CHAPTER II. Whitefriars (Alsatia) Convent first there-Sir Richard Grey-Shadwell's "Squire of Alsatia"-Sanctuary in Whitefriars-Sanctuary abolishedTheatre in Dorset Gardens; performances at-Richardson's House-Mughouse riots in Salisbury Court-Ballad in praise of the Mug-Chancery-lane-Isaac Walton's House-Serjeants' Inn-Privileges and Ceremonies of Serjeants-at-Law-Splendid Entertainment to the Judges-Contest for precedence between the Lord Mayor and Lord Treasurer-"Serjeants choosing their pillars"-Cowley's House in Fleet Street-St. Dunstan's in the West-Statue of Queen Elizabeth there-The celebrated RomaineClifford's Inn-Fetter Lane-"Praise God Barebones"-Fleur-de-Lys Court-Mrs. Brownrigg's execution for Murder-Moravian ChapelDestruction of Meeting-house by the Sacheverel rioters-Conduit in Fleet Street-Queen Anne Boleyn's triumphal procession through the CityShoe Lane in the time of Queen Elizabeth-Bishop of Bangor's PalaceSt. Andrew's Church-Chatterton's Grave-Anecdote of Dean Swift and Dr. Sacheverel-The learned Whiston-Gunpowder Alley-Death of Lovelace the Poet-Lilly, the Astrologer-Dr. Forman, the Quack. BEFORE returning to Fleet Street, let us again pass by King's Bench Walk, and by the new range of buildings which has been raised in place of the pile accidentally burnt down in 1838, and then by the eastern gate of the Temple to the renowned precincts of the White Friars-the Alsatia so well known to all readers of romance, since the admirable description of it and its inhabitants given by Sir Walter Scott in the "Fortunes of Nigel." Its name of White Friars is derived from the church and convent of the Carmelites or White Friars, founded in this place in the year 1241, by Sir Richard Grey, ancestor of the Lords Grey of Codnor. The church was built by Sir Robert Knolles, the same who built Rochester Bridge, and of whom Stow has preserved some laudatory verses— "O Robert Knolles, most worthy of fame, This celebrated knight was buried in the church in 1407. On the dissolution of the religious houses, the revenues of this convent were 631. 2s. 4d. "Part of the house," says Pennant, "was granted by Henry VIII. to one Richard Moresque, and the chapter-house, and other parts to his physician, Henry Butts, immortalized by Shakspeare. Edward VI. bestowed the house inhabited by Dr. Butts, together with the church, on the Bishop of Worcester and his successors. It was afterwards demolished, with all its tombs, and several houses were built, which were inhabited in that reign by people of fashion." But the privileges of sanctuary, which the district had long possessed, remained to it, and it soon became the resort of all the most abandoned characters of London. When it first acquired the slang name of Alsatia, does not apper; but perhaps the earliest mention of it is in a play of Shadwell's, entitled "The Squire of Alsatia." He thus, in describing his dramatis persona, gives us the character of the district: 66 Cheatley. A rascal, who by reason of debts dares not stir out of White-fryers, but there inveigles young heirs in tail, and helps them to goods and money upon great disadvantages; is bound for them, and shares for them till he undoes them. A lewd, impudent, debauch'd fellow, very expert in the cant about the town. "Shamwell. Cousin to the Belfonds: an heir, who, being ruined by Cheatley, is made a decoy-duck for others: not daring to stir out of Alsatia, where he lives: is bound with Cheatley for heirs, and lives upon 'em a dissolute, debauched life. "Capt. Hackman. A block-head bully of Alsatia; a cowardly, impudent, blustering fellow, formerly a sergeant in Flanders, run from his colours, retreated to White-fryers for a very small debt, where by the Alsatians he is dubbed a Captain; marries one that lets lodgings, sells cherry-brandy, &c. Scrapeall. A hypocritical, repeating, praying, psalmsinging precise fellow, pretending to great piety; a godly knave, who joins with Cheatley, and supplies young heirs with goods and money." 66 Besides these vagabonds, the place was a great resort of poets and players, who have from time immemorial been classed under the same generic appellation. The players and poets were brought hither by its contiguity to the theatre in Dorset Gardens, erected upon the site of the city mansion of the Bishop of Salisbury, of which we shall have occasion to speak when we get beyond the limits of Alsatia. The place, too, was inhabited by dancing-masters and fencing-masters; and a melancholy story is related in which one of the latter profession plays a conspicuous part. His name was Turner; and being a great proficient in his art, he had many pupils among the nobility. One of them was Lord Sanquhir, a Scotch nobleman, drawn to England with the Court in the reign of James I. Playing at foils with his master, the lord, anxious to show his skill, pressed so hard upon Turner, that the sport became somewhat too like earnest fighting, and he received a thrust in the eye from the sword of the fencingmaster. Lord Sanquhir lost the sight of it in consequence; but conscious that he was himself to blame, bore his calamity with as much patience as he could command. Turner expressed great sorrow, and Lord Sanquhir to all appearances forgave him the injury. Three years afterwards, Lord Sanquhir being at Paris, was presented at the court of Henry IV., and the monarch, thinking no evil, carelessly asked him how he had lost his eye? Lord Sanquhir blushed, and not liking to tell that the injury was inflicted by a fencing-master in a trial of skill, merely replied that it was done by a sword. Henry rejoined, "Does the man live?" and the question made Sanquhir a miserable man for the remainder of his days: he retired in confu→ sion from the presence of the monarch, with a beating heart and a burning brain, to brood over his shame, and concert schemes of revenge against the unhappy fencing-master. "Does the man live?" It appears that the question haunted his disordered fancy by night and by day, and allowed him no peace, no repose wherever he went. At last, he returned to England thirsting for revenge. His first thought was to challenge Turner to single combat; but as the result of this might be doubtful, and he might lose his other eye or his life in an encounter with a more skilful master of the weapon, he abandoned this idea, as beneath the dignity of his rank and as insecure for his vengeance, and determined to murder him. For this purpose, he employed two bullies, countrymen and dependents of his own, named Gray and Carlisle, to waylay and dispatch the fencing-master. Gray, however, refused at the last moment to assist in the foul deed, and another man named Irving was employed in his stead. A reward for the apprehension of all the parties was offered by Government, and after a short time the three were captured, brought to trial, and found guilty of murder. Carlisle and Irving were hanged in Fleet Street opposite the entrance of Whitefriars, and Lord Sanquhir was hanged in Palace Yard. Lord Sanquhir was a Scotchman; and his death was a proof that the king would not pardon even a Scot, if he were guilty. The privilege of sanctuary enjoyed by the precinct of the Whitefriars, was continued until the year 1697, when it was abolished by Act of Parliament. It had originally been a sanctuary for thieves and murderers, and all offenders whatever, except traitors; but after the fifteenth century, was a refuge for debtors only. The sanctuaries abolished during this year, in addition to that of Whitefriars, were those of Mitre Court, Ram Alley, and Salisbury Court, Fleet Street; the Savoy in the Strand; Fulwood's Rents, Holborn; Baldwin's Gardens in Gray's Inn Lane; the Minories, and Deadman Place, Montague Close; the Clink and the Mint in Southwark. The last-mentioned, however, continued to be notorious harbours for rogues of every description, in spite of the Act of Parliament, and have not quite lost their character, even at the present day. Salisbury Court, Whitefriars, was once the inn of the Bishops of Salisbury. It afterwards became the residence of the Sackvilles, held at first by a long lease from the see, and then alienated by Bishop Jewel, for a valuable consideration from that great family. It was successively called Sackville House, and Dorset House. The place was pulled down before the great fire of London, and its site laid out into streets; the latter being destroyed in the conflagration, a theatre was built under the superintendence of Sir Christopher Wren, in which Sir William Davenant's company of comedians (the Duke of York's servants, as they were called) performed for a considerable time, rrior to their removal to Lincoln's Inn Fields, in our account of which, we have already taken some notice of them. The most celebrated actor who performed at this theatre was Betterton. The following advertisement in reference to some of the amusements, is from the "Postman" of Saturday, December 8th, 1679: "At the request of several persons of Quality, on Saturday next, being the 9th instant, at the Theatre in Dorset Gardens, the famous Kentishmen, Wm. and Rich. Joy, designs to show to the Town before they leave it, the same Tryals of Strength, both of them, that Wm. had the honour of showing before His Majesty and their Royal Highnesses, with several other persons of Quality; for which he received a considerable Gratuity. The Lifting a Weight of Two Thousand Two Hundred and Forty Pounds. His holding an extraordinary large Cart Horse; and Breaking a Rope which will bear Three Thousand Five Hundred weight. Beginning exactly at 2, and ending at 4. The Boxes 48.; the Pit, 2s. 6d.; 1st Gallery, 2s.; Upper Gallery, 1s. Whereas, several scandalous Persons have given out that they can do as much as any of the Brothers, we do offer to such persons 1007. reward, if he can perform the said matters of strength, as they do, provided the Pretender will forfeit 207. if he doth not. The day it is perform'd, will be affixed a signal Flag on the Theatre. No money to be return'd after once paid." The following in relation to the same place, is of the year 1698, from No. 325 of the "Post Boy." "DORSET GARDENS. Great preparations are making for a new Opera in the Playhouse in Dorset Garden, of which there is great expectation, the scenes being several new sets, and of a model different from all that have been used in any theatre whatever, being twice as high as any of the former scenes." It would appear, however, that there was a theatre in this district before the one built by Sir Christopher Wren. The following is quoted by Malone in his "Prolegomena" to Shakspeare*, and shows that one was in existence in 1634. It is a memorandum from the MS. book of Sir Henry Herbert, master of the revels to King Charles I. "I committed Cromes, a broker in Long Lane, the 16th of February, 1634, to the Marshalsey, for lending a church robe with the name of Jesus upon it, to the players in Salisbury Court, to represent a Flamen, a priest of the heathens. Upon his petition of submission and acknowledgment of his fault, I released him the 17th of February, 1634." In In a house near the centre of Salisbury Square, or Salisbury Court, as it was then called, Richardson wrote his "Pamela." He resided here for some years, and then removed to Fulham, where he built a range of warehouses and printing-offices. Salisbury Court he was visited by some of the most eminent men of his age, including, among others, Hogarth, Dr. Johnson, Secker, archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Grantham. The following account of his manners and mode of life, was given by a lady who knew him well, to the editress of his correspondence, the well-known Mrs. Barbauld. "My first recollection of Richardson," says the lady, "was in the house in the centre of Salisbury Square, or Salisbury Court, as it was then called; and of being admitted as a playful child into his study, where I have often seen Dr. Young and others; and where I was generally caressed, and rewarded with biscuits or bonbons of some kind or other, and sometimes with books, for which he, and some more of my friends, kindly encouraged a taste, even at that early age, which has adhered to me all my long life, and continues to be the solace of many a painful hour. I recollect that he used to drop in at my father's for we lived nearly opposite, late in the evening to supper; when, as he would say, he had worked as long as his eyes and nerves would let him, and was come to relax with a little friendly and domestic chat. * Vol. iii. page 287. |