Page:Eight Friends of the Great - WP Courtney.djvu/88

 68 in a vault under the church in the square on the 30th of that month. The date of the commencement of the new century was an amiable weakness of the Doctor. He originated at a convivial party the view that it began with the year 1800, and boldly maintained his opinion in argument against all comers. Oddly enough the bets were decided in his favour by the two referees and, what is not odd to those acquainted with Warner " many cheerful parties arose out of it." His friends who held the contrary sentiment used jocularly to say that he ought to lie "perdu for that year. They little imagined that their raillery was to be converted into a fatal prediction." The new-year came, and on the 22nd day of its first month Warner lay dead. Warner's will contains many points of interest. Two out of the three executors and trustees were the rev. Dr. Raine, of the Charterhouse, a very distinguished scholar, and his brother Jonathan Raine, of equal eminence in the law. Mourning rings were left to many illustrious persons. The list included, besides Tooke and Cartwright, the names of sir Richard Colt Hoare, Robert Fergusson, William Hayley, William Bosville, William Frend, Thomas Wakefield and his brother, Gilbert Wakefield and bore striking witness to his friendship with those prominent in the cause of reform. His sisters Frances Mary S l John, Louisa Henrietta Warner and a third woman, Susanna Lambert, received £100 a year for life " not to be under the control of present or future husbands." Warner as we have seen, had determined to apply the bulk of his substance to the education and training of a promising youth. His name is set out in the will as " Philip Courtenay, now of the Charterhouse School, whom I have chosen to be my heir and residuary legatee." The books of Warner were to be kept in some place until the heir had a