the  tour  of  the  beautiful 
gardens  in  the  rear  of  the  palace.  Her  Royal  Highness 
appeared  to  be  in  excellent  health  and  spirits. 

'  After  Earl  Camden's  return,  the  Prince  approached  in 
grand  procession,  preceded  by  the  officers  of  his  own  house- 
hold, and  several  of  his  own  council,  among  whom  were 
Earl  Moira,  Lords  Keith,  Cassilis,  Hutchinson,  Mr.  Sheridan, 
Mr.  M.  Angelo  Taylor,  Mr.  Tyrwhitt,  Colonel  McMahon, 
Colonel  Bloomfield,  General  Hulse,  Mr.  Bicknell,  &c.,  &c. 
(His  Chancellor,  Mr.  Adam,  was,  by  accident  not  present,  and 
there  was  a  delay,  in  consequence  of  his  Royal  Highness' 
anxious  desire  of  his  presence.)  The  Prince  was  also  accom- 
panied by  all  the  Royal  Dukes.  They  passed  through  the 
room  where  the  privy  councillors  were  assembled,  through 
the  Circular  drawing  room,  into  the  grand  saloon  (a  beautiful 
room  in  scarlet  drapery,  embellished  with  portraits  of  all  the 
most  distinguished  Admirals  who  have  fought  the  battles  that 
have  given  us  the  dominion  of  the  seas) ;  and  here  the  Prince 
seated  himself  at  the  top  of  the  table,  his  Royal  brothers  and 
cousins  seating  themselves  on  each  hand,  according  to  seniority, 
and  all  the  officers  of  his  household,  not  privy  councillors, 
ranging  themselves  on  each  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  Saloon. 
The  privy  councillors  then  proceeded,  all  in  full  dress,  accord- 
ing to  their  rank — the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the  Lord 
Chancellor,  the  Archbishop  of  York,  the  Lord  President,  the 
Lord  Privy  Seal,  &c.,  &c.,  &c.,  and,  as  they  severally  entered, 
they  made  their  reverence  to  the  Prince,  who  made  a  graceful 
return  to  each,  and  they  successively  took  their  places  at  the 
table ;  and  lastly,  Mr.  Fawkener  and  Sir  Stephen  Cottrell 
took  their  seats  as  Clerk,  and  Keeper,  of  the  Records. 

'  The  Prince  then  spoke  to  the  following  effect : — 

r"Mv  LORDS, 

' "  I  understand  that  by  the  Act  passed  by  the  Parlia- 
ment, appointing  me  Regent  of  the  United  Kingdom,  in  the 
name,  and  on  behalf  of  his  Majesty,  I  am  required  to  take 
certain  oaths,  and  to  make  a  declaration  before  your  lordships, 
as  prescribed  by  the  said  Act.  I  am  now  ready  to  take  these 
oaths,  and  to  make  the  declaration  prescribed." 

'The   Lord    Privy   Seal    then   rose,   made   his   reverence, 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  21 

approached  the  Regent,  and  read  from  a  Parchment  the  oaths 
as  follows.  The  Prince  with  an  audible  voice  pronounced 
after  him : — 

1 "  I  do  sincerely  promise  and  swear  that  I  will  be  faithful, 
and  bear  true  allegiance  to  his  Majesty,  King  George. 

'"So  help  me,  God." 

' "  I  do  solemnly  promise  and  swear,  that  I  will  truly  and 
faithfully  execute  the  office  of  Regent  of  the  United  Kingdom 
of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  according  to  an  Act  of  Parlia- 
ment passed  in  the  fifty-first  year  of  the  reign  of  his  Majesty 
King  George  the  Third  (entitled  '  An  Act '  etc.),  and  that  I 
will  administer,  according  to  law,  the  power  and  authority 
vested  in  me  by  virtue  of  the  said  Act ;  and  that  I  will  in  all 
things,  to  the  utmost  of  my  power  and  ability,  consult  and 
maintain  the  safety,  honour,  and  dignity  of  his  Majesty,  and 
the  welfare  of  his  people. 

'  "  So  help  me  God  !" 

'  And  the  Prince  subscribed  the  two  oaths.  The  Lord 
President  then  presented  to  his  Royal  Highness,  the  declara- 
tion mentioned  in  an  Act  made  in  the  30th  year  of  King 
Charles  II.,  entitled,  "  An  Act  for  the  more  effectual  preserv- 
ing the  King's  person,  and  government,  by  disabling  Papists 
from  sitting  in  either  House  of  Parliament,"  and  which 
declaration  his  Royal  Highness  audibly  made,  repeated,  and 
subscribed.  The  Lord  President  signed  first,  and  every  one 
of  the  Privy  Councillors  in  succession  signed  these  instruments 
as  witnesses,  and  the  same  was  delivered  into  the  hand  of  the 
Keeper  of  the  Records. 

'  The  Prince  then  delivered  to  the  President  of  the  Council 
a  Certificate  of  his  having  received  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  at  the  Chapel  Royal  of  St.  James,  on  Sunday 
the  27th  of  January,  which  was  also  countersigned,  and 
delivered  to  the  Keeper  of  the  Records,  who  deposited  all 
these  instruments  in  a  box  at  the  bottom  of  the  table. 

'The  Lord  President  then  approached  the  Regent,  bent 
the  knee,  and  had  the  honour  to  kiss  his  hand.  The  Royal 
Dukes  followed,  and  afterwards,  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, and  all  the  rest,  according  to  the  order  in  which  they 
sat  at  the  long  table,  advancing  to  the  chair  on  both  sides. 
During  the  whole  of  this  ceremony,  his  Royal  Highness  main- 
tained the  most  graceful  and  dignified  deportment ;  and  it 
was  remarked,  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  indication  of 


22  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

partiality   of  behaviour   to   one   set   of  men   more   than   to 
another. 

<  The  Ceremony  being  closed,  a  short  levee  took  place  in  the 
drawing  room,  where  his  Royal  Highness  addressed  himself  to 
the  circle  ;  and,  afterwards,  he  gave  an  audience  to  Mr. 
Perceval,  who  had  the  honour  of  again  kissing  his  hand  as 
First  Lord  of  the  Treasury  and  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer.' 

The  Regent  did  wisely  in  not  changing  his  Ministry,  and 
Perceval  turned  dutifully  towards  the  rising  sun.  It  was  said 
that  in  a  visit  he  and  the  Chancellor  (Lord  Eldon)  paid  the 
King  on  Jan.  26th,  that  he  turned  his  back  on  the  King,  a 
monstrous  piece  of  rudeness  in  Court  etiquette.  Probably 
the  poor  old  blind,  half-demented  Monarch  never  observed 
it ;  but  others  did,  and  there  were  several  epigrams  thereon, 
the  following  being  the  best — 

'The  people  have  heard,  with  delight  and  surprize, 

That  his  Minister's  conduct  has  op'd  the  K 3s  eyes  ; 

That  with  just  indignation  his  Royal  breast  burn'd, 

When  he  thought  he  saw  Per 1's  back  on  him  turned  ; 

Exclaiming,  "  Thank  Gr — d  !  I've  recover'd  my  sight, 
For  I  now  see  you,  Sir,  in  your  own  proper  light."  ' 

The  Queen  had  the  custody  of  the  King's  person,  but  had 
to  account  to  a  Council  consisting   of  the    Archbishops    of 
Canterbury  and  York  and  several   Noblemen  of  high   rank, 
and  her  first  Council  under  the  Regency  was  held  on  Feb 
13th. 

About  this  time  there  was  an  improvement  in  the  King's 
health ;  so  much  so  that  on  the  8th  of  February  the  Queen 
and  the  Princess  Augusta  were  allowed  to  have  an  interview 
with  him,  and  on  the  next  day  and  for  two  or  three  others, 
he  appeared  on  the  Terrace  and  walked  for  a  time  accom- 
panied by  the  Physicians  in  attendance  upon  him. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Story  of  a  crime — The  Shanavests  and  the  Caravats — Gluttony — 
Smuggling  bullion — A  Tar  at  the  theatre — Deposition  of  French 
Colours  in  Whitehall  Chapel— The  Duke  of  York  reinstated  as 
Commander-in-Chief — The  Regency  Fete — Account  of  the  enter- 
tainment. 

AND  now,  for  a  while,  we  will  leave  Royalty  alone,  and  note 
anything  particular  that  occurred — not  that  there  ever  was 
much  general  news  recorded — there  were  no  country  corre- 
spondents to  the  London  Newspapers,  which  were  but  of 
small  size,  and  with  very  little  space  to  spare  for  what  we  call 
News.  As  these  little  scraps  of  information  will  be  scattered 
throughout  this  book,  I  may  at  once  say  that  they  will,  per- 
force, have  no  sequence  one  to  another  except  that  of 
Chronological  order. 

At  the  beginning  of  February,  as  a  dragoon  was  returning 
from  duty  to  his  quarters,  which  were  at  a  small  public-house 
called  '  Barndean  Hut/  near  Petersfield,  in  the  New  Forest, 
his  attention  was  arrested  by  the  cries  of  some  person  in  dis- 
tress, which  induced  him  to  ride  up  to  the  spot  from  whence 
they  proceeded,  where  his  humanity  was  shocked  on  beholding 
a  woman  tied  to  a  tree,  with  the  tears,  which  her  situation  and 
suffering  had  produced,  actually  frozen  to  her  cheeks,  and, 
horrid  to  relate,  quite  naked,  having  been  stripped  and  robbed 
of  every  article  of  dress,  by  two  villains,  who,  afterwards,  left 
her  in  that  deplorable  condition.  The  dragoon  instantly  cut 
the  cords  that  bound  her  hands  and  feet  to  the  tree,  and, 
having  in  some  measure  restored  her  to  the  use  of  her  limbs 
by  rubbing  them,  wrapped  her  up  in  his  cloak,  placed  her  on 
his  horse,  and  proceeded  on  to  his  quarters,  where  he  soon 
after  arrived ;  and,  as  he  was  conducting  the  shivering  object 
of  his  care  into  the  house,  she  looked  through  a  window  that 


24  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

commanded  a  view  of  the  kitchen,  and,  in  a  faint  voice,  ex- 
claimed, 'There  are  the  two  men  that  robbed  me  of  my  all, 
and  used  me  so  cruelly.'  The  soldier,  in  consequence,  entered 
the  kitchen  and  secured  the  men,  who  were  the  next  day 
taken  before  a  magistrate,  and,  after  the  necessary  examina- 
tion, fully  committed  to  Winchester  jail,  for  trial  at  the  next 

assizes. 

Ireland  has  always  been  a  sweet  boon  to  England  ever  since 
the  Union  ;  and  faction  fights  used  to  abound.  Among  others 
were  those  of  the  Caravats  and  Shanavests— the  Capulets  and 
Montagues  of  their  time  ;  and  the  etymon  of  the  names  of  two 
formidable  factions,  which  embraced  the  greater  part  of  the 
lower  order  of  people  in  the  two  counties  of  Tipperary  and 
Limerick,  is  thus  given  : — 

It  was  at  a  trial  of  some  of  these  at  a  Special  Commission 
at  Clonmel,  and  James  Slattery  was  under  examination. 

Chief  Baron.  What  is  the' cause  of  quarrel  between  these 
two  parties— the  Shanavests  and  the  Caravats  ? 

A.     I  do  not  know. 

Q.     What's  the  true  reason  ? 

A.     I  cannot  tell. 

Q.  So,  then,  according  to  your  account,  I  am  to  understand 
that  each  party  attacks  each  other  by  way  of  defence. 

Q.  (by  a  juror).  Were  the  men  who  were  concerned  in  the 
affray  in  the  month  of  August,  the  same  that  were  concerned 
at  the  races  of  Coolmoyne  ? 

A.     They  were. 

Q.     Do  you  know  a  man  of  the  name  of  Pauddeen  Car  ? 

A.     I  do. 

Q.  He  is  your  uncle ;  was  not  he  the  principal  ringleader 
and  commander  of  the  army  of  Shanavests  ? 

A.     He  is  a  poor  old  man,  and  not  able  to  take  command. 

Q.  (by  Lord  Norbury).     What  was  the  first  cause  of  quarrel  ? 

A.     It  was  the  same  foolish  dispute  made  about  May-poles. 

Q.  (by  the  Chief  Baron}.     Which  is  the  oldest  party  ? 

A.  The  Caravats  were  going  on  for  two  years  before  the 
Shanavests  stirred. 

Q.     Why  were  they  called  Caravats  ? 

A.  A  man  of  the  name  of  Hanly  was  hanged  ;  he  was  pro- 
secuted by  the  Shanavests,  and  Pauddeen  Car  said  he  would 
not  leave  the  place  of  execution  until  he  saw  the  Caravat 
about  the  fellow's  neck,  and  from  that  time  they  were  called 
Caravats. 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  25 

Q.     For  what  offence  was  Hanly  hanged  ? 

A.  For  burning  the  house  of  a  man  who  had  taken  land 
over  his  neighbour's  head. 

Q.     Hanly  was  the  leader  of  the  Caravats  ? 

A.  Before  he  was  hanged,  his  party  was  called  the  Moyle 
Rangers.  The  Shanavests  were  called  Pauddeen  Car's  party. 

Q.     Why  were  they  called  Shanavests  ? 

A.     Because  they  wore  old  waistcoats. 

We  occasionally  hear  of  feats  of  gluttony,  but,  as  a  piece  of 
downright  lunacy,  the  following  can  scarcely  be  matched. 

Morning  Chronicle,  Mar.  26th :  '  A  blacksmith  at  Strout  ate 
on  Tuesday,  for  a  trifling  wager,  a  pint  of  periwinkles  with  the 
shells,  in  the  space  of  ten  minutes.  Being  desired  to  repeat 
this  disgusting  feat  he  readily  did  it,  but  he  is  now  so 
dangerously  ill  that  he  is  not  expected  to  recover/ 

Bullion  both  Gold  and  Silver  got  scarcer  and  scarcer,  so 
much  was  exported:  and,  early  in  1810,  large  quantities  of 
Dollars  were  stamped  at  Birmingham  with  the  image  and 
superscription  of  George  III. ;  in  fact,  the  dollars  stamped  in 
1797  and  down  to  1810,  inclusive,  were  about  five  millions — 
but  they  were  smuggled  out  of  the  kingdom  wholesale.  On 
the  19th  of  March  an  official  rise  of  10  per  cent,  in  their  value 
took  place,  in  the  hopes  that  raising  them  to  5s.  6d.  would 
be  prohibitory  to  their  exportation,  but  it  was  not :  more  still 
were  needed,  and  on  April  15th  300,000  dollars  were  sent  to 
Boulton  and  Watts,  Soho  Works,  Birmingham,  to  be  stamped, 
'and  the  same  quantity  are  to  be  forwarded  in  a  few  days.' 
The  price  fell  on  the  25th  of  April  to  5s.  Id.  per  dollar. 

On  the  27th  of  March,  the  Duke  of  Gloucester  was  elected 
Chancellor  of  the  University  of  Cambridge,  by  a  majority  of 
114  over  his  opponent,  the  Duke  of  Rutland. 

We  may  take  the  following  as  an  example  of  how  Jack 
fooled  away  his  prize-money : — '  A  Tar,  who  had  just  received 
his  prize-money,  lately  engaged  a  small  provincial  Theatre 
entirely  to  himself :  he  took  his  seat  in  the  centre  of  the  pit, 
furnished  himself  with  an  inordinate  quantity  of  beer,  punch, 
and  tobacco,  &c.,  and  requested  the  performances  to  com- 
mence, as  no  one  should  enter  the  Theatre  but  himself;  at 
the  close  of  every  speech  which  pleased  him,  he  presented  the 
Actor  with  a  glass,  and  when  the  curtain  dropped,  he  trans- 
ferred his  stores  to  the  stage,  and  invited  the  whole  of  the 
Dram.  Per.,  to  partake.' 

Under  date  of  the  8th  of  April,  we  read  :  <  A  very  singular 


26  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

discovery  has  been  made  at  Colchester,  respecting  the  sex  of 
a  servant  who  had  lived  thirty  years  in  a  family  in  that  town, 
as  housemaid  and  nurse.  Having  lately  paid  the  debt  of 
Nature,  it  was  discovered  that  the  deceased  was  a  man.' 

On  the  5th  of  May,  the  Court  of  Common  Council  voted 
the  Regent,  the  freedom  of  the  City  of  London  in  an  Oak  box, 
but  the  presentation  was  abandoned  as  it  was  found  that 
etiquette  forbade  the  Regent  accepting  the  Freedom,  as  he 
then  stood  in  the  position  of  Sovereign. 

On  March  5th  the  English  troops  under  the  command  of 
General  Graham,  engaged  and  defeated  a  much  superior 
French  force  under  the  command  of  Marshal  Victor,  at  Barrosa 
in  Andalusia,  after  a  severe  conflict.  How  thoroughly  the 
French  were  then  beaten,  may  be  judged  by  the  fact  that  an 
Eagle  and  twelve  standards  were  taken  from  them.  A  sergeant 
of  the  87th,  or  Prince's  Own  Royal  Irish  Volunteers,  who  took 
the  Eagle,  was  promoted  to  an  Ensigncy,  and  ordered  to  be 
removed  to  his  own  regiment,  on  the  first  Vacancy.  On  the 
18th  of  May,  these  Colours  were  taken,  with  great  military 
ceremony,  from  the  Parade  in  St.  James's  Park,  to  Whitehall 
Chapel,  and  deposited  on  each  side  of  the  Altar.  It  was  a 
fine  sight,  and  three  Royal  Dukes,  York,  Cambridge,  and 
Gloucester,  were  present,  besides  many  generals,  and  the 
Spanish  and  Portuguese  Ambassadors. 

Apropos  of  the  Duke  of  York,  he  formerly  had  a  mistress 
named  Mary  Anne  Clarke,  who  abused  her  position  by  selling 
Commissions  in  the  Army  at  a  cheap  rate,  and  using  her  in- 
fluence over  the  Duke  to  confirm  them.  In  1809,  Mr.  War- 
dell,  M.P.  for  Oakhampton,  brought  the  scandal  before  the 
House  of  Commons,  and,  although  the  House  eventually  found 
that  there  was  nothing  in  the  evidence  to  prove  personal  cor- 
ruption, or  criminal  connivance  on  the  part  of  his  Royal 
Highness — yet  public  opinion  against  him  was  so  strong,  that 
he  had  to  resign  his  position  as  Commander-in-Chief. 

The  Regent  and  the  Duke  of  York  were  tied  together  by 
strong  bonds  of  fraternal  feeling,  and  the  first  important  act 
of  the  Regent  was  to  re-appoint  his  brother  to  his  old  position 
on  the  25th  of  May.  This  naturally  created  great  dissatis- 
faction, for  his  former  resignation  only  saved  the  Duke  from 
the  ignominy  of  being  cashiered,  and  Viscount  Milton  moved 
in  the  House  of  Commons  on  the  6th  of  June  :  '  That  upon  a 
deliberate  consideration  of  the  recent  circumstances  under 
which  his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  York  retired  from  the 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  27 

Command  of  the  Army  in  March,  1809,  it  appears  to  this 
House  that  it  has  been  highly  improper  and  indecorous  in  the 
advisers  of  the  Prince  Regent  to  have  recommended  to  his 
Royal  Highness  the  re-appointment  of  the  Duke  of  York  to 
the  Office  of  Commander-in-Chief.'  It  is  astonishing  how  the 
opinion  of  the  House  of  Commons  varied  during  two  years,  for 
this  motion,  when  put,  was  only  supported  by  47  members — 
against  296. 

But  although  he  obtained  the  post,  he  had  to  run  the 
gauntlet  of  public  opinion,  and  which  way  that  went  is  shown 
by  the  accompanying  Satirical  print,  '  The  Soldier's  Welcome 
Home  ! ! ! '  where  the  Duke  of  York  amid  the  Cheers  of  his 
friends,  Buckingham,  Temple,  and  Grenville,  is  leaping  into 
the  portals  of  the  Horse  Guards,  the  Regent  standing  just 
inside  to  welcome  him.  A  figure,  I  presume  meant  to  be 
John  Walter,  is  pointing  to  The  Times  Newspaper.  There  were 
several  others,  but  this  is  best  suited  to  this  book. 

The  next  event  of  public  note,  and  next  to  the  appointment 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales  to  the  Regency,  it  was  the  principal 
topic  of  conversation  of  the  year,  was  a  grand  fete  given  to 
upwards  of  2,000  of  the  Nobility  and  gentry,  including  the 
French  Royal  Family,  the  foreign  Ambassadors,  &c. — at  an 
estimated  cost  of  £15,000.  For  fully  six  weeks  previously  all 
the  available  weavers,  tailors,  mantua-makers,  and  milliners, 
were  put  under  requisition  for  it,  and  ample  work  was  found 
for  architects,  upholsterers,  painters,  carpenters,  cooks,  and 
confectioners,  and  diamonds  were  borrowed  for  the  night  at 
1 1  per  cent. 

This  wonderful  fete  took  place  on  the  19th  of  June,  and 
the  company  began  to  arrive  between  9  and  10  o'clock.  The 
whole  of  Carlton  House,  even  down  to  the  basements,  which 
were  utilized  as  supper  rooms,  was  thrown  open  to  the  guests, 
but  failed  to  afford  sufficient  accommodation,  so  a  large 
portion  of  the  garden  was  canvassed  over  and  used  for  supper. 
It  is  impossible,  in  the  limits  of  this  book,  to  describe  the 
luxury  with  which  this  palace  was  furnished,  but  I  must  be 
excused,  as  Carlton  House  has  long  been  numbered  with  the 
things  of  the  past,  if  I  revive  the  description  of  the  Throne 
and  Ball  Rooms,  simply  that  my  readers  may  form  some  idea 
of  the  splendour  in  which  '  the  first  gentleman  in  Europe  ' 
lived. 

The  first  was  hung  with  crimson  velvet,  with  embroidered 
ornaments  in  pure  gold,  and  most  massive  gold  fringes  and 


1811]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  29 

laces.  The  Canopy,  superbly  carved  and  gilt,  was  surmounted 
by  four  helmets  of  real  gold,  having  plumes  of  the  finest 
white  ostrich  feathers,  many  of  them  17  inches  in  height. 
On  each  side  the  Canopy,  were  magnificent  antique  draperies  ; 
decorated  to  correspond  with  it,  and  forming  back-grounds  to 
two  superb  candelabra,  after  the  antique,  executed  in  the 
finest  manner,  with  lions  couchant,  and  other  appropriate 
ornaments.  Under  the  Canopy  stood  a  grand  state  chair  and 
foot-stool.  The  compartments  of  the  room  were  decorated 
with  the  richest  gold  ornaments  on  a  crimson  velvet  ground, 
with  draperies  enriched  with  gold  fringes,  en  suite.  There 
were  two  superb  glasses  about  twelve  feet  high,  with  oriental 
alabaster  tables,  on  frames,  carved  and  gilt,  in  the  most 
magnificent  style.  On  a  chimney,  decorated  with  or-molu 
foliage  of  the  richest  sculpture,  was  placed  a  large  glass  in  a 
superb  frame  ;  and  on  the  chimney-piece  and  tables,  were 
fine  French  girandoles  of  or-molu.  In  this  room  were  no 
other  seats  than  stools  gilt  and  covered  with  crimson  velvet. 
Here  were  whole  length  portraits  in  grand  gold  frames,  of 
their  Majesties,  the  Prince  Regent,  and  the  Duke  of  York. 
Through  a  door  at  one  end  of  this  room,  a  temporary  stair- 
case presented  itself  to  view,  which  communicated  with  the 
Conservatory  ;  this  erection  was  intended  as  a  private  passage 
for  the  Prince  Regent  and  his  particular  friends  to  pass  down 
to  the  head  of  the  tables,  when  supper  was  announced. 
Opposite  the  above  door,  a  door  leading  to  the  Throne  room 
being  removed,  and  a  large  glass  being  placed  in  the  opposite 
door,  on  the  further  side  beyond  the  Throne,  the  whole  range 
of  Candelabra,  and  the  throne  itself  were  reflected  in  it ;  and 
a  striking  coup  d'ceil  was  thereby  produced. 

The  Ball  room  was  decorated  with  Arabesque  ornament, 
and  figures,  painted  in  the  finest  style  imaginable,  on  gold 
grounds,  in  panels,  between  pilasters  richly  carved  and  gilt ; 
the  ceiling  was  decorated  in  compartments.  The  windows 
and  recesses  have  circular  tops,  and  they  were  decorated  with 
rich  blue  velvet  draperies,  with  massive  gold  fringes,  lace, 
tassels,  and  ropes — the  latter  were  likewise  of  gold.  In  the 
recesses  were  magnificent  French  plates  of  looking-glass,  in 
gold  frames,  having  sofas  under  them,  richly  carved  and 
covered  with  blue  velvet ;  the  chairs  to  suit.  Before  each 
pilaster  was  placed  a  rich  gilt  pedestal,  on  which  was  a  superb 
French  girandole,  carrying  eight  waxlights,  executed  in 
or-molu.  The  two  chimney-pieces  of  Statuary  marble,  were 


30  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

ornamented  with  foliage  and  figures  in  bronze  and  or-molu, 
and,  over  them,  were  glasses  in  gold  frames,  and  French 
Candelabra,  worthy  of  the  tout  ensemble. 

The  Prince  Regent  entered  the  State  apartments  about  a 
quarter  past  nine,  dressed  in  a  scarlet  coat,  most  richly  and 
elegantly  ornamented,  in  a  very  novel  style,  with  gold  lace, 
and  a  brilliant  star  of  the  Order  of  the  Garter  ;  and  he 
arrived  just  at  the  same  time  as  the  dethroned  Louis  XVIII. 
— who  was  present  as  the  Comte  de  Lille — and  his  family. 
Dancing  began  about  half  past  eleven  or  twelve,  and  at  half 
past  two  supper  was  announced.  As  one  account  says : 
'  Upon  no  previous  occasion,  and  at  no  Court  in  Europe,  was 
ever  the  experiment  made  to  sit  down  2,000  of  the  principal 
nobility  and  gentry  of  a  kingdom  to  a  regular  supper,  as  was 
the  case  at  the  Prince  Regent's  fete.  The  largest  entertain- 
ment, at  the  most  brilliant  period  of  the  French  Monarchy, 
was  that  given  by  the  Prince  of  Cond6  at  Chantilli,  to  the 
King  of  Sweden,  when  400  covers  were  laid.  Here  covers 
were  laid  for  1,600  under  canvas,  and  400  in  the  house.' 

The  Times  gives  a  short,  but  succinct,  account  of  this 
brilliant  fete,  and  being  so,  I  take  it,  as  well  fitted  for  this 
book,  as  all  accounts,  more  or  less,  are  by  press  corre- 
spondents, and  relate  only  to  the  internal  arrangement  and 
decoration  of  Carl  ton  House. 

'  It  was  totally  impossible,  capacious  as  the  Mansion  of  the 
Prince  is,  to  accommodate  such  a  number  of  persons  in  the 
rooms  of  the  Mansion  itself.  From  the  central  apartment  of 
the  lower  range,  which  we  have  mentioned,  on  the  south,  or 
garden  front,  proceeded  a  broad  and  lofty  wall,  towards  the 
southern  wall  of  the  garden,  adjoining  St.  James's  Park, 
which  was  crossed  by  three  similar  walks,  from  east  to  west, 
lengthwise  in  the  garden.  All  these  walks  were  closed  in  by 
walls,  and  covered  over  by  awnings  made  for  the  occasion. 
In  each  of  these  cross  walks  were  placed  long  supper  tables, 
and  at  the  end  of  each  walk  were  communications  to  circular 
marquees,  in  which  were  tables  containing  all  the  necessary 
refreshments  for  the  company,  with  space  for  the  numerous 
servants,  and  assistants  in  attendance.  The  Great  Walk  from 
the  house  southward  had  in  it  six  tables,  leaving  those  spaces 
quite  open  where  other  walks  crossed  it.  The  intermediate 
spaces  between  these,  were  lawns,  which  communicated  to 
the  walks  by  suitable  openings.  The  interior  sides  of  these 
grand  walks  were  lined  with  festoons  of  flowers,  yielding  the 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  31 

most  odoriferous  perfumes,  and  relieved  by  the  verdant  and 
softer  beauties  that  more  towering  plants  and  shrubs  could 
bestow.  The  arched  roofs  were  ornamented  in  the  liveliest 
manner,  and,  from  them,  were  suspended  thousands  of  lights, 
in  all  the  different  forms  and  fashions  by  which  illumination 
can  be  produced.  The  coup  d'ceil  of  the  whole,  especially 
from  the  central  south  entrance  to  the  gardens,  was  inex- 
pressibly delightful,  and  even  magically  impressive.  The 
entrance  was  under  an  illuminated  arch,  and  the  southern 
end  of  the  walk  was  filled  by  an  immense  mirror,  and  orna- 
mented at  the  top  and  sides  with  a  superb  drapery,  and  with 
artificial  flowers  and  costly  candelabra  :  particularly  the  long 
range  of  supper  rooms  on  the  grand  level,  at  the  head  of 
which  the  Regent  sat,  at  the  west  end  of  the  Conservatory, 
inspired  the  highest  ideas  of  real  magnificence. 

'This  range,  beginning  from  the  east  end,  comprises  the 
new  Gothic  rooms,  not  yet  entirely  finished,  but  temporarily 
hung  with  crimson,  and  the  Library,  beautifully  ornamented 
with  marbles.  In  these  apartments  there  were  two  rows  of 
tables,  elegantly  adorned.  The  centre  room  was  left  open. 
To  the  west,  the  eating  room,  &c.,  and  the  Conservatory  had 
one  long  table  running  through  both.  The  appearance  of 
the  Conservatory  was  truly  striking  and  brilliant.  The 
architecture  of  it  is  of  the  most  delicate  Gothic.  The  upper 
end  was  a  kind  of  circular  buffet  surmounted  by  a  Medallion, 
with  the  initials  G.  P.  R.  lined  by  festoons  and  antique 
draperies  of  pink  and  silver,  and  partly  filled  by  mirrors, 
before  which,  on  ornamented  shelves,  stood  a  variety  of  vases, 
candlesticks,  &c.,  of  the  most  gorgeous  gold  plate.  Supplied, 
as  indeed  all  the  tables  were,  with  every  attainable  delicacy 
and  luxury  which  wealth  and  rank  could  command,  or  in- 
genuity suggest,  and  embellished  by  all  the  art  and  skill  of 
the  confectioner,  with  emblematical  devices  of  every  con- 
ceivable appropriate  description,  this  table  displayed  a  still 
more  splendid  exuberance. 

'In  the  front  of  the  Regent's  seat  there  was  a  circular 
basin  of  water,  with  an  enriched  Temple  in  the  centre  of  it, 
from  whence  there  was  a  meandering  stream  to  the  bottom 
of  the  table,  bordered  with  green  banks.  Three  or  four 
fantastic  bridges  were  thrown  over  it,  one  of  them  with  a 
small  tower  upon  it,  which  gave  the  little  stream  a  picturesque 
appearance.  It  contained  also  a  number  of  gold  and  silver 
fish.  The  excellence  of  design,  and  exquisiteness  of  work- 


32  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

manship  could  not  be  exceeded  ;  it  exhibited  a  grandeur 
beyond  description ;  while  the  many  and  various  purposes  for 
which  gold  and  silver  materials  were  used  were  equally 
beautiful  and  superb  in  all  their  minute  details.* 

'  The  Company,  who  continued  to  arrive  from  nine  till  half- 
past  twelve,  were  ushered  into  the  state  rooms,  and  soon  filled 
the  house.  The  hall  was  crowded  with  Peers  and  Peeresses, 
and  was  made  the  same  use  of,  as  the  apartments  of  State. 
Under  the  grand  arched  doorway  between  the  halls,  was  a 
most  elegant  scarlet  and  gold  drapery,  after  the  antique. 

'  The  male  part  of  the  nobility  and  gentry,  were  habited  in 
court  suits,  many  richly  embroidered,  or  in  naval  and  military 
uniforms.  The  waving  plumes,  the  elegant,  variegated  dresses, 
the  sparkling  diamonds,  and,  still  more,  the  native  beauty 
and  grace  of  the  ladies,  gave  a  sort  of  enchanting  perfection 
to  the  whole  of  this  brilliant  courtly  exhibition.  The  Fieille 
Cour  de  Versailles,  with  all  its  proud  pretensions,  could  never 
have  more  attractively  set  forth  the  elegant  fascinations  of 
fashionable  life,  and  exalted  rank. 

'  The  upper  servants  of  his.  Royal  Highness'  household  wore 
a  rich  costume  of  dark  blue,  trimmed  with  very  broad  gold 
lace ;  the  others  wore  their  state  liveries.  A  considerable 
number  of  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guard  attended  in  different 
parts.  The  assistants,  out  of  livery,  were  dressed  uniformly, 
in  black  suits  with  white  vests.  Two  of  the  bands  of  the 
Guards,  in  state  uniforms,  played  various  airs  throughout  the 
night.  Parties  of  the  Foot-guards  protected  all  the  immediate 
avenues,  and  the  Horse-guards  were  stationed  in  Pall  Mall, 
St.  James's  Street,  St.  James's  Square,  Piccadilly,  &c.  Every- 
thing was  managed,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Police,  with 
unexampled  care  and  convenience. ' 

*  Nearly  a  waggon  load  of  the  family  plate  of  the  late  Sir 
William  Pulteney  decorated  the  Tables  at  Carlton  House.  It  is 
said  that  the  weight  of  the  whole  of  the  gold  and  silver  plate  used 
on  this  occasion,  was  Six  Tons. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Ladies'  dresses  at  the  Fete — The  banquet — Carlton  House  thrown 
open  to  the  public — The  crush — Sir  F.  Burdett's  action  against 
the  Speaker — Relief  of  British  Prisoners  in  France — Scarcity  of 

guineas — Lord   King  and   his  tenants — Stories  respecting   the 
urrency. 

THE  ladies  had  been  requested  to  dress  themselves  in  the 
productions  of  British  industry,  and  some  of  their  costumes 
were  truly  magnificent.  They  are  so  uniformly  beautiful, 
that  in  the  examples  I  give,  I  take  them  as  they  follow,  and 
make  the  extracts  for  the  sake  of  their  brevity. 

The  Marchioness  of  Dorvnshire  wore  a  petticoat  of  white 
satin,  trimmed  at  the  bottom  with  a  Spanish  net  of  embossed 
silver,  over  which  was  a  tunic  of  the  most  beautiful  silver 
stuff,  of  Irish  manufacture,  on  which  was  delicately  woven  the 
shamrock :  over  the  shoulders  were  superb  epaulettes  of 
embossed  Spanish  silver.  The  tunic  was  laced  with  diamond 
chains,  and  fastened  in  front  with  large  diamond  brooches. 
Her  ladyship's  ear-rings  were  the  largest  diamonds  at  the 
fete,  to  which  there  was  a  corresponding  necklace,  and  a 
profusion  of  diamond  ornaments. 

The  Marchioness  of  Sligo.  A  dress  of  white  satin,  with  a 
superb  border  of  brilliant  embroidery  round  the  train ;  a  robe 
richly  embroidered  in  silver  shamrock,  round  which  was  an 
elegant,  and  brilliant  border,  to  correspond  with  the  dress ; 
diamond  stomacher,  armlets,  necklace,  and  brooches.  Head- 
dress, diamonds  and  ostrich  feathers. 

The  Marchioness  of  Tavistock.  Splendid  dress,  embroidered 
in  white  and  gold. 

The  Marchioness  of  Hertford.  White  satin  dress,  em- 
broidered in  white  and  gold. 

3 


34  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

The  Marchioness  of  Stafford.  Violet  satin  dress,  richly  em- 
broidered in  gold. 

The  Marchioness  of  Exeter.  White  satin,  embroidered  in 
gold. 

The  Marchioness  Cornrvallis.  White  satin  dress,  richly  em- 
broidered with  amethysts. 

The  Marchioness  Waterford.  White  satin  dress,  richly  em- 
broidered with  silver. 

The  Countess  of  Cavan.  A  dress  of  white  and  silver  tissue, 
with  a  superb  border  of  prominent  silver  jonquils  ;  body  and 
sleeves  splendidly  ornamented  with  diamonds.  Head-dress, 
diamonds  and  ostrich  feathers. 

Needless  to  say,  this  grand  fete  was  made  fun  of — and  so 
we  see  in  '  Gudgeon  fishing  a  la  Conservatory/  the  meander- 
ing stream  down  the  centre  of  the  Regent's  table  is  cari- 
catured, and  the  fair  ladies  are  provided  with  rods  and  lines. 
The  artist  has  taken  liberties  with  his  subject — the  Prince, 
for  instance,  sat  on  a  plain  mahogany  chair,  and  the  '  stream  ' 
was  banked  up  with  moss  and  flowers.  The  Earl  of  Moira, 
and  Sheridan,  are  taking  wine  together,  and  on  the  right  of 
the  Regent  sits  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme.  A  person  in 
plain  evening  dress  is  in  the  extreme  right,  and  points  to  a 
paper  on  the  ground,  '  Admission  to  John  Bull  to  look  at  the 
Gold.' 

This  was  the  subject  of  another  caricature,  called  '  The 
Regency  Fete,  or  John  Bull  in  the  Conservatory.'  This  shows 
John  Bull,  his  wife,  three  men  and  one  woman  looking  at  the 
royal  table  loaded  with  gold  plate  and  wine,  a  beef-eater  and 
a  butler  guarding  the  plate  on  the  table  and  on  the  buffet 
behind  the  royal  chair.  Says  John  Bull  (scratching  his  head) 
to  his  wife:  'Why,  odd  Zookers !  this  is  marvellous  fine 
indeed.  Oh,  Nan  !  how  we  should  enjoy  a  rasher  on  one  of 
they  monstracious  beautiful  plates.  Why,  now  I  think  I 
shan't  grumble  to  pay  three  or  four  Bank  Tokens  towards 
this  grand  treat ;  methinks,  I  should  just  like  a  nippikin  or 
two.'  Mrs.  Bull :  '  Oh,  John  !  one  of  our  milk-white  chickens 
roasted  ^  by  myself  by  our  wood  fire  would  be  lusciosious 
indeed.'  The  speeches  of  the  others  are  not  worth  re- 
printing. 

Needless  to  say  the  privilege  of  visiting  the  scene  of 
festivity  was  eagerly  embraced  by  the  public,  and  they  came 
in  such  shoals,  that  the  Horse  Guards  had  to  keep  order,  and 
it  was  feared  some  accident  would  occur.  And  sure  enough, 


3—2 


36  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

on  the  last  day,  the  26th  of  June,  there  was  a  pretty  scrim- 
mage.    This  is  The  Times  report : — 

'Yesterday  being  the  last  day  that  the  public  were  per- 
mitted to  view  the  interior  of  Carlton  House,  the  crowd,  from 
an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  was  immense  ;  and,  as  the  day 
advanced,  the  scene  excited  additional  interest.  Every  pre- 
caution had  been  adopted  to  facilitate  the  entrance  of  the 
visitors.  The  Horse-guards  paraded  in  front  of  the  House, 
and  were  stationed  at  both  ends  of  Pall  Mall,  and  the  various 
streets  leading  from  it.  The  pressure  to  gain  admittance  was 
so  great,  that  early  in  the  day  several  females  fainted  away  ; 
many  lost  their  shoes,  and  endeavoured  to  extricate  them- 
selves from  the  crowd,  but  this  was  quite  impossible.  The 
gates  were  only  opened  at  certain  intervals,  and,  when  this 
was  the  case,  the  torrent  was  so  rapid,  that  many  people  were 
taken  off  their  feet,  some  with  their  backs  towards  the 
entrance,  screaming  to  get  out.  The  scene,  at  last  began  to 
wear  a  still  more  serious  aspect ;  when  it  was  deemed 
expedient  that  some  measure  should  be  resorted  to,  to 
prevent  farther  mischief.  Lord  Yarmouth,  and  the  Duke  of 
Gloucester  appeared,  and  announced  to  the  public  that  the 
gates  would  not  be  again  opened  :  and  that,  for  the  sake  of 
preventing  the  loss  of  any  lives,  they  had  to  express  the 
strongest  wish  that  the  persons  assembled  would  cease  from 
endeavouring  to  gain  admittance.  This,  however,  had  not 
the  desired  effect ;  as  many,  who  probably  were  ignorant  of 
what  had  happened,  remained,  in  the  anxious  hope  of  being 
admitted  at  last. 

'The  greatest  pressure  to  obtain  admittance  took  place 
about  half-past  two  o'clock.  About  one,  the  crowd  in  the 
inside  of  Carlton  House  had  accumulated  so  much,  that  it  was 
found  necessary  to  shut  the  gates.  The  line  of  carriages  now 
extended  the  whole  length  of  Pall  Mall,  up  to  the  very  top  of 
St.  James's  Street,  and,  as  there  had  been  a  complete 
stoppage  for  above  half  an  hour,  hundreds  of  ladies  left  their 
carriages,  and  hastened  on  foot  towards  the  gates  of  Carlton 
House.  At  this  time  you  might  see  ladies  and  gentlemen 
coming  out  of  the  crowd  covered  with  perspiration,  and 
unable  any  longer  to  bear  the  pressure.  Those  who  thus 
made  their  retreat  in  time  will  be  able  to  congratulate  them- 
selves on  their  superior  prudence. 

'  Hitherto  all  was  comparatively  well,  and  the  scene  rather 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  37 

afforded  amusement  than  excited  alarm.  But  the  case  was 
most  materially  altered  when  the  gate  of  entrance  was  next 
opened.  It  became  exactly  like  some  of  those  rushes  at  our 
Theatres,  which  have  sometimes  produced  such  melancholy 
consequences.  Those  behind,  irresistibly  pushed  on  those 
before,  and  of  the  number  of  delicate  and  helpless  females 
who  were  present,  some  were  thrown  down,  and,  shocking  to 
relate,  literally  trod  upon  by  those  behind,  without  the 
possibility  of  being  extricated.  When,  at  last,  the  crowd  got 
inside  Carlton  House  gates,  four  females  were  found  in  a  life- 
less state,  lying  on  their  backs  on  the  ground,  with  their 
clothes  almost  completely  torn  off.  One  young  lady,  elegantly 
attired,  or,  rather,  who  had  been  so,  presented  a  shocking 
spectacle  ;  she  had  been  trodden  on,  until  her  face  was  quite 
black  from  strangulation,  and  every  part  of  her  body  bruised 
to  such  a  degree,  as  to  leave  little  hopes  of  her  recovery  : 
surgical  assistance  was  immediately  had,  but  her  life  was  not 
expected  to  be  saved.  An  elderly  lady  had  her  leg  broken, 
and  was  carried  away  in  a  chair ;  and  two  others  were  also 
seriously  hurt,  but,  on  being  bled,  were  restored  to  animation. 
One  of  them  was  able  to  walk  home,  the  other  was  led  by 
two  men. 

*  The  situation  of  almost  all  the  ladies  who  were  involved 
in  this  terrible  rush  was  truly  deplorable ;  very  few  of  them 
could  leave  Carlton  House  until  furnished  with  a  fresh  supply 
of  clothes  ;  they  were  to  be  seen  all  round  the  gardens,  most 
of  them  without  shoes  or  gowns  ;  and  many  almost  completely 
undressed,  and  their  hair  hanging  about  their  shoulders.  The 
crowd  outside,  at  one  time,  literally  carried  away  the  Horse- 
guards  for  several  paces,  when  the  animals  became  restive  to 
an  alarming  degree,  rearing  on  their  hind  legs,  and  beating 
down  all  within  their  reach  with  their  fore  ones  ;  several 
women  were  trodden  under  foot,  and  received  considerable 
injury ;  and  five  or  six  men  were  so  overcome,  that  they 
fainted,  and  were  carried  off.' 

The  Morning  Chronicle  of  the  29th  of  June  says:  'The 
number  of  stray  shoes  in  the  courtyard  of  Carlton  House,  on 
Wednesday,  was  so  great,  they  filled  a  large  tub,  from  which 
the  shoeless  ladies  were  invited  to  select  their  lost  property. 
Many  ladies,  however,  and  also  gentlemen,  might  be  seen 
walking  away  in  their  stockinged  feet.  About  a  dozen  females 
were  so  completely  disrobed  in  the  squeeze,  they  were  obliged 


38  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

to  send  home  for  clothes,  before  they  could  venture  out  in  the 
streets,  and  one  lady  was  so  completely  disencumbered  of  all 
dress,  a  female  domestic,  in  kind  compassion,  wrapped  her  up 
in  an  apron.' 

On  the  6th  of  April,  1810,  Sir  Francis  Burdett  was,  by  a 
majority  of  38  Members  of  the  House  of  Commons,  sentenced 
to  be  committed  to  the  Tower,  for  a  breach  of  privilege  com- 
mitted by  him  against  the  house,  in  an  address  written  by 
him  in  Cobbett's  Weekly  Political  Register  of  March  24,  1810  : 
<SiR  FRANCIS  BURDETT  TO  HIS  CONSTITUENTS  DENYING  THE 

POWER    OF    THE    HOUSE    OF    COMMONS    TO    IMPRISON    THE    PEOPLE 

OF  ENGLAND.'  After  some  trouble,  and  a  great  deal  of  rodo- 
montade on  his  part,  he  was  safely  lodged  in  the  fortress — 
after  which  a  slight  affray  took  place  between  the  mob  and 
the  troops  in  which  one  of  the  former  was  killed,  and  eight 
wounded.* 

The  demagogue  did  not  like  the  position  in  which  he  found 
himself,  and  breathed  fire  and  fury.  He  would  bring  actions 
against  the  Speaker,  the  Sergeant-at-Arms,  and  the  Earl  of 
Moira,  who  was  then  Governor  of  the  Tower.  He  was  released, 
on  the  prorogation  of  Parliament,  21st  of  June,  1810,  and  on 
March  8,  1811,  he  brought  an  action  against  the  Speaker 
(Abbott)  for  a  trespass  and  assault  in  breaking  open  his  house 
on  the  6th  of  April,  1810.  The  Speaker  pleaded  justification, 
and  the  case  was  tried  on  the  19th  of  June,  when  the  jury 
found  a  verdict  for  the  defendant,  thereby  admitting  and 
enforcing  the  right  of  the  House  of  Commons  to  commit  for 
breach  of  privilege. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  a  fund  started  by  a 
number  of  Merchants,  Bankers,  and  others  of  the  City  of 
London,  at  Lloyd's,  for  the  <  Relief  of  British  prisoners  in 
France,'  which,  on  the  29th  of  June,  reached  about  £54,000. 
But  their  practical  charity  did  not  end  here,  for  there  was  also 
another  fund  begun  '  for  Relief  of  Portuguese  sufferers  during 
the  French  Invasion,'  which,  on  the  21st  of  June,  amounted 
to  nearly  £52,000.  The  West  End,  evidently  tried  to  emulate 
the  City,  and  at  Willis's  Rooms,  under  the  presidency  of  the 
Duke  of  York,  there  was  a  <  Fund  for  the  Relief  of  the  Un- 
fortunate Sufferers  in  Portugal — who  have  been  plundered 
and  treated  by  the  French  Armies  with  the  most  unexampled 
barbarity.'  By  June  29th  this  had  reached  £15,000. 

*  See  The  Dawn  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  by  John  Ashton  I  vol 
edit.,  pp.  166  to  176.' 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  39 

Silver,  as  we  have  seen,  had  got,  to  use  a  mercantile  phrase, 
'  a  little  easier/  but  the  Guinea !  it  was  almost  as  scarce  as 
Russian  gold  coins  are  now,  and,  in  spite  of  every  effort,  it 
was  quoted  at  a  premium,  and  yet  was  exported.  Here  is  a 
Police  report,  anent  it :  '  Mansion  House,  23rd  of  April. 
James  King,  guard  of  the  Yarmouth  mail  coach,  was  brought 
up  for  examination,  upon  a  charge  of  purchasing  eight  guineas, 
the  Coin  of  this  realm,  at  a  price  considerably  beyond  their 
current  value.  The  Charge  was  brought  by  Mr.  Nalder,  the 
Under  Marshal  of  the  City  of  London  ;  who,  in  consequence 
of  information  received  from  the  Treasury,  that  there  were 
persons  about  town  employed  as  agents  to  purchase  guineas 
for  exportation,  made  diligent  enquiry,  and  having  found  out 
the  defendant,  he  marked  eight  guineas,  and  went  with  Sayer, 
the  Bow  Street  officer,  who  sold  those  guineas  to  the  prisoner, 
and  received  for  each  &l  5s.  6d.  Mr.  Nalder  shortly  after- 
wards took  the  prisoner  into  custody,  found  the  marked  guineas 
upon  him,  and  brought  him  before  the  Lord  Mayor ;  the  transac- 
tion being  against  the  Statute  of  the  third  of  Edward  III., 
which  subjects  offenders  to  the  penalty  of  twelve  months  im- 
prisonment, and  fine  at  the  discretion  of  the  Court.  The 
defendant  was  admitted  to  bail/  Ultimately  he  was  fined 
forty  shillings. 

On  the  6th  of  May  the  officers  rummaged  a  smack  called 
the  Union,  and  found,  in  a  hole  between  the  timbers,  seven 
canvas  bags  containing  4,500  guineas,  making  in  all  11,128 
guineas  found  in  that  vessel. 

The  greater  part  of  May  was  taken  up  by  the  discussion  in 
the  House  of  Commons  of  the  Report  of  the  Bullion  Com- 
mittee, which  recommended  the  resumption  of  specie  payments 
by  the  Bank  of  England  as  speedily  as  possible.  This  was 
negatived,  on  the  ground  that  the  Bank  paper  was  not  depre- 
ciated— but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was.  Vide  the  following 
letter  from  Lord  King  to  his  tenants  : — 

'  By  lease,  dated  1802,  you  have  agreed  to  pay  the  annual 

rent  of in  good  and  lawful  money  of  Great  Britain.     In 

consequence  of  the  late  depreciation  of  paper  money,  I  can  no 
longer  accept  of  any  bank  notes  at  their  nominal  value  in  pay- 
ment of  your  rent  in  the  legal  coin  of  the  realm  ;  at  the  same 
time,  having  no  other  object  than  to  receive  payment  of  the 
real  intrinsic  value  of  the  sum  stipulated  by  agreement,  and 
being  desirous  to  avoid  giving  you  unnecessary  trouble,  I  shall 


40  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

be  willing  to  receive  payment  in  either  of  the  manners  follow- 
ing, according  to  your  option — 

'  1st.  By  payment  in  guineas. 

'  2nd.  If  guineas  cannot  be  procured,  by  a  payment  in 
Portugal  gold  coin,  equal  in  weight  to  the  number  of  guineas 
requisite  to  discharge  the  debt. 

'  3rd.  By  a  payment  in  Bank-paper  of  a  sum  sufficient  to 
purchase  (at  the  present  market  price)  the  weight  of  standard 
gold  requisite  to  discharge  the  rent.  The  alteration  of  the 
value  of  paper  money  is  estimated  in  this  manner. 

'  The  price  of  gold  in  1 802,  the  year  of  your  agreement, 
was  £4>  per  oz.  ;  the  present  market  price  is  £4>  14s.,  owing 
to  the  diminished  value  of  paper — in  that  proportion,  an 
addition  of  .£17  10s.  per  cent,  in  paper  money  will  be  required 
as  equivalent  for  the  payment  of  rent  in  paper. 

'(Signed)         KING. 

'N.B. — A  power  of  re-entry  and  ejectment  is  reserved  by 
deed  in  case  of  non-payment  of  rent  due.  No  draft  will  be 
received.' 

This  gave  rise  to  a  pictorial  jeu  d' esprit  entitled  'Jew 
King,  depreciating  Bank  notes.'  A  farmer,  of  the  then 
typical  John  Bull  type,  has  called  on  Lord  King  to  pay  his 
rent,  and  says  to  him,  '  I  be  come  to  pay  you  some  money ! 
but  I  cannot  get  Guineas  for  love  nor  money  !  so  you  must 
take  Bank  Notes. — Why  !  no  person  ever  refused  them  before/ 
To  which  Lord  King  replies,  '  I  tell  you  I  will  have  Guineas. 
If  I  take  Bank  Notes  I  will  have  20  per  cent.  I  like  good 
profit'  With  one  hand  he  points  to  some  Guineas,  and,  on 
the  table,  are  the  '  Laws  of  Landlord  and  Tenant,'  and '  Tables 
of  Interest.' 

Earl  Stanhope,  on  the  27th  of  June,  in  consequence  of 
Lord  King's  action,  introduced  a  Bill  into  the  House  of  Lords 
to  prevent  the  Gold  coin  from  being  paid  or  received  for  more 
than  its  nominal  value,  or  the  Bank  paper  for  less.  In  the 
course  of  the  debate  he  stated  that  guineas  were  publicly 
bought  at  Manchester,  at  an  advance  of  twenty  per  cent,  by 
persons  from  Ireland,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  their  land- 
lords, who  insisted  on  gold:  and  the  Earl  of  Lauderdale 
declared  that  he  knew  an  instance,  where  a  landlord  called 
upon  his  tenants  to  pay  in  gold ;  and  the  latter  having  repre- 
sented to  the  steward  the  impossibility  of  procuring  gold, 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  41 

they  were  each  told  that  there  were  100  guineas  at  a 
Chandler's  shop  in  the  neighbourhood,  which  might  be  pur- 
chased ;  and  it  was  a  fact,  that  with  those  1 00  guineas,  passing 
from  one  to  another,  a  rent  of  £7,000  was  actually  paid.  The 
Bill  passed  both  Houses,  and  received  the  royal  assent  on  the 
24th  of  July. 

In  The  Morning  Chronicle  of  the  llth  of  July  we  find  :  '  It 
has  been  for  several  weeks  a  known  and  common  practice,  at 
one  shop  in  the  City,  for  a  man  to  have  a  twenty-shilling  note, 


JEW  DEPRECIATING  BANK   NOTES. 

(Published  July,   1811,    by  S.  W.    Fores.} 

and  a  dish  of  fish,  for  a  guinea.'  And  so  it  was  after  the 
passing  of  Earl  Stanhope's  Act,  the  guineas  were  still  bought 
at  an  advanced  price,  and  the  first  Commitment  under  the  Act 
is  recorded  in  the  same  paper  of  Monday,  the  9th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1811:  'OnTriday  sen'night  Adkins,  the  Bow  Street 
Officer,  arrived  at  Worcester,  in  pursuit  of  one  Thomas  Wood- 
ford,  who  was  known  to  have  dealt  pretty  largely  in  guineas ; 
having  found  him,  Adkins  offered  him  eight  guineas,  and  three 
half-guineas,  for  which  Woodford  gave  him  £10  18s,  6d.  in 


24  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

Bank  of  England  Notes.— He  was  immediately  apprehended, 
and  committed  to  gaol.' 

It  was  no  use  trying  to  fight  the  purchase  of  these  precious 
coins  :  every  plan  possible  was  put  in  force. — How  is  this  ? 
'  LOST — EIGHT  GUINEAS — Whoever  may  have  found  the  same, 
and  will  bring  them  to  —  -  shall  receive  ten  pounds  reward.' 
It  was  all  of  no  use,  the  guineas  used  to  be  smuggled  out  of 
the  Country  as  much  as  ever,  and  on  July  3rd,  in  the  Court  of 
King's  Bench,  in  the  case  of  De  Yonge,  who  had  been  con- 
victed of  purchasing  guineas  for  more  than  21  shillings,  and 
whose  case  had  been  reserved  for  the  opinion  of  the  twelve 
judges,  it  was  decided  that  such  purchase  was  not  an  offence 
punishable  under  the  existing  laws. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  smuggler's  victim — Illness  of  Gillray — A  gallant  highwayman — 
A  Witch — Bartholomew  Fair — The  Comet — A  practical  joke  on 
the  Queen  —  Women's  Cricket  Match  —  Ballooning  —  French 
prisoners  of  war — Luddite  riots — The  King  and  his  physicians — 
His  health. 

THE  odds  and  ends  of  gossip  for  July  may  be  taken  briefly  as 
follows — Smuggling  was  very  common,  and  our  grandfathers 
had  not  the  faintest  notion  that  they  were  doing  wrong  in 
purchasing  wares  that  had  never  paid  the  King  his  dues.  In 
fact,  many  were  proud  of  it.  Sometimes  they  got  sold,  as  the 
following  story  will  vouch  for.  It  happened  that  in  Windsor 
and  its  neighbourhood,  a  woman,  clad  in  a  long  red  cloak, 
appeared,  calling  about  dusk  at  several  houses  with  a  sample 
of  excellent  Cognac  brandy.  She  stated  that  her  husband 
was  waiting  at  a  little  distance  with  several  casks  of  the  same, 
which  they  could  sell  at  a  very  low  price.  Several  people 
agreed  to  take  Casks,  which  were  duly  delivered,  and  the 
money  for  which  was  properly  paid.  Alas  !  alas  !  when  the 
brandy  came  to  be  tapped  it  was  nothing  but  water. 

Poor  Gillray,  the  Caricaturist,  from  whom  I  have  so  much 
borrowed,  and  who  exemplified  the  manners  of  his  times  as 
well  as  ever  Hogarth  did,  had  been  ill,  and  had  knocked  off 
work  for  some  time — yet  he  still  lived  at  Mrs.  Humphrey's 
house  in  St.  James's  Street,  attempted,  while  in  a  fit  of  delirium, 
to  throw  himself  out  of  the  attic  storey  window.  Luckily  for 
him  there  were  iron  bars  to  that  window,  and  his  head  got 
jammed,  which,  being  perceived  by  a  Chairman  waiting  outside 
White's  Club,  who  instantly  went  to  render  assistance,  he  was 
extricated,  and  proper  persons  were  appointed  to  take  care  of 
him.  Poor  Gillray  etched  his  last  picture  in  1811,  and  it  was 
entitled,  '  Interior  of  a  Barber's  Shop  in  Assize  Time,'  but  it 


44  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

was  not  published  until  May  15,  1818,  nearly  three  years  after 
his  death,  which  took  place  on  the  1st  of  June,  1815.  It  is  a 
comfort  to  know  that  from  the  setting  in  of  his  mania  until 
his  death,  he  was  well  looked  after  by  his  old  friend 
Mrs.  Humphrey. 

It  is  hard  to  have  to  chronicle  the  rise  and  fall  of  a  most 
useful  invention,  the  percussion  Cap,  which  was  patented  by 
the  Rev.  A.  J.  Forsyth,  of  Belhevie,  Aberdeenshire,  on  the 
llth  of  April,  1807.  Lepage,  the  noted  gunmaker  of  Paris 
pirated  it;  and  Napoleon,  in  1811,  ordered  it  to  be  generally 
introduced  into  the  French  Army.  It  has  been  superseded, 
or  rather  its  form  has  been  altered  by  the  modern  breech 
loader. 

Good  manners  and  courtesy  from  Robber  to  robbed 
evidently  had  not  gone  out  of  fashion  with  Claude  Duval, 
and  a  '  gentle  thief  was  not  unknown,  as  the  Miss  Somervilles 
could  testify.  They  were  in  a  carriage  with  their  papa,  who 
was  a  surgeon,  when  it  was  stopped,  on  Hounslow  Heath,  by 
a  foot  pad — for  there  were  subtle  distinctions  in  theft  in  those 
days.  The  Man  who  robbed  you,  and  was  on  horseback,  was 
at  the  top  of  his  profession — he  was  a  Highwayman  ;  but  the 
poor,  scurvy  rogue  whose  financial  arrangements  could  not 
compass  the  dignity  of  a  horse,  was  a  common  thief,  a  wolfs 
head,  a  foot  pad.  This  mean  specimen  of  roguery,  only 
armed  with  a  Clasp  Knife,  with  many  oaths,  declared  that  he 
would  operate  upon  the  Surgeon  to  his  disadvantage,  unless 
he  gave  him  his  money.  Under  this  compulsion  Mr.  Somer- 
ville  gave  him  all  he  had  about  him,  two  five-pound  notes, 
and  four  shillings ;  meanwhile  the  women  folk,  who  saw  what 
was  being  done  to  dear  papa,  besought  the  evil-doer,  with 
tears  in  their  eyes,  and  their  money  in  their  hands,  to  take 
what  his  strong  arm  had  won,  and  depart  in  peace.  Then 
the  innate  chivalry  of  that  robber  arose  within  him,  and  he 
said,  in  a  somewhat  mixed  vein  of  politeness,  and  brutality, 
'  Nay,  ladies,  don't  be  frightened,  I  never  did  the  least  injury 
to  a  woman  in  my  life,  nor  never  will,  d— n  me  ;  as  for  your 
money,  keep  it  yourselves  :  all  that  I  ask  from  you  is  a  kiss 
apiece  ;  if  you  grudge  me  that,  I'm  sure  you  are  neither 
sensible,  nor  good  humoured.'  Vos  Victis  !  The  soft  penalty 
was  paid,  and  the  wicked  man  turned  away  from  his  wicked- 
ness after  doing  a  mild  '  Confiteor  '—that  he  had  spent  all  his 
money  very  foolishly,  and  the  sum  in  which  he  had  mulcted 
papa  would  carry  him  to  his  friends,  and  then  he  should  have 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  45 

plenty.  It  was  the  first  robbery  he  had  ever  committed,  and 
it  should  be  the  last — and  then  he  faded  into  the  ewigkeit. 
But  how  about  the  stout  coachman  and  footman  who  drove, 
and  sat  behind  the  carriage  ?  Probably  Somerville  pere  had 
something  to  say  to  them  on  his  return  home. 

Here  is  another  case  of  wickedness,  by  a  supposed  Witch, 
the  belief  in  Witchcraft  being  a  cult  not  yet  thoroughly 
ignored  in  England,  copied  from  the  Annual  Register  of 
August  26th  :  '  At  the  Bridgewater  assizes,  Betty  Townsend, 
a  very  old  woman,  aged  77,  who  for  many  years  past  has  been 
considered  by  the  superstitious  as  a  Witch,  was  tried  for  obtain- 
ing money  of  a  child  under  the  following  circumstances :  The 
prosecutor,  Jacob  Poole,  was  a  labouring  man,  residing  in  the 
hamlet  of  Taunton,  in  which  parish  the  prisoner  also  resided, 
and  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  sending  his  daughter,  aged 
about  thirteen,  with  apples  in  a  basket,  to  market.  About 
the  24th  of  January  last,  the  old  woman  met  the  little  girl, 
stopped  her,  and  asked  to  see  what  she  had  in  her  basket ; 
which,  having  examined,  she  said  to  her,  "Hast  got  any 
money?"  The  child  said  she  had  none.  "Then  get  some  for 
me,"  said  the  old  woman,  "and  bring  it  to  the  Castle  (a 
tavern  in  Taunton)  door,  or  I  will  kill  thee."  The  child, 
terrified  at  such  a  threat  from  a  witch,  procured  two  shillings, 
and  carried  it  to  her ;  when  the  old  woman  said,  "  'Tis  a  good 
turn  thou  hast  got  it,  or  else  I  would  have  made  thee  die  by 
inches."  This  was  repeated  seven  times  within  five  months, 
when  Poole,  the  girl's  father,  going  to  the  shop  of  Mr.  Burford, 
a  druggist  in  Taunton,  to  pay  a  little  bill  which  he  owed  for 
medicine,  found  no  less  than  seven  different  charges  against 
him  for  money  lent ;  and,  on  inquiry,  found  that  different 
small  sums  of  two  shillings,  half  a  crown,  five  shillings,  &c., 
had  been  borrowed  by  the  little  girl  in  her  father's  name,  for 
the  purpose,  as  she  said,  of  going  to  market,  but  carried  as  a 
peace-offering  to  the  old  woman.  The  whole  was  now  dis- 
covered, and  Poole's  wife,  and  another  woman,  took  the  girl 
with  them  to  the  prisoner's  house,  and  interrogated  her  as  to 
the  facts.  She  admitted  a  knowledge  of  the  girl,  but,  on 
being  reprehended  for  her  conduct,  raved  and  swore,  that  if 
they  dared  to  accuse  her,  she  would  make  them  "  die  by 
inches."  "  No,"  said  Mrs.  Poole,  who  appears  to  have 
thought  that  she  knew  much  better  how  to  deal  with  a 
Witch  than  her  daughter,  "  that  thee  shall  not— I'll  hinder 
that "  :  and,  taking  a  pin  from  her  clothes,  she  scratched  the 


46  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

witch  from  her  elbow  to  her  wrist,  in  three  places,  to  draw  her 
blood,  a  process,  believed  to  be  of  unfailing  efficacy,  as  an 
antidote  to  witchcraft.  The  idea  of  this  wicked  woman's 
power  has  had  such  an  effect  upon  the  mind  of  the  poor  little 
girl,  that  she  is  now  reduced  to  such  a  state  of  debility,  that 
she  is  scarcely  able  to  take  any  sustenance.  The  Jury  found 
the  prisoner  guilty  (what  of?)}  and  the  Judge  observed  that 
only  her  extreme  old  age  prevented  him  from  pronouncing  on 
her  the  severest  sentence  the  law  would  allow.  She  was 
sentenced  to  pay  a  fine  of  one  shilling,  and  to  be  kept  to  hard 
labour  in  the  House  of  Correction  for  six  Calendar  months.' 

Bartholomew  Fair  must  be  within  the  recollection  of  many 
of  my  readers,  for  it  was  not  abolished  until  1855.  At  one 
time  it  was  always  opened  by  the  Lord  Mayor — yet  it  reads 
with  an  old-world  flavour  that  '  Yesterday  Morning  (Sept.  3) 
the  Lord  Mayor,  attended  by  the  City  Marshals,  &c.,  went  in 
procession,  after  having  partaken  of  a  cool  tankard  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Newman,  the  keeper  of  Newgate,  to  the  corner 
of  Long  Lane,  West  Smithfield,  where  the  fair  was  proclaimed, 
and  all  its  usual  din  and  bustle  commenced.'  The  fair  was 
not  finally  suppressed  until  1855. 

It  was  not  till  1835  that  Bull  baiting  was  made  illegal  in 
England,  and  it  is  refreshing  to  read  that  the  bull,  even  for  a 
very  short  time,  had  the  best  of  his  human  persecutor,  who 
on  such  an  occasion  ever  cuts  a  sorry  figure.  Morning  Chronicle, 
Sept.  4th  :  '  A  dreadful  catastrophe  occurred  at  Chapel  Wake, 
Birmingham,  on  Tuesday  last.  A  concourse  of  people  having 
assembled  at  the  Fives  Court,  Lawrence  Street,  for  the  purpose 
of  baiting  a  bull,  the  enraged  animal  broke  loose,  and  ran  with 
great  fury  into  Coleshill  Street.  A  Scene  of  the  greatest 
confusion  ensued.  An  infant,  three  months  old,  was  killed 
on  the  spot :  two  women  and  boys  were  dreadfully  trampled 
and  bruised,  and  remain  in  the  hospital  with  little  hopes  of 
recovery,  and  many  others  received  injury.'  Bravo  Torn  ! 

Annus  Mirabilis  !  A  Regent  and  a  Comet !  According  to 
Shakespeare,  when  "beggars  die,  there  are  no  Comets."* 
These  Celestial  aberrations  are  for  far  greater  mundane  per- 
sonages—they are  for  the  great  ones  of  the  earth  only ;  and, 
again,  from  the  same  authority,  we  learn  that '  Comets  import- 
ing change/ f  is  fairly  fulfilled  in  the  Regency. 

Of  course  the  Caricaturist  got  hold  of  it,  and  fixed  it  for 
all  time.       The  Comet  of   1811'  has,  as  nucleus,  the  facile 
*  Julius  Ccesar,  act  ii.  sc.  2.  f  1  Henry  IV.,  act  i.  sc.  i. 


48  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

princeps  of  his  age.  Its  tail  is  studded  with  celebrities,  all  of 
whom  I  cannot,  unfortunately,  make  out.  First  is  Earl  Moira, 
then  Sheridan  and  Erskine  ;  Lord  Derby  with  his  hydroce- 
phalous  forehead,  and  the  Duke  of  Norfolk.  Behind  Lord 
Derby  is  Col.  Bloomfield  ;  behind  him  is  Lord  Grenville,  and 
side  by  side  with  him  are  Temple  and  Buckingham,  whose 
wig  and  spectacles  betray  him  anywhere.  The  last  face  to  be 
recognized  is  that  of  Earl  Grey. 

This  Comet  was  discovered  at  Viviers  on  the  25th  of  March, 
by  M.  de  Flanguergues,  and  was  again  noticed  by  M.  Pons  at 
Marseilles  on  the  llth  of  April.  It  was  seen  at  Paris  on  the 
20th  of  May,  but  was  not  generally  visible  in  England  until 
the  latter  end  of  August  or  the  beginning  of  September.  It 
was  nearest  to  the  earth  on  the  24th  of  October,  and  then  it 
went  on  its  course,  and  in  due  time  vanished. 

In  September  a  practical  joke  was  played,  on  no  less  a 
person  than  the  Queen.  For  four  consecutive  days,  ending 
Sept.  26th,  Buckingham  Palace,  or,  as  it  was  then  called,  the 
Queen's  House,  was  besieged  by  Washerwomen  from  morning 
till  night.  It  seems  that  a  woman,  calling  herself  the  head 
of  the  Queen's  laundry,  had  gone  round  to  hundreds  of 
Washerwomen,  telling  them  that  she  had  held  her  present 
situation  for  five  years,  and  that  she  had  been  obliged  to 
discharge  all  her  staff,  because  they  did  not  wash  the  royal 
linen  clean,  and  also  that  they  got  drunk.  She  was  very 
affable  with  her  dupes,  and  was  not  above  drinking  with  them, 
or  of  borrowing  from  them,  cloaks,  shawls,  umbrellas,  and 
other  trifles,  promising  some  of  them  two  guineas  a  week, 
others  4s.  a  day,  a  pot  of  porter,  and  as  much  rum,  gin,  and 
wine  as  they  chose. 

Early  on  Monday  morning  they  began  to  arrive,  about  six 
o'clock,  so  as  to  set  to  work,  and  it  was  in  vain  that  the  porters 
refused  them  admission.  Their  tale  was,  that  the  lady  who 
had  hired  them,  had  given  them  the  key  of  the  laundry  to 
let  themselves  in,  so  that  they  might  get  to  work,  light  the 
fire,  &c.  But,  as  there  was  no  laundry  at  Buckingham  Palace, 
they  sent  the  poor  women  to  St.  James's  Palace,  where  there 
was  one,  and,  when  they  got  there,  it  was  only  to  be  told  that 
none  had  been  engaged,  nor  even  wanted.  One  can  imagine 
the  scene,  more  especially  as  many  of  the  poor  women  had 
come  from  great  distances,  some  had  left  good  situations  to 
go  there,  and  others  had  sent  their  children  into  the  Country 
to  nurse,  in  order  to  enable  them  to  take  the  place. 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  49 

A  more  pleasing  contest  of  women  took  place  on  the  3rd  of 
October,  1811,  in  the  shape  of  a  Cricket  Match  between  two 
teams,  not  the  sort  of  thing  as  '  Actresses '  Cricket,  which  is 
now  played  between  a  team  each  of  men  and  women,  the 
former  being  armed  with  broom  handles,  the  latter  with 
cricket  bats ;  but  a  much  rougher  sort  of  thing,  if  we  can 
believe  the  accompanying  illustration,  which  is  taken  from  an 
etching  of  Rowlandson's  called  '  RURAL  SPORTS,  OR  A  CRICKET 
MATCH  EXTRAORDINARY.  On  Wednesday,  Oct.  3,  1811,  a 
Singular  Cricket  Match  took  place  at  Ball's  Pond,  Newing- 
ton.  The  players  on  both  sides  were  22  Women,  1 1  Hamp- 
shire, against  11  Surrey.  The  Match  was  made  between 
some  amateur  Noblemen  of  the  respective  Counties,  for  500 
Guineas  a  side.  The  performers  in  the  Contest  were  of  all 
ages  and  sizes.' 

The  Match  really  began  on  the  2nd  of  October,  and  lasted 
three  days,  the  Hampshire  team  winning.  The  ages  varied 
from  14  to  upwards  of  forty. 

Rowlandson  sketched  with  a  freedom  approaching  decided 
coarseness — but  his  sketches  were  natural,  and  in  this  instance 
valuable,  as  showing  us  Cricket  as  then  played,  although  the 
game,  with  its  two  stump  wickets,  curved  bats,  and  primitive 
scoring  was  then  obsolete,  at  least  in  matches.* 

But,  if  we  can  believe  the  same  artist,  Baldwin  and  his  con- 
geners were  outdone  this  year  by  a  woman  descending  from  a 
balloon  in  a  parachute.  It  is  taken  from  an  etching  by  Row- 
landson, dated  the  25th  of  October,  1811,  and  entitled 
'  Balloon  Hunting.'  It  represents  the  mishaps  of  a  party  of 
ladies  who  went  balloon  hunting  across  country,  in  a  one- 
horse  vehicle,  the  shafts  of  which  are  smashed,  and  the  horse 
is  being  reduced  to  docility  by  the  driver.  I  know  of  no 
woman  who  descended  by  means  of  a  parachute,  in  this  year. 

They  were  not  novelties,  for  Andr6  Jacques  Garnerin,  the 
Aeronaut,  came  down  in  one  in  1802,  and,  according  to 
Larouss*,  Elisa,  daughter  of  Jean  Baptiste  Olivier  Garnerin, 
brother  of  the  above,  was  the  first  woman  who  tried  a  '  drop 
from  the  clouds.'  She  made  her  first  descent  in  1815,  and  in 
1820  had  made  over  twenty. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  the  French  Prisoners  of  War,  whose 
numbers  were  ever  increasing,  were  not  a  bad  lot  of  fellows. 
There  were  many  breaches  of  parole,  and  large  numbers  of 

*  The  third  stump  was  added  by  the  Hambledon  Club,  1775. 

4 


1811] 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


51 


the  rank  and  file,  and  seamen  got  away ;  for,  in  a  Trial  in  the 
Court  of  King's  Bench,  November  14,  1811,  the  Attorney- 
General  asserted  that,  of  the  French  Officers,  prisoners  of 
war,  on  their  parole,  in  this  country,  one-fourth  had  effected 
their  escape  :  and  that  one  condition  on  which  smugglers 
from  this  country  were  permitted  to  land  their  goods  in 
France,  was  the  bringing  over  with  them,  a  French  prisoner. 


RURAL  SPORTS;  BALLOON  HUNTING. 
(By  Rowlandson.     Published  October  25,  1811,  by  Thomas  Tegg.} 

Those  interned  at  Cupar  fitted  up  a  neat  little  Theatre, 
which  was  opened  on  the  3rd  of  September.  A  prologue 
composed  by  one  of  the  Officers,  complimentary  to  the  in- 
habitants for  their  hospitality  to  the  Captives,  was  spoken 
and  acted.  This  was  followed  by  a  Comedy  in  verse,  by 
Regnard,  called  '  Les  Folies  Amoureuses,'  and  an  after  piece 
1  Le  Quaterne.'  The  Scene  painting,  interior  decorations  of 

4—2 


52  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1811 

the  theatre,  Stage  Apparatus,  and  Costumes,  were  all  their 
own  work :  nor  did  they  stop  there,  for  they  had  an  excellent 
band  of  their  own. 

But  they  could  behave  sternly  on  occasion,  if  there  is  any 
truth  in  the  following  story.  In  May,  1811,  the  French 
prisoners  confined  on  board  the  Sampson  (prison  ship  lying  in 
the  Medway),  formed  a  conspiracy  to  forcibly  take  possession 
of  the  ship,  and  effect  their  escape,  which  was  prevented  by 
one  of  their  number  imparting  secretly  their  projected  plan 
to  the  commanding  officer.  Enraged  at  the  disappointment 
of  their  hopes,  they  used  every  effort  to  find  out  the  individual 
by  whose  communication  their  secret  had  transpired  ;  and 
having,  as  they  thought,  fixed  upon  the  right  man,  as  soon  as 
they  were  locked  up  for  the  night,  they  formed  a  Court,  for 
his  trial,  at  which  a  proces  verbal  was  drawn  up,  declaratory 
of  their  proceedings.  The  suspected  traitor  was  found  guilty, 
but  there  was  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  his  punishment, 
and  it  was  at  last  resolved  and  carried  into  effect,  that  he 
should  be  tattooed  on  his  forehead  and  cheeks  '  J'ai  vendu 
mes  freres  aux  Anglais  abord  le  ponton  "  Le  Sampson,"  31 
Mai,  1811.' 

There  is  not  much  more  to  chronicle  for  the  remainder  of 
this  year,  except  the  Census,  and  we  must  glance  at  the 
figures  to  see  the  enormous  difference  in  the  population  then, 
and  now.  In  1811,  the  whole  population  was  12,552,144,  in 
1881,  35,246,562,  or,  in  other  words,  the  population  had  all 
but  trebled  itself  in  70  years.  In  the  Census  of  1881  the 
sexes  were  very  evenly  balanced,  being  17,253,947  males, 
and  17,992,615  females,  and  so  they  were  in  1811,  6,310,548 
males,  and  6,241,596  females. 

Still  the  Luddite  Riots  must  not  be  forgotten,  for,  at  one 
time,  they  threatened  to  be  somewhat  serious.  They  began 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Nottingham,  the  Manufacturers  there, 
having  been  obliged,  from  the  decrease  of  demand  for  their 
manufactures,  to  discharge  many  of  their  workmen,  and  con- 
sequently much  distress  was  caused.  Nor  was  this  all:  a 
certain  wide  frame  for  weaving  stockings  had  been  intro- 
duced, which  saved  much  labour,  and,  consequently,  fewer 
hands  were  wanted.  In  November,  these  riots  became  rather 
serious,  as,  not  only  were  the  obnoxious  frames  smashed,  and 
manufacturers'  stock  destroyed,  but  millers,  corn  dealers,  &c., 
suffered,  and  the  military  had  to  be  called  out.  Their  name 
was  taken  from  their  imaginary  leader,  one  Captain  Ludd, 


1811]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  53 

who  never  had  any  existence,  but  probably  stood  for  the  Com- 
mittee of  Management. 

At  this  time,  at  all  events,  the  public  were  free  from  the 
sickening  details  of  illness  such  as  they  have  more  than  once 
had  recently — details  which  could  do  no  good  whatever  to 
the  outer  world,  and  which  must  have  been  very  painful  to 
the  relatives.  They  managed  things  better  in  George  III.'s 
reign.  If  the  medical  men  quarrelled,  they  did  not  openly 
wash  their  dirty  linen,  but  it  only  was  known  to  a  few  that 
Dr.  Willis's  treatment  of  his  Royal  patient,  during  his  former 
illness,  had  been  considered  unnecessarily  severe,  and  that, 
perhaps,  they  were  not  too  well  content  to  have  him  asso- 
ciated with  them  in  the  present  crisis :  still  for  the  first  year 
or  so,  the  people,  who  really  loved  old  Farmer  George,  were 
kept  fairly  acquainted  with  the  state  of  his  health,  until  it 
became  hopeless — and  then,  perhaps  very  wisely,  they  only 
were  fed  with  the  merest  details  of  his  disorder. 

In  February,  the  King  was  getting  so  well  that  the  Queen 
and  one  of  the  Princesses,  on  more  than  one  occasion  visited 
him :  then  he  suffered  from  a  paroxysm  of  mania,  to  which 
succeeded  a  calm,  during  which  he  took  his  constitutional 
walks  on  the  Terrace.  In  March,  he  got  better,  so  much  so 
that  on  the  31st  of  March,  the  prayers  for  his  recovery  were 
discontinued  in  the  Chapel  Royal,  and,  at  the  Queen's 
Monthly  Council,  it  was  hoped  that  he  would  recover,  so  that 
he  had  the  key  of  the  Cabinet  Council  Despatch  Boxes,  and, 
in  other  ways,  was  treated  as  a  responsible  being.  In  May, 
his  health  was  capricious,  but  still  he  was  able  to  walk  and 
ride  in  public.  June  brought  a  relapse,  and  his  case  was 
deemed  hopeless,  yet  he  still  occasionally  took  walks.  In 
July,  he  was  in  a  very  dangerous  state,  opiates  had  to  be 
administered,  and  he  partook  of  very  little  solid  food.  In 
August,  it  was  said  that  his  suite  of  apartments  were  padded 
to  prevent  his  doing  himself  a  mischief,  but  this  was  denied. 
September  was  a  better  month  for  him,  but,  in  October,  he 
retrograded.  November  and  December  only  show  him  as 
leading  a  fairly  healthy  animal  existence. 


I8l2,  OR   REGENCY  X   LA  MODE. 

(Drawn  and  etched  by   W.   Heath.) 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1812. 

The  Regent's  doings — The  Royal  Sprain — Colonel  McMahon — 
Luddite  and  Factory  Riots — Scarcity  of  Bullion — Murder  of 
Mr.  Perceval. 

JUDGING  by  the  barometer  of  public  opinion,  the  satirical 
prints,  the  topic  of  conversation  in  the  commencement  of  this 
year,  was  the  Prince  Regent.  Occupying  the  exalted  position 
that  he  did,  he  naturally  was  the  observed  of  all,  and  his 
foibles  and  peccadilloes  were  made  the  laughing-stock,  or 
were  censured  of  all.  And  the  Caricaturists  did  not  spare 
him.  Take  this  illustration  as  a  sample;  it  is  called  '  1812, 
or  REGENCY  a  la  Mode/  where  we  see  our  '  fat  friend,'  as 
Brummell  called  him,  having  his  stays  laced,  and,  during  that 
operation,  occupying  himself  by  rouging  his  cheeks. 

He  would  allow  very  little  of  his  doings  to  be  known  by 
the  public,  and  the  movements  of  Royalty,  as  we  know  it  in 
the  Court  Circular,  were  recorded  in  the  baldest  manner 
possible,  except  on  one  occasion,  when  the  Regent  sprained 
his  ancle,  and  there  was  a  very  long  and  elaborate  report 
thereon. 

Morning  Chronicle,  Saturday,  November  16,  1811  : — 'THE 
PRINCE  REGENT. — His  Royal  Highness,  we  are  concerned  to 
state,  was  not  well  enough  to  come  to  town  yesterday.  At 
the  Party  given  by  the  Duchess  of  York  at  Oatlands,  on 
Wednesday  evening,  the  Duchess  made  arrangements  for  a 
Ball.  The  Prince  Regent  agreed  to  lead  off  the  dance  with 
his  daughter,  the  Princess  Charlotte,  for  his  partner.  Whilst 
his  Royal  Highness  was  leading  the  Princess  briskly  along, 
his  right  foot  came  in  contact  with  the  leg  of  a  chair  or  sofa, 
which  gave  his  leg  a  twist,  and  sprained  his  ancle.  His  Royal 


56  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

Highness  took  but  little  notice  of  it  that  night,  but  in  the 
morning  he  found  it  worse  than  he  expected,  &c.,  &c/ 

Whatever  was  the  matter  with  him,  he  did  not  leave  Oat- 
lands  till  the  9th  of  December,  or  nearly  a  month  after  the 
Ball.  Nobody  believed  in  the  royal  sprain,  but  the  story  that 
did  gain  credence,  and  was  made  the  most  of  by  the  Carica- 
turist and  the  Satirist,  was  that  the  Regent,  at  that  Ball, 
grossly  insulted  Lady  Yarmouth,  for  which  he  was  most 
heartily,  and  soundly,  thrashed  by  her  husband,  Lord  Yar- 
mouth, and  hence  the  royal  indisposition.  Walcot,  as  '  Peter 
Pindar,  Esqre/  wrote  one  of  his  most  scathing  odes,  and  that 

is  saying  something,  entitled  '  The  R L  SPRAIN,  or  A  KICK 

from  YAR H  to  WA s,  being  the  particulars  of  an  ex- 
pedition to  OAT NDS,  and  the  SPRAINED  ANCLE/ 

There  were  several  Caricatures,  all  with  the  same  tendency. 
One  was  '  A  Kick  from  Yarmouth  to  Wales,  December,  1811,' 
which  shows  Lord  Yarmouth  holding  the  Regent  by  his  coat 
collar  and  vigorously  kicking  him  behind,  the  Regent  yelling 
and  trying  to  get  away,  Lady  Yarmouth  sitting  on  a  sofa 
looking  on.  There  is  attached  to  this,  a  poetical  effusion  of 
fourteen  verses,  to  be  sung  to  the  tune  of  '  The  Love-sick 
Frog.'  The  first  verse  runs  thus  : 

'  A  Prince  he  would  a  raking  go. 

Heigh  ho  !  said  Rowly. 
Whether  his  people  would  have  him  or  no  ; 
With  a  rowly-powly,  gammon  and  spinach, 

Heigh  ho  !  said  Anthony  Eowly.' 

Then  there  was  'The  Royal  Milling  Match/  published 
December,  1811,  in  which  depicted  Lord  Yarmouth,  who, 
by  a  paper  sticking  out  of  his  coat  pocket,  was  '  Late  a  pupil 
of  the  Champion  of  England/  '  fibbing  merrily  '  on  the 
royal  countenance  ;  at  the  same  time  exclaiming,  '  There  is 
plenty  of  fair  game,  but  no  poaching  on  my  Manner.  My 
action  is  quick,  and  put  in  strait  forward — so  !'  The  Regent 
calls  out,  '  Help,  help,  I  have  made  a  false  step,  and  sprained 
my  Ancle/  A  servant  coming  in,  says  to  Lord  Yarmouth, 
'  Lord,  Sir,  don't  be  so  harsh,  you'll  sprain  the  gentleman's 
ancle.  By  goles,  this  is  what  they  call  Milling  indeed  !' 
Lady  Yarmouth  views  the  scene  from  behind  a  screen. 

The  most  amusing  one  I  have  seen,  is  given  in  the  accom- 
panying illustration,  which  is  by  Geo.  Cruikshank,  published 
January,  1812.  It  is  called  '  PRINCELY  AGILITY;  or,  the 
SPRAINED  ANCLE/  The  doctor  at  the  foot  of  the  bed  (probably 


58  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

meant  for  Halford)  is  fomenting  the  foot,  which  seems  its 
normal  size,  and  says  to  the  attendant,  '  Take  that  waistcoat 
away,  or  we  shall  make  the  town  talk.'  The  Princess 
Charlotte  is  examining  the  foot,  and  exclaims,  '  Bless  me, 
how  it's  swelled  !'  Lady  Jersey,  who  is  administering  to  the 
invalid  prince,  is  inattentive  to  her  duties  ;  while  the  Regent, 
with  '  two  lovely  black  eyes,'  is  calling  to  Colonel  McMahon, 
'  Oh  !  my  Ancle,  Oh  ! — bring  me  my  Wig — Oh  !  my  Ancle  ! 
Take  care  of  my  Whiskers,  Mac !  Oh,  Oh,  Oh,  Oh,  o— o— o 
— oh,  o !'  Sir  John  Douglas  is  feeling  his  pulse,  saying,  '  Out 
a  way,  Mon,  you  are  always  exposing  yourself.'  John  Bull  is 
coming  in  at  the  door,  but  is  pushed  back  by  Adams,  with 
'  Indeed,  Bull,  'tis  only  a  sprained  ancle.'  But  John  Bull 
says,  'John  Bull  is  not  to  be  fobbed  off  so  easily,  Master 
Lawyer.' 

George  Cruikshank  was  not  very  particular  as  to  his  like- 
nesses, as  we  may  see  by  his  ideal  Colonel  McMahon,  who 
was  a  servant  worthy  of  his  master,  to  whom  he  was  most 
useful. 

Walcot  '  Pindarised '  him  in  an  Ode,  '  Mac  the  First,'  in 
which  he  makes  him  say : 

'  Once  a  boy,  in  ragged  dress, 
Who  would  little  Mac  caress  ? 
When  in  the  streets,  starv'd  and  sad, 
I  was  a  common  errand  ladC 

But,  be  his  origin  whatever  it  might  have  been,  he  was  a  tool 
well  fitted  for  the  use  of  his  august  master,  who,  it  must  be 
owned,  endeavoured  to  repay  him  ;  but,  also,  at  the  public 
expense.  In  1811  General  Fox  died,  and  at  his  death,  the 
office  of  Paymaster  of  the  Widows'  Pensions  became  vacant. 
It  was  a  perfect  sinecure,  the  duties  being  done  by  others, 
and  the  salary  attached  to  the  office  was  over  £2,000  per 
annum.  The  Commissioners  of  1783,  and  of  1808,  both  re- 
ported and  recommended  the  abolition  of  Paymaster  and 
Deputy-Paymaster  of  Widows'  Pensions,  as  being  unnecessary, 
the  one  having  very  little  to  do,  the  other,  nothing  at  all. 
The  office  of  Paymaster  had,  in  particular,  been  recommended 
to  be  done  away  with,  on  the  demise  of  General  Fox  :  but  it 
was  given  to  Colonel  McMahon. 

On  January  9,  1812,  on  a  Motion  for  Supply,  Mr.  Creevey 
spoke  decidedly  against  this  appointment,  and  moved  as  an 
Amendment,  '  That  the  House  would,  to-morrow  se'nnight, 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  59 

resolve  itself  into  a  Committee  of  Supply,  in  order  to  give  an 
opportunity,  in  the  interim,  for  the  consideration  which  he 
had  suggested/  namely,  that  they  would  take  into  their 
earliest  consideration,  the  various  offices  of  emolument  recently 
granted  by  the  Crown  to  several  of  their  members.  This 
amendment  was  lost. 

On  the  22nd  of  February,  the  question  of  the  Army 
Estimates  being  on,  Mr.  Bankes  moved  as  an  Amendment, 
1  That  the  amount  of  the  sum  expected  to  be  paid  to  the 
Paymaster  of  Widows'  Pensions,  being  12d.  in  the  pound  011 
the  said  Pensions  (£2,790  Is.)  be  deducted  from  the  said 
sum/  This  amendment  was  lost  by  a  majority  of  sixteen. 

But  on  the  next  night  Mr.  Bankes  brought  the  matter  up 
again,  and  moved  the  virtual  abolition  of  the  office  by 
omitting  the  sum  necessary  to  pay  it — and  this  was  carried 
by  a  majority  of  three. 

There  was  consternation  among  the  Regent's  party  at  the 
temerity  of  the  House  in  thus  thwarting  the  Royal  wishes, 
and,  of  course,  the  recalcitrant  Commons  must  be  taught  a 
lesson,  so  McMahon  was  appointed  Keeper  of  the  Privy 
Purse,  and  Private  Secretary  to  the  Prince  Regent ;  and,  in 
the  caricature  of  '  The  PRIVY  PURSE  and  POLITICAL  BEGGARS  ' 
we  find  McMahon  installed  in  his  new  position.  Sheridan 
says,  '  Dear,  good,  worthy  Countryman,  thou  Pine  Apple  of 
Erin  !  consider  I  was  burnt  out,*  not  a  penny  in  my  purse, 
my  credit  very  low — do — dear  Mac,  for  the  love  of  St. 
Patrick,  give  me  a  handful.'  Buckingham :  '  I  have  not 
above  a  Hundred  Thousand  a  year,  these  hard  times.  Pray 
remember  the  Poor  !'  Temple :  '  With  my  wife's  fortune, 
and  my  own,  I  have  not  above  Forty  Thousand  a  Year. 
Pray  remember  the  Poor !'  Grenville :  '  I  have  not  above 
Fifty  Thousand  a  Year,  a  slender  pittance.  Pray  remember 
the  Poor  !'  Mac  Mahon  replies  :  '  Paws  Off !  no  Blarney  will 
do  with  me  !  I'm  up  to  all  your  Gammon  !  and  so  is  my 
dear  Master.  I'm  cosy  at  last,  in  spite  of  all  your  speeches 
and  paragraphs,  and  you  may  all  go  to  the  Devil,  your 
Master !  !  !' 

And,  doubtless,  he  thought  he  was  cosy,  but  the  Commons 
would  not  stand  the  job,  and  on  the  23rd  of  March  his 
appointment  was  brought  before  Parliament,  and  the  Hon. 
J.  W.  Ward  asked  whether  it  was  a  fact,  and,  if  so,  what 

*  At  Drury  Lane  Theatre,  destroyed  on  the  24th  of  February, 
1809. 


«  8 

•J  -2 

3  te 


1812]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  6l 

salary  was  he  to  have  ?  Mr.  Perceval,  as  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer,  admitted  the  appointment,  and  pointed  out  that 
Colonel  Taylor  had  occupied  the  same  position  towards  the 
King  for  many  years,  and  the  same  salary  that  was  given  to 
that  gentleman  had  been  continued  to  Colonel  McMahon. 
Mr.  Whitbread  pointed  out  that  Colonel  Taylor's  appointment 
was  owing  to  the  infirmities  of  the  King,  and  that  previously, 
there  had  been  no  such  post. 

On  the  14th  of  April,  Mr.  C.  W.  Wynn,  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  moved  for  the  Production  of  the  Appointment  of 
Colonel  McMahon  to  the  new  Office  of  Private  Secretary  to 
his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  Regent.  A  very  long  dis- 
cussion took  place,  and  on  a  division,  the  motion  was  negatived 
by  a  majority  of  seventy-six.  But  the  Ministry  felt  that  the 
House  was  decidedly  against  them,  and  the  appointment  was 
not  persisted  in — McMahon  afterwards  became  a  pensioner 
on  the  Privy  Purse. 

During  the  whole  of  January  the  Luddites  were  very 
violent  in,  and  about  Nottingham,  doing  an  immense  amount 
of  mischief,  in  spite  of  all  the  troops  could  do,  and  they  were 
so  well  organized  that  very  few  prisoners  were  taken.  In 
April  the  agitation  spread  to  Leeds,  where  machinery  was 
broken,  and  cloth  &c.,  destroyed.  Then  there  were  food 
riots  among  the  Cornish  miners,  which  lasted  until  the  arrival 
of  troops.  More  Luddite  riots  at  Leeds.  Food  riots  among 
the  Colliers  at  Macclesfield.  Then  Bristol  got  tainted  with 
the  same  lawless  spirit ;  then  Sheffield,  Stockport,  Carlisle, 
Manchester,  Bolton,  and  elsewhere,  but  these  riots  were 
principally  directed  against  machinery.  At  the  latter  end  of 
April,  one  of  the  chief  ringleaders,  a  man  named  Walker,  was 
arrested,  and  safely  lodged  in  Chester  Gaol.  He  was  said  to 
be  General  Ludd  himself. 

In  May,  there  still  were  riots  in  the  manufacturing  district, 
but  these  principally  took  the  form  of  organized  burglaries. 
At  last,  on  May  24th,  there  was  a  Special  Commission  to  try 
those  who  had  been  captured.  Some  were  sentenced  to 
imprisonment,  some  to  transportation,  which,  in  those  days 
really  meant  being  sent  across  the  seas,  and  sixteen  were 
condemned  to  be  hanged — but  five,  only,  were  left  for  death. 
In  other  parts  of  the  country  some  were  hanged,  but  this 
really  served  only  'pour  encourager  les  attires,'  for  the  riots  still 
went  on  during  June,  August,  and  part  of  September ;  but 
they  were  then  dying  out,  a  letter  from  Huddersfield,  dated 


62  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

the  10th  of  September,  saying,  'Several  persons  have  been 
apprehended  on  various  charges  of  Luddism,  and  are  now  in 
custody  here.  A  number  of  others  have,  this  week,  abjured 
their  illegal  oath,  and  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  ;  they  see 
the  calamities  they  have  brought  upon  themselves  and  neigh- 
bours, by  the  atrocious  depredations  they  have  committed, 
and  the  delusions  they  have  laboured  under ;  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  they  will  all  follow  the  laudable  example  of  those  their 
associates,  in  discharging  themselves  from  that  unlawful  and 
ruinous  system  in  which  they  have,  unfortunately,  been 
engaged,  and  return  to  their  allegiance  before  it  is  too  late.' 
And  so  they  did,  for  we  do  not  hear  much  of  them  afterwards. 
They  were  very  ignorant,  the  price  of  provisions,  owing  to  the 
war,  pressed  heavily  upon  them,  work  was  scarce,  and,  to  their 
minds,  looked  likely  to  be  scarcer,  owing  to  the  introduction 
of  Machinery.  Had  the  Home  Government  been  a  strong 
one,  the  riots  might  have  been  stifled  at  their  birth,  for  there 
was  not  the  false  philanthropy  preached  then,  as  now,  and  the 
soldiery,  both  officers  and  men,  were  ready  to  obey  orders  un- 
flinchingly, and  without  fear  of  being  called  to  trial  afterwards 
for  their  obedience. 

Guineas  and  Bank  Notes  still  exercised  the  public  mind, 
and  the  former  must  indeed  have  been  hoarded  up  when 
we  learn,  early  in  January,  that  34,000  guineas  in  gold,  the 
property  of  a  gentleman  deceased,  were  offered  for  sale  on 
'Change  at  Belfast.  Bank  of  England  notes  were  forged  to  a 
great  extent,  so  much  so,  that  the  total  value  of  the  forged 
Notes  presented  at  the  Bank  of  England  for  payment,  and 
refused,  during  eleven  years,  from  the  1st  of  January,  1801,  to 
the  31st  of  December,  1811,  was  £101,661. 

*  Bank  Notes,  it  is  said,  once  Guineas  defied 
To  swim  to  a  point  in  Wade's  foaming  tide  ; 
But  'ere  they  could  reach  the  opposite  brink, 
Bank  Notes  cried  to  Gold,  "  Help  me  !  Cash  us  !  I  sink." 

That  Paper  should  sink,  and  guineas  should  swim, 
May  appear  to  some  folks  a  ridiculous  whim  ; 
But  before  they  condemn,  let  them  hear  this  suggestion — 
In  pun-making,  gravity's  out  of  the  question.' 

In  September  of  this  year  Silver  had  risen  to  6s.  8d.  per 
oz.,  and  Gold  to  £5  10s.,  equalling  in  value  for  a  guinea 
£1  9s.  6d. 

There   is  a  curious  story  of  the  value  of  money,  told  in 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  63 

November  of  this  year.  'A  Gentleman  in  the  Country  sent 
to  his  banker  in  the  City,  a  parcel  of  guineas  which  were  both 
light  and  heavy,  with  directions  to  pass  the  value  to  his  credit 
in  account.  The  banker,  being  a  good  and  loyal  subject,  and 
unwilling  to  do  an  unlawful  act,  credited  his  correspondent, 
with  the  heavy  guineas  at  the  rate  of  £l  Is.  each,  the  value 
by  law  established  :  but  the  light  ones  he  sent  to  a  Silver- 
smith, who  returned  for  them  Bank  Notes,  at  the  rate  of 
£l  7s.  each.  A  light  guinea  is  thus  proved  to  be  worth  6s. 
more  than  one  of  standard  weight/ 

In  April,  Napoleon  put  out  a  feeler  for  peace  with  Great 
Britain,  on  the  basis  that  the  Bourbons  should  reign  in  Spain  ; 
but,  when  inquiry  was  made  whether  by  that,  he  meant 
Ferdinand  VII.  he  gave  no  reply,  and  the  negotiation,  if  ever 
serious,  fell  through. 

One  of  the  principal  social  events  of  the  year  was  the 
Murder  of  the  Right  Hon.  Spencer  Perceval,  Chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer,  First  Lord  of  the  Treasury,  and  Prime  Minister 
of  England,  who  was  shot  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin,  John 
Bellingham,  on  the  llth  of  May,  whilst  passing  through  the 
lobby  of  the  House  of  Commons.  He  was  born  November  1, 
1762,  so  that,  when  he  fell,  he  was  in  the  prime  of  life.  He 
was  of  very  good  family,  being  the  second  son  of  John,  Earl 
of  Egmont,  in  Ireland,  and  Baron  Lovel  and  Holland  in 
England.  His  family  was  one  of  the  very  few  that  really 
came  over  with  the  Conqueror,  for  Robert  the  second  son  of 
Eudes,  sovereign  Duke  of  Brittany,  settled  in  Normandy,  and 
there  became  possessed  of  the  lordships  of  Brewehal  and  Ivery. 
As  stated,  he  came  over  in  the  Norman  filibuster's  suite,  and 
in  the  course  of  two  or  three  generations  the  name  of 
Brewehal,  became  changed  into  Perceval — and  ever  after- 
wards so  remained. 

Spencer  Perceval,  studied  for,  and  practised  at,  the  Bar, 
being  made  King's  Counsel  in  1796.  In  the  same  year,  his 
first  cousin,  Lord  Compton,  who  was  member  for  Northampton, 
succeeded  to  his  father's  title  of  Earl  of  Northampton  ;  and 
Perceval,  offering  himself  for  the  vacant  seat,  was  elected 
without  opposition.  His  rise  was  rapid,  and  in  1801,  being 
then  in  his  39th  year,  he  joined  Lord  Addington's  Govern- 
ment as  Solicitor-General.  In  1 802  he  was  made  Attorney- 
General.  When  Pitt  resumed  the  government,  he  retained 
his  appointment,  but  resigned  it  at  Pitt's  death. 

In   Lord    Portland's   Ministry  of   1807,  he  undertook  the 


64  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

duties  of  Chancellor  and  Under  Treasurer  of  the  Exchequer, 
and  also  Chancellor  of  the  Duchy  of  Lancaster.  In  October, 
1809,  he  was  First  Lord  of  the  Treasury,  and  Prime  Minister, 
and  so  continued  until  his  sad  end. 

One  may  well  ask  why  did  Bellingham  shoot  Perceval  ? 
To  this  day  I  cannot  tell.  In  the  year  1804,  a  Mr.  John 
Bellingham — who  had  been  brought  up  in  a  Counting  House 
in  London,  and,  afterwards,  lived  three  years  as  clerk  with  a 
Russian  Merchant  at  Archangel,  whence  he  had  returned  to 
England — went  back  to  Russia  on  Mercantile  business — was 
there  twice  imprisoned —he  said  falsely — and  treated,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  account,  with  very  great  indignity.  He 
complained  to  the  British  Ambassador  at  Petersburg,  and  also 
to  the  Secretary  of  Legation,  but  did  not  obtain  his  desired 
redress.  He  returned  to  England  in  180,9,  as  he  said,  ruined 
in  health  and  fortune.  But  the  British  Ambassador,  Lord 
Gower,  declared  that  he  used  all  the  influence  he  possessed 
(with  propriety)  in  Bellingham's  favour ;  but  that  he  was 
legally  imprisoned  for  debt,  upon  the  award  of  four  arbitrators, 
two  of  them  British  Merchants  chosen  by  himself,  and  the 
other  two  Russians  ;  that  his  confinement  was  far  from  severe  ; 
that  he  was  allowed  to  walk  at  large,  only  under  the  inspection 
of  a  police  officer ;  and  that  he  had  received  help  in  money 
from  the  Secretary  of  Legation. 

But  he  was  '  a  man  with  a  grievance/  and  went  about  to 
different  branches  of  the  Government,  detailing  the  laches  of 
Lord  Gower,  and  the  Secretary,  for  their  culpable  neglect  in 
not  looking  properly  after  the  interests  of  a  British  Subject. 
He  then  determined  to  bring  his  case  before  Parliament,  and 
asked  General  Gascoyne  to  back  his  petition,  and  the  General 
promised  to  do  so,  provided  it  had  the  countenance  of 
Mr.  Perceval,  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  which  was 
considered  necessary  in  all  cases  which  involved  a  pecuniary 
grant. 

He  wrote  to  poor  Perceval  for  leave  to  bring  in  a  Petition, 
but  was  answered  that  Mr.  Perceval  thought  that  his  petition 
'was  not  of  a  nature  for  the  Consideration  of  Parliament/ 
Then  he  went  to  the  Regent  and  the  Privy  Council,  but  to  no 
purpose :  made  applications  all  round,  but  met  with  no  good, 
except  a  reference  to  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer :  but 
here  he  had  been  refused  help.  Then  he  wrote  a  letter  to 
the  Bow  Street  Magistrates,  stating  his  case — saying  that  he 
would,  once  more  solicit  his  Majesty's  Ministers,  through 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  65 

them,  and,  failing  redress  from  that,  he  continued,  '  I  shall 
then  feel  justified  in  executing  justice  myself;  in  which  case, 
I  shall  be  ready  to  argue  the  merits  of  so  reluctant  a  measure, 
with  his  Majesty's  Attorney-General,  wherever,  and  whenever 
I  may  be  called  upon  to  do  so.  In  the  hopes  of  averting  so 
abhorrent  but  compulsive  an  alternative, — I  have  the  honour 
to  be,  &c.'  The  Magistrates  communicated  the  contents  of 
this  packet  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  but  it  only  resulted  in  a 
fresh  disappointment. 

He  still  kept  on  trying,  and  his  idea  of  taking  vengeance 
on  some  one,  increased,  until  it  not  only  became  fixed,  but  he 
planned  its  carrying  out.  He  had  a  pocket  made  in  his  coat 
of  a  peculiar  size  and  shape,  in  order  to  carry  a  pistol ;  and  on 
the  fatal  llth  of  May,  he  hid  himself  behind  one  of  the 
folding  doors  of  the  lobby  of  the  House  of  Commons  ;  and 
when,  about  a  quarter  past  five,  the  ill-fated  Chancellor  made 
his  appearance,  Bellingham  shot  him  through  the  heart.  Poor 
Perceval  only  reeled  a  pace  or  two,  faintly  called  out,  that  he 
was  murdered,  and  then  fell.  The  Illustration  which  I  have 
reproduced  is  the  best  I  know,  and  the  likenesses  of  both 
murderer  and  victim  are  extremely  good. 

Perceval  was  at  once  raised,  and  carried  into  the  Speaker's 
apartments,  but  he  died  in  two  or  three  minutes.  His 
murderer  made  no  attempt  to  escape,  but  stood  holding  the 
pistol  with  which  he  had  committed  the  foul  crime,  and,  when 
some  one  called 'out — '  Where  is  the  rascal  that  fired?'  he 
coolly  stepped  forward,  saying,  '  I  am  the  unfortunate  man/ 
and  quietly  surrendered  himself  a  prisoner.  On  being 
searched,  a  loaded  pistol  was  found  in  his  pocket — the  fellow 
to  that  which  he  was  still  holding  in  his  hand. 

He  was  equally  calm  when  brought  before  the  bar  of  the 
House,  acknowledging  the  fact,  and  even  attempting  to  justify 
it.  He  was  committed  to  Newgate,  where  two  men  were 
constantly  with  him  in  his  cell,  to  prevent  any  attempt  at  self- 
destruction.  He  was  brought  up  for  trial  at  the  Old  Bailey 
on  the  15th  of  May.  The  facts  against  him  were  concisely 
and  clearly  stated,  even  to  that  of  his  having  pockets  specially 
made  to  hold  the  pistols :  and  he  conducted  his  own  defence. 
He  gave  an  account  of  his  sufferings  for  the  past  eight  years, 
laying  the  blame  principally  on  Lord  Leveson  Gower,  whom 
he  regretted  he  had  not  killed  in  place  of  Mr.  Perceval.  '  He 
was  obliged  to  the  Attorney-General  and  the  Court  for  setting 
aside  the  plea  of  insanity  urged  by  his  counsel,  and  could 


66 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


[1812 


assure  them,  whenever  he  should  appear  before  the  tribunal 
of  God,  he  should  be  adjudged  innocent  of  the  wilful  murder 
of  Mr.  Perceval.  That  he  perished  by  his  hand  he  admitted  ; 
but,  to  constitute  felony,  there  must  be  malice  prepense,  the 
wilful  intention,  which  had  not  been  proved.  In  this  case,  he 
had  been  robbed  of  his  property,  his  family  ruined,  and  his 


MR.  PERCEVAL  ASSASSINATED  IN  THE  LOBBY  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  COMMONS, 
MAY    II,    l8l2. 

mind  tortured  through  the  conduct  of  Government  Agents ; 
and  he  was  now  to  answer  for  his  life,  because  Mr.  Perceval 
chose  to  patronize  iniquity,  and  refuse  him  redress/ 

Of  course,  this  style  of  argument  availed  him  nothing  with 
the  jury,  who,  after  a  very  brief  consultation,  brought  him  in 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  67 

'  Guilty.'  Sentence  of  death  was  passed  upon  him,  and,  as 
there  was  very  little  sickly  sentimentality  in  those  days,  as  to 
carrying  out  the  penalty  of  the  law,  he  was  duly  hanged  on 
the  18th  of  May:  his  body  being  given  over  to  the  surgeons 
for  dissection.  It  is  said  that  after  his  body  was  opened,  his 
heart  continued  its  functions  for  four  hours ;  in  other  words, 
that  he  was  living  for  that  time. 

The  day  after  Mr.  Perceval's  assassination,  the  Prince  Regent 
sent  a  Message  to  Parliament  recommending  a  provision  being 
made  for  Mrs.  Perceval  and  her  family,  and  an  annuity  of 
£2,000  was  granted  her,  together  with  a  sum  of  .£30,000  to 
her  family.  These  were  voted  unanimously,  and  two  other 
votes  were  passed  by  large  majorities — one  to  provide  a 
monument  to  his  memory  in  Westminster  Abbey,  the  other 
granting  to  his  eldest  son,  Spencer  Perceval,  who  was  just 
about  to  go  to  College,  an  annuity  of  £1,000,  from  the  day  of 
his  father's  death,  and  an  additional  £1,000  yearly,  on  the 
decease  of  his  mother. 

One  would  have  thought  that  there  could  have  been  but 
one  feeling  throughout  the  nation,  that  of  horror,  at  this 
dastardly  murder,  but  one  town  was  the  base  exception.  When 
the  news  of  his  murder  reached  Nottingham,  a  numerous 
crowd  publicly  testified  their  joy  by  shouts,  huzzas,  drums 
beating,  flags  flying,  bells  ringing,  and  bonfires  blazing.  The 
Military  being  called  out,  and  the  Riot  Act  read,  peace  was 
restored. 


5—2 


CHAPTER  VII. 

French  Prisoners  of  War — Repeal  of  the  *  Orders  in  Council  '— 
Rejoicings  for  the  Victory  of  Salamanca — Saturnalia  thereat. 

THERE  was  always  more  or  less  trouble  with  the  French 
Prisoners  of  War  during  the  year — as  we  know,  many  escaped, 
and  small  blame  to  them — while  many  officers  deliberately 
and  disgracefully  broke  their  parole  and  got  away.  Six 
Prisoners  escaped  from  Edinburgh  Castle,  made  for  the  sea, 
found  a  boat,  and,  sailing  up  the  Firth,  got  as  far  as  Hopetoun 
House,  where  they  landed,  intending  to  go  to  Glasgow  by 
land,  but  the  Commandant  of  the  Linlithgow  Local  Militia 
had  information  that  several  men  had  been  seen  skulking 
about  Lord  Hopetoun' s  plantations,  and,  after  some  trouble, 
they  were  caught,  lodged  in  Linlithgow  gaol,  and  then  sent 
back  to  Edinburgh. 

One  gained  his  freedom  by  an  act  of  gallantry,  early  in 
February.  '  Fra^ois  Goyette,  a  French  Prisoner,  lately  em- 
ployed as  a  servant  on  board  the  hospital  ship  Pegase,  has  been 
released,  and  sent  to  France  by  the  Transport  Board,  as  a 
reward  for  his  exertions  in  jumping  overboard  to  the  rescue 
of  the  Cook  and  boy  of  the  Hydra  frigate,  when  upset  in  her 
boat  on  Porchester  Lake. ' 

We  see,  by  the  following,  how  systematic  they  became  in 
their  methods  of  escaping : — 

'  Upwards  of  1,000  French  prisoners  have  escaped  from  this 
country  during  the  war,  and  so  many  persons  have  lately  been 
detected  in  assisting  their  escape,  that  those  concerned  have 
had  a  vehicle  made  for  the  conveyance  of  Frenchmen,  to 
avoid  suspicion  or  detection,  exactly  resembling  a  covered  cart 
used  by  the  Calico  printers,  with  strong  doors  at  each  end, 


1812]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  69 

but  with  seats  inside  to  hold  a  number  of  men.  One  of  them 
was  detected  about  a  week  since,  in  a  very  extraordinary 
way.  Some  Revenue  Officers  went  into  a  public  house  near 
Canterbury,  where  two  men  were  playing  at  cards,  whom 
they  suspected  to  be  Frenchmen  on  their  way  to  escape  from 
this  country.  They  communicated  this  suspicion  to  a  magis- 
trate, who  informed  them  that,  at  that  hour  of  the  night  (about 
eight  o'clock),  the  Constable  was  generally  intoxicated,  and 
it  would  be  of  no  use  applying  to  him ;  but  advised  them  to 
procure  the  assistance  of  some  of  the  Military  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, which  the  officers  accordingly  did,  and  surrounded 
the  house. 

'  The  landlord  refused  to  open  the  door,  saying  it  was  too 
late.  The  soldiers  told  him  they  were  in  search  of  deserters. 
A  short  time  afterwards  two  men  came  out  of  the  back  door, 
and  the  Revenue  Officers,  suspecting  they  were  two  French- 
men, secured  them.  Another  came  out  directly  afterwards, 
whom  the  soldiers  stopped  ;  he,  also,  was  a  Frenchman.  They 
were  conveyed  away  in  Custody.  This  was  a  mere  chance 
detection,  as  the  two  men  whom  the  Revenue  Officers  had  seen 
at  Cards  early  in  the  evening  proved,  not  Frenchmen,  but 
tradesmen  of  the  neighbourhood  ;  and,  while  the  officers  were 
gone  to  the  magistrate,  and  after  the  military,  a  cart,  such  as 
we  have  described,  arrived  at  the  house  with  four  Frenchmen. 

'  The  fourth  man,  who  was  some  time  in  coming  out,  after 
the  others,  escaped  into  the  London  road,  whither  he  knew 
the  cart  had  returned,  and  overtook  it ;  but  the  driver  would 
not,  for  a  considerable  time,  take  him  up,  as  he  had  only  seen 
him  in  the  night-time,  till  he  made  him  understand  that  he 
was  connected  with  one  Webb,  the  driver's  employer.  It 
being  ascertained  that  the  three  Frenchmen  in  custody,  had 
been  brought  there  in  a  cart,  pursuit  was  made,  and  it  was 
overtaken,  and  the  driver  and  the  Frenchman  were  taken 
into  custody.  They  were  examined  before  a  magistrate, 
when  it  appeared,  from  the  confession  of  the  driver,  &c.,  that 
the  four  Frenchmen  were  officers,  who  had  broken  their 
parole  from  Ashby  de  la  Zouche.  The  Cart  had  been  fitted 
up  with  a  seat,  to  hold  a  number  of  Frenchmen.  He  was 
employed  by  Mr.  Webb  to  drive  the  cart.  The  Frenchmen 
only  got  out  of  the  cart  at  night  to  avoid  observation.  They 
stopped  at  bye-places,  and  made  fires  under  hedges.  At  a 
place  near  Brentford,  a  woman  connected  with  Webb  made 
tea  for  them.  They  stopped  on  Beckenham  Common  to  rest 


70  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

the  horse,  about  ten  o'clock  at  night,  when,  a  horse  patrol 
passing  at  the  time,  suspected  something  to  be  wrong,  but 
could  not  ascertain  what.  He  insisted  on  the  driver  moving 
off ;  and  when  he  was  about  putting  the  horse  into  the  Cart, 
an  accident  happened  which  nearly  led  to  their  discovery. 
The  Frenchmen  all  being  at  the  back  of  the  cart,  the  driver 
lost  the  balance,  when  he  was  putting  in  the  horse,  and  the 
cart  fell  backwards,  which  caused  the  Frenchmen  to  scream 
violently ;  but  it  is  supposed  the  patrol  had  gone  too  far  to 
hear  the  noise.  Webb  was  apprehended,  and  examined 
before  a  magistrate  in  Kent,  but  he  discharged  him.  How- 
ever, afterwards,  the  magistrate  meeting  with  Webb,  in  Maid- 
stone,  where  he  was  attending  the  assize  on  a  similar  charge, 
he  took  him  into  custody/ 

What  was  it  made  these  French  Officers  so  dishonour  them- 
selves by  breaking  their  parole  ?  The  very  fact  of  their  being 
on  parole,  intimates  a  certain  amount  of  freedom.  It  must 
have  been  either  a  dull  moral  perception,  and  the  utter  want 
of  all  the  feelings  and  instincts  of  a  gentleman,  or  else 
ungovernable  nostalgia,  which  blunted  their  sense  of  honour. 
Here  is  a  pretty  list,  June  30,  1812  :— 

'  The  number  of  French  commissioned  Officers,  and  masters 
of  Privateers  and  Merchantmen,  who  have  broken  their 
parole  in  the  last  three  years  ending  5  June  is  692,  of  whom 
242  have  been  retaken,  and  450  escaped.  A  considerable 
number  of  officers  have,  besides,  been  ordered  into  confine- 
ment, for  various  other  breaches  of  their  parole  engagements.' 

Something  had  to  be  done  to  stop  this  emigration,  so  the 
Government  gave  orders  to  seize  all  galleys  of  a  certain 
description  carrying  eight  oars:  17  were  seized  at  Deal,  and 
10  at  Folkestone,  Sandgate,  &c.  They  must  have  been  built 
for  smuggling,  and  illicit  purposes,  for  they  were  painted  so 
as  to  be  perfectly  invisible  at  night,  and  were  so  slightly 
built,  and  swift,  that  in  those  days  of  no  steamers,  no  craft 
could  catch  them.  However,  the  punishment,  if  caught,  for 
aiding  their  escape,  was  severe,  as  three  men  found  to  their 
cost.  They  were  sentenced  to  two  years'  imprisonment,  and 
two  of  them  '  to  be  placed  in  and  upon  the  pillory  on  the  sea- 
shore, near  the  town  of  Rye,  and,  as  near  as  could  be,  within 
sight  of  the  French  Coast,  that  they  might  be  viewed,  as  his 
lordship  observed,  by  those  enemies  of  their  country,  whom 
they  had,  by  their  conduct,  so  much  befriended.' 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  71 

The  French  papers  had  accused  us  of  ill-treating  our 
prisoners,  so  that  a  disclaimer  was  necessary  : — 

'  French  Prisoners. — As  a  proof  of  the  good  treatment  of  the 
prisoners  of  war  in  this  country,  the  following  comparative 
statement  of  those  sick  and  in  health  will  be  the  best  answer 
to  the  calumnies  of  the  Moniteur  : — 

Thursday,  Aug.  20,  1812. 

In  health.     Sick. 

On  board  prison  ships,  Hamoaze  ...  6100    ...    61 
In  Dartmoor  depSt      7500    ...    74 

'  This  small  percentage  of  sick,  is  not  the  common  average 
of  persons  not  confined  as  Prisoners  of  War.  At  Dartmoor 
500  prisoners,  such  as  labourers,  carpenters,  smiths,  &c.,  are 
allowed  to  work  from  sun-rise  to  sun-set ;  they  are  paid  four- 
pence  and  sixpence  per  day,  according  to  their  abilities,  and 
have  each  their  daily  rations  of  provisions,  viz.,  a  pound  and 
a  half  of  bread,  half  a  pound  of  boiled  beef,  half  a  pound  of 
cabbage,  and  a  proportion  of  soup  and  small  beer.  They 
wear  a  tin  plate  in  their  Caps,  with  the  title  of  the  trade  they 
are  employed  in,  and  return  every  evening  to  the  depot  to  be 
mustered.' 

They  had  a  rough  sense  of  justice  among  themselves,  their 
punishments  to  delinquents  not  quite  coming  up  to  the 
rigorous  '  mort  aux  voleurs,'  but  still  very  severe.  Here  is  a 
case  :  The  French  prisoners  who  were  brought  to  the  depot 
at  Perth,  on  August  13th,  from  Dundee,  were  lodged  the 
preceding  night,  in  the  Church  at  Inchture,  where,  it  is  said, 
they  contrived  to  draw  many  of  the  nails  from  the  seats,  and 
break  a  number  of  the  panes  of  the  windows ;  and  one  of 
their  number  stole  the  two  mort  cloths,  or  palls,  belonging  to 
the  Church.  The  beadle  being  sent  after  them  to  the  depot, 
the  theft  was  instantly  discovered,  which  so  incensed  the 
prisoners  against  the  thief,  that  they  called  out  to  have  him 
punished,  and  asked  permission  to  do  so  by  a  Court-martial. 
Having  held  this  Court,  they  ordered  him  a  naval  flogging  of 
two  dozen,  with  the  end  of  a  hard  rope.  The  Culprit  was 
tied  to  a  lamp-post,  and,  with  the  first  lash,  the  blood  sprung. 
The  punishment  went  on  to  17  lashes,  when  the  poor  man 
fainted  away,  but  he  had  the  other  7  at  another  time. 

They  kicked  over  the  traces  sometimes,  as  we  learn  by  the 
Annual  Register,  September  8th  : — 

'  The  French  prisoners  at  Dartmoor  depot,  on  Sunday  last, 


72  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

had  worked  themselves  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  rage,  at 
having  a  pound  and  a  half  of  biscuit,  and  not  bread,  per  day. 
The  use  of  biscuit,  it  is  to  be  observed,  was  to  be  discontinued 
as  soon  as  the  bakehouse  had  been  rebuilt ;  but  the  French- 
men were  absolutely  deaf  to  remonstrances.  A  detachment 
of  the  Cheshire  militia,  and  of  the  South  Gloucester  regiment, 
was  drawn  up  on  the  walls  surrounding  the  prison  ;  and, 
although  they  had  loaded  their  pieces  with  ball,  the  prisoners 
appeared  undaunted,  and  insulted  them  in  the  grossest  terms. 
A  sentinel  on  duty  had  the  bayonet  wrenched  off  his  piece, 
yet  nobly  reserved  his  fire ;  an  officer,  however,  followed  the 
Frenchman,  struck  him  over  the  shoulder  with  his  sword,  and 
brought  off  the  bayonet.  The  Frenchmen  even  bared  their 
breasts  to  the  troops,  and  seemed  regardless  of  danger. 

'The  number  of  prisoners  is  about  7,500  ;  and  so  menacing 
was  their  conduct,  that  an  express  was  sent  off  to  Plymouth 
Dock  at  eleven  o'clock  on  Sunday  night,  soliciting  immediate 
assistance.  Three  pieces  of  Artillery  were,  in  consequence, 
sent  off  early  on  Monday  morning  ;  and,  on  their  arrival  at 
the  principal  gate,  the  bars  of  which,  of  immense  size,  had 
been  previously  broken  by  stones  hurled  against  them  by  the 
insurgents,  they  were  placed  in  such  directions  as  to  command 
the  whole  of  the  circle  which  the  prison  describes.  This  had 
the  desired  effect,  and  order  was  restored.  It  is  to  be  noticed 
that  the  allowance  of  biscuit,  at  which  these  men  had  so 
indignantly  spurned,  is  precisely  the  same  as  that  which  is 
served  out  to  our  own  sailors  and  marines.' 

At  another  time  (Sunday,  October  llth)  the  Ganges  prison 
ship,  at  Portsmouth,  with  750  prisoners  on  board,  was  set  on 
fire  by  one  of  them,  and  had  actually  a  great  hole  burned  in 
her,  before  the  fire  was  discovered.  The  incendiary  was  soon 
detected,  and  put  in  irons ;  he  confessed  his  guilt,  and 
declared  it  was  his  intention  to  destroy  himself  and  com- 
panions, who  were  tired  of  confinement.  To  the  credit  of  his 
compatriots,  they  all  helped  to  extinguish  the  flames,  and 
were,  with  difficulty,  restrained  from  lynching  the  offender. 

One  pretty  little  story  anent  them,  and  I  have  done.  A 
prisoner,  located  at  Perth,  was  released,  on  account  of  his 
humanity.  At  the  storming  of  Badajoz,  General  Walker  fell 
at  the  head  of  his  brigade,  and  was  found  by  this  young 
Frenchman  lying  wounded,  and  bleeding,  in  the  breach.  In 
his  arms  he  bore  the  General  to  a  French  Hospital,  where 
he  was  cured.  General  Walker  gave  him  his  address,  and 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  7S 

promised  to  serve  him,  if  ever  it  lay  in  his  power.  The 
fortune  of  war  brought  the  young  man,  a  captive,  to  England, 
and,  on  his  application  to  his  friend  the  General,  the  latter  so 
used  his  influence  as  to  procure  his  release. 

An  act  was  done  in  this  year  which  removed  many  restric- 
tions from  our  trade,  and  promoted  the  manufacturing  in- 
dustry of  the  Country.  It  was  all  very  well  to  be  victorious 
in  war,  but  the  fact  of  being  at  war,  more  especially  with 
opponents  whose  great  efforts  were  to  cripple  the  trade  of  the 
Nation,  and  thus  wither  the  sinews  by  which  war  is  greatly 
maintained,  was  felt  throughout  all  classes  of  the  Manufac- 
turing Interest  all  over  the  Country,  a  power  which  was  then 
beginning  to  make  itself  felt.  The  Act  of  which  I  speak, 
was  the  abolition  of  the  Orders  in  Council  which  prohibited 
trade  with  any  port  occupied  by  the  French,  being  a  reprisal 
for  Napoleon's  Berlin  and  Milan  Decrees,  which  interdicted 
commerce  with  England. 

Petitions  poured  into  Parliament  in  favour  of  their  abroga- 
tion, and  on  the  24-th  of  April  Lord  Liverpool  laid  on  the 
table  of  the  House  of  Lords,  the  following 

'  DECLARATION  OF  THE  COURT  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN 

RESPECTING    THE    ORDERS    IN    COUNCIL. 

'At  the  Court  at  Carlton-house  the  23rd  day  of  April,  1812. 
Present  his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  Regent  in  Council. 

'  Whereas  his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  Regent  was 
pleased  to  declare,  in  the  name,  and  on  the  behalf  of  his 
Majesty,  on  the  21st  day  of  April,  1812:  "That  if  at  any 
time  hereafter,  the  Berlin  and  Milan  Decrees  shall,  by  some 
authentic  act  of  the  French  Government,  publicly  promul- 
gated, be  absolutely  and  unconditionally  repealed,  then,  and 
from  thenceforth,  the  Order  in  Council  of  the  7th  of  January, 
1807,  and  the  Order  in  Council  of  the  26th  of  April,  1809, 
shall  without  any  further  Order  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby 
declared  from  thenceforth  to  be,  wholly  and  absolutely 
revoked.' 

On  this  being  known,  there  were  great  rejoicings  through- 
out the  Country,  especially  at  Sheffield,  Leeds,  and  other 
manufacturing  towns  ;  the  beneficial  effects  of  the  alteration 
became  immediately  apparent,  there  being  more  purchases 
made  at  the  Cloth  Hall  at  Leeds,  in  one  day,  than  had  been 
known  for  many  years.  At  Liverpool  1,500,000  yards  of 


74  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

bounty  goods  were  shipped  in  one  week,  worth  .£125,000, 
and  2,500,000  were  in  progress  of  shipment.  In  the  same 
week  £12,000  Convoy  duty,  at  4  per  cent.,  was  paid,  indi- 
cating further  shipments  to  the  amount  of  £300,000,  at  the 
same  port.  The  wages  of  Spinners,  &c.,  advanced  at  once,  in 
some  cases  as  much  as  2s.  3d.  a  week. 

But  all  rejoicings  were  not  so  quiet — witness  those  which 
took  place  in  London  in  honour  of  the  Victory  of  Salamanca, 
when  Wellington  totally  defeated  the  French  Army  under 
Marshal  Marmont,  July  22,  1812.  The  French  left  in  the 
hands  of  the  British  7,141  prisoners,  11  pieces  of  cannon, 
6  stands  of  colours,  and  2  eagles. 

The  Illuminations  in  London  took  place  on  August  17th 
and  two  following  days,  but  they  seem  to  have  been  of  the 
usual  kind.  If  the  sightseers  could  not  get  hold  of  the  hero 
of  the  day,  they  managed  to  lay  hands  on  the  Marquis 
Wellesley,  his  brother,  who  was  driving  about,  looking  at  the 
illuminations  ;  and,  having  taken  the  horses  out  of  his  car- 
riage, they  dragged  him  about  the  streets  ;  finally,  and  luckily, 
depositing  him  at  Apsley  House.  After  this,  they  returned 
down  Piccadilly,  calling  out  for  lights,  which  had  a  little  time 
before  been  brilliant,  but  since  had  gone  out.  The  inhabi- 
tants got  from  their  beds  and  showed  candles,  but  this  did 
not  satisfy  the  mob,  who  set  to  work  demolishing  the  windows 
with  sticks,  brick-bats,  stones,  &c.,  to  the  great  danger  of  life 
and  limb. 

Some  glass,  in  Mr.  Coutts's  house,  which  cost  .£4  10s.  a 
square  (for  plate  glass  was  very  dear  then)  was  broken,  as 
were  also  several  windows  at  Sir  Francis  Burdett's,  and  yet 
both  had  been  well  lighted  throughout  the  night.  This  dis- 
graceful scene  was  kept  up  till  past  three  A.M.,  and  damage 
was  done,  estimated  at  five  or  six  hundred  pounds. 

On  the  third  and  last  night  of  their  Saturnalia  the  outrages 
were,  perhaps,  worse  than  before.  Not  only  were  fire-arms 
freely  discharged,  and  fireworks  profusely  scattered,  but  balls 
of  tow,  dipped  in  turpentine,  were  thrown  among  crowds  and 
into  carriages  ;  horses  ran  away  in  affright — carriages  were 
overturned — and  many  deplorable  accidents  ensued  in  broken 
limbs  and  fractured  skulls.  Here  are  a  few  accidents.  In 
Bow  Street,  a  well-dressed  young  lady  had  her  clothes  set  in 
a  blaze.  In  the  Strand,  at  one  time,  three  women  were  on 
fire,  and  one  burned  through  all  her  clothes,  to  her  thigh. 
Likewise  in  the  Strand,  a  hackney  coach,  containing  two 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  75 

ladies  and  two  gentlemen,  was  forced  open  by  the  mob,  who 
threw  in  a  number  of  fireworks,  which,  setting  fire  to  the 
straw  at  the  bottom  of  the  coach,  burned  an  eye  of  one  of  the 
gentlemen,  his  coat,  and  breeches ;  one  of  the  ladies  had  her 
pelisse  burned,  and  the  other  was  burned  across  the  breast. 
In  St.  Clement's  Churchyard,  a  woman,  of  respectable  appear- 
ance, hearing  a  blunderbuss  suddenly  discharged  near  her, 
instantly  dropped  down,  and  expired. 

Apropos  of  Salamanca,  there  was  a  little  jeu  d' esprit  worth 
preserving. 

'SALAMANCA  LOBSTERS. 

Though  of  Soldiers,  by  some  in  derision  'tis  said, 
They  are  Lobsters,  because  they  are  cloathed  in  red, 
Yet  the  maxim  our  army  admit  to  be  true, 
As  part  of  their  nature,  as  well  as  their  hue  ; 
A  proof  more  decisive,  the  world  never  saw, 
For  every  man  in  the  Field  had  "  Eclat." ' 

On  the  30th  of  September,  there  was  a  great  military 
function,  in  depositing  the  captured  French  Eagles  in  White- 
hall Chapel.  They  were  five  in  number,  two  taken  at  Sala- 
manca, two  at  Madrid,  and  one  near  Ciudad  Rodrigo. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Chimney-sweeps — Climbing  boys — Riot  at  Bartholomew  Fair — 
Duelling — War  with  France — Declaration  of  war  between 
England  and  America — Excommunication  for  bearing  false 
witness — Early  Steam  Locomotives— Margate  in  1812 — Resur- 
rection men— Smithfield  Cattle  Club. 

THE  Social  life  of  a  nation  includes  small  things,  as  well  as 
great,  deposition  of  Eagles,  and  Chimney-sweeps,  and  the 
latter  have  been  looked  after,  by  the  legislature,  not  before 
the  intervention  of  the  law  was  needed.  In  1789.,  28  Geo.  III., 
an  Act  was  passed  to  regulate  Chimney-sweeping.  In  1834, 
another  Act  regulated  the  trade,  and  the  apprenticeship  of 
Children.  Again,  by  3  and  4  Vic.  cap.  85,  it  was  made 
illegal  for  a  master  sweep  to  take  as  apprentice,  any  one 
under  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  the  Act  further  provided  that 
no  one,  after  the  1st  of  July,  1842,  should  ascend  a  chimney 
unless  he  were  twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  1864  the  law 
was  made  more  stringent,  and  even  as  late  as  1875,  38  and  39 
Vic.  cap.  70,  an  Act  was  passed  '  for  further  amending  the 
Law  relating  to  Chimney  Sweepers.'  That  all  this  legislation 
was  necessary  is  partially  shown  by  a  short  paragraph  of  the 
date  7th  of  August :  '  Yesterday,  Charles  Barker  was  charged 
at  Union  Hall*  with  kidnapping  two  young  boys,  and  selling 
them  for  seven  shillings,  to  one  Rose,  a  chimney  sweep  at 
Kingston.'  And,  again,  the  25th  of  August : — 

'An  interesting  occurrence  took  place  at  Folkingham.f 
A  poor  woman  who  had  obtained  a  pass  billet  to  remain  there 
all  night,  was  sitting  by  the  fire  of  the  kitchen  of  the  Grey- 

*  Union  Hall  was  at  the  east  end  of  Union  Street,  Borough,  and 
was  built  by  subscription  in  1781 — for  the  use  of  the  magistrates, 
f  Or  Falkinghatn,  Lincolnshire, 


1812]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  77 

hound  Inn,  with  an  infant  child  at  her  breast,  when  two 
chimney  sweeps  came  in,  who  had  been  engaged  to  sweep 
some  of  the  chimneys  belonging  to  the  inn  early  next  morn- 
ing. They  were,  according  to  custom,  treated  to  a  supper, 
which  they  had  begun  to  eat,  when  the  younger,  a  boy  about 
seven  years  of  age,  happening  to  cast  his  eyes  upon  the 
woman,  (who  had  been  likewise  viewing  them  with  a  fixed 
attention  from  their  first  entrance,)  started  up,  and  exclaimed 
in  a  frantic  tone — "  That's  my  mother  !"  and  immediately 
flew  into  her  arms. 

'  It  appears  that  her  name  is  Mary  Davis,  and  that  she  is 
the  wife  of  a  private  in  the  2nd  Regiment  of  Foot-guards, 
now  serving  in  the  Peninsula ;  her  husband  quitted  her  to 
embark  for  foreign  service  on  the  20th  of  last  January,  and 
on  the  28th  of  the  same  month  she  left  her  son  in  the  care  of 
a  woman  who  occupied  the  front  rooms  of  her  house,  while 
she  went  to  wash  for  a  family  in  the  neighbourhood :  on  her 
return  in  the  evening,  the  woman  had  decamped  with  her 
son,  and,  notwithstanding  every  effort  was  made  to  discover 
their  retreat,  they  had  not  since  been  heard  of:  but  having 
lately  been  informed  that  the  woman  was  a  native  of  Leeds, 
she  had  come  to  the  resolution  of  going  there  in  search  of 
her  child,  and  with  this  view  had  walked  from  London  to 
Folkingham  (106  miles)  with  an  infant  not  more  than  six 
weeks  old  in  her  arms. 

'  The  boy's  master  stated,  that  about  the  latter  end  of  last 
January,  he  met  a  woman  and  boy  in  the  vicinity  of  Sleaford, 
where  he  resides.  She  appeared  very  ragged,  and  otherwise 
much  distressed,  and  was,  at  that  time,  beating  the  boy  most 
severely  ;  she  then  accosted  him  (the  master)  saying  she  was 
in  great  distress,  and  a  long  way  from  home  ;  and  after  some 
further  preliminary  conversation,  said,  if  he  would  give  her 
two  guineas  to  enable  her  to  get  home,  she  would  bind  her 
son  apprentice  to  him  ;  this  proposal  was  agreed  to,  and  the 
boy  was  regularly  indentured,  the  woman  having  previously 
made  affidavit  as  to  being  his  mother.  This  testimony  was 
corroborated  by  the  boy  himself,  but,  as  no  doubt  remained  in 
the  mind  of  anyone  respecting  the  boy's  real  mother,  his  master, 
without  further  ceremony,  resigned  him  to  her.  The  inhabi- 
tants interested  themselves  very  humanely  in  the  poor 
woman's  behalf,  by  not  only  paying  her  coach  fare  back  to 
London,  but  also  collecting  for  her  the  sum  of  £2  5s.' 

Among  the  home  news  of  1811,  I  mentioned  Bartholomew 


78  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

Fair ;  but  for  rowdyism,  the  fair  of  1812  seems  to  have  borne 
the  palm : — 

'  The  scene  of  riot,  confusion  and  horror  exhibited  at  this 
motley  festival,  on  this  night,  has  seldom,  if  ever,  been  ex- 
ceeded. The  influx  of  all  classes  of  labourers  who  had 
received  their  week's  wages,  and  had  come  to  the  spot,  was 
immense.  At  ten  o'clock  every  avenue  leading  through  the 
conspicuous  parts  of  the  fair  was  crammed,  with  an  impene- 
trable mass  of  human  creatures.  Those  who  were  in  the 
interior  of  the  crowd,  howsoever  distressed,  could  not  be 
extricated ;  while  those  who  were  on  the  outside,  were 
exposed  to  the  most  imminent  danger  of  being  crushed  to 
death  against  the  booths.  The  females,  hundreds  of  whom 
there  were,  who  happened  to  be  intermixed  with  the  mob, 
were  treated  with  the  greatest  indignity,  in  defiance  of  the 
exertions  of  husbands,  relatives,  or  friends.  This  weaker 
part  of  the  crowd,  in  fact,  seemed  to  be,  on  this  occasion,  the 
principal  object  of  persecution,  or,  as  the  savages  who  attacked 
them,  were  pleased  to  called  it,  of  fun.  Some  fainted,  and 
were  trodden  under  foot,  while  others,  by  an  exertion,  almost 
supernatural,  produced  by  an  agony  of  despair,  forced  their 
way  to  the  top  of  the  mass,  and  crept  on  the  heads  of  the 
people,  until  they  reached  the  booths,  where  they  were 
received  and  treated  with  the  greatest  kindness.  We  lament 
to  state  that  many  serious  accidents  in  consequence  occurred  ; 
legs  and  arms  innumerable  were  broken,  some  lives  were  lost, 
and  the  surgeons  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital  were  occu- 
pied the  whole  of  the  night  in  administering  assistance  to  the 
unfortunate  objects  who  were  continually  brought  in  to  them. 

'  The  most  distressing  scene  that  we  observed  arose  from 
the  suffocation  of  a  child  about  a  twelvemonth  old,  in  the  arms 
of  its  mother,  who,  with  others,  had  been  involved  in  the 
crowd.  The  wretched  mother  did  not  discover  the  state  of 
her  infant  until  she  reached  Giltspur  Street,  when  she  rent 
the  air  with  her  shrieks  of  self-reproach  ;  while  her  husband, 
who  accompanied  her,  and  who  had  the  appearance  of  a 
decent  tradesman,  stood  mute  with  the  dead  body  of  his 
child  in  his  arms,  which  he  regarded  with  a  look  of  inde- 
scribable agony.  Such  are  the  heartrending  and  melancholy 
scenes  which  were  exhibited,  and  yet  this  forms  but  a  faint 
picture  of  the  enormities  and  miseries  attendant  upon  this 
disgraceful  festival.' 

Duelling  was  dying  out,  and   if  anything  would  help  its 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  79 

decline  in  public  opinion,  it  would  be  something  like  the 
following  remarks  of  Lord  Ellenborough.  They  arose  from 
an  application  to  the  Court  of  King's  Bench,  for  a  criminal 
information  against  two  persons,  for  posting  a  Merchant  at 
Lloyd's  as  a  coward  for  refusing  a  Challenge.  These  are  the 
learned  judge's  remarks  on  the  case  : — 

'  Really  it  is  high  time  to  put  a  stop  to  this  spurious  chivalry 
of  the  counting-house  and  the  counter.  The  Court  has  been 
for  these  two  days  occupied  with  cases  of  this  sort ;  yesterday 
it  was  an  angry  linendraper  of  Bristol,  who  had  been  a  little 
time  in  the  local  militia,  long  enough  to  imbibe  all  the  worst 
prejudices  of  the  army,  that  thought  proper  to  post  a  prac- 
tising surgeon  for  not  accepting  a  challenge  ;  and,  to-day,  we 
have  a  mercantile  man  in  the  same  predicament ;  instead  of 
posting  their  books,  these  tradesmen  are  posting  one  another. 
The  Court  desires  it  to  be  understood,  that  it  is  not  necessary 
for  the  party  applying  for  a  remedy  against  such  an  outrage  as 
this,  to  come  perfectly  unblemished  before  them  :  and  that  if 
it  shall  be  shown  to  be  necessary  for  public  quiet  and  justice, 
they  will  interpose  the  remedy  sought  for.  If  the  challenge 
in  this  case  had  been  sent  eo  instanti  upon  the  defendant's 
quitting  the  Coffee-house,  the  Court  would  have  contem- 
plated it  as  emanating  from  the  venial  irritation  of  the 
moment ;  but  it  appears  that  he  at  first  applied  to  the 
prosecutor  for  an  apology,  upon  the  refusal  of  which,  his 
friend,  the  other  defendant,  was  sent  upon  this  mischievous 
and  malignant  mission  to  the  prosecutor,  in  the  country ;  and 
then,  because  a  man  refuses  to  be  hunted  down  when  dining 
out  at  a  friend's  house,  and  challenged  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  he  is  to  be  posted  for  a  Coward  at  Lloyd's  Coffee- 
house the  next  morning  !  Rule  Absolute.' 

Abroad  we  were  humbling  the  power  of  Napoleon.  Ciudad 
Rodrigos  and  Badajos  had  been  captured.  Marmont  had  had 
a  crushing  defeat  at  Salamanca.  Madrid  had  been  occupied, 
and  Wellington  had  been  made  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
Spanish  Army.  The  Russian  Campaign  had  proved  more 
than  disastrous  to  Napoleon,  it  was  his  ruin.  France  could 
scarcely  get  over  her  awful  losses,  which  Buturlin  estimates 
as  follows  : — '  Slain  in  battle,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  ;  died  from  fatigue,  hunger,  and  cold,  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  thousand  ;  prisoners  (comprehending  forty- 
eight  generals,  three  thousand  officers,  and  upwards  of  one 
hundred  and  ninety  thousand  men),  one  hundred  and  ninety 


80  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

three  thousand  ;  total,  four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  and 
this  does  not  include  the  thousands  of  non-combatants  who 
perished.' 

Our  relations  with  America  had  been  strained  for  a  long 
time  ;  in  fact,  it  was  evident  at  the  end  of  1811  that  war  was 
not  only  imminent,  but  all  but  present.  The  quarrel  arose 
out  of  the  Orders  in  Council,  which  Napoleon's  decrees  of 
Berlin  and  Milan  had  brought  forth,  and  which  the  Americans 
asserted  interfered  unjustly  with  their  trade.  Of  course  both 
sides  thought  they  were  right,  and  the  Americans,  knowing 
we  had  a  big  war  on  our  hands,  probably  imagined  that  here 
was  their  opportunity.  They  provided  money,  and  began 
hostilities,  almost  even  before  declaring  war,  which  was 
formally  done  in  June.  The  following  is  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress : — 

'  An  Act  declaring  War  between  the  United  Kingdom  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  the  Dependencies  thereof,  and 
the  United  States  of  America  and  their  Territories. 

'  Be  it  enacted,  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled,  that 
War  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  declared  to  exist,  between 
the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  the 
Dependencies  thereof,  and  the  United  States  of  America  and 
their  territories  ;  and  that  the  President  of  the  United  States 
be,  and  is  hereby  authorised,  to  use  the  whole  land  and  naval 
forces  of  the  United  States,  to  carry  the  same  into  effect ; 
and  to  issue  to  the  private  armed  vessels  of  the  United  States, 
commissions,  or  letters  of  Marque  and  general  reprisal,  in 
such  form  as  he  shall  think  proper,  and  under  the  Seal  of  the 
United  States,  against  the  Vessels,  goods,  and  effects  of  the 
Government  of  the  said  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland,  and  the  Subjects  thereof. 

'Approved.  JAS.  MADDISON. 

'June  18,  18  J  2.' 

On  the  13th  of  October  England  declared  war  against 
America,  all  hopes  of  peace  having  been  abandoned.  The 
Americans,  by  every  means  in  their  power,  endeavoured  to 
seduce  our  Colonists  from  their  allegiance,  but  without 
success.  They  suffered  severely  at  the  hands  of  the  Canadians, 
and,  generally  speaking,  they  got  the  worst  of  it  on  land  ; 
but,  at  sea,  the  balance  was  in  favour  of  the  Americans,  until, 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  81 

on  the  26th  of  Dec.,  the  ports  and  harbours  of  the  rivers 
Chesapeake  and  Delaware  were  declared  to  be  blockaded. 

The  King's  health  did  not  improve,  and  all  hopes  of  his 
restoration  to  reason  were  abandoned  ;  after  the  Meeting  of 
the  Queen's  Council  on  the  29th  of  Feb.,  it  was  decided  that 
only  one  bulletin  should  be  issued  monthly — which,  certainly, 
was  very  regularly  done,  but  they  were  so  bald,  as  to  give 
little  or  no  indication  of  the  real  condition  of  the  King. 

Before  closing  the  chronicle  of  this  year,  I  will  mention 
some  miscellaneous  facts,  which  throw  light  on  the  times. 

The  wife  of  a  respectable  farmer,  near  Liverpool,  died 
under  the  following  melancholy  circumstances.  About  two 
years  previously  she  discharged  a  maidservant,  who,  in 
revenge,  spread  a  report  that  her  mistress  was  behaving  im- 
properly with  a  man  in  the  neighbourhood.  This  rumour 
came  to  her  husband's  ears,  and  he  took  it  so  much  to  heart, 
that  he  quitted  his  home,  and  did  not  return  to  it  until  a  few 
weeks  before  his  wife's  death.  She  assured  him  on  the  word 
of  a  dying  woman,  that  she  was  innocent.  He  believed  her, 
and  they  were  reconciled  a  few  days  before  her  death.  The 
maidservant,  being  threatened  with  a  prosecution  for  slander, 
confessed  her  guilt,  and  attested  the  innocence  of  her  Mistress; 
the  result  being  that  she  was  not  prosecuted,  but  was  excom- 
municated in  the  neighbouring  Churches. 

In  1802  Trevethick  and  Vivian  obtained  a  patent  for  a 
high-pressure  locomotive.  It  seems  to  have  been  very  similar 
to  this: — 'July  1.  On  Wednesday  last,  an  experiment  was 
made  with  a  machine  at  Leeds,  under  the  direction  of  Mr. 
John  Blenkinsop  the  patentee,  for  the  purpose  of  substituting 
the  agency  of  steam  for  the  use  of  horses,  in  the  conveyance 
of  Coals  on  the  iron  railway  from  the  mines  at  Middleton,  to 
Leeds.  This  machine  is,  in  fact,  a  steam  engine  of  four- 
horses  power,  which,  with  the  assistance  of  Cranks  turning  a 
Cogwheel,  and  iron  Cogs  placed  at  one  side  of  the  railway,  is 
capable  of  moving  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour.' 

In  1813,  William  Hedley,  of  Wylam  Colliery,  made  'Puff- 
ing Billy,'  which  was  the  first  locomotive  which  ran  on  smooth 
rails. 

Owing  to  the  difficulties  of  locomotion,  and  the  total  want 
of  Railroads,  there  were  very  few  watering-places  for  summer 
resort,  at  which  the  Londoner,  who  really  might  be  excused 
for  wishing  to  be  away  from  the  London  of  that  day,  could 
go  to.  Brighton,  or  Brighthelmstone,  was  then  the  abode  of 

6 


82  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

Royalty,  and  never  dreamed  of  being  as  it  is  now,  the  earthly 
paradise  of  the  parvenu  City  man,  and  the  Israelite :  Rams- 
gate,  and  all  other  southern  places  of  relaxation  were  not  in 
vogue,  or  were  only  confined  to  a  very  few  :  but  Margate ! 
that,  indeed,  was  a  place  of  earthly  pleasure !  Here  were 
very  few  restrictions  of  decorum,  and  a  contemporary  account 
may  not  be  uninteresting.  It  is  dated  Sept.  3rd  : — 

'This  sudden  change  of  weather,  from  stormy  gloom  to 
welcome  sunshine,  has  produced  a  corresponding  effect  on 
the  visitors  of  this  watering-place,  who  engage  themselves  in 
every  species  of  amusement  that  ingenuity  can  contrive,  or 
experience  has  invented.  The  streets,  which  were  deserted, 
as  being  the  mere  channel  for  the  rain,  are  now  filled  with 
sprightly  misses,  hurrying  from  library  to  library,  in  search  of 
some  favourite  Novel.  The  News  Room,  instead  of  being 
attended  only  by  dismal  politicians,  prognosticating  disasters, 
are  crowded  with  all  kinds  of  Company  :  the  politicians  quit 
their  Newspapers,  and,  rattling  the  dice  box,  anticipate  the 
certain  destruction,  not  only  of  Bonaparte,  and  his  army  in 
the  North,  but  of  his  whole  Empire  :  their  fortune  is  crossed, 
and  again  they  begin  to  doubt. 

'  The  young  females  busy  themselves  in  hunting  for  new 
Novels  ;  and  a  tender  love  tale,  or  a  sprightly  satire,  usurps  the 
place  of  horrid  mysteries,  or  dreadful  catastrophes.  The  more 
elderly  ladies  amuse  themselves  with  those  everlasting  topics, 
the  price  of  things,  the  fashions,  and  the  weather.  The  pier 
and  the  Cliffs  are  crowded  during  the  whole  day  ;  thither, 
young  and  old,  healthy  and  sickly,  rich  and  poor,  repair,  and 
all  inhale  with  rapture  the  fresh  sea  breezes,  glowing  with 
new  vigour,  strength,  and  beauty,  at  every  respiration. 

'The  gardens  at  Dandelion  were  fully  attended  yesterday, 
and  (such  is  the  wonderful  metamorphose)  at  two  o'clock 
those  sat  down  to  breakfast,  who  had  been  usually  in  the 
habit  of  dining  at  one.  The  dancing  soon  afterwards  com- 
menced, although  it  was  declared  to  be  immensely  hot,  and  did 
not  conclude,  until  a  foot  race,  in  an  adjoining  field,  called  off 
the  attention  of  the  visitors. 

'On  Tuesday,  was  given  the  third  Masquerade,  at  the 
Theatre.  The  characters  were  more  numerous  and  better 
supported  than  at  the  last,  with  the  assistance  of  the  dresses 
belonging  to  the  house.  The  principal  were  Vestals,  without 
virtue,  coquetting  with  frail  Friars.  Knights,  whose  only 
claim  to  the  title  was,  that  they  were  errant,  excepting  a 


1812]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  83 

chosen  few,  who  claimed  the  distinction  of  the  Garter; 
Yorkshiremen  with  the  dialect  of  the  Weald  of  Kent; 
Farmers,  whose  experience  was  derived  from  Mark  Lane 
letters ;  together  with  a  profusion  of  ballad  singers,  Flower 
girls,  Gipsies,  and  Servants  wanting  places.  Among  the  latter 
was  an  Irish  woman,  who,  by  the  bye,  was  a  man,  in  the 
character  of  a  Servant  of  all  work  ;  having  lost  her  own 
character,  presented  the  following  from  Father  Delany  : 

'  "  I,  Father  Delany,  aver  and  declare, 

This  is  Judy  O'Cloggin's  own  true  character. 

She  is  never  prophane,  nor  swears,  by  my  troth — 

Except,  now  and  then,  when  she  raps  out  an  oath  ; 

She  is  sober,  indeed, — except  when  she's  frisky, 

With  tasting  her  own  Mother's  Milk — Irish  Whiskey  ; 

She's  as  honest  as  any,  with  two  legs  to  stand  on — 

She  leaves  nothing  alone  that  she  once  lays  her  hand  on  : 

She's  Cook,  Housemaid,  and  Scullion  or  I  am  a  dunce, 

For  sure,  in  my  house,  she  was  all  these  at  once  : 

Besides  Lady's  Maid,  so  nate  and  so  clane,  aye, 

To  my  beautiful  wife,  sweet  Mrs.  Delany  : 

Our  mansion  she  scour'd  with  a  new  birchen  broom, 

Compos'd  of  a  pig-stye,  besides  a  large  room." 

'The  Assembly  at  the  Rooms  is  fixed  for  to-night,  and 
to-morrow  is  to  be  given,  at  the  same  place,  a  grand  Masqued 
Ball.' 

The  gentleman  mentioned  in  the  following  advertisement 
in  The  Kentish  Gazette,  Sept.  llth,  must  have  been  a  pleasant 
and  kindly  country  neighbour.  '  GAME  AND  RABBITS. — A 
general  invitation  to  qualified  Gentlemen. — Manor  of  Dennie, 
alias  Dane,  in  the  parishes  of  Chilham  and  Molash.  The 
interest  of  agriculture  on  this  manor,  and  the  surrounding 
country,  being  much  injured  by  the  great  numbers  of  hares, 
pheasants,  and  rabbits,  the  proprietor  feels  the  necessity  of 
giving  this  GENERAL  INVITATION  to  Qualified  Gentlemen,  to 
sport  at  their  pleasure.  The  manor-house  is  in  the  parish  of 
Chilham,  very  near  to  a  place  called  Shottenton  Thorn,  and 
John  Packman  (a  servant)  who  resides  there,  has  orders  to 
accommodate  gentlemen,  as  well  as  he  can,  with  stabling  for 
their  horses,  and  with  any  refreshment  for  themselves,  that 
his  homely  mode  of  living  can  offer.  The  house  is  large, 
and  a  limited  number  of  gentlemen,  by  sending  their  own 
bedding,  may  be  accommodated  with  house  room  in  this  and 
future  shooting  seasons '  !  ! 

6—2 


84  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1812 

Here  is  a  paragraph  which  shows  how  the  horrid  traffic  in 
dead  bodies  was  on  the  increase.  A  more  perfect  knowledge 
of  anatomy  was  necessary  to  medical  practitioners,  for 
medical  and  surgical  science  was  rapidly  advancing,  and 
there  was  not  the  facility  now  afforded  by  having  the  bodies 
of  unclaimed  paupers,  legally  placed  at  their  disposal.  The 
only  subjects  which  might,  properly,  be  operated  upon,  were 
those  of  Criminals  who  had  been  hanged,  and  although,  in 
those  days,  these  were  far  more  numerous  than  nowadays, 
they  fell  far  short  of  the  requirements.  So  recourse  was  had 
to  '  body  snatching/  or  the  removal  of  bodies  very  recently 
buried — which  were  sold  to  Surgeons,  'and  no  questions 
asked.'  It  was  so  lucrative  that,  at  last,  the  wretches  who 
pursued  this  traffic  would  not  take  the  trouble,  nor  encounter 
the  risk  of  exhuming  the  bodies,  but  they  deliberately  suffo- 
cated living  people,  a  practice  which  actually  introduced  a 
new  word  into  the  English  language,  '  Burking/  from  one 
Burke,  who  was  executed  at  Edinburgh,  in  1829,  for  this 
crime.  Others  followed  in  his  steps,  notably  one  villain 
named  Bishop,  who  was  hanged  in  1831. 

'  The  Resurrection  Men,  of  London,  like  other  combinations 
of  Workmen,  struck,  it  seems,  the  other  day,  and  refused  to 
supply  the  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  Schools  of  Surgery  with 
dead  bodies,  under  an  advance  of  two  guineas  per  subject/ 

A  very  good  thing  was  done  this  year.  Hitherto  parish 
registers  had  been  kept  very  much  at  the  sweet  will  of  the 
clergyman,  or  of  his  clerk,  and  there  was  so  much  want  of 
uniformity  in  these  very  valuable  books  that  every  Church 
and  Chapelry  throughout  England  was  furnished  with  one — 
before  the  1st  of  January,  1813,  thus  ensuring  the  similarity 
we  now  enjoy.  There  were  36,000  copies  printed,  and  the 
paper  employed,  amounted  to  over  3,000  Reams. 

The  Smithfield  Club  Cattle  Show  was  a  very  small  affair  to 
that  we  are  accustomed  to  see  at  the  Agricultural  Hall  at 
Islington.  In  1812,  the  money  value  of  the  prizes  competed 
for  was  only  210  Guineas,  and  the  Show  was  held  at 
Mr.  Sadler's  Yard,  Goswell  Street. 

During  this  year,  as  last,  we  gave  practical  proof  of  our 
kindness  towards  our  Allies,  by  Subscriptions  being  opened 
for  '  British  Assistance  to  the  Spanish  Nation/  and  for  '  The 
Relief  of  poor  Suffering  Inhabitants  of  the  Different  Govern- 
ments of  Russia.' 


CHAPTER  IX. 

1813. 

High  price  of  provisions — Luddites — Smuggling — Day  of  Humilia- 
tion— 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— F£te 
at  Yauxhall — 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,  Napo- 
leon 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  im- 
portation 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 


86  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

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  val  ue,  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  l6th 
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  some- 
thing 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  1 80  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  mater. 

On  the  1st  of  February  a  proclamation  was  issued  from 
Carl  ton  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, 


1813]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  87 

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. 

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  '  ZEMLANO- 


88  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

WHIN,  the  Brave  Russian  Cossack,  as  he  appeared  at  the  Royal 
Exchange,  on  Wednesday,  April  14,  1813.' 

In  the  evening  he  was  taken  to  Freemasons'  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  Panhar- 
monicon.  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  ex- 
pression 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. 

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  Novem- 
ber 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 


ZEMLANOWHIN,   THE  BRAVE   RUSSIAN   COSSACK,   AS   HE  APPEARED  AT  THE   ROYAL 
EXCHANGE  ON   WEDNESDAY,  APRIL   14,    1813. 

(Drawn  and  etched  by  Heath.) 


90  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

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  Athence,  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  resem- 
blance 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*  Coffin  was  whole  and  entire  ;  but  that  of 
*  Seymour. 


A  TIT-BIT  FOR  A  COSSACK  ;  OR,  THE  PLATOFF  PRIZE  FOR  THE 

HEAD  OF  BUONAPARTE. 
(Etched  by   Wm.  E J,  Published  January  4,   1813,  by    Thos.   Tegg.) 


92  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

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/ 

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,  im- 
mediately 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  care- 
fully 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  disen- 
gaged 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  execu- 
tioner, 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  con- 
firmed 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 


1813]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  93 

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  dis- 
criminate the  personage  in  it.'* 

*  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  OP 
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  vertebrge  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  vertebras  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  Newpaper  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..  Hi*  Royal  Highness- 
the  Prince  of  Wales  two  years  ago." ' 


94  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

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  accompany- 
ing '  Meditations  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,  'twill  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 ! ! !' 

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  en- 
deavouring 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  over- 
powered 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 


96  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

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, 
4-9  guns,  1 8  and  32  pounders,  and  a  crew  of  400  men.  Capt. 
Broke,  commanding  H.M.  frigate  Shamion,  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  accommoda- 
tion 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 


1813] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


97 


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 


SHANNON  V.   CHESAPEAKE. 
(Published  September  I,  1813,  for  the  proprietor  of  '  Town  Talk.'} 

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. 

George  Cruikshank  gives  us  his  idea  of  the  naval  engage- 
ment in  a  long  etching  (which  I  have  divided  into  two) 
published  in  <  Town  Talk,'  of  the  1st  of  September,  1813.  It 

7 


98  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

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.' 

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  illumina- 
tions 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  fete  at 
Vauxhall,  in  honour  of  the  same  event,  which  commenced 
with  a  dinner  at  5  p.m.,  the  Duke  of  York  presiding,  ac- 
companied 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 


7—2 


100  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

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  fete,  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  Huntingdon  (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 ;  there- 
fore 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 


1813]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  101 

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  conse- 
quence 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  pro- 
portion. There  were  several  caricatures  of  this  auction,  but 
they  afford  neither  profit  nor  amusement  to  the  modern  reader. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Emperor  of  Russia  invested  with  the  Garter — The  Poet  Laureate- 
French  Prisoners  of  War — Joy  over  Napoleon's  defeat  at  Leipsic 
— '  Orange  boven ' — The  Allies  and  the  war  with  France — The 
War  with  America — The  Princess  Charlotte  and  her  establishment 
— The  Prince  of  Orange  her  suitor — The  King's  Health. 

RUSSIA  was  an  Ally  against  Napoleon,  worth  courting,  and, 
consequently,  the  Emperor  was  made  a  Knight  of  the  Garter. 
The  Mission  that  was  sent  out  to  invest  him  was  splendidly 
appointed.  The  King  of  Arms  had  a  new  tabard,  robes,  &c., 
and  he,  and  all  his  suite,  had  new  carriages  especially  built  for 
the  occasion.  They  took  out  with  them  the  Statute  passed 
at  the  last  Chapter,  authorizing  the  election  of  the  Emperor 
as  a  member  of  the  Order,  with  the  Great  Seal  of  England  in 
a  gold  box  and  blue  velvet  case ;  and  also  the  proceedings  of 
the  Election,  similarly  garnished.  They  took  out  a  complete 
set  of  habiliments,  decorations,  and  ornaments,  necessary  for 
his  investiture,  and,  as  my  readers  may  not  know  what  was 
then  necessary  for  turning  out  a  respectable  and  regulation 
Knight  of  the  Garter,  I  transcribe  them. 

Shoes  of  white  kid,  ornamented  with  silver  lace  and  roses. 

Stockings  and  pantaloons  of  white  silk,  manufactured  for 
the  purpose,  in  one. 

The  Jacket,  or  Doublet,  and  trunk,  of  rich  white  silver 
tissue,  ornamented  with  silver  lace,  in  imitation  of  point  lace. 

A  sword  with  gold  hilt,  the  belt  and  scabbard  covered  with 
rich  crimson  velvet. 

A  surcoat  of  rich  Crimson  Velvet. 

A  large  silver  lace  rosette  for  the  right  knee. 

The  Installation  Garter,  richly  embroidered,  for  the  left  knee. 

A  superb  mantle  of  Garter  blue  Velvet,  lined  with  white 
lustring :  the  badge  of  the  Order  richly  embroidered.  The 


1813]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  103 

mantle  is  fastened  on  the  neck  with  blue  and  gold  rope,  with 
two  long  rich  tassels. 

A  hood  of  Crimson  Velvet,  which  is  worn  on  the  right 
shoulder. 

The  gloves,  white  kid,  trimmed  with  very  broad  silver  lace. 

A  Spanish  hat  of  black  velvet,  with  a  beautiful  large  plume 
of  Ostrich  and  Heron's  feathers. 

The  splendid  Gold  Collar  of  the  Order,  with  the  medal  of 
St.  George,  to  hang  on  the  breast,  with  large  bunches  of  broad 
white  ribbons  and  rosettes. 

Two  Stars  of  the  Order  richly  embroidered. 

Flowing  ringlets  of  hair,  with  a  bunch  of  white  ribbons  to 
tie  them. 

This  latter  item  shows  how  minutely  the  Emperor's  outfit 
was  provided.  It  was  an  age  of  wigs — and  the  Emperor's 
close,  military  cut  hair,  was  not  en  regie. 

Another  event,  which  people  talked  about,  at  the  time,  was 
the  death,  on  the  llth  of  August,  of  Henry  James  Pye,  Poet 
Laureate,  aged  69.  He  was  the  son  of  a  Country  gentleman, 
and  was  educated  at  Magdalen  College,  Oxon.  After  his 
father's  death  he  lived  at  Faringdon,  was  made  J.P.,  held  a 
Commission  in  the  Militia,  and,  in  1784,  was  elected  M.P.  for 
his  County.  His  circumstances  becoming  involved,  he  had  to 
sell  his  paternal  estate.  In  1790  he  was  made  Poet  Laureate, 
and,  in  1792,  was  appointed  one  of  the  Magistrates  for  West- 
minster. He  was  not  very  remarkable  as  a  poet,  and,  probably, 
his  best  read  poems  were  '  Faringdon  Hill/  and  '  The  Progress 
of  Refinement.' 

There  were  several  candidates  for  the  honour  of  being  his 
successor,  including  Sir  Walter  Scott.  There  is  a  little 
epigram  concerning  two  of  them,  worth  repeating — 

(  Croker  and  Wharton  are  roasted  so  dry 

By  every  impartial  Review, 

That,  combined,  they  would  make  but  a  bad  kind  of  stew, 
But,  certaiDly,  never  a — Pye.' 

The  choice  eventually  fell  on  Robert  Southey  (Nov.  29,  1813). 
During  the  year  we  hear  occasionally  of  the  French  Prisoners. 
On  the  14th  of  April,  two  of  them,  on  board  the  Samson, 
prison  ship,  of  which  we  have  heard  before,  in  connection 
with  a  traitor  being  tattooed,  fought  a  duel,  and  one  was 
killed.  Having  no  swords,  they  used  two  sticks,  on  the  end 
of  each  of  which  was  fastened  a  pair  of  scissors.  The  duel 


104  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

was  meant  to  be  a  I 'entrance,  for  one  received  a  mortal  wound 
in  the  stomach,  from  which  his  bowels  protruded,  yet  he  still 
fought  on  as  long  as  he  could.  The  prisoners,  at  last,  applied 
to  the  ship's  surgeon,  who  sewed  up  the  wound,  but  the  man 
died  very  shortly  afterwards. 

There  must  have  been  a  bad  lot  on  board  that  ship  Samson, 
for  we  read  : — 

'July  19.  A  most  diabolical  conspiracy  has  been  charged 
to  have  been  formed  on  board  the  Samson  prison  ship,  at 
Gillingham  Reach,  by  three  French  prisoners,  to  murder  the 
master's  mate,  and  the  sergeant  of  marines,  belonging  to  the 
ship,  together  with  several  of  their  own  countrymen.  The 
murders  were  to  have  been  perpetrated  on  each  victim  singly, 
as  opportunities  presented :  when  the  escape  of  the  murderer, 
by  mixing  instantly  with  the  great  body  of  the  prisoners,  was 
to  be  facilitated  by  the  other  conspirators,  and  lots  were 
drawn  who  should  commit  the  first  murder. 

'  The  first  lot  fell  to  Charles  Mansereaux ;  but  this  man, 
being  troubled  by  some  compunctious  visiting  of  conscience, 
on  reflecting  that  the  sergeant  was  a  married  man,  with  a 
family,  who  would  be  left  destitute  by  his  death,  determined 
to  despatch  one  of  the  private  marines  in  his  stead.  On 
Tuesday  se'n-night,  when  this  wretch  was  watching  for  an 
opportunity  to  effect  this  purpose,  Thomas  King,  a  private 
marine,  came  on  the  forecastle,  when  Mansereaux  stepped 
behind  him,  and  plunged  a  knife  into  his  back,  which  passed 
through  the  kidneys,  and  inflicted  a  dreadful  wound,  of  which 
the  poor  fellow  lingered  till  Saturday  morning,  when  he 
expired.  Mansereaux  was  observed  by  a  fellow  prisoner,  who 
instantly  knocked  him  down,  and  secured  him,  or  he  would, 
probably,  have  escaped  without  being  detected.  Mansereaux 
on  being  confined,  made  a  discovery  of  the  whole  plan,  and 
named  his  associates,  both  of  whom  were  standing  by  at  the 
time  of  the  murder.'  The  three  prisoners  were  at  once 
secured,  but  I  fail  to  trace  their  fate. 

On  the  22nd  of  September,  three  French  prisoners  escaped, 
and  murdered  a  boatman,  and  the  story  is  thus  told  in  the 
Hants  Courier : — 

'  Three  French  prisoners,  Fra^ois  Relif,  Jean  Marie  Dantz, 
and  Daniel  Du  Verge,  having  effected  their  escape  from 
Forton  depot,  engaged  the  wherry  of  the  above-named 
George  Brothers,  to  take  them  to  Ryde.  When  off  the 
Block-house,  (according  to  their  own  assertions),  they  proposed 


1813]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  105 

to  the  boatman  to  take  them  to  France,  promising  ample 
reward,  and  liberty  to  return  immediately ;  but  he,  not  to  be 
corrupted  by  promises  or  reward,  resisted  their  proposition, 
and,  in  consequence,  they  stabbed  him  in  sixteen  places, 
(three  of  which  were  mortal.)  and  threw  him  overboard. 

'  The  Frenchmen  immediately  directed  their  course  to  sea, 
and  were  promptly  pursued  by  several  wherries,  in  one  of 
which  were  Lieut.  Sullock,  and  three  seamen  of  the  Centaur, 
at  anchor  at  Spithead.  In  consequence  of  a  heavy  swell,  and 
bad  management,  the  Frenchmen  were  overtaken,  after  a  run 
of  about  15  miles;  one  of  the  men  belonging  to  the  Centaur 
leaped  into  the  wherry  among  the  Frenchmen  alone,  armed 
with  nothing  but  the  stretcher,  with  which  he  knocked  one 
of  them  down  :  they  then  surrendered. 

'  They  were  taken  on  board  the  Centaur  for  the  night,  and, 
on  being  searched,  a  large  sum  of  money  was  found  about 
them  in  silver,  and  three  knives ;  one  of  them  was  very 
bloody ;  and  on  Thursday  morning  they  were  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  the  civil  power,  and  landed  at  the  sally-port. 
They  were  taken  to  the  Borough  Gaol,  when  they  were  again 
examined.  They  confessed  that  Brothers  was  killed  by  two 
of  them,  but  that  the  third  was  no  further  concerned  than  in 
lending  his  knife  to  the  other,  when  the  waterman  resisted 
them.  More  money  was  here  taken  from  them,  one  having, 
actually,  concealed  in  his  pantaloons  under  his  boots  (sic) 
thirty-three  5s.  6d.  pieces.  It  appears  that,  by  the  manu- 
facture of  lace,  toys,  &c.,  the  prisoners  accumulated  a  suffi- 
cient sum  of  money  to  procure  a  suit  of  genteel  clothes  each, 
(besides  the  sums  taken  from  their  persons),  dressed  in  which 
they  mingled  with  the  crowd  of  visitors  that  were  walking  in 
the  depot,  eluding  by  their  metamorphosed  appearance  the 
vigilance  of  the  turnkeys  and  military  sentinels/  What 
ultimately  became  of  them  I  cannot  find  out,  but,  doubtless, 
two  were  hanged. 

The  period  of  Captivity  for  these  Prisoners  of  War  was 
drawing  to  a  close,  for  Napoleon's  power  was  waning  fast,  and 
the  reverses  which  he  experienced  at  the  hands  of  the  Allies 
at  Leipsic  on  October  l6th,  17th,  18th,  19th  may  be  con- 
sidered as  having  determined  his  final  overthrow.  The  News 
was  told  in  England  in  a  London  Gazette  extraordinary,  of 
November  3rd,  and,  on  the  5th  and  6th,  London  was 
brilliantly  illuminated. 

'Everywhere,  except  opposite  Somerset  House,  there  was 


106 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


[1813 


the  most  perfect  decorum  and  order,  the  crowds,  both  on  foot, 
and  in  carriages,  passed  along  without  the  slightest  annoy- 
ance ;  but,  in  the  Strand,  the  old  disgraceful  nuisance  of 
scattering  dirt  and  crackers,  and  throwing  every  species  of 
combustible  at  females,  and  into  carriages,  was  practised  the 
whole  evening.' 

Looking  at  the  list  of  Illuminations,  they  were  not  very 
grand,  when  judged  by  our  standard ;  but  there  was  one 
transparency  shown  at  Ackermann's  Repository  of  Arts, 
which,  although  very  grisly  and  grim  in  its  conception,  was  of 
decidedly  artistic  merit.  It  was  called  'The  Two  Kings  of 
Terror/  and  I  have  here  reproduced  a  portion  of  it.  The 


PART  OF  TRANSPARENCY  AT  ACKERMANN  S. 

(November  5-6,  1813,  in  honour  of  the  victories  of  the  Allies  at  Leipsig, 

whole  composition  is  thus  contemporaneously  described  :  '  A 
design  representing  Buonaparte  sitting  upon  a  drum,  in  a 
field  of  battle,  his  hands  under  his  chin,  his  elbows  on  his 
knees ;  opposite  is  seated  Death  upon  a  dismounted  cannon, 
in  the  same  position,  his  elbows  upon  his  knees,  "  staring  the 
tyrant  in  the  face  ;"  his  right  foot  has  crushed  the  insolent 
French  trophy,  the  ci  devant  invincible  French  eagle,  his  left 
rests  upon  a  cannon  ball.  In  the  background  is  seen  the 
French  legions,  filled  with  dismay,  flying  before  the  conquer- 
ing Germans,  Russians,  Prussians,  and  Swedes.  The  whole 
was  surmounted  by  an  emblematic  Circle,  indicative  of  Union 


1813]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  107 

and  Strength,   which  was  lighted   by  gas,  and    of  dazzling 
brightness. ' 

In  October  Bavaria  joined  the  Allies.  In  November  a 
revolution  took  place  in  Holland ;  the  people  of  Amsterdam 
rose  in  a  body,  and  hoisted  the  Orange  Colours,  and,  with  the 
ancient  cry  of  c  ORANGE  BOVEN  '  (Orange  in  the  ascendant,  or 
victorious)  proclaimed  the  sovereignty  of  that  house.  The 
example  of  the  Capital  was  followed  by  the  other  principal 
towns  of  Holland  ;  which  the  French  troops  were  compelled 
to  evacuate. 

The  Prince  of  Orange  was  in  England,  the  sure  asylum  of 
unfortunate  Royalty,  and  on  the  21st  of  November  a  deputa- 
tion came  to  London  from  Holland,  inviting  him  to  return. 
On  the  28th  he  embarked  at  Deal  for  Holland,  on  board  the 
Warrior,  of  74  guns,  and  landed  at  Scheveningen  on  the  30th. 
The  Dutch,  having  thrown  off  the  French  yoke,  were  no 
longer  our  enemies,  so  that  we  had  no  further  reason  for 
keeping  any  of  that  Nation  as  Prisoners  of  War,  and  they, 
amounting  to  10,000  in  number,  were  ordered  to  be  sent  back 
to  their  own  country,  to  assist  in  liberating  it  from  the 
domination  of  France.  On  the  2nd  of  December  the  Prince 
of  Orange  made  his  solemn  entry  into  Amsterdam,  when  he 
declared  his  acceptance  of  the  sovereignty,  and  the  title  of 
Sovereign  Prince  of  the  United  Netherlands. 

The  entente  cordiale,  which  thus,  of  necessity,  sprung  up 
between  the  English  and  Dutch,  among  other  things 
produced  the  illustration  overleaf,  wherein  is  shown  an 
English  and  a  Dutch  Sailor  fraternizing.  Above  them,  is  a 
label  '  Fendracht  maakt  Magt/  (Concord  makes  Power),  and 
'  The  Sea  is  Open,  Trade  revives/ 

On  the  1st  of  December  the  Allied  Sovereigns  issued  a 
declaration  at  Frankfort,  in  which  they  affirmed  that  they 
did  not  make  war  upon  France,  but  against  the  preponderance 
exercised  by  the  Emperor  Napoleon  beyond  the  limits  of  his 
empire  ;  that  the  first  use  they  made  of  victory  was  to  offer 
him  peace  upon  conditions  founded  on  the  independence  of 
the  French  Empire,  as  well  as  on  that  of  the  other  States  of 
Europe ;  that  they  desired  that  France  might  be  great, 
powerful,  and  happy,  and  that  they  confirmed  to  the  French 
Empire  an  extent  of  territory  which  France,  under  her  kings, 
never  knew  ;  that,  wishing,  also,  to  be  free,  tranquil,  and 
happy  themselves,  they  desired  a  state  of  peace,  which,  by  a 
just  equilibrium  of  strength  might  preserve  their  people  from 


'THE  SEA  IS  OPEN,   TRADE   REVIVES.' 
(Published  December  13,   1813,  Ackermann.) 


1813]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  109 

the  calamities  which  had  overwhelmed  Europe,  for  the  last 
twenty  years ;  and  that  they  would  not  lay  down  their  arms 
until  they  had  obtained  this  beneficial  result.  But,  either 
this  declaration  was  only  meant  as  a  political  display,  or  else 
they  entirely  misjudged  Napoleon's  character,  when  they 
imagined  they  could  put  bounds  to  his  ambition,  and  dictate 
terms  to  him  who  had  had  all  Europe  at  his  feet — so  nothing 
came  of  it. 

The  American  War  still  went  on.  Madison  was  again 
elected  President.  At  the  commencement  of  the  year  the 
Americans  attacked  Canada  direct.  General  Winchester 
attacked  and  took  Detroit,  but  the  English,  under  Colonel 
Proctor,  with  500  regulars  and  militia,  and  about  600  Indians, 
advanced  against  him,  the  result  being,  that  half  his  men 
surrendered  at  discretion,  and  the  other  half  were  nearly  all 
cut  to  pieces  by  the  Indians. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Americans  captured  and  held 
possession  of  York,  the  Capital  of  Upper  Canada,  seated  on 
Lake  Ontario.  Henceforth,  the  war  was  principally  confined 
this  year  to  the  Lakes,  with  varying  fortunes,  until  we  hear 
from  Sir  G.  Provost,  on  the  12th  of  December,  that  both 
provinces  of  Canada  were  freed  from  the  invaders,  who  re- 
tired to  winter  quarters.  This  war  was,  occasionally,  con- 
ducted on  curious  principles,  as  the  following  will  show.  It 
is  taken  from  the  general  orders  issued  by  the  Commander 
of  the  British  Forces  at  Montreal,  dated  October  27th.  The 
facts  stated  are,  that  23  Soldiers  of  the  United  States  Infantry, 
being  made  prisoners,  were  sent  to  England,  and  kept  in 
close  confinement,  as  British  subjects  ;  that  General  Dearborn 
had  been  instructed  to  put  into  similar  confinement  23  British 
soldiers  as  hostages  for  the  safety  of  the  former ;  that  the 
Prince  Regent  had  given  directions  to  put  in  close  confine- 
ment 46  American  Officers,  and  non-commissioned  Officers  to 
answer  for  the  safety  of  the  last  23  soldiers ;  and,  also,  to 
apprize  General  Dearborn,  that  if  any  of  them  should  suffer 
death  in  consequence  of  executing  the  law  of  Nations  upon 
the  first  23  confined  as  British  subjects,  double  the  number  of 
the  confined  American  Officers  should  immediately  be  selected 
for  retaliation ;  and,  moreover,  that  the  commanders  of  his 
Majesty's  armies  and  fleets  had  received  orders  to  prosecute 
the  war  with  unmitigated  severity  against  all  the  cities,  towns, 
and  villages  of  the  United  States,  in  case  their  Government 
should  persist  in  their  intention  of  retaliation. 


110  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

The  Princess  Charlotte  was,  naturally,  a  prominent  subject 
for  conversation  among  all  ranks,  for  she  was  the  only  child 
of  the  Regent,  and,  as  such,  heir-presumptive  to  the  throne. 
She  began,  too,  to  make  herself  talked  about  a  little.  She 
was  now  in  her  seventeenth  year,  on  the  completion  of  which 
she  would  become  of  age,  and  she  began  to  kick  over  the 
traces  somewhat,  and  to  show  that  she  had  a  will  of  her  own. 
Her  childhood  had  not  been  a  happy  one,  and  she  had  served 
as  a  shuttlecock  with  which  papa  and  mamma  had  played 
many  a  game.  She  had  a  mother  whom  she  seldom  saw, 
and  a  father  whose  habits  were  the  reverse  of  domestic ;  she 
knew,  perfectly  well,  what  her  future  prospects  were,  and 
occasionally  she  showed  a  little  temper  and  wilfulness. 

In  January,  1813,  her  governess,  Lady  de  Clifford  resigned 
her  office,  and  Miss  immediately  wrote  a  letter,  through  the 
Queen,  to  her  papa,  saying  that  now  she  was  old  enough  to 
do  without  a  governess,  and  desiring  that  whoever  should  be 
appointed  to  be  about  her  person,  in  the  place  of  Lady  de 
Clifford,  should  occupy  the  position  of  a  lady  of  the  bed- 
chamber, and  not  that  of  gouvernante.  The  Queen,  the  Prince 
Regent,  and  the  Lord  Chancellor  took  sweet  counsel  together 
on  the  subject,  and  their  unanimous  opinion  was  that 
Mademoiselle  must  still  continue  in  statu  pupillari,  at  all 
events  until  she  came  of  age.  The  young  lady  was  rebellious, 
but  the  higher  authorities  were  too  strong  for  her,  and,  with 
many  sighs,  she  had  to  give  in,  and  accept  the  inevitable  in 
the  shape  of  the  Duchess  of  Leeds  as  governess. 

In  January,  too,  her  mother,  the  Princess  Caroline,  wrote  a 
very  long  letter  to  the  Prince  Regent,  in  which  she  animad- 
verted very  strongly  on  the  manner  in  which  her  daughter 
was  being  brought  up,  especially  in  her  being  debarred  from 
all  social  intercourse  with  young  ladies  of  her  own  age.  The 
history  of  this  letter  is  interesting,  as  showing  the  relations 
existing  between  this  unhappy  husband  and  wife.  The  story 
is  thus  told  : — * 

'  It  is  curious  to  trace  the  manner  in  which  this  cele- 
brated letter  at  last  reached  the  hands  for  which  it  was 
destined. 

'  It  was  transmitted,  on  the  14th  of  January,  to  Lord 
Liverpool,  and  Lord  Eldon,  sealed,  by  Lady  Charlotte 

*  '  Memoirs  of  her  late  Royal  Highness,  Charlotte  Augusta 
Princess  of  Wales,'  &c.,  by  Robert  Huish,  Esq.,  London,  1818,  p.  68. 


1813]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  111 

Campbell,  the  lady  in  waiting  for  the  Month,  expressing  her 
Royal  Highness' s  pleasure  that  it  should  be  presented  to  the 
Prince  Regent,  and  there  was  an  open  Copy  for  their  perusal. 

'On  the  15th,  the  Earl  of  Liverpool  presented  his  Com- 
pliments to  Lady  Charlotte  Campbell,  and  returned  the  letter 
unopened. 

'  On  the  1 6th,  it  was  returned  by  Lady  Charlotte,  inti- 
mating, that,  as  it  contained  matters  of  importance  to  the 
State,  she  relied  on  their  laying  it  before  his  Royal  Highness. 
It  was  again  returned  unopened,  with  the  Earl  of  Liverpool's 
compliments  to  Lady  Charlotte,  saying  that  the  Prince  saw 
no  reason  to  depart  from  his  determination. 

1  On  the  17th,  it  was  returned  in  the  same  way  by  com- 
mand of  her  Royal  Highness,  expressing  her  confidence,  that 
the  two  noble  lords  would  not  take  upon  themselves  the 
responsibility  of  not  communicating  the  letter  to  his  Royal 
Highness,  and  that  she  should  not  be  the  only  subject  in  the 
empire,  whose  petition  was  not  permitted  to  reach  the  throne. 
To  this,  an  answer  was  given,  that  the  contents  of  it  had 
been  made  known  to  the  Prince. 

1  On  the  19th,  her  Royal  Highness  directed  a  letter  to  be 
addressed  to  the  two  noble  Lords,  desiring  to  know  whether 
it  had  been  made  known  to  his  Royal  Highness,  by  being 
read  to  him,  and  to  know  his  pleasure  thereon. 

'No  answer  was  given  to  this  letter;  and,  therefore,  on 
the  26th,  she  directed  a  letter  to  be  written,  expressing  her 
surprise  that  no  answer  had  been  given  to  her  application  for 
a  whole  week. 

'  To  this  an  answer  was  received,  addressed  to  the  Princess ; 
stating  that  in  consequence  of  her  Royal  Highness' s  demand, 
the  letter  had  been  read  to  the  Prince  Regent  on  the  20th, 
but  that  he  had  not  been  pleased  to  express  his  pleasure 
thereon. 

'  Here  the  correspondence  closed  ;  and  no  ulterior  benefit 
accrued  from  it  to  the  afflicted  mother,  nor  to  the  daughter.' 

The  Princess  Charlotte,  however,  did  see  more  of  Society, 
for  she  went  to  the  Splendid  Fete  given  by  her  father,  at 
Carlton  House,  on  the  5th  of  February,  in  honour  of  her 
Majesty's  birthday,  and  at  the  ball  which  followed  she  danced 
with  her  uncle,  the  Duke  of  Clarence,  afterwards  William  IV. 
Then  she  went  to  the  Opera  with  the  Duchess  of  York,  and 
she  also  kept  her  birthday  with  great  festivities,  but  she  was 


112  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

not  presented  at  Court,  as  she  was  resolute  in  being  presented 
by  no  one  except  her  mother. 

In  February,  Warwick  House  was  allotted  to  her,  as  a 
residence,  and  all  her  baggage,  saddle  horses,  &c.,  were 
removed  thither.  Here,  however,  her  mother  was  forbidden 
to  visit  her,  and  the  chronicles  of  the  times  dilate  strongly  on 
an  accidental  meeting  of  the  mother  and  daughter  in  Hyde 
Park,  where  they  drew  their  respective  carriages  close  to- 
gether, and  embraced  each  other  through  the  windows,  con- 
versing together  for  some  ten  minutes. 

When  her  maternal  grandmother,  the  Duchess  of  Bruns- 
wick died,  her  father  hinted  to  her  the  propriety  of  a  visit  to 
her  mother,  leaving  it  to  her  whether  it  should  be  before  or 
after  the  funeral.  Needless  to  say,  but  very  few  hours  elapsed 
before  she,  accompanied  by  the  Duchess  of  Leeds,  and  Miss 
Knight,  were  at  Blackheath,  where  the  Princess  of  Wales 
then  lived. 

She  was  now  a  young  woman,  and  would  be  of  age  early 
next  year,  so  it  was  time  to  look  about  for  a  husband  for  her ; 
and  the  person  pitched  upon  was  none  other  than  the  Prince 
of  Orange,  whom  we  have  lately  seen  as  going  back  to 
Amsterdam,  to  enjoy  his  own  again.  At  this  time  he  was 
serving  in  Spain  as  aide-de-camp  to  Lord  Wellington ;  but  it 
was  represented  to  him  that  there  were  other  things  for  him 
to  do,  and  he  quitted  the  seat  of  war,  and  came  over  to 
England,  possibly  rejoicing  in  the  anticipation  of  the  good 
things  coming  to  him  ;  and  on  the  14th  of  December,  he  was 
formally  introduced  at  Warwick  House,  by  the  Prince  Regent, 
to  the  Princess  Charlotte,  whom  he  was  expected  to  woo  and 
win.  His  suit  and  its  success  belong  to  1814,  and  will  be 
told  in  its  place. 

Of  the  condition  of  the  poor  old  King,  this  year,  we  hear 
very  little ;  the  monthly  bulletins  were  certainly  issued,  but 
they  were  of  the  most  meagre  description.  Madame  d' Arblay, 
even,  although  she  was  over  here,  and  had  the  best  of  oppor- 
tunities for  hearing  about  him,  only  mentions  him  once,  in 
her  letters  to  her  father,  in  May  : — 

'  The  beloved  King  is  in  the  best  state  possible  for  his 
present  melancholy  situation  :  that  is,  wholly  free  from  bodily 
suffering,  or  imaginary  mental  misery,  for  he  is  persuaded 
that  he  is  always  conversing  with  Angels.'* 

*  '  Memoirs,  vol.  vii.  p.  6. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A  Cat  in  a  Conflagration — Scramble  for  Exchequer  Bills — A  Matri- 
monial Dispute — An  old  Debtor — A  Volunteer  Dinner — A  Man 
and  Hedgehog — Torpedoes — Slavery — Gambling  on  Napoleon's 
Life — Gas  Lighting. 

AND  now  to  wind  up  the  year  with  a  little  de  omnibus  rebus, 
which  would  not  fall  into  any  particular  place,  yet  are  worth 
keeping,  as  indicative  of  the  times  of  which  I  write :  they 
have  no  connection  with  each  other,  so  are  taken  in  chronolo- 
gical order. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  a  fire  broke  out  at  the  '  Commercial 
Hall/  Skinner  Street,  Newgate  Street,  the  Hall  which,  valued 
at  .£25,000,  was  the  capital  prize  in  the  City  Lottery.  It  was 
a  bad  fire,  and  two  firemen  were  injured,  but  no  lives  lost. 
When  at  its  fiercest,  a  Cat  was  seen  on  a  part  of  the  buildings 
which  would  soon  inevitably  be  in  flames.  There  was  no 
human  being  to  be  burnt,  so  the  sympathy  of  the  crowd  went 
out  towards  Pussy.  There  was  no  way  of  escape  for  her, 
except  by  an  alarming  leap,  for  the  walls  had  crumbled  and 
fallen  in,  and  this  leap  Pussy  could  not  make  up  her  mind  to 
take.  The  flames  were  encroaching,  and  gathering  round  her, 
and  the  mental  tension  of  the  Crowd  was  getting  tighter  and 
tighter  every  minute,  when  a  gentleman  enthusiastically 
offered  £5  to  anyone  who  would  rescue  the  Cat.  A  fireman 
was  induced  to  make  the  attempt,  and  with  great  difficulty 
got  behind  the  Cat,  and  forced  her  to  take  the  leap,  from  the 
fifth  storey,  when  she  fell  into  the  midst  of  the  spectators 
unhurt !  The  fireman  immediately  received  his  promised 
reward. 

The  following  scene,  of '  hastening  to  be  rich/  is  almost  on 
a  par  with  what  might  be  witnessed  in  the  time  of  John  Law 
and  the  South  Sea  Bubble,  or  that  of  King  George  (Hudson) 

8 


114  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

of  Railway  fame.  It  is  thus  recorded  in  the  Annual  Register  : 
'  April  7  :  This  morning,  as  early  as  five  o'clock,  a  crowd  of 
brokers  and  others,  beset  the  Exchequer-bill  office,  in  order 
to  put  down  their  names  for  funding  Exchequer  Bills.  Such 
was  the  scramble  to  get  in,  that  a  number  of  the  persons  were 
thrown  down,  and  many  of  them  injured  ;  some  fainted  by  the 
excessive  pressure  of  the  crowd,  and  a  few  had  their  coats 
literally  torn  off  their  backs.  The  first  14  names  (chiefly 
bankers)  subscribed  seven  millions  out  of  the  twelve  required  ; 
and,  very  early  in  the  day,  notice  was  given  that  the  sub- 
scription was  full.  .  .  .  That  the  first  characters  in  the  country, 
as  bankers,  merchants,  and  others,  are  to  be  marshalled  by 
police  officers,  exhorted  to  be  patient,  cool,  and  passive,  till 
they  can  enter  the  Exchequer  through  a  door,  a  third  part 
opened  by  a  chain,  and  of  which  the  aperture  is  scarcely 
sufficient  for  a  moderate  sized  man  to  get  in,  is  disgraceful  in 
the  extreme.' 

(Ibid.)  April  llth:  'For  the  first  time  this  season  nine 
Mackerel  were  brought  to  the  beach  at  Brighton,  which  were 
immediately  purchased  for  the  London  Market  at  6s.  6d.  each. 
The  following  day,  another  boat  arrived  with  28  more,  which 
were  bought  with  equal  avidity  at  the  same  price.  On 
Thursday,  a  third  boat  brought  93,  which  fetched  after  the 
rate  of  .£40  per  hundred.  Not  a  single  Mackerel  has  been 
retailed  there,  but  all  have  been  sent  off  to  the  metropolis.' 

At  the  Quarter  Sessions  held  at  Truro  early  in  May  a 
certain  Joseph  Little  was  placed  at  the  bar,  charged  with 
having  violently  assaulted  his  wife.  When  Mrs.  Little 
appeared  to  give  evidence  against  her  turbulent  mate,  he 
addressed  her  in  a  plaintive  tone,  and  the  following  dialogue 
took  place  : — 

'  My  dear,  I  am  sorry  to  see  you  here/ 

'  So  am  I.' 

'  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me  this  once,  and  I  will  never  lift 
my  hand  to  you  again.' 

'  You  have  broke  your  promise  so  often  that  I  cannot  trust 
you.' 

'  My  dear  life,  don't  send  me  back  to  prison  again ;  you  have 
always  been  a  good,  honest,  sober,  and  virtuous  wife  to  me.' 

'It  is  for  the  good  of  your  soul  that  you  should  be 
punished.' 

'  You  need  not  fear  me,  I  will  give  you  all  my  property,  and 
part  from  you,  if  you  wish  it.'  » 


1813]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  115 

'  I  know  it  is  for  my  safety,  and  for  your  salvation,  that  you 
should  be  confined  a  little  longer.' 

And  after  this  billing  and  cooing,  John  Little  brought  a 
counter  charge  of  assault  against  his  wife,  and  was  ultimately 
bound  over  to  keep  the  peace. 

One  would  have  thought  that  the  great  age  of  the  under- 
mentioned debtor  would  have  protected  him  from  his  ruthless 
creditor,  who,  however,  was  no  gainer  by  his  act.  May  13th  : 
'A  few  days  since,  a  poor  infirm  man,  aged  103,  from  York- 
shire, was  delivered  into  the  custody  of  the  Marshal  of  the  King's 
Bench,  for  a  debt  of  Twenty  Pounds  !  !  The  poor  man's  appre- 
hensions were  so  great  on  entering  the  prison,  that  he  was 
seized  with  a  sudden  and  violent  illness,  which  induced  the 
Marshal,  on  a  representation  of  the  case,  to  have  him  removed 
to  a  comfortable  apartment  in  Belvidere  Place  ;  but,  notwith- 
standing every  alleviation  which  humanity  could  suggest,  was 
promptly  administered,  he  expired  the  same  evening.' 

Next  '  silly  season '  —  London  Newspapers  please  copy  : 
'  July  21  :  On  Saturday  se'nnight  was  pulled,  in  the  garden 
of  Mr.  Jones,  at  Lodge-my- Loons,  a  little  north  from  Glasgow, 
a  strawberry,  which  weighed  fully  one  ounce,  and  measured 
6J  inches  by  5.' 

Our  Volunteer  officers  grumble  somewhat  at  the  expenses 
contingent  upon  their  position,  but  they  had  a  harder  time  of 
it  under  the  Regency.  August  14th  :  '  At  Lincoln  Assizes  an 
action  was  tried,  brought  by  the  Landlord  of  the  Bull  Inn,  at 
Market  Deeping,  against  the  Cornet  of  the  Ness  Volunteers 
for  the  expenses  of  a  dinner  and  liquor  for  54  of  the  corps. 
The  party  sat  down  to  dinner  about  half-past  four  o'clock,  and 
mostly  retired  before  ten.  The  quantity  of  liquor  charged 
was  as  follows  :  One  hundred  and  twenty-six  bottles  of  port,  forty- 
eight  of  sherry,  sixty-four  half-crown  bowls  of  punch,  and  twenty 
of  negus,  besides  ale  and  porter.  The  Jury  gave  a  verdict  in 
favour  of  the  innkeeper,  only  taking  off  sixpence  per  bottle 
on  the  port  wine.' 

Have  we  yet  forgotten  '  Brummy  '  and  the  '  Man  and  Dog 
fight '  so  graphically  described  in  The  Daily  Telegraph  by  Mr. 
James  Greenwood  ?  Here  is  a  variation  on  the  brutal  theme. 
October  25th:  'W.  Moore  of  Loughborough,  bricklayer,  a 
few  days  ago,  laid  a  wager  of  three  shillings,  that  he  could, 
with  his  hands  tied  behind  him,  worry  to  death  a  hedgehog, 
with  his  face.  He  commenced  his  extraordinary  undertaking 
by  prostrating  himself  on  the  ground,  and  attacking  the 

8—2 


116  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

exterior  of  his  prickly  antagonist  with  his  nose.  In  a  few 
minutes  his  face  was  covered  with  blood,  and  he  appeared  to 
have  little  chance  of  success ;  however,  at  length  having 
pressed  the  little  animal  till  it  had  protruded  its  head,  he 
snatched  at  it,  and  bit  it  off,  thereby  winning  the  wager,  to 
the  great  amusement  of  the  brutal  spectators/ 

Another  illustration  of  there  being  nothing  new  under  the 
sun,  is  that  Torpedoes  were  known  early  in  the  Century,  nay, 
even  before  that.  The  Morning  Chronicle  of  October  29th 
has  an  article  upon  them,  part  of  which  I  transcribe  : — 

'AMERICAN  TORPEDOES. 

'Much  abuse  has  been  heaped  on  the  American  Govern- 
ment for  endeavouring,  in  their  present  contest  with  this 
country  to  avail  themselves,  for  the  destruction  of  English 
vessels,  of  submarine  machines  disgraceful  to  humanity,  and 
contrary  to  the  laws  of  war  ;  and  it  has  been  said  that  such 
machines  would  only  have  been  encouraged  in  a  Jacobin  State, 
with  a  Jacobin  president  at  its  head.  We  are  far  from  ap- 
proving the  introduction  into  warfare  of  any  such  machinery 
as  that  in  question.  But,  while  we  deliver  this  opinion  we 
think  it  but  fair  to  state  what  is  not  so  generally  known  ;  that, 
in  the  encouragement  of  this  disgraceful  plan,  we  are  as  much 
concerned  as  the  Americans. 

'  In  1804  Robert  Fulton,  styling  himself  an  American  citizen, 
was  invited  by  Lord  Liverpool,  then  Lord  Hawkesbury,  to  this 
country,  to  show  his  Majesty's  ministers  his  plans  of  submarine 
navigation  and  attack  ;  and  on  the  20th  of  July  that  year,  he 
entered  into  a  contract  with  Mr.  Pitt  and  Lord  Melville,  the 
principal  conditions  of  which  were — 

' "  His  Majesty's  Dockyards  and  Arsenals  to  make  and 
furnish  all  such  articles  as  may  be  required,  which  are  appli- 
cable to  this  purpose. 

' "  If  any  circumstance  should  arise  to  prevent  Government 
carrying  this  plan  into  execution,  then  the  parties  are  to  name 
two  commissioners,  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  principles, 
and  trying  such  experiments  as  they  may  think  proper  ;  and, 
if  it  should  appear  to  the  majority  of  the  members,  that  the 
plan  is  practicable,  and  offers  a  more  effectual  mode  of  destroy- 
ing the  enemy's  fleets  at  Boulogne,  Brest,  or  elsewhere,  than 
any  mode  in  practice,  and  with  less  risk,  then  Government  is 
to  pay  the  said  Robert  Fulton,  forty  thousand  pounds,  as  a 


1813]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  11? 

compensation   for  demonstrating  the  principles,  and  making 
over  the  entire  possession  of  his  submarine  mode  of  attack." 

(  When  the  Administration,  of  which  Mr.  Fox,  and  Lords 
Grey  and  Grenville  were  at  the  head,  came  into  office,  they 
were  a  good  deal  surprised,  on  Mr.  Fulton's  claiming  per- 
formance of  this  contract,  to  find  that  such  an  instrument 
actually  was  in  existence.  The  plan  would  never  have  met 
with  any  encouragement  from  that  Administration  ;  but,  as  it 
had  already  been  accepted,  they  were  under  the  necessity  of 
agreeing  to  allow  the  necessary  experiments  to  be  made,  or 
paying  the  forty  thousand  pounds.  Earl  Grey,  then  at  the 
head  of  the  Admiralty,  gave  orders,  reluctantly  enough,  that 
Mr.  Fulton  should  be  supplied  with  whatever  he  required  as 
necessary  for  the  success  of  his  experiment,  and  the  execution 
was  entrusted  to  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  enterprising 
officers  of  the  Navy.  Several  attempts  were  made  on  the 
enemy's  vessels  at  Boulogne ;  but  from  one  circumstance  or 
other,  the  plan  was  found  impracticable.  On  Mr.  Fulton's 
still  insisting  on  the  payment  of  the  forty  thousand  pounds, 
the  matter  was  submitted  to  four  arbitrators,  who,  after  a  full 
investigation,  pronounced  the  plan  not  so  far  novel,  practical, 
or  effective,  as  to  entitle  Mr.  Fulton  to  the  sum  in  question.' 

The  Slave  Trade  Bill  of  1807,  it  must  be  remembered,  did 
not  abolish  Slavery,  but  only  prohibited  the  Traffic  in  Slaves  ; 
so  that  no  vessel  should  clear  out  from  any  port  within  the 
British  Dominions,  after  May  1,  1807,  with  Slaves  on  board, 
and  that  no  Slave  should  be  landed  in  the  Colonies  after 
March  1,  1808.  So  that  the  following  advertisement  in 
The  Morning  Chronicle  of  November  l6th  was  strictly  within 
the  bounds  of  legality  : — 

'JAMAICA  SLAVES  to  be  Let  or  Sold,  being  Fifty-four  in 
Number,  all  young  or  middle-aged,  of  both  sexes,  and  well 
seasoned,  having  for  some  years  worked  together  in  the  parish 
of  Clarendon.  Any  purchaser  with  good  security  would  have 
every  reasonable  indulgence  for  his  payments.' 

I  am  bound  to  say  that  this  advertisement  was  a  novelty 
in  an  English  Newspaper ;  and  in  the  same  journal  of  No- 
vember 19th,  appeared  an  indignant  letter  on  the  subject. 

'  SIR, — Nothing  can  be  more  repugnant  to  the  feelings  of 
Englishmen,  than  to  read  in  an  English  Newspaper,  peculiarly 


118  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1813 

devoted  to  the  cause  of  Freedom,  the  advertisement  which 
appeared  in  the  first  page  of  Tuesday's  Chronicle,  relative  to 
the  offer  of  "  Fifty-four  Jamaica  Slaves."  Surely,  Sir,  this 
offensive  advertisement  must  have  been  inserted  without  due 
consideration,  and,  I  am  sure,  without  your  knowledge  ;  espe- 
cially at  the  time  when  we  are  about  to  Christianize  the  whole 
world ! 

'  For  the  sake  of  humanity,  and  the  best  feelings  of  every 
true  Briton,  I  trust  that  this  abominable  advertisement  will 
not  make  its  appearance  a  second  time  in  your  respectable 
Paper,  and  remain,  yours,  &c., 

'  LlBERTAS.' 

'  Among  the  gambling  policies  ever  open  in  the  city,  the 
"  life  of  Bonaparte  "  has  long  been  a  favourite  object  for 
scandalous  speculations,  and  for  the  last  twelve  months  had 
been  done  at  from  2  to  2|  per  cent,  per  month,  as  the  dangers 
to  which  he  was  exposed  seemed  to  diminish  or  increase.  In 
the  beginning  of  this  present  December,  policies  to  a  very 
large  amount  have  been  negotiated,  and  Twelve  Guineas  given 
to  receive  One  Hundred,  if  the  Tyrant  be  alive  on  the  1st  of 
January.' 

Gas  lighting  in  the  streets  of  London  was  first  introduced 
in  August,  1 807,  when  Golden  Lane  Brewery,  and  a  portion 
of  Beech  and  Whitecross  Streets  were  illuminated  by  its 
means.  The  Gaslight  and  Coke  Company  got  their  Charter 
in  1810,  and  had  lamps  outside  their  offices  in  Pall  Mall ;  but 
progress  in  this  direction  was  very  slow,  and  the  old  oil 
lamps  died  hard.  We  read  in  The  Morning  Chronicle  of  De- 
cember 20th  :  'The  Gas  lights  which  have  been  exhibited  in 
the  two  Palace  Yards,  and  in  some  of  the  streets  of  the 
neighbourhood,  during  the  sitting  of  Parliament,  will,  upon 
its  adjournment,  be  discontinued ;  and  those  places  only  be 
lighted,  for  which  the  Company  has  contracts.' 


CHAPTER  XII. 

1814. 

The  Fog— Condition  of  Ireland— State  of  the  Navy — The  Regent 
at  Belvoir — Coming  of  age  of  Princess  Charlotte — Day  of 
Thanksgiving — Great  Snowstorm — Thames  frozen  over — Sports 
thereon — Frost  fair — The  Country  and  the  Snow. 

THE  year  1814  was  an  annus  mirabilis  for  England,  as  will  be 
seen  as  it  is  unfolded.  It  began  with  a  fog,  not  an  ordinary 
fog,  but  one  which,  from  its  exceptional  character,  was  en- 
shrined as  part  of  the  history  of  the  Country.  It  prevailed 
in  London,  and  many  miles  round,  during  the  whole  of  the 
last  week  of  1813  until  the  4th  of  January,  when  it  cleared 
off — the  mails  and  other  conveyances  were  delayed,  and  many 
accidents  happened.  It  was  no  respecter  of  persons,  for  the 
Regent,  who  was  going  to  visit  the  Duke  of  Rutland  at 
Belvoir,  in  order  to  stand  personally  as  Godfather  to  the 
baby  Marquis  of  Granby,  was  delayed  a  day  by  this  fog,  so 
that  the  Christening  had  to  be  postponed,  and  the  young 
Marquis  had  to  be  a  day  longer  in  an  unregenerate  state. 

A  dragoon,  who  left  London  for  Windsor  at  6  p.m.  with 
particulars  of  the  passage  of  the  Nive  by  the  Allied  Armies, 
did  not  arrive  until  4  a.m.  in  consequence  of  the  fog,  although 
he  got  a  lanthorn  and  candle  at  Hounslow.  A  sergeant  of 
the  West  Kent  Militia,  which  corps  was  then  garrisoning  the 
Tower,  stepped  off  the  wharf  into  the  river,  and  was  drowned 
— and  there  were  other  fatalities. 

Ireland  was  in  its  chronic  state  of  bloodthirsty  rebellion,  as 
the  two  following  paragraphs  in  The  Morning  Chronicle  of 
January  1st  show.  '  The  Barony  of  Lower  Ormond,  in  the 
County  of  Tipperary,  has  lately  manifested  a  spirit  of  wicked- 
ness unknown  in  that  part  of  the  country.  A  few  nights 


120  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

since,  the  Haggards  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Farmer,  of  Spring- 
mount,  near  Cloughjordan,  of  Mr.  Thompson,  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Conolly,  near  Ballingarry,  were  maliciously  set  on  fire, 
and  totally  consumed.  The  ruffians  also  posted  notices  that 
if  a  reward  was  offered,  they  would  burn  the  haggards  of  the 
subscribers.' 

'  On  the  evening  of  the  8th  instant  half-past  five  o'clock, 
as  George  Wayland,  Esqre,  was  going  out  of  his  house  at 
Toureen,  near  Dundrum,  in  the  County  of  Tipperary,  accom- 
panied by  his  herdsman,  one  of  a  party,  who  were  perceived 
lying  in  wait  at  a  short  distance  from  the  hall  door,  discharged 
a  blunderbuss  at  him,  loaded  with  balls  and  slugs,  the  con- 
tents of  which  grazed  his  legs  and  passed  through  his  clothes. 
Immediately  after,  a  servant  boy  of  Mr.  Wayland,  going 
towards  the  house,  was  fired  at  by  the  same  party,  and  so 
dreadfully  wounded,  that  he  has  since  died.' 

The  number  of  troops  required  then,  as  now,  in  Ireland, 
together  with  the  fact  that  we  had  two  wars  on  our  hands,  at 
the  same  time,  caused  stock  to  be  taken  of  the  available  '  food 
for  powder '  remaining,  and  we  find,  according  to  a  statistical 
account  taken  this  year,  that  the  number  of  men  in  Great 
Britain,  capable  of  bearing  arms,  from  15  to  60  years  of  age, 
amounted  to  2,744,847 ;  or  about  four  in  every  seventeen 
males. 

Our  Navy  was  a  large  one,  on  paper,  for  the  total  number 
of  ships  at  the  commencement  of  this  year  was  1032  (including 
those  in  ordinary,  &c.)  :  of  which  there  were,  in  commission, 
116  sail  of  the  line,  20  from  50  to  44  guns,  157  frigates,  110 
sloops  of  war,  7  fire-ships,  199  brigs,  40  cutters,  and  50 
schooners,  the  total  of  ships  in  commission  being  768. 

The  Regent  set  out  on  his  journey  to  Belvoir  Castle,  having, 
of  course,  to  do  the  distance  in  his  travelling  carriage.  At 
Denton,  he  was  met  by  some  two  or  three  hundred  horsemen, 
the  gentry  and  yeomanry  of  the  County,  who  had  assembled 
to  welcome  him  to  Belvoir.  On  the  arrival  of  the  Prince,  the 
air  was  rent  with  a  general  burst  of  loyal  enthusiasm.  Many 
females,  wives  and  daughters  of  the  tenantry  of  the  House 
of  Rutland,  joined  in  the  cavalcade,  and  galloped  like  lunatics 
to  keep  up  with  the  Regent's  carriage.  Arrived  at  Belvoir, 
on  the  descent  from  his  carriage  of  the  'vir  illustrissimus,'  a 
Royal  salute  of  21  guns  was  fired  from  the  Castle,  and  the 
Regent's  ame  damnee,  the  Duke  of  York,  also  was  similarly 
honoured. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  121 

It  was  with  great  difficulty  and  much  persuasion,  that  the 
good  folk  of  Rutlandshire  were  prevented  from  making  greater 
asses  of  themselves,  and  debasing  themselves  by  removing  the 
horses  from  the  Royal  Carriage,  and  transforming  themselves 
into  beasts  of  draught.  The  honoured  host,  of  course,  was  at 
the  door  to  receive  his  guest,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Staunton,  by 
virtue  of  the  tenure  of  a  Manor  of  Staunton,  in  Nottingham- 
shire, did  his  devoir,  suit,  and  service,  by  presenting  the 
Regent,  as  representative  of  the  King,  with  an  exquisitely 
worked  gold  key  of  Staunton  tower,  which  is  an  outwork,  and 
yet  the  chief  stronghold  of  the  Castle,  the  command  of  which 
is  held  by  the  family  of  Staunton,  and  the  tenure  by  which 
they  held  the  Manor  of  Staunton  is,  that  they  were  formerly 
required  to  appear,  with  soldiers,  to  defend  this  strong  post, 
in  case  of  danger,  or  at  the  requisition  of  the  Lord  of  the 
Castle. 

January  4th,  the  day  of  the  christening  of  the  little  Marquis 
of  Granby,  was  also  the  birthday  of  his  father,  the  Duke  of 
Rutland,  so  that  the  two  events,  combined  with  the  Royal 
visit,  made  an  event  of  unexampled  rarity  in  the  annals  of 
Rutlandshire.  Whenever  was  babe  received  into  the  fold  of 
Christ,  under  more  illustrious  mundane  auspices  ?  His  two 
godfathers  were  the  Prince  Regent  and  the  Duke  of  York,  in 
person ;  his  godmother  was  the  Queen,  represented  by  her 
Grace  the  Dowager  Duchess  of  Rutland.  The  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  himself  '  performed  the  baptismal  ceremony  with 
solemnity,  and  graceful  expression/  and  what  more  could  be 
done  for  the  child  ? 

After  this  ceremony,  the  swine  were  fed.  Open  house  and 
lavish  hospitality  were  the  order  of  the  day,  and  the  '  piggies ' 
availed  themselves  of  it.  The  grand  seigneurs  sit  down  to 
dinner — and  the  oi  iroXXoL  go  to  their  troughs,  to  eat  as  much, 
and  drink  as  much,  as  they  possibly  could.  '  At  Belvoir  Castle 
all  partake  of  the  festivities,  for,  although  the  doors  are  not 
immediately  thrown  open  to  admit  improper  persons,  yet  the 
tenantry,  and  persons  of  respectability  have  access  thereto, 
and  such  is  the  affability  and  condescending  amiable  manners 
of  her  Grace  the  Duchess  of  Rutland,  that  her  whole  suite  of 
rooms  are  open  for  the  inspection  of  all  ranks,  and  even  the 
curiosity  of  seeing  the  young  Marquis  is  acceded  to.  Mr. 
Douglas,  the  Duke's  butler,  entertained  the  tenantry  with  an 
oval  Cistern  of  strong  punch,  containing  50  gallons,  when  the 
tenantry  drank  "  Long  life  to  the  young  Marquis  " — "  Many 


122  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

returns  of  the  day  to  the  Duke  " — and  "  God  preserve  our 
Noble  Prince  Regent."  ' 

This  latter  was  attired,  in  compliment  to  his  host  in  '  the 
Belvoir  uniform  of  scarlet  and  buff/  and,  to  the  toast  of  his 
health,  '  His  Royal  Highness  replied  with  much  eloquence, 
but  evidently  at  first,  labouring  under  the  affection  of  fine 
feeling,  and  concluded  by  assuring  the  noble  host,  that,  as 
long  as  he  lived,  he  should  never  forget  the  respectful  manner 
in  which  he  had  been  received  at  Belvoir  Castle.' 

This  hospitality  went  on  for  days ;  and  we  read,  '  The  house 
contains  more  than  two  hundred  individuals,  who  partake 
daily  of  the  festivities.  The  Cistern  of  punch,  under  the 
management  of  Mr.  Douglas,  administered  in  the  Servants' 
Hall  on  Tuesday,  to  the  household  and  tenantry,  laid  many  a 
brave  fellow  prostrate.  The  passages  of  the  house  reminded 
one  of  a  Castle  taken  by  storm,  and  the  young  Marquis,  the 
Noble  Host,  and  the  Prince  Regent,  were  toasted  until  articu- 
lation ceased.  Many  were  found  the  next  day  in  the  sub- 
terraneous passages  of  the  Castle,  with  symptoms  of  recover- 
ing animation.  The  punch  was  not  out  at  10  o'clock  on 
Wednesday  morning. 

'  This  cistern,  according  to  the  history  of  the  County,  was 
filled  with  Cordial  when  John,  Duke  of  Rutland,  father  of  the 
present  Duke,  was  born.  The  silver  Cistern  is  16  feet  in 
circumference,  holds  60  gallons,  and  is  a  matchless  piece  of 
Workmanship.  Ale,  at  the  rate  of  21  strike  to  the  hogshead, 
is  now  making,  to  be  kept  till  the  young  Marquis  comes  of 
Age.' 

This  Saturnalia  ceased  on  January  7th,  when  the  Prince  left 
on  a  visit  to  the  Earl  of  Winchilsea  at  Burleigh  ;  but  whilst 
in  the  country,  he  was  keenly  scanned  by  the  eyes  of  critical 
sportsmen,  and  the  result,  as  regards  his  horsemanship,  is 
thus  given : — 

'LETTER  FROM  GENERAL  T.  TO  J.  Mc.M.,  ESQ.,  IN  LONDON. 

Dear  Mac,  we  are  passing  our  time  here  most  gaily, 
Events  by  the  dozen  are  happening  daily  : 
We  left  Burleigh  the  2nd — you  never  were  there  ? 
The  house  stands  in  a  quadrangle  forty  feet  square  ; 
'Tis  built  on  a  terrace,  with  fine  freestone  walls, 
On  a  level  'tis  said  with  the  top  of  Saint  Paul's. 
WINCHILSEA,  you  know,'s  a  mechanical  man. 
For  having  it  measured,  he's  forming  a  plan. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  123 

LONSDALE,  you  know,  is  a  noble  old  fellow, 
With  a  fine  open  heart,  and  a  capital  cellar, 
We  do  just  as  we  like,  and  have  excellent  cheer, 
For  guests,  horses,  and  dogs,  are  all  treated  well  here. 
WALES  would  have  a  hunt,  so  we  hunted  on  Monday, 
In  spite  of  the  fog,  and  the  hard  frost  of  Sunday. 

And  O  !  some  gentle  Muse  indite 
My  bold,  aspiring  lay, 

While  in  hasty  verse  I  write 

"  The  hunting  of  that  day  !" 

Now  I  think  on't,  the  task  would  be  rather  too  hard, 
And  you'll  hear  it  describ'd  by  our  Treasury  Bard  : — 
For  I  watch'd  him  all  thro'  the  field,  and  I  saw 
He  was  scanning  the  picturesque  look  of  a  thaw, 
He  hated  a  Fox  from  the  time  of  his  birth, 
And  ran  foul  of  a  Pit,  as  Reynard  took  earth. 
As  for  WALES,  he  soon  staked  a  thorough  bred  mare, 
His  legs,  arms,  and  chest,  were  all  quite  militaire. 
A  mere  Bond  Street  rider,  Tom  Musters  would  say, 
Sits  damn'd  well  by  rule,  as  I  told  him  one  day  ; 
He's  abroad  in  all  cases  not  taught  in  manage, 
And  rides  at  a  leap,  as  he  would  at  a  charge  ; 
In  short,  one  might  swear  he  ne'er  hunted  before, 
By  his  heading  the  hounds,  as  he  would  do  his  corps  ; 
And  YORK  on  the  fences  made  desperate  attack, 
And  was  giving  the  word  of  command  to  the  pack  ; 
Determined  to  give  his  Conscience  relief, 
And,  for  once,  be  in  person,  Commander  in  Chief.' 

What  a  contrast  was  the  keeping  of  the  coming  of  age  of 
the  Princess  Charlotte,  the  heir  to  the  throne !  which  hap- 
pened at  the  same  time,  on  the  7th  of  January.  '  In  the 
morning  her  Royal  Highness' s  tutors  and  principal  attendants 
were  introduced  to  her  Royal  Highness  at  Warwick  House, 
and  paid  their  respects  in  due  form.  A  number  of  nobility, 
persons  of  distinction,  and  her  private  circle  of  friends,  called 
at  the  house,  and  left  their  respectful  inquiries  and  con- 
gratulations on  the  return  of  the  day.'  She  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day  quietly,  and  without  fuss,  with  her  mother, 
at  Connaught  House. 

The  Regent  returned  from  his  tour  in  time  for  the  Day  of 
Thanksgiving,  13th  of  January,  and  he  attended  Divine  service 
at  the  Chapel  Royal,  St.  James's,  in  state.  He  wore  '  a  purple 
top  wrapping  coat,  ornamented  in  a  most  splendid  manner  with 
gold  lace,  fringe,  and  frogs,  with  the  Order  of  the  Garter.' 
Besides  a  great  number  of  the  nobility,  the  procession  was 
formed  as  follows  :  — 


124  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

<  The  Gentlemen  Ushers  and  Grooms  in  waiting. 

'  Six  Heralds,  with  their  superb  and  splendid  Mantles,  with 
other  ornaments. 

'  Four  Sergeants  at  Mace,  with  gold  Maces,  and  their  elegant 
Collars ;  King  at  Arms,  in  his  superb  dress,  with  his  sceptre  of 
Office,  Sir  Isaac  Heard. 

'  York  Herald,  and  Genealogist  of  the  Bath,  Sir  George 
Naylor,  in  his  splendid  dress,  with  the  Order  of  the  Bath. 

'Windsor  Herald,  Francis  Townsend,  Esqre.,   also   in   his 
splendid  dress  and  appropriate  ornaments. 
'  The  Duke  of  York. 
<  The  Sword  of  State. 
'  The  Prince  Regent, 
followed  by  his  Lord  in  Waiting,  &c. 

'  Eight  of  the  Gentlemen  Pensioners,  with  their  Battle 
Axes,  closed  the  procession/ 

The  phenomenal  fog,  which  obtained  at  the  end  of  1813 
and  the  commencement  of  1814,  was  immediately  followed 
by  very  heavy  falls  of  snow,  unprecedented  in  the  memory  of 
man.  On  one  occasion  it  snowed  incessantly  for  48  hours. 
Few  carriages  could  travel,  and  the  land  seemed  deserted. 
In  London,  the  water-pipes  in  houses  were  all  frozen,  and  open 
plugs  were  running  in  the  streets.  Of  course  this  water  froze, 
and  added  to  the  general  inconvenience,  and  the  state  of  the 
streets  maybe  judged  by  the  following:  '  Mr.  Max  well,  of  skating 
celebrity,  agreed  for  a  considerable  wager,  to  skate  from  Long 
Acre  to  the  Parade  in  St.  James's  Park  in  five  minutes,  which 
he  performed  with  ease,  ten  seconds  within  the  time,  to  the 
no  small  amusement  of  a  numerous  concourse  of  spectators.' 

Coals  went  up  to  any  price  ;  and  no  wonder.  There  were 
no  railways,  and  the  large  inland  beds  of  coal  were  only 
worked  for  local  use,  so  that  London  was  dependent  upon 
Sunderland,  and  the  north-eastern  ports,  for  her  coal  supply  ; 
and  this,  of  course,  came  at  once  to  an  end  with  such  a  frost 
as  this  was.  A  remedy  was  proposed,  but  was  never  acted  on. 
'  Supposing  nine-tenths  of  the  housekeepers  of  the  metropo- 
lis to  have  laid  in  coals  sufficient  for  their  consumption — 
some  to  the  month  of  June,  but  generally  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  summer  season — it  would  be  an  act  of  benevo- 
lence on  their  part  without  affecting  their  interest,  to  sell  their 
overplus  stock,  at  reduced  prices,  to  the  needy  individuals 
in  their  respective  neighbourhoods,  who  are  unprovided  with 


: 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  125 

that  fuel,  or  who  can  afford  to  supply  themselves  only  from 
week  to  week.  This,  it  is  conceived,  might  be  done  at  Qs.  6d. 
or  Is.  a  sack,  whereas  double  that  sum  is  now  asked.' 

The  snow-drifts  were  terrible  all  over  the  country,  and  even 
near  London,  in  many  places,  the  snow  drifted  higher  than  the 
Coaches.  On  Finchley  Common,  in  the  course  of  one  night,  it 
drifted  to  a  depth  of  sixteen  feet ;  on  Bagshot  Heath,  and 
about  Cobham  and  Esher,  all  traffic  was  stopped.  The  Kent 
and  Essex  roads  were  the  only  ones  passable.  From  the 
country  came  worse  news.  The  snow  in  the  Midland  Counties 
was  very  deep  ;  indeed  at  Dunchurch,  a  small  village  on  the 
road  to  Birmingham,  through  Coventry,  for  a  few  miles  round, 
the  snow  was  twenty-three  feet  deep,  and  no  tracks  of  tra- 
vellers were  seen  for  many  days.  The  Cambridge  Mail  Coach 
was  snowed  up,  and  completely  covered,  for  eight  hours,  when, 
at  last  it  was  dragged  out  by  fourteen  waggon-horses,  the  poor 
passengers,  meanwhile,  being  almost  frozen  to  death.  These 
examples  must  suffice,  for  my  space  cannot  accommodate  any- 
thing like  one  hundredth  part  of  the  snow-stories  of  this 
time. 

The  Thames  was  frozen  over,  and  upon  it  was  held  a  '  Frost 
Fair/  which,  as,  owing  to  the  greater  width  of  the  arches  of 
the  bridges  which  span  it,  it  is  hardly  likely  to  occur  again, 
I  must  be  pardoned,  if  I  somewhat  dilate  upon. 

Sunday,  Jan.  30. — Immense  masses  of  ice  that  had  floated 
from  the  upper  part  of  the  river,  in  consequence  of  the  thaw 
on  the  two  preceding  days,  now  blocked  up  the  Thames 
between  Blackfriars  and  London  Bridge ;  and  afforded  every 
probability  of  its  being  frozen  over  in  a  day  or  two.  Some 
venturous  persons,  even  now,  walked  upon  the  ice. 

Monday,  Jan.  31. — This  expectation  was  realized.  During 
the  whole  of  the  afternoon,  hundreds  of  people  were  assembled 
on  Blackfriars  and  London  Bridges,  to  see  several  adventurous 
men  cross  and  re-cross  the  Thames  on  the  Ice ;  at  one  time 
seventy  persons  were  counted  walking  from  Queenhithe  to 
the  opposite  shore.  The  frost  on  Sunday  night  so  united  the 
vast  mass,  as  to  render  it  immovable  by  the  tide. 

Tuesday,  Feb.  1. — The  floating  masses  of  ice  having  been 
stopped  by  London  Bridge,  now  assumed  a  solid  surface  over 
the  river  from  Blackfriars  Bridge  to  some  distance  below 
Three  Crane  Stairs,  at  the  bottom  of  Queen  Street,  Cheapside. 
The  watermen,  taking  advantage  of  this  circumstance,  placed 
notices  at  the  end  of  all  the  streets  leading  to  the  City  side 


126  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

of  the  river,  announcing  a  safe  footway  over  it,  which,  as 
might  be  expected,  attracted  immense  crowds  to  witness  so 
novel  a  scene.  Many  were  induced  to  venture  on  the  ice,  and 
the  example  thus  afforded,  soon  led  thousands  to  perambulate 
the  rugged  plain,  where  a  variety  of  amusements  were  pre- 
pared for  their  entertainment. 

Among  the  more  curious  of  these  was  the  ceremony  of 
roasting  a  small  sheep,  which  was  toasted,  or  rather,  burnt 
over  a  coal  fire  placed  in  a  large  iron  pan.  For  a  view  of  this 
spectacle  sixpence  was  demanded,  and  willingly  paid.  The 
delicate  meat  when  done,  was  sold  at  a  shilling  a  slice,  and 
termed  Lapland  Mutton. 

Wednesday,  Feb.  2. — The  Thames  now  was  a  complete 
FROST  FAIR.  The  Grand  Mall,  or  walk,  was  from  Blackfriars 
Bridge  to  London  Bridge.  This  was  named  '  The  City  Road,' 
and  was  lined  on  both  sides  with  booths  and  petty  tradesmen 
of  all  descriptions.  Eight  or  ten  printing  presses  were  erected, 
and  numerous  pieces  commemorative  of  the  'Great  Frost' 
were  printed  on  the  Ice.  Many  of  these  have  come  down  to 
us ;  among  them  are  the  following  : 

'  Amidst  the  Arts  which  on  the  Thames  appear, 
To  tell  the  wonders  of  this  icy  year, 
PRINTING  claims  prior  place,  which,  at  one  view, 
Erects  a  monument  of  THAT  and  You.' 

1  You  that  walk  here,  and  do  design  to  tell 
Your  children's  children  what  this  year  befell, 
Come,  buy  this  print,  and  it  will  then  be  seen 
That  such  a  year  as  this  hath  seldom  been.' 

'  Friends,  now  is  your  time  to  support  the  Freedom  of  the  Press. 
Can  the  Press  have  greater  liberty  ?  Here  youjind  it  working  in 
the  middle  of  the  Thames  ;  and  if  you  encourage  us  bij  buying  our 
impressions,  we  will  keep  it  going  in  the  true  spirit  of  liberty, 
during  the  Frost.' 

1  Behold,  the  River  Thames  is  frozen  o'er, 
Which,  lately,  ships  of  mighty  burden  bore  ; 
Now,  different  arts  and  pastimes  here  you  see, 
But  printing  claims  superiority.' 

Besides  the  above,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  several  other 
pieces  were  issued  from  these  Presses,  and  they  were  bought, 
as  mementos,  with  great  avidity. 

Thursday,  Feb.  3. — More  people  than  ever  ventured  on  the 


128  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

ice.  Swings,  book-stalls,  dancing  in  a  barge,  drinking  and 
eating  booths,  skittles,  knock-'em-downs,  and  all  the  appur- 
tenances to  a  Fair  on  land  were  there  on  the  Thames.  The 
ice  was  strong  and  firm,  and  although  there  were  fairly  smooth 
parts,  yet,  in  the  main,  it  was  very  rough. 

Friday,  Feb.  4. — Every  day  brought  more  people,  and  addi- 
tions to  the  petty  merchants  who  vended  their  wares,  at  twice 
or  thrice  their  value,  because  of  the  rarity.  Any  old  goods 
could  be  passed  off  if  only  duly  labelled  'Bought  on  the 
Thames/  'From  Frost  Fair,'  &c.,  and  money  was  literally 
shovelled  into  their  pockets,  as  everyone  wanted  some  lasting 
reminiscence  of  this  great  Frost.  The  watermen  mulcted  all 
who  visited  the  Fair,  of  2d.  or  3d.,  and  you  were  expected  to 
repeat  the  compliment  on  your  return.  They  were  said  to 
have  taken  as  much  as  £6  each,  in  the  course  of  the  day. 

An  ugly  accident  was  nearly  happening  this  day,  for  three 
persons — an  old  man,  and  two  lads — having  ventured  on  a 
piece  of  ice  above  London  Bridge,  it  suddenly  detached  itself 
from  the  main  body,  and  was  carried  by  the  tide  through  one 
of  the  arches.  They  threw  themselves  flat  upon  the  ice  for 
safety,  and,  luckily,  were  observed  by  the  boatmen  at  Billings- 
gate, who,  with  laudable  activity,  put  off  to  their  assistance, 
and  rescued  them  from  their  impending  danger.  One  of 
them  was  able  to  walk,  but  the  other  two  were  carried,  in  a 
state  of  insensibility,  to  a  public-house,  where  they  received 
every  attention  their  situation  required. 

Saturday,  Feb.  5th. — The  morning  of  this  day  augured  rather 
unfavourably  for  the  continuance  of  FROST  FAIR.  The  wind 
had  shifted  to  the  south,  and  a  light  fall  of  snow  took  place. 
The  visitors  to  the  Thames,  however,  were  not  to  be  deterred 
by  trifles.  Thousands  again  ventured,  and  there  was  still 
much  life  and  bustle  on  the  ice. 

The  footpath  in  the  centre,  or  '  City  Road,'  was  hard  and 
secure,  and  thousands  promenaded  thereon.  Gaming  had  now 
its  votaries ;  there  were  E.  O.  Tables,  Rouge-et-Noir,  Tee- 
totums, Wheels  of  Fortune,  Prick  the  Garter,  &c.,  and  a  brisk 
business  they  plied  in  emptying  the  pockets  of  their  dupes. 
Skittles  were  being  played  in  many  places,  drinking  tents 
were  filled  with  females,  and  their  companions,  dancing  reels 
to  the  sound  of  fiddles,  while  others  sat  round  large  fires, 
drinking  rum,  grog,  and  other  spirits.  There  were  for  the 
more  temperate,  tea  and  coffee,  and  people  were  earnestly 
requested  to  eat,  in  order  that  in  after  years  they  might  be 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  129 

able  to  say  that  they  had  indulged  in  a  good  meal  in  mid 
Thames. 

The  Morning  Chronicle  of  February  4th  says : — '  Notwith- 
standing the  heavy  thaw  of  Tuesday  night,  an  immense 
multitude  continues  to  assemble  between  London  and  Black- 
friars  Bridges.  Booths,  hoisting  the  flags  of  all  nations,  and 
painted  with  Cherokee  taste,  everywhere  gladdened  the  sight, 
while  bands  of  Pandean  minstrels,  relieved  by  the  dulcet  strains 
of  the  tin  trumpet  from  all  sides,  delighted  the  ear. 

'In  the  centre  of  the  river,  a  narrow  stream  defied  the 
power  of  the  frozen  region,  and  marked  the  path  "where 
once  the  current  ran."  This  interruption,  however,  so  far 
from  impeding  the  gambols  of  the  day,  increased  the  sport, 
and  added  to  the  profit  of  the  stewards  of  the  scene.  A  few 
small  planks  in  some  cases,  and  an  old  boat  or  two  in  others, 
with  the  addition  of  Charon's  fare,  kept  the  communication 
entire,  and  enlivened  the  pastime. 

'  In  some  parts  of  the  stream  where  the  width  of  the  un- 
irozen  water  admitted  of  it,  boats  completely  bent  for  sail, 
with  their  full  equipments,  attracted  the  heedless  throng. 
In  these  were  placed  food  for  the  hungry,  and  for  the  thirsty, 
relief ;  gin  and  gingerbread,  with  other  cordials,  were  here  on 
sale,  at  moderate  prices — "  Ubi  met — ibi  apes."  The  Crowd 
poured  toward  this  magnetic  point  with  extraordinary  avidity. 
Men,  women,  and  children  were  often  seen  in  one  promiscuous 
heap.  Although  it  is  impossible  not  to  feel  anxious  to  afford 
every  opportunity  of  cheering,  by  playful  pastime,  the  nipping 
severity  of  the  season,  yet  we  cannot  disengage  our  mind 
from  the  hazardous  consequences  of  such  an  exhibition  as  we 
are  now  noticing. 

'  Between  the  bridges  the  river  is  entirely  covered,  not  with 
a  regular,  even  frozen  surface,  but  with  an  incongruous 
accumulation  of  icy  fragments,  and  congealed  piled  snow, 
which,  during  the  partial  thaws,  was  disengaged  up  the  river, 
and  wafted  downwards  ;  this  having  been  intercepted  by  the 
intervention  of  the  bridges,  and  partially  united  by  the  frosts 
of  the  last  two  or  three  days,  has  completely  covered  the 
surface  of  the  water.  It  is  yet  extremely  dangerous,  and  was, 
in  many  places,  last  night,  set  in  motion  by  the  influx  of  the 
tide,  and  carried,  with  extreme  velocity,  against  the  piers  of 
the  bridges.  Some  watermen,  more  foolhardy  than  others, 
ventured  to  cross  opposite  Temple  Gardens,  and  one  of  them 
nearly  lost  his  life  by  the  experiment.  The  public  ought 

9 


130  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

carefully  to  prevent  the  young  men  and  thoughtless  part  of 
the  community  from  indulging  in  experiments  of  this  de- 
scription, which  may  terminate  fatally.' 

Towards  the  evening  of  the  5th  of  February  rain  fell  in 
some  quantity,  the  ice  gave  some  loud  cracks,  and  large 
pieces  were  detached,  and  floated  off  with  booths,  printing- 
presses,  and  people  on  them.  No  lives,  however,  were  lost. 
Perhaps  the  last  thing  printed  on  the  ice  was  a  letter : — 

'  To  Madam  Tabitha  Thaw. 

'  Dear  dissolving  dame, 

'  FATHER  FROST,  and  SISTER  SNOW,  have  boneyd  my 
borders,  formed  an  idol  of  ice  upon  my  bosom,  and  all  the 
LADS  OF  LONDON  come  to  make  merry :  now,  as  you  love 
mischief,  treat  the  multitude  with  a  few  CRACKS  by  a  sudden 
visit,  and  obtain  the  prayers  of  the  poor  upon  both  banks. 
Given  at  my  own  press,  the  5th  Feby.,  1814. 

*  THOMAS  THAMES.' 

The  thaw  had  now  fairly  set  in,  the  ice,  broken  up,  swept 
everything  in  the  shape  of  light  craft,  barges,  &c.,  irresistibly 
before  it,  and  damage  was  done  to  the  extent  of  many 
thousands  of  pounds.  There  was  some  loss  of  life,  but  it  was 
small,  and  altogether  every  one  was  very  well  rid  of  '  The 
Great  Frost  of  1814.'  Before  I  finish  with  the  subject,  I 
must  quote  some  verses  (which,  although  doggerel,  are  very 
original)  attached  to  'A  View  of  FROST  FAIR,  as  it  appeared 
on  the  ICE  on  the  RIVER  THAMES,  February  3,  1814.' 

'  All  you  that  are  curious  downright, 
And  fond  of  seeing  every  sight, 
If  to  the  Thames  you  had  repair'd, 
You  might  have  seen  a  famous  fair. 
Diversions  of  every  kind  you'd  see, 
With  parties  drinking  of  coffee  and  tea, 
And  dancing  too  I  do  declare, 
Upon  the  Thames,  they  call  FROST  FAIR. 
It  was  really  curious  for  to  see 
Both  old  and  young,  so  full  of  glee, 
The  drinking  booths  they  enter'd  in 
And  call'd  away  for  purl  and  gin, 
Some  play'd  at  Threadle  my  Needle,  Nan, 
The  lasses  slipt  down  as  they  ran, 
Which  made  the  men  quite  full  of  glee, 
The  young  girls  legs'  all  for  to  see. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  131 

The  Watermen,  so  neat  and  trim, 
With  bottle  fill'd  with  Old  Tom  Gin, 
And  others  bawl'd  among  the  throng, 
"  Who's  for  a  Glass  of  Sampson  strong?" 
"  Here's  Nuts,  and  Gingerbread,  who  buys  ?" 
"  Coaie,  boys,  and  win  my  Mutton  Pies. 
Come,  ladies,  they're  both  hot  and  nice, 
Fear  not  to  eat  them  on  the  Ice." 

Boys  and  women,  not  a  few, 
Upon  the  Ice,  they  ventured  too, 
And  swings  there  were,  I  do  declare, 
To  take  a  ride  up  in  the  air. 
And  booths,  wherein  you  might  regale, 
And  have  a  pint  of  beer,  or  ale. 
And  skittle  playing,  I  do  declare, 
Upon  the  Thames,  they  call  Frost  Fair. 

Now  to  conclude  my  Icy  song, 
I'm  glad  to  see  the  Frost  is  gone, 
And  ships,  and  barges,  all  afloat, 
And  watermen  rowing  of  their  boats, 
Black  diamond  barges  to  appear, 
That  coals,  they  may  not  be  so  dear. 
So,  toss  a  bumper  off  with  cheer, 
And  bid  adieu  to  Frosty  Fair.' 

With  regard  to  this  frost,  for  once,  Justice  was  rendered  to 
Ireland,  and  she  shared  its  pleasures,  with  '  the  bloody  Saxon ' 
(Gentleman's  Magazine,  vol.  84,  part  i.  p.  1 89) :  '  So  completely 
suspended  has  been  the  internal  intercourse  between  Dublin 
and  the  interior,  that  on  1 7th  January,  no  fewer  than  fifteen 
hundred  country  mails  were  due  in  the  Irish  Capital  ;  and,  in 
consequence  of  the  obstruction  to  the  regular  mails,  arising 
from  the  severity  of  the  weather,  the  accumulated  news- 
papers, at  the  Post  Office,  amounted  to  no  less  than  ten  tons  in 
weight.' 

On  the  same  page  it  is  recorded  that  'Fifty  Gentlemen 
dined  in  a  tent  fixed  on  the  ice  on  the  river  Tweed.  One  of 
the  company  was  present  at  a  similar  fete  held  on  the  Tweed 
in  1740.' 

The  Lords  Lieutenant  of  the  different  counties  had  a 
circular  sent  them  from  Lord  Sidmouth,  conveying  the 
Regent's  wishes  for  their  guidance  in  this  juncture,  part  of 
which  is  as  follows  : — 

'  It  will  be  obvious  to  your  Lordship,  that  the  first  and 
immediate  duty  to  which  your  attention  should  be  directed,  is 

9—2 


132  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

that  of  providing  all  practical  means  for  removing  from  the 
highways  and  principal  roads  of  communication  lying  within 
your  Lordship's  County,  the  obstructions  which  have  taken 
place  from  the  late  heavy  falls  of  snow,  so  that  his  Majesty's 
subjects  may  be  able  to  traverse  the  same,  without  danger  or 
impediment,  as  occasion  shall  require. 

'  The  discharge  of  this  duty  is,  fortunately,  most  compatible 
with  the  further  object  which  his  Royal  Highness  has  anxiously 
in  view,  inasmuch  as  it  will  enable  your  Lordship  to  ensure 
employment  for  various  classes  of  individuals,  who,  for  the 
present,  are  deprived  of  their  usual  earnings  by  the  inclemency 
of  the  season. 

'  Your  Lordship  will  be  aware  of  the  necessity  of  giving 
immediate  attention  to  the  Prince  Regent's  commands  on  this 
important  subject;  and  you  will  accordingly  communicate, 
without  delay,  with  the  magistracy,  and  through  them  with 
the  trustees  of  turnpike  roads,  the  overseers  of  the  poor,  the 
surveyors  of  the  highways,  and  other  subordinate  officers 
within  the  districts  and  parishes  of  the  County,  in  such 
manner,  as  to  insure  the  most  speedy  and  effectual  means  of 
carrying  his  Royal  Highness's  pleasure  into  effect.1 

After  the  melting  of  this  snow,  came  very  heavy  floods  in 
almost  every  part  of  the  country. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Burning  of  the  Custom  House — De  Berengei's  fraud  on  the  Stock 
Exchange — Lord  Cochrane  inculpated — Price  of  provisions — 
Arrival  of  the  Duchess  of  Olden  burgh — The  Capitulation  of 
Paris,  and  fall  of  Napoleon— Papa  Yiolette — Elba. 

ON  the  morning  of  Saturday,  February  12th,  the  Custom 
House  in  London  was  burnt  down.  The  first  Custom  House 
stood  on  the  same  site  as  the  present  one,  and  was  rebuilt  in 
1385.  In  Queen  Elizabeth's  time  a  larger  House  was  built 
on  the  same  spot,  which  was  burnt  in  the  Great  Fire.  Wren 
was  the  architect  to  a  new  one,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1715.  Its  successor  was  doomed  to  the  same  fate  ;  its  ruin 
was  complete,  and  for  a  time  it  paralyzed  the  Commerce  of 
the  Port  of  London. 

'  The  actual  loss  to  Government  by  the  sudden  destruction 
of  the  Custom  House  cannot  be  calculated  ;  books,  bonds, 
debentures,  pearls,  coral,  valuable  property  of  every  de- 
scription, and  securities  of  all  kinds  have  been  consumed. 
Business  is,  and  must  be,  quite  at  a  standstill  for  some  time  ; 
numerous  vessels  ready  to  sail  cannot  clear  out,  and,  con- 
sequently, the  injury  to  the  mercantile  world  will  be  most 
severe  and  distressing.  The  private  property  lost  within  the 
building  is  very  considerable.  We  have  heard  of  several 
Gentlemen  who  had  left  large  sums  of  money  in  their  desks, 
ready  to  make  payments  on  the  following  day.  One  has  lost 
upwards  of  £6,000  in  bank  notes,  which  will  be  irrecoverable, 
as  the  memorandum  of  the  numbers  was  in  the  desk  with  the 
notes,  and  met  the  same  fate. 

'  A  very  fine  collection  of  pictures  which  the  Commissioners 
had  permitted  a  gentleman  to  leave  in  deposit,  till  it  would 
be  convenient  for  him  to  pay  the  duties,  amounting  to  £1,500, 
were  destroyed.  A  very  genteel  young  man,  in  appearance, 


134  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814- 

was  stopped  by  some  police  officers  in  Thames  Street,  and,  on 
searching  him,  his  pockets  and  breeches  were  found  to  be 
stuffed  with  coral  beads,  silk  handkerchiefs,  and  other  valuables 
of  small  bulk.  It  appeared  that  his  boldness  in  venturing 
nearer  the  gunpowder  than  even  the  firemen  dared  to  do,  had 
enabled  him  to  obtain  this  booty/ 

This  month  is  remarkable  for  one  of  the  most  daring 
attempted  frauds  on  the  Stock  Exchange  ever  perpetrated. 
It  was  executed  by  one  Charles  Random  de  Berenger,  a 
French  refugee,  and  an  officer  in  one  of  the  foreign  regiments. 
It  was  alleged  that  with  him  were  associated  Lord  Cochrane, 
the  Hon.  Andrew  Cochrane  Johnstone,  and  several  others. 
It  appears  from  the  evidence  on  the  trial,  that  early  on  the 
morning  of  the  21st  of  February,  a  gentleman,  dressed  in  a 
grey  great-coat  over  a  scarlet  uniform,  on  which  was  a  star, 
knocked  at  the  door  of  the  Ship  Inn  at  Dover,  and  said  that 
he  was  the  bearer  of  very  important  despatches  from  France. 
This  gentleman,  all  the  Witnesses  swore,  was  Berenger. 

He  sent  a  letter  signed  R.  Du  Bourg,  Lieut. -Colonel,  and 
Aide-de-Camp  to  Lord  Cathcart,  to  Admiral  Foley,  the  Port 
Admiral  at  Dover,  advising  him  that  he  had  just  arrived  from 
Calais  with  the  news  of  a  great  victory  obtained  by  the  Allies 
over  Bonaparte,  who  was  slain  in  his  flight  by  the  Cossacks, 
and  that  the  Allied  Sovereigns  were  in  Paris.  Berenger 
posted  up  to  London,  which  he  entered,  having  his  horses 
decked  with  laurels,  in  order  to  make  a  stir.  It  was  felt  on 
the  Stock  Exchange.  Omnium,  which  opened  at  27^-,  rose  to 
33 ;  but  as  the  day  wore  on,  and  no  confirmation  came  of  the 
news,  they  receded  to  28j.  Business  in  that  Stock  was  done 
that  day  to  the  tune  of  half  a  million  of  money.  Lord 
Cochrane  and  others  had  previously  given  instructions  to 
several  Stockbrokers  to  sell  Omniums  for  them  on  the  21st 
of  February  to  an  enormous  amount.  One  deposed  that  on 
that  date  he  sold — 

For  Lord  Cochrane,  £139,000  Omnium. 

„    Cochrane  Johnstone,  £120,000       do. 

Do.  £100,000  Consols. 

„    Mr.  Butt,  £124,000  Omnium. 

Do.  £168,000  Consols. 

And  he  further  deposed  that  he  always  considered  that  any 
business  he  did  for  Mr.  Butt  was  to  be  placed  to  Lord  Coch- 
rane's  account 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  135 

Another  Stockbroker  sold  for  the  same  three  gentlemen, 
about  £565,000  Omnium.  Another  had  sold  £80,000  on  their 
account ;  and  yet  another  had  had  instructions  to  sell  a  very 
large  sum  for  the  same  parties,  but  had  refused. 

In  the  end  Lord  Cochrane  and  Mr.  Butt  were  condemned 
to  pay  to  the  King  a  fine  of  a  thousand  pounds  each,  and 
J.  P.  Holloway  five  hundred  ;  and  these  three,  together  with 
De  Berenger,  Sandon,  and  Lyte,  were  sentenced  to  imprison- 
ment in  the  Marshal  sea  for  twelve  Calendar  Months.  Further, 
Lord  Cochrane,  De  Berenger,  and  Butt,  were  to  stand  on  the 
pillory  for  one  hour  before  the  Royal  Exchange  once  during 
their  imprisonment.  This  latter  part  of  their  punishment 
was  afterwards  remitted.  Lord  Cochrane's  name  was  struck 
off  the  Navy  list,  he  was  expelled  from  the  House  of  Commons, 
his  arms  were  taken  down  from  his  stall  as  Knight  of  the 
Bath,  his  banner  torn  down,  and  kicked  ignominiously  out  of 
Henry  VI I.  's  Chapel  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

By  very  many  he  was  believed  innocent,  and,  on  his  seat 
for  Westminster  being  declared  vacant,  he  was  enthusiastically 
re-elected.  He  escaped  from  Custody,  was  captured,  and  had 
to  serve  his  time.  On  June  20,  1815,  he  was  told  that  his 
imprisonment  was  at  an  end  if  he  would  pay  the  fine  imposed 
upon  him  ;  and  on  July  3rd  he  reluctantly  did  so  with  a 
.£1,000  bank  note,  on  the  back  of  which  he  wrote  : — '  My 
health  having  suffered  by  long  and  close  confinement,  and  my 
oppressors  being  resolved  to  deprive  me  of  property  or  life,  I 
submit  to  robbery,  to  protect  myself  from  murder,  in  the  hope 
that  I  shall  live  to  bring  the  delinquents  to  justice.' 

On  the  very  day  he  was  released,  he  took  his  seat  again  in 
the  House  of  Commons.  It  is  not  my  province  to  follow  his 
life,  but  in  1832  he  received  a  'free  pardon' ;  he  was  restored 
to  the  Navy  List,  gazetted  a  rear-admiral,  and  presented  at  a 
levee  ! 

There  is  a  little  bit  of  domestic  news  chronicled  on 
March  9th,  which  is  interesting  when  we  contrast  the  prices 
at  which  we  are  now  supplied  with  the  same  commodities. 
'  Covent  Garden  Market. — The  extreme  severity  of  the  weather 
has  rendered  all  the  fruits  and  vegetables  of  the  season  dear 
beyond  all  precedent.  The  following  are  the  prices  of  some 
of  the  articles  : — Asparagus,  £l  4s.  per  hundred  ;  Cucumbers, 
£l  Is.  per  brace;  best  Pines,  £2  12s.  each;  Grapes,  £3  3s. 
per  pound;  Endive,  8s.  per  dozen;  best  Broccoli,  l6s.  per 
bundle ;  second  ditto,  7s.  per  ditto  ;  French  Beans,  8s.  per 


136  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

100;  Mushrooms,  5s.  6d.  per  pottle;  best  Kale,  12s.  per 
basket ;  Nonpareil  Apples,  8s.  per  dozen ;  Colmar  Pears, 
£l  10s.  per  dozen;  Cos  Lettuce,  4s.  per  dozen ;  Mint,  Is.  6d. 
per  bunch  ;  Greens,  1 6s.  per  dozen  ;  Spanish  Onions,  1 2s.  per 
dozen/ 

This  scale  of  prices  would  never  have  done  for  the  Clergy- 
man mentioned  in  the  next  day's  paper.  '  A  Clergyman,  of 
the  name  of  Matheson,  was  minister  of  Patterdale,  in  West- 
moreland, for  sixty  years,  and  died  lately,  at  the  age  of 
ninety.  During  the  early  part  of  his  life  his  benefice  brought 
him  only  twelve  pounds  a  year ;  it  was  afterwards  increased 
(perhaps  by  Queen  Anne's  bounty)  to  eighteen,  which  it  never 
exceeded.  On  this  income  he  married,  brought  up  four 
children,  and  lived  comfortably  with  his  neighbours,  educated 
a  son  at  the  University,  and  left  upwards  of  one  thousand 
pounds  behind  him.  With  that  singular  simplicity,  and  in- 
attention to  forms  which  characterize  a  country  life,  he  him- 
self read  the  burial  service  over  his  mother,  he  married  his 
father  to  a  second  wife,  and  afterwards  buried  him  also.  He 
published  his  own  banns  of  marriage  in  the  church,  with  a 
woman  whom  he  had  formerly  christened,  and  he  himself 
married  all  his  four  children.' 

On  March  31st  an  illustrious  lady,  the  Duchess  of  Olden- 
burgh,  sister  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  entered  London  in 
great  state,  having  been  met  at  Sheerness  by  the  Duke  of 
Clarence  on  behalf  of  the  Regent,  who  sent  one  of  his  Car- 
riages for  her  accommodation  and  use.  Ostensibly  she  only 
came  to  pay  a  complimentary  visit  to  the  Regent,  but  every 
one  surmised  that  such  was  merely  a  blind  to  cover  a  political 
mission,  for  which  she  was  well  adapted. 

To  show  what  importance  was  attached  to  her  visit,  I  give 
an  official  account  of  her  reception. 

'  The  procession  entered  London,  by  Parliament  Street,  at 
a  quarter  before  four  o'clock,  in  the  following  order : — 

Two  Light  Horsemen. 

The  Duke  of  Clarence's  travelling  Chariot  and  four,  in  which 
were  his  Royal  Highness  and  Colonel  Bloomfield. 

Two  Light  Horsemen. 

Two  footmen  and  an  outrider  in  the  Royal  liveries. 
'The   Prince   Regent's   Carriage,   drawn  by  four  bays,   in 
which   was   her    Imperial     Highness    the    Grand    Duchess 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  137 

Duchess  of  Oldenburgh,  accompanied  by  the  Princess  Volo- 
chowsky,  Madame  Aladensky,  and  the  Countess  Lieven. 

'  At  each  door  of  the  Carriage  one  of  the  Prince  Regent's 
footmen  rode.  The  Carriage  was  followed  by  a  party  of 
Light  Horse. 

'  The  third  carriage  was  another  of  the  Prince  Regent's,  in 
which  were  the  Prince  Gargarine,  General  Turner,  &c. 

'  The  Russian  Ambassador's  Carriage,  with  his  Excellency 
in  it,  finished  the  procession. 

'They  proceeded  through  the  Horse  Guards,  out  at  the 
Stable  Yard,  St.  James's,  up  St.  James*  Street  to  the 
Pulteney  Grand  Hotel,  where  her  Imperial  Highness  was 
received  by  sentinels  placed  at  the  door  for  that  purpose. 
She  was  handed  out  of  the  carriage  by  the  Duke  of  Clarence 
and  Colonel  Bloomfield,  who  conducted  her  to  the  apartments 
prepared  for  her. 

'The  Duke  of  Clarence  took  his  leave,  and  proceeded  to 
Carlton  House,  and  had  an  interview  with  his  Royal  brother, 
the  Prince  Regent.  He  afterwards  returned  to  her  Imperial 
Highness,  to  express  the  Prince  Regent's  congratulations  on 
her  safe  arrival  in  England. 

'  A  grand  dinner  was  given  in  the  evening  in  her  honour  at 
Carlton  House.  The  table  was  laid  for  twenty-five  covers, 
and  the  Queen,  the  Princesses,  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
York,  &c.,  were  all  assembled  to  receive  her  Highness/ 

And  now  we  come  to  the  great  event  of  the  year,  beside 
which  all  other  news,  however  important,  pales,  and  is  a 
thing  of  nought.  The  fall  of  Napoleon,  and  manner  of  it, 
hardly  belongs,  in  a  strict  sense,  to  Social  England  of  the 
time,  and  yet  it  is  so  indissolubly  bound  up  with  it,  that  a 
succinct  account  of  it  is  necessary  for  the  perfection  of  this 
book,  and,  as  the  shortest  and  best  contemporary  narrative  of 
these  events,  that  I  know  of,  is  contained  in  the  Annual 
Register,  I  use  it.  The  French  occupied  the  heights  before 
Paris — the  Allies  were  about  to  storm  them ;  in  fact,  the 
heights  of  Romainville  had  been  carried. 

'  A  redoubt  and  battery  in  the  enemy's  centre  kept  d'  Yorck 
in  check  for  some  part  of  the  day  ;  but  their  flank  being 
exposed  by  the  loss  of  the  heights  of  Romainville,  and  their 
losses  in  every  part  of  the  field,  reduced  them  to  the 
necessity  of  sending  a  flag  of  truce  to  propose  a  cessation  of 
hostilities,  on  the  condition  of  their  yielding  all  the  ground 


138  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

without  the  barrier  of  Paris,  till  further  arrangements  could 
be  made.  The  heights  of  Montmartre  were  at  this  time 
about  to  be  stormed,  and  the  village  of  La  Villette  had  been 
carried  by  Woronzow's  division,  which  was  pushing  on  to  the 
barrier;  the  Sovereigns  of  Russia  and  Prussia,  and  Prince 
Schwartzenberg,  however,  being  desirous  of  saving  the 
Capital  from  being  sacked,  most  humanely  agreed  to  the 
proposal :  two  aides-de-camp  were  sent  to  put  the  terms  in 
execution  ;  the  battle  ceased  ;  and,  at  four  in  the  afternoon, 
Count  Nesselrode,  the  Russian  Minister,  went  into  Paris. 
Thus  terminated  this  important  day  (March  30th),  which  was 
not  without  considerable  loss  to  the  Allies ;  but  it  was  final. 

'  The  Metropolis  of  France  being  thus  laid  prostrate  at  the 
feet  of  hostile  armies,  no  determination  ever  occurred  of 
greater  moment,  in  a  moral  and  political  view,  than  the  treat- 
ment it  was  to  receive.  Besides  the  lust  of  rapine  and 
pillage  which  prevails  in  the  mass  of  all  military  bodies, 
feelings  of  resentment  for  the  long  and  atrocious  injuries 
inflicted  upon  the  countries  of  Europe,  by  the  relentless 
ambition  of  the  French  ruler,  must  have  inspired  a  strong 
feeling  of  retaliation  :  and  the  flames  of  Moscow,  in  particular, 
must  have  kindled  in  the  Russian  troops  an  impatient  ardour 
for  spreading  the  same  destruction  through  the  streets  of 
Paris.  So  fiercely  did  this  passion  rage,  that  the  Emperor 
Alexander  is  said  almost  to  have  descended  to  supplications, 
with  the  more  indisciplined  of  his  bands,  to  induce  them  to 
forego  their  vindictive  purposes.  But  this  benevolent 
sovereign,  with  his  illustrious  confederates,  must  have  shud- 
dered at  the  idea  of  involving  the  innocent,  as  well  as  the 
guilty,  inhabitants  of  a  vast  city  in  the  direst  calamities. 
Moreover,  the  declarations  of  the  Allied  Powers  had  been 
filled  with  sentiments  of  goodwill  towards  the  French  Nation, 
the  happiness,  and,  even,  prosperity  of  which,  they  professed 
to  have  in  view,  as  far  as  was  compatible  with  the  welfare  of 
its  neighbours.  Mere  retaliatory  mischief  is  always  ignoble, 
and  generally  unjust,  since  its  effects  cannot  be  limited  to 
suitable  objects.  From  these  considerations,  though  we  may 
justly  praise,  we  cannot  wonder  at  the  pacific  and  conciliatory 
measures  that  were  immediately  adopted  by  the  victors  on 
this  great  event. 

'  The  first  important  act  was  the  capitulation  which  resulted 
from  the  armistice  granted  by  the  Allied  Powers.  Its  most 
material  articles  were  the  evacuation  of  Paris,  by  the  troops 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  139 

of  Marmont  and  Mortier,  at  seven  in  the  morning  of  the  31st, 
taking  with  them  all  their  military  appurtenances ;  the  entire 
separation  of  the  National  Guard  and  Municipal  Gendarmerie 
from  the  troops  of  the  Line,  leaving  their  future  condition  to 
the  determination  of  the  Allied  Powers ;  and  the  relinquish- 
ment  of  the  Arsenals,  Magazines,  &c.,  in  the  same  state  as 
when  the  Capitulation  was  proposed.  On  the  same  day,  the 
entrance  of  the  Sovereigns  into  Paris  took  place,  the  cere- 
monial of  which  is  thus  described  by  Sir  C.  Stewart:  "The 
Cavalry,  under  the  Grand  Arch-Duke  Constantine,  and  the 
guards  of  all  the  different  allied  forces,  were  formed  in 
columns  early  in  the  morning  on  the  road  from  Bondi  to 
Paris.  The  Emperor  of  Russia  with  all  his  Staff,  his  Generals, 
and  their  suites  present,  proceeded  to  Pantin,  where  the 
King  of  Prussia  joined  him  with  a  similar  Cortege.  These 
Sovereigns,  surrounded  by  all  the  Princes  in  the  Army, 
together  with  the  Prince  Field  Marshal,  and  the  Austrian 
Etat-Major,  passed  through  the  Faubourg  St.  Martin,  and 
entered  the  barrier  of  Paris  about  eleven  o'clock,  the  Cossacks 
of  the  Guard  forming  the  advance  of  the  March.  Already 
was  the  crowd  so  enormous,  as  well  as  the  acclamations  so 
great,  that  it  was  difficult  to  move  forward  ;  but,  before  the 
monarchs  reached  the  Porte  St.  Martin  to  turn  on  the 
Boulevards,  there  was  a  moral  impossibility  of  proceeding. 
All  Paris  seemed  to  be  assembled  and  concentrated  in  one 
spot ;  one  spring  evidently  directed  all  their  movements  : 
they  thronged  in  such  masses  round  the  Emperor  and  King, 
that,  with  all  their  condescending  and  gracious  familiarity, 
extending  their  hands  on  all  sides,  it  was  in  vain  to  attempt 
to  satisfy  the  populace."  In  the  French  account  it  is  added 
that,  before  the  Chiefs  of  the  three  armies  entered  any  house, 
they  made  their  troops  file  off  before  them,  to  preserve 
discipline,  and  prevent  disorders.  They  then  alighted  at  the 
house  of  the  Prince  of  Benevento  (Talleyrand),  and  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  issued  a  declaration  expressing  the  inten- 
tions of  himself  and  Colleagues.  It  affirmed  that  the  Allied 
Sovereigns  would  no  more  treat  with  Napoleon  Bonaparte, 
nor  with  any  of  his  family ;  that  they  respected  the  integrity 
of  Ancient  France,  as  it  existed  under  its  legitimate  kings, 
and  would,  perhaps,  do  more  for  it ;  and  that  they  would 
recognize  and  guarantee  the  Constitution  which  France 
should  adopt. 

'On  April   1st,  the  members  of  the  Senate  assembled  in 


140  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

consequence  of  an  Extraordinary  Convocation,  the  Prince  of 
Benevento  being  President.  They  passed  a  Decree,  "  that 
there  shall  be  established  a  Provisional  Government,  charged 
to  provide  for  the  wants  of  the  Administration,  and  to  present 
to  the  Senate  the  plan  of  a  Constitution  which  may  suit  the 
French  People."  This  Government  was  to  consist  of  five 
members,  who  were  then  nominated,  Talleyrand's  name 
standing  first.  On  the  proposal  of  a  Senator,  the  following 
Articles  were  voted.  That  the  Senate  and  Legislative  Body 
are  integral  parts  of  the  intended  Constitution :  that  the 
Army,  as  well  as  the  retired  officers  and  soldiers,  shall  retain 
the  ranks,  honours,  and  pensions  they  at  present  enjoy :  that 
the  Public  Debts  shall  be  inviolable :  that  the  sale  of  the 
National  Domains  shall  be  irrevocable :  that  no  Frenchman 
shall  be  responsible  for  the  public  opinions  he  may  have 
expressed  :  that  liberty  of  worship  and  conscience  shall  be 
maintained,  as  well  as  liberty  of  the  Press,  subject  to  legal 
penalties  for  its  abuse. 

'  At  a  sitting  of  the  Senate  on  the  following  day,  a  Decree 
passed,  which,  after  a  preamble  asserting  "  that  in  a  Con- 
stitutional Monarchy  the  Monarch  exists  only  in  virtue  of  the 
Constitution  or  Social  Compact,"  proceeded  to  show,  in  a 
number  of  Articles,  in  what  manner  Napoleon  Buonaparte 
had  violated  his  compact  with  the  French  people  ;  and,  as 
the  consequence  declared  : 

'  1.  That  Napoleon  Bonaparte  had  forfeited  the  throne, 
and  the  hereditary  right  established  in  his  family  is  abolished. 

'  2.  That  the  French  people  and  the  Army  are  released 
from  their  oath  of  fidelity  towards  Napoleon  Bonaparte. 

'3.  That  the  present  Decree  shall  be  transmitted  by  a 
message  to  the  Provisional  Government  of  France,  conveyed 
forthwith  to  all  the  Departments  and  the  Armies,  and 
immediately  proclaimed  in  all  the  Quarters  of  the  Capital.  A 
similar  resolution  was,  on  the  same  day,  adopted  by  the 
Legislative  body. 

'  During  these  transactions  in  the  Capital,  Napoleon  moved 
his  army  from  Troyes  by  Sens  towards  Fontainbleau.  He 
arrived  at  Fromont  on  the  30th,  and  would  have  been  in 
Paris  had  it  not  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Allies.  On 
learning  what  had  passed,  he  retired  to  Corbeil,  and  thence 
to  Fontainbleau,  whence,  on  April  4th  he  sent  Marshals  Ney 
and  Macdonald,  and  General  Caulaincourt,  to  carry  to  the 
Senate  his  proposal  of  submitting  to  the  decision  of  that  body, 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  Ul 

and  of  the  French  people,  and  to  abdicate  in  favour  of  his 
son. 

'  This  proposition  being  rejected,  he  announced  an  un- 
conditional abdication  in  the  following  terms :  "  The  Allied 
Powers  having  proclaimed  that  the  Emperor  Napoleon  was 
the  only  obstacle  to  the  re -establishment  of  the  peace  of  Europe, 
the  Emperor  Napoleon,  faithful  to  his  oath,  declares  that  he 
renounces,  for  himself,  and  heirs,  the  thrones  of  France  and 
Italy  ;  and  that  there  is  no  personal  sacrifice,  even  that  of 
life,  which  he  is  not  ready  to  make  for  the  interests  of 
France." ' 

So  fell  Napoleon,  deserted  by  all ;  his  valet,  Constant,  ran 
away  and  robbed  him  of  100,000  francs;  his  Mameluke, 
Rustan,  left  him,  and  reaching  Paris,  would  not  accompany 
his  master  to  Elba.  Madame  Junot  says  : 

'  Few  persons  are  aware  that  Napoleon  was  doomed  to  death 
during  the  few  days  which  preceded  his  abdication,  by  a  band 
of  Conspirators  composed  of  the  most  distinguished  chiefs  of 
the  Army. 

'"But,"  said  one  of  them  in  the  council  in  which  these 
demons  discussed  their  atrocious  project,  "what  are  we  to  do 
with  him?  There  are  two  or  three  among  us,  who,  like 
Antony,*  would  exhibit  their  blood-stained  robes  to  the 
people,  and  make  us  play  the  part  of  Cassius  and  Brutus.  I 
have  no  wish  to  see  my  house  burned,  and  to  be  sent  into 
Exile."  "  Well,"  said  another,  "  we  must  leave  no  trace  of 
him.  He  must  be  sent  to  heaven  like  Romulus."  The 
others  applauded,  and  then  a  most  horrible  discussion  com- 
menced. It  is  not  in  my  power  to  relate  the  details.  Suffice 
it  to  say,  that  the  Emperor's  death  was  proposed  and  discussed 
for  the  space  of  an  hour,  with  a  degree  of  coolness  which  might 
be  expected  among  Indian  savages,  armed  with  tomahawks. 
"But,"  said  he  who  had  spoken  first,  "we  must  come  to 
some  determination.  The  Emperor  of  Russia  is  impatient. 
The  month  of  April  is  advancing,  and  nothing  has  been  done. 
Now,  for  the  last  time,  we  will  speak  to  him  of  his  abdication. 
He  must  sign  it  definitely,  or "  A  horrible  gesture  fol- 
lowed the  last  word.' 

Baron  Fain,  in  '  The  Manuscript  of  1 8 1 4,'  says  that  on  the 
night  of  the  12th  of  April,  Napoleon  attempted  to  kill  him- 
self by  poison  :  all  weapons  of  destruction  having  been  re- 

*  They  alluded  to  the  Due  de  Bassano,  Caulaincourt,  Bertrand, 
and  some  others. 


142  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

moved  out  of  his  reach,  but  he  had  kept  the  poison  by  him 
too  long,  and  it  had  lost  its  virtue.  It  simply  gave  him  great 
pain. 

A  treaty  between  the  Allied  Powers  and  Napoleon  was 
signed  on  the  llth  of  April.  By  its  articles,  after  his  solemn 
renunciation  for  himself  and  his  descendants,  of  the  Sove- 
reignty of  France  and  Italy,  it  was  stipulated  that  Napoleon, 
and  Maria  Louisa,  should  retain  their  rank  and  titles  for  life, 
arid  that  all  the  branches  of  his  family  should  also  possess  the 
title  of  Princes  :  that  the  Island  of  Elba  should  form  a  sepa- 
rate principality,  to  be  held  by  him  in  full  sovereignty  and 
property  for  life  ;  that  there  should  be  granted  to  him  an 
annual  revenue  of  six  million  of  francs,*  with  reversion  of  one 
million  to  the  Empress,  and  that,  to  the  members  of  his  family, 
a  revenue  of  two  and  a  half  millions  of  francs  should  be 
assigned.  That  the  Duchies  of  Parma,  Guastalla,  and  Pla- 
centia  should  be  granted  in  full  sovereignty  to  the  Empress, 
with  succession  to  her  son  and  descendants.  That  the  pro- 
perty possessed  by  Napoleon  in  France,  as  Domain,  should 
form  a  capital  not  exceeding  two  millions  of  francs,  to  be 
expended  in  gratifications  to  persons  according  to  a  list  given 
in  by  him ;  that  free  passage  should  be  given  to  all  of  the 
family,  and  their  suites,  who  chose  to  establish  themselves 
out  of  France,  and  an  escort  of  1,200  or  1,500  of  the  Impe- 
rial Guard  to  Napoleon  himself,  to  the  place  of  embarkation  ; 
and  that  he  should  be  allowed  to  take  with  him,  and  retain, 
400  men,  as  his  guard. 

There  were  a  few  other  Articles  to  the  treaty  which  was 
signed  by  the  Ministers  of  the  Allied  Powers — England  dis- 
senting and  refusing  signature  to  the  assignment  of  Elba  to 
Napoleon,  and  that  of  the  Italian  Duchies  to  Maria  Louisa. 

And  so  for  a  time  he  fades  away,  but  many,  very  many 
Frenchmen  thought,  and  spoke,  lovingly  of  Papa  Violette, 
and  Caporal  Violette,  and  hugged  themselves  with  the  idea 
'  En  printemps  il  reviendra  :'  a  prophecy  which  we  know  was 
fulfilled.  Bunches  of  violets  similar  to  the  illustration  on  the 
opposite  page  were  freely  sold  in  France,  and  my  reader 

*  There  was  an  epigram  made  on  this  allowance — 

1  Celui  qui  devora  de  nombreux  bataillons, 
Qui  nagea  dans  le  sang,  qui  vecut  dans  la  crime, 
N'a  de  rente  que  six  millions — 
Ce  n'est  pas  uu  eou  par  victime.' 


1814] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


143 


will  find  that    it  contains   portraits  of  the   Emperor,   Maria 
Louisa,  and  the  King  of  .Rome. 

But  he  was  supposed  to  be  safely  caged  at  Elba,  and  the 
Caricaturists  held  high  revel  over  his  downfall.  I  should  have 
liked  to  have  reproduced  some  of  them,  but  I  have  already 


VIOLETTES. 

done  so  in  another  book.*  Monsieur,  the  French  King's 
brother,  afterwards  Charles  X.,  made  his  public  entry  into 
Paris,  and  was  received  with  every  demonstration  of  joy  by 
the  inhabitants. 

*  '  English   Caricature   and   Satire   on  Napoleon  I.1     London  : 
Chatto  and  Windus. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Illuminations  for  Peace — Ovation  to  Louis  XVIII. — His  departure 
for  France — Peace  with  France — Cheaper  provisions — Distin- 
guished foreign  guests  in  London — Arrival  of  Emperor  of  Russia 
and  King  of  Prussia — Movements  of  the  great  folk — Popularity 
of  General  Bliicher. 

EASTER  MONDAY  fell  on  the  llth  of  April,  and  on  that  day 
London  was  brilliantly  illuminated,  very  much  better  than 
usual ;  but  then  lights  and  transparencies  had  only  been, 
hitherto,  used  for  Victories — this  was  for  PEACE,  which  was 
welcomed  by  all  with  heartfelt  thankfulness.  The  Duchess 
of  Oldenburgh,  at  the  Pulteney  Hotel,  had  'THANKS  BE  TO 
GOD  '  in  variegated  lamps.  The  Duke  of  Northumberland 
wreathed  the  head  of  his  immortal  lion  with  laurels ;  the 
statue  of  King  Charles  I.  close  by,  was  covered  with  laurels. 
Carlton  House  had  its  pillars  entwined  with  lamps,  the  enta- 
blature marked  out  with  them.  On  the  parapet  were  six 
large  stars ;  in  the  centre  were  the  Arms  of  France  sup- 
ported by  the  figure  of  Fame,  with  laurels,  under  which  was 
Louis  XVIII.  A  pedestal  of  fire  supported  two  large  stars : 
on  the  left,  were  Russia  and  Austria ;  on  the  right,  Prussia 
and  England  ;  whilst  in  the  centre  was  a  bit  of  deliciously 
bad  French — 'Vive  LES  BOURBONS/  all  done  in  silver  lamps. 

I  have  but  space  to  mention  one  more,  and  that  is  Acker- 
mann's  in  the  Strand,  which  was,  if  possible,  more  emble- 
matical than  usual.  It  is  thus  described  :  '  A  Transparency  : 
The  Tyrant  Corsican  is  attacked  by  Death  under  the  walls  of 
Paris  ;  the  grisly  Monarch  has  placed  his  foot  upon  his  breast, 
and  holds  in  one  hand  an  hour-glass,  which,  almost  expended, 
leaves  him  just  time  enough  to  reflect  upon  the  murders  and 
other  atrocities  which  have  attended  his  wicked  Career.  The 
other  hand  grasps  a  massive  iron  spear,  with  which  he  is  sup- 


1814]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  145 

posed  to  have  been  dealing  out  destruction  among  the  armies 
of  Bonaparte.  The  fallen  Tyrant,  in  an  attitude  of  terror, 
supplicates  Death  to  arrest  his  fatal  purpose.  Beneath  him 
are  broken  eagles,  torn  National  Flags,  &c.,  and  in  his  hand 
he  grasps  the  shattered  bloody  remains  of  a  sword.  On  the 
Walls  of  Paris  are  seen  Cossacks,  and  other  Russians,  Prussians, 
Austrians,  &c.,  who  are  raising  the  standard  of  the  Bourbons. 
This  transparency  was  surmounted  by  a  brilliant  circle  of  gas- 
lights, indicative  of  the  union  of  the  world  in  the  Holy  Cause  ; 
over  this  circle  was  a  large  white  flag  spotted  with^/fattt  de  lys, 
hung  out  in  triumphant  display  over  the  tattered,  debased, 
tricoloured  banner  of  the  Revolution.  On  each  side  of  the 
principal  transparency  was  a  smaller  one  ;  the  first  representing 
Bonaparte  blowing  bubbles,  which  burst  as  fast  as  created  ;  in 
the  other,  he  was  seen  amusing  himself  with  building  houses 
and  Castles  of  Cards,  which,  tumbling  down  as  fast  as  they  are 
put  up,  are  truly  emblematic  of  the  vast  achievements  of  his 
reign ;  a  bottle  under  the  table  indicative  that  all  his  designs 
have  ended  in  smoke,  and  a  lanthorn  to  be  useful  to  him 
should  he  be  inclined  to  look  after  his  vanished  Crown.' 

The  Illuminations  were  general  throughout  the  Country, 
and  one  transparency  at  Aberdeen  (April  14th)  deserves 
notice.  It  was  in  the  window  of  a  Stocking  Manufacturer, 
and  represented  a  Dutch  woman  fitting  herself  with  a 
comfortable  worsted  stocking,  exclaiming,  '  Thank  God ! 
Aberdeen  hose  again/ 

Louis  le  desire  was  laid  up  with  gout  at  Hartwell  in  Buck- 
inghamshire, and  did  not  hurry  himself  to  enter  into  his 
kingdom.  It  had  to  be  done,  however,  and,  moreover,  he 
had  to  face  a  public  reception  in  London  on  the  20th  of 
April.  The  Prince  Regent,  and  many  of  the  Nobility,  met 
him  at  the  Abercorn  Arms  at  Stanmore  :  his  postilions  being 
clad  in  white,  with  white  hats,  and  white  cockades.  This 
fancy  for  exhibiting  white,  in  honour  of  the  colour  of  the 
Bourbon  flag,  took  odd  expression,  for  some  people  exhibited 
•sheets,  and  even  pillow-cases  were  requisitioned.  All  the 
nobility  and  gentry  of  that  part  of  Middlesex,  and,  indeed, 
almost  all  who  could  muster  a  horse,  went  a  mile  or  so  from 
Stanmore  to  meet  the  King,  and  accompany  him  ;  nay,  there 
were  even  the  regulation  fools,  who  took  the  horses  out  of  his 
Carriage,  and  drew  him  in  what  they  called  triumph  to  the 
Abercorn  Arms,  where  the  poor  old  gouty  King  was  lifted 
out,  and  tottered  to  the  Inn,  where  the  Regent  awaited  hinu 

10 


146  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [18 1 4 

No  longer  the  Comte  de  Lisle,  he  was  now  Louis  the 
Eighteenth,  the  desire  of  his  people,  and  a  very  important 
person. 

They  waited  at  the  Inn  until  the  procession  was  formed, 
and  then  they  set  out  in  the  following  order,  at  twenty 
minutes  past  three : — 

One  hundred  Gentlemen  on  horseback. 
Horse  Trumpeters  in  their  splendid  gold  lace  dresses. 

A  numerous  party  of  the  Royal  Horse  Guards. 
Six  Royal  Carriages,  beautiful  bays  to  each,  the  servants  with 

white  Cockades. 

An  outrider  to  each  Carriage. 

A  party  of  the  Royal  Horse  Guards. 

1st  Carriage.  The  great  Officers  of  the  French  Crown  ;  the 
Dukes  d' Havre  and  de  Grammont,  Captains  of  his  Majesty's 
Guards  ;  Count  de  Blacas,  Grand  Master  of  the  Wardrobe  ; 
and  Chevalier  de  Riviere,  his  Majesty's  first  Equerry. 

2nd  Carriage.    The  King  of  France,  the  Prince  Regent,  the 
Duchesse  d'Angouleme,  the  Prince  de  Conde. 
3rd  Carriage.     The  Due  de  Bourbon. 

4<th  Carriage.  The  Duchess  d'Angouleme's  Ladies  of 
Honour. 

5th  Carriage.     Equerries  of  his  Majesty. 

6th  Carriage.     Other  Officers  of  the  Royal  Household. 

An  Officer  of  the  Royal  Horse  Guards  rode  at  each 
window,  and  a  numerous  party  of  Horse  closed  the 
procession. 

They  proceeded  at  a  slow  trot  till  they  came  to  Kilburn, 
when  they  commenced  a  walking  pace,  and  a  groom  to  the 
head  of  each  horse  was  added. 

The  greatest  respect  was  shown  by  the  people  on  the 
route,  who  displayed  laurels,  white  ribbons,  &c.,  and  hailed 
the  Royal  party  with  general  acclamation.  They  passed 
through  Hyde  Park,  and  down  Piccadilly,  to  Albemarle 
Street ;  down  which  they  turned,  receiving  the  compliments 
of  all  the  Royal  Princesses,  who  had  been  invited  by  the 
Duchess  of  Oldenburgh  to  see  the  Procession  from  the 
Pulteney  Hotel,  and  stopped  at  Grillon's  Hotel,  where  the 
King  was  to  lodge.  Here  the  King,  leaning  on  the  arm  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  hobbled  into  a  drawing-room,  and 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  147 

sank,  exhausted,  into  an  arm-chair  ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had 
recovered  somewhat,  he  thanked  the  Prince  Regent  in  no 
measured  terms.  He  expressed  his  gratitude  for  the  favours 
conferred  upon  him,  stating  that  he  had  been  indebted  to  his 
Royal  Highness  for  the  preservation  of  his  life,  and  even  for 
his  daily  subsistence,  and  he  had  now  to  express  his  obliga- 
tions to  his  Royal  Highness  for  the  restoration  of  the  House 
of  Bourbon.  It  was  impossible  for  him  to  find  language  to 
convey  in  adequate  terms  the  sense  of  gratitude  he  felt,  or 
the  delight  he  now  experienced. 

The  Prince  Regent  replied  briefly,  deprecating  any  grati- 
tude towards  himself,  and  then  the  King  took  off  the  Cordon 
and  Star  of  the  Order  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  he  wore,  and 
with  them  decorated  the  Prince  Regent,  who  then  retired. 

The  next  day,  at  Carlton  House,  he  was  made  a  Knight  of 
the  Garter,  then  held  a  levee  at  Grillon's  Hotel,  and  received 
an  address  from  the  Corporation  of  the  City  of  London.  He 
left  London  early  on  the  morning  of  the  23rd  of  April, 
escorted  part  of  the  way  by  the  Duke  of  Sussex  ;  and  as  soon 
as  he  entered  the  County  of  Kent  he  was  met  by  Lord 
Camden,  who  was  Lord-Lieutenant,  and,  accompanied  by  him, 
reached  Dover.  On  the  way,  refreshments  were  ordered,  and 
in  readiness,  for  the  King  at  every  inn  where  he  changed 
horses,  so  that  he  might  not  experience  any  delay  or  incon- 
venience. '  On  the  King  stopping  at  Dartford  to  change 
horses,  when  the  animals  were  taken  from  the  Carriage,  the 
populace  proceeded  to  draw  it  without  horses,  and  even 
ascended  the  very  steep  hill  out  of  the  town ;  but  the 
numbers  who  exerted  their  strength  to  it  enabled  them  to 
proceed  at  a  very  quick  pace.  At  Rochester,  the  populace 
drew  his  Majesty's  Carriage  above  a  Mile/* 

On  this  day,  23rd  of  April,  hostilities  were  suspended 
between  Great  Britain  and  France,  both  by  sea  and  land.  On 
the  morning  of  the  24th  the  Prince  Regent,  and  the  Duke  of 
Clarence  took  leave  of  the  French  King,  who  set  sail  for 
France,  and  arrived  at  Calais  without  accident.  Napoleon 

*  This  insensate  folly  still  obtains  occasionally  ;  but  I  never  met 
with  but  one  instance  of  women  sinking  to  the  wimn  depth  of 
degradation.  It  is  in  the  Morning  Chronicle  of  the  5th  of  May, 
1814,  on  p.  2,  under  heading  St.  Sebastian  Mail.—1  Don  Antonio 
entered  Valencia  in  the  Coach  of  the  President  of  the  Regency. 
His  Majesty  would  not  permit  the  Arragonese  Ladies  to  draw  his 
Coach.' 

10—2 


148  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

left  Fontainbleau,  where  he  took  an  affectionate  farewell  of 
his  Old  Guard,  on  the  21st  of  April,  and  embarked  at  Frejus, 
in  Provence,  for  Elba,  on  the  28th  of  April,  where  he  landed 
on  the  4th  of  May. 

On  the  1st  of  May  the  Marquis  of  Wellington  was  created 
a  Duke,  and  on  the  10th  of  the  same  month  the  House  of 
Commons  granted  him  an  annuity  of  £10,000,  in  addition  to 
the  grants  already  bestowed  upon  him — which  might  be 
redeemed  for  a  sum  of  £400,000  to  be  spent  in  an  estate. 

At  last  we  had  got  Peace,  so  long  desired,  which  was  to  be 
the  panacea  for  all  evils.  The  war  had  been  so  long,  that  its 
taxation  almost  ceased  to  be  burdensome.  The  farmers  had 
had  a  fine  time  of  it,  and  had  coined  money,  and,  somehow  or 
other,  our  trade  with  the  world  had  not  come  to  a  standstill, 
in  spite  of  Napoleon's  fulminations,  and  our  own  Orders  in 
Council.  Still  the  return  of  Peace  brought  with  it  a  drop 
in  the  prices  of  most  things.  Pepper  fell  from  2 Id.  to  14d. 
per  Ib.  Sugar  from  120s.  to  90s.  per  cwt.  Brandy  could  be 
bought  at  4s.  6d.  to  4s.  lOd.  per  gallon,  and  a  general  drop  of 
about  20  per  cent,  took  place  on  all  manufactured  goods. 
Here  is  a  picture  of  '  Peace  and  Plenty,  or,  Good  News  for 
John  Bull ! ! ! ' 

Louis  XVIII.  proposes  '  Here's  the  Prince  Regent,  and  his 
Allies  !'  to  which  John  Bull  replies,  '  Huzza  !  with  all  my 
heart,  and  may  we  never  want  better  friends.'  There  is  a 
board  ladder,  down  which  come  provisions  lowered  in  price, 
as  Porter  3d.  a  pot.  Bread  9d.  a  quartern.  On  the  table, 
Beef  is  4d.  a  pound.  Claret  Is.  6d.  a  bottle  ;  whilst  Burgundy 
in  the  wine-cooler  is  priced  at  2s.  a  bottle.  On  the  left,  the 
land  is  being  tilled,  and  goods  are  being  landed,  whilst 
Napoleon  is  seen  in  the  distance  sitting  disconsolately  on  the 
island  of  Elba. 

We  were  now  to  have  an  influx  of  visitors  to  England.  The 
Duchess  of  Oldenburgh  was  still  here,  being  feted  and 
lionized,  having  dinner  at  Carlton  House,  or  a  steak  done 
on  a  shovel,  and  washed  down  with  stout,  at  Whitbread's 
Brewery.  The  Prince  of  Orange  landed  at  Harwich  on  the 
29th  of  April,  and,  after  seeing  the  Prince  Regent,  '  would 
a-wooing  go,'  and  accompanied  the  Regent  on  a  visit  to  his 
daughter  as  her  acknowledged  suitor.  Marshal  Bliicher  (Old 
General  Vorwarts)  came  over  here  very  early  in  May,  and 
took  up  his  residence  at  the  Foreign  Hotel  in  Leicester 
Square.  But  all  arrivals  paled  before  the  expected  visit  of 


150  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

the  Emperors  of  Russia  and  Austria,  and  the  King  of  Prussia. 
The  kitchen  in  St.  James's  Palace  was  repaired,  and  newly 
fitted  up  for  the  establishment  of  the  two  first-named 
potentates.  And  '  A  pair  of  massy  golden  Eagles,  nearly  as 
large  as  life,  were  made  a  few  days  since  by  Messrs.  Rundell 
and  Bridge,  for  the  Prince  Regent's  table.  This  beautiful 
ornament  is  to  be  placed,  as  we  understand,  at  the  head  of 
the  dinner-table  near  the  Royal  Guests,  as  a  respectful 
compliment  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  and  the  King  of 
Prussia,  whose  standards  bear  this  imperial  bird.  The  eagle 
is  placed  with  his  talons  on  the  verge  of  a  nest,  which  is  most 
admirably  formed  after  Nature.  The  beak  is  turned  to  a 
horizontal  position,  and  his  eye  fixed  on  the  object  below  ; 
the  wings  are  gracefully  extended,  and  raised  above  the  head. 
In  the  back  of  the  bird  is  concealed  a  lamp  to  contain  burning 
spirits,  over  which  any  plate  may  be  applied  with  ease,  and 
made  warm.' 

At  length  the  promised  day  arrived,  and  on  the  7th  of 
June,  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  and  the  King  of  Prussia,  came 
into  London,  quite  unannounced  and  quietly. 

Morning  Chronicle,  June  8,  1814:  'His  Imperial  Majesty, 
Alexander  of  Russia,  his  Prussian  Majesty,  and  the  illustrious 
Princes  and  Princesses  in  their  respective  suites,  arrived  yes- 
terday in  London,  at  different  hours,  and  by  different  routes, 
to  avoid  the  eclat  of  a  public  entry,  and,  consequently,  to  avoid 
the  pressure  of  the  multitudes  who  had  assembled  to  welcome 
their  approach.  The  Crowds  which  had  gathered  from  all 
parts  of  the  Metropolis,  in  the  direction  which  they  were 
expected  to  take,  was  immense.  In  fact,  from  Charing  Cross 
to  Blackheath  the  way  was  almost  impassable  ;  and  it  was  wrell 
that  the  Royal  Visitors  were  advised  to  come  incog.,  for  it 
would  have  been  with  infinite  difficulty  that  the  escort  could 
have  penetrated  through  the  compact  body  of  the  people  assem- 
bled, without  the  interference  of  military  force,  by  which  mis- 
chief might  have  ensued. 

'  We  are  informed,  indeed,  that  the  route  which  was  taken, 
arose  from  an  arrangement  previously  made,  in  consequence  of 
certain  recent  events,  which  made  the  appearance  of  an 
illustrious  Personage  in  a  Procession,  inconvenient ;  and  that 
as  he  could  not  go  forth  to  meet  and  receive  his  high  guests, 
it  was  determined  that  they  should  be  advised  to  enter  the 
Metropolis  privately.  We  do  not  believe  this  sarcastic  method 
of  accounting  for  the  disappointment  which  was  so  generally 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  151 

felt ;  as  we  cannot  suppose  that,  because  his  Royal  Highness 
could  not  himself  partake  of  the  magnificent  display  which 
was  prepared  for  the  occasion,  he  would  prevent  it  from 
taking  place  altogether.  We  believe,  on  the  contrary,  that 
the  Emperor  of  Russia  and  King  of  Prussia  have  uniformly 
expressed  their  earnest  desire  of  avoiding  all  ceremony,  and 
of  being  allowed  to  do  in  London  as  they  did  in  Paris,  to  go 
about  and  see  everything  worthy  of  notice  without  osten- 
tation. 

'  The  Emperor  of  Russia  arrived  at  half-past  two  o'clock, 
at  the  Pulteney  Hotel,  in  so  private  a  manner  that  the  post- 
boys did  not  know  who  they  were  driving.  He  travelled  in 
Count  Lieven's  Carriage,  without  a  single  attendant ;  he 
passed  all  the  attendants  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Hotel 
without  his  being  known,  and  had  run  up  to  the  first  flight 
of  stairs,  when  Prince  Gargarine  announced  that  it  was  the 
Emperor.  At  the  same  instant  his  sister,  the  Grand  Duchess, 
met  him  on  the  stairs,  and  they  saluted  each  other  in  the 
most  affectionate  manner.  The  Emperor  afterwards  embraced 
the  interesting  child,  Prince  Alexander.* 

'  The  joyful  tidings  of  the  arrival  of  the  Emperor  re- 
sounded not  only  throughout  the  house,  but  in  the  street, 
where  there  was  an  immense  concourse  of  people,  who  ex- 
pressed their  joy  by  repeated  huzzas  and  'Long  live  the 
Emperor/  &c.,  &c.  He,  in  consequence,  appeared,  a  short 
time  afterwards,  at  the  balcony,  and  bowed  in  the  most 
condescending  manner,  and  which  he  continued  to  do,  at 
intervals,  till  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  the  people  rending  the 
air  with  shouts  of  applause.  The  Earl  of  Morton,  the  Queen's 
Chamberlain,  waited  upon  the  Emperor  in  the  name  of  the 
Queen,  to  express  her  congratulations  on  his  arrival  in 
England. 

'At  half-past  four  the  Emperor  went  in  Count  Lieven's 
Carriage,  accompanied  by  his  Excellency,  to  pay  his  respects 
to  the  Prince  Regent  at  Carlton  House ;  but  he  went  in  so 
private  a  manner  that  the  escort  of  Horse  who  were  ap- 
pointed to  attend  him,  missed  him,  but  they  escorted  him 
back  to  the  Pulteney  Hotel.  His  Imperial  Majesty  was  most 
kindly  received  by  the  Prince  Regent.  The  Emperor  de- 
clined seeing  any  visitors  yesterday  at  the  Pulteney  Hotel, 
but  the  inquiries  of  the  Royal  Family,  the  Foreign  Princes  in 

*  The  son  of  the  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh,  then  about  three  years 
old. 


152  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

that  country,  and  personages  of  distinction  were  innumerable. 
Pulteney  Hotel,  for  the  reception  of  the  Emperor,  has  been 
fitted  up  in  the  most  magnificent  and  princely  style  ;  at  least, 
the  principal  apartments  which  were  occupied  by  the  Grand 
Duchess,  who  has  given  them  up  to  her  brother,  the  Emperor. 
No  pains,  nor  expense,  has  been  spared  by  Mr.  Escudier  on  the 
occasion  ;  he  has  had  a  new  state  bed  put  up  by  Mr.  Oakley 
for  the  Emperor.  The  Grand  Duchess  and  the  Emperor  dined 
together,  without  any  other  person  being  present. 

'The  Prince  Regent,  for  the  purpose  of  showing  all  due 
attention  to  the  Emperor,  prepared  a  Royal  residence  for  him 
in  St.  James's  Palace,  in  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  apartments, 
which,  although  small,  are  extremely  splendid, [which  has  been 
newly  fitted  up  for  the  occasion,  a  new  state  bed  of  Crimson 
Velvet,  with  gold  lace  and  fringe,  a  crown  at  the  top,  and 
appropriate  ornaments.  Yesterday,  the  Lord  Chamberlain, 
the  Lord  Steward,  the  Duke  of  Montrose,  and  Col.  Thornton, 
were  in  attendance  the  whole  of  the  day,  till  seven  o'clock, 
full  dressed,  in  expectation  of  the  Emperor  coming  there  to 
take  up  his  residence.  A  guard  of  honour,  with  two  bands, 
in  their  state  uniforms,  attended  in  the  Court-yard,  opposite 
the  house,  during  the  day. 

'  The  King  of  Prussia,  his  sons,  and  their  numerous  suites, 
came  also  in  a  very  private  manner,  and  arrived  at  Clarence 
House,  St.  James's,  about  three  o'clock.  A  party  of  the 
Yeomen  of  the  Guard,  Royal  Servants,  and  attendants,  as  at 
Cumberland  House,  were  in  readiness  to  receive  him.  His 
Majesty  appeared  highly  delighted  at  his  residence,  and  after 
viewing  it,  partook  of  some  refreshment.  A  few  minutes 
before  four  o'clock,  his  Majesty,  attended  by  his  Aide  de 
Camp,  went  to  Carlton  House  to  pay  his  respects  in  a  very 
private  manner  to  the  Prince  Regent.  His  Highness  received 
him  in  a  similar  gracious  manner  as  he  did  the  Emperor  of 
Russia.  His  Majesty  remained  with  the  Prince  about  half  an 
hour.  His  Majesty  received  visits  from  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
the  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh,  and  a  number  of  others.  His 
Majesty  visited  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  York,  whose  house 
is  opposite  to  Clarence  House. 

'At  a  quarter  past  eight  o'clock,  her  Majesty,  and  the 
Princesses  Augusta  and  Mary,  arrived  at  the  Palace  from 
Windsor.  At  nine  o'clock  her  Majesty  held  a  Private  Court, 
for  the  purpose  of  receiving  one  of  the  principal  gentlemen 
of  the  Emperor  of  Russia's  Court,  to  formally  announce  to  the 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  153 

Queen  the  arrival  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia  in  her  Capital. 
He  was  introduced  to  the  presence  of  her  Majesty  by  Earl 
Morton,  her  Chamberlain,  and  was  most  graciously  received, 
and  her  Majesty  expressed  her  pleasure  to  receive  the 
Emperor. 

'At  six  o'clock,  the  Marshal  General  Bliicher  arrived  in 
St.  James's  Park,  by  the  Horse  Guards,  in  the  Prince  Regent's 
open  Carriage,  escorted  by  a  party  of  light  horse.  He  was 
recognised  by  an  eager  public,  who  paid  their  respects  to  such 
a  gallant  man,  by  whose  persevering  skill  the  Allies  proved 
victorious.  The  Carriage  was  surrounded  and  followed  by 
an  incalculable  number  of  horsemen  and  pedestrians,  all 
vicing  with  each  other  who  should  give  him  the  most  marked 
attention,  and  the  greatest  applause.  The  Drivers,  as  directed, 
made  first  for  Carlton  House,  to  pay  his  first  respects  to  the 
Prince  Regent,  and  that  his  Royal  Highness  might  have  the 
first  pleasure  of  receiving  him.  The  drivers  made  for  the 
gates  in  the  Park  near  the  Stables,  and,  no  sooner  were  the 
gates  opened  to  receive  the  carriages,  than  there  was  a 
general  rush  in  of  horsemen  and  the  public  at  large.  Such 
was  the  zeal  of  the  populace  to  follow  the  gallant  and  vene- 
rable General,  who  has  so  justly  acquired  so  much  military 
fame,  that  all  restraint  upon  them  was  obliged  to  give  way  : 
the  two  sentinels  at  the  gates,  with  their  muskets,  were  laid  on 
the  ground,  the  porter  was  completely  overpowered,  and  it  was 
with  the  greatest  difficulty,  with  the  assistance  of  several 
persons,  that  he  could  get  the  gates  shut.  The  multitude 
proceeded  up  the  yard  of  Carlton  House,  with  the  General's 
Carriage,  shouting  the  praise  of  Bliicher. 

'  The  Carriage  stopped  at  the  side  door,  but  he  was  not 
allowed  to  enter  Carlton  House  that  way.  On  its  being 
known  who  had  arrived,  Cols.  Bloomfield  and  Congreve  came 
out,  dressed  in  full  regimentals,  and  received  the  General  un- 
covered, and  in  that  state  conducted  him,  arm  in  arm,  to  the 
front  and  principal  entrance  of  Carlton  House,  that  all  possible 
respect  might  be  shown  him,  followed  by  the  populace.  The 
cause  of  rejoicing  being  known  to  the  crowd  assembled  in 
Pall  Mall,  they  lost  all  respect  for  the  regularity  of  the  place  ; 
they  instantly  scaled  the  walls,  and  lodges,  in  great  numbers, 
and  their  impetuous  zeal  upon  this  occasion  was  indulged, 
and  the  great  doors  of  the  hall  were  thrown  open  to  them, 
some  of  the  gentlemen  on  horseback  nearly  entering  the  hall. 

'  After  the  first  interview  of  the  General  with  the  Prince, 


.154  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814- 

as  interesting  a  scene  took  place,  probably,  as  ever  was  beheld. 
A  British  Sovereign,  in  the  person  of  the  Prince  Regent,  con- 
ferring an  honour  on  a  foreign  General,  for  his  meritorious 
services,  in  the  midst  of  the  acclamations  of  his  people  ;  and 
the  Prince  Regent  returned  from  his  private  apartments  hand 
in  hand  with  the  gallant  Bliicher,  and  in  the  centre  of  the 
grand  Hall,  surrounded  publicly  by  his  people,  placed  on  his 
shoulder,  and  fastened  with  his  own  hand,  a  blue  ribbon,  to 
which  was  hung  a  beautiful  medallion,  with  a  likeness  of  the 
Prince,  richly  set  with  diamonds.  Marshal  Bliicher  knelt 
whilst  the  Prince  was  conferring  the  honour,  and,  on  his 
rising,  had  the  honour  to  kiss  the  Prince's  hand.  The  Prince 
and  the  General  bowed  to  the  public,  and  their  ecstasy  and 
acclamations  in  return  exceeds  all  description. 

'  The  General,  afterwards,  had  an  interview  with  the  Prince 
for  about  half  an  hour,  and  then  proceeded  in  his  Carriage  to 
the  house  of  Mr.  Gordon,  in  St.  James's  Palace,  adjoining  the 
Duke  of  Cumberland's,  followed  by  an  immense  multitude  ; 
some  got  into  the  Carriage  with  him.  The  Crowd  remained 
in  the  Court-yard  till  dark,  huzzaing,  and  the  gallant  General 
frequently  showing  himself  at  the  window  to  gratify  them. 
The  public  were  indulged  with  remaining  in  the  Court-yard 
at  Carlton  House  during  the  evening,  and  they  testified  their 
loud  applause  to  all  who  arrived  to  partake  of  a  grand  dinner 
given  by  the  Prince  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  his  sons,  the 
Princes,  the  Prince  of  Mecklenburg,  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
several  other  Foreigners  of  distinction,  the  most  of  the  Foreign 
Ambassadors,  and  Ministers,  Count  Munster,  the  Duke  and 
Duchess  of  York,  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  the  Cabinet 
Ministers  and  their  Ladies,  the  Officers  of  the  State  and 
Household,  and  their  Ladies. 

'  The  Princes,  sons  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  had  the  horses 
taken  out  of  their  Carriage,  and  were  drawn  by  the  people  to 
their  Hotel  in  Jermyn  Street.  The  Prince  de  Metternich, 
General  Platow  '  (our  old  friend  the  Cossack  Hetman),  '  and 
General  Barclay  de  Tolly,  drove  to  the  respective  hotels  taken 
for  them.  The  only  triumphal  entry  was  that  of  the  venerable 
and  gallant  Blucher.  He  was  met  four  miles  beyond  Dart- 
ford,  by  a  detachment  of  horse,  and  he  approached  town 
amidst  the  enthusiastic  shouts  of  surrounding  myriads.  They 
avoided  Shooter's  Hill,  and  crossed  Bexley  Heath  to  Eltham. 
Indeed,  the  whole  way  from  Dover  was  one  continued 
Jubilee.' 


1814] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


155 


Here  I  end  the  account  given  by  '  our  own  correspondent ' 
of  that  day.  Its  grammar  and  construction  may  be  found 
fault  with,  but  though  doubtless  written  in  a  great  hurry,  its 
facts  are  correct. 

Rough  old  Blucher  was,  undoubtedly,  of  all  the  brilliant 
throng,  the  favourite  of  the  Mob.  He  shared  with  Schwart- 
zenburg,  Barclay  de  Tolly,  and  Platoff  in  Swords  of  honour, 
value  200  guineas  each,  given  by  the  City  of  London.  His 
popularity  must  have  had  its  inconveniences.  When  he  went 


BLUCHER  GREETED   BY   HIS   NUMEROUS   FRIENDS   IN   THE   PARK,    1814. 

to  Ascot  races  on  the  10th  of  June,  he  was  cheered  more 
than  the  Allied  Sovereigns  ;  it  was  as  much  as  he  could  get 
to  the  Royal  Stand,  hundreds  of  men  and  women  insisting  on 
shaking  hands  with  him  the  moment  he  alighted.  When, 
after  a  race,  he  rode  down  the  Course  in  company  with  the 
Duke  of  York,  he  could  hardly  get  along,  so  great  was  the 
throng.  It  was  only  by  shaking  thousands  of  hands,  that  he 
could  make  any  progress.  Nothing  was  heard  but  shouts  of 


156  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

'Bliicher!  Bliicher!'  the  ladies  in  the  Stands  waved  their 
handkerchiefs,  and  the  gallant  old  Bear  saluted  them  in 
turn. 

There  was  a  poem  entitled — 

•  PRINCE  BLUCHER  AND  THE  BRITISH  LADIES. 

A  Free  Paraphrase  of  Horace.    Book  I,  Ode  8. 

"  Lydia,  die,  per  omnes 
Te  deos  oro,"  &c. 

Say,  Ladies,  by  the  Gods  above, 
Why,  with  such  fond  officious  love, 
Ye  haste  to  spoil  that  Man  of  Glory, 
Old  BLUCIJEK,  doomed  to  live  in  Story? 
Why  should  he  dread  the  peaceful  plain, 
Whom  War  and  dust  assailed  in  vain  ? 
Why  should  the  Veteran  fear  to  ride 
On  horseback  at  his  Monarch's  side  ; 
Or,  if  he  chance  to  take  a  drive, 
Take  chances  to  return  alive  ? 
Cleaves  he  the  Thames  ?  'tis  said  for  him 
The  Ladies  all  will  learn  to  swim  ! 
Though,  cat-like,  ev'ry  mother's  daughter 
Feels  strong  aversion  to  the  water. 
In  vain  he  shuns  the  soap  or  razor, 
Each  maid  becomes  mustachio-praiser. 
Though  vile  before,  in  him  to  smoke 
Is  only  deemed  a  pleasant  joke  ; 
While,  strange  to  say,  the  British  Fair, 
For  his  sake,  doat  upon  grey  hair  ! 
Why  does  he  hide  ?     Nay  rather  let  him 
A  petticoat  and  mantle  get  him  ; — 
In  this  will  BLUCHER  do  no  more 
Than  what  ACHILLES  did  before  ; 
Whom,  though  in  other  things  outdone, 
He  might  well  imitate  in  one. 
Thus  may  he  safely  pass  along, 
Unheeded,  through  the  female  throng  ; 
For  scarce,  I  ween,  their  rapture  reaches 
To  any  worth — but  worth  in  Breeches.1 

Whenever  he  stirred  out  he  was  mobbed,  he  had  to  undergo 
as  much  handshaking  as  any  President  of  the  United  States 
of  America ;  and  really,  the  Caricature  of  '  Bliicher  greeted 
by  his  numerous  Friends  in  the  Park,'  is  not  very  much  exag- 
gerated (see  p.  155).  Poor  old  '  Vorwarts'  is  being  prodded 
and  tickled,  by  his  fair  friends.  Take  another  instance.  On 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  157 

the  24th  of  June,  he  visited  Portsmouth,  in  company  with 
the  Allied  Sovereigns  ;  but  his  friends  (?)  pursued  him  there. 
Here  is  a  contemporaneous  account  of  how  his  friends  treated 
him.  '  After  the  amusements  of  the  day  had  closed,  with  the 
setting  sun,  an  event  occurred,  which  gave  fresh  life  to  the 
town.  A  Coach,  drawn  by  eight  horses,  drew  up  at  the 
Crown  Inn,  or  Clarence  Hotel,  and,  who  should  alight  but 
the  gallant  Bliicher.  He  was  identified  on  alighting  from  the 
Carriage,  and  on  no  occasion  in  London,  were  the  populace 
more  numerous ;  the  eagerness  to  grasp  his  hand,  by  both 
sexes,  was  unparalleled.  "  Bliicher !  Bliicher !"  filled  the  air. 
"  Shew  me  the  Conqueror  of  the  Tyrant:"  "  Come  forward, 
Bliicher !"  was  exclaimed  on  all  sides.  The  gallant  veteran 
appeared  at  the  window  with  his  accustomed  cheerfulness, 
and  the  air  was  rent  with  applause  ;  and  it  was  several  minutes 
before  the  disputants  could  agree  whether  immediate  silence 
was  respectful.  Lungs  carried  the  day,  and,  when  the  roar 
was  out,  the  General,  in  English,  with  a  bumper  in  his  hand, 
drank  to  the  health  of  the  Company.  It  may  easily  be 
imagined  in  what  manner  this  toast  was  returned. 

'  The  populace  became  appeased,  and  soon  after  a  Carriage 
drew  up,  and  was  immediately  surrounded.  Bliicher  got  into 
it  in  haste.  A  party  of  sailors  shoved  in,  and  swore  they 
would  be  true  to  a  good  Commander.  Up  mounted  half  a 
dozen  ;  but,  at  this  time,  an  escort  of  dragoons,  previously 
stopped  by  the  crowd,  and,  consequently  kept  back,  appeared. 
Some  got  off  by  accident,  but  two  kept  their  stations.  The 
Government  House  was  a  few  hundred  yards  distant,  and  the 
two  sailors,  elated  as  Men  of  War's  men  by  victory,  danced 
on  the  top  of  Bliicher' s  Carriage.' 

'  When  BLUCHER  was  told  that,  to  add  to  his  store, 

The  REGENT  an  Order  design'd, 
He  said,  *  I'm  with  Orders  so  cover'd,  'before^ 
I  only  can  hang  it  behind' 

Sir  Charles,*  ever  ready,  due  homage  to  pay, 

Thus  answer'd  the  vet'ran,  "  If  so, 
Then  all  who  have  heard  of  thy  actions  will  say 

It  ne'er  can  be  hit  by  the  foe."  ' 

He  was  an  inveterate  gambler,  but,  on  the  principle  that 
'  dog  does  not  eat  dog,'  whenever  he  played  with  the  officers 
of  his  own  staff,  he  always  returned  them  the  money  he  won 

*  Stewart. 


158  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [18U 

from  them  :  but  he  gave  one  of  them,  a  Prussian  Count,  a 
lesson.  Having  won  some  .£3,000  from  him,  he  sent  for  him 
next  morning,  and  read  him  a  lecture  on  the  folly  of  play, 
instancing  himself  as  an  example,  ingrained,  through  the 
practice  of  a  lifetime,  and  he  ended  his  jobation  by  telling 
his  sub.  that  he  would  return  him  his  money,  on  condition 
that  he  would  promise  never  to  lose  more  than  a,  compara- 
tively speaking,  nominal  sum  a  night.  This  the  young  man 
promised,  and  Bliicher  handed  him  half  his  losses,  keeping 
the  other  half  sealed  up  for  a  twelvemonth,  when  it  might  be 
had  on  application,  if  the  promise  had  been  kept. 

Captain  Gronow,  does  not  give  a  pleasant  picture  of  Bliicher. 
'  Marshal  Bliicher,  though  a  very  fine  fellow,  was  a  very  rough 
diamond,  with  the  manners  of  a  Common  Soldier.  On  his 
arrival  in  Paris,  he  went  every  day  to  the  Salon,  and  played 
the  highest  stakes  at  rouge  et  noir.  The  Salon,  during  the 
time  that  the  Marshal  remained  in  Paris,  was  crowded  by 
persons  who  came  to  see  him  play.  His  manner  of  playing 
was  anything  but  gentlemanlike,  and  when  he  lost,  he  used 
to  swear  in  German  at  everything  that  was  French,  looking 
daggers  at  the  Croupiers.  He  generally  managed  to  lose  all 
he  had  about  him,  also  the  money  his  servant,  who  was  waiting 
in  the  ante-chamber,  carried.  I  recollect  looking  attentively 
at  the  manner  in  which  he  played  ;  he  would  put  his  right 
hand  into  his  pocket,  and  bring  out  several  rouleaus  of 
Napoleons,  throwing  them  on  the  red  or  the  black.  If  he 
won  the  first  coup,  he  would  allow  it  to  remain ;  but  when 
the  Croupier  stated  that  the  table  was  not  responsible  for 
more  than  ten  thousand  francs,  then  Bliicher  would  roar  like 
a  lion,  and  rap  out  oaths  in  his  native  language,  which  would 
doubtless  have  met  with  great  success  at  Billingsgate,  if  duly 
translated  ;  fortunately,  they  were  not  heeded,  as  they  were 
not  understood  by  the  lookers-on.' 

The  Hon.  Grantley  F.  Berkeley*  says :  'So  madly  in  love  with 
old  Bliicher  were  the  English  populace,  that,  during  a  review, 
while  one  mob  was  following  the  heels  of  the  late  Lord 
Londonderry,  and  another  the  heels  of  Bliicher,  so  that  it 
was  impossible  for  either  hero  even  to  sneeze  in  private,  both 
chanced  to  do  the  same  thing.  Bliicher  was  vociferously 
cheered  for  it,  and  Lord  Londonderry  hissed  and  hooted — so 
much  for  the  worth  of  popular  worship.  .  .  .  Nothing  could 
be  more  remarkable  than  the  perfect  understanding  that 
*  'My  Life  and  Keminiscences,'  1866,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  3  and  4. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  159 

existed  between  him  and  his  admirers,  considering  that  he 
knew  not  a  word  of  what  was  said  to  him,  and  they  found  his 
German  quite  as  unintelligible  as  their  English.  It  was  not 
then  the  fashion  to  bore  remarkable  people  for  their  auto- 
graphs or  photographs.  His  new  friends,  too,  were  not  aware 
that  his  signature  was  even  more  difficult  to  make  out  than 
his  remarks  ;  they,  therefore,  rested  content  with  the  honour 
of  a  grip  from  the  old  soldier,  and  talked  of  it  ever  after,  in 
the  family  circle,  as  the  greatest  honour  that  could  have 
befallen  them.  .  .  .  The  favour  with  which  the  Emperor 
was  regarded  was  extended  to  his  uncouth  Cossacks,  which 
not  even  their  filching  and  swallowing  the  oil  from  the  street 
lamps — gas  then  not  having  come  into  use — affected  in  any 
material  degree.' 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Royal  festivities — The  Emperor  of  Russia,  the  King  of  Prussia, 
and  General  Bliicher  at  Oxford  —  Banquet  at  Guildhall — 
Departure  of  the  Allied  Sovereigns — Signature  of  Treaty  of 
Peace — Proclamation  of  Peace — State  Thanksgiving  at  St.  Paul's 
Cathedral. 

BUT  I  have  been  doing  precisely  as  they  did  in  1814,  almost 
neglecting  the  august  potentates  of  Russia  and  Prussia,  in  the 
all-absorbing  Field  Marshal.  Let  us  see  how  they  spent  their 
time. 

We  know  all  about  their  first  day  in  London.  On  the  next 
(June  8th)  the  Emperor  of  Russia  had  breakfasted  by  eight, 
and  afterwards  walked  in  Kensington  Gardens  with  his  sister ; 
then  went  to  see  Westminster  Hall  and  Abbey,  and  the 
British  Museum.  At  one  he  held  a  levee  at  Cumberland 
House,  which  he  used  as  his  state  apartments,  and  was  visited 
by  the  Prince  Regent,  who,  afterwards,  attended  the  levee  of 
the  King  of  Prussia,  at  Clarence  House.  Between  five  and 
six  both  sovereigns  attended  the  Queen's  Court,  to  be  intro- 
duced to  her  Majesty,  and  they  all  dined  together  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales  at  Carlton  House. 

There  was  one  thing  the  English  people  could  scarcely 
understand.  We  have  seen  that  both  Kaiser  and  King  had 
splendid  state  beds  provided  for  them.  With  singular  un- 
animity they  both  did  away  with  them  at  once ;  both  were 
accustomed  to  the  hardships  of  war.  The  Czar  would  sleep 
on  nothing  but  a  straw  palliasse,  and  the  King  ordered  all  the 
fine  satin  wood  furniture  to  be  removed  out  of  his  bedroom, 
and  a  plain  table  and  glass,  with  one  common  chair  to  be  sub- 
stituted. When  the  bed  was  removed,  his  Majesty's  camp 
equipage  was  brought  in,  whence  were  taken  a  leathern 


1814]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  l6l 

mattress  and  bolster,  which  were  placed  upon  an  ordinary 
Couch. 

On  the  9th  the  Czar,  accompanied  by  Lord  Yarmouth  and 
Col.  Bloomfield,  rode  in  Hyde  Park,  between  seven  arid  eight. 
Thence  they  rode  to  Westminster,  through  Southwark  to  the 
City,  past  the  Royal  Exchange,  through  Finsbury  Square,  the 
City,  and  New,  Roads,  down  Edgware  Road,  and  Hyde  Park 
to  the  Pulteney  Hotel.  After  breakfast,  he  and  his  sister 
quietly  went  through  the  Strand  and  City,  and  visited  the 
London  Docks.  In  the  afternoon  the  King  of  Prussia  was 
made  a  Knight  of  the  Garter,  and  so  was  the  Emperor  of 
Austria,  in  his  absence.  Afterwards,  the  Prince  of  Wales  was 
invested  with  the  Order  of  the  Golden  Fleece  by  the  Austrian 
Minister,  and  that  of  the  Golden  Eagle  by  the  Prussian 
monarch. 

On  the  10th  the  two  foreign  monarchs  breakfasted  to- 
gether, and  then  went  to  Ascot  races  ;  dining,  afterwards, 
with  the  Queen  at  Frogmore. 

June  llth.  The  Emperor  of  Russia,  Duchess  of  Olden- 
burgh,  &c.,  visited  the  Bank  of  England.  Afterwards  the 
two  monarchs  held  court,  at  their  respective  palaces,  for  the 
reception  of  addresses  from  the  City  of  London.  They,  and 
the  Prince  Regent,  dined  with  Lord  Liverpool,  who  was  the 
Prime  Minister,  and,  afterwards,  everybody  went  in  state  to 
the  Opera.  When  I  say  everybody,  I  mean  it,  for,  judge 
of  the  astonishment  of  all,  when,  j  ust  as  the  Second  Act  of 
the  Opera  was  about  to  commence,  a  voice  exclaimed,  '  The 
Princess  of  Wales  !'  and,  surely,  there  she  was,  entering  a 
box,  accompanied  by  Lady  Charlotte  Campbell.  There  was 
a  universal  shout  of  applause  from  the  whole  house,  where- 
upon the  two  sovereigns  and  the  Prince  Regent  rose  and 
bowed,  to  her,  a  courtesy  which  she  returned  with  a  deep 
reverence.  This  was  her  revenge.  The  Queen,  at  the 
instance  of  the  Regent,  had  refused  her  permission  to  attend 
a  drawing-room,  where  she  might  meet  the  sovereigns,  and 
she  chose  this  method  of  securing  their  notice. 

Next  day  (12th)  was  Sunday,  and  the  King  of  Prussia  went 
to  service  at  Westminster.  In  the  afternoon,  the  Czar  and 
King,  accompanied  by  their  suites,  rode  in  Hyde  Park,  and 
the  description  of  this  promenade  a  Ckeval  is  as  follows  :  '  It 
would  seem  as  if  every  horse  in  the  Metropolis  had  resorted 
thither.  The  pressure  was  intolerable  :  the  horses  were  so 
jammed  together,  that  many  Noblemen  and  Gentlemen  had 

11 


162  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

their  knees  crushed,  and  their  boots  torn  off.  We  did  not 
hear  of  any  fatal  Accident.  The  interesting  BLUCHER  was  so 
cruelly  persecuted,  that  he  dismounted,  and  took  refuge  in 
Kensington  Gardens  ;  but  here,  being  afoot  he  was  more 
annoyed.  He  set  his  back  against  a  tree,*  and  seemed  at 
length  quite  exhausted.  The  coarse  kindness  of  our  mob 
is  more  formidable  to  him  than  all  the  enemies  he  ever 
encountered.'  At  night  they  dined  again  at  Carlton  House. 

On  the  13th  at  nine  a.m.  the  illustrious  visitors  embarked 
at  Whitehall  Stairs,  for  a  trip  by  water  to  Woolwich.  It 
must  have  been  a  very  pretty  sight  to  have  seen  the  carved 
and  gilded  barges,  not  only  of  the  Admiralty,  the  Navy,  and 
the  Ordnance  Board,  but  of  all  the  City  Companies,  as  brave 
as  bunting  and  silken  flags  could  make  them,  all  rowed  by 
watermen,  in  uniform,  with  huge  silver  badges  on  their  arms. 
Add  to  this  beautiful  scene,  the  launches  of  the  Enterprise > 
and  of  the  Men-of-War  at  Deptford,  and  Woolwich,  several 
boats  with  bands  of  Music,  and  the  coup  d'ceil  must  have  been 
charming.  There  is  always  plenty  to  see  at  Woolwich  Arsenal 
(it  then  had  a  Dockyard),  and  they  saw  it,  for  they  did  not 
return  till  late  in  the  evening,  just  in  time  for  a  dinner  at 
the  Marquis  of  Stafford's,  and  a  ball  at  the  Earl  of  Cholmon- 
deley's. 

This  gadding  about  must  have  been  tiring  work,  for  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  did  not  get  to  his  hotel,  from  the  ball,  till 
three  o'clock  a.m.,  and  he  was  off  for  Oxford,  by  half-past  six. 
The  Prince  Regent  started  at  a  quarter  to  six.  No  time, 
however,  was  wasted  on  the  journey,  for  nine  relays  of  horses, 
for  each  carriage,  were  provided  to  do  the  58  miles.  The 
Regent  who  was  accompanied  by  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
arrived  about  half-past  ten,  the  time  appointed,  but  they 
were  not  quite  ready  for  him.  They  scrambled  together 
some  kind  of  a  procession,  and  the  Chancellor  laid  the  Maces 
of  the  University  Bedels,  at  his  Royal  Highness's  feet.  Of 
course,  he  graciously  returned  them,  and,  by  this  time,  the 
Mayor  and  the  Civic  portion  of  the  procession  had  arrived, 
and  they  all  proceeded  to  the  Divinity  Schools.  Here,  of 
course,  was  presented  the  inevitable  address,  after  which,  the 
Regent  was  conducted  to  Christ  Church,  where  apartments 
had  been  prepared  for  him. 

A  few  minutes  after  one  o'clock,  the  Czar  arrived,  accom- 
panied by  his  sister,  who  was  attired  in  '  a  plain  travelling 
*  See  page  155. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  163 

dress,  with  a  large  straw  bonnet,  shaded  by  a  broad  pendant 
feather/  This  bonnet  was  the  latest  thing  from  Paris,  which 
the  Duchess  brought  over  with  her,  and  which  speedily 
became  the  fashion.  It  went  by  the  very  undignified  name 
of  '  the  Oldenburgh  Poke/  and  my  reader  will  meet  with 
it  in  the  coming  illustrations.  They  drove  to  Merton 
College. 

Very  shortly  after,  the  King  of  Prussia  and  his  sons,  drove 
up,  and  went  to  Corpus  Christi.  Both  sovereigns  barely  gave 
themselves  time  for  refreshment,  but  went  directly  to  call 
upon  the  Regent,  who  received  them  in  his  cap  and  gown. 
They  then  visited  all  the  objects  of  interest  in  the  most 
interesting  city  in  England.  About  four  o'clock  old  Bliicher 
(who  was  to  be  made  a  D.C.L.)  arrived,  and  received  the 
ovation  which  his  presence  always  produced.  Of  course,  the 
people  wanted  to  drag  his  carriage,  but  good  sense  prevailed, 
and  they  were  not  allowed  to  make  fools  of  themselves.  In 
the  evening,  at  half-past  seven,  a  grand  banquet  was  served 
to  about  two  hundred  guests,  of  whom  the  Regent's  party 
comprised  fifty.  This  took  place  in  the  Radcliffe  Library,  the 
upper  gallery  of  which  was  thrown  open  to  people  to  walk 
round,  and  view  the  dinner.  The  stone  staircases  were  small, 
and  the  pushing  and  crowding  were  great.  Hats,  caps,  and 
shoes  were  flying  in  all  directions,  and  many,  at  last,  extri- 
cated themselves,  with  their  gowns  and  coats  torn  in  pieces. 
The  military  were  called  in,  and  order  was  restored.  The 
banquet  lasted  till  eleven,  when  the  guests  went  through  the 
City  to  see  the  illuminations,  which,  however,  were  extin- 
guished by  a  tremendous  thunderstorm  between  twelve  and 
one. 

Next  morning  the  degrees  were  conferred,  in  the  Theatre, 
on  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  the  King  of  Prussia,  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  (in  absentia),  Prince  Metternich,  Count  Lieven, 
and  Bliicher.  Of  course  fun  was  made  of  this  grizzled  old 
warrior  being  made  a  D.C.L.,  and  Cruikshank  drew  a  picture 
of  him  looking  at  himself  in  a  glass  in  utter  astonishment  (see 
next  page). 

Another  picture  also  by  G.  Cruikshank,  shows  Oxford,  as 
it  was  supposed  to  have  been  during  the  visit  of  the  sovereigns, 
Alexander,  the  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh  (who  has  mounted  a 
cap  and  wig  on  the  crown  of  her  '  Poke  '),  and  Bliicher,  being 
excessively  amiable  to  the  Dons.  Cossacks  vested  in  Gowns, 
and  Caps,  are  the  order  of  the  day,  and  fraternize  right 

11—2 


164 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


[1814 


jovially.     A  dinner  in  Christ  Church  Hall,  and  a  Ball  ended 
the  day. 

We  hear  more  about  poor  Bliicher's  unfortunate  popularity. 
'  The  gallant  Bliicher  seems  to  have  been  the  peculiar  favourite 


BLUCHER  SURVEYING  HIMSELF  AS  A  D.C.L. 

of  the  people.  He  could  not  stir  without  a  crowd,  and  the 
vehemence  of  their  salutations  has  been  almost  painful  to 
him.  His  rooms  at  Christ  Church  were  generally  surrounded 


166  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

by  a  crowd  of  people.  On  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  he 
was  sitting  at  the  end  of  his  bed,  the  window  being  quite 
open,  smoking  his  long  pipe,  in  a  white  vest  with  a  ribbon 
over  it,  with  complete  military  sang  Jroid.  He  frequently 
advanced  to  the  window,  and  bowed.  The  excessive  joy  of 
the  people  almost  overpowered  him  in  the  Theatre  on 
Thursday.  Two  of  the  newly -created  doctors  were  obliged 
to  rescue  him  from  the  hands  of  the  people  by  force,  or  he 
must  have  sunk  under  their  pressure.' 

After  receiving  their  degrees,  the  two  sovereigns  returned 
to  town,  of  course,  immediately  to  resume  dining,  and  Balls. 
On  the  l6th  the  Czar  went  to  see  the  Charity  Children, 
numbering  seven  thousand,  at  St.  Paul's.  In  the  evening, 
both  sovereigns  dined  with  Lord  Castlereagh,  and  then  went 
to  Drury  Lane  Theatre,  after  which  there  was  a  ball  at  the 
Marchioness  of  Hertford's. 

On  the  1 7th  they  visited  Chelsea  Hospital ;  spent  a  fairly 
quiet  day,  and  dined  at  Merchant  Taylor's  Hall.  The  King 
of  Prussia  seems  to  have  had  tastes  identical  with  those  of  the 
Shah  of  Persia,  at  his  visit  here  in  June  1873,  for,  at  eleven 
in  the  morning,  he,  accompanied  by  the  Prince  Royal,  Princes 
William  and  Frederick  of  Prussia,  Prince  Mecklenburgh, 
General  d'York,  Platoff,  and  several  other  of  our  illustrious 
visitors  had  a  dejeuner  at  Lord  Lowther's.  The  most  cele- 
brated pugilists  were  in  waiting  to  exhibit  their  skill.  Jackson, 
Cribb,  Tom  Belcher,  Richmond,  Cropley,  Oliver,  Painter,  and 
some  others.  After  breakfast  they  set  to,  and  there  was 
some  excellent  sparring,  as  might  be  expected. 

A  Banquet  was  given  on  the  18th  at  the  Guildhall,  by  the 
City,  on  a  scale  of  magnificence  never  since  equalled.  The 
Regent  and  his  Royal  guests  went  in  the  utmost  state  with 
one  hundred  Yeomen  of  the  Guard — the  Kings  at  Arms.  Six 
heralds  and  all  Herald's  College.  The  Lord  Mayor,  Sheriffs, 
Aldermen,  and  Civic  Officers  all  on  horseback,  met  them  at 
Temple  Bar,  and  accompanied  them  to  the  Guildhall,  which 
was  most  superbly  fitted  up,  principally  with  crimson  velvet, 
gold  fringe,  lace,  lines,  and  tassels. 

At  the  eastern,  or  upper,  end  of  the  Hall,  on  a  platform 
elevated  above  the  level  of  the  floor,  covered  with  Turkey 
carpeting,  was  placed  a  very  large  table,  at  which  stood  three 
massive  carved  and  gilt  chairs  covered  with  crimson  velvet, 
decorated  with  gold  fringes,  under  a  lofty  Canopy  of  rich 
crimson  velvet,  lined  with  crimson  sarsnet,  and  rich  velvet 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  167 

draperies  reaching  to  the  floor,  tied  back  with  gold  ropes.  In 
front  of  the  dome  of  the  Canopy  were  placed  the  Sword  and 
Sceptre ;  and,  on  the  top,  the  Royal  Crown  of  the  United 
Kingdom,  boldly  carved  on  a  large  scale,  and  gilt ;  over  which 
hovered  a  Dove,  with  the  olive  branch,  in  proper  colours,  as 
in  the  act  of  alighting,  in  allusion  to  the  establishment  of 
Peace,  and  in  compliment  to  the  three  great  Personages  sitting 
under  the  Canopy.  In  the  centre  sat 

THE  PRINCE  REGENT. 
On  his  right.  On  his  left. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia.  The  King  of  Prussia. 

Duke  of  York.  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh. 

Prince  Henry  of  Prussia.  The     Hereditary    Prince     of 

Wirtemberg. 

Duke  of  Cambridge.  Countess  Lieven. 

Duke  of  Orleans.  Duke  of  Kent. 

Duke  of  Saxe  Weimar.  Prince  of  Bavaria. 

Prince  Augustus  of  Prussia.  Prince  Metternich. 

The  Duke  of  Oldenburgh.  The  Prince  of  Cobourg. 

Count  de  Merveldt.  Duke  of  Gloucester. 

Prince  of  Hardenberg.  Prince  William  of  Prussia. 

Count  Fernan  Nunez,  DukeV  The  Prince  of  Orange, 

of  Montellano.  )  Princess  Volkonske. 

There  were  besides,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the 
Ministers,  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons,  all  the 
Officers  of  State,  including  the  Prince  Regent's  Household,  the 
flower  of  the  Nobility,  Foreign  Ambassadors,  &c.,  &c. 

Never  was  such  a  banquet  seen.  The  very  waiters  were 
not  hired,  but  were  Citizens,  and  other  gentlemen  of  respect- 
ability, dressed  alike,  in  black,  with  white  waistcoats,  who 
gratuitously  offered  their  services  upon  the  occasion,  and  not 
only  acted  as  waiters,  but  superintended  and  took  care  of  the 
great  quantity  of  Plate  that  was  used,  the  value  of  which  was 
estimated  to  exceed  Two  Hundred  Thousand  Pounds.  The 
Lord  Mayor,  the  Right  Hon.  William  Domville,  was  made  a 
Baronet. 

The  Royal  guests  must  have  been  thankful  that  the  next 
day  (the  19th)  was  a  Sunday.  The  Emperor  went  to  the 
Chapel  of  his  Embassy  in  Welbeck  Street,  after  which,  he 
and  his  sister  went  to  a  Quakers'  Meeting  in  Peter's  Court, 
St.  Martin's  Lane.  On  their  return  to  their  hotel  the  Emperor 


168  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

gave  audience  to  many  people,  on  business ;  then  called  on 
the  Princess  Charlotte,  stopped  with  her  half  an  hour,  and 
then  drove  to  Chiswick  to  visit  the  Duke  of  Devonshire,  re- 
turning to  the  Pulteney  Hotel  at  seven,  and  to  a  party  at  the 
Regent's  to  meet  the  Queen  in  the  evening. 

The  King  of  Prussia  went  to  Church  at  St.  George's, 
Hanover  Square.  After  luncheon  he  drove  to  Sion  House, 
Isleworth,  to  visit  Earl  Percy,  and  thence  to  Oatlands,  where 
he  dined  with  the  Duchess  of  York. 

On  the  20th  there  was  what  was  called  a  Grand  Review  in 
Hyde  Park,  but  the  few  soldiers  there  mustered  must  have 
been  a  poor  show  to  those  monarchs,  who  had  only  just  been 
face  to  face  with  grim  War  on  a  very  large  scale.  Both 
sovereigns  went,  without  state,  to  take  leave  of  the  Queen, 
and  both  dined  at  their  hotels ;  both  afterwards  going,  in  the 
evening,  to  the  Fete  given  by  White's  Club  at  Burlington 
House. 

The  21st  was  principally  taken  up  with  receiving  visits,  &c., 
and  a  State  Concert  of  Sacred  Music  at  Carlton  House. 

On  the  22nd,  early  in  the  morning,  both  Czar  and  King 
left  London  for  Portsmouth,  where  there  was  to  be  a  grand 
Naval  Review  in  their  honour,  on  the  25th  of  June.  Fifteen 
sail  of  the  line,  and  fifteen  frigates,  performed  various 
Manoeuvres,  and  the  day  concluded  with  a  grand  entertain- 
ment at  Government  House,  where  the  Royal  party  was  joined 
by  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  who  had  just  arrived  home. 

This  finished  their  visit,  and  they  sailed  from  Dover  on 
the  27th.  Almost  the  last  we  hear  of  them  is :  '  HASTINGS, 
June  27th. — The  Emperor  of  Russia,  the  King  of  Prussia,  and 
the  Grand  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh  passed  through  this  neigh- 
bourhood yesterday  on  their  way  to  Dover.  The  Emperor 
and  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh  stopped  their  carriage  for  some 
time  at  Fairlight,  near  the  town,  and,  in  the  most  condescend- 
ing manner,  shook  hands  with  the  peasantry,  and  distributed 
cakes,  &c.,  among  the  children.'  Cruikshank  draws  this 
incident  in  'Russian  Condescension,  or  the  Blessings  of 
Universal  PEACE/ 

On  May  30th  a  definitive  treaty  of  Peace  was  signed  at 
Paris  between  Great  Britain  and  France,  by  which  the  Islands 
of  Malta,  the  Mauritius,  Tobago,  St.  Lucia,  and  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  were  ceded  to  Great  Britain,  and  illuminations  in 
joy  therefor,  took  place  on  June  9,  10,  11.  But  the  Pro- 
clamation of  Peace  was  not  made  until  the  20th  of  June.  I 


170  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

have  witnessed  one  in  my  lifetime,  that  of  1856,  and  a  very 
shabby  ceremonial  it  was,  the  heralds  looking  especially 
comical,  in  a  hybrid  costume  consisting  of  a  cheese-cutter 
Court  hat,  a  gorgeous  mediaeval  Tabard,  modern  black  trousers 
with  a  broad  gold  lace  stripe,  and  patent  leather  boots. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1814,  a  party  of  Horse  Guards  was 
drawn  up  about  the  gate  of  St.  James's  Palace,  where  the 
Beadles  and  Constables,  and  all  the  officers  of  the  City  of 
Westminster,  attended. 

The  Officers  of  Arms,  Sergeants  at  Arms,  with  their  Maces 
and  Collars  ;  the  Sergeant  Trumpeter,  with  his  Mace  and 
Collar,  the  trumpets  ;  Drum  Major  and  drums  ;  and  the  Knight 
Marshal  and  his  men,  assembled  in  the  Stable-yard,  St. 
James's ;  and  the  Officers  of  Arms,  being  habited  in  their 
respective  tabards,  and  mounted,  a  Procession  was  made 
thence  to  the  Palace  gate  in  the  following  order  : — 

Knight  Marshal's  Men,  two  and  two. 
Knight  Marshal. 

Drums. 
Drum  Major. 

Trumpets. 
Sergeant  Trumpeter. 

Pursuivants. 

Sergeants  /        Heralds.         \   Sergeants 
at  Arms.     \  Kings  of  Arms.  /  at  Arms. 

Being  come  before  the  gate,  the  senior  Officer  of  Arms 
present  (attended  on  his  left  hand  by  the  next  in  rank)  read 
the  Proclamation  aloud  ;  whereupon  the  Procession  moved  on 
to  Charing  Cross  in  the  following  order  : — 

Horse  Guards  to  clear  the  way. 
Beadles   of    Westminster,   two   and   two,   bareheaded,   with 

Staves. 

Constables  of  Westminster  in  like  manner. 

High  Constable,  with  his  Staff,  on  horseback. 

Officers  of  the  High  Bailiff  of  Westminster,  with  white  wands, 

on  horseback. 

Clerk  of  the  High  Bailiff. 

High  Bailiff  and  Deputy  Steward. 


1814] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


171 


2  «  a 


o  g 


B.&S> 


Horse  Guards. 

Knight  Marshal's  men,  two  and  two. 
Knight  Marshal. 

Drums. 
Drum  Major. 

Trumpets. 
Sergeant  Trumpeter. 

Pursuivants. 

Sergeants    (        Heralds.         \    Sergeants 

at  Arms.     \  Kings  of  Arms.  /  at  Arms. 

Horse  Guards. 


At  Charing  Cross  the  Officer  of  Arms  next  in  rank  read  the 
Proclamation,  looking  towards  Whitehall  ;  after  which  the 
Procession  moved  on  to  Temple  Bar,  the  gates  of  which  were 
shut ;  and  the  Junior  Officer  of  Arms,  coming  out  of  the  rank 
between  two  trumpeters,  preceded  by  two  Horse  Guards  to 
clear  the  way,  rode  up  to  the  gate,  and,  after  the  trumpets 
had  sounded  thrice,  knocked  with  a  cane.  Being  asked  by 
the  City  Marshal  from  within,  'Who  comes  there?'  he  replied, 
'  The  Officers  of  Arms,  who  demand  entrance  into  the  City  to 
publish  his  Majesty's  Proclamation  of  Peace.'  The  Gates 
being  opened,  he  was  admitted  alone,  and  the  gates  were  shut 
again.  The  City  Marshal,  preceded  by  his  Officers,  conducted 
him  to  the  Lord  Mayor,  to  whom  he  showed  his  Majesty's 
warrant,  which,  his  Lordship  having  read,  returned,  and  gave 
directions  to  the  City  Marshal  to  open  the  gates,  who,  attend- 
ing the  Officer  of  Arms  on  his  return  to  them,  said  on  leaving 
him,  '  Sir,  the  gates  are  opened.'  The  trumpets  and  guards 
being  in  waiting,  conducted  him  to  his  place  in  the  procession, 
which  then  moved  on  into  the  City  (the  Officers  of  West- 
minster filing  off,  and  retiring  as  they  came  to  Temple  Bar) ; 
and,  at  Chancery  Lane  End,  the  Proclamation  was  read  a 
third  time.  Then  the  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen  and  Sheriffs, 
joining  the  procession  immediately  after  the  Officers  of  Arms, 
moved  on  to  the  end  of  Wood  Street,  where  the  Cross  formerly 
stood  in  Cheapside.  And  the  Proclamation  having  been  there 
read,  the  procession  continued  to  the  Royal  Exchange,  where 
the  Proclamation  was  read  for  the  last  time,  and  the  pro- 
cession returned  by  the  way  of  Gracechurch  Street  through 
Lombard  Street. 


172  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

The  Trumpets  sounded  thrice,  previous  to,  and  immediately 
after,  each  reading. 

On  the  7th  of  July  the  Prince  Regent  went  in  State,  accom- 
panied by  the  Members  of  the  House  of  Lords  and  the  House 
of  Commons,  the  Foreign  Ambassadors,  &c.,  to  St.  Paul's 
Cathedral,  to  render  thanks  to  God  for  the  re-establishment 
of  Peace.  The  line  of  route  was  mainly  kept  by  Volunteers 
and  Yeomanry,  there  being  so  very  few  regular  troops  avail- 
able. The  Procession  was  alternately  Horse  Guards  and  State 
Coaches,  the  last,  of  course,  being  that  of  the  Prince  Regent, 
who  was  gorgeous  in  his  robes,  and  hat  with  a  plume  of 
ostrich  feathers.  The  Duke  of  Wellington,  who,  now  that  the 
Allied  Sovereigns  had  gone,  was  the  lion  of  the  day,  accom- 
panied the  Prince  in  his  carriage,  clad  in  his  new  Ducal 
Robes,  and  when  they  alighted  at  St.  Paul's,  walked  by  the 
Prince's  right  hand,  carrying  the  Sword  of  State.  The  Ser- 
vice was  not  a  long  one,  and  the  sermon  was  preached  by  the 
Bishop  of  Chester. 

It  must  have  been  a  beautiful  sight,  the  Cathedral  holding 
nearly  10,000  persons,  the  male  portion  being  gay  in  uniform, 
official  robes,  or  Court  dress,  and  the  ladies  dressed  as  they 
should  be  on  so  joyful  an  occasion.  All  the  Royal  Dukes, 
except  the  Duke  of  York,  were  present,  and  as  old  Bliicher 
had  not  yet  left  England,  he  had  to  take  part  in  the  cere- 
mony. The  Prince  Regent  was  much  hissed  both  going  and 
returning. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

City  banquet  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington — Costly  vegetables — The 
Princess  Charlotte — Squabbles  about  her  presentation  at  Court 
— The  Regent  hooted — The  Princess  Charlotte  and  the  Prince 
of  Orange — Her  future  husband.  Prince  Leopold — Her  flight  from 
Warwick  House,  and  return. 

I  STILL  must  chronicle  feasting  and  rejoicing.  This  time  it  is 
the  City  of  London  who  honoured  the  national  Hero,  the 
Duke  of  Wellington,  with  a  banquet.  Some  may  grumble  at 
this  way  of  doing  honour  to  merit,  but,  after  all,  it  is  but  one 
mode  of  public  recognition.  The  Government  cannot  spend 
the  public  money  on  such  matters.  Private  acknowledgment 
would  be  worthless,  so  the  City  of  London  always  throws 
itself,  so  to  speak,  into  the  breach,  and  bridges  over  a  chasm 
most  gracefully.  Their  hospitality  hurts  no  one,  as  it  comes 
from  their  own  funds,  and  it  supplies  a  national  want,  and  as 
such,  is  recognized  as  an  honour  done  by  the  nation.  So  a 
feast  was  made,  on  the  9th  of  July,  to  welcome  home  the 
Conqueror  of  Napoleon.  Nationally,  the  Duke  was  well 
rewarded,  both  with  titles  and  money,  but  the  graceful  act  of 
a  public  reception  was  wanting  as  a  crown. 

The  preparations  were  as  magnificent  as  if  for  the  Allied 
Sovereigns,  but  the  feast  had  this  difference — the  Lord  Mayor 
was  the  real  Host.  In  the  former  he  was  subsidiary,  the 
Regent,  of  course,  being  the  central  star.  This  was  a  National 
welcome,  and,  if  there  were  not  so  many  High  Mightinesses 
present,  it  was  none  the  less  hearty.  It  is  of  no  us>e  wearying 
my  readers  with  details  of  the  festivity,  but  I  wish  to  point 
out  what  was  typical  of  the  age  in  dining.  It  is  not  so  long 
ago  that  '  nous  avons  change  tout  cela.'  I,  and  very  many  of 
my  readers,  recollect  the  time  when  '  the  board '  literally 
'  groaned '  under  the  provisions  laid  upon  it,  and  which  heu 


174  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

mlhi  !  we  were  expected  to  carve,  if  placed  before  us.  It  was 
profusion,  meant  to  honour  your  guests,  but  still  unnecessary, 
and  now,  would  be  repulsive.  But  why  ?  oh !  why  ?  was 
there,  at  this  feast,  placed  on  a  side  table  '  a  large  Baron  of 
Beef,  and  near  it  a  beautiful  blue  and  white  China  jug,  which 
will  hold  twenty-three  gallons  of  stout,  on  the  top  of  which 
(?)  will  be  displayed  the  Union  Flag  ?'  One  thing  may  be 
said  in  its  defence,  and  it  is  a  fact  not  generally  known,  that, 
after  a  Civic  banquet,  all  the  food  that  is  left,  is  given  to 
deserving  poor  families,  who  thus  benefit  by  the  festivities  of 
their  richer  brethren.  I  believe  this  also  obtains  with  the 
banquets  of  some  of  the  City  Companies. 

Prior  to  the  dinner,  the  Duke  was  presented  with  the 
Freedom  of  the  City  (an  honour  which  any  one  under  the 
rank  of  a  monarch  does  not  despise)  in  a  gold  box,  and  a 
splendid  sword.  Most  of  the  Royal  Dukes,  and  all  the 
Cabinet  Ministers,  together  with  large  numbers  of  the 
Nobility,  were  present.  There  was  a  gruesome  long  list 
of  toasts,  among  which  was  '  the  Ladies/  proposed  by  the 
Duke  of  Wellington.  Poor  man  !  he  little  thought  what  his 
gallantry  would  cost  him,  or  perhaps,  even  he,  the  dauntless, 
might  have  quailed  before  what  he  had  to  undergo,  with  the 
exception  of  the  last  sentence,  which  probably  served  as  the 
gilt  to  the  pill.  '  Towards  the  close  of  the  evening,  a  tem- 
porary staircase  was  opened  from  the  galleries,  into  the  body 
of  the  Hall,  by  which  the  Ladies  descended,  and  passed 
round  the  hustings,  and  every  one  had  the  honour  of  shaking 
hands  with  the  Immortal  Hero,  and  the  Royal  Dukes,  and 
some  of  the  younger  ones  were  sainted  by  his  Grace.'  We  after- 
wards learn  that  'nearly  Seven  Hundred  Ladies  were  in  the 
Galleries/ 

Apropos  of  what  I  wrote  about  dining,  at  this  period,  hear 
Captain  Gronow,  when  writing  on  the  same  theme  :  '  Even  in 
the  best  houses,  when  I  was  a  young  man,  the  dinners  were 
wonderfully  solid,  hot,  and  stimulating.  The  menu  of  a  grand 
dinner  was  thus  composed  : — Mulligatawny  and  Turtle  Soups 
were  the  first  dishes  placed  before  you ;  a  little  lower,  the 
eye  met  with  the  familiar  salmon  at  one  end  of  the  table,  and 
the  turbot,  surrounded  by  smelts,  at  the  other.  The  first 
course  was  sure  to  be  followed  by  a  saddle  of  mutton,  or  a 
piece  of  roast  beef ;  and  then  you  could  take  your  oath  that 
fowls,  tongue  and  ham,  would  as  assuredly  succeed,  as  dark- 
ness after  day. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  175 

'  Whilst  these  never-ending  pieces  de  resistance  were  occupy- 
ing the  table,  what  were  called  French  dishes  were,  for 
custom's  sake,  added  to  the  solid  abundance.  The  French, 
or  side  dishes,  consisted  of  very  mild,  but  very  abortive, 
attempts  at  Continental  cooking,  and  I  have  always  observed 
that  they  met  with  the  neglect  and  contempt  they  merited. 
The  universally  adored,  and  ever  popular  potato,  produced  at 
the  very  earliest  period  of  the  dinner,  and  eaten  with  every- 
thing, up  to  the  moment  when  sweets  appeared.  Our  Vege- 
tables, the  best  in  the  world,  were  never  honoured  by  an 
accompanying  sauce,  and,  generally,  came  to  the  table  cold. 
A  prime  difficulty  to  overcome,  was  the  placing  on  your  fork, 
and,  finally  in  your  mouth,  some  half  dozen  different  eatables 
which  occupied  your  plate  at  the  same  time.  For  example, 
your  plate  would  contain,  say,  a  slice  of  Turkey,  a  piece  of 
stuffing,  a  sausage,  pickles,  a  slice  of  tongue,  cauliflower  and 
potatoes.  According  to  habit  and  custom,  a  judicious  and 
careful  selection  from  this  little  bazaar  of  good  things  was  to 
be  made,  with  an  endeavour  to  place  a  portion  of  each  in  your 
mouth  at  the  same  moment.  In  fact,  it  appeared  to  me  that 
we  used  to  do  all  our  compound  Cookery  between  our  jaws. 

'  The  dessert — generally  ordered  at  Messrs.  Grange's,  or  at 
Owen's,  in  Bond  Street — if  for  a  dozen  people,  would  cost,  at 
least  as  many  pounds.  The  wines  were  chiefly  port,  sherry, 
and  hock  ;  claret,  and  even  Burgundy,  being  then  designated 
as  "  poor,  thin,  washy  stuff."  A  perpetual  thirst  seemed  to 
come  over  people,  both  men  and  women,  as  soon  as  they  had 
tasted  their  soup  ;  as  from  that  moment  everybody  was  taking 
wine  with  everybody  else,  till  the  close  of  the  dinner ;  and 
such  wine  as  produced  that  class  of  Cordiality  which  fre- 
quently wanders  into  stupefaction.  How  all  this  sort  of 
eating  and  drinking  ended  was  obvious,  from  the  prevalence 
of  gout,  and  the  necessity  of  every  one  making  the  pill  box 
their  constant  bedroom  companion.' 

It  must  have  been  costly,  too,  to  have  then  acted  as  Lu- 
cullus ;  for  those  were  not  the  days  when  steam  annihilated 
distance,  and  brought  tropical  fruits  to  our  doors,  and  when 
any  vegetable  could  be  grown,  at  any  time,  by  means  of 
electric  light,  and  never  allowing  the  plants  any  rest  or  sleep. 
Then,  at  all  events,  rarities  in  vegetables  fetched  a  price, 
such  as  we  should  not  now  dream  of  paying.  Vide  the  follow- 
ing :  '  It  is  a  standing  order  in  the  wealthy  Company  of 
Grocers  to  have  plenty  of  green  pease  at  their  dinner,  when 


176  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

they  do  not  exceed  the  price  of  four  guineas  a  quart ;  this 
year,  from  the  unfavourableness  of  the  season,  they  were  not 
to  be  obtained  under  the  price  of  six  guineas ;  and,  in  con- 
sequence, the  members  were  obliged  so  far  to  narrow  their 
indulgence,  as  to  put  up  with  turtle,  turbot,  venison,  house 
lamb,  turkey  poults,  asparagus,  and  French  beans.' 

This  year  of  1814  must,  I  am  afraid,  be  given  up  to  the 
high  and  mighty  ones  of  this  portion  of  the  world,  for  it  was, 
as  I  have  said,  an  annus  mirabilis,  and  ordinary  people  were, 
so  to  speak,  nowhere. 

Now  it  is  the  Regent's  daughter.  She  came  of  age — she 
wanted  a  household  of  her  own  ;  she  wanted  unrestricted 
intercourse  with  her  mother — and  she  wanted  a  husband. 

She  had  no  love  for  her  father ;  what  child  could  have  any 
filial  affection  for  a  father  who  cared  nothing  for  his  daughter? 
She  was  forbidden  to  see  her  mother,  and  consequently  longed 
for  her.  She  was  legally  of  age,  and  still  was  treated  as  a 
child. 

The  episode  in  her  life,  I  am  about  to  relate,  is  curious, 
and  I  have  endeavoured  to  take  the  most  temperate  authorities 
on  the  subject,  so  that,  whilst  being  contemporaneous,  they 
are,  as  far  as  one  can  judge,  historically  unbiassed.  She  could 
have  had  no  love  for  her  father,  for  his  failings  were  of  public 
notoriety,  and  he  never  lavished  any  of  his  affection  upon  her. 
Her  mother,  too—badly  brought  up  in  a  petty  German  Court, 
where  licence  was  familiar — had,  certainly,  been  indiscreet. 
Her  Peers  absolved  her  from  anything  worse  than  indiscretion, 
and  I,  who  have  studied  her  life,  and  written  it  (not  as  it 
appears  in  the  '  Dictionary  of  National  Biography,'  for,  there, 
it  has  been  maimed,  editorially),  thoroughly  endorse  their 
verdict. 

Of  course,  her  public  life  began  on  her  attaining  her  18th 
year,  when  she  legally  became  of  age,  Her  mother  wished, 
very  naturally,  to  present  her  to  the  Queen,  as  launching  her 
in  life ;  but  the  Queen  had  a  son,  the  father  of  Mademoiselle, 
who  was  not  on  good  terms  with  his  wife  ;  and,  although 
mother  and  son  were  not  the  best  possible  friends,  still  the 
probability  is,  that  grandmamma  thought  that  papa  was  best 
judge  of  his  daughter's  welfare,  and  therefore  backed  up  the 
stern  parent.  Ergo,  Mamma  was  nowhere,  and  went  abroad, 
having  an  increased  allowance,  which  she  would  not  touch. 

The  imprimatur  of  a  young  lady's  life,  in  Court  circles,  is, 
naturally,  her  presentation  at  Court ;  with  men,  it  differs.  I 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  177 

recollect  a  tailor,  in  Fenchurch  Street,  being  presented — the 
Lord  knows  why,  probably  because  he  made  the  clothes  for 
the  Lord  Mayor's  footmen.  But  this  case  was  different — this 
was  the  heiress  to  the  throne — a  personnage,  of  whom  there 
could  be  no  doubt.  Her  mother  was  not  a  persona  gratissima 
at  Court ;  and  although  she  used  to  spend  somewhat  dreary 
days  with  Grandmamma  Charlotte,  and  her  Aunts  at  Windsor, 
she  had  not  yet  been  presented  legally,  nor  had  she  yet 
achieved  the  other  grand  step  in  her  young  life,  and  natural 
ambition  of  her  sex,  that  of  obtaining  a  husband. 

She  got  a  godmother,  for  her  presentation,  in  the  shape  of 
the  good  fairy,  the  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh.  I  have  not  been 
able  to  unravel  what  this  lady's  mission  was,  but  I  know  that 
both  she  and  her  brother  backed  up  the  suit  of  the  Prince  of 
Orange  as  husband  to  the  coming  Queen  of  England. 

This  Drawing  Room  took  place  on  June  2nd,  and  the 
Princess  started  for  the  first  time  as  'the  Daughter  of 
England,'  and  went,  in  more  than  Cinderella  state,  in  an 
elegant  State  Carriage — all  her  own — with  splendid  hammer 
Cloth  of  Scarlet  and  Gold,  with  the  Royal  Arms,  and  Union 
Wreath  richly  embroidered  in  the  centre  on  White  Satin. 
New  harness  of  black  leather  and  raised  brass  ;  three  foot- 
men, and  a  brand  new  coachman,  all  in  brand  new  liveries. 
For  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  was  somebody  ;  for,  let  alone 
all  this  magnificence,  she  was  assisted  into  her  carriage  by  her 
would-be  fiance,  the  Prince  of  Orange. 

According  to  the  '  Court  Circular '  of  the  time,  the  Duchess 
of  Oldenburgh  must  have  been  exceeding  magnifical,  and  more 
than  rivalled  the  famous  creature,  'the  Prox,'  two  of  whom 
came  over  in  three  ships ;  for  I  read,  '  The  Duchess  of  Olden- 
burgh went  in  State  in  three  of  the  Prince  Regent's  Carriages.'* 

It  was,  specially,  on  this  occasion  the  Prince  Regent  was 
hissed,  as  politely  hinted  at  in  the  account  of  the  Allied 
Sovereigns'  Reception  (see  p.  150).  I  do  not  say  that  His 
Royal  Highness  did  not  care  to  face  the  Populace  on  this 
latter  occasion  ;  it  was  thought  so  generally,  and  the  Satirical 
prints,  so  often  misnamed  Caricatures,  were  de  ban  accord. 
These  prints  filled  the  part  of  our  so-called  Comic  papers. 
There  was  no  Punch,  or  the  innumerable  host  of  its  followers 
now  existing ;  and,  what  is  more  universally  taken  as  good- 

*  At  the  moment  of  her  entrance  into  what  is  now  Buckingham 
P.I  lace — then  the  Queen's  House — the  first  gun  was  fired,  announcing 
the  signature  of  the  Definitive  Treatv  of  Peace. 

12 


178  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

humoured  badinage,  was  just  the  same  then,  only  the  sense  of 
humour  was  different.  It  is,  perhaps,  a  little  coarse  to  our 
taste,  but  then  our  grandfathers  had  not  the  advantage  of  the 
artistic  education  of  a  School  Board,  and  they  acted  on  such 
lights  as  were  vouchsafed  to  them. 

His  conduct  to  his  wife,  at  this  time,  rendered  him  very 
unpopular,  and,  in  those  days,  people  were  accustomed  to 
express  their  satisfaction,  or  the  reverse,  with  either  a  Prince 
or  an  Actor.  Nowadays,  goodness  only  knows  what  might 
happen  were  popular  opinion  so  expressed.  Luckily,  our 
Princes  are  too  good  men  to  have  a  shadow  of  unpopularity  ; 
and,  as  to  Actors — well — it  might  end  in  an  action  for  libel, 
or,  slugs  in  a  saw-pit. 

I  give  a  plain,  and  unadorned,  version  of  the  reception  of 
the  Regent,  on  this  occasion,  as  reported  in  a  paper,  certainly 
not  unfriendly  to  him.  '  Pall  Mall  and  St.  James's  Street 
were  kept  perfectly  clear  for  carriages  to  enter  the  Park,  by 
the  Stable  Yard.  The  Prince  Regent,  with  his  superb  retinue, 
passed  along  Pall  Mall  without  interruption  ;  but  his  carriage 
no  sooner  entered  the  Park,  than  the  multitudes  assembled 
there  recognized  his  Royal  Highness,  and  he  was  annoyed  by 
the  most  dismal  yells,  groans  and  hisses,  which  continued  the 
whole  way  from  the  Stable  Yard  to  the  Queen's  House.  The 
horses  were  put  to  their  full  speed  to  carry  his  Royal  High- 
ness through  this  ungracious  scene.  A  very  different  welcome 
was  given  to  the  Military  Heroes  on  their  way  to  the  Palace. 
It  was  with  extreme  difficulty  that  Lord  Hill,  Lord  Comber- 
mere,  and  Lord  Beresford  were  permitted  to  pass  on  in  their 
Carriages,  as  the  people  wanted  to  take  out  the  horses,  and 
yoke  themselves  to  the  harness/ 

Launched  into  life,  she  became  more  independent.  Papa 
had  provided  a  husband  for  her,  but  we  all  know  the  old 
proverb,  that  '  You  may  take  a  horse  to  the  water,  but  you 
can't  make  him  drink.'  She  did  not  like  the  Prince  of 
Orange,  and,  as  any  excuse  is  better  than  none,  she  made  use 
of  the  fact  that  her  husband  in  posse  wanted  to  take  her  to 
Holland,  if  only  for  a  fortnight,  in  order  to  show  her  the 
Country,  and  present  her  to  his  people.  This  she  refused 
utterly  to  do,  and  the  breach  between  them,  which  had  been 
widening  gradually,  became  complete.  He  had  been  treated 
with  but  scant  courtesy,  during  the  visit  of  the  Allied  Sove- 
reigns, so  much  so,  that  it  was  commented  upon.  One 
exemplar  will  suffice. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  179 

'  The  Hereditary  Prince  of  Orange,  who  was  announced  as 
the  intended  husband  of  our  Princess  Charlotte,  and,  conse- 
quently as  the  Consort  of  our  future  Queen,  has  not  been 
treated  with  much  ceremony ;  while  the  other  Illustrious 
Foreigners  had  State  Carriages  and  Royal  liveries,  the  Prince 
was  suffered  to  shift  for  himself,  and  to  find  a  lodging  at  the 
house  of  his  Tailor.' 

In  fact,  she  would  not  have  him,  and  Papa  did  not  like  it. 
Naturally,  the  Satirists  of  the  time  got  hold  of  their  estrange- 
ment, and  improved  the  occasion.  I  reproduce  one  print, 
'  Miss  endeavouring  to  excite  a  Glow  with  her  DUTCH  Play- 
thing/ The  Princess  says  to  her  father,  '  There  !  I  have  kept 
it  up  a  long  while  ;  you  may  send  it  away  now,  I  am  tired  of 
it.  Mother  has  got  some  better  play-things  for  me/  The 
Regent  replies,  '  What !  are  you  tired  already  ?  Take  another 
spell  at  it,  or  give  me  the  whip/  To  which  the  Princess 
answers,  '  No,  no  !  You  may  take  the  Top,  but  I'll  keep  the 
whip/ 

There  was  another,  'The  Dutch  Toy/  The  Princess  is 
represented  as  whipping  a  Top,  with  the  letters  P.  O.  painted 
on  it,  saying,  '  Take  this  for  Ma  !  and  this  for  Pa  !  and  this  ! 
and  this  !  for  myself,  you  ugly  thing,  you/  Through  an  open 
door  the  Regent's  arm  is  seen,  carrying  a  portentous  birch 
rod  ;  and  he  warns  her  that  if  she  does  not  find  pleasure  in 
whipping  the  Top,  he  will  exercise  his  paternal  authority  with 
the  instrument  which  he  bears.  There  are  others,  but  they 
are  hardly  worth  repeating. 

She  had  met  with  her  fate.  We  all  know  that  there  is  in 
a  woman's  life  but  one  'Prince  Charming/  Sometimes  he 
never  comes,  but,  as  a  rule,  he  does.  Well !  here  was  a  case. 
That  fairy  Godmother,  the  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh,  living  at 
her  Pulteney  Hotel,  could,  of  course,  entertain  any  guests  she 
liked  ;  and  one  morning,  Prince  Leopold  of  Saxe-Coburg, 
whilst  paying  a  visit  to  the  Duchess,  met  with  the  Princess 
Charlotte.  People  have  given  up  thinking  of  how  marriages 
are  made,  and  put  the  onus  on  a  Higher  Power,  and  say  they 
are  made  in  Heaven.  She  met  her  kismet,  and,  as  far  as  is 
publicly  known,  her  brief  life  was  spent  happily.  England, 
as  a  nation,  ought  to  be  very  thankful  for  this  union,  for  it 
gave  our  most  gracious  Queen  Victoria  one  of  the  wisest  and 
kindest  Counsellors  possible — King  Leopold  of  Belgium. 
There  must  be  many,  besides  myself,  who  read  these  pages, 
who  recollect  the  kindly  old  gentleman  who  used  to  come 

12—2 


1814] 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


181 


over  here,  just  as  if  he  was  going  to  pay  a  call  in  the  next 
street,  without  any  fuss,  and  to  whom  one  would  regret  the 
not  paying  the  ordinary  courteous  form  of  recognition, 
because  he  was  so  unostentatious.  The  History  of  Europe 
knows  the  effect  of  his  quiet  counsel. 

But  who  would  recognize  him  in  the  accompanying  illustra- 
tion ?  Ay  de  mi !     He  and  the  Princess  Charlotte  danced  that 


THE   DEVONSHIRE   MINUET. 

(Published  May  29,   1813,  by  William  Holland.} 

Minuet,  and  are  no  more  ;  but,  for  the  time  being,  they  were 
a  handsome,  graceful  couple. 

The  Orange  affair  fell  through ;  and,  as  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, who  only  have  to  deal  with  what  people  talked  about 
in  England  at  that  time,  there  is  an  end  of  it.  But  some- 
thing, or  somebody,  irritated  Papa,  and  he  resolved  that 
Mademoiselle's  independence  must  be  curtailed,  and  that  in 
future  she  must  live — well,  not  exactly  with  him,  but  under 


182  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

his  roof,  at  Carlton  House.  I  have  read  all  I  know  that  there 
is  to  be  read  on  the  subject,  and  I  prefer  letting  one  of  the 
parties  tell  the  tale.  It,  and  much  more,  can  be  found  in 
'The  Autobiography  of  Miss  Cornelia  Knight,  Lady  Companion 
to  the  Princess  Charlotte  of  Wales'  (2  vols.  London,  1861). 

'  About  this  time  the  Bishop,*  who  often  saw  the  Chan- 
cellor, and  Lord  Liverpool,  and  was,  also,  I  believe,  employed 
by  the  Regent,  who,  formerly,  disliked  and  despised  him, 
hinted  to  Princess  Charlotte,  in  a  private  conversation,  and  to 
me,  on  paper — as  I  wrote  to  him  on  the  subject — that,  unless 
Princess  Charlotte  would  write  a  submissive  letter  to  her 
father,  and  hold  out  a  hope  that  in  a  few  months  she  might 
be  induced  to  give  her  hand  to  the  Prince  of  Orange,  arrange- 
ments would  be  made,  by  no  means  agreeable  to  her  inclina- 
tions. Her  Royal  Highness  wrote  to  the  Regent  a  most 
submissive  and  affectionate  letter,  but  held  out  no  hope  of 
renewing  the  treaty  of  marriage. 

'  This  letter  was  sent  on  Saturday,  the  9th  of  July.  We 
heard  various  reports  of  the  intentions  of  the  Regent :  it  was 
said  that  I,  and  the  servants,  were  to  be  dismissed,  and  that 
an  apartment  was  being  fitted  up  for  the  Princess  Charlotte  at 
Carlton  House.  Prince  Leopold  of  Saxe-Coburg,  a  handsome 
young  man,  a  General  in  the  Russian  Service,  brother-in-law 
to  the  Grand  Duke  Constantine,  and  a  great  favourite  with 
the  Emperor  of  Russia,  told  Miss  Mercer  Elphinstone  many  of 
these  particulars.  He  had  been  once  at  Warwick  House,  the 
Duchess  of  Leeds  and  myself  being  present.  Miss  Mercer 
Elphinstone,  who  was  intimately  acquainted  with  him,  came 
in  while  he  was  there.  He  paid  many  compliments  to 
Princess  Charlotte,  who  was  by  no  means  partial  to  him,  and 
only  received  him  with  civility.  However,  Miss  Mercer 
evidently  wished  to  recommend  him  ;  and  when  we  drove  in 
the  Park,  he  would  ride  near  the  carriage,  and  endeavour  to 
be  noticed.  There  were  reasons  why  this  matter  was  by  no 
means  agreeable  to  Princess  Charlotte.  However,  he  certainly 
made  proposals  to  the  Regent,  and,  though  rejected,  found 
means  to  get  into  his  favour. 

'  In  the  mean  while,  it  was  reported  that  he  was  frequently 
at  Warwick  House,  and  had  even  taken  tea  with  us,  which 
not  one  of  the  princes  had  done,  except  Prince  Radzivil, 
whom  we  invited  to  sing,  and  accompany  himself  on  the 
guitar.  We  heard  that  Lady  Ilchester  and  Lady  Rosslyn 
*  Of  Salisbury. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  183 

were  talked  of  as  being  about  Princess  Charlotte,  and  I  had 
hints  from  some  of  my  friends,  particularly  from  Lady  Rolle, 
that  a  change  was  about  to  take  place. 

'  However,  the  letter  of  the  9th  remained  unanswered  till 
the  1 1  th,  on  which  day  the  Bishop  was  detained  almost  the 
whole  morning  at  Carlton  House,  and,  at  five,  Princess 
Charlotte  and  I  were  ordered  to  go  over.  Her  Royal  High- 
ness was  too  ill  to  obey  ;  but  I  went,  and  found  the  Regent 
very  cold,  very  bitter,  and  very  silent.  I,  however,  took  the 
opportunity  of  contradicting  any  false  reports  he  might  have 
heard  relative  to  the  Prince  of  Saxe-Coburg,  and  he  answered 
that  this  Prince  was  a  most  honourable  young  man,  and  had 
written  him  a  letter  which  perfectly  justified  himself,  and 
said  that  he  was  invited  by  Princess  Charlotte ;  but  that  it 
was  Prince  Augustus  of  Prussia,  and  not  he,  who  was  in  the 
habit  of  going  to  Warwick  House.  I  justified  Prince  Augustus, 
as  he  well  deserved  ;  and  apologized  for  Princess  Charlotte's 
not  coming  over  to  Carlton  House.  The  Prince  said  she 
must  either  come  the  next  day,  or  Baillie  must  come  to  say 
she  was  not  capable  of  walking  over. 

'  Next  day,  Baillie  said  she  was  quite  capable  of  going  over, 
and  advised  her  so  to  do  ;  but  she  was  really  so  ill,  and  so 
much  affected,  that  it  was  impossible.  Her  Royal  Highness, 
therefore,  wrote  to  the  Regent,  entreating  he  would  come  to 
her.  The  Duchess  of  Leeds,  who,  unfortunately,  had  been 
ordered  to  send  in  her  resignation  some  time  before,  but  still 
came  as  usual  to  Warwick  House,  called  that  morning,  but  I 
could  not  persuade  her  to  stay  till  the  Prince's  arrival,  as  she 
said  he  might  think  it  improper  her  being  there. 

'  About  six,  he  came,  attended  by  the  Bishop,  only  (as  I 
supposed)  ;  but  he  came  up  alone,  and  desired  I  would  leave 
him  with  the  Princess  Charlotte.  He  was  shut  up  with  her 
three  quarters  of  an  hour,  and,  afterwards,  a  quarter  more 
with  the  Bishop,  and  her  Royal  Highness.  The  door  then 
opened,  and  she  came  out  in  the  greatest  agony,  saying  she 
had  but  one  instant  to  speak  to  me,  for  that  the  Prince  asked 
for  me.  I  followed  her  into  her  dressing-room,  where  she 
told  me  the  new  ladies  were  in  possession  of  the  house  ;  that 
I,  and  all  the  servants,  were  to  be  dismissed ;  that  she  was  to 
be  confined  at  Carlton  House  for  five  days,  after  which  she 
was  to  be  taken  to  Cranbourne  Lodge,  in  the  midst  of 
Windsor  Forest,  where  she  was  to  see  no  one  but  the  Queen, 
once  a  week ;  and  that  if  she  did  not  go  immediately,  the 


184  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

Prince  would  sleep  at  Warwick  House  that  night,  as  well  as 
all  the  ladies.  I  begged  her  to  be  calm,  and  advised  her  to 
go  over,  as  soon  as  possible,  assuring  her  that  her  friends 
would  not  forget  her.  She  fell  upon  her  knees  in  the 
greatest  agitation,  exclaiming,  "  God  Almighty,  grant  me 
patience  !"  I  wished  to  stay  and  comfort  her,  but  she  urged 
me  to  go  to  the  Prince,  for  fear  of  greater  displeasure. 

'  I  went  to  him,  and  he  shut  the  door ;  the  Bishop  was 
with  him.  He  told  me  he  was  sorry  to  put  a  lady  to  incon- 
venience, but  that  he  wanted  my  room  that  evening  for  the 
ladies,  repeating  what  Princess  Charlotte  had  already  told 
me.  I  asked  in  what  I  had  offended,  but  he  said  he  made  no 
complaint,  and  would  make  none ;  that  he  had  a  right  to 
make  any  changes  he  pleased,  and  that  he  was  blamed  for 
having  let  things  go  on  as  they  had  done.  He  repeated  his 
apology  for  putting  a  lady  to  the  inconvenience  of  leaving  the 
house  at  so  short  a  notice ;  and  I  replied  that,  my  father 
having  served  His  Majesty  for  fifty  years,  and  sacrificed  his 
health  and  fortune  to  that  service,  it  would  be  very  strange  if 
I  could  not  put  myself  to  the  temporary  inconvenience  of  a 
few  hours.  He  then  said  that  in  the  arrangements  at  Carlton 
House  there  was  a  room  which  I  might  have  for  a  night  or 
two,  if  I  had  nowhere  to  go.  This  I  declined,  thanking  him, 
but  saying  I  had  lodgings,  which,  fortunately,  were  now 
vacant ;  and  that  Lord  and  Lady  Rolle,  who  seemed  to  know 
much  more  of  the  business  than  I  did,  had,  to  my  surprise, 
offered  me  their  house,  for  the  last  fortnight.  I  then  made 
a  low  courtesy  to  him,  and  left  the  room/ 

This,  and  what  occurred  afterwards,  formed  the  topic  of 
conversation  for  the  time ;  and,  of  the  Comic  Prints,  which 
naturally  followed,  the  accompanying  one,  by  George  Cruik- 

shank,    is    the   most   amusing.      It   is    called,    'The    R 1 

kicking  up  a  Row  ;  or,  Warwick  House  in  an  Uproar  !  !  !' 
The  Regent,  addressing  Miss  Knight  and  the  Princess's 
ladies,  says,  '  Get  out !  get  out !  you  faggots  !  Get  out  of 
the  House,  I  say.  Zounds  !  I've  burst  my  stays.  What ! 
what !  you'll  let  her  see  her  mother,  will  you  ?  !  !  !  Oh  !  you 
Jades  !  But  I'll  soon  put  a  stop  to  that — I'll  lock  the  young 
baggage  up,  that's  what  I  will ;  and  I'll  kick  you  to  the 
Devil,  and  that's  what  I  will.  So  turn  out !  turn  out !  out ! 
out !  and  be  d d  to  you  all.' 

The  Princess  is  seen  running  away  to  her  mother,  crying 
out,  '  Oh,  mamma  !  mamma  !  Pappe's  going  to  whip  me. 


1814] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


185 


Oh  !  oh  !  oh  !  !'  The  Bishop  of  Salisbury  is  in  the  background 
looking  on.  The  Bishop  is  aghast,  and  says,  <  Dash  my  wig, 
here's  a  pretty  kick  up  !  !  !'  John  Bull  is  looking  in  at  a 
window,  wondering  '  What  the  Devil  is  he  about,  now  ?' 


H 

8  s: 


Directly  after  the  interview  with  the  Princess,  described 
by  Miss  Knight,  the  former  left  Warwick  House,  and  hailing 
a  hackney  coach  in  Cockspur  Street,  ordered  the  coachman 


186  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814- 

to  drive  to  Connaught  House,  at  the  corner  of  the  Bayswater 
and  Edgware  Roads,  her  mother's  residence.  We  get  a 
graphic  view  of  this  in  an  illustration  called  '  PLEBEIAN  SPIRIT  ; 
or  Coachee  and  the  Heir  Presumptive.'  The  Princess,  who, 
to  judge  by  the  size  of  the  coin  she  is  tendering,  is  paying 
lavishly,*  says,  lex  larmex  </w.r  //mr,  '  Coachman,  will  you  pro- 
tect me  ?'  to  which  the  gallant  Jehu,  hand  on  heart,  replies, 
'  Yes,  your  Highness,  to  the  last  drop  of  my  blood.'  I  have 
not  given  the  background,  for  it  is  too  painful.  Britannia 
and  the  British  Lion  appear,  and  both  are  weeping,  the  Lion 
very  copiously. 

Mamma  was  not  at  home,  but  was  sent  for,  and  met  on  the 
road  from  Blackheath.  The  news  somewhat  upset  her,  but 
she  adopted  the  very  sensible  plan  of  seeking  advice  from 
her  friends,  Mr.  Whi thread  and  Earl  Grey ;  but,  neither 
being  at  home,  she  drove  to  Connaught  House,  and  Mr. 
Brougham  was  sent  for.  Meantime  Papa  did  not  know  what 
to  do,  so  he  sent  for  his  Ministers,  and  consulted  with  them  ; 
and,  so  grave  was  the  occasion,  that  a  Council  was  held  at 
the  Foreign  Office,  and  also  at  Carlton  House.  In  fact,  to 
judge  properly  of  the  unprecedented  gravity  of  the  situation, 
I  need  only  mention  that  when  the  Queen  heard  of  it,  she 
immediately  left  a  Card  party  she  MYU  holding.  A  National 
Revolution  could  hardly  have  had  a  greater  effect. 

Then  remonstrance  was  tried  with  this  wicked,  rebellious 
girl,  and  first  was  sent  my  lord  the  Bishop  of  Salisbury, 
followed  by  the  Duke  of  York,  who  seems  to  have  had  carte 
blanche  to  promise  anything  ;  there  was  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
Lord  Ellenborough,  Adam,  the  Chancellor  of  the  Duchy  ot 
Cornwall,  and  yet  more,  all  come  to  see  what  they  could  do 
with  this  awful  young  lady,  who  had  given  her  papa's  nerves 
such  a  rude  shaking.  Her  kind  uncle,  the  Duke  of  Sussex, 
she  would  see,  because  he  came  independently,  and,  after- 
wards, asked  pertinent  questions  in  her  behalf  in  the  House 
of  Lords. 

Let  Lord  Brougham,  who  had  so  much  to  do  with  this 
interview,  describe  it  :  *  After  dinner  I  first  begged  the 
Princess  Charlotte  to  give  me  a  full  account  of  what  had 
caused  her  fiight  She  said  she  could  not  bear  any  longer 
the  treatment  she  met  with  in  changing  her  ladies  without 
her  consent,  and  of  interrupting  her  intercourse  with  her 

*  According  to  The  Morning  Chronicle  of  July  15th  she  gave  him 
three  guineas. 


1814] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


187 


mother  and  Margaret  (meaning  Miss  Mercer),*  her  most 
intimate  friend ;  and  that  it  was  her  fixed  resolution,  after 
throwing  herself  on  her  mother's  protection,  to  reside  with 
her  entirely.  But  she  dwelt  much  upon  the  match  ;  and, 


although  I  repeated  what  I  had  often  assured  her  of,  that 
without  her  consent  freely  given,  it  never  could  take  place, 

*  Afterwards  Lady  Keith,  and  wife  of  Count  Fluhault. 


188  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

she  said,  "  They  may  wear  me  out  by  ill-treatment,  and  may 
represent  that  I  have  changed  my  mind  and  consented/' 

'  We  then  conversed  upon  the  subject  with  the  others,  and, 
after  a  long  discussion  on  that  and  her  lesser  grievances,  she 
took  me  aside,  and  asked  me  what,  upon  the  whole,  I  advised 
her  to  do.  I  said  at  once,  "  Return  to  Warwick  House,  or 
Carlton  House,  and  on  no  account  to  pass  a  night  out  of  her 
own  house."  She  was  extremely  affected,  and  cried,  asking 
if  I  too  refused  to  stand  by  her.  I  said,  quite  the  contrary  ; 
and  that  as  to  the  marriage,  I  gave  no  opinion,  except  that 
she  must  follow  her  own  inclination  entirely,  but  that  her 
returning  home  was  absolutely  necessary ;  and  in  this  all  the 
rest  fully  agreed — her  mother,  the  Duke  of  Sussex,  Miss 
Mercer,  and  Lady  Charlotte  Lindsay,  for  whom  she  had  a 
great  respect  and  regard.  I  said  that,  however  painful  it  was 
for  me,  the  necessity  was  so  clear  and  so  strong  that  I  had 
not  the  least  hesitation  in  advising  it.  She  again  and  again 
begged  me  to  consider  her  situation,  and  to  think  whether, 
looking  to  that,  it  was  absolutely  necessary  she  should 
return. 

'The  day  now  began  to  dawn,  and  I  took  her  to  the 
window.  The  election  of  Cochrane  (after  his  expulsion 
owing  to  the  sentence  of  the  Court,  which  both  insured  his 
re-election  and  abolished  the  pillory)  was  to  take  place  that 
day.  I  said,  "  Look  there,  Madam  ;  in  a  few  hours  all  the 
streets  and  the  park,  now  empty,  will  be  crowded  with  tens 
of  thousands.  I  have  only  to  take  you  to  the  window,  show 
you  to  the  crowd,  and  tell  them  your  grievances,  and  they 
will  all  rise  in  your  behalf."  "  And  why  should  they  not  ?" 
I  think  she  said,  or  some  such  words.  "  The  commotion,"  I 
answered,  "  will  be  excessive ;  Carlton  House  will  be  attacked 
— perhaps  pulled  down  ;  the  soldiers  will  be  ordered  out ; 
blood  will  be  shed  ;  and  if  your  Royal  Highness  were  to  live 
a  hundred  years,  it  never  would  be  forgotten  that  your 
running  away  from  your  father's  house  was  the  cause  of  the 
mischief ;  and  you  may  depend  upon  it,  such  is  the  English 
people's  horror  of  bloodshed,  you  never  would  get  over  it." 
She,  at  once,  felt  the  truth  of  my  assertion,  and  consented  to 
see  her  uncle  Frederic  (the  Duke  of  York)  below  stairs,  and 
return  with  him.  But  she  required  one  of  the  royal  carriages 
should  be  sent  for,  which  came  with  her  governess,  and  they, 
with  the  Duke  of  York,  went  home  about  five  o'clock. 

'  Before  she  went,   however,  she  desired   me   to  make  a 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  189 

minute  of  her  declaration  that  she  was  resolved  not  to  marry 
the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  that,  if  ever  there  should  be  an 
announcement  of  such  a  match,  it  must  be  understood  to  be 
without  her  consent,  and  against  her  will.  She  added,  "  I 
desire  Augustus  [Duke  of  Sussex]  and  Mr.  Brougham  would 
particularly  take  notice  of  this."  When  I  had  made  the  note, 
it  was  read  distinctly,  and  signed  by  all  present,  she  signing 
first,  and  six  Copies  were  made  and  signed,  and  one  given  to 
each  person  present.'* 

And  so  this  little  episode  was  ended.  Who,  think  you, 
scored  ?  I  must  say,  I  think  that  victory  was  on  the  side  of 
Mademoiselle. 

*  '  The  Life  and  Times  of  Henry,  Lord  Brougham,'  written  by 
himself,  1871,  vol.  ii.  p.  229. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

State  of  Ireland— The  Regent  fetes  the  Duke  of  Wellington— The 
Jubilee  in  the  Parks — Public  opinion  thereon — The  Celebration. 

AMONG  other  Home  topics,  just  at  this  time,  was  one  so 
familiar  to  us — the  disturbed  state  of  Ireland.  Take  this  one 
month  of  July.  Mr.  Long,  of  Ardmayle,  was  shot  almost  on 
his  threshold.  Two  men  with  blackened  faces  entered  a 
cottage  at  Woodhouse,  Co.  Waterford,  and  shot  (gallant 
fellows  !)  a  girl  of  twenty  years  of  age.  Here  is  the  account 
of  a  riot  arising  out  of  an  Orange  demonstration,  taken  from 
The  Belfast  Commercial  Herald  : — 

'  A  dreadful  riot,  attended  with  very  melancholy  circum- 
stances, took  place  at  the  Race  Course  of  Downpatrick.  It 
appears  that  a  very  great  and  unusual  assembling  of  country 
people,  all  armed  with  sticks,  and  some  with  pistols,  was 
observed  on  the  Race  Course  on  Friday  (July  15th),  and  it  was 
understood  that  a  preconcerted  disturbance  was  to  be  the 
consequence,  as,  for  several  days  before,  it  was  said  without 
hesitation  that  "the  Orangemen  had  their  day  on  the  12th  of 
July,  and  they  (the  Threshers,  or  whatever  name  they  go  by) 
should  have  theirs  on  the  Friday  of  the  Races."  About  four 
o'clock  on  that  day,  a  quarrel  (many  present  say  a  sham  fight) 
took  place  between  two  men,  which,  in  an  instant,  attracted 
a  great  crowd,  apparently  on  the  watch,  and  a  disturbance 
ensued,  and  continued  for  a  considerable  time,  till  it  became 
so  alarming,  that  the  magistrates  found  it  necessary  to  send  to 
Down  for  a  detachment  of  the  Middlesex  Militia  quartered 
there. 

'  When  the  military  were  drawn  up,  the  rage  of  the  as- 
sembled crowd  was  directed  almost  wholly  against  them,  and 
they  were  assailed  with  volleys  of  stones  from  behind  the 
tents,  and  many  opprobrious  names.  The  Militia,  all  this 


1814]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  191 

time,  kept  their  ground  with  the  greatest  coolness  ;  the  great 
mass  (some  thousands,  it  is  said),  emboldened  by  the  quiet 
manner  in  which  the  soldiers  acted,  advanced  so  near  as  to 
bid  them  defiance,  pelting  them  with  stones,  by  which  some 
of  them  were  injured  and  knocked  down.  The  soldiers  were 
then  ordered  to  fire  with  blank  cartridge  ;  but  this  only  made 
the  mob  more  riotous.  They  were  then  ordered  to  fire  with 
ball  ;  two  men  instantly  fell,  and  a  great  many  were  wounded  ; 
four  or  five  are  in  the  Infirmary.  A  number  of  the  rioters 
were  taken  prisoners,  and  lodged  in  jail;  one  of  them,  we  have 
heard,  had  four  pistols  in  his  possession,  another  had  two.' 

On  July  21st  the  Prince  of  Wales  gave  &  fete  in  honour  of 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  which,  in  magnificence,  rivalled  that 
famous  one  with  which  he  celebrated  his  becoming  Regent. 
Two  thousand  five  hundred  persons  were  invited,  and  the 
Queen,  the  Princesses,  and  all  the  available  Royal  Family 
were  present. 

About  this  time  the  English  prisoners  of  war  were  returning 
from  France  ;  but,  although  they,  naturally,  had  sad  tales  to 
tell  of  their  sufferings  in  the  French  prisons  and  hulks,  yet 
many  came  back  materially  benefited  by  their  incarceration  ; 
for  the  British  Government  arranged  that  those  with  good 
education  should  teach  those  who  were  ignorant,  for  which 
they  received  a  small  recompense,  and,  consequently,  many 
came  home  able  not  only  to  read  and  write,  but  instructed  in 
mathematics  sufficiently  to  be  of  great  assistance  to  them  in 
their  future  life  as  sailors. 

Truly  I  said  this  was  an  Annus  mirabilis,  for  now,  on  the 
1st  of  August,  was  to  be  the  public  Celebration  of  Peace,  and 
the  date  was  fixed  because  it  was  the  Centenary  of  the 
Accession  of  George  I.,  founder  of  the  present  dynasty  in 
England :  and  this  public  rejoicing  was  christened  '  The 
Jubilee.'  The  following  is,  substantially,  a  correct  programme, 
but  it  was  published  in  a  newspaper  a  fortnight  before,  and, 
afterwards  there  were  some  slight  modifications  ;  but  I  think 
it  is  the  best  contemporaneous  short  account,  of  the  amuse- 
ment provided  for  the  people. 


'THE  GRAND  JUBILEE. 
'  OFFICIAL  PROGRAMME. 


'These    amusements    will    begin    with    the    ascent    of    a 
magnificent  balloon  of  sufficiently  large  dimensions  to  take 


192  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

up  two  persons  in  the  car  affixed  to  it.  It  will  ascend  about 
five  o'clock ;  later  in  the  day,  a  smaller  balloon,  of  20  feet  in 
diameter,  will  also  ascend,  and  a  copious  display  of  fireworks 
from  it  will  be  exhibited  in  the  higher  regions  of  the  air :  it 
will  then  be  made  to  descend  ;  and,  upon  its  second  ascension, 
another  display  of  brilliant  fireworks  will  also  take  place  at  a 
great  elevation  from  the  ground.  Still  later  in  the  evening, 
several  other  balloons,  upon  a  smaller  scale,  will  be  dispatched 
towards  the  clouds,  charged  with  various  fire-works,  which 
will  be  seen  with  effect  at  a  lofty  height,  and,  after  these  are 
expended,  the  hydrogen  contained  in  these  balloons  will  be 
inflamed,  and  will  produce  a  brilliant  appearance,  resembling 
in  splendour  the  most  striking  meteoric  phenomenon. 

'Over  the  Canal*  has  been  thrown  a  beautiful  Chinese 
bridge,  upon  the  centre  of  which  has  been  constructed  an 
elegant  and  lofty  pagoda,  consisting  of  seven  pyramidal 
stories.  The  pagoda  will  be  illuminated  with  the  gasf  lights, 
and  brilliant  fireworks,  both  fixed  and  missile,  will  be  displayed 
from  every  division  of  this  lofty  Chinese  structure.  Copious 
and  splendid  girandoles  of  rockets  will  also  be  occasionally 
displayed  from  the  summit,  and  from  other  parts  of  the 
towering  edifice,  which  will,  at  times,  be  so  covered  with 
jerbs,  Roman  candles,  and  pots  de  brin,  as  to  become  in 
appearance  one  column  of  brilliant  fire.  Various  smaller 
temples  and  columns  constructed  upon  the  bridge,  will,  also, 
be  vividly  illuminated ;  and  fixed  fire- works  of  different 
devices,  on  the  balustrade  of  the  bridge,  will  contribute  to 
heighten  the  general  effect. 

'  The  Canal  will  also  be  well  provided  with  handsomely 
decorated  boats,  at  the  disposal  of  those  who  wish  to  add  this 
amusement  to  the  numerous  pleasures. 

'  The  whole  margin  of  the  lawn  will  be  surrounded  with 
booths  for  refreshment,  which  will  be  illuminated  in  the 
evening,  interspersed  with  open  marquees  provided  with  seats 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  company. 

'  The  Malls  of  the  Park  will  be  illuminated  with  Chinese 
lanterns,  ornamented  with  picturesque  and  grotesque  devices, 
and  every  tree  will  have  variegated  lights  intermingled  with 
its  foliage.  Bands  of  music  will  be  stationed  at  various 
distances,  and  spaces  will  be  provided  at  different  parts  of 

*  The  Ornamental  "Water  in  St.  James's  Park, 
t  Our  ordinary  Gas  (Carburetted  Hydrogen)  was  always  then, 
and  long  after,  called  '  the  Gas.' 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  19 

the  lawn,  for  those  who  delight  in  the  pleasures  of  the 
dance  ;  the  whole  forming  a  Vauxhall  on  the  most  magnificent 
scale. 

'  In  addition  to  the  foregoing  list  of  amusements,  the  Public 
will  have  a  full  view  of  the  Royal  Booth,  and  of  the  grand 
fire-works  in  the  Green  Park,  which  will  be  displayed  from  a 
fortress  or  Castle,  the  ramparts  of  which  are  100  feet  square, 
surmounted  by  a  round  tower  in  the  centre,  about  60  feet  in 
diameter,  and  rising  to  the  height  of  over  50  feet  above  the 
ramparts.  Four  grand  changes  of  fire-works  will  be  exhibited 
from  this  stupendous  Castle,  the  whole  elevation  of  which 
exceeds  90  feet. 

'To  secure  to  every  one  a  complete  view  of  this  edifice 
and  its  decorations,  notwithstanding  its  great  height  and 
dimensions,  it  is  so  constructed  as  to  revolve  on  its  centre, 
so  that  each  side  will  be  successively  presented  to  the 
assemblage  of  the  Company.  The  Castle,  thus  exhibiting 
the  appearance  of  a  grand  military  fortification,  is  intended, 
allegorically,  to  represent  War,  and  the  discharges  of  artillery, 
small  arms,  maroons,  £c.,  may  be  regarded  as  descriptive  of 
the  terrors  of  a  siege.  On  a  sudden,  this  will  cease :  in  the 
midst  of  flames,  clouds  of  smoke,  and  the  thunder  of  artillery, 
the  lofty  fortress,  the  emblem  of  destructive  war,  is  trans- 
formed into  a  beautiful  temple,  the  type  of  glorious  peace. 
The  lower  and  quadrangular  compartment  is  embellished  with 
Doric  columns  of  porphyry ;  the  circular  edifice  which  sur- 
mounts it  is  decorated  with  the  lighter  Ionic  columns  of 
Sienna  marble.  The  whole  will  be  brilliantly  illuminated, 
and  adorned  with  allegorical  transparencies,  executed  by  the 
masterly  pencils  of  artists  of  the  first  eminence/ 

What  fun  was  made  of  this  childish  Exhibition !  These 
were  the  panem  et  circenses  to  reward  the  people  for  their 
having  lavishly  given  of  their  blood  and  gold ;  and  its  con- 
ception was  pretty  universally  put  down  to  the  Prince  Regent; 
the  Chinese  Bridge  and  Pagoda  were  so  highly  suggestive  of 
Brighton.  Many  were  the  verses  on  this  Jubilee  and  its 
putative  author. 

'THE  FATHER  OF  HIS  COUNTRY. 

Princes  of  old,  if  wise  and  good, 
Were  Fathers  called — and  so  they  should — 
And  give  the  little  girls  and  boys 
Plenty  of  gingerbread  and  toys. 

13 


1814]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  igr. 

"  Our  Pa,''  says  Biddy  to  her  brother, 
"  Is  quite  as  good  as  a  Grandmother  /" 
"  Grandmother  !  hush  !  'tis  treason  stark  !" 
Cries  Jacky,  "  Say  a  Grand- Monarque  /"  ' 

One  of  the  greatest  sources  of  ridicule  connected  with  this 
Jubilee  was  '  the  Naumachia,'  a  mimic  combat  on  the  Serpen- 
tine, between  an  English  and  French  fleet.  Of  course  the 
Three  Deckers  and  Frigates  must  necessarily  be  small,  so  they 
were  manufactured  at  Woolwich,  out  of  ship's-boats  :  and  the 
following  lines  give  a  very  fair  idea  of  popular  opinion  on  the 
fete  :— 

'  JOHN  BULL,  the  other  day,  in  pensive  mood 
Near  to  the  Serpentine  Flotilla  stood  ; 
His  hands  were  thrust  into  his  emptied  pockets, 
And  much  of  ships  he  muttered,  and  of  rockets, 
Of  silly  Fetes — and  Jubilees  unthrifty — 
And  Babies  overgrown,  of  two-and-fifty  ; 
I  guess'd  the  train  of  thought  which  then  possess'd  him, 
And  deem'd  th'  occasion  fit,  and  thus  addressed  him  : 

Be  generous  to  a  fallen  foe, 

With  gratulations  meet, 
On  Elba's  Emperor  bestow 

Thy  Lilliputian  fleet ; 

For  with  his  Island's  narrow  bounds 

That  navy  might  agree, 
Which,  laugh'd  at  daily  here — redounds 

In  ridicule  to  thee. 

Says  JOHN,  "  Right  readily  I'll  part 

With  these,  and  all  the  gay  things, 
But  it  would  break  the  R 's  heart 

To  take  away  his  playthings." ' 

The  chaff  was  great  about  these  ships — see  under  : — 

'  A  simple  Angler,  throwing  flies  for  trout, 
Hauled  the  main  mast,  and  lugg'd  a  First  Rate  out.' 

1 A  crow  in  Inia  fright,  flying  over  the  Fleet, 
Dropped  something,  that  covered  it  all,  like  a  sheet.' 

The  Chinese  Bridge,  and  even  the  Fireworks  were  made 
fun  of. 

4 1  overheard  a  silly  Cambridge  Clerk, 
Thus  mutter,  as  he  passed  St.  James's  Park  : 
"  What's  this  ?     A  Bridge  ?     How  hard  to  be  got  over  ! 
Oh  !  'tis  the  Ass's  BRIDGE,  I  do  discover."  ' 

13—2 


196  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

'  The  R thinks  to  make  us  stare, 

By  raising  rockets  in  the  air  ; — 
His  scheme  to  please  will  fail,  he'll  find, 
Since  we  for  it  must  raise  the  wind.1 

The  pseudo  Peter  Pindar  (C.  F.  Lawler  ?)  has  a  great  deal 
to  do  with  the  Jubilee,  and  published  divers  satirical  poems 

thereon.     '  Liliputian  Navy  ! !  !     The  R t's  Fleet,  or,  John 

Bull   at   the   Serpentine.'      'The    P 's    Jubilee.'      'The 

R 1  Showman.'      'The  R 1  Fair,  or  Grande  Galante 

Show/  and  one  on  the  sale  of  the  Temple  of  Concord — '  The 

Temple  knock' d  down  ;  or  R 1  Auction.     The  last  lay  of 

the  Jubilee.' 

The  following  short  account  of  the  Jubilee  is  taken  from  a 
contemporary  morning  journal. 

'  Yesterday  being  the  Centenary  of  the  Accession  of  the 
House  of  Brunswick,  and  the  Anniversary  of  the  glorious 
Victory  of  the  Nile,  was  selected  as  the  day  for  a  Jubilee  in 
celebration  of  the  Peace.  The  plan  of  the  arrangements  for 
the  Show  in  the  Parks,  has  already  been  given,  together  with 
a  description  of  the  preparations.  Considerable  uncertainty 
hung  over  the  public  mind  as  to  the  actual  day  of  exhibition, 
in  consequence  of  the  notice  advertised  and  posted  up,  stating 
that  it  would  depend  upon  the  state  of  the  weather ;  an  un- 
certainty not  a  little  heightened  by  the  unpromising  appear- 
ance of  the  morning.  Numbers,  however,  regardless  of  noti- 
fication, or  weather,  and  determined  to  have  a  day  of  it, 
particularly  those  who  lived  at  a  distance  from  the  scene  of 
operations,  set  out  from  home,  and  were  seen  nocking,  at  an 
early  hour,  to  the  Parks.  At  length,  the  firing  of  cannon 
announced  that  the  day  was  considered  favourable,  and  that 
the  Jubilee  would  commence.  The  population  of  the  Metro- 
polis then  poured  forth  in  a  continued  stream,  or,  rather  flood, 
to  witness  the  exhibition.  Shops  were  shut,  business  was  sus- 
pended, houses  were  left  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and  the 
Strand,  Oxford  Street,  and  Piccadilly,  were  nearly  blocked 
up  by  masses  of  people  of  all  descriptions,  including  many 
women  with  infants  in  their  arms,  all  hurrying  on  to  see  the 
Show. 

'  It  had  been  previously  understood,  and  the  public  notices 
posted  up  certainly  led  to  that  impression,  that  all  the 
entrances  to  St.  James's  Park,  save  those  leading  into  the 
space  allotted  to  the  holders  of  tickets,  would  have  been 
open  to  the  public.  It  turned  out,  however,  that  counter 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  197 

orders  had,  in  the  meantime,  been  given,  and  the  passages 
by  the  Horse  Guards,  and  the  Spring  Garden-gate  were  alone 
opened  for  persons  without  tickets  to  enter  the  Park.  The 
gate  at  New  Street,  although  a  notice  was  posted  up  at  its 
side,  intimating  that  it  had  been  deemed  expedient  to  open 
it  to  the  public,  remained  shut.  This,  of  course,  greatly  in- 
creased the  pressure ;  numbers  flocked  to  the  Stable-yard  ; 
but  there  all  admittance  to  the  Park,  without  tickets,  was 
refused.  Some  relief,  however,  was  afforded  by  allowing  an 
egress  by  this  gate  to  the  persons  in  the  Park. 

'  Hyde  Park,  and  the  Green  Park,  except  the  space  in  the 
latter  railed  off,  were  opened  ad  libitum  to  the  public,  and  the 
view  of  the  numerous  and  varied  groups  in  these  two  Parks 
formed  an  enlivening  coup  d'oeil.  Booths  and  flying  barracks 
(as  they  were  called)  and  open  stands  of  a  more  humble 
description,  appeared  in  every  direction,  with  all  sorts  of 
refreshments  ;  liquors  and  liquids,  to  satisfy  the  hunger, 
cheer  the  spirits,  and  allay  the  thirst  of  the  almost  innumer- 
able crowd  that  pressed  upon  all  points  where  anything 
was  to  be  seen.  A  number  of  marquees,  as  has  already  been 
stated,  were  pitched  upon  the  lawn  on  both  sides  of  the 
canal  in  St.  James's  Park,*  for  the  use  of  the  holders  of 
tickets,  that  being  the  principal  part  of  the  space  allotted 
to  them,  and  these  were  interspersed  with  several  booths  and 
flying  barracks  for  furnishing  refreshments.  A  number  of 
benches  were  also  placed  in  this  space,  besides  those  in  the 
marquees. 

'  For  the  public  at  large,  who  had  the  range  of  the  Parks, 
there  was  little  accommodation  in  the  shape  of  seats.  Those 
who  were  tired  of  promenading  were  glad  to  lean  against  a 
tree,  or  find  seats  upon  the  ground ;  many  brought  their  pro- 
visions with  them,  and  partook  of  a  family  or  a  picnic  collation, 
the  earth  alike  their  table  and  their  seat.  In  this  manner  the 
time  was  passed  till  the  hour  arrived.  On  the  commence- 
ment of  the  grand  shew  the  first  object  of  attraction  was  the 
ascent  of  a  Balloon. 

'The  Balloon  was  placed  in  the  ground  in  front   of  the 

*  Pepys  speaks  of  this  on  more  than  one  occasion,  notably  '  1660, 
Sept.  16.  To  the  Park,  where  I  saw  how  far  they  had  proceeded  in 
the  Pall  Mall,  and  in  making  a  river  through  the  Park,  which  I  had 
never  seen  before  since  it  was  begun.'  Evelyn  also  mentions  it : 
4 1662,  Dec.  I.  Having  seen  the  strange  and  wonderful  dexterity  of 
the  sliders  on  the  New  Canal  in  St.  James's  Park,'  &c. 


198  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

Queen's  Palace.  The  operation  of  filling  it  commenced  as 
early  as  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but  it  was  not  sufficiently 
inflated  till  a  few  minutes  before  six  in  the  evening.  About 
four  o'clock  the  immense  body  of  spectators  assembled  in 
St.  James's  Park,  and  in  the  Green  Park,  being  in  the  more 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  spot  whence  the  balloon  was  to 
ascend,  were  surprised  and  gratified  by  the  appearance  of  a 
balloon  of  small  dimensions  coming,  as  it  were,  from  Hyde 
Park,  or  Kensington  Gardens.  This  contributed  for  some 
time,  to  suspend  any  feeling  of  impatience  which  might  have 
shewn  itself  in  consequence  of  the  large  balloon  not  being 
ready  to  ascend  at  the  stated  hour  (five  o'clock). 

'  Some  time  before  six  o'clock,  a  report  of  the  firing  of 
guns,  as  of  the  promised  naval  engagement  on  the  Serpentine 
River,  reached  the  ears  of  the  same  persons,  many  of  whom 
seemed  to  be  actuated  by  a  momentary  desire  to  change  the 
scene  of  action,  and  to  share  in  the  fight,  the  report  of  which 
they  had  heard  from  afar.  The  manifestation  of  this  spirit, 
however,  was  merely  momentary  ;  they  quickly  became  more 
peaceably  inclined ;  and,  whether  apprehensive  that  they 
might  only  come  in  to  witness  the  conclusion  of  the  sea  fight, 
or  resolved,  on  more  mature  deliberation,  to  be  satisfied 
spectators  of  an  aerial  flight,  and  of  the  destruction  of  'a 
Fortified  Castle,'  which  (strange  to  tell)  was,  through  the  aid 
of  fire,  to  be  transformed  into  the  '  Temple  of  Peace' — they, 
with  a  few  exceptions,  took  the  advice  given  them  in  the 
printed  recommendations,  and  remained  on  the  ground  they 
had  originally  occupied. 

'  About  twenty  minute-  x  efore  six,  the  Balloon,  being  then 
sufficiently  inflated,  was  elevated  from  the  situation  it  had 
hitherto  occupied,  and  the  car,  which  was  extremely  splendid 
and  brilliant,  being  affixed  to  it,  Mr.  Sadler,  junior,  mounted 
into  the  car,  which  was  decorated  with  four  flags.  Being 
supplied  with  the  necessary  quantity  of  ballast,  of  cards  for 
signals,  &c.,  the  youthful  and  intrepid  Aeronaut,  being 
liberated  from  the  chains  by  which  his  chariot  was  confined 
to  the  ground,  began  to  ascend  in  a  most  solemn  and  majestic 
manner,  so  far  as  the  observers  were  concerned,  yet  with  a 
degree  of  rapidity  which  must  have  unstrung  the  nerves  of 
any  one  entirely  unused  to  such  lofty  excursions. 

'  The  Balloon  took  a  direction  inclining  towards  the  south- 
east, and  was  in  sight  for  about  half  an  hour.  It  was  gener- 
rally  reported  that  Mrs.  Henry  Johnston  was  to  have  accom- 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  199 

panied  Mr.  Sadler,  but  we  could  not  perceive  that  either  she, 
or  any  other  lady  mounted  the  car. 

'  Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock,  the  Grand  Sea  Fight 
took  place  on  the  Serpentine  River,  where  ships  of  the  line, 
in  miniature,  manoeuvred  and  engaged,  and  the  Battle  of  the 
Nile,  was  represented  in  little.  Of  this  mock  naval  engage- 
ment on  the  great  Serpentine  Ocean,  it  would  be  extremely 
difficult  to  give  any  adequate  description.  It  is,  perhaps, 
sufficient  to  observe,  that  it  was  about  on  a  par  with  spectacles 
of  a  similar  nature,  which  have  been  frequently  exhibited  at 
the  Theatres. 

'  After  the  ascent  of  the  Balloon,  one  part  of  the  company 
in  the  sacred  enclosure,  sauntered  about  the  brown  banks  of 
the  Canal,  while  the  rest  disturbed  the  green  surface  of  the 
water  in  wherries.  No  attempt  at  amusement  presented 
itself  for  a  long  time,  except  a  species  of  boat  race  between 
two  watermen,  but  this  did  not  attract,  nor  was  it  deserving 
of  much  attention.  While  the  crowd  within  the  enclosure 
were  thus  languishing  for  want  of  amusement,  the  people  in 
the  Mall,  although  they  had  been  kindly  forewarned  that  the 
best  amusements  would  take  place  in  Hyde  Park,  thought  it 
desirable,  on  the  principle  by  which  sin  first  began,  to  attempt 
an  incursion  on  the  space  within.  Several  lads  jumped  over 
the  enclosure,  but  they  were  immediately  pursued  by  the 
Artillerymen  who  guarded  the  rails,  at  small  distances  from 
each  other,  and  ejected  from  this  supposed  seat  of  bliss,  after 
some  rough  treatment  from  their  pursuers.  The  mob,  with- 
out, endeavoured  to  vent  their  anger  against  the  envied 
occupiers  of  the  enclosure,  and,  especially,  against  the  soldiers, 
by  a  very  liberal  and  ingenious  application  of  all  the  slang  at 
their  command.  As  it  grew  dark,  these  incursions  were 
effectually  prevented  by  an  increased  number  of  guards. 

'  At  the  same  time  the  lamps  and  the  Chinese  lanterns  were 
lighted  ;  the  former  were  dispersed  over  the  lawn  in  crescents 
and  moons,  elevated  to  a  small  distance  from  the  ground. 
The  Chinese  lanterns  hung  in  the  walks  midway  between  the 
trees,  and  were  decorated  with  a  great  variety  of  objects, 
though  not  with  much  taste ;  some  represented  Mr.  Sadler's 
balloon,  others  the  Ark  of  Noah  ;  on  one  was  painted  the 
Tower  of  Babel,  on  another  the  Pagoda  ;  on  some,  Mr.  Kean 
as  Richard,  on  others  the  Great  Mogul. 

'  The  Bridge,  with  the  Pagoda,  was  soon  entirely  lighted  ; 
and  the  reflection  of  the  lights  gave  to  the  whole  Canal  the 


1814]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  201 

appearance  of  a  lake  of  fire.  Notwithstanding  the  beautiful 
object,  yawning  was  very  prevalent  for  an  hour  or  two,  and 
great  strife  arose  concerning  the  possession  of  the  benches, 
but  the  attention  of  the  Combatants  was  soon  diverted  to  the 
loud  cannonade  which  commenced  in  the  Green  Park.  The 
firing  continued  for  a  long  time,  and,  immediately  it  ceased, 
an  immense  flight  of  rockets  arose  from  the  top  of  the  Pagoda, 
on  the  Canal,  and  traced  a  thousand  brilliant  paths  through 
the  sky,  which  the  smoke  of  the  cannonade  had  rendered 
brown  and  opake. 

'  From  this  time  a  contest  in  brilliancy  arose  between  the 
Fortress  in  the  Green  Park,  and  the  Pagoda  on  the  Canal. 
An  incessant  variety  of  wheels  and  stars  appeared  at  intervals 
on  both  these  structures,  and,  at  other  times,  immense  flights 
of  rockets  rapidly  succeeded  each  other,  and,  now  spent  them- 
selves in  the  air,  now  fell  slowly  as  showers  of  fire.  Large 
numbers  of  Roman  candles  threw  forth  to  a  vast  distance  blue 
stars  in  rapid  succession,  and  balls  of  fire,  shot  to  an  immense 
height,  burst  into  innumerable  sparks. 

'  In  the  intervals  of  the  fire-works,  the  Pagoda,  which  was 
entirely  covered  with  lamps,  shewed  a  calm  mass  of  uniform 
light.  Large  masses  of  fire,  we  understand,  fell  in  George 
Street,  and  other  adjacent  streets,  but  they  extinguished 
themselves  as  they  touched  the  ground,  and,  we  believe,  no 
mischief  was  done. 

'  We  were  as  heartily  glad  when  the  cockle-shell  fight  was 
over,  as  we  had  been  tired  of  waiting  for  it.  We  were  afraid, 
at  one  time,  that  it  would  have  neither  beginning  nor  end. 
Indeed,  there  had  been  a  wretched  skirmish  between  four  and 
five  in  the  afternoon,  between  an  American  and  an  English 
frigate,  at  the  conclusion  of  which,  the  English  colours  were 
triumphantly  hoisted  on  the  rebel  Yankee.  After  this,  followed 
a  dreary  interval  of  some  hours,  in  which  no  one  seemed  to 
know  what  was  to  come,  or  what  had  gone  before,  and  in 
which  we  at  last  sought  refuge  among  our  old  friends,  the 
booths  of  Bartholomew  Fair. 

'  While  here  we  had  nearly  missed  the  battle  of  the  Nile 
altogether,  something  like  the  old  woman  who  went  to  see  a 
ship  launched,  and,  while  she  was  stooping  down  to  buckle 
her  shoe,  the  ship  went  off!  After  the  Naumachia,  the  moon 
rose,  and  the  Chinese  lanterns  were  lighted.  At  a  signal 
given,  the  fire-works  in  the  Green  Park  were  let  off,  and  four 
of  the  little  fleet  in  the  Serpentine  were  set  on  fire.  The 


202  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

swans  screamed,  and  fluttered  round  the  affrighted  lake.  But 
it  is  in  vain  to  deny  the  beauty  of  the  scene  that  followed,  nor 
have  we  room  to  do  justice  to  it. 

'  After  the  conclusion  of  the  Fire-works,  the  Grand  Meta- 
morphosis took  place  of  the  Fortress  into  the  Temple  of 
Concord,  by  the  removal  of  all  the  Canvas  fortifications,  thus 
displaying  the  Temple  brilliantly  illuminated,  moving  upon  an 
axis,  and  exhibiting  the  transparencies  of  which  a  description 
has  already  been  given.  The  lateness  of  the  hour  at  which 
the  Show  concluded,  renders  it  utterly  impossible  for  us  to 
give  the  particulars  more  in  detail.  The  Parks  continued 
crowded  long  after  midnight. 

'  The  Pagoda,  at  about  twelve  o'clock,  took  fire,  and  after 
continuing  burning  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  fell  in  with 
a  great  crash,  in  a  slanting  direction  towards  the  Mall.  The 
Catastrophe  surprised  no  one  but  the  Contrivers  of  the 
erection/ 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  celebration  of  the  Jubilee  continued — Sale  of  the  Propertu 
Continuation  of  the  Fair— Departure  of  Queen  Caroline  for  the 
Continent — Scarcity  of  Gold— French  prisoners  of  war— State 
of  the  streets — Red  tape  in  the  Navy — English  visit  France — 
The  War  with  America — Treaty  of  peace  with  America. 

THE  allegorical  paintings  on  the  Temple  were  by  Howard, 
Stothard,  Smirke,  Woodforde,  Dawe,  Hilton,  &c. 

Sadler  had  a  really  perilous  voyage,  for  the  network  of  his 
balloon  got  out  of  order  and  the  balloon  nearly  collapsed  ;  in 
fact,  it  was  only  saved  by  his  hanging  on  to  the  pipe  of  the 
balloon :  then,  wanting  to  descend,  the  valve  would  not  work 
because  it  was  frozen,  and,  when  it  did  work,  did  not  let  out 
the  gas  fast  enough,  and  would  have  carried  him  into  the  river, 
at  Sea  Reach,  had  he  not  cut  a  gash  in  the  balloon,  and  landed 
in  Mucking  Marshes,  on  the  Essex  Coast,  sixteen  miles  below 
Gravesend. 

There  was  a  metrical  account  of  this  fete,  which  shows  the 
popular  feeling  on  the  subject,  which  was  called 

'  THE  REGENT'S  REMONSTRANCE  TO  JOHN  BULL. 

Oh,  JOHNNY,  most  ungrateful  JOHNNY  ! 
But  just  escap'd  from  fangs  of  BONEY, 

You  still  must  growl  and  grumble  ; 
The  peace  just  made,  and  all  things  right, 
The  bread  quite  cheap,  and  taxes  light, 

And  I,  your  servant  humble. 

What  would  you  have  ?     You  growling  elf, 
You  think  of  nothing  but  yourself  ; 

Nay,  show  your  teeth, — you  cannot  bite, 
What  could  be  done  for  love  or  money, 
All  that  is  comical  or  funny, 

Has  been  my  study  and  delight. 


204  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

Yonr  peevish  humours  to  destroy  all, 
Did  I  not  ask  the  Allies  Royal 

To  come  to  London  here  to  see  you  ? 
And  did  you  not,  for  days  and  nights, 
Stare  yourself  almost  blind  with  sights  ? 

I'd  fain,  I  vow,  twice  double  d  ye. 

Then  to  add  further  to  your  glee, 
I  give  you  a  grand  Jubilee, 

'Cause  we  have  reigned  a  hundred  years  ; 
I  put  my  hands  in  both  your  pockets, 
And,  in  return,  you've  Congreve's  rockets, 

And  booths  for  all  your  pretty  dears. 

Besides,  if  you  were  not  a  lout, 
You'd  smile  to  see  the  roundabout,* 

And  all  the  pretty  pictures  in  it  ; 
With  all  the  fireworks  blazing  forth  ! 
Some  east,  some  west,  some  south,  some  north, 

And  pop-guns  bursting  every  minute. 

Why,  surely,  JOHN,  you  'gin  to  dote, 
Come,  take  a  ride  in  this  cock  boat ! 

See  how  it  floats  on  real  water  ! 
A  race  !  A  race  !  I  vow  there  is  ! 
I  see  a  smile  upon  your  phiz, 

I'll  go  and  call  my  vife  and  darter  f 

Nay,  patience,  JOHNNY,  do  not  fidget, 
You  have  not  seen  our  little  bridge  yet, 

And  top  on  it  the  grand  Pagoda  ; 
Then,  whilst  you're  walking  on  the  lawn, 
You'll  bless  the  day  when  you  were  born, 

To  see  such  sights,  and  call  for  soda. 

Come,  take  another  walk  with  me, 
To  view  the  ships  upon  the  sea, 

I  mean  the  Carlton — Hyde  Park  ocean  ; 
Full  twenty  vessels  of  the  line 
Now  sail  upon  the  Serpentine, 

To  give  of  Nile  a  brilliant  notion  ! 

But  see  !  they're  close  engaged  in  battle, 
Hark  !  how  the  thund'ring  cannons  rattle  ! 

A  broadside  now  from  Victory  / 
Behold  the  shade  of  Nelson  rise  ! 
Would  he  were  here  to  feast  his  eyes, 

And  grace  the  days  of  Regency  I 

*  The  revolving  Temple  of  Concord. 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  205 

Then  independent  of  my  fleets, 

I've  planned  some  palaces  and  streets, 

Th'  expense  is  small — some  paltry  millions ; 
But  lo  !  the  pyrotechnicalities, 
And  gin  and  gingerbread  hilarities, 

With  all  the  hornpipes  and  cowtillions. 

If,  after  this,  I  hear  complaints, 

I  swear,  by  all  the  priests  and  saints, 

New  taxes  must  your  spirit  humble, 
If  VANSITTART*  can  find  one  out, 
(Which  once  I  heard  the  rascal  doubt), 

Unless  you're  tax'd  whene'er  you  grumble.' 

On  the  llth  of  October,  the  Temple  of  Concord  was  sold, 
and  the  following  is  a  contemporary  account  of  its  sale  : 

'  The  Temple  of  Concord  was,  on  Tuesday,  knocked  down  in 
ninety-one  lots  by  Mr.  Creaton. 

'  The  sale  commenced  with  the  flag-staff  on  the  top  of  the 
Upper  Temple.  The  brokers  viewed  it  as  a  common  piece  of 
fir,  which  might  be  converted  into  excellent  Jtrewood,  and  it 
was  knocked  down  at  14s. 

'  Four  rainbows,  in  spite  of  the  scriptural  allusions  which 
they  drew  forth,  produced  only  £4>  3s. 

'Eight  Vestals  were  sold  for  £14  8s. 

'  Eight  pair  of  Ionic  Columns  coloured  to  imitate  Sienna 
marble,  produced  £21  8s.  6d. 

'  The  Doric  columns,  of  which  there  were  sixteen  pairs, 
painted  in  imitation  of  porphyry,  averaged  £l  12s.  6d.  per 
pair. 

'  The  four  pyramidal  pillars  (shaped  like  Cannon)  ornament- 
ing the  corners  of  the  first  platform,  were  purchased  by  an 
individual,  with  all  their  appurtenances,  for  £l6  9s. 

'  The  Cornices,  doorways,  &c.,  with  the  inscriptions,  on 
which  Mr.  Creaton  sported  many  patriotic  remarks,  went  off 
as  follows  : — 

£    s.    d. 

The  Regency  (proh  pudor)  0     7     0 

Peace  Returning       070 

Europe  rescued         080 

Strife  descending      ...         ...         ...         ...  080 

The  Triumph  of  Britannia  2  10     0 

The  Golden  Age  restored 3  10     0 

The  Sceptre  of  the  Bourbons  restored    ...  3     3     0 

*  Then  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer. 


206  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

£    s.    d. 
War  desolating  the  earth 330 


Frederick  and  Bliicher 
Francis  and  Schwartzenberg 
The  Regent  and  Wellington 
Alexander  and  Kutusoff     ... 
The  Arms  of  England  and  France 
„        Austria  and  Holland 
„        Russia  and  Prussia 
„        Spain  and  Portugal 


2  12  6 
2  12  6 
300 
2  15  0 
220 
200 
200 
200 


'  The  mechanical  fountains,  which  are  eight  in  number,  sold 
for  £10  16s. 

'The  sale  of  the  exterior  of  the  Temple  of  Concord  con- 
cluded at  five  o'clock.  It  produced  the  gross  sum  of  ,£200  2s.  6d. 
We  should  be  glad  to  know  what  was  the  prime  cost  of  the 
materials  used  in  this  structure,  as  well  as  the  sum  expended 
in  preparing  and  setting  them  up.' 

There  were,  unfortunately,  many  accidents  during  the 
Celebration  of  this  Jubilee.  At  the  burning  of  the  Pagoda 
one  man  was  killed  on  the  spot,  six  others  injured,  and  one  of 
them  died  shortly  afterwards.  The  cause  of  the  burning  of 
this  ill-fated  building  was  that  there  was  not  room  for  a  rocket 
wheel  to  revolve ;  the  consequence  was  that  the  fierce  fire 

aed  on  one  part  of  the  woodwork  and  ignited  the  whole 
ling.     In  Hyde   Park,  lads  and  men  climbed  the  trees, 
whose  branches  would  not  bear  their  weight,  but  broke,  and 
not  only  did   the  climbers  injure  themselves,  but  those  on 
whom  they  fell. 

At  Kensington  Gardens,  just  at  the  close  of  the  fire-works, 
two  rockets,  instead  of  behaving  properly,  and  rising  skywards, 
took  a  horizontal  direction,  one  striking  a  gentleman  in  the 
calf  of  his  leg,  the  other,  another  gentleman  in  the  body — 
and  he  was  borne,  apparently  much  injured,  by  four  men,  into 
a  neighbouring  marquee.  The  rocket  sticks  falling  caused 
minor  accidents,  which  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  when  we  con- 
sider that  they  were  from  six  to  eight  feet  long,  an  inch  broad, 
and  half  an  inch  thick.*  However,  people  sheltered  them- 
selves under  the  trees,  some  in  the  numerous  Marquees,  where 
the  safest  were  those  under  the  tables — and  some  put  their 
umbrellas  up,  as  a  protection. 

After  this  fete,  the  booths  were  not  removed,  and  a  regular 

*  In  a  jeu  d'esprit  on  the  Jubilee,  the  Serpentine  was  called 
1  The  River  Styx.' 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  207 

fair  sprung  up,  with  its  usual  accompaniments  of  swings, 
roundabouts,  wild-beast  shows,  fat  women,  and  dramatic 
entertainments,  to  which  were  added  the  attractions  of  E.G. 
tables — Black  and  White  Cocks — Dice  Tables — and  a  game  with 
dice,  called  Under  and  over  Seven.  This  gambling  the  police 
did  not  even  make  a  show  of  stopping.  There  were  donkey 
racing,  jumping  in  sacks,  running  for  smocks,  &c. — and  there 
were  printing  presses,  where,  on  payment,  people  had  the 
privilege  of  themselves  pulling  off  a  typographical  souvenir  of 
the  fair.  Nay,  it  was  even  contemplated  to  print  a  Jubilee 
Fair  Journal. 

It  was  anticipated  that  this  fair  would  last  until  the  12th, 
and  so  it  possibly  might  have  done,  had  it  been  conducted 
with  anything  like  decency  and  order ;  but  as  these  were 
conspicuously  absent,  Lord  Sidmouth,  Secretary  of  State  for 
the  Home  Department,  ordered  it  to  be  closed  on  the  night 
of  Saturday  the  6th.  This  order,  the  booth-keepers  petitioned 
against,  on  the  plea  that,  on  the  strength  of  its  being  open 
for  a  longer  time,  they  had  laid  in  a  large  stock  of  provisions, 
liquor,  toys,  £c.,  which  would  be  thrown  upon  their  hands. 
Lord  Sidmouth's  order  not  being  enforced,  they  kept  on,  so 
that  it  was  found  necessary  to  issue  another — which  was  acted 
on — and  the  fair  ceased  with  the  night  of  August  llth. 

A  contemporary  newspaper  speaking  of  it,  says,  '  Never, 
within  the  memory  of  man,  has  there  been  witnessed  such 
scenes  of  drunkenness  and  dissipation  as  these  fooleries  have 
given  rise  to,  and  the  misery  they  have  brought  upon 
thousands  is  extreme.  A  report  from  the  pawnbrokers  would 
be  an  awful  lesson  to  governments  how  they  encourage  such 
riot.  Since  the  delirium,  from  the  example  of  the  highest 
quarter,  began,  the  pawnbrokers  have  more  than  trebled 
their  business  ;  clothes,  furniture,  and,  worst  of  all,  took,  have 
been  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  momentary  enjoyment ; 
industry  of  every  kind  has  been  interrupted,  and  many 
hundreds  of  starving  families  will  long  have  to  remember  the 
cera  of  the  Park  Fetes/ 

I  wind  up  this  account  of  the  Jubilee  with  the  following 

'Epigram  on  the  P R 's  expressing  a  wish  for  the 

continuance  of  the  Fair  in  Hyde  Park  : 

'The  E we  have  oft  been  told, 

Prefers  the  Fair  when  stout  and  old  ; 
Now,  here  we've  cause  to  think  him  wrcng 
For  liking  any  Fair  too  long.' 


208  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

And  now,  having  exhausted  the  chief  events  of  this  memor- 
able year,  I  must  fill  up  my  account  of  the  remainder  of  its 
existence  with  notices  of  passing  events,  as  they  occur,  a 
course  which  must  naturally  be  discursive. 

First  of  all,  the  Princess  of  Wales  left  England  for  the 
Continent  on  the  9th  of  August,  in  the  Jason  Frigate,  landing 
at  Hamburg  on  the  l6th.  She  was  weary  of  the  petty 
persecutions  and  slights  she  had  perpetually  to  undergo  ;  and, 
refusing  to  use  the  extra  allowance  granted  her  by  Parlia- 
ment, went  into  voluntary  exile,  against  the  advice  of  her 
sincere  friends,  who,  however,  could  not  feel  as  she  did ;  for, 
in  her  position,  she  could  not  help  feeling  the  social  indignities 
that  were  heaped  upon  her.  From  these,  at  least,  she  could 
be  free  when  away  from  England.  She  left  its  shores  in  a 
very  modest  and  unassuming  manner,  being  driven  to  the 
sea  shore  in  a  pony-cart — (the  Chronicler  giving,  as  a  saving 
clause,  (  by  her  own  coachman  ').  Her  dress  might,  at  the 
present  time,  perhaps,  be  thought  rather  prononcee,  but  it 
was  only  fashionable  then.  She  wore  a  dark  cloth  pelisse,  with 
large  gold  clasps,  and  a  cap  of  violet  and  green  satin,  of  the 
Prussian  Hussar  Costume,  with  a  green  feather,  which  we 
should  think  rather  a  fetching  costume  for  a  lady  of  forty-six. 

We  have  heard  of  the  scarcity  of  gold  coin,  and  how, 
during  the  War-time  it  used  to  be  smuggled  out  of  the 
Country  ;  it  must  have  gladdened  some  hearts  to  have  read, 
under  date  of  August  19th,  'Guineas  may  shortly  be  expected 
to  reappear.  Seven-shilling  pieces,  which  should  be  con- 
sidered as  their  avant-couriers,  already  peep  out !'  Anent 
this  lack  of  gold  coin  there  was  an  amusing  skit  published 
thereon  in  this  year,  which  I  reproduce,  partly  for  the 
illustration  which  represents  a  beadle  in  all  his  glory, — a 
being  that  is  fast  fading  away.  The  Cocked  hat  has  already 
gone,  and  I  know  not  now  where  to  find  what  would  be 
termed,  heraldically,  '  a  beadle  in  his  pride/ 

The  following  is  entitled  '  A  Whole  Family  Lost.' 

'  O  Yes  !  If  any  of  the  relatives  or  next  of  kin  of  one  Mr. 
Guinea,  who  about  the  year  1800  was  much  seen  in  England, 
and  is  supposed  to  be  an  Englishman,  will  give  information 
where  he  can  be  met  with,  they  will  be  handsomely  rewarded, 
on  application  to  Mr.  John  Bull,  Growling  Lane  opposite 
Threadneedle  Street.  A  proportionate  reward  will  be  given  for 
information  relative  to  his  son  Mr.  Half-Guinea ;  or  his 
Grandson,  young  Seven  Shilling  piece.  Papers  innumerable 


c.  w 


A  WHOLE  FAMILY  LOST.—  November  24,  1814. 


210  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

have  been  issued  in  consequence  of  their  disappearance,  but 
all  in  vain  ;  and  they  are  believed  by  many  persons  to  have 
left  the  kingdom ;  though  others  shrewdly  suspect  they  lie 
hid  somewhere  in  the  Country  waiting  for  more  favourable 
times  before  they  dare  make  their  appearance,  as  they  have 
reason  to  suppose  they  would  be  instantly  taken  tip,  and  put  in 
close  Confinement.  Their  sudden  disappearance  is  particularly 
to  be  regretted,  as  they  were  in  great  favour  with  the  people> 
and  enjoyed  the  King's  Countenance  to  such  a  degree  that  they 
actually  bore  the  Royal  Arms.  Notwithstanding  they  are 
people  of  real  worth,  yet  it  must  be  confessed  that,  by  getting 
occasionally  into  bad  Company,  they  have  lost  some  of  their 
weight  in  society,  yet,  if  they  will  return,  all  faults  will  be 
forgiven  ;  no  questions  will  be  asked,  but  they  may  depend 
upon  being  received  with  open  arms  by  their  disconsolate 
friends,  who,  by  this  temporary  separation  have  learnt  to 
appreciate  their  sterling  worth.  They  resemble  each  other 
very  closely,  and  may  very  easily  be  known  by  their  round 
faces,  and  by  their  complexion,  which  is  of  bright  yellow  ;  for 
though  they,  it  is  true,  were  born,  and  acquired  their  polish 
in  London,  yet  it  is  well  ascertained  that  the  family  originally 
came,  and  derived  their  name,  from  the  Coast  of  Guinea,  a 
place  too  well  known  in  Liverpool  to  require  any  description. 

GOD  SAVE  THE  KING.' 

'  LINES  SUGGESTED  BY  HEARING  IT  SAID  THAT  THE 
R— G— T  WAS  IN  THE  ARMS  OF  MORPHEUS. 

In  Morpheus's  arms  as  the  R — g — t  once  lay, 

"  Ecod  !"  said  the  God,  "  this  old  boy  is  no  feather  ; 

If  he  slept  but  as  soundly  by  night  as  by  day, 

I  should  envy  e'en  ATLAS  himself  this  hot  weather."  J 

Under  date  of  August  3 1st,  we  find  that  'the  number  of 
French  prisoners  who  have  been  sent  to  France  since  the 
conclusion  of  the  peace,  exceeds  sixty-seven  thousand  men. 
It  is  said  that  only  nineteen  continental  prisoners  of  war 
(who  are  Poles)  now  remain  in  this  country.  The  American 
prisoners  in  England  already  amount  to  three  thousand  eight 
hundred.  They  are  chiefly  seamen.' 

A  newspaper  cutting  of  September  3rd,  shows  us  the  state 
of  the  Streets  of  London  in  18 14-:  '  The  shameful  manner  in 
which  the  Contractors  for  lighting  the  streets  perform  the 
duty,  has  long  been  the  subject  of  complaint.  After  the 


1814]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  211 

shops  are  shut,  and  consequently  the  lamps  in  their  windows 
extinguished,  the  streets  are  almost  in  a  state  of  utter  dark- 
ness. An  attempt  is  to  be  made,  we  observe,  to  light  Fleet 
Street  with  gas.  We  hope  the  experiment  will  succeed. 

'The  same  complaint  may  be  made  against  the  paving, — 
for  the  defects  of  the  paving  are  more  owing  to  the  way  in 
which  the  paviours  do  their  work,  than  to  the  water  companies. 
The  stones  sent  from  Aberdeen,  are  no  longer  square,  but 
conical.  They  have  a  broad  top,  and  narrow  to  the  bottom — 
so  that  these  inverted  cones  have  no  bond — and  the  streets 
being  improperly  laid  too  convex,  so  as  to  make  every  waggon 
incline  to  one  side,  the  stones  are  constantly  disturbed ;  and, 
a  hole  once  made,  every  wheel  increases  it.  The  Com- 
missioners ought  to  reform  the  system  altogether/ 

Here  is  a  little  anecdote  of  red  tape  in  the  Navy  :  '  Accord- 
ing to  an  established  form  in  the  Navy,  when  a  ship  is  paid 
off,  no  officer  must  quit  the  port,  or  consider  himself  dis- 
charged, until  the  pennant  is  struck,  which  can  be  done  only 
by  the  cook,  as  the  last  officer,  at  sunset ;  and,  should  he  be 
absent,  no  other  person  can  perform  the  office,  however 
desirous  the  Officers  may  be  of  taking  their  departure,  and 
although  there  may  not  be  a  single  seaman  or  marine  on 
board.  A  curious  instance  of  this  took  place  last  week,  at 
Plymouth,  on  the  Caledonia's  being  paid  off.  When  the  time 
arrived  for  hauling  down  the  pennant,  no  Cook  could  be 
found,  from  which  cause  the  officers  were  under  the  necessity 
of  waiting  a  day  or  two,  until  he  made  his  appearance.' 

Immediately  on  the  Restoration  of  the  Bourbons  it  was  the 
proper  thing  for  every  English  man  and  woman  who  could 
afford  it,  to  pay  a  visit  to  Paris,  and  a  motley  group,  I  fancy 
they  were,  a  jumble  of  the  Aristocracy,  and  the  Cheap  Tourist. 
Captain  Gronow  thus  describes  this  '  irruption  of  the  Goths 
and  Vandals  ' :  '  Thousands  of  oddly  dressed  English  flocked 
to  Paris  immediately  after  the  war :  I  remember  that  the 
burden  of  one  of  the  popular  songs  of  the  day  was,  "  All  the 
world's  in  Paris ;"  and  our  countrymen  and  women  having 
been  so  long  excluded  from  French  Modes,  had  adopted 
fashions  of  their  own,  quite  as  remarkable,  and  eccentric  as 
those  of  the  Parisians,  and  much  less  graceful.  British  beauties 
were  dressed  in  long  strait  pelisses  of  various  colours ;  the 
body  of  the  dress  was  never  of  the  same  colour  as  the  skirt ; 
and  the  bonnet  was  of  beehive  shape,  and  very  small.  The 
characteristic  of  the  dress  of  the  gentleman  was  a  coat  of 

14—2 


212  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814 

light  blue,  or  snuff  colour,  with  brass  buttons,  the  tail  reaching 
nearly  to  the  heels ;  a  gigantic  bunch  of  seals  dangled  from 
his  fob,  whilst  his  pantaloons  were  short,  and  tight  at  the 
knees  ;  and  a  spacious  waistcoat,  with  a  voluminous  muslin 
cravat  and  a  frilled  shirt  completed  the  toilette.' 

The  end  of  this  year  leaves  the  Congress  of  Vienna,  which 
met  to  settle  all  International  matters  arising  out  of  the  war, 
still  sitting,  and  I  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  the  following 
epigram  upon  it : 

'SISTEME  DU  CONGRES. 

L'Espagne  est  cause  de  tout, 
L'Allemagne  pretend  tout, 
La  France  assiste  tout, 
L'Angleterre  embrouille  tout, 
La  Hollande  souffre  tout, 
Yenise  consulte  tout, 
Le  Portugal  ecoute  tout, 
La  Suede  a  perdu  tout, 
Le  Danemarc  craint  tout, 
La  Sardaigne  trompe  tout, 
Les  Jesuites  sont  partout, 
Le  Pape  benit  tout ; 
Si  Dieu  ne  pourvoit  a  tout, 
Le  Diable  emporte  tout.' 

When  treating  of  the  American  War  we  left  the  Americans 
at  the  end  of  1813  retiring  into  winter  quarters.  This  year 
the  fortunes  of  this  silly  war  were  somewhat  unequal.  The 
absurd  system  of  reprisals  was  abolished,  and  the  hostages 
exchanged,  as  other  prisoners  of  war  —  altogether,  things 
looked  like  coming  to  a  close.  The  great  feature  of  this 
year's  campaign,  was  the  Capture  and  burning  of  Washington, 
on  24th  of  August,  which,  virtually,  ended  the  War.  The 
Capitol,  the  Arsenal,  the  Dockyard,  with  a  frigate  ready  to 
be  launched,  Treasury,  War  Office,  President's  Palace,  the 
Rope  Walk,  and  the  great  bridge  across  the  Potomac  were 
all  destroyed. 

There  seems  to  have  been  a  great  joke  about  President 
Madison  losing  his  supper  on  this  occasion,  as,  for  instance, 
in  the  Morning  Chronicle  of  October  15th,  is  the  following: 
'  Although  MADISON  was  deprived  of  his  supper  in  consequence 
of  the  British  troops  entering  his  mansion  at  Washington,  yet 
it  must  be  some  consolation  to  him  that  he  did  not  lose  his 
desert.'  The  same  occurs  in  the  dialogue  accompanying  this 


214  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1814- 

illustration  which  is  entitled  'The  Fall  of  Washington,  or 
Maddy  in  full  flight.' 

The  three  bystanders  say,  respectively,  '  Jonathan,  where 
thinkest  thou  our  President  will  run  now  ?' — '  Why,  verily,  to 
Elba,  to  his  Bosom  friend  !' — '  The  great  Washington  fought 
for  Liberty,  but  we  are  fighting  for  shadows,  which,  if  obtained, 
could  do  us  no  Earthly  good,  but  this  is  the  blessed  effect  of 
it.'  Madison,  who  carries  under  his  arm  '  A  plan  for  laying 
England  under  Contribution,'  '  Project  for  the  Conquest  of 
Canada,'  '  Correspondence  with  Boney,'  &c.,  —  says,  '  Who 
would  have  thought  of  this,  Man  ?  To  oblige  us  to  run  from 
the  best  Cabinet  Supper  1  ever  order' d — I  hope  you  have 
taken  care  of  Boney's  promissory  notes — The  people  won't 
stand  anything  after  this.'  His  companion  says,  'D — n  his 
Notes  !  what  are  they  good  for,  now  ?  We  should  get  nothing 
but  iron,  he  hasn't  any  of  his  stock  of  Brass  left,  or  some  of 
that  would  have  helped  us  through  !' 

Two  bystanders  say,  'I  suppose  this  is  what  Maddis  calls 
benefiting  his  Country  !' — '  Why  it  will  throw  such  a  light  on 
affairs  that  we  shall  find  it  necessary  to  change  both  men  and 
measures.' 

Two  English  Men-of-War's  men  standing  by,  say  to  each 
other,  '  I  say,  Jack  !  what  is  that  there  man  of  war  that  was 
to  nihilate  us,  as  Master  Boney  used  to  say  ?' — '  Aye,  Mess- 
mate, he  is  a  famous  fighter  over  a  bottle  of  Shampain ;  why 
he'd  have  played  Hell  with  us  if  we  had  let  him  sit  down  to 
supper.' 

Proposals  of  peace  were  made,  and  a  treaty  signed  at 
Ghent,  on  the  24th  of  December,  thus  making  out  the 
Christmas  '  Peace  on  earth  and  good  will  towards  men/  and 
a  happy  ending  to  this  year. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
1815. 

Health  of  the  King— Extension  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath — Wife 
selling — A  Sailor's  frolic — 'Nelson's  Lady  Hamilton' — 'The 
Pier-faced  Lady ' — The  advantage  of  being  able  to  play  the  violin 
— Napoleon's  escape  from  Elba. 

NEITHER  this,  nor  any  of  the  succeeding  years  of  the  Regency, 
can  produce  any  string  of  events  to  vie  with  1814.  After  that 
stirring  year,  all  others  fall  flat.  Still,  with  the  exception  of 
Napoleon's  hundred  days,  we  shall  probably  find  more  social 
chit-chat  in  them,  than  those  which  have  preceded  them  in 
this  Chronicle.  Unfortunately  for  me  there  is  no  sequence  of 
events,  and  my  narrative  must,  necessarily,  be  made  up  of 
disjointed  fragments  culled  from  various  sources,  but  which, 
nevertheless,  illustrate  the  idea  of  this  book — the  Social  life 
of  the  period. 

First  of  all,  let  us  look  at  the  health  of  the  poor  old  King, 
now  nearly  half  forgotten  One  bulletin  will  suffice,  as  it 
exactly  expresses  his  state  for  the  year.  '  WINDSOR  CASTLE, 
February  4. — The  King  continues  in  good  health ;  but  since 
the  last  Report  his  Majesty  has  been  less  uniformly  tranquil 
than  he  was  during  some  preceding  months.'  His  bodily  health 
was  good,  and  mentally  he  was  generally  composed,  and 
tranquil,  with  occasional  outbursts  of  furious  mania,  and,  in 
any  case,  his  mental  alienation  was  continuous :  he  never 
recovered  his  reason. 

One  of  the  first  public  acts  of  the  Regent,  in  this  year,  was 
to  enlarge  the  Order  of  the  Bath.  The  long  and  arduous 
duties  of  our  troops  merited  some  reward  when  peace  was 
obtained ;  and,  although  they  only  did  their  duty,  as  our 
troops  do  now,  they  were  not  thanked,  as  now,  by  the  Sovereign 


216  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

after  every  little  skirmish,  nor  were  medals  so  lavishly  given 
as  now.  Every  one  knows  the  length  of  time  before  the 
Waterloo  medal  was  issued  to  all  who  were  worthy  of  its 
receipt.  The  orders  of  Chivalry  were  few,  and  it  was  then  an 
honour  to  receive  a  decoration.  Going  on  at  the  present  rate, 
knighthood  will  soon  be  about  on  a  par  with  the  Order  of 
SS.  Maurice  and  Lazarus. 

At  all  events,  the  extension  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath  was 
fixed  upon,  and  a  good  choice  it  was,  because  it  was  not  of 
mushroom  creation,  as  it  was  instituted  in  1399-  After 
Charles  II.,  it  fell  into  abeyance,  until  George  I.  revived  it 
in  1725.  The  London  Gazette  of  3rd  of  January,  gives  the 
ordinance  enlarging  this  Order  of  Chivalry,  which,  henceforth, 
was  to  consist  of  Knights  Grand  Cross,  Knights  Commander, 
and  Companions.  The  number  of  Knights  Grand  Cross  was 
limited  to  72  ;  60  Military  and  12  Civil.  This  number  might 
be  exceeded  by  the  addition  of  Princes  of  the  Blood  Royal 
holding  high  Commissions  in  the  Army  and  Navy.  The  rank 
required  for  this  dignity  is  that  of  Major-General  in  the  Army, 
and  Rear-Admiral  in  the  Navy.  The  Civilians  should  have 
rendered  eminent  services  to  the  State,  either  in  civil,  or 
diplomatic  employment.  The  Second  Grade  was  not  to 
exceed  180  in  number,  exclusive  of  foreign  officers  holding 
English  Commissions,  but  these  were,  for  the  present,  limited 
to  10,  but  might  be  increased.  This  honour  was  only  bestowed 
on  Lieutenant-Colonels,  and  Post-Captains.  The  Companions 
embraced  a  wide  field,  their  number  was  much  larger,  and 
anyone  was  eligible  for  the  decoration  who  had  received  a 
medal,  or  other  badge  of  honour,  or  had  been  mentioned  by 
name  in  the  London  Gazette  as  having  been  distinguished  by 
valour  in  action.  The  members  now,  according  to  Debrett 
for  1888,  are  Knights  Grand  Cross— 50  Military,  25  Civil; 
Knight  Commanders — 123  Military,  80  Civil;  Companions — 
690  Military,  and  250  Civil. 

Things  matrimonial  must  have  been  very  bad,  for  I  find  the 
record  of  no  less  than  three  sales  of  wives  during  this  year. 
The  first  is  in  January :  '  MATRIMONIAL  SALE. — Tuesday  s'en 
night,  a  man  named  John  Osborne,  who  lived  at  Gondhurst, 
came  to  Maidstone,  for  the  purpose  of  disposing  of  his  wife 
by  sale ;  but,  it  not  being  market  day,  the  auction  was  re- 
moved to  the  sign  of  '  The  Coal-barge/  in  Earl  Street,  where 
she  was  actually  sold  to  a  man  named  William  Serjeant,  with 
her  child,  for  the  sum  of  one  pound.  The  business  was  con. 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  217 

ducted  in  a  very  regular  manner,  a  deed  and  covenant  being 
given  by  the  seller,  of  which  the  following  is  a  literal  copy  : 

'  If  John  Osborne,  doth  agree  to  part  with  my  wife,  Mary 
Osborne  and  child,  to  William  Serjeant,  for  the  sum  of  one 
pound,  in  consideration  of  giving  up  all  claim  whatever, 
whereunto  I  have  made  my  mark  as  an  acknowledgement. 

'  MAIDSTONE,  January  3,  1815.  x  ' 

The  next  case  is  in  July :  '  SMITHFIELD  BARGAIN. — One  of 
those  scenes  which  occasionally  disgrace  even  Smithfield,  took 
place  there  about  five  o'clock  on  Friday  evening  (July  14th), 
namely — a  man  exposing  his  wife  for  sale.  Hitherto  we  have 
only  seen  those  moving  in  the  lowest  classes  of  society  thus 
degrading  themselves,  but  the  present  exhibition  was  attended 
with  some  novel  circumstances.  The  parties,  buyer  and  seller, 
were  persons  of  property ;  the  lady  (the  object  of  sale),  young, 
beautiful,  and  elegantly  dressed,  was  brought  to  the  market  in 
a  coach,  and  exposed  to  the  view  of  her  purchaser,  with  a  silk 
halter  round  her  shoulders,  which  were  covered  with  a  rich 
white  lace  veil.  The  price  demanded  for  her,  in  the  first 
instance,  was  eighty  guineas,  but  that  finally  agreed  on  was 
fifty  guineas,  and  a  valuable  horse  upon  which  the  purchaser 
was  mounted.  The  sale  and  delivery  being  complete,  the  lady, 
with  her  new  lord  and  master,  mounted  a  handsome  curricle 
which  was  in  waiting  for  them,  and  drove  off,  seemingly 
nothing  loath  to  go.  The  purchaser  in  the  present  case  is  a 
celebrated  horsedealer  in  town,  and  the  seller,  a  grazier  of 
cattle,  residing  about  six  miles  from  London.  The  intention 
of  these  disgusting  bargains  is,  to  deprive  the  husband  of  any 
right  of  prosecution  for  damages.' 

The  third  example  is  as  follows  :  '  On  Friday  last  (Septem- 
ber 1 5th)  the  common  bell-man  gave  notice  in  Staines  Market, 

that  the  wife  of Issey  was  then  at  the  King's  Head  Inn, 

to  be  sold,  with  the  consent  of  her  husband,  to  any  person 
inclined  to  buy  her.  There  was  a  very  numerous  attendance 
to  witness  this  singular  sale,  notwithstanding  which  only  three 
thtUingi  and  four  pence  were  offered  for  the  lot,  no  one  choos- 
ing to  contend  with  the  bidder,  for  the  fair  object,  whose 
merits  could  only  be  appreciated  by  those  who  knew  them. 
This  the  purchaser  could  boast,  from  a  long  and  intimate 
acquaintance.  This  degrading  custom  seems  to  be  generally 
received  by  the  lower  classes,  as  of  equal  obligation  with  the 
most  serious  legal  forms.' 


218  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

'  A  SAILOR'S  FROLIC.  —  Yesterday  (February  9th)  morning 
early,  a  sailor  who  had  been  lately  paid  off,  and  who  had  been 
riding  in  a  coach,  about  the  streets,  with  a  fiddler  playing, 
the  preceding  night,  strolled  into  Covent  Garden  Market, 
when  he  was  asked  by  one  of  the  basket  women  whether 
he  wanted  anything  carried  for  him  ?  He  replied  that  he 
wished  to  be  carried  himself,  to  a  place  where  he  could  get 
some  breakfast.  The  woman,  who  wanted  to  go  home  to  her 
lodging  in  St.  Giles's,  agreed  to  take  him  in  her  basket,  to  a 
coffee  shop  at  the  corner  of  High  Street ;  the  sailor  got  in, 
first  getting  his  pipe  lighted,  and  sat  cross-legged,  smoking  his 
pipe,  in  the  woman's  basket,  which  was  set  upon  her  head 
by  others  of  her  own  fraternity.  She  went  off,  followed 
by  a  great  concourse  of  spectators  of  every  description,  and, 
without  once  resting,  took  her  load  to  its  destination, 
when  the  sailor  rewarded  her  with  a  pint  of  rum,  and  a  pound 
note.' 

On  the  17th  of  January  died  'Nelson's  Lady  Hamilton/ 
whose  career  was  a  remarkable  one.  Born  of  poor  parents,  at 
a  little  village  in  Cheshire,  Amy  Lyons  early  went  into  domestic 
service.  Being  very  beautiful,  she  soon  attracted  notice,  with 
the  usual  result.  After  being  the  mistress  of  more  than  one, 
Mr.  Greville  took  her  under  his  protection,  and,  when  he 
deserted  her,  she  associated  herself  with  that  arch  quack 
Doctor  Graham,  of  '  Celestial  bed,'  and  '  earth  bathing '  noto- 
riety. While  with  him  she  posed  as  Hebe  Vestina,  a  part  for 
which  her  beautiful  face  and  figure  eminently  fitted  her. 
She  ultimately  married  the  celebrated  virtuoso  Sir  William 
Hamilton,  who  was  the  English  Ambassador  at  Naples.  At 
that  Court  her  vivacity  was  much  appreciated,  and  she  was  the 
constant  companion  of  the  Queen.  Of  her  connection  with 
Nelson  everybody  knows. 

During  the  War  the  farmers  had  coined  money,  in  spite  of 
their  wretchedly  bad  farming  ;  but  the  introduction  of  foreign 
wheat,  and  a  not  too  plentiful  harvest,  brought  about  a  state 
of  things,  of  which  we  are  now  experiencing  a  parallel.  Under 
date  of  February  13th  we  read  :  '  In  many  counties  of  England, 
the  farmers  are  giving  up  their  leases  in  great  numbers.  A 
farm  belonging  to  Bethlehem  Hospital,  which  let  a  few  years 
since  for  £1,100  per  annum,  and  was  afterwards  risen  to 
£6,000  per  annum,  is  now  offering  for  £4,000  per  annum,  but 
with  little  prospect  of  its  being  taken  at  that  rent.'  Does  not 
this  read  like  a  chapter  of  to-day  ?  The  rents  raised  until 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  219 

the  farmers  could  not  farm  profitably,  and  then  the  land  un- 
occupied. 

'  The  Pig-faced  lady  '  is  to  be  heard  of  in  several  European 
countries ;  but,  perhaps  the  earliest  one  noticed  in  England, 
although  not  a  country  woman,  was  Frau  Tanakin  Skinker. 
Of  her,  however,  we  only  hear  through  the  medium  of  a  very 
rare  book  published  in  London  in  1641  entitled,  '  A  certain 
relation  of  the  Hog-faced  Gentlewoman/  but  of  her,  together 
with  an  old  black-letter  ballad  on  another  damsel  equally 
afflicted,  I  have  already  written  in  my  book  on  'Humour, 
Wit  and  Satire  of  the  Seventeenth  Century/ 

In  February,  1815,  there  was  a  widespread  belief  in  the 
existence,  in  London,  of  such  a  monstrosity,  and  she  is  depicted 
in  the  illustration  overleaf,  called  'Waltzing  a  Courtship.' 
There  is  also  another  engraving  of  her,  showing  her  seated 
playing  the  piano,  but  very  thinly  veiled,  so  that  her  porcine 
countenance  is  plainly  visible.  I  believe  there  is  also  another, 
but  this  I  have  not  seen,  where  she  is  seen  standing  by  a  table, 
on  which  is  her  silver  feeding-trough. 

The  Times,  which  was  not  quite  so  matter  of  fact  then  as 
now,  gives  the  following  account  of  'her  sowship.'  In  its 
issue  of  February  l6th  is  the  following  :  '  There  is,  at  present, 
a  report  in  London,  of  a  woman,  with  a  strangely  deformed 
face,  resembling  that  of  a  pig,  who  is  possessed  of  a  large 
fortune,  and,  we  suppose,  wants  all  the  comforts  and  conveni- 
ences incident  to  her  sex  and  station.  We,  ourselves,  un- 
wittingly put  in  an  advertisement  from  a  young  woman  offering 
to  be  her  companion,  and,  yesterday  morning,  a  fellow  trans- 
mitted to  us  another  advertisement,  attended  by  a  one-pound 
note,  offering  himself  to  be  her  husband.  We  have  put  his 
offer  in  the  fire,  and  shall  send  his  money  to  some  charity. 
Our  rural  friends  hardly  know  what  idiots  London  contains. 
The  pig's  face  is  as  firmly  believed  in  by  many,  as  Joanna 
South cott's  pregnancy,  to  which  folly  it  has  succeeded. 
Though  no  Parson  Tozer  has  yet  mounted  the  rostrum  to 
preach  in  support  of  the  face,  there  is  hardly  a  company  in 
which  this  swinish  female  is  not  talked  of;  and  thousands 
believe  in  her  existence.  The  story,  however,  is  an  old  one. 
About  fifty-three  years  ago,  it  is  well  remembered  by  several 
elderly  people,  there  was  exactly  the  same  rumour.  It  was 
revived,  with  but  slight  effect,  about  thirty  years  since ; 
and  now  comes  forth  again  in  its  pristine  vigour.  On  the 
original  invention  of  the  pig-faced  woman  about  the  year 


WALTZING  A  COURTSHIP. 


1815]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  221 

176*4,  a  man  offered  to  make  her  an  ivory  trough  to  feed  out 
of.   .  .  .' 

The  following  is  the  advertisement  referred  to  :  it  appeared 
in  The  Times  of  Feb.  9th.  '  FOR  THE  ATTENTION  OF  GENTLE- 
MEN AND  LADIES.  A  young  gentlewoman  having  heard  of  an 
advertisement  for  a  person  to  undertake  the  care  of  a  lady,  who 
is  heavily  afflicted  in  the  face,  whose  friends  have  offered  a 
handsome  income  yearly,  and  a  premium  for  residing  with  her 
for  seven  years,  would  do  all  in  her  power  to  render  her  life 
most  comfortable ;  an  undeniable  character  can  be  obtained 
from  a  respectable  circle  of  friends  ;  an  answer  to  this  ad- 
vertisement is  requested,  as  the  advertiser  will  keep  herself 
disengaged.  Address,  post  paid,  to  X  Y,  at  Mr.  Ford's,  Baker, 
12,  Judd  Street,  Brunswick  Square.' 

The  advertisement  which  follows  is  probably  that  rejected  by 
The  Times,  but  inserted  in  The  Morning  Herald  of  Feb.  l6th. 
'  SECRECY.  A  single  gentleman,  aged  thirty-one,  of  a 
respectable  family,  and  in  whom  the  utmost  confidence  may 
be  reposed,  is  desirous  of  explaining  his  mind  to  the  friends  of 
a  person  who  has  a  misfortune  in  her  face,  but  is  prevented 
for  want  of  an  introduction.  Being  perfectly  aware  of  the 
principal  particulars,  and  understanding  that  a  final  settlement 
would  be  preferred  to  a  temporary  one,  presumes  he  would  be 
found  to  answer  the  full  extent  of  their  wishes.  His  intentions 
are  sincere,  honourable,  and  firmly  resolved.  References  of 
great  respectability  can  be  given.  Address  to  M.  D.,  at 
Mr.  Spencer's,  22,  Great  Ormond  Street,  Queen's  Square.' 

Captain  Gronow  refers  to  this  lady.*  'Among  the  many 
absurd  reports,  and  ridiculous  stories  current,  in  former  days, 
I  know  of  none  more  absurd,  or  more  ridiculous,  than  the 
general  belief  of  everybody  in  London,  during  the  winter  of 
1814,  in  the  existence  of  a  lady  with  a  pig's  face.  This 
interesting  specimen  of  porcine  physiognomy  was  said  to  be 
the  daughter  of  a  great  lady  residing  in  Grosvenor  Square. 

1  It  was  rumoured  that  during  the  illuminations  which  took 
place  to  celebrate  the  Peace,  when  a  great  crowd  had  assembled 
in  Piccadilly  and  St.  James's  Street,  and  when  carriages  could 
not  move  on  very  rapidly,  "  horresco  referens  !"  an  enormous 
pig's  snout  had  been  seen  protruding  from  a  fashionable-looking 
bonnet  in  one  of  the  landaus  which  were  passing.  The  mob 
cried  out,  "  The  pig-faced  lady  ! — the  pig-faced  lady  !  Stop 
the  Carriage — stop  the  Carriage  !"  The  coachman,  wishing 
*  '  Reflections  an!  Anecdotes,'  18G3,  p.  111. 


222  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

to  save  his  bacon,  whipped  his  horses,  and  drove  through  the 
crowd  at  a  tremendous  pace ;  but  it  was  said  that  the  coach 
had  been  seen  to  set  down  its  monstrous  load  in  Grosvenor 
Square. 

'Another  report  was  also  current.  Sir  William  Elliot,  a 
youthful  baronet,  calling  one  day  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
great  lady  in  Grosvenor  Square,  was  ushered  into  a  drawing- 
room,  where  he  found  a  person  fashionably  dressed,  who,  on 
turning  towards  him,  displayed  a  hideous  pig's  face.  Sir 
William,  a  timid  young  gentleman,  could  not  refrain  from 
uttering  a  shout  of  horror,  and  rushed  to  the  door  in  a  manner, 
the  reverse  of  polite ;  when  the  infuriated  lady,  or  animal, 
uttering  a  series  of  grunts,  rushed  at  the  unfortunate  baronet 
as  he  was  retreating,  and  inflicted  a  severe  wound  on  the  back 
of  his  neck.  This  highly  probable  story  concluded  by  stating 
that  Sir  William's  wound  was  a  severe  one,  and  had  been 
dressed  by  Hawkins,  the  surgeon,  in  South  Audley  Street. 

'  I  am  really  almost  ashamed  to  repeat  this  absurd  story  ; 
but  many  persons  now  alive  can  remember  the  strong  belief 
in  the  existence  of  the  pig-faced  lady,  which  prevailed  in  the 
public  mind  at  the  time  of  which  I  speak.  The  shops  were 
full  of  Caricatures  of  the  pig-faced  lady,  in  a  poke  bonnet  and 
large  veil,  with  "  A  pig  in  a  poke  "  written  underneath  the 
print.  Another  sketch  represented  Sir  William  Elliot's  mis- 
adventure, and  was  entitled,  "  Beware  the  pig-stye."  ' 

The  Annual  Register,  which  is  supposed  to  contain  nothing 
but  facts,  is  responsible  for  the  following,  under  date  Feb.  25th  : 
'  A  foreign  journal  contains  the  following  laughable  anecdote 
of  a  French  fiddler  of  the  name  of  Boucher,  who,  lately,  came 
to  push  his  fortune  in  London.  On  his  arrival  at  Dover, 
across  the  Channel,  he  had  the  mortification  to  see  his  fiddles 
seized  by  the  officers  of  the  Customs.  It  was  in  vain  he  pro- 
tested that  they  were  not  articles  of  Commerce,  but  instruments 
for  his  own  use  ;  and  that,  if  he  meant  to  make  money  by 
them,  it  was,  at  least,  not  by  their  sale.  The  fiscal  agents 
were  deaf;  the  fiddles  must  pay  duty.  To  fix  the  amount, 
their  value  must  be  estimated  :  and  Mr.  Boucher  was  desired 
to  set  his  own  value  on  the  fiddles ;  he  fell  into  the  snare, 
and  fixed  a  very  moderate  price. 

'  Then,  in  virtue  of  Custom-house  regulations  unknown  to 
our  travelling  musician,  they  offered  him  15  per  cent,  more 
than  the  valuation,  and  declared  they  would  keep  the  instru- 
ments. Our  artist  was  in  despair  ;  he  complained,  he  prayed, 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  223 

he  threatened,  but  all  in  vain  ;  there  was  only  one  resource, — 
that  of  going  to  London  to  claim  the  interference  of  the 
French  Ambassador  ;  but,  to  do  this,  he  must  part  from  his 
dear  fiddles,  the  instruments  of  his  glory,  and  his  fortune. 
He  wished,  at  least,  to  bid  them  a  last  adieu,  and,  taking  up 
one  of  them,  he  brought  from  it  such  melodious,  but  doleful 
sounds,  as  corresponded  with  his  feelings.  The  Custom-house 
officers,  attracted  by  the  notes,  formed  a  group  round  him, 
which  gradually  increased,  so  that  the  office  could  no  longer 
contain  the  collected  auditors.  They  begged  the  musician  to 
pass  into  a  large  lobby,  to  which  he,  unwillingly,  assented. 
There,  on  the  top  of  the  staircase,  he  performed  several 
pieces  which  charmed  even  fiscal  ears.  Animated  by  his 
success,  the  artist  surpassed  even  himself,  and  the  enthusiasm 
of  his  audience  was  at  its  height,  when  they  heard  God  save 
the  King  executed,  with  the  most  brilliant  variations.  How 
repay  so  much  talent  and  complaisance?  Everything  was 
forgotten  ;  even  the  regulations  of  the  Custom  House.  "  Sir," 
said  the  Chief  of  the  Customs  to  the  French  Virtuoso,  "  take 
back  your  fiddles  ;  you  may  boast  of  a  finer,  because  a  more 
difficult  triumph  than  that  of  Orpheus.  He  melted  only  the 
infernal  deities,  but  you  have  made  the  douaniers  of  Dover 
relent."  ' 

Here  is  a  curious  superstition  which  comes  from  a  Bath 
paper :  '  A  young  woman,  who  had  been  married  only  three 
months,  and  lived  at  Widcomb,  being  summoned  to  answer  a 
charge  of  a  breach  of  the  peace,  at  the  instance  of  her 
mother-in-law,  threw  herself  into  the  river,  at  Widcomb,  and 
was  drowned.  Every  means  to  discover  the  body  have, 
hitherto,  been  ineffectual,  on  account  of  the  great  height  of 
the  river,  through  the  late  rains.  It  is  curious,  however,  to 
observe  some  of  the  methods  which  fancy,  or  superstition,  has 
suggested  in  order  to  find  the  body  : — among  others,  a  large 
drum,  carried  in  a  boat,  has  been  beaten  down  the  river, 
under  the  idea  that  its  sound  would  alter  when  approaching 
the  drowned  person ;  and  a  small  loaf,  laden  with  quicksilver, 
has  been  set  afloat,  which,  it  is  presumed,  would  be  stopped 
in  its  progress,  by  attraction,  when  approaching  the  immersed 
object/ 

In  this  month  of  February  an  event  occurred,  which  stirred 
Europe  to  its  very  foundation.  The  lion,  so  fondly  believed 
to  be  caged  at  Elba,  got  unchained,  and,  leaving  his  petty 
island  kingdom,  on  the  26th  of  Feb.,  he  landed  at  Cannes  on 


224  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

the  1st  of  March.  There  was  consternation,  to  use  the 
mildest  term,  all  over  Europe.  The  French  king  believed 
that  he  would  soon  be  driven  back ;  but  in  his  advance,  his 
army  increased  like  a  vast  snowball,  and  poor  Louis  had  once 
more  to  retire.  The  Congress  at  Vienna  was  broken  up, 
un regretted  by  any  one,  and  the  Allies  entered  into  a 
compact,  engaging  themselves  not  to  quit  the  field  until 
Napoleon  was  subdued.  The  news  was  not  received  here 
until  the  10th  of  March,  and  the  Times  of  next  day,  fairly 
foams  over  it.  'Early  yesterday  morning,  we  received  by 
express  from  Dover,  the  important,  but  lamentable  in- 
telligence, of  a  civil  war  having  been  again  kindled  in  France, 
by  that  wretch  Buonaparte,  whose  life  was  so  impolitically 
spared  by  the  Allied  Sovereigns.  It  now  appears  that  the 
hypocritical  villain,  who,  at  the  time  of  his  cowardly  abdica- 
tion, affected  an  aversion  to  the  shedding  of  blood  in  a  civil 
warfare,  has  been  employed  during  the  whole  time  of  his 
residence  at  Elba,  in  carrying  out  secret  and  treasonable 
intrigues  with  the  tools  of  his  former  crimes  in  France/  &c. 
The  Newsboys  in  London  must  have  reaped  a  rare  harvest. 

*  Twang  went  the  horn  !  "  Confound  that  noise  !" 
I  cried,  in  pet — "these  plaguy  boys 
Are  at  some  tricks  to  sell  their  papers, 
Their  blasts  have  given  me  the  vapours  /'' 
But  all  my  senses  soon  were  stranded, 
At  hearing,  "  Buonaparte's  landed  !" 
"  Landed  in  France  !"  so  ran  the  strain, 
And  "  with  eleven  hundred  men." 

"  Ho,  post !"     "  Who  calls  ?"     "  This  way."     "  I'm  coming  !'' 
"  The  public,  surely,  he  is  humming," 
Said  I.     "  A  paper — what's  the  price  ?'' 
"  A  shilling."     u  Why,  that's  payment  twice  !" 
"  As  cheap  as  dirt,  your  honour,  quite  ; 
They've  sold  for  half-a-crown  to-night." 
"  But  is  the  news  authentic,  friend  ?" 
"  Ofishul,  sir,  you  may  depend. — 
The  Currier  third  edition."     "  So  ! 
Well,  take  your  money  boy,  and  go." 
Now,  for  the  news — by  what  blunder 
Has  he  escaped  his  bounds,  I  wonder.' 

Rothschilds  had  the  first  news,  one  of  their  clerks  coming 
express  from  Paris  to  tell  them.  Doubtless  they  took 
advantage  of  their  information. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Anti-Corn  Bill  riots — Riots  in  the  north — Ratification  of  the 
Treaty  of  Peace  with  America — Attempt  to  steal  the  Crown — 
Epithets  applied  to  Napoleon — The  Prince  of  Wales'  debts. 

AT  home  our  domestic  peace  was  seriously  interrupted  at  this 
time.  Doubtless,  with  a  view  to  assuage  the  agricultural 
distress,  a  measure  was  proposed,  prohibiting  the  importation 
of  corn,  except  when  it  had  reached  a  price  considered  by  the 
great  body  of  the  consumers  as  exorbitant.  This,  having 
once  tasted  comparatively  cheap  bread  (the  quartern  loaf  was 
then  about  Is.),  his  Majesty's  lieges  did  not  like,  and  meet- 
ings against  it  were  held  all  over  the  place,  and  Resolutions 
passed,  the  first  of  which  is  as  follows,  the  others  all  hingeing 
upon  it : — 

'  1.  Resolved.  That  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  Committee, 
that  any  sort  of  Foreign  Corn,  Meal,  or  Flour,  which  may,  by 
law,  be  imported  into  the  United  Kingdom,  shall,  at  all  times, 
be  allowed  to  be  brought  to  the  United  Kingdom,  and  to  be 
warehoused  there,  without  payment  of  any  duty  whatever/ 

The  Mob,  in  those  days,  were  even  more  unthinking  than 
they  are  now,  and,  whilst  the  respectable  portion  of  the 
community  were  agitating  in  a  legitimate  manner,  they  acted, 
according  to  their  lights. 

On  the  6th  of  March  many  groups  assembled  near  the 
Houses  of  Parliament,  about  the  usual  time  of  meeting,  and 
the  Lobby  and  avenues  of  the  House  were  so  crowded,  that 
it  was  necessary  to  increase  the  force  of  constables,  who 
ultimately  cleared  them.  Those  ejected  stood  on  the  steps, 
and  cheered,  or  groaned,  at  the  Members  as  they  passed  in  ; 
then  they  took  to  stopping  Members'  carriages,  making  them 
walk  through  a  hissing  and  hooting  crowd,  and  gradually 
went  from  bad  to  worse. 

15 


226  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

There  were  no  police,  as  we  know  them,  in  those  days — that 
is,  there  was  no  large  body  of  stalwart,  well-drilled  men — 
consequently,  whenever  there  was  a  riot,  the  Military  had  the 
task  assigned  to  them  of  putting  it  down.  They  drove  the 
people  away  from  the  House,  but  only  to  go  elsewhere,  and, 
no  longer  having  the  fear  of  the  soldiery  before  their  eyes, 
they  gave  unlimited  scope  to  their  powers  of  destruction. 

They  began  at  Lord  Eldon's  in  Bedford  Square  ;  tore  down 
his  railings,  with  which  they  forced  an  entrance  into  his 
house,  smashed  the  windows,  and  all  the  furniture  they  could 
get  at.  At  Mr.  Robinson's,  who  introduced  the  Corn  Regula- 
tions, they  tore  up  his  railings,  got  into  his  house,  smashed 
some  of  his  furniture,  throwing  the  rest  into  the  street,  and 
destroyed  many  valuable  pictures.  At  Lord  Darnley's,  Mr. 
Yorke's,  and  Mr.  Wellesley  Pole's,  all  the  windows  were 
smashed.  Lord  Hardwicke's  house  was  attacked,  but  little 
mischief  was  done,  owing  to  the  arrival  of  the  Military.  They 
went  to  Lord  Ellenborough's,  but  he  behaved  bravely ;  he 
opened  the  door,  and,  standing  before  them,  inquired  into 
the  meaning  of  it  all.  They  yelled  at  him  that  it  was  '  No 
Corn  Bill !  No  Corn  Bill !'  upon  which  he  spoke  a  few  words 
to  them,  and  they  cheered,  and  left  him.  There  were  the 
Horse  Guards  and  three  regiments  of  Foot  Guards  under 
orders ;  but  they  were  scarcely  made  use  of,  and  that  only  in 
the  most  pacific  manner. 

Next  day  (the  7th)  they  met,  in  the  same  manner,  near 
the  Houses  of  Parliament,  and,  when  driven  thence,  went 
forth  to  seek  what  they  could  devour,  but  the  Military  were 
abroad,  parading  the  streets,  and  guarding  each  house  that 
had  been  wrecked.  The  rioters  paid  another  visit  to  Mr. 
Robinson's,  and  seeing  no  signs  of  soldiers,  thought  they 
could  throw  stones  at  the  shutters  with  impunity.  They 
reckoned,  however,  without  their  host,  for  the  soldiers  were 
inside  the  house,  from  which  seven  shots  were  fired,  one  of 
the  Mob  falling  dead,  shot  through  the  head.  He  was  not 
identified,  but  was  believed  to  have  been  a  naval  officer. 

This  was  too  warm  to  be  pleasant,  so  they  went  to  Baker 
Street,  where  the  brave  fellows  smashed  the  doors  and 
windows,  and  tore  up  the  iron  railings,  at  the  house  of  Sam 
Stephens,  Esq.,  late  M.P.  for  St.  Ives,  the  said  house  being 
then  under  the  solitary  care  of  an  elderly  female.  Then 
these  heroes,  animated  by  their  last  exploit,  tried  to  wreck 
No.  38,  Harley  Street,  the  house  of  an  inoffensive  lady, 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  227 

named  Sampson,  broke  the  windows  of  two  houses  in  Wim- 
pole  Street,  and  three  in  Mansfield  Street,  Portland  Place. 
The  excitement  spread  to  the  City,  and  a  Mob  collected  in 
Finsbury,  whence  they  valiantly  marched  to  Chiswell  Street, 
where  they  broke  a  few  windows  at  Whitbread's  Brewery. 

The  next  night,  the  8th,  the  riots  were  continued,  but 
were  rather  worse.  The  Mob  was  charged  once  by  the 
Military,  and  dispersed,  only  to  form  again  in  another  place. 
It  was  time  that  something  should  be  done,  and  le  Roi 
faineant  at  Carl  ton  House  woke  up,  and  on  the  ,9th  issued  a 
long  proclamation  all  about  the  wickedness  of  rioting,  and 
offering  £100  reward  on  conviction  of  any  of  the  rioters.  But 
the  thing  was  wearing  itself  out,  and  on  this  day  nothing 
worthy  the  name  of  a  riot  took  place,  except  when  they 
broke  the  windows  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Davies  Giddy,  M.P. 
for  Bodmin,  who  retaliated  by  firing  on  the  Mob,  whereby 
a  boy  was  wounded  in  the  neck.  But  there  were  more 
Military  about  this  day,  which  may  account  for  its  comparative 
quiet,  and  Lord  Sidmouth,  as  Home  Secretary,  had  issued  a 
Circular  to  every  parish  in  the  Metropolis,  urging  them  to 
take  individual  action  in  suppressing  the  riots,  each  in  its  own 
locality.  There  was  an  attempt  to  get  up  a  riot  in  Canter- 
bury, but  no  mischief  was  done,  except  a  few  broken  windows, 
and  it  was  promptly  quelled. 

About  the  same  time  in  March  there  were  more  serious 
riots  occurring  at  the  seaports  at  Durham  and  Northumber- 
land, among  the  sailors  employed  in  the  Colliery  trade. 
They  wanted  an  increase  of  wages,  and  they  did  not  like  the 
introduction  of  machinery,  fearing  that  it  would  interfere 
with  their  livelihood.  Take  one  instance,  as  an  example. 

'March  20.  A  serious  riot  took  place  at  Bishop  Wear- 
mouth,  near  Durham.  It  appears  that  Messrs.  Neshams,  the 
extensive  coal-dealers  of  that  place,  have  been  for  several 
years  busily  employed  in  erecting  railways,  and  other  con- 
veniences, to  save  the  labour  of  men  and  horses  in  conveying 
coals  from  the  pit.  The  keel  men,  who  are  employed  to 
convey  the  coals  in  boats  or  barges,  had,  it  seems,  taken 
offence  at  these  improvements ;  and  this  afternoon,  having 
first  moored  their  barges  opposite  Messrs.  Nesham's  premises, 
they  proceeded,  in  a  riotous  manner,  to  demolish  their  works. 
After  completing  the  destruction  of  the  most  expensive  and 
valuable  part  of  the  waggon  road,  which  was  the  object  of 
their  animosity,  they  set  fire  to  an  immense  pile  of  coals, 

15—2 


228  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

which  burned  with  great  fury  during  the  whole  night, 
presenting  a  grand  and  awful  spectacle  for  many  miles  round. 
The  rioters  previously  overpowered  all  the  proprietors,  and 
their  friends,  who  had  assembled  to  repress  the  tumult.  Mr. 
Robinson,  the  collector  of  the  Customs,  Mr.  Biss,  and  several 
other  gentlemen  of  respectability,  were  repeatedly  knocked 
down  and  bruised.  It  was  three  o'clock  the  next  morning 
before  the  rioters  were  dispersed  by  the  arrival  of  the 
military.'* 

On  the  Tyne,  the  sailors  and  keel  men  took  possession  ot 
the  river,  making  a  chain  of  boats  right  across  it,  and  they 
would  not  allow  a  vessel  to  pass  without  a  regular  permit. 
The  efforts  of  the  local  magistrates,  and  conciliatory  proposi- 
tions from  the  merchants,  proving  insufficient  to  restore 
obedience,  whilst  the  sailors  in  other  ports  were  also  manifest- 
ing a  disposition  to  combine  for  similar  purposes,  Government 
determined  to  interpose  with  effect,  in  order  to  quell  this 
dangerous  spirit.  A  strong  force,  both  Naval  and  Military, 
was  collected  at  the  disturbed  ports,  which  was  so  judiciously 
applied,  that  no  resistance  was  attempted  on  the  part  of  the 
sailors,  and  their  coercive  system  was  immediately  broken  up. 
Reasonable  offers  were  then  made  to  them,  and  tranquillity 
was  restored.  Not  a  life  was  lost,  and  only  a  few  of  the  ring- 
leaders were  apprehended. 

The  ratification  of  the  Treaty  of  Peace  with  America 
arrived  in  London  on  the  13th  of  March,  and  created  no 
comment.  The  main  points  in  this  treaty  are  contained  in 
Article  1,  of  which  the  following  is  a  portion:  —  '.  .  .  All 
hostilities,  both  on  sea  and  land,  shall  cease  as  soon  as  this 
Treaty  shall  have  been  ratified  by  both  parties  hereinafter 
mentioned.  All  territory,  places,  and  possessions  whatsoever, 
taken  by  either  party  from  the  other  during  the  war,  or  which 
may  be  taken  after  the  signing  of  this  Treaty,  excepting  only 
the  Islands  hereinafter  mentioned,  shall  be  restored  without 
delay,  and  without  causing  any  destruction,  or  carrying  away 
any  of  the  artillery  or  other  public  property,  originally  cap- 
tured in  the  said  forts  or  places,  and  which  shall  remain 
therein  upon  the  exchange  of  the  ratification  of  this  Treaty, 
or  any  slaves  or  other  private  property.  And  all  archives, 
records,  deeds,  and  papers,  either  of  a  public  nature,  or  be- 
longing to  private  persons,  which,  in  the  course  of  the  war, 

*  The  Corn  Bill  passed  the  Commons  on  the  10th  of  March,  and 
the  Lords  on  the  20th. 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  229 

may  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  officers  of  either 
party,  shall  be,  as  far  as  practicable,  forthwith  restored,  and 
delivered  to  the  proper  authorities  and  persons  to  whom 
they  respectively  belong/ 

Article  2  provides  for  cessation  of  hostilities. 

Article  S  for  the  exchange  of  prisoners. 

Article  4  deals  with  the  Islands  and  boundaries  in  dispute, 
and  appoints  two  Commissioners,  one  on  each  side,  to  settle 
them. 

Articles  5,  6,  7,  and  8  relate  to  the  boundaries  and  powers 
of  the  Commissioners. 

Article  9  relates  to  making  peace  between  the  Indians  on 
both  sides. 

Article  10  provides  for  the  joint  abolition  of  the  slave 
trade. 

Why  the  American  prisoners  were  not  released,  on  receipt 
of  the  Ratification  of  the  Treaty,  I  cannot  say,  but  that  they 
were  not  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that,  on  the  6th  of  April, 
those  confined  at  Dartmoor  attempted  to  escape ;  having 
armed  themselves  with  knives,  they  attacked  their  guards, 
who  in  self-defence  fired  on  them,  killing  seven  of  the 
prisoners,  and  wounding  thirty-five.  A  coroner's  jury  brought 
in  a  verdict  of  'justifiable  homicide/ 

The  following  story  is  best  told  by  the  Police  Report : — 

'ATTEMPT    TO   STEAL   THE   CROWN   FROM 
THE   TOWER. 

'LAMBETH  POLICE  OFFICE.* —  Yesterday  (5th  April)  MAR- 
GARET MOORE  was  brought  before  Sir  Daniel  Williams,  and 
underwent  a  second  examination,  charged  with  an  attempt 
to  steal  the  King's  Crown  from  the  Tower,  on  Friday,  the 
31st  March  last. 

'  Elizabeth  Eloisa  Stackling,  Deputy  Keeper  of  the  regalia 
in  the  Tower,  deposed,  that  about  one  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon mentioned,  the  prisoner  came  and  asked  to  see  the 
regalia — the  usual  charge  for  such  exhibition  is  eighteenpence, 
but  the  prisoner  having  offered  her  a  shilling,  and  she,  sup- 
posing her,  from  her  appearance,  to  be  a  soldier's  wife,  con- 
sented to  take  it.  She  proceeded  to  show  her  the  regalia  in 
the  usual  way,  until  she  came  to  the  last  article,  the  Crown. 

*  Lambeth  Street,  Whitechapel,  removed  to  Arbour  Square, 
Stepney,  and  now  called  the  Thames  Police  Office. 


230  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

This  is  contained  in  a  case,  and  is  never  taken  out ;  she 
opened  the  case,  and  held  it  with  both  hands,  on  the  ledge 
of  a  table,  except  when  she  was  obliged  to  disengage  one 
hand  and  point  out  particular  jewels.  She  had  just  been 
describing  the  aqua-marine,  a  jewel  of  great  value,  when  the 
prisoner  stared,  and  in  an  instant  thrust  her  hand  through  the 
centre  bar  of  the  railings,  or  grating  placed  there,  and  seizing 
hold  of  the  centre  bow  of  the  Crown,  pulled,  with  great 
violence,  to  draw  it  forth. 

'  Witness  put  her  hand  at  the  top  of  the  bow,  and  bottom 
of  the  Crown,  to  preserve  it,  while  the  prisoner  kept  strug- 
gling, with  still  greater  violence,  to  get  it  away.  The  struggling 
continued  for  about  five  minutes,  and  she  at  length  got  the 
Crown  from  her  grasp.  She,  then,  put  the  Crown  at  a 
distance  behind  her,  and  instantly  slipped  the  bolt  of  the 
entrance,  secured  the  prisoner  and  called  for  assistance. 
When  help  was  obtained  she  sent  for  the  Governor,  but  the 
Ward-keeper  having  come  in,  a  Constable  was  also  sent  for, 
who  soon  arrived  and  took  the  prisoner  into  Custody.  She 
was  searched,  and  about  £5  in  money  was  found  upon  her ; 
there  were  also  some  papers.  In  the  struggle  between  the 
witness  and  the  prisoner  there  were  two  bows  of  the  Crown 
broken  from  the  socket ;  a  string  of  pearls  was  also  broken, 
which  rolled  upon  the  floor,  some  inside  the  railing,  and  some 
outside,  where  the  prisoner  was.  They  were  subsequently 
picked  up  by  the  witness,  assisted  by  the  Governor. 

'  The  prisoner  being  called  upon  for  her  defence,  said  that 
she  was  a  single  woman,  residing  at  No.  3,  Union  Street, 
Apollo  Gardens ;  she  was  a  milk  woman,  and  had  a  girl  of 
about  thirteen  years  of  age,  her  daughter,  residing  with  her ; 
she  was  a  widow,  her  husband,  who  was  a  labouring  man,  had 
been  dead  about  eleven  years  ;  is  not  acquainted  with  a 
soldier,  nor  was  she  ever  in  company  with  one,  nor  had  she 
been  to  the  Tower  in  her  life  before  the  day  in  question. 
Being  asked  by  the  magistrate  why  she  came  so  far  from 
home,  she  replied  she  very  often  went  to  Thames  Street 
to  buy  salt  herrings. 

'  Then,  said  the  Magistrate,  what  induced  you  to  go  to 
the  Tower? 

'  A.  I  went  on  Friday,  purposely  to  see  the  lions ;  no  one 
was  with  me — I  then  went  to  see  the  Crown. 

'  Q.  How  came  you  to  snatch  that  article  from  the  keeper  ? 

'  A.  I    thought   it  a   pity  that   so  valuable  a  thing  should 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  231 

remain  there,  while  half  the  nation  was  starving  for  want  of 
bread  !  I  wished,  also,  at  the  time,  to  take  the  whole  of  what 
was  there,  and  give  it  to  the  public  ! 

'  Q.  Who  told  you  to  do  this,  or  who  was  it  put  that  good 
thought  into  your  head  ? 

'  A.  I  had  no  adviser  whatever. 

'  Jeremiah  Brett,  one  of  the  Chief  Constables,  deposed  to 
having  taken  the  prisoner  into  custody.  When  he  was  con- 
veying her  away  in  the  Coach,  he  asked  her  why  she  had 
made  an  attempt  to  seize,  or  lay  hands  on  the  Crown,  and 
why  she  might  not  as  well  have  laid  hold  of  one  of  the 
lions  ?  She  replied — she  was  not  such  a  fool,  for  she  knew 
better  than  that. 

'  Upon  being  asked  by  the  Magistrate  to  state  a  little  more 
particularly  who  she  was,  she  said  she  was  a  Welshwoman,  from 
the  county  of  Carmarthen,  and  had  been  brought  up  in  the 
principles  of  the  Church  of  England.  About  ten  years  ago 
she  purchased  some  ground  from  Mr.  Henry  Hooper,  of 
Apollo  Gardens ;  and,  about  five  years  ago,  built  a  small 
house,  in  which  she  lives,  and  which  has  already  cost  her 
£110.  She  was  to  have  paid  £150.  Her  other  houses  and 
property  were  stolen  from  her  by  ejectments,  executions,  &c., 
and  her  losses  amounted,  at  least,  to  £500.  She  never  had 
any  idea  of  stealing  the  Crown,  until  she  saw  it,  and  was  only 
impelled  by  the  motive  already  stated.  Does  not  recollect 
that  she  ever  thought  of  providing  for  the  poor  until  then. 

'  Mr.  Swift,  the  Keeper  of  the  Jewels  in  the  Tower,  was 
then  called,  but  it  was  stated  that  he  was  out  of  town,  and 
would  not  return  before  Saturday,  or  Monday. 

'  The  evidence  of  this  witness,  however,  being  deemed 
necessary,  the  Prisoner  was  remanded  for  a  final  examination/ 

On  Tuesday,  April  llth,  she  was  again  examined,  but  a 
number  of  persons  attended,  who  had  known  her  for  many 
years,  and,  as  their  unvarying  testimony  was  that  she  was 
mentally  deranged,  she  was  discharged. 

Whilst  on  the  subject  of  the  Regalia,  I  may  mention  the  fol- 
lowing, which  is  taken  from  The  Gentleman  s  Magazine,  May  19, 
1814  :  'An  interesting  discovery  has  lately  been  made  by  the 
Keeper  of  the  Regalia  in  the  Tower.  In  cleaning  out  some 
secret  places  in  the  Jewel  Office,  a  Royal  Sceptre  was  found, 
equalling  in  splendour  and  in  value  the  others  which  are  there 
exhibited.  It  is  imagined,  from  the  decayed  state  of  its  case, 
and  the  dust  wherewith  it  was  enveloped,  that  the  Sceptre 


232  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

must  have  been  thrown  into  that  neglected  corner,  in  the 
confusion  of  Blood's  well-known  attempt  on  the  Crown  Jewels, 
nearly  a  century  and  a  half  ago.' 

The  war  on  the  Continent  was  going  on,  but  though  it  does 
not  come  within  my  province  to  narrate  its  progress,  I  may 
mention  some  bon  mots,  which  being  produced  here,  belong  to 
the  social  life  of  the  period. 

ON  Louis  LE  DESIRE. 

'  The  Paris  folks,  when  I  inquired 
If  Louis  really  was  "  desired," 
"  We  had  (said  they),  but  one  desire, 
That  Master  Louis  should — retire." ' 

A  CONVERSATION  BETWEEN  Two  GENSDARMES,  MODELLED   ON 
THE  TIMES. 

1  First  Gensdarme.     What  is  the  news  ? 
Second  Gensdarme.     Ma  foi  !  the  news  is  short. 
The  Tiger  has  broken  out  of  his  den. 
The  Monster  was  three  days  at  sea. 
The  Wretch  has  landed  at  Frejus. 
The  Brigand  has  arrived  at  Grenoble. 
The  Invader  has  entered  Lyons. 
Napoleon  slept  last  night  at  Fontainbleau. 
The  Emperor  enters  the  Thuilleries  this  day.1 

Here  are  some  of  the  names  by  which  he  was  assailed  by 
The  Times  : 

The  Tyrant.  The  rebel. 

The  impious  tyrant.  The  perjured  rebel. 

The  flagitious  tyrant.  The  traitor. 

The  wretched  tyrant.  The  perjured  traitor. 

The  Corsican  tyrant.  The  Brigand. 

The  wretch.  The  Thief. 

The  impious  wretch.  The  Robber. 

The  Corsican.  The  Murderer. 

The  impious  Corsican.  The  Tiger. 

The  rebellious  Corsican.  The  Monster. 

The  usurper.  The  Villain. 

The  Corsican  usurper.  The  Criminal. 

The  homicide.  The  notorious  Criminal. 

The  impious  homicide.  The  Prisoner. 

The  Outlaw.  The  Assassin. 

The  Corsican  outlaw.  The  Incendiary. 

The  infamous  outlaw.  The  Impostor. 

The  perjured  outlaw.  The   bloody   and   perjured 

The  impious  outlaw.  chief,  &c. 


1815] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


233 


This  man  of  many  names  gave  us  much  trouble  just  at  this 
time.  Lulled  in  false  security,  everything  was  being  put  on 
a  peace  footing,  only  to  be  brought  again  to  its  old  dimensions, 
and  Sergeant  Kite  was  once  more  abroad,  and  active. 

A  few  disjointed  ana  must  fill  up  the  time  until  we  come  to 
the  next  halting  stage  of  history — the  Battle  of  Waterloo. 


RECRUITING 

Of  course  London  has  vastly  increased  in  population  since 
,  and  Visitors  come  by  rail,  or  steamboat,  from  all  parts  of 
the  earth,  but  the  difference  in  the  number  of  visitors  to  the 
British  Museum  in  one  year,  is  very  marked.  In  the  year 
ending  March  25,  1815,  they  amounted  to  33,074;  in  that 
ending  Dec.  31,  1889,  to  504,537,  and  this  does  not  include 
the  visitors  to  the  Natural  History  Department,  at  South 


234  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

Kensington,  which,  although  removed  from  the  parent  build- 
ing, is  part  of  the  Institution,  and  is  governed  by  the  same 
trustees. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  was  utterly  reckless  in  his  expenditure  ; 
he  put  no  kind  of  curb  to  his  extravagance,  and  left  no  whim 
ungratified.  The  consequence  was  he  was  again  fearfully  in 
debt. 

*  THE  CIVIL  LIST. 

1 "  John  Bull,"  exclaims  old  Nick,  "  pray  mind, 
The  Civil  List  is  now  behind :" 
"Good  Lord  !"  cried  John,  "  why,  what  a  bore, 
It  was  behind,  you  know,  before.'1 ' 

Here  is  a  list  of  the  Prince  of  Wales's  debts  : 

Debts  1787          £161,020 

Debts  1795          640,080 

801,100 
Debts  paid  in  three  years  to  Feb.,  1815,  from 

Extraordinary  Allowances  to  the  Prince  150,000 

Sum  granted  for  outfit  Feb.,  1812,  and  applied 

to  debts  100,000 

Paid  from  Droits  of  Admiralty,  1813  ...  39,000 

Paid  from  Feb.,  1815,  to  May,  1815,  one  qr  of 

£50,000  12,500 

Paid  in  three  years  from  Duchy  of  Cornwall 

to  Feb.,  1815  ...  39.000 

Known  to  be  remaining  unpaid  May,  1815  ...  339,000 

Total  of  debts  contracted  by  the  Prince  ...     £1,480,600 

The  Newspaper  from  which  this  is  taken  goes  on  to  say  : 
'  The  public  will  see,  by  this  statement,  how  unavailing  all 
engagements,  and  all  Acts  of  Parliament  hitherto  passed, 
have  been  to  prevent  the  system  of  incurring  debts  ;  but 
the  distresses  of  the  country  now  demand  some  effective 
prohibitory  checks,  and  we  trust  Parliament  will,  not  separate 
without  supplying  them ;  although  from  the  vote  for  the 
payment  of  the  Russian  debts,  for  the  reduction  of  Guada- 
loupe,  and  the  aids  to  Holland,  there  is  too  much  reason  to 
fear  that  the  Senate,  and  the  public,  entertain  different  views 
as  to  the  necessity  of  economy,  and  that  the  public  must 
encounter  the  awful  trial  of  a  protracted  system  of  profusion 
and  prodigality. 

'  The   statement    of    the   debts   was   extracted    from    the 


1815] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


235 


Journals  of  Parliament,  and  when  £339,000  was  described 
as  the  known  excess  still  due,  the  term  known  was  certainly 
used  to  signify  avowal,  but  not  to  embrace  the  total,  for  there 
is  great  reason  to  believe  that  treble  £339,000  would  not 
release  the  Prince  Regent  from  his  pecuniary  embarrass- 
ments.' 

Needless  to  say,  the  satirical  artists  seized  upon  the  occasion, 
and  I  reproduce  one  picture,  called  '  Answer  to  John  Bull's 


'ANSWER  TO  JOHN  BULL'S  COMPLAINT.' 

Complaint.'  As  may  be  perceived  from  his  dress,  poor  John 
is  reduced  to  a  pitiable  plight,  and  he  has  laid  his  case  before 
the  Regent.  To  him  *  the  first  Gentleman  in  Europe '  re- 
plies, '  Why  !  you  unnatural  Grumbler  !  after  I  have  done  all 
I  could  to  get  rid  of  your  Money,  you  still  grumble  ?  Did  I 
not  give  you  a  Fete  ?  Did  I  not  build  you  a  Bridge  ?  Did  I 


236  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

not  treat  you  to  a  smell  of  all  the  nice  things  at  my  Feast  ? 
Did  I  not  sign  the  Corn  Bill  ?  Did  I  not  refuse  your  Address  ? 
Have  I  not  drunk  whole  Pipes  of  Wine,  for  fear  it  should  be 
wasted?  Have  I  not  spent  all  your  Money,  because  you 
should  not  spend  it  yourself?  Have  you  not  got  the  Income 
Tax  to  keep  you  sober  ?  and,  as  for  your  Dress,  the  thinner 
the  better  for  the  summer  season.  So,  Johnny,  go  home  to 
work,  'tis  all  for  the  good  of  your  Country.' 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

News  of  the  Battle  of  Waterloo — Rejoicings — After  career  of 
Napoleon  —  His  abdication  and  flight  —  Goes  on  board  the 
Bellerophon — Arrives  at  Torbay — His  habits  on  board — Ordered 
to  Plymouth — Crowds  try  to  get  a  glimpse  of  him — His  protest 
against  being  sent  to  St.  Helena — Transferred  to  the  Northumber- 
land— Opinion  as  to  the  Prince  Regent's  conduct  towards  him — 
Sails  for  St.  Helena. 

AT  a  quarter  past  eleven  on  the  night  of  the  21st  of  June, 
the  Hon.  Major  Percy  arrived  at  the  office  of  Earl  Bathurst, 
Secretary  of  State  for  War — bearing  despatches  from  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  dated  the  19th,  giving  an  account  of  the 
actions  which  had  taken  place  since  the  15th,  and  including 
the  Battle  of  Waterloo.  Earl  Bathurst  opened  the  de- 
spatches, and  he  and  their  bearer  immediately  waited,  with 
them,  upon  the  Prince  Regent.  The  Lord  Mayor  had  notifi- 
cation of  the  great  Victory  early  in  the  morning  of  the  22nd, 
and  the  guns  of  the  Tower,  and  St.  James's  Park  thundered 
forth  their  salute  of  gratulation.  The  funds  went  up  with  a 
bound,  Omnium  vibrated  between  a  rise  of  8  to  10  per  cent, 
and  left  off  8 £  per  cent,  higher. 

The  following  placard  was  posted  up  : — 

'MANSION  HOUSE,  Thursday,  June  22,  1815. 

'  Notice  having  been  given  that  the  Public  Offices  will  be 
illuminated  Friday  and  Saturday  evening  next,  in  consequence 
of  the  late  glorious  Victory, 

'The  Lord  Mayor  recommends  to  the  inhabitants  of  this 
City  to  defer  illuminating  their  houses  till  that  time.' 

And,  accordingly,  on  the  23rd,  all  the  Government,  and 
City  public  offices  lit  up  ;  but  it  does  not  seem  to  have  been  a 


238  .    SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

very  grand  illumination,  probably  because  the  time  for  pre- 
paration was  somewhat  short. 

After  the  battle  of  Waterloo,*  Napoleon  hastened  to  Paris ; 
and,  tired,  and  covered  with  dust  as  he  was,  he  immediately 
met  his  Ministers,  and  told  them  the  extent  of  his  disasters. 
They  laid  the  intelligence  before  the  Houses  of  Legislature, 
and,  on  the  morning  of  June  22nd,  Napoleon  received  a 
deputation  from  the  Chamber,  who  submitted  to  him,  that 
'  the  state  of  war  in  which  France  was  involved,  concerned 
much  less  the  nation  than  himself,  and  that  the  Assembly  had 
the  means  at  command,  if  he  would  act  so  disinterested  a 
part,  as  to  restore  to  it  freedom  of  action,  according  as  circum- 
stances might  dictate.' 

This  was  a  pretty  broad  hint  to  Napoleon  to  abdicate,  and 
he  took  it  as  such,  and  sent  the  following  reply  : — 

'  Frenchmen  !  When  I  began  the  war  to  uphold  National 
Independence,  I  relied  on  the  union  of  all  efforts,  all  wills, 
and  on  the  co-operation  of  all  national  authorities.  I  was 
justified  in  anticipating  success,  and  I  braved  all  the  declara- 
tions of  the  Powers  against  my  person.  Circumstances  seem 
to  be  changed.  I  offer  myself  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  hatred 
against  France.  May  your  enemies  prove  sincere,  and  may 
it  appear  that  they  wage  war  against  me  alone  !  My  political 
life  is  terminated.  I  proclaim  my  son,  under  the  title  of 
Napoleon  II. ,f  Emperor  of  the  French.  The  present  Ministers 
will  form  the  Council  of  the  Provisional  Government.  The 
interest  which  I  take  in  my  son  induces  me  to  invite  the 
Chambers  to  organize  a  Regency  without  delay,  by  a  special 
law.  Unite  for  the  general  safety,  and  to  secure  national 
independence. 

'  NAPOLEON. 

'At  the  Palace  of  the  Elysee,  June  22,  1815.' 

But  the  Ministry  did  not  see  it  in  the  same  light,  the 
building  was  rapidly  crumbling,  and  it  was  sauve  qui  pent  with 

*  From  this  time  until  Napoleon  sailed  for  St.  Helena,  I  quote, 
sometimes  at  length,  from  my  book,  'English  Caiiciture  and 
Satire  on  Napoleon  I.,'  because  I  then  wrote,  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  subject,  and  with  every  authority  at  hand — I  can  do  no 
more  now,  than  to  add  a  little  to  it. — J.  A. 

f  This  title  was  never  recognized  by  the  French  Nation  until  the 
assumption  of  Imperial  dignity  by  Louis  —  under  the  title  of 
Napoleon  III. 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  239 

the  rats.     Napoleon  was  politically  dead,  and  even  The  Times 
must  needs  kick  him. 

'June  30,  1815.  .  .  .  The  wretch,  with  the  blood  of  so 
many  thousands  on  his  head,  seemed  to  carry  about  with  him 
all  the  coolness  of  that  apathy  which  is  part  of  his  physical 
constitution ;  and,  so  degraded  and  demoralized  are  the 
Parisian  populace,  that  they  could  see  the  butcher  of  their 
race  without  the  least  emotion.  He  is,  however,  spoken  of 
in  the  journals,  and  in  the  debates,  without  any  share  of  that 
respect  which  was  but  lately  attached  to  his  name,  After  his 
former  abdication  he  was  invariably  termed  the  "  Emperor," 
but  now  he  is  called  nothing  but  "  Napoleon."  ' 

Abdication  is  a  game  that  cannot  be  played  more  than 
twice,  the  result,  then,  being  considered  final,  so  Napoleon 
retired  to  Malmaison,  virtually  a  prisoner,  for  he  had  not 
been  there  long  ere  General  Becker  came  to  him,  and 
informed  him  that  he  was  appointed  by  the  Provisional 
Government  to  command  the  troops  detailed  for  his  pro- 
tection. Napoleon  knew  the  meaning  of  this  message,  but 
even  being  made  a  prisoner  by  his  own  soldiery  did  not  quell 
his  spirit. 

The  presence  of  Napoleon  at  Malmaison  embarrassed  the 
Government,  and  Becker  had  orders  to  convey  Napoleon, 
with  all  speed,  to  the  Isle  of  Aix.  Accordingly,  they  set  out, 
and  reached  Rochefort  on  the  3rd  of  July,  where  he  remained 
until  the  8th,  when  he  embarked  on  board  the  Saale  frigate, 
but  without  any  hope  of  getting  to  sea,  because  of  the 
blockade  of  the  port  by  the  Bellerophon  and  other  English 
men-of-war.  He  occasionally  landed  on  the  Isle  of  Aix  ;  but 
all  hopes  of  reaching  America  seems  to  have  been  abandoned, 
as  Las  Cases  and  Savary  were  sent  on  board  the  Bellerophon 
to  inquire  of  Captain  Maitland  whether  he  knew  anything 
of  the  passports  which  Napoleon  expected  from  the  British 
Government,  and  whether  any  opposition  would  be  offered  to 
his  sailing  to  the  United  States.  Captain  Maitland  replied 
that  he  knew  nothing  of  the  intentions  of  his  Government, 
but  he,  certainly,  could  not  allow  any  ship  of  war  to  leave  the 
port,  and,  in  the  course  of  conversation  asked,  '  Why  not  seek 
an  asylum  in  England  ?' 

The  hint,  thus  dropped,  fructified  ;  for,  after  another  visit 
of  Las  Cases  and  General  Lallemand  on  board  the  Bellerophon, 
on  July  1 4th,  avowedly  to  repeat  their  various  questions,  the 


240  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

matter  was  openly  discussed,  and,  on  mentioning  the  result  of 
their  interview  to  the  Emperor,  he  agreed  to  this  course,  and 
desired  Las  Cases  to  tell  Captain  Maitland  to  prepare  to 
receive  him,  and  his  suite,  the  next  day.  At  the  same  time, 
he  entrusted  General  Gourgaud  with  an  autograph  letter  to 
the  Prince  Regent,  directing  him  to  take  it  to  England,  and 
deliver  it  into  the  Prince's  hands. 

From  the  date  of  this  letter,  which  was  the  13th,  it  would 
seem  that  Napoleon  had,  on  the  previous  day,  made  up  his 
mind  what  course  to  pursue.  The  following  is  the  text  of  the 
letter  :— 

'  YOUR  ROYAL  HIGHNESS, — Exposed  to  the  factions  which 
divide  my  Country,  and  to  the  enmity  of  the  greatest  Powers 
of  Europe,  I  have  terminated  my  political  career ;  and  I  come, 
like  Themistocles,  to  throw  myself  upon  the  hospitality  of  the 
British  People.  I  place  myself  under  the  protection  of  their 
laws,  which  I  claim  from  your  Royal  Highness,  as  the  most 
powerful,  the  most  constant,  and  the  most  generous  of  my 
enemies.  NAPOLEON. 

'RocHEFORT,  July  13,  1815.' 

On  the  15th,  then,  Napoleon  and  suite  went  on  board  the 
Bellerophon,  where  they  were  received  by  Captain  Maitland 
and  his  officers  ;  the  Emperor  saying,  '  I  have  come  to  throw 
myself  on  the  protection  of  your  Prince  and  Laws/  He  was 
treated  on  board  the  Bellerophon  with  every  consideration  by 
Captain  Maitland.  He  was  still  looked  upon  as  Emperor,  and 
dined  off  his  own  gold  plate,  the  dinner  being  ordered  by  his 
own  maitre  d 'hotel ;  and,  when  he  visited  the  Superb,  he  was 
received  with  all  the  honours  accorded  to  royalty,  with  the 
exception  of  a  salute  being  fired.  On  the  1 6th  of  July  they 
set  sail  for  England,  and  at  daybreak  on  the  24th  they  were 
close  to  Dartmouth.  Napoleon  rose  at  six,  and  went  on  the 
poop,  surveying  the  coast,  which  he  much  admired,  exclaim- 
ing, '  What  a  beautiful  country  !  it  very  much  resembles  Porto 
Ferrajo  at  Elba.' 

About  8  a.m.  they  anchored  at  Torbay,  and  no  sooner  was 
it  known  that  Napoleon  was  on  board  the  Bellerophon,  than 
the  bay  was  covered  with  vessels  and  boats  full  of  people.  A 
neighbouring  gentleman  sent  the  Emperor  a  present  of  fruit. 
What  a  different  reception  from  the  language  of  The  Times  I 
(July  25,  1815): 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  241 

'  Our  paper  of  this  day  will  satisfy  the  sceptics,  for  such 
there  were  beginning  to  be,  as  to  the  capture  of  that  bloody 
miscreant,  who  has  so  long  tortured  Europe,  NAPOLEON 
BUONAPARTE.  Savages  are  always  found  to  unite  the  greatest 
degree  of  cunning  to  the  ferocious  part  of  their  nature.  The 
cruelty  of  this  person  is  written  in  characters  of  blood  in 
almost  every  country  in  Europe,  and  in  the  contiguous  angles 
of  Africa  and  Asia  which  he  visited  ;  and  nothing  can  more 
strongly  evince  the  universal  conviction  of  his  low,  perfidious 
craft,  than  the  opinion,  which  was  beginning  to  get  abroad, 
that,  even  after  his  capture  had  been  officially  announced, 
both  in  France  and  England,  he  might  yet  have  found  means 
to  escape. 

'  However,  all  doubts  upon  this  point  are  at  an  end,  by  his 
arrival  off  the  British  Coast,  and,  if  he  be  not  now  placed 
beyond  the  possibility  of  again  outraging  the  peace  of  Europe, 
England  will  certainly  never  again  deserve  to  have  heroes 
such  as  those  who  have  fought,  and  bled,  at  Waterloo,  for 
this,  his  present  overthrow.  The  lives  of  the  brave  men  who 
fell  on  that  memorable  day  will  have  been  absolutely  thrown 
away  by  a  thoughtless  country,  the  grand  object  obtained  by 
their  valour  will  have  been  frustrated,  and  we  shall  do  little 
less  than  insult  over  their  remains,  almost  before  they  have 
ceased  to  bleed.  But  Fortune,  seconding  their  undaunted 
efforts,  has  put  it  in  our  power  to  do  far  otherwise. 

'  Captain  Sartorius,  of  the  Slaney  frigate,  arrived  yesterday 
with  despatches  from  Captain  Maitland  of  the  Bellerophon, 
confirming  all  the  antecedent  accounts  of  Buonaparte's 
surrender,  with  various  other  details,  and  closing  them  by 
their  natural  catastrophe — his  safe  conveyance  to  England. 
He  is,  therefore,  what  we  may  call,  here.  Captain  Sartorius 
delivered  his  despatches  to  Lord  Melville,  at  Wimbledon,  by 
whom  their  contents  were  communicated  to  Lord  Liverpool, 
at  his  seat  at  Coombe  Wood ;  summonses  were  immediately 
issued  for  a  Cabinet  Council  to  meet  at  12  o'clock;  what 
passed  there  was,  of  course,  not  suffered  to  transpire ;  our 
narrative  must  therefore  revert  to  the  Slaney  frigate,  and  the 
accounts  brought  by  her.  She  had  been  sent  forward,  by 
Captain  Maitland,  to  Plymouth,  with  the  despatches  announc- 
ing that  Buonaparte  was  on  board  the  Belleroph&n,  with  a 
numerous  suite.  But  it  was  the  intention  of  Captain  Maitland 
himself,  to  proceed  to  Torbay,  and  not  land  his  prisoners 
until  he  had  received  orders  from  Government. 

16 


242  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

'  Buonaparte's  suite,  as  it  is  called,  consists  of  upwards  of 
forty  persons,  among  whom  are  Bertrand,  Savary,  Lallemand, 
Grogau,*  and  several  women.  He  has  been  allowed  to  take 
on  board  carriages  and  horses,  but  admission  was  denied  to 
about  fifty  cavalry,  for  whom  he  had  the  impudence  to  require 
accommodation.  This  wretch  has  really  lived  in  the  commis- 
sion of  every  crime,  so  long,  that  he  had  lost  all  sight  and 
knowledge  of  the  difference  that  exists  between  good  and 
evil,  and  hardly  knows  when  he  is  doing  wrong,  except  he  be 
taught  by  proper  chastisement.  A  creature — who  ought  to 
be  greeted  with  a  gallows  as  soon  as  he  lands — to  think  of  an 
attendance  of  fifty  horsemen !  He  had,  at  first,  wanted  to 
make  conditions  with  Captain  Maitland,  as  to  his  treatment, 
but  the  British  officer  very  properly  declared  that  he  must 
refer  him,  upon  this  subject,  to  his  Government. 

'  When  he  had  been  some  time  on  board,  he  asked  the 
Captain  what  chance  two  large  frigates,  well  manned,  would 
have  with  a  seventy-four.  The  answer,  we  understand,  which 
he  received  to  this  inquiry,  did  not  give  him  any  cause  to 
regret  that  he  had  not  risked  his  fortune  in  a  naval  combat, 
with  the  relative  forces  in  question.  By  the  way,  we  should 
not  have  been  surprised  if  he  had  come  into  an  action  with 
the  two  frigates,  and  then  endeavoured  to  escape  in  his  own, 
and  leave  the  other  to  her  fate.  It  has  been  the  constant 
trick  of  this  villain,  whenever  he  has  got  his  companions  into 
a  scrape,  to  leave  them  in  it,  and  seek  his  own  safety  by  flight. 
In  Egypt,  in  the  Moscow  expedition,  and  at  Waterloo,  such 
was  his  conduct. 

'  He  likewise  had  the  assurance  to  address  a  letter  to  the 
Prince  Regent,  and  M.  Grogau,  one  of  his  party,  was  put  on 
board  the  Slaney  as  the  bearer  of  it ;  but,  when  the  vessel 
reached  Plymouth,  the  officer  on  duty  there,  with  a  decision 
that  does  him  credit,  refused  Grogau  permission  to  land  :  the 
letter  is  said  to  have  been  conveyed  by  Captain  Sartorius,  and 
its  purport  was  understood,  on  board,  to  be  a  request  for  pass- 
ports for  America.  WTe  should  have  supposed  that  he  had 
received  too  many  checks  before,  for  his  presumption  in 
addressing  letters  to  the  British  Government,  ever  to  have 
hazarded  the  experiment  again  ;  but  all  reproofs  are  thrown 
away  upon  his  callous  heart ; — not  that  we  should  object  to 
his  humbly  addressing  the  British  throne  for  mercy,  if  he  has 
anything  to  urge  in  extenuation  of  his  crimes ;  but  the  time 
*  General  G-ourgaud. 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  243 

has  not  yet  come ;  a  momentary  gleam  of  resolution  on  the 
part  of  his  own  government,  indicated  by  the  imprisonment  of 
Labedoyere,  and  others,  led  us  to  hope  that  his  trial  might 
have  been  safely  entrusted  to  those  to  whom  it  primarily,  and 
of  natural  right,  belongs  ;  but,  though  this  hope  may  have 
proved  transitory,  he  is  not,  therefore,  above  the  criminal 
justice  of  other  countries,  where  established  law,  and  a  regular 
execution  of  it,  prevails. 

'The  first  procedure,  we  trust,  will  be  a  special  Commission, 
or  the  appointment  of  a  Court  Martial  to  try  him  for  the 
murder  of  Captain  Wright.  It  is  nonsense  to  say,  as  some 
have,  that  Courts  Martial  are  instituted  only  to  try  offences 
committed  by  soldiers  of  the  country  to  which  they  belong : 
it  was  an  American  Court  Martial  that  tried  and  shot  Major 
Andre  as  a  spy  ;  and  Buonaparte  himself  appointed  commis- 
sions of  all  kinds,  and  in  all  countries,  to  try  offences  com- 
mitted against  himself.' 

In  a  letter  from  on  board  the  Bellerophon,  Napoleon's  per- 
sonnel is  thus  described  : 

'  I  observed  his  person  particularly,  and  can  describe  him 
thus  : — He  is  about  5  feet  7  inches  in  height,  very  strongly 
made,  and  well  proportioned  ;  very  broad  and  deep  chest ; 
legs  and  thighs  proportioned  with  great  symmetry  and  strength, 
a  small,  round,  and  handsome  foot.  His  countenance  is  sallow, 
and,  as  it  were,  deeply  tinged  by  hot  climates ;  but  the  most 
commanding  air  I  ever  saw.  His  eyes  grey,  and  the  most 
piercing  you  can  imagine.  His  glance,  you  fancy,  searches 
into  your  inmost  thoughts.  His  hair  dark  brown,  and  no 
appearance  of  grey.  His  features  are  handsome  now,  and 
when  younger,  he  must  have  been  a  very  handsome  man. 
He  is  rather  fat,  and  his  belly  protuberant,  but  he  appears 
active,  notwithstanding.  His  step,  and  demeanour  altogether 
commanding.  He  looks  about  45  or  46  years  of  age.  In  fact, 
he  is  very  like  the  picture  exhibited  of  him  in  the  Adelphi, 
and  also  several  of  the  prints. 

'  He  is  extremely  curious,  and  never  passes  anything  remark- 
able in  the  ship,  without  immediately  demanding  its  use,  and 
inquiring  minutely  into  the  manner  thereof.  He  also  stops 
and  asks  the  officers  divers  questions  relative  to  the  time  they 
have  been  in  the  service,  what  actions,  &c.  ;  and  he  caused  all 
of  us  to  be  introduced  to  him,  the  first  day  he  came  on  board. 
He  also  asked  several  questions  about  the  marines,  particularly 
those  who  appeared  to  have  been  some  time  in  the  service, 

16—2 


244 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


[1815 


and  about  the  warrant  officers,  midshipmen,  seamen,  &c.  He 
was  but  a  very  short  time  on  board  when  he  asked  that  the 
boatswain  might  be  sent  for,  in  order  that  he  might  look  at 
him,  and  was  very  inquisitive  as  to  the  nature  of  his  duty.  He 


BONAPARTE   ON    THE   QUARTER-DECK   OF   H.M.S.   NORTHUMBERLAND. 

{Drawn  during  his  passage  to  St.  Helena.     Published,  January  I,  1816, 
by  Thomas  Falser^  Westminster  Bridge  Road.} 

dresses  in  green  uniform,  with  red  facings  and  edged  with  red, 
two  plain  gold  epaulettes,  the  lapels  of  the  coat  cut  round  and 
turned  back,  white  waistcoat  and  breeches,  and  military  boots 
and  spurs,  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honour  on  his 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  245 

left  breast.  He  professes  his  intention  (if  he  is  allowed  to 
reside  in  England)  to  adopt  the  English  customs  and  manners, 
and  declares  that  he  will  never  meddle  with  politics  more. 
The  Army,  which  left  Paris,  and  united  with  others  on  the 
Loire,  wanted  him  to  rejoin  them  and  resume  his  title,  which 
he  refused  to  do.  He  declares  that  not  another  " goutte  de 
sang "  shall  be  shed  on  his  account.  Fortunate,  indeed,  it 
would  have  been  if  he  had  really  been  of  this  opinion  some 
years  back. 

'  His  followers  still  treat  him  with  the  greatest  respect,  not 
one  of  them,  not  even  the  Duke  of  ROVIGO  himself,  ever 
speaking  to  him,  without  being  uncovered  the  whole  time. 
He  does  not  appear  out  until  about  half-past  ten,  though  he 
rises  about  seven.  He  breakfasts  in  the  French  fashion  at 
eleven,  and  dines  at  six.  He  spends  most  of  the  day  alone  in 
the  after-cabin,  and  reads  a  great  deal.  He  retires  to  bed 
about  eight.  He  has  not  latterly  been  much  upon  the  quarter- 
deck. His  suite  is  composed  of  fifty  people.' 

I  give  an  illustration  of  '  Bonaparte  on  the  Quarter-deck  of 
H.M.S.  Northumberland,  drawn  during  his  passage  to  St.  Helena,' 
which  fully  bears  out  the  above  description. 

On  July  26th  orders  came  for  the  Bellerophon  to  go  to 
Plymouth,  which  being  reached,  two  frigates,  the  Lijfey,  and 
Eurotas,  were  anchored,  one  on  either  side  of  her,  and  kept 
strict  guard  over  her.  No  boat  from  the  shore  was  allowed  to 
come  within  a  cable's  length*  of  her,  and  ships'  boats  con- 
tinually rowing  round  her,  kept  that  space  clear. 

Visitors  from  London,  and  all  parts  of  England,  came  to  get 
a  glimpse  of  him,  and  the  sea  was  literally  alive  with  boats  of 
every  description.  The  following  is  by  an  eye  witness!  : — 

'  There  is   nothing  so  dull  as  mere  fact,  you'll  admit, 
While  you  read  my  detail,  unenlivened  by  wit. 
My  friends  will  believe,  though  they're  told  it  in  rhyme, 
That  I  thought  to  return  in  a  far  shorter  time. 
When  at  one  we're  resolv'd,  by  half  past  on  the  move, 
And  by  two,  but  a  trio,  we  reach  Mutton  Cove  ; 
When  approaching  the  quay,  such  a  rabble  and  rout, 
That  we  ask,  "  My  good  friend,  what  is  all  this  about  ?" 

*  A  measure  of  about  one  hundred  fathoms.  In  all  marine 
charts  a  Cable  is  deemed  607*56  feet,  or  one- tenth  of  a  Sea  Mile. 

f  *  A  Visit  to  Bonaparte  in  Plymouth  Sound,"  by  a  Lady. 
Plymouth,  1815. 


246  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

11  They  are  rowing  a  race,  and  some  boats  are  come  in, 

While  these  people  are  waiting  till  t'others  begin." 

Well  aware  of  our  folly,  with  risible  lip, 

The  boatman  we  told  to  make  haste  to  the  ship  ; 

On  the  colours  of  fish,*  here  by  hampers-full  landing, 

We  gaze  for  amuzement,  while  still  we're  kept  standing  ; 

At  length  to  the  Admiral's  stairs  we  have  got, 

See  his  party  on  board,  and  hear  tunes  from  his  yacht. 

The  day  is  delightful,  the  gale  just  enough 

For  the  sea  to  look  lively,  without  being  rough. 

With  those  first  at  the  ship,  our  sight  costs  the  dearer, 

As  we've  longer  to  wait,  and  not,  in  the  end,  nearer  ; 

For  by  land,  and  by  water,  so  different  the  case  is, 

'Twas  long  before  we  were  jam'd  into  our  places  ; 

But  on  further  advice,  we'll  at  present  be  dumb, 

For  half  the  spectators,  you  know,  are  now  come. 

In  one  boat,  a  bevy,  all  sarcenet  and  veil, 

In  the  next  some  good  fellows  are  toping  their  ale. 

"  Avast !  here's  the  gun  boat."     "  Aye,  here  it  come  smack." 

And  the  ladies  cry,  "  Captain,  they'll  drive  us  all  back." 

Then  some  bully  our  men  "  Skull  out  there,  skull  out." 

And  others  check  these  with,  "  Mind  what  you're  about." 

Here's  a  crazy  old  boat,  laded  dry  with  a  shoe, 

There,  a  gay  painted  barge  is  forced  on  our  view  ; 

In  this,  while  Don  Solus  is  jeered  by  the  mob, 

"  See  that  empty  boat,  turn  it  out."     "  Here's  a  fine  job.'1 

Cries  one,  of  some  dozens  squeezed  into  the  next, 

"I've  left  the  pork  pie,  Oh  dear,  I'm  so  vex'd." 

In  the  long  boat,  that  shows  a  profusion  of  oar, 

From  the  Captain  bursts  forth  a  most  terrible  roar 

At  his  men  ;  but  the  anger  about  whom,  or  what, 

Though  they  may  remember,  we  soon  had  forgot. 

Here,  infants  were  crying,  mothers  scolding  outright, 

While  the  next  party  laughs  at  some  comical  sight. 

Now,  watches  and  spy -glasses  make  their  appearance, 

And  Impatience,  that  vixen,  begins  interference  ; 

To  beguile  her,  through  portholes  we  eagerly  stare, 

For  the  nobles  on  deck  are  all  taking  the  air. 

"  Hey-dey,  what  a  bustle  !"  then  "  All  safe,  all  safe." 

The  crowd  is  return'd  to  its  chatter  and  laugh. 

"Pray,  what  was  the  matter  ?"     "From  the  boat,  near  the  ship, 

A  woman  fell  over,  and  so  got  a  dip." 

But  a  hum  of  applause,  yes,  his  triumph  is  full, 

Yet  this  hum  of  applause  has  betrayed  our  John  Bull, 

"  What  hum  of  applause  ?  come,  I  prithee,  be  brief." 

Why,  John  was  delighted  to  see  them  ship  beef. 

*  Mackerel. 


J815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  247 

With  a  smile  'tis  observed  by  the  Briton  polite, 

How  the  glee  of  the  crowd  was  improv'd,  by  the  sight, 

For  the  rough,  honest  tar,  bad  declared  from  his  heart, 

That  he  thought  this  a  sight  that  would  beat  Bonaparte. 

Some,  again,  with  composure,  predict  peace  and  war, 

Others  look  at  the  great  folks,  and  fancy  a  star  ; 

But  we,  much  fatigued,  six  o'clock  now  approaching, 

And  on  our  good  nature  we  thought  them  encroaching, 

When  boats  are  made  bridges,  nay,  tempted  to  think 

That  through  some  of  these  freedoms,  not  strange  we  should 

sink. 

But  here  I  must  mention,  when  all  was  most  merry, 
As  here  is  each  size,  from  the  long-boat  to  wherry, 
When  the  crowd  should  disperse,  I  was  fearful,  I  own, 
Lest  your  small  boats,  by  barges,  should  then  be  run  down. 
But  a  truce  with  our  hopes,  our  predictions  and  fears, 
For  now,  yes,  at  last,  our  grand  object  appears  ; 
And  now,  every  eye  to  the  ship  is  directed, 
Though  to  see  Bonaparte,  I  no  longer  expected  ; 
For  between  us  what  number  of  men  !  and  aghast 
We  stood,  as  still  thicker  and  thicker  the  mast.  [.*  mass] 
But  now  see  Napoleon,  who  seems  in  his  figure, 
What  we  call  mediocre,  nor  smaller,  nor  bigger  ; 
For,  in  spite  of  our  fears,  how  it  was,  I  can't  tell, 
What  our  distance  allowed  of,  we  saw  very  well. 
But,  in  this  we're  full  right,  for  now,  hurry  scurry, 
Boat  rows  against  boat,  with  the  madness  of  fury  ; 
The  show  was  all  over,  but  time  was  out  staid 
By  some,  and  by  others,  attempts  were  still  made 
To  get  round  the  ship,  in  hopes  Bonaparte  might 
At  some  place  yet  be  seen,  thus  to  perfect  their  sight.' 

This  doggerel  helps  us  to  realize  the  intense  desire  of  the 
British  public  to  get,  at  least,  a  glimpse  at  Boney,  that  great 
bugbear,  who  for  so  many  years  had  been  so  great  a  terror  to 
them,  and  whose  existence,  every  one,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest,  had  acutely  felt  in  that  tenderest  place  of  our  social 
economy— the  breeches  pocket.  They  all  but  carried  out  the 
threat  made  twelve  years  previously,  of  putting  him  in  Pid- 
cock's  Menagerie,  vide  the  following  extracts  from  a  contempo- 
rary pamphlet  :* — 

'  The  desire  of  all  ranks  to  see  him  was  excessive  ;  the 
guard  boats  were  unable  to  prevent  them  from  closing  the 
ship,  and  it  was  amusement  on  board  to  look  at  the  boats  con- 
tending for  places.  Napoleon  generally  walked  the  quarter- 

*  'Interesting  Particulars  of  Napoleon's  Deportation  for  Life  to 
St.  Helena,'  &c.  London,  181G.  Printed  for  W.  Hone. 


248  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

deck  about  eleven  in  the  forenoon,  and  half-past  six  in  the 
afternoon.  He  ate  but  two  meals  in  the  day,  both  alike, 
meat  of  every  description,  different  wines,  coffee,  fruit,  &c. 
Immediately  after  each  meal,  he  rose  first  and  the  others 
followed  ;  he  then  either  went  on  the  quarter-deck  or  in  the 
after-cabin,  to  study.  The  comedy  of  The  Poor  Gentleman* 
was  performed  before  him.  He  was  much  pleased  at  it ;  it 
went  off  very  well.  The  scenery  was  good,  but  somewhat 
better  dresses  were  wanted  for  the  female  midshipmen.^ 

'The  immense  number  of  persons  who  daily  flock  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  to  take  a  view  of  the  person  of  Napoleon, 
is  incalculable.  He  generally  gratified  the  public  curiosity  by 
making  his  appearance  every  afternoon  for  two  hours. 

'Upwards  of  one  thousand  boats  were  from  morning  to 
night  round  the  Bellerophon.  The  seamen  of  the  Bellerophon 
adopted  a  curious  mode  to  give  an  account  to  the  curious 
spectators  in  the  boats  of  the  movements  of  Napoleon.  Thev 
wrote  in  chalk  on  a  board,  which  they  exhibited,  a  short 
account  of  his  different  occupations.  "At  breakfast." — "In 
the  cabin  with  Captain  Maitland." — "Writing  with  his  officers.'* 
— "Going  to  dinner." — "Coming  upon  deck,"  &c.' 

Las  Cases  says  : — '  It  was  known  that  he  always  appeared 
on  deck  towards  five  o'clock.  A  short  time  before  this  hour 
all  the  boats  collected  alongside  of  each  other ;  there  were 
thousands  ;  and  so  closely  were  they  connected,  that  the 
water  could  no  longer  be  seen  between  them.  They  looked 
more  like  a  multitude  assembled  in  a  public  square  than  any- 
thing else.  When  the  Emperor  came  out,  the  noise  and 
gestures  of  so  many  people  presented  a  most  striking  spectacle ; 
it  was,  at  the  same  time,  very  easy  to  perceive  that  nothing 
hostile  was  meant,  and  that,  if  curiosity  had  brought  them, 
they  felt  interested  on  going  away.  We  could  even  see  that 
the  latter  sentiment  continued  to  increase  ;  at  first,  people 
merely  looked  toward  the  ship,  they  ended  by  saluting ; 
some  remained  uncovered,  and,  occasionally,  went  so  far  as  to 
cheer.  Even  our  symbols  began  to  appear  amongst  them. 
Several  individuals  of  both  sexes  came  decorated  with  red 
carnations. ' 

Napoleon  knew  that  St.  Helena  had  been  fixed  upon  as 
the  place  of  his  future  residence,  and  did  not  at  all  relish 
the  idea ;  but  it  was  not  officially  announced  to  him  until 

*  By  George  Colman  the  Younger. 

j"  i.e.,  the  midshipmen  who  took  female  paris. 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  249 

July  30th   or  31st,   when    Lord  Keith   went   on   board   the 
Bellerophon,  and  presented  him  with  the  following  despatch : 

'  Communication  made  by  Lord  Keith  in  the  name  of  the 
English  Ministers. 

'  As  it  may,  perhaps,  be  convenient  for  General  Buonaparte 
to  learn,  without  further  delay,  the  intentions  of  the  British 
Government  with  regard  to  him,  your  Lordship  will  communi- 
cate the  following  information. 

'  It  would  be  inconsistent  with  our  duty  towards  our  country, 
and  the  Allies  of  his  Majesty,  if  General  Buonaparte  pos- 
sessed the  means  of  again  disturbing  the  repose  of  Europe. 
It  is  on  this  account  that  it  becomes  absolutely  necessary  he 
should  be  restrained  in  his  personal  liberty,  so  far  as  this  is 
required  by  the  foregoing  important  object. 

'  The  island  of  St.  Helena  has  been  chosen  as  his  future 
residence ;  its  climate  is  healthy,  and  its  local  position  will 
allow  of  his  being  treated  with  more  indulgence  than  could 
be  admitted  in  any  other  spot,  owing  to  the  indispensable 
precautions  which  it  would  be  necessary  to  employ  for  the 
security  of  his  person. 

'  General  Buonaparte  is  allowed  to  select  amongst  those 
persons  who  accompanied  him  to  England  (with  the  excep- 
tion of  Generals  Savary  and  Tallemand)  three  officers,  who, 
together  with  his  surgeon,  will  have  permission  to  accompany 
him  to  St.  Helena  ;  these  individuals  will  not  be  allowed  to 
quit  the  island  without  the  sanction  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment. 

'  Rear-Admiral  Sir  George  Cockburn,  who  is  named  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  seas  adjacent, 
will  convey  General  Buonaparte  and  his  suite  to  St.  Helena  ; 
and  he  will  receive  detailed  instructions  relative  to  the 
execution  of  this  service. 

'  Sir  G.  Cockburn  will,  most  probably,  be  ready  to  sail  in 
a  few  days  ;  for  which  reason  it  is  desirable  that  General 
Buonaparte  should  make  choice  of  the  persons  who  are  to 
accompany  him,  without  delay.' 

Of  this  interview  Las  Cases  says :  '  I  was  not  called  before 
the  Emperor.  The  bearers  of  his  sentence  spoke,  and  under- 
stood French  ;  they  were  admitted  alone.  I  have  since  heard 
that  he  objected,  and  protested,  with  no  less  energy  than  logic, 
against  the  violence  exercised  on  his  person.  "He  was  the 


250  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

guest  of  England,"  said  Napoleon,  "  and  not  its  prisoner  ;  he 
came  of  his  own  accord  to  place  himself  under  the  protection 
of  its  laws  ;  the  most  sacred  rights  of  hospitality  were  violated 
in  his  person ;  he  would  never  submit  voluntarily  to  the  out- 
rage they  were  preparing  for  him ;  violence,  alone,  should 
oblige  him  to  do  so,"  &c.' 

That  the  Government  was  in  earnest  as  to  his  departure 
was  soon  shown,  for  orders  came  on  August  4th  for  the 
Bellerophon  to  weigh  and  join  the  Northumberland,  which 
was  the  ship  in  which  Napoleon  was  to  take  his  passage  to 
St.  Helena.  He  issued  a  formal  protest : — 

'  I  hereby  solemnly  protest  in  the  face  of  heaven  and 
mankind  against  the  violence  that  is  done  me ;  and  the 
violation  of  my  most  sacred  rights,  in  forcibly  disposing  of 
my  person  and  liberty.  I  voluntarily  came  on  board  the 
Bellerophon — I  am  not  the  prisoner,  I  am  the  guest  of 
England.  I  came  at  the  instigation  of  the  Captain  himself, 
who  said  he  had  orders  from  the  Government  to  receive,  and 
convey  me  to  England,  together  with  my  suite,  if  agreeable 
to  me.  I  came  forward,  with  confidence,  to  place  myself 
under  the  protection  of  the  laws  of  England.  When  once  on 
board  the  Bellerophon,  I  was  entitled  to  the  hospitality  of  the 
British  people.  If  the  Government,  in  giving  the  Captain  of 
the  Bellerophon  orders  to  receive  me  and  my  followers,  only 
wished  to  lay  a  snare,  it  has  forfeited  its  honour,  and  disgraced 
its  flag. 

'  If  this  act  be  consummated,  it  will  be  in  vain  for  the 
English  henceforth  to  talk  of  their  sincerity,  their  laws,  and 
liberties.  British  faith  will  have  been  lost  in  the  hospitality 
of  the  Bellerophon. 

'  I  appeal  to  history  ;  it  will  say  that  an  enemy  who  made 
war  for  twenty  years  against  the  English  people,  came 
spontaneously,  in  the  hour  of  misfortune,  to  seek  an  asylum 
under  their  laws.  What  more  striking  proof  could  he  give  of 
his  esteem  and  confidence  ?  But  how  did  England  reply  to 
such  an  act  of  magnanimity  ?  It  pretended  to  hold  out  a 
hospitable  hand  to  this  enemy  ;  and,  on  giving  himself  up 
with  confidence,  he  was  immolated  ! 

'  NAPOLEON. 

'  Bellerophon,  at  Sea,  Friday,  Aug.  4,  1815.' 

This  might  have  been  good  logic  had  it  not  been  for  the 


1815] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


251 


little  episode  of  Elba,  which  showed  that  neither  honour,  nor 
treaties,  could  bind  him,  and  the  contiguity  of  England  to 
France  was  far  too  near.  His  residence  here  would  be  a 
fruitful  source  of  intrigue  and  danger  to  both  countries. 
Every  reason  of  sound  policy  was  for  his  complete  isolation ; 
but,  whether  that  sentence  was  carried  out  either  humanely, 


BOXIANA,    OR  THE  FANCY. 
(Published  by  Mr.  Jones,  5,  Newgate  Street,  October  I,  1815.) 

or  with  even  a  show  of  deference  to  Napoleon's  feelings,  is 
another  question,  which  needs  no  discussion  here. 

On  the  6th  they  anchored  off  Start  Point,  and  were  soon 
joined  by  the  Northumberland  and  two  frigates,  full  of  soldiers, 
who  were  to  form  the  garrison  of  St.  Helena.  By  order,  the 
arms  of  Napoleon's  suite  were  taken  from  them,  but  the  ex- 
Emperor  was  allowed  to  retain  his  sword.  All  their  money, 
diamonds,  and  saleable  effects  were  put  under  seal,  but 


252  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

Napoleon  kept  his  plate,  baggage,  wines,  and  provisions. 
The  search  of  his  personal  effects  greatly  exasperated  him. 

Between  one  and  two  o'clock  p.m.  of  the  7th  of  August  the 
transfer  from  the  Bellerophon  to  the  Northumberland  was  made, 
and  then,  as  there  was  nothing  else  to  wait  for,  '  Caesar  and 
his  fortunes '  sailed  for  St.  Helena. 

There  were  but  a  very  few  satirical  prints  anent  him 
published  after  his  departure,  and,  I  think,  not  one  after  the 
news  of  his  safe  arrival  at  St.  Helena.  There  was  a  sense  of 
relief  that  now  he  was  powerless  for  mischief,  and  a  revulsion 
of  feeling  set  in.  It  was  then  the  heyday  of  Boxing,  and  it 
was  felt  repugnant  to  all  feelings  of  English  manliness,  to 
'  hit  a  man  when  he  was  down.'  The  Prince  of  Wales  was 
severely  remarked  on  for  his  conduct  to  his  illustrious  Captive, 
and  the  following  poetry  was  exceedingly  popular. 

The  illustration  on  p.  251,  which  is  separate  from,  but  goes 
well  with  the  song,  is  called  '  BOXIANA,  or  the  FANCY/  and  the 
poem  is  an  '  Epistle  from  TOM  CRIBB  to  BIG  BEN,  containing 
some  Foul  Play  in  a  Pugilistic  Encounter,'  August,  1815: — 

*  What,  Ben  !  my  big  hero,  is  this  thy  renown  ? 
Is  this  the  new  Go — kick  a  man  when  he's  down  ? 
"When  the  foe  has  knockt  under,  to  tread  on  him  then  ? 
By  the  fist  of  my  father,  I  blush  for  thee,  Ben  / 
Foul  !  Foul  !  all  the  Lads  of  the  Fancy  exclaim — • 
Charley  Shock  is  electrified — Belcher  spits  name — 
And  Molyneux—&ye,  even  Blackey,  cries  Shame  ! 

Time  was,  when  John  Bull  little  difference  spied, 
'Twixt  the  foe  at  his  feet,  and  the  friend  at  his  side  ; 
When  he  found  (such  his  humour  in  fighting  and  eating), 
His  foe,  like  his  beefsteak,  the  better  for  beating  ! 
But  this  comes,  Master  Ben,  of  your  curst  foreign  notions, 
Your  trinkets,  wigs,  thingambobs,  gold  lace,  and  lotions  ; 
Your  Noyeau's  Curacoa's,  and  the  Devil  knows  what — 
(One  swig  of  Blue  Ruin  is  worth  the  whole  lot) — 
Your  great  and  small  crosses  (my  eyes  !  what  a  brood  !) 
A  cross  buttock  from  me  would  do  some  of  'em  good — 
Which  have  spoil'd  you,  till  hardly  a  drop,  my  old  porpua, 
Of  pure  English  claret  is  left  in  your  corpus. 
And  (as  Jim  says)  the  only  one  trick,  good  or  bad, 
Of  the  Fancy,  you're  up  to,  IB  Jibbing,  my  lad  ! 
Hence  it  comes,  Boxiana,  disgrace  to  thy  page  ! — 
Having  Jloor'd,  by  good  luck,  the  first  Sivell  of  the  Age, 
Having  conquer'd  the  prime  one  that  mill'd  us  all  round, 
You  kick'd  him,  old  Ben,  as  he  gasp'd  on  the  ground  ! — 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  253 

Aye — just  at  the  time  to  show  spunk,  if  you'd  any, 
Kick'd  him  and  jaw'd,  and  lag'd*  him  to  Botany ! 

Oh,  shade  of  the  Cheesemonger  !f  you  who,  alas ! 

Doubled  up,  by  the  dozen,  those  Mounseers  in  brass, 

On  that  great  day  of  milling^  when  blood  lay  in  lakes, 

When  Kings  held  the  bottle,  and  Europe  the  Stakes, 

Look  down  upon  Ben,  see  him  Dunghill  all  o'er, 

Moult  the  falPn  foe  that  can  harm  him  no  more  ; 

Out,  cowardly  Spooney  I  again  and  again. 

By  the  fist  of  my  father,  I  blush  for  thee,  Ben  ! 

To  show  the  white  feather§  is  many  men's  doom, 

But  what  of  one  feather  !  Ben  boasts  a  whole  Plume  !  r 

And  so  Napoleon  fades  away. 

*  Transported.  t  Shaw  the  Lifeguardsman. 

\  Battle  of  Waterloo.  §  Cowardice. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Effects  of  Napoleon's  capture — The  Navy  in  1815 — Margate  and 
Ramsgate — French  Prisoners  of  war — Treaty  of  Peace  with 
France — Napoleon's  house — A  soldier's  letter — A  zealous  Lord 
Mayor — Hotels  and  clubs  in  1815. 

THE  effect  of  the  capture  and  banishment  of  Napoleon  was 
felt  immediately,  a  great  strain  was  taken  off  Europe,  and  it 
was  known  to  all,  that  the  peace,  after  so  long  a  conflict, 
would  be  enduring.  On  the  17th  of  August  we  read,  'The 
impressment  of  seamen  is  directed  to  be  discontinued  at  all 
the  seaports,  as  also  the  receiving  of  volunteers,  except  for 
the  peace  establishment.  Orders  have  been  issued  at  the 
different  ports  to  pay  off  the  Navy  ;  and  the  seamen  are  to 
be  sent  to  their  respective  homes,  in  small  vessels,  to  be  in 
readiness  for  that  purpose.' 

The  Navy  was  a  rough  school  then,  and  the  officers  mainly 
came  from  a  very  different  class  to  that  from  which  they  are 
now  recruited.  What  a  Midshipman's  berth  was  like  then, 
we  may  learn  from  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  : 

c  The  Midshipman,  whose  Friends  were  not  born  before  him, 
as  the  phrase  goes,  is  easily  distinguished  amongst  his  more 
fortunate  companions  in  arms  ;  you  generally  see  him  attired 
more  like  the  prodigal  son  returning  from  his  occupation  of  a 
swine-herd,  than  a  British  officer.  His  perforated  worsted  hose, 
shoes  which  have  a  very  great  resemblance  to  sandals,  thread- 
bare pantaloons  which  were  once  blue,  a  tattered  "  uniform  !" 
coat,  and  a  slouched  hat,  show  that  "  poverty,  and  not  his 
will,  consents." 

'  A  Midshipman's  berth  (in  a  dark  cockpit  under  water)  has 
long  been  proverbial  for  the  convenience,  and  elegance  of  its 
comforts ;  a  large  deal  table,  abundantly  ornamented  with 
hieroglyphicks,  a  form,  and  some  broken  chairs,  two  beautiful 


1815]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  255 

brass  candlesticks,  well  charged  with  grease,  lights  which 
seem  to  render  darkness  more  visible,  about  ten  plates  and 
dishes,  seven  knives  and  forks,  five  pewter  spoons,  with  cups 
and  saucers  in  proportion,  two  old  decanters  without  necks, 
and  a  very  large  stock  of  empty  bottles,  usually  form  the  earthly 
stock  of  its  utensils.  To  describe  the  valet,  or  attendant, 
would,  indeed,  be  a  difficult  task  ;  perhaps  the  reader  can  call 
to  mind  Le  Sage's  description  of  Domingo,  whose  vigilance 
prevented  Gil  Bias'  escape  from  the  Cavern  ?  If  so,  I  need 
not  trouble  you  with  anything  further  on  the  subject,  except 
that  the  one  is,  generally,  the  counterpart  of  the  other.' 

In  the  following,  under  date  of  October  3rd,  we  see  the 
germ  of  our  present  steam  navy :  '  We  understand  that  a 
distinguished  British  Officer,  who  had  an  opportunity  of  view- 
ing the  steam  frigate  at  New  York,  pronounced  it  to  be  the 
most  formidable  battery  of  defence  ever  invented  (they  are 
to  be  stationed  at  all  their  different  seaports)  :  and  the  Officer 
alluded  to,  has,  we  hear,  strongly  recommended  their  adoption, 
particularly  for  the  Bay  of  Gibraltar.' 

Steam  had  already  been  introduced  into  our  Mercantile 
marine,  and  we  find  (September),  '  A  Margate  hoy  of  large 
dimensions,  propelled  by  steam,  goes  constantly  to  and  fro 
from  London  to  Margate.  From  its  novelty,  and  the  cer- 
tainty of  its  arrival  within  a  given  time  (about  twelve  hours), 
it  is  much  thronged  with  passengers.' 

It  was  the  fashionable  month  for  those  popular  watering- 
places,  Margate  and  Ramsgate,  and  how  our  grandparents 
took  their  holidays  is  thus  described  :  '  How  very  different  is 
a  watering-place  from  the  rest  of  the  world  !  In  a  com- 
mercial town  every  face  you  meet,  carries  the  word  "busi- 
ness," everyone  seems  so  absorbed  in  his  own  cares,  as  not 
even  to  be  conscious  of  the  existence  of  his  fellow  men.  Life 
seems  to  have  an  object,  you  involuntarily  quicken  your  pace, 
cast  your  eyes  straight  forward,  and  enumerate  to  yourself 
the  several  matters  you  have  to  transact.  There  is  nothing 
of  all  this  at  a  Watering- Place,  there  you  find  the  inhabitants 
divided  into  two  classes,  gapers,  and  smilers.  By  the  gapers 
must  be  understood,  those  who  are  here  to  spend  their  money, 
and  be  amused ;  and,  by  the  smilers,  those  who  are  here  to 
gain  their  money,  and  be  maintained. 

'  Now  the  employment  of  the  gapers  is  to  lie  in  bed  all  the 
fore  part  of  the  day,  "  the  dewy  hour  of  prime,"  to  wear  a 
great  coat,  brown  hat,  brown  shoes,  bathe,  and  ride  half  a 


256  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

mile  on  a  donkey,  with  a  boy  behind  to  whip  it,  read  the 
newspapers  during  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  in  the  evening 
to  dine,  to  go  to  a  promenade  in  a  ball-room,  where  during 
nine-tenths  of  the  time  everyone  sits  still ;  or,  to  the  theatre, 
where  the  pure  air,  and  pure  light  of  heaven  are  shut  out,  to 
make  room  for  otto  of  roses  and  Argand  lamps.  Thus  the 
amusements  of  the  citizen  are  scarcely  varied  by  his  journey, 
or,  rather,  his  voyage,  for  the  packets  bring  the  mass  of 
visitors  to  Margate.  The  first  effort  the  worthy  Cit  makes  to 
get  rid  of  the  foul  air  of  London,  is  to  stow  himself  and  family 
on  board  the  hoy  ;  here  he  finds  eighty  or  a  hundred  amateurs 
of  fresh  air.  Then  if  the  wind  be  fair,  and  not  too  strong, 
they  proceed  tolerably  well,  but  should  the  wind  be  foul, 
which  Heaven  in  its  great  mercy  forefend,  such  a  scene  opens, 
such  qualms,  and  faintings, 

"  Such  revisitings, 

As  make  day  hideous,  aud  us  poor  fools  of  nature 
Most  horribly  to  shake  our  dispositions." ' 

Although  there  was  virtually  peace  throughout  Europe,  the 
Definitive  Treaty  of  Peace,  between  the  Allied  Powers  and 
France,  was  not  signed  until  the  20th  of  November,  at  Paris  : 
consequently  the  prisoners  of  war  were  not  released.  We 
can  well  understand  the  irritation  of  the  poor  fellows,  who 
knew  that  it  was  only  red  tape  that  was  preventing  their 
return  to  their  country  and  homes,  and  are,  therefore,  not 
surprised  to  hear  (September  13th),  that  'the  prisoners  in 
confinement  on  board  the  prison  ships  at  Cowes,  meditated 
escape  on  the  night  of  the  1st  instant,  but  their  plans  were 
fortunately  detected,  through  the  perseverance  and  exertions 
of  Lieutenant  Whaley,  1 8th  Regiment  of  Foot,  Commanding 
Officer  on  board  the  ships.  To  show  the  length  they  intended 
to  go,  if  necessary,  to  effect  their  purpose,  they  had  actually 
sworn  themselves  to  secrecy,  by  drinking  their  own  blood 
mixed  with  cold  water.' 

They  were  rather  expensive  acquaintances,  for  I  find  that 
the  cost  of  them,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  war,  for  pro- 
visions, clothing,  and  superintendence,  was  calculated,  in 
detail,  to  amount  to  £1,000  per  diem — and  this  was  exclusive 
of  building  materials  used  for  their  prisons. 

The  text  of  the  Treaty  arrived  here  on  the  27th  of  Novem- 
ber. London  was  illuminated,  Peace  was  proclaimed,  as  was 
also  a  Day  of  Thanksgiving. 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  257 

Napoleon's  House  and  furniture  were  manufactured  here, 
and  were  ready  for  shipment  by  the  end  of  October.  I  have 
but  space  to  describe  the  house  ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  the 
furniture  was  fitted  for  the  use  of  an  opulent  gentleman, 
rather  than  for  the  quondam  ruler  of  Europe.  '  The  frame- 
work for  the  house  is  nearly  completed  at  Woolwich.  The 
front  is  in  the  Grecian  style.  It  is  about  1 20  feet  in  length, 
containing  fourteen  windows,  and  a  fine  open  corridor.  The 
depth  of  the  building  is  about  100  feet,  with  a  back  corridor, 
almost  making  the  whole  structure  square. — It  is  two  stories 
high,  and  will  have  an  elegant  cottage  appearance.  The 
ground-floor  of  the  right  division  of  the  house,  contains 
Bonaparte's  apartments.  In  the  centre  of  this  wing  is  his 
drawing-room,  which,  as  well  as  the  other  apartments  for  his 
accommodation,  is  about  30  feet  in  length,  by  a  breadth  of 
20.  This  proportion  runs  through  the  whole.  Next,  is  his 
dining-room,  with  an  adjoining  library,  behind  which,  is  a 
capacious  billiard-room.  His  bedroom,  dressing-room,  and 
bath,  are  of  course  connected.  The  left  division  of  the  edifice 
contains  apartments  for  the  officers  of  his  suite.  The  rear 
comprises  the  servants'  and  store  rooms.  The  kitchen  is 
detached  from  the  regular  building,  and  yet  perfectly  con- 
venient to  the  dining-room,  without  communicating  any 
offensive  fumes  to  the  principal  range  of  rooms.  This  is  of 
no  small  value  in  a  sultry  climate.  The  Hall  is  plain,  and 
merely  furnished  with  seats.  The  corridors  will  furnish  a 
cool  and  shaded  promenade.' 

China,  stationery,  and  two  fowling-pieces,  one  with  per- 
cussion locks,  and  every  necessary  appertaining  to  them  were 
sent  out,  as  well  as  artisans  to  fit  up  the  house ;  and  the 
whole  of  this  consignment,  weighed  nearly  five  hundred  tons. 

The  following  letter,  which  seems  genuine,  tells  a  tale  of 
what  our  soldiers  went  through  in  the  early  part  of  this 
century : — 

'  PARIS  IN  FRANCE  5th  Sept.  1815. 

'  DEAR  MOTHER  AND  SISTER, — I  have  taken  the  oppertunity 
of  writing  these  lines  to  you  hoping  it  will  find  you  in  good 
health,  as  it  now  leaves  me  at  this  present  thank  be  to  God 
for  it.  I  am  very  sorry  I  did  not  anser  your  Letters  as  I  had 
not  opportunity  for  we  was  very  busy  fighting  the  french  a 
long  time  every  day  in  the  Mountains  in  Spain  and  I  always 
had  good  luck  til  one  day  I  received  two  balls  one  hitt  me 

17 


258  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

right  on  my  brest  plate  and  knocked  me  downe  and  as  soon 
as  I  got  my  wind  agen  I  fired  about  ten  rounds  more  and 
then  another  hitt  me  through  my  hip  which  was  bad  along 
time  and  one  came  through  my  Haversack  and  another  throw 
my  trowsers  and  shirt  and  that  same  night  was  very  wet  and 
no  fires  could  be  lighted  and  it  was  very  cold  on  the  Mountains 
but  the  Dockter  was  very  good  to  me  and  after  that  we  drove 
the  french  into  their  own  Country  and  made  them  beg  for 
peace  and  then  we  went  into  Ammerica  into  upper  Kanndy 
where  we  had  all  the  fighting  with  the  Yankeys  till  we  got  a 
piece  of  them  seven  hundred  miles  up  the  Contrey  nigh  to  the 
falls  of  Naygaray  which  you  know  is  1  of  the  7  wonders  of  the 
world  and  there  my  Captain  was  so  kind  as  to  give  me  a  pass 
without  date  and  I  workd  for  a  large  farmer  all  winter  and  had 
plenty  of  vittles  and  a  good  bed  fit  for  any  Gentleman  and 
the  Ridgment  was  then  ling  in  Barns  and  when  the  men  had 
to  get  up  their  hare  was  frose  to  their  heads  and  they  could  not 
pull  the  Blankets  from  the  floore  and  I  thote  myself  well 
off  and  this  farmer  bid  100  Dollars  for  my  discharge  and  we 
returned  to  Spithead  and  was  6  weeks  on  the  Water  which  is 
4t  thousand  5  hundred  miles  and  is  colled  a  good  passage*  and 
wee  could  not  get  a  shore  after  all  this  for  we  was  ordered  to 
french  flanders  and  at  last  we  have  got  to  Paris  and  is  in  the 
Buss  de  bulling  near  to  it  which  is  a  very  fine  place  like  a 
grove  for  a  gateway  and  the  french  is  very  civil  funny  fellows 
to  us  now  cause  they  know  we  can  defend  ourselves  and  they 
do  not  care  for  nothing  but  to  get  our  Monney  which  theare 
is  plenty  way  to  spend  and  theare  is  shows  and  Montybanks 
every  night  and  Sundays  and  all  and  there  is  no  Justesses  or 
Methodys  to  stop  them  and  there  is  all  sorts  of  sights  and 
Bartlemy  fair  is  nothing  to  it  and  we  are  now  agen  com- 
manded by  brave  Duke  Wellington  that  always  conqurs — 
and  there  is  soldiers  of  all  sorts  here  past  all  telling  Rooshons 
Prooshons  and  Austrions  and  Jarmans  of  all  kind  and  the 
Rooshons  are  verry  good  naturd  creatures  and  will  do  any- 
thing for  an  Englishman  and  says  their  prayrs  every  Morning 
and  night  and  will  fight  their  ennemis  for  ever  for  the 
Emperor  and  the  Virgin  Marey  the  same  as  we  do  for  king 

*  Of  course,  now-a-days  we  can  hardly  understand  this ;  but  the 
old  tubs  used  to  take  their  time  then. — It  is  recorded  in  the  *  Annual 
Register'  of  1815,  as  follows  :  '16  December. — A  vessel  is  arrived 
in  the  Thames  from  New  South  Wales  after  an  extraordinarily 
short  passage  of  less  than  five  months.' 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  259 

George  and  old  England,  and  the  Prushons  is  very  quiet  men 
and  smokes  all  day  long  and  the  Austrions  is  fine  tall  fellows 
and  the  foot  is  drest  as  handsome  as  our  Horse  Officers  and 
all  our  Officers  is  very  good  Gentlemen  and  we  think  to  stay 
in  france  two  Years  and  I  am  very  contented — dear  mother  I 
wish  it  was  not  so  far  off  or  you  and  Bet  coud  come  for  I 
have  savd  some  Monney  and  I  larnt  a  littel  french  in  Kannday 
but  it  is  not  the  same  sort  it  is  here  give  my  kind  love  to  all 
inquiring  friends  and  pray  God  bless  you  all  from  your  loving 
son  til  death/ &c.  &c. 

What  would  the  modern  Patres  Conscripti  of  the  City  say  if 
a  Lord  Mayor  were  to  appear  like  unto  this  ?  '  We  are  happy 
to  state  that  the  Lord  Mayor  has  commenced  his  Office  with 
the  most  commendable  alacrity.  His  lordship  visited  Billings- 
gate market  at  five  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning ;  and,  yester- 
day morning,  about  the  same  hour,  perambulated  the  streets, 
and  visited  the  different  watch-houses  in  the  City.  From  a 
continuation  of  this  conduct,  at  uncertain  periods,  we  antici- 
pate the  most  beneficial  results/  I  have  seen  no  more 
records  of  these  visits,  and  thence  judge  that  some  judicious 
friend  had  whispered  in  his  ear,  the  advice  of  Talleyrand  to 
a  young  diplomat — '  Sur  tout,  mon  ami,  pas  trop  de  zele/ 

A  very  few  more  odds  and  ends,  and  I  must  close  the 
Chronicle  of  1815.  On  the  5th  of  December,  was  hanged, 
at  Newgate,  John  Binstead,  convicted  of  forgery,  and  at  his 
execution  a  peculiar  superstition  is  recorded :  '  While  on  the 
scaffold,  Binstead,  in  conversation  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cotton 
(the  ordinary  of  Newgate),  requested  that  his  hands  might 
not  be  applied  to  persons  who  came  to  be  rubbed  for  the 
wen/ 

Of  the  Hotels  and  Clubs  of  this  time  Captain  Gronow 
writes  thus :  '  There  was  a  class  of  men,  of  very  high  rank, 
such  as  Lords  Wellington,  Nelson,  and  Collingwood,  Sir  John 
Moore,  and  some  few  others,  who  never  frequented  the  Clubs. 
The  persons  to  whom  I  refer,  and  amongst  whom  were  many 
members  of  the  sporting  world,  used  to  congregate  at  a  few 
hotels.  The  Clarendon,  Limmer's,  Ibbetson's,  Fladong's, 
Stephens',  and  Grillon's,  were  the  fashionable  hotels.  The 
Clarendon  was  then  kept  by  a  French  cook,  Jacquiers,  who 
contrived  to  amass  a  large  sum  of  money  in  the  service  of 
Louis  the  Eighteenth,  in  England,  and,  subsequently,  with 
Lord  Darnley.  This  was  the  only  public  hotel  where  you 

17—2 


260  tSOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

could  get  a  genuine  French  dinner,  and,  for  which,  you  seldom 
paid  less  than  three  or  four  pounds  ;  your  bottle  of  champagne, 
or  of  claret,  in  the  year  1814,  costing  you  a  guinea. 

'  Limmer's  was  the  evening  resort  for  the  sporting  world  ; 
in  fact,  it  was  a  midnight  Tattersall's,  where  you  heard  nothing 
but  the  language  of  the  turf,  and  where  men,  with  not 
very  clean  hands,  used  to  make  up  their  books.  Limmer's 
was  the  most  dirty  hotel  in  London ;  but,  in  the  gloomy, 
comfortless  coffee-room,  might  be  seen  many  members  of  the 
rich  squirearchy,  who  visited  London  during  the  sporting 
season.  This  hotel  was  frequently  so  crowded  that  a  bed 
could  not  be  obtained  for  any  amount  of  money ;  but  you 
could  always  get  a  very  good  plain  English  dinner,  an  excel- 
lent bottle  of  port,  and  some  famous  gin  punch. 

'  Ibbetson's  Hotel  was  chiefly  patronized  by  the  clergy  and 
young  men  from  the  universities.  The  Charges  there  were 
more  economical  than  at  similar  establishments.  Fladong's, 
in  Oxford  Street,  was  chiefly  frequented  by  naval  men  ;  for, 
in  those  days,  there  was  no  club  for  sailors.  Stephens',  in 
Bond  Street,  was  a  fashionable  hotel,  supported  by  officers  of 
the  army,  and  men  about  town.  If  a  stranger  asked  to  dine 
there,  he  was  stared  at  by  the  waiters,  and  very  solemnly 
assured  that  there  was  no  table  vacant.  It  was  not  an  un- 
common thing  to  see  thirty  or  forty  saddle  horses,  and  tilburys, 
waiting  outside  this  hotel.  I  recollect  two  of  my  old  Welsh 
friends,  who  used,  each  of  them,  to  dispose  of  five  bottles  of 
wine,  daily,  residing  here  in  1815,  when  the  familiar  joints, 
boiled  fish,  and  fried  soles,  were  the  only  eatables  you  could 
order. 

'  The  members  of  the  clubs  of  London,  many  years  since, 
were  persons,  almost  without  exception,  belonging  exclusively 
to  the  aristocratic  world.  "My  tradesmen,"  as  King  Allen 
used  to  call  the  bankers  and  the  merchants,  had  not  then 
invaded  White's,  Boodle's,  Brookes',  or  Wattiers'  in  Bolton 
Street,  Piccadilly ;  which,  with  the  Guards,  Arthur's,  and 
Graham's,  were  the  only  clubs  at  the  west  end  of  the  town. 
White's  was  decidedly  the  most  difficult  of  entry ;  its  list  of 
members  comprised  nearly  all  the  noble  names  of  Great 
Britain. 

'The  politics  of  White's  Club  were,  then,  decidedly  Tory. 
It  was  here  that  play  was  carried  on  to  an  extent  which  made 
many  ravages  in  large  fortunes,  the  traces  of  which  have  not 
disappeared  at  the  present  day.  General  Scott,  the  father-in- 


1815]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY,  26i 

law  of  George  Canning,  and  the  Duke  of  Portland,  was  known 
to  have  won  at  White's,  £200,000,  thanks  to  his  notorious 
sobriety,  and  knowledge  of  the  game  of  whist.  The  General 
possessed  a  great  advantage  over  his  companions  by  avoiding 
those  indulgences  at  the  table  which  used  to  muddle  other 
men's  brains.  He  confined  himself  to  dining  off  something 
like  a  boiled  chicken,  with  toast  and  water ;  by  such  a  regimen 
he  came  to  the  whist  table  with  a  clear  head,  and,  possessing, 
as  he  did,  a  remarkable  memory,  with  great  coolness  and 
judgment,  he  was  able  honestly  to  win  the  enormous  sum  ot 
£200,000. 

'  At  Brookes',  for  nearly  half  a  century,  the  play  was  of  a 
more  gambling  character  than  at  White's.  Faro  and  Macao 
were  indulged  in  to  an  extent  which  enabled  a  man  to  win, 
or  to  lose  a  considerable  fortune  in  one  night.  It  was  here 
that  Charles  James  Fox,  Selwyn,  Lord  Carlisle,  and  other 
great  Whigs,  won  and  lost  hundreds  of  thousands  ;  frequently 
remaining  at  the  table  for  many  hours  without  rising. 

'On  one  occasion,  Lord  Robert  Spencer  contrived  to  lose 
the  last  shilling  of  his  considerable  fortune,  given  him  by  his 
brother,  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  ;  General  Fitzpatrick  being 
much  in  the  same  condition,  they  agreed  to  raise  a  sum  of 
money,  in  order  that  they  might  keep  a  faro  bank.  The 
members  of  the  club  made  no  objection,  and  ere  long,  they 
carried  out  their  design.  As  is  generally  the  case,  the  bank 
was  a  winner,  and  Lord  Robert  bagged,  as  his  share  of  the 
proceeds,  £100,000.  He  retired,  strange  to  say,  from  the 
foetid  atmosphere  of  play,  with  the  money  in  his  pockets,  and 
never  again  gambled.  George  Harley  Drummond,  of  the 
famous  banking  house,  Charing  Cross,  only  played  once  in  his 
whole  life  at  White's  Club,  at  whist,  on  which  occasion  he  lost 
£200,00  to  Brummell.  This  event  caused  him  to  retire  from 
the  banking  house  of  which  he  was  a  partner. 

'  Lord  Carlisle  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  victims 
amongst  the  players  at  Brookes',  and  Charles  Fox,  his  friend, 
was  not  more  fortunate,  being,  subsequently,  always  in 
pecuniary  difficulties.  Many  a  time,  after  a  long  night  of 
hard  play,  the  loser  found  himself  at  the  Israelitish  estab- 
lishment of  Howard  and  Gibbs,  then  the  fashionable,  and 
patronized,  money-lenders.  These  gentlemen  never  failed  to 
make  hard  terms  with  the  borrower,  although  ample  security 
was  invariably  demanded. 

'The  Guards'  Club  was  established  for  the  three  regiments 


262  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1815 

of  Foot  Guards,  and  was  conducted  upon  a  military  system. 
Billiards  and  low  whist  were  the  only  games  indulged  in. 
The  dinner  was,  perhaps,  better  than  at  most  clubs,  and  con- 
siderably cheaper.  I  had  the  honour  of  being  a  member  for 
several  years,  during  which  time  I  have  nothing  to  remember, 
but  the  most  agreeable  incidents.  Arthur's  and  Graham's 
were  less  aristocratic  than  those  I  have  mentioned ;  it  was  at 
the  latter,  thirty  years  ago,  that  a  most  painful  circumstance 
took  place.  A  nobleman  of  the  highest  position,  and  influence 
in  society,  was  detected  in  cheating  at  cards,  and,  after  a  trial, 
which  did  not  terminate  in  his  favour,  he  died  of  a  broken 
heart. 

'  Upon  one  occasion,  some  gentlemen  of  both  White's  and 
Brookes'  had  the  honour  to  dine  with  the  Prince  Regent,  and 
during  the  conversation,  the  Prince  inquired  what  sort  of 
dinners  they  got  at  their  clubs ;  upon  which,  Sir  Thomas 
Stepney,  one  of  the  guests,  observed  that  their  dinners  were 
always  the  same,  "the  eternal  joints,  or  beefsteaks,  the  boiled 
fowl  with  oyster  sauce,  and  an  apple  tart — this  is  what  we 
have,  sir,  at  our  clubs,  and  very  monotonous  fare  it  is.'  The 
Prince,  without  further  remark,  rang  the  bell  for  his  cook, 
Wattier,  and,  in  the  presence  of  those  who  dined  at  the  Royal 
table,  asked  him  whether  he  would  take  a  house,  and  organize 
a  dinner  club.  Wattier  assented,  and  named  Madeson,  the 
Prince's  page,  manager,  and  Labourie,  the  cook,  from  the 
Royal  kitchen.  The  Club  flourished  only  a  few  years,  owing 
to  high  play  that  was  carried  on  there.  The  Duke  of  York 
patronized  it,  and  was  a  member.  I  was  a  member  in  1816, 
and  frequently  saw  his  Royal  Highness  there.  The  dinners 
were  exquisite ;  the  best  Parisian  cooks  could  not  beat 
Labourie.  The  favourite  game  played  was  Macao.' 


CHAPTER  XXIII, 

1816. 

Day  of  Thanksgiving—'  Battle  for  the  Standard  '—Return  of  the 
troops — Frozen  game  brought  over  by  Esquimaux — The  Regent's 
practical  joke — Rejection  of  the  Prince  of  Orange  by  the  Princess 
Charlotte,  and  acceptance  of  Prince  Leopold  as  her  husband — 
Her  marriage—'  The  R 1  Whiskers  '—The  Regent's  yacht. 

THIS  new  year  began  well.  The  18th  of  January  was  chosen 
as  a  solemn  day  of  Thanksgiving  to  the  Almighty  for  the 
blessings  of  Peace — a  form,  which  one  would  have  thought, 
would,  out  of  the  commonest  sentiment  of  gratitude,  have 
taken  place  six  months  previously,  after  Waterloo,  and  the 
submission  of  Napoleon  ;  but,  of  course,  gratitude  to  God 
must  needs  be  subservient  to  diplomatic  Red  Tape  ;  and  HE 
had  to  wait  for  the  expression  of  the  nation's  thankfulness. 
This  day  was  also  the  Queen's  birthday,  and  the  guns  were 
fired,  and  the  coloured  lamps  were  lit  at  night,  in  token  of 
the  country's  joy  at  having  so  gracious  a  person  so  long 
spared  to  them,  so  <  Serve  God  and  honour  the  Queen '  was 
thoroughly,  and  properly,  carried  out  at  an  economical  rate. 
There  was  also,  out  of  pure  generosity,  something  thrown  in. 
The  French  Colours,  taken  at  Waterloo,  two  in  number,  were 
deposited  in  the  Chapel  at  Whitehall.  Country  newspapers 
please  copy  the  following  :  '  The  ceremony  was  conducted 
with  perfect  order ;  and,  associated,  as  it  was,  with  the  duties 
of  religious  worship  ;  the  memory  of  the  Contest  in  which  the 
trophies  were  won,  and  the  sight  of  the  brave  veterans  who 
had  survived  its  carnage,  the  influence  it  produced  was  not  of 
an  ordinary  nature,  but  rather  approached  to  a  sentiment  of 
sublimity  '  ( Times).  Perhaps  a  portion  of  the  '  sublimity '  was 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  Guards  'were  dressed  in  new 


264  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

clothing,  with  Caps  on  a  new  principle,  and,  as  we  are  informed, 
far  superior  in  comfort  to  the  wearers.' 

This  Military  tailoring  is  a  craze  which  seizes  great  minds 
at  times.  It  has  needed  the  colossal  brains  of  the  Duke  of 
York,  the  Prince  Regent  (who,  when  he  took  to  yachting,  the 
Service  prayed  to  be  delivered  from,  in  case  he  should  alter 
their  already  too  expensive  uniform),  of  Albert  the  Good, 
whose  hat  is  enshrined  in  the  pages  of  Punch,  and  the  Duke 
of  Cambridge,  whose  attention  to  buttons,  and  facings,  has  won 
him  world-wide  renown — and  everybody  is  so  much  better,  and 
more  efficient,  from  the  outcome  of  their  laborious  study. 

One  of  these  Eagles  was  won  after  a  stubborn  fight,  which 
would  have  entitled  its  Captor  to  the  Victoria  Cross,  now-a- 
days.  It  was  the  metaphorical  captive  of  the  spear  and  bow 
of  Sergeant  Ewart,  whose  exploit,  on  his  being  gazetted 
Ensign  in  the  3rd  Royal  Veteran  battalion,  is  thus  contem 
poraneously  chronicled.  It  was  on  the  18th  of  June,  and  on 
'the  afternoon  of  that  eventful  day,  the  92nd  Regiment, 
reduced  to  two  hundred,  charged  a  column  of  the  Enemy, 
from  two  thousand  to  three  thousand  strong  ;  they  broke  into 
the  centre  of  the  column,  and  the  moment  they  pierced  it, 
the  Scotch  Greys  dashed  in  to  their  support,  when  both  these 
gallant  Corps  cheered,  and  huzzaed  "Scotland  for  ever!" 
The  Enemy,  to  a  man,  were  put  to  the  sword,  or  made 
prisoners.  The  Greys,  afterwards,  charged  the  second  line, 
which  amounted  to  five  thousand  men  ;  it  was  in  the  first  that 
Sergeant  Ewart  captured  the  French  eagle  ;  the  affair  is  thus 
modestly  detailed  by  himself :  "  I  had  a  hard  contest  for  it ; 
the  officer  who  carried  it  thrust  for  my  groin  ;  I  parried  it  off, 
and  cut  him  through  the  head  ;  after  which  I  was  attacked 
by  one  of  the  lancers,  who  threw  his  lance  at  me,  but  missed 
the  mark,  by  my  throwing  it  off  with  my  sword  by  my  right 
side,  then  I  cut  him  from  the  chin  upwards,  and  went  through 
his  teeth.  Next,  1  was  attacked  by  a  foot  soldier,  who,  after 
firing,  charged  me  with  his  bayonet,  but  I  parried  it  off,  and 
cut  him  through  the  head — so  that  finished  the  contest  for 
the  eagle."  '  An  incident  which  is  well  commemorated  by 
Ansdell,  in  his  picture  (1848),  the  '  Battle  for  the  Standard.' 

The  Medals  for  Waterloo  and  bars  for  the  Campaign  were 
now  being  distributed,  but  it  took  about  forty  years  to 
thoroughly  give  them  to  their  rightful  owners  ;*  their  dis- 

*  It  took  longer,  vide  this  extract  from  The  Globe,  March  18, 
1889  : — 'A  TAHDY  HONOUR. — Captain  Gammell  is  92.  It  is  only 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  265 

tribution  being  about  as  slow  as  is  naval  prize  money,  or  the 
Banda  and  Kirwee  booty. 

The  troops  were  not  too  quick  in  coming  back  from  Paris, 
which  they  had  occupied,  and  the  Foot  Guards  only  returned 
late  in  the  year  of  18 1 5.  In  fact,  in  January  of  this  year,  they 
took  up  their  old  quarters  at  Windsor,  in  presence  of  the 
Queen,  princesses,  and  the  most  puissant  Duke  of  York. 
They  wore  laurels  in  their  Caps  on  this  occasion.  I  do  not 
think  they  have  worn  them  since. 

Judging  from  our  standpoint,  one  can  hardly  realize  the 
first  importation  of  frozen  meat ;  and  it  was  duly  chronicled 
as  a  curiosity  :  '  To  such  a  pitch  is  mercantile  speculation  for 
the  luxurious  now  arrived,  that  we  understand  three  poor 
Laplanders  have  come  over  in  the  last  packet  from  Gottenburg, 
and  are  on  their  way  to  London  with  five  sledges,  laden  with 
Lapland  Game,  consisting  of  Tjadear  (Cock  of  the  Wood), 
Cappercally  Orrar  (black  cock),  Suo  Ripor  (Ptarmigan), 
Hjarpar  (hazel  hen),  except  the  black  cock  all  species  of  the 
grouse,  but  now  extinct  in  this  country.  Those  birds  are 
considered  the  greatest  delicacies  of  the  North,  and  are,  we 
are  told,  in  the  highest  state  of  preservation.' 

This  was  written  at  the  end  of  January,  and,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  February,  we  find  that  our  unfortunate  Northern 
guests  had  landed  on  a  somewhat  inhospitable  shore,  for  they 
had  to  pay  over  <£50  duty  for  imported  game,  and  <£10  freight 
from  Harwich  to  London.  But  this  frozen  game  was  quite 
novel,  and  it  deserves  a  contemporary  account  of  what  they 
thought  of  it  at  the  time.  '  The  state  of  preservation  in  which 
these  birds  are,  is  really  surprising,  after  travelling  upwards 
of  one  thousand  miles.  They  are  preserved  by  being  hung 
up  to  freeze  as  soon  as  killed,  and,  afterwards,  being  packed 
in  cases,  lined  with  skin  to  keep  out  the  air.  This  process  so 

within  the  last  ten  days  that  he  has  received  an  honour  which  he 
won  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago.  As  Ensign  James 
Gammtll  be  was  present  at  the  sonic  of  Bayonne,  and  leaving  the 
army  shortly  afterwards  never  applied  for  the  medal.  At  last 
Captain  Gatnmell  has  found  himself  decorated  with  two — one  the 
Jubilee  medal,  accompanied  by  a  letter  from  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby 
on  behalf  of  the  Queen  ;  the  other  the  Peninsular  medal,  with  the 
clasp  for  the  Kive,  forwarded  by  the  Duke  of  Cambridge.  It  is 
never  too  late  to  decorate  a  gallant  man,  and  Colonel  Balguy,  who 
has  been  active  in  this  matter,  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  the 
success  which  his  efforts  have  attained.' 


266  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

effectually  preserves  them,  that  when  the  packages  are  opened, 
the  birds  are  frozen  quite  hard  ;  and  those  packages  which 
are  not  opened,  will  continue  in  this  state  for  some  weeks. 
The  mode  in  which  the  small  birds  are  dressed  in  Sweden,  is 
by  stewing  them  in  cream,  with  a  little  butter  in  it,  after 
being  larded,  which,  it  is  said,  gives  them  an  exquisite  flavour : 
the  large  ones  are  roasted  and  basted  with  cream,  which  is, 
afterwards,  served  up  with  sauce.  These  Laplanders  wear  a 
kind  of  great  coat,  made  of  reindeer  skin,  with  caps  and 
gloves  of  the  same,  which  gives  them  a  very  grotesque  ap- 
pearance :  they  are  very  shy  of  appearing  in  the  streets  in 
this  attire,  on  account  of  their  attracting  so  many  people 
round  them.' 

This  absurdity  of  charging  an  import  duty  on  game  was 
enforced,  not  only  in  the  case  of  these  poor  Laplanders,  but, 
at  other  times :  for  instance,  under  date  of  24th  of  February 
we  read :  '  A  greengrocer  of  Brighton  imported  twenty 
partridges  and  two  hares  from  France,  and  paid  the  importa- 
tion duty  on  them  ;  he  was,  notwithstanding,  convicted  of 
exposing  the  said  game  for  sale  by  the  Magistrates  at  Uckfield, 
and  fined  .£110,  which,  being  unable  to  pay,  he  was  com- 
mitted for  three  months  to  Lewes  House  of  Correction.' 

The  Esquimaux  stopped  all  the  summer  and  autumn  in 
England,  and  were  a  popular  exhibition.  They  travelled  all 
over  the  country,  and  we  hear  of  one  of  them  in  the  Caledonian 
Mercury,  September  same  year :  '  His  canoe  is  esteemed  a 
very  great  curiosity,  weighing  only  l61bs.,  he  rows  it  by  one 
oar  or  paddle,  and  is  so  very  dexterous  in  managing  it,  that 
he  far  outsails  any  boat  with  six  oars.  He  is  very  expert  in 
diving,  and  also  in  throwing  his  darts  ;  he  is  so  fastened  to 
his  seat,  that  he  cannot  fall  out — as  a  drawer,  like  the  mouth 
of  a  purse,  girds  him  about  the  loins,  so  that,  in  an  instant,  he 
may  be  seen  to  dive  under  the  water,  head  down,  and  keel 
uppermost ;  again,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  he  raises  him- 
self erect  out  of  the  water,  and  scuds  along  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.' 

On  February  8th  the  Alcexte,  sailed  from  Portsmouth  for 
China,  having  on  board  Lord  Amherst,  appointed  Ambassador 
to  that  Country,  and  a  numerous  suite,  the  ships  also  convey- 
ing numerous  presents  for  the  Emperor.  Of  this  expedition 
we  shall  hear  more  in  next  year's  Chronicle. 

The  Regent  was  always  being  satirized  by  the  publication 
of  some  of  his  own  puerilities,  or  those  of  his  suite,  who,  of 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  267 

course,  took  their  tone  from  him.  The  Brighton  Herald  is 
answerable  for  the  following  :  '  A  gallant  Admiral,  residing  at 
the  Pavilion,  was,  a  few  days  since,  presented  by  a  certain 
Great  Personage,  with  a  beautiful  milk-white  mare,  which  it 
was  stated,  had  just  arrived  from  Hanover.  Nothing  was 
talked  of  but  this  fine  creature  ;  and  everyone  seemed  anxious 
to  have  her  merits  put  to  the  test.  The  Admiral  mounted, 
tried  her  in  all  her  paces,  and  though  he  could  but  approve, 
yet  he  pronounced  her  to  be  greatly  inferior  to  a  favourite 
black  mare  of  his  own.  The  present,  however,  coming  from 
so  high  a  quarter,  was,  of  course,  received  with  every  expres- 
sion of  duty  and  thankfulness.  The  long  switching  tail  of  the 
animal,  not  exactly  suiting  the  Admiral's  taste,  he  sent  her  to 
a  farrier  to  have  it  cropped, — when,  lo  !  he  speedily  received 
intelligence  that  it  was  a  false  tail,  and  that,  beneath  it, 
appeared  a  short  black  one.  This  curious  fact  led  to  a 
minuter  inspection,  when  it  was  at  length  discovered  that  this 
beautiful  white  Hanoverian  horse  was  no  other  than  the  good- 
humoured  Admiral's  own  black  mare,  which  had  been  painted 
in  a  manner  to  elude  his  detection.'  Thus  it  was  that  '  le 
Roi  s' amuse.' 

But  the  Regent  was  fit  for  better  things.  On  the  very 
same  date  that  the  above  was  recorded,  we  find  that  he 
ordered,  at  his  own  expense,  a  splendid  monument  to  be 
erected  at  Rome,  in  memory  of  Cardinal  York,  the  last  legiti- 
mate descendant  of  the  Stuarts. 

Another  serious  event  was  preparing  for  him,  the  marriage 
of  his  daughter.  We  have  seen  that  she  would  have  none  of 
the  Prince  of  Orange — it  is  not  quite  certain  whether,  at  this 
time,  she  was  dotingly  fond  of  him  who  was  to  be  her  partner 
in  life  for  the  brief  portion  of  time  allotted  her.  At  all  events, 
he  came  over  here,  in  February,  as  the  suitor  for  her  hand — 
arriving  on  the  21st,  and  dutifully  waited  upon  'papa '  on  the 
23rd.  That  his  suit  would  be  a  prosperous  one,  there  could 
hardly  be  a  doubt,  for  he  was  received  by  the  Duke  of  Clarence, 
Sir  R.  Bloomfield  (the  Regent's  Chamberlain),  Count  Harden- 
berg,  and  the  Nobility  then  residing  at  the  Pavilion. 

'  Happy's  the  wooing,  that's  not  long  a-doing,'  says  the  old 
rhyme,  and  this  was  speedily  brought  to  a  conclusion.  The 
Prince  paid  his  devoirs  to  his  future  bride,  and  her  '  stern 
parent,'  and  then  gracefully  retired  from  the  scene.  In  those 
days  of  no  Telegraphs,  the  news  of  people's  happiness,  or 
misfortunes,  was  longer  in  reaching  them  than  now,  for  a 


268  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

King's  Messenger  had  to  go  to  Paris,  only  to  find  Prince 
Leopold  gone  to  Berlin,  and  to  follow  him  there,  in  order  to 
tell  him  that  the  English  Princess  Royal  had  been  graciously 
pleased  to  accept  him  for  her  husband.  On  the  Messenger's 
return,  the  consent  of  the  Prince  Regent  was  officially  given, 
and  the  Lord  Chancellor  affixed  the  great  Seal  to  the  Marriage 
Contract. 

On  Thursday,  the  14th  of  March,  Lord  Castlereagh  appeared 
at  the  bar  of  the  House  of  Commons  with  the  following  message 
from  the  Prince  Regent  : 

'  The  Prince  Regent,  acting  in  the  name,  and  on  the  behalf 
of  his  Majesty,  having  given  the  royal  consent  to  a  marriage 
between  his  daughter,  her  Royal  Highness  the  Princess 
Charlotte  Augusta,  and  his  Serene  Highness  Leopold  George 
Frederick,  Prince  of  Cobourg  of  Saalfield,  has  thought  fit  to 
communicate  the  same  to  this  House. 

'  His  Royal  Highness  is  fully  persuaded  that  this  alliance 
cannot  but  be  acceptable  to  all  his  Majesty's  faithful  subjects  ; 
and  the  many  proofs  which  his  Highness  has  received  of  the 
affectionate  attachment  of  this  House  to  his  Majesty's  person 
and  family,  leave  him  no  room  to  doubt  of  the  concurrence 
and  assistance  of  this  House,  in  enabling  him  to  make  such  a 
provision,  with  a  view  to  the  said  marriage,  as  may  be  suitable 
to  the  honour  and  dignity  of  the  Country. 

<G.  P.  R.' 

The  reply  to  this  piece  of  blarney  was  a  dutiful,  or,  more 
properly  speaking,  '  an  humble,'  address,  to  the  Regent  '  to 
return  to  his  Royal  Highness  the  thanks  of  this  House  for 
his  most  gracious  communication  of  the  intended  marriage 
between,'  £c.,  &c.,  'and  to  express  our  entire  satisfaction  at 
the  prospect  of  an  alliance  with  a  Protestant  prince  of  so 
illustrious  a  family,'  &c.,  &c. — and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  next 
day  the  House  of  Commons  did  what  was  expected  of  them, 
and  voted  a  grant  of  £60,000  a  year  for  the  young  couple, 
with  the  addition  of  a  year's  income  for  outfits — ,£40,000  for 
furniture,  plate,  &c. ;  £10,000  for  articles  of  dress  for  the 
princess;  and  £10,000  to  increase  her  Highiiess's  jewels. 

A  Bill  for  his  naturalization  was  brought  into  the  House  of 
Lords  on  the  26th  of  March,  and  was  speedily  made  law. 
For  some  reason  or  other,  perhaps  because  she  was  the 
daughter  of  her  mother,  the  Prince  Regent  did  not  like  his 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  269 

daughter,  and,  at  this  time,  his  dislike  was  publicly  spoken 
of.  Among  other  things,  she  was  not  allowed  to  use  the 
Royal  livery  (scarlet),  a  petty  piece  of  spite,  and  the  public 
feeling  at  this  time  is  very  well  reflected  by  the  following 
extract  from  the  Morning  Chronicle  of  the  13th  of  April : 

'  When  the  Prince  of  Coburg  came  up  from  Brighton  to  the 
Stud-house  in  Hampton  Park,  on  Saturday  last,  he  visited 
both  Clermont  and  Bottleys.  The  first  cannot  be  let,  but 
may  be  sold  ;  the  second  cannot  be  sold,  but  may  be  let. 
Clermont  is  a  noble  house,  with  a  park  of  about  350  acres, 
well  wooded.  The  value,  including  the  timber,  may  be  about 
£50,000.  It  is  seventeen  miles  from  town,  and  about  the 
same  distance  from  Windsor.  But,  again,  we  ask,  why 
purchase  such  a  place  when  there  are  so  many  palaces  un- 
occupied ? 

'  One  reason,  rather  improbable  indeed,  is  given  in  answer 
to  this  question  ;  viz.,  that  the  Prince  Regent  may  yet  have  a 
son ;  and  that,  to  set  up  the  Princess  Charlotte  in  royal  state 
as  heir  apparent  to  the  throne,  when,  by  such  an  event  she 
might  be  disappointed  of  that  elevation,  would  be  highly 
improper.  And  this  reason  is  given  for  all  the  proposed 
regulations — the  revolting  title  of  Kendal — the  green  livery — 
the  private  houses — the  restriction  of  drawing  rooms,  &c., 
&c.,  &c.  Is  there  lurking  under  this  specious  pretext  of 
future  probabilities  any  design  of  a  measure*  (which  recent 
circumstances,  we  are  told,  have  made  practicable)  by  which 
they  might  be  realized?  But,  granting  even  the  event  to 
happen,  that,  by  a  second  marriage,  the  Prince  Regent  should 
have  a  son,  surely  it  would  then  be  the  proper  season  to 
make  the  arrangements  for  the  Princess  Charlotte  which  are 
now  establishing,  and  the  Prince,  her  august  Consort,  might 
safely  rely  on  the  generosity  and  justice  of  the  Nation  for 
an  adequate  provision,  in  any  change  of  circumstances  that 
might  affect  his  fortune,  in  the  proposed  union.  The  subject 
is  too  delicate  to  enlarge  upon  in  a  journal,  but  it  is  freely 
discussed  in  the  upper  circles,  as  if  it  were  a  matter  actually 
contemplated  at  Court.' 

The  Royal  Marriage  Act,  which  was  rendered  necessary  by 
the  social  escapades  of  the  sons  of  George  III.  left  and  still 
leaves  a  limited  choice  of  husbands  to  the  female  scions  of 
Royalty,  and,  as  they  must  be  Protestants,  they  are  confined 

*  The  Regent  was  then  meditating  taking  proceedings  for  a 
divorce  from  his  wife. 


270  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

mainly  to  the  petty  princelets  of  Germany.  Time  does  not 
change  John  Bull's  feelings  with  regard  to  such  marriages, 
and  the  satirist  from  that  time  to  our  own,  has  always  ridiculed 
the  comparative  poverty  of  the  husbands  of  our  Royal  woman- 
hood. It  was  so  with  Prince  Albert,  with  the  Duke  of  Teck, 
and  the  other  German  princes  who  have  married  into  our 
Royal  family.  John  Bull,  doubtless  from  his  insular  prejudices, 
does  not  consider  these  marriages  as  equal,  and,  although  he 
spends  the  money,  he  has  the  grumble  thereon  to  which  he 
considers  himself  to  be  entitled. 

Hence  the  satirical  print  given  herewith  called  'THE 
CONTRAST  !  or  the  Ci-devant  GERMAN  CAPTAIN  in  good 
Quarters  !'  May,  1816.  One  sketch  is  entitled,  '  A  single  life 
on  the  Continent,  starving  on  Sour  Krout !  !'  On  the  ground 
is  a  paper  'Thoughts  on  a  journey  to  Wales  to  seek  my 
fortune,  and  better  my  condition.'  A  mouse  is  nibbling  at  a 
'  Map  of  the  Principality  of  Coburg  eight  hundred  square 
feet.'  The  other  is  '  Comes  to  England,  is  made  a  General,* 
and  marries  a  lady  of  .£60,000  per  annum.'  On  the  wall  is  a 
picture  of  Camelford  House,  where  the  young  couple  spent 
their  honeymoon ;  and,  as  a  change  from  his  former  meagre 
fare,  is  shown  a  huge  piece  of  roast  beef,  and  Hock,  Champagne, 
and  Burgundy  in  abundance. 

Tradesmen  were  as  eager  then,  as  now,  to  catch  hold  of 
anything  new — and  consequently  we  find  the  Kendal  scarf 
being  sold,  and  the  Coburg  hat  and  Kendal  bonnet,  which 
seem  to  have  been  ordinary  straw  work,  but  '  for  superior 
quality,  and  pearl-like  colour,  must,  on  inspection,  have  certain 
claim  to  universal  patronage.' 

On  the  2nd  of  the  '  merry  month  of  May '  they  were 
married.  The  bridegroom's  costume  seems  to  have  been 
somewhat  scanty,  but  yet  he  appears  to  have  been  rather 
proud  of  it,  for  '  Prince  Leopold  very  frequently  appeared  at 
the  balcony  to  gratify  their  curiosity,  dressed  in  a  blue  coat 
and  a  star.'  '  At  two  o'clock  his  Serene  Highness  went  in  a 
curricle  to  Carlton  House,  and  paid  a  morning  visit  to  his 
intended  bride.  He  also  rode  round  the  exterior  of  Carlton 
House  to  view  his  new  travelling  carriage.  His  Serene 
Highness  afterwards  returned  to  Clarence  House  a  little 
before  half-past  three,  when  the  crowd  was  so  numerous,  and 
the  anxiety  to  see  him  so  great,  that  the  footmen,  in  letting 

*  In  May,  1816,  he  was  made  a  General  in  the  British  army,  and 
afterwards  Field  Marshal. 


1816J  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  271 

him  out  of  the  carriage  had  nearly  been  pushed  under  it.  A 
number  of  women  and  children  were  forced  into  Clarence 
House  against  their  will,  by  the  extreme  pressure.  In  a  few 
minutes  after,  his  Serene  Highness  walked  across  to  York 
House,  when  the  crowd  behaved  extremely  orderly,  and,  at 
the  request  of  a  few  attendants,  formed  a  clear  passage  for 
them  to  pass  through.  .  .  .  The  Princess  Charlotte  of  Wales, 


A    SINGLE   LIFE   ON    THE   CONTINENT. 

at  four  o'clock,  went  in  a  carriage  to  the  Queen's  Palace,  and 
had  the  windows  down  to  gratify  the  curiosity  of  the  crowd 
in  Pall  Mall,  but  they  were  found  to  be  so  extremely 
numerous,  that  the  coachman  could  not,  with  safety,  drive 
through  them,  and  went  through  the  Park.  On  his  coming 
out  to  get  into  his  carriage  he  was  assailed  by  a  number  of 
females  patting  him  on  the  back,  and  giving  him  good  wishes. 


272 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


[1816 


This  delay  gave  a  number  of  men  an  opportunity  to  take  off 
the  traces  of  the  horses,  in  order  to  draw  the  carriage.  They 
were  prevailed  upon  to  desist,  but  the)T  did  so  (sic)  a  second 
time,  and  the  Prince,  it  is  supposed,  would  have  indulged 
them  in  their  desire,  had  not  accidents  been  feared,  and  by 
exertions  of  the  sentinels  the  traces  were  put  to  the  carriage 


THE   PRINCE    IS    MADE   A   GENERAL. 

again,  and  the  carriage  proceeded  to  Carlton  House  amidst 
the  loud  huzzas  of  the  populace/ 

After  all  this  mobbing  they  got  properly  married,  and  set 
off  for  Oatlands — the  Duke  of  York's  mansion. 

The  bride  was  dressed  in  white  llama  and  silver,  and, 
perhaps,  some  of  my  lady  readers  will  be  pleased  to  hear  that 
her  frock  was  '  finished  with  a  very  brilliant  rollio  of  lama/ 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  273 

which  must  have  been  very  comforting  to  her.  The  Queen 
of  Sheba  would  (to  use  an  Americanism)  have  to  have  taken 
a  '  back  seat '  compared  to  the  dear  old  Queen  Charlotte,  who 


R L   WHISKERS,    l8l6. 

must  have  been  '  exceeding  magnifical.'  She  wore  '  a  beautiful 
gold  tissue,  trimmed  with  a  mixture  of  gold  and  silver,  having 
two  flounces  of  brilliant  silver  net-work,  richly  embossed  with 

18 


274  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

stripes  of  gold  lame,  and  a  superb  head  to  the  flounces  ot 
silver  lame  border.  The  whole  had  a  most  grand,  novel,  and 
magnificent  appearance/ 

The  satirical  prints  may,  generally,  be  taken  as  a  reflex  of 
popular  opinion,  be  it  right  or  wrong,  and  the  Princess  was 
soon  credited  with  having  the  upper  hand  in  the  domestic 
arrangements  of  her  new  household.  She  is  depicted  as 
wearing  her  husband's  breeches,  and  taking  the  reins  when 
driving — but  this  was  meant  for  good-humoured  badinage — 
not  like  the  satires  on  the  Regent,  who  was  lampooned 
without  mercy.  His  clothes,  his  personal  appearance,  even 
his  whiskers  were  not  allowed  to  pass  unscathed — as  the 
following  will  show  : 

'1816. 
R L  WHISKERS. 

L' ADIEU. 

From  a  puissant  Prince  to  his  cast-off"  whiskers,  on  leaving  London  to 
make  an  Excursion. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Whiskers  !  dear  Whiskers,  adieu  ! 
I  ne'er  shall  love  Whiskers,  as  I  have  lov'd  you. 
So  becoming  your  form,  and  so  brilliant  your  hue, 
I  ne'er  admir'd  Whiskers,  as  I've  admir'd  you. 
Your  curve  was  so  lovely,  so  like  a  horse  shoe, 
Not  a  whisker  at  Court  was  so  lovely  as  you. 
The  Baron  Geramb's*  were  immense  it  is  true, 
But  they  didn't  sweep  round  half  so  tasty  as  you. 

Y 'sf  Whiskers  comprise  hair  enough  for  a  head, 

But  odious  the  shape,  and  the  colour  is  red. 

Of  beauty,  'tis  known,  that  the  line  is  a  curve, 

Then  the  prize  of  all  beauty  you  surely  deserve  ; 

For  in  curve  so  enchanting  you  lay  on  my  chin, 

You  completely  eclipsed  all  the  blubber  within. 

Not  Ganymede's  self,  when  he  waited  on  Jove, 

Looked  the  model  so  like  of  the  young  God  of  Love  ; 

Not  Apollo  the  bright,  nor  Adonis  the  fair, 

Were  like,  my  dear  whiskers — adorn'd  to  a  hair  ! 

Not  drooping  Narcissus,  reclin'd  o'er  the  stream, 

Himself  the  dear  object,  himself  the  dear  theme, 

Was  more  charm'd  with  his  face,  thus  presented  to  view, 

Than  I've  been  with  mine,  when  encircl'd  with  you.' 

*  This  gentleman  will  be  noticed  in  matters  theatrical, 
•j*  Lord  Yarmouth. 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  275 

A  life  of  indolence,  and  sensual  gratification,  brought  with 
it  its  concomitant  punishment,  and  he  suffered  much  from 
gout.  There  is  a  peep  at  his  inner  life,  from  a  Newspaper 
paragraph  of  the  26th  of  March,  dated  Brighton :  '  It  is  true 
that  the  Prince  has  been  on  horseback,  and  has  rode  for  some 
time  about  the  Pavilion  lawn.  An  inclined  plane  was  con- 
structed, rising  to  about  the  height  of  two  feet  and  a  half,  at 
the  upper  end  of  which  was  a  platform.  His  Royal  Highness 
was  placed  in  a  chair  on  rollers,  and  so  moved  up  the  ascent, 
and  placed  on  the  platform,  which  was  then  raised  by  screws, 
high  enough  to  pass  the  horse  under ;  and,  finally,  his  Royal 
Highness  was  let  gently  down  into  the  saddle.  By  these 
means  the  Regent  was,  undoubtedly,  enabled  to  enjoy  in  some 
degree  the  benefit  of  air  and  exercise ;  but  the  exercise 
implied  little  of  spontaneous  muscular  power,  and  cannot, 
certainly,  be  considered  as  a  criterion  of  renovated  strength/ 

A  short  trip  to  sea  was  suggested  as  likely  to  be  of  benefit 
to  his  health,  and  a  Royal  Yacht  of  some  three  hundred  or  four 
hundred  tons  burden  was  hauled  up  and  put  on  the  slips  at 
Deptforcl  Dockyard  to  be  entirely  new  coppered  and  re-fitted 
throughout.  The  estimated  cost  of  doing  this  was  over  sixty 
thousand  pounds !  of  which  the  gilding  alone  is  supposed  to 
have  absorbed  nearly  thirteen  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  !  ! 
Why !  the  very  blocks  to  the  shrouds  and  rigging  were  fully 
gilt,  and  the  whole  of  the  internal  fittings  were  of  the  most 
gorgeous  description.  The  Royal  Sovereign  was  re-launched  at 
Deptford  on  the  8th  of  August,  1816,  and  when  the  workmen 
had  done  with  her,  she  was  ordered  round  to  Brighton,  to  be  at 
the  Regent's  disposal. 


18—2 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Riots  and  agrarian  outrages — Colliers,  &c.,  coming  to  London — 
'England  in  1816' — Riots  in  Newgate — Marriage  of  the  Duke  of 
Gloucester— A  chimney  sweep's  wedding — Cruelty  to  a  'climbing 
boy ' — The  Mortar  at  St.  James's  Park — Lighting  by  means  of 
Gas— The  Coinage. 

AND  what  was  the  general  state  of  the  Country  at  this  time  ? 
During  the  very  celebration  of  the  Princess's  Wedding — 
the  people,  owing  to  high  price  of  provisions,  and  the  stag- 
nations of  trade,  were  in  very  evil  case.  In  those  days  an 
empty  stomach,  and  rioting,  generally  went  together,  and, 
consequently,  about  this  time  the  newspapers  had  to  chronicle 
riots  of  a  more  or  less  serious  description.  On  the  6th  of  May, 
we  hear  of  one  at  Bridport  where  the  windows  of  the  principal 
millers  and  bakers  were  smashed,  and  a  few  hogsheads  of  beer 
stolen  from  a  local  brewer.  It  was  soon  put  down  by  the  law- 
abiding  inhabitants  of  the  place,  and  was  nothing  like  so  serious 
as  that  which  took  place  at  Bury  St.  Edmunds  a  few  days  after- 
wards, which  sent  the  Sheriff  of  Suffolk  packing  off  at  once  to 
London,  in  order  to  consult  with  the  Home  Secretary,  and  to 
request  his  assistance  in  overcoming  the  rioters. 

For  some  time  there  had  been  various  agrarian  outrages  in 
the  Eastern  Counties,  such  as  breaking  thrashing  machines, 
and  firing  barns  and  ricks,  and  these  were  supposed  to  have 
arisen  because  an  increase  of  wages  had  not  immediately  fol- 
lowed on  the  rise  in  the  price  of  bread.  Impunity  begat 
audacity,  and  they  demanded  that  wheat  should  be  sold  at 
half  a  crown  a  bushel,  and  prime  joints  of  meat  at  fourpence  a 
pound.  Some  of  the  principal  inhabitants,  especially  at  one 
place,  Brandon,  near  Bury,  temporized  with  the  Mob,  and 
promised  them  that  their  demands  should  be  complied  with 
for  a  fortnight,  which  would  give  time  for  their  grievances  to 
be  discussed. 


1816]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  277 

This  satisfied  them  for  the  moment,  and  they  dispersed 
giving  three  cheers.  But  they  again  broke  out,  and,  this 
time,  destroyed  some  houses — and,  moreover,  demonstrated 
with  bludgeons  studded  with  short  iron  spikes,  and,  to  shew 
their  organization,  they  paraded  a  flag,  having  the  legend, 
'  Bread  or  Blood  !'  They  threw  fire  balls  about,  smashed  the 
street  lamps,  made  an  attack  on  some  mills,  and  stole  therefrom 
a  quantity  of  flour,  some  of  which,  in  their  unreason,  they  threw 
into  the  river,  and  some  they  carried  away.  Some  of  the  West 
Norfolk  Militia,  and  a  party  of  the  1st  Royal  Dragoons,  having 
arrived,  they  were  supported  by  the  respectable  inhabitants, 
and  for  a  time  some  kind  of  order  was  restored. 

But  the  demon  was  abroad,  and  men  began  to  be  riotous  in 
other  places.  In  Norwich  the  mob  smashed  lamps,  windows, 
&c.,  and  threw  fire  balls  about,  besides  stoning  and  wounding 
the  Military,  Yeomanry,  and  Militia,  who  were  there  to  keep 
the  peace.  At  Bury,  a  Mob  wanted  a  manufacturer  to  deliver 
over  to  their  sweet  will  a  spinning  jenny,  swearing  they  would 
destroy  his  premises  if  he  refused.  This  he  had  courage  enough 
to  do,  and  some  two  hundred  special^  Constables  being  enrolled 
— peace  was  once  more  restored. 

At  Cambridge  they  feared  an  irruption  of  the  rioters  from 
the  Fen  districts,  swore  in  three  hundred  special  Constables, 
and  the  Vice  Chancellor,  and  heads  of  Colleges,  resolved  to 
arm  the  students,  if  considered  necessary.  But  the  Fen  Men 
were  busy  in  their  own  district.  They  rendezvoused  at 
Littleport,  attacked  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Vachel,  a 
magistrate  resident  there,  and  wrecked  it,  doing  about  £2,000 
worth  of  damage.  They  extorted  money  from  the  inhabitants, 
they  nearly  emptied  the  publican's  cellars,  and  they  loaded  a 
waggon  with  every  gun  they  could  find. 

The  decent  people  in  those  parts  thought  this  was  carrying 
a  joke  a  little  too  far,  and  we  read,  '  These  riots  have  at  length 
terminated  by  the  exertions  of  the  magistrates,  aided  by  a 
number  of  the  gentlemen,  and  inhabitants  of  Ely,  and  the 
Royston  troop  of  Volunteer  Cavalry,  together  with  a  small 
detachment  of  the  1st  Royal  Dragoons,  consisting  of  eighteen, 
who  had,  in  the  first  instance,  been  sent  for  from  Bury.  These 
proceeded  in  a  body,  on  the  25th  of  May,  to  Littleport,  and  a 
very  severe  struggle  ensued  between  them  and  the  rioters, 
who  had  secreted  themselves  in  different  houses,  and  were 
armed  with  guns,  with  which  they  fired  many  shots  at  the 
military  and  civil  power,  and  severely  wounded  one  of  the 


278  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

soldiers,  but  not  dangerously.  The  military  then  received 
orders  to  fire,  and  the  man  who  had  wounded  the  soldier  was 
instantly  shot  dead,  and  another  fell,  who,  having  lost  the 
lower  part  of  his  face,  and  part  of  his  tongue,  is  since  dead. 
When  this  took  place,  the  rioters  were  completely  discon- 
certed, and  fled  in  every  direction  ;  but,  by  the  perseverance 
and  activity  of  the  military  and  civil  power,  no  less  than  seventy- 
three  of  the  rioters  were  taken,  and  are  now  lodged  in  Ely 
Gaol.  Many  more  were  also  taken,  who,  appearing  to  have 
been  forced  to  join  the  mob,  have  been  liberated.  Amongst 
those  taken,  and  now  under  confinement,  are  several  persons 
of  some  property,  and  apparent  respectability  of  life  ;  and  it 
is  very  evident  that  rapine  (not  want)  was  the  principal  insti- 
gation of  this  unprecedented  disturbance,  as  the  parish  of 
Littleport,  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday  nights,  resembled,  in 
every  respect,  a  town  sacked  by  a  besieging  army,  the  prin- 
cipal inhabitants  having  been  compelled  to  abandon  their 
homes  for  the  protection  of  their  lives,  and  leave  their  pro- 
perties to  the  mercy  of  this  daring  banditti  of  robbers. 

'  At  least  fifty  guns  and  nine  or  ten  large  fowling  pieces, 
such  as  are  used  by  gunners  for  the  destruction  of  wild  fowl, 
each  carrying  at  least  four  or  five  pipes*  of  powder,  and  as 
many  of  shot,  were  taken  from  the  rioters,  and  plate  and 
other  articles  to  the  value  of  £300  or  £400  have  been  re- 
covered.' 

In  those  days  the  Isle  of  Ely  had  a  Chief  Justice  of  its  own, 
an  office  which  was  only  abolished  by  the  Act  6-7  William  IV, 
cap.  87,  and  to  him  the  King  sent  two  Justices  to  hold  a 
Commission  on  these  rioters,  which  terminated  with  the 
Capital  Conviction  of  thirty-four  persons  on  charges  of  burglary 
and  robbery  :  five  of  them  were  left  for  death  without  hope 
of  mercy,  and,  on  the  28th  of  June,  they  were  duly  executed. 

But  these  riots  were  not  merely  local — say  in  the  Eastern 
Counties,  they  were  in  many  parts  of  England. 

At  Bideford — there  was  a  small  riot  which  was  soon  sup- 
pressed, at  Newcastle,  and  upon  the  Wear,  disturbance  among 
the  '  Geordies '  about  the  high  price  of  food,  which  wanted 
cavalry  to  suppress.  More  riots  in  Essex — another  at  Honiton, 
where  they  burnt  a  farm  house,  at  Liverpool  (but  that  was 
purely  political).  In  very  fact  trade  was  very  bad,  and,  to 

*  A  rough-and-ready  way  of  loading  guns,  before  Cartridges  and 
Breech  loaders  were  introduced,  was  by  measuring  out  so  many 
bowls  of  a  Tobacco  pipe  full  of  powder  and  shot. 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  279 

give  one  example,  I  take  four  consecutive  paragraphs  from 
The  Morning  Chronicle  of  July  3,  1816. 

'  As  a  proof  of  the  unprecedented  stagnation  of  trade,  one 
day  last  week  there  was  not  a  single  entry  for  export  or 
import  at  the  Custom  house  of  London,  a  circumstance  with- 
out parallel  in  the  annals  of  that  extensive  establishment.' 

'  In  the  neighbourhood  of  Bilston-moor,  where  there  are 
many  Collieries,  and  a  number  of  iron  works,  the  workmen, 
consisting  of  some  thousands,  have  been  thrown  out  of  employ. 
They  have  solicited  in  vain  for  work  in  Warwickshire,  Stafford- 
shire, and  the  neighbourhood.  With  a  view  of  drawing 
particular  attention  to  their  case,  they  have  resorted  to  the 
experiment  of  presenting  a  petition  to  the  Prince  Regent  in 
person,  to  be  accompanied  by  a  present  of  three  waggon  loads 
of  Coals.  About  fifty  men  are  yoked  to  each  waggon  to  drag 
it  to  town.  One  of  the  waggons  proceeds  by  the  route  of 
Worcester ;  another  by  Coventry  and  Birmingham  ;  the  route 
of  the  third  is  by  Stourbridge.  The  men  proceed  at  the  rate 
of  about  twelve  miles  a  day,  and  receive  voluntary  gifts  of 
money,  &c.,  on  the  road  as  they  pass  along,  declining  of  them- 
selves to  ask  alms  :  their  motto,  as  placarded  on  the  carts, 
being — "  Rather  work  than  beg."  ' 

'  Upwards  of  ten  thousand  livery  servants  are  said  to  be  now 
out  of  place  in  different  parts  of  England,  owing  to  the 
prosperous  state  of  the  times,  and  the  numerous  emigrations 
to  foreign  parts.' 

'  The  state  of  the  times  has  had  a  very  singular  effect  upon 
livings  — the  threat  now  of  taking  the  tithes  in  kind,  no  longer 
alarms  the  farmer,  as  it  is  what  he  wishes  the  Clergyman  to 
do  ;  and,  on  a  Calculation,  the  value  of  Church  preferment 
has  diminished  one  half.' 

I  may  as  well  tell  the  sequel  of  the  Bilston  expedition, 
and  cannot  tell  it  better  than  in  the  words  of  the  same  news- 
paper. 

'  One  body  of  the  Colliers,  with  the  waggon  of  coals  from 
Staffordshire,  had  reached  Nettlebed,  near  Henley.  Report 
had  mentioned  two,  nay,  three  such  bodies,  each  with  a 
waggon.  One  of  them  proceeded  by  the  road  that  leads  to 
London  through  St.  Alban's.  They  reached  that  place,  we 
understand,  on  Tuesday  evening.  The  Home  Department 
had  sent  down  Magistrates  to  each  of  the  three  roads,  by 
which  the  Colliers  might  approach  the  Capital.  Sir  Nathaniel 
Conant*  was  dispatched  to  the  St.  Alban's  road.  The  men 
*  From  Bow  Street. 


16 


280  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

were  found  reposing  on  and  about  their  waggon.  The 
Magistrate  stated  to  them  the  impropriety  of  the  step  they 
had  either  taken  of  their  own  accord,  or  by  the  advice  of 
others — that  this  was  not  the  mode  to  obtain  relief — that  it 
rather  tended  to  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  their  object, 
because  it  might  lead  to  a  breach  of  the  peace.  The  Colliers 
listened  with  much  interest  and  attention  to  the  remonstrances 
of  the  Magistrate.  It  had  not  struck  them,  they  said,  in  the 
light  in  which  he  had  placed  it.  They  confessed  they  had 
been  ill-advised,  and  evinced  a  readiness  to  return  immedi- 
ately to  their  homes.  In  consequence  of  this  declaration,  the 
Magistrate  purchased  the  coals  of  them,  which  were  left  to  be 
distributed  to  the  poor,  and  gave  each  man  as  much  money  as 
would  carry  him  back  to  his  home. 

'  Another  waggon  with  a  party  of  Colliers,  the  one  which 
had  come  by  way  of  Henley,  was  met  by  the  Magistrate  at 
Maidenhead.  The  same  representations  were  made  to  the 
men,  and  with  the  same  success  as  at  St.  Alban's.  The  coals 
were  bought,  and,  the  men  agreeing  to  return  home,  received 
sufficient  to  carry  them  thither.' 

A  few  days  later  on,  is  a  paragraph  which  shews  that  this 
method  of  '  stumping  the  Country  '  was  coming  into  fashion. 
'  The  example  set  by  the  Bilston  Moor  Colliers  in  dragging 
their  waggons  and  petitions  through  the  Country,  is  likely  to 
have  many  imitators.  Besides  those  that  entered  Birmingham 
on  Wednesday  and  Thursday  last,  soliciting  relief,  and  who, 
on  Friday  week,  passed  through  Wolverhampton  on  their  way 
to  Liverpool,  on  Saturday  week,  a  waggon  load  of  coals,  drawn 
by  eighty  men,  with  ropes,  arrived  in  Leicester.  A  strong 
sensation  of  compunction  for  their  sufferings  was  excited,  and 
they  collected  a  considerable  sum  of  money.  A  second  load 
arrived  on  Monday,  but  the  Collection  was,  of  course,  for  a 
smaller  amount.  Tjje  men  behaved  remarkably  well.  They 
had  a  certificate  of  their  necessities,  signed  by  the  minister  of 
their  parish.  Another  team  of  Colliers  passed  through 
Leicester  on  Tuesday  last,  begging  their  way  northwards. 

A  little  piece  of  poetry  very  well  sums  up 

'ENGLAND  IN  1816. 

In  eighteen  hundred  ten  and  six 
Old  England's  glory  some  would  fix  : 
Peace  throughout  Europe  ;  Royal  Marriages, 
New  Streets,  new  Palaces,  and  Carmges. 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  281 

New  Stars,  new  Ribbons,  and  new  Crosses, 
A  Coinage  new,  whate'er  the  loss  is — 
Splendid  new  Bridges,  splendid  Lights, 
And  Columns  destined  for  our  Knights! 
Sounds  not  this  well  ?     Then  who  would  think 
We  stood  on  ruin's  very  brink  ? 
For,  now  the  Picture  but  capsize 
And  view  it  with  your  proper  eyes. 

In  London,  flashy  shops  behold, 
And  new  Bazaars,  but  nothing  sold  ; 
In  every  street,  a  carpet  out, 
That  shews  my  Lady  on  her  route, 
To  spend  her  poor  remains  in  France, 
And  teach  her  children  how  to  dance. 

Then  for  the  Country — Farmers  breaking, 
Clothiers  half  ruin'd,  Landlords  quaking, 
A  solemn  gloom,  no  sun,  no  hay  day 
Between  this  very  hour  and  Lady. 
The  Corn,  too,  laid,  and  some  say  rotting, 
The  Luddites  up  in  arms,  or  plotting — 
The  panic  general,  and  the  Stocks 
As  flat,  almost,  as  the  New  Docks — 
Then  a  Subscription  by  the  Great, 
Lest  all  our  poor  should  emigrate, 
A  boon  that  seems  too  sure  a  test 
Of  apprehension  for  the  rest. 
But  last,  and  worst,  a  Ministry  in  doubt, 
Too  weak  to  stand,  too  strong  to  be  turned  out.' 

In  August  we  had  riots  in  Glasgow  and  Preston,  and  this 
in  spite  of  the  '  Association  for  the  Relief  of  the  Manufacturing 
and  Labouring  Poor.'  Nay,  even  the  prisoners  in  Newgate 
caught  the  infection,  and  organized  a  riot  of  their  own,  which 
had  a  somewhat  frivolous  beginning.  On  the  25th  of  August 
a  visitor  to  the  prison  had  his  watch  stolen,  and  naturally 
complained  of  the  matter  to  the  Keeper,  who  ordered  all  the 
convicts  and  their  visitors  to  be  searched,  and  no  more  visitors 
allowed  until  the  watch  was  found.  The  Convicts  considered 
this  as  a  breach  of  their  privileges,  and  not  only  refused  to  be 
searched,  but  took  possession  of  the  Common  Yard,  and  turned 
out,  by  force,  all  the  officers,  and  turnkeys.  Of  course,  this 
conduct  could  not  be  allowed,  and  the  Convicts  were  ultimately 
driven  into  the  upper  wards — where,  being  armed  with  the 
iron  railings  of  the  staircase,  they  barricaded  themselves  as 
well  as  they  could,  and  awaited  results. 

The  Keeper,  on  his  side,  did  not  like  the  look  of  things  ; 


282  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

he  did  not  want  any  of  his  force  injured,  as  they  probably 
would  be,  if  they  attempted  to  force  the  wards,  held  by  these 
desperadoes — and  he  disposed  his  men,  so  as  to  watch  them 
well,  to  see  they  did  not  escape,  and  then  sent  for  instructions 
to  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Sheriffs,  but  all  three  were  out  of 
town.  However,  the  Lord  Mayor  arrived  on  the  Scene  about 
two  in  the  morning,  and  waited  till  six  to  see  if  the  mal- 
contents would  yield — but,  as  there  seemed  no  chance  of  this, 
they  were  informed,  when  the  usual  time  of  calling  them  to 
breakfast,  arrived,  that  unless  they  surrendered,  they  would 
have  no  food  that  day.  This  was  an  argumentnm  ad  hominem 
not  to  be  denied.  One  soon  gave  in,  and,  within  an  hour,  they 
were  all  secured. 

Yet  another  Royal  Marriage  :  which  took  place  on  the  22nd 
of  July,  between  William  Frederick,  Duke  of  Gloucester, 
grandson  of  Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  to  his  cousin,  the 
Princess  Mary,  fourth  daughter  of  George  III.,  and,  conse- 
quently, his  cousin.  It  was  a  suitable  marriage,  for  they  were 
born  in  the  same  year  (1776),  and  had  long  been  attached  to 
each  other.  There  was  nothing  particular  about  the  ceremony 
except  that  it  was  solemnized  in  the  grand  saloon  in  the 
Queen's  palace,  where  an  altar  was  erected — and  transformed, 
according  to  the  fashion  of  Royal  Marriages,  into  an  unmean- 
ing buffet  of  plate.  'The  gold  Communion  plate  was  the 
most  massive  and  costly  that  ever  was  displayed  upon  one 
occasion.  It  consisted  of  the  Altar  plate  belonging  to  King 
William ;  from  Whitehall  Chapel,  two  uncommonly  large 
dishes,  richly  chased  with  appropriate  devices  of  our  Lord's 
last  supper  with  His  disciples ;  the  compartments  round  the 
dishes  having  also  appropriate  designs.  Two  immensely  large 
flagons,  from  the  Chapel  Royal,  beautifully  chased  ;  also  a 
large  number  of  ewers  ;  several  chalices,  or  cups  of  solid  gold. 
Each  corner  had  most  superbly  gilt  tripods  for  six  candles.' 

By  way  of  contrast,  and  also  to  illustrate  the  manners  of 
the  times,  let  us  read  the  following  account  of  a  '  SINGULAR 
WEDDING.  Tuesday  evening  the  neighbourhood  of  Drury 
Lane  was  thrown  into  the  utmost  confusion,  in  consequence 
of  an  extraordinary  phenomenon  very  seldom  witnessed. 
Some  sweeps,  residing  in  Charles  Street,  having  been  married, 
they  resolved  to  celebrate  the  day,  and,  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  attended  by  eleven 
couples  more,  all  mounted  on  asses,  and  followed  by  several 
hundreds  of  spectators,  with  tin  pots,  horns,  dust  bells,  watch- 
men's rattles,  flambeaux,  etc.,  proceeded  through  Drury  Lane, 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  283 

and  made  their  grand  entrance  into  Holborn  up  Newton 
Street  to  the  Bank  public-house,  where  they  stopped  to  get 
some  refreshment ;  but  in  forming  the  procession  again,  the 
bride's  Arabian  was  unfortunately  thrown  down  by  the  pressure 
of  the  mob,  and  the  lady  precipitated  in  the  mud.  This 
enraged  the  bridegroom,  who  immediately  dismounted,  and 
began  by  dealing  several  blows  among  his  neighbours,  with 
extreme  fury.  The  consequence  was,  that  a  general  battle 
ensued,  and  several  heads  were  broken.  Gardner,  the  beadle 
of  that  district,  came  up,  backed  by  about  a  dozen  Knights  ot 
the  lanthorn,  who  succeeded  in  securing  several  of  the  sable 
warriors,  which  finally  dispersed  the  merry  group.' 

Apropos  of  chimney  sweeps,  we  know  that  there  was  much 
legislation  in  behalf  of  the  climbing  boys,  who  were  still 
much  used,  as  a  great  deal  of  senseless  prejudice  and  oppo- 
sition prevailed  against  the  use  of  Machines  :  and  that  these 
poor  boys  needed  some  protection  from  their  brutal  masters 
the  following  case,  on  the  10th  of  July,  at  the  Middlesex 
Sessions,  will  show. 

'  At  ten  o'clock  yesterday  morning,  the  trial  of  William 
Molys  took  place  at  Hick's  Hall.  Our  readers  will  recollect 
that  the  prisoner  was  a  master  sweep,  and  lately  stood  his  trial 
at  the  Old  Bailey,  on  a  charge  of  murder,  for  having  by  brutal 
treatment,  caused  the  death  of  John  Hewlings,  a  child  of 
five  or  six  years  of  age,  his  apprentice.  He  was,  however, 
acquitted  of  this  charge,  but  retained  on  an  indictment  for 
an  assault  on  the  same  child. 

'  To  this  charge  the  prisoner  pleaded  Not  Guilty. 

'  Mr.  Walford,  for  the  prosecution,  stated  the  case.  He 
related  several  cases  of  atrocious  violence  on  the  part  of  the 
prisoner  towards  the  deceased  John  Hewlings,  who  was  little 
more  than  five  years  old,  and  had  been  for  a  few  months  his 
apprentice.  The  learned  gentleman's  statement  was  fully 
confirmed  in  evidence. 

'  Elizabeth  Ware  proved  that  she  saw  the  prisoner  striking 
at  the  child's  legs  with  a  brush,  to  force  him  up  a  chimney, 
which  he  was  unable  to  ascend,  and  then  dragging  him 
down,  and  dashing  him  with  violence  against  the  floor.  The 
child  screamed  bitterly. 

'  Sarah  Reeves  corroborated  the  last  Witness's  testimony, 
and  added,  that  the  Prisoner  declared  he  would  "  serve  the 
boy  out"  when  he  got  him  home.  The  boy  complained  bit- 
terly that  his  knees  were  hurt. 

'  Anne  Chandler  proved    that   the    prisoner  came   to  her 


284  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

house  in  Whitechapel  on  the  23rd  of  April,  with  the  deceased 
boy  and  another,  to  sweep  a  chimney,  into  which  he  put  up 
the  former,  who  stuck  in  the  flue  for  nearly  an  hour.  The 
prisoner  was  at'length  prevailed  upon  to  get  to  the  top  of  the 
chimney,  and  extricate  the  child,  which  he  did,  with  loud 
imprecations  upon  him.  The  moment  he  got  him  down,  he 
knocked  him  against  a  chest  of  drawers  in  the  room ;  and 
when  the  child,  almost  senseless  from  the  blow,  was  endea- 
vouring to  recover  himself,  he  kicked  him  across  the  chamber, 
and  in  this  case,  as  in  the  former,  repeated  his  asseveration  that 
he  would  serve  him  out  when  he  got  him  home. 

'  Mary  Craig,  who  lived  next  door  to  the  prisoner,  proved, 
that  on  helping  the  wife  of  the  latter,  who  was  drunk,  into 
her  own  house,  she  saw  the  child  on  the  ground  near  the 
prisoner,  who  desired  him  to  get  up,  which  he  was  unable  to 
do  without  the  assistance  of  a  stick.  Witness  looked  at  the 
boy's  leg,  which  she  found  greatly  swollen.  At  her  sug- 
gestion, the  prisoner  rubbed  the  wounded  part  with  ointment, 
and  when  he  found  the  boy  still  unable  to  walk,  he  dashed 
him  on  the  ground. 

'  George  Rose,  and  Esther  Jacobs,  proved  their  having, 
on  the  23rd  of  April,  while  accidentally  passing  near  the 
prisoner's  house,  been  alarmed  with  screams  and  cries  of 
Murder,  and  Mercy.  Rose  kicked  in  the  door,  and  upbraided 
the  prisoner  and  his  wife  with  their  unnatural  conduct.  The 
latter  held  a  strap  in  her  hand,  with  which  she  avowed  she 
had  been  beating  the  child,  and  repeated  that  she  would  do 
so  again. 

'  The  prisoner,  on  being  called  upon  for  his  defence,  put  in 
a  written  paper,  containing  a  general  denial  of  the  charge, 
and  stating  that  he  was  a  victim  of  persecution.  He  did  not 
call  any  witnesses. 

'The  Court  then  summed  up  the  evidence,  and  the  Jury 
instantaneously  returned  a  verdict  of  Guilty.  The  Court, 
after  severely  animadverting  on  the  atrocity  of  the  prisoner's 
guilt,  sentenced  him  to  two  years'  imprisonment.' 

All  Londoners  know  the  Mortar  on  the  Parade  of  the 
Horse  Guards,  which  was  taken  from  the  French  at  the  siege 
of  Cadiz  in  1812,  and  presented  by  the  Cortes  to  the  Prince 
of  Wales.  Its  elaborate  allegorical  carriage  makes  it  a 
notable  feature.  It  was  uncovered  on  the  Prince  Regent's 
birthday,  August  12,  181 6,  and  from  that  moment  it  was 
assailed  with  a  storm  of  ridicule  principally  addressed  at  the 
Regent.  Pictorially  the  satires  would  scarcely  suit  this 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  285 

fastidious  age,  but  some  rather  smart  things  were  written 
anent  it  both  in  prose  and  rhyme.  Of  the  latter,  the  follow- 
ing caustic  epigram  is  a  good  example : — 

'ON  A  RECENT  EMBELLISHMENT  OF  THE  METROPOLIS. 

Useless,  and  hollow,  and  unsound, 

And  silly  splendour  all  the  plan, 
With  venom'd  reptiles  guarded  round, 

How  like  the  Mortar  to  the  Man  !' 

As  the  noble  game  of  Cricket  is  now  played,  the  stumps 
are  drawn  about  sunset.  In  order  to  decide  a  match,  would  it 
not  be  practicable  to  take  example  by  the  following  ?  (  Cricket 
by  Candle  Light. — A  match  was  played  a  few  days  ago,  by 
night,  on  Sedley-green,  near  Bexhill,  between  Mr.  S.  Beaching, 
and  Mr.  J.  Thomas,  to  be  decided  in  one  innings,  which  was 
won  by  the  former.  On  this  occasion,  lanthorns  were  placed 
in  different  parts  of  the  ground,  and  upwards  of  one  hundred 
persons  witnessed  this  nocturnal  contest.' 

This  use  of  lanthorns  shows  that  gas  had  not  reached 
country  neighbourhoods,  nor  has  it  yet  in  too  many  cases. 
Yet  it  was  making  its  way  in  the  large  towns.  In  August  the 
town  of  Preston,  in  Lancashire,  was  partially  lit  by  gas,  and 
this  daring  feat  is  thus  recorded  :  '  The  length  of  the  main 
pipes  already  laid  is  one  thousand  yards  ;  and  in  this  space^it  is 
estimated  that  more  than  nine  hundred  lights,  emitting  flame 
equal  to  four  thousand  mould  candles  of  six  to  the  pound,  will 
be  attached  to  the  main  pipes  in  the  ensuing  winter.  The  plan 
of  lighting  a  considerable  space  by  means  of  a  single  burner, 
placed  at  an  elevated  situation,  has  been  carried  into  effect  at 
Preston.  In  the  centre  of  the  Market-place,  which  is  of  con- 
siderable area,  there  happens  to  be  a  handsome  Gothic  Column 
36  feet  in  height :  on  the  top  of  this  is  placed  a  vase,  in 
which  is  the  burner ;  and  it  thus  becomes  the  substitute  of 
twenty-five  common  oil  lamps,  but  with  an  effect  which  could 
not  be  equalled  by  double  the  number,  placed  in  the  most 
advantageous  positions.'  The  Chronicler's  figures  appear  to 
be  rather  hazy,  for  with  one  flame  of  four  and  a  half  candle 
gas  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  light  given  equal  to  fifty  oil 
lamps. 

The  Silver  Coinage  was  getting  into  a  dreadfully  worn  con- 
dition (by  the  way,  ours  is  nothing  to  boast  of),  and  it  had 
been  settled  that  a  new  coinage  of  shillings  and  sixpences,  to 
the  extent  of  £2,500,000  should  be  minted  ;  but,  '  as  the 
period  for  the  issue  of  the  new  coin  approached,  the  fears  of 


286  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

the  retail  dealers  became  general,  lest  the  plain  English 
shillings  and  sixpences  should  be  confounded  with  the 
French  ones,  and  the  whole  refused.  It  was  at  Hull,  early 
in  September,  where  the  tradespeople  first  refused  to  receive 
at  their  normal  value,  all  plain  shillings,  or,  in  other  words, 
all  not  appearing  to  be  clearly  of  our  own  legal  currency.  In 
the  Metropolis,  it  was  at  Billingsgate  market,  on  the  20th  of 
September,  where  plain  shillings  and  sixpences  were  first 
indiscriminately  refused  ;  from  thence,  the  refusal  of  them 
spread  through  the  Borough,  and,  in  the  evening,  became 
general  throughout  the  Metropolis.  A  great  stagnation  in 
all  retail  trades  suddenly,  and  naturally,  ensued,  and  the 
lower  orders  were  disposed  to  commit  disturbances  in  almost 
every  market.  This  embarrassing  and  dangerous  state  of 
things  being  made  known  to  the  Lord  Mayor,  his  lordship 
took  immediate  measures  to  preserve  the  peace  of  the  City, 
not  by  means  of  force,  but  by  promptly  communicating  to 
the  public,  from  the  Mansion  House,  a  notice,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  Copy  : 

'  SILVER  COIN. — Take  Notice. — The  Bank  of  England  do  not 
refuse  any  shillings  or  sixpences  on  account  of  their  being 
plain,  provided  they  are  English. 

'  By  order  of  the  Lord  Mayor, 

'FRANCIS  HOBLER. 
'Saturday  Morning,  Sept.  21,  1816. 

'  In  consequence  of  the  above  notice,  people  assembled  in 
crowds  to  take  their  silver  to  the  Bank,  for  which  they 
received  Bank  of  England  Notes  and  tokens.' 

This  somewhat  palliated  the  small  panic,  but  it  was  more 
allayed  by  another  proclamation  from  '  Wood,  Mayor/  that 
the  Secretary  of  State  for  the  Home  Department  gave  notice, 
that  '  all  shillings  and  sixpences  that  can  be  considered  as  of 
the  Established  Standard  in  fineness,  will  be  exchanged  for 
new  silver  coin  when  it  is  issued  ;'  and  a  further  notice,  '  that 
all  kind  of  shillings,  now,  or  lately  in  circulation,  are  taken  at 
the  Bank  of  England,  with  the  exception  of  French,  or  base 
metal ;  they  therefore  recommend  to  all  shopkeepers,  dealers, 
and  others,  in  order  to  prevent  any  breach  of  the  peace,  to 
take  such  silver  above  named,  as  usual/  perfectly  tranquillized 
the  public  mind. 

We  shall,  next  year,  hear  more  about  the  new  Coinage, 
which  was  being  coined  at  the  rate  of  nearly  300,000  coins 
per  diem. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Smuggling — <  Resurrection  Men  ' — More  riots — Orator  Hunt — 
Meetiugs  at  Spa  Fields — Riots  arising  therefrom — Execution  of 
one  of  the  rioters — The  King's  health. 

SMUGGLING,  and  illicit  distilling,  were  reckoned  among  venial 
crimes,  but  both  were  practised  to  an  extent  unknown  at  the 
present  time.  Let  us  take  a  few  examples  in  chronological 
order. 

January  31st.  'A  band  of  twenty-eight  smugglers  were 
met  with  lately,  loaded  with  bladders  full  of  smuggled 
whiskey,  supposed  to  amount  to  140  gallons,  on  their  way 
from  the  Highlands  to  Glasgow.  The  Excise  Officers,  who 
met  them,  being  only  two  in  number,  dared  not  attack  them 
and  they  all  got  off.' 

The  next  reminds  us  somewhat  forcibly  of  some  late  smug- 
gling from  one  of  Her  Majesty's  yachts:  'February  23rd.  The 
following  singular  occurrence,  has,  it  is  reported,  taken  place, 
very  recently,  at  Woolwich.  A  transport,  laden  with  Ordnance 
Stores  unfit  for  further  service,  arrived  from  the  French  Coasts 
for  the  purpose  of  returning  them,  and  remained  some  days 
before  the  unloading  began  :  it  at  length  took  place,  when,  it 
is  added,  some  inquisitive  officers  of  the  Customs  requested 
to  examine  the  Contents  of  the  articles,  and  discovered  that 
what  was  considered,  and  marked  on  the  packages,  as  shot, 
shell,  rockets,  and  other  combustibles,  consisted  of  Claret, 
Champagne,  silks,  lace,  &c.  The  whole,  it  is  said,  were 
immediately  seized,  amounting  to  a  considerable  sum.' 

This  plan  seems  to  have  been  tried  on  again,  for  in  the 
Annual  Register,  30th  March,  is  a  similar  case,  in  which  it  is 
said  that  there  were  goods  to  the  value  of  £7,000,  for  one 
man,  packed  up  as  '  Return  Congreve  Rockets/ 


288  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

The  same  Magazine,  copying  from  a  Glasgow  paper,  gives 
under  date  August  30th,  the  following  :  '  How  muchsoever  the 
regular  commerce  of  the  Country  is  impaired  by  the  present 
pressure,  there  is  no  question  that  the  smuggling  trade  con- 
tinues in  extreme  vivacity.  This  extraordinary  traffic  appears 
to  be  conducted  with  a  publicity  that  could  scarcely  be 
credited  but  on  the  testimony  of  one's  own  sight.  The 
Smugglers,  or  as  they  are  styled  from  the  manner  of  Convey- 
ing the  Whiskey,  Flankers,  go  in  large  bands  on  the  highroads 
in  open  day,  and  laugh  at  the  traveller,  who,  by  his  looks, 
expresses  wonder  at  contravention  of  the  law  so  undisguised, 
and  yet  so  undetected.  On  Monday  night,  for  instance,  a  gang 
of  twenty-four,  with  the  order  of  so  many  soldiers,  and  under 
the  directions  of  a  leader  who  frequently  called  on  those 
lagging  behind  "  to  keep  up,"  marched  through  Springbank, 
and  the  neighbouring  hamlets  to  Cowcaddens  (in  the  suburbs 
of  Glasgow),  where,  in  the  face  of  numbers  of  persons,  some  of 
whom  bawled  out  "Success  to  Smuggling,"  they  entered 
a  house,  and  deposited  their  laden  flasks,  until  the  shades  of 
night  would  enable  them  to  penetrate  in  safety  to  their 
re-setters  in  Glasgow.  We  are  informed  that  the  places  of 
distillation  are  nearly  as  notorious  to  the  inhabitants  of  their 
vinicity,  as  the  methods  of  conveyance  ;  and  whoever  of  the 
neighbours  choose  to  make  a  visit  to  the  popular  distillers  are 
regaled  with  undiluted  spirit,  wherewith  to  drink  confusion 
to  the  Excise.  Smuggled  whiskey  has,  it  is  said,  fallen  recently 
4s.  or  5s.  a  gallon.' 

'  November  28th.  One  night  last  week,  some  smugglers 
displaced  the  layer  of  a  tomb  in  the  Churchyard  at  Fareham, 
and  deposited  therein  several  large  kegs  of  contraband  Spirits  ; 
but  certain  officers  being  on  the  watch  they  had  an  early 
resurrection.' 

This  rifling  the  tomb  was  infinitely  better  than  that  of 
those  ghouls,  the  body-snatchers,  or  resurrection  men.  In 
The  Morning  Chronicle  of  the  23rd  of  November  is  reported  a 
'  Riot  and  Combination  amongst  the  Resurrection  men. 
Tuesday  evening  (18th  November)  the  inhabitants  of  Canter- 
bury Square  were  extremely  alarmed,  in  consequence  of  a  riot, 
which  assumed  the  most  alarming  aspect,  having  taken  place 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Millard,  beadle  to  the  dissecting  room  of 
Guy's  Hospital,  whose  family  were  attacked  by  a  desperate 
gang  of  resurrection  men,  namely,  Benjamin  Crouch  (Captain 
of  the  gang),  James  Hollis,  William  Naples,  Patrick  Garneth, 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  289 

Peter  Hannagan,  Israel  Chapman,  and  several  others,  who 
were  proceeding  to  acts  of  violence,  and  threatening  destruc- 
tion to  the  family  of  Mr.  Millard,  in  consequence  of  his 
infringing  on  their  profession,  by  employing  men  ignorant  of 
their  art  in  procuring  subjects  for  the  numerous  students  at 
the  Hospital. 

'  Their  vengeance,  it  appears,  arose  from  the  circumstance 
of  two  or  three  persons  having  been  employed  by  the  surgeons 
to  procure  subjects  on  one  occasion,  which  came  to  their 
knowledge,  and  they  were  determined  to  be  revenged  on  the 
beadle,  who  was  riot  at  all  concerned.  The  inhabitants  having 
collected,  the  rioters  announced  that  their  allowance  must  be 
raised  from  four  guineas  to  six;  that  they  would  allow  fourteen 
days  for  an  answer,  and,  unless  their  demand  was  complied 
with,  they  would  pay  the  beadle  a  more  severe  visit :  at  the 
same  time  wishing  it  to  be  made  known  that  they  could 
command  trade,  bad  as  the  times  were  ;  and  in  the  Country, 
their  payment  was  no  less  than  £20,  on  some  occasions.  The 
mob  became  exasperated,  and,  but  for  the  interference  of 
Mr.  Millard,  would  have  torn  them  to  pieces.  They,  however, 
got  clear  off,  and  Mr.  Millard  applied  to  the  Magistrates  at 
Union  Hall,  where  he  procured  a  warrant  for  their  apprehen- 
sion. Some  of  the  party  were  held  to  bail,  a  few  weeks  ago, 
at  the  complaint  of  Mr.  Ashley  Cooper,  for  a  similar  offence/ 

'October  21st.  MARLBOROUGH  STREET. — It  was  stated, 
yesterday,  that  a  most  extraordinary  affair  happened  at  Mr. 
Brookes',  The  Theatre  of  Anatomy,  Blenheim  Street.  On 
Sunday  evening,  a  man  having  been  delivered  there  as  a  subject 
(a  technical  name  for  a  dead  man  for  dissection),  in  a  sack — 
who,  when  in  the  act  of  being  rolled  down  the  steps,  to  the 
vaults,  turned  out  to  be  alive,  and  was  conveyed,  in  a  state  of 
nudity  to  St.  James's  Watch-house. 

'  Curiosity  had  led  many  hundreds  of  persons  to  the  watch- 
house,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  the  subject  could  be  conveyed 
to  this  Office,  where  there  was  also  a  great  assemblage.  The 
Subject  at  length  arrived.  He  stated  his  name  to  be  Robert 
Morgan,  by  trade  a  smith.  John  Bottomley,  a  hackney 
Coachman,  was  charged  also  with  having  delivered  Morgan 
tied  up  in  the  Sack.  The  Subject  appeared  in  the  sack,  in  the 
same  way  in  which  he  was  taken,  with  this  difference,  that 
holes  had  been  made  to  let  his  arms  through. 

'  The  evidence  of  Mr.  Brookes  afforded  much  merriment. 
He  stated  that  on  Sunday  evening,  soon  after  seven  o'clock, 

19 


290  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

his  servant  informed  him,  through  the  medium  of  a  pupil, 
that  a  coachman  had  called  to  inquire  if  he  wanted  a  subject, 
from  Chapman,  a  notorious  resurrection  man.  Mr.  B.  agreed 
to  have  it,  and  in  about  five  minutes  afterwards,  a  Coach  was 
driven  up  to  the  door,  and  a  man,  answering  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  Bottomley,  brought  Morgan  in  a  sack,  as  a  dead  body, 
laid  him  in  the  passage,  at  the  top  of  the  kitchen  stairs,  and 
walked  away  without  taking  any  further  notice.  On  Harris, 
witness's  servant,  taking  hold  of  the  subject's  feet,  which  pro- 
truded through  the  bottom  of  the  sack,  he  felt  them  warm, 
and  that  the  subject  was  alive. 

'  Here  the  prisoner  Morgan,  who  seems  to  have  enjoyed 
the  narrative,  with  others,  burst  out  into  a  fit  of  laughter. 

'  Mr.  Burrowes — the  Magistrate  :  Is  it  usual,  Mr.  Brookes, 
when  you  receive  a  subject,  to  have  any  conversation  with  the 
parties  who  deliver  it  ? 

'  Mr.  Brookes  :  Sometimes  ;  but  dead  bodies  are  frequently 
left,  and  I  recompense  the  procurers  at  my  leisure. 

'  Mr.  Brookes  resumed  his  evidence,  and  stated  that  he  put 
his  foot  upon  the  sack,  upon  being  called  by  his  servant,  and 
kicked  it  down  two  steps,  when  the  subject  called  out  "  I'm 
alive,"  and,  forcing  half  his  naked  body  out  of  the  sack,  threw 
the  whole  house  into  alarm.  (Here  the  subject  again  laughed 
heartily.)  Conceiving  that  the  prisoner's  intent  was  conceal- 
ment, for  the  purpose  of  inducing  others  to  commit  felony, 
witness  armed  himself  with  the  bar  of  a  shutter,  one  of  his 
pupils  brought  a  poker,  and  gave  his  weapon  to  another  man 
in  the  house,  whilst  he  flew  upstairs  for  his  pistols,  which 
were  unloaded  ;  but  the  prisoner  seemed  inclined  to  resist, 
and  witness  said  to  him,  "  Resign,  or  else  I'll  shoot  you  like  a 
bug,  and  then  dissect  you  in  five  minutes."  A  Constable  was 
sent  for,  and  the  subject  was  taken  to  the  watch-house.  He 
denied  any  knowledge  of  how  he  came  there,  and  said  he  had 
been  made  very  drunk. 

'  After  Mr.  Brookes  had  returned  from  the  watch-house  to 
enter  the  charge  against  Morgan,  he  saw  Bottomley  loitering 
about  the  street,  and,  on  scrutinizing  his  dress,  it  answered 
that  of  the  person  who  had  left  Morgan  there.  There  was 
another  hackney  Coachman  with  Bottomley. 

'Mr.  Brookes'  testimony  was  corroborated  by  Mr.  Salmon, 
one  of  his  pupils,  and  by  Henry  Harris  his  servant.  The 
latter  was  confronted  with  Bottomley,  and  he  believed  him  to 
be  the  man  who  had  left  Morgan. 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  291 

'In  defence,  Morgan  said,  that  he  had  returned  from 
Teddington,  Middlesex,  on  Sunday,  where  he  had  been  three 
days  at  work;  that  he  had  drunk  freely  on  the  road  to  London. 
He  came  through  Westminster  and  the  Park  ;  and,  in  Oxford 
Street,  a  man  picked  him  up,  and  made  him  so  drunk,  that 
he  entirely  lost  his  senses,  and  had  no  recollection  until  he 
awoke  from  his  stupor  at  Mr.  Brookes' s.  He  had  no  wrong 
intention,  and  he  had  lost  5s.  and  some  apparel. 

'  Mr.  Brookes  stated,  and  he  was  confirmed  in  it,  that  the 
man  was  not  drunk,  when  at  his  house,  and  the  manner  of  his 
extricating  himself  from  the  sack  clearly  demonstrated  it.' 

Bottomley,  in  his  defence,  denied  all  knowledge  of  Morgan, 
and  the  Magistrate  remanded  them  ;  but  the  Newspaper  does 
not  tell  the  sequel. 

Undoubtedly,  there  was  great  distress  throughout  the  nation, 
and  there  were  riots  all  over  the  country.  On  October  18th 
there  was  a  Corn  riot  at  Sunderland,  where,  at  market,  owing 
to  an  advance  in  price,  the  Mob  took  away  the  Corn  from  the 
farmers  by  force  and  openly  divided  the  spoil  among  them- 
selves :  but  some  of  the  ringleaders  were  arrested. 

There  were  riots,  and  somewhat  serious  ones,  too,  in  the 
iron  districts  of  Wales,  owing  to  a  reduction  of  wages  occurring 
simultaneously  with  a  rise  in  provisions,  and  the  Military  had 
to  be  called  out.  A  riot  took  place  at  Calder  Ironworks,  near 
Glasgow,  and  there  the  Military  had  to  back  up  the  Civil 
power.  A  Corn  Riot  about  the  same  time  at  Walsall,  where 
the  windows  of  several  bakers  were  smashed,  and  a  New  Mill 
gutted  ;  here,  too,  the  soldiers  were  called  out — and,  a  little 
later  in  the  year,  food  riots  at  Dundee. 

It  was  scarcely  to  be  expected  that  London  would  escape 
scot  free,  and  we  find  that  she  came  in  for  her  share.  There 
was  at  this  time  a  violent  Mob  orator  named  Henry  Hunt, 
who,  after  the  manner  of  his  kind,  was  very  fond  of  hearing 
himself  speak.  He  was  born  on  the  6th  of  November,  1773, 
in  Wiltshire,  and  was  a  farmer,  but,  having  imbibed  violent 
Radical  ideas,  farming  was  too  unexciting  an  occupation  for 
him,  and,  embarking  on  the  troubled  sea  of  politics,  he  became 
the  darling  of  the  Mob.  It  is  not  in  the  scope  of  this  work 
to  speak  of  him  except  in  connection  with  the  '  Spa  Fields 
Riots,'  but  I  may  mention  that  in  1819  he  was  sentenced  to 
two  and  a  half  years'  imprisonment,  to  pay  a  fine  of  £1,000, 
and  to  find  security  for  his  future  good  behaviour.  He  died  in 
1835. 

19—2 


HENRY   HUNT,    ESQ. 


1816]  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  293 

There  was,  unfortunately,  a  great  deal  of  distress,  but  this 
was  in  the  way  of  being  met  by  giving  employment  on  works 
for  the  general  good,  in  the  Country,  and  in  London  by  very 
munificent  donations,  such  as  £5,000  from  the  Prince  Regent. 
But  public  distress  always  has  been  the  demagogue's  oppor- 
tunity; he  has  very  little  chance  of  being  heard  when  working 
men  are  well  employed  and  contented,  and  Henry  Hunt  was 
equal  to  the  occasion. 

On  Friday,  the  15th  of  November,  about  twenty  thousand 
persons  assembled  in  Spa  Fields  in  consequence  of  a  Requisi- 
tion from  a  Committee  in  Shoreditch  (which  Requisition  had 
been  placarded  all  over  the  East  End  of  London  some  days 
previously)  addressed  to  distressed  tradesmen,  manufacturers, 
and  mariners,  calling  upon  them  to  meet  for  the  purpose  of 
adopting  some  measures  with  a  view  to  their  relief.  The 
people  began  to  assemble,  and  by  half-past  twelve  many 
thousands  were  in  the  fields.  But  as  no  one  came  to  address 
them,  many  were  going  away,  when  a  Coach  drove  up,  and 
from  its  window,  an  announcement  was  made  that  Mr.  Hunt, 
of  Bristol,  was  coming. 

When  the  Coach  stopped,  a  Rev.  Mr.  Parkes  scrambled  on 
to  its  top,  whence  he  delivered  a  sensible  introductory  speech 
in  which  he  said  :  '  The  occasion  was  important  and  critical, 
and  it  behoved  the  people  to  conduct  themselves  with  dignity 
and  firmness.  If  they  acted  with  due  moderation — if  they 
adhered  to  the  Constitution — their  present  suffering,  even 
severe  as  it  was,  might  serve  to  approximate  their  complete 
salvation.  But  intemperance  and  riot  must  injure  their  cause. 
(Applause.)' 

He  kept  on  speaking  until  the  arrival  of  Hunt,  who,  not 
satisfied  with  his  predecessor's  platform,  retired  to  a  public- 
house,  'The  Merlin's  Cave'  (still  the  same  sign,  131,  Rosoman 
Street,  Clerkenwell),  where  he  addressed  the  assembly,  from 
a  window.  During  his  speech  he  frequently  waved  a  tricolor 
flag,  green,  white,  and  red,  which  bore  these  inscriptions  : 
'Bread  to  feed  the  Hungry' — 'Truth  to  crush  the  Oppressors ' 
— 'Justice  to  punish  Crimes.' 

He  certainly  began  his  speech  with  references  to  the 
general  distress,  but  he  soon  drifted  on  to  the  subject  of 
Reform,  and  tried  to  excite  his  audience  by  drawing  attention 
to  the  Royal,  and  other  Incomes.  Here  is  a  specimen  of  his 
oratory :  '  You  have  all  heard  of  George  Canning,  that 
impudent  dog,  that  vile,  unprincipled,  unmanly  calumniator 


294  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

of  the  people — that  miscreant,  whose  language  failed  him  in 
applying  disgraceful  epithets  to  you :  but  you  do  not  know 
his  family  ;  nay,  I  do  not  believe  he  knows  his  own  grand- 
father. Yet  Mother  Hunn,  who  brought  this  hopeful  cub 
into  the  world  (without  knowing  who  was  his  father),  had 
J&500  for  the  useful  event,  and  her  worthy  daughters  had  also 
£500  each.'*  And  in  another  part  of  his  speech  he  is  reported 
to  have  said  :  '  I  know  well  the  superiority  of  mental  over 
physical  force :  while  we  have  the  power  of  exercising  the 
former,  we  cannot  be  justified  in  resorting  to  the  latter* 
This  might  be  construed  into  a  sort  of  '  Don't  nail  his  ear  to 
the  pump ' — and  was  remembered  as  such  on  the  2nd  of 
December. 

Well,  he  made  his  Speech,  and  proposed  some  Resolutions 
which  were  cut  and  dried,  and  moved  that  they  be  embodied 
in  a  Petition  to  the  Regent,  which  was  to  be  personally 
presented  to  him.  This  Motion  was  carried  by  acclamation, 
and  it  was  afterwards  moved  that  Mr.  Hunt,  and  Sir  Francis 
Burdett,  should  present  it.  Hunt  said  he  never  had  been 
to  Court — that  he  never  wished  to  go  there,  and,  therefore, 
he  requested  that  the  meeting  would  not  send  him  there. 

The  Meeting,  however,  adopted  the  proposition,  and  Hunt 
said  '  That,  having  good  health,  with  a  willing  heart,  he 
should  comply  with  the  wish  of  the  Meeting.  He  should, 
to-morrow,  in  conjunction  with  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  seek  out 
the  Regent  wherever  he  was  to  be  found,  whether  at  Carlton 
House,  the  Stud  House,  the  Brighton  Pavilion,  or  Manchester 
Squaref  (laughter  and  applause) ;  for,  thank  God,  his  horses 
had  not  yet  been  taken  from  him  by  the  oppressive  hands  of 
the  tax-gatherer.' 

*  Hunt  must  have  known  he  was  lying,  for  George  Canning  was 
born  in  London  in  1770.  His  family  was  originally  of  Foxcote,  in 
Warwickshire,  and  one  of  his  ancestors  had  emigrated  to  Ireland, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  seventeenth  century,  as  agent  of  a 
company  of  Londoners  in  the  plantation  of  Ulster,  and  settled  at 
Garvagh,  in  the  county  of  Londonderry.  His  father,  George 
Canning,  who  had  been  educated  for  the  bar,  to  which  he  was  called 
by  the  Society  of  the  Middle  Temple,  having  offended  his  parents 
by  marrying  a  lady  inferior  to  him  both  in  rank  and  fortune,  was 
cut  off  by  them  with  a  pittance  of  £150  per  annum.  Finding  him- 
self thus  discarded  by  his  family,  who  possessed  considerable  property 
in  Ireland,  he  left  that  country,  and  removed  with  his  wife  to 
London,  where,  after  unavailing  efforts  to  enlarge  the  means  of  sub- 
sistence, he  died  broken-hearted,  in  a  year  after  the  birth  of  his  son. 

f  Hereford  House. 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  295 

The  meeting  then  broke  up  in  a  very  orderly  manner. 

On  the  2nd  of  December  another  meeting  was  convened  at 
Spa  Fields  to  hear  Hunt's  account  of  his  stewardship.  He 
duly  arrived,  and  went  into  '  The  Merlin's  Cave.'  Addressing 
the  Mob,  he  said  that  having  found  that  Sir  Francis  Burdett 
was  at  Brighton,  he  determined  to  do  their  will  by  himself. 
'  I  went,  then,  first  of  all,  to  Carlton  House,  where,  being  ad- 
mitted, I  inquired  if  I  could  have  an  audience  of  his  Royal 
Highness  the  Prince  Regent,  for  the  purpose  of  presenting 
your  Petition  to  him.  I  was  told,  there  was  no  way  of  pre- 
senting that  Petition,  unless  at  the  Prince's  Levee,  or  by  the 
Secretary  of  State  for  the  Home  Department,  that  is,  Lord 
Sidmouth,  you  know.  I  then  inquired  when  a  Levee  would 
take  place,  and  was  told  it  was  quite  uncertain,  at  least  none 
would  be  for  some  time.' 

He  then  thought  he  was  entitled  to  use  his  own  discretion, 
and  waited  upon  Lord  Sidmouth,  which  he  did,  having  first 
written  his  lordship  a  letter,  and  enclosing  the  Petition.  He 
was  received  by  Lord  Sidmouth  most  courteously,  and  after- 
wards spoke  of  his  reception  in  terms  of  eulogy.  His  lordship 
assured  him  that  what  had  been  told  him  at  Carlton  House 
was  perfectly  true,  and  that  he  would  present  the  petition  to 
his  Royal  Highness  without  delay  ;  adding  (to  quote  Hunt's 
speech),  '  that  since  the  present  family  had  come  to  the 
throne,  no  answer  had  ever  been  given  to  any  Petition,  unless 
presented  by  the  Corporation  of  London,  or  by  the  two 
Universities,  that,  when  he,  himself,  as  Secretary  of  State, 
presented  a  Petition,  he  made  his  bow,  and  went  on,  and  if  I 
went  to  the  Levee,  I  could  only  do  the  same. — Ah !  Gentle- 
men, this  is  the  Court  Fashion.  I  told  you  I  did  not  wish  to 
go  there.' 

But,  either  the  fact  of  his  going  to  Court,  or  his  subsequent 
knowledge  of  popular  feeling,  made  him  far  quieter  in  his 
after  speech  ;  and,  although  the  Resolutions  proposed  were 
far  too  advanced  to  be  accepted  by  the  moderate  Reformers 
there  was  not  the  same  rancour  in  his  speech,  or  the  Resolu- 
tions, as  in  his  previous  speeches,  and  the  meeting,  as  a  whole, 
was  very  orderly. 

But,  as  we  have  the  unfortunate  example  in  our  own  times 
— not  so  very  long  ago,  in  Trafalgar  Square — the  calling  to- 
gether of  a  Mass  meeting  does  not  always  guarantee  that  the 
gathering  shall  consist  entirely  of  persons  interested  in  the 
object  of  the  meeting — the  thing  is  impossible.  The  gather- 


296  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

ing  of  a  crowd  is  the  rough's  opportunity,  and  the  greater  the 
Crowd,  the  greater  his  chance.  If,  to  this,  are  added  the 
thousands  of  fools  who  go  to  look  on,  get  mixed  up  in  the 
mob,  and  occasionally  get  a  cracked  head,  broken  arm,  or  are 
trampled  on,  as  a  reward  for  their  folly,  we  have  the  same 
mob  to-day  as  there  was  in  1816. 

I  cannot  believe  that  Hunt,  or  any  of  those  who  were 
absolutely  around  him,  ever  for  a  moment  foresaw,  or  could 
have  conceived,  the  outcome  of  this  Meeting.  The  former 
one,  on  November  1 5th,  was  marked  by  its  order ;  their 
petition  had  been  courteously  received,  and  presented  to  the 
Regent ;  but  the  roughs  only  want  a  Cry  and  a  Crowd,  and 
both  were  afforded  them  ;  hence  the  subsequent  riot. 

In  fact,  it  was  before  the  business  commenced  that  a 
waggon  drove  up  bedecked  with  tricolor  flags  and  mottoes — 
the  same  sort  of  thing  that  we  could,  if  we  were  foolish 
enough  to  go  and  look,  see  two  or  three  Sundays  in  the  year 
in  Hyde  Park — where  the  leather-lunged  patriots  belch  forth 
their  opinions — and  in  it  was  the  typical  Mob-orator,  f  a  young 
man/  named  Watson.  He  was  something  in  the  Medical 
profession,  and  not  being  successful  in  that  branch  of  industry 
tried,  as  needy  patriots  will  do,  to  turn  instructor  of  the 
people.  He  is  reported  to  have  made  a  very  inflammatory 
speech,  and  '  at  the  close  he  asked  them  if  they  would  accom- 
pany him  ?  There  was  a  Cry  on  the  part  of  some  that  they 
would  to  any  place.  "  And  will  you  protect  me  ?"  he  said. — 
They  replied,  "  As  long  as  life  remained." 

'  He  jumped  off  the  waggon,  and  headed  the  Mob,  which 
went  from  Spa  Fields  to  Skinner  Street,  and  whose  disgraceful 
conduct  is  detailed  below  ;  but  who  appeared  to  have  had  no 
other  connection  with  the  Meeting  in  Spa  Fields  than  being 
on  the  spot  where  it  was  held.  There  is,  indeed,  no  doubt, 
from  the  circumstances  that  occurred,  that  the  greater  number 
of  those  men  who  behaved  so  outrageously  in  the  City,  came 
to  Spa  Fields  with  a  premeditated  design  not  to  take  any  part 
in  the  business  of  the  Meeting,  but  to  commit  riot,  as  it 
appears  that  about  two  hundred  men,  chiefly  dressed  like 
sailors,  had  no  sooner  arrived  there,  than  they  found  the  man 
above  mentioned  ready  to  lead  them,  and  they  immediately 
followed  him.  These  formed  the  chief  part  of  the  Mob  in  the 
City.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  all  this  was  the  result  of 
some  previous  concerted  plan,  but  it  is  equally  evident  that 
the  plan  had  no  connection  with  the  Spa  Fields  meeting,  the 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  297 

people  who  came  to  attend  it  remaining  perfectly  quiet,  and 
taking  no  part  in  these  outrageous  proceedings.  .  .  . 

'  The  Lord  Mayor,  as  on  the  former  day  of  meeting  at  Spa 
Fields,  took  every  precaution  for  the  purpose  of  preserving 
the  public  peace  ;  but,  serious  apprehensions  being  entertained 
that  on  the  present  occasion  mischief  and  outrage  were  con- 
templated by  the  misguided  populace,  additional  measures 
were  adopted.  The  Ward  Constables,  who  had  been  con- 
siderably augmented,  assembled  at  an  early  hour,  and  the 
following  notice  was  posted  on  large  boards,  and  not  only 
fixed  in  conspicuous  places,  but  carried  about  various  parts  of 
the  City,  by  order  of  his  Lordship  : — 

' "  OUR  SOVEREIGN  LORD  THE  KING 

Chargeth  and  commandeth  all  persons  being  assembled, 
immediately  to  disperse  themselves,  and  peaceably  depart  to 
their  habitations,  or  to  their  lawful  business,  upon  the  pains 
contained  in  the  Acts  of  the  first  year  of  King  George — for 
preventing  Tumults  and  Riotous  Assemblies. 
"  GOD  SAVE  THE  KING." 

'  The  Lord  Mayor,  who  was  actively  engaged  all  the 
morning  in  devising  his  arrangements,  suddenly  received 
information  that  a  body  of  rioters,  headed  by  a  young  man 
(whose  name  was  said  to  be  Watson),  and  who  addressed  the 
multitude  at  an  early  hour  in  Spa  Fields,  was  on  its  way,  by 
Clerkenwell,  to  the  City.  They  had,  in  fact,  already  reached 
Snow  Hill,  and  it  was  impossible  at  the  moment  to  stop 
their  career.  Upon  their  arrival  at  Snow  Hill,  three  of 
the  rioters  marching  some  distance  before  the  multitude, 
entered  the  shop  of  Mr.  Beckwith,  the  gunmaker,  and 
demanded  arms.  Their  companions  were  not  in  sight,  and 
their  demand  was  opposed.  This,  however,  so  exasperated 
these  desperate  wretches,  that  one  of  them  dressed  in  a 
sailor's  habit,  drew  forth  a  pistol,  and  shot  a  Mr.  Platt  in  the 
groin. 

'  Mr.  Platt  is  a  young  man  of  respectability,  and  resides  in 
Cateaton  Street.  He  was  a  mere  casual  visitant  at  the  shop, 
and  the  ruffians  escaped,  the  mob  coming  up  at  the  moment, 
and  the  former  intermixing  with  it. 

'  After  rifling  the  shop  of  all  the  arms  it  contained,  they 
formed  a  new  procession,  and  bent  their  way  towards 
Cheapside,  not  forgetting,  however,  to  lodge  a  few  balls  in 
the  windows  of  a  house  in  Newgate  Street,  on  the  way,  where 


298  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1816 

they  fired  for  the  purpose  of  annoying  a  gentleman  who  had 
retreated  from  the  displeasure  of  the  mob. 

'The  Lord  Mayor,  being  apprized  of  their  movements,  set 
out,  accompanied  by  a  few  officers,  and  came  up  with  the 
party  at  the  Royal  Exchange.  They  were  about  three 
hundred  in  number,  and  fifty  appeared  armed  with  all  kinds 
of  weapons,  viz.,  swords,  pistols,  musquets,  blunderbusses,  &c. 
Their  leader  (as  we  understand,  Mr.  Watson)  carried  before 
him  a  large  tricoloured  flag,  on  which  were  written  the 
following  sentiments  : — 

1 "  Nature— Feed  the  Hungry. 
Truth— Protect  the  Distressed. 
Justice — Punish  Crime." 

'  Upon  their  arrival  at  the  Exchange,  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Mayor  was  mentioned,  as  being  very  active,  when  he  was 
instantly  greeted  with  the  shouts  of  the  multitude.  This  ill- 
timed  approbation  had  no  effect  upon  his  Lordship's  conduct, 
and,  seeing  the  mob  turn  into  Sweeting's  Alley,  close  to 
the  Royal  Exchange,  he  entered  that  place  at  the  southern 
side,  and,  the  mob  not  being  able  to  retreat  through  so 
narrow  a  lane,  they  entered,  of  necessity,  the  Exchange  by 
the  eastern  door.  They  were  instantly  summoned  to  surrender, 
and,  after  discharging  a  few  pieces  of  musquetry,  were 
overcome,  and  their  arms  seized.  The  leader  only,  and  two 
others,  were  kept  in  custody. 

'A  proper  force  was  then  stationed  at  the  Exchange,  it 
being  apprehended  that  the  party  would  return  to  seek  their 
arms,  and  to  rescue  their  companions.  At  the  Bank  there 
was  also  a  military  guard,  consisting  of  about  two  hundred  of 
the  Guards  ready  accoutred.  Independently  of  this,  the  East 
London  Militia  were  under  arms,  and  numbers  of  persons, 
contiguously  resident,  applied  to  offer  themselves  to  serve  the 
temporary  office  of  Constable,  and  were  accordingly  sworn  in. 

'  About  half-past  two  o'clock,  an  account  reached  the 
Mansion  House,  that  the  mob  had  risen  in  considerable 
numbers,  in  and  about  the  Minories,  had  broken  open  the 
houses  of  two  gunsmiths  there  (Messrs.  Ray's  and  Brandon's), 
and  robbed  the  place  of  every  piece  of  firearms  that  could  be 
found.  With  these,  they  again  rallied  a  force,  and  commenced 
an  attack  on  the  soldiery  at  the  top  of  the  Minories,  in  Aldgate 
High  Street.  After  a  short  delay  here,  however,  they  were 
completely  beaten,  and  retired  towards  the  Tower,  where,  to 


1816]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  299 

render  the  scene  more  ridiculous,  some  of  the  party  actually 
proposed  the  surrender  of  that  place.  In  the  struggle  between 
the  soldiery  and  the  mob,  in  the  Minories,  it  was  said  that  one 
of  the  Guards  fell,  but  we  could  not  trace  the  account  to  any 
authentic  source.' 

After  doing  this,  the  Mob  dispersed  in  every  direction, 
whooping  and  yelling,  breaking  a  few  windows,  rifling  a  few 
butchers'  stalls,  robbing  a  few  people  of  their  purses  and 
watches,  and  then  the  riot  was  all  over. 

Mr.  Platt,  the  Gentleman  who  was  shot,  lingered  some 
time,  but  eventually  died  of  his  wound,  and,  on  the  12th  of 
March,  1817,  his  murderer,  Cashman,  was  hanged  in  front  of 
Mr.  Beckwith's  shop.  His  end  was  not  edifying.  The  Mob 
was  howling  at  him,  '  and  Cashman  joined  his  voice  to  the 
shouts,  crying  out,  "  Hurrah  !  my  Boys,  I'll  die  like  a  man." 
On  his  quitting  the  Cart,  and  mounting  the  Scaffold,  the 
groans  were  redoubled ;  he  seemed  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of 
the  Spectators,  and  joined  in  their  exclamations  with  a  terrific 
shout.  ...  He  now  turned  towards  Mr.  Beckwith's  house, 
in  an  angry  manner,  and,  shaking  his  head,  said  :  "  I'll  be 

with  you, there "  ;  meaning  that  he  would  haunt  the 

house  after  his  death.  The  executioner  having  quitted  the 
platform,  the  unfortunate  wretch  addressed  the  crowd  nearest 

them,  and  exclaimed  :  "  Now,  you ,  give  me  three  cheers 

when  I  trip."  And  then,  calling  to  the  executioner,  he  cried 

out :  "  Come,  Jack,  you ,  let  go  the  jib-boom."  He  was 

cheering  at  the  instant  the  fatal  board  fell.' 

The  fullest  details  of  the  King's  life  and  illness  are  given 
us  in  January.  After  the  usual  bulletin,  dated  January  5th, 
The  Gentleman's  Magazine  gives  us  as  follows  : — '  The  public 
bulletins  which  have  been  issued  for  some  months  past,  have 
all  stated  that  his  Majesty's  disorder  remains  undiminished  ; 
and  we  understand  that  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  medical 
gentlemen  attending  him,  that  nothing  far  short  of  a  miracle 
can  bring  about  a  recovery  from  his  afflicting  malady.  At 
times,  we  are  happy  to  learn,  he  is  tolerably  composed.  The 
number  of  persons  specially  appointed  by  the  doctors  is  reduced 
from  six  to  two,  and  his  principal  pages  are  admitted,  and 
have  been  for  some  time,  to  attend  upon  him,  as  when  he 
enjoyed  good  health. — His  Majesty  dines  at  half-past  one 
o'clock,  and,  in  general,  orders  his  dinner :  he  invariably  has 
roast  beef  upon  the  tables  on  Sundays.  He  dresses  for  dinner, 
wears  his  orders,  &c. 


300  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [181 6 

'  He  occupies  a  suite  of  thirteen  rooms  (at  least  he,  and  his 
attendants)  which  are  situated  on  the  North  side  of  Windsor 
Castle,  under  the  State  rooms.  Five  of  the  thirteen  rooms 
are  wholly  devoted  to  the  personal  use  of  the  King.  Dr.  John 
Willis  sleeps  in  the  sixth  room,  adjoining,  to  be  in  readiness 
to  attend  his  Majesty.  Dr.  John  attends  the  Queen  every 
morning  after  breakfast,  about  half- past  ten  o'clock,  and 
reports  to  her  the  state  of  the  afflicted  monarch  ;  the  Doctor, 
afterwards,  proceeds  to  the  Princesses,  and  other  branches  of 
the  Royal  Family,  who  may  happen  to  be  at  Windsor,  and 
makes  a  similar  report  to  them.  In  general  the  Queen 
returns  with  Dr.  Willis,  through  the  state  rooms,  down  a 
private  staircase,  leading  into  the  King's  suite  of  rooms, 
appropriated  to  this  special  purpose.  Sometimes  she  con- 
verses with  her  Royal  husband.  The  Queen  is  the  only 
person  who  is  admitted  to  this  peculiar  privilege,  except  the 
medical  gentlemen,  and  his  Majesty's  personal  attendants. 
In  case  of  Dr.  John  Willis's  absence,  Dr.  Robert  Willis,  his 
brother,  takes  his  place.  The  other  medical  gentlemen  take 
it  in  rotation  to  be  in  close  attendance  upon  the  King. 

'  The  suite  of  rooms  which  his  Majesty  and  his  attendants 
occupy,  have  the  advantage  of  very  pure  and  excellent  air, 
being  on  the  North  side  of  the  terrace  round  the  Castle  ;  and 
he  used,  occasionally,  to  walk  on  the  terrace  ;  but,  we  under- 
stand, he  now  declines  it,  owing  to  the  bad  state  of  his  eyes, 
not  being  able  to  enjoy  the  view. — The  Lords  and  Grooms  of 
the  King's  Bedchamber,  his  Equerries,  and  other  attendants, 
are  occasionally  in  attendance  at  Windsor  Castle,  the  same  as 
if  the  King  enjoyed  good  health.  Two  King's  messengers  go 
from  the  Secretary  of  State's  Office  daily  to  Windsor,  and 
return  to  London,  as  they  have  been  accustomed  to  do  for  a 
number  of  years  past.  The  messenger  who  arrives  at  noon 
brings  a  daily  account  of  the  King's  health  to  the  Prince 
Regent,  and  the  Members  of  the  Queen's  Council. — His 
Majesty  has  never  been  left  since  his  afflicting  malady,  with- 
out one  of  the  Royal  Family  being  in  the  Castle,  and  a 
member  of  the  Queen's  Council,  appointed  under  the  Regency 
Act.' 

The  monthly  bulletins  for  the  remainder  of  the  year  all  tell 
the  same  story,  that  the  King  enjoyed  good  health,  and  was 
tranquil,  but  that  his  malady  remained  unaltered. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

1817. 

Visit  of  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  of  Russia — Stones  thrown  at  the 
Regent — Issue  of  the  new  Silver  Coinage — Riots  and  arrests  for 
sedition — First  issue  of  Sovereigns — The  Case  of  Abraham 
Thornton  and  appeal  by  battle— The  Queen  at  Bath— Death  of 
the  Princess  Charlotte — Richard  Owen  and  his  scheme — '  The 
Fortunate  Youth ' — '  Caraboo.' 

THE  Chronicle  of  this  year  opens  with  the  record  of  a  luckily 
rare  visitation,  namely,  that  a  slight  shock  of  earthquake  was 
felt  on  January  8th  at  Mansfield,  in  Nottinghamshire.  In 
1 8 1 6  a  shock  had  been  felt  in  several  places  in  Scotland. 

The  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  of  Russia,  afterwards  Czar,  was 
over  here,  and  spent  some  months  in  this  country,  and  those 
of  us  who  remember  the  last  war  we  had  with  Russia,  will 
scarcely  recognize  the  stern  Nicholas  of  the  Crimea,  under 
the  guise  of  the  light-hearted  Grand  Duke,  as  exemplified  in 
the  following  anecdote,  which  occurred  early  in  January  : — 

'  A  LITTLE  FROLIC  OF  THE  GRAND  DUKE  NICHOLAS. — On  his 
Imperial  Highness  leaving  Chester  for  Montgomeryshire,  he 
perceived  one  of  the  outriders  to  be  mounted  on  a  good  horse ; 
being  a  fine  morning,  his  Highness  felt  disposed  to  take  a 
ride,  and  requested  to  change  place  with  the  Courier  ;  it  was 
a  fourteen-mile  stage,  and,  on  descending  a  very  long  and 
steep  hill,  his  Highness  did  not  like  to  crawl  down  so  slow  as 
the  others,  and  told  his  suite  that  he  would  ride  on,  and 
order  some  refreshment  and  horses  for  them.  On  his  High- 
ness arriving  at  the  Inn,  he  desired  the  landlady  to  prepare 
some  beefsteaks  and  mutton  chops  for  the  Grand  Duke  and 
his  suite. 

'The  landlady  observed  that  they  should  immediately  be 


302  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1817 

got  ready,  and,  taking  his  Highness  for  the  Courier,  asked 
him  to  accept  of  something,  which  he  politely  declined, 
observing  that  he  would  wait  until  the  company  arrived. 
She  then  showed  him  the  room  she  had  prepared  for  the 
Grand  Duke,  and  asked  him  if  he  thought  it  would  do  ?  His 
Highness  told  her  that  it  would  do  extremely  well.  The 
carriages  shortly  after  arrived,  and  the  hostess  begged  him  to 
have  the  goodness  to  point  out  to  her  the  Grand  Duke ;  his 
Highness  smiled,  and  said  she  would  be  sure  to  see  him.' 
When  Generals  KutusofF  and  Mansel  alighted  and  saluted 
him,  one  can  picture  the  landlady's  astonishment.  Nicholas 
was  so  pleased  with  the  horse  that  he  bought  it.  He  left 
England  at  the  end  of  March. 

Far  less  popular  was  another  Royal  Highness,  far  nearer 
home.  The  Prince  Regent  went  on  the  28th  of  January  to 
open  the  Session  of  Parliament,  and  was  met  with  a  storm  of 
yells  and  opprobrious  epithets,  but  he  got  safely  to  the  House 
of  Lords,  and  delivered  his  speech  ;  on  his  return,  the  clamour 
and  insults  had  vastly  increased.  It  is  true  that  some  few 
cried,  '  God  save  the  King/  but  the  majority  hissed  and 
hooted  at,  and  called  his  Royal  Highness  naughty  names;  the 
climax  was  reached  when  the  Regent's  carriage  was  about  the 
middle  of  the  Mall.  Some  evilly  disposed  person  threw  a 
stone,  or  stones,  at  the  Royal  equipage,  and  made  a  hole  in 
one  of  the  windows.  This  hole  remains  a  mystery,  for  the 
window  on  the  opposite  side  was  not  broken,  and  no  stone, 
nor  other  missile,  was  found  in  the  carriage. 

Lord  James  Murray,  who  was  Lord  of  the  Bed-chamber  to 
the  Regent,  was  in  the  carriage  with  him,  and  was  examined 
shortly  afterwards  at  the  bar  of  the  House  of  Commons,  and 
he  was  of  opinion  that  the  hole  in  the  window  was  made  by 
two  small  bullets,  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  apart — but  this 
must  have  been  pure  conjecture  on  his  lordship's  part.  He 
went  on  to  say  that  '  about  a  minute  after  the  glass  was  broken, 
as  I  have  described,  a  large  stone  was  thrown  against  the 
glass  of  the  carriage,  which  broke  it,  and  three  or  four  other 
small  stones  were  thrown,  which  struck  the  glass,  and  the 
other  part  of  the  carriage/  And  this  is  all  that  was  found  out 
about  it. 

The  Lords  and  Commons  united  in  an  Address  conveying 
their  Abhorrence  of  this  attack  upon  his  Royal  Highness — 
the  Guards  at  the  Palaces,  the  Parks,  the  Bank,  and  elsewhere 
were  doubled ;  the  Lord  Mayor  was  informed  of  the  awful 


1817]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  303 

occurrence,  and  requested,  if  he  thought  necessary,  to  call  in 
the  aid  of  the  Military  power,  and  despatches  were  sent  by 
the  Mail  Coaches  to  every  part  of  the  kingdom,  to  put  the 
Magistrates  in  every  place  on  their  guard.  But  there  was  no 
occasion  for  all  this  fuss  :  the  event  did  not  produce  a  ferment 
in  the  public  mind,  and  we  learn  in  next  morning's  paper, 
'  that  by  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  streets  were  per- 
fectly clear  of  all  mob,  and  no  disposition  to  riot  appeared  in 
any  part  of  the  town. ' 

A  man  named  James  Scott  was  the  only  one  arrested, 
although  <£l,000  reward  was  offered  for  the  Criminals,  and  as 
somebody  was  wanted  to  be  hanged,  they  accused  him  of  high 
treason  in  throwing  stones  at  the  Vicegerent  of  the  Lord's 
Anointed.  But,  although  they  tried  very  hard  for  a  conviction, 
it  only  wanted  three  examinations  by  a  Magistrate  to  acquit 
the  man  of  the  charge  of  treason,  but  he  was  committed  for 
a  misdemeanour  in  aiding  and  abetting  of  the  Riot.  He  was 
admitted  to  bail  in  two  Sureties  of  £100  each,  and  himself  in 
X200.  Reading  the  evidence,  I  can  see  nothing  to  incriminate 
him,  and  as  I  can  find  nothing  about  his  conviction,  or  acquittal, 
from  any  source,  I  presume  he  was  never  called  upon  to 
appear.  Peter  Pindar  satirised  this  event  in  '  R — LTY  BESET.' 

On  the  18th  of  January,  a  proclamation  was  issued  'from 
our  Court  at  Brighton,'  announcing  the  issue  of  a  new  Silver 
Coinage,  which  might  be  changed  for  old,  at  the  Mint, 
between  the  3rd  and  17th  of  February  :  and  another  pro- 
clamation of  the  1 2th  of  February,  '  from  our  Court  at  Carlton 
House,'  gave  the  date  of  the  13th  of  February  as  that  of 
general  issue,  after  which  they  were  to  be  taken  as  lawful 
money.  On  this  date  was  published  a  Satirical  print,  called 
1  The  New  Coinage  ;  or,  John  Bull's  visit  to  MAT  of  the 
MINT  ! !  '*  in  which  Wellesley  Pole,  '  Master  and  Worker  of 
his  Majesty's  Mint,'  is  shovelling  money  into  a  sack,  saying 
'  There,  Johnny  !  see  how  I  have  been  working  for  you  for 
months  past ;  you  can't  say  I  get  my  money  for  nothing/ 
John  Bull  replies,  'You  be  a  very  industrious  man,  Master 
Mat,  and  the  prettiest  Colc\  merchant  I  have  dealt  with  for 
many  a  day.'  The  room,  and  the  street,  seen  through  an 
open  door,  are  crowded  with  men,  women,  and  children, 

*  Mat  o'  the  Mint  was  a  character  in  Gay's  '  Beggar's  Opera.' 
t  Cole  or  Coal  is  thieves'  slang  for  money,  and  many  people  carry 
a  piece  of  Coal  in  their  pocket,  under  the  belief  that  so  long  as 
they  have  Cole  in  their  pocket  they  will  never  want  for  money. 


304- 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


[1817 


anxious  to  get  the  new  silver.  That  advantage  was  taken  of 
promptly  changing  old  worn  silver  for  bright  new  coin,  is 
shown  that  by  the  19th  the  large  Hall  of  the  Bank,  which 


was  given  up  to  its  issue,  was  nearly  empty,  and  the  old 
coinage  had  disappeared  from  circulation.  They  were  counter- 
feited immediately,  which  was  a  natural  sequence,  and  there 
were  squabbles  about  their  artistic  merits,  which  was  also 


1817]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  305 

natural.  Regarding  the  latter,  as  there  are  plenty  of  this 
issue  now  in  circulation,  my  readers  can  judge  for  themselves. 
There  was  the  usual  epigram  upon  it. 

1  THE  NEW  COIN. 

It  is  allow'd,  throughout  the  town, 
The  head  upon  the  new  Half-Crown, 
Is  not  the  GEORGE  we  so  much  prize — 
The  Chin's  not  like— the  Nose— the  Eyes. 
This  may  be  true — yet,  on  the  whole, 
The  fault  lies  chiefly  in  the  Pole  ./» 

Reform  was  being  violently  agitated  all  over  the  country, 
and,  without  wishing  to  give  this  book  any  political  character, 
yet  as  a  phase  of  social  life  it  must  be  mentioned.  There 
were  riots  late  in  February  in  Somersetshire,  among  the 
Colliers,  who  struck  against  a  deduction  of  10  per  cent,  in 
their  wages.  They  did  not  do  much  damage,  but  a  dangerous 
spirit  was  abroad,  and  the  cry  of  '  Bread  or  Blood  ;  Hunt  for 
ever  !'  was  ominous  of  mischief.  They  were  soon  put  down 
by  a  troop  of  the  22nd  Lancers,  from  Bristol,  and  the  North 
Somerset  Yeomanry,  without  bloodshed. 

On  the  28th  of  February,  the  operation  of  the  Act  of 
Habeas  Corpus  was  suspended,  and  was  not  resumed  until  the 
31st  of  January,  1818. 

Of  the  Spa  Fields  rioters,  two  others  beside  Cashman, 
whose  execution  has  already  been  recorded,  were  hanged — 
and  the  others  in  custody  respited  during  pleasure  :  but  no 
severity  could  quell  the  unhappy  feeling  all  over  England. 
The  people  were  restless  and  suffering,  and  were  determined 
to  make  themselves  heard:  as,  for  instance,  on  the  10th  of 
March,  a  meeting  took  place  at  Manchester  for  the  avowed 
purpose  of  petitioning  the  Prince  Regent  for  a  redress  of 
grievances,  and  a  Reform  in  Parliament.  It  was  recommended 
for  the  Reformers  to  proceed  in  a  large  body  to  London, 
which  was  attempted  to  be  carried  into  effect  by  some 
hundreds,  who  had  provided  themselves  with  blankets  and 
bundles  ;  but,  by  the  activity  of  the  Magistrates,  aided  by  the 
military,  their  purpose  was  defeated,  and  several  of  the 
leaders  were  committed  to  prison. 

On  the  18th  of  March  numerous  arrests  took  place  at 
Manchester,  of  persons  charged  with  seditious  practices ;  and 
on  the  25th  of  March  the  Bill  to  prevent  seditious  meetings 
passed  the  House  of  Commons  by  a  large  majority.  High 

20 


306  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1817 

treason  had  become  so  familiar  that  new  regulations  had  to 
be  adopted  in  the  Tower,  as  to  prisoners  contained  there. 
'  Each  prisoner  is  kept  in  a  separate  apartment,  and  night 
and  day,  two  yeomen,  or  warders,  continue  in  the  room,  the 
door  of  which  is  locked,  and  on  the  outside  a  sentinel  is 
placed  to  prevent  the  approach  of  any  one,  except  those  in 
the  Governor's  establishment.  Their  beds  and  board  are 
provided  by  the  Government.  No  person  is  allowed  to  see 
the  prisoners,  unless  a  special  order  is  sent  to  the  Lieutenant- 
Governor  by  the  Clerk  of  the  Council,  and  then  they  are 
restricted  from  holding  any  communication  except  in  the 
presence  and  hearing  of  some  persons  appointed  by  the 
lieutenant,  or  his  deputy.' 

Let  us  pass  to  something  pleasanter.  The  Custom  House 
was  opened  for  business  on  the  12th  of  May  without 
ceremony,  and  as  one  newspaper  says :  '  This  structure  is,  in 
fact,  perfect  in  everything,  as  its  inmates  confess,  and  wants 
nothing  but  business.'  But  the  building  was  not  finished  until 
the  2nd  of  August. 

The  only  Social  News  between  this  date  and  July  is  the 
account  of  more  riots  at  Nottingham  and  Leeds — together 
with  State  trials — which  we  will  skip. 

On  the  1st  of  July  was  issued  the  new  gold  Coin  'the 
Sovereign/  and  from  that  date  the  old  Guinea  was  doomed, 
and  only  now  survives  in  professional  fees,  and  wherever  any 
one  can  stick  on  an  extra  shilling  to  a  Sovereign.  They  were 
taken  very  kindly  to,  only  some  exception  was  taken  to  the 
name,  many  thinking  they  ought  to  have  been  called  a 
'  George.'  The  half-sovereigns  soon  got  a  nickname,  that  of 
'  Regents.'  This  is  what  a  wicked  wag  thought  of  the  '  New 
Sovereign ': 

*  The  Horse  on  the  Coin  is  more  fit  for  a  Waggon, 
Thau  meet  for  St.  George  to  encounter  the  Dragon  ! 
And,  as  for  the  Effigy,  meant  for  the  Saint, 
He  appears  like  a  Sans  Calotte,  ready  to  faint  ; 
With  his  head  hanging  down  o'er  a  lean  hungry  paunch, 
He  has  struck,  with  his  spear,  his  poor  horse,  on  the  haunch  ; 
While  the  Dragon  in  pity,  looks  at  the  incision, 
And  cocks  up  his  nose,  at  St.  George  in  derision  !  !  !' 

One  of  the  most  famous  Criminal  Cases  of  modern  times 
occurred  this  year — singular  for  the  fact  that  it  revived  the 
old  Ordeal,  '  Appeal  by  battle,'  which  had  been  in  abeyance 


1817]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  307 

since  1771,  and  which  no  one  ever  dreamed  would  be  revived. 
One  Abraham  Thornton  had  been  accused  of  murdering  Mary 
Ashford  by  drowning  her  on  the  27th  of  May.  He  was  tried, 
and  acquitted,  but  was  subsequently  arrested  in  October  on 
an  appeal.  This  was  heard  in  the  King's  Bench  on  the  17th 
of  November,  and  both  Appellant  and  Appellee  answered  to 
their  names.  The  first,  William  Ashford,  brother  of  the 
deceased,  is  described  as  being  a  slight  made  lad,  about 
seventeen  years  of  age,  and  short  in  stature.  Thornton  stood 
about  five  feet  four  inches  high,  very  stout  and  robust. 

After  the  preliminary  formalities  were  over,  Mr.  Leblanc, 
clerk  to  the  Crown,  read  over  the  record  against  him,  and 
asked  him  whether  he  was  guilty  or  not.  '  His  Counsel, 
Mr.  Reader,  then  put  a  piece  of  paper  in  his  hand  from  which 
the  prisoner  read  : 

t  ft  ]SJOT  GUILTY  ;  AND  I  AM  READY  TO  DEFEND  THE  SAME  WITH 
MY  BODY." 

'  Mr.  Reader  had  likewise  handed  a  pair  of  large  gauntlets, 
or  gloves,  to  the  prisoner,  one  of  which  he  put  on,  and  the 
other,  in  pursuance  of  the  old  form,  he  threw  down  for  the 
appellant  to  take  up.  It  was  not  taken  up,  and 

'  Mr.  Reader  moved  that  it  should  be  kept  in  the  custody 
of  the  officer  of  the  Court. 

1  Mr.  Leblanc :  Your  plea  is  that  you  are  not  Guilty,  and 
that  you  are  ready  to  defend  the  said  plea  with  your  body  ? 

'  The  Prisoner  :  It  is. 

'  Lord  Ellenborough  :  Is  the  Appellant  in  Court  ? 

'  Mr.  Clarke  (his  Counsel) :  He  is,  my  Lord/ 

He  appeared,  but  said  nothing,  and  then  Mr.  Clarke 
addressed  the  Court  with  a  counter  plea  for  the  Appellant. 
In  the  course  of  his  speech,  he  said,  '  It  would  appear  to  me 
extraordinary  indeed,  if  the  person  who  murdered  the  sister, 
should,  as  the  law  exists  in  these  enlightened  times,  be  allowed 
to  prove  his  innocence  by  murdering  the  brother  also,  or  at 
least,  by  an  attempt  to  do  so. 

'  Lord  Ellenborough  :  It  is  the  law  of  England,  Mr.  Clarke. 
We  must  not  call  it  murder.' 

Mr.  Clarke  then  went  on  arguing  that,  surely  the  appeal 
must  be  discretionary  with  the  Court,  and  urged  the  inferiority 
of  his  client's  physique. 

The  Case  was  adjourned  until  the  22nd  of  November,  when 
the  Appellant  pleaded  that  Thornton  ought  not  to  be  admitted 
to  wage  battle  with  him,  because  both  before  and  after  the 

20—2 


308  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1817 

appeal  there  had  been,  and  still  were,  proofs  that  he  had 
murdered  the  Appellant's  sister.  Case  adjourned. 

On  the  l6th  of  April,  1818,  Abraham  Thornton  was  dis- 
charged, without  bail,  the  appellant  declining  the  Challenge 
to  combat,  according  to  ancient  usage.  But  such  a  scandal 
could  not  long  continue,  and  the  law  was  repealed  in  1819 
(59  George  III.  cap.  46). 

What  became  of  him,  I  know  not,  but  I  find  mention  ot 
him  in  The  Morning  Chronicle  of  the  26th  of  October,  1818. 
The  Liverpool  Courier  says  :  '  We  stated  a  few  weeks  ago,  that 
the  celebrated  Abraham  Thornton  had  arrived  in  this  town 
for  the  purpose  of  emigrating  to  the  United  States.  He  has 
experienced  more  difficulty  than  he  anticipated  in  getting  a 
passage  thither.  It  appears  that  he  had  engaged  one  in  the 
Independence,  but,  when  the  other  passengers  became  ac- 
quainted with  his  name  and  character,  they  unanimously 
refused  to  go  in  the  same  vessel  with  him ;  and  a  new  Muster 
roll  was,  in  consequence,  made  out,  in  which  his  name  was 
omitted. ' 

The  Chinese  Embassy  sent  out  under  Lord  Amherst  had 
returned,  having  failed  in  its  object,  his  lordship  refusing  to 
kotoo  to  the  Emperor:  his  ship,  the  Alceste,  being  fired  into 
by  the  Chinese. 

The  health  of  that  tough  old  lady,  Queen  Charlotte,  was 
beginning  to  fail,  and  her  physicians  recommended  her  to  go 
to  Bath,  for  the  waters,  and,  in  November,  she  thither  repaired, 
accompanied  by  the  Duke  of  Clarence. 

The  illustration  gives  an  extremely  graphic  idea  of  the 
effects  of  the  Water  upon  the  afflicted  Queen.  It  is  called 
'  A  PEEP  into  the  PUMP  ROOM  ;  or,  the  Zomersetshire  folk  in  a 
Maze.' 

The  following  anecdote  of  her  sojourn  is  dated  '  Bath, 
November  28th. — The  Queen  wishing  to  ride  through  Prior 
Park,  the  property  of  John  Thomas,  a  very  rich  Quaker,  a 
footman  was  sent  forward  to  the  house  to  ask  leave  for  the 
gates  to  be  opened.  Mr.  Thomas  received  the  Queen  very 
respectfully  at  the  park  gate,  and  addressed  her  as  follows : 
'  Charlotte,  I  hope  thee  is  very  well :  I  am  glad  to  see  thee  in 
my  park  ;  thou  art  very  welcome  at  any  time,  and  I  shall  feel 
proud  in  opening  my  gates  for  thy  pleasure.  I  hope  thou 
receives  benefit  from  the  Bath  waters.  I  wish  thee  well/ 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  November,  died  the 
Princess  Charlotte.  On  the  day  before  she  had  been  delivered 


1817] 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


309 


of  a  stillborn  child,  and  was  reported  to  be  going  on  well,  but 
within   twelve   hours   she  was   a   corpse.     There  really  was 


1==£VN=-- 


sorrow  when  she  died.     Her  husband  was  inconsolable,  and 
her  father,   bereft  of  his   only,   though  somewhat  wayward 


310  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1817 

child,  stayed  at  home  and  was  ill.  She  was  buried,  with  all 
pomp,  at  Windsor,  on  the  19th  of  November.  There  was  no 
Lord  Mayor's  Show  this  year. 

Before  the  end  of  the  year  there  were  more  riots  at  Brighton 
and  Worcester,  and  a  Commission  sat  at  Derby,  upon  thirty- 
five  persons  charged  with  high  treason.  Three  of  them, 
Brandreth,  Ludlam,  and  Turner,  were  found  guilty,  and  after- 
wards hanged  and  beheaded.  The  others,  on  withdrawing 
their  plea  of  not  guilty,  were  dealt  with  mercifully. 

The  Chronicle  of  this  year  must  not  be  closed  without 
mention  of  Robert  Owen,  a  Cotton  Spinner  at  Lanark,  who 
was  a  Social  Reformer  of  somewhat  peculiar  views.  He  had 
a  Plan  for  the  better  support  and  government  of  the  poor,  the 
outlines  of  which  are  as  follows  : — He  proposed  to  make  the 
poor  National,  and  to  raise  funds  by  mortgaging  the  poor's 
rate  to  the  amount  of  five  or  six  years  of  its  annual  value. 
The  money  so  raised,  in  sums  as  required,  he  would  have 
applied  in  purchase  of  land,  in  portions  of  different  magni- 
tudes, and  erect  establishments  thereon  for  the  accommodation 
of  from  five  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  people.  Of  these 
buildings  he  furnished  a  plan,  on  a  scale  for  twelve  hundred 
persons — men,  women,  and  children.  The  buildings  were  to 
be  surrounded  by  a  regulated  quantity  of  land  for  spade 
cultivation — say  an  acre  for  each  person,  including  the  site  of 
erection — and  they  were  designed  for  a  pauper  community, 
which  was  to  supply  everything  for  itself;  and  to  be  super- 
intended on  the  principle  of  combining  moral  culture,  and 
reformation,  with  industry  and  frugality. 

The  occupants  were  both  to  farm  and  manufacture,  and, 
consequently,  to  employ  the  faculties  of  each  description  of 
poor.  Besides  comfortable  lodging  rooms,  the  buildings  were 
intended  to  contain  a  public  kitchen,  mess  rooms,  and  all 
requisite  accommodation  attached  to  comfortable  cookery  and 
eating  ;  a  chapel,  infant  schools,  schools  for  adults,  grounds 
for  exercise  and  recreation,  planted  and  beautified  with  trees. 
The  lodgings  for  the  married  poor,  each  to  be  sufficient  to 
accommodate  two  children  with  their  father  and  mother : 
dormitories  for  children  above  three  years  of  age  ;  manu- 
factories and  gardens  ;  a  complete  farming  establishment ; 
malting,  and  brewing-houses,  corn-mill,  dairy,  and,  in  short, 
all  the  constituents  for  self-support.  To  the  men  were 
assigned  the  labours  of  agriculture,  and  the  heaviest  part  of 
the  manufactures.  To  the  women  the  care  of  their  children 


ROBERT  OWEN,   AUGUST  21,    l8i;. 


312  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1817 

and  houses,  the  cultivation  of  vegetables,  the  making  of 
clothes,  and  an  attendance,  in  rotation,  on  the  kitchen,  mess- 
room,  and  dormitories.  The  children  were  to  be  trained  in 
the  lighter  occupations  until  fit  for  manly  or  womanly  employ- 
ment, &c.  The  expense  of  such  an  establishment  for  twelve 
hundred  people,  Owen  estimated  at  .£96,000 

In  the  latter  part  of  this  year,  a  great  deal  was  heard  of 
*  The  Fortunate  Youth/  The  story  told  about  whom  was, 
that  a  young  gentleman  met  with  a  very  rich  old  one,  who 
took  a  violent  fancy  to  the  youth,  used  often  to  have  him  at 
his  house,  without  the  knowledge  of  his  parents,  and  finally, 
dying,  left  '  The  Fortunate  Youth '  an  immense  fortune. 
This  lad  succeeded  in  humbugging  people  to  an  unlimited 
extent,  and  in  obtaining  money  from  them,  until,  in  a  News- 
paper of  the  6th  of  December,  appeared  :  '  Soi  -  DISANT 
FORTUNATE  YOUTH. — We  lament  to  wound  the  feelings  of 
the  friends  of  this  young  man,  but  we  are  bound  by  a  painful 
duty  to  caution  the  public  against  an  impostor,  whose  detected 
falsehoods,  and  disingenuous  acts,  authorize  the  assertion  that 
there  is  not  one  word  of  truth  in  his  whole  story.' 

This  was  pretty  plain  speaking,  and  brought  forth  a  dis- 
claimer from  '  The  Solicitor  and  Confidential  Friend  of  "  The 
Fortunate  Youth  "  and  his  family,'  in  which  he  says,  '  I  will 
venture  to  assert  that  this  Youth  has  never  defrauded,  nor 
attempted  to  defraud,  any  one  ;  and  that  if  any  person  has 
any  just  pecuniary  claim  upon  him,  the  liquidation  of  it  will 
be  immediately  provided  for,  on  such  claim  being  made 
known  to  me/  Once  again  he  wrote  defending  his  client ; 
but  alack,  and  well-a-day,  a  little  time  afterwards,  in  a  letter 
to  the  same  Newspaper,  he  writes  (giving  his  own  name, 
Weatherby)  :  '  I  feel  it  now  a  duty  I  owe  to  the  public  to 
declare,  that  circumstances  have  since  occurred,  which  induce 
me  to  think  that  I  have  been  grossly  deceived  in  my  opinion 
of  him,  and  that  his  pretensions  to  a  large  property  are  with- 
out foundation/ 

The  editor  then  gives  the  impostor's  real  story. 

'  This  young  man's  name  is  ABRAHAM  W.  CAWSTON.  His 
father  is  a  farmer  at  Chippenham,  near  Newmarket.  The 
early  promise  of  shining  talents  induced  his  father  to  send 
him  to  school,  under  the  tuition  of  the  eminent  Dr.  Butler,  of 
Shrewsbury,  and  there  his  attainments  and  abilities  gained 
him  universal  admiration.  He  was  not  seventeen  years  of  age 
when  he  paid  his  addresses  to  a  young  lady  of  fortune  in  that 


1817]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  3J3 

place,  and  from  that  time  the  strange  artifice  or  imagination 
of  this  enormous  fortune  that  had  dropped  to  him,  as  it  were, 
from  the  clouds,  had  birth.  He  first  opened  his  wonderful 
secret  to  his  father  ;  and  the  story  which  he  told  was,  that  an 
aged  gentleman  had,  at  one  of  his  journeys  from  home  to 
school,  fallen  in  with  him  in  a  stage  coach  going  to  Birming- 
ham, and  that  he  afterwards  made  him  a  deed  of  gift  of  his 
whole  fortune  !  It  did  not,  in  the  first  disclosure,  swell  to 
the  magnitude  which  it  afterwards  attained ;  but  the  first 
feeling  that  he  manifested  was  to  settle  a  part  of  his  wealth 
on  his  parents  and  brother.  For  this  purpose  he  was  intro- 
duced to  Mr.  Weatherby,  to  whom  he  gave  instructions  to 
make  a  will  ;  and,  as  his  fortune  was  stated  to  be  all  personal, 
Mr.  Weatherby  saw  no  objection  to  the  deed.  His  distribu- 
tion of  wealth,  though  uncommon,  did  not  strike  Mr.  Weatherby 
as  improbable,  so  clear  and  consistent  were  the  boy's  state- 
ments in  their  different  interviews,  and  so  filial,  and  brotherly, 
were  the  bequests. 

'  From  this  time,  nothing  could  equal  the  romance  of  his 
story,  the  unblushing  effrontery  with  which  he  maintained  it, 
and  the  ingenious  stratagems  he  devised  to  keep  up  the 
delusion.  It  would  fill  a  volume  to  recount  the  history  of  the 
youth  for  the  last  two  months  ;  and  we  are  possessed  of  so 
many  curious  anecdotes,  that  we  shall  entertain  our  readers 
with  the  relation  of  a  few  of  them,  since  the  affair  has  afforded 
a  striking  example  of  the  courtesy  which  is  shown  to  appear- 
ance, and  the  eagerness  with  which  a  meteor  is  contemplated 
in  the  hemisphere  of  rank  and  fashion.  That  tradesmen  ot 
all  descriptions  should  crowd  round  his  doors  for  the  ad- 
vantage of  his  orders,  was  natural ;  but  that  Bankers  should 
contend  for  his  account — Duchesses  for  the  honour  of  his 
acquaintance — and  Ministers  for  his  Parliamentary  support — 
prove  how  much  all  conditions  of  Society  are  on  the  alert  for 
gold  and  power. 

'  He  prevailed  on  his  father  to  enter  his  elder  brother,  who 
is  twenty- four  years  of  age,  and  had  been  brought  up  in 
the  line  of  farming,  as  a  fellow  commoner  of  Emanuel  College, 
Cambridge. 

'  He  instructed  one  solicitor  to  enter  into  a  negociation  for 
the  purchase  of  several  estates,  and  surveys  had  actually  been 
made. 

'  He  applied  to  Government  for  a  grant  to  take  the  name 
and  bear  the  arms  of  Devereux,  and  the  Heralds'  College  had 


314>  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1817 

begun  to  take  steps  to  exemplify  the  arms,  and  waited  only 
for  information  as  to  which  branch  of  the  house  of  Devereux 
his  benefactor  belonged. 

'  He  instructed  another  Solicitor  to  insert  an  advertisement 
in  the  public  papers,  calling  on  the  Creditors,  if  any,  of  Don 
Caspar  de  Quintilla,  deceased,  to  bring  vouchers  of  their 
demands,  in  order  that  they  might  be  immediately  liquidated. 
(Meaning  to  couple  him  with  Don  Joachim  de  Quintilla,  a  rich 
Portuguese  diamond  Merchant.) 

'  He  stated  that  it  was  his  determination  to  purchase  ten 
Boroughs,  that  he  might  have  twenty  Members  of  Parliament 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  to  procure  him  an  Earldom. 

'  He  said  that  his  half-year's  dividend,  due  on  the  5th  of 
January  next,  was  £92,000,  and  that  he  held  annuities  from 
several  of  the  crowned  heads  of  Europe  to  the  amount  of 
millions. 

'  He  was  in  the  habit  of  suffering  drafts  on  bankers  for 
thousands,  nay,  at  times  for  tens,  and  hundreds  of  thousands, 
to  drop  from  his  pocket-book,  as  if  by  accident,  that  they 
might  be  seen ;  and  he  talked  of  loans  to  persons  of  the 
highest  distinction,  on  whose  estate  he  had  mortgages. 

'  When  strongly  pressed  for  an  explanation  as  to  the  Deed 
of  Gift  by  which  the  Legacy  Tax  had  been  evaded,  he  said 
that  it  was  a  secret  which  he  was  bound  to  conceal  for  a  time, 
but  it  was  in  an  iron  chest,  buried  in  the  garden  of  his 
benefactor. 

'So  entire  was  the  conviction  of  his  friends,  as  to  the 
certainty,  and  extent,  of  his  wealth,  that  a  consultation  was 
held  with  two  eminent  Lawyers,  to  devise  the  means  of 
making  him  a  Ward  of  Chancery  ;  and,  as  his  wealth  was  all 
his  own,  and,  consequently,  there  was  no  ground  for  the  inter- 
ference of  the  Lord  Chancellor,  it  was  settled  that  he  should 
present  £30,000  to  his  father,  and  file  a  friendly  bill,  upon 
which  application  might  be  made  to  constitute  him  a  ward/ 

This  is  only  a  slight  portion  of  the  revelations  made  re- 
specting him  ;  but,  although  highly  amusing,  the  relation  of 
them  would  occupy  too  much  space.  I  have  not  taken  the 
trouble  to  try  and  find  out  what  became  of  him. 

It  is  curious  that  this  should  have  been  the  year  of  two 
notorious  and  historical  impostors.  One  we  have  just  heard 
of:  the  other  was  a  liussey  named  Wilcox  or  Baker — who 
tried  to  ape  the  role  of  George  Psalmanazar.  Her  story  is  on 
this  wise.  On  the  evening  of  3rd  April,  1817,  the  guardian 


1817]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  315 

of  the  poor  brought  a  female,  aged  about  twenty-five,  clothed 
in  ordinary  costume,  although  it  was  somewhat  fantastically 
put  on,  to  Mrs.  Worrall,  of  Knole  Park,  for  advice.  She  had 
been  found  in  the  neighbouring  village  of  Almondsbury 
(Gloucestershire),  and  had  gone  into  a  cottage,  making  signs 
that  she  wished  to  rest  and  sleep  there  :  but  as  there  was 
something  uncanny  about  her,  and  she  spoke  no  language 
they  understood,  she  was  taken  to  the  Great  House.  Mrs. 
Worrall  very  kindly  sent  a  maid  with  her  to  the  village  inn, 
where  she  slept  that  night.  Next  day  she  was  interviewed, 
but  all  that  could  be  got  out  of  her  was  some  gibberish  no  one 
could  understand,  and  she  kept  pointing  to  herself,  saying 
'  Caraboo,'  by  which  it  was  inferred  that  such  was  her  name. 
She  was  taken  to  Bristol  and  examined  :  many  persons  versed 
in  Eastern  languages  trying  to  converse  with  her,  but  failing 
— her  language  being  utterly  unknown  to  them. 

Mrs.  Worrall  then  took  her  to  her  house  at  Knole,  and 
afterwards,  a  Portuguese  Malay  appeared  on  the  scene,  un- 
doubtedly a  confederate,  who  could  talk  to  her,  and  then  it 
came  out  that  she  was  a  Malayan  princess,  of  Chinese  origin, 
and  that  she  came  from  Javasu  (wherever  that  may  be).  One 
day  she  was  walking  in  her  garden  attended  by  her  women, 
when  the  crew  of  a  pirate  prahu  landed,  scaled  the  walls, 
gagged  her,  bound  her  ancl  carried  her  off!  (Red  Jtre. 
Curtain  falls). — Act  II.  She  is  now  discovered  in  a  state  of 
slavery — having  been  sold  by  the  pirates  to  the  captain  of  a 
brig,  from  which  ship  she  was  transferred  to  another,  where 
she  found  company  in  the  society  of  a  few  more  female 
captives,  who,  after  five  weeks'  cruise,  were  landed  at  another 
port.  Caraboo,  however,  continues  sailing  the  wild  ocean  for 
nearly  three  months,  till,  nearing  land,  and  preferring  death 
to  slavery,  she  jumps  overboard  !  (Soft  music.  Curtain  falls.) 
— Act  III.  A  merciful  Providence  watches  over  her,  and  she 
swims  ashore,  borne  to  a  land  to  which  she  is  an  utter  stranger, 
wanders  about  for  six  weeks,  and  at  last  finds  herself  in  this 
village  of  Almondsbury,  clad  like  a  respectable  working 
woman,  in  stuff  dress,  bonnet,  woollen  socks,  leather  boots,  a 
piece  of  soap,  and  other  necessaries  in  a  bundle,  and  a  few 
halfpence  and  a  bad  sixpence  in  her  pocket.  Kind  people 
befriended  her,  she  composed  a  new  language,  and  wrote  some 
of  it.  Suspicion  is  aroused,  other  kind  people  take  an  interest 
in  her,  who  trace  different  antecedents  for  her ;  she  is  con- 
fronted with  the  friends  of  her  youth,  and  (counterpart  of 


316  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1817 

Rider  Haggard's  '  She ')  the  Princess  Caraboo  ot  Javasu 
crumbles  into  Mary  Baker,  or  Wilcox,  of  Witheridge,  in  the 
county  of  Devon  !  !  !  (Tableau.  Curtain  falls,  hisses  and 
catcalls.) 

She  afterwards  went,  still  in  1817,  to  America,  but  a  New 
York  paper  noticing  her  arrival  at  Philadelphia,  remarked, 
'  That  her  personal  charms  will  have  their  due  weight  here, 
we  should  be  sorry  in  this  age  of  gallantry,  to  doubt ;  but  as 
to  any  prospect  of  success  which  the  fair  adventuress  may 
promise  herself  in  the  way  of  hoaxing,  she  will  shortly  dis- 
cover, from  the  number  of  our  banking  institutions,  our  stones  in 
cotton,  and  wooden  nutmegs,  that  we  are  already  adepts  in  her 
profession.' 

In  the  year  1824-  she  returned  from  America,  and  took 
apartments  in  New  Bond  Street,  where  she  publicly  showed 
herself  at  a  shilling  a  head.  She  finally  settled  down  at 
Bristol,  where  she  sold  leeches,  and  died  at  the  close  of  1864. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

1818. 

Distress  among  discharged  Seamen — Finding  the  Scotch  Regalia — 
Strathfieldsaye  bought  for  the  Duke  of  Wellington— The  Kyrle 
Society  —  Royal  Marriages  —  Annoying  the  Queen  —  Riotous 
school-boys — The  Regent  mobbed — Death  of  Queen  Charlotte. 

THIS  year  did  not  open  as  one  of  national  prosperity.  There 
was  one  subject  that  especially  appealed  to  the  country's 
benevolence.  Of  course,  when  the  long,  long  war  was  over, 
the  Navy  was  reduced  to  a  peace  footing,  and  thousands  of 
men-of-war's  men  were  paid  off;  and  those  who  were  obtained 
with  such  difficulty,  who,  in  spite  of  being  pressed,  and  forcibly 
taken  from  all  that  was  dear  to  them,  bullied  by  their  officers, 
flogged  nearly  to  death  for  comparative  trifles,  yet  fought  like 
lions,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  England's  present  prosperity, 
were  cast  adrift  to  shift  for  themselves  as  best  they  might. 
They  were  wanted  no  longer.  Had  trade  been  good,  nothing 
more  would  have  been  heard  of  it,  they  would  have  been 
absorbed  into  the  merchant  navy,  and  the  Government  would 
have  had  all  the  credit  of  retrenchment,  and  dutifully  ad- 
ministering the  funds  of  the  Nation. 

As  it  was,  people  could  see  for  themselves,  the  streets 
teeming  with  old  sailors,  unable  to  obtain  employment,  and 
walking  about  almost  in  a  state  of  nudity,  and  with  empty 
stomachs.  I  am  not  exaggerating.  I  go  upon  contemporary 
authority.  But,  I  need  scarcely  say,  that  Englishmen  then, 
as  they  ever  do  now,  as  soon  as  the  distress  was  manifest  to 
them,  met  together  and  tried  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of 
their  fellow  countrymen.  On  the  5th  of  January,  a  meeting 
of  gentlemen  was  convened  at  the  London  Tavern,  and  Win. 
Wilberforce,  Esq.,  M.P.,  was  elected  chairman,  and  by  the 


318  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1818 

14th  of  January  nearly  ,£7,000  had  been  collected,  besides  a 
quantity  of  clothing,  and  gifts  in  kind.  In  a  Newspaper  of 
January  10th,  we  find  the  following:  '  We  can  confidently 
inform  our  readers  that  the  "  Society  for  the  Aid  of  Destitute 
Seamen,"  are  proceeding  with  much  energy  :  Officers  in  the 
Royal  Navy  are,  with  much  patience,  and  unwearied  assiduity, 
examining  the  various  objects  as  they  present  themselves. 
The  greater  number  are  men-of-war's  men.  Near  two  hundred 
and  fifty  seamen  have  been  housed  in  a  temporary  lodging. 
Yesterday  morning  they  breakfasted  on  wholesome  porridge. 
It  was  a  pleasant  sight,  and,  already,  these  sons  of  distress 
have  an  improved  appearance,  which  is  highly  gratifying. 
Many  have  been  enabled  to  remove  part  of  the  filth  which 
had  accumulated  about  them,  and  their  sense  of  gratitude  is 
continually  expressed  by  the  pleasure  they  evince  in  their 
greater  comforts.  The  Abundance  store-ship  is  now  off  the 
Tower,  and  the  utmost  activity  is  engaged  in  victualling,  and 
other  preparations  ;  so  that,  when  the  other  ships  shall  be  up, 
which  Government  have  promptly  granted  (and  they  are  daily 
expected),  the  Seamen  may,  it  is  hoped,  be  all  taken  from  the 
Streets,  and  on  board,  by  the  end  of  next  week.  Thus,  the 
humane  purposes  of  the  benefactors  to  these  deserving  men 
are,  with  astonishing  celerity,  carrying  into  effect,  by  those 
who  have  from  morning  till  night,  devoted  their  valuable 
time,  and  their  best  energies  to  relieve  distress,  which  had 
nearly  reached  their  highest  pitch  of  endurance.  The  appli- 
cations were  so  numerous,  yesterday,  that  the  Committee, 
with  much  regret,  have  been  obliged  to  suspend  granting 
temporary  relief  for  a  day  or  two,  to  give  time  for  investiga- 
tion of  the  cases  already  before  them.'  Thanks  to  private 
Charity,  this  scandal  was  ended,  and  we  hear  no  more  of 
distressed  seamen. 

This  year's  Chronicle  is  not  so  full  of  public  interest  as  its 
forerunners,  and  I  am  fain  to  be  content  with  small  things, 
such  as  the  finding  of  the  Scottish  Regalia — which  had  been 
lost  since  the  time  of  Queen  Anne.  It  seems  that  some  years 
before  1818  a  Commission  had  been  issued  to  open  the 
'  Crown  Room '  at  Holy  rood,  and  search  for  certain  records. 
They  found  dust  about  six  inches  deep  lying  evenly  spread 
over  everything,  a  sign  that  nothing  had  been  disturbed  ;  and 
they  searched  in  all  the  places,  for  which  they  had  a  Com- 
mission to  search,  and  did  not  find  what  they  wanted.  There 
was  one  chest  left  unopened,  and  in  January  this  year,  a  Com- 


1818]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  319 

mission  was  appointed  to  open  it,  examine  its  contents,  and 
report  upon  them.  Another  account  points  to  a  different 
room,  in  which  was  only  one  chest — but  this  is  immaterial. 
No  keys  being  forthcoming,  the  Chest  was  forced  on  Wednes- 
day, February  4th  (some  say  5th),  and  it  was  found  to  contain 
the  Crown,  Sceptre,  and  Sword  of  State  of  Scotland,  com- 
pletely answering  to  their  description  in  the  Instrument  of 
Deposition,  March  26,  1707.  With  them  was  also  found  a 
silver  rod  of  office,  of  which  the  peculiar  use  was  not  then 
known.  I  believe  they  are  all  now  religiously  preserved,  and 
guarded,  in  Holyrood  Palace. 

In  February  the  purchase  of  Strathfieldsaye  was  completed, 
being  a  National  gift  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 

In  turning  to  one  of  my  sources  of  information  for  the 
above,  I  find  the  next  paragraph  to  be  :  'A  Society  is  about 
to  be  formed  at  Ross,  under  the  designation  of  the  Kyrlean, 
and  Philanthropic,  the  object  of  which  is  to  celebrate  the 
birthday  of  Mr.  John  Kyrle  (already  immortalized  by  Pope, 
as  the  "  Man  of  Ross"),  and  to  raise  a  fund  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  walks,  and  those  public  buildings  which  he 
erected,  and,  in  imitation  of  that  amiable  philanthropist,  to 
relieve  honest  merit  in  distress.  The  Members  are  to  be 
elected  by  ballot,  but  not  confined  to  distance/ 

I  do  not  know  whether  this  Society  was  started,  or  whether 
it  had  a  long  life,  but  I  do  know  that  there  is  now  a  very 
praiseworthy  '  Kyrle  Society,'  whose  power  of  doing  good 
might  be  largely  increased,  by  their  possessing  a  larger 
income.  Their  object  is  to  bring  beauty  home  to  the  people. 
The  means  employed  are  (1)  The  decoration  of  working  men's 
clubs,  hospitals,  &c.,  by  mural  paintings,  pictures,  &c.  (2)  By 
laying  out,  as  gardens,  or  recreation  grounds,  any  available 
strips  of  waste  land.  (3)  By  a  voluntary  choir  of  singers,  who 
give  oratorios  and  concerts  to  the  poor,  singing  in  hospitals, 
workhouses,  and  carrying  out  a  scheme  for  providing  Choral 
Classes  for  the  people. 

This  year,  there  was  quite  an  epidemic  of  Royal  Marriages. 
The  Princess  Elizabeth  was  married  to  the  Prince  of  Hesse 
Homburg,  the  Duke  of  Clarence  to  the  Princess  of  Saxe 
Meiningen,  the  Duke  of  Cambridge  to  the  Princess  of  Hesse, 
and  the  Duke  of  Kent  to  the  Princess  Victoria  of  Saxe 
Cobourg,  the  mother  of  our  present  Queen,  and  as  '  Sons  and 
Daughters  of  England,'  they  were  all  dutifully  provided  for. 

From  Fetters  Matrimonial  to  those  of  a  baser,  yet  not  more 


320  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1818 

material  kind,  is  an  easy  transition,  and  it  is  pleasing,  to  record, 
as  an  advance  in  humanity,  and  civilization,  that  in  April  of 
this  year,  the  disuse  of  fetters  on  the  prisoners  was  commenced 
at  Clerkenwell  prison,  and  immediately  followed  by  Newgate. 

In  May,  a  woman  was  arrested  for  trying  to  annoy  the 
Queen,  and  she  seems  to  have  had  a  peculiar  penchant  for 
keys.  '  On  the  sentinels  being  placed  on  duty  on  Tuesday 
night,  in  the  Garden  at  the  back  of  the  Queen's  Palace,  the 
key  of  the  garden,  belonging  to  the  watch  house,  could  not 
be  found,  and  it  was  ascertained  she  had  stolen  it.  She  had 
been  at  Carlton  House,  York  House,  most  of  the  Courts  of 
Justice,  and,  in  all  the  places  where  she  gained  admittance, 
she  stole  keys,  or  trifling  articles.  She  had  stolen,  in  the 
whole,  146  keys.' 

Schoolboys,  now  that  grown-up  men  had  ceased  from  riot- 
ing, took  to  it.  First  of  all  the  Winchester  boys  caught  the 
disease,  and  on  May  7th,  on  returning  from  a  ramble  on  the 
hills,  '  they  suddenly  attacked  the  porters,  forced  from  them 
the  keys  of  the  College,  and  locked  out  all  the  Masters. 
Having  thus  obtained  full  possession  of  the  building,  they 
proceeded  to  take  up,  with  pickaxes,  &c.,  the  large  stones 
with  which  the  Court  was  paved,  and  soon  conveyed  upwards 
of  a  cart-load  of  them  to  the  top  of  the  building,  threatening 
any  one  who  approached  the  gates.  In  this  barricaded  state, 
they  kept  possession  all  the  night,  deaf  to  the  remonstrances 
of  their  friends,  and  bidding  defiance  to  their  Masters.  On 
the  following  morning,  after  many  admonitions  were  in  vain 
given  them  to  return  to  their  duty,  it  was  found  necessary  to 
call  out  a  party  of  Military,  some  Constables,  &c.,  who 
procured  crowbars  and  other  instruments  to  force  the  gates. 
Upon  observing  these  preparations,  the  young  gentlemen 
opened  the  gates,  came  out  in  a  body,  and  many  of  them 
went  to  their  respective  homes.  Twelve  ringleaders  were 
expelled ;  and  about  forty  of  the  Gentlemen  Commoners 
have  been  allowed  to  resign.  There  were  only  six  out  of  230 
who  did  not  join  in  the  revolt.' 

Again  we  read,  'Nov.  14. — During  the  last  week,  the  boys 
at  Eton  College  were  in  a  state  of  rebellion,  and  offered  the 
grossest  indignities  to  Dr.  Keate,  the  head  of  the  College. 
By  his  firm  and  judicious  conduct,  however,  aided  by  the  other 
masters,  peace  was  restored  on  Saturday.  Seven  of  the  boys 
have  been  expelled.' 

The  poor  Prince  Regent  could  not  get  popular.     On  the 


1818]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  321 

7th  of  July  his  carriage  broke  down  in  South  Audley  Street, 
on  his  way  to,  or  from,  the  Marquis  of  Hertford's.  A  mob 
instantly  collected,  as  the  carriage  was  known  to  be  the 
Prince's.  The  blinds  were  all  drawn  up  and  he  could  not  be 
seen,  but  they  called  him  naughty  names,  and  said  naughty 
things  about  him,  begging  him,  not  very  politely,  to  show 
himself.  He  endured  this  for  some  time,  but,  afterwards, 
emerged,  and,  making  his  way  through  a  Mews,  he  took  shelter 
in  General  Cradock's  house,  followed,  and  grossly  insulted  by 
the  populace. 

In  October,  this  year,  was  issued  the  Noble  Crown  piece  by 
Pistrucci,  which  completed  the  series  of  the  Silver  Coinage. 
It  is  remarkable,  not  only  for  its  beauty,  but  for  the  fact  that 
it  was  the  only  Crown-piece  coined  during  the  long  reign  of 
George  III.  It  had  on  the  reverse  St.  George  and  the 
Dragon,  surrounded  by  the  Garter,  and  excited  much  con- 
troversy, because  the  Moneyer  had  introduced  his  name  011 
the  coin.  It  was  classed  with  Cardinal  Wolsey's  famous  '  Ego 
et  Rex  meus.' 

On  10th  of  November,  Capt.  Ross  and  Lieut.  Parry  returned 
from  their  voyage  of  discovery  in  the  Northern  Seas,  after  a 
fruitless  attempt  to  pass  through  Behring's  Straits.  They 
brought  home  some  live  Esquimaux  dogs,  sledges,  &c.,  with 
specimens  of  mineralogy,  botany,  &c.,  which  were  deposited 
in  the  British  Museum  for  public  inspection. 

On  17th  of  November,  at  Kew  Palace,  died  her  Majesty 
Queen  Charlotte  ;  she  had  been  ailing  ever  since  the  previous 
year,  when  we  have  seen  her  at  Bath,  latterly  she  got  much 
worse,  but  she  bore  up  well  against  her  fatal  illness.  She 
was  buried,  with  great  pomp,  at  Windsor,  2nd  of  December. 

The  Queen's  Income,  latterly,  was  very  good ;  by  52 
Geo.  III.,  it  was  settled  (independent  of  the  King's  establish- 
ment at  Windsor)  at  £58,000  a  year,  with  an  allowance  of 
£  10,000  a  year  for  travelling  and  other  contingent  expenses. 
She  had  other  pickings  besides,  so  that  we  can  scarcely  under- 
stand her  only  having  left  behind  her  personal  property  valued 
at  £140,000,  of  which  the  greater  part  consisted  of  jewels 
given  her  by  Geo.  III.  and  the  Nawab  of  Arcot.  Those 
given  by  the  King  she  left  to  the  House  of  Hanover  as  an 
heir  loom. 

The  Nawab' s  jewels  were  to  be  sold,  and  the  proceeds 
divided  between  her  four  daughters,  the  Queen  of  Wurtem- 
burg  being  excepted,  as  being  sufficiently  well  provided  for. 

21 


322  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1818 

Her  other  jewels  she  desired  should  be  valued,  and  equally 
distributed  between  the  said  four  daughters.  o:n  rc  ',-..,. 

Her  landed  property  she  gave  away,  and  directed  that  her 
books,  plate,  house  linen,  china,  pictures,  drawings,  prints,  all 
articles  of  ornamental  furniture,  and  all  other  valuables  and 
personals,  should  be  divided  in  equal  shares  among  her  four 
youngest  daughters.  These  are  the  principal  heads  of  her 
will. 

Of  her  death,  the  King,  of  course,  knew  nothing,  and  it 
was  lucky  for  him  that  it  was  so,  for  he  dearly  loved  his  wife, 
and  the  homeliness  of  their  natures  eminently  fitted  them  for 
each  other. 

The  last  bulletin  for  this  year  will  as  well  describe  his 
Majesty's  state  for  the  whole  twelve  months,  as  if  I  tran- 
scribed every  one.  '  Windsor  Castle,  December  5.  His 
Majesty's  tranquillity  has  been  undisturbed  throughout  the 
last  month,  and  his  Majesty's  health  has  been  good;  but  his 
disorder  continues  in  the  same  state.' 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

1819. 

Sale  of  the  Queen's  effects — Duke  of  York  has  custody  of  the  King 
— The  '  Dandy  horse ' — Loss  of,  and  finding  the  King's  jewellery 
— A  public  dinner — A  Royal  freak — Unqualified  medical  prac- 
titioners— Emigration  to  America — 'The  fair  Circassian  ' — Birth 
of  Queen  Victoria — Napoleon's  carriage — An  Irish  witness. 

'  THEY  of  the  household  divided  the  spoil '  very  shortly  after 
the  old  Queen's  death.  On  the  4th  of  January,  her  horses 
and  carriages  were  sold  at  Tattersall's.  Several  of  the  old 
horses  were  shot  to  prevent  them  going  into  abject  slavery, 
and  the  fifty-five  that  remained,  sold  for  £4,544,  and  eighteen 
carriages  fetched  .£1,077.  Messrs.  Rundle  and  Bridge,  the 
Royal  Goldsmiths,  apportioned  the  jewels  into  four  equal  lots. 

'January  12. — Part  of  the  Queen's  property,  consisting  of 
pieces  of  silk  and  satin,  gold  and  silver,  figured  and  plain,  not 
made  up,  were  measured  on  Friday,  at  the  Queen's  House, 
St.  James's  Park,  amounting  to  2,140  yards.  They  were 
presents  to  her  Majesty,  or  purchases  made  by  her  for  the 
encouragement  of  the  manufactures.  They  are  of  various 
prices,  from  one  guinea  to  five  guineas  per  yard,  and  many  of 
them  of  the  most  beautiful  workmanship — one  of  them,  a 
piece  of  green  silk  shot  with  gold,  is  of  the  most  exquisite 
beauty.  This  valuable  collection  the  Princesses  have,  with 
their  characteristic  kindness  and  generosity,  presented  to 
Madame  Beckendorff,  as  a  mark  of  their  esteem  for  the 
favourite  of  their  deceased  Royal  Parent.  In  another  apart- 
ment was  a*  large  store  of  the  most  superb  shawls,  Oriental 
presents  to  her  Majesty,  but  many  of  them  nearly  consumed 
by  moths.' 

A  great  many  things  were  sold  privately,  but  her  Oriental 

21—2 


324  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

curiosities,  &c.,  were  sold  at  Christie's  early  in  May.  Among 
the  other  things  that  were  to  be  sold  on  the  25th  of  May 
were  : — 

1.  44  Shillings  and   66  Sixpences,  chiefly  of  the  present 
reign,  5  Crown-pieces,  a  well-preserved  Half-Crown  of  1817, 
ditto  6  Sixpences  1816,  and  11  Bank  Tokens. 

2.  170  Silver  Groats. 

3.  170  Threepences. 

4.  200  Twopences. 

5.  1 8  English  and  foreign  Dollars,  Crowns,  and  Bank  Tokens, 
and  8  English  Half-Crowns,  28  Smooth  Shillings,  22  English 
and  foreign  Sixpences. 

6.  209  Provincial  Tokens. 

These  items  bear  witness  to  the  Queen's  saving  qualities, 
and  also  to  the  meanness  which  prompted  the  sale  of  such 
comparative  trifles — only  those  were  sold  which  were  not 
Current  Coin — because  it  was  an  offence  against  the  law  to 
sell  money  that  was  in  use.  Her  veriest  trifles  were  sold. 
'Among  the  articles  of  vertu  in  the  last  sale  of  her  late 
Majesty's  Curiosities,  were  a  number  of  paper  portraits  cut  in 
profile  of  the  members  of  the  illustrious  Houses  of  Brunswick 
and  of  Mecklenburgh  Strelitz,  both  male  and  female  :  the 
ladies  in  the  costume  of  1770,  with  the  head-dresses  three 
stories  high,  and  with  elegant  flowing  lappets.  Of  the  same 
subjects,  the  most  remarkable  was  the  Lord's  Prayer,  cut 
in  paper  with  a  pair  of  scissors,  by  an  artist  born  without 
hands/* 

A  Satirist  brought  out  an  Engraving,  '  SALES  by  AUCTION  ! 
or,  Provident  Children  disposing  of  their  deceased  Mother's 
effects  for  the  benefit  of  their  Creditors  !'  The  Regent,  gouty 
as  usual,  is  the  Auctioneer,  and  his  remarks  upon  the  lot  he 
has  for  sale,  an  Indian  Shawl,  are :  '  Here  are  some  genuine 
Articles,  a  present  from  an  Indian  Prince  to  the  deceased 
owner,  and  saved  entirely  for  the  Moths,  as  they  were  never 
worn,  given  away  all  her  MONEY  IN  CHARITY.  So,  pray,  good 
people,  Bid  liberally,  or  the  Children  will  be  destitute.'  The 
Princesses  are  pleading  in  the  same  strain,  and  the  Duke  of 
York  is  sale  Clerk.  A  short  time  previously  he  had  a  fall, 
caused  by  one  of  his  spurs  catching  in  a  carpet,  at  Windsor, 
and  he  broke  his  arm  ;  he  sits  comfortably  on  £  10,000  which 
was  the  sum  paid  him  annually,  for  paying  a  monthly  visit  to 
his  father,  to  whom  he  acted  as  Custodian,  after  his  mother's 
*  Probably  Matthew  Buchinger,  who  died  1722. 


326  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

death.  In  January  a  Bill  was  brought  in,  with  this  provision, 
but  it  met  with  strenuous  opposition,  as  far  as  the  monetary 
portion  went,  as  it  was  felt  that  no  son,  with  any  remnant  of 
filial  affection  left,  would,  or  ought  to,  take  such  a  sum  for 
occasionally  visiting  an  aged  and  sorely  afflicted  parent ;  but 
it  finally  passed  into  law.  Of  course,  the  Duke  of  York  must 
have  expected,  and  he  certainly  got,  censure  for  his  greed, 


•MAKING  MOST  OF  ^"10,000  PER  AN.' 

and  we  find  him  pictorially  satirised  as  using  one  of  the  then 
newly  invented,  and  fashionable  '  Dandy,'  or  'Hobby'  horses 
—by  means  of  which  he  could  visit  his  poor  old  father  at 
Windsor.  This  engraving  is  called  'MAKING  MOST  of  .£10,000 
PER  AN.,  by  SAVING  TRAVELLING  EXPENSES  (that  is)  going  on 
Monthly  visits  to  WINDSOR  !  as  appointed  by  ....  having  only 
the  small  sum  of  Ten  Thousand  Pounds  per  year,  granted  for 


328  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

that  arduous  task,  has  wisely  procured  a  pedestrian  Hobby 
Horse.'  The  Duke  comforts  himself  by  saying,  '  Every  Man 
has  his  Hobby  Horse,  mine  is  worth  Ten  Thousand  ! ! !' 

This  parent  of  the  bi-  and  tri-cycles  was  only  introduced 
into  England  early  this  year.  It  is  said  to  have  been  the 
invention  of  the  Baron  Charles  de  Drais,  Master  of  Woods 
and  Forests  to  H.R.H.  the  Grand  Duke  of  Baden.  In 
English  it  was  called  the  '  Dandy  Horse,'  because  the  word 
Dandy  as  applied  to  a  fashionably  dressed  man,  had  only  just 
been  coined  ;  and  Hobby  Horse,  although  it  had  nothing  in 
common  with  the  barded  horse  with  which  jesters  used  to 
caracole  in  mimic  jousts  with  one  another.  The  Germans 
called  it  either  the  German  horse,  or  Drais  Laufmashin  ;  the 
French,  Drais  ena.  They  were  obtainable  at  Johnson's  Re- 
pository in  Long  Acre,  and  cost  about  eight  pounds  each, 
weight  about  fifty  pounds  each,  and  it  was  reckoned  that,  by 
their  means,  a  man  could  travel  at  a  speed  of  eight  to  ten 
miles  an  hour.*  The  pedestrian  sat  astride,  leaning  against  a 
pad  in  front,  and  holding  the  steering  cross-bar  with  his 
hands,  then  with  his  feet  alternately,  he  spurned  the  ground. 
For  a  short  time  they  were  very  popular,  and  there  are  many 
specimens  of  them  now  in  existence.  The  Police  were  very 
opposed  to  them,  and  gave  as  a  reason  that  the  crowded  state 
of  the  Metropolis  did  not  admit  of  this  novel  method  of 
travelling,  and  they  put  a  stop  to  their  use. 

We  get  an  excellent  view  of  one  in  '  The  Hobby  Horse 
Dealer.'  Here  we  see  the  poor  starved  horses  looking 
hungrily  out  of  the  Stable  windows,  and  the  groom  in  rags, 
his  occupation  gone.  Of  the  Dandies,  one  critically  examines 
it,  and  says,  '  It  seems  to  me,  Jack,  not  to  have  quite  barrel 
enough.'  His  quizzical  friend,  thinks  it  has  a  '  Fine  fore- 
hand, by  Jove.'  The  dealer,  of  course,  vaunts  his  goods. 
'  I'll  warrant  him  sound,  and  free  from  vice.'  But  the  would- 
be  purchaser  decries  it,  saying,  '  I  can  see  he  has  been  down, 
once  or  twice,  though,  my  lad.' 

I  don't  think  'the  Lady's  Accelerator'  ever  came  into 
vogue,  even  among  the  '  Dandizettes.' 

It  was  a  lucky  thing  that  there  was  a  regular  clear  out  of 
the  old  Queen's  things ;  for  many  of  the  poor  old  King's 
jewels  had  been  missing  for  a  long  time,  and  their  disappear- 
ance had  caused  much  uneasiness.  Messrs.  Rundle  and 

*  A  trip  to  Brighton,  say  a  little  over  fifty  mile?,  is  recorded  to 
have  been  done  in  nine  hours. 


.1111 

(!^\f^-yA 

Wv  ^-" 


330  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

Bridge  had  been  for  several  days  examining  and  estimating 
the  value  of  the  Queen's  jewels,  preparatory  to  their  being 
divided  between  the  four  princesses.  When  this  was  satisfac- 
torily accomplished,  the  Prince  Regent  came  to  see  the 
division,  and  the  Princess  Augusta  also  was  present.  On  the 
jewels  being  apportioned  into  four  several  heaps  of  equal 
value,  a  question  arose  about  the  manner  in  which  they  were 
to  be  packed,  until  it  should  be  necessary  to  reproduce  them. 

One  of  the  female  attendants  suggested  that,  in  a  lumber 
room,  not  very  far  distant  from  her  late  Majesty's  apartments, 
a  number  of  empty  boxes  were  stowed,  which  had  been  used 
on  former  occasions,  as  cases,  in  which  the  Royal  Jewels  had 
been  carried  to  and  from  the  Bank  of  England  (where  they 
are  usually  deposited)  to  Buckingham  House ;  and  '  perhaps,' 
said  she,  '  these  may  serve  the  purpose  for  which  they  are 
wanted,  without  troubling  Messrs.  Rundle  and  Bridge  to  send 
for  fresh  packages  from  their  house  in  town.'  The  sugges- 
tion was  thought  good ;  and  the  boxes  were  accordingly 
ordered  to  be  produced  before  the  Royal  Company.  In 
examining  one  of  them,  which  at  first  sight  appeared  to  be 
filled  with  nothing  more  than  the  lawn,  or  silver  paper,  in 
which  jewellery  is  usually  enveloped,  the  King's  sword 
handle,  star,  loop,  garter,  and  other  jewels  were  unexpectedly 
discovered. 

It  is  well,  sometimes,  to  read  what  other  nations  think  of 
us,  and  our  customs,  even  if  it  be  Max  O'Rell  and  water,  and 
we  find  in  a  Newspaper  of  Feb.  1 3th,  the  following.  It  will 
create  a  smile  to  read  the  account  of  English  Manners  given 
by  a  Frenchman,  who,  on  the  authority  of  a  short  residence, 
takes  upon  himself  to  describe,  and  expose  our  peculiarities. 
A  little  volume,  entitled  '  A  Year  in  London,'  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  a  public  Tavern  Dinner  : — 

1  Few  days  pass  in  London  without  public  Dinners.  Our 
traveller  acquainted  a  Portuguese  Jew,  long  resident  in 
London,  with  the  desire  he  had  to  make  one  at  this  kind  of 
entertainment.  "  Nothing  is  so  easy.  How  do  you  go  to  the 
play?"  "  I  pay  for  a  ticket  at  the  door."  "  How  do  you  see 
Westminster  Abbey  ?"  "  I  pay  a  shilling  at  every  door  they 
open  for  me."  "  How  do  you  see  St.  Paul's,  the  Tower,  the 
Crown  Jewels  ?"  "  The  same  way,  I  pay."  "  You  see,  then, 
in  London,  you  have  only  to  pay ;  you  must,  however,  take 
care  to  have  your  name  put  down  two  days  before,  for 
decency's  sake,  that  you  may  not  have  the  appearance  of 


1819]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  831 

going  to  a  Table  d'H6te  ;  but  I  will  put  you  down  for  one 
that  is  to  take  place  to-morrow." 

'  Each  having  paid  1 5s.  entrance/  says  our  traveller,  '  we 
were  introduced  into  a  large  dining-room,  surrounded  by 
tables,  where,  already,  were  seated  about  two  hundred  guests, 
though  the  tables  were  only  covered  with  a  cloth  ;  there  were, 
at  the  top  of  the  room,  about  six  vacant  places,  but  we  were 
told  they  were  for  the  singers  ;  twelve  or  fifteen  persons,  who, 
like  ourselves,  had  arrived  a  little  too  late,  walked  about  in 
the  middle  of  the  room.  At  length  we  were  invited  into 
another  room,  much  less  than  the  first,  and  where  tables  were 
set  in  the  same  manner  to  accommodate  about  forty  persons. 
A  waiter  brought  soup,  and  a  heap  of  plates ;  he  who  was 
nearest  took  possession,  and  distributed  it  to  those  nearest 
him,  before  a  second  tureen  was  placed  at  the  other  end  of 
the  table,  and  that,  also,  disappeared,  before  the  arrival  of  a 
third.  This  soup  is  called  mock  turtle,  that  is,  pieces  of 
Calves'  head,  and  Oxtails  floating  in  the  water  in  which  they 
are  dressed,  and  has  no  flavour  but  pepper,  which  had  not 
been  spared. 

'  Soon  afterwards,  the  table  was  covered  with  a  profusion  of 
roast  and  boiled  meat,  that  everybody  began  to  hack  at  the 
same  time — and  vegetables,  boiled  in  water,  the  only  sauce 
given  to  them  in  this  country.  I  had  hardly  finished  my 
plate  of  mock  turtle,  when  it  was  loaded  with  a  wing  of  boiled 
fowl,  an  enormous  piece  of  roast  beef,  a  slice  of  hot  ham,  a 
potato,  two  carrots,  and  leaves  of  boiled,  not  chopped  spinach, 
completed  the  pyramid.  No  one  thought  of  drinking,  for  the 
English,  in  general,  are  not  thirsty  till  no  longer  hungry  ;  in 
about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  they  cleared  away,  and  put  down 
apple  tarts,  in  comparison  with  which,  our  village  pastry  are 
models  of  excellence,  some  salads  eaten  without  seasoning, 
and  cheese,  to  which  some  added  mustard  and  salt :  they  then 
placed  before  each  guest  a  bottle  of  red  wine,  or  sherry,  as  he 
preferred  ;  hardly  was  this  done,  when  five  or  six  persons  rose 
from  the  table,  carrying  in  one  hand  their  glass,  in  the  other, 
their  bottle  :  every  one  imitated  them  ;  I  followed  and  did  as 
the  others,  and  we  found  ourselves  in  the  great  room,  standing 
between  the  tables,  shoved  by  a  crowd  of  waiters,  who  were 
clearing  away.  Oranges  and  nuts  were  brought,  which  my 
companions  below  often  pillaged  before  they  arrived  at  their 
destination.  At  last,  after  having  been  squeezed,  pushed,  and 
elbowed,  for  half  an  hour,  we  succeeded  in  obtaining  some 


332  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

seats  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  each  having  his  bottle 
between  his  knees,  and  glass  in  his  hand.  After  every  health, 
one  of  the  singers  amused  the  Company  with  a  song  ;  a  pause 
of  some  minutes  ensued,  and  the  same  thing  was  repeated. ' 

Doubtless,  but  for  the  finding  of  oxtails  in  Mock  Turtle 
Soup,  this  is  a  very  accurate  sketch  of  a  Charity  dinner  of  the 
time,  and  it  bears  the  impress  of  truth  upon  it. 

Apropos  of  feeding,  we  may  read  the  following  travesty  of 
the  'mad  young  prince/  afterwards  the  wise  Henry  V. 
'  Brighton,  March  13,  ROYAL  FREAK. — We  are  assured,  that  a 
few  nights  ago,  the  REGENT,  in  a  merry  mood,  determined  to 
sup  in  the  kitchen  of  the  Pavilion.  A  scarlet  cloth  was 
thrown  over  the  pavement,  a  splendid  repast  was  provided, 
and  the  good-humoured  PRINCE  sat  down,  with  a  select  party 
of  his  friends,  and  spent  a  joyous  hour.  The  whole  of  the 
servants,  particularly  the  female  part,  were,  of  course,  de- 
lighted with  this  mark  of  Royal  condescension.'  Of  this 
supper  there  were  numerous  Satirical  prints,  and  I  have 
chosen  the  least  offensive  of  them,  which  is  really  laughable, 
the  Prince  being  so  '  royally  drunk.'  It  is  called  '  HIGH  LIFE 
BELOW  STAIRS  !  !  a  new  Farce,  as  lately  performed  at  the 
Theatre  Royal,  Brighton,  for  the  edification  and  amusement 
of  the  Cooks,  Scullions,  Dish- Washers,  Lick-Trenchers,  Shoe- 
Blacks,  Cinder-Sifters,  Candle-Snuffers,  &c.,  &c.,  of  that 
Theatre,  but  which  was  unfortunately  Damn'd  the  first  night, 
by  Common  Sense  !' 

When  ill,  the  good  folks  of  that  time,  must,  especially  in 
the  country,  have  been  very  much  at  the  mercy  of  quack 
practitioners.  It  is  true  that  both  the  Apothecaries'  Company, 
and  the  College  of  Surgeons  were  in  existence,  and  had  been, 
the  former  since  1670,  the  latter  since  1745,  but  their 
diplomas  were  not  considered  absolutely  necessary  in  order 
to  practise  Medicine.  I  give  an  instance  early  in  April.  '  At 
the  Stafford  Assizes  a  cause  was  brought  011  at  the  suit  of  the 
Apothecaries'  Company,  against  the  son  of  a  man  who  had 
been  originally  a  gardener,  but  who  had  long  exercised  the 
business  of  a  cow-leech,  and  quack  doctor ;  the  son  claiming  a 
right  of  following  the  profession  of  an  apothecary,  through 
having  studied  under  his  renowned  father. 

'  In  the  cross-examination  of  the  father  by  Mr.  Dauncey, 
he  was  asked  if  he  had  always  been  a  surgeon.  The  witness 
appealed  to  the  Judge,  if  this  was  a  proper  answer !  and 
whether  he  must  reply  to  it ;  and,  at  last,  said  :  "  I  am  a 


334  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

surgent."  Mr.  Dauncey  asked  him  to  spell  this  word,  which 
he  did  at  several  times,  viz.,  "  Syurgunt,  surgend,  surgunt, 
sergund."  Mr.  Dauncey  said,  "  I  am  afraid,  Sir,  you  do  not 
often  take  so  much  time  to  study  the  cases  which  come  before 
you,  as  you  do  to  answer  my  question." — "  I  do  not,  Sir." — 
Witness  said  he  never  employed  himself  as  a  gardener,  but 
was  a  farmer  until  he  learnt  his  present  business.  Mr. 
Dauncey  asked,  "  Who  did  you  learn  it  of?" — "  I  learnt  it  of 
Dr.  Holme,  my  brother-in-law ;  he  practised  the  same  as  the 
Whitworth  doctors,  and  they  were  regular  physicians." — Mr. 
Dauncey :  "  Where  did  they  take  their  degrees  ?" — Witness  : 
"  I  don't  believe  they  ever  took  a  degree." — "  Then  were 
they  regular  physicians  ?" — "  No,  I  believe  they  were  not ; 
they  were  only  doctors." — "Only  doctors  !  were  they  doctors 
in  law,  physic,  or  divinity  ?" — "  They  doctored  cows,  and 
other  things,  and  humans  as  well." — Judge  to  witness  :  "  Did 
you  ever  make  up  any  medicine  by  the  prescriptions  of  a 
physician  ?"  —  "I  never  did."  —  "  Do  you  understand  the 
characters  they  use  for  ounces,  scruples,  and  drachms  ?" — 
"  I  do  not." — "  Then  you  cannot  make  up  their  prescriptions 
from  reading  them  ?" — "  I  cannot,  but  I  can  make  up  as  good 
medicines  in  my  way,  as  they  can  in  theirs." — "  What  pro- 
portion does  an  ounce  bear  to  a  pound  ?"  (a  pause). — "  There 
are  sixteen  ounces  to  the  pound ;  but  we  do  not  go  by  any 
regular  weight ;  we  mix  ours  by  the  hand." — "  Do  you  bleed?" 
— "Yes."— "With  a  fleam,  or  with  a  lancet?" — "With  a 
lancet." — "Do  you  bleed  from  the  vein,  or  from  the  artery?" 
— "  From  the  vein." — "  There  is  an  artery  somewhere  about 
the  temples  ;  what  is  the  name  of  that  artery  ?" — "  I  do  not 
pretend  to  have  as  much  learning  as  some  have." — "  Can  you 
tell  me  the  name  of  that  artery  ?" — "  I  do  not  know  which 
you  mean." — "Suppose,  then,  I  was  to  direct  you  to  bleed 
my  servant,  or  my  horse  (which  God  forbid),  in  a  vein,  say, 
for  instance,  the  jugular  vein,  where  should  you  bleed  him  ?" 
— "  In  the  neck,  to  be  sure." — The  Jury,  almost  instantly 
returned  a  verdict  for  the  plaintiffs.' 

Over-population,  coupled  with  distress,  was  beginning  to  be 
felt ;  and  the  tide  of  emigration  began  to  flow,  naturally  to 
America,  because  of  its  proximity,  and  consequent  cheapness 
of  Carriage :  but  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  also  had  their 
attractions — the  flax  (Phormium  tenax)  of  the  latter  place 
having  already  been  experimented  upon  at  Portsmouth  Dock- 
yard, and  favourably  reported  on  as  a  good  material  for  rope- 


1819]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  335 

making,  and  its  cost,  delivered  here,  was  put  down  at  ,£8  a 
ton,  or  a  seventh  of  the  then  price  of  Hemp. 

Yet  America  was  the  favourite  place  of  emigration,  and  we 
read,  under  date  of  April  14th:  'The  spirit  of  emigration 
from  Portsmouth  continues  unabated.  Every  packet  for 
Havre,  conveys  numerous  passengers  destined  for  America ; 
and  not  less  than  five  hundred  Englishmen  are  supposed  to  be 
now  at  Havre,  waiting  for  a  fair  wind,  many  of  whom  have 
been  there  upwards  of  a  month.  About  seventy  persons,  chiefly 
artisans  and  mechanics,  with  women  and  children,  amounting 
in  the  whole  to  at  least  two  hundred,  have  embarked  during 
last  week,  intending  to  proceed  from  Havre  in  an  American 
brig  belonging  to  Baltimore,  which  has  been  taken  up 
expressly  for  the  purpose.  The  expenses  of  the  voyage  are  to 
be  defrayed  out  of  a  fund  which  has  been  accumulating  for 
some  time  past,  by  a  small  weekly  subscription,  and  the  total 
charge  for  each  passenger,  is  said  to  be  less  than  £4>.' 

A  foreign  Embassy  was  something  unusual  in  those  days, 
and  when  they  came  two  at  a  time,  it  gave  people  something 
to  talk  about.  First  to  arrive  was  an  Ambassador  from 
Algiers  ;  and  then  came  the  Persian  Ambassador,  who  created 
almost  as  great  a  sensation  as  did  the  Shah  when  he  came 
here  in  1873.  This  ambassador  was  accompanied  by  a  'fair 
Circassian,'  whom  people  raved  about,  although  no  one  ever 
saw  her  face.  Here  is  the  contemporary  account  of  their 
arrival : — 

'  DOVER,  April  25th. — About  three  this  afternoon,  his 
Majesty's  schooner  Pioneer  arrived  in  the  roads,  and  very 
shortly  after,  the  boat  belonging  to  the  Customs  put  off  under 
a  salute.  She  had  on  board  the  Persian  Ambassador  and 
suite,  who,  on  landing,  were  greeted  with  another  salute  from 
the  guns  on  the  heights.  As  the  schooner  had  been  seen  for 
some  time  before  her  arrival,  there  was  an  amazing  concourse 
of  people  assembled  on  the  beach,  and  the  novel  nature  of 
the  arrival  of  ten  or  a  dozen  persons,  habited  in  silks  and 
turbans,  with  daggers,  and  long  beards,  in  no  small  degree 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants,  whose  curiosity  had 
been  raised  to  the  highest  pitch  by  the  different  accounts  of 
the  beauty  of  the  fair  Circassian  ;  and,  had  not  a  coach  been 
provided  at  the  water's  edge,  I  much  doubt  if  his  Excellency 
and  suite  would  have  reached  the  Inn  without  considerable 
difficulty. 

'The  crowd  followed  to  Wright's  Hotel  nearly  as  fast  as 


336  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

the  Carriage,  it  being  reported  by  some,  that  the  fair  female 
was  in  a  mask,  under  the  habit  of  a  male  attendant,  whilst 
others  stated  she  would  not  be  landed  till  the  middle  of  the 
night.  In  about  half  an  hour,  however,  from  the  arrival  of 
the  first  boat,  a  second  boat  came  into  the  harbour,  and  landed 
the  Circassian  Beauty  !  She  was  attended  from  the  schooner 
by  Lieutenant  Graham  of  the  Preventive  service,  and  two 
black  eunuchs.  She  was  scarcely  seen ;  for  the  instant  she 
landed,  she  was  put  into  a  Coach  which  conveyed  her  to  the 
Inn.  She  had  on  a  hood,  which  covered  the  upper  part  of 
her  head,  and  a  large  silk  shawl  screened  the  lower  part  of 
her  face,  across  the  nose,  from  observation ;  therefore  her 
eyes,  which  are  truly  beautiful,  and  part  of  her  forehead,  were 
the  only  parts  of  her  beauties  that  could  be  seen.  She  is  of 
middle  stature,  and  appeared  very  interesting.  Her  look  was 
languid  from  illness,  arising  from  a  rough  passage.  She  was 
conducted  to  a  bedroom  on  reaching  the  inn,  but  no  one  was 
allowed  to  attend  her  but  the  eunuchs.' 

They  gave  the  Ambassador  plenty  of  time  to  recover  from 
his  sea  voyage,  for  he  did  not  have  an  audience  of  the  Regent, 
until  the  20th  of  May,  when  he  had  a  magnificent  reception. 
All  the  Royal  Servants  put  off  their  mourning  for  the  Queen, 
and  appeared  in  their  State  liveries.  The  thing  was  done  in 
style.  '  The  procession  of  his  Excellency  was  preceded  by  a 
numerous  detachment  from  the  Corps  of  Lancers,  followed  by 
six  of  the  Prince  Regent's  Carriages,  with  servants  in  their 
State  liveries,  five  of  them  drawn  by  six  bays,  and  the  sixth 
by  six  superior  black  horses,  surrounded  by  a  numerous 
detachment  of  the  Royal  Horse  Guards.  The  Arabian  horses 
brought  by  his  Excellency  to  England,  as  a  present  to  the 
Prince  Regent,  were  drawn  up  in  the  front  of  Carlton  House 
in  the  Courtyard  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  his  Excellency. 
In  five  of  the  Carriages  were  four  of  his  Excellency's 
attendants  dressed  in  the  Costume  of  their  Country,  Mr.  Morier, 
the  Mehmander,  and  Captain  Willock;  two  of  the  Carriages 
contained  presents  brought  for  the  Regent ;  among  them  were 
a  most  magnificent,  costly  sword,  the  sheath  ornamented  with 
emeralds,  rubies,  and  diamonds,  also  two  large  silver  salvers, 
on  one  of  which  was  a  splendid  Cabinet,  and  on  the  other,  a 
numerous  collection  of  large  pearls,  besides  other  valuable 
articles. 

'  His  Excellency  was  attended  in  his  Carriage  by  the 
Marquess  of  Headfort,  who  was  specially  appointed,  with 


1819]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  337 

Sir  Robert  Chester,  to  conduct  the  Ambassador  into  the 
presence  of  the  Regent.  His  Excellency  was  dressed  in  a 
rich  embroidered  robe ;  his  turban  ornamented  with  jewels, 
carrying  a  silver  stick  or  staff,  his  Excellency  leaning  on  the 
arm  of  Sir  Robert  Chester,  being  a  little  lame  from  a  kick  he 
received  on  Tuesday  from  one  of  his  horses.  .  .  . 

'  At  half-past  three  the  Algerine  Ambassador,  attended  by 
Mr.  Salame,  his  Excellency's  interpreter,  arrived  at  Carlton 
House  in  one  of  the  Regent's  Carriages,  the  servants  in  their 
State  liveries,  with  the  six  beautiful  horses  brought  by  his 
Excellency  as  a  present  to  the  Regent ;  three  of  them  light 
greys,  one  iron  grey,  one  black ;  one  of  the  light  greys  had 
been  ridden  by  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  and  was  most  richly,  and 
costly  caparisoned,  with  a  saddle,  shabrac,  bridle,  winkers,  and 
holsters  most  richly  embroidered  with  gold,  with  wide  silver 
stirrups,  made  according  to  the  fashion  of  that  Country,  with 
filigree  ornaments.  The  other  numerous  and  costly  presents 
were  sent  to  Carlton  House  in  the  course  of  the  morning/ 

'  The  fair  Circassian '  was  once,  if  not  oftener,  interviewed 
by  some  ladies  of  'the  upper  ten.'  'May  13.  THE  FAIR 
CIRCASSIAN. — The  above  much-talked  of  female,  was,  by  per- 
mission of  her  keeper,  his  Excellency  the  Persian  Ambassador, 
introduced  on  Monday  last  to  upwards  of  twenty  ladies  of 
fashionable  distinction,  friends  of  his  Excellency.  The  intro- 
duction took  place  between  one  and  two  o'clock,  in  the  front 
drawing-room  at  his  Excellency's  residence  in  Charles  Street, 
Berkeley  Square.  The  fair  stranger  was  elegantly  attired  in 
the  costume  of  her  country  ;  her  dress  was  a  rich  white  satin, 
fringed  with  gold,  with  a  bandeau  round  her  head,  and  wreaths 
of  diamonds.  She  received  her  visitors  with  graceful  affa- 
bility, and  they  were  highly  pleased  with  her  person  and 
manners.  She  is  not,  as  has  been  represented,  short  and 
slender,  she  is  of  the  middle  stature,  of  exquisite  symmetry, 
rather  en  bon  point :  her  complexion  is  of  a  brownish  cast,  her 
hair  of  a  jet  black,  with  beautiful  arched  black  eyebrows, 
handsome  black,  penetrating  eyes,  her  features  regular,  and 
strikingly  handsome.  The  Ladies  were  highly  gratified,  and 
passed  great  encomiums  on  the  elegance  of  her  person.  Lady 
Augusta  Murray  presented  the  fair  Circassian  with  a  beautiful 
nosegay,  with  which  she  seemed  highly  pleased.' 

She  returned  before  the  Ambassador,  who  stayed  in  England 
about  a  year,  going  through  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland. 
She  sailed  for  Constantinople  on  the  31st  of  August. 

22 


338  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

On  the  1st  of  May  Lieutenant  Parry  sailed  from  England, 
having  under  his  command  the  Hecla  and  Griper,  being  bound 
for  another  voyage  of  discovery  in  the  Arctic  regions. 

On  the  24-th  of  May  was  born  our  beloved  Sovereign  Lady, 
Queen  Victoria.  About  that  time,  her  father,  the  Duke  of 
Kent,  who,  like  all  his  brothers,  was  deeply  in  debt,  although 
he  claimed  to  have  reduced  his  liabilities  down  to  £60,000, 
applied  to  Parliament  (July  2nd)  for  leave  to  dispose  of  his 
house  at  Castlebar  Hill,  and  its  furniture,  by  lottery,  for  a  sum 
of  ,£50,000.  His  case  was  warmly  pleaded  by  Alderman 
Wood,  who  said  that  out  of  an  income  of  £24,000,  he  put  by 
£17,000  for  liquidation  of  his  debts.  This  assertion  was,  how- 
ever, traversed  by  Sir  Charles  Burrell,  who  showed  that  his 
Royal  Highness  at  that  moment  had  an  income  of  above 
£31,000,  made  up  thus  —  Out  of  the  Consolidated  Fund 
£18,000;  £7,000  from  the  Government  of  Gibraltar;  £6,000 
on  his  late  marriage  ;  and  the  revenue  of  the  Colonelcy  of  the 
Scots  Royals,  with  the  usual  allowance  for  clothing  that  regi- 
ment. In  the  face  of  these  facts,  it  was  no  use  going  on  with 
the  motion,  and  it  was  withdrawn. 

Both  Queen  and  Princess  Charlotte  being  dead,  and  the 
Princess  of  Wales  not  being  received  at  Court,  and,  besides, 
being  abroad,  the  holding  of  a  Drawing-Room,  so  necessary 
for  launching  Society  young  ladies  into  life,  and  for  their 
admission  into  Foreign  Courts  in  after-life,  seemed  rather 
problematical ;  but  the  Board  of  Green  Cloth,  or  whatever 
other  authority  had  it  in  hand,  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  and 
a  precedent  was  found  in  the  case  of  George  II.,  who  was 
accustomed  to  hold  drawing-rooms  after  the  death  of  Queen 
Caroline.  Therefore  the  Regent  held  a  Drawing-room  all  by 
himself,  and  we  read  that  '  the  Court  was  a  very  crowded  one, 
and  the  presentations  were  very  numerous/ 

The  following  paragraph  may  interest  some  of  the  millions 
of  people  who  have  visited  the  ever-popular  exhibition  of 
Madame  Tussaud  :  'July  16.  BONAPARTE'S  CARRIAGE,  &c. — At 
the  late  sale  of  the  contents  of  Mr.  Bullock's  Museum,  the 
articles  brought  a  much  higher  price  than  was  originally  ex- 
pected. Bonaparte's  Carriage,  and  the  different  dressing 
materials  it  contained,  and  which  were  taken  by  the  Prussians 
at  Waterloo,  were  sought  with  great  avidity.  The  following 
are  the  prices  they  brought : — 

'  For  the  Carriage,  which  had  been  exhibited  in  every  town 
of  the  Empire,  and  was  quite  worn  out  in  the  service,  there 


1819]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  339 

were  several  bidders.  It  was  originally  built  at  Brussels,  and 
had  been  used  by  Bonaparte  in  the  last  Russian  Campaign,  and 
subsequently  at  Elba,  and  finally  in  Flanders — 

It  was  knocked  down  for  ...  ...     £l68     0     0 

The  Opera  Glass  ...  ...  550 

Toothbrush          ...  ...  ...  3   13     6 

Snuff-box              ...  ...  ...  166  19     6 

Military  Stock  or  Collar  ...  ...  1   17     0 

Old  Slippers         ...  ...  ...  100 

Common  Razor    ...  ...  ...  440 

Piece  of  Sponge  ...  ...  ...  0  17     6 

Shaving-brush      ...  ...  ...  3  14     0 

Shirt     ...              ...  ...  ...  250 

Comb    ...              ...  ...  ...  100 

Shaving  box         ...  770 

Pair  of  Gloves      ...  ...  ...  100 

Pocket  Handkerchief  ...  ...  1   11     6.' 

In  my  search  through  newspapers  of  this  time  I  came 
across  the  following — which  belongs  to  no  section  of  this  book, 
and  yet  is  too  good  to  leave  out :  '  IRISH  EVIDENCE. — During  a 
trial  at  the  Carlow  Assizes,  on  the  29th  ult.  (July,  1819),  on 
an  indictment  for  stealing  30  Ibs.  of  tobacco,  the  following 
confessions  were  extracted  from  an  accomplice  in  the  robbery, 
who  was  admitted  King's  evidence — 

'  Q.  How  many  robberies  have  you  been  at  altogether  ? 

'  A.  Together !  (laughter.)  Why,  sure  I  could  not  be  at 
more  than  one  at  a  time. 

'  Q.  You  certainly  have  knocked  me  down  by  that  answer 
(loud  laughter  in  Court).  Come,  now,  tell  us  how  many  you 
have  been  at  ? 

'  A.  I  never  put  them  down,  for  I  never  thought  it  would 
come  to  my  turn  to  give  an  account  of  them. 

'  Q.  By  virtue  of  your  oath,  Sir,  will  you  swear  you  have  not 
been  at  fifteen  ? 

'  A.  I  would  not  (witness  laughing). 

'  Q.  Would  you  swear  that  you  have  not  been  at  twenty  ? 

'  A.  I  would  not  (still  laughing). 

'  Q.  Do  you  recollect  robbing  the  Widow  Byrne  in  the 
County  of  Wicklow  ? 

'  A.  The  Widow  Byrne — who  is  she  ?  May  be  it  is  big  Nell 
you  mean  ?  Oh  !  I  only  took  a  trifle  of  whisky  from  her, 
that's  all. 

22—2 


340  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

1  Q.  Was  it  day  or  night  ? 

'A.  (laughing).  Why  it  was  night,  to  be  sure. 

'  Q.  Did  you  not  rob  the  poor  woman  of  every  article  in  the 
house  ;  even  her  bed-clothes,  and  the  clothes  off  her  back  ? 

'  A.  I  took  clothes,  but  they  were  not  on  her  back. 

'  Q.  Do  you  recollect  stealing  two  flitches  of  bacon  from 
Dovan,  the  Wexford  Carman  ? 

'  A.  Faith  !  I  do,  and  a  pig's  head  beside !  (loud  laughter  in 
Court). 

'  Q.  Do  you  recollect  robbing  John  Keogh,  in  the  County 
of  Wicklow,  and  taking  every  article  in  his  house  ? 

'  A.  You're  wrong  there  ;  I  did  not  take  everything ;  I  only 
took  his  money,  and  a  few  other  things !  ( Witness  and  the 
Auditory  laughing  immoderately.} 

(  Q.  Why,  you're  a  mighty  good-humoured  fellow? 

'  A.  There  isn't  a  better-humoured  fellow  in  the  County — 
there  may  be  honester.' 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Reform  Meetings — Peterloo — Orator  Hunt's  entry  into  London — 
The  King's  last  illness  and  death. 

BUT  I  must  return  to  my  Chronicle.  There  were  Reform 
Meetings  everywhere.  The  evils  in  the  Representation  of  the 
people  were  patent  to  everybody  who  would  see,  but  the 
Regent  was  not  gifted  with  that  perspicuity  of  vision  that  is 
suitable  to  a  Ruler  of  Men,  and  his  blindness  led  to  deplorable 
results,  which,  after  all,  were  probable  benefits,  inasmuch  as 
they  hastened  the  passing  of  the  Reform  Bill.  Things  were 
beginning  to  look  ugly.  In  some  districts  the  people  were 
beginning  to  drill,  and  they  were  not  of  the  best  class.  Fide 
the  following — 

'  MANCHESTER,  Aug.  15. — The  circumstances  of  parties  going 
out  to  drill,  having  been  much  talked  about  here,  viz.,  John 
Shawcross,  of  Blossom  Street,  Salford,  and  James  Murray,  of 
Withy  Grove,  Manchester,  set  out  this  morning,  about  one 
o'clock,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  this  fact.  On  their 
way  towards  Middleton,  these  two  persons  passed  several 
squads  who  were  in  regular  Marching  Order,  and  they  heard 
a  great  many  more  parties  calling  to  each  other,  and,  from  the 
answers  being  more  distant,  every  time  they  were  repeated, 
suppose  the  fields  for  some  extent,  contained  different  parties. 

'  The  place  appointed  for  a  general  muster  was  Whitemoss, 
betwixt  Middleton  and  Oldham.  When  Murray  and  Shaw- 
cross  arrived  at  this  spot,  there  were  at  least  five  hundred  men 
at  drill ;  the  greater  part  were  drilled  in  a  body  ;  there  were 
also  detached  squads  of  fifteen  or  twenty  each.' 

The  two  men  were  found,  pounced  upon  as  spies,  and  nearly 
kicked  to  death. 

I  give  this  passage,  as  it  shows  that  armed  men  were  pre- 
paring themselves  for  a  conflict  with  the  civil  power,  which 


342  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

they  certainly  thought  imminent,  yet  like  all  cowardly  English 
Mobs,  they  howled  most  valiantly,  and  complained  of  the 
butchery,  when  they  came  into  conflict  with  even  Citizen 
Soldiery.  There  are  some  people  still  who  regard  '  Peterloo  ' 
as  a  massacre  of  the  innocents :  they  must  be  either  very 
wrong-headed,  or  very  badly  informed.  Let  me  give  the 
shortest,  and  most  succinct,  contemporaneous  account  of  that 
memorable  day. 

'Aug.  16.  A  meeting  of  Reformers  took  place  at  Man- 
chester, on  a  vacant  piece  of  ground,  on  the  north  side  of 
St.  Peter's.  The  number  of  persons  from  Oldham,  Saddle- 
worth,  Royton,  and  other  places,  were  supposed  to  be  at  least 
50,000,  bearing  banners  inscribed  "  Hunt  and  Liberty  " — 
"  Universal  Suffrage  " — "  Annual  Parliaments,"  &c.,  and  a 
Club  of  female  Reformers  also  joined  the  group.  Mr.  Henry 
Hunt  was  called  to  the  Chair,  and  commenced  an  harangue 
on  the  usual  topics  of  public  grievances,  during  which,  the 
Manchester  Yeomanry  Cavalry,  aided  by  the  Cheshire 
Yeomanry  Cavalry,  and  the  15th  Hussars,  advanced  to  the 
crowd,  and  rode  through  them,  sword  in  hand ;  and  having 
arrived  at  the  waggon,  from  which  the  orator  was  declaiming, 
Mr.  Nadin,  the  police  officer,  arrested  Hunt  and  Johnson,  on 
a  warrant.  They  submitted  quietly  and  were  taken  to  gaol. 
The  Cavalry  then  rode  through  the  mob,  and  seized  their 
banners,  in  doing  which,  several  persons  were  killed  and 
wounded ;  bricks  and  other  missiles  were  thrown  at  the 
Cavalry,  who,  however,  succeeded  in  dispersing  the  mob  : 
several  other  persons  were  taken  into  custody  in  the  course  of 
the  day.' 

Such  is  an  unvarnished  tale  of  Peterloo,  and  the  student  of 
history  must  ever  bear  in  mind,  that  at  this  period,  there 
were  no  police,  as  we  know  them,  and  that  in  case  of  riot  the 
Military  were  always  called  out,  and  that  they  had  but  to  obey 
orders. 

The  Radical  papers  held  it,  of  course,  to  be  a  brutal  mass- 
acre, and  I  give  one  print  which  takes  a  highly  poetical  view 
of  it.  It  is  called  '  The  Massacre  at  St.  Peter's ;  or,  "  Britons, 
strike  home  !  ! !"  '  The  officer  on  extreme  left  calls  out  to  his 
corps  of  butchers,  '  Down  with  'em  !  Chop  'em  down !  my 
brave  boys  !  give  them  no  quarter.  They  want  to  take  our 
Beef  and  Pudding  from  us  !  And,  remember,  the  more  you 
kill,  the  less  poor's  rates  you'll  have  to  pay ;  so,  go  it,  lads, 
show  your  Courage,  and  your  Loyalty  !'  This  is  about  as 


344  SOCIAL  ENGLAND  [1819 

truthful   as   nine-tenths    of    what    has   been   written   about 
'  Peterloo/ 

This  was  the  occasion,  of  which  I  have  written,  that  Hunt 
got  fined.  When  he  was  bailed,  he  made  a  '  triumphal  entry ' 
into  London.  Of  course,  like  all  his  class,  he  was  nothing 
except  he  was  en  evidence.  It  was  well  organized  :  there  was 
the  young  man  from  Manchester,  who  had  got  hurt  at 
'  Peterloo/  there  was  a  huge  dog  with  a  large  white  collar, 
bearing  thereon,  '  No  dog  tax/  and  at  last  came  the  proces- 
sion itself. 

Horsemen. 
Footmen  bearing  a  bundle  of  Sticks,  the  emblem  of  Unity. 

Horsemen. 

Six  Irish  footmen,  bearing  a  green  flag,  with  the  inscription, 
'  Universal,  Civil  and  Religious  Liberty.' 

Horsemen. 

Footmen,  bearing  a  flag  of  mourning — Inscription,  '  To  the 

immortal  Memory  of  the  Reformers  ...  at 

Manchester.' 

Horsemen. 

Footmen   bearing   a   flag  —  Inscription,    '  The    Palladium   of 

Liberty — Liberty  of  the  Press/ 
Carriages  for  Gentlemen  connected  with  the  Press. 

Horsemen. 
Footmen,  bearing  a  Red  flag — Inscription,  '  Universal 

Suffrage/ 

A  Landau,  containing  MR.  HUNT,  preceded  by  a  flag,  with 

this  inscription,  '  Hunt,  the  heroic  Champion  of 

Liberty/  and  surrounded  by  six  horsemen, 

and  Members  of  the  Committee. 

Carriages  and  Footmen. 
A  Landau,  with  Watson,  Thistlewood,  and  Preston,  and  their 

Friends. 

Flag — '  Trial  by  Jury/ 

Horsemen  and  Footmen. 

Flag — '  Liberty  or  Death/ 

Carriages,  Horsemen,  and  Footmen. 

Flag — '  Liberty  or  Death/ 
Closed  by  Horses,  Carriages,  and  Footmen. 


1819]  UNDER  THE  REGENCY  345 

There !  does  not  that  read  like  a  modern  Irish  Procession 
to  the  Reformer's  tree  in  Hyde  Park?  It  had  the  same 
value  and  the  same  result — somebody  got  paid  something. 
There  were  also  riots  in  Scotland,  both  in  Paisley  and  Glasgow. 
I  am  approaching  the  end  of  my  Chronicle  of  the  Regency. 
In  November,  it  could  not  be  concealed  that  the  poor  old 
King  was  very  bad  ;  in  fact,  now  and  then  it  was  rumoured 
that  he  was  dead.  And  so  he  was  to  himself,  and  to  the 
world.  Nature  was  having  its  grand  and  final  fight ;  and  in 
a  few  weeks  the  mortal  life  of  George  III.  would  be  closed. 
How  well  the  following  description  of  the  old  King  tallies 
with  the  scarce  portrait  which  forms  the  frontispiece  to  this 
volume  :  '  His  MAJESTY. — A  gentleman  who  has  been  in  his 
presence  a  short  time  ago,  states,  that  the  appearance  of  our 
aged  Monarch,  is  the  most  venerable  imaginable.  His  hair 
and  beard  are  white  as  the  drifted  Snow,  and  the  latter  flows 
gracefully  over  a  breast  which  now  feels  neither  the  pleasures 
nor  the  pains  of  life.  When  the  gentleman  saw  him,  he  was 
dressed  in  a  loose  Satin  robe,  lined  with  fur,  sitting  in  an 
apparently  pensive  mood,  with  his  elbows  on  a  table,  and  his 
head  resting  on  his  hands,  and  seemed  perfectly  regardless  of 
all  external  objects '  (Bath  Journal). 

Still  they  hoped  when  there  was  no  hope,  for,  under  date 
November  26th  is  the  following :  '  The  examination  of  his 
Majesty's  Physicians  by  the  Members  of  the  Council,  at 
Lambeth  Palace,  has  made  a  strong  sensation  on  the  public 
mind,  as  they  conceive  that  it  could  only  be  occasioned  by  the 
conviction  in  the  breast  of  his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of 
York,  that  the  inquiry  became  necessary.  The  result  of  the 
examination  has  not  transpired.  Report  says  that  his  Majesty 
has  shown  symptoms  of  decay,  by  the  wasting  of  his  person, 
and  general  weakness,  which,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
two,  are  signs  not  to  be  overlooked  :  but  we  believe,  that 
immediate  danger  is  not  apprehended/ 

On  the  23rd  of  January  death  claimed  the  Duke  of  Kent, 
the  father  of  our  present  Queen ;  and  on  the  29th  God  took 
to  Himself  the  poor  old  King — which  event  necessarily  brings 
to  a  close  my  Chronicles  of  the 

REGENCY. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

A  foreigner's  view  of  England — The  packets — Roads— People — 
Posting  —  Mail  and  Stage  Coaches — Amateur  coachmen  —  Fast 
driving — Perils  of  travelling— A  lioness  attacks  the  Mail — Dog- 
carts and  donkey-riding — The  Streets  and  Houses. 

WHAT  was  England  like  at  this  time  ?  I  have  notes  enough, 
and  to  spare,  de  omnibus  rebus,  for  a  volume  upon  it ;  but  I 
withdraw,  and  allow  a  foreigner  to  give  his  impressions,  and 
we  shall  have  the  advantage  of  viewing  England  with  other 
spectacles.*  I  extract  from  a  book  by  '  M.  de  Levis,  Duke 
and  Peer  of  France,'  an  English  translation  of  which  was 
published  in  1815. 

Of  course  steamboats  were  not,  and  that  '  silver  streak ' 
between  France  and  England,  was  even  more  of  a  bugbear 
than  it  is  at  present.  '  Foreigners  who  visit  England  in  time 
of  peace,  usually  pass  through  Dover  ;  this  port  being  the 
nearest  point  of  land  to  the  Continent  of  Europe.  The 
distance  is  only  seven  leagues,  but  the  passage  is  not  the  less 
uncertain  ;  it  varies  from  two  hours  to  thirty-six,  when  it 
becomes  excessively  fatiguing  ;  obliged  to  struggle  against 
the  wind  in  a  narrow  sea,  and  in  which  it  is  impossible  to 
make  long  tacks.  .  .  .  The  cabin  is  so  low  that  you  cannot 
stand  upright ;  it  usually  contains  eight  beds  placed  two  by 
two  upon  one  another,  like  drawers,  in  a  bureau.  The  dis- 
agreeable smell  of  the  bedding,  and  of  the  whole  furniture, 
increases  the  sickness  which  the  horizontal  position  would 
tend  to  alleviate.  This  sickness  is  not  dangerous,  but  it  is 
very  severe,  and  sometimes  persons  of  a  delicate  habit  ex- 

*  '  0  wad  some  Pow*r  the  gif  tie  gie  us, 
To  see  oursels  as  others  see  us  !' 

BURNS,  *  To  a  Louse,  on  seeing  one  on  a 
Lady's  bonnet,  at  Church.' 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND  347 

perience  the  effects  of  it  for  several  days.  However,  if  this 
passage  be  often  painful,  and  always  disagreeable,  it  is,  at 
least,  very  safe.  In  times  of  peace,  few  days  pass  without  packet 
boats  crossing  the  Channel*  and  we  never  hear  of  shipwrecks. 
The  usual  price  for  the  passage  is  one  guinea  for  gentlemen, 
and  half  for  servants ;  the  hire  of  the  whole  vessel  costs  from 
five  to  ten  guineas,  according  to  the  condition  of  the  travellers.' 

On  landing,  next  to  the  comeliness  of  the  women  and 
children,  the  men's  dress  seems  to  have  struck  him.  '  Their 
dress  is  equally  remarkable  for  its  fulness,  uniformity,  and 
neatness.  Those  scanty  clothes,  so  mean,  and  strangely 
absurd,  which  we  meet  with,  on  the  Continent,  are  never 
found  in  Britain,  still  less  are  the  worn-out  and  dirty  clothes, 
which,  preserving  the  traces  of  a  luxury,  unsuitable  to  the 
condition  of  those  who  wear  them,  appear  to  be  the  livery  of 
wretchedness :  on  the  contrary,  all  the  apparel  here  seems  at 
first  sight  fresh  from  the  manufactory,  and  the  same  taylor 
appears  to  have  cut  the  Coats  of  the  whole  nation.  .  .  . 

'  Large  scarlet  cloaks,  black  silk  bonnets,  which  preserve 
and  heighten  the  fairness  of  their  Complexion,  distinguish  the 
country  women  who  come  to  market.  When  a  class,  so  in- 
ferior, is  so  well  dressed,  we  cannot  doubt  of  the  prosperity 
and  comfort  of  the  nation  to  which  it  belongs.' 

Of  course  there  were  no  railroads,  and  people  had  the 
choice  of  three  conveyances,  as  they  now  have  the  choice  of 
three  classes.  For  people  of  very  slender  purses,  there  was 
the  Waggon — very  slow,  but  bound  to  get  to  its  destination 
safely — with  many  horses,  having  bells,  and  yokes  to  the 
hames  of  their  Collars  ;  broad-tyred  wheels,  which  could  not 
even  sink  in  the  mud  of  a  country  lane.  But  M.  le  Due  de 
Levis  could  not  patronize  such  a  vehicle — he,  of  course,  must 
go  post.  '  The  Post  is  not,  as  on  the  Continent,  an  establish- 
ment dependent  upon  the  Government ;  individuals  undertake 
this  business  ;  most  of  the  inns  keep  Post  Chaises ;  they  are 
good  Carriages  with  four  wheels,  shut  close,  the  same  kind  as 
we  call  in  France  "diligences  de  mile''  They  hold  three 
persons  in  the  back  with  ease ;  are  narrow,  extremely  light ; 
well  hung,  and  appear  the  more  easy,  because  the  roads  are 
not  paved  with  stone.  The  postillions  wear  a  jacket  with 
sleeves,  tight  boots,  and,  altogether,  their  dress  is  light,  and 
extremely  neat;  and  they  are  not  only  civil,  but  even  respectful. 

'On  your  arrival  at  the  Inn,  you  are  shown  into  a  good 
*  My  italics.— J.  A. 


348 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


room,  where  a  fire  is  kept  in  winter,  and  tea  is  ready  every 
hour  of  the  day.     In  five  minutes  at  most,  another  Chaise  is 


MARKET  WOMEN. 


ready  for  your  departure.     If  we  compare  these  customs  with 
those  of  Germany,  or  particularly  in  the  North,  where  you 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  349 

must  often  wait  whole  hours  to  change  horses,  in  a  dirty 
room,  heated  by  an  iron  stove,  the  smell  of  which  is  suffo- 
cating ;  or  even  those  of  France,  where  the  most  part  of  the 
post-houses,  not  being  Inns,  have  no  accommodation  for 
travellers,  it  is  evident  that  the  advantage  is  not  in  favour 
of  the  Continent.  The  only  inconvenience  attached  to  the 
manner  which  I  am  describing,  is  being  obliged  at  almost 
every  stage  to  untie  and  pack  up  baggage  and  parcels  ;  but 
English  gentlemen  (which  will  appear  very  extraordinary  to 


THE  WAGGON. 

French  ladies)  and  English  ladies  carry  so  little  with  them, 
that  this  inconvenience  is  little  felt.  By  this  manner  of 
travelling  we  avoid  ennui,  and  immense  expense,  and  delays 
caused  by  frequent  mending  of  Carriages,  which  sometimes 
occasion  the  loss  of  rest  on  the  road. 

'  Competition  is,  of  course,  established,  and  the  interest  of 
the  postmasters  obliges  them  to  keep  good  carriages :  there 
are  many  that  for  their  neatness  may  excite  the  envy  of  the 
foreigner.  The  price  of  travelling  is  the  same  throughout 
England,  one  shilling  a  mile  for  horses  and  carriage,  without 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND  351 

reckoning  what  is  given  to  the  postillion ;  this  is  extremely 
cheap,  considering  the  high  price  of  every  article,  and  even  in 
proportion  to  other  Countries ;  at  those  times  when  forage  is 
dear,  a  few  pence  are  added,  but  this  is  never  done  without 
the  concurrence  of  the  principal  postmasters  of  the  Country. 
When  quick  travelling  is  desired,  four  horses  are  provided, 
driven  by  two  postillions,  and  then  travelling  is  performed 
with  a  rapidity  known  only  in  Russia  and  Sweden  in  the 
winter  season. 

'The  Mail  Coaches  also  afford  means  of  travelling  with 
great  celerity  into  all  parts  of  England.  These  are  Berlins, 
firm  and  light,  holding  four  persons ;  they  carry  only  letters, 
and  do  not  take  charge  of  any  luggage.  They  are  drawn  by 
four  horses,  and  driven  by  one  Coachman ;  they  travel  never 
less  than  seven  to  eight  miles  an  hour. 

'  Stage  Coaches  are  very  numerous,  they  are  kept  in  every 
City,  and  even  in  small  towns ;  all  these  Carriages  have  small 
wheels,  and  hold  six  persons,  without  reckoning  the  outside 
passengers.  About  twenty  years  ago  a  carriage  was  invented 
in  the  form  of  a  gondola ;  it  is  long,  and  will  hold  sixteen 
persons,  sitting  face  to  face ;  the  door  is  behind,  and  this  plan 
ought  to  be  generally  adopted,  as  the  only  means  of  escaping 
a  great  danger  when  the  horses  run  away.  What  adds  to  the 
singularity  of  these  carriages  is,  that  they  have  eight  wheels ; 
thus  dividing  equally  the  weight,  they  are  less  liable  to  be 
overturned,  or  cut  up  the  roads  ;  they  are,  besides,  very  low 
and  easy. 

'  When  these  long  coaches  first  appeared  at  Southampton,  a 
City  much  frequented  in  summer  by  the  rich  inhabitants  of 
London,  who  go  there  to  enjoy  sea  bathing,  they  had  (as 
every  new  thing  has)  a  great  run,  so  that  it  was  nearly  im- 
possible to  get  a  place  in  them. 

'  One  of  the  principal  Innkeepers,  jealous  of  this  success,  set 
up  another,  and,  to  obtain  the  preference,  he  reduced  the  fare 
to  half-price,  at  that  time  a  guinea.  In  order  to  defeat  this 
manoeuvre,  the  first  proprietor  made  a  still  greater  reduction, 
so  that,  at  last,  the  receipts  did  not  cover  the  expenses.  But 
the  two  rivals  did  not  stop  here  ;  for  one  of  them  announced 
that  he  would  take  nothing  of  gentlemen  who  might  honour 
him  by  choosing  his  Coach,  but  he  would  beg  them  to  accept 
a  bottle  of  Port  before  their  departure.' 

After  this,  I  think  I  must,  for  a  while,  leave  my  French 
Duke,  and  follow  my  own  Notes,  on  the  road. 


352 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


This  was  a  transition  age.  Sedan  Chairs  were  still  used, 
especially  for  State  occasions.  March  26,  1814:  'The  Queen 
and  Princesses  went  in  Sedan  Chairs  on  Thursday  evening,  in 
the  same  order  as  on  Wednesday  evening,  to  dine  with  the 


THE  MAIL  COACH. 


Prince    Regent   at  Carlton    House/     Nor   is   this   the   only 
example  that  could  be  adduced. 

Then,  as  now,  there  was  among  a  certain  class,  an  ambition 
to  do  something,  if  only  to  drive  a  Coach.     By  the  way  there 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  353 

is  no  ambition  among  ' Noble  Swells'  to  drive  Omnibuses. 
Like  '  Tommy  Onslow/  who  could  not  only  drive  a  Coach  and 
two,  but  a  Coach  and  four,  the  gilded  youths  of  that  time 
sought  a  cheap  renown,  as  do  our  modern  bankers  and  linen- 
drapers,  by  driving  public  coaches  !  !  Chacun  a  son  gout.  As 
Artemus  Ward  said  :  '  It  isn't  my  fort/  but  it  gives  pleasure  to 
somebody  else,  and  nobody  ought  to  grumble  at  it.  It  may 
give  amusement  to  some  noble  lords,  or  otherwise,  to  ape  the 
fashion  of  the  late  James  Selby,  or  some  other  professional 
Jehu,  or  for  a  barber's  Clerk  to  pay  a  trifle  extra  to  sit  on  the 
box  seat  by  the  side  of  My  Lord ;  but,  in  the  old  days  they 
took  things  at  a  better  value,  and  pointed  out  its  folly. 
January  26,  1811:  '  The  education  of  our  youth  of  fashion  is 
improving  daily ;  several  of  them  now  drive  Stage  Coaches  to 
town,  and  open  the  door  of  the  Carriage  for  passengers,  while 
the  Coachman  remains  on  the  box.  They  farm  the  perquisites 
from  the  Coachman  on  the  road,  and  generally  pocket  some- 
thing into  the  bargain.' 

January  30,  1811  :  'The  prominent  figure  cut  by  our  young 
men  of  fashion  on  the  Coach  box  makes  them  a  fit  subject  for 
ridicule  on  any  stage.' 

They  used  to  drive  fast  in  those  days.  '  Mr.  Milton,  the 
Horse-dealer,  has  made  a  match  for  seven  hundred  guineas  to 
drive  four-in-hand,  15  miles  in  48  minutes,  to  start  the  week 
before  the  Epsom  races  commence,  and  to  be  done  within  20 
miles  of  London.  Betting  is  against  the  undertaking.'  One 
more  Newspaper  cutting  re  fast  driving,  and  I  have  done. 
May  16,  1815:  'We  have  been  much  shocked  by  reading  in 
some  papers  accounts  of  the  extraordinary  expedition  of  the 
several  Leeds  Coaches,  occasioned,  we  suppose,  by  opposition 
among  themselves.  One  Coach  boasts  of  having  reached 
Newark  from  London  in  12  hours,  a  distance  of  124-  miles, 
and  which  takes  the  Edinburgh  Mail  17  hours  to  perform. 
Another  is  said  regularly  to  reach  Leeds  from  London  ( 1 94- 
miles)  in  less  than  21  hours  !  This  is  certainly  most  astonish- 
ing velocity,  but  how  great  must  be  the  sufferings  of  the  poor 
horses  thus  unnaturally  urged.' 

Brighton  was  not  only  the  abode  of  the  Regent,  but, 
naturally,  everyone  who  wanted  to  be  somebody,  went  there, 
to  pay  their  Court.  As  we  know  it  now,  it  is  the  promised 
land  of  the  Hebrew,  and  the  delight  of  'Arry  and  'Arriette, 
shrimps,  winkles,  and  the  small  half-quartern  glass  bottle. 
But,  dear  me  !  Brighton  had  fast  Coaches  then,  as  now — when 

23 


354  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


fools  and  professionals  drive  them,  and  are  cheap  heroes ;  and 
they  gloried  in  publishing  the  fact  that  a  horse  could  go 
quicker  than  a  man  !  A  noble  Ambition  !  Put  this  and  that 
of  our  times  together,  and  how  do  we — in  Australian  language 
— '  pan  out '  ?  We,  nationally,  do  not  seem  to  get  wiser  as  we 
get  older. 

Under  date  October  17,  1816,  we  read  :  'A  new  coach  was 
started  by  some  Jews  in  the  Spring  to  run  to  Brighton,  a 
distance  of  52  miles,  in  six  hours,  with  a  pledge,  that  if  they 
did  not  accomplish  the  journey  in  that  time,  they  would  carry 
the  passengers  gratis  ;  to  accomplish  which  the  horses  were 
kept  upon  a  gallop  all  the  way  ;  and,  notwithstanding  this 
great  risk,  the  coach  was  always  filled  with  passengers.  In 
one  of  the  journeys  the  Coachman  broke  three  whips.  In  one 
week  1 5  horses  died/  The  authorities  had,  however,  to  inter- 
fere, as  they  considered  this  speed  both  dangerous  and  cruel. 
On  July  14,  1888,  a  professional  coachman,  named  James 
Selby,  who  had  accepted  a  bet  of  £1,000  that  he  could  not 
drive  from  White  Horse  Cellars,  Piccadilly,  to  Brighton  and 
back  to  the  same  place,  within  eight  hours,  did  it,  and  had 
ten  minutes  to  spare.  In  1818  there  were  thirty-seven 
coaches  which  left  and  returned  to  Brighton  daily. 

There  were  perils  in  travelling  then,  as  now,  only  perhaps 
for  the  percentage  of  travellers,  rather  more  so.  There  were 
highwaymen,  though  they  were  getting  somewhat  scarce. 
But  the  wheels  came  off,  horses  kicked  over  the  traces,  reins 
broke ;  and  there  are  a  thousand  and  one  little  accidents 
arising  from  man's  subjugation  of  the  horse,  which  are  almost 
inseparable  from  their  mutual  positions  ;  but  we  hardly  expect 
to  hear  that  on  October  27th,  1812,  one  of  the  Hampstead 
stages  got  blown  over  by  the  wind.  We  have  already  heard 
that  passengers  were  occasionally  frozen  to  death  outside  a 
Coach.  But  there  is  one  peril  one  would  scarcely  have  dis- 
counted. In  Railway  travelling,  if  a  cow  gets  on  the  line^ 
and  tilts  with  dire  onslaught  at  the  train,  Stephenson's  grim 
speech,  '  So  much  the  worse  for  the  Coo,'  is  verified  ;  but 
when  a  lioness  breaks  loose,  and  attacks  the  horses  of  a  Stage 
Coach,  it  strikes  me  that  the  '  Coo  '  is  the  passenger  thereby. 

This  was  a  little  item  of  news  which  enlivened  the  good 
folks  of  1816,  for  on  October  20th  of  that  year  the  Exeter 
Mail  Coach,  on  its  way  to  London,  was  attacked,  at  Winterslow- 
hut,  seven  miles  from  Salisbury,  by  a  lioness  who  had  escaped 
from  a  passing  menagerie ;  she  sprang  at  one  of  the  leaders,. 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  355 

and  for  some  time  things  were  rather  mixed.  Two  inside 
passengers  hurriedly  got  out,  rushed  into  a  house  close  by, 
and  locked  themselves  in.  The  driver  wanted  to  get  down 
and  emulate  the  old  Roman  gladiatorial  feats,  by  attacking 
the  lioness  with  his  pocket-knife,  but  the  wiser  counsels  of  his 
Guard  restrained  him.  Then  appeared  a  Deus  ex  Machina,  in 
the  shape  of  a  large  Mastiff  dog,  who  '  went  for '  Madame  la 
Lionne,  and  made  her  retreat,  her  keepers  afterwards  captur- 
ing her.  I  believe  the  horse  attacked  afterwards  died.  But 
the  incident,  although  ending  fairly  happily,  created  a  great 
sensation  at  the  time. 

Among  the  minor  scenes  of  the  road,  with  which  people 
were  then  familiar,  were  little  carts  drawn  by  dogs,  as  are  the 
milk  carts  at  Brussels  at  this  day.  I  even  recollect  them,  and 
their  being  put  down.  There  is  no  doubt  but  it  was  in  the 
power  of  a  Costermonger  (for  they  even  existed  in  those  days) 
to  overload  and  ill  treat  his  dog;  but  I  believe  the  same 
liberty  is  even  now  accorded  to  him  with  respect  to  his  donkey. 

Apropos  of  these  useful  animals,  my  readers  may  not  be 
aware  of  a  highly  important  historical  fact,  which  my  re- 
searches have  unearthed.  'August  21,  1817:  Donkey-riding 
is  introduced  on  Hampstead  Heath,  and  the  Ladies  of  the 
neighbourhood,  notwithstanding  the  vicinity  of  the  Metropolis, 
enjoy  the  mode  of  taking  the  air  without  interruption.  About 
a  dozen  donkeys  stand  for  hire  on  the  Heath  every  morning, 
most  of  them  with  side-saddles.  There  are  also  donkey  carts, 
and  whiskies  with  ponies.' 

From  the  Road  to  the  Streets,  and  from  the  Streets  to  the 
Houses,  are  only  graceful  and  legitimate  transitions,  and  here 
we  can  again  learn  something  from  the  Due  de  Levis,  by 
using  his  eyes,  and  he  thus  writes  of  the  general  aspect  of 
London,  as  he  saw,  and  judged  it.  It  may  not  be  nattering 
to  us,  but  we  must  remember,  that  in  the  Georgian  era, 
especially  in  the  long  reign  of  George  III.,  domestic  archi- 
tecture had  reached  its  lowest  depth.  Mean  frontages  to 
houses,  oblong  windows,  small  panes  of  bad  glass  ;  no  sanitary 
arrangements  to  speak  of;  a  bath  almost  unknown ;  it  was  a 
time  of  the  dullest  mediocrity.  It  has  been  reserved  to  the 
last  twenty-five  years  of  our  time  to  make  things  architectural 
more  truly  beautiful,  and  to  restore,  with  some  degree  of 
knowledge,  the  legacies  which  our  veritable  art-loving  an- 
cestors left  to  our  care. 

M.  le  Due  says,  '  At  length  arrived  in  London,  I  should  like 

23—2 


356  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

to  be  able  to  give  an  idea  of  this  immense  city,  by  comparing 
it  with  other  great  capitals,  a  method  which  I  prefer  to  all 
others  ;  on  this  occasion,  unfortunately  it  is  not.  In  vain 
have  we  visited  Paris,  Vienna,  Rome,  Venice.  Should  you 
have  even  been  at  St.  Petersburg  or  Moscow,  none  of  these 
cities  can  give  you  a  just  idea  of  the  English  Capital.  The 
greater  part  of  large  cities  offer  a  collection  of  irregular  hotels, 
palaces,  and  buildings ;  others,  like  Turin,  are  distinguished 
by  long  arcades.  Amsterdam,  Dantzic,  contain  a  multitude 
of  Canals  ;  but  nothing  of  all  this  resembles  London.  I  must 
therefore  have  recourse  to  a  particular  description  of  it. 

'  First  of  all,  represent  to  yourself  wide  streets  running  in 
a  straight  line,  with  good  foot-paths  ;  iron  rails,  upwards  of 
five  feet  in  height,  are  placed  the  whole  length,  which 
separate  the  houses  from  the  footway,  by  an  area,  narrow,  and 
of  little  depth,  which  lights  the  under  stories ;  there  are  the 
kitchens,  and  the  offices ;  a  flight  of  steps  serves  at  the  same 
time  for  a  communication  out  of  doors.  Over  this  kind  of 
under  storey  is  the  ground  floor,  then  the  first  and  the  second 
floor,  but  seldom  a  third,  and  never  an  elevated  roof ;  neither 
is  there  any  architectural  decoration. 

'But  every  house,  which  has  seldom  more  than  three 
windows  in  front,  has  the  door  ornamented  with  two  wooden 
pillars,  painted  white,  surmounted  by  a  heavy  pediment ;  a 
small  glass  window  gives  light  to  the  passage  ;  in  the  front  is 
the  dining  parlour ;  underneath  a  room,  almost  dark,  because 
it  looks  only  into  a  small  opening,  a  few  feet  wide,  which  does 
not  deserve  the  name  of  a  court-yard.  The  staircase  is  some- 
times of  stone,  but  mostly  of  wood,  and  always  covered  with 
a  Carpet. 

'  The  first  storey  contains  the  drawing-room,  and  a  tolerably 
large  closet  behind,  where  sometimes  a  bed  is  placed,  but  the 
proper  bed-chambers  are  in  the  second  floor.  Under  the  roof 
are  garrets  for  the  servants.  The  furniture  agrees  with  the 
simplicity  of  the  building ;  it  is  much  the  same  among  all  the 
opulent  classes.  The  mantelpieces  are  usually  of  wood  ;  no 
time-pieces ;  vases,  candelabras,  brackets,  bronzes,  are  hardly 
known  ;  and  of  all  the  arts,  gilding  is  the  least  advanced. 
The  only  thing  which  shines  is  the  Grate,  in  which  Sea  coal 
is  used  ;  the  front  is  polished  steel,  and  kept  extremely 
bright ;  the  tables,  and  the  rest  of  the  furniture  being 
mahogany,  take  a  fine  polish.  The  paper-hangings  are  of  an 
insipid  colour,  and  insignificant  design  ;  the  dining  parlour  and 
the  halls  are  painted  in  fresco,  mostly  of  a  pale  blue  colour. 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  357 

'The  bed-chambers  are  still  more  plainly  furnished  than 
the  drawing-room  ;  true  it  is  that  they  are  made  use  of  only 
for  sleeping  in,  as  they  never  use  them  for  sitting-rooms  ;  and 
the  bed-chambers  of  the  women  are  as  inaccessible  to  the  men 
as  the  Harems  of  the  East.  The  beds  are  of  white  dimity  or 
calico,  with  mahogany  posts  ;  and  their  form  is  simple,  and 
does  not  vary.  The  beds,  in  the  best  houses,  are  but  in- 
different, especially  the  feather  beds,  which  they  usually  cover 
with  a  blanket,  and  which,  being  placed  immediately  under 
the  sheet,  is  not  agreeable  to  foreigners,  particularly  in  the 
summer  season.  The  boudoir  is  unknown  in  England.  This 
is,  however,  the  manner  of  living  even  among  the  most 
wealthy.  The  progress  of  luxury  has  only  lately  induced 
them  to  adopt  chimney-pieces  of  marble,  and  mirrors  have 
become  more  frequent 

1  It  is  impossible  to  invent  anything  better  adapted  for 
walking  the  streets  of  a  great  city  than  the  footpaths  of 
London ;  too  seldom  imitated  elsewhere,  and  always  im- 
perfectly. They  are  paved  with  broad  flag-stones,  brought 
more  than  a  hundred  miles,  and  with  a  magnificence  that 
reminds  us  of  antiquity.  If  the  whole  were  put  together, 
they  would  cover  the  space  of  several  square  miles.  They  are 
so  even,  that  you  walk  without  fatigue  ;  and  we  endeavour  to 
forget  the  rough  and  slippery  pavement  on  the  Continent. 
These  footpaths  are  kept  constantly  swept,  and  free  from  dust 
and  dirt ;  and,  as  they  are  on  a  gentle  slope,  the  wind  and 
the  sun  soon  dry  them. 

'  Neither  is  here  experienced  the  inconvenience  of  gutters, 
which,  elsewhere,  inundate  passengers  ;  and  in  storms,  heavy 
rains,  and  floods,  stop  the  way.  The  English  have  an 
ingenious  method  of  getting  rid  of  these  rainy  torrents  ;  their 
roofs  are  almost  flat,  and  the  front  wall,  rising  above  the 
upper  floor,  forms  a  double  slope  like  our  terraces.  The 
waters,  being  thus  collected,  descend  by  a  spout  into  the 
drains,  and  are  lost  in  the  great  common  sewer  under  the 
middle  of  the  streets.  Sometimes  they  are  led  into  cisterns. 
It  is  not  that  London  is  destitute  of  this  precious  element ;  a 
small  river,  brought  at  an  immense  expense,  from  a  great 
distance ;  and  immense  engines,  worked  by  the  Thames, 
distribute  the  water  in  all  quarters. 

'  Sea  coal,  whose  black  dust  attaches  so  easily  to  furniture 
and  clothes,  is  kept  in  cellars  under  the  footway.  In  a  word, 
Stables,  and,  with  them,  dunghills,  with  the  smells  inseparable 


358  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

from  them,  occupy  back  streets,  and  have  no  communication 
with  the  inhabited  houses.  The  lamps  are  placed  on  both 
sides  of  the  street,  upon  posts  a  little  elevated  ;  they  are  very 
numerous,  and  are  always  lighted  before  sunset 

'  They  have  even  gone  so  far  as  to  pave,  with  flat  stones, 
those  places  where  you  cross  the  street,  to  make  an  easier 
communication  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  these  paths 
are  swept.  Carriages  are  not  driven  at  a  dangerous  pace  in 
the  interior  of  the  city  ;  lighter  equipages  go  the  same  pace  as 
the  humblest  coach.  The  horses — so  swift  on  the  road,  that 
they  seem  to  fly  rather  than  run — forgetting  their  rapid  pace, 
only  go  a  gentle  trot ;  and  we  never  see  Coachmen  endeavour- 
ing to  pass  by  and  break  the  line  at  the  peril  of  the  passenger.' 

If  I  want  to  give  a  living  touch  to  this  book,  I  must  still 
quote,  because,  to  be  honest,  I  must  do  it.  Others  assimilate 
bodily,  or  paraphrase  facts  :  then,  they  are  '  men  of  genius,' 
and  they  call  me,  in  reviews,  'a.  mere  compiler/  Granted; 
I  take  the  latter  as  a  compliment,  for  I  give  the  very  living 
age,  and  sink  myself;  because  the  quotations  are  better  than 
can  now  be  written — they  are  of  the  time.  We  have  novels — 
we  have  plays — mostly  imaginative,  because  of  the  ignorance 
of  the  writer  ;  but  an  5honest  historian  ought  only  to  give  the 
history  of  the  times  as  he  has  found  it,  and,  to  any  one  who 
has  conscientiously  worked,  the  crass  ignorance,  and  super- 
ficial knowledge,  of  the  present  time  is  stupendous. 

The  suburbs  of  London  were  still  being  built,  and  it  is 
pleasant  to  read  an  outside  criticism  upon  them. 

'  Scarcely  a  year  passes  without  hundreds  of  houses  being 
built ;  and  even  thousands,  on  the  North  East  side  of  London  ; 
the  most  healthy  part  of  the  City,  on  account  of  its  elevation  : 
besides,  the  parks  hinder  any  increase  on  the  west.  Many  of 
the  new  houses  are  inhabited  by  bankers,  and  rich  merchants, 
who  establish  themselves  there,  with  their  families ;  they, 
however,  keep  their  counting  houses  in  the  city,  where  they 
transact  business  till  Change-time.  These  daily  journeys  (for 
the  distance  is  sometimes  several  miles)  would  appear  insup- 
portable in  any  other  country  ;  but  it  agrees  very  well  with 
the  active  habits  so  common  to  all  classes  of  the  English 
nation.  Besides,  the  women,  who  possess,  here,  more  influence 
than  is  generally  imagined,  and  who  are  as  much  afraid  of 
damps  as  they  dislike  noise  and  dirt,  persuade  their  husbands 
to  keep  these  separate  establishments,  as  soon  as  their  circum- 
stances will  permit. 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  359 

'  The  shops  are  regularly  distributed  in  all  parts  of  London, 
yet  without  being  anywhere  en  masse,  as  they  are  at  Peters- 
burg, and  at  Moscow.  The  finest  are  in  the  environs  of 
St.  James's,  because  it  is  here  that  the  most  money  is  spent. 
The  English  are  unrivalled  in  the  art  of  displaying  their  goods 
to  the  greatest  advantage  ;  they  dispose  their  various  kinds  of 
merchandise  with  the  most  fascinating  effect ;  and,  even,  with 
an  elegance  quite  uncommon  ;  they  thus  find  means  to  give 
them  an  appearance  far  beyond  their  value.  .  .  .  The  English 
ladies  often  tax  the  patience  of  shopkeepers  by  making  them 
take  down  a  multitude  of  goods,  without  even  intending  to 
buy  anything.  Without  being  obsequious,  these  tradesmen 
are  civilly  officious,  and  an  air  of  urbanity  is  visible  in  their 
manners.  One  might  suppose,  from  their  grave  and  serious 
deportment,  that  they  had  determined  to  abate  nothing  from 
the  price  demanded.  They  are,  however,  like  their  fellows 
in  other  countries :  it  is,  therefore,  necessary  to  bargain  with 
them. 

'  Foreigners  act  very  imprudently  when  they  speak  French 
to  each  other  in  shops.  There  are,  perhaps,  ten  thousand 
shops  in  London,  where  the  French  language  is  understood ; 
and  this  number  increases  daily.  This  is  not  suspected. 
Instead  of  the  officious  eagerness,  always  blended  with  vanity, 
with  which  the  people  of  the  south  of  Europe  begin  to  speak 
a  foreign  language,  as  soon  as  they  know  a  few  words  of  it ; 
English  sensibility  is  afraid  of  committing  itself,  in  the  use  of 
a  language  which  is  not  their  own :  necessity  only  forces  it 
upon  them.  It  is  as  much  owing  to  the  curiosity  continually 
excited  by  the  novelties  of  these  shops,  which,  each  in  their 
way,  are  taking  to  the  eye,  as  well  as  to  the  conveniences 
afforded  by  the  foot-paths,  that  we  are  to  attribute  the  prefer- 
ence given  by  the  idlers  of  London  to  certain  streets,  instead 
of  the  public  walks  and  parks. 

'  That  which  has  been  the  most  fashionable,  for  a  long  time, 
is  called  Bond  Street,  and  communicates  with  St.  James's 
Street  and  Pall  Mall,  by  Piccadilly  on  one  side  ;  and  Oxford 
Street  on  the  other.  When  the  weather  is  fine,  it  is  the 
rendezvous  of  good  company  ;  thus,  in  novels,  and  in  plays, 
coxcombs  are  all  called  Bond  Street  Loungers.  This  latter 
appellation  comes  from  the  pastrycooks'  shops,  where  they 
find  means  to  wait  with  some  patience  for  dinner ;  by  taking 
some  slight  refreshment,  which  the  English  call  a  lunch. 
This  happens  between  one  and  two  o'clock.  These  shops  are 


360  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


always  supplied  with  a  great  variety  of  pastry,  in  which 
currants  are  most  used.  The  refreshments  consist  of  lemonade, 
or  orgeat ;  and,  in  summer,  very  inferior  ices.  At  other  shops 
forced  fruit  is  sold  at  a  high  price. 

'The  public  squares  are  almost  all  regularly  built;  their 
form  is  oblong,  from  whence  they  take  their  name  (?).  The 
centre  of  the  greater  part  of  the  squares  is  laid  down  in  grass, 
planted  with  shrubs,  and  divided  by  gravel  walks ;  these 
grounds  are  surrounded  by  iron  rails,  like  the  Palais  Royal 
at  Paris ;  they  are  always  kept  shut.  The  neighbouring 
houses  only,  have  keys,  which  they  make  use  of  for  an  airing 
for  children  and  sick  persons/ 

Speaking  of  St.  James's  Park  he  says  that  '  In  the  centre  is 
a  meadow,  with  cattle  grazing,  watered  by  a  canal,  and  sur- 
rounded with  wooden  rails.'  The  Green  Park  he  dismisses 
in  a  few  words,  and  of  Hyde  Park  he  says  that  it  is  '  the 
general  rendezvous  of  all  classes,  who  parade  here  in  great 
numbers,  on  foot,  on  horseback,  and  in  carriages.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  sometimes  a  hundred  thousand  persons  assemble 
there.  This  assertion  seems,  at  first,  spoken  at  random ;  but 
it  is  grounded  on  probability,  and  even  on  calculation.' 

Then,  after  treating  of  Kensington  Gardens,  he  says  : 
'  There  are  no  other  gardens  in  London  that  deserve  notice, 
except  those  at  Buckingham  House,  the  usual  residence  of  the 
Queen  ;  and  a  few,  attached  to  the  houses  of  the  great. 
There  are  two  or  three  other  gardens  in  the  City,  the  access 
to  which  is  not  difficult,  belonging  to  public  bodies,  but  they 
are  neither  large  nor  pleasant :  besides,  the  streets  are  so 
convenient  and  straight,  that  this  deficiency  is  less  felt  than 
elsewhere.  In  the  suburbs,  on  every  side,  are  numerous  tea 
gardens,  where  tea  and  other  refreshments  are  provided. 
Here  bowls  are  played  on  a  green  as  level  as  a  billiard  table  ; 
indeed  they  are  called  bowling-greens ;  from  whence  we  get 
our  word  boulingrin.  These  public  places  are  frequented  by 
citizens,  and  their  families,  on  Sundays ;  the  tranquillity,  and 
decency,  which  is  observed  at  these  places  is  surprising  to 
foreigners,  who  recollect  the  turbulent  gaiety  of  the  Ginguettes 
of  Paris,  and  other  capitals  of  Europe.'  I  may  be  wrong,  but, 
personally,  I  lament  over  the  loss  of  the  London  '  Tea  Gardens ' : 
they  were  places  of  innocent  enjoyment,  and  their  popularity 
may  be  estimated,  by  this  generation,  by  the  open-air  gather- 
ings at  the  various  exhibitions  at  South  Kensington. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

London    improvements — The  Country — Gleaning — Dairying   and 
out-door  Washing — The  Gipsy. 

IN  writing  a  book  like  this,  it  is  manifestly  impossible  to  give 
an  account  of  all  the  public  works  and  improvements  all  over 
the  country — perforce,  they  must  needs  be  confined  to  the 
national  heart — the  Metropolis.  And  we,  who  have  reaped 
the  benefit  of  the  large-hearted,  and  open-handed  policy 
which  was  then  just  being  inaugurated,  may  just  as  well  be 
reminded  of  what  our  grandfathers  did  for  us. 

In  January,  1811,  the  New  Kent  Road  was  suggested,  and 
afterwards  carried  out,  which  was  the  means  of  purifying  a 
not  particularly  savoury  neighbourhood,  called  St.  George's 
Fields.  In  the  same  year,  was  a  proposition  to  convert  certain 
dairy  farm  lands  at  Mary  le  bone,  into  a  park  for  public 
recreation.  We  now  reap  the  benefit  of  it  in  Regent's  Park, 
or,  as  it  was  first  named,  Mary  le  bone  Park.  The  first  stone 
of  the  Strand  Bridge,  '  Waterloo  Bridge/  as  it  was  afterwards 
called,  was  laid  in  this  year.  Perhaps  the  first  cast-iron  bridge 
ever  built  was,  in  this  year,  an  aqueduct  over  the  Ouse,  at 
Wolverton. 

In  1812  the  Regent's  Canal  was  commenced,  and  the  first 
stone  of  Plymouth  Breakwater  was  laid.  Vauxhall  Bridge 
was  also  begun.  Millbank  Prison  was  also  started  this  year, 
and  in  1813  Whitecross  Street  Prison  was  commenced.  Both 
these  have  ended  their  existence.  To  show  how  far  in  advance 
of  their  times  they  were,  there  was  a  proposition  in  1814  to 
remove  Smithfield  Market  to  Islington,  which  has  come  to 
pass.  In  1815,  when  Napoleon  was  supposed  to  be  chained 
at  Elba,  home  affairs  again  attracted  attention,  and  we  find 
Burlington  Arcade  in  contemplation,  Bethlehem  Hospital,  as 
we  now  know  it,  opened,  and  the  first  stones  of  Southwark 


362  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

Bridge  and  the  London  Institution  were  laid.     So,  also,  the 
Post  Office  in  Aldersgate  Street  was  inaugurated. 

In  1816  Regent  Street  was  being  built,  and  'Mr.  Nash's 
Positive  Order '  was  duly  discussed,  and,  I  am  afraid,  a  wee  bit 
ridiculed. 

*  Nash  draws  designs  ;  but,  honest  Master  Nash, 
Tho'  you  may  draw — who  answers  with  the  cash  ?' 

Perhaps  it  might  have  been  that  he  was  architect  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  was  thought  very  much  of  by  the  Regent. 

'  Master  Nasb,  Master  Nash, 

You  merit  the  lash, 
For  debauching  the  taste  of  our  Heir  to  the  Throne, 

Then  cross  not  the  Seas, 

To  rob  the  Chinese, 
But  learn  to  grow  wise  from  Vitruvius  and  Soane.' 

We,  who  are  accustomed  to  our  modern  London,  will  read, 
almost  with  astonishment,  that  in  October,  1816, '  It  is  said  that 
Oxford  Road  is  to  be  continued  as  far  as  Bayswater  Brook, 
which,  when  completed,  will  make  the  longest  street  in  Europe. 
When  the  New  Post  Office  is  finished,  the  Western  Mails  are 
to  go  out  direct,  along  Holborn,  instead  of  through  the  narrow 
streets,  Charing  Cross,  Piccadilly,  &c. ;  and  it  is  said  that  a 
short  cut  is  to  be  made  into  the  other  western  road,  angular 
from  Shepherd's  Bush  to  Hammersmith,  which,  certainly, 
would  save  a  mile  of  ground/  This '  Bayswater  brook '  was  that 
which  now  feeds  the  Serpentine,  running  from  Hampstead, 
by  Kilburn,  and  entering  Hyde  Park  at  its  Northern  part. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  1817,  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of 
Waterloo,  the  new  Bridge  over  the  Thames,  previously  called 
the  Strand  Bridge,  was  opened  as  Waterloo  Bridge,  which 
name  it  now  bears.  In  this  year  there  is  a  little  bit  of  gossip 
anent  Marlborough  House  which  may  be  interesting  to  some 
readers,  especially  as  its  use  was  foreshadowed  :  '  The  tenure 
of  the  magnificent  house  near  St.  James's  Palace,  which  was 
granted  to  the  first  Duke  of  Marlborough,  about  a  hundred 
years  ago,  expired,  it  is  said,  with  the  death  of  the  last  Duke ; 
and  now  reverts  to  the  Crown.  This  was  the  house  in  which 
Queen  Anne  resided  before  she  ascended  the  throne,  and  it 
has  been  observed,  that  it  would  scarcely  be  possible  to  find  a 
town  mansion  more  suitable  to  the  Heiress  of  the  British 
Throne.' 

In  1818,  Regent  Street  was  still  being  built,  and  we  also 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


363 


learn — '  Dec.  7.  The  new  street  from  Carlton  House  to  the 
Regent's  Park  is  making  rapid  strides  to  its  completion,  almost 
the  whole  of  the  ground  on  the  intended  line  of  it,  being  now 
let.  The  part  of  it  which  forms  a  square,  in  front  of  Carlton 
House,  is  called  "Waterloo  Place";  from  thence  to  Piccadilly, 
it  is  called  Waterloo  Street,  and,  from  Piccadilly,  the  street, 
which  will  form  a  grand  approach  to  the  Regent's  Park,  is  to 
be  called  the  Regent's  Parade/ 

On  the  20th  of  March,  1819,  Burlington  Arcade  was  opened, 
and  on  the  24th  of  March,  Southwark  Bridge  followed  suit. 
On  the  10th  of  August  the  first  stone  of  Telford's  bridge 
across  the  Menai  Straits  was  laid :  and  in  November  the 
arrangements  for  rebuilding  Buckingham  Palace  were  com- 


pleted, Carlton  House  being  too  small  for  <  George  the  Mag- 
nificent.' 

In  the  Country,  things  were  somewhat  primitive,  to  our 
thinking,  see,  for  instance,  this  heavy  cumbrous  plough  drawn 
by  four  long-legged  hairy-hocked  horses,  with  their  fringed 
leather  yokes,  attached  to  the  hames  (which,  by  the  way  were 
very  useful,  as  they  let  down,  backward,  in  wet  weather,  and 
protected  the  horse's  withers). 

There  were  no  drilling  machines,  so  wheat,  and  other  crops 
had  to  be  sown  broadcast,  an  operation  which  required  a 
peculiar,  and  deft  turn  of  the  hand,  and,  as  thrashing  machines 
were  only  just  being  dreamed  of  (a  few  having  been  made), 
we  see  the  old  flail  at  work. 

The  agricultural  labourer  did  not  receive  so  much  nominal 
pay  as  now,  but  he  had  much  more  in  kind,  and  was  strong 
and  healthy,  although  dressed  in  a  more  homely  fashion  than 


364 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


at  present.  In  those  days  a  man  was  not  ashamed  of  showing 
himself  to  be  what  he  was,  a  farm  labourer,  and  he  wore  that 
most  seemly  of  garments,  now  dying  out  fast— a  smock  frock — 
good  home-made  stockings,  and  strong  ankle  jacks. 

In  those  days,  it  was  like  the  times  of  Boaz  and  Ruth,  and 
women  went  gleaning  in  the  fields :  a  sight  we  seldom  see 
now,  in  these  days  of  machinery,  when  the  plough  follows 
swiftly  after  the  reaping  machine.  The  practice  of  gleaning 


SOWING  BROADCAST. 


USING  THE   FLAIL. 


was  a  kindly  privilege  granted  by  the  farmer  to  his  labourers' 
wives  and  children,  and  to  the  poor  women  of  the  parish ;  one 
which  he  had  no  need  to  give,  but  had  been  so  practised  from 
early  ages,  that  it  was  looked  upon  as  a  right,  and  consequently 
abused:  see  the  following:  'Oct.  18,  1813.  At  the  Notting- 
ham County  Sessions,  William  Pearson  and  John  Sprey  were 
convicted  of  felony,  in  stealing  wheat  in  the  ear,  from  shocks 
standing  in  the  field,  and  sentenced  to  fourteen  days'  im- 


THE   FARM    LABOURER. 


366  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

prisonment,  in  the  county  gaol.  The  Chairman  told  them 
the  Court  would  not  have  been  so  lenient,  but  for  their  youth, 
and  having  been  already  Jive  weeks*  in  prison.  He  remarked, 
"  that  this  species  of  depredation  was  become  so  prevalent,  as 
to  be  loudly,  and  justly,  complained  of.  He  wished  it,  there- 
fore, to  be  understood,  that  no  person  has  a  right  to  enter  the 
field  of  another,  for  the  purposes  of  gleaning,  without  the 
owner's  permission." ' 


GLEANERS. 

Old  phases  of  English  country  life  are  dying  out  very  fast, 
and  it  is  as  well  that  some  one  should  record  them,  and  that 
needs  both  pen  and  pencil.  Take,  for  instance,  the  pictures 
of  dairying.  In  these  days  of  cheese  factories  and  thermo- 
meters versus  dairymaids'  thumbs,  these  rough  out-door  dairy 

*  Italics  are  mine. — J.  A. 


DAIRY   FOLK. 


WASHING  CLOTHES. 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  369 

arrangements,  although  they  do  exist,  are  not  particularly 
scientific,  and  do  not  yield  the  most  paying  results. 

Even  now  may  be  seen  in  some  parts  of  Scotland,  and, 

possibly,  of  Wales,  the  '  Clapping  of  claes  in  the  burn ' a 

process  of  destruction  to  the  linen  which  may  be,  perhaps,  on 
a  par  with  the  chemicals  of  a  London  laundress. 

Take  another  type,  fast  dying  out,  absolutely  gone  in 
London,  the  mounted  butcher  boy,  who  had  but  one  stirrup, 
and  who  used  always  to  ride  at  racing  pace  :  here,  overleaf, 
we  have  him  perfect ;  his  peculiar  saddle,  and  the  way  his 
tray  was  strapped  on. 

Then  there  is  a  race  of  people  rapidly  dying  out — the 
gipsies ;  it  is  impossible  they  can  exist  much  longer,  in  their 
old  nomadic  life,  and  the  Lees,  Coopers,  &c.,  will  be  quietly 
absorbed  into  the  general  population.  County  police  and 
school  boards  are  bound  to  improve  them  out  of  the  land. 

But  at  the  time  of  which  I  write  Addison's  description*  of 
them  would  answer  very  well.  '  If  a  stray  piece  of  linen 
hangs  upon  a  hedge/  says  Sir  Roger,  '  they  are  sure  to  have 
it ;  if  a  hog  loses  his  way  in  the  fields,  it  is  ten  to  one  but  he 
becomes  their  prey ;  our  geese  cannot  live  in  peace  for  them  ; 
if  a  man  prosecutes  them  with  severity,  his  hen  roost  is  sure 
to  pay  for  it.  They  generally  straggle  into  these  parts  about 
this  time  of  the  year  ;  and  set  the  heads  of  our  servant  maids 
so  agog  for  husbands,  that  we  do  not  expect  to  have  any 
business  done  as  it  should  be  whilst  they  are  in  the  Country. 
I  have  an  honest  dairymaid  who  crosses  their  hands  with  a 
piece  of  silver  every  summer,  and  never  fails  being  promised 
the  handsomest  young  fellow  in  the  parish  for  her  pains. 
Your  friend  the  butler  has  been  fool  enough  to  be  seduced  by 
them  ;  and,  though  he  is  sure  to  lose  a  knife,  a  fork,  or  a 
spoon  every  time  his  fortune  is  told  him,  generally  shuts 
himself  up  in  the  pantry  with  an  old  gipsy  for  above  half  an 
hour  once  in  a  twelvemonth.  Sweethearts  are  the  things 
they  live  upon,  which  they  bestow  very  plentifully  upon  all 
those  that  apply  themselves  to  them.  You  see  now  and  then 
some  handsome  young  jades  among  them ;  the  sluts  have  very 
often  white  teeth  and  black  eyes.' 

There  are  one  or  two  stories  told  of  gipsies  about  the  time 
of  the  Regency,  which  will  show  what  manner  of  men  they 
then  were.  'May  17,  1815.  The  Hereford  Journal  of  last 
week  states,  that  early  in  March,  a  gang  of  gipsies  pitched 

*  Spectator,  No.  130. 

24 


MOUNTED  BUTCHER  BOY. 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


371 


their  tent  on  a  waste  piece  of  ground  in  the  parish  of  Stretton 
Sugwas  in  Herefordshire,  and  an  old  woman,  one  of  the  party, 
persuaded  a  man  of  the  name  of  Gritton,  that  an  immense 
quantity  of  gold  coin  lay  concealed  on  the  premises  he 
occupied,  and  that  it  was  necessary  that  a  large  sum  of  money 
should  be  made  into  a  parcel,  and,  after  being  endowed  with 
a  charm,  it  was  to  be  sewed  into  the  side-pocket  of  his  coat, 
and  the  more  money  the  parcel  contained,  the  more  consider- 
able would  be  the  treasure  he  should  find.  A  sum  of  £70  in 
gold,  bills,  and  silver,  was,  accordingly,  made  up  in  a  parcel, 


THE   GIPSIES. 

and,  after  some  preparations,  sewed  by  the  Sybil  into  the 
pocket  of  Gritton's  coat,  where  it  was  to  remain  nine  days  ; 
at  the  end  of  which  time  she  promised  to  return,  and  a  coffer 
of  guineas  was  to  arise  from  the  ground.  When  the  day 
arrived,  she,  of  course,  did  not  make  her  appearance,  and,  on 
his  opening  the  parcel  she  had  sewn  up,  he  discovered  that 
the  witch  had  managed  to  turn  gold,  silver,  and  bills  into 
halfpence,  stones,  and  waste  paper  ;  leaving  them  in  exchange 
for  his  cash,  and  as  a  reward  for  his  folly.' 

'  July  18,  1816.      The  Gipsies. — Of  late  years  some  attempts 
have  been  made  to  reduce  the  numbers,  or  at  any  rate  to 

24—2 


372  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

civilize  the  habits,  of  that  vagabond  and  useless  race,  the 
gipsies.  In  pursuance  of  such  purpose,  a  society  of  gentle- 
men have  been  making  all  the  preliminary  inquiries  requisite 
to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  subject.  A  series  of  questions 
have  been  proposed  to  competent  persons  in  the  different 
counties  in  England  and  Scotland.  Reports  in  answer  to 
these  questions  have  been  received,  and  their  contents  are 
thus  briefly  stated. 

'  1.  All  Gipsies  supposed  the  first  of  them  came  from  Egypt. 

'  2.  They  cannot  form  any  idea  of  the  number  in  England. 

'  3.  The  Gipsies  of  Bedfordshire,  Hertfordshire,  parts  of 
Buckinghamshire,  Cambridge,  and  Huntingdonshire,  are 
continually  making  revolutions  within  the  range  of  those 
counties. 

'  4.  They  are  either  ignorant  of  the  number  of  Gipsies  in 
the  counties  through  which  they  travel,  or  unwilling  to  dis- 
close their  knowledge. 

'  5.  The  most  common  names  are  Smith,  Cowper,  Draper, 
Bosswell,  Lovell,  Loversedge,  Allen,  Mansfield,  Glover, 
Williams,  Carew,  Martin,  Stanley,  Buckley,  Plunkett,  and 
Corrie. 

'  6  and  7.  The  gangs  in  different  towns  have  not  any  regular 
connection  or  organization ;  but  those  who  take  up  their 
winter  quarters  in  the  same  city  or  town,  appear  to  have  some 
knowledge  of  the  different  routes  each  horde  will  pursue ; 
probably  with  a  design  to  prevent  interference. 

'  8.  In  the  county  of  Herts  it  is  computed  there  may  be 
sixty  families,  having  many  Children.  Whether  they  are 
quite  so  numerous  in  Buckinghamshire,  Bedfordshire,  and 
Northamptonshire,  the  answers  are  not  sufficiently  definite  to 
determine.  In  Cambridgeshire,  Oxfordshire,  Warwickshire, 
Wiltshire,  and  Dorsetshire,  great  numbers  are  calculated  upon. 
In  various  counties,  the  attention  has  not  been  competent  to 
the  procuring  data  for  any  estimate  of  families  or  individuals. 

'  9-  More  than  half  their  number  follow  no  business  ;  others 
are  dealers  in  horses  and  asses ;  farriers,  smiths,  tinkers, 
braziers,  grinders  of  cutlery,  basket-makers,  chair-bottomers, 
and  musicians. 

'  10.  Children  are  brought  up  in  the  habits  of  their  parents, 
particularly  to  music  and  dancing,  and  are  of  dissolute 
conduct. 

'11.  The  Women  mostly  carry  baskets  with  trinkets  and 
small  wares ;  and  tell  fortunes. 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  373 

'  12.  Too  ignorant  to  have  acquired  accounts  of  genealogy, 
and,  perhaps,  indisposed  to  it  by  the  irregularity  of  their 
habits. 

'13.  In  most  counties  there  are  particular  situations  to 
which  they  are  partial.  In  Berkshire  is  a  marsh,  near 
Newbury,  much  frequented  by  them ;  and  Dr.  Clarke  states, 
that  in  Cambridgeshire,  their  principal  rendezvous  is  near  the 
western  villages. 

'14.  It  cannot  be  ascertained,  whether,  from  their  first 
coming  into  the  nation,  attachment  to  particular  places  has 
prevailed. 

'15,  16,  and  17.  When  among  strangers  they  elude 
inquiries  respecting  their  peculiar  language,  calling  it  gib- 
berish. Don't  know  of  any  person  that  can  write  it,  or  of  any 
written  specimen  of  it. 

'  18.  Their  habits  and  customs  in  all  places  are  peculiar. 

'  19.  Those  who  profess  any  religion  represent  it  to  be  that 
of  the  Country  in  which  they  reside  ;  but  their  description  of 
it  seldom  goes  beyond  repeating  the  Lord's  prayer  ;  and,  only 
few  of  them  are  capable  of  that.  Instances  of  their  attending 
any  place  for  worship  are  very  rare. 

'  20.  They  marry,  for  the  most  part,  by  pledging  to  each 
other,  without  any  ceremony.  A  few  exceptions  have  occurred, 
when  money  was  plentiful. 

'21.  They  do  not  teach  their  Children  religion. 

'  22  and  23.  Not  one  in  a  thousand  can  read. 

'  24  and  25.  Some  go  into  lodgings  in  London,  Cambridge, 
&c.,  during  the  winter ;  but  it  is  calculated  three-fourths  of 
them  live  out  of  doors  in  winter  as  in  summer.' 


WALKING    COSTUME.       l8l2. 


LADIES'  HEAD-DRESS. 


NOS.   I   AND  2,    iSlIJ  NO.   3,    l8l2 ;   NOS.    4  AND   5,    1813. 


NOS.    I   AND   2,    l8l^  ;  NOS.    3  AND  4,    181$. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Ladies'  dresses —  The  Dandizette  —  Waltzing  —  The  Quadrille — 
Almack's — Women's  education — Women's  work — Women  Soldiers 
and  Sailors — Female  rowing  match — Female  pedestrian — Gretna 
Green  marriages — Some  curious  marriages. 

FOR  the  limits  of  a  book  like  this,  I  have  spent  enough  time 
on  the  Roads,  Streets,  Country,  and  even  Gipsies,  so  let  me 
turn  to  the  men  and  women  of  the  time.  Place  aux  dames 
of  course — so  we  will  begin  with  the  ladies  first.  And  in 
the  next  few  engravings  which  I  give  are  culled  specimens  of 
women's  dresses  from  1811  to  1820. 

Of  course  there  would  be  caricatures — some  rather  outree, 
others  very  moderate  —  I  give  two  of  the  Dandizette  or 
Dandyess  as  she  was  indifferently  called,  one  true,  the  other, 
as  with  her  concomitants,  perhaps,  a  trifle  exaggerated — but 
not  a  great  deal.  Perhaps  it  is  most  so  in  '  the  Fashionables 
of  18l6/  where,  I  must  own,  the  feathers  in  the  bonnets,  the 
large  Muffs,  and  the  short  skirts  are,  doubtless,  slightly  in 
advance  of  the  fashion,  but  it  is  an  amusing  picture,  with  no 
harm  in  it,  and  I  give  it.  Of  course,  I  cannot  vouch  for  its 
truth,  but  the  following  little  story  is  as  I  find  it :  '  June  8, 
1812.  A  young  lady  of  rank  and  high  Condition,  in  the 
warmth  of  her  dancing  heart,  thus  addressed  her  partner 
at  the  late  Lord  Mayor's  ball. — "God  bless  you — take  care 
and  don't  tread  upon  my  muslin  gown,  for  you  see  that  I  have 
nothing  under  it."  ' 

And,  when  we  look  at  a  really  sensible  picture  of  a  dance 
(Waltzing),  I  do  not  think  it  is  very  much  exaggerated. 
Waltzing  was  considered  by  some  as  awfully  wicked.  It  may 
be.  Personally,  my  dancing  days  are  over,  but  I  never  felt 
particularly  sinful  when  waltzing — Mrs.  Grundy  is  another 


A   DANDY  ESS,    1819. 


WALTZING. 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND  383 

name  for  nastiness.     For  instance,  take  two  separate  verses  in 
the  same  paper : — 

1  What !  the  girl  of  my  heart  by  another  embrac'd  ? 
What !  the  balm  of  her  lips  shall  another  man  taste  ? 
What !  touch'd  in  the  twirl  by  another  man's  knee  ? 
What !  panting  recline  on  another  than  me  ?' 

Very  properly  rebuked  thus : — 

'  Sir  H.  E.  thinks  each  waltzing  Miss 
From  every  partner  takes  a  kiss  ; 
Then  O  !  how  natural  the  whim 
That  makes  them  loath  to  dance  with  him.' 

Read  'The  Waltz/  by  Lord  Byron,  and  see  what  was 
thought  of  this  dance.  On  June  9,  1817,  we  read:  'Quad- 
rilles have  had  but  a  short  run.  They  have  now  had  a 
lamentable  descent,  not  from  the  drawing-room  to  the  kitchen, 
to  supersede  the  Contre  Danse,  but  from  Almack's  to  Hockley 
in  the  Hole.  Though  they  have  not  yet  fallen  into  the 
kitchen,  the  kitchen  has  risen  to  them.  Some  days  ago  the 
Lady  of  a  Noble  Admiral,  lately  returned  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean, happened  to  come  home  from  a  Ball  unexpectedly, 
when  her  Ladyship  found  all  her  domestics  busily  employed 
in  a  quadrille  in  the  drawing-room,  with  the  chandeliers 
lighted  up,  and  a  regular  band  of  two  violins,  a  bass,  and  a 
harp.  Her  Ladyship  owns  that  they  danced  them  with  as 
much  grace  and  spirit  as  is  visible  elsewhere.'  And  they  did 
dance  in  those  days — there  was  no  languid  walking  through  a 
quadrille.  All  the  steps  were  properly  and  accurately  per- 
formed. I  have  before  me  engravings  of  a  set  of  all  the 
figures — 1  Le  Pantalon,  2  L'Ete,  3  La  Poule,  4  La  Trenise,  or 
4  La  Pastorale  and  La  Finale,  which  are  delicious,  but  are  too- 
large  for  reproduction  in  this  book. 

Of  course,  the  Crcme  de  la  creme  went  to  Almack's,  but 
numberless  were  the  Peris  who  sighed  to  enter  that  Paradise, 
and  could  not.  Capt.  Gronow,  writing  of  1814,  says  :  '  At  the 
present  time  one  can  hardly  conceive  the  importance  which 
was  attached  to  getting  admission  to  Almack's,  the  seventh 
heaven  of  the  fashionable  world.  Of  the  three  hundred 
officers  of  the  Foot  Guards,  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  were 
honoured  with  vouchers  of  admission  to  this  exclusive  temple 
of  the  beau  monde  ;  the  gates  of  which  were  guarded  by  lady 
patronesses,  whose  smiles  or  frowns  consigned  men  and  women 
to  happiness  or  despair.  These  lady  patronesses  were  the 


384  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

Ladies  Castlereagh,  Jersey,  Cowper,  and  Sefton,  Mrs.  Drum- 
mond  Burrell,  the  Princess  Esterhazy,  and  the  Countess 
Lieven.' 

In  a  Newspaper  of  May  12,  1817,  we  read — 'The  rigorous 
rule  of  entry  established  at  Almack's  Rooms  produced  a 
curious  incident  at  the  last  Ball.  The  Marquis  and  Mar- 
chioness of  W r,  the  Marchioness  of  T ,  Lady  Charlotte 

C ,  and  her  daughter,  had  all  been  so  imprudent  as  to 

come  to  the  rooms  without  tickets  ;  and,  though  so  intimately 
known  to  the  Lady  Managers,  and  so  perfectly  unexception- 
able, they  were  politely  requested  to  withdraw,  and  accord- 
ingly they  all  submitted  to  the  injunction.' 

Again,  at  the  beginning  of  the  season  of  1819  we  find  these 
female  tyrants  issuing  the  following  ukase :  '  An  order  has 
been  issued,  we  understand,  by  the  Lady  Patronesses  of 
Almack'r,,  to  prevent  the  admission  of  Gentlemen  in  Trorvsers 
and  Cossacks  to  the  balls  on  Wednesdays — at  the  same  time 
allowing  an  exception  to  those  Gentlemen  who  may  be  knock- 
kneed,  or  otherwise  deformed.'  But  the  male  sex  were  equal 
to  the  occasion,  as  we  find  in  the  following  lines :  — 

'  TO  THE  LADY  PATRONESSES  OF  ALMACK'S. 

Tired  of  our  trousers  are  ye  grown  ? 

But,  since  to  them  your  anger  reaches, 
Is  it  because  'tis  so  well  known, 

You  always  love  to  wear  the  breeches  T 

I  have  collected  a  quantity  of  ana  respecting  ladies'  dress 
of  this  period,  but  some  would  take  too  long  to  explain  their 
point,  and  others  are  too  risque  for  the  modern  Mrs.  Grundy. 
However,  here  is  one  which  can  offend  no  one:  'August, 
1814.  The  Wife  of  a  respectable  citizen  has  excited  a  good 
deal  of  curiosity  at  Margate.  She  bathes  in  a  green  dress, 
without  a  cap ;  and,  attached  to  the  shoulders  of  the  dress  is 
something  resembling  fins.  She  swims  remarkably  well,  and 
the  peculiarity  of  her  paraphernalia,  together  with  her  long 
black  hair,  have  occasioned  many  to  believe  that  she  was  a 
mermaid.' 

Women  were  not,  as  a  rule,  what  we  should  now  term, 
highly  educated :  they  knew  very  little  of  the  '  ologies/  but 
they  were  good  women,  and  true.  Their  music  had  not 
reached  the  sublime  height  of  the  weird  discord  of  Wagner, 
and  they  knew  nothing  of  the  '  Higher  Cult ;'  but  they  had 
as  pretty  ballads  to  sing  as  ever  were  sung,  from  which  we  are 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


385 


glad  to  borrow,  and  which  are  refreshing  to  hear.  They  did 
beautiful  needlework,  and  vied  with  each  other  in  this 
respect ;  they  painted  a  little  on  velvet  and  satin — sometimes 
did  a  little  mild  water  colour  on  paper — but  their  efforts  were 
hardly  commendable  as  works  of  art,  according  to  our  modern 
standard.  But  they  were  notable  housewives,  and  there  were 
female  servants  in  those  days  who  were  not  above  their 
position,  but  knew  their  work,  and  did  it.  There  were  no 


AT  THE  SPINNING-WHEEL. 

five  o'clock  teas,  no  reception  days;  all  had  their  circle  of 
acquaintances,  who  were  welcome  to  call  whenever  they 
chose,  and  were  received  without  fuss :  in  fact,  as  a  rule,  the 
women  were  helps-meet  for  their  spouses— thrifty,  caring  for 
their  husbands  and  children,  and  were,  essentially,  home 
makers. 

In  the  Country,  the  whir  of  the  spinning-wheel  might  be 
heard— but  such  a  thing  is  not  to  be  seen  in  use  now  except 


386 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


esty. 

lrir,o- 


in  dilletaiite  hands,  like  those  of  Her  Most  Gracious  Majesty. 
Then,  too,  at  a  Cottage  door  might  be  seen  a  woman  making 
pillow  lace,  now  getting  rarer  and  rarer,  and  it  is  not  an 
occupation  much  taken  up  by  the  higher  classes,  as  it  shows 


MAKING  PILLOW  LACE. 


small  results  for  much  hand-and-brain  work.  Straw-plaiting 
in  some  districts,  glove  sewing  in  others.  Now  we  get  straw 
plait  from  China,  and  the  gloves  are  machine  sewn.  Then  all 
the  milk  carrying,  especially  in  London,  was  done  by  a  hardy 


MILK  WOMAN. 


25—2 


388  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

race  of  women,  principally  Welsh,  carrying  yokes  and  pails ; 
now  the  Milk  Cart  and  Perambulator  have  superseded  them. 

And  there  must  have  been  women  of  thews  and  muscle, 
with  plenty  of  pluck,  or  we  should  not  hear  of  so  many  female 
sailors,  and  soldiers,  during  this  period.  In  May,  1813,  one 
was  taken  on  board  an  American  prize,  and  her  sex  was  only 
discovered  on  her  being  sent  to  prison.  In  September  of  the 
same  year,  the  master  of  a  Collier,  belonging  to  Ipswich,  had 
reason  to  believe  that  one  of  his  apprentices  who  had  made 
two  voyages,  was  a  girl,  and  so  it  proved,  and,  as  in  the 
former  case,  the  girl  appeared  to  be  a  respectable,  steady 
young  man,  so  in  this  latter,  whilst  she  was  on  board,  she  con- 
ducted herself  with  great  propriety,  and  was  considered  a  very 
active  clever  lad.  Again,  in  September,  1815,  when  the  Crew 
of  the  Queen  Charlotte,  110  guns,  was  paid  off,  one  of  the 
Crew,  an  African,  was  discovered  to  be  a  woman.  She  '  had 
served  as  a  seaman  in  the  Royal  Navy  for  upwards  of  eleven 
years,  during  several  of  which  she  had  been  rated  able  on  the 
books  of  the  above  ship,  by  the  name  of  William  Brown,  and 
had  served  for  some  time  as  Captain  of  the  foretop,  highly  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  officers/ 

But  the  ladies  did  not  confine  themselves  to  'ploughing 
the  main/  We  know  what  an  attraction  a  red  coat  has  for 
them,  and  therefore  no  surprise  need  be  manifested,  if  some 
of  them  tried  the  army.  In  January,  1813,  was  a  rather 
romantic  case  :  a  girl,  in  man's  clothes,  was  enlisted  in  the 
53rd  Regiment.  Her  sex  was  afterwards  discovered  when 
she  said  her  lover  was  in  the  43rd  Regiment  on  foreign 
service,  and  she  wanted  to  be  near  him.  In  1814,  Old  Phoebe 
Hassel  was  alive,  and  at  Brighton,  aged  99-  She  had  served 
in  the  army  for  seven  years.  I  do  not  know  when  she  died, 
but  there  is  a  portrait  and  biography  of  her  in  Hone's  '  Year 
Book/  ed.  1838,  pp.  209,  210,  211,  212,  in  which  she  is 
spoken  of  as  being  106  in  1821.  The  Regent,  after  seeing 
her  in  1814,  allowed  her  half  a  guinea  a  week,  and  at  her 
death  ordered  a  stone  to  be  put  up  to  her  memory.  Another 
woman  who  had  served  five  years  in  the  German  army,  applied 
for  relief  to  the  German  Committee  at  Baker's  Coffee-house — 
she  had  been  several  times  wounded,  but  was  so  badly  hit  at 
Leipsig,  that  she  had  to  be  taken  to  hospital,  where  her  sex 
was  discovered. 

Women  were  then  even  as  now,  they  aped  the  manners  of 
the  stronger  sex.  Now  as  we  know,  they  invade  the  Smoking 
and  Billiard  Rooms,  which  used  to  be  considered  Man's 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  389 

strongholds  ;  they  won't  let  him  alone  even  when  shooting 
—for,  so  solicitous  are  they  after  his  welfare,  that  they  will 
bring  him  lunch:  they  run  him  hard  in  School  Board, 
and  County  Council,  and  his  last  refuge  is  his  Club,  where, 
in  some  instances,  he  is  not  safe.  We  have  seen  how  (p.  49) 
they  played  Cricket  publicly — a  practice  lately  revived  by 
'Actresses'  and  others.  We  know  them  well  on  the  river, 
but  I  do  not  know  of  a  revival  of  professional  boat  racing  by 
them,  so  I  give  the  following : 

'  FEMALE  ROWING  MATCH. — A  rowing  match  took  place  on 
Monday  (September  29,  1817),  on  the  river,  between  Chelsea 
and  Battersea,  which  excited  great  interest.  Six  watermen's 
wives  started  in  six  scullers,  to  row  a  given  distance  for  a 
wherry.  The  ladies  were  dressed  in  appropriate  trimmings, 
and  the  boats  were  discriminated  by  different  colours  waving 
gracefully  in  the  wind,  at  the  stern.  In  the  first  heat  two  of 
the  Candidates  were  distanced.  The  remaining  four  then 
started,  and  the  prize  was  won,  at  two  heats,  by  a  strapping 
woman,  the  mother  of  four  children.  At  the  moment  of  her 
arrival  at  the  goal,  her  victory  was  proclaimed  by  the  discharge 
of  a  pistol  by  the  Judge  on  shore,  and  she  was  carried  in 
triumph  into  a  public-house  on  the  beach.  No  jolly  young 
waterman  could  handle  his  oar  with  more  becoming  dexterity 
than  this  dashing  female.  Her  numerous  friends  crowded 
after  her,  and  drank  her  health  in  copious  libations.' 

They  were  equal  to  us  even  in  '  FEMALE  PEDESTRIANISM.' 
Esther  Crozier,  who  commenced  on  Wednesday  (29th  of 
October,  1817)  morning,  on  the  Croydon  road,  to  walk  1000 
miles  in  20  days,  completed  50  miles  that  evening,  at  35 
minutes  past  9-  She  commenced  her  second  day's  journey 
yesterday  morning  (October  30th)  at  a  quarter  before  7  o'clock, 
and,  at  a  quarter  past  4  she  had  gone  32f  miles.'  She  is 
mentioned  again  and  again  in  the  papers  as  going  on  with  her 
task  ;  but  I  do  not  think  she  accomplished  it,  as  I  find  no 
triumphal  record  of  it. 

I  suppose  the  proudest  day  of  a  woman's  life  is  her  Marriage 
day,  and  so  we  will  talk  about  Marriage  in  these  times.  A 
trip  over  the  border  was  a  common  event,  but  the  smith  who 
forged  the  matrimonial  fetters  at  Gretna  Green,  was  not 
always  a  common  individual.  Early  in  January,  1811,  one  of 
them,  Joseph  Paisley,  died,  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-nine. 
He  was  by  vocation  a  salmon-fisher,  and  a  brandy  drinker  of 
such  capacity,  that  he  could  drink  a  pint  of  brandy  at  a 
draught,  without  its  having  any  appreciable  effect  upon  him : 


390  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


he  and  a  brother  toper,  between  them,  drank  ten  gallons  of 
brandy  in  three  days.  He  was  a  foul-mouthed  blackguard, 
but  he  served  his  purpose  of  marrying  runaway  couples,  as 
well  as  a  better  man,  and  his  marriages  were  just  as  valid. 
He  obtained  the  honour  of  an  obituary  notice  in  the  London 
Daily  Papers,  the  Annual  Register,  and  the  Lady's  Magazine, 
in  which  he  is  also  perpetuated  by  a  copper-plate  portrait — so 
that  he  must  have  been  considered  somebody. 

These  were  not  the  only  curious  marriages  of  that  time ; 
take  this  as  a  sample  (August  23,  1815)  :  '  THE  NAKED  TRUTH. 
— A  scene  of  a  singular  and  disgraceful  nature  took  place  a 
few  days  ago  at  Grimsby.  A  widow,  under  the  impression  of 
indemnifying  her  second,  from  the  debts  of  her  Jirst  husband, 
proceeded  out  of  the  window,  in  a  state  of  nudity,  where  she 
was  received  into  the  arms  of  her  intended,  in  the  presence  of 
two  substantial  witnesses.'  This  is  a  curious  old  tradition — 
the  origin  of  which  I  must  quote  from  myself.*  '  This  is  not 
uncommon,  the  object  being,  according  to  a  vulgar  error,  to 
exempt  the  husband  from  the  payment  of  any  debts  his  wife 
may  have  contracted  in  her  ante-nuptial  condition.  This 
error  seems  to  have  been  founded  on  a  misconception  of  the 
law,  because  it  is  laid  down  (Bacons  Abridgement,  Tit.  Baron 
and  Feme)  that  "  the  husband  is  liable  for  the  wife's  debts, 
because  he  acquires  an  absolute  interest  in  the  personal  estate 
of  the  wife,"  &c.  An  unlearned  person,  from  this,  might 
conclude,  and  not  unreasonably,  that,  if  his  wife  had  no  estate 
whatever,  he  could  not  incur  any  liability/ 

One  more  little  story  about  Matrimony  in  those  times,  and 
I  have  done.  '  A  young  man,  having  long  wooed  a  buxom 
damsel,  at  last  found  a  moment  so  favourable,  that  he  per- 
suaded her  to  accompany  him  to  a  Scotch  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  to  have  the  ceremony  performed  between  them. 
They  stood  very  meekly  under  the  operation  until  the 
Magistrate  was  laying  the  damsel  under  obligations  to  obey 
her  husband.  "  Say  110  more  about  that,  Sir,"  said  the  half- 
made  husband,  "  if  this  hand  remains  upon  this  body,  I'll 
make  her  obey  me  !" — "  Are  we  married  yet  ?"  said  the 
exasperated  maiden  to  the  ratifier  of  Covenants  between  man 
and  woman.  "No,"  said  the  wondering  Justice.  "Ah!  very 
well,"  cried  she,  enraptured,  "  we  will  finish  the  remainder 
to-morrow  1"  and  away  skipped  the  damsel,  congratulating 
herself  on  her  narrow  escape.' 

*  *  Social  Life  in  the  Reign  of  Queen  Anne,'  by  John  Ashton. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

The  Man  of  the  period— Drinking  habits— Dandies— Lord  Petersham 
— A  Dandy's  diary— Gaming— Prize  fighting— Country  Sports. 

AND  what  was  the  man  of  the  period  like  ?  Well !  there  is 
no  concealing  the  fact  that  he  was  narrow-minded — because 
he  had  no  opportunity  of  mixing  much  with  his  other  fellow 
creatures  either  abroad  or  at  home — war  stopping  the  former 
and  means  of  communication  the  latter,  and  so,  the  necessary 
rubbing  off  of  his  angles  did  not  take  place.  The  Middle 
Class  gentleman  was  not  too  well  read.  Latin,  of  course,  he 
knew,  or  had  learnt.  Perhaps  a  little  Greek — his  French  was 
very  '  Stratforde  at  ye  Bowe,'  and  German  was  to  him 
'  unknowe.'  His  English,  too,  was  shaky.  The  Peninsular 
War  over,  the  Officers  brought  back  with  them  a  smattering 
of  Spanish,  the  Guitar,  and  the  Cigar.  Personally,  he  had 
plenty  of  Courage  which  found  its  vent  in  the  Army  and  Navy 
and,  in  Civil  life,  in  duelling  and  boxing.  As  to  duelling,  it 
was  so  common  that  you  can  scarcely  take  up  a  London  News- 
paper of  the  time  without  some  'affair  of  honour'  being 
chronicled  ;  and,  as  to  boxing,  every  man  learnt  it,  put  his 
teaching  into  practice,  and  talked  it.  It  was,  except 
pedestrianism,  the  only  athletic  sport  known.  Rowing  was 
not ;  of  riding  there  was  plenty,  with  a  good  breed  of  horses 
fit  to  carry  a  man.  Cricket  was  played — but  there  was  no 
football,  nor  cycling,  if  we  except  the  short-lived  dandy  horse. 
They  worked  longer  hours  at  their  divers  businesses  than 
we  do,  but  they  did  far  less  work  ;  they  dined  early,  and  had 
suppers,  and,  for  evening  amusements  there  were  the  theatre, 
and  the  social  meeting  at  the  Inn,  where  much  Rum  Punch 
and  Brown  Brandy  was  drunk,  and  the  affairs  of  the  Nation 
duly  discussed,  among  a  select  Coterie.  Those  old  boys  could 
drink,  too.  A  three-  or  four-bottle  man,  then  common,  would 


392  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


now  be  a  phenomenon — and,  mind  you,  it  was  not  Claret  or 
other  light  wines  they  drank — the  war  with  France  made  that 
too  great  a  luxury  ;  but  it  was  the  stronger  wines  of  Portugal 
and  Spain,  well  fortified  with  brandy.  I  wonder  how  many 
died  in  '  making  their  heads/  and  whether  it  was  always  '  the 
survival  of  the  fittest '! 

They  were  of  Convivial  habits,  and  did  not  'join  the  ladies ' 
after  dinner,  or,  if  they  did,  they  were  slightly  inebriate,  and 
the  accompanying  illustrations  are  no  caricature  of  an  advanced 
stage  of  a  symposium.  No.  i  is,  '  Are  you  all  charged,  Gentle- 
men ?'  No.  2  is,  '  A  Song,  Gentlemen,  if  you  please.'  No.  3  is, 
'  Sing  Old  Rose,  and  burn  the  bellows.'*  No.  4  says, '  I  humbly 
move  to  throw  the  waiter  out  of  the  window,  and  charge  him 
in  the  bill !' 

Very  little  need  be  said  about  their  dress,  the  illustrations 
throughout  the  book  show  its  different  phases.  The  Regent, 
of  course,  set  the  fashions,  for  tailoring,  and  building,  were  his 
hobbies ;  but  even  he  could  not  do  anything  against  the  dictum 
of  George  Bryan  Brummell.  When  he  retired  in  poverty  to 
Calais,  in  1816,  he  left  the  field  entirely  to  the  Regent. 
There  were  some  who  gained  a  nickname  from  some  eccen- 
tricity in  costume,  as  '  Blue  Hanger '  (Lord  Coleraine),  or  'Pea- 
green  Haynes ' — but  they  were  not  many. 

The  principal  variation  in  men's  attire,  at  this  period,  was 

*  Izadk  Walton  says, '  Now  let's  go  to  an  honest  alehouse  where 
we  may  have  a  cup  of  good  barley  wine,  and  sing  "  Old  Rose,"  and 
all  of  us  rejoice  together.'  And  we  get  a  presumed  explanation  of 
the  Song  in  The  British  Apollo  (1708-9). 

1  In  good  King  Stephen's  days,  the  Ram, 
An  ancient  inn  at  Nottingham, 
Was  kept,  as  our  wise  father  knows, 
By  a  brisk  female  call'd  Old  Hose  ; 
Many,  like  you,  who  hated  thinking, 
Or  any  other  theme  than  drinking, 
Met  there,  d'ye  see,  in  sanguine  hope 
To  kiss  their  landlady,  and  tope  ; 
But  one  cross  night,  'mongst  twenty  other, 
The  fire  burnt  not,  without  great  pother, 
Till  -Rose,  at  last,  began  to  sing, 
And  the  cold  blades  to  dance  and  spring  ; 
So,  by  their  exercise  and  kisses, 
They  grew  as  warm  as  were  their  wishes  ; 
When,  scorning  fire,  the  jolly  fellows 
Cry'd,  "Sing  Old  Rose,  and  burn  the  bellows." 


No.  I.  'Are  you  all  charged,  Gentlemen  ?'^ 
No.  2.  '  A  song,  Gentlemen,  if  you  please. 
No  3.  '  Sing  Old  Rose,  and  burn  the  bellows. 

No    4   'I  humbly  move  to  throw  the  waiter  out  of  the  window,  and  charge 
him  in  the  bill !' 


394  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


the  way  in  which  they  clothed  their  legs.  Breeches  and  boots 
were  now  eschewed  by  fashionable  men,  and  their  place  was 
taken  by  the  pantaloon,  made  of  some  elastic  stuff,  generally 
'stockinette/  fitting  tightly  to  the  leg,  and  after  1814  by  the 
Cossack  trouser:  an  example  of  both  being  given  in  two 
pictures  of  Lord  Petersham,  a  distinguished  leader  of  fashion, 
who  married  Miss  Foote,  the  actress,  and  afterwards  became 
Earl  of  Harrington.  Over  the  trousered  picture  are  these 
lines : — 

1  I'll  prove  these  Cossack  pantaloons 

(To  one  that's  not  a  Goose) 
Are  like  two  Continental  towns 
Called  Too-long  and  Too-loose.' 

This  was  that  Lord  Petersham  who  never  went  out  of 
doors  till  six  p.m.,  and  whose  horses,  carriage,  and  harness, 
were  all  of  the  same  shade  of  brown.  He  had  other  foibles 
which  are  amusingly  told  by  Capt.  Gronow.  '  The  room  into 
which  we  were  ushered  was  more  like  a  shop  than  a  gentle- 
man's sitting  room  ;  all  round  the  walls  were  shelves,  upon 
which  were  placed  the  canisters,  containing  Congou,  Pekoe, 
Souchong,  Bohea,  Gunpowder,  Russian,  and  many  other  teas, 
all  the  best  of  their  kind  ;  on  the  other  side  of  the  room  were 
beautiful  jars,  with  names,  in  gilt  letters,  of  innumerable  kinds 
of  snuff,  and  all  the  necessary  apparatus  for  moistening  and 
mixing.  Lord  Petersham's  mixture  is  still  well  known  to  all 
tobacconists.  Other  shelves,  and  many  of  the  tables  were 
covered  with  a  great  number  of  magnificent  snuff-boxes ;  for 
Lord  Petersham  had,  perhaps,  the  finest  collection  in  England, 
and  was  supposed  to  have  a  fresh  box  for  every  day  in  the 
year.  I  heard  him,  on  the  occasion  of  a  delightful  old  light 
blue  Sevres  box  he  was  using,  being  admired,  say,  in  his 
lisping  way — "  Yes,  it  is  a  nice  summer  box,  but  would  not  do 
for  winter  wear."  In  this  museum  there  were  also  innu- 
merable canes  of  very  great  value.  The  Viscount  was  likewise 
a  great  Maecenas  among  the  tailors,  and  a  particular  kind  of 
great  coat,  when  I  was  a  young  man,  was  called  a  Petersham.' 

These  trousers  later  on  (see  illustration,  p.  398)  were 
worn,  instead  of  breeches  and  boots,  on  horseback,  but  this 
was  only  affected  by  the  'Dandy,'  a  term  which  came  into 
vogue  two  or  three  years  before  this  time,  and  which,  accord- 
ing to  Webster,  is  derived  from  the  French  dandin,  '  a  ninny, 
a  silly  fellow.'  The  Dandy  at  his  toilet  is  of  the  same  date, 


A  PORTRAIT  (LORD  PETERSHAM). 
{Published  January  10,  1812,  by  H.  Humphrey. 


LORD   PETERSHAM.      1815. 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


397 


and  here  we  see  him  in  his  evening  dress.  The  huge  cocked 
hat  is  exaggerated,  but  it  was  the  shape  of  the  chapeau  bras, 
which  folded  flat,  and  was  carried  as  we  now  do  a  Gibus.  The 


A   DANDY. 

(December  8,  1818.) 

looking-glass,  wash-stand,  &c.,  are  very  meagre  according  to 
our  ideas,  but  much  ornament  was  not  lavished  on  bedroom 
furniture. 


398 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


Here  is  the  Diary  of  a  Dandy  (Sept.,  1818):— 
'SATURDAY. — Rose   at    twelve,   with   a   d d   headache. 

Mem.  Not   to   drink    the  Regent's  Punch  after  supper. — The 

green  tea  keeps  one  awake. 

'Breakfasted  at  one. — Read  the  Morning   Post — the  best 

Paper  after  all — always  full  of  wit,Jine  writing,  and  good  news. 


DANDY  ON   HORSEBACK. 

(November  2,  1818.) 

'  Sent  for  the  tailor  and  staymaker — ordered  a  morning  demi 
surtout  of  the  last  Parisian  cut,  with  the  collar  a  la  Guillotine, 
to  show  the  neck  behind — a  pair  of  Petersham  Pantaloons,  with 
striped  flounces  at  bottom — and  a  pair  of  Cumberland  corsets 
with  a  whale-bone  back. — A  caution  to  the  unwary.  The  last 
pair  gave  way  in  stooping  to  pick  up  Lady  B.'s  glove. — The 
Duke  of  C e  vulgar  enough  to  laugh,  and  asked  me  in  the 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  399 

sea  slang,  if  I  had  not  missed  stays  in  tacking.  Find  this  is  an 
old  joke  stolen  from  the  Fudge  Family. — Query.  Who  is  this 
Tom  Brown  ?  Not  known  at  Long's  or  the  Clarendon. 

'  Three  o'clock.  —  Drove  out  in  the  Dennet — took  a  few  turns 
in  Pall  Mall,  St.  James's  Street,  and  Piccadilly. — Got  out  at 
Grange's — was  told  the  thermometer  in  the  ice  cellar  was  at 
80.  Prodigious!  Had  three  glasses  of  pine  and  one  of 

Curagoa — the  Prince's  Fancy,  as  P calls  it. — P.  is  a  wag 

in  his  way. 

'  Five  to  seven. — Dressed  for  the  evening — dined  at  half- 
past  eight,  "nobody  with  me  but  myself,"  as  the  old  Duke  of 
Cumberland  said — a  neat  dinner,  in  Long's  best  style,  viz.,  A 
tureen  of  turtle,  a  small  turbot,  a  dish  of  Carlton  House 
Cutlets. — Remove — a  turkey  poult,  and  an  apricot  tart. — 
Dessert — Pine  apple  and  brandy  cherries. 

'  Drank  two  tumblers  of  the  Regent's  Punch,  iced,  and  a 
pint  of  Madeira. — Went  to  the  Opera  in  high  spirits — just 
over — forgot  the  curtain  drops  on  Saturdays  before  twelve. — 
Mem.  To  dine  at  seven  on  Saturdays. 

'Supped  at  the  Clarendon  with  the  Dandy  Club — cold 
collation — played  a  few  rounds  of  Chicken  Hazard,  and  went 
to  bed  quite  cool. 

'  SUNDAY. — Breakfasted  at  three — ordered  the  Tilbury — took 
a  round  of  Rotten  Row,  and  the  Squeeze,  in  Hyde  Park — 
cursedly  annoyed  with  dust  in  all  directions— dined  soberly 

with  P m  and  went  to  the  Marchioness  of  S y's  Con- 

versatione  in  the  evening— dull  but  genteel — P.  calls  it  the 
Sunday  School. 

'  N.B.  P m,  who  is  curious  in  his  snuff  as  well  as  in  his 

snuff  boxes,  has  invented  a  new  mixture,  Wellington's  and 
Blucher's,  which  he  has  named,  in  honour  of  the  meeting  of 
the  two  heroes,  after  the  battle  of  Waterloo — La  belle  Alliance 
— a  good  hit — not  to  be  sneezed  at.' 

«A  DANDY. 

I  do  remember  me  in  Hertford  streets 
Walking  at  noon,  I  met  an  exquisite, 
A  thing,  whose  neck  in  Oriental  tie, 
Where  not  a  crease  is  seen,  so  stiff  withal 
The  powers  of  starch  had  rendered  it,  tho*  made 
Of  finest  muslin,  that  to  my  wondering  gaze, 
(Unlike  the  ease  of  Nature's  masterpiece), 
It  seem'd  as  'twere  a  mere  automaton  ; 
And  then  its  shape,  so  all  unlike  a  man, 


400  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

So  tightly  laced  that  'twas  self-evident 

He  walk'd  in  pain,  if  walking  't  could  be  calPd, 

Since  from  the  earth  to  raise  his  languid  foot, 

It  seem'd  a  labour  too  Herculean  ; 

But,  still,  thus  mincingly,  he  reached  the  Bell — 

There  stopped.     I,  being  anxious  to  o'erhear 

The  sounds  this  creature,  nicknam'd  man,  would  utter, 

Entered  the  room  apologizing  to  it ; 

No  answer  I  receiv'd,  save  a  low  murmur, 

For  too  fatiguing  'twas  to  articulate. 

Finding  it  useless  farther  to  intrude, 

I  asked  the  waiter  who  and  whence  he  was  ? 

"  One  of  our  College*  Dandies,"  he  replied. 

No  longer  wondering,  straight  I  left  the  Inn.' 

Naturally,  the  tight-fitting  pantaloon  required  a  well-made 
leg,  so  those  gentlemen  to  whom  Nature  had  not  been 
bountiful,  used  false  calves,  and  thus  passed  muster.  They 
took  snuff  in  quantities,  but  very  rarely  smoked.  When  Lord 
Petersham's  Collection  of  Snuff  was  sold,  it  took  one  of  the 
partners  in  the  firm  of  Fribourg  and  Treyer,  of  the  Haymarket, 
and  two  assistants  three  days  to  weigh  it — and  the  same  firm, 
when  they  bought  George  IV.'s  collection,  at  his  death,  set  a 
room  apart,  entirely  for  its  sale. 

They  gambled  terribly,  not  perhaps  as  much  as  now,  but 
still  large  sums  were  won,  and  lost,  on  the  cast  of  a  die. 
March  28,  1811  :  '  The  brother  of  a  Noble  Marquis,  is  said  to 
have  lately  won  at  hazard  upwards  of  £30,000,  all  in  one  night!' 
April  3,  1 8 1 1 :  '  A  young  gentleman  of  family  and  fortune 
lost  .£7,000  on  Sunday  Morning  at  a  gaming  house  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Pall  Mall.'  But,  although  the  Turf  was  an 
Institution  of  the  day,  there  was  but  very  little  betting,  com- 
pared to  what  goes  on  in  that  gigantic  Cancer  which  so 
grievously  afflicts  England  in  the  present  day.  Nor  had  they 
such  a  stupendous  gamble  as  our  Stock  Exchange.  There  was 
plenty  of  betting  on  Cock  fighting,  which  was  a  very  fashion- 
able amusement,  even  patronized  by  our  Imperial  Guest,  the 
Grand  Duke  Nicholas,  who,  on  February  10,  1817,  accom- 
panied by  the  Duke  of  Devonshire,  the  Russian  Ambassador, 
Sir  William  Congreve,  Baron  Nichola,  General  Kutusoff,  &c., 
&c.,  went  to  the  Cockpit  and  saw  five  Cock  fights.  'His 
Imperial  Highness  remained  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  appeared 
much  amused,  never  having  seen  Cock  fighting  before/ 

*  The  East  India  College. 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  401 

But  then  he  was  here  to  study  our  manners  and  customs, 
and  even  went  to  a  prize  fight.  February  14,  1817:  'An 
Imperial  Boxing  Match,  to  use  the  general  term  of  the  ring, 
took  place  yesterday  at  Coombe  Warren,  for  a  subscription 
purse  of  twenty  guineas,  between  Croxey  the  Sailor,  a  bustling 
second  rater,  and  a  candidate  for  milling  notoriety.  .  .  .  The 
Grand  Duke  Nicholas,  desirous  of  viewing  the  British 
character  throughout,  signified  his  wish  to  see  the  method  of 
English  boxing.  .  .  .  His  Imperial  Highness  arrived  at  the 
ring  in  a  carriage  and  four,  at  one  o'clock,  accompanied  by 
his  own  suite,  and  some  English  Noblemen,  admirers  of 
gymnastics.  A  waggon  was  reserved  for  the  Grand  Duke's 
reception,  and  he  ascended  it  with  a  hearty  laugh.  Under  it 
were  placed  the  bull  dogs  and  bull  hankers  for  the  last  sports 
of  the  day.  Bill  Gibbons  introduced  his  trusty  bitch  to  the 
Patricians  in  the  waggon  as  the  favourite  for  the  Bull  prize.' 

The  fight,  or  rather  the  fights,  for  there  were  two  of  them, 
took  place,  but  they  were  stigmatized  as  very  poor  and  tame 
affairs.  'The  Bull  was  the  next  object  of  attack,  for  a  silver 
collar,  and  all  the  fancy  buffers  the  town  could  produce  were 
let  go  from  the  Royal  waggon,  which  was  decorated  with 
purple  flags.  Gibbons'  fancy  dog  was  lamed  early,  but  the 
best  of  the  fun  was,  after  the  bull  had  broken  a  horn,  he 
began  to  snort  up  on  end,  and  went  and  got  loose.  Helter 
skelter  was  the  consequence,  and  the  bull,  as  regardless  of 
men  as  dogs,  made  play  through  the  ground,  reclining  his 
head,  and  tossing  mortals  before  him,  until  he  got  clear  off, 
upsetting  carts,  &c.,  that  impeded  his  way.  The  fun 
concluded  just  before  dark,  and  the  whole  sport  went  off  with 
eclat.' 

Apropos  of  prize  fighting  the  last  sentence  in  the  following 
paragraph  is  worthy  of  note.  Feb.  28,  1817:  'Carter  next 
asked  to  be  backed  to  fight  any  man,  when  Cribb  mounted 
the  table,  and  challenged  to  fight  anything  in  being,  from 
three  to  twelve  hundred,  observing  he  had  fought  so  often  that 
he  should  not  again  prostitute  his  talent  for  a  trifle.  Carter 
said  he  thought  the  Carlisle  people  would  back  him  for  £300, 
and  he  would  ask  them.  After  devouring  about  twenty  dozen 
of  wine,  the  lads  departed  to  spend  the  evening,  and  amuse 
themselves  at  the  expense  of  lamp  contractors  and  watchmen's 
rattles.' 

Although  we  may  think  all  this  very  brutal,  yet,  with  the 
exception  of  the  bull  baiting,  which  was  only  made  illegal  in 

26 


402 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


1835,  I  fancy  that  things  go  on  very  much  now,  as  they  did 
then,  only  they  are  done  more  quietly.  In  the  country,  men 
had  their  hunting,  shooting,  and  fishing  to  amuse  them,  and 


PLAYING   AT   BOWLS   AND   QUOITS. 


they  were  as  keen  then  as  in  our  time.  True,  they  did  not 
rent  deer  forests  in  Scotland,  at  fabulous  prices,  nor  did  they 
take  salmon  rivers  in  Norway  ;  but  although  they  did  not 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  403 

enjoy  breechloaders,  with  spare  gun  ready  loaded  handed  as 
soon  as  the  other  is  discharged,  and  though  they  were 
innocent  of  the  cruel  slaughter  of  a  battue,  yet  they  had  good 
sport  both  in  wood  and  stubble,  and  the  old  flint  gun,  if  held 
straight,  would  make  a  respectable  bag  to  carry  home.  Then 
they  played  cricket,  but  they  did  not  armour  themselves, 
because  there  was  no  necessity  for  so  doing,  the  ball  then 
being  bowled  and  not  hurled  as  if  from  a  cannon.  Then  for 
the  quieter  and  middle-aged  there  were  the  healthy  out-door 
games  of  bowls  or  quoits. 

Among  the  younger  men  the  manly  sports  of  wrestling, 
quarter-staff,  and  back-sword,  had  not  died  out,  but  then  they 
had  not  the  advantage  that  we  have  of  football  and  Rugby 
rules. 


26—2 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Eating  and  drinking  —  Recipe  for  punch  —  The  stage  — Baron 
Greramb — Borneo  Coates — Actors  and  actresses — Mrs.  Jordan. 

PERHAPS  they  ate  more  solid  food  than  we  do,  and  it  was  a 
point  of  honour,  at  a  dinner,  to  provide  and  display  vastly 
more  food  than  could  possibly  be  eaten.  As  an  example. 
On  Jan.  1,  1811,  General  Grosvenor,  Mayor  of  Chester,  gave 
a  dinner  to  his  friends  and  two  hundred  sat  down.  Here  is 
the  bill  of  fare  :  '  Sixteen  tureens  of  soup,  eight  boiled  turkeys, 
three  hams,  four  dishes  of  a  la  mode  beef,  five  pigeon  pies, 
three  saddles  of  mutton,  thirteen  plum  puddings,  six  dishes  of 
murinade  pork,  eight  French  pies,  four  roasted  turkeys,  eight 
dishes  of  rabbits,  three  legs  of  mutton,  four  geese,  two  fillets 
of  veal,  ten  dishes  of  chickens,  four  dishes  of  veal  surprise, 
three  beef-steak  pies,  three  dishes  of  sweet-breads,  six  hares, 
six  venison  pasties,  eight  dishes  of  ducks,  six  oyster  patties, 
six  dishes  of  mutton  casserole,  six  dishes  of  pig,  six  lemon 
puddings,  eight  dishes  of  haricoed  mutton,  four  neat's 
tongues,  three  dishes  of  collared  veal,  and  a  round  of  beef. 

'  Removes — Ten  haunches  of  venison,  ten  necks  of  venison. 

'  Sweets — Thirty  salvers  of  whips  and  jellies,  twenty  moulds 
of  jelly,  forty  moulds  of  blanc  mange,  tarts,  cheese  cakes, 
mince  pies,  puffs,  &c.,  &c.' 

The  guests  must  have  needed  appetites  such  as  were 
possessed  by  the  gentlemen  chronicled  in  the  two  following 
paragraphs.  Sept.  9,  1 8 1 2  :  '  On  Wednesday  last,  two  gentle- 
men, in  the  neighbourhood  of  RatclifFe  Highway,  had  a  wager 
of  £5  upon  a  man  named  Leurnen,  a  coal-heaver,  that  he 
should  devour,  in  the  space  of  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  nine 
pounds  of  bullock's  heart  roasted,  three  pounds  of  potatoes, 
half  a  quartern  loaf,  and  drink  a  pot  of  porter.  The  parties 
met  at  the  Queen's  Head  public-house,  Broad  Street, 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND  405 

Ratcliffe  Highway,  and  the  spectators,  of  whom  there  were  a 
considerable  number,  paid  sixpence  each  to  be  admitted.  He 
completed  his  task,  and  drank  three  or  four  glasses  of  rum 
besides,  within  the  time  allowed  him,  without  producing  the 
smallest  apparent  inconvenience.' 

Aug.  2,  1816:  '  Yesterday  morning  a  young  man,  of  the 
name  of  Robert  Hunt,  better  known  by  the  name  of  Rob-the- 
Grinder,  he  being  a  knifegrinder  by  trade,  undertook,  for  a 
wager,  to  eat  three  quarts  of  peas,  three  pounds  of  fat  bacon, 
half  a  quartern  loaf  of  bread,  and  drink  two  quarts  of  porter, 
and  a  pint  of  gin  in  the  space  of  one  hour.  He  sat  down  to 
his  meal  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  and  he  devoured 
the  whole  in  fifty-two  minutes,  with  seeming  ease,  saying  it 
was  only  a  good  lunch,  as  his  appetite  would  serve  to  a  good 
dinner  by  two  o'clock.' 

But  there  was  luxury  in  eating,  as  well  as  gross  feeding. 
Green  peas  sometimes  fetched  several  guineas  a  quart— the 
following  is  very  mild.  May  22,  1811  :  'This  is  the  earliest 
season  known  for  many  years.  In  Co  vent  Garden  Market, 
green  peas  were  sold  at  eight  shillings  per  quart  on  Saturday 
last,  and  moss  roses  which  had  blown  in  the  open  air  at  one 
shilling  each.' 

And,  being  connoisseurs,  those  old  gentlemen  knew  good 
wine,  and  would  pay  a  long  price  for  it.  At  the  sale  of  the 
Duke  of  Queensberry's  effects,  in  1811,  some  Tokay  fetched 
£84>  a  dozen  quarts,  or  £7  a  bottle !  The  prices  fetched  at 
the  sale  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  wine  pale  into 
insignificance  before  this,  but  then  he  had  no  Tokay  for  sale. 

Champagne  11  to  12  guineas  the  dozen 
Hock  about  11         „  „ 

Hermitage      ,,14         „  „ 

Madeira  „        7         „  ,, 

Claret  „        7 

Port  from  £4  10s.  to  £5  5s. 

A  sale  is  chronicled  May  13,  1817  :  'Friday,  the  cellars  of 
Alexander  Davison,  Esq.,  were  emptied  to  the  best  bidders. 
The  prices,  at  which  the  several  lots  were  knocked  down, 
were  unusually  high.  Three  dozen  of  red  Madeira,  bottled  in 
1801,  were  knocked  down  at  eighteen  guineas  per  dozen,  it 
was  supposed,  for  a  distinguished  member  of  the  Royal 
Family.  One  lot  of  Hock,  a  hundred  and  seventeen  years 


406  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

old,  sold  at  ten  guineas  per  dozen,  and  very  little  of  the 
Sherry  went  at  less  than  five  and  six  guineas  per  dozen.' 

The  middle  classes  could  not,  of  course,  afford  these  wines, 
but  they  drank  sound  Port,  Sherry,  and  Madeira,  brown 
Brandy  and  Gin — Whisky  was  almost  unknown.  But  for 
conviviality,  Punch,  in  bowls,  was  the  drink.  Green  tea  was 
introduced  into  the  manufacture  of  Rum  Punch — and  may  be 
now,  for  aught  I  know,  if  there  is  anybody  living  who  knows 
how  to  make  it — but  here  is  a  metrical  recipe  for  Milk  Punch, 
of  the  year  1815,  which  reads  remarkably  well. 

'  Take  seven  large  lemons,  and  pare  them  as  thin 
As  a  wafer,  or,  what  is  yet  thinner,  your  skin  ; 
A  quart  of  French  Brandy,  or  Rum  is  still  better, 
(For  you  ne'er,  in  Receipts,  should  stick  to  the  letter.) 
Six  ounces  of  sugar  next  take,  and  pray  mind, 
The  sugar  must  be  the  best  double  refin'd  ; 
Boil  the  sugar  in  as  near  half  a  pint  of  spring  water, 
In  the  neat  silver  saucepan  you  bought  for  your  daughter  ; 
But  be  sure  that  the  syrup  you  carefully  skim, 
When  the  scum,  as  'tis  call'd,  rises  up  to  the  brim. 
The  fourth  part  of  a  pint  you  next  must  allow 
Of  New  Milk,  made  as  warm  as  it  comes  from  the  Cow, 
Put  the  rinds  of  the  lemons,  the  milk,  and  the  syrup, 
With  the  rum  in  a  jar  and  give  them  a  stir  up  ; 
And,  if  you  approve  it,  you  may  put  some  perfume, 
Goatstone,  or  whatever  you  like  in  its  room. 
Let  it  stand  thus  three  days,  but  remember  to  shake  it, 
And  the  closer  you  stop  it  the  richer  you  make  it. 
Then,  filtered  through  paper,  'twill  sparkle  and  rise, 
Be  as  soft  as  your  lips,  and  as  bright  as  your  eyes. 
Last  bottle  it  up  .  ,  .' 

It  seems  wrong  to  chronicle  good  living  when  bread  was  so 
dear — especially  in  the  early  years  of  the  Regency  where 
receipts  for  rice  bread,  and  cheap  adulterants  of  wheaten 
bread,  were  pressed  upon  the  notice  of  the  middle  classes. 
One  article  of  food  they  had  which  we  should  like  at  the 
same  price — the  very  finest  Native  Oysters  at  9s.  and  10s.  a 
barrel. 

It  was  a  brilliant  period  for  the  Stage.  Kean  was  to  make 
his  appearance  on  the  boards,  but  then  Mrs.  Siddons  and 
Kemble  retired.  Death,  too,  was  busy  with  some  old 
dramatic  favourites,  and  people  connected  with  the  Stage. 
In  these  nine  years  were  called  away — R.  Cumberland, 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  407 

W.  T.  Lewis,  Malone,  G.  F.  Cooke,  Chas.  Dibbin,  Chas. 
Burney,  Mrs.  Abingdon,  H.  Siddons,  Mrs.  Jordan,  Sheridan, 
Signora  Storace,  and  Miss  Pope. 

In  1811  there  were  but  three  regular  theatres  in  London — 
Drury  Lane,  Covent  Garden,  and  '  The  Little  Theatre  '  in  the 
Haymarket — and  they  all  did  a  good  business,  although  the 
prices  charged  their  audiences  were  very  moderate,  so  were 
the  salaries  of  the  actors.  The  pit  was  all  pit,  and  the 
pittites  were  a  discriminating  audience,  who  were  neither 
ashamed  nor  afraid  to  applaud,  or  censure,  as  their  judgment 
led  them.  The  plays  were  frequently  changed.  There  were 
no  runs  of  hundreds  of  nights,  and  the  consequence  was  that 
the  actor,  (  playing  many  parts/  could  not  acquire  mannerism, 
and  gained  greater  experience  in  his  profession. 

In  1811  there  were  two  persons,  amateurs,  who  mightily 
affected  theatrical  company,  namely,  the  Baron  Geramb  and 
Romeo  Coates.  The  Baron  was  principally  known  for  his 
enormously  long  whiskers — so  feelingly  alluded  to  by  the 
Regent  (p.  274),  and  there  is  a  very  good  account  of  him  in 
The  Annual  Register,  April  6,  1812  : — 

( The  much  talked  of  Baron  Geramb,  who  has,  for  a  year  or 
two  past,  made  so  conspicuous  a  figure  in  this  metropolis,  is, 
at  last,  ordered  out  of  the  country.  This  singular  person 
ushered  himself  into  public  notice  by  publishing  a  most 
inflated  and  ridiculous  letter,  which  he  dedicated  to  the  Earl 
of  Moira ;  in  which  he  described  himself  as  a  Hungarian 
baron  who  had  headed  a  corps  of  volunteers  in  the  cause  of 
Austria  against  France,  and  stated  that,  after  the  peace,  he 
went  to  Spain  to  give  the  benefit  of  his  courage  and  profound 
military  experience  to  the  oppressed  patriots  of  the  Penin- 
sula. He  accompanied  this  production  with  every  other 
mode  of  obtaining  notoriety,  such  as  filling  print  shop 
windows  with  three  or  four  different  engravings  of  his  person, 
which  few  fools  bought,  in  various  costumes  ;  a  star,  a  death's 
head  and  cross-bones,  and  other  terrific  emblems,  adorned  the 
person  of  the  baron.  Nobody  has  walked  the  public  streets 
for  some  time  past  who  does  not  know  this  redoubtable 
nobleman. 

'  Wherever  notoriety  could  be  acquired,  there  was  the 
Baron  Geramb.  At  the  funeral  of  the  late  Duke  of 
Albuquerque  he  exhibited  himself  in  all  the  parade  of  grief, 
in  a  jet  black  uniform.  Where  money  alone  could  not  gain 
admittance,  the  magnificent  exterior  of  this  seeming  magnate 


408  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


the 


of  Hungary  was  sure  of  procuring  an  introduction.  At 
Opera,  at  the  Theatres,  and  the  Park,  his  furred  mantle  and 
resplendent  stars  were  seldom  missed.  When  that  wonderful 
master  of  histrionic  art,  Mr.  Coates,  played,  or  rather 
attempted  to  play,  Lothario,  last  winter,  at  the  Haymarket, 
the  Hungarian  baron  sat  with  indescribable  dignity  in  the 
stage  box,  and  appeared  the  patron  of  the  absurdities  of  the 
night,  consoling  the  white-plumed  Lothario  with  his  nods, 
and  bows  and  cheers,  for  all  the  coarse  and  severe,  but  justly 
merited,  raillery  which  was  unsparingly  dealt  out  to  him  from 
the  pit  and  galleries. 

'  But  the  baron  was  formed  to  embellish  a  Court  as  well  as 
to  dignify  a  playhouse.  He  was  frequent  in  his  inquiries 
after  the  health  of  the  British  Sovereign  at  St.  James's  ;  and 
appeared  with  more  than  usual  splendour  at  the  celebrated 
fete  of  the  Prince  Regent  at  Carlton  House.  The  fascinations 
of  that  scene  of  courtly  festivity  and  princely  elegance 
became  the  subject  of  the  Baron's  pen ;  and  he  accordingly 
published  a  letter  to  "  Sophie "  describing,  in  the  most 
romantic  language,  all  the  splendid  objects  of  the  night.  .  .  . 
The  Baron,  it  is  reported,  has  had  uncommon  success  in 
certain  gaming  houses.  He  is  now  at  Harwich,  on  his  way 
to  the  Continent.  He  is  said  to  be  a  German  Jew,  who, 
having  married  the  widow  of  a  Hungarian  baron,  assumed  the 
title  by  which  he  passed.' 

Robert  Coates,  generally  known  as  Romeo,  was  the  son  of  a 
merchant  and  sugar  planter  at  Antigua  ;  he  was  educated  in 
England,  and  then  returned  to  his  father.  At  his  death,  in 
1807,  young  Coates  came  back  to  England  not  only  very 
wealthy,  but  with  a  large  collection  of  splendid  diamonds. 
He  settled  at  Bath,  which  town  he  soon  made  lively  by  his 
vagaries.  He  drove  about,  drawn  by  white  horses,  his 
curricle  being  shaped  like  a  kettledrum,  in  front  of  which  was 
a  large  gilt  cock,  and  its  motto  was,  '  While  I  live  I'll  crow/ 
He  developed  a  curious  craze  for  theatricals,  and  on  the  9th 
of  February,  1810,  he  appeared  at  the  Bath  Theatre  as 
Romeo.  Let  Capt.  Gronow  tell  the  story  of  that  night : — 

'  His  dress  was  outre  in  the  extreme ;  whether  Spanish, 
Italian,  or  English,  no  one  could  say ;  it  was  like  nothing  ever 
worn.  In  a  cloak  of  sky  blue  silk,  profusely  spangled,  red 
pantaloons,  a  vest  of  white  muslin,  surmounted  by  an 
enormously  thick  cravat,  and  a  wig  a  la  Charles  II.,  capped 
by  an  Opera  hat,  he  presented  one  of  the  most  grotesque 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  409 

spectacles  ever  witnessed  upon  the  stage.  The  whole  of  his 
garments  were  evidently  too  tight  for  him  ;  and  his  move- 
ments appeared  so  incongruous  that  every  time  he  raised  his 
arm,  or  moved  a  limb,  it  was  impossible  to  refrain  from 
laughter. 

'  But  what  chiefly  convulsed  the  audience,  was  the  bursting 
of  a  seam  in  an  inexpressible  part  of  his  dress,  and  the  sudden 
extrusion  through  the  red  rents,  of  a  quantity  of  white  linen, 
sufficient  to  make  a  Bourbon  flag,  which  was  visible  whenever 
he  turned  round.  This  was  at  first  supposed  to  be  a  wilful 
offence  against  common  decency,  and  some  disapprobation 
was  evinced ;  but  the  utter  unconsciousness  of  the  odd 
creature  was  soon  apparent,  and  then  unrestrained  mirth 
reigned  throughout  the  boxes,  pit,  and  gallery.  .  .  . 

'  In  the  midst  of  one  of  Juliet's  impassioned  exclamations, 
Romeo  quietly  took  out  his  snuff-box,  and  applied  a  pinch  to 
his  nose  ;  on  this  a  wag  in  the  gallery  bawled  out,  "  I  say, 
Romeo,  give  us  a  pinch,"  when  the  impassioned  lover,  in  the 
most  affected  manner,  walked  to  the  side  boxes,  and  offered 
the  contents  of  his  box,  first  to  the  gentleman,  and  then,  with 
great  gallantry,  to  the  ladies.  .  .  . 

'  But  how  shall  I  describe  his  death  ?  Out  came  a  dirty 
silk  handkerchief  from  his  pocket,  with  which  he  carefully 
swept  the  ground  ;  then  his  Opera  hat  was  carefully  placed 
for  a  pillow,  and  down  he  laid  himself.  After  various  tossings 
about,  he  seemed  reconciled  to  the  position  ;  but  the  house 
vociferously  bawled  out,  "  Die  again,  Romeo  !"  and,  obedient 
to  the  command,  he  rose  up,  and  went  through  the  ceremony 
again.  Scarcely  had  he  lain  quietly  down  when  the  call  was 
again  heard,  and  the  well-pleased  amateur  was  evidently 
prepared  to  enact  a  third  death  ;  but  Juliet  now  rose  from 
her  tomb,  and  gracefully  put  an  end  to  this  ludicrous  scene 
by  advancing  to  the  front  of  the  stage  and  aptly  applying  a 
quotation  from  Shakespeare — 

"  Dying  is  such  sweet  sorrow, 
That  he  will  die  agaia  to-morrow." ' 

He  came  before  a  London  audience,  and  played  Lothario 
at  the  Haymarket  on  the  9th  of  December,  1811,  and  I  give 
an  illustration  of  him  in  that  character.  He  ran  through  all 
his  money,  and  had  to  go  to  Boulogne :  there  he  married, 
came  over  to  England,  and  lived  in  Montague  Square.  He 
met  with  an  accident,  and  died,  aged  seventy-six,  in  1848. 


LOTHARIO,    AS   PERFORMED   BY   MR.   COATES   AT  THE   HAYMARKET 
THEATRE,    DECEMBER  9,    l8ll, 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND  411 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1812,  Mrs.  Siddons  took  her  leave  of 
the  public.  The  scene  was  Covent  Garden  Theatre,  and  the 
play  '  Macbeth,'  in  which,  of  course,  she  played  Lady 
Macbeth.  After  the  sleep  scene,  she  came  forward  and 
recited  a  farewell  address  written  for  her  by  Horace  Twiss. 
She  then  retired  amid  a  storm  of  applause.  Kemble  after- 
wards came  forward  to  ask  the  sense  of  the  house  whether 
they  would  hear  the  remainder  of  the  play,  but  the  universal 
consensus  was  that  they  could  not,  and  the  audience  retired. 

On  the  30th  of  September  the  new  Drury  Lane  Theatre 
was  ready  for  opening.  The  building  cost  ,£112,000;  the 
fittings,  £13,000;  wardrobes,  scenery,  &c.,  £25,000;  in  all, 
£150,000.  It  was  honoured  next  day  with  a  visit  from  the 
Queen,  the  Princesses  Augusta  and  Mary,  the  Princess 
Charlotte  of  Wales,  the  Prince  Regent,  and  the  Dukes  of 
Sussex,  Kent,  and  Clarence.  On  this  occasion  the  theatre 
was  darkened,  and  the  interior  brilliantly  lit  up,  in  order  to 
show  it  at  its  best  advantage  to  its  distinguished  visitors. 
Elliston  opened  it  on  the  10th  of  October  with  '  Hamlet.' 

In  November  Betty,  better  known  as  the  '  young  Roscius,' 
reappeared  on  the  Stage  at  Covent  Garden.  But  his  boy- 
hood's charm  was  broken,  and,  as  a  man  (he  was  22),  he  was 
a  failure  as  an  actor. 

In  1813  Miss  Stevens  made  her  debut,  and  so  did  Kean,  at 
Drury  Lane  on  January  26,  1814,  and  by  his  acting  Shy  lock 
took  the  town  by  storm.  '  For  voice,  eye,  action,  and 
expression,  no  actor  has  come  out  at  all  equal  to  him.  The 
applause,  from  the  first  scene  to  the  last,  was  general,  loud, 
and  uninterrupted.'  Next  month  he  appeared  as  Richard  III., 
and,  if  possible,  his  acting  was  more  belauded.  People, 
including  Coutts  the  banker,  sent  him  cheques,  one  for  £50, 
and  the  Managers  of  Drury  Lane  increased  his  salary. 

The  first  mention  I  can  find  of  Miss  O'Neil,  is  March  24, 
1812:  'A  Miss  O'Neille,  of  whom  report  speaks  very  highly, 
at  the  Dublin  Theatre,  is  engaged  for  Covent  Garden  Theatre 
the  next  season.  She  is  said  to  be  a  good  actress,  a  very 
great  beauty,  and  a  Roman  Catholic,  so  there  is  something  for 
all  tastes.' 

August  18,  1815:  'Among  the  improvements  making  at 
Covent  Garden  Theatre,  preparatory  to  opening  for  the 
ensuing  season,  backs  are  fixing  to  the  seats  in  the  pits,  so 
that  each  person  will  sit  at  ease  as  in  a  chair.' 

September  1,  1815  :  '  The  Manage rs  of  the  Winter  Theatres 


412  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


have  already,  it  seems,  received  no  less  than  Ninety-seven 
Tragedies,  Comedies,  Operas,  Farces,  Melodramas,  and  Panto- 
mimes, intended  by  the  Authors,  for  representation,  during 
the  ensuing  season.' 

We  sometimes  see  very  realistic  effects  produced  on  the 
Stage,  but  we  have  not  yet  arrived  at  this  pitch.  August  30, 
1815  :  '  A  strolling  company  of  Comedians  in  the  County  of 
York,  in  performing  the  tragedy  of  "George  Barnwell," 
advertised  that  "  Mil  wood  would  be  hanged  upon  the  Stage  "; 
and,  in  consequence,  the  curtain  dropped  on  a  figure  of  Mil- 
wood  suspended  from  a  gibbet,  to  the  great  entertainment  of 
the  audience  assembled.'  By  the  way,  every  theatre  at  these 
times,  invariably  played  '  George  Barnwell '  on  Boxing  Night, 
a  practice  which  has  not  so  very  long  been  discontinued  at 
some  of  the  minor  London  Theatres. 

Charles  Bannister,  who  had  been  before  the  public  upwards 
of  thirty  years,  took  his  leave  of  them,  June  1,  1815. 

On  February  17,  1816,  the  audience  at  Drury  Lane  were 
startled  by  a  pistol  shot.  A  farce  called  the  '  Merry 
Mourners '  was  being  played  ;  a  young  man  in  the  third  row 
of  the  pit  produced  a  pistol,  and  deliberately  shot  at  Miss 
Kelly — luckily  without  hurting  her.  He  was,  of  course,  at 
once  captured  and  locked  up.  He  had  been  pestering  her 
with  his  addresses. 

Mrs.  Jordan,  wife  of  William  IV.,  died  July  5,  1816.  She 
had  been  acting  this  year,  but  had  grown  stout,  and  had  lost 
much  of  her  vivacity.  Here  is  the  last  record  of  her.  July  13, 
18 16:  'Our  correspondent  from  Paris  informs  us  that 
Mrs.  Jordan  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  St.  Cloud.  She 
had  resided  in  the  village  for  some  time  with  great  privacy, 
under  the  name  of  Mrs.  James.  She  was  buried  in  a  thin 
shell,  stained  black,  but  uncovered  with  cloth  or  ornament  of 
any  kind.  Mr.  Thomas  Greatorex,  an  hotel-keeper  in  Paris, 
and  Mr.  William  Henshall,  statuary,  of  Mortimer  Street, 
Cavendish  Square,  were  by  accident  passing,  and  saw  her 
interred.  They  were  the  only  Englishmen  present.'  This 
account  was  afterwards  confirmed  in  the  same  newspaper, 
date  the  22nd  of  July.  Such  was  her  sad  fate,  after  having 
borne  the  Duke  of  Clarence  ten  children,  of  whom  those  that 
survived  came  to  great  honour  on  his  accession  to  the  throne. 

How  different  was  Sheridan's  funeral  on  the  15th  of  the 
same  month  !  His  mortal  remains  were  interred  in  Poets' 
Corner,  Westminster  Abbey,  with  all  honour,  the  pall-bearers 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  413 

being  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  Earls  Mulgrave  and  Lauderdale, 
Lords  Holland  and  Robert  Spencer,  and  the  Bishop  of  London. 
The  Dukes  of  York  and  Sussex,  the  Duke  of  Argyle,  the 
Marquess  of  Anglesea,  and  many  other  noblemen,  all  followed 
to  do  honour  to  his  corpse. 

The  Lyceum  Theatre,  which  had  sheltered  the  Drury  Lane 
Company  after  that  theatre  was  burnt  down,  was  again  opened 
on  the  15th  of  June  for  English  Opera. 

The  following  anecdote  will  show  how  sometimes  the 
audience  thoroughly  enter  into  the  play.  August  13,  1816: 
'  Mrs.  Mardyn  and  Mr.  Oxberry  have  been  performing  at  the 
Windsor  Theatre.  Oxberry,  as  the  Jew,  instead  of  taking 
the  pound  of  flesh  from  the  Merchant,  by  accident  cut  off  the 
top  of  his  own  finger  in  placing  the  knife  in  his  belt.  This, 
however,  did  not  prevent  him  from  finishing  the  scene, 
although  his  blood  dyed  that  part  of  the  stage  he  occupied. 
When  Portia  requests  Shylock  "  To  have  some  surgeon  lest 
Antonio  do  bleed  to  death,"  a  man  in  the  pit,  thinking  she 
alluded  to  the  accident,  exclaimed,  "  Here,  mate,  take  my 
handkerchief,  and  I'll  go  for  the  Doctor." ' 

Kemble  took  his  farewell  of  the  stage  on  June  23,  1817, 
playing  Coriolanus  at  Covent  Garden.  He  spoke  a  short 
valedictory  address,  and  of  course  was  rapturously  cheered. 
As  he  hurried  off  the  stage,  a  gentleman  in  the  pit  handed 
Talma,  the  celebrated  French  actor,  who  was  in  the  orchestra, 
a  white  satin  scarf,  embroidered  with  a  laurel  wreath,  begging 
that  he  would  throw  it  on  the  stage,  which  he  did.  The 
manager  was  called  for,  and  came,  went  through  the  farce  of 
asking  whether  it  was  intended  for  Mr.  Kemble,  and  assured 
the  audience  that  he  would  give  it  to  the  great  tragedian 
'  with  heart-felt  gratification.' 

Clowns  are  not  responsible  beings,  at  least  on  the  stage,  or, 
according  to  the  following  anecdote,  off  it.  July  2,  1818: 
'  Usher,  the  Clown  of  the  Coburg  Theatre  (opened  on  the  9th 
of  May),  in  consequence  of  a  wager,  set  off  in  a  machine  like 
a  washing-tub,  drawn  by  four  geese,  at  half-past  twelve  o'clock 
from  below  Southwark  Bridge,  and  passed  under  four  bridges, 
and  arrived  at  half-past  two  at  Cumberland  Gardens.  A  pole 
extended  from  the  machine  in  which  he  sat,  to  which  the 
geese  were  harnessed.  For  some  time  they  were  quite  tract- 
able, and  he  went  on  swimmingly,  but,  at  times,  they  were 
quite  restive,  and  not  easily  managed.  A  great  number  of 
persons  accompanied  him  in  boats,  and  several  viewed  the 


411 


SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


whimsical  expedition  from  the  bridges.  After  completing  it 
he  offered,  for  a  wager  of  one  hundred  guineas,  to  return 
thence  through  the  centre  arch  of  London  Bridge  ;  but  no 
person  would  accept  the  challenge.'  A  Clown  named  Barry 
did  the  same  about  thirty-five  or  forty  years  ago,  I  think. 


A  CLOWN   AND   A   GRASSHOPPER. 


Clowns  did  not  dress  then  as  they  do  now,  as  we  see  in  the 
illustration  of  a  Clown  and  a  Grasshopper  in  the  pantomime 
of  '  Jack  and  Jill/  performed  at  the  Lyceum  in  1812. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

The  Italian  Opera — An  uproar — Catalani  and  her  terms — Vauxhall 
— Musical  prodigy — Painters,  Sculptors,  Art  exhibitions — Litera- 
ture and  writers— Bibliomaniacs— George  Bidder,  the  Calculating 
boy — Musicians — Medical  men — The  Clergy — Roman  Catholic 
emancipation — Joanna  Southcott. 

THE  Italian  Opera  flourished.  Madame  Catalani,  undeterred 
by  her  reception  by  the  public,  at  the  time  of  the  O.  P.  Riots, 
was  prima  donna ;  for  Mrs.  Billington  retired  from  the  stage 
in  May,  1811. 

There  was  a  pretty  little  riot  on  2nd  of  May,  1813,  at  the 
Opera  at  the  King's  Theatre. 

'We  are  indebted  to  a  correspondent  for  the  following 
particulars  of  what,  we  are  told,  for  we  were  not  present,  was, 
in  its  progress,  one  of  the  most  disgraceful  scenes  that  the 
walls  of  that,  or  any  other  Theatre,  ever  witnessed. 

'  Much  disapprobation  had  prevailed  throughout  the  perform- 
ance of  the  Opera  on  Saturday  night,  and,  at  its  conclusion, 
cries  for  the  Manager,  and  Catalani,  resounded  throughout 
the  house.  The  Ballet  was,  however,  suffered  to  commence, 
but  had  not  proceeded  many  minutes,  when,  from  behind  the 
scenes — 'a  band  of  fierce  barbarians  rushed  upon  the  stage; 
the  dancers  flying  for  safety  and  for  succour.'  The  drop- 
scene  in  vain  descended,  for  an  irruption  was  made  through 
the  body  of  it,  and,  on  its  being  drawn  up,  there  was 
discovered  a  motley  group  of  men  and  women,  the  latter 
shrieking  and  the  former  shouting,  and  most  destructively 
active  in  the  demolition  of  all  that  came  within  reach  of  their 
canes. 

<  Mr.  Masterson,  Secretary  to  the  Theatre,  made  his 
appearance,  to  the  interruption  of  the  pleasing  interchange  of 
shouts,  which  alternately  rang  out  from  the  audience  before 


416  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


the  stage,  and  the  company  of  new  performers  upon  it.  The 
Secretary  bowed,  and  silence  ensued — when  a  gentleman, 
from  the  front  of  the  pit,  and  not  long  from  Ireland,  made 
a  speech  on  the  occasion  demanding  the  Manager.  The 
Secretary  expressed  himself  ready  to  convey  their  pleasure  to 
Mr.  Taylor,  but  said  he,  himself,  was  unauthorized  to  answer 
any  questions.  Catalani's  name  was  immediately  vociferated 
in  one  quarter,  that  of  Angiolini  in  another ;  and,  in  a  third, 
a  rise  of  salary  was  demanded  for  them  as  well  as  Tramezzani ; 
but  the  sums  were  so  large,  being  .£10,000  for  one,  £5,000 
for  another,  that,  whether  intended,  or  not,  it  had  the  effect 
of  changing  the  tone  of  this  clamour,  and  the  Secretary  was 
not  honoured  with  any  further  commands. 

'  The  audience  appeared  now  to  be  satisfied ;  no  further 
noise  was  heard,  and  the  multitude  on  the  stage  were 
beginning  to  disperse,  when,  unfortunately,  an  order  for  the 
soldiers  to  clear  the  stage  as  usual,  produced  a  most  alarming 
scene.  Three  or  four  soldiers,  and  a  sergeant,  were  most 
manfully  assailed,  and  disarmed  by  the  disappointed  lovers  of 
music  and  Catalani.  The  firelocks  were  brought  as  trophies 
to  the  front  of  the  stage,  and  precipitated  into  the  Orchestra. 
The  pit,  which  contained  the  sober  and  orderly  part,  only,  of 
its  former  contents,  gave  strong  signs  of  disgust,  which  were 
received  and  returned  by  one  of  the  disarming  heroes  in  a 
manner  only  to  be  described  as  the  utmost  stretch  of  black- 
guardism. Our  Correspondent  says  that  he  dares  not  describe 
the  impudent  species  of  insult  which  he  offered  to  the 
spectators. 

'The  officer  of  the  guard,  the  moment  that  he  saw  the 
unbecoming  attack  made  on  his  small  party,  hurried  to  the 
spot,  with  the  avowed  intention  of  drawing  them  off;  but  the 
moment  he  appeared,  he  also  was  hustled,  his  sword  violently 
seized,  and  his  person  insulted,  until  Major  Mellish  came 
forward,  and  assured  the  house  that  his  friend,  Lieutenant 
White,  had  only  presented  himself  to  call  off  his  party  from 
the  scene.  The  vengeance  of  the  whole  house  was  now 
directed  against  the  man  who  had  acted  in  so  brutal  a  manner 
in  face  of  the  Ladies  assembled  in  the  Boxes.  He  was 
collared,  dragged  to  the  front  of  the  stage,  tweaked  by  the 
nose,  and  called  on,  after  many  other  ingenious  indignities,  to 
make  an  apology  to  the  house.  But  he  was  most  stubborn, 
and  fought  about  him  ;  till,  at  last,  it  was  discovered  that  he 
was  too  inebriated  for  utterance.  This  was  satisfactorily 
explained  to  the  audience  by  a  gentleman  near  him. 


. 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  417 

'  Peace  would  have  been  now  restored,  but  Mr.  Coates— the 
tall  Mr.  Coates  —  made  his  appearance,  and  insisted  on 
making  a  speech.  He  was  almost  equally  impetuous,  but  he 
also  was  manoeuvred  off  the  stage.  Much  mischief  was  done, 
both  to  the  musical  instruments  in  the  Orchestra,  and  to  the 
scenery.  It  was  most  providential  that  a  scene  of  bloodshed 
had  not  been  the  result ;  for  the  detachment  of  Guards  in  the 
street,  hearing  that  their  comrades  had  been  assailed,  and 
their  officer  insulted,  rushed  into  the  Theatre,  and  it  was  by  a 
miracle  that  they  were  stopped  from  making  their  way  to  the 
stage.  In  fact,  the  practice  of  employing  soldiers  to  clear  the 
stage  is  most  unbecoming.  It  puts  the  troops  in  a  most 
embarrassing  position,  and  is  sure  to  raise  the  indignation  of 
the  spectators.  It  was  intimated,  we  hear,  that,  in  consequence 
of  the  dreadful  scene  of  Saturday  night,  the  Lord  Chamberlain 
has  issued  an  order,  that  no  person  shall  be  admitted  behind 
the  scenes,  under  the  penalty  of  withdrawing  the  License 
from  the  Theatre.' 

The  managers  of  Theatres  used  to  make  large  sums  by 
allowing  people  behind  the  scenes,  and  it  was  said  that  the 
Lord  Chamberlain's  prohibition  meant  a  loss  of  £3,000  a  year 
to  the  Opera.  I  cannot,  exactly,  trace  the  cause  of  this  riot. 
I  know  that  Catalan!  broke  her  engagement,  and  can  only 
suppose  that  it  was  something  about  Money,  for  she  was  as 
greedy  as  a  certain  modern  Prima  Donna.  She  had  already 
received  £1,275  for  ten  weeks,  and  would  be  paid  at  the  same 
rate  for  the  remaining  twenty  weeks  of  her  engagement. 
Take  a  newspaper  paragraph,  25th  of  March,  1814:  '  Madam 
Catalani  has  been  offered  two  thousand  guineas,  and  a  free 
benefit,  for  thirty  nights'  performance  at  the  Opera,  which 
offer  she  has  declined,  asking  three  thousand.'  So  she  did 
not  sing  that  year. 

Here  is  another  little  story.  May  23,  1814:  <Dr.  Busby 
intends  giving  two  Concerts  at  the  Opera  House.  The 
Doctor  consulted  Mr.  Braham  in  the  first  instance,  requesting 
his  advice  what  vocal  performers  he  should  engage.  Mr. 
Braham  immediately  recommended  Catalani,  Dickons,  Salmon, 
&c.  &c.  The  Doctor,  in  consequence,  waited  on  Monsieur 
Vallabrique,  and  begged  to  know  Madame  Catalani's  terms. 
The  answer  was,  500  guineas  each  day ;  or  half  the  gross 
receipts  ;  and  Monsieur  said,  if  the  Doctor  would  agree  to 
the  latter  proposal,  that  he,  himself,  would  engage  the 
singers  at  a  great  expense,  and  pay  them  liberally  out  of  his 

27 


418  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

own  portion.  "  Well/'  says  the  Doctor,  "  what  would  you 
offer  them  ?"  "  Why/'  says  Monsieur,  "  my  wife  500  guineas 
each  morning  ;  Mrs.  Dickons  ten  guineas  each  morning  ;  Mrs. 

Salmon  ditto,  and  Mr.  Braham "  "Stop!"  says  the 

Doctor,  "I  have  already  engaged  that  gentleman.  He  is  to 

have  thirty  guineas  each  morning;  or  if "  "Ha!  ha!" 

interrupted  the  astonished  Frenchman,  with  a  long  tragic 
groan.  "  Thirty  guineas  every  morning  ?  He  is  a  Jew  !  !  ! " 
On  which  the  Doctor  made  his  bow  and  engaged  Grassini.' 

People  were  very  fond  of  music,  and  there  were  plenty  of 
good  Concerts,  and  singers,  with  oratorios  for  the  more 
seriously  disposed.  Did  you  object  to  the  heat  of  a  Concert 
room,  you  could  have  very  good  vocal  music,  with  an 
excellent  band,  al  fresco,  at  Vauxhall,  with  the  very  best  of 
company  to  rub  shoulders  against.  Take,  for  instance,  only 
one  day — and  from  my  notes  I  could  give  many — July  12, 
1819: 

'  VAUXHALL. — A  more  brilliant  scene  has  scarcely  ever  pre- 
sented itself  than  that  which  these  gardens  exhibited  on 
Friday  evening  last.  The  walks  were  thronged  with  company 
of  the  first  description,  among  whom  we  noticed  the  Duke  of 
Argyle,  the  Duchesses  of  Richmond,  Bedford,  and  Rutland ; 
the  Marquess  of  Worcester,  the  Marquess  and  Marchioness  of 
Tavistock ;  their  Excellencies  the  French  and  Spanish 
Ambassadors,  Viscount  and  Lady  Castlereagh ;  Lords  George 
Cavendish,  Petersham,  Foley,  Clare,  Grantham,  Harrington, 
Forbes,  Clifford,  and  Kier ;  Ladies  Brownlow,  Warburton,  and 
Otway;  Sir  Harry  Hotham,  Sir  William  Elliot,  and  Mr. 
Holme  Sumner,  M.P.* 

Of  course  there  was  the  usual  musical  prodigy,  no  age  could 
do  without  that,  and  here  it  is,  10th  of  September,  1814: 
'  The  Plymouth  Chronicle  of  Tuesday  last  (September  6th)  con- 
tains the  following  singular  statement,  respecting  a  boy,  living 
in  Plymouth,  only  eleven  years  and  a  half  old.  Of  Master 
Whitcomb,  for  such  is  the  name  of  this  prodigy,  it  is  asserted 
that  "  unassisted  in  musical  composition,  this  child  has 
produced  to  the  musical  world  several  pieces  in  score,  dedi- 
cated, by  permission,  to  the  inimitable  Catalani  ";  but  what 
we  chiefly  allude  to,  is,  a  challenge  he  received  a  few  days 
since,  viz.,  to  compose  a  full  orchestra,  musical  parts  to  accord 
in  harmony  with  a  given  bass  !  !  Thus  taken  by  surprise,  he 
accepted  the  challenge,  and  was  locked  up  in  a  room,  with  only 
pen,  ink  and  paper,  the  given  bass  was  produced,  and  without 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  419 

any  assistance,  this  child  of  nature  produced,  in  about  an  hour, 
a  complete  musical  score,  viz.,  two  violin  parts,  two  flute  parts, 
two  horn  parts,  a  tenor  part,  and  oboe  part !' 

From  Music  to  Art  is  but  a  short,  and  legitimate  transition, 
and  that  period  was  no  mean  one  in  the  history  of  Art,  which 
could  produce  such  a  list  of  names  as  the  following,  which 
does  not  pretend  to  be  exhaustive:  Sir  George  Beaumont, 
Sir  William  Beechey,  R.A.,  Henry  Bone,  R.A.,  the  celebrated 
enameller,  A.  W.  Callcott,  R.A.,  A.  W.  Chalon,  R. A.,  R.  Cosway, 
R.A.,  I.  Constable,  P.  de  Wint,  W.  Etty,  W.  Finden,  the 
engraver,  Henry  Fuseli,  R.A.,  G.  Hayter,  W.  Hilton,  R.A., 
E.  Landseer,  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  R.A.,  C.  R.  Leslie, 
J.  Linnell,  P.  I.  de  Loutherbourg,  R.A.,  W.  Mulready,  R.A., 
P.  Nasmyth,  J.  Northcote,  R.A.,  H.  W.  Pickersgill,  W.  H. 
Pyne,  P.  Reinagle,  R.A.,  H.  Raeburn,  R.A.,  R.  R.  Ramsay, 
A.R.A.,  M.  A.  Shee,  R.A.,  H.  Sass,  T.  Stothard,  R.A.,  J.  M.  W. 
Turner,  R.A.,  W.  Varley,  C.  H.  Weigall,  B.  West,  R.A., 
D.  Wilkie,  R.A.,  and  W.  Wyon  the  medallist. 

Then  among  Sculptors  were  some  glorious  names — W. 
Behnes,  F.  Chantrey,  R.A.,  J.  Flaxman,  R.A.,  J.  Nollekens, 
R.A.,  W.  Theed,  P.  Turnerelli,  and  R.  Westmacott,  R.A. 

There  were,  besides  the  Exhibition  of  Pictures  of  the  Royal 
Academy,  which  was  held  at  Somerset  House,  or  Somerset 
Place,  as  it  was  then  called,  two  Water  Colour  Exhibitions — 
'  The  Society  of  Painters  in  Water  Colours/  and  the  '  Asso- 
ciated Painters  in  Water  Colours.'  And,  occasionally,  there 
were,  as  now,  collections  of  the  works  of  some  one  artist  to  be 
seen,  as,  for  instance,  in  March,  1811,  West's  pictures  were 
shown  ;  in  May,  1812,  Wilkie's  pictures  were  exhibited  ;  and 
in  May,  1813,  a  collection  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds'  works  was 
made,  and  there  was  a  supplementary  exhibition  for  the  sale 
of  pictures,  called  'the  European  Museum.' 

There  was  a  craze  for  large  Panoramas,  and  they  generally 
followed  the  progress  of  the  war :  thus  in  1811  we  find  them 
of  Malta,  of  Cadiz,  the  Siege  of  Flushing,  and  a  Panorama  of 
Messina.  In  1812  we  have  one  of  Lisbon,  and  in  1815  we  are 
treated  to  a  view  of  Elba. 

Miss  Linwood  ought  to  rank  as  an  artist,  and  her  exhibition 
of  Needlework  was  most  popular,  as  may  be  judged  by  the 
fact  that  it  was  on  show  at  Saville  House,  Leicester  Square, 
from  1800  till  1844,  when  she  died.  It  then  filled  up  the 
place  in  public  amusement  now  occupied  by  Madame  Tussaud's 

27—2 


420  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

Exhibition.      (By  the  way,  Mrs.  Salmon  was   the  wax-work 
woman  of  those  days.) 

Miss  Linwood's  work,  although  done  with  coloured  wools, 
was  as  like  that  awful  Berlin  wool-work  of  our  day,  as  a 
picture  by  the  President  of  the  Royal  Academy  would 
resemble  a  coloured  wall-poster.  They  were  large  and  most 
faithful  copies  of  some  of  the  finest  specimens  of  art,  both 
British  and  foreign.  The  South  Kensington  Museum  pos- 
sesses some  of  them,  notably  a  portrait  of  Napoleon.  For  one 
of  her  pictures,  the  Salvator  Mundi,  after  Carlo  Dulci,  she 
refused  three  thousand  guineas,  and  at  her  death  left  it  as  a 
legacy  to  the  Queen ;  but,  when  her  collection  was  sold,  it 
fetched  very  little,  somewhere  about  £1,000. 

There  was  very  little  done  in  public  statuary  at  this  time, 
but  the  monument  to  the  memory  of  Nelson,  in  the  Guildhall, 
was  uncovered  on  April  27,  1811  (Sheridan  composed  the 
inscription);  and  on  March  27,  1813,  that  to  Pitt,  in  the 
same  building,  was  inaugurated,  Canning  being  responsible 
for  the  inscription. 

In  literature  we  have  a  strong  list  of  names,  but  in  the  one 
I  give  I  do  not  pretend  that  it  includes  every  one  laying 
claim  to  literary  merit  —  it  is  merely  a  representative 
catalogue  : — Joanna  Baillie,  Mrs.  Barbauld,  Robert  Bloomfield, 
Lord  Byron,  Thomas  Campbell,  Thomas  Carlyle,  G.  Chalmers, 
S.  T.  Coleridge,  George  Crabbe,  Alan  Cunningham,  Madame 
D'Arblay,  Isaac  D' Israeli,  Sir  Philip  Francis,  William  Godwin, 
George  Grote,  Henry  Hallam,  William  Hazlitt,  Mrs.  Hemans, 
James  Hogg,  Thomas  Hood,  Theodore  Hooke,  Leigh  Hunt, 
Mrs.  Inchbald,  Mrs.  Jameson,  J.  Keats,  Charles  Lamb,  W.  S. 
Landor,  J.  Lempriere,  M.  G.  (or  Monk)  Lewis,  Lord  Lytton, 
Edward  Malone,  Miss  Mitford,  James  Montgomery,  Hannah 
More,  Thomas  Moore,  Lady  Morgan,  Lindley  Murray,  Mrs. 
Norton,  Mrs.  Opie,  Jane  Porter,  Anne  Radcliffe,  Samuel 
Rogers,  Sir  Walter  Scott,  R.  B.  Sheridan,  Percy  Bysshe 
Shelley,  John  and  Horace  Smith,  Robert  Southey,  J.  Home 
Tooke,  Henry  Kirke  White,  William  Wordsworth. 

Death  claimed,  during  these  nine  years,  some  of  the  older 
litterateurs,  as  the  Right  Rev.  Thomas  Percy,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 
Dromore,  whose  '  Reliques  of  Antient  English  Poetry '  is  well 
known.  He  died  Sept.  SO,  1811.  On  March  18,  1812,  died 
John  Home  Tooke,  who  will  always  be  remembered  by  '  The 
Diversions  of  Purley.'  John  Philpot  Curran,  the  celebrated 
Irish  lawyer  and  orator,  died  at  Brompton,  October  14,  1817  ; 
and  Samuel  Lysons,  the  eminent  Antiquary,  who  was  Keeper 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  421 

of  the  Records  when  they  were  in  the  Tower  of  London, 
whose  '  Environs  of  London '  is  still  a  standard  book  of 
reference,  expired  June  29,  1819.  On  August  25th  of  the 
same  year,  died  James  Watt,  whose  name  is  so  well  known  in 
connection  with  the  steam  engine. 

It  was  a  dilettante  age  for  books.  It  was  the  first  wake  up 
after  a  long,  long  sleep.  Men  were  only  just  beginning  to 
understand  the  value  of  the  treasures  they  possessed,  and  the 
mysteries  of  first  editions,  tall  copies,  &c.,  were  just  coming  to 
light.  Old  libraries  were  searched,  and  their  secrets  were 
exposed.  I  think  they  over-valued  their  old  books  ;  as  a  proof, 
they  do  not  fetch  so  much  now.  For  instance,  take  the 
'  Valdarfer  Boccaccio/  printed  in  1471.  This  book  was  in  the 
library  of  the  Duke  of  Roxburghe,  and  at  the  sale  thereof 
fetched,  on  June  17,  1812,  the  enormous  sum  of  £2,260.  It 
was  purchased  by  the  Marquis  of  Blandford.  He  afterwards 
sold  it,  on  June  16,  1819,  to  Messrs.  Longman  and  Co.,  at  the 
reduced  price  of  £875,  and  on  December  7, 1881,  Mr.  Quaritch 
bought  it  for  £585.  At  the  same  sale  the  Duke  of  Devon- 
shire bought  a  Caxton,  'The  Recuyell  of  the  historyes  of 
Troye/  for  «£l,060.  People  other  than  those  infatuated  called 
it  bibliomania,  and  so  I  think  it  was. 

The  foundation  of  the  celebrated  Roxburghe  Club  took 
place  on  that  dies  mirabilis,  the  17th  of  June,  when  the 
number  was  limited  to  twenty-four,  and  they  dined  annually 
afterwards,  the  great  toast  of  the  evening  being  always,  '  The 
memory  of  the  immortal  Valdarfer.' 

Here  is  a  curious  Advertisement,  May  11,  1814  :  '  A  SHABBY 
OLD  MANUSCRIPT,  to  be  seen  at  No.  15,  Noel  Street,  Berwick 
Street,  Soho,  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  greatest  Curiosities  now 
existing ;  not  so  much  for  its  Antiquity,  though  conjectured 
to  be  of  the  13th  or  14th  Century,  for  it  has  no  date,  or  any 
striking  peculiarity  either  in  the  Character  or  spelling,  as  on 
account  of  the  subject,  and  the  extraordinary  nature  of  its 
contents.  The  Proprietor  of  this  singularly  curious  and 
interesting  document,  a  gentlemen  of  high  literary  attain- 
ments, would,  under  certain  limitations  and  restrictions, 
dispose  of  a  Correct  COPY  for  200  guineas.  Mere  curiosity 
may,  however,  be  gratified  with  a  sight  of  the  original,  and  of 
the  heads  of  its  principal  contents,  for  a  One  Pound  Bank  of 
England  Note,  or  twenty  shillings  good  and  current  money.' 

In  Science  great  strides  were  being  made  ;  they  were 
emerging  from  the  slough  of  ignorance,  and  treading  the 
right  path  at  last  ;  and,  although  they  cannot  boast  either  of 


422  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


the  scientists,  or  the  discoveries,  of  the  Victorian  era,  yet  an 
age  that  could  produce  a  Humphry  Davy  and  a  David 
Brewster  brought  forth  two  famous  men. 

About  this  time  there  was  a  wonderful  boy,  who,  since, 
developed  into  a  good  Civil  Engineer.  The  earliest  notice  I 
can  find  of  him  is  in  a  Newspaper  of  March  4,  1 8 1 4.  '  There 
is  now  at  Moretonhamstead,  Devonshire,  a  boy  only  seven 
and  a  half  years  old,  of  a  most  astonishing  genius  ;  indeed,  as 
a  Calculator,  quite  a  prodigy.  A  gentleman  asked  him  how 
many  eyes  and  toes  six  score  of  bullocks  had,  and  how  many 
minutes  in  a  year,  each  of  which  questions  he  answered  with 
the  same  ease  and  quickness.  Another  person  put  many 
difficult  questions  to  him  in  arithmetic,  to  the  whole  of  which 
he  immediately  replied  correctly.  The  boy  cannot  account 
how  he  does  it,  and,  till  within  a  few  weeks,  did  not  know  a 
figure.  His  name  is  Bidder,  and  his  father  is  a  mason  at  the 
above  place.' 

We  hear  of  him  again  in  October,  1819.  'A  singular 
phenomenon  appeared  in  the  metropolis  this  month.  A  boy  of 
the  name  of  George  Bidder  solved  the  most  difficult  questions 
in  arithmetic  by  mental  calculation,  in  less  time  than  could  be 
accomplished  by  the  most  skilful  by  the  ordinary  operation  ; 
and  what  was  more  remarkable  he  did  not  work  by  common 
arithmetical  rules,  but  by  a  process  entirely  his  own.' 

Among  the  musical  composers  who  were  then  living  may 
be  named  Sir  Henry  R.  Bishop,  Dr.  Callcott,  Muzio  dementi, 
Dr.  Crotch,  Charles  Dibdin,  Thomas  Greatorex,  Thomas  Kelly, 
Vincent  Novello,  John  Parry,  Cipriani  Potter,  and  Samuel 
Wesley. 

Medical  Science  had  emerged  from  the  empiricism  in 
which  it  had  so  long  been  shrouded  :  and  to  this  era  belong 
some  great  names,  both  in  Medicine  and  Surgery.  Still,  the 
Pharmacopoeia  was  a  great  deal  too  redundant,  and  the  family 
doctor  was  pompous,  and  not  too  learned.  Doctors  and 
Clergymen  still  stuck  to  their  wigs — Barristers  and  Judges 
still  do  to  theirs — and  he  could  not  be  worth  his  salt  as  a 
physician,  unless  he  carried  a  gold-headed  cane,  often  with  a 
round  ball  a-top,  which  was  a  relic  of  the  time  when  it 
contained  some  aromatic  mixture,  which  he  smelt,  in  order  to 
guard  himself  against  contagion. 

Among  eminent  medical  men  and  surgeons  of  those  days, 
first  in  alphabetical  order  is  that  clever  old  bear,  John 
Abernethy,  whose  brusque  sayings  have  been  so  often  quoted. 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY 


423 


Joseph  Constantine  Carpue,  who  distinguished  himself  by 
making  false  flesh  noses,  which  he  covered  with  skin  let  down 
from  the  forehead.  Sir  Richard  Croft,  who  attended  the 
Princess  Charlotte  in  her  confinement,  and  whose  death  so 
preyed  upon  his  mind  that,  about  three  months  afterwards,  he 
committed  suicide  by  shooting  himself.  Sir  Henry  Halford, 
who  was  physician  in  ordinary  to  George  IV.,  and  whom  we 


A   PHYSICIAN. 


have  seen,  in  conjunction  with  that  illustrious  monarch, 
examining  the  bodies  of  Henry  VIII.  and  Charles  I. ;  and 
Dr.  Jenner,  whose  connection  with  Vaccination  everyone 
knows. 

In  the  Church  of  England  there  were  no  particular 
luminaries.  No  doubt  every  Clergyman,  from  a  Curate  to  an 
Archbishop,  worked  sincerely,  according  to  his  lights  ;  but 
there  was  not  the  zeal,  hard  work,  and  self-abnegation  which 


424  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 


are  now  the  characteristics  of  our  Anglican  Clergy.  Nor  of 
them  only  ;  all  sects  are  striving  hard  to  win  souls,  and  it 
would  be  invidious,  in  this  matter,  to  make  a  distinction.  I 
give  an  illustration  of  two  opposite  characters,  the  dear,  suave 
old  Bishop,  and  the  Charles  Honeyman  of  the  period,  of  the 
diamond  ring  and  pocket-handkerchief  religion.  Says  the 
Bishop,  '  I  shall  endeavour,  in  a  short,  but  eloquent  discourse, 
to  remove  the  vulgar  prejudices  imbibed  by  a  narrow 
education.'  The  other  commences  his  sermon  thus :  '  With 
all  the  diffidence  natural  to  my  situation,  I  shall,  for  the  first 
time,  venture  to  address  this  polite  and  discerning  audience.' 

In  matters  religious,  men  had  not  the  breadth  of  thought 
which  we,  now,  happily  possess.  For  instance,  on  May  5,  1813, 
was  introduced  into  the  House  of  Commons  a  Bill,  which,  after- 
wards, became  law,  '  For  the  further  relief  of  persons  impugn- 
ing the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.'  The  Acts  of  9  and  10 
William  III.  had  not  been  repealed,  and  by  them,  persons 
who,  in  writing  or  in  conversation,  denied  the  existence  of 
any  of  the  persons  of  the  Trinity,  were  disabled,  in  law,  from 
holding  any  office,  civil,  ecclesiastical,  or  military,  on  convic- 
tion ;  and,  if  a  second  time  convicted,  they  were  disabled  to  sue 
or  prosecute  in  any  action  or  information,  or  to  be  the  guardian 
of  any  child,  and  liable  to  be  imprisoned  for  three  years. 

This  may  appear  extremely  intolerant,  but  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that,  well  within  every  one's  memory,  an  atheist, 
avowing  himself  to  be  such,  could  not  give  testimony  in  a 
Court  of  Justice,  nor  sit  in  the  House  of  Commons.  Tardily, 
nous  avons  change  tout  cela. 

The  Roman  Catholics,  too,  felt  the  yoke  that  galled  them, 
and  made  strenuous  efforts  to  obtain  its  removal.  On  April  30, 
1813,  Mr.  Grattan  presented  to  the  House  of  Commons  his 
Bill  '  to  provide  for  the  removal  of  the  Civil  and  Military  Dis- 
qualifications, under  which  his  Majesty's  Roman  Catholic 
Subjects  now  labour. '  At  that  time  a  Roman  Catholic  had 
no  vote  for  Members  of  Parliament,  nor  could  he  sit  in  the 
House,  and  he  could  not  hold  any  office,  either  civil  or  military. 

On  May  24th,  the  House  of  Commons  having  resolved 
itself  into  a  Committee  on  Mr.  Grattan's  Bill,  the  Speaker 
protested  against  the  admittance  of  Roman  Catholics  into 
Parliament,  the  Privy  Council,  and  the  Judicial  Bench  ;  and 
concluded  with  moving  that  the  words,  '  to  sit  and  vote  in 
either  House  of  Parliament,'  in  the  first  clause,  be  left  out  of 
the  Bill.  After  a  long  debate,  a  division  took  place,  the 


426  SOCIAL  ENGLAND 

voting  being,  for  the  clause  247,  against  it  251,  so  that  it  was 
lost  only  by  the  small  majority  of  four.  Mr.  Ponsonby  then 
said  that,  as  the  Bill,  without  this  clause,  was  neither  worthy 
of  the  Catholics,  nor  of  the  further  support  of  the  friends  of 
concession,  he  would  move  that  the  Chairman  do  now  leave 
the  Chair,  which  was  carried  without  a  division,  and  thus  the 
Bill  was  lost. 

The  Catholic  Emancipation  Bill  did  not  receive  the  Royal 
Assent  until  April  13,  1829.  Cardinal  Wiseman  was  made 
Archbishop  of  Westminster,  September  30,  1850.  Roman 
Catholic  Chaplains  were  permitted  in  gaols  July,  1863.  The 
first  Roman  Catholic  Judge  that  sat  on  the  Bench  since  the 
Reformation,  was  Sergeant  Shee,  who  was  made  a  justice  of 
the  Queen's  Bench,  December,  1863.  We  have  even  had  a 
Roman  Catholic  Lord  Mayor,  Sir  Polydore  de  Keyser ;  and  on 
November  3,  1884,  Lord  Petre,  a  Roman  Catholic  priest,  took 
his  seat  in  the  House  of  Lords,  so  that  justice  seems  to  have 
been  done  at  last. 

Of  the  strength  of  the  Nonconformists  we  gather  something 
in  the  following,  August  28, 1815  :  'At  the  annual  conference 
of  the  Wesleyan  Methodists,  held  at  Manchester,  it  appears 
that  the  number  of  persons  in  the  Connection  amounted  to 
nearly  One  hundred  and  ninety  thousand.' 

On  December  29,  1814,  died  a  remarkable  religious  im- 
postor, one  Joanna  Southcott,  who  was  born,  of  humble 
parents,  in  Devonshire,  somewhere  about  1750.  In  the  year 
1790,  she  was  employed  aj  a  work-woman  at  an  upholsterer's 
shop  in  Exeter.  The  shopkeeper  being  a  Methodist,  his  shop 
was  frequently  visited  by  Ministers  of  the  same  persuasion, 
and  Joanna,  possessing  what  is  termed  'a  serious  turn  of 
mind,'  did  not  pass  unnoticed.  She  had  frequent  discussions 
in  the  shop  with  these  Ministers,  and  was  regarded  as  a 
prodigy.  Indeed,  so  sensible  was  she  of  her  own  importance 
and  superiority,  that,  with  the  aid  of  a  few  dreams,  and  some 
extraordinary  visions,  she  began  to  think  herself  inspired. 

But  what  confirmed  her  in  this  belief,  was  the  realization  of 
a  circumstance  which  she  had  been,  fore  warned  of,  in  a  dream 
— it  was  finding  the  Miraculous  seal.  One  morning,  in  sweep- 
ing out  the  shop,  she  found  a  seal,  with  the  initials  I.  S.,  which 
could  mean  nought  else  but  Joanna  Southcott.  From  this 
moment  she  bid  adieu  to  the  upholstering  trade,  and  set  up  in 
business  for  herself  as  Prophetess.  In  her  first  prophecies  she 
states  that  in  1792  she  was  visited  by  the  Lord,  who  promised 
to  enter  into  an  everlasting  covenant  with  her,  and  told  her 


UNDER  THE  REGENCY  427 

that  a  vision  would  be  shown  her  in  the  night.  It  accordingly 
appeared,  sometimes  in  the  shape  of  a  cup,  then  like  a  cat, 
which  she  kicked  to  pieces,  but  was  very  uneasy,  until  she  was 
told  that  it  was  nothing  more  than  a  trick  of  Satan,  with  a 
view  to  torment  her. 

On  the  appearance  of  her  first  prophecies,  the  Methodist 
preachers,  already  adverted  to,  endeavoured  to  convince  her 
of  the  diabolical  nature  of  her  doings,  and  attributed  them  to 
Satan  himself.  She  then  appointed  an  interview  with  as 
many  as  might  choose  to  attend,  in  order  to  put  the  question 
at  rest.  The  discussion  was  warm,  but  it  ended  in  all  present 
signing  the  following  document : — 

'  I,  Joanna  Southcott,  am  clearly  convinced  that  my  calling 
is  of  God,  and  my  writings  are  indited  by  His  Spirit,  as  it  is 
impossible  for  any  Spirit,  but  an  All-wise  God,  that  is 
wondrous  in  working,  wondrous  in  power,  wondrous  in  truth, 
could  have  brought  round  such  mysteries,  so  full  of  truth,  as 
is  in  my  writings  ;  so  I  am  clear  in  whom  I  have  believed, 
that  my  writings  came  from  the  Spirit  of  the  most  high  God. 

'  JOANNA  SOUTHCOTT.' 

From  this  time  her  converts  increased  surprisingly,  so  that 
she  could  not  furnish  seals  sufficient  to  answer  all  demands. 
The  sealed  papers  contained  a  text  of  Scripture  (not  uniformly 
the  same),  promissory  of  beatitude  hereafter,  and  the  envelope 
was  stamped  with  the  seal  found  in  the  upholsterer's  shop. 
The  sealed  person  was  forbidden  to  open  the  paper,  lest  the 
charm  should  be  destroyed. 

She  came  to  London,  at  the  invitation  of  Sharp  the  en- 
graver, and  then  she  began  deluding  her  followers  that  she 
was  the  destined  mother  of  the  Messiah,  who  would  be  born 
on  October  19,  1814.  Her  personal  appearance  favoured  the 
opinion  that  she  was  in  an  '  interesting  condition,'  but  after 
her  death  it  was  found  she  was  suffering  from  dropsy.  Large 
sums  of  money  were  subscribed  towards  the  expense  of  her 
accouchement,  and  a  most  expensive  cradle  was  provided. 
The  time  passed  by,  but  no  Messiah  appeared  ;  and  she  died 
on  December  29,  1814,  and  was  buried  in  the  churchyard 
attached  to  St.  John's  Chapel,  St.  John's  Wood  ;  her  deluded 
followers  believing  for  long  after  that  she  would  rise  again, 
and  come  among  them. 

There  are  many  satirical  prints  respecting  this  impostor,  but 
I  do  not  care  to  reproduce  any  of  them,  as  they  are  either  too 
silly  or  too  coarse. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Act  of  Regency,  16 

„    to  prevent  sale  of  guineas,  40 
Actors,  411 
Allies,  The,  107,  160 

„         „      before  Paris,  137 
Almack's,  383 
Amazons,  388 

Amelia,  Death  of  Princess,  3 
American  war,  96,  109 

„  „     Declaration  of,  80 

„  „     exchange     of      pri- 

soners, 212 

American  war,  treaty  of  peace,  228 
Appeal  by  battle,  306 
Art,  419 

B. 

Ballooning,  49,  197,  203 
Banquet  at  Guildhall,  166 
Baron  Geramb,  407 
Bartholomew  Fair,  78 
Bath,  Order  of  the,  215 
Battle,  Appeal  by,  306 
Battle  for  the  Standard,  264 
Bellingham,  John  64 

„  „       execution  of,  67 

Belvoir,  The  Regent  at,  120 
Birth  of  Queen  Victoria,  338 
Blucher  a  gambler,  157 

„        and  the  ladies,  156 

„        arrival  of,  153 
Body-snatchers,  84,  288 
Boy,  The  calculating,  422 
Brookes'  Club,  261 
Brougham,  Lord,  186 
Bull-baiting,  Suppression  of,  46 
Bullion,  Scarcity  of,  25,  39,  62 


Burdett,  Sir  Francis,  38 
'  Burking,'  84 

C. 

Calculating  boy,  422 

Caporal  Violette,  142 

Caraboo,  315 

Caravats  and  Shanavests,  24 

Carl  ton  House,  27 

Caroline,  Princess,  leaves  England, 

208 
Caroline,  Princess,  letter  to  Regent, 

110 

Cat  in  a  conflagration,  113 
Catalani,  Madame,  417 
Catholic  soldiers,  treatment  of,  14 
Census,  The,  52 
Charles  I.,  exhumation  of,  90 

„  Relics  of,  93 

Charlotte,  Princess,  110 

„  „         and  the  Regent, 

183 
Charlotte,  Princess,  and  Prince  of 

Orange,  179 
Charlotte,   Princess,   Betrothal   of, 

267 
Charlotte,  Princess,  coming  of  age, 

123 

Charlotte,  Princess,  death  of,  308 
„  „          flight  of,  185 

„  „          presentation  at 

Court,  177 

Charlotte,  Princess,  wedding  of,  270 
Chesapeake  and  Shannon,  96 
Chimney  sweeps,  Bill  to  regulate,  76 
Chimney  sweep,  Marriage  of  a,  282 

,,  ,,       Trial  of  a,  283 

Circassian,  The  fair,  335 


INDEX 


429 


Clown's  wager,  413 

Clubs,  259 

Coaches,  351 

Coates,  Robert,  408 

Cobourg,  Prince   Leopold  of,   179, 

268 

Cochrane,  Lord,  134 
Cock  fighting,  400 
Coinage,  New,  286,  303,  306,  321 
Comet,  The,  46 
Cossack,  A,  87 
Costumes  of  period,  33,  211 
Cricket  by  candlelight,  285 
Cricket  match  of  women,  49 
Crown,  Attempt  to  steal  the,  229 
Cumberland,  The,  9 
Custom  House,  burning  of,  133 

D. 

Dandizette,  378 

Dandy,  A,  394 

Dandy  Horse,  326 

Death  of  George  III.,  345 

„         Princess  Charlotte,  308 
„         Queen  Charlotte,  321 

Debtors'  prisons,  7,  115 

Dining,  174,  404 

Dinner,  A  public,  330 
„       A  volunteer's,  115 
„       party,  An  enormous,  27 

Doctors,  332,  422 

Donkey  riding,  355 

Drury  Lane  Theatre,  411 

Duelling,  78 

E. 

Earthquake,  Shock  of,  301 
Eating  extraordinary,  25,  404 
Emigration,  335 

Emperor  of  Russia,  Arrival  of,  150 
„  at  Oxford,  162 

England  in  1816,  280 
English   prisoners   in   France,    13, 

191 

Esquimaux  in  London,  266 
Evans,  Rev.  John,  4 
Exchequer  Bills,  114 
'  Excursion  to  Windsor,'  4 

F. 

Fair,  Bartholomew,  78 
„     in  the  parks,  147 
on  the  Thames,  125 


Fasting  woman,  96 
Female  cricketers,  49 

„       pedestrian,  389 

„       sailors  and  soldiers,  388 

„       sports,  389 
Fete  at  Carlton  House,  27 
Fireworks,  201 
Fog,  Extraordinary,  119 
Footpads,  44 

Fortunate  Youth,  The,  312 
Fraud  on  Stock  Exchange,  134 
French  fiddler,  222 

„       prisoners,  68,  71,  103,  210, 
256 
Frost  fair,  125 

„  severe,  124 
Frozen  meat,  265 
Fruit,  Scarcity  of,  135 

G. 

Gambling,  260,  400 

„          with  Napoleon's  life,  118 
Garter,  Order  of,  102 
Gas,  Introduction  of,  118,  285 
George  III.,  custody  of  person,  22, 

324 
George  III.,  Death  of,  345 

,,  Health    of,   1,   3,    53, 

112,  215,  299,  345 
George  III.,  love  of  music,  5 
Gilray,  Death  of,  43 
Gipsies,  371 

Grand  Duke  Nicholas,  301 
Gretna  Green,  389 
Guards'  Club,  261 
Guildhall,  Banquet  at,  166 
Guineas,  39,  41,  62,  208 

H. 

Habeas  Corpus  suspended,  305 
Hamilton,  Lady,  218 
Hanger,  Colonel,  18 
Hedgehog  and  man  fight,  115 
Highwayman,  44 
Hobby  horse,  326 
Houses  of  London,  356 
Hunt,  H.,  Saved  Sinner,  291 
Huntingdon,  William,  100 


Ibbetson's  hotel,  260 
Ireland,  State  of,  119,  190 
Irish  witness,  An,  339 


430 


INDEX 


J. 

Jews,  cruelty  to,  16 

Jordan,  Mrs.,  412 

Jubilee  of  George  III.,  196 

K. 

Kean,  411 
Kemble,  413 
King  of  Prussia  and  prize-fighters, 

166 
King  of  Prussia,  Arrival  of,  152 

„  „         bed  of,  160 

King,  Lord,  39 
Kyrle  Society,  319 

L. 

Ladies'  costumes,  33,  211,  378,  384 
Lady  Parachutist,  49 

„     Pig-faced,  The,  219 
Leipsic,  Battle  of,  105 
Leopold,  Prince  of  Cobourg,  179, 

268 

Letter  of  a  soldier,  257 
Limmer's  Club,  260 
Linwood,  Miss,  419 
Lioness  attacks  coach,  354 
Literature,  420 

Louis  XVIII.,  welcome  to,  145 
Lucien  Buonaparte,  7 
Luddite  Riots,  52,  61,  86 

M. 

Mackerel,  Price  of,  114 
Man  and  hedgehog  fight,  115 
Margate,  82,  256 
Marlborough  House,  362 
Marriage,  A  chimney-sweep's,  282 

„          Act,  Royal,  269 

„          curious,  390 

„          of   Duke  of   Gloucester, 
282 

Marriage  of  Princess  Charlotte,  270 
McMahon,  Colonel,  58 
Meat,  Frozen,  265 
Medical  men,  332,  422 
Men  of  the  period,  391 
Men's  dress,  392 
Midshipmen,  254 
Museum,  British,  233 
Musical  Prodigy,  353 

N. 

Napoleon,  abdication  of,  238 
,,         attempts  suicide,  141 


Napoleon,  Bon  mots  about,  232 
carriage  of,  338 
escape  from  Elba,  223 
Fall  of,  141 
letter  to  Regent,  240 
on  Bdlerophon,  240 
personal  appearance,  243 
sent  to  St.  Helena,  249 


Navy 


Strength  of,  120 


New  Coinage,  286,  303,  306,  321 

O. 

Oldenburgh,  Duchess  of,  136 

Opera,  Italian,  415 

'  Orange  Boven,'  107 

Orange,  Prince  of,  107,  150,  179 

Order  of  Bath,  215 

Owen,  Robert,  310 

Oysters,  406 

P. 

Parachutes,  49 
Paris,  Capitulation  of,  138 
Parish  Registers,  84 
Percival,  Rt.  Hon.  S.,  63 

„        „        „          murder  of,  65 
Percussion  cap,  44 
Peterloo,  342 
Petersham,  Lord,  394 
Pig-faced  Lady,  219 
Platoff,  Mdlle.,  88 
Population,  52 
Post-chaises,  347 
Prince  of  Orange,  107,  150,  179 
Printing  on  the  ice,  126 
Prisoners  in  France,  13,  191 

„        of    war,   American,    210, 

212,  229 
Prisoners  of  war,  French,  49,  68,  71, 

103,  210,  256 
Prize-fighting,  401 
Prodigy,  Musical,  418 
Provisions,  Price  of,  85,  135 
Punch,  Recipe  for,  406 
Pye,  Death  of,  103 

Q. 

Queen,  The,  and  madwoman,  94 
and  Quaker,  308 
at  Bath,  308 
Death  of,  321 
practical  joke,  48 
sale  of  effects,  323 
wealth  of,  321 


INDEX 


431 


R, 

Reform  meeting,  341 
Regalia,  Finding  of  Scottish,  318 
Regency,  2,  12 
Regent,  The,  at  Belvoir,  120 
„          „     at  Oxford,  163 
,,          „      and  Freedom  of  Lon- 
don, 26 

Regent,  The,  and  Napoleon,  252 
„          „      companions  of,  18 
debts  of,  234 
hissed,  178 
in  the  kitchen,  332 
public  worship,  16 
sprained  ankle,  56 
stoned,  302 
sworn  in,  19 
Regent  Street,  362 
Regent's  Canal,  361 
„         The,  joke,  267 
,,         The,  remonstrance,  203 
,,  ,,     yacht,  275 

Registers,  Parish,  84 
Religion,  424 
Resurrection  men,  84,  288 
Riots,  52,  61,  227 

Anti-Corn  Bill,  225 
at  a  theatre,  415 
in  public  schools,  320 
The  Luddite,  52,  61,  86 
The  Spa  Fields,  296 
Royal  sceptre  discovered,  231 
milling  match,  56 
whiskers,  274 

S. 

Sailors,  distressed,  317 
Sailors'  frolics,  25,  218 
Salamanca,  74 

Sceptre,  Discovery  of  Royal,  231 
Shanavests  and  Caravats,  24 
Shannon  and  Chesapeake,,  96 
Sheridan,  Funeral  of,  412 
Shops,  359 
Siddons,  Mrs.,  411 
Slave  trade,  117 
Smuggling,  39,  43,  86 
Snowstorm,  124 
Soldier,  Letter  of  a,  257 
Southcott,  Joanna,  426 
Southey,  Robert,  103 


Spinning,  385 

Stage,  The,  406 

Steamboats,  346 

Steam  locomotives,  81 

Stock  Exchange  fraud,  184 

Strawberry,  Large,  115 

Streets,  The,  357 

Suspension  of  Habeas  Corpus,  305 

T. 

Tea  Gardens,  360 

Thames  frozen,  125 

Theatres,  406 

Times,  The,  and  Napoleon,  232,  239, 

241 

Torpedoes,  116 
Trade,  Stagnation  of,  279 

,,      reopened  with  France,  73 
Treaty  of  Peace  with  America,  228 
„         „       France,  168 

V. 

Vauxhall  Gardens,  98 
Vegetables,  price  of,  135 
Vittoria,  Battle  of,  98 
Volunteers'  dinner,  115 

W. 

Waltzing.  378 

War,  American,  80,  96,  109,  212, 

228 

Washington,  Burning  of,  212 
Waterloo,  Battle  of,  237 

„          Bridge,  362 

„          medals,  264 

„          thanksgiving  day,  263 
Wellington,  Duke  of,  148,  173,  191 
Whiskers,  Royal,  274 
White's  Club,  260 
Wife  selling,  216 
Wines,  405 
Witchcraft,  45 
Witness,  Irish,  339 
Woman,  The  Fasting,  96 
Women  Cricketers,  49 
Women  of  the  period,  378 

Y. 

York,  Duke  of,  26,  326 
!    Youth,  The  Fortunate,  312 


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2.  Greene's  '  Pandoato,'  or  '  Doras- 
tus  and  Fawnia  ':  the  original 
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Tale.'    Edited  by  P.  G.  THOMAS. 

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MUNRO. 

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Errors.'  The  Elizabethan  Transla- 
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the  source  of  'Measure  for 
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