CHAPTER XVII.

Return of Lady Steele from Wales-Contrast in facility of travelling with present time-Retrospect of occurrences during Steele's visit to Edinburgh-Flattering reception among the higher classes-His humorous mode of studying character-A curious dinner partyIntercourse with the clergy-Anecdotes of some popular preachers -Project of Steele's for an ecclesiastical union-Scottish intelligence -the Tower of Repentance-Return to London-Failure of the Fish-pool invention from unforeseen causes-Visit to Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim, with Bishop Hoadly-Anecdotes at an amateur performance there, and at a public dinner with the BishopSteele's kindness to Richard Savage-Anecdotes related by the latter -Notice of Savage-Death of Lady Steele-Her character-Lines addressed to her husband-Royal Theatricals at Hampton Court.

THE event so long discussed at length occurred-Lady Steele returned to town from Wales-and we may reasonably hope that the joyful meeting, which Sir Richard prayed for, was, notwithstanding one little recent passage. of arms between them, fully realised. Of the fact, however, we have no account, as the foregoing letters close the correspondence with his wife, not only for the year 1717, but, with one solitary exception, finally.* From the

As there will occur no opportunity of introducing in the text this final memorial of their epistolary intercourse, it is here given as a note :

Monday morn., June 23, 1718.

DEAR PRUE,-I send this messenger to inform you I shall not be with you till eight o'clock to-morrow morning. At that hour, God willing, I shall reach Hampton Court, and hasten (as soon as I have taken up you and the rest of my

same cause we are left in the dark as to the mode in which the journey was performed, whether by the stage-coach or the coach and six, with which it was proposed to astonish the natives of the principality. One thing is certain, that Steele himself did not go down to see his wife's estate, as he had proposed, nor did he succeed in carrying out that intention till he sought it as a retirement in broken health and fortune. It may seem amusing to us at this time of day, with the locomotive privileges we enjoy, to find so much made of this journey. But in those days, what between bad roads and the other appliances of travelling, we must presume equally primitive, it was rather a formidable affair. We find Steele replying to his wife's letters at an interval of five days; and though we might be disposed to attribute part of this to delay in writing, yet, besides that this inference is negatived by Steele's remarkable punctuality in that respect, this is the exact time recorded by Swift as having been occupied in his journey between Chester and London.

Before entering on the events of the year 1718, to which we are now arrived, it will be necessary to advert to those of the close of the year preceding, to which only a very general reference has been made by Steele in his letters. We cannot tell exactly the length of his stay in Edinburgh, as the date of his first letter from thence was probably some little time after his arrival, though he does not state, but we may infer, that his business arrangements, which dear cargo) to London, where it is necessary I should be in the forenoon.-I am, dear Prue, your most affectionate, most obedient, husband and servant,

RICH. STEELE.

I was so pleased with my son from his lodging to Hampton that I shall, please God, take him with me to Scotland.

had been so long pending, might interfere with his writing immediately. He started from town on the 21st October, reached Stamford on the 23d, and his letter from Edinburgh is dated the 5th November. However, his visit to Scotland could not have exceeded about ten days, but into that space he appears to have crowded a considerable amount of incident. Though the nature of his errand might naturally have tended to his prejudice in the popular mind, yet the chronicles of the times record that he was received by the higher classes with every mark of distinction, and this is confirmed by the statement of his letter of the 15th November, where he tells his wife she cannot imagine the civilities and honours done him. This led him to consider whether he might not turn this regard to what he considered good account, by opening up the question of perfecting the union, by extending it to a uniformity of ecclesiastical policy north and south of the Tweed. Not deterred from so hopeless an undertaking by previous failures, or feeling, like Fitz-James, the danger of the enterprise a sufficient incentive, he held communications with some of the Presbyters by way of feeling the pulse of the ministers on the subject. Among those with whom he conversed with that view, was a Mr Hart, whom Sir Richard, from the reputation he had of preaching the terrors of the law, called the hangman of the gospel. Notwithstanding this professional austerity of behaviour, he was in private a very good-natured and facetious man, so that Steele contracted a friendship for him, which he afterwards maintained by occasional correspondence. The project, however, in which it originated, as may be imagined, never came to anything. In order to get an

insight into the peculiar genius of the people, and to study their character and humour where they were to be found unrestrained by conventionalities, Steele, during this visit to the Scottish metropolis, made a great feast, and, when the preparations were completed, directed his servants to gather all the poor they could find in the streets and lanes, and invite them to the entertainment. In this way Steele soon found himself surrounded by two or three score of poor and decayed people, at whose head he presided as host. After partaking of substantial fare to their satisfaction, they were supplied with punch and other beverages, under the influence of which care was soon banished, and they gave a loose to their native humours and unrestrained gaiety of heart, which, as their entertainer anticipated, produced a fund of drollery, mirth, and broad, but not the less genuine, humour. The mirth, hilarity, and ludicrous incidents of the novel scene were no doubt highly enjoyed by the entertainer, whose satisfaction in beholding so many happy human faces of his making, may be well conceived; and he afterwards stated that, in addition to the pleasure of filling so many empty stomachs, he had been furnished with materials enough for a good comedy.*

Probably this humorous frolic may have contributed to keep Steele in popular remembrance in Scotland, as we find an anecdote which has descended in reference to the period of this visit recorded by Scott.+ On a hill near Hoddom Castle, a structure dating back to the middle of the fifteenth century, and picturesquely situated on the

* Cibber's Lives of the Poets, vol. iv. p. 118.

+ Border Minstrelsy.

1717.] Scottish Intelligence-Tower of Repentance. 155

river Annan, is a square building known as the Tower of Repentance, from a device of a serpent and a dove with that word inscribed upon it. This tower is said to have been built by a certain Lord Herries, who, like the Rhine barons, followed the "carrying" trade, and had perpetrated deeds of cruelty and blood, as a monument of his remorse. It may have been passed by Sir Richard on his road either going or returning in his journey, as his limited stay in Scotland, as well as the season of the year, and the business nature of his visit, forbid the supposition that he could have indulged his curiosity to any extent beyond the vicinity of Edinburgh in pursuit of the picturesque. The story relates that as Sir Richard rode in this neighbourhood he passed a shepherd lad reading his Bible, and inquired of him what he learned from it, to which the boy replied, "The way to heaven." "An' can you shew it to me?" returned Sir Richard in banter. "You must go by that tower," said the shepherd lad, as he pointed to the hill and informed his querist of the name of the structure upon it.

The year 1718 was as full of incident in reference to Steele as the preceding year or two had been barren, and the only difficulty is so to dispose them as to display them in their proper lights, and without the effect of crowding. We have seen from various allusions in his correspondence the slow progress in bringing to completion his invention. called the Fishpool. The aim of this project was to bring fish alive from any part of the kingdom, but with special reference to salmon from the coast of Ireland to the London market, where it then sold at the enormous price of five shillings the pound. No wonder that he should have buoyed himself up with the prospect of a handsome fortune.