tain where the fire was raging. They soon returned with the information, mournful to all, but especially so to Sheridan, that Drury Lane theatre was on fire. The House was occupied in discussing the question of the Spanish war, on which Sheridan had expressed his intention of speaking, and so much sympathy was felt for him that a motion was made to adjourn the debate, but Sheridan replied, with much presence of mind and calmness under misfortune, "that whatever might be the extent of the private calamity, he hoped it would not interfere with the public business of the country. With these words he retired from the House, and arrived in Drury Lane just in time to ascertain that he was a ruined man, and that there was no hope of saving any portion of the building. It is said of him, we know not with what truth, that he afterwards went into a tavern on the other side of the street, where he was found by a friend, drinking a bottle of wine. His friend wondered, which Sheridan observing, asked "If a man might not be allowed to enjoy a glass at his own fire-side?" Thus is wit superior to misfortune; a man will joke in the jaws of ruin, and some have had their jest, though they knew they must die the next minute.

Great exertions were made to rebuild the theatre, and the requisite funds having been subscribed, the plan of Mr. Benjamin Wyatt was adopted, and the building commenced in 1811. It proceeded with great rapidity, and was opened for the first time on the 10th of October, 1812, the performances being "Hamlet" and “ The Devil to Pay.” The house is not so capacious as its predecessor, holding about 800 persons less.

The beautiful address of Dr. Johnson for the opening of the former theatre being remembered, the proprietors, anxious to have another as good for their opening night, inserted the following advertisement in the newspapers :—

"Rebuilding of Drury Lane Theatre.-The committee are desirous of promoting a fair and free COMPETITION for an ADDRESS, to be spoken upon the opening of the Theatre, which will take place on the 10th of October next; they have therefore thought fit to announce to the public, that they will be glad to receive any such compositions, addressed to their secretary, at the Treasury-Office, in Drury Lane, on or before the last day of August, sealed up, with a distinguishing word, number, or motto, in the corner, corresponding with the inscription on a separate sealed paper, containing the name of the author, which will not be opened unless containing the name of the successful candidate.—Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Augt. 6th, 1812."

Other advertisements afterwards appeared, offering twenty guineas as the prize, and extending the time for the sending in of the address to the 10th of September. The result was, that their desks were covered with poetical contributions; but not one of them was of more than mediocre merit-that species of merit, detested, as the wit said, both by gods and men." They were in sad despair, as we learn from the notes to the collected works of Lord Byron, when Lord Holland interfered, and, not without difficulty, prevailed on Lord Byron to write an address for the occasion, "at the risk," the poet feared, " of offending a hundred rival scribblers and a discerning public." Lord Byron's address was accepted, and delivered on the night of opening by Mr. Elliston, who performed the part of Hamlet. The following passage, giving a short history of the former edifice was much applauded, though the address was generally voted tame by the diurnal critics-perhaps because it was not well spoken:

"As soars this fane to emulate the last,

Oh, might we draw our omens from the past!
Some hour, propitious to our prayers, may boast,
Names such as hallow still the dome we lost.
On Drury, first your Siddons' thrilling art,

O'erwhelm'd the gentlest, storm'd the sternest heart;
On Drury, Garrick's latest laurels grew,

Here your last tears retiring Roscius drew,

Sigh'd his last thanks, and wept his last adieu."

The admirable jeu d'esprit of James and Horace Smith, entitled The Rejected Addresses," will long preserve the memory of the burning of Old Drury.

This theatre has scarcely ever prospered since it was built. It was conducted, after the retirement of Mr. T. Sheridan, by a committee of proprietors, but with such small success, that they became involved in debt and unable to pay the performers. In 1814 it was let for fourteen years to the highest bidder, which happened to be Mr. Elliston, who therefore took it at the yearly rental of £10,200, and to expend £15,000 in repairs. Captain Polhill afterwards became the lessee, and lost large sums of money. The two last lessees, Messrs. Bunn and Hammond, were made bankrupts by their speculation. Towards the middle of the year 1840 it was re-opened, after being prematurely closed for some months, for the new entertainment of promenade

concerts.

Passing through Brydges Street and Catherine Street we arrive once more in the Strand, and resume our walk down that ancient thoroughfare towards St. Paul's.

CHAPTER XIII.

The Sans Pareil Theatre, the English Opera House-Somerset House-The Protector Somerset and his Execution-Somerset House the residence of the Queen Mother-Queen Henrietta's retinue dismissed by Charles I.Anecdote of Charles II.-Scene of the murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey-Royal apartment in Somerset House-Royal Society-Anecdote of Charles II-Society of Antiquaries-Death of Dr. W. King-The Maypole in the Strand-Account of a duel here.

FROM WATERLOO BRIDGE TO TEMPLE BAR.

RETURNING from Drury Lane, we pass by Catherine Street, which bore rather a questionable character when Gay wrote his "Trivia." It has improved its morals since his time, and isnow the head-quarters of newsmen and newspapers. Here is published the "Morning Herald." The Sans Pareil, a small theatre in this street, which has been closed for many years, is now turned into a shop. It was taken about thirty years ago, by a Mr. Scott, who obtained a license from the Lord Chamberlain for the performance of operettas with the addition of dancing and pantomimes.

Wellington Street, a short distance westward, is a modern street, forming one of the approaches to Waterloo Bridge. At the corner is D'Oyley's warehouse, where there was a fashionable shop of the same name, for the same articles of manufacture, in the days of Addison. This house, which was rebuilt in 1838, stands, as we learn from Pennant, upon the site of Wimbledon House, built by Sir Edward Cecil, son to the first Earl of Exeter, and created Viscount Wimbledon by Charles I.

In this street is the elegant theatre known by the names of the English Opera House and the Lyceum. The original Lyceum, built by Mr. James Payne, the architect, in 1765, fronted towards the Strand, and was occupied for a short period as an academy for the Society of Artists, for the exhibition of their pictures. When they quitted it, the place was let out to various persons, sometimes being occupied by painters, and sometimes by conjurors. In the year 1807 it was opened by Mr. Arnold, for regular theatrical performances, principally operas; and when Drury Lane Theatre was burnt down in 1808, it was taken by the latter company until their own house was rebuilt. The old house was taken down in 1815, and a new

edifice erected, from the design of Mr. Beazley, the architect and dramatic author. This building was unfortunately destroyed by fire in March 1830. Preparations were immediately made to construct a still more elegant edifice than that destroyed, and a new site, after some delay, having been fixed upon, the present theatre was built, and opened in 1834.

We are now in sight of Waterloo Bridge, one of the finest structures of its kind in Europe, not even excepting the New London Bridge. A great portion of the precincts of the old palace of the Savoy was pulled down, as we have already mentioned, to make room for it, and the foundation stone was laid in September, 1811. The original name given to it was the Strand Bridge, but before its completion the glorious battle of Waterloo was fought, and it was determined to give that name to the new structure. The architect was the late Mr. John Rennie, and the bridge was finished within the short space of six years. It was opened with great pomp on the 18th of June, 1817, the second anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, in presence of the Duke of Wellington, the Prince Regent, the Duke of York, and other illustrious personages.

Canova said of this bridge, that it was "worth a visit from the remotest corner of the earth." It consists of nine elliptical arches, of one hundred and twenty feet span, and thirty-five feet elevation, and from shore to shore measures twelve hundred and forty-twofeet. The view from the bridge is particularly fine, and affords a complete panorama of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Lambeth.

Somerset House, the river front of which is by far the most prominent object in the view, stands upon ground of historical importance. According to Stow, the Bishop of Worcester had their town residence here in the thirteenth century, and the Bishops of Lichfield and Coventry, theirs. The latter building, says this author, was called Chester's Inn, as the Bishoprick of Chester was at this time annexed to the see of Lichfield and Coventry. The Bishops of Landaff had also their inn within the same precincts; and close by stood the Strand Inn, an inn of Chancery, belonging to the Temple, in which Occleve the poet,

There was a little bridge in the Strand at a very early period, over a small stream that ran down Catherine Street into the Thames, which went by the same name. There is an amusing paper in the "Spectator," No. 454, for the 11th of August, 1712, by Sir Richard Steele, in which he describes the landing of the market-girls at Strand Bridge from Richmond and its vicinity to Covent Garden.

the contemporary of Gower and Chaucer, is said to have studied the law. All these houses were pulled down by the powerful Protector Somerset, to make room for his palace, which he intended to make more magnificent than any that had ever before been seen in England, not even excepting the splendid, and at that time recent, erection of Hampton Court. Sir William Dugdale, in his Baronetage,"* speaking of this nobleman,

says

66

"Many well-disposed mindes conceived a very hard opinion of him, for causing a church near Strand Bridge, and two bishops' houses to be pulled down, to make a seat for his new building, (called Somerset House); in digging the foundation whereof, the bones of many who had been there buried, were cast up and carried into the fields. And because the stones of that church and those houses were not sufficient for that work, the steeple and most part of the church of St. John of Hierusalem near Smithfield were mined and overthrown with powder, and the stones carried thereto. So likewise the cloister on the north side of St. Paul's Cathedral, and the charnel-house on the south side thereof, with the chapel; the tombes and monuments therein being all beaten down, the bones of the dead carried into Finsbury Fields, and the stones converted to this building. And it was confidently affirmed, that, for the same purpose, he intended to have pulled down St. Margaret's Church at Westminster, but that the standing thereof was preserved by his fall."

After his execution the palace became the property of the Crown, and the use of it was granted by Queen Elizabeth to her cousin, by the mother's side, Lord Hunsdon, and here she frequently visited him. Anne of Denmark, Queen of James I., kept her court here; and during her lifetime, it was known by the name of Denmark House. 'The Queen kept a continual mascardo in it; she and her ladies, like so many sea-nymphs or Nereides, appearing in various dresses, to the ravishment of the beholders."*

From this time the palace appears to have been considered the appanage of the Queen Consort of England. Queen Henrietta Maria resided in it with her extravagant French household, and the too open encouragement which she gave to Catholics and foreigners, was the occasion of many disputes between her and her husband, and of no little ill-will towards her on the part of

*Vol. II, p. 363.

† Wilson's Life of James I.