[146] Fox’s verses to Mrs. Crewe were printed at Strawberry Hill. [147] On his death-bed Fox observed: ‘There are two things I wish heartily to see accomplished—peace with Europe, and the abolition of the slave-trade; but of the two, I wish the latter.’ [148] While rewriting this chapter, a sale of Romney’s engravings took place at Christie’s, when Lady Hamilton as ‘Nature,’ engraved in colours by Meyer, sold for 100 guineas (May, 1894). [149] This picture, I am told, is not by Romney. [150] It must be patent to everyone that, had the Assembly House been originally built for that purpose, a proper entrance would have formed an essential part of it, whereas, as I have said, it was without one till quite modern times. [151] I am indebted to Mr. G. W. Potter for the above information. [152] The birch-tree, with its light sprays and silvery bark, is very frequently styled the ‘Lady of the Woods.’ Constable used the appellation in connection with the beautiful ash metaphorically. [153] ‘Goldsmith’s English, when English comes to be the sole tongue wanted to run the wide world round, as it spins by day and night under the sun, will necessarily be more and more resorted to as the best model to be had of plain and simply effective speech. His “Village” and his “Vicar” will be carefully searched into to help counteract the ever-augmenting virus of vulgar dialectical debasement from oversea offshoots, colonial or enfranchised, that is to-day poisoning the living font of Chaucer. Addison will then be less read than even now he is, and Johnson will never be sought for at all out of Boswell. The huge autocrat of yesterday is with the worms to-morrow, and Oliver, “who talked like poor Poll,” will then sit enthroned as preceptor of English to the universe.’—Mr. C. A WARD. [154] I am reminded that Mr. Richardson, the friend and correspondent of Sir W. Scott, resided here for several years. [155] DE MONTFORT: A TRAGEDY. PLAYED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT DRURY LANE, APRIL 29, 1800. _Characters._ De Montfort Mr. Kemble. Rezenvelt Mr. Talbot. Albert Mr. Barrymore. Manuel Mr. Powell. Jerome Mr. Dowton. Conrad Mr. Caulfield. Jane de Montfort Mrs. Siddons. Countess Miss Heard. [156] ‘Life of Sir Walter Scott,’ vol. ii., pp. 267, 268. [157] Sir Walter Scott paid his last visit to Hampstead and Joanna Baillie in April, 1828. It might have been on this occasion that Mrs. Howitt met him. [158] To-day the inscription on her tomb needs the tender hand of Old Mortality to remove the lichen that hides it! [159] _Athenæeum_, March 20, 1861. [160] There is but one good portrait of Goldsmith—that painted by his friend Sir Joshua Reynolds, now at Knowle.