Volume Ii Part 11 (1/2)
[30] _Burn's Catalogue of the Beaufoy Tokens._
THREE CRANES IN THE VINTRY.
This was one of Ben Jonson's taverns, and has already been incidentally mentioned. Strype describes it as situate in ”New Queen-street, commonly called the Three Cranes in the Vintry, a good open street, especially that part next Cheapside, which is best built and inhabited. At the lowest end of the street, next the Thames, is a pair of stairs, the usual place for the Lord Mayor and Aldermen to take water at, to go to Westminster Hall, for the new Lord Mayor to be sworn before the Barons of the Exchequer. This place, with the Three Cranes, is now of some account for the costermongers, where they have their warehouse for their fruit.” In Scott's _Kenilworth_ we hear much of this Tavern.
LONDON STONE TAVERN.
This tavern, situated in Cannon-street, near the Stone, is stated, but not correctly, to have been the oldest in London. Here was formed a society, afterwards the famous Robin Hood, of which the history was published in 1716, where it is stated to have originated in a meeting of the editor's grandfather with the great Sir Hugh Myddelton, of New River memory. King Charles II. was introduced to the society, disguised, by Sir Hugh, and the King liked it so well, that he came thrice afterwards. ”He had,” continues the narrative, ”a piece of black silk over his left cheek, which almost covered it; and his eyebrows, which were quite black, he had, by some artifice or other, converted to a light brown, or rather flaxen colour; and had otherwise disguised himself so effectually in his apparel and his looks, that n.o.body knew him but Sir Hugh, by whom he was introduced.” This is very circ.u.mstantial, but is very doubtful; since Sir Hugh Myddelton died when Charles was in his tenth year.
THE ROBIN HOOD.
Mr. Akerman describes a Token of the Robin Hood Tavern:--”IOHN THOMLINSON AT THE. An archer fitting an arrow to his bow; a small figure behind, holding an arrow.--Rx. IN CHISWELL STREET, 1667. In the centre, HIS HALFE PENNY, and I. S. T.” Mr. Akerman continues:
”It is easy to perceive what is intended by the representation on the obverse of this token. Though 'Little John,' we are told, stood upwards of six good English feet without his shoes, he is here depicted to suit the popular humour--a dwarf in size, compared with his friend and leader, the bold outlaw. The proximity of Chiswell-street to Finsbury-fields may have led to the adoption of the sign, which was doubtless at a time when archery was considered an elegant as well as an indispensable accomplishment of an English gentleman. It is far from obsolete now, as several low public-houses and beer-shops in the vicinity of London testify. One of them exhibits Robin Hood and his companion dressed in the most approved style of 'Astley's,' and underneath the group is the following irresistible invitation to slake your thirst:--
”Ye archers bold and yeomen good, Stop and drink with Robin Hood: If Robin Hood is not at home, Stop and drink with little John.
”Our London readers could doubtless supply the variorum copies of this elegant distich, which, as this is an age for 'Family Shakspeares,'
modernized Chaucers, and new versions of 'Robin Hood's Garland,' we recommend to the notice of the next editor of the ballads in praise of the Sherwood freebooter.”
PONTACK'S, ABCHURCH LANE.
After the destruction of the White Bear Tavern, in the Great Fire of 1666, the proximity of the site for all purposes of business, induced M. Pontack, the son of the President of Bordeaux, owner of a famous claret district, to establish a tavern, with all the novelties of French cookery, with his father's head as a sign, whence it was popularly called ”Pontack's Head.” The dinners were from four or five s.h.i.+llings a head ”to a guinea, or what sum you pleased.”
Swift frequented the tavern, and writes to Stella:--”Pontack told us, although his wine was so good, he sold it cheaper than others; he took but seven s.h.i.+llings a flask. Are not these pretty rates?” In the _Hind and Panther Transversed_, we read of drawers:--
”Sure these honest fellows have no knack Of putting off stum'd claret for Pontack.”
The Fellows of the Royal Society dined at Pontack's until 1746, when they removed to the Devil Tavern. There is a Token of the White Bear in the Beaufoy collection; and Mr. Burn tells us, from _Metamorphoses of the Town_, a rare tract, 1731, of Pontack's ”guinea ordinary,”
”ragout of fatted snails,” and ”chickens not two hours from the sh.e.l.l.” In January, 1735, Mrs. Susannah Austin, who lately kept Pontack's, and had acquired a considerable fortune, was married to William Pepys, banker, in Lombard-street.
POPE'S HEAD TAVERN.
This noted tavern, which gave name to Pope's Head Alley, leading from Cornhill to Lombard-street, is mentioned as early as the 4th Edward IV. (1464) in the account of a wager between an Alicant goldsmith and an English goldsmith; the Alicant stranger contending in the tavern that ”Englishmen were not so cunning in workmans.h.i.+p of goldsmithry as Alicant strangers;” when work was produced by both, and the Englishman gained the wager. The tavern was left in 1615, by Sir William Craven to the Merchant Tailors' Company. Pepys refers to ”the fine painted room” here in 1668-9. In the tavern, April 14, 1718, Quin, the actor, killed in self-defence, his fellow-comedian, Bowen, a clever but hot-headed Irishman, who was jealous of Quin's reputation: in a moment of great anger, he sent for Quin to the tavern, and as soon as he had entered the room, Bowen placed his back against the door, drew his sword, and bade Quin draw his. Quin, having mildly remonstrated to no purpose, drew in his own defence, and endeavoured to disarm his antagonist. Bowen received a wound, of which he died in three days, having acknowledged his folly and madness, when the loss of blood had reduced him to reason. Quin was tried and acquitted. (_Cunningham, abridged._) The Pope's Head Tavern was in existence in 1756.
THE OLD SWAN, THAMES-STREET,
Was more than five hundred years ago a house for public entertainment: for, in 1323, 16 Edw. II., Rose Wrytell bequeathed ”the tenement of olde tyme called the Swanne on the Hope in Thames-street,” in the parish of St. Mary-at-hill, to maintain a priest at the altar of St.
Edmund, King and Martyr, ”for her soul, and the souls of her husband, her father, and mother:” and the purposes of her bequest were established; for, in the parish book, in 1499, is entered a disburs.e.m.e.nt of fourpence, ”for a cresset to Rose Wrytell's chantry.”
Eleanor Cobham, d.u.c.h.ess of Gloucester, in 1440, in her public penance for witchcraft and treason, landed at Old Swan, bearing a large taper, her feet bare, etc.
Stow, in 1598, mentions the Old Swan as a great brew-house. Taylor, the Water-poet, advertised the professor and author of the Barmoodo and Vtopian tongues, dwelling ”at the Old Swanne, neare London Bridge, who will teach them at are willing to learne, with agility and facility.”
In the scurrilous Cavalier ballad of Admiral Deane's Funeral, by water, from Greenwich to Westminster, in June, 1653, it is said:--
”The Old Swan, as he pa.s.sed by, Said she would sing him a dirge, lye down and die: Wilt thou sing to a bit of a body? quoth I, Which n.o.body can deny.”