polis, cemeteries would never be suffered in the midst of the habitations of the living, and public attention, lately directed to the subject, has devised a partial remedy, in the establishment of cemeteries at Highgate, Hampstead, Kensal-Green, Norwood, and other spots, at a short distance from London. It is to be hoped that the time has now arrived when no parish shall be allowed a burial-ground to its church, but shall be compelled to inter its dead at a distance from the living. The recent revelations on the churchyards of London are enough to make the blood curdle, and have done much to call attention to the enormous evil. The plague of cholera which has now carried off such fearful numbers, ought to be sufficient to put an end to these proceedings.

In

Portugal Street was so named in compliment to the Queen of Charles II., and is celebrated as the site of Sir William Davenant's Theatre, called the Duke's Theatre. Though it is the general opinion that there was but one theatre in this quarter, there appear to have been two; but it is not a little difficult to determine the exact site of each, and the exact periods when they were opened. Killigrew, in the year 1661, had a theatre in the Tennis Court, Vere Street, Clare Market, but he and his company removing to Drury Lane, in 1663, there was an end for the time of this first of the Lincoln's Inn Fields' theatres. 1662, while Killigrew was still in his old quarters, Sir William Davenant's, or the "Duke's" company, as they were called, to distinguish them from Killigrew's, or the "King's" company, removed from Salisbury Court to a new theatre in Portugal Street. Davenant's company performed here until 1671, when for some reason or other, which does not appear, they returned to Salisbury Court. In 1694, Betterton and Congreve reopened the theatre in Portugal Street, under a licence from King William III., and Betterton continued to manage its affairs until 1704, when the neighbours complained of it as a nuisance. He then assigned his patent to Sir John Vanbrugh, who, finding the premises too small, erected a theatre in the Haymarket. The Portugal Street theatre being thus abandoned, remained empty for about ten years, when it was reopened by Mr. Rich. "The performers were so much inferior to those at Drury Lane, that the latter carried away all the applause and favour of the town. In this distress the genius of Rich suggested to him a species of entertainment which, at the same time that it hath been deemed contemptible, has ever been followed and encouraged. Harlequin, Pantaloon, and all the host of pantomimic pageantry were brought forward, and sound and show

obtained a victory over sense and reason. The fertility of Mr. Rich's invention in these entertainments, and the excellence of his own performance, must at the same time be acknowledged. By means of these only he kept the managers of the other house at all times from relaxing their diligence, and to the disgrace of public taste, frequently obtained more money by ridiculous and paltry performances, than all the sterling merit of the other theatre was able to acquire."*

Rich and his company removed, in 1733, to the then newlyerected theatre of Covent Garden, and the old one was shut up for about two years. It was then taken by a Mr. Giffard, from Goodman's Fields, who not finding his speculation answer, gave it up in 1737, when it ceased to be a theatre. It was afterwards occupied as a pottery warehouse, and has now disappeared altogether. It stood nearly opposite to the burial-ground.

Many curious particulars relative to the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields are to be found in Pepys's "Diary." He says, that at the theatre in Vere Street he first saw a woman on the stage.

It appears from the researches of Malone and others, that Desdemona was the first character ever performed by a female in this country, and that this very necessary reform was first introduced at this theatre on the 8th of December, 1660.

Although the introduction of women on the stage was as successful as it deserved to be, there was for a long time some difficulty in procuring the requisite numbers to fill the parts.

"There was still the necessity now and then to put the handsomest young man into petticoats." Kynaston, an actor, was very often chosen; "and he was," adds Cibber, "so beautiful a youth, that the ladies of quality prided themselves on taking him with them in their coaches to Hyde Park in his theatrical habit, after the play, which in those days they might have time to do, as plays were then used to begin at four o'clock." Kynaston's chief female character was Evadne, in the "Maid's Tragedy;" and Cibber tells an amusing story which he heard from Kynaston's own mouth of the shifts the stage was then put to:

"The King (Charles II.) coming a little before his usual time to a tragedy, found the actors not ready to begin, when his Majesty, not choosing to have so much patience as his good subjects, sent to them to know the meaning of it, upon which the master of the company came to the box, and rightly judging that the best excuse for their default would be the true one, fairly told

* Baker's "Biographia Dramatica."

his Majesty that the Queen was not shaved yet. The King, whose good humour loved to laugh at a jest, as well as to make one, accepted the excuse, which served to divert him till the male queen (Kynaston) could be effeminated.”*

CHAPTER XII.

Execution of Lord William Russell-Catholic Chapel, Duke Street, and the No Popery Riots-Anecdote of Benjamin Franklin-Clare Market-Scene of Orator Henley's eloquence-Announcements of several of his sermons, and anecdotes of him- Drury Lane - Sir William Drury-Sir Robert Drury, the friend of Dr. Donne-Anecdote of Dr. Donne-Tradesmen's handbills-The first Lord Craven, proprietor of Drury House-Account of his death-Residence of the Queen of Bohemia-Olympic PavilionAnecdote of Nan Clarges, Duchess of Albemarle-Nell Gwynne resided here-Drury Lane, the Grubb Street of Queen Anne's reign-The plague year in Drury Lane-Successive theatres in Drury Lane.

BEFORE quitting Lincoln's Inn Fields, we must not forget to mention the most remarkable incident in its history, the execution of the patriot, Lord William Russell. The circumstances of his trial, and the heroic conduct of his wife, Lady Rachel, are too well known. They are too much of the history of England to be part of the history of a street, and we need not dwell upon them. The reason of his execution in this spot, says Pennant, was, that it was the nearest open space from Newgate, where he was confined. It was thought more advisable to convey him through the comparatively quiet line of Holborn, than through the crowded city to Tower Hill, for rumours of an intention to rescue him had been circulated.

Burnet says that the Duke of York, the bitter enemy of Lord Russell, moved the King that he might be executed in front of his own door in Southampton Square, but the King rejected this as indecent, and the middle of Lincoln's Inn Fields was fixed upon. On his way from Newgate, on turning into Little Queen Street, he shed a tear at the remembrance of his wife, for he turned to the Dean of Canterbury, and said, "I have often turned to the other hand (towards his own house) with great comfort, but now I turn to this with greater."

* Colley Cibber.

"Tillotson and I went with him in the coach to the place of execution. Some of the crowd that filled the streets wept, while others insulted. He was touched by the tenderness that the one gave him, but did not seem at all provoked by the other. He was singing psalms a great part of the way, and said he hoped to sing better soon. As he observed the great crowds of people all the way, he said to us, 'I hope I shall quickly see a inuch better assembly.' When he came to the scaffold he walked about it four or five times. Then he turned to the sheriffs and delivered his paper. He protested that he had always been far from any designs against the King's life or government. He prayed God would preserve both, and the Protestant religion. He wished all Protestants might love one another, and not make way for Popery by their animosities. The substance of the paper he delivered to the sheriffs was, first, a profession of his religion and his sincerity in it; that he was of the Church of England, but wished all would unite together against the common enemy; that churchmen would be less severe, and Dissenters less scrupulous. He owned he had a great zeal against Popery, which he looked on as an idolatrous and bloody religion, but that, although he was at all times ready to venture his life for his religion or his country, yet this would never have carried him to any black or wicked design. No man ever had the impudence to move to him anything with relation to the king's life. He prayed heartily for him, that in his person and government he might be happy, both in this world and the next. He protested, that in the prosecution of the popish plot he had gone on in the sincerity of his heart, and that he never knew of any practice with the witnesses. He owned he had been earnest in the matter of the exclusion, as the best way in his opinion to secure both the king's life and the Protestant religion; and to that he imputed his present sufferings; but he forgave all concerned in them, and charged his friends to think of no revenge. He thought his sentence was hard, upon which he gave an account of all that had passed at Shepherd's. From the heats that were in choosing the sheriffs, he concluded that matter would end as it now did, and he was not much surprised to find it fall upon himself. He wished it might end in him: killing by law was the worst form of murder. He concluded with some very devout ejaculations. After he had delivered this paper, he prayed by himself; then Tillotson prayed with him. After that, he prayed again by himself, and then undressed himself, and laid his head on the block,

without the least change of countenance; and it was cut off at two strokes."*

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Does it not seem strange that no memorial has been placed upon the spot of this tragedy? James II., in the extremity of the misfortune that deservedly fell upon him, applied to the heartbroken father of Lord William Russell to aid him. My Lord," said he, "you are an honest man, have great credit, and can do me signal service." Ah, sire," repiied the Earl, "I am old and feeble, but I once had a son!" James was so struck with the solemn answer, that he walked about the room, and could not speak for some minutes.

Some writers have, by mistake, repeated that Algernon Sydney, another victim in the same cause, was also executed in Lincoln's Inn Fields. It will be found, however, that the place of his execution was Tower Hill

Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, contains a Roman Catholic chapel, the same that was formerly attached to the Sardinian Embassy, and which was nearly destroyed in the "No Popery" riots of 1780.

This street is memorable as the scene of the early life of Benjamin Franklin. His lodgings were in Duke Street, and he worked as a journeyman printer in the office of Mr. Watts, in Great Wyld Street, adjoining. He first of all worked for a twelvemonth at a printer's named Palmer, in Bartholomew Close; but he worked for Mr. Watts during the remainder of his stay in England. It was in 1725 that he took his lodgings, consisting of one room, at the house of a widow lady opposite the Catholic chapel, for which he paid at the rate of threeand-sixpence a week. His landlady was a clergyman's daughter, who, marrying a Catholic, had abjured Protestantism, and became acquainted with several distinguished families of that persuasion. She and Franklin found mutual pleasure in each other's society. He kept good hours, and she, being too lame with the gout to leave her room, their evenings were generally passed together. "Our supper," says Franklin,† was only half an anchovy each, on a very little slice of bread and butter, and half a pint of ale between us; but the entertainment was her conversation.' In the garret of the same house lodged a maiden Catholic lady of great piety, but not without eccentricity. She had been sent to the Continent, when a girl, to take the veil; but +Franklin's Memoirs.

*Bishop Burnet.

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