after borrowing nine shillings and sixpence on "my Bezoar stone," and going to the Temple to receive "my pension," Richard starts on the 1st of September, 1696, by hoy for Sandwich. The voyage is long and tedious, the weather being bad, but after a day and a night at sea they drop anchor, and Richard solaces himself with punch and good fellowship at the Three Kings at Sandwich

the taverns in Fleet Street, probably under | paid (or not paid) 35s. to Rolfe, the barthe ward of a keeper. Brother Francis ber. But Benson pawns his linen for is appealed to daily by letter, and pending Ios., and brother Francis sends funds, so his reply all the old boon companions come in and out of the prison, dine there, drink there, and get drunk in the vaults, Benson and Catherine Wilson coming every day with clothes, books, and comfort. At the end of the month of May the parson brother, Francis, arrives, and after a month of negotiation at the Custom House and the law courts, and much drinking and dining as usual, a bond is signed and sealed at the Three Tuns tavern, "Sales standing my friend," and Richard Bere is free again.

But imprudent Richard, after a sharp fit of the gout, soon falls into his old habits again, and on the 6th of September confesses that he got into a row at the Dog tavern in Drury Lane" about drinking the Prince of Wales's health," an indiscreet thing enough considering that his Custom House accounts were still unsettled, and his own petition to the Treasury unanswered. On the 1st of July, whilst he and his friend Sales are dining at the Crown, the constables walk Sales off to prison, "and then go to the Globe tavern and arrest his landlady, and Andrew Lloyd the author." And so the diary goes on; his accounts still unpaid, but Richard full of the tobacco business, with petitions to the king and interviews with Treasury officials. Then there is some great Irish wool scheme, which necessitates much dancing attendance on the Duke of Ormond, but does not seem to result in much. His boon companions evidently do not think much of his chance of recovering anything from the Treasury, for "they made me promise B. Skynner a new wig if ever I received my £74 4s. on the king's order."

On his arrival at Danes Court "John gives me a bad account of my nephew Richard, who went back to school to-day." But John certainly does not set his son a good example, for he soon breaks out himself, and on the 21st of October, "after dining with my aunt," threatens to cut his wife's throat. For months after this the diary constantly records that "John came home raving drunk;""John from Sandwich to-day, very violent;" "John mad drunk all day;" "To Tilmanston church twice, John there raving drunk," and so on. On Christmas day, 1696, Richard, who as befits a parson's son, is all through an indefatigable church-goer, takes the sacrament at Tilmanston church, as he generally does on special days, John through all the Christmastide remaining drunk as usual. On the 18th of January, 1697, he gives his wife a black eye, and the next day it is Richard's turn, and he goes on a great drinking bout with Captain Whiston, and "got drunk and lost my white mare," whereupon the immaculate "John is very angry with me." On the 10th of February nephew Richard runs away from school again, and gets soundly whipped by his father, who remains drunk all the month. On the 15th of March uidings come to Danes Court that the master However much Richard may drink, he has been lodged in Dover jail, and his wife is frugal enough in his eating, for from and her brother start off next morning to this period to the end of the diary he con- find him. He has escaped somehow, and stantly records that for days together he gets back to Danes Court mad drunk just has eaten nothing but a little bread and as his household are returning from aftercheese, and the "one poor halfpennyworth noon service at Tilmanston church. This of bread to all this intolerable amount of goes on all March, and on the 26th John sack," is as applicable to Richard Bere as borrows money from an attorney, named it was to the fat knight. And he needs to Lynch, and seals a bond at Danes Court be sparing in his expenditure, for he is conveying all his goods to the lender as poor enough just now, notwithstanding his security, "being rabid drunk at the time." drinkings with the Duke of Richmond's A few days afterwards "the bailiffs nearly steward, with Stourton at the Rose in Pall took John, but he escaped by the quickMall, and his visits to Lord James Howardness of his mare." Echoes of more im. in Oxenden Street, for he is reduced to pawning his new lace ruffles for six shillings, and Benson could borrow nothing on his new wig, for which he had just VOL. LXXVII. 3956

LIVING AGE.

portant events occasionally reach Danes Court. On the 6th of April, 1692, news comes that the French have taken Jamaica, and that they have captured a merchant

fleet and convoys off Bilbao. Soon after consecration of St. Paul's, and on the

we hear of "French pirates infesting the Downs, and they had taken two of our ships," but the domestic troubles of the old Kentish manor house occupy most of the diary at this period; incorrigible young Richard runs away from school again and cannot be found for days; with some difficulty drunken John's accounts with Hill and Dilnot, of Sandwich, are arranged, but on the 24th of April he is lodged in jail at Canterbury on another suit, and is only released by more borrow ing from Lynch, and at once goes back to his drunken career again. An entry on the 29th of April, 1697, gives another inkling of Richard's Jacobite leanings. "Walking to Eythorne I met Petitt the parson and Captain March. We drank together and went to Walker's, where a Mr. Kelly defended the bad opinion that it was lawful for people to rise against the king if he violated his coronation oath."

15th of February, 1698, he attends his first service in the Cathedral, "from thence to the Temple Church, and so to the Trumpet, where I supped on black puddings and cheese. Home at eight, when my landlady besought me to pay the rent." On the 18th of April he sees Prince George, and on the 16th of May visits the ship Providence from New England, and thence to the Dolphin tavern until three in the morning. On the 9th of June, apparently fired by the example of some of the wits he meets in the coffee houses of Covent Garden, or in his favorite promenade at Gray's Inn Gardens, he records the fact that he wrote some satirical verses. The next day a fine new suit of clothes comes home, and he dons them with great pride. But alas! a sad thing happens. Drinking at the Sun with his friends, some of the latter" threw some beer over my fine garments," much to Richard's disgust. The quaint little gallowses on the margin are pretty frequent

All through May John continued drunk, and one day falling foul of his brother-in-now, and the names of the wretches who law, calls him a scurvy knave, and threatens to kick him out of his house. So Richard, having worn out his welcome at Danes Court, starts for town again, taking with him nephew Dick, who has just run away from school once more for the last time.

are hanged are often given. On the 29th of June, 1698, Richard visits the Duke of Norfolk at St. James's House with his friends Stourton and Orfeur. "Thence to St. James's Park, to see a race between two youths, where I met Churchill."

Richard becomes certainly more respectable as he gets older, and beyond a slight flirtation with his landlady, Mrs. Stokes, of Short's Gardens, we hear little of his gallantries henceforward. He is certainly more prosperous, too, in some mysterious way, owing to a voyage he makes, apparently in an official capacity, from Gosport to Flanders, for which a sum of ninety-five guineas is handed to him. He says nothing of his adventures

He lodges henceforward at Stokes's in Short's Gardens, and pays ten shillings a month for his room. Every morning two or three taverns are visited with Stourton, Churchill, and others, where unfortunately they are sometimes imprudent enough to drink deep to the health of King James. Metheglin and mum are occasional drinks, but brandy the most usual, and black puddings seem a favorite dish for dinner. On the 19th of October,|in Flanders, where, however, he only lands 1697, peace is proclaimed with France, at Ostend for a few days from his ship the and on the 16th of the following month the Good Hope. The voyage, however, is king enters the city in state, and on the evidently an important one for him, as he 2nd of December the peace rejoicings has spoken of it on and off for many were crowned by a great display of fire- months, and takes a special journey to works, and a banquet given by the Earl of Cambridge to see brother Francis before Romney to the king. Richard's petition setting out. On the 19th of October, after five years' waiting is favorably re- 1698, he anchors in Dover Roads on his ported upon by the commissioners of return, and goes thence to Danes Court, customs, and during all the winter he where he stays over Christmas, and rehaunts Whitehall and the ante-room of turns to London in January, 1699. His Lord Coningsby to get the recommenda- friend Churchill has now taken the Treastion carried out by the Treasury. But ury matter in hand, and after many one obstacle after the other is raised, the months of hope deferred Richard Bere papers are sent backwards and forwards, gets his £74 4s. at last in October. But and it is fully two years longer before Churchill wanted paying, and on the morRichard at last receives his money. On row of the payment "Churchill came to the 2nd of December, 1697, he records theme drunk, and quarrelled with me because

I would not give him the money he want- | Fogge is still usually drunk; and in Oced." I suspect the money was all spent tober of that year a most important thing long ago, for Richard has often enough happens to Richard Bere. On the 23rd gone into the city to borrow five or ten of that month he visits the aged Lady Mopounds "on the king's order." He is very nins at Waldershare, the next mansion to methodical about money matters, too, for Danes Court. His sister, Mrs. Fogge, is all his apparent improvidence. He has a with him; and staying with Lady Monins boon companion named Henry Johnson, is a certain Lucy Boys, presumably a who during the autumn and winter of daughter of Captain Boys, the constable of 1699 drank mainly at his expense. Every Walmer Castle. After dinner, Richard, penny thus spent is noted against the who was then forty-nine years of age, date in the diary, and a neat account of whispered soft words of love to this young the whole, headed "Expenditure on ac- lady, and the next day he records the fact count of Henry Johnson," is bound up that he sent her a tender love-letter. The with the diary. From this it appears that maiden, nothing loath, sends him an anJohnson consumed over seven pounds swer next day, and a few days afterwards worth of brandy at various taverns with comes herself to visit Mrs. Fogge at Danes Richard in about five months. On the Court. Of course, Richard improves the 27th of January, 1700, Richard visits the occasion, and, as he says, "makes love Duke of Norfolk; but it is rather a falling again." For the next week a lively interoff to be told that he goes straight from change of notes takes place between Danes the duke's to eat black puddings at Smith's. Court and Waldershare; and on the 8th In July of the same year he goes to see a of November Lucy Boys thinks it time to witch called Anna Wilkes, a prisoner in go home to Walmer Castle. It is not the Marshalsea, and the same day he quite in the direct road, but she called to learns in the Tilt Yard that his boon say good-bye to Mrs. Fogge at Danes companion Stourton is made deputy gov- Court, and, of course, Mr. Richard Bere ernor of Windsor. On the 30th of July thought well to go in the coach with her the young Duke of Gloucester dies, and to Walmer. "We pledged," he says, "to one day next week Richard, after drinking marry each other, and solemnly promised punch with Mr. Van Dyk, tries to see the to marry no one else." On the 16th of body of the young prince at the lying in December he again goes to Waldershare, state, but fails. His brother Francis is in and they again renew their pledge, and town about the first fruits and fees of his Lady Monins promised all her influence new fat living, and Richard is his surety with her grandson-in-law, the great Earl for £48 Is. 8d. to the king, and when Poulet, to forward Richard's fortunes. Francis has got comfortably settled in his Early in January, 1703, Richard speeds to new rectory in July, 1701, Richard takes London with a letter from Lucy Boys to the ship Providence for Liverpool to visit Lord Poulet in his pocket. The peer welhim. They take a fortnight to get there; comes him warmly, promises him great and when he arrives a gentleman comes things at the Treasury and elsewhere, and on board and announces that brother Fran- loving letters still speed backward and cis has married his (the gentleman's) sis- forward between London and Walmer. ter, whereupon Richard is much surprised, Richard is constant at Lord Poulet's levées, and promptly borrows some money from and at last, on the 25th of March, 1703, his new connection. There are great high Richard is introduced to the all-powerful jinks at Prescot, and Richard is in his Lord Godolphin, who promises him a good element. He dines and carouses with office, upon the strength of which he "boreverybody, from his brother's glebe-ten- rows another £5 of Gawler." But Richants to the Earl of Derby at Knowsley, ard complains of lameness on the very gets drunk constantly, breaks his nose, day that he saw Godolphin, and the next loses his horse and money, quarrels in his entry in the diary is carefully traced with cups with a good many of his friends, a trembling hand at the bottom of the toasts King James III., and enjoys himself page nearly three months afterwards. greatly. It is to be noted that his broth- Richard had fallen ill of gout, fever, and er's curate generally shaved him during rheumatism, and had not left the room for his stay. On the 13th of June, 1702, King ten weeks, “attended by Mr. Sheppery of William's death is recorded, and soon Drury Lane, my surgeon Mr. Williams, after the diarist returns to London by and my housekeeper Mrs. Cockman." In road, taking up his quarters at Stokes's, July he was well enough to go to Danes Short's Gardens, again. In the autumn Court, and on the 11th of August visited he goes to Danes Court, where John Waldershare with his sister. There, walk