FOOTNOTES[1]"In thy mind thou conjoinest life's practical knowledge,And a temper unmoved by the changes of fortune,Whatsoever her smile or her frown,Neither bowed nor elate,—but erect"LORD LYTTON'S TRANSLATION[2]Since these words were written a plain headstone of white marble has been placed on this spot, bearing the followinginscription:—"Matthew Arnold, eldest son of the late Thomas Arnold, D.D., Head Master of Rugby School. Born December 24, 1822. Died April 15, 1888. There is sprung up a light for the righteous, and joyful gladness for such as are true-hearted."TheLetters of Matthew Arnold, published in 1895, contain touching allusions to Laleham Churchyard. At Harrow, February 27, 1869, the poet wrote: "It is a wonderfully clear, bright day, with a cold wind, so I went to a field on the top of the hill, whence I can see the clump of Botleys and the misty line of the Thames, where Tommy lies at the foot of them. I often go for this view on a clear day." At London, August 2, 1869, he wrote: "On Saturday Flu and I went together to Laleham. It was exactly a year since we had driven there with darling Tommy and the other two boys, to see Basil's grave; he enjoyed the drive, and Laleham, and the river, and Matt Buckland's garden, and often talked of them afterwards. And now we went to seehisgrave, poor darling. The two graves are a perfect garden, and are evidently the sight of the churchyard, where there is nothing else like them; a path has been trodden over the grass to them by people coming and going. It was a soft, mild air, and we sat a long time by the graves."[3]The crime was committed on November 4, 1820. The victim was a farmer, named William Hirons. The assassins, four in number, named Quiney, Sidney, Hawtrey, and Adams, were hanged, at Warwick, in April, 1821.[4]Arthur Hodgson, born in 1818, was educated at Eton and at Cambridge. He went to Australia in 1839, and made a fortune as a sheep-farmer. He served the State in various public offices, and was knighted by Queen Victoria. He has been five times Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon.[5]An entry in the Diocesan Register of Worcester states that in 1374 "John Clopton of Stretforde obtained letters dimissory to the order of priest."—In 1477 Pope Sixtus the Fourth authorized John Clopton to perform divine service in Clopton manor-house.—Mrs. Gaskell, then Miss Byerley, saw the attic chapel at Clopton, in 1820, and wrote a description of it at that time.[6]The original sign of the Shoulder of Mutton, which once hung before that house, was painted by Grubb, who also painted the remarkable portrait of the Corporation Cook, which now hangs in the town hall of Stratford,—given to the borough by the late Henry Graves, of London.[7]When the moat was disused three "jack bottles" were found in its bed, made of coarse glass, and bearing on the shoulder of each bottle the crest of John-a-Combe. These relics are in the collection of Sir Arthur Hodgson.[8]It is said that the remains of Lord Lovat were, soon after his execution, secretly removed, and buried at his home near Inverness, and that the head was sewed to the body.[9]Robert Dudley [1532-1588] seems not to have been an admirable man, but certain facts of his life appear to have been considerably misrepresented. He married Amy Robsart, daughter of Sir John Robsart, of Siderstern, Norfolk, on June 4, 1550, publicly, and in presence of King Edward the Sixth. Amy Robsart never became Countess of Leicester, but died, in 1560, four years before Dudley became Earl of Leicester, by a "mischance,"—namely, an accidental fall downstairs,—at Cumnor Hall, near Abingdon. She was not at Kenilworth, as represented in Scott's novel, at the time of the great festival in honour of Queen Elizabeth, in 1575, because at that time she had been dead fifteen years. Dudley secretly married Douglas Howard, Lady Sheffield, in 1572-73, but would never acknowledge her. His third wife was the Lætitia whose affection deplores him, in the Beauchamp chapel.[10]Those cedars are ranked with the most superb trees in the British Islands. Two of the group were torn up by the roots during a terrific gale, which swept across England, leaving ruin in its track, on Sunday, March 24, 1895.[11]Length.Height of Tower.Winchester556 ft.138 ft.St. Albans548 ft. 4 in.144 ft.York524 ft. 6 in.213 ft.[12]The White Horse upon the side of the hill at Westbury was made by removing the turf in such a way as to show the white chalk beneath, in the shape of a horse. The tradition is that this was done by command of Alfred, in Easter week,A.D.878, to signalise his victory over the Danes, at Oetlandune, or Eddington, at the foot of the hill. Upon the top of that hill there is the outline of an ancient Roman camp.[13]The curfew bell is rung at Bromham church, at eight o'clock in the evening, on week days, from Michaelmas to Lady Day, and at the same hour on every Sunday throughout the year; and on Shrove Tuesday the bell is rung at one o'clock in the day.[14]Sloperton Cottage is now, 1896, the property of H. H. Ludlow Burgess, of Seend.[15]The famous actor was knighted, by Queen Victoria, in 1895, and became Sir Henry Irving.[16]"In our stage to Penrith I introduced Anne to the ancient Petreia, called Old Penrith, and also to the grave of Sir Ewain Cæsarius, that knight with the puzzling name, which has got more indistinct."—Journal of Sir Walter Scott, Vol.II., p. 151.[17]The poet Gray, who visited these mountains in 1769, wrote, in his Journal, October 1: "Place Fell, one of the bravest among them, pushes its bold broad breast into the midst of the lake, and forces it to alter its course, forming first a large bay to the left and then bending to the right."[18]F. A. Marshall, editor ofThe Henry Irving Edition of Shakespeareand author ofA Study of Hamlet, the comedy ofFalse Shame, and many other works, died in London, December, 1889, much lamented. His widow,—the once distinguished actress, Miss Ada Cavendish,—died, at 34 Thurloe square, London, October 6, 1895.[19]The Traveller's Rest is 1481 feet above the sea-level, whereas the inn called The Cat and Fiddle,—a corruption of Caton le Fidèle, governor of Calais,—on Axe Edge, near Buxton, is 1700 feet above the level of the sea.[20]Mr. Wadley died at Pershore, April 4, 1895, and was buried in Bidford churchyard on April 10.[21]See in theLondon Athenæum, February 9, 1889, a valuable article, by Mr. John Taylor, on "Local Shakesperean Names" based upon, and incorporative of, some of the researches of Mr. Wadley.[22]William Butcher died on February 20, 1895, aged sixty-six, and was buried in the Stratford Cemetery.[23]SeeAn Account of the Discovery of the Body of King John, in the Cathedral Church of Worcester. By Valentine Green, F.S.A., 1797.[24]Byron was born on January 22, 1788, and he died on April 19, 1824.[25]Since this paper was written the buildings that flanked the church wall have been removed, the street in front of it has been widened, and the church has been "restored" and considerably altered.[26]Revisiting this place on September 10, 1890, I found that the chancel has been lengthened, that the altar and the mural tablets have been moved back from the Byron vault, and that his gravestone is now outside of the rail.[27]It is now, 1896, said to be in the possession of a resident of one of our Southern cities, who says that he obtained it from one of his relatives, to whom it was given by the parish clerk, in 1834.[28]Dr. Joseph Wharton, in a letter to the poet Gay, described Lavinia Fenton as follows: "She was a very accomplished and most agreeable companion; had much wit, good strong sense, and a just taste in polite literature. Her person was agreeable and well made; though I think she could never be called a beauty. I have had the pleasure of being at table with her when her conversation was much admired by the first characters of the age, particularly old Lord Bathurst and Lord Granville."General James Wolfe, killed in battle, at the famous storming of Quebec, was born in 1726, and he died in 1759.Robert Clive, the famous soldier and the first Lord Clive, was born in 1725, and he died, a suicide,—haunted, it was superstitiously said, by ghosts of slaughtered East Indians,—in 1774.[29]The romantic house of Compton Wynyate was built of material taken from a ruined castle at Fulbrooke, by Sir William Compton, in the reign of Henry the Eighth. Wynyate signifies a vineyard.[30]Miss Mary Anderson, the distinguished American actress, was married, on June 17, 1890, at Hampstead, to Mr. Antonio De Navarro. Her Autobiography, calledA Few Memories of My Life, was published, in London, in March, 1896.[31]Mr. Wall retired from the office of librarian of the Shakespeare Memorial in June, 1895, and was succeeded by Mr. William Salt Brassington.[32]In 1894 the number of visitors to New Place was 809; in 1895 it was 716, while 13,028 visited the Memorial.[33]Mrs. Bulmer served as custodian of New Place until her death, on March 14, 1896. The office was then assigned to Richard Savage, in addition to his other offices.[34]Miss Maria Chattaway died on January 31, 1891. Miss Caroline Chattaway removed from Stratford on October 7, 1895, to Haslor.[35]Mr. Skipsey resigned his office, in October, 1891, and returned to Newcastle.[36]The grave of Charles Frederick Green, author of an account of Shakespeare and the Crab Tree,—an idle tradition set afloat by Samuel Ireland,—was made in the angle near the west door of Trinity church, but it has been covered, tombstone and all, with gravel.[37]Mr. Loggin was Mayor of Stratford in 1866 and 1867, and under his administration, in the latter year, was built the Mill Bridge, across the Avon, near Lucy's Mill, to replace an old and dilapidated structure. Mr. Loggin died on February 3, 1885, aged sixty-nine, and was buried at Long Marston.[38]The Anne Hathaway cottage was purchased for the nation, in April, 1892.[39]Mr. Laffan resigned his office in June, 1895, and became President of Cheltenham College.Rev.E. J. W. Houghton is now head-master.[40]Mrs. Eliza Smith died at No. 56 Ely street, Stratford, on February 24, 1893, aged 68, and the relics that she possessed passed to a relative, at Northampton. They were sold, in London, in June, 1896.[41]Modern editions, following Pope's alteration, say "whereon" instead of "where"; but "where" is the reading in the Folio of 1623. Mr. Savage contends that the bank that Shakespeare had in mind is Borden Hill, near Shottery, where the wild thyme is still abundant.[42]That learned antiquarian W. G. Fretton, Esq., of Coventry, has shown that the Forest of Arden covered a large tract of land extending many miles west and north of the bank of the Avon, around Stratford.[43]It has been awakened. A railway to Henley was opened in 1894.[44]The venerable Mr. Linskill died in the rectory of Beaudesert in February, 1890, and was buried within the shadow of the church that he loved. That picturesque rectory of Beaudesert was the birthplace of Richard Jago [1715-1781], the poet who wroteEdgehill.[45]Like many other pleasures it has now become only a memory. Mr. Childs died, in Philadelphia, February 3, 1894.[46]Chantrey had seen the beautiful sculpture of little Penelope Boothby, in Ashbourne church, Derbyshire, made by Thomas Banks, and he may have been inspired by that spectacle.[47]1896. The building is, if possible, to be made a museum of relics of Johnson. It is now a lodging-house. Its exterior has recently been repaired. Johnson is the name of its present owner.[48]Thomas Jefferson, 1728-1807, was a contemporary and friend of Garrick, and a member of his company, at various times, at Drury Lane. He was the great-grandfather of Joseph Jefferson, famous in Rip Van Winkle.[49]On the stone that marks this sepulchre are inscriptions, which may suitably be preserved in this chronicle:"Alexander Campbell Esquire, of Ederline. Died 2dOctober, 1841. In his 76thyear.Matilda Campbell. Second daughter of William Campbell Esq., of Ederline. Died on the 21stNovr1842. In her 6thyear.William Campbell Esq., of Ederline. Died 15thJanuary 1855, in his 42ndyear.Lachlan Aderson Campbell. His son. Died January 27th, 1859. In his 5thyear."[John Campbell, the eldest son of Alexander, died February 26, 1855, aged 45, and was buried in the Necropolis, at Toronto, Canada. His widow, Janet Tulloch Campbell, a native of Wick, Caithness, died at Toronto, August 24, 1878, aged 65, and was buried beside him.][50]It is a small oval glass, of which the rim is fashioned with crescents, twenty-two of them on each side.[51]Chapters on Iona, Staffa, Glencoe, and other beauties of Scotland may be found in my books, which are companions to this one, calledOld Shrines and IvyandBrown Heath and Blue Bells.
FOOTNOTES[1]"In thy mind thou conjoinest life's practical knowledge,And a temper unmoved by the changes of fortune,Whatsoever her smile or her frown,Neither bowed nor elate,—but erect"LORD LYTTON'S TRANSLATION[2]Since these words were written a plain headstone of white marble has been placed on this spot, bearing the followinginscription:—"Matthew Arnold, eldest son of the late Thomas Arnold, D.D., Head Master of Rugby School. Born December 24, 1822. Died April 15, 1888. There is sprung up a light for the righteous, and joyful gladness for such as are true-hearted."TheLetters of Matthew Arnold, published in 1895, contain touching allusions to Laleham Churchyard. At Harrow, February 27, 1869, the poet wrote: "It is a wonderfully clear, bright day, with a cold wind, so I went to a field on the top of the hill, whence I can see the clump of Botleys and the misty line of the Thames, where Tommy lies at the foot of them. I often go for this view on a clear day." At London, August 2, 1869, he wrote: "On Saturday Flu and I went together to Laleham. It was exactly a year since we had driven there with darling Tommy and the other two boys, to see Basil's grave; he enjoyed the drive, and Laleham, and the river, and Matt Buckland's garden, and often talked of them afterwards. And now we went to seehisgrave, poor darling. The two graves are a perfect garden, and are evidently the sight of the churchyard, where there is nothing else like them; a path has been trodden over the grass to them by people coming and going. It was a soft, mild air, and we sat a long time by the graves."[3]The crime was committed on November 4, 1820. The victim was a farmer, named William Hirons. The assassins, four in number, named Quiney, Sidney, Hawtrey, and Adams, were hanged, at Warwick, in April, 1821.[4]Arthur Hodgson, born in 1818, was educated at Eton and at Cambridge. He went to Australia in 1839, and made a fortune as a sheep-farmer. He served the State in various public offices, and was knighted by Queen Victoria. He has been five times Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon.[5]An entry in the Diocesan Register of Worcester states that in 1374 "John Clopton of Stretforde obtained letters dimissory to the order of priest."—In 1477 Pope Sixtus the Fourth authorized John Clopton to perform divine service in Clopton manor-house.—Mrs. Gaskell, then Miss Byerley, saw the attic chapel at Clopton, in 1820, and wrote a description of it at that time.[6]The original sign of the Shoulder of Mutton, which once hung before that house, was painted by Grubb, who also painted the remarkable portrait of the Corporation Cook, which now hangs in the town hall of Stratford,—given to the borough by the late Henry Graves, of London.[7]When the moat was disused three "jack bottles" were found in its bed, made of coarse glass, and bearing on the shoulder of each bottle the crest of John-a-Combe. These relics are in the collection of Sir Arthur Hodgson.[8]It is said that the remains of Lord Lovat were, soon after his execution, secretly removed, and buried at his home near Inverness, and that the head was sewed to the body.[9]Robert Dudley [1532-1588] seems not to have been an admirable man, but certain facts of his life appear to have been considerably misrepresented. He married Amy Robsart, daughter of Sir John Robsart, of Siderstern, Norfolk, on June 4, 1550, publicly, and in presence of King Edward the Sixth. Amy Robsart never became Countess of Leicester, but died, in 1560, four years before Dudley became Earl of Leicester, by a "mischance,"—namely, an accidental fall downstairs,—at Cumnor Hall, near Abingdon. She was not at Kenilworth, as represented in Scott's novel, at the time of the great festival in honour of Queen Elizabeth, in 1575, because at that time she had been dead fifteen years. Dudley secretly married Douglas Howard, Lady Sheffield, in 1572-73, but would never acknowledge her. His third wife was the Lætitia whose affection deplores him, in the Beauchamp chapel.[10]Those cedars are ranked with the most superb trees in the British Islands. Two of the group were torn up by the roots during a terrific gale, which swept across England, leaving ruin in its track, on Sunday, March 24, 1895.[11]Length.Height of Tower.Winchester556 ft.138 ft.St. Albans548 ft. 4 in.144 ft.York524 ft. 6 in.213 ft.[12]The White Horse upon the side of the hill at Westbury was made by removing the turf in such a way as to show the white chalk beneath, in the shape of a horse. The tradition is that this was done by command of Alfred, in Easter week,A.D.878, to signalise his victory over the Danes, at Oetlandune, or Eddington, at the foot of the hill. Upon the top of that hill there is the outline of an ancient Roman camp.[13]The curfew bell is rung at Bromham church, at eight o'clock in the evening, on week days, from Michaelmas to Lady Day, and at the same hour on every Sunday throughout the year; and on Shrove Tuesday the bell is rung at one o'clock in the day.[14]Sloperton Cottage is now, 1896, the property of H. H. Ludlow Burgess, of Seend.[15]The famous actor was knighted, by Queen Victoria, in 1895, and became Sir Henry Irving.[16]"In our stage to Penrith I introduced Anne to the ancient Petreia, called Old Penrith, and also to the grave of Sir Ewain Cæsarius, that knight with the puzzling name, which has got more indistinct."—Journal of Sir Walter Scott, Vol.II., p. 151.[17]The poet Gray, who visited these mountains in 1769, wrote, in his Journal, October 1: "Place Fell, one of the bravest among them, pushes its bold broad breast into the midst of the lake, and forces it to alter its course, forming first a large bay to the left and then bending to the right."[18]F. A. Marshall, editor ofThe Henry Irving Edition of Shakespeareand author ofA Study of Hamlet, the comedy ofFalse Shame, and many other works, died in London, December, 1889, much lamented. His widow,—the once distinguished actress, Miss Ada Cavendish,—died, at 34 Thurloe square, London, October 6, 1895.[19]The Traveller's Rest is 1481 feet above the sea-level, whereas the inn called The Cat and Fiddle,—a corruption of Caton le Fidèle, governor of Calais,—on Axe Edge, near Buxton, is 1700 feet above the level of the sea.[20]Mr. Wadley died at Pershore, April 4, 1895, and was buried in Bidford churchyard on April 10.[21]See in theLondon Athenæum, February 9, 1889, a valuable article, by Mr. John Taylor, on "Local Shakesperean Names" based upon, and incorporative of, some of the researches of Mr. Wadley.[22]William Butcher died on February 20, 1895, aged sixty-six, and was buried in the Stratford Cemetery.[23]SeeAn Account of the Discovery of the Body of King John, in the Cathedral Church of Worcester. By Valentine Green, F.S.A., 1797.[24]Byron was born on January 22, 1788, and he died on April 19, 1824.[25]Since this paper was written the buildings that flanked the church wall have been removed, the street in front of it has been widened, and the church has been "restored" and considerably altered.[26]Revisiting this place on September 10, 1890, I found that the chancel has been lengthened, that the altar and the mural tablets have been moved back from the Byron vault, and that his gravestone is now outside of the rail.[27]It is now, 1896, said to be in the possession of a resident of one of our Southern cities, who says that he obtained it from one of his relatives, to whom it was given by the parish clerk, in 1834.[28]Dr. Joseph Wharton, in a letter to the poet Gay, described Lavinia Fenton as follows: "She was a very accomplished and most agreeable companion; had much wit, good strong sense, and a just taste in polite literature. Her person was agreeable and well made; though I think she could never be called a beauty. I have had the pleasure of being at table with her when her conversation was much admired by the first characters of the age, particularly old Lord Bathurst and Lord Granville."General James Wolfe, killed in battle, at the famous storming of Quebec, was born in 1726, and he died in 1759.Robert Clive, the famous soldier and the first Lord Clive, was born in 1725, and he died, a suicide,—haunted, it was superstitiously said, by ghosts of slaughtered East Indians,—in 1774.[29]The romantic house of Compton Wynyate was built of material taken from a ruined castle at Fulbrooke, by Sir William Compton, in the reign of Henry the Eighth. Wynyate signifies a vineyard.[30]Miss Mary Anderson, the distinguished American actress, was married, on June 17, 1890, at Hampstead, to Mr. Antonio De Navarro. Her Autobiography, calledA Few Memories of My Life, was published, in London, in March, 1896.[31]Mr. Wall retired from the office of librarian of the Shakespeare Memorial in June, 1895, and was succeeded by Mr. William Salt Brassington.[32]In 1894 the number of visitors to New Place was 809; in 1895 it was 716, while 13,028 visited the Memorial.[33]Mrs. Bulmer served as custodian of New Place until her death, on March 14, 1896. The office was then assigned to Richard Savage, in addition to his other offices.[34]Miss Maria Chattaway died on January 31, 1891. Miss Caroline Chattaway removed from Stratford on October 7, 1895, to Haslor.[35]Mr. Skipsey resigned his office, in October, 1891, and returned to Newcastle.[36]The grave of Charles Frederick Green, author of an account of Shakespeare and the Crab Tree,—an idle tradition set afloat by Samuel Ireland,—was made in the angle near the west door of Trinity church, but it has been covered, tombstone and all, with gravel.[37]Mr. Loggin was Mayor of Stratford in 1866 and 1867, and under his administration, in the latter year, was built the Mill Bridge, across the Avon, near Lucy's Mill, to replace an old and dilapidated structure. Mr. Loggin died on February 3, 1885, aged sixty-nine, and was buried at Long Marston.[38]The Anne Hathaway cottage was purchased for the nation, in April, 1892.[39]Mr. Laffan resigned his office in June, 1895, and became President of Cheltenham College.Rev.E. J. W. Houghton is now head-master.[40]Mrs. Eliza Smith died at No. 56 Ely street, Stratford, on February 24, 1893, aged 68, and the relics that she possessed passed to a relative, at Northampton. They were sold, in London, in June, 1896.[41]Modern editions, following Pope's alteration, say "whereon" instead of "where"; but "where" is the reading in the Folio of 1623. Mr. Savage contends that the bank that Shakespeare had in mind is Borden Hill, near Shottery, where the wild thyme is still abundant.[42]That learned antiquarian W. G. Fretton, Esq., of Coventry, has shown that the Forest of Arden covered a large tract of land extending many miles west and north of the bank of the Avon, around Stratford.[43]It has been awakened. A railway to Henley was opened in 1894.[44]The venerable Mr. Linskill died in the rectory of Beaudesert in February, 1890, and was buried within the shadow of the church that he loved. That picturesque rectory of Beaudesert was the birthplace of Richard Jago [1715-1781], the poet who wroteEdgehill.[45]Like many other pleasures it has now become only a memory. Mr. Childs died, in Philadelphia, February 3, 1894.[46]Chantrey had seen the beautiful sculpture of little Penelope Boothby, in Ashbourne church, Derbyshire, made by Thomas Banks, and he may have been inspired by that spectacle.[47]1896. The building is, if possible, to be made a museum of relics of Johnson. It is now a lodging-house. Its exterior has recently been repaired. Johnson is the name of its present owner.[48]Thomas Jefferson, 1728-1807, was a contemporary and friend of Garrick, and a member of his company, at various times, at Drury Lane. He was the great-grandfather of Joseph Jefferson, famous in Rip Van Winkle.[49]On the stone that marks this sepulchre are inscriptions, which may suitably be preserved in this chronicle:"Alexander Campbell Esquire, of Ederline. Died 2dOctober, 1841. In his 76thyear.Matilda Campbell. Second daughter of William Campbell Esq., of Ederline. Died on the 21stNovr1842. In her 6thyear.William Campbell Esq., of Ederline. Died 15thJanuary 1855, in his 42ndyear.Lachlan Aderson Campbell. His son. Died January 27th, 1859. In his 5thyear."[John Campbell, the eldest son of Alexander, died February 26, 1855, aged 45, and was buried in the Necropolis, at Toronto, Canada. His widow, Janet Tulloch Campbell, a native of Wick, Caithness, died at Toronto, August 24, 1878, aged 65, and was buried beside him.][50]It is a small oval glass, of which the rim is fashioned with crescents, twenty-two of them on each side.[51]Chapters on Iona, Staffa, Glencoe, and other beauties of Scotland may be found in my books, which are companions to this one, calledOld Shrines and IvyandBrown Heath and Blue Bells.
[1]
"In thy mind thou conjoinest life's practical knowledge,And a temper unmoved by the changes of fortune,Whatsoever her smile or her frown,Neither bowed nor elate,—but erect"LORD LYTTON'S TRANSLATION
"In thy mind thou conjoinest life's practical knowledge,And a temper unmoved by the changes of fortune,Whatsoever her smile or her frown,Neither bowed nor elate,—but erect"LORD LYTTON'S TRANSLATION
"In thy mind thou conjoinest life's practical knowledge,And a temper unmoved by the changes of fortune,Whatsoever her smile or her frown,Neither bowed nor elate,—but erect"
"In thy mind thou conjoinest life's practical knowledge,
And a temper unmoved by the changes of fortune,
Whatsoever her smile or her frown,
Neither bowed nor elate,—but erect"
LORD LYTTON'S TRANSLATION
[2]Since these words were written a plain headstone of white marble has been placed on this spot, bearing the followinginscription:—
"Matthew Arnold, eldest son of the late Thomas Arnold, D.D., Head Master of Rugby School. Born December 24, 1822. Died April 15, 1888. There is sprung up a light for the righteous, and joyful gladness for such as are true-hearted."
TheLetters of Matthew Arnold, published in 1895, contain touching allusions to Laleham Churchyard. At Harrow, February 27, 1869, the poet wrote: "It is a wonderfully clear, bright day, with a cold wind, so I went to a field on the top of the hill, whence I can see the clump of Botleys and the misty line of the Thames, where Tommy lies at the foot of them. I often go for this view on a clear day." At London, August 2, 1869, he wrote: "On Saturday Flu and I went together to Laleham. It was exactly a year since we had driven there with darling Tommy and the other two boys, to see Basil's grave; he enjoyed the drive, and Laleham, and the river, and Matt Buckland's garden, and often talked of them afterwards. And now we went to seehisgrave, poor darling. The two graves are a perfect garden, and are evidently the sight of the churchyard, where there is nothing else like them; a path has been trodden over the grass to them by people coming and going. It was a soft, mild air, and we sat a long time by the graves."
[3]The crime was committed on November 4, 1820. The victim was a farmer, named William Hirons. The assassins, four in number, named Quiney, Sidney, Hawtrey, and Adams, were hanged, at Warwick, in April, 1821.
[4]Arthur Hodgson, born in 1818, was educated at Eton and at Cambridge. He went to Australia in 1839, and made a fortune as a sheep-farmer. He served the State in various public offices, and was knighted by Queen Victoria. He has been five times Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon.
[5]An entry in the Diocesan Register of Worcester states that in 1374 "John Clopton of Stretforde obtained letters dimissory to the order of priest."—In 1477 Pope Sixtus the Fourth authorized John Clopton to perform divine service in Clopton manor-house.—Mrs. Gaskell, then Miss Byerley, saw the attic chapel at Clopton, in 1820, and wrote a description of it at that time.
[6]The original sign of the Shoulder of Mutton, which once hung before that house, was painted by Grubb, who also painted the remarkable portrait of the Corporation Cook, which now hangs in the town hall of Stratford,—given to the borough by the late Henry Graves, of London.
[7]When the moat was disused three "jack bottles" were found in its bed, made of coarse glass, and bearing on the shoulder of each bottle the crest of John-a-Combe. These relics are in the collection of Sir Arthur Hodgson.
[8]It is said that the remains of Lord Lovat were, soon after his execution, secretly removed, and buried at his home near Inverness, and that the head was sewed to the body.
[9]Robert Dudley [1532-1588] seems not to have been an admirable man, but certain facts of his life appear to have been considerably misrepresented. He married Amy Robsart, daughter of Sir John Robsart, of Siderstern, Norfolk, on June 4, 1550, publicly, and in presence of King Edward the Sixth. Amy Robsart never became Countess of Leicester, but died, in 1560, four years before Dudley became Earl of Leicester, by a "mischance,"—namely, an accidental fall downstairs,—at Cumnor Hall, near Abingdon. She was not at Kenilworth, as represented in Scott's novel, at the time of the great festival in honour of Queen Elizabeth, in 1575, because at that time she had been dead fifteen years. Dudley secretly married Douglas Howard, Lady Sheffield, in 1572-73, but would never acknowledge her. His third wife was the Lætitia whose affection deplores him, in the Beauchamp chapel.
[10]Those cedars are ranked with the most superb trees in the British Islands. Two of the group were torn up by the roots during a terrific gale, which swept across England, leaving ruin in its track, on Sunday, March 24, 1895.
[11]
[12]The White Horse upon the side of the hill at Westbury was made by removing the turf in such a way as to show the white chalk beneath, in the shape of a horse. The tradition is that this was done by command of Alfred, in Easter week,A.D.878, to signalise his victory over the Danes, at Oetlandune, or Eddington, at the foot of the hill. Upon the top of that hill there is the outline of an ancient Roman camp.
[13]The curfew bell is rung at Bromham church, at eight o'clock in the evening, on week days, from Michaelmas to Lady Day, and at the same hour on every Sunday throughout the year; and on Shrove Tuesday the bell is rung at one o'clock in the day.
[14]Sloperton Cottage is now, 1896, the property of H. H. Ludlow Burgess, of Seend.
[15]The famous actor was knighted, by Queen Victoria, in 1895, and became Sir Henry Irving.
[16]"In our stage to Penrith I introduced Anne to the ancient Petreia, called Old Penrith, and also to the grave of Sir Ewain Cæsarius, that knight with the puzzling name, which has got more indistinct."—Journal of Sir Walter Scott, Vol.II., p. 151.
[17]The poet Gray, who visited these mountains in 1769, wrote, in his Journal, October 1: "Place Fell, one of the bravest among them, pushes its bold broad breast into the midst of the lake, and forces it to alter its course, forming first a large bay to the left and then bending to the right."
[18]F. A. Marshall, editor ofThe Henry Irving Edition of Shakespeareand author ofA Study of Hamlet, the comedy ofFalse Shame, and many other works, died in London, December, 1889, much lamented. His widow,—the once distinguished actress, Miss Ada Cavendish,—died, at 34 Thurloe square, London, October 6, 1895.
[19]The Traveller's Rest is 1481 feet above the sea-level, whereas the inn called The Cat and Fiddle,—a corruption of Caton le Fidèle, governor of Calais,—on Axe Edge, near Buxton, is 1700 feet above the level of the sea.
[20]Mr. Wadley died at Pershore, April 4, 1895, and was buried in Bidford churchyard on April 10.
[21]See in theLondon Athenæum, February 9, 1889, a valuable article, by Mr. John Taylor, on "Local Shakesperean Names" based upon, and incorporative of, some of the researches of Mr. Wadley.
[22]William Butcher died on February 20, 1895, aged sixty-six, and was buried in the Stratford Cemetery.
[23]SeeAn Account of the Discovery of the Body of King John, in the Cathedral Church of Worcester. By Valentine Green, F.S.A., 1797.
[24]Byron was born on January 22, 1788, and he died on April 19, 1824.
[25]Since this paper was written the buildings that flanked the church wall have been removed, the street in front of it has been widened, and the church has been "restored" and considerably altered.
[26]Revisiting this place on September 10, 1890, I found that the chancel has been lengthened, that the altar and the mural tablets have been moved back from the Byron vault, and that his gravestone is now outside of the rail.
[27]It is now, 1896, said to be in the possession of a resident of one of our Southern cities, who says that he obtained it from one of his relatives, to whom it was given by the parish clerk, in 1834.
[28]Dr. Joseph Wharton, in a letter to the poet Gay, described Lavinia Fenton as follows: "She was a very accomplished and most agreeable companion; had much wit, good strong sense, and a just taste in polite literature. Her person was agreeable and well made; though I think she could never be called a beauty. I have had the pleasure of being at table with her when her conversation was much admired by the first characters of the age, particularly old Lord Bathurst and Lord Granville."
General James Wolfe, killed in battle, at the famous storming of Quebec, was born in 1726, and he died in 1759.
Robert Clive, the famous soldier and the first Lord Clive, was born in 1725, and he died, a suicide,—haunted, it was superstitiously said, by ghosts of slaughtered East Indians,—in 1774.
[29]The romantic house of Compton Wynyate was built of material taken from a ruined castle at Fulbrooke, by Sir William Compton, in the reign of Henry the Eighth. Wynyate signifies a vineyard.
[30]Miss Mary Anderson, the distinguished American actress, was married, on June 17, 1890, at Hampstead, to Mr. Antonio De Navarro. Her Autobiography, calledA Few Memories of My Life, was published, in London, in March, 1896.
[31]Mr. Wall retired from the office of librarian of the Shakespeare Memorial in June, 1895, and was succeeded by Mr. William Salt Brassington.
[32]In 1894 the number of visitors to New Place was 809; in 1895 it was 716, while 13,028 visited the Memorial.
[33]Mrs. Bulmer served as custodian of New Place until her death, on March 14, 1896. The office was then assigned to Richard Savage, in addition to his other offices.
[34]Miss Maria Chattaway died on January 31, 1891. Miss Caroline Chattaway removed from Stratford on October 7, 1895, to Haslor.
[35]Mr. Skipsey resigned his office, in October, 1891, and returned to Newcastle.
[36]The grave of Charles Frederick Green, author of an account of Shakespeare and the Crab Tree,—an idle tradition set afloat by Samuel Ireland,—was made in the angle near the west door of Trinity church, but it has been covered, tombstone and all, with gravel.
[37]Mr. Loggin was Mayor of Stratford in 1866 and 1867, and under his administration, in the latter year, was built the Mill Bridge, across the Avon, near Lucy's Mill, to replace an old and dilapidated structure. Mr. Loggin died on February 3, 1885, aged sixty-nine, and was buried at Long Marston.
[38]The Anne Hathaway cottage was purchased for the nation, in April, 1892.
[39]Mr. Laffan resigned his office in June, 1895, and became President of Cheltenham College.Rev.E. J. W. Houghton is now head-master.
[40]Mrs. Eliza Smith died at No. 56 Ely street, Stratford, on February 24, 1893, aged 68, and the relics that she possessed passed to a relative, at Northampton. They were sold, in London, in June, 1896.
[41]Modern editions, following Pope's alteration, say "whereon" instead of "where"; but "where" is the reading in the Folio of 1623. Mr. Savage contends that the bank that Shakespeare had in mind is Borden Hill, near Shottery, where the wild thyme is still abundant.
[42]That learned antiquarian W. G. Fretton, Esq., of Coventry, has shown that the Forest of Arden covered a large tract of land extending many miles west and north of the bank of the Avon, around Stratford.
[43]It has been awakened. A railway to Henley was opened in 1894.
[44]The venerable Mr. Linskill died in the rectory of Beaudesert in February, 1890, and was buried within the shadow of the church that he loved. That picturesque rectory of Beaudesert was the birthplace of Richard Jago [1715-1781], the poet who wroteEdgehill.
[45]Like many other pleasures it has now become only a memory. Mr. Childs died, in Philadelphia, February 3, 1894.
[46]Chantrey had seen the beautiful sculpture of little Penelope Boothby, in Ashbourne church, Derbyshire, made by Thomas Banks, and he may have been inspired by that spectacle.
[47]1896. The building is, if possible, to be made a museum of relics of Johnson. It is now a lodging-house. Its exterior has recently been repaired. Johnson is the name of its present owner.
[48]Thomas Jefferson, 1728-1807, was a contemporary and friend of Garrick, and a member of his company, at various times, at Drury Lane. He was the great-grandfather of Joseph Jefferson, famous in Rip Van Winkle.
[49]On the stone that marks this sepulchre are inscriptions, which may suitably be preserved in this chronicle:
"Alexander Campbell Esquire, of Ederline. Died 2dOctober, 1841. In his 76thyear.
Matilda Campbell. Second daughter of William Campbell Esq., of Ederline. Died on the 21stNovr1842. In her 6thyear.
William Campbell Esq., of Ederline. Died 15thJanuary 1855, in his 42ndyear.
Lachlan Aderson Campbell. His son. Died January 27th, 1859. In his 5thyear."
[John Campbell, the eldest son of Alexander, died February 26, 1855, aged 45, and was buried in the Necropolis, at Toronto, Canada. His widow, Janet Tulloch Campbell, a native of Wick, Caithness, died at Toronto, August 24, 1878, aged 65, and was buried beside him.]
[50]It is a small oval glass, of which the rim is fashioned with crescents, twenty-two of them on each side.
[51]Chapters on Iona, Staffa, Glencoe, and other beauties of Scotland may be found in my books, which are companions to this one, calledOld Shrines and IvyandBrown Heath and Blue Bells.
Transcriber's NotesThe cover image was created by the transcriber using elements from the original publication and is placed in the public domain.Inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been retained."Corse" is an archaic form of "corpse". "Oftens" is an archaic adverb.Page 121, added "a" (after a Worcester fight)Page 311, changed "along" to "alone" (standing alone among ruins)
Transcriber's Notes
The cover image was created by the transcriber using elements from the original publication and is placed in the public domain.
Inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been retained.
"Corse" is an archaic form of "corpse". "Oftens" is an archaic adverb.
Page 121, added "a" (after a Worcester fight)Page 311, changed "along" to "alone" (standing alone among ruins)