“this life is all chequer'd with pleasures and woes
that chase one another like waves of the deep,
each billow, as brightly or darkly it flows,
reflecting our eyes as they sparkle or weep;
so closely our whims on our miseries tread,
that the laugh is awak'd ere the tear can be dried;
and as fast as the rain-drop of pity is shed,
the goose-plumage of folly can turn it aside;
but, pledge me the cup! if existence can cloy
with hearts ever light and heads ever wise,
be ours the light grief that is sister to joy,
and the short brilliant folly that flashes and dies.”
“the building before us,” said tom, “is the tower of london, which was formerly a palace inhabited by the various sovereigns of this country till the reign of queen elizabeth. fitzstephens says, it was originally built by julius c?sar; but i believe there is no proof of the truth of this assertion, except that one of the towers is to this day called c?sar's tower.”
“it seems a place of great security,” said bob.
“yes—william the conqueror erected a fortress on part of its present site, to overawe the inhabitants of london on his gaining possession of the city, and about twelve years afterwards, in 1078, he erected a larger building than the first, either on the site of the former or near it. this building, repaired or rebuilt by succeeding princes, is that which is now called the white tower.”
“it appears altogether to be a very extensive building,” said tallyho; “and what have we here? (turning his eyes to the left)—the modern style of those form a curious contrast to that we are now viewing.”
“that is called trinity square, and the beautiful edifice in the centre is the trinity house; it is a new building, of stone, having the advantage of rising ground for its site, and of a fine area in the front.” [306] “the trinity house,” reiterated bob, “some ecclesiastical establishment, i presume, from its title?”
“there you are wrong,” continued dashall; “it is a corporation, which was founded in the year 1515 by henry viii. and consists of a master, four wardens, eighteen elder brothers, in whom is vested the direction of the company, and an indefinite number of younger brothers; for any sea-faring man may be admitted into the society by that name, but without any part of the controul of its concerns. the elder brethren are usually selected from the most experienced commanders in the navy and the merchants' service, with a few principal persons of his majesty's government.”
“but what, in the name of wonder,” inquired bob, “have sailors to do with the trinity?”
“as much as other persons,” was the reply; “if it is the anchor of hope, as we are taught, they have as great a right to rely upon it as any body else—besides, the names given to houses and places in london have nothing to do with their occupations or situations, any more than the common language of life has to do with nature; else why have we a waterloo house in the vicinity of st. giles's for the sale of threads, laces, and tapes—a fleet for the confinement of prisoners, or the king's bench devoted to the same purposes, unless it is,
“that when we have no chairs at home,
the king (god bless him) grants us then a bench.”
though london contains a round of delights and conveniences scarcely to be equalled, it is at the same time a combination of incongruities as difficult to be conceived. the denomination of this house has therefore nothing to do with the business to which it is devoted. the body which transacts its concerns is called the master, wardens and assistants, of the guild, or fraternity of the most glorious and undivided trinity, and of st. clement, in the parish of deptford, stroud, in the county of kent.”
“an admirable illustration of your assertion,” replied bob; “and pray may i be allowed, without appearing romantic or unnecessarily inquisitive, to ask what are the objects of the institution?”
“certainly. the use of this corporation is to superintend the general interests of the british shipping, military and commercial. to this end, the powers of the [307] corporation are very extensive; the principal of which are, to examine the children educated in mathematics in christ's hospital—examine the masters of the king's ships—appoint pilots for the thames—erect light-houses and sea-marks—grant licenses to poor seamen, not free of the city, to row on the thames—and superintend the deepening and cleansing of the river; they have power to receive donations for charitable purposes, and annually relieve great numbers of poor seamen and seamen's widows and orphans; and as they alone supply outward-bound ships with ballast, on notice of any shoal or obstruction arising in the river thames, they immediately direct their men and lighters to work on it till it is removed. the profits arising to the corporation by this useful regulation is very considerable.”
during this conversation they had continued to walk towards the trinity house, and were now close to it.
“come,” continued dashall, “the interior is worth seeing: there are some fine paintings in it, and the fitting up is altogether of an elegant description.”
upon making application at the door, and the customary payment of a shilling each, they were admitted. the appearance of the hall, which is grand, though light and elegant, particularly attracted the attention of tallyho. the double stair-case, which leads to the court-room, was an object of peculiar delight. the beautiful model of the royal william in the secretary's office was much admired; but the court-room was abundant in gratification. here they were ushered into a spacious apartment,*particularly elegant, being unincumbered; the ceiling finished in a superior style, and decorated with paintings of the late king and queen—james the second—lord sandwich—lord howe, and mr. pitt. here bob wandered from portrait to portrait, examining the features and character of each, and admiring the skill and ability of the artists. at the upper end of the room he was additionally pleased to find a large painting containing a group of about twenty-four of the elder brethren, representing them at full length, attended by their secretary, the late mr. court. many of the persons being well remembered by dashall, were pointed out by him to his cousin, and brought to his recollection names deservedly celebrated, though now no more. this picture was the gift of the merchant brethren in 1794.
tallyho was much delighted with his survey of this truly elegant building, and the luminous account given by [308] his cousin of the various persons whose portraits met his eye, or whose names and characters, connected with the establishment, had become celebrated for scientific research or indefatigable industry.
“it will occupy too much time this morning,” said dashall, “to visit the interior of the tower, as i have dispatched a ticket-porter to piccadilly, ordering my curricle to be at tom's coffee-house at one; we will therefore defer that pleasure to the next opportunity of being this way. we will however take a look at the bank and the exchange, then a trundle into the fresh air for an hour, and return home to dinner; so come along, but we will vary our walk by taking another road back.”
with this intention, they now crossed tower hill, and turned to the left, along the minories.
“here is a place,” said dashall, “well known, and no doubt you have often heard of—sparrow corner and rosemary lane are better known by the appellation of rag fair. it is a general mart for the sale of second-hand clothes, and many a well-looking man in london is indebted to his occasional rambles in this quarter for his appearance. the business of this place is conducted with great regularity, and the dealers and collectors of old clothes meet at a certain hour of the afternoon to make sales and exchanges, so that it is managed almost upon the same plan as the royal exchange, only that the dealers here come loaded with their goods, which must undergo inspection before sales can be effected: while the merchant carries with him merely a sample, or directs his purchaser to the warehouse where his cargo is deposited. the principal inhabitants of this place are jews, and they obtain supplies from the numerous itinerant collectors from all quarters of london and its suburbs, whom you must have observed parading the streets from the earliest hour of the morning, crying ould clothes—clothes sale.”
“it surely can hardly be a trade worth following,” said talltho.
“there are many hundreds daily wandering the streets, however,” replied tom, “in pursuit of cast-off apparel, rags, and metals of different sorts, or at least pretend so. the jews are altogether a set of traders. i do not mean to confine my observations to them only, because there are persons of other sects employed in the same kind of business; and perhaps a more dangerous set of cheats could [309] scarcely be pointed at, as their chief business really is to prowl about the houses and stables of people of rank and fortune, in order to hold out temptations to their servants, to pilfer and steal small articles not likely to be missed, which these fellows are willing to purchase at about one-third of their real value. it is supposed that upwards of 15,000 of these depraved itinerants among the jews are daily employed in journeys of this kind; by which means, through the medium of base money and other fraudulent dealings, many of them acquire property with which they open shops, and then become receivers of stolen property; the losses thus sustained by the public being almost incalculable—
“for wid coot gould rings of copper gilt—'tis so he gets his
bread,
wit his sealing-vax of brick-dust, and his pencils without lead.”
it is estimated that there are from fifteen to twenty thousand jews in the metropolis, and about five or six thousand more stationed in the great provincial and seaport towns. in london they have six synagogues, and in the country places there are at least twenty more. most of the lower classes of those distinguished by name of german or dutch jews, live principally by their wits, and establish a system of mischievous intercourse all over the country, the better to enable them to carry on then-fraudulent designs in every way. the pliability of their consciences is truly wonderful—
“for they never stick at trifles, if there's monies in the way.”
nay, i remember the time when they used to perambulate our streets openly, professing to purchase base coin, by bawling—“any bad shilling, any bad shilling.” the interference of the police however has prevented the calling, though perhaps it is impossible to prevent a continuance of the practice any more than they can that of utterance. these men hesitate not to purchase stolen property, or metals of various kinds, as well as other articles pilfered from the dock-yards, and stolen in the provincial towns, which are brought to the metropolis to elude detection, and vice versa; in some cases there are contrivances that the buyer and seller shall not even see each other, in order that no advantage may be taken by giving information as to the parties.” [310] “upon my life, the contrivances of london are almost incomprehensible,” said bob, “and might deter many from venturing into it; but this surprises me beyond any thing.”
“it is however too lamentably true,” continued tom; “for these people, educated in idleness from the earliest infancy, acquire every debauched and vicious principle which can fit them for the most complicated arts of fraud and deception, to which they seldom fail to add the crime of perjury, whenever it can be useful to shield themselves or their friends from the punishment of the law. totally without moral education, and very seldom trained to any trade or occupation by which they can earn an honest livelihood by manual labour—their youths excluded from becoming apprentices, and their females from engaging themselves generally as servants, on account of the superstitious adherence to the mere ceremonial of their persuasion, as it respects meat not killed by jews—nothing can exceed their melancholy condition, both as it regards themselves and society. thus excluded from the resources which other classes of the community possess, they seem to have no alternative but to resort to those tricks and devices which ingenuity suggests, to enable persons without an honest means of subsistence to live in idleness.
“the richer jews are in the practice of lending small sums to the poorer classes of their community, in order that they may support themselves by a species of petty traffic; but even this system contributes in no small degree to the commission of crimes, since, in order to render it productive to an extent equal to the wants of families who do not acquire any material aid by manual labour, they are induced to resort to unlawful means of increasing it, by which they become public nuisances. from the orange-boy and the retailer of seals, razors, glass and other wares, in the public streets, or the collector of
“old rags, old jags, old bonnets, old bags,”
to the shop-keeper, dealer in wearing apparel, or in silver and gold, the same principles of conduct too generally prevail.
“the itinerants utter base money, to enable them by selling cheap, to dispose of their goods; while those who are stationary, with very few exceptions, receive and purchase at an under price whatever is brought them, [311] without asking questions; and yet most of their concerns are managed with so much art, that we seldom hear of a jew being hanged; and it is also a fact, that during the holidays (of which they have many in the course of a year,) or at one of their weddings, you may see the barrow-woman of yesterday decked out in gay and gaudy attire of an expensive nature.”
by this time they had reached the top of the minories, and were turning down houndsditch. “we are now,” said dashall, “close to another place chiefly inhabited by jews, called duke's place, where they have a very elegant synagogue, which has been visited by royalty, the present king having, during his regency, honoured them with a visit, through the introduction of the late mr. goldsmid. if it should be a holiday, we will be present at the religious ceremonies of the morning.” with this they entered duke's place, and were soon within the walls of this temple of judaism. in taking a view of it, bob was much gratified with its splendid decorations, and without being acquainted with their forms, had doffd his castor,{1} but was presently informed by his cousin that he must keep his hat on. the readers appeared to him to be singers; but the whole of the service being hebrew, it was of little consequence to him, whether read or sung. he perceived, during the performances of these prayers, which were every now and then joined in by almost every one present, that many of the congregation appeared to be in close conversation, which, however, was taken no notice of by the persons officiating. he was well pleased with the singing of a youth and the accompaniment of a gentleman in a cock'd hat; for although he could not discover that he actually produced words, he produced sounds in many instances bearing a strong similarity to those of a bassoon. the venerable appearance and devotion of the high priest, who was habited in a robe of white, also attracted his attention; while the frequent bursts of the congregation, joining in the exercises of the morning, in some instances almost provoked his risibility.
“the religious ceremonies of these people,” said tom, as they left the synagogue, “though somewhat imposing as to form and appearance, do not seem to be strongly interesting, for many of them are engaged during the whole of the service in some species of traffic; buying and
1 doff'd his castor—taken off his hat.
[312] selling, or estimating the value of goods for sale. they are such determined merchants and dealers, that they cannot forget business even in the house of prayer. we have two sets of them. this is the dutch synagogue; but the most ancient is that of the portuguese, having been established in england ever since the usurpation. the members of it being mostly wealthy, are extremely attentive to their poor, among whom there is said not to be a single beggar or itinerant; while the dutch or german. jews get no education at all: even the most affluent of them are said to be generally unable either to read or write the language of the country that gave them birth. they confine themselves to a bastard or vulgar hebrew, which has little analogy to the original. they observe the particular ritual of the german synagogue, and also include the polish, russian, and turkish jews established in london. with the exception of a few wealthy individuals, and as many families who are in trade on the royal exchange, they are in general a very indigent class of people. their community being too poor to afford them adequate relief, they have resorted to the expedient of lending them small sums of money at interest, to trade upon, which is required to be repaid monthly or weekly, as the case may be, otherwise they forfeit all claim to this aid.
“the portuguese jews are generally opulent and respectable, and hold no community with the others. they use a different liturgy, and their language is even different. they never intermarry with the jews of the dutch synagogue. they pride themselves on their ancestry, and give their children the best education which can be obtained where they reside. the brokers upon the exchange, of the jewish persuasion, are all or chiefly of the portuguese synagogue. their number is limited to twelve by act of parliament, and they pay 1000 guineas each for this privilege.”
they had now reached the end of houndsditch, when, passing through bishopsgate church yard and broad street, they were soon at the bank.
“this building,” said dashall, “covers an extent of several acres of ground, and is completely isolated.”
“its exterior,” replied bob, “is not unsuited to the nature of the establishment, as it certainly conveys an idea of strength and security.”
[315] “that's true,” continued tom; “but you may observe a want of uniformity of design and proportion, arising from its having been erected piece-meal, at different periods, and according to different plans, by several architects. this is the principal entrance; and opposite to it is the shortest street in the metropolis, called bank street; it contains but one house. now we will take a survey of the interior.”
they entered the hall, where tallyho was much pleased to be instructed as to the methodical way they have of examining notes for a re-issuing or exchanging into coin.
“here,” said dashall, “are the drawing-offices for public and private accounts. this room is seventy-nine feet long by forty; and, at the further end, you observe a very fine piece of sculpture: that is a marble statue of king william iii. the founder of the bank. thi national establishment was first incorporated by act of parliament in 1694. the projector of the scheme was a mr. james paterson, a native of scotland; and the direction of its concerns is vested in a governor, deputy-governor, and twenty-four directors, elected annually at a general court of the proprietors. thirteen of the directors, with the governor, form a court for the transaction of business. the bank is open every day from nine in the morning till five in the afternoon, holidays excepted. it is like a little town. the clerks at present are about 1000 in number, but a reduction is intended. the rotunda is the most interesting apartment—we will go and have a look at the money-dealers.
“here,” continued he, as they entered the rotunda, and mingled among the various persons and sounds that are so well known in that seat of traffic, “from the hours of eleven to three a crowd of eager money-dealers assemble, and avidity of gain displays itself in ever-varying shapes, at times truly ludicrous to the disinterested observer. you will presently perceive that the justling and crowding of the jobbers to catch a bargain, frequently exceed in disorder the scrambling at the doors of our theatres for an early admission: and sa loud and clamorous at times are the mingled noises of the buyers and sellers, that all distinction of sound is lost in a general uproar.”
of this description, tallyho had an absolute proof in [314] a few minutes, for the mingling variety of voices appeared to leave no space in time for distinguishing either the sense or the sound of the individual speakers; though it was evident that, notwithstanding the continual hubbub, there was a perfect understanding effected between parties for the sale and transfer of stock, according to the stipulations bargained for.
“ha, mr. m———,” said the hon. tom dashall, “how do you do?”
“happy to say well, sir, thank you,” was the reply. “any commands?—markets are pretty brisk this morning, and we are all alive.”
“pray,” said tallyho, “who is that extraordinary looking lady with such red lips and cheeks, beneath the garb of sadness?”
“a constant visitor here,” replied mr. m. “i may say a day scarcely passes without her being present.”
“she has a curious appearance,” said bob; “her dress is all black from head to foot, and yet her cheeks disclose the ruddy glow of uninterrupted health. is it that her looks belie her garb, or that her garb belies her looks?”
“hush,” said mr. m. “let her pass, and i will give you some information relative to her, which, if it does not gratify you, will at least satisfy some of your inquiries. i am half inclined to believe that all is not right in the seat of government with her, (pointing his finger to his head;) and she is therefore rather deserving of pity than an object of censure or ridicule; though i have reason to believe she frequently meets with attacks of the latter, when in search of the sympathy and benefit to be derived from a proper exercise of the former. her name is miss w———. her father was formerly a two-penny postman, who resided at rockingham row, walworth, and was himself somewhat eccentric in his dress and manners, and it was not at all unusual to meet him in the morning in the garb of his office, though decidedly against his inclination, and to see him on 'change during 'change hours, in silk stockings, and in every other way dressed as a merchant, attending there according to custom and practice; and he managed, by some means or other, to keep up a character of respectability, and to give an accomplished education to the younger branches of this family; so that this lady, though unfortunate in her present circumstances, has been well brought up, and [315] mingled in polished society; and, if you were to enter into conversation with her now, you would find her intelligent in the selection of her words and the combination of sentences, to explain to you the most improbable events, and the most unheard of claims that she has upon all the governments in the known world. this, however, would be done with good temper, unless any thing like an insulting observation should be conceived, or intended to be conveyed.”
“and, pray, what is supposed to be the cause of her present manners and appearance?” inquired bob.
“it is principally attributed,” replied mr m. “to the circumstance of losing a beloved brother, who she now continually declares is only kept from her by the persons who daily visit the rotunda, with a view to prevent the recovery of the property she lays claim to, and the particulars of which she generally carries in her pocket. that brother however suffered the penalty of the law for a forgery;{1} but this she cannot be induced to believe.
1 the lamentable effusion of blood which has taken place
within the last twenty years, in consequence of forgeries on
the bank of england, has already excited a very considerable
portion of public interest and indignation; and it is much
to be feared that notwithstanding the very serious expence
the corporation have incurred, with a view to remedy the
evil, by rendering the imitation more difficult, the
anticipated result is not likely to be obtained. it will
hardly be conceived that the governors have expended as much
as one hundred thousand pounds in this laudable undertaking,
and, upon producing an impression, we are told it can be
imitated by one, who, within three weeks produced a fac-
simile, and puzzled the makers of the original note to
discover which was the work-manship of their own hands. nay,
even an engraver on wood is said to have produced an
excellent imitation in a few hours. it is however sincerely
to be hoped that an effectual stop will be eventually put to
the possibility of committing this crime, which, we
apprehend, nine times out of ten brings the poor, needy,
half-starved retailer of paper to the gallows, while the
more un-principled wholesale dealer escapes detection.
while on the subject of forged notes, we cannot help
deprecating the circulation of what are termed flash
notes, which, if not originally intended to deceive and
defraud, are calculated to accomplish these objects, when in
the hands of the artful and designing. we think there is a
tradesman in the vicinity of the bank who presents such of
his customers as visits his repository to have their hair
cut, &c. with a hash note, purporting to be for 501.; and we
have also reason to believe that more than one attempt has
been detected, where the parties have really endeavoured to
pass them as valid bank of england paper. the danger
therefore must be evident.
[316] we have reason to think she is frequently much straitened for want of the necessary supplies for sustenance, and she has temporary relief occasionally from those who knew her family and her former circumstances in life, while she boldly perseveres in the pursuit of fancied property, and the restoration of her brother.
“i have heard her make heavy complaints of the difficulties she has had to encounter, and the privations she has been subjected to; but her own language will best speak the impressions on her mind. here is a printed letter which was circulated by her some time ago:—
to the worthy inhabitants of the parish of st. mary, newington, surrey.
it is with feelings of deep regret i have to deplore the necessity that compels me to adopt a public measure, for the purpose of obtaining my property from those gentlemen that hold it in trust. for a period of ten years i have endured the most cruel and unjustifiable persecution, which has occasioned the premature death of my mother; a considerable loss of property; all my personal effects of apparel and valuables; has exposed me to the most wanton and barbarous attacks, the greatest insults, and the severe and continual deprivation of every common necessary. having made every appeal for my right, or even a maintenance, without effect, i now take the liberty of adopting the advice of some opulent friends in the parish, and solicit general favour in a loan by subscription for a given time, not doubting the liberal commiseration of many ladies and gentlemen, towards so great a sufferer. as it is not possible to describe the wrongs i have endured, the misery that has been heaped upon me, in so limited a space, i shall be happy to give every explanation upon calling for the result of this entreaty and to those ladies and gentlemen that condescend to favour
s. whitehead
with their presence, at
the white hart inn, borough.
besides bills to an immense amount, accepted by the dey of algiers, and payable by his grand plenipotentiary.
various sums in the english and irish funds, in the names of various trustees: in the 3 per cent. consols—3 per cent. 1726—3 per cent. south sea annuities—3 per cent. old south sea annuities—4 per cent. 3 per cent. 5 per cent. long annuities.
besides various freehold, copyhold, and leasehold estates, reversions and annuities, of incalculable value.
one of the freehold estates is that known by the name of ireland's row, and the brewhouse adjacent, mile end; the muswell hill estate; a large house in russell square, tenanted at present by mr. b——-dd!!!
“for the truth of this statement, or the real existence of any property belonging to her, i am not able to vouch. she is well known in all the offices of this great establishment, is generally peaceable in her conduct, and communicative in her conversation, which at times distinguishes her as a person of good education.”
“hard is the fortune which your sex attends, women, like princes, find few real friends; all who approach them their own ends pursue, lovers and ministers are seldom true. hence oft from reason heedless beauty strays, and the most trusted guide the most betrays.”
the conversation was here interrupted by the arrival of a gentleman, who, taking mr. m. on one side, tom and bob wished him a good morning. they proceeded to [318] view the various offices which branch out from the rotunda, and which are appropriated to the management of each particular stock, in each of which bob could not help admiring the happy disposition of every department to facilitate business. the arrangement of the books, and the clerks, under the several letters of the alphabet, he conceived was truly excellent.
“the corporation of the bank,” said dashall, “are prohibited from trading in any sort of goods or merchandize whatsoever; but are to confine the use of their capital to discounting bills of exchange, and to the buying and selling of gold and silver bullion; with a permission however to sell such goods as are mortgaged or pawned to them and not redeemed within three months after the expiration of the time for their redemption. their profits arise from their traffic in bullion; the discounting of bills of exchange for bankers, merchants, factors, and speculators; and the remuneration they receive from government, for managing the public funds, and for receiving the subscriptions on loans and lotteries. but we may ramble about in these places for a month, and still have novelty in store; and there is a little world underneath the greater part of this extensive building devoted to printing-offices, ware-rooms, &c.”
they had now reached the door which leads into bartholomew lane, and, upon descending the steps, and turning to the left, bob's eyes soon discovered the auction mart, “what have we here?” inquired he.
“that,” replied his cousin, “is a building which may deservedly be rank'd as one of the ornaments of the city; and its arrangements and economy, as well as the beauty of its interior, are well deserving the notice of every stranger. this fine establishment, which serves as a focus for the sale of estates and other property by public auction, is both useful and ornamental; it was built about the time when the spirit of combination was so strong in london. you must know, some years back, every kind of business and trade appeared likely to be carried on by joint stock companies, and the profits divided upon small shares. many fire-offices have to date their origin from this source—the hope, the eagle, the atlas, and others. the golden lane brewery was opened upon this principle; some water companies were established; till neighbourhood [319] and partnership almost became synonimous; and, i believe, among many other institutions of that kind, the building before us is one. it contains many handsome rooms and commodious offices; but, as for offices, every street and every alley abounds with them, and, now-a-days, if you want to hire a cook or a scullion, you have nothing to do but to send a letter to a register-office, and you are suited in a twinkling. it was an excellent idea, and i remember the old buck who used to call himself the founder of establishments of that nature, or rather the first introducer of them to the notice of englishmen, poor old courtois.”
john courtois is said to have been a native of picardy, where he was born about the year 1737 or 1738. he repaired to this country while yet young, in the character of valet de chambre to a gentleman who had picked him up in his travels; and, as he came from one of the poorest of the french provinces, he “took root,” and throve wonderfully on his transplantation to a richer soil.
on the death of his master, he removed to the neighbourhood of the strand; and st. martin's street,. leicester square, became the scene of his industry and success. at a time when wigs were worn by boys, and a frenchman was supposed the only person capable of making one fit “for the grande monarque,” he commenced business as a perruquier, and soon acquired both wealth and celebrity. to this he joined another employment, which proved equally lucrative and appropriate, as it subjected both masters and servants to his influence. this was the keeping of a register-office, one of the first known in the metropolis, whence he drew incalculable advantages. he is also said to have been a dealer in hair, which he imported largely from the continent. and yet,, after all, it is difficult to conceive how he could have realized a fortune exceeding 200,000l.! but what may not be achieved by a man who despised no gains, however small, and in his own expressive language, considered farthings as “the seeds of guineas!”
the following appears to be a true description of this very extraordinary man, whom we ourselves have seen more than once:—“old courtois was well known for more than half a century in the purlieus of st. martin's and the haymarket. his appearance was meagre and squalid, and his clothes, such as they were, were [320] pertinaciously got up in exactly the same cut and fashion, and the colour always either fawn or marone. for the last thirty years, the venerable chapeau was uniformly of the same cock. the principal feat, however, in which this fervent votary of plutus appeared before the public, was his nearly fatal affair with mary benson, otherwise mrs. maria theresa phepoe. in april 1795, this ill-fated-woman projected a rather bungling scheme, in order to frighten her old acquaintance and visitor, courtois, out of a considerable sum of money. one evening, when she was certain of his calling, she had her apartment prepared for his reception in a species of funereal style—a bier, a black velvet pall, black wax candles lighted, &c. no sooner had the friend entered the room, than the lady, assisted by her maid, pounced on him, forced him into an arm chair, in which he was forcibly held down by the woman, while the hostess, brandishing a case-knife or razor, swore with some violent imprecations, that instant should be his last, if he did not give her an order on his “banker for a large sum of money. the venerable visitor, alarmed at the gloomy preparations and dire threats of the desperate female, asked for pen, ink, and paper; which being immediately produced, he wrote a check on his banker for two thousand pounds. he immediately retired with precipitation, happy to escape without personal injury. the next morning, before its opening, he attended at the banker's, with some police-officers; and on mrs. phepoe's making her appearance with the check, she was arrested, and subsequently tried at the old bailey, on a capital charge, grounded on the above proceedings. however, through the able defence made by her counsel (the late mr. fielding) who took a legal objection to the case as proved, and contended that she never had or obtained any property of mr. courtois, on the principle that possession constituted the first badge of ownership, she was only sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment.”
“some years since, the late lord gage met courtois, at the court-room of the east india house, on an election business. “ah, courtois!” said his lordship, “what brings you here?”—'to give my votes, my lord,' was the answer.—“what! are you a proprietor?—'most certainly.'—“and of more votes than one?”—'yes, my [321] lord, i have four!'—“aye, indeed! why then, before you take the book, pray be kind enough to pin up my curls!” with which modest request the proprietor of four votes, equal to ten thousand pounds, immediately complied!
“m. courtois married a few years since, and has left several children. on reflecting that his widow's thirds would amount to an immense sum, with his usual prudence he made a handsome settlement on her during his lifetime. as his sons were not of very economical habits, he has bequeathed them small annuities only; and vested the bulk of his fortune in trustees on behalf of his daughters, who are infants.
“until his death, he invariably adhered to the costume of the age in which he was born. a three-cocked hat, and a plum-coloured coat, both rather the worse for wear, in which we have seen him frequently, invariably designated his person and habits; while a penurious economy, that bid defiance to all vulgar imitation, accompanied him to his grave. his death occurred in 1819, in the 80th or 81st year of his age.”
“such characters,” observed tallyho, “notwithstanding their eccentricity, afford useful lessons to those who, in this giddy and dissipated age, devote a part of their time to thinking.”
“no doubt of it,” replied dashall; “they furnish examples of what may be done by perseverance and determination, and almost seem to verify the assertion, that every one may become rich if he pleases. but come, we must move towards tom's coffee house, in our way to which we will pass through the royal exchange, which lies directly before us. it was originally a brick building, erected by sir thomas gresham in the year 1567, but being destroyed by the fire of london in 1666, the present building of portland stone was raised in its place, the first stone of which was laid by charles ii. in 1667; in consequence of which his statue has been placed in the centre of its quadrangle, around which the merchants assemble daily to transact their commercial business.{1}
1 the merry monarch was fond of the citizens, and frequently
honoured the lord mayor's table with his presence. it is
said of him, that, on retiring to his carriage one day after
dining with the civic sovereign, he was followed by the
latter, who, with a freedom inspired by the roseate deity,
laid hold of his majesty by the arm, and insisted that he
should not go until he had drunk t'other bottle. the monarch
turned round, and good-humouredly repeating a line from an
old song—“the man that is drunk is as great as a king,”
went back to the company, and doubtless complied with the
lord mayor's request.
[322] “it has two principal fronts, one in cornhill, and the other, which you now see, is at the end of threadneedle street; each of which has a piazza, affording a convenient shelter from the sun and rain. it is open as a thoroughfare from eight in the morning till six in the evening; but the hours in which business is chiefly transacted, are from two to five. its extent is 203 feet by 171.”
by this time they had passed the gate, and bob found himself in a handsome area with a fine piazza carried entirely round, and furnished with seats along the four walks, for merchants of different nations, who meet, each at their different stations, and was immediately attracted by the appearance of the numerous specimens of art with which it was adorned.
“do you observe,” said his cousin, “within these piazzas are twenty-eight niches; all vacant but that in which is placed a statue of sir thomas gresham, in the north-west angle; and that in the south-west, which presents a statue of sir john barnard, magistrate of the city, and one of its representatives in parliament. those smaller statues in the niches of the wall of the quadrangle, in the upper story, are the kings and queens of england, beginning with edward i. on the north side, and ending with his late majesty on the east. as far as charles i. they were executed by gabriel cibber. the various frames which are placed around under the piazza, contain the names, residences and occupations of tradesmen, mechanics and others. the grand front in cornhill has been under repair lately, and in its appearance, no doubt, is greatly improved. the steeple which is just raised, is a handsome dome, surmounted by the original grasshopper, rendered somewhat celebrated by a prophecy, that certain alterations would take place in men, manners, and times, when the grasshopper on the top of the exchange should meet the dragon at the top of bow church; and strange and extraordinary as it may appear, this very circumstance is said to have taken place, as they have both been seen in the warehouse of some manufacturer, to whom [323] they were consigned for repair; in addition to which, if crockery's{1} relation of the transmogrifications of england is to be believed, the prophecy is in a considerable degree a whimsical and laughable burletta, in one act, has recently been produced at the royal coburg theatre, in which mr. sloman sings, with admirable comicality, the following song, alluded to by the hon. tom dashall, to the tune of o, the roast beef of old england.
“from hingy i came with my master, o dear,
but lunnun is not like the same place, that's clear;
it has nigh broke my heart since i have been here!
o, the old times of old england,
o dear, the good english old times.
the town is so changed, that i don't know a spot;
the times are so hard, there's no vork to be got;
and for porter they charges you tip-pence a pot!
o, the old times, &c.
then the sides of the houses are stuck full of bills
about blacking, mock-auctions, and vonderful fills;
but for von vot they cures, a hundred they kills!
o, the old times, &c.
there's the names are all halter'd verewer i goes,
and the people all laughs at the cut of my close;
the men are turn'd vomen, the belles are turn'd beaux!
o, the old times, &c.
ven i vent out to hingy, if any von died,
a good vooden coffin they used to prowide,
but hiron vons now keeps the poor vorms houtside!
o, the old times, &c.
there's the lancaster schools now all over the land,
vot teaches the children to scribble on sand—
and a hugly bonassus vot lives in the strand!
o, the new times, &c.
there's a new life-preserver, vith vich you cant drown;
and a new kind of sov'reigns just com'd into town,
von is vorth a pound note, and the other a crown!
o, the new times, &c.
the play-bills have hard vords, vot i cannot speak;
and the horgans plays nothing but latin and greek;
and it's rain'd every day now for more than a veek!
o, the new times, &c.
there's a man valks on vater and don't vet his feet;
and a patent steam-kitchen, vot cooks all your meat;
and epp's ham and beef shop in every street!
o, the new times, &c.
i valks up and down vith the tears in my hye;
vot they vonce call'd a vaggon is now call'd a fly;
and the boys points their fingers, and calls i—a"guy!
o, the old times of old england,
o dear, the good english old times.”
[324]there is a stair-case in each front, and one on each side, which lead to a gallery above, running round the whole building, containing the offices of various establishments; but i believe, in the original plan, shops were intended to fill the building to the top. at present, the upper rooms are occupied by lloyd's celebrated subscription coffee-house, for the use of under-writers and merchants—by the royal exchange insurance company, and various offices of individuals. there are also the gresham lecture—rooms, where lectures are read pursuant to the will of the late sir thomas gresham, who bequeathed to the city of london and the mercers' company, all the profits arising from these and other premises in cornhill, in trust to pay salaries to four lecturers in divinity, astronomy, music, and geometry; and three readers in civil law, physic, and rhetoric, who read lectures daily in term time.
“this we may consider the grand mart of the universe! where congregate those sons of commerce the british merchants, who, in dauntless extent of enterprise, hold such distinguished pre-eminence!”
tallyho viewed the scene before him with an inquisitive eye, and was evidently wrapped in surprise at the “busy hum of men,” all actuated by one universal object, the acquisition of wealth. the spacious area exhibited a mass of mercantile speculators, numerously grouped, in conversation; under the piazzas appeared a moving multitude in like manner engaged, while the surrounding seats were in similar occupation; dashall and bob, of the many hundreds of individuals present, were perhaps the only two led to the place by curiosity alone.
tallyho, who, on every occasion of “doubtful dilemma,” looked to his cousin dashall for extrication, expressed his surprise at the appearance of a squalid figure, whose lank form, patched habiliments, and unshorn beard, indicated [325]extreme penury; in familiar converse with a gentleman fashionably attired, and of demeanour to infer unquestionable respectability.
“interest,” said tallyho, “supersedes every other consideration, else these two opposites would not meet.”
“your observation is just,” replied his cousin; “the tatterdemallion to whom you allude, is probably less impoverished than penurious; perhaps of miserly habits, and in other respects disqualified for polite society. what then, he is doubtless in ample possession of the essential requisite; and here a monied man only is a good man, and without money no man can be respectable."{1}
here the continued and deafening noise of a hand-bell, rung by one of the exchange-keepers underlings, perched on the balcony over the southern gate, interrupted mr. dashall's remarks; it was the signal for locking up the gates, and inferring at the same time obedience to the summons with due promptitude and submission, on pain of being detained two hours “in duresse vile.”
sufficient alacrity of egression not having been shown, the keepers closed the two gates, and at the same time locked the east and western avenues; thus interdicting from egress above three hundred contumacious individuals, including the hon. tom dashall and his cousin.
a considerable time having now elapsed without any prospect of enlargement, dissatisfaction gained ground apace, and shortly ripened into actual mutiny. the disaffected now proceeded to hold a council of war, and after a few moments deliberation, it was resolved unanimously to storm the avenues! dashall and
1 some years ago, a gentleman of extensive property, residing in the country, was desirous of raising, by way of loan on the security of landed estates, the sum of 30,000l. his solicitor in london, with whom he had corresponded on the subject, summoned him at last to town; a lender was found, who was to meet the solicitor at a certain time and place appointed, in the neighbourhood of the exchange. the borrower, on the day and near the hour fixed upon, was in the area of the royal exchange, when there crossed over a wretched looking being, the very personification of misery. the gentleman, unsolicited, gave the poor object a shilling. on going to the appointed rendezvous, how great was his astonishment to find in the person of the wealthy monied man the identical receiver of his bounty!—“ha, ha,” cried he, “you shall not fare the worse for your generosity!” and actually advanced the money on terms much easier than expected. this personage was the celebrated daniel dancer.
[326] tallyho declined taking any part in the enterprise; they took a right view of the affair; they were mere casual visitants, not likely ever again to suffer a similar restraint, while the others were in the daily practice of transacting business on the spot: to them therefore the frequent recurrence of the present disaster might happen—theirs then was the cause, as being most particularly interested.
an attack was made by the prisoners upon the portals opening into bank buildings and sweeting's kents; but the former having been shattered sometime since on a similar occasion, and subsequently very strongly repaired, it was found impregnable, at least to any immediate exertion of force, and being neither furnished with a park of artillery, nor with the battering ram of the ancients, the little army faced to the right about, enfiladed the area, and took up a new position, in due order of assault, against the door of the avenue leading into sweeting's rents. the affair was decided, and without bloodshed; the bars soon bent before the vigour of the assailants; one of these was taken into custody by a beadle, but rescued, and the attack recommenced with success; when the opposite door was also opened by the shop-keeper living in that avenue, and the exchange was finally cleared at four minutes past five o'clock, after above an hour's detention, including the time occupied in storming the avenues.
the triumph of liberty was now complete; the intrepid phalanx disbanded itself; and our heroes having made the farewell conge to their victorious compeers, proceeded into cornhill, where, dashall espying his curricle at the door of tom's coffee house, they, after refreshing themselves, took a cheerful country drive over london bridge, clapham common, wandsworth, &c. from which they returned at six o'clock to dinner, determined to have a night's rest before they proceeded in search of further adventures.
