Part 42 (1/2)
John Courtois is said to have been a native of Picardy, where he was born about the year 1737 or 1738. He repaired to this country while yet young, in the character of _valet de chambre_ to a gentleman who had picked him up in his travels; and, as he came from one of the poorest of the French provinces, he ”took root,” and throve wonderfully on his transplantation to a richer soil.
On the death of his master, he removed to the neighbourhood of the Strand; and St. Martin's Street,. Leicester Square, became the scene of his industry and success. At a time when wigs were worn by boys, and a Frenchman was supposed the only person capable of making one fit ”for the grande monarque,” he commenced business as a perruquier, and soon acquired both wealth and celebrity. To this he joined another employment, which proved equally lucrative and appropriate, as it subjected both masters and servants to his influence. This was the keeping of a register-office, one of the first known in the Metropolis, whence he drew incalculable advantages. He is also said to have been a dealer in hair, which he imported largely from the continent. And yet,, after all, it is difficult to conceive how he could have realized a fortune exceeding 200,000L.! But what may not be achieved by a man who despised no gains, however small, and in his own expressive language, considered farthings as ”the seeds of guineas!”
The following appears to be a true description of this very extraordinary man, whom we ourselves have seen more than once:--”Old Courtois was well known for more than half a century in the purlieus of St. Martin's and the Haymarket. His appearance was meagre and squalid, and his clothes, such as they were, were ~320~~ pertinaciously got up in exactly the same cut and fas.h.i.+on, and the colour always either fawn or marone. For the last thirty years, the venerable chapeau was uniformly of the same c.o.c.k. The princ.i.p.al feat, however, in which this fervent votary of Plutus appeared before the public, was his nearly fatal affair with Mary Benson, otherwise Mrs. Maria Theresa Phepoe. In April 1795, this ill-fated-woman projected a rather bungling scheme, in order to frighten her old acquaintance and visitor, Courtois, out of a considerable sum of money. One evening, when she was certain of his calling, she had her apartment prepared for his reception in a species of funereal style--a bier, a black velvet pall, black wax candles lighted, &c. No sooner had the friend entered the room, than the lady, a.s.sisted by her maid, pounced on him, forced him into an arm chair, in which he was forcibly held down by the woman, while the hostess, brandis.h.i.+ng a case-knife or razor, swore with some violent imprecations, that instant should be his last, if he did not give her an order on his ”banker for a large sum of money. The venerable visitor, alarmed at the gloomy preparations and dire threats of the desperate female, asked for pen, ink, and paper; which being immediately produced, he wrote a check on his banker for two thousand pounds. He immediately retired with precipitation, happy to escape without personal injury. The next morning, before its opening, he attended at the Banker's, with some Police-officers; and on Mrs. Phepoe's making her appearance with the check, she was arrested, and subsequently tried at the Old Bailey, on a capital charge, grounded on the above proceedings. However, through the able defence made by her counsel (the late Mr. Fielding) who took a legal objection to the case as proved, and contended that she never had or obtained any property of Mr. Courtois, on the principle that possession const.i.tuted the first badge of owners.h.i.+p, she was only sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment.”
”Some years since, the late Lord Gage met Courtois, at the court-room of the East India House, on an election business. ”Ah, Courtois!” said his Lords.h.i.+p, ”what brings you here?”--'To give my votes, my Lord,' was the answer.--”What! are you a proprietor?--'Most certainly.'--”And of more votes than one?”--'Yes, my ~321~~ Lord, I have four!'--”Aye, indeed! why then, before you take the book, pray be kind enough to pin up my curls!”
With which modest request the proprietor of four votes, equal to ten thousand pounds, immediately complied!
”M. Courtois married a few years since, and has left several children.
On reflecting that his widow's thirds would amount to an immense sum, with his usual prudence he made a handsome settlement on her during his lifetime. As his sons were not of very economical habits, he has bequeathed them small annuities only; and vested the bulk of his fortune in trustees on behalf of his daughters, who are infants.
”Until his death, he invariably adhered to the costume of the age in which he was born. A three-c.o.c.ked hat, and a plum-coloured coat, both rather the worse for wear, in which we have seen him frequently, invariably designated his person and habits; while a penurious economy, that bid defiance to all vulgar imitation, accompanied him to his grave.
His death occurred in 1819, in the 80th or 81st year of his age.”
”Such characters,” observed Tallyho, ”notwithstanding their eccentricity, afford useful lessons to those who, in this giddy and dissipated age, devote a part of their time to thinking.”
”No doubt of it,” replied Dashall; ”they furnish examples of what may be done by perseverance and determination, and almost seem to verify the a.s.sertion, that every one may become rich if he pleases. But come, we must move towards Tom's Coffee House, in our way to which we will pa.s.s through the Royal Exchange, which lies directly before us. It was originally a brick building, erected by Sir Thomas Gresham in the year 1567, but being destroyed by the fire of London in 1666, the present building of Portland stone was raised in its place, the first stone of which was laid by Charles II. in 1667; in consequence of which his statue has been placed in the centre of its quadrangle, around which the Merchants a.s.semble daily to transact their commercial business.{1}
1 The merry Monarch was fond of the Citizens, and frequently honoured the Lord Mayor's table with his presence. It is said of him, that, on retiring to his carriage one day after dining with the civic Sovereign, he was followed by the latter, who, with a freedom inspired by the roseate Deity, laid hold of His Majesty by the arm, and insisted that he should not go until he had drunk t'other bottle. The Monarch turned round, and good-humouredly repeating a line from an old song--”The man that is drunk is as great as a king,”
went back to the company, and doubtless complied with the Lord Mayor's request.
~322~~ ”It has two princ.i.p.al fronts, one in Cornhill, and the other, which you now see, is at the end of Threadneedle Street; each of which has a piazza, affording a convenient shelter from the sun and rain.
It is open as a thoroughfare from eight in the morning till six in the evening; but the hours in which business is chiefly transacted, are from two to five. Its extent is 203 feet by 171.”
By this time they had pa.s.sed the gate, and Bob found himself in a handsome area with a fine piazza carried entirely round, and furnished with seats along the four walks, for Merchants of different nations, who meet, each at their different stations, and was immediately attracted by the appearance of the numerous specimens of art with which it was adorned.
”Do you observe,” said his Cousin, ”within these piazzas are twenty-eight niches; all vacant but that in which is placed a statue of Sir Thomas Gresham, in the north-west angle; and that in the south-west, which presents a statue of Sir John Barnard, Magistrate of the City, and one of its Representatives in Parliament. Those smaller statues in the niches of the wall of the Quadrangle, in the upper story, are the Kings and Queens of England, beginning with Edward I. on the North side, and ending with his late Majesty on the East. As far as Charles I. they were executed by Gabriel Cibber. The various frames which are placed around under the piazza, contain the names, residences and occupations of Tradesmen, Mechanics and others. The grand front in Cornhill has been under repair lately, and in its appearance, no doubt, is greatly improved. The steeple which is just raised, is a handsome dome, surmounted by the original gra.s.shopper, rendered somewhat celebrated by a prophecy, that certain alterations would take place in men, manners, and times, when the gra.s.shopper on the top of the Exchange should meet the dragon at the top of Bow Church; and strange and extraordinary as it may appear, this very circ.u.mstance is said to have taken place, as they have both been seen in the warehouse of some manufacturer, to whom ~323~~ they were consigned for repair; in addition to which, if Crockery's{1} relation of the transmogrifications of England is to be believed, the prophecy is in a considerable degree a whimsical and laughable Burletta, in one act, has recently been produced at the Royal Coburg Theatre, in which Mr. Sloman sings, with admirable comicality, the following Song, alluded to by the Hon. Tom Dashall, to the tune of O, The Roast Beef of Old England.
”From Hingy I came with my Master, O dear, But Lunnun is not like the same place, that's clear; It has nigh broke my heart since I have been here!
O, the old times of Old England, O dear, the good English old times.
The town is so changed, that I don't know a spot; The times are so hard, there's no vork to be got; And for porter they charges you tip-pence a pot!
O, the old times, &c.
Then the sides of the houses are stuck full of bills About Blacking, Mock-Auctions, and vonderful Fills; But for von vot they cures, a hundred they kills!
O, the old times, &c.
There's the names are all halter'd verewer I goes, And the people all laughs at the cut of my close; The men are turn'd vomen, the belles are turn'd beaux!
O, the old times, &c.
Ven I vent out to Hingy, if any von died, A good vooden coffin they used to prowide, But hiron vons now keeps the poor vorms houtside!
O, the old times, &c.
There's the Lancaster schools now all over the land, Vot teaches the children to scribble on sand-- And a hugly Bona.s.sus vot lives in the Strand!
O, the new times, &c.