Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 4.djvu/243

 12 S. IV. SEPT., 1918.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

237

given to an incident recorded jn a rare pamphlet published in 1755, and kindly lent me by the late Mr. G. A. Aitken. M.V.O., the biographer of Steele and Arbuthnot. The title runs : "A Faithful Narrative of the late pretended Gun Powder Plot : in a letter to the Rt. Hon. Stephen Theodore Janssen, Esq., Lord Mayor of London. By Mr. Lockman, Secretary to the Society of the Free British Fishery." On pp. 17 and 18 it is recorded :

" During the time of the confinement of these persons at Mr. Fielding's (as likewise at Mr. Carrington's) they were treated like gentlemen, and offered every sort of refreshment. On this account Mr. May, at his leaving the above magistrate's, desired to reward his servants, both for their civility and for the trouble he had given. But as Mr. Fielding could not be prevailed upon to take a farthing, and as Mr. May insisted upon leaving some money, and did so, the former immediately sent it to one of the hospitals."

This does not, of course, disprove Hickey's suggestion, but it is evidence, with the advantage of being direct instead of in- ferential, that Sir John Fielding was capable of declining money to which he was not strictly entitled in virtue of his office.

If this be not considered sufficient to vindicate Sir John's integrity, then I may be permitted to quote some very pertinent observations from his ' Extracts from such of the Penal Laws as particularly relate to the Peaca and Good Order of this Metro- polis,' published in 1769 (the very period to which Hickey refers) a book also note- worthy for containing ' A Treatise on the Office of a Constable,' by' his celebrated half-brother Henry Fielding, but not as yet recognized as his work. After setting out the main provisions of the Disorderly Houses Act, 1751 (25 Geo. II. c. 36), Sir John Fielding proceeds (p. 65) :

" From these extracts of this recent statute, the method of suppressing disorderly houses is clearly explained, though by insinuations to be met with one would imagine that a Justice of the Peace could as easily suppress a bawdy-house as discharge a domestic servant. By the Police in an arbitrary Government, this, perhaps, might be done ; but an English Police can only prevent by seasonable cautions, and only punish on due informations and legal proofs. The Laws of England are not to be executed on caprice or fancy, but by the administration of solemn oaths ; and, as the Law itself says, by the testimony of one or more credible witnesses on oath.

" It has been often observed in the public Papers, and from thence generally believed, that all the bawdy-houses in and near Covent Garden had licences from the Justice of Peace of that parish to sell liquors, consequently were in that respect countenanced by him ; and this mistake has arose, and been propagated by ignorant enquirers, who when they have drank a bottle of

wine at a bawdy-house, have asked the"keepers thereof if they had not a licence for selling that liquor, to which the bawd might wjfth truth'answer that she had, and from hence the enquirer con- cluded that it must be a Justice of Peace's licence. But the fact is quite otherwise, for all or most of these houses have wine licences granted to them by the Commissioners of the Stamp Office.

" When the present Sir John Fielding first came to reside in Covent Garden, he took away the Justice of Peace's licence as well from the Bagnio's as these houses, nor has he neglected the faithful execution of his duty on any one Information laid before him relative to them ; and here it may be proper to observe that one of the principal causes of the number of bawdy-houses being collected together in and near that'parish, is there having been several estates in the courts and contiguous streets where the leases of the houses were so near expiring, that it was not worth while to repair them till they were out, by which means they were let for almost anything to the lowest of wretches, who hired three or four of them and filled them with common prostitutes ; this made Exeter Street, Change Court, Eagle Court and Little Catherine Street so infamous, that it was dangerous for persons to pass or repass through these streets r and as the publicans and inferior shop keepers in their neighbourhoods were sup- ported by these houses, there could be little hopes of their making informations against them, and the expence of indictments and prosecutions upon them in the Courts of Justice prevented the Law being put in execution ; but it is apprehended, that if a power was given to two or more Justices of the Peace to enquire into these offences in a summary way, and on the conviction of such bawds, to commit them for three months and make them pay a penalty of 101., it would suppress the evil to a desirable degree, for perhaps the total suppression of them might give strength and countenance to a worse vice, already too common."

J. PAUL DE CASTRO.

1 Essex Court, Temple.

TENNIEL'S BOOK-ILLUSTRATIONS.

No attempt, so far as a devoted collector is aware, having hitherto been made to catalogue the work of the late Sir John Tenniel, he ventures to put forth the follow- ing as a complete or nearly complete list. It will be noticed that Tenniel contributed two or three designs to numerous " gift- books," but only a few were entirely illus- trated by him.

1. ' Undine,' by Baron de la Motte Fouque\

Edition published by James Burns (but apparently printed abroad). 11 delicate illustrations signed " John Tenniel Junr." I believe this to be his first published work. 1845.

2. 'Poems and Pictures' (Burns). A book of

ballad poetry. 3 designs. 1846.

3. Sharpens London Magazine. No. 16, Feb. 7,

1846, ' St. Michael's Eve.' No. 74, March 27,

1847, ' Griseldis.' Poorly engraved.