Springtime and Other Essays. Sir Francis Darwin
ascendant over the queen. … When prince George (who is lookt upon as a man of little spirit and understanding) sollicited the queen, his wife, for a place for some friend of his, Zarah, who happened to be by at that time, cryed out, Christ! madam! I am promised it before!”
30th Jan. 1705–6.—“Mr. Thwaits tells me that the dean of Christ Church (Mr. Aldrich) formerly drew up an epitome of heraldry for the use of some young gentlemen under his care. … He says ’twas done very well, and the best in its nature ever made.”
26th April 1705–6.—“Mr. Grabe created D.D.; Dr. Smalrich presented him with a cap, and after that with a ring, signifying that the universitys of Oxford and Francfurt were now joyned together, and become two sisters; and that they might be the more firmly united together, as well in learning as religion, he kissed Mr. Grabe.”
This is of interest as showing that the custom of giving rings at the conferring of honorary degrees existed in England, as it does to this day at Upsala.
The following extract illustrates what we should now consider great license in the matter of smoking:
“When the bill for security of the church of England was read … Dr. Bull sate in the lobby of the house of lords all the while, smoking his pipe.”
31st March 1708–9.—“We hear from Yeovill in Somersetshire by very good hands of a woman covered with snow for at least a week. When found she told them that she had layn very warm, and had slept most part of the time.”
A well-known case of the same sort is described in Gunning’s Reminiscences (1854).
22nd April 1711.—“There is a daily paper comes out called The Spectator, written, as is supposed, by the same hand that writ the Tatler, viz. Captain Steel. In one of the last of these papers is a letter written from Oxon, at four o’clock in the morning, and subscribed Abraham Froth. It ridicules our hebdomadal meetings. The Abraham Froth is designed for Dr. Arthur Charlett, an empty, frothy man, and indeed the letter personates him incomparably well, being written, as he uses to do, upon great variety of things, and yet about nothing of moment. Queen’s people are angry at it, and the common-room say there, ’tis silly, dull stuff; and they are seconded by some that have been of the same college. But men that are indifferent commend it highly, as it deserves.”
17th Nov. 1712.—“On Thursday last (13th Nov.), duke Hamilton and the Lord Mohun being before Mr. Oillabar, one of the masters of Chancery, about some suit depending between them, and some words arising, a challenge was made between these two noble men, and the duell was fought on Saturday (15th Nov.) in the Park. My lord Mohun was killed on the spot, and the duke so wounded that he died before he got home. This lord Mohun should have been hanged some years agoe for murder, which he had committed divers times.”
24th Nov.— … “The duke having given Mohun his mortal wound, and taking him up in his arms, as soon as Makartney saw it, he and col. Hamilton fell to it; but Hamilton, though he was wounded by Makartney in the leg, disarmed Makartney, and threw his sword from him, and immediately went to Mohun to endeavour also to recover him. Mean time Makartney (who is a bloudy, ill man) runs and takes up his sword, comes to the duke, and gives him his mortal wound, of which the duke dyed before he could get home.”
It is of some interest to compare the above with Thackeray’s account of the duel in Esmond, book iii., chap. v.—
“ ’Twas but three days after the 15th November 1712 (Esmond minds him well of the date), that he went by invitation to dine with his General (Webb).” At the end of the feast Swift rushes to say that Duke Hamilton had been killed in a duel. “They fought in Hyde Park just before sunset.”
When I read the story in Esmond I was naturally struck by Thackeray’s making the duel occur three days after 15th November instead of on that day. I applied to my friend Dr. Henry Jackson, who pointed out that the apparent error arises from the absence of a comma. The above passage should run:—
“It was about three days after, the 15th of November 1712 (Esmond minds him well of the date), that he went, etc.” This makes Thackeray’s account agree with Hearne’s. Dr. Jackson has pointed out to me that the duel was fought at 7 A.m., not just before sunset as Swift is made to declare. The evidence is in Swift’s Journal to Mrs. Dingley, of which extract Charles John Smith gave a facsimile in his Historical and Literary Curiosities, 1840:—
“Before this comes to your Hands, you will have heard of the most terrible Accident that hath almost ever happened. This morning at 8, my men brought me word that D. Hamilton had fought with Ld. Mohun and killed him and was brought home wounded. I immediately sent him to the Duke’s house in St. James’s Square, but the porter could hardly answer for tears and a great Rabble was about the House. In short they fought at 7 this morning the Dog Mohun was killed on the spot, and wile (sic) the Duke was over him Mohun shortening his sword stabbed him in at the shoulder to the heart the Duke was helpt towards the lake house by the Ring in the park (where they fought), [39] and dyed in the Grass before he could reach the House and was brought home in his Coach by 8, while the poor Dutchess was asleep. … I am told that a footman of Ld. Mohun’s stabbd D. Hamilton; and some say Mackartney did so too. Mohun gave the affront and yet sent the Challenge. I am infinitly concerned for the poor Duke who was a frank honest good natured man, I loved him very well and I think he loved me better.
Jonat. Swift.
“London, 15th Nov. 1712.”
I insert the following extract as it records what was of great importance to Hearne personally, since he refused to recognise George I. as the legitimate monarch.
3rd Aug. 1714.—“On Sunday morning (Aug. 1st) died queen Anne, about 7 o’clock. She had been taken ill on Friday immediately before. Her distemper an apoplexy, or, as some say, only convulsions. She was somewhat recovered, and then made Shrewsbury lord treasurer. On Sunday last, in the afternoon, George Lewis, elector of Brunswick, was proclaimed in London King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, by virtue of an act of parliament, by which those that are much nearer to the crown by bloud are excluded.”
The following extract illustrates the feeling in Oxford under the first Hanoverian sovereign. Very few, however, showed Hearne’s consistent and courageous Jacobinism:—
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