Part 67

The style of decoration in this ware is unique. Patterns or arabesques, are engraved on the paste, and the indentures filled with coloured pastes, so as to present an uniform, smooth surface, of the finest inlaying, or resembling, rather, a model of Cellini's silver work, chiselled and worked in niello. Hence it is sometimes styled "Faience a niellure." These patterns are sometimes disposed in zones of yellow ochre, with borders of dark brown, sometimes of a pink, green, violet, black, or blue; but the dark yellow ochre is the predominant colour.

The collection of the late M. Preaux was the richest in the world in the most beautiful examples of Fayence; it was disposed of by auction about twelve years ago, in consequence of the death of the proprietor, and the choicest specimen in it was the candlestick, of which we give a figure, and which was purchased by Sir Anthony de Rothschild for about L220, duty included. The surface is exquisitely enriched with arabesque patterns, either in black upon a white ground, or in white upon a black. The form is monumental, and in the finest style; three figures of genii support escutcheons, bearing the arms of France, and the double D. These genii stand upon masks, which are united by garlands enamelled in green. The top of the candlestick terminates in the form of a vase, and bears inscribed the fleurs-de-lys and the monogram of our Saviour. This piece, for delicacy of detail and beauty of execution, is unequalled by any specimen known of this exquisite Fayence. Sir Anthony de Rothschild also purchased at M. Preaux's sale a small cup, decorated in the same style, with the descents interlaced, for which he gave 1300 francs. He, therefore, now is fortunate in having the finest collection known of this ware, as, in addition to the specimens already mentioned, he possesses two exquisite ewers of the Henry II. Fayence. One he purchased at the sale of the Comte de Monville for 2300 francs; the other, with a curious handle of elaborate workmanship, he bought for nineteen guineas at Strawberry Hill, where he also purchased a tripod salt-cellar, supported with scroll ornaments for L21.

REFRESHMENTS FOR THE PULPIT.

In the books of Darlington parish church, the following items appear, showing that, in the olden time, provision was made for comforting the inner man: "Six quarts of sack to the minister who preached when he had no minister to assist, 9s. For a quart of sack bestowed on Jillett, when he preached, 2s. 6d. For a pint of brandy when Mr. George Bill preached here, 1s. 4d. For a stranger who preached, a dozen of ale. When the Dean of Durham preached here, spent in a treat in the house, 3s. 6d." This would hardly be considered orthodox at the present day.

BEDESMEN IN THE TIME OF HENRY VII.

Most of the monasteries in former times had hospitals of poor men and women attached to them; generally either within the precincts or near adjoining. Thus, at St. Edmund's Bury, there was St. John's Hospital, or God's House, without the South Gate, and St. Nicholas' Hospital without the East Gate, and St. Peter's Hospital without the Risby Gate, and St. Saviour's Hospital without the North Gate,--all founded by abbots of St. Edmund's. At Reading there was the Hospital of St. Mary Magdalene for twelve leprous persons and chaplains, and the Hospital of St. Lawrence for twenty-six poor people, and for the entertainment of strangers and pilgrims, both founded by abbots of Reading. One at the gate of Fountains' Abbey for poor persons and travellers; one at Glastonbury, under the care of the almoner, for poor and infirm persons. Thirteen was a favourite number for the inmates of a hospital. From the initial letter of a deed in the British Museum (Harl. 1498), by which King Henry VII. founded a fraternity of thirteen poor men in Westminster Abbey, who were to be under the governance of the monks, we take the accompanying illustration, which represents the abbot and monks before the king, with a group of the king's bedesmen, each of whom has the royal badge, a rose surmounted by a crown, on the shoulder of his habit.

CHINESE GAMBLERS PLAYING FOR FINGERS.

The following strange account is taken from Hue's "Chinese Empire:--

"The Chinese are industrious and economical, but their cupidity, their immoderate love of lucre, and their decided taste for stockjobbing and speculation, easily tempts them to gambling, when they are not engaged in traffic. They seek eagerly for strong excitements, and when once they have got into the habit of gambling they seldom or never recover from it. They cast aside every obligation of station, duty, and family, to live only for cards and dice; and this fatal passion gains such an empire over them, that they proceed even to the most revolting extremities. When they have lost all their money they will play for their houses, their land, and their wives even, whose destiny often depends on a cast of the dice. Nay, the Chinese gambler does not stop here, for he will stake the very clothes he has on for one game more, and this horrible custom gives rise to scenes that would not be credible, did we not know that the passions always tend to make men cruel and inhuman.

"In the northern provinces, especially in the environs of the Great Wall, you may sometimes meet, during the most intense cold of winter, men running about in a state of complete nudity, having been driven pitilessly from the gaming-houses when they had lost their all. They rush about in all directions like madmen to try and save themselves from being frozen, or crouch down against the chimneys, which in those countries are carried along the walls of the houses, on a level with the ground. They turn first one side towards the warmth, then the other, while their gambling companions, far from trying to help them, look on with ferocious and malignant hilarity. The horrible spectacle seldom lasts long, for the cold soon seizes the unfortunate creatures, and they fall down and die. The gamblers then return to their table, and begin to play again with the most perfect composure. Such facts as these will appear fabulous to many persons, but having resided several years in the north of China, we can testify to their perfect authenticity.

"These excesses seem surprising enough, but the truth is, that Chinese gamblers have invented still more extraordinary methods of satisfying their passion, which is really carried to absolute madness. Those who have nothing more to lose will collect round a table and actually play for _their fingers_, which they will cut off reciprocally with frightful stoicism. We had thought to pass over these revolting particulars, for we do not like to put the confidence of our readers to too great a trial. We have a strong objection to relating things that, although we know them to be strictly true, have an improbable appearance. But these facts concerning Chinese gamblers were known, and commented upon, by the Arab travellers in the ninth century. Here is a passage on the subject from the 'Chain of Chronicles,' from which we have already quoted more than once:--

"'Amongst men of a volatile and boastful character, those who belong to the lower classes, and who have no money, will sometimes play for the fingers of their hands. During the game, they keep by them a vase containing nut, or sesame oil, for olive oil is not known in this country. A fire is kept burning under it, and between the two players is placed a small but very sharp hatchet. The one who wins then takes the hand of the loser, places it on a stone and cuts off one of his fingers with the hatchet; the piece falls, and the vanquished party immediately dips his hand into the hot oil, which cauterises the wound. This operation does not prevent the players from beginning again. Some will take a match, dip it in oil, place it on their arms, and set fire to it; the match burns, and you can smell the odour of the consuming flesh, but the man goes on with his game, and exhibits no sign of pain.'"

ENTRY OF THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR INTO LONDON, IN 1698.

The following is an extract from the "Flying Post," of May 17, 1698:--

"Yesterday, (Monday, May 16,) in the afternoon, Count Tallard, the French Ambassador, made his public entry. The Earl Marshal's men came first, then followed the Earl of Macclesfield's footmen, after them twenty of the Ambassador's footmen, in red liveries with gold lace; then came two of the Ambassador's gentlemen and six pages on horseback; next came two heralds before His Majesty's coach, in which His Excellency the Ambassador, the Earl of Macclesfield, and some others of quality: after them came three of His Royal Highness the Prince of Denmark's coaches, and next, three of the Ambassador's coaches, the first of them very rich, and drawn by eight horses; then followed His Grace the Duke of Norfolk's coach, with about forty-seven more, drawn by six horses each. There was a splendid entertainment prepared for His Excellency at Ossulston House, in St. James's Square."

EXPENSES AT CORONATIONS.

The quantity of provisions consumed at the feasts given by some of our early Kings, was extraordinarily great. For that of King Edward I. February 10th, 1274, the different Sheriffs were ordered to furnish butcher meat at Windsor, in the following proportions:--

Oxen. Swine. Sheep. Fowls. Sheriff of Gloucester, 60 101 60 3,000 " Bucks and Bedford 40 66 40 2,100 " Oxford 40 67 40 2,100 " Kent 40 67 40 2,100 " Surrey and Sussex 40 67 40 2,100 " Warwick and Leicester 60 98 40 3,000 " Somerset and Dorset 100 176 110 5,000 " Essex 60 101 60 3,160 ---- ---- ---- ------ Total, twelve counties 440 743 430 22,560

In the year 1307, King Edward II. issued an order to the seneschal of Gascony, and constable of Bordeaux, to provide a thousand pipes of good wine, and send them to London, to be used at the approaching coronation. The purchase and freight were to be paid by a company of Florentine merchants, who farmed the revenues of Gascony. The coronation oath was first taken by Ethelred II., A.D. 979; that now used in 1377. It was amended in 1689. The first coronation sermon was preached in 1041. The following statement of the prices given for seats, to obtain a view of passing objects during the coronations of former times, may, perhaps, prove interesting:--

The price of a good place at the coronation of William the Conqueror, was a _blank_; at that of his son, William Rufus, the same. At Henry I's., it was a _crocard_; at Stephen's and Henry II.'s, it was a _pollard_. At Richard's, and King John's, it was a _fuskin_. It rose at the 3d. Henry's, to a _dodkin_. In the reign of Edward, the coin begins to be more intelligible; and we find that, for a seat, to view his coronation, a _Q_ was given, or the half of a ferling, or farthing, the fourth part of a sterling, or penny. At the 2d. Edward's, it was a farthing; and at his son's, Edward III. a halfpenny. At Richard II.'s it was a penny, and continued the same to that of Henry IV. inclusive. At the 5th Henry's, it was _two pennies_; and similar prices were paid at the coronations of Henry VI., Edward IV., Edward V., Richard III., and Henry VII. At that of Henry VIII. it was a _grossus_, or groat; and the same was paid at that of Edward VI. and Queen Mary's. At Queen Elizabeth's, it rose to _a testoon_, or _tester_. At those of James I. and Charles I. _a shilling_ was given; which was advanced to _half-a-crown_, at those of Charles II. and James II. At King William's and Queen Anne's it was _a crown_, and the same at that of George I. At George II.'s _half-a-guinea_, and, afterwards, at George III.'s _a guinea_ was the common charge. But, at that of George IV, as high as _forty guineas_ were given for a single seat.

CURIOUS ANTIQUE SWORD.

The engraving which accompanies this article is a sketch of the upper part of an antique Danish sword, which was found, together with several other weapons, by the labourers who were engaged in the construction of the railway from Dublin to Cashel.

The discovery of the weapons was made at a locality called Island Bridge, and many of them were fortunately secured for the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, where they may now be seen. The swords are long and straight, formed for cutting as well as thrusting, and terminate in points formed by rounding off the edge towards the back of the blade. The hilts are very remarkable in form, and in one or two instances, like the example we have engraved, are highly ornamented. The mountings are generally of a kind of brass, but several richly plated with silver were found, and it is said that one of them had a hilt of solid gold. The spears are long and slender, and similar in form to the lance-heads used in some of the cavalry corps.

All these weapons, with one exception, are composed of a soft kind of iron. Many of the swords were found doubled up, a circumstance for which it is difficult to assign a reason, as they had evidently been purposely bent. The sword we have represented in our engraving, is remarkable for the unusual degree of ornament which appears upon its hilt, and also for its material, steel.

DINNER IN CHINA.

It is certain that a real Chinese dinner would be a very odd thing in the eyes of a stranger, especially if he were one of those who think, as some people do, that there is only one way of living. To begin dinner with the dessert, and end it with the soup; to drink the wine smoking hot, out of little china cups, and have your food brought to you ready cut up into small pieces, and to be presented with a couple of sticks, instead of a knife and fork, to eat it with; to have, instead of napkins, a provision of little bits of silk paper by the side of your plate, which, as you use, the attendants carry off; to leave your place between the courses, to smoke or amuse yourself; and to raise your chop-sticks to your forehead, and then place them horizontally upon your cup, to signify that you have finished your dinner;--all these things would doubtless seem very odd, and create the curiosity of Europeans. The Chinese, on the other hand, can never get over their surprise at our way of dining. They ask how we can like to drink cold fluids, and what can have put it into our heads to make use of a trident to carry food to our mouths, at the risk of pricking our lips or poking our eyes out. They think it very droll to see nuts put on the table in their shell, and ask why our servants cannot take the trouble to peel the fruit, and take the bones out of the meat. They are themselves certainly not very difficult in the nature of their food, and like such things as fried silkworms and preserved larvae, but they cannot understand the predilection of our epicures for _high_ game, nor for cheese that appears to belong to the class of animated beings.

CISTERN OF MAJOLICA WARE.

We have engraved the annexed, as it affords at once both a beautiful specimen of the potter's art, and also an example of the taste and luxury of the present day in articles of expensive ornament. It is a cistern made of Majolica, or the enamelled pottery of Italy, the most beautiful specimens of which were made in the sixteenth century. The one before us came to England from the collection of the Borghese Palace; and at the great sale at Stowe, the seat of the Duke of Buckingham, was disposed of by auction for sixty-four guineas, and this although it was much broken.

THEATRES IN THE TIME OF SHAKSPEARE.

In Blackfriars was a theatre, the memory of which with the one or the other shore of the river at Bankside, enjoys the honour of having been used for the first representations of many of Shakspeare's plays, and where the bard himself performed in them. The whole district becomes classic, from the remembrance. The following interesting description of the theatres in London at that time, and which applies to the Blackfriars' theatre as we well as the rest, is taken from a short memoir of Shakspeare, by the Rev. Alexader Dyce, prefixed to the Aldine edition of Shakspeare's poems: "Nearly all these buildings, it is probable, were constructed of wood. Those which, for some undiscovered reason, were termed private theatres, were entirely roofed in from the weather, while the public theatres were open to the sky, except over the stage and galleries. On the outside of each was exhibited a sign indicative of its name; and on the roof, during the time of performance, was hoisted a flag. The interior arrangements resemble those of the present day. There were tiers of galleries or _scaffolds_; beneath these the boxes or _rooms_, intended for persons of the higher class, and which at the private theatres were secured with locks, the keys being given to the individuals who engaged them; and there was the centre area, (separated, it seems, from the stage by pales), at the private theatres, termed the _pit_, and furnished with seats; but at the public theatres, called the _yard_, and affording no such accommodation. Cressets, or large open lanterns, served to illuminate the body of the house; and two ample branches, of a form similar to those now hung in churches, gave light to the stage. The band of musicians, which was far from numerous, sat, it is supposed, in an upper balcony, over what is now called the stage box: the instruments chiefly used were trumpets, cornets, hautboys, lutes, recorders, viols, and organs. The amusements of the audience previous to the commencement of the play, were reading, playing at cards, smoking tobacco, drinking ale, and eating nuts and apples. Even during the performance it was customary for wits, critics, and young gallants, who were desirous of attracting attention, to station themselves on the stage, either lying on the rushes or seated on hired stools, while their pages furnished them with pipes and tobacco. At the third sounding, or flourish of trumpets, the exhibition began. The curtain, which concealed the stage from the audience, was then drawn, opening in the middle, and running upon iron rods. Other curtains, called _traverses_, were used as a substitute for scenes. At the back of the stage was a balcony, the platform of which was raised about eight or nine feet from the ground; it served as a window, gallery, or upper chamber. From it a portion of the dialogue was sometimes spoken, and in front of it curtains were suspended to conceal, if necessary, those who occupied it, from the audience. The internal roof of the stage, either painted blue or adorned with drapery of that colour, was termed the _heavens_. The stage was generally strewed with rushes, but on extraordinary occasions was matted. There is reason to believe that, when tragedies were performed, it was hung with black. Moveable painted scenery there was assuredly none. A board, containing the name of the place of action in large letters, was displayed in some conspicuous situation. Occasionally, when some change of scene was necessary, the audience was required to suppose that the performers, who had not quitted the boards, had retired to a different spot. A bed thrust forth showed that the stage was a bed-chamber; and a table, with pen and ink, indicated that it was a counting-house. Rude contrivances were employed to imitate towers, walls of towns, hell-mouths, tombs, trees, dragons, &c. Trap-doors had been early in use; but to make a celestial personage ascend to the roof of the stage was more than the machinists of the theatre could always accomplish. The price of admission appears to have varied according to the rank and estimation of the theatres. A shilling was charged for a place in the best boxes; the entrance-money to the pit and galleries was the same--sixpence, twopence, and a penny. The performance commenced at three in the afternoon."

OLD CUSTOM RELATING TO CRIMINALS.

The custom of offering doomed criminals a last earthly draught of refreshment is undoubtedly one of considerable antiquity. The right of offering wine to criminals, on their passage to the scaffold, was often a privilege granted to religious communities. In Paris, the privilege was held by the convent of Filles-Dieu, the nuns of which kept wine prepared for those who were condemned to suffer on the gibbet of Montfaucon. The gloomy procession halted before the gate of the monastery, the criminal descended from the cart, and the nuns, headed by the Lady Abbess, received him on the steps with as much, perhaps more, heartfelt ceremony than if he had been a king. The poor wretch was led to a crucifix near the church door, the feet whereof he humbly kissed. He then received, from the hands of the Superior, three pieces of bread (to remind him of the Trinity), and _one_ glass of wine (emblem of Unity). The procession then resumed its dread way to the scaffold.

ALE TOO STRONG.

A memorial signed by nineteen inhabitants of Bayton, in Worcestershire, was sent to the Sessions in the year 1612, setting forth "that John Kempster and John Byrd do not sell their ale according to the law, but doe sell a pynte for a penny, and doe make ytt soe extraordynarye strong that itt draweth dyvers ydle p'sons into the said alehouses, by reason whereof sondrye assaults, affrayes, blodshedds, and other misdeameanors, are there daylie comytted by idle and dronken companie which doe thither resort and there contineue in their dronckenes three days and three nights together, and also divers men's sonnes and servants do often resort and contineue drinking in the said houses day and night, whereupon divers disorders and abuses are offered to the inhabitants of Bayton aforesaid, as in pulling down styles, in carrying away of yertes, in throwing men's waynes, plowes, and such like things, into pooles, wells, and other bye places, and in putting their yokes for their oxen into lakes and myery places, &c." A nice picture of young England in the seventeenth century.

A CHAPTER-HOUSE IN THE TIME OF HENRY VII.