Springtime and Other Essays Part 3

3_rd Aug._ 1714.-"On Sunday morning (Aug. 1st) died queen Anne, about 7 o'clock. She had been taken ill on Friday immediately before. Her distemper an apoplexy, or, as some say, only convulsions. She was somewhat recovered, and then made Shrewsbury lord treasurer. On Sunday last, in the afternoon, George Lewis, elector of Brunswick, was proclaimed in London King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, by virtue of an act of parliament, by which those that are much nearer to the crown by bloud are excluded."

The following extract ill.u.s.trates the feeling in Oxford under the first Hanoverian sovereign. Very few, however, showed Hearne's consistent and courageous Jacobinism:-

29_th May_ 1715.-"Last night a good part of the presbyterian meeting-house in Oxford was pulled down. There was such a concourse of people going up and down, and putting a stop to the least sign of rejoycing, as cannot be described. But then the rejoycing this day (notwithstanding Sunday) was so very great and publick in Oxford, as hath not been known hardly since the restauration. There was not an house next the street but was illuminated. For if any disrespect was shown, the windows were certainly broke. The people run up and down, crying _King James the third_! _The true King_! _No usurper_! _The duke of Ormond_! and healths were everywhere drank suitable to the occasion, and every one at the same time drank to a new restauration, which I heartily wish may speedily happen."

I give the following extract as a record of the dinner hour in Oxford in 1717:-

24_th April_ 1717.-"On Sunday morning last (being Easter-day) Dr Charlett, master of University college, sent his man to invite me to dinner that day. I sent him word that I was engaged, as indeed I was.

Yesterday he sent again. I sent word I would wait upon him. Accordingly I went at twelve o'clock. When I came I found n.o.body with him but Mr Collins, of Magdalen coll., whom he had also invited." {41}

Here is an interesting sc.r.a.p of history:-

19_th April_ 1718.-". . . King William the Conqueror's beard alwayes shaven, for so was the custome of the Norman. Thus were the Englishmen forced to imitate the Normans in habit of apparell, shaving off their beards, service at the table, and in all other outward gestures. The English before did not use to shave their upper lips."

11_th Nov._ 1720.-"Dr Wynne. . . . This worthy doctor was the man also that put a stop to the selling of fellows.h.i.+ps in All Soul's college, as I have often heard him say; and I have as often heard him likewise say, that he always voted for the poorest candidaters for fellows.h.i.+ps in that college, provided they were equally qualified in other respects; a thing not practised now."

Here is a pleasant inversion of the relation between boy and schoolmaster:-

21_st Jan._ 171819.-"I remember that I heard formerly Tom Rogers, who was yeoman beadle, say, that when he was that year, when the plague raged, a school-boy at Eaton, all the boys of that school were obliged to smoak in the school every morning, and that he was never whipped so much in his life as he was one morning for not smoaking."

27_th Feb._ 172223.-"It hath been an old custom in Oxford for the scholars of all houses, on Shrove Tuesday, to go to dinner at ten o'clock (at which time the little bell, called _pan-cake bell_, rings, or at least should ring, at St Maries), and at four in the afternoon; and it was always followed in Edmund hall, as long as I have been in Oxford, till yesterday, when they went to dinner at twelve, and to supper at six, nor were there any fritters at dinner, as there used always to be. When laudable old customs alter, 'tis a sign learning dwindles."

I hope that modern Oxford has returned to pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

There is a pleasant touch of mediaevalness in the following:-

10_th July_ 1723.-"There are two fairs a year at Wantage, in Berks, the first on 7th July, being the translation of St Thomas a Becket, and the second on the 6th of October, being St Faith's day. But this year, the 7th of July being a Sunday, the fair was kept last Monday, and 'twas a very great one; and yesterday it was held too, when there was a very great match of backsword or cudgell playing between the hill-country and the vale-country, Berks.h.i.+re men being famous for this sport or excercise."

The following account makes one inclined to sympathise with Hearne's avoidance of travelling:-

21_st Sept._ 1723.-"They wrote from Dover, Sept. 14, that the day before, col. Churchill, with two other gentlemen, arrived there from Calais, by whom they received the following account, viz., that on Thursday morning last, Mr Seebright and Mr Davis being in one chair, and Mr Mompesson and a servant in another chaise, with one servant on horseback, pursuing their way to Paris, were, about seven miles from Calais, attacked by six ruffians, who demanded the three hundred guineas which they said were in their pockets and portmanteaus. The gentlemen readily submitted, and surrendered the money; yet the villains, after a little consultation, resolved to murder them, and thereupon shot Mr Seebright thro' the heart, and gave the word for killing the rest: then Mr Davis, who was in the chaise with him, shot at one of them, missed the fellow, but killed his horse; upon which he was immediately killed, being shot and stabb'd in several places. Mr Mompesson and the two servants were likewise soon dispatched in a very barbarous manner. During this bloudy scene, Mr John Locke coming down a hill within sight of them, in his return from Paris, the ruffians sent two of their party to meet and kill him; which they did before the poor gentleman was apprized of any danger; but his man, who was a Swiss, begging hard for his life, was spared. This happening near a small village where they had taken their second post, a peasant came by in the interim, and was also murdered. They partly flead, and otherwise mangled, the horse that was killed, to prevent its being known; so that 'tis believed they did not live far from Calais. The unfortunate gentlemen afore mentioned, not being used to travel, had unwarily discovered at Calais what sums they had about them, by exchanging their guineas for Louis d'ors, which is supposed to have given occasion to this dismal tragedy."

27_th July_ 1726.-"This is the day kept in honour of the Seven Sleepers, so called, because in the reign of Theodosius the second, about the year 449, when the resurrection (as we have it from Greg. Turon.) came to be doubted by many, seven persons, who had been buried alive in a cave at Ephesus by Decius the emperor, in the time of his persecution against the Christians, and had slept for about 200 years, awoke and testified the truth of this doctrine, to the great amazement of all."

In the following pa.s.sage Hearne shows (as in some other instances) a certain antagonism to Sir Isaac Newton. I hope, however, that he was impressed by what he quotes from the _Reading Post_, viz. that "six n.o.ble peers supported the pall" at the funeral.

"Sir Isaac Newton had promised to be a benefactor to the Royal society, but failed. Some time before he died, a great quarrel happened between him and Dr Halley, so as they fell to bad language. This, 'tis thought, so much discomposed Sir Isaac as to hasten his end. Sir Isaac died in great pain, though he was not sick, which pain proceeded from some inward decay, as appeared from opening him. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Sir Isaac was a man of no promising aspect. He was a short well-set man.

He was full of thought, and spoke very little in company, so that his conversation was not agreeable. When he rode in his coach, one arm would be out of the coach on one side, and the other on the other."

25_th April_ 1727.-"Mr West tells me, in a letter from London of the 22nd inst., that being lately in Cambridges.h.i.+re, he spent two days in that university, both which times he had the pleasure of seeing my friend Mr Baker, who was pleased to walk with him, and shew him his college, the library, etc. What hath been given to the library by Mr Baker himself, is no small addition to it; Mr Baker being turned out of his fellows.h.i.+p for his honesty and integrity (as I have also lost my places for the same reason, in not taking the wicked oaths), writes himself in all his books _socius ejectus_. His goodness and humanity are as charming, to those who have the happiness of his conversation, as his learning is profitable to his correspondents. The university library is not yet put into any order."

25_th June_ 1728.-"The Cambridge men are much wanting to themselves, in not retrieving the remains of their worthies. Mr Baker is the only man I know of there, that hath of late acted in all respects worthily on that head, and for it he deserves a statue."

3_rd Aug._ 1728.-"Yesterday Mr Gilman of St Peter's parish in the east, Oxford (a l.u.s.ty, heartick, {46a} thick, and short man), told me, that he is in his 85th year of age, and that at the restoration of K. Charles II., being much afflicted with the king's evil, he rode up to London behind his father, was touched on a Wednesday morning by the king, was in very good condition by that night, and by the Sunday night immediately following was perfectly recovered and hath so continued ever since. He hath constantly wore the piece of gold about his neck that he received of the king, and he had it on yesterday when I met him."

I hope that Oxford, which had treated poor Hearne so ill, was impressed by the facts recorded on 10th June 1730:-

"On Thursday, June 4th, the earl of Oxford (Edw. Harley) was at my room at Edm. hall from ten o'clock in the morning till a little after twelve o'clock, together with Dr Conyers Middleton, of Trin. coll. Camb., and my lord's nephew, the hon. Mr May of Christ Church, and Mr Murray of Christ Church."

7_th Aug._ 1732.-"My friend the honble. Benedict Leonard Calvert {46b} died on 1st June 1732 (old stile) of a consumption, in the _Charles_, Capt. Watts commander, and was buried in the sea. When he left England he seemed to think that he was becoming an exile, and that he should never see his native country more; and yet neither myself nor any else could disswade him from going. He was as well beloved as an angel could be in his station; (he being governour of Maryland); for our plantations have a natural aversion to their governours, upon account of their too usual exactions, pillages, and plunderings; but Mr Calvert was free from all such, and therefore there was no need of constraint on that score: but then it was argument enough to be harra.s.sed that he was their governour, and not only such, but brother to Ld. Baltimore, the lord proprietor of Maryland, a thing which himself declared to his friends, who were likewise too sensible of it. And the same may appear also from a speech or two of his on occasion of some distraction, which tho' in print I never yet saw. I had a sincere respect for him, and he and I used to spend much time together in searching after curiosities, etc., so that he hath often said that 'twas the most pleasant part of his life, as other young gentlemen, likewise then in Oxford have also as often said, that the many agreeable hours we used to spend together on the same occasion were the most entertaining and most pleasant part of their lives. As Mr Calvert and the rest of those young gentlemen (several of which, as well as Mr Calvert, were of n.o.ble birth) used to walk and divert themselves with me in the country, much notice was taken thereof, and many envyed our happiness."

5_th July_ 1733.-"One Handel, a foreigner (who, they say, was born at Hanover), being desired to come to Oxford, to perform in musick this Act, in which he hath great skill, is come down, the Vice-Chancellor (Dr Holmes) having requested him so to do, and, as an encouragement, to allow him the benefit of the Theater, both before the Act begins and after it.

Accordingly he hath published papers for a performance to-day, at 5s. a ticket. This performance began a little after five o'clock in the evening. This is an inovation. The players might be as well permitted to come and act. The Vice-Chancellor is much blamed for it."

16_th Sept._ 1733.-"Mr Sacheverel, who died a few years since, of Denman's Farm (in Berks) near Oxford, was looked upon as the best judge of bells in England. He used to say, that Horsepath bells near Oxford, tho' but five in number, and very small, were the prettiest, tunablest bells in England, and that there was not a fault in one, except the 3d, and that so small a fault, as it was not to be discerned but by a very good judge."

3_rd Oct._ 1733.-"I hear of iron bedsteads in London. Dr Ma.s.sey told me of them on Sat.u.r.day, 29th Sept. 1733. He said they were used on account of the buggs, which have, since the great fire, been very troublesome in London."

17_th Jan._ 173334.-"Mr Baker of Cambridge (who is a very good, as well as a very learned man, and is my great friend, though I am unknown in person to him) tells me in his letter of the 16th of last December, that he hath always thought it a happiness to dye in time, and says of himself, that he is really affraid of living too long. He is above seventy, as he told me some time since."

10_th March_ 173334.- . . . "On the 7th inst. Ld. Oxford sent me the chronicle of _John Bever_. He lends it me at my request, and says he will lend me any book he hath, and wonders I will not go to London and see my friends; and see what MSS. and papers are there, and in other libraries, that are worth printing. I could give several reasons for my not going either to London or other places, which however I did not trouble his lords.h.i.+p with. Among others, 'tis probable I might receive a much better welcome than I deserve, or is suitable to one that so much desires and seeks a private humble life, without the least pomp or grandeur."

2_nd May_ 1734.-"Yesterday an attempt was made upon New college bells of 6876 changes. They began a quarter before ten in the morning, and rang very well until four minutes after twelve, when Mr Brickland, a schoolmaster of St Michael's parish, who rang the fifth bell, missed a stroke, it put a stop to the whole, so that they presently set them, and so sunk the peal, which is pity, for 'twas really very true ringing, excepting five faults, which I observ'd (for I heard all the time, tho'

'twas very wet all the while) in that part of the Parks which is on the east side of Wadham college, where I was very private; one of which five faults was the treble, that was rung by Mr Richard Hearne, and the other four were faults committed by the aforesaid Mr Brickland, who 'twas feared by several beforehand would not fully perform his part. . . ."

2_nd May_ 1734. . . . "When I mention'd afterwards my observations to ye said Mr Smith, he told me, that tho' he rung himself, yet he minded the faults also himself. Upon which I asked him how many there were? He said three before that which stopp'd them. I told him that there just five before that, at which he admired my niceness."

14_th Oct._ 1734. . . . "Dr Sherlock, now bp. of Salisbury, was likewise of that little house (Cath. Hall), and they look upon it as very much for the honour of that little house, that it has produced two of our princ.i.p.al prelates (Dr Sherlock and Hoadly, at Salisbury and Winchester).

The last has usually (and regularly) gone to an Oxford man, as Ely to Cambridge."

31_st Dec._ 1734. . . . "But having been debarr'd the library, a great number of years, I am now a stranger there, and cannot in the least a.s.sist him, tho' I once design'd to have been very nice in examining all those liturgical MSS., and to have given notes of their age, and particularly of Leopric's Latin Missal, which I had a design of printing, being countenanc'd thereto by Dr Hickes, Mr Dodwell, etc."

RECOLLECTIONS

"To entertain the lag-end of my life With quiet hours."

-_Henry IV._, Pt. I.

I was born at Down on 16th August 1848: I was christened at Malvern-a fact in which I had a certain unaccountable pride. But now my only sensation is one of surprise at having been christened at all, and a wish that I had received some other name. I was never called Francis, and I disliked the usual abbreviation Frank, while Franky or Frankie seemed to me intolerable. I also considered it a hards.h.i.+p to have but one Christian name. Our parents began by giving two names to the elder children; but their inventive capacity gave way and the younger ones had each but one. It seemed, too, a singular fact that-as they afterwards confessed-they gave names which they did not especially like. Our G.o.dfathers and G.o.dmothers were usually uncles and aunts, but this tepid relations.h.i.+p was deprived of any conceivable interest by the fact that the uncles were usually represented by the parish clerk. This, of course, we only knew by rumour, but we realised that they gave no christening mugs-a line of conduct in which I now fully sympathise. My brother Leonard did indeed receive a silver spoon from Mr Leonard Horner, but I fancy that this came to him on false pretences.

I have no idea at what age we began to go to church, but I have a general impression of unwillingly attending divine service for many boyish years.

We had a large pew, lined with green baize, close beneath the clergyman's desk, and so near the clerk that we got the full flavour of his tremendous amens. I have a recollection of entertaining myself with the india-rubber threads out of my elastic-sided boots, and of gently tweaking them when stretched as miniature harp-strings. The only other diverting circ.u.mstance was the occurrence of book-fish (Lepisma?) in the prayer books or among the baize cus.h.i.+ons. I have not seen one for fifty years, and I may be wrong in believing that they were like minute sardines running on invisible wheels. In looking back on the service in Down church, I am astonished at the undoubted fact that whereas the congregation in general turned towards the altar in saying the Creed, we faced the other way and sternly looked into the eyes of the other churchgoers. We certainly were not brought up in Low Church or anti-papistical views, and it remains a mystery why we continued to do anything so unnecessary and uncomfortable.

I have a general impression of coming out of church cold and hungry, and of seeing the labourers standing about the porch in tall hats and green or purple smock-frocks. But the chief object of interest was Sir John Lubbock (the father of the late Lord Avebury), of whom, for no particular reason, we stood in awe. He made it up to us by coming to church in a splendid fluffy beaver hat. My recollection is that we often went only to the afternoon service, which we preferred for its brevity. I have a clear recollection of our delight when, on rainy Sundays, we escaped church altogether.

A feature that distinguished Sunday from the rest of the week was our singular custom of having family prayers on that day only. When we were growing up we mildly struck at the ceremony, and my mother accordingly dropped it on finding that the servants took no especial interest in it.

On Sundays we wore our best jackets, but I think that, when church was over, we put on our usual tunics or blouses of surprising home-made fit.

But I clearly remember climbing (in my Sunday clothes) a holly-tree on a damp Christmas Day, and meeting my father as I descended green from head to foot. I remember the occurrence because my father was justly annoyed, and this impressed the fact on me, since anything approaching anger was with him almost unknown.

In our blouses we might with impunity cover ourselves with the thick red clay of our country-side, and this we could always do by playing in a certain pit where we built clay forts, etc. We used also to run down the steep ploughed fields, our feet (grown with adhering clay to huge b.a.l.l.s) swinging like pendulums and scattering showers of mud on all sides. Then we would come cheerfully home, entering by the back door and taking off our boots as we sat on the kitchen stairs in semi-darkness and surrounded by pleasant culinary smells.

In later years, when we used to take long winter tramps along our flinty winding lanes, this unbooting on the back stairs was a prelude to eating oranges in the dining-room, a feast that took the place of five o'clock tea-not then invented.