was, however, a staunch Royalist. Joshua Sacheverell was rector of St. Peter's, Marlborough, but his family being large, his son Henry was indebted for his education to an apothecary named Hearst, who was his godfather, and after his death his widow sent young Sacheverell to Magdalen College, Oxford. He obtained a Fellowship in his College, and was appointed tutor, and in that capacity had the honour of educating several men who afterwards attained to eminence. Whilst at College, Addison was his intimate friend, and shared his rooms, and his "Account of the most eminent English Poets," was dedicated to Sacheverell. It is simply incredible therefore, that he was the "noisy, roystering, arrogant, thick-headed bigot," that he has been called. That he had more zeal than discretion is likely enough, nay, quite certain; but he was neither knave nor fool, as it has been the fashion for historians to represent him. He was gifted with great powers of eloquence, and when speaking or preaching, simply carried away his hearers' hearts with him.

The great point of the discourse which caused so much commotion seems to have been, to use his own words, "unconditional obedience to the supreme power in all things lawful," and the application of St. Jude's burning words, "filthy dreamers," who "despise dominion and speak evil of dignities," to those who oppose lawful authority in Church and State. This famous sermon was preached on the 5th November, at St. Paul's Cathedral, before the Mayor and Corporation. It was considered so inflammatory that they declined to give the usual vote of thanks, but he had the courage privately to print it, with the connivance, it is said, of the Lord Mayor.

A preacher on that day was expected to celebrate the two great deliverances from Popery, the discovery of the

M

Gunpowder Plot and the landing of King William III., of both which events this was the anniversary; and to give at the same time a prospective glance at the 17th of the same month and make allusion to the Accession of Queen Elizabeth on her birthday. In this sermon, which lasted three hours and yet tired no one of his crowded audience, he specially alluded to Lord Godolphin by the name of Volpone. Godolphin flew to the Queen, and “in an agony of rage and passion claimed the character of Volpone as his own," in which, says Miss Strickland "he behaved far more like a goose than a fox." The result was that Dr. Sacheverell was imprisoned and had to prepare for impeachment at the ensuing session of Parliament. The consequences in case of his condemnation were those to which death seems a trifle, the lash-the pillory-loss of ears-imprisonment for life. Such had been dealt out in Queen Ann's time, not for reviling Church and Queen, but for libelling any member of Parliament. Defoe had lost his ears, and Edmund Curl, his ears or rather the remains of them thrice, "In short it was not fashionable for political authors and booksellers to possess ears. Wigs were mighty convenient."

Directly the Queen consented to the incarceration of the Champion of High Church, all London rose en masse against the Godolphin administration. Vast mobs paraded the City; the streets and courts round St. James's rang with the cries of "God save the Queen and Dr. Sacheverell." The following verses were left on the Queen's toilet:"O Anna, see the prelude has begun,

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Again they play the game of forty-one ;
And he's the traitor that defends the throne,
Thus Laud, and thus thy royal grandsire died;
Impeached by clamour, and by faction tried.
Hoadley's cried up, who dares thy right oppose,
Because he crowns the Whigs, and arms thy foes.

O stop the dire proceedings, ere too late
And see thy own in poor Sacheverell's fate.
Fatal experience bids thee now be wise-

At him they strike, but thou'rt the sacrifice,
Let one blest martyr of thy race suffice."

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.

THE THRALES AND DR. JOHNSON.-MARSHAL HAYNAU.

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