Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.
would repeat the terms of admission to view these repositories of
mortality.
“The tombs,” said the conductor, “at the east end of the church, with
the chapel of Henry VIIth, the price of admission to view these, sir, is
six-pence; the models three-pence; the tombs at the northern part of
the cross aisle three-pence; and the west end and tower of the abbey
six-pence.”
Tallyho expressed his surprise that the house of God and the depository
of the dead, should be so shamefully assigned over to the influence of
Mammon, and a price of admission as into a place of public amusement,
exacted by those to whose mercenary government the ancient structure of
Westminster Abbey had devolved. “Was it thus, always,” asked he, “from
the time of Henry IIId?” To this enquiry, the guide replied merely by
a shrug of his shoulders, rather indicative of contempt than otherways,
and to a further question of “Who is the receiver general of these
exactions, and to what purpose are they applied?” he preserved a sullen
taciturnity.
From the south aisle of the abbey there are two entrances into the
cloisters, which are entire, and consist of four arched walks on the
sides of an open quadrangle. There are many monuments in these walks,
but four of them, beneath which are the remains of four of the abbots
~87~~of Westminster, at the east end of the south walk, are all which
merit particular attention.--
Amongst the ancient records deposited here, the two friends were
gratified with a sight of those of the Court of Star-chamber, and of the
original Domesday-book, which is still as legible as the first hour it
was written.
Against the south-west part of the west front of the abbey, is the north
front of the Jerusalem chamber, remarkable for being the place where
king Henry IV. breathed his last.{1}
North from the abbey stood the Sanctuary, the place of refuge allowed
in old times, to criminals of a certain description; and, on the south
side, was the eleemosynary or almonry, where the alms of the abbot were
distributed.--This place is remarkable for being the spot in which the
first printing-press ever used in England was set up; and here, in 1474,
Caxton printed the Game and Play of Chesse, the first book ever
printed in England.--A new Court House is now built on the site of the
sanctuary.
Having seen in the Abbey every curiosity of note, its two visitants
directed their course into Westminster Hall, the great national seat
of justice.--This together with the House of Lords, and the House of
Commons, are the remains of the palace of Westminster, built by Edward
the Confessor, the situation of which was close to the river Thames, and
the stairs leading from it still retain the name of palace stairs. The
hall itself is the largest room in Europe, except the theatre at Oxford,
unsupported by columns. It is 275 feet in length, 74 in breadth, and 90
in height, the roof being of oak, of curious gothic architecture. It
was originally used as a place of festivity, and Richard IId entertained
10,000 guests within its walls. In this hall Charles I.. was tried and
condemned; and at present it is occasionally fitted up for the trial of
peers or of any person impeached by the Commons.
Our heroes now relinquishing the contemplation of the olden times for
the enjoyment of the passing scenes of the modern, turned their steps
in the direction of Whitehall; passing through which, and facing the
Banquetting-House,{2} their observation was attracted to a gentleman on
1 See Shakespeare's Play of Henry IV. Part II.
2 In front of the Banquetting House, on a scaffold, Charles
I. was beheaded on the 30th of January, 1648;--His Majesty
passed from the Banquetting House to the scaffold through
one of the windows.
~88~~horseback, followed by a number of people, by whom he was
frequently and warmly cheered; and _en passant_ was recognized with
other popular feeling of regard and respect. Dashall stept forward to
reconnoitre, and ascertained that the favourite was no other than the
worthy representative of the borough of Southwark, Sir Robert Wilson,
Knt. lately deprived of his rank as a General, “for,” continued Dashall,
“nobody knows what, unless the enormous crime of paying his last tribute
of respect to the memory of an “injured Queen;” and endeavouring, in
the temperate language of remonstrance, to prevent the effusion of human
blood! His character however, is too firmly rooted to sustain injury
from the breath of slander; and the malignity of his enemies has
recoiled on themselves: thanks to a brave, just, and generous people,
who are ever prone to save whom persecution aims to destroy.”
Dashall seemed warm in defending the cause of this gallant officer, and
the Squire listened with correspondent satisfaction.
“The allied Sovereigns,” observed Dashall, “in General Sir Robert
Wilson, found all the essential requisites of a good soldier: of skill
to plan, and of valour to execute. They were chiefly indebted to his
judgment and intrepidity for the victory of Leipsic; to which ample
testimony was given by the Emperors of Russia and Austria; the latter of
whom, during the intensity and perils of the engagement, he extricated
from the imminent hazard of captivity. His services have not been of
less importance in the armies of his own country, as acknowledged by
the Commander in Chief, who has now rewarded him by recommending his
dismissal, at the instance, no doubt, of Ministers; anxious by this
procedure to annihilate his independent feelings, and render them more
subservient to the doctrine of non-resistance and of passive obedience
to the existing authorities!”{1}
1 This object is already defeated.--Amongst all classes Sir
Robert Wilson's dismissal has excited strong feelings of
reprobation. Certainly, whatsoever other name may be given
to the act, it cannot be called a just one, to degrade an
honourable man from his rank, and deprive him of the half
pay (which in a great measure accrued to him from purchase,)
without accusation, arbitrarily, and on secret and suborned
information of having; merited the inflicted contumely. But
futile has been the effort of malevolence; Sir Robert
Wilson's half pay was £460 per annum, and the subscriptions
in indemnification of his loss already exceed £10,000.
~89~~Pursuing their course along the Strand, and ruminating on the
alarming increase of juvenile depravity, Tallyho could not avoid
remarking on the numerous temptations held out to the vicious and
necessitous in this wide-spreading and wealthy metropolis--“For
instance,” making a full halt, with his friend, against the spacious and
unlatticed window of a jeweller's shop, Dashall admitted the truth of
his companion's observation. Here on promiscuous display were seen
most valuable articles of jewelry, stretching multitudinously from one
extremity to the other of the window, consisting of gold and silver
watches, elegant and richly wrought seals, musical snuff-boxes, diamond
rings, diamond pins, &c. embracing, in vast variety, a property of
immense value, divided from the street by “thin and undefended squares
of glass only; and that the lure might prove still more attractive, each
article marked at its price, some 25, some 50, 75, 100, and 200 guineas
each! A dash and a grab might secure to the depredator possession of
wealth; and while such temptations are held out, the surprise is, not
that so many street robberies are, but that a great many more are not
committed. The many thousands in London out of employment, and of these
perhaps the greatest number unhoused and famishing, would it be much to
be wondered at if some of these sons of misery, goaded onwards to crime
by the extremity of human suffering, were to attempt the possession of
spoil, so carelessly exposed, and apparently so easily obtainable?{1}
1 Lord Mansfield once presided as Judge, when an unfortunate
man was tried for stealing an article of jewellery from a
shop-window, exposed by its unguarded state to depredation,
and more encouraging than otherwise, the hope of success.--
It proved differently, and the prosecutor seeming determined
to proceed against the wretched man, even to capital
punishment, Lord Mansfield, indignant at the severity of the
owner of the trinket, and compassionating the state of
misery and destitution, under the influence of which the
poor prisoner at the bar, stimulated too by its careless
exposure, had committed the felony, desired the Jury to
value the trinket in question at ten pence.--The prosecutor
started up in surprise, and exclaimed, “Tenpence, my Lord!
why the very fashion of it cost me ten times the sum!” “That
may be,” returned his Lordship, “but we must not hang a man
for fashion's sake!”
~90~~“Here conies silly Tom and staggering Bob,” exclaimed a fellow, as
he approached towards our pedestrians. Tallyho had grasped more firmly
his oaken sprig, with the intention of trying the crankness of the
observer's pericranium, when Dashall perceived that the obnoxious remark
was directed to a simple looking old man, dejectedly leading a horse
“done up,” and apparently destined for the slaughter-house.
“Where now, Tommy,” continued the querist, “with thy decayed bit of
blood?”
“Aye, aye,” answered Tommy, despondingly, “even to the naggers,{1}--'tis
what we must all come to.”
1 A Naggerman is a wholesale horse-butcher! his business is
frequently so extensive as to enable him to employ a vast
many hands, and so lucrative as to ensure him a fortune in a
very few years; the carcases are sold to the dealers by whom
they are cut up, and sold in quarters to the retailers, and
purchased by the street venders; these latter form one of
the prominent itinerant avocations, and supply with food all
the dogs and cats of the metropolis!
“And so thy master has passed the doom of death against his old servant
Bob, on whose back he has been safely borne, in the chase, “many a time
and oft,” as the song says, “o'er hedges, gaps, ditches and gates;
and fleet of foot as thou wert,” patting the animal with feelings of
commiseration,” and often as thou hast replenished thy master's purse,
thou art now going to the slaughter-house!”
“Even so--the faithful servant, now no longer useful, is discarded.”
“And put to death!--Why man, thy master is a d----d unfeeling,
ungrateful scoundrel, else he would have turned this poor nag at large
on the green sward, to roam as he list in summer, with a warm stable in
winter, and have left him to die the death of nature.”
An assemblage of passengers had now collected round the doom'd horse
and his sympathizing friend, whose vehemence of expression had attracted
much attention. The feelings of his auditory were in full unison with
his own, and as the throng increased, with inquisitive curiosity, the
advocate in the cause of humanity repeated the following lines:
“And hast thou doom'd my death, sweet master, say,
And wilt thou kill thy servant, old and poor?
A little longer let me live, I pray;
A little longer hobble round thy door!”
~91~~The spectators were evidently affected. He next sung the stanza of
an old song, extemporaneously produced (with the exception of the first
two lines)
At last having labored, drudg'd early and late,
Bow'd down by degrees he draws on to his fate:
His blood must the Naggerman's sluicing knife spill;
His carcase the Naggerman's slaughter-house fill!
Now led to his doom, while with pity we view
Poor Bob, may mishap still his master pursue;