The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
"YE OLDE RED LION"
SOUTHAMPTON ROW. LONDON HAS A
TYPICAL HISTORIC TAVERN

Though the inns and taverns Of Eng
land especially of London, cannot to-day
lay claim 10 the important position they
once held in the social life Of the people,
yet in comparison to similar institutions
in America they are still quite unique in
character. It may not, therefore, be un-
interesting TO drop in for an hour or so,
in spirit at least to one Of the most typi-
cal OF all Londons taverns or, as they
are more affectionately called, pubs
Though there are other public houses
an Englishmau never calls them saloons
or bars-in London Of more varied and
vital historic Importance than "Ye Ode
Red Lion" yet there are few. If any,
older in years OF more interesting. Stu
ated in the middle of Southampton Row,
in the very heart of Bloomsbury, this
pub stands to-day where it has stood
for over 500 years, In the midst of q quar-
ter which, OF ali London. is probably
the richest in literary and historic asso-
Citations.
As London has ever been the mecca
OF the young literary aspirants OF Eng
land, so Bloomsbury has been that sec
tion OF London in which the vast ma
jority OF these literary crusaders have
oongregated and 10 which in the later
days of their fame they have given re-
nown and an undying interest TO all pos
terity Checkered by veritable network
OF courts and squares, highways and by
ways OF literary interest. there is hardly
a building or an alley OF this quarter un-
associated with some great name in the
literary annals Of England Thackeray.
Dickens, Ruskin, Chatterton. Darwin,
Spencer, Goldsmith, Lamb, Macaulay,
Pepys, al have walked its streets, have
lived It's life, and here in Eye Olde Red
Lion" have, many Of them, sat and
smoked their pipes and drank their ale.
and as imagination bodied forth the
forms of things unknown turned them to
shapes, and gave to airy nothing a local
habitatiOn and a name.
But, interesting as such would be,
space viii not permit Of a detailed study
Of the innumerabIe sites and buildings
associated with these great names, Our
more immediate purpose is TO depict the
present-day condition existing In London
taverns of the better class, and more
particularly OF the historic and typical
'Olde Red Lion
One OF the first things that strikes the
eye OF the newcomer in Southampton
Row is the proUuding, old and some
what battered sign Of Eye Olde Red
Lion" with its familiar legend, "Es-
tablished over 800 Years" Thanked on
either side. a little lower down by four
British lions, painted a brilliant red.
thus giving the pub" its name, these
two, the sign with its ancient legend and
the guardian lions. have doubtless been
not influential in drawing within its con-
fines the passing stranger. There being
no other object Of particularly inviting
character on this now mOdernized and
busy thOr0UghfaTe with its streams Of
motor buses" and cabs, it IS not strange
that the passerby, be he possessed of
the smallest propensity toward compan-
ionship and good cheer, should welcome
the sight of this quaint old hosiery and
its battered legend.
Standing as It did 800 years ago, mid
the isolated grandeur OF an open field,
flanked by a large duck pond and capa-
cious stables, it was to this tavern that
"a 1850 the bodies Of Cromwell, IretOn,
and Bradshaw after having been torn
from their tombs in the Abbey, were
dragged and deposited fer the night. only
to be carried In the morning 10 TybuTn
and. on the anniversary of the death Of
Charles ], hung on the gallows tn even
ing, then to be taken down, the heads
cut of and fixed on Westminster Hall,
and the trunks thrown into pit. There
IS even evidence that the trunks were
brought back to Eye Olde Red Lion"
and buried in It's courtyard under an
sObelisk; but, whatever became of the
bodies, It appears certain that the night
previous to their exposure on the gibbet
they rested at ''Ye Olde Red Lion.
Within the walls OF ''Ye Olde Red
Lion" however, little is TO be found Of
the gloom which might be expected TO
attach to a hosiery. with such grew
some history. AS. in the more fortunate
days OF Cromwell. it was celebrated as a
coaching house 10 which on many his
toric occasions the gentry Of the country
focked. so to-day It is the rendezvous
OF the elite OF the BOhemians who live
or work in its vicinity. Indeed, in this
respect, it is quite unique for hardly
anywhere else in London is there such
a camaraderi9 OF gOOd-feIlowship. such
good-natured conviviality as may be
found IN ''Ye Olde Red Lion" OF a win
terS night One would have 10 90 to
Paris, among the cafes Of lie Quarter
Latin or the Cabarets OF Montmartre
TO find its parallel.
Il must be here remembered that the
interior Of an English public house,
especially an old one, is far removed in
appearance and life from that Of an
American. IN the first place, there does
not exist that air Of commeTcialism
which looks upon the patron as prima-
Tily a source Of revenue. and seCOndarily
considerable OF a nuisance If he does
not step up and buy something, and keep
buying while he Is in there. He is more
truly the guest OF the landlord and,
though the establishment is, of course,
supported by the trade OF its customers,
the habitUe is far less led to feel that
his welcome depends solely upon the
money he pOurs into its Golfers than is
the case in an American saloon. In all
English taverns of the older type good
fellowship and Bohemian camaraderie
count for much more. and the pub is
more the habitue's club and place of
social gathering than is the case in the
United States It is for the existence
and fostering OF this spirit that "Ye
Olde Red Lion" is to be particularly
commended, and, in this sense, no land
lord dispenses a larger or more welcome
hospitality than does the present pro-
prietor. Herbert ". Moy, or, as he is
more Familiarity known 20 his friends,
Bert" or, jOcularly, Mr.. Moy, of Eng
land"
aye 0lde Red Loon" is. Of course, like
most London taverns of its class. divided
into three compartments, seYerally
known as the public bar. the wine bar.
and the saloon bar. Between these are