Volume Ii Part 17 (2/2)
Hogarth's third print of the Rake's Progress, published in 1735, exhibits a princ.i.p.al room in the Rose Tavern: Lethercoat, the fellow with a bright pewter dish and a candle, is a portrait; he was for many years a porter attached to the house.
Garrick, when he enlarged Drury-lane Theatre, in 1776, raised the new front designed by Robert Adam, took in the whole of the tavern, as a convenience to the theatre, and retained the sign of the Rose in an oval compartment, as a conspicuous part of the decoration, which is shown in a popular engraving by J. T. Smith.
In D'Urfey's Songs, 1719, we find these allusions to the Rose:
”_A Song in Praise of Chalk, by W. Pettis._
”We the lads at the Rose A patron have chose, Who's as void as the best is of thinking; And without dedication, Will a.s.sist in his station, And maintains us in eating and drinking.”
”_Song.--The Nose._
”Three merry lads met at the Rose, To speak in the praises of the nose: The flat, the sharp, the Roman snout, The hawk's nose circled round about; The crooked nose that stands awry, The ruby nose of scarlet dye; The brazen nose without a face, That doth the learned college grace.
Invention often barren grows, Yet still there's matter in the nose.”
EVANS'S, COVENT GARDEN.
At the north-west corner of Covent Garden Market is a lofty edifice, which, with the building that preceded it, possesses a host of interesting a.s.sociations. Sir Kenelm Digby came to live here after the Restoration of Charles II.: here he was much visited by the philosophers of his day, and built in the garden in the rear of the house a laboratory. The mansion was altered, if not rebuilt, for the Earl of Orford, better known as Admiral Russell, who, in 1692, defeated Admiral de Tourville, and ruined the French fleet. The facade of the house originally resembled the forecastle of a s.h.i.+p. The fine old staircase is formed of part of the vessel Admiral Russell commanded at La Hogue; it has handsomely carved anchors, ropes, and the coronet and initials of Lord Orford. The Earl died here in 1727; and the house was afterwards occupied by Thomas, Lord Archer, until 1768; and by James West, the great collector of books, etc., and President of the Royal Society, who died in 1772.
Mr. Twigg recollected Lord Archer's garden (now the site of the singing-room), at the back of the Grand Hotel, about 1765, well stocked; mushrooms and cuc.u.mbers were grown there in high perfection.
In 1774, the house was opened by David Low as an hotel; the first family hotel, it is said, in London. Gold, silver, and copper medals were struck, and given by Low, as advertis.e.m.e.nts of his house; the gold to the princes, silver to the n.o.bility, and copper to the public generally. About 1794, Mrs. Hudson, then proprietor, advertised her hotel, ”with stabling for one hundred n.o.blemen and horses.” The next proprietors were Richardson and Joy.
At the beginning of the present century, and some years afterwards, the hotel was famous for its large dinner- and coffee-room. This was called the ”Star,” from the number of men of rank who frequented it.
One day a gentleman entered the dining-room, and ordered of the waiter two lamb-chops; at the same time inquiring, ”John, have you a cuc.u.mber?” The waiter replied in the negative--it was so early in the season; but he would step into the market, and inquire if there were any. The waiter did so, and returned with--”There are a few, but they are half-a-guinea apiece.” ”Half-a-guinea apiece! are they small or large?” ”Why, rather small.” ”Then buy two,” was the reply. This incident has been related of various epicures; it occurred to Charles Duke of Norfolk, who died in 1815.
Evans, of Covent-Garden Theatre, removed here from the Cider Cellar in Maiden-lane, and, using the large dining-room for a singing-room, prospered until 1844, when he resigned the property to Mr. John Green. Meanwhile, the character of the entertainment, by the selection of music of a higher cla.s.s than hitherto, brought so great an accession of visitors, that Mr. Green built, in 1855, on the site of the old garden (Digby's garden) an extremely handsome hall, to which the former singing-room forms a sort of vestibule. The latter is hung with the collection of portraits of celebrated actors and actresses, mostly of our own time, which Mr. Green has been at great pains to collect.
The _specialite_ of this very agreeable place is the olden music, which is sung here with great intelligence and spirit; the visitors are of the better and more appreciative cla.s.s, and often include amateurs of rank. The reserved gallery is said to occupy part of the site of the cottage in which the Kembles occasionally resided during the zenith of their fame at Covent-Garden Theatre; and here the gifted f.a.n.n.y Kemble is said to have been born.
THE FLEECE, COVENT GARDEN.
The Restoration did not mend the morals of the taverns in Covent Garden, but increased their licentiousness, and made them the resort of bullies and other vicious persons. The Fleece, on the west side of Brydges-street, was notorious for its tavern broils; L'Estrange, in his translation of Quevedo's _Visions_, 1667, makes one of the Fleece hectors declare he was never well but either at the Fleece Tavern or Bear at Bridge-foot, stuffing himself ”with food and tipple, till the hoops were ready to burst.” According to Aubrey, the Fleece was ”very unfortunate for homicides;” there were several killed there in his time; it was a private house till 1692. Aubrey places it in York-street, so that there must have been a back or second way to the tavern--a very convenient resource.
THE BEDFORD HEAD, COVENT GARDEN.
Was a luxurious refectory, in Southampton-street, whose epicurism is commemorated by Pope:--
”Let me extol a cat on oysters fed, I'll have a party at the Bedford Head.”
_2nd Sat. of Horace, 2nd Bk._
”When sharp with hunger, scorn you to be fed Except on pea-chicks, at the Bedford Head?”
_Pope, Sober Advice.___
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