The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-04


and the primary planet OF Uranus was dis
covered by him In this old house in New
King street on March Is, 1881; and 10 is q
pretty picture ones fancy makes OF the
faithful sister sharing in all the night
watches OF her brother with pencil in hand
and eager eyes upon the clock.
Among the noted people Of the stage who
have made more sparkling and mellow the
memories Of Bath were Sarah Siddous.
Quin. the inimitable "Falstaff,n the elder
MAoready, John Kemble, FoOte and Gar
rick. IL was here that bluff old DR.. John
sou, who professed profound contempt for
actors, surprised the world with one Of the
neatest compliments ever paid to an actor.
Mrs. SIddnns called upon him in the Pelican
Inn. There was Some confusion incident
upon Frank, the servant, not being able to
chair. whereupon DR.. johnson instantly re-
marked: you see. madam, that wherever
you go there are no seats to be got!"
Macready's presence here is embalmed in
more savage but no less witty reioinder
The John Dories" and port of the Pelican
inn had been too powerful for an actor who
was supporting him as "Iago.n An amateur
was necessarily supplied. MacreRdy's agony
was intense. On returning 20 Bath some
months later as visitor to the baths the
mournful "Iago" who had supported him
sought a renewal of the great actors ac-
queintance. II had the honor OF playing
"Iago" to YOUR "Othello" at the Theater
Royal; don't you remember me, sirF' "Re-
member you. sirl-rememberedy your thun~
dered the lrate tragedian. How shall
ever forget your
John Kemble, while a visitor at Bath
and while bestowlng a farthiUg on a beggar,
gave to literature this imperishable satire
upon the psrsimony of the nobility:
Friend" he said with the dignity of a
CorioIanus, I'VE give but seldom, but when
we do give, we give like princes"
Garriok wrote some Of his finest satire at
Bath. Tbs great music, Foote, was nearly
always TO be found in his company. Sheri-
dan, when but youth Of 20, was one Of
lions Of Bath. He wrote and contributed
the sane TO sort of literary Fair of Par
nassus" instituted by Lady Miller. 50 ad-
mirably described TO US by Horace Walpole,
those exquisite stanzas beginning,
Dry be that tear. my geutlest love;
and Gainsborough's celebrated painting Of
Sheridan, was also done in this city. Quin
lived longer In Bath than any other of his
profession. When the famous comedian for
the last time played ''FalstafR" and retired
from the stage, In 1888, he came to Bath to
pass his remaining days. because, as he said,
he did not know better place for an old
cock to roost In" He lived for thirteen
y
field house, Pierrepont street; aud In the
north aisle of the choir at Bath abbey is a
marble tablet with a striking likeness of the
great comedian. Underneath is a mask and
a dagger, representing comedy and tragedy.
and characteristic epitaph by Garrick, the
closing lines Of which are:
In Natures happest mold however cast,
To this complexion thou must come at last.
In addition to Mrs. Siddous some of the
famous women who made winsome the
society Of Bath during this brilliant period
were Queen Charlotte, wife of George III,
Mrs. PioZzi, the celebrated companion OF
Dr. johnson, Lady Miller. Sarah Fielding
aud Mime. D. Arblay.
Mrs. PiozEi was one of the most beautiful
and accomplished women of England. She
first married q rich brewer named Thrale.
The couple lived in great splender at Bath,
and DR.. johnson was the lady's aoknowl-
edged greatest admirer. Shortly after the
death of Mr.. Thrale the sprightly widow
tired OF the ponderous devotion Of DR..
johnson, and became toe wife of a
music master named Piozzi. a com
plete rupture with johnson was the oonse-
quence; and the famous photographer was
ever after a missnthrope regarding all
womaukind. After a brilliant career In
Italy, Mrs. Plozn returned to Bath, where,
in 1920, she celebrated her S0th birth
day by one OF the most famous balls ana
suppers ever given in England, where the
sprightly female antique led off the danc-
ing with her adopted son, Sir John Sauls-
bury, with astonishing elasticity" But
she died the next year. Her Anecdotes
of johnson" and her own Literary Re-
mains" are among the most piquant tidbits
of biographical literature.
Lady Miller was a conspicuous figure at
Bath in these good old times. Walpole and
Nine. D'Arblay both charmingly describe
the fair of Parnsssus,n a sort Of literary
tournament instituted at her noted res
idence, Batheaston Villa. A Roman vase,
dressed with laces. costly ribbons and myr-
tie, received the poetry, which was drawn
at every festival by six judges, who read all
the compositions and announced the sue
cessful competitor The latter was crowned
with myrtle and permitted to kneel and
kiss the fat aud freckled hand of Lady
Miller, who was a coarse, plump-ooking
dame whose aim IL was TO appear a woman
OF fashion and patroness of letters" IL
was Garrick who slipped the following effu-
sion into the sacred urn:
The Vase speaking
For Heavens sake bestow on me
A little wit---and that would be
Indeed an Act Of Charity
In the residence of famous literary men
Bath was immensely fortunate Christo~
pher Anstey, the poet, lived nearly all his
life in Bath. William Bedford, at one
time the richest and most luxurious man in
England, who expended nearly 81 500, 600
on ill-fated Fonthill abbey alone, but
whose enduring fame will rest on the
authorship OF that most wonderful of all
oriental tales, "Vathek" was for many
years a citizsn Of Bath, and built the
palatial tower on Lansdown, beneath whose
shadows his body now lies
The memories of DIR. Johnson are so rife
in the old Pelican inn, that In passing
through its oaken paneled rooms one can
almost scent the musty aroma Of his candle
soorched wigs, and see the ludicrous plot
ure Of Frank, the servant, lying In wait to
clap fresh one on his hard old head the
moment a caller was announced below.
Samuel T. Coleridge often preached at
the Sawcloss chapel here. 1t was when re-
ferring to these days here he said TO Charles
Lamb; ~ think, Charles, you never heard
me preach. my dear boy.n replied Lamb,
~ never heard you do anything else"
Alexander Pope lived on the bounty OF
tho rich philanthropist, Allen, here for
years, ozly leaving. like the ugly little wasp
he was, when his host refused TO grant him
his manor house at Bathampton for the oc-
cupancy Of his paramour. Martha Blount
Thomas Gainsborough. finished many OF
his most famous portraits In Bath and Sir
Joshua Reynolds not only used his marvel-
Gus pencil here, but recovered from a
paralytic stroke through the use Of
Rathia fhorraaI wakara TOhfaa