O stop the dire proceedings, ere too late In the midst of these stormy contests Queen Ann emerged from the seclusion of her widowhood to open Parliament in person November 15th, 1708. Miss Strickland says, "that she possessed, like our present Queen, a most melodious voice, with a remarkably clear intonation," but on this day, we are told, her speech was delivered in a fainter voice than usual. Public events were unpropitious; she longed for peace, and yet was compelled to keep on the war but these internal troubles were perhaps even more actually trying to the poor sad and worried Queen. Westminster Hall, notwithstanding its vast size was, on the morning of February 27, 1710, full to overflowing. The Queen herself went in her sedan chair, and the people, as they pressed near, raised the shout of "God bless your Majesty and the Church," and some confidentially added "We hope your majesty is for the Church and Dr. Sacheverell." A box was erected for the Queen, as she wished to witness the trial in private. The counts against him were shortly, first, that he had reflected on the late Revolution; secondly, that he had cast reflections on Archbishop Grindal and others; thirdly, that he had opposed toleration and wrested passages of scripture to suit his purpose, and had suggested that the Church was in danger; and fourthly, that he had called the Lord High Treasurer Godophin, Volpone. This was all! and the frivolous nature of the articles proves the stainless character of the man, for had they had one stronger word to say against him they would assuredly have said it. Sacheverell defended himself with the eloquence that was his greatest gift. On the second day of the trial the excitement of the people burst all bounds; the mob attacked Dr. Burgess's meeting house, near Lincoln's Inn Fields, and various others in the metropolis; and St. John's Chapel, Clerkenwell, was burnt down in detestation of the Whig Bishop Burnet, who lived in that district. While the meeting-houses were burning, another mob assailed the Bank of England. The Earl of Sunderland went to the Queen, who ordered him to "send her foot and horse guards forthwith, and disperse the rioters." Captain Horsey, who was on duty, was summoned; he was ordered to use discretion, and not to proceed to extremities. "Am I to preach to the mob," said Captain Horsey, "or to fight? If you want preaching please to send some one who is a better hand at holding forth than I am. If you want fighting, it is my trade, and I will do my best." Colonel Horsey told the historian Calamy that he ventured his neck by going upon verbal orders, for the hurry was so great he had no warrant till his return. The trial lasted three weeks, and the sentence was, that Sacheverell should be suspended from preaching for three years, and that the sermon which had caused all the commotion, and another previously preached at Derby, should be burnt by the common hangman. This sentence, mild, when one knows what it might have been, was looked upon in the light of a triumph. In order to while away the time during his suspension, Dr. Sacheverell made a tour through the country, which the zeal of the people converted into a sort of triumphal progress. As soon as the term of his suspension was over, the Queen presented him to the living of St. Andrew's Holborn, and shortly afterwards he delivered a sermon before the House of Commons, for which he received their thanks. But with the period of his suspension his connection with St. Saviour's seems to have ceased. Soon after this a considerable estate was left him by one of his relations, and he died in 1724. CHAPTER XVI. BARCLAY & PERKINS'S BREWERY. THE THRALES AND DR. JOHNSON.-MARSHAL HAYNAU. OUR GOLDSMITH.-GUY'S HOSPITAL. UR story has left behind the amusing old chronicles. It has extracted all that suits our purpose from those fascinating diarists, Evelyn and Pepys, and we now turn to the veriest gossip that ever existed, James Boswell, Esq., of Auchinleck. But gossip though he was, he was the prince of biographers. And here again we find a great literary name connected with Southwark, for Johnson's intimacy with the Thrales, then owners of the renowned brewery, made him a constant visitor, and at times almost a resident, at their house in the Borough. The first owner of the Brewery was Edmund Halsey. He had an only daughter who married Lord Cobham, and that nobleman not caring to engage in the business, transferred it to Thrale's father. He, says Johnson, had worked for six shillings a week in the brewery, for twenty years, and afterwards married Mr. Halsey's sister, and was a sensible, honest and active man He took the brewery for £30,000, security being held upon the property, and in eleven years had paid the purchase money. The story of Thrale's having occupied so inferior a position for so long a time, is however, doubtful, as his family were of some distinction at St. Alban's, where a tomb to the memory of Mr. John Thrale, late of London, merchant, his wife and family, was formerly, and perhaps is still to be seen in the Abbey church, with arms and crest upon it. However, this may be, the elder Thrale acquired a large fortune, and lived to be Member of Parliament for Southwark. His son and daughter received the highest education, the son going to Oxford and mixing in the best society; after he left college his father allowed him 1,000 a year. This son, Dr. Johnson's friend, carried on his father's business, but having only daughters, the property was sold at his death. It is not necessary in these days to make any apology for trade, but I cannot resist inserting here a note which occurs in Boswell's life of Johnson, and which bears his own signature, he says, "Mrs. Burney informs me that she heard Dr. Johnson say, ‘An English merchant is a new species of gentleman.' He perhaps had in his mind the following ingenious passage in the 'Conscious Lovers,' when Mr. Sealand thus addresses Sir John Bevil. "Give me leave to say, that we merchants are a species of gentry that have grown into the world this last century, and are as honourable and almost as useful as you landed folks, that have always thought yourselves so much above us, for your trading, forsooth, is extended no further than a load of hay or a fat ox. You are a pleasant people indeed, because you are generally bred up to be lazy, therefore I warrant you industry is dishonourable.” In the time of Henry Thrale, the brewery was superin tended by Mr. Perkins, as manager, on a salary of £500 a year. After his death, when it was sold for the benefit of Mrs. Thrale, it was bought by Messrs. Barclay, Perkins & Co., for 135,000. Robert Barclay, the first of the three names in the firm, was a descendant of the famous Barclay who wrote the apology for the Quakers. In 1791 Boswell says, “Mr. Perkins now resides in Mr. Thrale's house in Southwark which was the scene of so many literary meetings, and in which he continues the liberal hospitality for which it was eminent. Dr. Johnson esteemed him much. hung up in his counting house a fine proof of the admirable mezzotinto of Dr. Johnson, by Doughty, and when Mrs. Thrale asked him somewhat flippantly, "Why do you put him in the counting house." He answered, "Because, Madame, I wish to have one wise man there." "Sir," said Johnson, "I thank you. It is a very handsome compliment, and I think you speak sincerely." He The house in Park Street in which Dr. Johnson visited the Thrales, was destroyed in the fire of 1832. In Thrale's time, Dr. Johnson tells us, that the great brewer paid £20,000 a year to the revenue, and that he had four casks, each of which held sixteen hundred barrels -above a thousand hogsheads. Peter Cunningham, in Murray's guide-book to modern London for 1856, says that Barclay's Brewery, extending over 11 acres, brews 600 quarters of malt daily. Among the many vats is one containing 3,500 barrels of porter, which at the selling price would yield 9,000. The water used is drawn from a well 367 feet deep. One hundred and eighty horses are employed in the cartage department. They are brought principally from Flanders, cost from £50 to £80 each, and are noble specimens of the cart-horse breed; and he adds that whilst Johnson mentions that Mr. Thrale paid £20,000 |