Page:Eight Friends of the Great - WP Courtney.djvu/63

 Rh It was known that he was stopping with Bott, and the character of his host's parties was common gossip in the neighbourhood. By service time, the fact that a party of the usual character, lasting far into Sunday morning, had been given by Bott, was the open secret of every member of the congregation. But it was concealed from them that Warner had retired "unharmed in decorous time to his apartment." His appearance in the pulpit was therefore eagerly expected. Punctual as clockwork he mounted the stairs and delivered a "beautiful and touching discourse on the story of the Shunamite woman and her son." At the close of the service many of those present crowded around the preacher with expressions of delight on the sermon. But one old dame who had not forgotten the details of the debauch at Bott's muttered, "Ey, ey—the sarmant was a fine one to be zure; and when I heard un in the pulpit, I thought he wur an angel, but when I hears his rigs out o't, I thinks he is a devil."

Campbell was astonished to find that "according to the custom of London" a duly-ordained clergyman could by a licence from the bishop perform divine service in a chapel which had been built as a speculation. He erred in the statement that the custom was peculiar to this diocese, for proprietary chapels could be found in other cities where wealthy and fashionable congregations met together, and notably at Bath. The preacher's income would be drawn from the pew-rents, and in Warner's case they would bring "a goodly revenue," for Tavistock chapel was "capacious of the square figure, and well-filled." Campbell afterwards learnt that Warner had sold the building for four thousand five hundred pounds, and he naively pens the reflection, "so these shops for preaching are bought and sold like other warehouses or theatres." It has been said that the purchase was made by the rev. John Glen King, D.D., who had held the position of chaplain at St. Petersburgh, and the date of