Chapter 1

THE MIRROR OF LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.

Vol. 20, No. 568.] SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1832. [PRICE 2d.

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Little need be said, by way of explanation, for the addition of the present subject to our collection of the birthplaces of eminent men. It is something to know that John Scott was born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the principal dwelling represented in the above Engraving, in the year 1751; that he received the rudiments of his education at the free grammar-school of the town; that he grew up "a man of safe discretion;" that he enjoyed the highest legal honours which his sovereign could bestow for a quarter of a century; and that he still lives, a venerable octogenarian, in the enjoyment of "glory from his conscience, and honour from men." The biography of so distinguished an individual must have innumerable good tendencies: it at once inculcates the wholesome truth that "every man is the architect of his own fortune;" and it presents us, moreover, with the encouraging picture of a well-regulated life, and its healthful energies so employed in the discharge of important duties as to entitle the subject to high rank among the worthies of his country.

John Scott, Lord Eldon, is the third son of William Scott, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. "His father was by trade what in the language of the place is called a 'fitter,' or agent for the sale and shipment of coals. He had by industry and habits of close saving accumulated rather considerable means from small beginnings. Beyond this he was a man of great shrewdness and knowledge of the world," and quickly perceiving the talents of the two younger boys, William (now Lord Stowell,) and John, he wisely gave them an education in accordance with their mental endowments. "It is said that the singular variety in the talent of these two remarkable youths was manifested at a very early age. When asked to 'give an account of the sermon,' which was a constant Sabbath custom of their father, William, the eldest, gave at once a condensed and lucid digest of the general argument. John, on the other hand, would go into all the minutiae, but failed in producing the lucid, general view embodied in half the number of words by his brother."[1] The two boys received their early education at the free grammar-school of Newcastle.[2] William was from the beginning destined for the study of the law. John was at first intended for the church, and was, accordingly, sent to Oxford: early marriage was, however, the fortunate means of changing his destination, and he began the world in the same profession with his brother. In 1757, John was entered as a student at the Middle Temple, and was called to the bar at the usual period. He at this time possessed an extensive stock of legal information, having been an indefatigable reader, and spent the two last years of his preliminary studies in the office of a special pleader. At his outset he made no progress, his powers being palsied by an oppressive diffidence. He therefore devoted his talents entirely to being a draftsman in Chancery. His employment was laborious, and not lucrative, while it materially injured his health. In a fit of despondency he resolved to retire into humble practice in his native county; and he had actually given up his chambers and taken leave of his friends in the metropolis, when he was not only diverted from his purpose by an eminent solicitor, but was even prevailed upon to make one more trial at the bar. His first success was the undoubted fruit of his extraordinary abilities, and is said to have originated in the sudden illness of a leading counsel the night before the trial of a complicated civil cause. It could not be put off, and the client of the lost leader was in despair, when Scott courageously took the brief, made himself in one night master of its voluminous intricacies, and triumphed. From this time he gained confidence, and his forensic reputation soon became established. He was much aided by the encouragement which he received from Lord Thurlow, who praised his abilities, and is said to have offered him a mastership in Chancery, which Mr. Scott declined.

[1] Tait's Edinburgh Magazine for the present month.

[2] At this school also were educated Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood; Sir Robert Chambers; William Elstob, an antiquary and divine; the poet, Akenside; the Rev. George Hall, Bishop of Dromore; and the Rev. John Brand, author of a history of Newcastle, and secretary to the Society of Antiquaries; all of whom were born at Newcastle.

In 1783; Mr. Scott obtained a silk gown; and, through Lord Weymouth's interest, he was introduced into parliament for the borough of Weobly. It is stated that on the latter occasion, he stipulated for the liberty of voting as he pleased. He took a decided part with the Pitt administration; and in 1788, he was appointed solicitor-general, and knighted; in 1793, he rose to be attorney-general, and in the following year he conducted the trial of Hardy, Tooke, and Thelwall, for treason. Erskine was opposed to him; and the prosecution failed, though the speech of the attorney-general occupied nine hours in the delivery.

In 1799, Sir John Scott was appointed to the chief justiceship of the Common Pleas, on the resignation of Chief Justice Eyre; and in the same year he was raised to the peerage by the title of Baron Eldon. In 1801, he was made Lord Chancellor, which high office he retained till the year 1827, with the exception of the short period during which the Whigs were in office, in 1806. His lordship was raised to the dignity of an earl at the coronation of George IV. in 1821.

The high character of the Earl of Eldon as Chancellor is thus lucidly drawn by Sir Egerton Brydges: "Of all who, in the long lapse of ages, have filled the sacred seat on which he now (1823) sits, none ever had purer hands, none ever had a conscientious desire of equity more ardent and more incessant than Lord Eldon. The amazing expanse of his views, the inexpressible niceness of his discrimination, his unrelaxing anxiety to do justice in every individual case, the kindness of his heart, and the ductility of his ideas, all ensure that attention to every suitor which must necessarily obtain the unbounded admiration and attachment of the virtuous and the wise. Lord Eldon's eloquence," continues Sir Egerton, "is rather adapted to cultivated and thinking minds than to a popular audience. It generally addresses the understanding rather than the fancy. It frequently wants fluency, but occasionally is tinged with a high degree of moral pathos."

We could illustrate the conscientious character alluded to by the above writer, with anecdotes of the chancellorship of Lord Eldon. As the following have, we believe, but once appeared in print, they may not, be familiar to the reader. Sir Richard Phillips relates:[3] "In conversation with Mr. Butterman, (at Dronfield), I heard two anecdotes of Lord Eldon, which, as an example to Lord Chancellors, and to public spirited parishioners, I consider it my duty to introduce. The incumbent, some years ago, thought proper to propose an exchange with an incompetent clergyman; when Mr. B., as a friend to the church, and some of his respectable neighbours took alarm at the negotiation, and in the commencement he penned a letter to the Chancellor. The other parties calculated on the arrangement, but, on applying to the Chancellor he could consent to no exchange, but that if the parties were tired of their positions, they might respectively resign, and there were plenty of candidates. The determination was final, and the scheme of exchange was abandoned. In another instance, a master had been regularly appointed to the grammar school at Dronfield, on liberal principles of education, but, within a few years, some prejudice was excited against him, and the churchwardens for the time thought proper to stop his salary. On this occasion, Mr. B. and some friends combined in an application to Lord Eldon, and his lordship instantly directed the churchwardens to render an account of the trust within a few days. They claimed time, and were allowed a month, when, without other form, he directed the salary to be paid to the appointed master, with all expenses."

[3] In his Personal Tour through the United Kingdom, Part iii.

Newcastle contains memorials of Lord Eldon which indicate that the inhabitants are proud of their distinguished fellow-freeman. A spacious range of elegant buildings is called Eldon Square: and in the Guildhall is a portrait of his lordship, opposite that of his brother, Lord Stowell.

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THE WEARIED SOLDIER.

"When silent time, wi' lightly foot, Had trod o'er thirty years, I sought again, my native land, Wi' many hopes and fears." MRS. HAMILTON.

He came to the village, when the sun In the "golden west" was bright, When sounds were dying one by one, And the vesper star was shining down, With a soft and silvery light.

A war-worn wanderer was he, And absent many a year From the cottage-home he fain would see, From that resting-place where he would be, The spot to memory dear.

It rose at last upon his view, (Old times were thronging round him,) The lattice where the jasmine grew, The meadow where he brush'd the dew When youth's bright hopes were round him.

But faces new, and sadly strange, Were in that cottage now; Cold eyes, that o'er his features range, For time had wrought a weary change Upon the soldier's brow.

And some there were--the lov'd--the dead-- Whom he no more could see, From this cold changing world were fled, And they had found a quiet bed Beneath the old yew tree.

And thither too--the wanderer hied, Night-dews were falling fast, This is my "welcome home" he cried, And the chill breezes low replied In murmurs as they pass'd.

They whispering said, or seem'd to say, No lasting joys to earth are given, No longer near these ashes stray, Go, mourner! hence, away! away! Thy lost ones are in heaven.

_Kirton, Lindsey._ ANNE R.

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RELIGIOUS FASTINGS.

From the remotest ages of antiquity most nations have practised fasting to keep the wrath of God from falling upon them for their sins. Some celebrated authors even affirm that fasting was originated by Adam after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit; but this obviously is carrying their arguments, in favour of fasting, too far, though it is as certain that the Jewish churches practised it from their first formation. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and the Assyrians held the "solemn fast" in high favour. The Egyptians, according to Herodotus, before they offered in sacrifice the cow to Isis, to purify themselves from impurities, fasted and prayed. This custom he also ascribes to the Cyrenian women. Porphyry relates that the fasts of the Egyptians were sometimes continued for six weeks, and that the shortest ordained by their priests was seven days, during which they abstained from nearly all kinds of food. These rites they communicated to the Greeks, who observed these fasts more strictly, and with more outward show and solemnity. The Athenians likewise observed stated fasts, two of which were named "the Elusinian and Thesmoporian fasts;" the observation of these fasts was extremely rigid, especially amongst women, who, in mournful dresses, spent one whole day sitting on the ground (their sign of grief,) without taking the least food. The islanders of Crete, before sacrificing to Jupiter, had to abstain from food. A celebrated ancient author informs us, that those who wished to be initiated into the secrets of Cybele, fasted ten days before their initiation; and that, in short, the priests who gave the oracles, and those who came to consult them, had to perform this duty.

Amongst other Heathen nations, before they prepared for any important enterprise, the whole expedition fasted. The Lacedemonians having agreed to aid an ally, ordained a fast throughout their nation, and without _even_ excepting their _domestic animals_. The Romans having besieged the city of Tarentum, and the city being hard pressed, the citizens demanded succour of their friends, the inhabitants of Rhegium; who, preparatory to granting assistance to the besieged, commanded that a fast should be held throughout their territories. Their aid having proved successful, the government of Tarentum to commemorate this important event, ordained a perpetual fast on the day of their deliverance.

Philosophers and certain religious people have for ages reckoned fasting as a service which led to important results, and a duty which could not be dispensed with without causing the wrath of God to fall upon the heads of the nation. At Rome it was practised even by the emperors. Amongst the most remarkable for keeping this institution were Numa Pompilius, Julius Caesar, Vespasian, &c. Julian, the apostate, was so exact in the performance of this ordinance, that the fasting of the philosophers and of the priests themselves, was as nothing compared with his abstinence. Pythagoras fasted sometimes as long as forty days; his disciples followed the example of their master; and after his death they kept a continual fast, in which they denounced the inhabitants of the deep as well as the creatures of the meadow. The eastern Brahmins are remarkable for their fasting; but as the people believe they regale themselves with the good things of this life, in secret, their example gains not many followers. That nation which reckons itself infinitely superior to _us_ "poor barbarians," the Chinese, also observe stated seasons of fasting and prayer. The Mahomedans likewise strictly observe fasting and prayer, and the exactness with which the dervishes perform them, and the lengths of time of their fasts are very remarkable.

The Israelites were commanded by Jehovah himself to fast on the appearance of any plague, famine, war, &c.; and though they sadly neglected the commands of God in other particulars, yet they obeyed this command with great devotedness. The abstinence of the ancient Jews generally lasted from twenty-six to twenty-seven hours. On these days they wore sackcloth, laid themselves in ashes, and sprinkled them on their heads, in token of their great grief and penitence. Some spent the whole night in the synagogue; occasionally using with great effect a scourge as a penance for their sins, or as a stimulant to devout behaviour. We think it is not improbable that it is from the Jews that the Roman Catholics derived their scourging penance system.

In "happy smiling England," fasting was, and is, practised by the Catholics every Friday; it was also practised by the fathers of the church, and the primitive Protestants, at stated seasons. The custom is still observed amongst the methodists, who follow the example of their great leader, Wesley. The rust of time has, however, worn away the veneration for this "good _old_ system," and it is totally disused by the general body of Protestants, except on great national occasions.

E.J.H.

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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

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SHERIFFS OF LONDON.

[The subsequent paper extracted from Mr. Brayley's laboriously-compiled _Londiniana_ possesses more than a passing interest. Its neatness and perspicuity as a Journal will doubtless be appreciated by the reader.]

The following particulars relating to the office of Sheriff, are derived from a manuscript copy of the _Journal_ of Richard Hoare, Esq. during the year of his Shrievalty, in 1740-41, in his own hand-writing, which is now in the possession of his grandson, Sir Richard Colt Hoare, Bart., of Stourhead, in Wiltshire. The above year became memorable in the city annals, from their having been _three_ Lord Mayors during its progress, viz. Sir John Salter, knight; Humphry Parsons, Esq., and Daniel Lambert, Esq.

Mr. Hoare, who was a banker, in Fleet Street, and principal of the respectable house which, instituted by one of his predecessors, still bears the family name, was elected alderman of the Ward of Farringdon Without, on St. George's day, 1740, in the place of Sir Francis Child, who died on the preceding Sunday, April the 20th. This honour was conferred upon him, whilst he was at Bath, and quite unexpectedly; and equally so, was his election to the Sheriffdom, conjointly with Mr. Alderman Marshall, on the midsummer-day following. Shortly afterwards they gave bonds under the penalty of 1,000_l_. to undertake and enter upon the office on the ensuing Michaelmas eve; and "thereupon, became each entitled to 100_l_. out of the forfeitures of those, who had this year been nominated to be sheriff's by my Lord Mayor, but had paid their fines to be excused."

In the intermediate time they prepared for the due execution of their duties, chose their under-sheriff's, &c.; and, "as it is customary for each sheriff to preside over the two Counters separately, my brother Marshall chose that in the Poultry, and the care of Wood-street Counter was under my direction, and we agreed, at our joint expense, to give the usual livery gowns to the officers of both, although they are greater in number at the Poultry than in mine; in recompense for which, it was settled that we should equally share in the sale of the places upon any vacancy."

On Sunday, the 28th of September, the sheriffs elect met at ten o'clock in the morning, at Drapers' Hall, "and there entertained several of the Court of Aldermen, and sixteen of the Court of Assistance of each of the Companies, viz: the Goldsmiths and the Drapers, with the usual breakfast of roast beef, burnt wine," &c. He continues,--

"Upon notice sent to us, that the Lord Mayor, with George Heathcote, and Sir John Lequesne, aldermen and sheriffs for the last year were attending at the council chamber, Guildhall, we all repaired thither; the gentlemen of the Court of Assistance walking two by two, the senior sheriff's company on the right hand, the aldermen following in their coaches; in which, we, though sheriffs-elect, took our rank as aldermen. Upon coming up to the area of Guildhall, the two companies made a lane for the aldermen to pass through, and after having waited on my Lord Mayor to Guildhall Chapel, to hear divine service, we returned back to the court of the hustings, which being opened by the common cryer, we were summoned to come forth and take the oath of office; which we accordingly did, together with the oaths of allegiance and abjuration; and the same was also administered to Mr. Tims, (clerk to St. Bartholomews,) as under-sheriff, he kneeling all the while.

"When this was over, the gold chains were taken off from the former sheriffs, and put on us; and then the court being dissolved, the Lord Mayor went home, attended by the former sheriffs, and we returned back to Drapers' Hall to our dinner, provided for the Court of Aldermen and Courts of Assistance, at which the senior alderman took the chair as president, and the rest of the aldermen and gentlemen of Guildhall took their places at the upper table, whilst we, the sheriffs, sat at the head of the second table, with the gentlemen of the Courts of Assistance of our two companies. When dinner was over, and the healths of the royal family were drunk, the cryer proclaimed the health and prosperity to the two sheriffs' companies in the following manner; that is to say, 'Prosperity to the worshipful Company of Drapers, and prosperity to the worshipful Company of Goldsmiths: to the Goldsmiths and Drapers, and Drapers and Goldsmiths, prosperity to both:' and this is so usually done, naming each company first alternately, to prevent any dispute concerning preference or priority.

"After dinner, we all retired to one table in the inner room, at which we, though sheriffs, were placed underneath all the aldermen; for whatever rank an alderman may be in point of seniority, yet during the year he serves as sheriff, he is to give place, and follow the rest of his brethren, both at the court, and all processions and entertainments. About six o'clock, the late sheriffs, having left the Lord Mayor at his house, attended us to Guildhall, where we were met by our own and the former under-sheriffs, together with the secondaries and keepers of the prisons; and the names of the respective prisoners in each gaol being read over, the keepers acknowledged them one by one, to be in their custody; and then tendered us the keys, which we delivered back to them again, and after having executed the indentures, whereby we covenanted and undertook the charge of our office, we were invited according to custom, to an adjoining tavern; and there partook of an entertainment of sack and walnuts, provided by the aforesaid keepers of the prisons.

"Monday, September 29th. This being Michaelmas-day, my brother sheriff and I set out for the first time in our new equipages and scarlet gowns, attended by our beadles, and the several officers of our Counters, and waited on the Lord Mayor, at Merchant Taylors' Hall, at which he kept his mayoralty, and proceeded with him from thence, as is customary, to Guildhall, where the livery-men of the city were summoned to attend at the Court of Hustings for the election of a new lord mayor for the year ensuing. The recorder made a speech to the livery-men, 'apprising them of the custom and manner of choosing a lord mayor; which, he observed, was for the Common Hall to nominate two of the aldermen who had served sheriffs, to the Court of Aldermen, who had then a right to elect either of them into that great office, and which ever that the court so fixed on, the Common Hall was bound to accept.' When he had ended, the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen retired into the Council Chamber, and left us to preside at the election, attended by the Common Sergeant and other officers. The method of voting is, by each alderman going up to the recorder and town clerk, who sit at a separate part of the room, and telling the person he would choose, a scratch is made under each respective name."

On the day following, the two sheriffs again went to Guildhall, with the same company as on the preceding day, and waiting on the Lord Mayor in the Council Chamber, requested that his lordship and the recorder would present them at his Majesty's Court of Exchequer. Each sheriff then paid the usual fees, viz. _6l. 13s. 4d._ to the Lord Mayor, and _3l. 6s. 8d._ to the recorder; after which, they proceeded to the Three Cranes' Stairs, in Upper Thames Street, "the Lord Mayor first; we, the sheriffs, next; the recorder and aldermen following in coaches, the companies walking before us.

"From thence we went to Westminster in the city barge, taking place of all the aldermen: and our two companies attended in the Goldsmiths' barge, as before agreed on, adorned with half the colours, and rowed with half the watermen belonging to the Drapers' company. On landing, the companies went first, the Lord Mayor next, then the recorder with a sheriff on each side, and last the aldermen. On our approaching the bar of the Exchequer [in Westminster Hall,] the recorder, in a speech, presented us to the Court, one of the Barons being seated there for that purpose, signifying the choice the citizens had made, and that, in pursuance of our charter, we were presented to his Majesty's justices for his royal approbation; and the Baron accordingly approving the choice, he, and the Clerks of the Exchequer, were invited to our dinner; then the late sheriffs were sworn to their accounts, and made their proffers; and the senior alderman present cut one twig in two, and bent another, and the officers of the court counted six horse-shoes and hob-nails.