The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-18


fancied grievance or delight.
At the western side Of the hospital still
stands Sir Robert Wa!pole's house, almost
precisely as it stood when ne all but ruled
England through the two Georges, First
and Second. 1t is now portion Of the hos
pital infirmary II was 20 this old red brick
mansion that Wspole's rival, Bolingbroke,
came TO dine and half chOked for his chOler;
where Swift and Gay came to get material
for satire, and where Pope came with scan
dal Of his past amours and probably TO beg
for assistance in others.
Not far from the Hospital, over in the
northeast corner of Chelsea, is a little
green oval like pretty emerald lozenge,
around which crowd some very ancient
two story brick houses. The windows are
little, the panes are little, the steps, scrapers
and knockers are little but always bright
and clean. and it seems that every face you
see Mt the tiny panes IS little and snappy
and old. like all else in this venerable Hans
Place. At one Of these bits OF habitations,
precisely like all the rest, was born the
poetess l.. T.. !. But two doors away, in
another box Of house, she went to school.
Her schoolfellows were the East Indian
writer, Miss Roberts, and Lady Caroline
Lamb Years after here were also edu-
Gated other famous women-Lady Bulwer,
Miss Milford and that best and tenderest
of all writers upon Ireland, Mrs. S. c.
Hall.
The one time famous Cremorne Gardens
at the western edge of Chelsea have special
interest to Americans A granddaughter
Of William Penn, named Philadelphia
from the city of her birth, became the sec
ond wife of Viscount Cremorne. Guilty.
ing ler husband, she inherited the beauti-
ful groundsonce known as Chelsea Farm"
Granville Penn, once lord Of the Stoke
Poges Manor, where Gray lived and wrote
the "Elegy," fell heir to the property and
sold ittothe Cremorne Gardens corporation.
Wicked enough it grewin time Decorous
associations retrieved it, and an innocent
nursery garden now wells its unhallowed
site and memories.
At least three ancient taverns in the
nelghborhood have peculiar old time inter
est Two, one at the western and one Mt
the eastern edge Of the parish, are directly
associated with Nell Gwynne. That to the
west was built by Charles II rs a home
for his favoriJe. 1t was from the windows
OF this house. now resort OF Chelsea pen
sioners that Nell's eyes looked in upon the
then fine meadows of King James college,
in her dream when she saw the beautiful
palace rise with its thousand chambers
out Of which divers many old and worn
out soldier men" came and cried, God
bless King Charlesw which led to the
merciful founding of the splendid Hospital.
The other associated with the fame Of
the pretty orange girl is sedate old rock
cry at the western side Of Chelsea. 1t is
called the Nell Gwynne Tavern" and
many rare tradition of Charles compan-
ion fingers about the mellow old place.
Another curious tavern still in existence
is the Prince of Wales, at the corner Of
Lawrence street and Justice Walk, but a
SQUARES distance from the old Carlyle
home in Great Cheyne Row. Chelsea was
once made known through the artistic
world for its famous china For the forty
years from l145 its china works, which
stood on the site of the Prince of Wales,
turned out q product equal to that of
SAvres. In the cellars of the inn you can
see the remains OF the ovens and baking
rooms lust As they were abandoned. Dr.
Samuel johnson was suddenly possessed
of the idea that he could as easily make
china as Il dictionary, and the doughty
old scholar, but unskilled native workman,
for a long time came here daily 10 spoil
good material his faithful housekeeper
trudging after him with huge basket
containing his daily food.
In Great Cheyne Row SmOllett lived,
long before Carlyle came, and here he wrote
"Ferdinand Count Fathom" and finished
Hume's History of England" while
George Eliot died in a house near Carlyle's
in the same modest little thoroughfare
Chelsea Old Church, one Of the sweetest
old places in London, Oyerlooks the Thames
but few rods distant. Here you will find
the black memorial slab of Sir Thomas
More Lady Dacre, Lady Jane Cheyne
and the Duchess Of Northumberland, three
of Chelsea's former grand ladies, lie be-
meath monuments within the church, while
Charles, George and Henry Kingsley once
lived in its rectory with their father, who
had received the living from Lord Cado-
gan.
In Cheyne Walk along the river side
lived Turner, the painter. Rosetti lived
and sang here among his birds ana now
ers Leigh Hunts Gipsylike home, OF
which Carlyle has left inimitable descrip-
ton, was Just around the corner from
Great Cheyne Row. Queen Elizabeth used
to visit the Earl OF Shrewsbury at Shrews-
bury House. just back OF Cheyne walk.
The poet George Herbert dwelt III the
same neigh bOrhood, and at little barber
shop coffee house and quaint museum
called don Saltero's" by the wits OF the
time i'll honor of it's grave nobody proprie-
tor one Salt, who "brewed divine coffee
and shaved with equal terror" Richard
Cromwell, Steele and Addison and BenJa-
min Franklin, who worked in "A painting
shop i'm Bartholomew Close near by, came
to get shaved and to loiter over their col
fee, "where the Literati then sat IN coun-
Gil"
Long and pleasant is ones lettering here.
II you come many days or but one, an END
less host Of wraiths of worthless start up
unbidden in your wanderngs. If once or
many times you depart you will ever IN
sensibly be drawn at parting 10 the gray
old habitations OF Great Cheyne Row. The
windows Of all overlook the turbulent
river, darkening Battersea at its farther
shore, and the pleasant villages upon the
hills Of Surrey beyond. At a window oi
one-it matters not who lives there now
your fancy cannot but see Il shaggy, sturdy,
haggard face. It's gray, defiant but sor-
rOwful eyes are lifted across the turbulent
river, and rest beyond the hills upon that
material and spiritual Light that some
where ever brings the blessed morning
TINA EncAR WAKEMAE