Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-29
An Old English Tavern
Where Famous Men Met

TT is an accepted fact that Englishmen
are so used to the historic beauties in
= monument and atmosphere which sur
round them that they pay little attention
to these. having become accustomed, as it
were. to the clicking of the old clock. A
remarkable example of this is the case OF
that tavern in Fleet street. I'VE Ode
Cheshire Cheese" where every day of the
European season crowds of Americans
make "a pilgrimage and where. compare
lively speaking, few Englishmen go.
And yet this is one of the places of i'm
portance in the literary history of Eng
land. 1t was the last of these taverns
where literary masters gathered. It's age
is matter of doubt for it was rebuilt
after the fire of London but since that
time the Cheese has accumulated
enough history to place it at the top of
the antique tree which one loves to climb
for a day-dream.
Here Ben Jonson threw jest and COM
ment among his friends, here the quaint
and curious H,rrick reCited his odd
verses in the intervals when he was not
at the Mermaid; here DR.. Samuel john
son roared his retorts, eltigrams and dis
pute-if-you-dare" assertions Here, too.
sat Oliver Goldsmith on one side, quiet
and linobtruSiVe, but when he did open
his mouth, saying something and on
the otner side. they say, sat Boswell.
drinking in the words of the photographer
and mentally noting them for the bog
raphy. Ale flowed like water and thFSe
men driftod with the stream
The old Cheese is in Wine court. be-
tween two little alleys running off Fleet
street. The sun never gets in there, but
the dim shadows of the place lend to the
enchantment of it's atmosphere. Here
ghosts-rollickinS ghosts-shout uproaI-
iously through the silence. and hare were
born over a tankard of English beer some
of the thoughts and sayings which. en-
bodied into literary productions. have
come to be reVered Oy millions who nave
never seen their birthplace.
The Wine court alley is the main en-
trance. Goldsmith lived at No. and
there wrote The Vicar of Wakefield.
The entrance TO the tavern. Oh ne
loved, is across the alley and leads into
a low-ceiled room subdivided with nu-
merous partitions that make the coy
corners so dear to the men who fire.
quented them. To the left is the bar, to
the right the dining room, the counters.
tables. chairs and walls, which are all
nicked. elbow-rubbed and black with agt.
No line that is straight meets the eye.
the whole impression Is OF sinking foun-
datiun and warpnS wood. From the CEN
ter arises Il spiral, step-worn flight of
stairs ascending to the Kitchen and an
upper dining ROOM where on other days
the wcrthies smoked Their church warden
pipes by the grlulron.
That IS the old tavern, the walls of
which are adorned with pictures of john
son and other celebrities. Pen ana ink
sketches OF later famous men who ate
ana drank there, and dosgerel bits Of wit
inscribed with pencil, quill and knife are
features OF the mahogany boards.
Waiter at tie Cheshire Cheese,
Uncertain. -ruI and hard t. please,
When 3uppencc sinuoths thy angry brow
\ mlnister.II an-e4 thou.
In the upper dining room is Johnson S
old armchair, but on the lower floor.
where he usually sat. brass plate re-
cords the fact: