New-York tribune., 1900-05-31
LITERARY LANDMARKS.
MEMORIALS IN THACKERAYLAND-
CHANGES IN FLEET STREET
BLEAK HOUSE IN
MARKET.
London, MAY 10


over the DISAPPEARANCE OF Thackeray!and The
| only landmark which has been recently turned
| over to the builders is Curzon Chapel. Mayfair
| This has been cleared in order 10 provide site
| opposite Wharnciffe House for the new town
residence OF the Duchess Of Marlborough. which
will be built with some Of the Vanderbilt re-
/ serves. This proprietary chapel. dating from
the time of the Georges. and owned by Lord
/ Howe. was described by Thackeray with good
! humored satire as Lady whittlesea's chapel
! Another chapel nearer Hyde Park Corner was
| sometimes identified with the Rev. Charles
| Honeymans sanctuary. but Curzon Chapel
| without doubt. was the structure which Thack-
| cray had in mind. The disappearance OF this
| ugly landmark can be endured by enthusiasts
| In the topography Of literary London with more
/ composure than the loss of Becky Sharps small
/ house the same street. This was high and
narrow. with blackened brick and sombre air
| of decadence. which could not be concealed by
| the repanting of the Dortico. 1t stood within
| a few doors OF the house where Lord Beacons-
| field died. and there a ghost behind the
| railing for those who had eyes for poor Becky.
| There have been carpenters and masons up and
/ down Curzon-st. during the last year. and
/ Becky Sharps house has disappeared from
| Mayfair.
| Shepherds Inn where Captain Costlgan lived,
and Saders Wells Theatre are also doomed
| Clements Inn has sometimes been Identified
| with the Captains memory. but the description
| which Thackeray gave Of Shepherds Inn. with
| greater definiteness than was his habit points
| to New Inn. which is the line of projected
| street Improvement. Sadler's Wells Is also
awaiting the filing up of Rosebery-ave- The
| Charterhouse, sacred 70 the memory OF Thomas
| Newcome still stands. but it IS sadly altered
| and Is menaced with destruction in the
! future and It is at once the most precious me-
! mortal of Thackeray's youth and OF the most
pathetic and beautiful chapter in English Itera-
/ ture. FurnivaTs Inn. where Thackeray first
met Dickens. has vanished; Astley's has pro-
| vided building space for modern mansions IN
| the skies: the Pail Mall of Major Pendennis
| has been transformed at various points. and tha
| literary pilgrim will look in vain for the Cave
of Harmony the Back Kitchen and the delights
of Vauxhall: but there is much still remaining
| of the real Thackerayland-
| THACKERAY's QUARTERS.
Thackeray's chambers in the Temple and in
| ST. Jamess-st. have disappeared with the
| construction OF the buildings which were
| cupied by him. and of the two houses where he
| began his literary career and his married life
| only can be identified with certainty in
! Great Coram-st.. but his Brompton house IN
| Onslow Square. where he wrote The New
| comes and The Virginians.' still looks out
! upon an open space filled with LEAKAGE. with the
| STUDY W.eTe ne uSeO 10 NOIh A4Sn dDONC Ii41
| drawing room; and his two Kensington homes
are marked with tablets. which enable tourist
| saunterers to find them easily. One is the bow
| windowed cottage in Youngest. where Vanity
| Fair "Pendennis'' and ''Esmond' We're written.
| and the other is the house in Palace Gardens.
| built by him. but recently altered and enlarged.
where he working upon Denis Duval'
when he died. Not far from either OF these
houses is the beautiful church of ST. Mary Ab-
horS
| morning, and High-st. and Kensing gton Car
| dens. where he was fond of strOlling. close
| at hand.
| The Athen;eum Club was Thackeray's favorits
| lounging place in Pail Mall. and from the win
dows he had lookout upon the fashionable
world His working corner in the library and
his favorite table in the dining room still
pointed out. and it was only a night or two ago
that a company Of his friends. including
| Academicians-Mr. Stone and Mr.. Fildes-net
! there at dinner and talked Of him and Dickens.
| Not far from his clubs. the Athenaeum and the
| Reform, is Willis's. on the site of Almack's.
/ In these rooms. where Thackeray delivered his
| delightful course OF lectures on English humor-
| lists. the Peel heirlooms were auctioned OF few
| days ago. with Nell Gwynne as bewitching and
| beautiful as Sir Peter Lely knew how 10 make
her canvas
The artists quarter has shifted from Soho 10
! Chelsea and Kensington way since Thackeray's
| time, and there are few traces left OF his Eo-
hemia: but the streets en- either side of Picca-
| dily and the squares in the direction OF the
| British Museum, where he found homes for his
| characters. are virtually unchanged. II Major
Pendennis's chambers cannot be Identified IN
| Bury-st. Ethel Newcome be conducted 10
the Countess Of Kew's. In Queen-st.. Berkeley
| Square corresponds closely with Gaunt Square
| and the Marquis of Steyne's mansion can be
| found not far from Becky Sharps house in Cur
zon-st. The Sedley mansion in Russell Square
can be selected out OF a wide range Of exteriors
which have seen better days. and in F1tzroy
Square. some distance beyond. there Is a dingy.
comes
Bloomsbury has changed for the worse and
Mayfair for the better since Thackeray's time.
alack, there are shops now in Curzon-st.-and
it is easy TO provide the right environment for
Rawdon Crawley William Dobbin Fred Bay
ham. ]. j. Ridley. Give NewcOrne and Mrs. Mac
Kenzie. Despite the Hghtness os touch with
which houses and localities were sketched by
the master. Thackerayland remains very real
and definite to this day. Mr.. William II. Ride
ing has written the best account of IT. and with
pilgrim find his way from the Charterhouss
royal suburb.
CHANGES IN THREE FAMOUS STREETS.
Three of the most famous streets IN London
are now In transition stage Of adaptation 70
the requirements of modern life and the in
creasing press OF traffic Whitehall has been
widened at the upper end. where there is now