Various - The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 473, January 29, 1831

May Pole , which was removed in 1713. 7 7 The old May-pole often mentioned as in a state of decay in various publications, which stood almost on the site of the present church, was removed in 1713, and a new one erected July 4, opposite Somerset House, which had two gilt balls and a vane on the summit, decorated on rejoicing days with flags and garlands.—When the second May-pole was taken down, in May, 1718, Sir Isaac Newton procured it from the inhabitants, and afterwards sent it to the Rev. Mr. Pound, rector of Wanstead, Essex, who obtained permission from Lord Castlemain to erect it in Wanstead Park, for the support of the then largest telescope in Europe, made by Monsieur Hugon, and presented by him to the Royal Society, of which he was a member. This enormous instrument, 125 feet in length, had not long remained in the park, when the following limping verses were affixed to the May-pole: "Once I adorn'd the Strand, But now have found My way to pound, In Baron Newton's land; Where my aspiring head aloft is rear'd, T' observe the motions of the ethereal herd. "Here sometimes rais'd a machine by my side, Through which is seen the sparkling milky tide: Here oft I'm scented with a balmy dew, A pleasing blessing which the Strand ne'er knew. "There stood I only to receive abuse, But here converted to a nobler use; So that with me all passengers will say, I'm better far than when the Pole of May." The next mansion was the Palace of the Savoy , adjoining to the walls of which were the gardens of the Bishop Carlisle's Inn , afterwards called Worcester House , now the site of Beaufort Buildings. The next in succession was Salisbury House , which has given name to Salisbury and Cecil Streets. Proceeding onwards, and passing over Ivy Bridge , the magnificent structure of Durham House presented itself, which at one period was a royal palace. Nearly adjoining was an Inn belonging to the Bishops of Norwich , afterwards called York House , from becoming the residence of the Archbishops of York, when their former mansion at Whitehall was converted into a royal palace by Henry the Eighth. York Stairs, at the bottom of Buckingham Street, still marks the water-gate of the estate, which subsequently became the property of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, whose names and titles are perpetuated in the various streets, &c. built upon it. The last mansion near the village of Charing, and now the only remaining one, was called Northampton House , afterwards Suffolk House , and now Northumberland House , from being the residence of the Dukes of Northumberland.

"On the north side, the Strand presented but few houses of note. Wimbledon House , on the spot lately occupied by D'Oyley's Warehouse, which had been erected by Sir Edward Cecil, was burnt down in 1628. At a little distance, westward, was Burghley House , afterwards Exeter House , and now partly occupied by Exeter 'Change; on the other part, and its attached ground, were erected the several streets and alleys receiving names from the Cecil family."

Edward Rose, who died at Barnes, bequeathed an annual amount of 20 l . to the parish, on condition that rose-trees should be planted round his tomb.

Vide Crofton Croker.

R.A. 8 8 Our correspondent assures us that the above lines were written many months before "The Tribute of Roses" appeared in the Literary Gazette .—See Mirror , vol. xvi. page 176.

In illustration of your correspondent P.T.W.'s article, entitled "Halcyon Days," in No. 471, I beg to furnish you with the following, from a friend's album:—

H.H.C.

In No. 437 of the Mirror , is an account of "Clarence and its Royal Dukes, " which seems to imply that the title is derived from a town in Suffolk; but according to a recent traveller, the origin is of much older date, having descended by marriage, from the Latin conquerors of Greece. He thus describes the ancient town of Clarentza:—"One of the most prominent objects was Castel Tornese, an old Venetian fort, now a ruin, but in former days affording protection to the town of Chiarenza, or Clarentza, which, by a strange decree of fortune, has given the title of Clarence to our Royal Family. It would appear that at the time when the Latin conquerors of Constantinople divided the Western Empire amongst their leading chieftains, Clarentza, with the district around it, and which comprised almost all of ancient Elis, was formed into a Duchy, and fell to the lot of one of the victorious nobles, who transmitted the title and dukedom to his descendants, until the male line failed, and the heiress of Clarence married into the Hainault family. By this union, Phillippa, the consort of Edward III. became the representative of the Dukes of Clarence; and on this account was Prince Lionel invested with the title, which has since remained in our Royal Family. It is certainly singular that a wretched village in Greece should have bestowed its name upon the British monarch." According to the above account, Clarentia, I should suppose, is a corruption of Clarentza, and, perhaps, took its name in honour of the son of the warlike Edward; but, as to a "wretched village in Greece," bestowing its name upon the British monarch, the writer must be aware, according to his own account, that in ancient times Clarentza was no more a poor village, than Clare is what it was, when the wassail bowl cheered the baronial hall of its now mouldering castle.

W.G.C.

Washington Irving. Читать дальше