12481.13.25 HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY LONDON: GILBERT & RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE. CONTENTS. SHAKESPEARE RELICS.......... VIEW OF THE ISLAND OF IVIÇAY IVIÇA} AND CAPE FORMENTERA............ VERONA........................................ WINDSOR.............................................................................. HERNE'S OAK..................................................... EPHESUS............................... SQUARE OF THE CATHEDRAL, MES-} PALACE OF THE KING OF NAVARRE. THE RIALTO AT VENICE............. PADUA........................................... Love's Labour's Lost............. J. Hinchliffe. A Midsummer Night's Dream. J. Woods. Merchant of Venice.............. E. Radclyffe. As You Like It.................. J. C. Varrall. Taming of the Shrew........... All's Well that Ends Well..... J. Hinchliffe. OF Twelfth Night....................................................... SICILY................................................................. ABBEY OF ST. EDMUND'S BURY......... King John........ REMAINS OF FLINT CASTLE............. BANGOR, NORTH WALES.................. REMAINS OF WARKWORTH CASTLE... GATE AND WALLS OF SOUTHAMPTON. Henry IV. Part I................ J. Godfrey. INTERIOR OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY.. ST. ALBAN'S.......................... COUNCIL CHAMBER, TOWER OF LON- REMAINS OF LEICESTER ABBEY......... PLACE AT ATHENS............ King Lear............................................................. J. Woods. THE BOAR'S HEAD, EASTCHEAP. DAME HONEYBALL was a likely, plump, bustling little woman, and no bad substitute for that paragon of hostesses, Dame Quickly. She seemed delighted with an opportunity to oblige; and hurrying up stairs to the archives of her house, where the precious vessels of the parish club were deposited, she returned, smiling and courtesying, with them in her hand. The first she presented me was a japanned iron tobacco-box, of gigantic size, out of which, I was told, the vestry had smoked at their stated meetings, since time immemorial; and which was never suffered to be profaned by vulgar hands, or used on common occasions. I received it with becoming reverence: but what was my delight, at beholding on its cover the identical painting of which I was in quest! There was displayed the outside of the Boar's Head tavern, and before the door was to be seen the whole convivial group, at table, in full revel; pictured with that wonderful fidelity and force, with which the portraits of renowned generals and commodores are illustrated on tobacco-boxes, for the benefit of posterity. Lest, however, there should be any mistake, the cunning limner had warily inscribed the names of Prince Hal and Falstaff on the bottoms of their chairs. On the inside of the cover was an inscription, nearly obliterated, recording that this box was the gift of Sir Richard Gore for the use of the vestry meetings at the Boar's Head tavern, and that it was "repaired and beautified by his successor, Mr. John Packard, 1767." Such is a faithful description of this august and venerable relic; and I question whether the learned Scriblerius contemplated his Roman shield, or the Knights of the Round Table the long-sought saint-greal, with more exultation. While I was meditating on it with enraptured gaze, Dame Honeyball, who was highly gratified by the interest it excited, put in my hands a drinking cup or goblet, which also belonged to the vestry, and was descended from the old Boar's Head. It bore the inscription of having been the gift of Francis Wythers, Knight, and was held, she told me, in exceeding great value, being considered very "antyke." This last opinion was strengthened by the shabby gentleman in the red nose and oil-cloth hat, and whom I strongly suspect to be a lineal descendant from the valiant Bardolph. He suddenly aroused from his meditation on the pot of porter, and casting a knowing look at the goblet, exclaimed, "Ay, ay! the head don't ache now that made that there article !" The great importance attached to this memento of ancient revelry by modern churchwardens at first puzzled me: but there is nothing sharpens the apprehension so much as antiquarian research; for I immediately perceived that this could be no other than the identical A THE BOAR'S HEAD, EASTCHEAP. "parcel-gilt goblet" on which Falstaff made his loving but faithless vow to Dame Quickly; and which would, of course, be treasured up with care among the regalia of her domains, as a testimony of that solemn contract. Mine hostess, indeed, gave me a long history how the goblet had been handed down from generation to generation. She also entertained me with many particulars concerning the worthy vestrymen who had seated themselves thus quietly on the stools of the ancient roysters of Eastcheap, and, like so many commentators, utter clouds of smoke in honour of Shakespeare. These I forbear to relate, lest my readers should not be as curious in these matters as myself. Suffice it to say, the neighbours, one and all, about Eastcheap, believe that Falstaff and his merry crew actually lived and revelled there. Nay there are several legendary anecdotes concerning him still extant among the oldest frequenters of the Mason's Arms, which they give as transmitted down from their forefathers; and Mr. M'Kash, an Irish hair-dresser, whose shop stands on the site of the old Boar's Head, has several dry jokes of Fat Jack's, not laid down in the books, with which he makes his customers ready to die of laughter. Thus have I given a "tedious brief" account of this interesting research, for which, if it prove too short and unsatisfactory, I can only plead my inexperience in this branch of literature, so deservedly popular at the present day. I am aware that a more skilful illustrator of the immortal bard would have swelled the materials I have touched upon to a good merchantable bulk; comprising the biographies of William Walworth, Jack Straw, and Robert Preston; some notice of the eminent fishmongers of St. Michael's; the history of Eastcheap, great and little; private anecdotes of Dame Honeyball and her pretty daughter, whom I have not even mentioned; to say nothing of a damsel tending the breast of lamb (and whom, by the way, I remarked to be a comely lass, with a neat foot and ankle);-the whole enlivened by the riots of Wat Tyler, and illuminated by the great fire of London. All this I leave as a rich mine, to be worked by future commentators; nor do I despair of seeing the tobacco-box, and the "parcel-gilt goblet," which I have thus brought to light, the subject of future engravings, and almost as fruitful of voluminous dissertations and disputes as the shield of Achilles, or the far-famed Portland vase. WASHINGTON IRVING. The relics here depicted are the goblet and tobacco-box, at present deposited with the books and other property of the parish in the strong room of Fishmongers' Hall, in whose possession Walworth's dagger still remains. |